ORGANICALLY INCLINED... :)~

Almost 2 Years Gone By... :)~

2011-05-28T23:35:00.010-04:00

I have been inspired to start posting recipes again by the women who attended the cooking class with Dr Veronica Waks this past week! :) ......To all my loyal peeps who have me bookmarked and stop by every now and then to find a recipe ...thank you!!! ... and to my new readers Welcome to ~My Little Peace of the Web~

I can't believe it's been almost two years since I have posted... So much has happened, and my life is... well, Let's say... it just IS... thank Goddess!...

Here is a new recipe for y'all... and props to Kat for the photo... it came out so crystal clear....and she took it with her phone! :)~

~peaceandlove~ TM

Summer Lentil and Bulgur Salad

1 lb Dry Green Lentils

1/2 Cup Dry Bulgur

1 pt Grape tomato halved

3-4 Carrots small dice

1 Small Red Onion small dice

Baby Spinach

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

Salt to taste

Rinse lentils. In a large pot add 6-8 cups water and bring to boil. Add lentils and simmer gently for 15-20 min until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. To prepare the Bulgur place grain in a heat safe bowl. Pour boiling water over to cover at least one inch above grain. Let sit for 1 hour and drain excess water. In a large bowl add lentils, bulgur, tomato, carrots, and red onion, and spinach. Toss with vinegar and salt to taste... ENJOY!!! :)~

Gathering of the Vibes 09 :)~

2009-07-28T10:31:00.018-04:00

Teriyaki Pork Chops w/Mango/Avocado/Pear Salsa :)~

2009-07-16T20:00:00.012-04:00

Aaaaaaand I'm back!......Ok so it's been a min or two or 4 months... If yer reading this...THANX for coming back!.... My dinner was soooo yum-a-licious tonight it gave me inspiration to leave a quick recipe.

Teriyaki Pork Chops with Mango/Avocado/ Pear Salsa

4 Pork chops on or off the bone

I like mine on... Tastier!

Marinade
1/8c Teriyaki sauce
1 organic Scallion chopped

1 TB packed brown sugar

smidge of organic honey

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Marinate the pork for 2-4 hrs covered in the fridge

Mango Salsa

1 Mango peeled and diced small

1/2 Bosc pear small dice

1/2 Cucumber seeded and diced small

1/2 Avocado small dice

2 TB Red Onion finley chopped

1 Scallion chopped

1 tsp Chopped Cilantro

Juice of 1 Lime

smidge of organic honey

Kosher Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix together and refrigerate for at least 2hrs

I cooked my chops in a sautee pan on medium heat and got a nice carmelization on each side..Would be great on the grill too!... Serve with the Mango Salsa.... I had a Spinach salad with mine.... YUMMMM!.... Enjoy! :)~

Spanakopita Recipe w/ Video

2009-03-26T23:02:00.010-04:00

Spanakopita

1 Large Leek cleaned and diced
3/4 c Scallions cleaned and chopped
1 Med Onion diced
1 TB xvoo
2 Boxes frozen Spinach (thawed and squeeze out excess water)
3/4 c Crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
2 TB Fresh chopped Dill
3/4 tsp Gound Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Ground pepper

5 Sheets fillo dough (room temp..Keep covered with damp cloth to avoid drying)
3 Tb Melted unsalted butter

1 Egg yolk
2 TB Milk

Get pan nice and hot...add the oil and the leeks, scallions, and onions. Turn heat down to medium and sautee till tender. Set aside and cool. In a bowl add the spinach, feta, parmesan, dill, spices, egg, and cooled onion mixture. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 400. Grease 9 inch round baking dish with non-spray or butter. On a flat surface carefully place a fillo sheet down. With a pastry brush paint on the butter. Start from the center of the dough using outward brush strokes only. Lay the buttered fillo sheet into the dish with 2 inches overhanging the side. R epeat steps with the fillo... turning pan 1/4 turn with each additon of fillo making a total of 5 sheets. Add the spinach filling. Fold overhanging fillo inward all the way around to make the top crust. Mix the yolk and milk togethert in a bowl. Carefully brush on top of the pie. Place on center rack of oven and bake for 40 min at 425 or until golden brown .... Serve hot or cold ... ~ ENJOY~ :)~

Stuffed Zucchini, Tomato, and Pepper Recipe... :)~

2009-02-24T00:28:00.008-05:00

It is day 7 of no meat... Even Ba-Con... Yeah that won't last for too much longer!... LOL...been having a craving!

Kat has been asking me to make stuffed zucchini for dinner one night... So along with the zucchini I picked up a giant tomato and some red & orange peppers, and stuffed them up too! Wish I had gotten a couple of Japanese eggplant....next time!

Here is the complete recipe and a short movie that I put together to go with it.

:)~ Enjoy! ~(:

Stuffed Veggies

1 zucchini cut in half lengthwise and flesh scooped out
2 Organic Bell peppers of your choice cut in half lengthwise and deseeded
1 Large tomato
2 Japanese eggplant cut in half lengthwise and flesh scooped out (May as well add the eggplant too!)

Rice & Vermicelli
1/3 cup broken up whole wheat spaghetti
1TB butter
1c Long grain rice
2c boiling veg stock

In a pot melt the butter and add the broken up pasta and cook on med for one minute stirring constantly. Add the rice and boiling stock, Stir and cover. Turn heat to low and simmer with lid on for 20 min, Cool and set aside.

Stuffing
2TB XVOO
1 Large onion diced
1/2c Diced red bell pepper
1 Organic carott shreded
1c Chopped zuchini that was scooped out
1/2c Chopped tomato that was scooped out
1 Scallion chopped
1 Clove garlic minced
1 pkg frozen organic spinach thawed and the water squeeed out
1 TB Chopped Parsley
3/4c Grated Reggiano Parmigiano
1/2c Seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4c Heinz Ketchup
S&P to taste

Bread Crumb Topping

In a bowl mix together
1/2c Seasoned bread crumbs
1/2c Shreded Reggiano Parmigiano
2tB Melted butter

Tomato Puree is made with 1c whole canned tomato and juices pureed in food processor with S&P.

In a hot pan add 2TB XVOO. Add the onions first, and sautee till translucent. Add all of the remaining chopped vegetables to the pan and season with S&P. Turn heat down to medium and let veggies cook til tender stirring occasionally.
Mix the egg, ketchup, parm cheese, and bread crumbs together and add to the veggies. Turn off heat and add the rice and mixture...Stir together and refrigerate for 2hrs.

Stuff hollowed out zucchini, peppers, tomato, and eggplant till heaping. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture, drizzle with XVOO, and top with tomato puree.
Place in oven proof dish with remaining tomato puree, and Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 25 min or til golden.

Goin' lacto/ovo veghead again!... :)~

2009-02-17T21:45:00.012-05:00

I have been wanting to cut meat out of my diet again for awhile now, but my reluctant carnivore of a partner has made it kinda hard to be true to this lifestyle change. So last night I went to Vegetarian Time's site and found this. It's 3 easy steps to start cutting meat out!

I went and grabbed a piece of paper and pen and asked Kat: What are 3 vegetarian meals I make that you like... So she said Stir fry, Chili, Pasta Primavera...Then I asked how about 3 things I make that I can change to be vegetarian... and we came up with Stuffed Peppers without the sausage/chopped beef, Eggplant Parm instead of chicken, and took two ideas from the website.... Bean Burritos and Veggie burgers. That's 7 meatless dinners... Then I came up with Pasta and gravy, Risotto, Portabello Quinoa, Salad, Polenta, Spanakopita, and Soups....

There are 14 different meals here we know we like .......Plus tons more ideas on the net!..... See we can eat without meat!....Well at home anyway... I don't expect her to be loyal for lunch!

We picked 5 ...and I made a list for the store. I went shopping today and kicked off the new eating lifestyle with Eggplant Parm with spinach ravioli topped with gravy and sun dried tomatoes, and baby greens with balsamic vin and xvoo.

I also made salsa and hummus from scratch for snacks that we will eat with some organic pita chips...... Tomorrow Hearty black bean soup with grilled polenta! :)~

House For Auction in Naugatuck, CT ,,,Click Image To Enlarge For More Info!!!

2009-01-28T10:33:00.006-05:00

House for Auction in Naugatuck, CT

Click on the image to enlarge for info!

In our super tough economy this is a great way that someone could benefit from somone's misfortune. Although this isn't a foreclosure you can certainly get a steal of a house.This is a great starter home for a couple or small family. Convieniently located close to Route 8 & 84. It's a central hub as it's located roughly 20 mins from Bridgeport or New Haven and about 45 min from Hartford.Anyone interested should contact the Attorney listed at the end of the notice.Even if you yourself are not in the market, maybe you know someone who is...spread the word!

House For Auction in CT. House for Auction in Naugatuck, CT. Houses for public auction in CT. Looking for a house for auction in CT

PEACE... :)~

2008-12-24T15:04:00.005-05:00

Wishing you all a litte Peace during the holiday season... I know I sure could use some!

Glad U Came Back.. Been A While ...Eh? :)~

2008-12-15T20:01:00.010-05:00

Went for a walk at one of my favorite places today to clear my head... here are some things I saw along the way... ~ Enjoy! ~

Made a little movie and this is the song that coincidentally was playing on my ipoop! ... BTW I have a small fear of birds, so it took allot to stay where I was and let them all fly over me like that!!! :)~ Enjoy ~(:

Bread Pudding Recipe... :)~

2008-11-06T10:12:00.008-05:00

Bread Pudding

In a bowl mix together:

2 1/4 c Milk
3 Eggs
1 1/4c Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2c Rasins
1/2c Chopped Pecans
1c Peeled & diced grannysmith apple

Add 5c Stale bread cut into cubes . Mix well and let sit for 45 min.

Spray some non-stick spray on an oven proof dish, and add the mixture. Bake at 350 for 1hr. or until firm. It will puff up and deflate within minutes of cooling.

Serve warm with Whisky sauce... or I like to eat mine with some chocolate ice cream!

Easy Whiskey Sauce:
4 oz can Condensed milk, 1 oz Fine Whiskey..mix well.

Celebrate GOOD Times .. C'mon!

2008-11-05T08:23:00.006-05:00

GO OBAMA!... Nuff said!!!!!!!

Election 08

2008-11-04T08:49:00.009-05:00

Ok here is how my day went.... Kat and I got to the polls at 7am and waited in line to vote for almost 2 hrs. Which would've been fine with me if I had actually voted. When we got to the table where they look up your name, mine wasn't there. Even though I registered to vote in March of this year when I renewed my driver's license at the AAA office in Stratford CT ....

So now they put me in a new line to fill out a provisional ballot. More waiting.... Finally they gave me the paper work... As I read it I noticed that there was no place for me to cast my vote for Question 1 or 2 or any other race besides the presidency and congress Hines/Shays. ...What What WHAT!!!???... Como Que COMO!!!??? ... WTF???

So now I am told that I would have to got to Town Hall (which is in a bad part of the city ....where there is NO Parking) and wait in line all over again if I wanted to vote on Prop 1
So I took my paper work and crumbled it in my hand and walked out.

I registered 7 months ago so that this wouldn't happen... and it wasn't just me... Everyone that was in the 2nd line with me were told the same thing.... WTF!!! ... I wonder how many people were turned away and told that they had to go wait someplace else for another 2 hours, and then didn't because of the time and the inconvience???

Turns out allot! .... I went to City Hall and waited another hour for someone to take my name/ address/ DOB.... so they can tell me which long ass line I have to yet still stand in. While I was waiting there was this young Suit trying to keep people happy by answering questions and making phone calls like the lady who took my info. After about 45 min I went up to him to see if he could help me... He listened but could do nothing and appologized, as I had heard him do to at least 10 others.

