I'm back and flitting from topic to topic. Do try to keep up!

Hey, it has been a while.  I was on a pretty impromptu roadtrip with my sister so that was fun.  We sang along with Adele and the Backstreet Boys, because that is how we roll.  Ha!

So, today is 100 years since the Titanic sank and in honor of that the History Channel is showing a fabulous memorial tonight with lots of never before seen due to new technology just now finding it kind of stuff.  For those of us that are obsessed with Titanic and all the horrific sadness, this is a goldmine.  Be sure to set your dvr or tivo to record this bit of history.

Also, in t.v. update news!  Are y'all watching anything right now?  Let me tell you what all is on my dvr.

The Borgias - Showtime channel, fabulous series about the infamous family that ran the Vatican and Rome.  And you have to know anytime you can have Jeremy Irons playing someone evil it is gonna be good.

The Big C - Also on Showtime.  I think this is the 3rd season of this wonderful, thoughtful series starring Laura Linney and Oliver Platt.

Nurse Jackie - Showtime, yet again.  Showtime has some great series.  If you don't get this channel, why the hell not?

Game of Thrones - HBO - o.m.g.!!!  Watch it.

Eastbound and Down - HBO, Kenny Powers with a mullet!

Top Shot - History Channel, Colby Donaldson, cool guns, nice looking men, really cool blowing up of stuff, and Colby Donaldson, enough said.

Modern Family - ABC, Best. Flipping. Show. Ever.

Survivor - CBS.  What is more fun than watching idiots trust the wrong people and disaster ensues?

Amazing Race - CBS.  See above comment about Survivor.

Real Time with Bill Maher - HBO, I can not go more than a week without seeing his New Rules at the end of the show.  Awesome.

Jeopardy! - CBS.  Love Jeopardy!  and I also love yelling "Can it, Trebek!  or Suck it, Trebek! or It's HUN-DRED you morons, NOT HUNNERD!"  They may be able to pass the Jeopardy online quiz but they still can't pronounce hundred.  Idiots.

I can't think of what else my dvr records for me.  Sparky also has his shows recording, like Aqua Teen Hungerforce, Family Guy, Metalocolypse.  When they are on we don't miss It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League.  Those are both on FX.

Oh!  Also we watch (although this will be the final season coming up) Breaking Bad on AMC.

Quick!  Changing subjects.

Someone, I don't know who, recommended the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy to me.  Whoever it was, obviously doesn't know me.  I barely made it through book one.

It is such trite crap I could NOT believe it got greenlighted, or green lit or was given the thumbs up. Holy Moly, is it bad!

Please don't be taken in by the hype or the fact that book one has already been optioned for a movie. I can not even imagine how they will make this be not a boring, repetitive piece of porno trash.

There are not enough descriptive words to tell you how much I hated all the characters.  The female lead was so fucking annoying and stupid I couldn't even believe it.  The male lead?  Warped, controlling, and so strange it defied all logic that she would be soooo attracted to him that all her common sense would go right out the window.

What I'm saying is unless you are looking for s&m bondage porn laced with the worst and most repetitive dialogue, you don't want to bother with this piece of crap.

Did you try the brown rice crusted quiche recipe yet?  Please do.  I am sure you will like it.

What else has been going on around here that I wanted to talk about?

Oh!  I know what I have been trying to remember to tell you about!

Have you seen this ad?

I was watching this and thought to myself, "Self, if they took a whole shirt and made a dickie out of the top part, this is what is left over."

IT'S A DICKIE FOR YOUR ASS!

Where do they come up with this stuff?  And why, oh why, are we gullible enough to buy it?

Trendy Top, indeed.

Have a great day and I will be here to discuss some more ancestry.com findings in the next few days!

At long last, another recipe

I swear it has been forever since I posted a recipe here.  Maybe you don't care?  Maybe you don't cook?  Maybe no one is really out there reading this?

Whatever.

Here's the deal with the recipe.  I got it off of Pinterest!  Yes, it is the first recipe I have gotten off of my board and actually made.

