Thursday, December 30, 2010

2010 Reads

I think 2010 may have been my slowest reading year ever...either that or I forgot to keep track of them very well ala the eHarlequin Book Challenge! (12 Blaze, 1 Desire, 1 American, 1 Presents, 1 SuperRomance)
  1. Knowing The Score by Marie Donovan (Blaze)
  2. Better Naughty Than Nice by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jill Shalvis & Rhonda Nelson (Blaze)
  3. Just Fooling Aroung by Julie Kenner & Kathleen O'Rielly (Blaze)
  4. Born on the 4th of July by Jill Shalvis, Rhonda Nelson & Karen Foley (Blaze)
  5. Wanted! by Vicki Lewis Thompson (Blaze)
  6. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
  7. This Is Why You're Fat by Jacki Warner
  8. The IntenSati Method by Patricia Moreno
  9. The Tycoon's Son by Cindy Kirk (Mediterranean Nights)
  10. No Wonder My Parents Drank by Jay Mohr
  11. Love, Lust & Faking It by Jenny McCarthy
  12. A Homemade Christmas: Creative Ideas for an Earth-Friendly, Frugal, Festive Holiday
  13. Cherry Bomb by Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna 
  14. Married By Mistake by Abby Gaines (SuperRomance)
  15. The Greek Tycoon's Blackmailed Mistress by Lynne Graham (Presents) 
  16. The Best Man by George Davidson
  17. The Shift by Wayne Dyer
  18. Indulge Me by Isabel Sharpe (Blaze)
  19. Once A Cowboy by Linda Warren (American)
  20. Innuendo by Crystal Green (Blaze)
  21. Seduction By The Book by Stephanie Bond (Blaze)
  22. Dangerous Curves by Karen Anders (Blaze)
  23. Cody by Kimberly Raye (Blaze)
  24. Touch Me by Jacquie D'Alessandro (Blaze)
  25. More Than a Millionaire by Emilie Rose (Desire)
  26. Yours For The Night by Jasmine Haynes
  27. The Spark by Gaesser & Dougherty
  28. A Broom of One's Own by Nancy Peacock
  29. Sliding Into Home by Joanne Rock (Blaze)
  30. The Law of Attraction, Plain and Simple by Sonia Ricotti
  31. Feng Shui for Romance by Terah Kathryn Collins
  32. Double The Pleasure by Lori Foster, Deirde Martin, Jacqui D'Alessandro, Penny McCall 
  33. Believe It, Be It by Ali Vincent
  34. Made You Look by Jamie Sobrato (Blaze)
  35. Winter's Heat by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jade Lee & Anna DeStefano

Friday, December 17, 2010

LASIK

Since I loathe wearing glasses, and constant eye issues were preventing me from wearing contacts...I went in for LASIK surgery. There was a bit of worry that the corneal scarring would prevent me from having it, but a corneal specialist came in and fixed me right up.

Kinda. Things are still kinda blurry and eye strain is an issue. But, by next week I'll be seeing better than I have since I was 9. I'm quite excited!

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

How Stocked is Your Kitchen?

An article at Organizational Management made me wonder...just how many of the 80 kitchen essential ingredients do I have? Try it...

1. Garlic powder.
2. Sea salt. Nope....Kosher salt & table salt.
3. Whole or ground pepper. Just regular black pepper
4. Sage. It's in the garden...most of the year.
5. Red chili flakes.
6. Chili powder.
7. Bay leaves. At the old house I had a bay leaf bush. I miss it. Haven't been able to find another.
8. Ground coriander.
9. Onion powder. Really? I do have some...but I don't like it.
10. Cumin.
11. Ground mustard. The Hubster hates mustard.
12. Cayenne pepper.
13. Paprika.
14. Basic steak seasoning. Montreal steak seasoning! I also have a basic salt/pepper/garlic powder that I use for chicken.
15. Dried thyme.
16. Potatoes. TONS of Russets. I need to latke
17. Mushrooms. I tend to buy the regular button mushrooms...in the styrofoam package.
18. Onions.
19. Leafy green lettuce.
20. Bell peppers. Red
21. Garlic.
22. Apples.
23. Bananas.
24. Lemons and limes.
25. Oranges.
26. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
27. Chicken thighs.
28. A whole chicken.
29. Steaks.
30. Short ribs. Never gonna happen
31. Salmon.
32. Catfish.
33. De-veined, peeled shrimp.
34. Pork chops.
35. Ground beef or turkey. I need to get some. Always a good idea to have on hand
36. Canned tomatoes.
37. Canned fruits. - pinapple, mandarins...and fruit cups for Grace
38. Peanut butter.
39. Black beans.
40. Lentils.
41. Whole grain bread.
42. Baguette.
43. Salami. Oh...good idea!
44. Ham.
45. Sliced turkey.
46. Cheddar cheese.
47. Swiss cheese.
48. Avocado. Usually...but not right now.
49. Olives.
50. Pickles.
51. Good vanilla. Nope. Store brand. I like the flavor better
52. Cocoa powder. Two kinds :)
53. Half and half. I keep evaporated milk on hand instead.
54. All-purpose flour.
55. Whole wheat flour.
56. Granulated sugar.
57. Confectioner’s sugar.
58. Baking powder.
59. Baking soda.
60. Semi or bittersweet chocolate.
61. Whole grain crackers.
62. Dried lasagna sheets.
63. Spaghetti or fettuccini.
64. Ziti or penne.
65. Egg noodles.
66. Couscous
67. Quinoa.
68. Pancake mix.
69. Whole grain cereal.
70. Oatmeal.
71. Green beans.
72. Corn.
73. Edamame. not for my brood
74. Frozen Potatoes. no thanks
75. Bacon.
76. Strawberries. ew, not frozen!
77. Blueberries.
78. Almonds.
79. Stuffed pasta.
80. Pre-baked pizza crusts.

Bonus Essentials
Red and white wine vinegar.
Honey.
Marmalade jelly or preserves.
Tomato paste.
Salsa.

Monday, December 06, 2010

Cardio Jam

Thats the name of a fitness class I let my girlfriends talk me into. According to some of the dancers in the class, it's like Zumba without the rules. Since I have never Zumba'd...I have no idea. It's a crazy fast paced dance blitz that proves just how few peopple actually have any natural rhythm.

And yet...I still show up. It's not for the Michael Jackson song, that's for sure. Or the booty shakes. Or the chest pumps. For some reason I seem to enjoy flailing about a room in all my uncoordinated glory.

But only with my girls. I can Stability Ball or Yoga on my own...but I need moral support to Spin or Cardio Jam!