Finally the lady called my name and told me that I am NOT registered. I told her that I registered when I renewed my driver's license. She asked at the DMV and I said No at the AAA office in Stratford. She just repeated herself and said that they have no record of me registering, and if I wanted to vote for only the president I could stand in a line that was at least 2hrs long. I wanted to scream soooo loud at this point, but there were 2 very large police officers standing there and I didn't want to start trouble... Cause I gotta tell ya, iffin I had let my mouth run loose I am most certain I would've either been escorted out or arrested!... So I told them they can take my vote and shove it... and walked out! I did not vote today. I tried twice to no avail...

You would think that after over 200 yrs of voting we could come up with a system that works. One that lets people who have been responsible and have registered on time be allowed to vote at their designated spot... oh yeah and to have every vote count...None of this electoral college shite... a vote for a vote! ... Dare to dream!

On the up side... I had the chance to edjimicate some peeps! Over the weekend I had over 400 hits to my site from mostly people in CT looking for info on Prop 1 in CT. .... Woot Woot!

VOTE NO on Prop 1 in CT :)~

2008-10-31T07:30:00.006-04:00

Ok...I'm about to get all political up in here cause in just 4 short days WE the People of the US of A are having one of the most historical elections for a new president...
So get yer butt out there and VOTE!

It is especially important for us here in CT for our local vote...

Here in Connecticut we have a clause in our state's constitution that requires the question to be posed on the ballot every twenty years: "Should there be a convention to amend the state constitution?"

Holding a convention isn’t change, it’s politics as usual. State legislators decide who goes to the convention, not the taxpayers. It will be a convention of lobbyists, politicians and special interests groups.

The public has no say on what the lobbyists propose to do to the constitution. The political group pushing for the convention will use it to ban marriage for gay people, outlaw abortion and take away people’s rights. Big businesses will use it to give themselves special tax breaks, overturn environmental laws and take away workers’ rights and benefits.

In early October CT became the 3rd state to legalize same sex marriage by a vote of 4-3 by our state's Supreme Court. The court ruled that the state had “failed to establish adequate reason to justify the statutory ban on same sex marriage.”

Woooot! Wooooot!... Hurray for CT... right???!!!... WELLLLLL....

Soooo of course the religious right peeps/Catholics are heading a campaign to overturn this decision by running ads on our local radio stations. Ok they have their right to free speech...but be straight forward with what you are saying!!!
But Ooooh Nooo...They are being sneaky and hiding behind the guise of "Power to the People" telling people if they are not happy, and don't trust the decisions that their local politicians make..Or if they want more "rights for the people" then they should vote y to amend our constitution...

MORE RIGHTS FOR WHO???... Certainly NOT ME!!!... These "Religious Right" people want to take away OUR Civil Rights! What the HELL ever happened to SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND FRIGGIN' STATE?... The Church SHOULD HAVE NO SAY...
HELLO PEOPLE!!!...GETTING MARRIED IS NOT A RELIGIOUS RIGHT!!! Come on, think about it...People who don't believe in "their God" ,or any god at all for that matter, get married every F-ing day... but that is OK???

SO given what I just said...WHY???...WHY do people think that they have any right to TAKE AWAY MY CIVIL RIGHTS AS A CITIZEN OF THE USA?...

So I ask my readers: Think about what I said here today... Whether you live in CT or not....because eventually this decision will come to your state too!

VOTE NO ON QUESTION 1 if voting Connecticut!

That's Soooo Gay!... :)~

2008-10-14T08:39:00.007-04:00

I saw this commercial the other day and I just LOVE IT! It's one of the "That's So Gay" adds.. At first I thought the shopper was the chickie that plays Tina on The L Word... but after further googling... i couldn't find anything that linked the two... so KTGRL and T... Good catch!.. LOL

There are a few words or phrases that I cannot stand to hear coming from the mouth of a straight person... It's one thing (totally still not condoning the usage) for people who are gay/lesbian to say these things... You know.... like when a black person uses the N word....

So when I hear people say these things..."Faggot, Dyke, Queer, and...That's So Gay..." when I'm out in public I usually can't refrain from saying something to enlighten them as to how hurtful and insulting they are being... So here is the commercial courtesy of YouTube...

Happy National Coming Out Day! :)~

2008-10-11T12:24:00.007-04:00

Last year I posted about how I came out to my dad... and then deleted it after 2 days... Well I'm going to try this again... and maybe I will keep it this time....maybe!

So... A tiny bit o back story here.....
My dad is a "Born Again Christian" ....It was the religion I was raised in, and conformed to till the age of 26..... For over 10 yrs. I had suppressed my feelings because I was led to believe that God wasn't going to love me anymore if I were to have sexual wants and desires that involved women... The people in my church would've prayed over me and asked god to heal me and would've tried to "cast the demons out of me. "...For Realz!... "The Demons"

So when I was 26-27 I stopped going to church and I finally started coming to grips with My relationship with My god, and what that meant to ME... Why would this loving god just stop loving me because of who I loved???... Why?!?!?!.. and then I had this epiphany one day while listening to an Etheridge tune called "Talking to My Angel.... It just made me realize that "everything was going to be alright! "

So with all that said ... here is the short version of my "coming out to my dad"...

It was 1994.....I was at my then girlfriend Becky's house. I had called home to check the messages on the answering machine, and my step-monster had left one saying that I needed to call my dad right away!!!... That Jay...(my ex) had come over for dinner and had told them things.... That my dad had asked him if he thought that we would ever get our act together and finally get married already......
So Jay tells them that I didn't want to date men anymore....that I was a lesbian and was with women now.... That's right ...around my father's dinner table without me there he had the balls to tell my family that I was gay....

Granted it was partly my fault for confiding in Jay a month earlier. I had told him that I had started seeing a woman, and that I didn't think it would be a good time if we were to try to get back together again right now... I know I hurt him in many ways with this...From his ego to his heart and everywhere in between... but I seriously didn't think that he would lash out like he did....

Soooo anyway.... I called my dad's house and the step-monster answered... she told me that I needed to talk to my dad right now.....I told her that I wasn't ready to discuss this with them yet, and that I would do it in My time.... My way! .....

You know...it's funny...even funny Ha Ha!..... I don't even remember the conversation I wound up having with my dad about being gay... The Jay story is way better anyway....Ha!

Here are the lyrics to the Melissa Etheridge song that helped me come to grips with my sexuality... I'm sure the words had a totally different meaning to her... but it shouted to me that it was ok to come out of my little closet and say Yes I Am to the world!!! :)~

Talking to My Angel

Don't be afraid
Close your eyes
Lay it all down
Don't you cry
Can't you see I'm going
Where I can see the sun rise
I've been talking to my angel
And he said that it's alright

I've always had to run
I don't know just why
Desire slowly smoking
Under the midwest sky
There's something
waiting out there
That says I've got to try
I've been talking to my angel
And he said that it's alright

This town thinks I'm crazy
They just think I'm strange
Sometimes they want to own me
Sometimes they wish I'd change
But I can feel the thunder
Underneath my feet
I sold my soul for freedom
It's lonely but it's sweet

Don't be afraid
Close your eyes
Lay it all down
Don't you cry
Can't you see I'm going
Where I can see the sun rise
I've been talking to my angel
And he said that it's alright

Hey Little Sister... :)~

2008-09-29T21:56:00.009-04:00

Happy Birthday to you...

You live in a zoo...

You smell like a monkey...

You act like one too...

Cha-cha- cha!

Happpy Born-day shout out to my younger sister Lisa....She turns 40 today.

Welcome to the elite 40 set little sister! ....Your 40's are gonna ROCK...I swear!!!

We had a picnic at her house over the weekend to celebrate with some old friends and family. Here are some pics of the day.

Chili Stuffed Pablanos ... :)~

2008-09-21T19:54:00.007-04:00

Vegan Chili Stuffed Pablano

2 TB xvoo
1 lg onion diced
1 ea small red, yellow, orange, pepper large dice
1 zucchini diced
3 carotts peeled and diced
3 ribs celery peeled and diced
1 lg clove garlic fine grate
1 corn on cob...cut kernels off the cob
1/2 jalepeno seeded and minced
2 cans organic whole tomatoes roughly chopped
1 lg Bay leaf
1 can each organic black, and garbanzo, and kidney beans rinsed and drained

On medium hi heat add the xvoo to the pot... get it nice and hot,and then add the veggies... Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat down to low and cook for 10 min stiring often. In a separate sautee pan on med heat toast 1 1/2 TB cumin and 3TB chili powder for 1 min. Be careful not to burn this! Now add the spices to the veggies and mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes and the juice with the bay leaf. Bring pot to a boil and then turn down to very slow simmer for 1 hr. At the very end add the beans and continue to cook for 10 more min

Slice a V into the top of the Pablano pepper as shown. Fill with the vegan chili and top with cheddar cheese! Place in oven proof dish and bake at 400 for 20 min or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Enjoy!... :)~

Call Me Cra-zazy... :)~

2008-09-18T08:39:00.008-04:00

You know what today is???...I'll give you a hint...

Go shorty it's yer half berfday!... Go shorty it's yer half berfday!

That's right people... I celebrate my half birthday... I am 42 1/2 today...WoooooHoooo!
Seems as though I'm not the only kook out there who celebrates.... Here are some 1/2 birthday cakes I pulled from a google search... Ha!

Playing With the Full Moon RIsing... :)~

2008-09-15T22:14:00.006-04:00

Tina Fey or Sarah Palin... :)~

2008-09-14T13:17:00.004-04:00

Last night I couldn't wait to see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler portraying Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton on the season opener of SNL..... It was friggin' priceless! ....I wish Fey would come back and write as well as do the news with Poehler....They just play off of each other so well!

Best line in my opinion goes to Hillary at the end where she invites the media to "grow a pair" and if they can't...then they can borrow hers!

Here it is just in case you missed it!...or just want to watch it again and again...I've watched it at least a half dozen times already! Enjoy! :)~

Go Serena! :)~

2008-09-07T19:46:00.007-04:00

In just a few minutes my GRL Serena Wiliams... #4 ranked....will take to the court against Jelena Jankovic, # 2 ranked player in the world in the US Open Womens finals tonight. This is Jankovic's first time in the Grand Slam final, and Williams is looking to win a third Us Open crown!

I just love to watch Serena play.... Her strength and Power when she hits the ball.....her passion when she makes a great shot..... and how she will talk to the oncoming ball as if she can coax it out of bounds when it's coming long.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the Open with my friend Ella! ...Very COOL....Thanx bud!...We got to see Roger Federer...(which some kid near us kept calling him Roddick while routing him on the whole match)..and the Robredo & Tsonga match. For the women I only remember watching Bammer and Bartoli.

I've only been to the Open one other time, and that was way back in 1990, when I got to see Argentina's hottie Gabriella Sabatina play.

Here is a short 2 min video curtesy of Youtube of Serena beating Dinara Safina #6 in the semi-finals.

GO Serena! Woot Woot!.. :)~

100 Foods... :)~

2008-09-05T21:47:00.008-04:00

Stopped by a fellow food blogger site 28 cooks, and procured this from there...
100 Foods ...The ones in dark green are ones I have eaten.
I was surprised that I have eaten 69 of them!
Oh tooo many jokes!!!