Both my kids claim to be gluten-intolerant.  I say "claim" because I don't think either of them have ever gotten any type of scientific confirmation.  But that is just like me with my stupid menopause stuff and the fact that I have noticed that the hot flashes are REALLY BAD whenever I eat meat.  I haven't needed anyone to corroborate this for me, I have just learned to not eat meat very often.

So the kids are gluten-intolerant.  You know what this means, don't you?  No sandwiches, burgers, no pasta, no pizza.  Pretty much no fast food, no take-out.  And it is much like back in the day when Rachel Pie was vegan, you have to think a lot and plan a lot before every meal choice.

This recipe is gluten-free.  It is tasty.  It is so versatile!

Check it out:

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
5 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces and blanched
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 green onions, sliced
1 pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Mix the rice, finely grated cheese and one egge in a bowl. Press the rice mixture into a pie plate, about 1/4 inch thick.

2. Bake in a preheated 450 F oven until the edges and bottom just start turning golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Mix the remaining eggs, milk, broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese, and green onions in a bowl and season. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.

4. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven until golden brown and set in the center, about 30 to 35 minutes.


***Okay, here are MY notes and changes.


1. Make sure you have COOKED rice.  Remember that brown rice takes almost an hour to cook.  Then you have to cool it a bit before you mix the egg into it.  


2. The pre-baking of the rice crust took longer for me than the 5 - 7 minutes, but I was also doing 2 at a time.


3. Instead of blanching the broccoli, I sauteed it quickly with some garlic and seasoning.  Because if you read this recipe it says "Salt and Pepper to taste". Then it says "add the seasoning to the raw egg mixture".  Really?  No, I prefer the method of not tasting the raw eggs.


4. Baking time was right on.  30 - 35 minutes worked out perfectly.  


Think of the possibilities for this recipe.  Different seasonings, herbs and cheeses in the crust.  Completely different filling combinations.  We were thinking of spinach, bacon, gruyere or fontina cheese.  Or chicken, chiles, corn, and tomatoes.  


When you make rice for a meal during the week plan to make enough for 2 cups leftover to make this dish.  A "planned-over", as it were.  Use whatever is in your fridge to create a new way to enjoy it and create less waste.  


And by the by?  This was delicious.  I made one for us and one for my client who had just delivered her baby.  


Try it and let me know what you think.

Really? Really??

Last year we saw the traveling production of Rock of Ages, the Broadway show based on 1980s heavy metal/hair band music.  And it was fun.  It was campy fun.

Did you know they are making it into a movie?

Neither did I.

Did you know that it will star Tom Cruise?

Neither did I.

Check out the trailer:

It also stars that cute as a bug little Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, and Paul (Pig Vomit) Giamatti and a cast of hundreds.

But Tom Cruise?

I'm sorry, but ewwww. It just seems creepy.

It's a match made in Heaven!!

Do y'all remember way back last fall when they came out with the lip smackers that are flavored like the Girl Scout Cookies?  And I loved them?  And they were at Claire's?

That was one of those smack-yourself-in-the-head and say why didn't *I* think of that? kind of moments.

And here we are again!!!

You are just not going to believe what a fabulous new product is out there that I MUST go get right now!

And guess what?

It's also at Claire's!!

(are you getting tired of all the !!! in this post?)  Must learn to end a sentence with a regular old period and not be all excited-exclaimmy.

Ta-Da!!

Look at that!  Peeps nail polish that leaves your nails smelling all Peep-ish!  (sorry for further excited-exclaimmy-ness)  But look!

Sorry, I will blog more later.  I am trotting right down to Claire's to get some of these.  Woot!!

Last Obituary Reading of March 2012

There were a LOT of dead people this week.  4 full pages.  That is a lot.  All ages, all different causes of death.  Sometimes when I see so many my mind runs to the "oh my Lord, what if there is an epidemic going on!" kind of thinking.

Some of the interesting phrases, wording and information given this week were these:

"Ramon went peacefully to be with the Lord on March 22 in the presence of his loving family and devoted Chihuahuas, Pinky and Glory."

