I got new headphones a few weeks ago. The headphones that came with my Ipod kept falling out of my ears. I think I may have larger than normal ear canals. The regular headphones that slide on the head, mess up my hair. I know I is vain. So I purchased a cute pink pair at Target (to match my Pink Ipod), similar to the picture below. But the plastic slidy things still fall off my ear. What can I say I have big ears.



Song Stuck In My Head: "Original of the Species" by U2

I had some left over Tamale Pie as well as some phyllo dough and decided to make turnovers. And it worked out splendidly. I used the below Tamale Pie recipe plus various shredded cheeses I had on hand. I put both the Tamale Pie and the cheeses in the phyllo and baked it for about half an hour at 325 in the oven. Good for appetizers or a snack.

California Tamale Pie
1 pound lean ground beef, browned
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
1 envelope chili seasoning mix
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 1/4 ounces sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
Stir together cornmeal, milk and egg. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese. Pour into crockpot, cover, cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Sprinkle cheese over top, cover and cook another 5 minutes.

Song Stuck In My Head: "Bad, Bad, Man" by John Cena

I hate when long weekends are over. This one seemed to go by really quickly. This is the third year my husband and I hosted Thanksgiving. Our parents and my brother came. Niel and I were reminiscing how much fun we had hosting it. Our first thanksgiving we ran around looking for a flavor injected and last year when we tried a Turducken. It was tasty. Niel was hoping that it would be whole animals in the Turkey but alas just parts of a duck and chicken.

The meal consisted of phyllo cups some filled with goat cheese, and mushroom, and others filled with goat cheese and red pepper jelly, or goat cheese and Pesto, my mom's eggplant dip, a scallion and chives cheese ball with garlic and onion chips, Turkey which Niel named Jimbo Jones, his mom's dressing, Spinach Gratin, gravy, cranberry sauce, Sweet potatoes, mini pies, mini rum apple tarts, store brought rainbow cookies, Pinoli cookies, and my mom's Baklava.

At midnight Niel attempted to get a DVD burner. It didn't work out so well. Read here for his funny and cold story. Friday we had our Star Wars viewing marathon. But we only got through 1 through 3. There were plenty of bathroom breaks and luckily some left overs for snacking. We only got through three because we got stuck in traffic while going to the library. I got stir crazy at home and then in the car. Hopefully the weekend when we return from our vacation we can watch 4, 5 and 6. Which I hate calling that.

Saturday Thanksgiving Niel, me, his mom and brother went to my aunts in laws home in Connecticut to bring Thanksgiving to them. Niel's aunts usually are able to come to our home, but one of them is quite sick. The food we took over was sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn pudding and left over turkey. Luckily Niel was able to eat his mother's dressing all weekend. She brought a pan as well to their house too, and Pernil (roast pork). After we got back we put up our Christmas decorations and took down our Thanksgiving ones.

Dave also stopped by a few times to our places since he was intown visiting his parents for the holiday weekend. Except for the handy work, grocery shopping, errands chores and laundry we squeezed in cause of team work Niel was a lucky boy. Pictures here.

And good bye to Pat Morita. Mr. Miyagi was one of my favorite 80's characters.

Song Stuck In My Head: "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope your day is surrounded by good people and food!

1. What do plan to do for Thanksgiving? (Are you cooking? Staying at home? Going to visit family?)We are hosting it again this year.

2. What are some Thanksgiving traditions that you have?
Well mine are still new and usually are before the dinner when everyone comes over. It's actually seeing how much fun Niel has basting that bird.

3. What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?
That it has no expectations of gifts or candy. Everyone just eats and is thankful.

4. Do plan to start Christmas shopping after Thanksgiving or are you already finished? I already started.

5. Think about what you are blessed with and list them if you'd like.
Health, my wonderful husband, our wacky family, a roof over our heads, to live somewhat comfortably, and good friends.




Song Stuck In My Head: "Peanut Butter and Jelly"

Funny quiz I got from my non bloggy pal Isabel.

