Photography...

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Leslie's Really Yummy Bread

Beer Bread

3 c. self rising flour
½ c. sugar
1 can beer or carbonated beverage

Mix al ingredients for 20 strokes, mixture will be lumpy. Pour into a break loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown.

Leslie's Chicken

Aunt Borghild’s Chicken
Serves 6

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
6 slices of cheddar cheese or Velveeta
¼ lb slices mushrooms (fresh is best)
½ c. white wine
2 c. Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing
1 stick butter

Place chicken in 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
On each piece put a slice of cheese.
Put mushrooms over cheese.
Mix soup and wine and pour over chicken.
Spread stuffing over top and pat it down so it acts as a cover.
Melt butter and drizzle over stuffing.

Bake uncovered 1 hr. at 350 degrees. (You can leave it in oven at 250 for another ½ hr to make sure chicken is done.)

anytime...

we joined a gym yesterday. I am so glad to finally be able to work out regularly. We went last night and I hopped on the treadmill for 30 minutes. It felt great!

Sleepy...

Taylor is still sleeping! I put her down at 10:30, so she has been out for almost 2 full hours. We have stuff to do today, so I'm wondering if I should be waking her up. Plus, she has to be hungry!
Although I made Spaghetti-Os for her and just ate almost all of them. Oops.

Library

I am a huge fan of the library. But I do need to keep better track of the books that I read.
I just finished "How to Talk to a Widower" by Jonathan Tropper. Really really enjoyed it! A funny and sad but speedy read.

Leinies!

We did the Leinenkugel's tour Sunday when we were in Chippewa. It was a fun tour, I love breweries. More fun to be there with Isaac and Marit as well!

Matt and Jessica's Wedding

a few pictures from the wedding this weekend. I love that mike and i did a ring shot, but we never got one of matt and jessica. oops.

Today's goal...

Today's big goal is to finish booking all flights and hotel for the extravaganza. I'm not technically working today, but I am going to go in as soon as I get ready and try to crank through that stuff. I have enough to do that I should go, especially since I bailed on taking Taylor today. I just need a day to catch up with stuff.

Only a couple of weeks till I get to go to California! I'm so jazzed!

Meanwhile, the snow is melting off the roof like crazy right now...it is supposed to be warmer this weekend!

working smarter

It appears that today working smarter is working from our couch. I got up early to drive Todd to the airport, then came home and crashed. I got a little work done before heading to the funeral today at 2 pm. It was a nice service for Allen Cederstrand, always good to be with family no matter what the reason. Grampa did a great job sharing about his older brother, talking about a sledding run that he had built when he was a teenager. Apparently it was quite amazing!
Then home to the couch and sweats and I cranked through a bunch of Extravaganza stuff. I think it is almost coming together!
Mike should be home soon to clean the kitchen, then I will cook dinner while he choses between my two movie selections, Ratatouille or The African Queen.
And thank goodness for a new OAR CD.

A New Year

Wow - a new year already! 2007 went fast! It was a good year...not too many changes in our lives, but that means nothing sad or horrible happened either!
I'm not really super into resolutions, but here are a few things I have been thinking about:

1 - wearing my retainer around the house more. stupid, right? I'm 28 years old and I have to wear a retainer. But I can feel mhy front tooth shifting and I do not want to have to get braces again. So totally worth it to wear my retainer around!

2-Be more concious of spending money.

3-Be healthier! No, I do not want to diet, but just to be more aware of what I am eating, when I am eating, and how much we are working out. We are hoping to join Anytime Fitness which would help.

4-Be tidier.

5-Be more compassionate.

6-Work smarter.

7-Spend more time doing the things I love with people that I can about.

8-Enjoy the moment.

I don't think I have a 9 or 10, but I'll keep thinking about it today.

Happy New Year!

entitlement

I'm having one of those days where I am amazed at how entitled people seem to feel. Nothing in particular happened today, it is just kind of a general annoyance to me. People seem to feel like they are more important, more worthy, more in a hurry, more deserving. Whether it be at a Caribou where they should order first, talk louder, deserve the comfy chair, or get their drink faster, or at a restaurant where the server should make everything perfect (which yes, would be great, but it is not ususally the servers fault! they aren't cooking your food), they can spread out and take up lots of room, or they can sit for hours and cause the server to lose a tip from others that could have been sat.

Why is it that people feel so entitled? Is it a new way that we are raising our children? Is it something that schools are teaching? Or parents aren't teaching?

Or are people just getting meaner and more self important? Maybe the whole self esteem push just went a little too far.

I have to say that the blinker thing is my biggest pet peeve while driving. Putting your blinker on means you would like move over...it doesn't mean that I have to let you in or that you can just move over. It is showing an intention to move, a desire. It is not a right! This is what the MN DMV says about signaling:

Signaling
When you wish to change lanes or make a turn, signal with an approved
signal device to inform other motorists of your intention. Signals are
to be activated at least 100 feet before you make the turn. Continue
signaling until you have completed the turn or lane change.

okay, that is enough of that rant for the day! off to the in-laws to re-do Christmas since Mike was sick!

More on The Golden Compass

Here is a great interview from NBC...

I am wondering what kind of an opening weekend it will have. I'm hoping for a great one!