**Every time I read about people going peacefully surrounded by herds of people and dogs, I have to question how peaceful it really was.  


There was one obituary in particular that was a column and a half in length that reminded me of ME!  Holy Moly!  She and I shared many interests in common.  We lived in some of the same places, worked for the same types of charities, and enjoyed similar hobbies.  She was another one who went peacefully surrounded by the whole family.

You know how sometimes you think you are being all cool and objective and neutral on something but when you go back and read it, it becomes painfully clear that you are seriously pissed off or hurting or just full of emotion that you didn't realize was there?

Read this:

"Glen Philip, aged 54, was taken from us to soon. He passed away in San Antonio, on Wednesday, March 21, after a brief illness. He had been a candidate for a liver transplant, and was scheduled to have the life saving surgery on March 22, and came so close to that goal."

***Oh my Lord.  Can you just feel the anguish coming off the page?  It breaks my heart.




Want to take a guess as to the occupation of this next person?

"Entered life's classroom in KY, 1/20/1910, graduated in TX 3/16/2012."

***You see that this makes her 102 years and almost 2 months of age?  Miss Clara Lynn was a teacher from the 1930s through to the 1970s.  Her family goes on to say:  "Mom, you enjoyed teaching, cooking, baking, mailing cookies, candies and cakes to all of us; playing cards and keeping current. You kept your keen mind intact and enjoyed people until you Graduated. We're all o.k. Thanks for the Lessons. Rest in Peace."

The last one I want to share with you is a great example of people truly trying to see the bright side.  They don't list a cause of death, but from the lovely words it gives the impression that she suffered in life.

"Mary Lillian, "Momma", was received into Heaven at 9:05 a.m. on March 21 where she immediately used strong new lungs to sing with the angels, flawless new teeth to smile at her Lord who she could see clearly with perfect new eyes, all while dancing on strong new bones with her friends and family that preceded her to Heaven."

**Awww, don't you love that they have this vision of their Momma?  Bless her heart.  By the by, she was 97 years old, and had a full life with lots of family.  You can't ask for much more than that, can you?

Playing Along with my S-i-l

1. What song always makes you happy when you hear it? Sadly, it is Wake Me Up Before you Go, Go! 
2. What, if anything, would you change about your blog? More posts with better pictures.  I have got to learn how to take better photos.
3. If you could only keep one thing in your wardrobe, what would it be? My Tevas. Best, most versatile sandals ever!
4. Warm sunny beaches or snow covered mountains? I could go either way. 60% beach if it's for a vacation, 60% for the mountains if it's for a new home. 
5. What's your favorite book? Tough one!  So many favorites to choose from.  Can I pick one from each genre?  One from each author?  I bet hourly I could come up with a new favorite.  Right now I would have to say "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe".
6. What 3 words best describe your personality? Nurturing, loving, passionate. 
7. What's the first thing you'd splurge on if you won the lottery? Retirement property!
8. Do you have an embarrassing song that you rock out to on your I-pod? So I guess the most embarrassing thing about this question is that I don't have an i-Pod. I may be the last person in the free world who is without mp3 music at my fingertips.
9. Do you have a hidden talent? I think I am a great kisser.  Everyone knows I am the best hugger, but very few know about my kissing.
10. If you could take a one month trip anywhere and money was not a consideration, where would you go? Well, right off the bat I would say I want to do the trip I planned a few years ago and for one reason or another it never came to fruition, and head to Tahiti.  But lately, I have been doing so much ancestry research that I feel a month trip to Scotland and Ireland would better serve my needs.
11. What's your favorite sport and why? NBA Spurs Basketball!!!  or World Cup Soccer watching Team Argentina.

Anyone else want to do this?  Comment here with a link to your responses!

Dark Shadows!

Have you seen the trailer to the new Dark Shadows movie?

Oh Lawzy, it looks like fun!

I will be first in line (cyberly) to get tickets!  Yes, I am that excited about this.

p.s. Fabulous soundtrack, don't you think?