I am 29% Goth.

Goth ny night, normal by day. Deep in my heart I know I am evil, but not on the company's time. I do need to eat.

Take the
Goth Test
@ FualiDotCom

Song Stuck In My Head: Theme song from Wonderfalls

I thought of more TV shows I watch. Reverend Run, My Fair Brady, Reno 911, Hogan Knows Best, The Gotti's, and occasionally Related. The husband of the oldest sister is none other than Callum Blue. Who played Mason on Dead Like Me. It's nice to see he is working. I also like his name. I don't watch all the shows during the same season though. I rotate shows when some are on hiatus. A great show I highly recommend on the FX channel is 30 Days hosted by Morgan Spurlock(from Super Size Me fame). I love the concept of taking someone out of their comfort zone and having them try to live in someone else's life for a month. As Niel put it, the show could have also been called "In My Shoes". The first one we saw was about a man from West Virginia who went to live among Arab Americans in Michigan and see how they lived. It is still hard to believe there are so many people who don't care to know about other cultures and beliefs. Or just try to put themselves in another person's shoes. They rather rely on their own stereotypes and live in fear of the unknown. I hope everyone will watch 30 Days and hopefully gain something positive from it.

Song Stuck In My Head: "Hung Up" by Madonna

First I'd like to thank everyone who left a comment Friday, sent us a card, or an email or called. Thank you to everyone who remembered and took the time to wish us well. We really appreciate it. Niel and I both took a three day weekend since Friday as you know was our anniversary. And it was a good weekend. Well it really didn't start off too good. I had a doctor's appointment Friday morning. I couldn't get an appointment to see him at any other time. My doctor did some allergy tests on me to see what I am allergic to other than cats. We both know I am allergic to cats. In fact he said I have the highest allergies he has ever seen to cats. But he wants to make sure it is only cats I am allergic to. I found out I am also allergic to dust, mold, smoke and mites. I currently take Singulair to treat my asthma caused by cat allergy but he says the Sudafed will not treat the scarring in my lungs caused by the allergies. So hopefully in over a year I will be cured of the asthma since that is how long I will have to take the shots for. I sort of don't buy it because why wouldn't more people do it? Maybe childhood asthma is different than asthma caused by allergies. I don't know. I'm just griping cause I have to go in a few hours a week and be poked plus have to pay for that. Not fun. And I have to go back in three months and get retested to see if the shots are working. During that time they will also do food allergy tests on me to see if I have food allergies also that may be the cause of my stomach problems and migraines. While I was getting stuck thirty times (I kid you not) Niel got a haircut but luckily there was not a lot of people ahead of him so he was finished quickly. Getting our errands out of the way. He came back and held my hand. Niel is a sweet guy. The doctor was so not gentle when he gave the injections even though I asked him to be. It felt like tiny fish hooks going in my skin. My right shoulder is still bumpy. I hate doctors. And I will never go fishing. Afterwards we grabbed some lunch and then went to watch the new Harry Potter film. It was great! If you thought the last one was dark then watch out for this fourth installment. None the less I enjoy visiting the world of Harry Potter. After that we went to have some dinner at a neat place Niel found in Brooklyn called the Drunken Catfish. The ambiance is really relaxing. They have nice big couches, and yummy inexpensive Southern cuisine. For our appetizer we shared a shrimp cocktail. They made the best sauce for it. Niel had ribs, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for his main course. I had fried green tomatoes, colorful coleslaw (red and green cabbage), and fried sweet potatoes that came in a bag. Niel got a kick out of that. We drank water, and Limonata. Basically lemonade and soda water. Really good. Then we went to see Avenue Q. Think raunchy Sesame Street. The show started off a bit slow and we really never warmed up to the Gary Coleman character but over all the show was very enjoyable. Do NOT take a kid to it though. Oh wait forgot to mentioned the gifts, as if the day was not wonderful enough. Heh heh. We actually exchanged gifts when we woke up. Cause I am really impatient. My gift for Niel was during the first 18 days of November I emailed Niel love songs, and on the 18th day I sent him the song that was played for our first dance as a married couple at our wedding. Wintertime Love by The Doors. I also got him a gift card to Jamba Juice, since Niel really LOVES Jamba Juice. The