WTF!!! Too Funny!!!!!

So I stuck this frozen dinner in the microwave for lunch while I was getting the kids lunch ready. I put it in for the required 4 1/2 mins and let it stand for the 1-2 mins. Well when I opened the box I just bust out laughing! There were no freakin noodles in the entire box, and what little sauce there was, was mainly burned from being cooked for so long! All I could do was laugh my ass off! I wasn't angry, I just was amused. Well, I tried to call the 1- 800 number on the box only to be told that I can not call from my location. So I tried the website on the box, and found that it was in Canada and that was why I couldn't call. Not sure how I ended up with a frozen lunch from Canada, but oh well. I did send off an e-mail to the company explaining what I've found and that I don't want anything in return. The meal was given to me for free so I don't need to be compensated! I've included pictures just in case you didn't believe me. This first is the box itself. Notice that it says new and improved flavor. Yeah, sure! The second is exactly how it looked when I took it out and opened it! And the third is with an added toothpick just to show the depth of what was in the box. Do you find it as hilarious as me? Or did you just need to be there????

Another running update!

So I am now half way through week 6! I still can't believe that I have made it this far without dying in the middle of the road somewhere! But I have. Yesterday I ran for 10 min., walked for only 3 min., and ran for another 10 min. That is a HUGE accomplishment for me. Tomorrow I'm suppose to run for something like a full 28 min but I highly doubt that. I will give it a try, but we will have to wait to see. Only 3 weeks left until my big race, and I'm still excited. I haven't stepped on a scale since starting this training, but I just may tonight. I know that if I have lost weight it was all gained back this week. I have a weakness for sweets and unfortunately I have had pumpkin pie and cinnabon this week. I just couldn't stay away!! Oh well. At least I'm exercising now!!

Happy little ditty!

You can't help but smile and want to dance to this!!!

Curious George!!!

Curious George came to one of the library's that are close to our house today. L is obsessed with him so as soon as I heard he was coming I just knew I had to take the kids. On Saturday at the main branch library that we normally go to they are having an open book festival. We will get to see Curious George again, as well as Clifford, Mercer Mayer Little Critters, Maisey, Cat in the Hat, and Skippyjon Jones. Plus there will be a craft time, a children's musician, a puppet play, and a meet and greet with Mo Willems. He wrote the Knuffle Bunny and the Pigeon stories. I actually really excited to meet him and get his autograph. We have a pigeon story and I may go pick up the Knuffle bunny story too! I will totally post pics from that day too!! Adam will be able to come with us that day so it may be easier to handle all of it!

This is great!!

You have got to love Tina Fey and Amy Poeler!

Oh crap!

My dearest son L has started to pick up on something that mommy and daddy say too often. He now says Dammit in the appropriate places. His favorite is to say "Oh man!! Dammit!!" when things don't go his way. Last night my sister and brother in law were over to visit, and L started to curse! Aunt Beth (whom L calls Uncle Beth because there are so many uncles) politely tells L that that isn't nice and we don't say that. (Adam and I have been trying to tell him this, and cut back on saying it ourselves!) L looks at Beth and says, "Uncle Beth, dammit so much!" We all tried so hard not to laugh! It was cute and bad all at the same time. Well I guess we have a lot more work to do!! No more saying that phrase anymore for us.

Well off to go get ready for book club. I'm hosting this month and have all my sweet treats made. Now I just need to do dishes, and clean the house! Yikes!!

Damn already????

So if some of you don't know, I live in close proximity to the great campus of Notre Dame in miserable South Bend! And for those of you that don't know, IT'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON!!!! Now we are not a sport crazed family by any means. But today, Thursday, I had to run to campus to drop something off for the dear old hubby (he works there!), and on my way out there are already people standing on the corners all the way to the main street scalping tickets for Saturday's game. Now come on!!! Do you really need to do that? I'm sure that there are going to be plenty of people crawling around campus Friday night and Saturday morning before the game that you don't need to be in my way on Thursday afternoon! Sorry, I know that this is just a vent, but it really bugged the hell out of me today.

Update on the running!

So I have been asked how my training is going. Well I'm half way through the 3rd week and it's getting tougher. I now have to run for 3 min. and then walk for 2 min. for a total of 20 min. This is hard for me to do since I've never been a runner, but I am proud to say that I did it! I didn't want to freak myself out so I didn't look at my watch for the first 3 min. run, and when I finally did I had gone over by 47 secs. I was pretty proud of myself. I do my runs in the morning before 8 am, and I get to run along the river walk. It is nice and quiet and I don't have to worry about any kids yelling names at me anymore. (They were calling me fatty and Run Forest while I was running around a track close to home. I'm already hard on myself, I don't need stupid high school kids picking on me!) I have set the date for the race that I am going to run in, and will be sending in my fee and application on Monday. I'm actually pretty excited about what I am doing. Unfortunately my eating hasn't gotten any better yet, but it will slowly! Thanks for the interest, and I'm sure Jennifer that you are doing awesome with your training too!!

Mom's birthday cake!

I got this really cool cake book from the library the other day and have been dying to try to make one. Today is my mom's birthday and I knew that this would be the perfect chance. The recipe is a little fancier than what I normally make. This one called for cake flour, whereas I normally use just good old all purpose. I felt so sophisticated buying cake flour, that I think I will try some more of these cakes in the book. Yes I know it looks a little lopsided, and as I was typing up the recipe down below I realized that I think I used baking soda instead of baking powder! Oops!! I'll let you know how it tastes! So here it is...

Update: It was actually really tasty even though I made that little mistake. Everyone was oooohing and aaaaaahing over it, maybe they were just being nice.

Chai cake with honey-ginger cream


1 1/3 cups milk
6 chai tea bags
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup cake flour
2 cups sugar
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
honey-ginger cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter the bottoms and sides of 3 8" round cake pans. Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or waxed paper.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over med.-low heat. Add the tea bags, being careful not to let the paper tags dip into the milk. Remove from heat and allow the tea bags to steep for about 5 min. Remove the tea bags, carefully squeezing the milk from them back into the pan. Let the chai milk cool completely.
3. In a med bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/3 cup chai milk. Whisk to blend.
4. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large mixer. Beat on low speed for about 30 sec to blend the dry ingredients. Add the butter, and the remaining chai milk and with the mixer on med.-low, beat to blend well. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter evenly amoung the 3 prepared pans.
5. Bake the cakes for 26-28 min. , or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pan for 10 min., then turn out onto wire racks. Peel off the paper and let cool completely.
6. To assemble, place one layer, flat side up on a cake stand, or serving platter. Top with 2/3 cup of the honey-ginger cream. Spread to the edge. Repeat with the next layer. Finally top the third layer with the rest of the cream. Spread all the way to the edge and allow to drizzle down the sides.

Honey-ginger cream

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 ounces softened cream cheese
6 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup honey (liquid)
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger

Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to incorporate, then scrape down the bowl and process until smooth and well blended.

Sky High: Irresistable triple-layer cakes
by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne