exceeding the speed limit

Do Not Try This At Home

When I was in 8th grade, my girlfriend Bridgette L (protecting her real identity) and I smoked clove cigarettes at the village on Friday night. Like 3 times. One time I was at home in our basement and decided to light up. My dad caught me. He told me if I ever smoked one again he'd make me eat it. So I never smoked a clove cigarette again. Both my parents smoked my whole life and I thought it smelled so it really wasn't a huge hardship not to have them in my life.

Fast forward about 10 years. My friend Dre and I would be at the beach in Delaware. Hello we're in Delaware. After a night of v. wild dancing and partying off to the sand we would go to have one cigarette that we would share. I'd be nearly buzzed after inhaling twice. Yes I inhaled.

What can I say? Every once in a while, usually once a year, it sounds good. I've given up my beloved wine during the week so that I can get up early (4:50 a.m.) to run with my friend Katie at, hem, 5:15 a.m., so it's been good all around to not feel the effects of last night's wine... So I bought one pack of cigarettes. Virginia Slims Menthols. No calories. No hangover. Nice buzz. Now the only problem is A) I don't want to form a new habit B) I don't want wrinkles around my lips C) I don't want to smell or taste like smoke (eeewww) D) I don't want to get lung cancer. Today, I decided that it was as good a day as any to partake. I changed my clothes and put my hair in a ballcap and short of wearing gloves went outside and smoked. AAGGHHH. My hands smelled and even after I brushed my teeth I could taste it and I'm sure I have nicotine teeth now and smoker's voice. Lovely. And I have no idea how people smoke and drive cuz I was dizzy, too. I can't do it. I'm chicken. I can't be a smoker. I think I'll just go out and buy the nicotine patch!

What should I do with my $5 pack? Have you ever? Would you ever????

2 Weeks From Today

It's official. My pal Kelly and I are dropping out of site for 10 days and roadtripping across America. I have 3 kids, a husband and a dog and I'm leaving them all home for what I hope to be a slightly psychotic, neurotic, hectic, exhausting, laughable trip from California to New York City. My husband and Kelly's husband think we'll get as far as Napa, get in a fight (we are both short blonds but polar opposites), start drinking really good wine, check into a spa and stay there for 10 days. A contraire! I'm slightly freaked out about being in a car that long, but neeeeedddd a break. I don't know one single mom or woman out there who wouldn't like to take a break from their life and be the person they were, if only for 10 days before being a wife and mom. (NOT THAT I WOULD CHANGE THAT FOR ONE SECOND!)

So off we go. As we plan I hear feedback and I'm curious from my friends and readers....Where would you stop if you were me? We're looking for cool bits of Americana! We're looking for chic shops in NY. And rustic-ee places to eat lunch in the south. And guess what? The AAA roadmaps don't understand chic or artsy fartsy or eclectic. Or modern for that matter. Kel loves modern and all the books are saying contemporary and it's killin' her.

So here is your chance to comment...best places to stay in your neck of the woods. We can still change course! Best places to eat. Anyone in the south? Best grits? Anyone. Need your help, that's what will make this trip great!!!

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes

Go ahead. You can say it. I'm officially the nicest mom ever. I was at Traders and they have the smallest of the small peanut butter cups. They taste exactly like Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Only you can eat 27 of them for 240 calories. So these are super easy. Buy pancake mix. I use Trader Joe's cause their's isn't filled with "hydrogenated crap". Make the mix according to directions. When pancake starts to bubble, scatter a small handful over the top. Flip. Serve with butter and powdered sugar.

Afternoon Delight

Bring it on. I have (on my laptop) about 40 GB of music. This doesn't count all the old CD's in the garage, they won't fit. Just the music I've downloaded (yes, mostly legally) and been given over the last couple of years. GUILTY pleasure - my music fetish. I pretty much love a little bit of everything. Not that there aren't good country songs out there, but I couldn't listen to country for 2 hours straight. I don't think. Never tried it. Ok, no ambient stuff either. And no hard core rap, only hip hop.