last gift was speakers for his Ipod. He's been wanting them for a bit now. They are suprisingly loud. But Niel's gifts topped mine. And I can say that honestly. His made me cry. He had the theme of the past, present and future. The past was things I enjoyed growing up. I got the The Brat Pack Collection and a U2's Rattle and Hum on video. The present gift was a lovely white gold cross, with a little diamond in it. Since we are relatively comfortable presently and can afford jewelry every now and then. And the future gift was a little ceramic egg that grows flowers. Because someday we'll have kids. Our future. I was bawling. It was a great anniversary. But everyday is wonderful with Niel. Cause honestly he is really all I need. Saturday was a repeat of Friday pretty much without presents. Heh heh. We went to see Walk The Line. It is a great great movie!! Johnny Cash had some life. It was real interesting seeing him, Elvis, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis in some scenes. What a time that must have been. The film reminded us a lot of the way Ray was shot. Joaquin Pheonix did a phenomenal job! And Reese played June Carter Cash very strongly. Plus the outfits that Reese wore were so pretty. Niel said that Joaquin and Reese did their own singing. They both were impressive! I hope they and the film get nominated for Oscars. Niel is skeptical cause he doesn't know if the academy will want to repeat another movie/musical like Ray. Afterwards we enjoyed really good Tex/Mex and made a pitstop at Target. Actually I think we went to Target Thursday and Saturday. Thursday Niel caught me getting gifts for him and I caught him getting an anniversary card. Funny stuff. Anyway what I found at Target was the Roll Buddy and cutter that LJCFY had on her blog. I was so pysched. I also found out that A.C. Moore opened up relatively close to my house. Closer than the Michaels in Queens. Woo hoo! Afterwards we headed off to the Garden State to see Bad Religion in concert. It was an early birthday present for Niel. Niel LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES Bad Religion!! They had two opening bands. The first band was from Ithica and I forget their name. The second was Anti Flag from Pittsburgh. Both opening acts had a good sound but voice wise were so so for me. The crowd liked Anti Flag a lot better. Then everyone went nuts when Bad Religion came on. I had the experience Niel did at the U2 concert when I couldn't believe the reaction everyone gave. I do like three Bad Religions songs. A lot different than most concerts I had been too. Much smokier. Not good with a person who has lungs of 70 year old. None the less a lot of fun! Especially since we got out of the parking lot so quickly. And found our way to a rest stop and noshed on some Roy Rogers and watched the stars of Derailed on Larry King. Roy Rogers has the best seasoned curly fries. Sunday we went to my parents house for dinner to celebrate their anniversary. Although their anniversary is really on Thanksgiving, we thought it would be nice for them not to have to share their day with a Turkey. Read Niel's thoughts on the concert and weekend here.

Song Stuck In My Head is the theme song to American Dad.

You brought up the other day how you can't believe it's been four years. And we reminisced about it. Sometimes it feels like our marriage and relationship is so new, and it in a lot of ways it still is. Other times we feel like we've been together longer because we can't really remember our lives before one anther. Sure we do our own things. It's healthy. But home is now with you. I love how you look in the pot or the oven to see what I am cooking, how you always have to straighten out the ironing board because I keep crashing it to the floor, how I trip over the cord of the XBOX, how I'll find my bathrobe on top of the radiator so it will be warm when I come out of the shower, how you are so curious about everything, how you like trying interesting cuisine, and finding off beat places(our Seattle trip was great cause of you), the way you chew your food, and take a drink, how your laugh is so happy and carefree when you find something really really funny and then I start laughing because you are such a funny site to look at, how you throw stuff in the back of the car, and follow me around stores, how we have funny words for things, how you come looking for me when I'm not in the room, the sounds you make in the toilet, how we find certain words funny and say them over and over again, how we'll just break out into a wacky song, how you try to stop me from dognapping the neighbor's neglected puppy German Shephard, how you just love me, for me. Thank you and Happy 4th Anniversary baby. You are my favorite present of all, but don't try wrapping yourself in a box and jumping out and yelling surprise. Cause "that's not cool". I love everything about you now and forever Niel.

Update: Niel got me the most thoughtful freaking gifts. I am sitting here crying.



Song Stuck In My Head: "I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash

I like finding new holiday candies. Such as the Halloween glow in the dark Star War decorated ones from Starburst. And the Fall decorated chocolates from Hershey's. I guess the Hershey's ones count for Thanksgiving? Nestle Toll house now offers chips shaped liked Santa for Christmas baking. They also have new chips with swirls. Here is a link to all the decorative chips that Nestle offers.



Song Stuck In My Head: "Come Join Us" by Bad Religion

Recently on Martha Stewart's The Apprentice, both teams had to come up with publicity to promote Tide To Go. A new product by Tide that is detergent in stick form. It erases spots off, or at least holds them so they don't ruin the fabric until you can wash the garment. The team I wanted to win lost, but their catchy jinlge stuck in my head, "Tide, Tide, Tide, To Go, Get Tide To Go". I spent a few weekends looking for it and when I did find it, I'll admit it, I jumped up and down in the aisle. Geez I'm product nutty and I am a very messy eater. Anyway Tide To Go works pretty well. I also have Tide's Stain Brush. It works great! Too bad Martha Stewart's The Apprentice is not being picked up, I like it better than the DAHNALD'S show. But that is because of Jim. He brings wackiness to Martha's Apprentice.



Song Stuck In My Head: "Shake Your Love" by Debbie Gibson

One of our errands this weekend was to Target(of course). I heard on the blogs Target was selling candy shot glasses. I hoped they would be the same as the ones that Urban Outfitters was selling. But they weren't the candy cane shot glasses. They were grape champagne glasses. I like grape but they weren't nearly as cute. So I didn't purchase them. I did purchase the following items to "help" me with my holiday baking. Christmas tree shaped pancake mold, tiny tart cups, cookie bags, boxes and measuring cups and spoons. Darn Target and its hold over me!!!




Song Stuck In My Head: "Hurt" by Johnny Cash"(redone)

Sometimes working in a crowded city has its perks. One gets to see wacky sites. I work across the street from the Nasdaq building. And Sears had a ginormous snow globe with people inside decorating in front of it. I don't know why. Then I saw a clear truck with a big Starbuck coffee cup advertising their new holiday flavors. Also the Navy had a concert trying to recruit people. Cause you know all Naval officers do is have rock concerts.

The weekend was good ran errands, cleaned, did laundry. The usual chorey stuff. We also saw Chicken Little. It started out slow, had its funny moments and picked up at the end. Overall I wouldn't say it was great a bit more disappointing. If you haven't seen it yet, wait till its out on video. After the movie we came back home and watched Wonderfalls on disc. It was such a good show. So sad it's over. Stupid Fox. I hate that network more each day. They have also cancelled Arrested Development. I'm boycotting American Idol this year.

We tried two more versions of the Curry in A Hurry (as I am calling it now). Not to be confused with Curry in A Hurry in Manhattan. And they were just as delicious. We tried Dal Palak which is Bengal grams, green grams chopped spinach in a flavorful sauce. And Kashmiri Rajma, red kidney beans cooked in tomatoes sauce, onions, garlic and other herbs. The beans were a bit too sweet for me. But I highly recommend this brand if you can get your hands on it! I could have sworn I had three more left. But I can only find two. Hmmm. Could I have eaten one and forgotten?

Niel's and I also baked some cupcakes to help him (who was pitching in and making pancakes with his former Boy Scout Troop). As always there was a lot of lovely baked goods, two long tablesworth. Everything sold, thankfully. I even learned how to make color sugar. All it takes is food coloring. I was so happy it worked the first time I tried.

Does anyone know what does "Getting My Irish Up" mean? Niel's cousin said she had her "Irish up" and then I heard some stranger(the same week) say to another guy "Don't get your Irish up". Niel and I have been saying it to another and than laughing.

I also read Walmart is making a store in Colorado that is economically friendly. I guess it's a start.

Last but not least wrestling fans say goodbye to Eddie Guerrero

Haven't done a Friday Five in a while I decided to do this week's and last week's! Aren't you all in for a treat;P. Play along if you like. Have a good weekend. Stay warm. It's freezing in the city!!!

1. Do you get Veteran's Day off? If so, are you doing anything special? No I am here working away:(
2. Think of all the veterans you know and list them. Tell something you know about them. Thank you for doing what you do!
3. Do you know anyone currently serving in the military or military reserves? Tell something you know about them. No not currently.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. How much TV do you watch a week? Do you watch TV as a family? Do you limit
TV time for yourself and family? Oh I watch loads of TV. It's a good destresser for me. Usually I am knitting, or crafting or ironing or packing our lunches, so my brain doesn't get completely fried. Monday nights we tape King of Queens cause its on the same time as wrestling. Tuesday nights we watch Gilmore Girls, My Name is Earl, and The Office and maybe the King of Queens/How I Met Your Mother tape. Wednesday nights we watch Yes Dear and Martha Stewart Apprentice, Thursday nights it's Joey, Will and Grace and the original Apprentice with DAHNALD TRUMP!! And Fridays I watch Reba, What I like about You, and Degrassi. We tape the The Daily Show, Extras, and best week ever to watch Saturdays. Plus I tape some stuff on TLC. Sundays we watch The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad. I do most of my reading on the train/bus commuting to and from work.

2. Who's your favorite actor and actress? What makes you like them (the movies
or TV shows there in?) I like a lot of actors and actresses. I like Ewan McGregor, Jason Lee, Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts, and Lauren Graham to name a few.

3. What's your top 3 favorite TV channels? TLC, Food Network and the Disney Channel.

4. What are your must-see TV shows? What draws you toward them? Is there a
certain type of TV 'genre' you tend to watch more than others? I like quirky, well written, thoughtful shows like The Office, Arrested Development, My Name is Earl, Family Guy, The Daily Show, Gilmore Girls and when Wonderfalls and Deadlike me were on. But I also like watching food or craft shows.

5. What are your 3 favorite movies of all time? How often do you watch them?
Do you own them on DVD/VCR tape? What makes you like these particular movies? Ay I have to narrow them down to three. Geesh. I don't know if I can do that. I might pass three. I like Napoleon Dynamite, all the John Hughes movies, The Badnews Bears, Fiddler on The Roof, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the first Matrix, The Lord of The Rings, the original Star Wars trilogy and some others I just can't think of.

Song Stuck In My Head: "Day Sleeper" by REM

I found a list of the "20 healthiest foods you can eat" by Rosemary Stanton on Loobyly's blog and thought I should share. It is originally from The Age magazine. My comments are in bold.

1. Avocado - vitamin E, B6, panthothenic acid and of course EFAs. (I've recently aquired a taste for them. I hated the taste for so long(except for Guacamole) but now will buy them to put in our salads).
2. Berries - Vitamin C, fibre (the little seeds you don't notice you're eating), vitamin E, folate, antioxidants. (Love berries. Can eat loads of them. Need to buy more of them and not just grapes. It's just that grapes are cheaper.)
3. Rosemary - anti-clotting properties, antioxidants and anti-cancer properties as well. Plus, as Hamlet knew, it's good for your memory. (I use this in pasta sauces and in marinades).
4. Oysters - Zinc (a dozen contains about 10 times as much as a biggish steak), iron and iodine. (I love seafood. And use it for meals. I should cook with seafood and fish more in general though. I usually enjoy oyster raw though. A bit of lemon squirted on and hot sauce and yum yum yum. We usually eat it with My MIL at one of the Italian fairs.).
5. Garlic - helps control blood pressure and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of cancer. (Love garlic. Practically use it in every meal).
6. Asian greens - fibre, Victamin C, beta carotene, folate, antioxidants. Some also have quite a bit of calcium. (I'm only discovering Asian Greens now).
7. Tomatoes - vitamin C and lycopene (good for all sorts of stuff, including prostate health). (We eat these every day in salads).
8. Nuts - protein, fibre, zinc, iron, calcium, vitamin E, most of the B vitamins, EFAs and arginine. Seem to lower blood cholesterol too. (I used to love nuts a lot more when I was little. It was always in our house. My favorites are Almonds, Peanut butter, Tahini(yes a nut based), and Brazil nuts. I also use pine nuts in pesto. Mmm pesto. And pistachio ice cream. I know the last one doesn't really count. I have to get to buying some for my own house. They are a healthy and good snack.)
9. Broccoli - Vitamins C, E, folate and beta carotene, potassium, iron, fibre. Plus sulphoraphane, which appears to protect against cancer. (I do love brocoli. Should buy it more. Even if I do put cheese on it.)
10. Oats - protects against heart disease, full of soluble fibre, and also helps protect against bowel cancer. (I do like oatmeal. Definetly need to buy this more.)
11. Oranges - vitamin C, beta carotene, bioflavonoids. (Niel loves oranges. I love mandarin oranges. I should buy them more).
12.Extra virgin olive oil - helps reduce blood pressure and prevent blood clots. Also has 35 antioxidants. (We use this every day in all our cooking).
13. Wheatgerm - Vitamin E, most of the Bs, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, potassium and EFAs. Protects against heart diease, diabetes and some cancers.(I don't buy this but I should).
14. Muesli - not the fatty commercial ones, you need to preferably make your own. Contains protein, vitamins, minerals, EFAs and fibre. (I've been curious about purchasing the ceral that has this).
15. Chickpeas - protein, EFAs, fibre, vitamin E, all the Bs except B12, iron, zinc and calcium. And if oyu sprout them you get vitamin C too. (Mmmm Hummus and good in salads).
16. Salmon - Omega-3s, protein, iodine. (Niel loves salmon cooked while I enjoy it smoked. Need to eat more seafood).
17. Sourdough bread - it has to be the real thing though, not the ones with sourdough flavouring. (I've never tried but I have to. How does one ask which is the real thing though and get an honest answer?)
18. Mangoes - vitamins A, C, folate and fibre, antioxidants(Niel loves this and so does my family. I only like it in the fruit version of Ceviche. That is the only way I will eat it.).
19. Tofu - protein, B vitamins, potassium, iron and calcium, plus isoflavones. Protects against heart disease and possibly some cancers. (I loooooooove tofu!! I eat it any chance I can. Have to find a way to feed it to Niel without him wanting to puke:) ).
20. Yoghurt - must contain live bacteria. Good source of calcium, protein, possibly prevents food poisoning bacteria or cancer cells getting a toehold. (Ooooooh how I adore Yogurt. Blueberry and Strawberry are my favorites. It was a treat for us to get it when I was younger. I need to buy more. Niel likes plain yogurt with garlic on our chicken dumpling soup. My mom can make it from scratch).

And a big thank you to Lisanne for mailing me these goodies! Cobbler mix and mulling spices! Perfect for Fall!!

I was watching My Name Is Early last week on NBC when I saw that Missy Pyle was the guest star. She has a pretty recognizable face. I then tried to remember all the movies I had seen her in. Dodgeball, Galaxy Quest, Big Fish, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory to name a few. She is a versatile actress. And has no problem being gussied up or looking not as attractive. And not just doing it to win an Oscar. I like that acting is her profession and she is not fodder for the tabloids. So think back you may have seen her in something also.



Song Stuck In My Head: "Rainbow Connection" by Sarah Mclaughlin(redone)

Hummus was a staple in my parents house growing up. My mom would make it from scratch. It's pretty easy to make Hummus from scratch. A can of chickpeas drained, some olive oil, lemon juice, Tahini, lots of garlic. Hummus is now a staple in my home. Niel and I both enjoy it. And I make it from scratch too. But there are those times when I get curious about trying the premade Hummus's on the market. One brand I would recommend is Tribe. We purchased the regular Hummus but they have a variety of different flavors. Such as the roasted red pepper Hummus. And for premade Hummus, Tribe is pretty good. I like mine garlicky and there's is a bit more lemony but still worth trying. A tasty and healthy snack.



Song Stuck In My Head: "Final Countdown" by Europe

Well mentioning that the weather was cooler then of course the weather gets warmer. The weather was so nice this past weekend. It made us relaxed. Made waffles from scratch and watched the Tick cartoon on Saturday morning. It is a bit easier on the weekends or days off to whip up yummies from scratch. Like the waffles and sneaking away to have some pancakes like we did last Saturday. We also ran some errands, cleaned and made plans. So much easier to do the chorey stuff with two people. While out running the errands Niel noticed that a Famous Dave's had opened up not too far from us. We had already eaten otherwise we would have gone there. Next time. The last time we ate there was four or five years in Virginia. I also went to A.C. Moore. It is very similar to Michaels, except a bit cheaper. It's good to have another option. I picked up the final supplies for my Christmas cards. Tried to see Chicken Little and Jarhead but the crowds were just too crazy. We instead (accidentally) rented movies with two of our favorite Office characters in them. Sahara and Melinda/Melinda. Both of us had been wanting to see Melinda/Melinda and neither of us ended up enjoying it. Steve Carell had a small part in it but nothing that utilized him much. The film was a lot like Sliding Doors with two different versions and jumping back and forth like a soap opera. The "comedy" version was a bit better but that is because of Will Ferrel. Sahara I had wanted to see and we both enjoyed it much. Good story with lots of adventure. We were both happily surprised to see Rain Wilson (Dwight from The Office). His part was a bit larger than Steve's. Funny, funny man. Now that my bathtub clogs every time we shower, now the sink has decided not to release as much water. But these are minor things that I thought were funny to mention. Niel also noticed more that my hair looks a bit reddish. He also made yummy Texas Patty Melts. Even better versions than the ones we had eaten at Der Waffle House. I also wrapped more presents until I ran out of tape. I have to get better at wrapping. My mom, mother in law, Niel and my brother(somewhat) are so good at it. So I have to put tape on my list of items I need to purchase. Together we also made my mom's version of dumpling soup or as it was called in my mom's kitchen Monte. I am glad Niel enjoys it as much as I do and it is something we make together. And for dessert I made Jello Melon bowls. Really good.

Song Stuck In My Head: "Here I Go Again" by White Snake

I got tagged from Amanda. Thanks! The theme is 2. Here are my answers.

2 names you go by
1. Ani
2. Sweetie

2 parts of your heritage
1. Armenian by birth
2. American cause my parents moved here

2 things that scare you
1. Losing my husband or family
2. Bad health for me and people we care for

2 of your everyday essentials
1. Hygene
2. Water

2 things you are wearing right now
1. Dark Blue Jeans
2. A long black shirt with some squigly gray pattern on the front and sleeves

2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment)
1. Electric Six
2. White Stripes

2 favorite songs (at the moment)
1. Rocket Queen by Guns N Roses(I know it's an oldie, but really a goodie)
2. Synthesizer by Electric Six

2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love)
1. Laughter
2. Honesty

2 truths
1. Niel can make me laugh even when I am so angry at him
2. I try

2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex)
1. Smile
2. Eyes

2 of your favorite hobbies
1. Traveling
2. Creating stuff:whether trying recipes, making my own, writing, crafting, or picture taking

2 things you want really badly
1. Work from home and be successful at it
2. To be comfortable financially.