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile......................does alligator count?
6. Black pudding......NEVER AGAIN
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho..........................My friend Jess says this is yummy!
13. PB&J sandwich........one of my favs!
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart...dirty water hotdog...Mmmm!
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras.....................My last meal wish
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese.....blech!
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper .....too hot 4 me!
27. Dulce de leche...........Rich!
28. Oysters...........................allergy
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar..............livin' large!
37. Clotted cream tea....with scones...Mmmm!
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O.....hello...... Jello shots!
39. Gumbo........................................alergy
40. Oxtail..............................very tasty!
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects.......................NO WAY!
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu.......Leathal if not prepared corectly...NO WAY!
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut....now i want a Krispy Kreme!
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone.................alergy
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini..............hate olives and gin
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs ...tastes like chicken...ha!
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill.....Mmm Mmm!
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie......lemon is my fav
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict ......fav way to eat eggs!
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef........like butta!
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab......alergy
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor.......alergy
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Simply Sweet!... :)~

2008-08-19T22:29:00.005-04:00

Put em up....Put em up!
Remmy w/her little boxing gloves on...
Winding up to pop her Pop in the snozzz!

You need a shave daddy!

I AM IN LOVE!!!... :)~

2008-08-17T21:01:00.008-04:00

This is my niece Remmy Evangeline

Me,Remmy, grandpa

Uhhhh...Got Milk!

Unconditional Love... :)~

Congratulations!!!... :)~

2008-08-16T23:45:00.001-04:00

Whoooo-Hoooooo.....I'm an Auntie!!!!...Wooot Woooot!

Congratulations to my My broha John and wife Roo. They just gave birth to their beautiful little girl Remmy. She was born this evening around 11:30 and weights 7lbs ... Mom and baby are doing fine!...Actually Remmy had to be wisked away for at least 2 hrs of tests....but they knew that this was going to happen, so everything is cool.....My brother texted me this pic of her. Happy Born Day to you Remmy!....I can't wait to meet you tomorrow morning and start spoiling the heck out of ya!.....

Love ya more!....Auntie T

Spaghetti Squash Parmigiana... :)~

2008-08-11T16:02:00.011-04:00

When I was in high school my friend Carrie would make this for us for dinner.

1 Organic Spaghetti Squash cut in half length wise.
Drizzle w/olive oil and season w/S&P
Roast @ 425 for 50 min or til tender and golden

With fork take off top layer of seeds and discard

With a fork ....fluff till loose to resemble spaghetti

Season with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt

Great in a quick fix sitch!

Spread sauce over squash

Top with fresh or hard mozz

Bake for 15-20 more min or til cheese is golden and Mmmm mmmm bubbly!
You can serve right in the skin if you like...
I made Sausage and peppers to go with mine!

ENJOY! :)~

A month in pics... :)~

2008-08-04T18:31:00.016-04:00

Kat & Suzanne in RI

Catching some tasty waves in RI

Packing up the house I grew up in :(

Peek-a-Boo

Grey Face

The Girlz @ the fireworks

Just Cool...

Happy Birthday Anna and Sara!

Cool Sunset @ Jennings Beach

Where's Me Pot of Gold???

Sunset on 4th of July

Christine giving us henna tattoos

Lisa's Henna

My lizard henna

Jen's henna

Sara's henna

Kayla playing w/my camera

Dad & broha getting ready formy niece Remmy(Marie)..hehehe

Roo and Remmy...I think she has my nose...LOL!

Fun waterslide @ Carrie's picnic

Pirate Ship...Arrrrrrrrrgh!

Flower Power! :)~

The Magic Bus...Sneaking into the Gathering of the Vibes w/Jen!

Cousin Ned's sunflowers

Happy 10th Anniversary My Love!... :)~

2008-06-26T06:43:00.007-04:00

Ten years ago today I forced myself to go out alone to a bar. It was a Saturday night, and usually I would meet my friend Chick there. We would dance the night away, and watch out for each other...but for some reason that I don't remember she couldn't make it out this night. I really didn't like hanging at the bar by myself....and don't know what possessed me to go...but I did. I guess everything happens for a reason.... cause if I didn't force myself to go out that night I would've never had my first real encounter with Kat

Now I had met Kat at this bar a few weeks earlier, and danced with her....even gave her the correct digits...LOL....but I had just gotten out of a very complicated relationship with 2 people...and wasn't ready to get into another one so quickly. She did ring me up...but I never returned the call.

I don't remember who went up to who first that night. I do recall though her wearing this tank top that let the tattoo on her shoulder blaze, and she had on these cool Doc Martens boots with flowers. I found myself drawn to her, and with Chick not being there to C--- block .....I let Kat into my world.

We danced and talked and kissed all night long. When it was time to go I asked her to come to my car to say good-bye. We wound up making out in the parking lot for at least 2hrs. before I asked her to come back to my house with me. We spent our first night together....Actually our first week was spent together....We both called in sick to work for the whole week!...LOL... :)~

So.... here we are 10 years later and still going strong! We have been through so much together. To heaven and hell and back again. Through it all we have managed to keep loving and supporting each other.

Happy Anniversary baby!
I heart you more!...To infinity... and beyond!

XXX OOO XXX OOO XXX OOO XXX OOO XXX OOO XXX OOO XXX OOO...

Rockin' Heros, Birthdays, and let's just say so long for now...:)~

2008-06-23T09:21:00.015-04:00

I've had a pretty busy social life these past two weeks. Let's start with last Friday. I finally got my first taste of Guitar Hero! My friend Ella invited me over to play. Of course she kicked my arse with her Mad Skills..... I bought the game this week...... I think I have a new addiction!

Saturday we were invited to Tina and Jess's for a night of food, fun, and ROCKBAND. Thank goodness I had a little practice on the guitar the night before playing guitar hero. They are pretty much the same on the guitar, but you need more people to play the drums and sing. Fun Times! Def have to do that again soon!

Then Sunday(father's day) was my mom's 61st bornday! Her sister, my Auntie Pat, had a Sisters and Daughters luncheon at her house in Sandy Hook to celebrate the day. Everything was just perfect....even the rain couldn't dampen our spirits of family!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My friend Jen and I went to the Acoustic Cafe to see Indy artists Edie Carey and Christine Havrilla. The first chickie was ok, but the headliner Havrilla, is who I went to see. I found her through a mutual friend on myspace. I dig Indy Rock, so I checked out her sound on her page, and loved it! I don't even want to compare her to anyone else, cause it's her own sound! Thanx for rockin' out even though it was only for a handful of us.
Here is a clip of the song we got her to get back up and do an encore of "Hole in the Ground"
Please excuse the shaky cam....I had a good buzz on! WhoooHooo!

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This weekend was Ffld Co. Pride. We were'nt able to make the day event, but we hit the after party at the Cedar Brook that night. A bunch of our friends were there to help Kat and I celebrate our 10 yr. anniversary. It's where we met 10 yrs ago on the 26th of this month! Damn 10 yrs!!!...That is totally a separate blog enrty fo' sure!

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Also this weekend I had to "say so long for now" (cause good-byes suck!...and sometimes are for ever) to a very special young man named Christopher. His grandmother who has raised him up since he was 5 was a very important person in my life when I was a teen and young adult. She was my Sunday School teacher, and turned out through the years to be like a second mom to me. In fact, all day she kept on calling me and introducing me as her daughter to everyone. Was very endearing!

The reason we were all there was because Christopher has graduated High School and for some reason, which I couldn't get out of him, has gone and enlisted himself in the ....God I hate to even say it out loud....Grrrrrrrr....in the ARMY...Urrrgghhhh! There I said it and that is all I'm gonna say about that!

Except.....God please keep that boy safe!

Happy Flag Day!... :)~

2008-06-14T09:55:00.002-04:00

Crabies Making Babies... :)~

2008-06-11T09:39:00.000-04:00

I wrote this last night, but fell asleep before I finished installing the software for my new camera.

Just got back from a really nice walk on the beach with my girl. There is a storm a brewin' so there were some decent waves. We walked along the water, and went way down past the private beach areas. Along the way I noticed a tagged Horseshoe Crab and it looked like it was mating. As we walked further along the shore we found a new pair of crabs mating like every 10-20 steps .

Bow-Chick-A -Bow-Bow... :)~

Was pretty cool !!!...When we got home I just had to google Horseshoe crabs and their mating rituals. These creatures stay stuck together for up to two weeks while mating.....Could you imagine that with your own partner....No sex all year, but for two weeks you screw like horseshoe crabs...LOL!

Here is one site that I liked check it out!....

Clickie Cickie>>> http://www.pulseplanet.com/dailyprogram/dailies.php?POP=1892

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Here is a recipe for Soft Shell Crabs

Cajun Soft Shell Crab w/spicy remulade

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle crabs with Cajun seasoning. Dredge crabs in cornmeal. Add crabs to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side, gently pressing body and legs against the pan. Place on roll with lettuce, tomato, and avocado slices. Top with spicy remulade sauce.

Remulade recipe

Mayo, capers, diced red and yellow bell peppers, finely diced red onion, lemon juice, S&P, cajun seasoning.

Watch this video and Learn how to clean these little delectibles!

A-Z MEME... :)~

2008-06-09T10:07:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago Jess had tagged me with a name 10 quirky things about you MEME....
I had done that one a few months ago.... So I found this MEME on dandelion picker's blog today, and stole it from her.

Accent: Def a New England accent...but when around people with another accent I pick it up in a matter of minutes...

Breakfast or no breakfast: I HAVE to eat breakfast everyday. Don't understand how some can go all day without eating...My body needs fuel to go!!!I usually have cereal, or yogurt w/fruit and granola.

Chore I don’t care for: Cleaning the bathroom

Dog or cat: Dog. Definitely dog!...Cats are only cute to me when they are kittens.

Essential electronics: TV, Computer, I-Poop, Cellie

Favorite cologne: Body Shop Vanilla, Polo, Drakkar Noir, Grey Flannel

Gold or silver: Lately I have found myself drawn to silver.

Handbag I carry most often: NONE. If it doesn't fit in my pocket ...it usually doesn't come out with me!

Insomnia: Only when I'm super worried about something.

Job Title: Chef

Kids: Our Min-Pin Alex...Funny though, Last night i had a dream that I was at the doctors office and the nurse told me that I was preggers. Then showed me a sonogram of the baby... Very disappointing to wake up and realize it was only a dream!

Living arrangements: Apartment...house hunting though!

Most admirable trait: I share with others well...LOL

Naughtiest childhood behavior: Way too many to be listed! I was very mischievious as a child!

Overnight hospital stay: Being born of course...For my kidney stones three times. For my triple disc fusion. Twice with my mom... When she was diagnosed and had to start Chemo immediately, and when we almost lost her to a respiratory infection

Phobias: I'm sure I have some...just can't think of any right now...

Quote: If God made us in his/her image then he/she must be gay too...Me

Reason to smile: My mom being alive and cancer free!

Siblings: Younger sister Lisa, and two younger brothers...John and Nate.

Time I wake up: Anywhere between 5:30-8am.

Unusual skill or talent: Hehehe

Vegetable I refuse to eat: I loves me my veggies...but there is one that I will not eat...Brussel Sprouts....Blech!

Worst habit: Used to be smoking ciggs... I'm a control freak.

X-rays: Way too many!!!...Can you see me glowing from your house???

Yummy stuff: Chocolate, Cheese, Red wine, ripe cantaloupe,ice cream

Zoo animal I like most: Giraffes and zebras....But I get very upset when I go to the zoo and see the animals caged up. I used to have an iguana that lived in a cage. Felt very guilty for it and will NEVER have another animal that can't be allowed to roam free in my house!

Auntie T... :)~

2008-05-20T18:57:00.010-04:00

Wow!... been awhile, huh....Time seems to be flying these days! Been planning a baby shower for my sista in-law with her Mom. The party is in a week and a half, so it is crunch time! Instead of typing here, I have been constantly updating the 75 person response list in an Excel spread sheet...and revising lists of what needs to be done...

Hmmmm.... You know, I don't think I ever blogged about finally becoming a real Auntie!
My best friend's kids do call me auntie, and my other brother Nate has 3 kids, but they live in Canada and have never even met them...

So, Kat and I were one of the first people John and Roo told. I had to keep it a secret for a couple of months from our very large extended family. Actually the day after they told me I had gone to my cousin's salon...AnnMarie's Hair on Madison....And as per usual, in the hour I was there I ran into at least 5 family members. My cousin Claire had asked me how my brother and Roo were doing, and if they were planning on having kids soon???...I can't believe I was able to keep a straight face... then again, I didn't really lie.... I said yes to her question about kids.....just didn't mention how soon.....Ha!

I can't wait for this precious child to make her way into this world. I can't wait to hold her and feed her and stare at her for hours with complete and total amazement...maybe even change a diaper or two...Ha!....and of course I can't wait to spoil the crap out of her. After all that IS what Aunties are for... Riiight!! :)~

Enraged... :)~

2008-05-08T07:52:00.006-04:00

Ok.... I rarely get political here, but I just can't stay quiet anymore. Quite frankly I don't know how the people of this country can stay quiet.....I mean, am I the only person who cares that Florida and Michigan's primaries have been tainted???....and will either be discounted or possibly a split of the delegate votes between Clinton and Obamma..... WTF???

As it stands now, the Democratic Party has disqualified the results in those two states because they violated party rules by holding primary elections early in the campaign season.

Has everyone already forgotten the 2000 election and all the ways it was fixed in Florida....From the hanging chads to registered black voters not allowed to vote because either they ran out of ballots and were turned away, or the ban on felon voters.
The company, ChoicePoint, gave Florida officials a list with the names of 8,000 ex-felons to "scrub" from their list of voters. But it turns out none on the list were guilty of felonies, only misdemeanors. The company acknowledged the error, and blamed it on the original source of the list -- the state of Texas.

Anyone seeing a pattern here?????????

I refuse to sit quietly as our elections get screwed with again....We haven't even gotten through the primaries without it OBVIOUSLY being Fucked with....

I don't understand why we as a nation are not protesting in the streets for an honest way of voting our leaders into power?????....Again I SCREAM....WTF!!!!!

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POLICE BEATINGS IN PHILLY

Today on a local morning show I watched a video of 12 officers pulling people out of a car and beating the shit out of 3 suspects involved in a shooting. Then they interviewed Philadelphia's police commissioner and the mayor....While they did not condone their actions, and called it inappropriate behavior, they also used the excuse that there were high emotions running because of the shooting of a fellow officer a few days before....BTW there was no connection between the suspects in the car and the shooting of the officer.

I don't care what crime those men were accused of.....Let the courts take care of them...Not the police. Is this a glimpse into our very near future???
Again I say.......anyone seeing a pattern here??......WTF

Derby Day... :)~

2008-05-03T15:01:00.007-04:00

Today is the 134th running of The Kentucky Derby held at Church Hill Downs in Louisville Kentucky. It rained during the night so the track was listed as sloppy this morning, but the sun is starting to come out,and the track is back to being a fast track and the turf is good. It's about 2 hrs before the the start, and I'm watching the pre-race stuff on ESPN. Everyone dressed to the nines, with the women in their crazy hats drinking their mint juleps.

Every year I look at the list of horses and pick the one with the name I like the best. I have picked a few winners over the years...Funny Cide in 2003. Sunday Silence in 89 and Unbridled in 90.

This year my favorite name is Pyro...Why you may ask???..... I LOVE FIRE!....

So there! ....There is my pick for the 134 Run for the Roses at Church Hill Downs... :)~

Good Luck Horsies!

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And they're off.....So Big Brown won the race....He was expected to win....It was the jockey Kent Desorneaus third KD win.....

Bit of sadnes though.....The horse who took second place "8 Belles" broke both front ankles and had to be euthanized immediately..... So sad!

Six Month Anniversary... :)~

2008-05-02T08:26:00.004-04:00

Yesterday my sister Lisa called to say happy anniversary! We both quit smoking on the same day last year, so every first of the month since then she calls to congratulate us. You know, I have quit smoking at least 5 times before this. Each time I always kept track of how long it had been since my last one. This time I noticed that I'm really not keeping track. Every time Lisa calls I can't believe another month has gone by so F-ing quickly.

Maybe it's because the last six month have been a blur, and I wish time would stand still for a bit for my own selfish reasons....Maybe it's because I don't see myself putting another CANCER stick to my lips Ever this time around!....

......or maybe it's cause I have been smoking in my dreams. This has never happend before.... At least once a week I have a dream where I am smoking a Damn cigarette.
The dreams seem so real sometimes, that I wake up feeling like I have cheated in some way making my quit date null and void...LOL... :)~

Anyone else out there who has quit having cigarette dreams????

Whirling Dervishes... :)~

2008-05-01T09:16:00.006-04:00

This week I have found myself watching The Today Show on NBC. They are doing the "Where in the World is Matt Lauer" series. This morning he was in Istanbul, Turkey. They did this piece on Whirling Dervishes. I have heard this term before, but really never knew just who or what a Whirling Dervish was.

They were men (women also do it) doing a dance where they whirl around for up to an hour sometimes. It is a whirling prayer. With their right hand stretched to the Gods, they are taking something beautiful from th gods and are spreading it through humanity through the left hand. During this prayer they are trying to reach a spirtual extacy...Seemed to me like they were in a trance of sorts....which would explain the not falling down part....LOL

Right??!...How can one spin round and round like that, and not get dizzy and fall.... Spinning is a child's first high! Have you ever been to a baseball game where in between the innings they pick a few spectators to spin around a bat, then TRY to run down the field...

Not sure how long these guys in this video have been spinning, but even if it were for just the 3 min length of it....I know there is no way I would remain standing at the end!
Check it out....I found it to be very peaceful... :)~

Good Friday... :)~

2008-04-24T15:16:00.010-04:00

This Sunday we have been invited to celebrate Ukrainian Orthodox Easter with 3 of my friends who are sisters...... Lisa, Jen, and Christine...... and their families....Good times, good people with good food...has to be a great time!
With my family being so large on both sides...I really don't get to visit with my friends on the holidays. I hope this is the beginning of a new tradition!
Thanx for thinking of me girlies!...I lurve you guys! :)~

Happy Earth Day 08'... :)~

2008-04-22T12:31:00.015-04:00

In honor of Earth Day I wore my Hard Rock Cafe "Save the Planet" T-shirt. I can't believe I still have it, and fit in it....LOL....I bought it about 13yrs ago.

After PT this morning I went for a walk along the water. The fog was still lifting and the sun was breaking through. It was so beautiful I just had to take some pics of my short journey.

Green Week SHOULD be Every Week! :)~

2008-04-21T08:59:00.007-04:00

Earth day is tomorrow April 22, and just like in years past I have been seeing stuff on tv promoting "Going Green" and how to conserve energy at home for the past two weeks. Too bad they didn't run these adds year round to remind us everyday just how badly we are abusing our planet's resources.....

My bigest sin is buying the half liter bottles of Poland Spring water.....I have decided that I don't want this on my conscious anymore!!!....I am going out and buying a water filter to put on my kitchen sink at home....

Ya know what's Funny... I picture my judgement day to be standing in front of a kajillion plastic bottles, and God asking me why I littered this beautiful creation called earth with them...LOL

What simple thing can you do to make your world a little more "green"???

Check out this short youtube video for some ideas...

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On a side note......Congratulations to Danica Patrick. She became the first Woman racer to win in Indy Car history taking Japan's Indy 300 race on Sunday. WoooooHoooo! :)~ GRL POWER!!!

Sunset... Moonrise... :)~

2008-04-20T12:03:00.023-04:00

Weekend in Pics... :)~
HAPPY Intrernational 4/20....
Have an extra special Organically Inclined day!!!
Pass it on... ere'! :)~

Stuffed Shells... :)~

2008-04-09T16:53:00.013-04:00

Stuffed Shells

1 box large shell pasta cooked aldente

2c gravy....for the non Italians..... thats tomato sauce...hehehe

16oz container of ricotta cheese

1c frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze out excess water

1 egg

1tsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 c grated parmigiana reggiano

1c shredded mozzarella....save 1/4c for top

1 small clove garlic chopped

pinch of nutmeg

S&P

In a bowl mix the ricotta, spinach, egg, parsley, parmigiana, mozzarella, nutmeg, garlic, and S&P.

Refrigerate for 2-4hrs for best flavor. Cook pasta shells aldente. They will finish cooking when they bake in the oven. In a baking dish put a good layer of gravy down. Stuff the shells with either a spoon or fill a pastry bag or even a ziplock bag and cut the corner off. Arrange in baking dish. Top with the reserved mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 20 min or until cheese starts to brown and is bubbly.

Happy Birthday to You... :)~

2008-04-03T08:42:00.005-04:00

It's the Big 40 for the wifey today !

Happy 40th Born Day to you baby!!! All my Love XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOOXOXOX

TOP CHEF... :)~

2008-03-12T17:14:00.008-04:00

BRAVO'S Top Chef Chicago season 4 starts tonight...... Wednesday, March 12.

Ahhhh a new season of host Padma Lakshmi!!!!...Mmmm Mmmmm Padma!.....Did I say that out loud?? my bad!..Ha!.......and of course the regular judges.... chef Tom Colicchio, Food and Wine's Gail Simmons, and Ted Allen. I wonder what guest chef judges they will get this time. My favs from past shows include Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain. Have you seen his show on the Travel Channel....No Reservations........that nut will eat anything!

International Women's Day 2008 ... :)~

2008-03-07T16:52:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is March 8, and is International Women's Day. Take a moment today to honor and think about the women who have made a difference in your life, and in this world. Here are a few that have in mine.

My mom of course, and her sisters, my sister, my wife Kat, and some very close cousins and friends, and a few teachers.
Famous people...Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Benazir Bhutto, Bonnie Parker, Melissa Etheridge, Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks

Who are some of the women in your life that you honor ???

Here is a video courtesy of youtube honoring International Women's Day 08'.

JUNO... :)~

2008-02-27T09:46:00.009-05:00

Kat and I went to see the Indie film Juno this past Sunday. It has been one of the few movies that we have seen lately that was worth the entrance fee...LOL...It was such a smart, sweet,wittily funny and romantical love story. I fell in love with Juno's attitude in the opening scene!

So it's about a teenage girl named Juno.... played by Ellen Page....who gets preggers after the first time she has sex with her "part time lover and a full time friend" boyfriend Paulie Bleeker...(Michael Cera)

She can't bring herself to have an abortion, and winds up finding the "perfect" potential parents (played by YUMMY Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) in a local penny saver add. What I thought was real cool in the story, but not usually the norm in real life, was that she had a father and step mother who ultimately supported and respected her decisions.

Kudos to director Jason Rightman and writer and Oscar winner.....writer Diablo Cody for such a great feel good movie!

Don't want to give too much away! The Sountrack was great. Loved the song "Anyone Else but You" by the Moldy Peaches. Juno and Bleeker sing it together at the end of the movie. Here they are courtesy of Youtube. :)~

Weekend Update... :)~

2008-02-25T10:15:00.006-05:00

Been kind of busy for the last few weeks to post. Sometimes I just can't sit down and write off the top of my head. I need inspiration. Well this weekend I went to a rather unusual party that inspired me to write away!

So a couple of weeks ago we got an invitation in the mail from my friend Christine. It said it was a party, and it was for Oscar. Hmmmm Oscar? Who the hell is Oscar? Does she mean THE Oscars? Hmmmmm....The only possible Oscar in her life was maybe the cat??? So I called her that night and got the scoop.

Turns out that Oscar is her St. Benard Webkinz. For those of you who aren't schooled in Webkinz....They are stuffed animals that you register to an online community, and take care of them virtually.....like a Sims game sort of.

At Christmas her sister's kids got them as presents, and said she was going to get one for herself. Well I guess she did cause it's his birthday, and she had a party for him.

So Christine totally Did It Up!....Balloons, hats(for both us and the Webkinz), party games, pizza, cupcakes, goodie bags filled with games, candy, and our own Platipuss Webkinz inside. A green/white screen station to take pics with Oscar. Too much I tell ya! Ohhhhh I almost forgot! Oscar came out at his party. Yep he is a GAY St. Bernard Webkinz!....Who knew!

And I thought Ella's party for her beagle... Molly's first b-day .....was the most outrageous reason to have a gathering of friends.....Ha!

We will come up with anyting to have a party! :)~

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Stuffed Pepper Recipe... :)~

2008-02-06T16:53:00.002-05:00

This is my Mom and sister Lisa's recipe for Stuffed Peppers...It may be simple.....simply friggin' delicious that is! :)~

5 Organic Bell peppers any color

1lb. Organic Ground beef

1 Onion diced

1 Clove garlic minced

160z Tomato Sauce

1 boil in bag cooked brown rice

1 Tb Worcheschire sauce

2 Beef boulion cubes

2c hot water

Cut tops off of peppers and set aside. Saute onions till brown, add garlic, and cook 5 min more. Add the ground beef, and cook till done. Drain off any fat. Add 1 cup tomato sauce, worcheshire sauce, and the cooked rice. Stir together well. Take off heat. Stuff the peppers with mixture and put tops back on. Mix together water and boullion cubes until the cubes disolve. Add to reserved tomato sauce. Place the peppers in oven proof dish and pour the tomato mixture around peppers 3/4 of the way up dish. Cover and cook for apx 1hr at 350, and 15min. more at 425 degrees. Peppers should brown up and blister a bit......Enjoy! :)~

Rock the Vote! :)~

2008-02-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

Are you registered to vote yet???

Watching the morning shows today I realized that tomorrow is Super Tuesday. It is our time here in CT and 23 other states to vote in the Primaries. Unfortunatly, due to my procrastination gene, I won't be able to vote in ours.

I did however register at Rock the Vote this morning. I went to the website almost a month ago, and put it in my favoites to go back to. Actually in "Tina Time" that wasn't such a bad procrastination period at all....Ha!!!....
So I filled out a form that I printed and sent it in to the Secretary of State, Elections Division.

Not sure who I will vote for yet. I'm leaning toward Hillary.....Possibly Obama.
I think we have a pretty screwed up system. We should have way more than a coulple/few candidates to choose from.
I also think it should be a vote for a vote.... but that's just me talkin'! :)~
on a totally unrelated subject..... WoooHooo!
.

Tag.......I'm It! :)~

2008-01-31T16:48:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged by Darlene. The rules say I'm supposed to share six things/habits/quirks about myself and tag 6 others.....but everyone I read has already been tagged....Besides, I love breaking the rules!

1. Before my mother was diagnosed I was so anal about so many things. I mean For Real!....Just ask Kat...LOL...
Especially about cleaning, and everything having a place in this apartment. ....and that is just a small part of it.....
But a few weeks ago I noticed that I have been way more lax about ALOT of things. I think its because things like that just seem so trivial to me now compared to the cancer......It feels good not worring or fighting about all that stuff as much. Just blows that it took such a sucky thing to relax me a bit........but I Hope it lasts!

2. I have been to 28 of our United States.

3. I Love coconut ice cream in a cup with a cone ontop.

4. I like creepy crawly things, and always put spiders out the window instead of smooooshing them.

5. I really miss playing my guitar since my surgery in November....actually since the accident last March.

6. It will be 3 months on Friday since I smoked my last cigg. Whooo Hooooo!
:)~

Meatballs and Footballs... :)~

2008-01-21T09:08:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid I used to love watching football and going to my high School's games.......but as an adult the only football I really watch is the Superbowl.
Even then, it's totally for it's great commercial content!
I usually pick the team with the nicest uniforms to route for...LOL....unless the Giants or Patriots are playing...... They are the teams closest to CT.

So yesterday ....turned out to be a big playoff day, and I happend to be in places beyond my remote control....Ha!

While at the laundry matt the Patriots/ Chargers game was on in the backround while folding.... Then later on at the bowling alley the Giants/ Packers game was on. Our friend Katie was routing for the Giants, so I couldn't help but to pay attention this time...LOL ....Actually it was a pretty good game...Nail bitter if you were routing for either team.

It turns out that both the Patriots and the Giants won their games and will be playing against each other in the Superbowl XLII on Feb. 2nd....Who will I route for now????

I guess I will have to use my pick the team with the nicest uniforms method again...Ha!

In honor of the Superbowl, and the great food we eat on that day..... I thought I would leave my recipe for meatballs. A must have on any half-time buffet!

My Meatballs

1 lb. 70% ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/8c finely chopped parsley
1/2c grated parmesan cheese
2 slices of whole grain bread cut into small cubes
2 (organic omega 3) eggs
1/4c organic milk or soy
1/4c pignoli nuts
3 Tbs Cabernet
S&P to taste
(Optional).....1/4 c currants...soaked in hot water for 5 min. then drained

First sautee onions and garlic till tender. Then add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
Make a small test meatball and fry it up to make sure seasonings are just right. Adjust seasonings if needed.
Roll into balls. Heat pan to fry evenly on all sides. I finish my meatballs in my gravy for about a half hour. Otherwise finish off in oven. 350 degrees for 10-15 min. Enjoy! :)~

525,600 minutes.....How do YOU measure a year? :)~

2007-12-31T12:50:00.000-05:00

I watched RENT for the first time the other day. I totally fell in love with the movie, and it's songs...Especially the opening one... Seasons of Love. So I thought I would leave the lyrcs...

Here's wishing you all a Happy New Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutues ...

"Seasons of Love"

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes...
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments so dear...
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes.
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights...
In Sunsets...
In Midnights...
In Cups Of Coffee...
In Inches...
In Miles...
In Laughter...
In Strife...

In Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes.
How Do You Measure A Year In The Life?

How About Love?
How About Love?
How About Love?
Measure In Love.
..Seasons of Love.
Seasons of Love.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes.
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Journeys To Plan.
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes.
How Do You Measure The Life Of A Woman Or A Man.

In Truth That She Learned.
Or In Times That He Cried.
In Bridges He Burned.
Or The Way That She Died.

It's Time Now - To Sing Out.
Though The Story Never Ends.
Let's Celebrate Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends.
Remember the Love... Remember the Love... Remember the Love...
Measure In Love.
(Oh you got to you got to remember the love,)(You know that love is a gift from up above)(Share love, give love, spread love)(Measure, measure your life in love.)
Seasons of Love ....Seasons of Love....
Measure your life in LOVE!... :)~

Enough is Enough Already!

2007-12-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

Who ever came up with the saying...What Doesn't Kill Us, Only Makes Us Stronger......didn't know what the hell he/she was talking about....
Because the events of this past week have reduced me to a mere puddle.

It wasn't enough that I have to deal with the emotional and physical stress of my mom's cancer,and my stay with her in the hospital...... Ohhhhhh Nooooooooo.

Sunday when I came home for a bit I found my pet Iguana of 9 yrs.... Socrates... on the bottom of his cage not responding to me, and was stone cold. I picked him up, and held him in my arms. He was so cold, so lifeless. Kat helped me position his lights, and got the portable heater to help with the warming. I held him to give him my body warmth under the lights....He began to respond a bit so I tried to feed him again.... I sprayed him down with warm water...I tried to get him to open his mouth so I could spray water in his mouth....but he just wouldn't. I repositioned his lights so hopefully he would stay warm through the night....I did what I could for the moment...The vet wouldn't be open till tomorrow....and I had to get back to the hospital, to my mom.

Around 7 am Monday morning I got a call from Kat all upset, and in the middle of an asthma attack.....She woke up to Socrates violently thrashing himself around his cage.....And was now belly up on the ground. She said he was dead.
I began to go into panic attack mode, and did not have anything with me to take for that....I went to the nurses station and between breaths tried to tell them what was happening. This really kind nurse named Jennifer took me into an empty room and talked me down.

By the way.... I would like to give SUPER PROPS and Muchas Thank Yous to the entire staff, especially the Nurses, on the 7th floor at Bridgeport Hospital in CT. I just happend to be on that floor for my stay a few weeks ago... right around the corner from my mom's room. Everyone was so kind and gentle and attentive to our needs with all of us involved in our stays there.

OK back to Socrates....When I got home he opened his eyes for me when I picked him up...He had no fight in in him whatsoever. So we rushed him to the vet. His prognosis was not good at all. He had become severely dehydrated and stone cold. His organs had begun to shut down, and his body had gone into shock....it was too late.....I had to make such a hard and sad decision to put him down right there and then. They let me say my goodbyes with him and, we stayed with him for the first injection until his eyes closed, and he went into a deep sleep. There were other injections that they had to give him because reptiles have such a slow metabolism. I didn't want to be there for that. I made arrangements for him to be cremated and will have his ashes in an urn......I know.....a little kooky.....but I LOVED the heck out of my little dragon!

Over the summer my dad and brother John built this great encloser for Socrates and we keep it in the kitchen....I keep going in there looking for and talking to him out of habbit.....and then of course start crying realizing that he is not there.....
It is just a horrible constant reminder and I want it out of here!
Kat and others say keep it....That I might want another reptile soon.. . But between taking care of myself and trying to heal properly from my surgery.....and soon to be really taking care of my mom..It just wouldn't be fair to a new pet at all... :)~

They say things come in 3s

1. My surgery

2. My mom's cancer

3. Socrates death

There damn it!!!... that's three.....Leave me the hell alone for a good long while!

It's time for some good JuJu already!!!... :)~

Sorry for such sad posts lately......but that's what's honestly going on in my life and this is one of my few outlets...

Peace Outie.....TMC

Say a Little Prayer ... Part Deux

2007-12-02T15:13:00.000-05:00

Sorry if this post is all over the place , and scatter brained...Please bear with me and read on... :)~

OK my peeps, I need you all again!......Since your prayers, and positive energy seemed to do me a world of good. I thought I might impose upon you all again.

This Thursday I received the most devastating news in all my 41years...
I got a call from my Auntie Pat asking me how quickly I could get to my moms house....she said that my mom and her were on their way home from the doctor.
Her and my Auntie E have been a tag teaming machine with taking her to all her appointments since this January when my mom's insurance kicked in.......

I can't say that I was shocked by what I knew I was about to hear.....I just didn't know that it was going to be this bad.....I've been preparing for this moment since she started going to the docs.....

OK , I'm just gonna say it.......
She has Small Cell Lung CANCER.....
F--ck! .... I hate saying it out loud.....It just makes it more real.....Cause I am still in a haze over all this.

It's not bad enough that it's Cancer.....It's the kind that will never go away...She HAD to start Chemotherapy, and Radiation on Friday, the very next day, cause she only has two weeks to live otherwise... My mom has said to us in the past that if she did have cancer that she wouldn't do the chemo....but I don't think she is ready to die yet.....Especially when she would only have a very short time left.

So early Friday morning I met my mom, and Auntie Pat at the hospital.....It's where I have been since......It's now 3:52 pm on Sunday, and this is my first real break....

I could see how scared my mom was when they told us...So I asked her if she would like me to stay with her over night..... Her eyes lit up, and she said "you will do this with me"......." Of course I will", I told her.....I can't leave you here all alone at night.

My Auntie Pat and Auntie E have been awesome!!. I don't know what I would do with out them!!! During the day from like noon to 9 pm they have been a great tag team once again being there for their sister.....But I really needed a break today.....So I asked my sister if she would come do a shift from 4-8. Going back again tonight to sleep with her....She is supposed to be released tomorrow, but her docs weren't sure about that this morning. So we will see.....If she does, I will be staying with her until we figure it out.

We don't really have a plan of attack yet...... We don't want her to be alone....She will be on oxygen....which she began doing a few days before at home. Plus, she is so short of breath doing the simplest of things......Not to mention what the side effects from the Chemo and Radiation are going to do to her. They say it takes a day or two after the treatments to feel the full effects to kick in....... When she is home of course......and she will also loose her hair in two weeks. Ironically, my mom was a hair dresser for over 20 years..... and so is my sister for almost as long. She will be the one to have to cut mom's, past the middle of her back hair, that mom has kept that long since the early 80's. We will see if they accept hair that that has gone through Chemo/Rad to donate. Hair is only alive at the follicle.....So maybe.

So it's 5:38 now, I need to get off this computer, eat something, and get ready for duty.
I just wanted to ask everyone out there who reads this... whether you know me or not.... to please take the time to "Say a Little Prayer", or send some good juju my Mom's way!
Actually for us all....

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.....My sister Lisa and I quit smoking over a month ago.....I did it a week before my surgery, so I would heal better. She has been on again, off again quiting for almost a year....If this doesn't make my whole family quit forever... I don't know what will...

Peace Outie.......TMC

Checking In...Checking out... :)~

2007-11-14T15:04:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to write a short post to thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes! Obviously I made it through my surgery and am home recuperating. Probably wont post again for awhile, but just wanted to acknowledge those of you who came to visit me and kept in touch by phone and via email to make sure I/we were ok!.....I love ya All......Peace outie...........TMC... :)~

If ya want the real deal story of what happened...... my partner Kat wrote about our ordeal in her blog.

I Say a Little Prayer For You... :)~

2007-11-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

Well my readers......tomorrow is the big day.........
I have been dreading it ever since the doc told me I needed this surgery back in June......
But, it has to be done!......Without it, I will never work in my field again....it's bad enough that I may not be able to go back to working on the line.....but we'll see about that!

You see...... I am one of the lucky ones who actually enjoys what they do for a living.
Food is my PASSION....Particularly The Restaurant/ Catering Life!
When I am in the kitchen concocting creations for others to enjoy eating, is when I am at my happiest!
I miss everything about it!!!!... From the kitchen banter.....to the adrenalin rush I get for those few hours a day when my ticket line is full......
Ahhhhhh, and the instant gratification I get when all my food has gone out without any complaints!.......
And then there are the greatest of moments......When a server, or even the customer themselves, comes into the kitchen and raves about the food...It just makes me feel good when I can make someone else happy with my food!!!!

Soooooo.... needless to say, I have to have this surgery if I want to go back what I love.
Now I know I've said it a million times, but I am scared shitless!!!...I just want it to be Wednesday afternoon already. When I wake up from anesthesia and someone tells me that everything went just fine!!!....

Here is a little note my Auntie E sent me this morning...I hope she doesn't mind me sharing it with you all....But it is something I would like for you all you to do for me.....

It's PRAY.....Please PRAY for me to whatever god you believe in...
And if ya don't pray or believe in anything....how about some positive energy sent my, and Kat's way tomorrow!
I'll take all I can get!........here is my aunts letter.

Hey TMC,

About your operation... I will pray for you this week and for your operation. I'll pray that your body accepts the medication and that the surgeon's hands are steady and sure. I will pray for peace and comfort in your operating room and that the angel's of light are protecting you. If there are any other concerns that I can pray for you, please let me know.

And, I'll pray for a speedy recovery.

I'm sure I'll hear from your mom how you (and Kat) are doing. Just so you know that I'm thinking of you.

Breathe baby, breathe... PEACE to you!... Love, AEM

Weekend Fun... :)~

2007-10-22T10:25:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics I took with my phone of stuff Kat and I did over the past two weekends.....

Hike in the woods at my fav lake during it's peak for leaf peepers!...

Willow the Weimaraner.....Jess and Tina came for pizza, and brought the cutest puppy ever!...

Bonfire on the beach with friends...

Pumpkin Pickin' at Jones Farm...and the punkin' we picked...Can't wait till it's time to carve him! :)~

..........AND WE"RE BACK....... :)~

2007-10-08T09:19:00.000-04:00

Daaauuuummmm! I can't believe I haven't blogged in almost 2 months....For some reason I just couldn't bring myself to sit for a couple of hours and write......and it wasn't writer's block either.....Cause sooooo much has gone on in the past few months to blah, blah, BLOG about......

I think it was a matter of not wanting to waste hours sitting at the computer...Instead I spent them being out of this apartment..... Outdoors..... with friends or family....Or sometimes just myself down at the beach or at the park...... I have found myself Seeing... and Being..... and Acting upon things differently since I have known about my surgery. You know... the whole mortality thang!... Especially since I have a date for it to happen.....

I've found myself not caring about allot of stupid shite anymore!

Like yesterday..... I hosted a GRLZ brunch out on the patio..... My close buds....The "regulars" were there....
But I had invited 2 cousins and 3 of my friends that I have known for a few years now .....and have been to their places plenty of times.....but have never been invited to ours........
WHY???.......
Location ...location....location.....

Kat and I are city grlz.......We live on a street of color, ethnic diversity, and....... the occasional crime scene.....For the most part this street is pretty quiet for being a major road with a high school 1 block away.......but for a few hrs. a day, while the gang bangers ...errrr I mean kids that are getting out of school are on the street..... I even plan my outings around them...lol........

Anyway back to the point.......you know ......
NOT giving a SHITE about the stupid .... :)~
To quote Stan from South Park...I think I've learned something here today.....

A few months ago I probably wouldn't have invited those people over .....
But instead........ I chose to share a little bit more of myself, my home, and my food with people that I care about!... :)~
Hope everyone had a good time!......and those of you who couldn't make it were truly missed....
PEACE OUTIE......TMC

Apple/Peach/Blueberry Cobbler... :)~

2007-08-16T13:32:00.001-04:00

Apple/Peach/Blueberry Cobbler

2 Organic Apples peeled and sliced
2 Organic Peaches peeled and sliced
1/2 c Organic blueberries

For the Crust and topping:
1/2 stick butter cut into small pieces
5-6 Stella Doro Breakfast treats
1/2 c Shredded Coconut flakes

In a food processor add the cookies and pulse to a fine grind. Then add the coconut, and butter and pulse until well mixed. Press the mixture into bottom of pan or individual dishes. Make sure you reserve enough for topping when finished.

Peel and thinly slice apples and peaches. Fan them out to make it easier to layer them in the pan. Alternating the peaches and apples. Then dot with blueberries. Sprinkle reserved topping and dot with butter. Bake at 375 for about 45 min or until golden and bubbly.
ENJOY!... :)~

Serves 4

Time for a Recipe...Zucchini Fritters... :)~

2007-08-10T09:29:00.001-04:00

I was kind of bored yesterday, so I decided to clean out the fridge. I had found 4 zucchini in the veggie bin that I had forgotten to feed to my iguana....Hmmmmm what to do with them.....Kat likes breaded zucchini.......but I wanted to.... you know....kick it up a notch......So as I foraged though the fridge I found some scallions, dill, extra sharp cheddar, and eggs......here is a sequential pictorial of what I came up with.....

Zucchini Fritters

2 Lg Zucchini Shredded and salted
3 TB Organic Flour
3 Organic Scallions, chopped
1 tsp Organic Fresh Dill, chopped
3/4c Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Egg beaten
1/2c Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

1 c Reserved Seasoned Bread Crumbs to dredge fritters

Shred zucchini and sprinkle with1 tsp of salt.....This helps get the liquid out. Let sit for 15 min in a sieve with a bowl under it to catch the juice. With your hands squeeze out excess water from zucchini. Add all other ingredients, mix and refridgerate for 1hr....Pour off any liquid that may be on top....Form into patties, and dredge in the reserved bread crumbs. Get pan hot and add the oil.... Carefully add the fritters to the pan and turn down heat to med. Cook till crispy golden on each side. Enjoy hot or cold. Plain or with a favorite dipping sauce.

Take A Little Time To Enjoy ...THE VIEW :)~

2007-08-08T22:37:00.000-04:00

Months ago Kat sent in a request for tickets to The View, and of course they came just when she has started a new job. Plus she wanted to save her time off to take care of me for a few days after my surgery.....All day I felt sooooo guilty for having such a great time! I've never been to a live taping of a show before. It was sooooo much smaller in the studio than I thought it would be. It was just really cool to see how everything works and shite....

Since Kat couldn't make it I asked my friends Angie B and Mary to join me on my little journey. We had to be on the 6:40 am train, so we met at Ang's and walked over......THANX again Angie B for picking up my ticket the night before!!!.....You ROCK!

So we got to the studio just fine.....waited for over 2 hrs in line.....First outside.....Then around 9:30 they let us in the building and had us all round up like cattle to wait another hour and 15 min before they let us upstairs to the studio.....But after that...... everything was great!

They let us take pics during the commercial breaks....Whoopie was there, and was announced as one of the new hosts for next season....also there, was actor John Voight......You know Angelina's dad......He played the father to Rick Schroder in one of my favorite childhood movies....THE CHAMP. ....Wish I had brought a pic from that movie for him to sign.....cause he was outside the studio afterwards signing autographs....Got some good pics of him though!......

And of course there were the gifts we got...It was "Kid's Summer Gadgets" day.....So we wound up getting a slushie maker, an electric spinning marshmallow fork, a digital camera, an underwater skateboard, and a gift certificate for an electric scooter.....not bad....but I'd so rather be in Oprah's audience for her ..."My Favorite Things Show" ...Now those are some gifts!

Oh Yeah I almost forgot .....also outside was "Josh" from All My Children.....He stopped too to sign stuff and take pics.....Being the BIG AMC fans that we are, Angie B and I asked to take a pic with him.....Damnation!...He is such a HOTTIE!!!!

We made our way to some Irish Pub for a beer and a bite to eat....Then hopped in a cab to Grand Central....Traffic was soooooo bad, and the cab was so hot that we got out and walked the rest of the way...
When we got back I wanted to watch the show with the girls, but I was meeting Lisa, Jen, and Christine for dinner and drinks in an hour and I still needed to wash NYC off of me...lol... :)~

By the way we went to Archie Moore's, and we ordered a bunch of apps......Can I tell you how much I loved the Barbecue pulled pork nachos!!!!....Mmmmm......M!..I'll go back just for that.

Castles and Princeses... :)~

2007-07-27T15:02:00.000-04:00

Wednesday afternoon I took my 3 nieces ages 5, 9, 11, to the beach. It was a perfect day! I planned it so we would be there at low tide....it's the best time for sandcastle sand!.....We swam around for a while as soon as we got there....Well, truth be told, they swam.....I stood waist high in the water playing lifeguard...LOL...We had some lunch, and then it was castle building time!......After that we went for a walk down the beach, then out on the jedi to wave to the boats coming in and out of the marina.

The girlz wanted to go to the playground across the way...This place is set up like a castle, with lots of winding stairs and towers. So they decided that they were princesses who needed saving, and I was the evil witch.....SO I played along, and decided that I had Ultimate powers that none of them could match....Anna would try and throw some pretend magic at me, and I would counter it with mine...Me always winning of course.....They would try to hide throughout the castle.....and when they weren't paying attention I would sneak up, and scare the crap out of them sending them running, and Kayla shrieking at the top of her lungs......That was fun!!!

When I couldn't take the heat anymore, I gathered them up, and brought them back to my place. We indulged in some italian ice from the store downstairs, and sat on the porch in the backyard to eat it. Everyone trying each others flavor. Too cute!.....It was pretty hot down there so we went back up to the AC. Kayla and Sara helped me make some cheese and crackers, and we watched some cartoons I had tevoed....is tevoed even a word??? Well it is now...HA!...

Soooooo anyways.....Needless to say we had a great day......I love those kids, and really enjoy spending time with them....I totally need to make an effort to take them to do stuff!!!... :)~

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Me and my broha John in PJ
Me and my dad in PJ

Thursday, as a belated birthday present, my dad and broha treated me to a day in Port Jeff. It's sort of has become a tradition for us.... We took the ferry over and walked around a bit....didn't stay very long....We had lunch and some ice cream.....Then came home.....It's all about the boat ride for us....Next year we might not even get off in PJ at all, and just ride the boat a few times back and forth.......LOL...

I'M SCARED!!!... :)~

2007-07-23T12:27:00.000-04:00

There were some people with birthdays while I was on vaca that I would like to give a shout out to!!!......My god-daughter Sara, and her older sister Anna....They were born on the same day, two years apart.... My Aunt E-Marie who's b-day was on Friday the 13....and our Mini-Pincer Alex who turned 12 on the 12th...

###################################################

MY SURGERY... :)~

I haven't really blogged about this much....I'm soooo friggin' scared!!!! I keep having nightmares...and bad visions of things going wrong in the operating room....I know...I know...toooo much tv... Ha!...Thank god Kat will be here with me through all this!

It has been 5 months today since the accident at work.....It is starting to hit home that the surgery is imminent, and not that far in the future. I had my final appointment this morning with the Ortho/spine guy. He is the last doc to see before I start booking my pre-surgery apts...... Here is what they will be doing to me.....

I will have two of my discs replaced and fused. So I will have a titanium plate, and two screws in my neck. (Now I will have an excuse for having a screw loose...LOL)....They HAVE to take bone from my hip to replace the discs. I thought I was going to be able to use the cadaver bone...........But I have the nasty habit of smoking, and also am having multiple replacements done.... Sooooo........
I really don't want pain anywhere else, but the healing rate is better if I use my own bone...

I just want this to all be over......Worker's Comp takes their sweet time about approving everything....So much time has been wasted!!!...I could've been almost recovered by now if not for all the RED TAPE bullshite!

r Family Vacation... :)~

2007-07-18T15:45:00.000-04:00

Kat and I got back from our cruise on Saturday. It was THE MOST RELAXING...yet jammed packed vacation...... with an awesome itinerary of things to choose from both on the ship, and in each port!!!... I highly recommend cruising!.....This was my first one, and will certainly NOT be my last!

Everything is taken care of for you....I mean Everything!!!.....Cleaning, food, transportation, entertainment,spa, gym, workshops, shopping, casinos..There were planned excursions while in port, or you could do your own thing...Just as long as you got your ass back on the ship before She departed!!!.....I was even able to surprise Kat on our 9 year anniversary. I ordered up a party package where they decorated the room and made a cake...Very Cool...

We traveled on the Norwegian Dawn....with the "r family Vacations" ....( The Rosie O' Donnell cruise I won) We had a state room with a balcony.... SWEET!....Everything was Sweet! ...From housekeeping leaving you animal towel sculptures every evening with the turn down service......to sitting next to , and having multiple conversations with Sharon Gless of Cagney and Lacey, and Showtime's Queer as Folk.......at the slot machines...She was my first "realized" celeb crush......Mmmm Christine Cagney!!!!!...LOL....oh, I Won 500 semolians by the way!

Our trip started in NYC. and our first stop was in Port Canaveral, FL. Kat and I hit beautiful Coco Beach ( I Dream of Jeannie beach) while there. I wish our beaches were this nice.....but that Damnn Long Island thing is always in our way!!!...LOL...From there we traveled to Key West. Didn't make it to the beach that day as planned. There was sooo much shopping to do, that that took up most of our time in port. A girl MUST shop!...Plus it was like 90 that day....Later that evening we were off to our final, (my personal favorite) destination....Grand Cayman Island in the Bahamas.

It was our own private Island. The ship was anchored a mile from shore....We got up early in the a.m. and were on the first transport boat there. First pick of everything!.....At one point we had ourselves set up in 3 different places. A prime spot on the beach....A hammock under some palm trees.....and a picnic table with an umbrella......I didn't care! I was going to enjoy this day to it's fullest!!!.....and that we did!....Highlight of my time there was definitely the snorkeling! Even though it was cut short because of my injuries.....It was something I have dreamed of doing since I was a kid! .... At first I was a bit leery of the life in the water , but that only lasted for a minute.....As soon as saw my first fish I was hooked....LOL......We enjoyed ourselves there for most of the day, and made it back late at night for the Island dance party!

I have to tell you about the entertainment Rosie lined up for us....Lots of comedy and Broadway stars....Judy Gold, Sandra Bernhardt, Alec Mapa, Jessica Kirson, Sharon Gless, Meg Tilly, Ross Mathews, Erasure, New York Gay M en's Chorus , fitness guru Susan Powter, and my ultimate fav!....Andrea McArdle. She played Broadway's original Annie. You know ..."The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow"...... Rosie actually got her to perform a scaled down version of Annie for us....Of course Rosie played Miss Hannigan.....Ha!....Even though we were late, and our seats weren't the greatest, I video taped every song she sang! I had goosebumps the whole time!!...ok ok I know that sounds gay....LOL.....But that was a once in a lifetime treat for us.....cause when the hell is she ever gonna do that again as an adult? Never I tell ya!...Ha!... :)~

To sum it up......it was the most enchanted vacation ever. Thank you "r family Vacations" crew.....and of course Rosie and Kelli!.....Here are some pics... :)~

Happy Birthday Juniebug!!!...... :)~

2007-06-25T14:31:00.000-04:00

For the past month or so, I have been planning my mom's 60th birthday. With some help form my aunts, my sister, and Kat, we really pulled off a great party. Being it was a pool party/picnic, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! The sun was shining.....The birds were singing.....My sister and I didn't fight at all......in fact we got through the day without any fights, between anyone.....LOL.....wich is a great feat within it's self if you know my family at all.....HA! ....

So thanx to everyone who came......and especially to those who helped make this a special day for my mom... me.... and my sister! I couldn't have done it without you!......Oh yeah, and a special shout out to my cuz Rob for letting us use the house!...Woooot! Wooooot!....You Rock!....
Here are some pics of our day! :)~

Yo, Yo Daddy-O.... :)~

2007-06-13T13:08:00.000-04:00

A quick shout out to my dad on his 62nd b-day!!!.......Happy Birthday OLD MAN!!!...Ha!
A few years ago he needed his birth certificate to get a passport. Not being able to find it, he had to send for a new one from Italy.....When he got it back, to his surprise, he found out that his true birthday was June 3......

But I can never remember that.....It's been the 13th for all my life.....He gets his call on the 13th damn it!

Since my dad is a diabetic.....in honor of his birthday... here is a link where I found a great informational site for diabetics.....There are recipes for cakes, and lots of other great treats!
Check it out! .........Clickie.....Clickie>>>
http://www.diabeteslibrary.org/news/news_item.cfm?NewsID=200

Once in a Blue Moon... :)~

2007-05-31T10:36:00.000-04:00

Ever use the expression..."Once in a Blue Moon"??.....Well today is that day......It's when you have 2 full moons in one month. So being that that great orb up there cycles every 29 1/2 days. This only happens 41 times in a century, or once every 2 1/2 years......

I like to go to a local place where there is a nice walkway along the water through the park. Sometimes it comes up right beside a light house......NICE....Wonder where it will be in the sky tonight down there?.....

So take a look up in the sky tonight, and witness something that only happens ...Once in a Blue Moon........It starts rising at about 8:25pm for most of the Eastern seaboard... Check it out!!!!...

Baby Steps... :)~

2007-05-23T14:38:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my cousin Jenny, on the Italian side, sent out an invitation to all the female first cousins for a get together. Since our family is soooo big, and sadly there are many conflicts within, it is rare that we all are invited, or can make family events. In fact there were some cousins that didn't show because others were invited......Sad I know..... Only 6 of the 17 of us made it....Hopefully next time w/a better time and day more will show!!!!

My sister Lisa has stayed away from this side of our family for almost 27 years. Jenny and I were trying to figure out when the last time anyone really saw her.....It turns out it was at our Grandparents funerals.......27 years ago......That's 27 years of me having to answer the question.....WHERE IS YOUR SISTER.....form EVERY family member at EVERY gathering....

Lisa, Vicki, Jenny,Annmarie, Laurie,

But Monday night she came with me to the dinner!!!!....I couldn't believe it!!!...She said she was going to come last week....She even called Jenny and replied for the both of us.......Now, I know how hard, and nerve racking this was for her.....So I thought she would bail on me at the last minute like she has many times before.....But she didn't!!!....WooooHoooo!!!!...I am soooo proud of her!!!...Hopefully this is the first of her "Baby Steps" towards getting to know, and letting her extended family in!....I hope she gets that they truly are worth investing the time and energy in..... as well as knowing that she is worth the investment too!!!...
Luv ya Lis

Stuff like this never happens to me... :)~

2007-05-08T08:27:00.000-04:00

Saturday, me, Kat, Jess, and Tina went up to North Hampton Mass. ( or as i like to call it ...Lesbian Land!!! )for thier PRIDE.....Kat is a mentor for this organization called True Colors, and they were marching in the parade.... We were supposed to pick up her mentee to come with us......but she blew us off......Which was just as well...cause the timing of everything would've been thrown off........and the awesome thing that happend to me probably wouldn't have....It's all in the timing baby!

We made it up there with no problems....found the parking garage.....then up Main st. to find where the marchers were meeting.....I couln't believe how quickly we got there....It literaly took us like 10 min. Now that's a short parade route!!!

So at the end of the parade we wound up in a parking lot filled with vendors and info booths....So we shopped around a bit, got some fried dough, filled out some cards to win things, and then sat and watched the entertainment....which wasn't half bad. I especially like this singer Levi Kries . He used to be a minister. I really liked the message in some of his songs....I could totally identify growing up with a very " Born Again Christian" backround...... and then there was the MC who called himself The Athens Boys Choir. He was great! He would just spew this really cool spoken word stuff off the top of his head in between the acts... All kinds of topics...Political, environmental, love, hate.... .....Plus he was the one who picked my name out of the box!

At the end of all the entertainment he announced that he was going to draw the winner for the Rosie O' Donnell cruise. He started off by saying that if the winner doesn't come up here screaming like a maniac he was going to take the cruise for himself...

He shows us the box and says he feels sorry for the people on the bottom, and gave the cards a good mix. He pulls a card out and says, " I'm sure I'm going to butcher this name"....So I'm thinking everyone butchers my last name!.....Then he says....she's from ....blah blah CT....Kat and I looked at each other......
Then he attempts to say my name....Tina C-blah blah....WooooHoooo.....Close enough Buddy!!!....That's me!!!.....So of course I went running up there like an idiot..... LOL
So I won a 7 day cruise ....staying in a State room w/a private balcony..... SWEEEET!!! :)~

Fav comfort desert recipe...shhh don't tell my mom... :)~

2007-04-19T09:33:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I'm way over due to post a recipe, so here ya go .....For years I've been asking my mom to find a particular recipe for an apple desert she used to make when my sister and I were kids. Finally, the other day she found it!!!.....She was going to surprise me, and make it this week, but she couldn't keep her findings a secret. I swiped the recipe, and made it the other day. It tastes just like I remember...and my mom agrees...She tried to make it a few years, ago and couldn't find the same cake mix. It just didn't have the same taste...The secret is to use Pilsbury Moist Supreme yellow cake mix w/pudding.

Sourcream Apple Squares

1 box Pilsbury Moist Supreme Yellow Cake Mix w/pudding
8 TB or ....1 stick butter, room temp
1/4 c Brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 c Sourcream
1 Egg
2 Apples peeled & thinly sliced....I used the sweet Empire apples

Combine butter and cake mix until crumbly, and reserve 2/3 c.
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the reserve, and mix well.... this is for the topping.
Press the remaining into shallow baking pan. Arrange apple slices over the base.
Blend sourcream and egg together and spread evenly over the apples.
Sprinkle with the reserved topping.
Bake till golden brown....about 30- 40 min at 350 degrees....Enjoy!.

Coming out all over again..... :)~

2007-04-08T18:55:00.000-04:00

It's Easter Sunday, and Kat and I just got back from my Aunt Mary's. I came straight to the computer cause I had to get this down while it's still fresh in my head.

I should start this by saying that my Aunts and Uncles from my Italian side of the family are Very Old School....VERY Old Country...

It was a typical Easter Sunday ..... great Family....Food....and lots of Homemade WINE... which is probably what gave my Uncle the cajones to ask me to come down to the Aunt/Uncle end of the table for a "confidential talk".....It was like a seen from the God Father.....So I'm thinking he's gonna ask me something about my family......Bwahahahahaha............oh no no no........
He starts by asking, in the thickest of Italian accents......."You and the girl.....how does that work? ......Well, now he has the attention of the whole room....My cousins and Kat are just sitting back enjoying the entertainment.....He goes on and continues.....All these years I see you together. I am so curious..... is this your wife?...How does that work? who is the Man.....who pays the bills???

I just looked down the cousin's end of the table, and asked "how many shades of red am I turning right now?!!!!"......

A few of my cousins getting ready for a walk after dinner.
Now he was sincere with his questions, he was not being lewd, and meant no disrespect.....
So I took a big breath....... and tried to think of the simplest way to say this because of the slight language barrier, and started with this....

Yes Kat is my wife......Then asked my aunt how to say gay in Italian....She says....Gay....So I look at my Uncles, and tell them that I am gay.....My Uncle Silvio then says, "that's two men.....Hmmmm, two women too?".....Then he wants to know ...Who has the man role......So I try to explain how it is different for everyone, and what makes them feel comfortable in their own bodies.....That some same sex couples do have a man role.....but for me and Kat it's an even woman to woman relationship.

At some point in this conversation I feel a hand on my shoulder, and think that it is my wife coming to support me.......But Nooooo. Kat was down there thoroughly enjoying every second of my uncomfortableness......She even convinced my cousin Ned not to come and save me.....Just plain Evil I tell ya!!!!... So finally my cousin Anthony came to my rescue.....it was his hand on my shoulder.... THanx Ant!!!

There were more questions, and answers that I can't remember right now....What was probably only 5 min. seemed like an eternity.....I asked my uncle if he understood what I was trying to tell him, and asked if we were good now. Then politely excused myself. Anthony got me up from the table, and we went down the other end. My cousins were shocked at how well I handled that. They said that was probably the most schoolin' their parents have had on the gay subject in all their lives....
I can't believe I put myself through that ......cause seriously, at the end of the day, all my uncles really wanted to know was ......Who Pays The Bills???...

Is your hand smacking your forehead right now???......cause mine is as I am writing this...LOL.....

It was time to go, and make my rounds to say good-bye to everyone. Uncle Silvio started to apologize for his questions.....I took his hand and told him that it was ok that he asked.....Then my aunt Catherine says to me "we are family, and we love you".....Then I looked at my uncle and said with a big cheesecake smile....See, you don't have to understand it all .....Ya just gotta love me.....and my aunt Mary chimed in ....YEAH!!!!......

So what seemed to start out as a very uncomfortable situation, turned out to be a blessing just to hear my aunts tell me that they love me.....and let me know that it doesn't matter to them if I am gay.

Go Shorty ....It's yer Berfday... :)~

2007-04-03T17:03:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday shout out to my wife Kat....Happy Born Day baby... I Luv ya more!!!
Made her her favorite breakfast this morning.......Eggs Benedict. And tonight.... her fav cake... chocolate with white frosting. Just having Tina and Jess and hopefully Katie will be joining us for that. Next year will be the BIG 40 and celebration on a much bigger scale!....better start planning that now...lol.......Actually my mom turns 60 in June....I need to plan that like yesterday!... :)~

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I also want a certain friend to know that you, and your family have been in my thoughts and prayers these past few days. " Embrace life and live it to your fullest."

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Started physical therapy today...The stretches they had me do just felt like they aggravated everything more.....but I know its gonna hurt to get better....No Pain No Gain....Right???
It was the first exercise I've gotten since this happend....been scared to do anything....I usually do between 300-500 crunches 3 times a week, and use free weights for my arms and back for strength training...plus I try to hit the gym once a week....Gotta keep my tan up...Ha!...This is killing me not being able to exercise.....I feel like I gained at least 10 lbs sitting around the house. On the plus side I've gotten to watch alot of the Food Network and shows, and have been inspired with ideas for specials when I go back to work....That is, if there is work to go back to....

I said Dr. Dr. ....Mr.MD :)~

2007-03-29T14:30:00.000-04:00

I need some HELP readers...
PLEASE....if there anyone who has gone through a similar situation, and has some info for me???.... I would really appreciate any feedback! THanx!!! :)~

Last Friday I found myself at the doctors office....At work, I stepped up on our kitchen stool to retrieve some parchment paper that was on top of the freezer.But Unbeknownst to me...

...so was the 8 lb industrial metal meat scale.....
It came crashing down on the back of my head, and managed to roll around to also injure my neck, shoulder, and chest. I've been out of work ever since...I had another dr. apt today, and they said I need at least another week off, and to start P.T tomorrow. I just hope they don't expect me to do much right now....It hurts just sitting doing nothing.....I have the mobility to do things....but when I do..... I wind up in so much pain, usually clutching my chest....Cause it feels like I took a bullet there. So now I have to deal with all this workman's comp crap....which I really don't understand. Last time I was injured at work I had to get a lawyer, and he did all the paperwork. Not sure if that's what I need to do to protect my rights.....The last lawyer didn't do much of that at all.....In fact I wound up being let go from my job after my recovery and P.T.

Last Friday was a day for doctors.....My niece Kayla, who is only 5, wound up in the hospital....or as she calls it.... "The Hotel with Doctors"....Too cute!!!!..... She had an infection, and needed to have some antibiotics pumped into her interveinously . She was sooo cute in her hospital bed. She had been there for over 24 hrs by the time we got up there, and was very familiar with the whole routine......Showing us how well she knew how to work the bed.... and the remote for the t.v......and told us about the medicine when the nurse came in.....Her hand was put on a board for the i.v......so she was trying to do everything w/one hand. Too cute....Her mom Lisa had the weekend off so she got to spend the whole time w/ her. They gave her a chair in the room that pulled out for a place for her to sleep.....Anyway Thank goodness Kalyla was well enough to go home on Sunday, and is recovering!

Good Golly!!! ...Lil' Miss Molly turns 1 :)~

2007-03-13T16:39:00.000-04:00

Sunday, Kat and I went to ( i kid you not...LOL...) a birthday party for my friend Ella's Beagle.....Lil' Miss Molly....She turned 1 this week....Looky how sweet she is!
Last year in early May, Ella needed someone to help her pick up Molly from the airport, so I got to hold her on the way home. She was soooo stinkin' cute. I didn't want to give her up at the end of that ride!!!... So I self proclaimed myself to be her Auntie Tina....LOL

I wanted to make something special for the occasion, so I surfed the net for a cool recipe. Of course I switched it up a bit to make it mine...and made a double batch so our Alex could have some too!...He loves em!!!....did you have any doubt??? (Scroll down for the recipe!)...So I packaged them up in these cool bags with ribbon, and asked Kat to make some tags and ingredient labels....it was kinda cute if I do say so myself... I found a cool pink Kong flyer for her too...

Here are some pics of Molly with her some of her presents, Kat and I.... and Molly in her faux fur, that Nicole gave her ... too stinkin' adorable I tell ya!

We had a really nice time, and got to meet some cool people! Especially Ella's friend Nicole!...Man that girl cracked me the F--- Up! After the food was done ...Which was awesome by the way!!!......and there were only a few of us left....we just sat around the table shootin the shit....Hope we do it again soon!...Thanx again ladies for an afternoon of great food, and conversation!

Here is the recipe for the dog treats: Mine are the heart shaped ones, and the cocktail glass was one of the treats Ella put in the goodie bags!...Ha!...gotta love it! :)~

Cheezzzy Bacon Dog Treats

2/3 c organic unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter
2/3 c organic brown sugar
1 large organic egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1 c cheddar cheese shredded
1/2 c honey crunch wheat germ
3/4 lb. raw bacon....small dice

Cook bacon till crispy , drain and cool and set aside. In a bowl combine flour, b.s. oats, wheat germ and salt. mix well... In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar, and beat in the egg, and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter bowl while mixing on low speed. Add bacon last. I pressed them into cookie cutters. You can roll them into balls or what ever shape you want! Bake at 350 for 15 min. Turn oven off and let cool for a few hrs in the oven. Over night if you can to get them crunchy.

Holes in Yer Head...Part Deux ... :)~

2007-03-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are the pics and video of our day...Enjoy!!! :)~

Holes in yer head... :)~

2007-02-23T18:51:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that my best friend Lisa had a second piercing in one of her ears....In the 17 yrs I've known her I can't believe that I NEVER noticed it before....So then I asked if any of her 3 girls have had their ears pierced yet.....SHe said no, but her sister Jen had gotten them gift certificates to get it done for Christmas.....Cooooool ...!!!!.....

So I got in touch w/Jen and told her that I couldn't miss this " Right of Passage" with the girlz ... These kids are the closest thing I have to nieces.....Sara who is my god- child, and the youngest Kayla both call me Auntie Tina....Which I gotta tell ya, melts my heart every time they call me that!!!.....this is something I just couldn't miss!!!...Tomorrow is the big day! Pictures of our adventure will follow in my next entry!!!

Ya know, it's so fitting that we are taking the girlz to get this done.....Like 14 years or so ago Jen and I got our belly buttons pierced together at a party at Lisa's.

Too bad we're going someplace that uses a gun ....I'm itchin' for a new piercing, actually what I really want is some new ink!.....I even know what I tat I want.....( heavy sigh)....Ahhhh another day..... Eh, maybe I'll get my ears done too.... I have 9 piercings and 2 tats scatterd about my body...hehehe... :)~