I need music for my trip! We've figured out that we are going to be driving for 60 hours! Yikes. That's a lot of 80's, eh? Can't have too much chick music or we may fall asleep at the wheel. May have to take Green Day. Maybe some gospel for the south. If you live in another country, and I think a few of you do, I would love you forever if you'd make me a CD! It's so hard to get really good world music here! There is music released in England and Italy that I would LOVE to have, but can't get on iTunes. No, I just have to listen to it and salivate... What are your fav's? Do I ever ask anything of you??? Even if you live here, send me your playlist! I've gotta have 60 hours of new music!!!

Although as a kid I could recite every word to every song on the radio, I don't think I ever thought about the lyrics. Didn't know that "Afternoon Delight" was, well, afternoon delight , hem. I thought it was about fireworks! I try to be careful with what the little ears at home hear, and play. My kids love "Low" by Flo Rida, but they have no idea that the lyrics are less than, um, proper. So last week I (after waiting a good month) decided to download the Katy Perry album. For myself, not for the kiddos. "I Kissed A Girl". Yeah. Well, Julia has seen the video and keeps telling me she doesn't get it! Doh! Crap, I didn't protect her little ears! Having said that, when Mac sings it it actually sounds, well, normal, except I can't imagine him ever kissing anyone! He won't even kiss me! And I must admit, it's a pretty good album. The rebel daughter of a minister. Thankfully, they haven't heard Schwayze except one small, clean chorus.

What music moves you?????

Chicken Tortilla Soup

What came first? The Chicken or the Chicken Tortilla Soup? The chicken dork. Last night I made 2 roasted chickens with garlic for Sunday Dinner, but only took one lame photo, shown here, so I'll post the recipe later. It's really a staple in my house, I just am bummed that I didn't shoot the lemon garlic smashed potatoes, spinachi and rosemary brown sugar carrots.

Last December I went to Seattle for my BF Dawn's 40th birthday. Over the course of the weekend I ate chicken tortilla soup 3 times. I guess you could say that I had a taste for it. Then when I came home I was craving it. This is the recipe I came up with after the three I tried. Regular readers heed this warning: This is my best soup! My favorite soup and, one of my easiest soups! I used last night's leftover chicken in lieu of the chopped breast. This recipe is so easy Karen, Mel and Amber can all make it. Go ahead and let me know how you like it! Ha!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 diced chicken breasts
1 small sweet onion, chopped
olive oil
8 cups water
3 chicken boullion cubes
6 frozen cilantro cubes (Trader Joes or specialty store)
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can tomatillos, chopped
1 can Herdez chili verde
1 can Embasa salsa verde (med)
1 can Herdez salsa verde (hot)
1/2 package frozen roasted corn (Trader's)
1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped fine
1 package white corn tortillas, split
1-2 avocados
2 limes

Saute chicken and onions in olive oil until cooked thru. Add everything but the frozen corn, tortillas, avocado and lime. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Add frozen corn. Slice half of the tortillas into small strips. Add the tortillas and half fresh cilantro to the soup. In a separate frying pan, heat canola oil in a pan. Slice the remaining tortillas into very fine strips. Fry very quickly until light brown. Remove from oil and salt lightly. Cut avocados into cubes. To serve, ladle soup into . Add avocado to each bowl. Squeeze 1/4 of a lime into each bowl. Top with fried tortillas.

Would you rather?

Pardon people. I have cooked this weekend, but have spent more time off playing than focusing on food and pics for my blog. My beloved PowerBook says my disk space is full for the 3rd time in 6 months. And, well, it's not, but I can't upload my pics unless I do to Picassa or Twitter...blah blah don't have time to learn the ins and outs! I'll post as soon as I can on for Sunday Dinner #7, and Mini Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes! Such a nice mom!

Besides trying two new spirits, both of the vodka persuasion, I spent a good portion of weekend researching and plotting my upcoming roadtrip with Kelly! Oh, man, my butt is going to be sore...but with any luck we'll "run into" a hotel with a spa and someone (ok, a girl, not a guy!) with man hands to ease that pain! Kel will opt for a facial as the whole massage thing is just too personal. And then there's the "do you wear undergarments, do you not debate". Not going there. I will refrain from my own response to that question! ;-)

One of the sites we HAVE to see as per Kelly is Amish country (ok, in PA, ala Witness, but not telling when we'll be there!). She considers them her "peeps". Ok, it's for both of us and she's going to Graceland for me, so we're even. Until I told her that she wouldn't have a blow dryer or TV when we lodge if there is such thing as lodging there! How quickly we change our mind! Apparently she's not a ball cap girl.

Which begs the question, Would You Rather? I bought the book for a friend for her kids when they roadtripped to Zion National Forest and I think she hated me after the first few...."Would you rather eat a melted chocolate bar off a 100 degree sidewalk, or eat your favorite ice cream after someone sneezed on it?" Would you rather stay where you really want without electricity, or stay in a 2 star hotel with a blowdryer and cable??? Would you rather sleep for 12 hours and have to drive 10, or sleep 4 hours and have to drive 2? Tough questions!

Also trying to pack the "Shoet-case" A must. Will be making shoe recommendations for each city we go to! Sooooooo excited.

Am I Boring You???

Ok, we are almost a month into school. My baby is going to school all day, so that leaves me with umpteen hours a day to clean til my hearts content and do glorious loads of laundry. So fun! And I'll throw on the June Cleaver apron and wear pearls and make pot roast, too. NOT. And even though I know my husband is reading this, I'm thinking of telling him about my new vapid career. I'm thinking of becoming one of the "ladies who lunch". Oh don't have a heart attack, I'm not serious, but it has been fun catching up with my girls this week. Tomorrow is one of the only days this week I don't have lunch (just a pedi and maybe a quick drink! ha!). (I was supposed to lunch with my auntie yesterday, but she wasn't feeling well :-(). And then to round off my week o'lunches, I'm going to a luncheon with 100 ladies who volunteer.

Which brings me to my next subject. Volunteering. Hear this now, I'm happy to volunteer my time and energy if it pertains to things I truly care about. Things I'm passionate about. I adore my babes, but I'm at a point where I don't want to volunteer my life at school. I don't want to be "Miss Happy Hands at Home" who have no better time then to obsess over what color felt to buy for the next project or oranges being more healthy than grapes. I no longer want to go in and file papers for teachers. I know how important mom helpers are at school, but I'm a little over it. And I still have kinder field trips to attend. Aaagghhhhh.

And I could amp up my workout schedule. I'm already working on that, but I could give up my 5:15 a.m. runs with Katie and opt for sleeping in a tad and then going after I drop the kids. Schedule would go, kids to school, walk the dog, workout, shower, lunch, bills, plan dinner, pick up kids and enjoy the rest of my hellacious afternoon.

Maybe I'll give myself 2 more weeks of lunching, then I'll go on my roadtrip and then I'll come back and start yet another important project. Christmas Shopping.

I NEED A REAL JOB PEOPLE. Enough of this crap already I'm already bored!

Seared Ahi and Mark's 40th at Bodega Bay

There really isn't anything that sucks more than making an amazing meal and 1. Not getting to take a photo of it for your blog and 2. Having the sauce turn brown as opposed to a lovely anticipated yellow orange. Friday night we had friends for dinner. I could go on and on about how tickled I was, but like a cookbook without photos, hard to capture how pleasant the combination of a spicy cilantro peach wine sauce with a just cut, searing grade blackened ahi tuna. And a little chili lemon brocoli rabe or rapini and roasted shallot salad with raspberries and a champagne viniagrette. So I'll leave it at this. It was tasty and spicy! And if you want to know how to make it, shoot me a comment and I'll let you know my secret recipe!

So after a fab Friday dinner with Judy and Andre, and too much tasty Zin, we packed up all three kids and sent them each to a friends house and then drove (like a bat out of hell) 2 hours up to Bodega Bay to surprise our friend Mark for his 40th birthday! He may have been tipped off when his romantic getaway was a three bedroom house, but I think we was a bit surprised. Kelly had packed her entire kitchen to take up to the house for Mark's party. And didn't skimp on the food either...

Surf and Turf for the birthday boy. So yummy.

Mark starts to "unwind" or shall I say, wind up....

And against our wishes we all woke up... and we made crab, cheese and bruschetta omlettes for breakfast and the boys took the edge off with a bloody mary "hair of the dog".

Matt and Mark, BF's from grade school.

I wish wish wish we could have stayed longer, but had to leave to round up the chitlins. So fun. Happy Birthday Clark!

Did someone say Fall?

Yippee! The heat is gone! Bring on fall! Bring on the changes in the leaves! Bring on the sweaters that cover my butt! Ha ha. I just love that I can wear sweats allllllll day if I want to in the fall! The summer is just too too hot for soup and I miss it terribly. I think I could eat soup every night for dinner. Not sure how well that would go over with everyone else in the family, but guess what? It's fall. So bring on the soup!

White Bean, Chicken and Vegetable Soup

4 c. water
2 chicken boullion cubes
1 chicken breast, 1 chicken thigh, chopped
olive oil
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans Italian style tomatoes
2 sprigs rosemary
2 carrots sliced into thin rounds
2 celery stalks, chopped, including leaves
2 zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 can small white beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. baby spinach leaves

Saute onions, garlic and celery in olive oil until translucent. Add chicken and cook through. Add all remaining ingredients except the beans and spinach and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Remove rosemary sprigs. Add spinach and beans and allow to heat through for 5 minutes. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese.

The Cheeseburger Vegetarian

When my mom passed away, it was on the heels of my kids getting out of school. No time to be down, there were places to go and camps to attend! After Christmas things started catching up to me and I was really needing to get out of my daily life and have some time to process her death and what that all meant to me. Seven years prior, on the recommendation of my friend Dre, I had taken a week off with my dear friend Karen and gone to the Optimum Health Institute. Poor Karen thought we were going to a spa. Instead, much to our surprise we realized very quickly that we were going to have to be raw and vegan and do colonics and journal! Ha! Thank goodness she had smuggled in her 5" Sony watchman. We huddled together and watched Big Brother and cried cause we were so hungry! Although I felt great when I came back, I didn't know that I would return. But OHI was exactly what I needed. So Dre flew down with me and dropped me off to re-enter the world of fasting, vegan rawness, seed cheese (hell?). I had time to be alone and cry and sleep and talk to strangers if I wanted to and nobody if that was what I felt like. I met some incredible people...a songwriter who wrote for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and many other fabulous people. An amazing animal photographer Val Shaff. I mostly hung out with an 80 year old man named Lefty, a tennis pro who had had an amzing life of his own!

So I came back from OHI pretty clean. While I knew that I would feel better if I ate this way all the time (nuts, bolts, lettuce, etc) I also knew that once a month I would seriously crave red meat. And I love seafood. And I love bread. And heck, I'm a foodie, I knew couldn't sustain any of those changes for long. I do feel better when I avoid dairy and homemade almond milk does taste absolutely delicious in my cappucino. And on Tuesday nights after kickboxing I go to Whole Foods and get a Green Giant drink (parsley, celery, wheat grass, spinnich, and cucumber juice with cayenne and cinnamon!) and that's what I have for dinner (hence, no food on my blog on Tuesdays!) Those are pretty much the only changes I could fully adopt! It is very funny though, to me, to see a recipe for a vegetarian dish and want to throw some shrimp in it! Good lord, I'm part Italian how could I go without putting parmesan on my pasta?

So I've come to peace at least with one thing in my life. I'm a cheeseburger vegetarian! Try the grass fed, hormone free angus beef! It's delicious!