The Golden Compass

Perhaps I have written about this before, but I am amazed at people's intolerance. I'm not even able to type very well right now, as I am dissapointed and upset. There is a movie coming out on Friday that I am extremely looking forward to titled The Golden Compass. The Golden Compass is part of a trilogy of books called His Dark Materials. The books are a coming of age story, an adventure story, and a fantasy story.
There is currently rounds of emails going around calling for a Christian boycot of the movie because it is anti-Christianity. The author is atheist. The two main characters of the trilogy represent Adam and Eve, and yes, they kill "god" at the end. What the emails don't touch on is why the author is atheist:

Some of the articles and talks I've written are to do with the subject of religion, which I think is a very interesting one. The religious impulse – which includes the sense of awe and mystery we feel when we look at the universe, the urge to find a meaning and a purpose in our lives, our sense of moral kinship with other human beings – is part of being human, and I value it. I'd be a damn fool not to.
But organised religion is quite another thing. The trouble is that all too often in human history, churches and priesthoods have set themselves up to rule people's lives in the name of some invisible god (and they're all invisible, because they don't exist) – and done terrible damage. In the name of their god, they have burned, hanged, tortured, maimed, robbed, violated, and enslaved millions of their fellow-creatures, and done so with the happy conviction that they were doing the will of God, and they would go to Heaven for it.
That is the religion I hate, and I'm happy to be known as its enemy.

hmm, hating organzied religion - especially the catholic church. Wait now, isn't that how Martin Luther felt when he rebelled and posted the 95 Thesis? And how many of us look at other religions, especially islam, and have huge issues with that? This is an actual post from a Christian on Godtube in response to a video from Fox News:

I think we need somebody like Pullman more in the Islamic world than in the West. A wave of atheism through the kids in today's Musllim countries would put a stop to this nonsense about killing the infidels and blowing yourself up or crashing planes into buildings to get your 72 virgins in heaven.

umm, so atheism is okay for islamics but not for christians? and please tell me that this person was being sarcastic:

People like this make me mad, how DARE they think they have any right to teach our kids what THEY want them to believe. Kids are very Open to ideas at that age and no one has the right to try to teach them to follow there religious outlook on life (and like it or not, this IS a moive aimed at kids) You don't see Catholics or Christians trying to teach kids to believe that there way is the right, Before there old enough to pick for themselves, like this!

wow. I'm not sure how people get so caught that they don't even think before they post stuff like this.

and as for lyra "killing god" that all happens after they open hell up so that the spirits can be freed, then they free god so that he can join everyone.

anyway, i'm going to see the movie on friday and we'll see if my opinion changes before that.

Friday night at 8:30 pm

Yup, Friday night at 8:30 pm and I am at work. Drinking caffeine like water, getting ready to stay up all night. I'm having a lock in tonight, and I'm not crazy! I have 26 registered sr high kids coming at 10 pm. About 15 more that i have talked to or have texted me that might be coming. 5 adults coming from 10 pm till 2 am or so, 1 other adult staying over night, and one coming at 6 am to help get through the morning. I have some fun stuff planned, so it should be a lot of fun.

My concern - I can't remember the last time I stayed up all night! And i have to!

Once this summer I was up until 4:30 am and then up again at 6:30, but that wasn't all night. I'm a little nervous about that!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Long time..

So it has been over a month since I last posted! Not totally sure how that happened, but I guess it does show that time flies. I could blame our home computer not letting me access blogger, then my laptop crashing and my motherboard dying, but really, it has just been busy. I was sick, Mike was sick, and we are busy. But life is good!

Here are some shots from Thanksgiving...

Friday!

I am amazed that it is Friday already! This week off went sooo fast. I'm finishing it up by scrapbooking (still) and watching rent. Mike and I are heading to his parents for dinner tonight (pizza) and then back home to watch the Bourne Supremacy (we watched Identity last night) and then to bed. Tomorrow we are up for brunch for LaVerle at Ken and Linda's then I am taking a cooking class with mom and megan. Then we are going to watch see Boune Ultimatum in the theaters!

Okay, I want to get through Ann's wedding and the pictures that I have before 5 pm.

vacation?

So I am on vacation this week. From Friday the 12th at around 4 pm through Sunday the 21 at around 4 pm, I am off completely. I am trying to take it easy and relax. How is that going you may wonder? If you know me, you know not well.
Thus far I have:
done serious laundry.
attended 5 year reunion party at the Local.
attended 5 year homecoming football game at Gustavus.
attended post party at Patricks, caught up with old boss Jesse.
went to church at TLC.
went to brunch with Mom, Dad, Mike, Megan, and Taylor.
spent Mike's money at Baker.
made cookies.
scrapbooked (really).
worked on contracts for extrava.
cleaned out file drawer.
cleaned out refridgerator (ick),
went to the brand new Target. may have to consider switching target allegience.
read 3 books.
watched Phantom of the Opera. am stunned that phantom is also lead guy in 300.
scrapbooked some more (yup, still on the trip to DC. I'm slow. And kinda plain.)
sent birthday card to Holly.
washed sheets, mattress pad. added electric blanket to bed (yippee).
attended Mike's basketball game.

and now, tonight, going out for Holly's birthday, going to association meeting, going to wayzata - edina football game.
tomorrow all day with Taylor. Meeting Christina and Ella, meeting mom, G and G, shopping with Mom and Taylor.
Friday having lunch with Angie and hanging out with Tiffany and the boys
Saturday brunch with Wilkens, cooking class with Mom and Megan.
Sunday back to work.

I am feeling relaxed, but also really wanting to go somewhere. Really anywhere would be fine!

Irish Soda Bread

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup raisins
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan. Sift together the dry ingredients. Using a food processor with the steel blade or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small peas. Blen in the raisins. Beat the egg, buttermilk, and sour cream togetheri until blended. Stir the egg mixture into the dry mixture until just blended. Transfer the batter to the pan and bake for about 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

From The Cereal Murders

The Religion

I just finished a great book titled The Religion by Tim Willocks. It was an intense, violent, romantic, sweeping book, a historical fiction journey through the siege of Malta in the 1580s.

A much better book than I had expected. By the first chapter I was hooked.

Supposedly it is part of a trilogy, which would excited me!