2 places you want to go on vacation
1. Europe(England, Ireland mostly)
2. Australia

2 things you want to do before you die
1. Have healthy, self sufficent, kind, smart children and survive that
2. Own something

2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick
1. I love shoes
2. I cry a good deal.

2 things you are thinking about now
1. TGIF! I get to watch Degrassi tonight
2. Why won't my darn neck feel better

2 stores you shop at
1. Michael's
2. Target

2 people I would like to see take this quiz
1. Caterpillar Baby
2. Jesser and whoever else who wants to play

I heart the Carebears. One of my favorite cartoons from my youth. Apparently I am Tenderheart bear.

	Tenderheart Bear You are thinker, organizer, peacekeeper, and leader all in one. You have a power to command attention and people listen to you. However, you are often so concerned about not hurting others' feelings that you don't tell them what they need to hear and this gets you both into trouble. But you always have loyal friends to help you out.
Take the Which Care Bear Are You? Quiz!

Song Stuck In My Head: "Clint Eastwood " by The Gorillaz

My coworker Elaine knows how much I enjoy Indian food. So when she was out grocery shopping she purchased for me Super Kohinoor. It is a line of easy curries from Satnam. Just boil a small pot of water and add the aluminum bag of Super Kohinoor(they have many different curries to choose from) and in five minutes a delicious curry meal. We enjoyed ours with mini pita breads. So far I have only tried the Bengal Gram Flour Dumplings with Spinach Yoghurt Sauce. But it was so good. Niel and I both liked it very much and he isn't a big spinach fan. We couldn't taste the spinach much. The dominant flavors were curry and cumin. I can't wait to try the rest of their products.



Song Stuck In My Head: "Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog

It's no surprise to say I am a fan of Peeps. We saw this new kind of Peep with chocolate in the center out running errands on Saturday. But the box was a bit large and what if we didn't like it. Our block doesn't get trick or treaters. We didn't want to eat the entire box. So we went on our way and forgot about them. Niel then comes home last night with a mini package of the chocolate centered peeps. We both tried them and came to the conclusion they were gross. I'll stick to the regular kind.



I decided to throw out all the flavored oils I made after Lisanne told me of her experience. Too bad because I had made the hot pepper infused olive oil Monday night.



And while I was making the infused olive oil(for which I threw out this morning) I also was waiting for L'Oreal to work its magic on my hair. It worked a lot better than the previous occasions I have tried to change my hair color. But my hair became darker instead of auburn. There is a definite reddish hue(sp?) to it but not as light as I thought it would get. I think it will be the last time I try because my hair is really undyable without going to a hair colorist but I don't want any products with peroxide. It's sort of hard to tell in pic because my hair is medium brown in the Fall/Winter but here is a pic.




Song Stuck In My Head: "Enter the Sandman" by 386DX(redone)

Yesterday was a busy day but fortunately it made the work day pass by quicker. I've oddly adjusted to this time change quicker than usual. I think the Fall time change is easier on me. Although I really don't like going home in the dark. This entire week is going to be pretty busy for me at work. It is hard to get back into the swing of things with a collective week paid time off in October.

Picked up the special Holiday Cookies issue of Martha Stewart Living. There will be much baking in the Foodie Chickie household.

The November issue of All Things Girl is out. There are five new stories in my section. So please check it out. And if you have any articles you want to write submit here.

I made garlic infused olive oil this weekend. It was pretty simple. Made a bottle for myself and one for my mom and mother in law to give for Thanksgiving. Hopefully the garlic will really blend into the olive oil by the time turkey day rolls around. I think I will make chili oil for myself next.



Song Stuck In My Head: "Somebody" by Depeche Mode