Step 2 - Change out Santa cap for green bowler hat on Halloween pumpkin!

Rename pumpkin "Seamus" Check!

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St. Patrick's Day Preparation

Step 1 - French manicure with green glitter tips!
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Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Adele - "Rolling in the Deep" - 3:48
Great song, great beat -- perfect for swimming and the treadmill, too.
I had to go to two Targets, one twice - late Saturday night on the chance they restocked (they did!) to get their special edition with the four extra tracks on sale for $9.99. So worth the effort!

Thursday Tea Time

This week - Stash Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea



Cost: $2.19 at Super Target
Number of teabags: 18
Caffeine: ? Probably just a little
Type of tea: Green
Steeping time: 3-5 minutes
Mix ins: Fat-free condensed milk
Teabag fragrance: Fruity
Ingredients: Green tea, chamomile, hibiscus, orange peel*, citric acid, pomegranate flavor, raspberry flavor and Japanese Matcha
*Oops, didn't expect the orange peel. Took the chance and I paid for that with a headache the next day.
Opinion: I thought a tea with pomegranate and raspberry would be higher up in the ingredients list and perhaps have bits of dried fruit instead of just "flavor." I was disappointed. I couldn't really detect a strong "flavor" from either fruit,which I was hoping I would. Just an odd fruit blend fragrance and taste.
Rating: 1, only because it is an interesting variation of a green tea -- A point for trying. It just didn't appeal to me.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

He is We - "Happily Ever After" - 4:04
A cute, bouncy song, which is currently free on iTunes through today.
And another great swimming song!
(I will be so glad when my regular pool is renovated and open again. They've made arrangements for us to use another pool, and this one is still taking some getting used to. One lane end is 7 1/2 feet deep, the other 4 foot, and seems to be a little bit shorter. I've clunked my head, scraped my arms...)

Yee-Haw! OPI TEXAS Nail Polishes are here!

And just in time for the Houston Rodeo!

Ulta is carrying the line - $8.50 each.

Word is the most popular colors so far are the orange "Y'all Come Back Ya Hear", the hot pink "Guy Meets Gal-veston" and the chocolate brown "Suzi Loves Cowboys" My vote for cutest name, the violet "Do You Think I'm Tex-y?"

Thursday Tea Time

This week - Yogi Chai Green Tea

Cost: $2.99 at Super Target and Whole Foods Market
Number of teabags: 16
Caffeine: Yes, 35mg
Type of tea: Green
Steeping time: 3 minutes
Mix ins: Fat-free condensed milk
Teabag fragrance: Ginger and cardamon
Ingredients: Organic green tea, organic ginger root, organic cardamon seed, organic cinnamon bark, stevia leaf, organic clove bud, organic black pepper, natural cinnamon, cardamon and ginger oils.

Opinion: This chai tea is dominated more by the ginger. The cinnamon and clove are back notes. I didn't taste the pepper and was even surprised to see it listed as I was typing this review. It had a nice kick, which I attributed to the clove and cardamon. If you are looking for a gingery green chai tea, this is the one for you to try. Added bonus it is organic, too. I also liked how each tea bag has a different "fortune" on the paper tag. I was able to save three so far -- "Nature is a give, a true friend and sustainer"..."May your light become a living universal light"..."We are spiritual beings having a human experience" Makes me want to open and drink more!

Rating: 4.25

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Guster - "Do You Love Me?" - 3:40
With a perfect swim stroke beat and timing to hit your turn flips. . .
This song just grows on you. And the video is super cute!

Upcoming Jo-Ann's Pattern Sales

Presidents' Sale - February 18-21
5 for $5 Simplicity
50% off interfacing by the yard
BIGIF buttons

Frosty cold and misty morning outside Luling, Texas

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Treeline just past Lockhart, Texas

Home of best BBQ and links - Kreutz
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Texas sunrise through mistletoe'd trees

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Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!

This morning's sunrise in Central Texas
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Thursday Tea Time

This week - Stash Organic Chai Black & Green Tea

Cost: $3.99 at Randall's and Whole Foods Market

Number of teabags: 18

Caffeine: Yes

Type of tea: Black and green

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Mix ins: Fat-free condensed milk

Teabag fragrance: Cinnamon!

Ingredients: Organic black tea, organic green tea, organic cardamom, organic ginger, organic cinnamon, organic clove, organic cinnamon oil and organic clove oil.

Opinion: A different take on chai tea with the combination of black and green teas. You get the benefit of both with a great cinnamon taste and a chai bite. While the cinnamon is strong, it is balanced by the ginger and then the clove. Surprisingly, cardamom is listed first, yet I don't really detect it. I like the fact it is organic, but because it is, Stash tends to lower the teabag count to 18 and raise the price for the privilege.

Rating: 4

Liberty of London Target Billboard Totebag

I was one of the lucky ones to get in on Target.com last March to reserve my order for the Liberty of London Target billboard totebag. It is very well made, and sturdy! I'm super pleased with it. Mine is mostly from the pink and white section. It measures approximately 15" x 6" x 14". I think I got part of the Liberty "T"!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Gwen Stefani - "What You Waiting For?" - 3:41
Perfect mid-swim workout, especially when you decide to race the guy in the other lane!

Hello Kitty FTW!

Hello Kitty For The Win!!!

Puppy Bowl VII

Don't forget to tune into Animal Planet for Puppy Bowl VII tomorrow!

New this year is the "Kiss Cam". . .

Can it possibly get any more adorable?!

Ice, Ice Baby

Our ice storm shut down Houston cold. Roads, branches and leaves were iced over.

Couldn't go anywhere anyways, the doors were frozen shut!

As if I needed more help to kill my poinsettia!

Thursday Tea Time

This week - Zhena's Gypsy Rose tea

Cost: $5.29 at H.E.B.
Number of teabags: 22
Caffeine: Yes
Type of tea: Black
Steeping time: 3-5 minutes
Mix ins: Fat-free condensed milk
Teabag fragrance: Rose scented hand lotion!
Ingredients: Sri Lankan and Indian Black tea, red and pink rose petals, all natural flavor (?)
Opinion: My husband was in the kitchen with me when I took the first sip and he saw my expression and said, "You don't like it!" "It's fine," I gamely replied. "No, it's not. I can see it in your face."
I loved Numi's White Rose Velvet Garden tea, and thought for sure I'd like this one, too. Maybe because Gypsy Rose has red and pink rose petals? I dunno. It tasted like soap and smelled like that Rose Milk hand lotion from the 70's.
Rating: 0

Happy Chinese New Year!

Welcome the Year of the Rabbit! Word is if you tie three coins together with a red cord or ribbon, it will bring you prosperity. I made this little (7" x 6") bunny appliqued zippered bag to celebrate the New Year. And added a rhinestone for the eye, since someone looked at it and thought it was a seal or porpoise (wrong end!). Now his name is "Beal," (Bunny Seal) with a running joke line between two good (albeit one clueless) friends.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Married for 26 years today!!!

Barry Louis Polisar - "All I Want Is You" - 2:37

If I was a flower growing wild and free

All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.

And if I was a tree growing tall and green

All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,

The rumble of your water would be my call.

If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow

Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod

If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.

If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug

And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.

If you were the love, I'd be the desire.

If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,

And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

Half My Life

Still making me laugh even after 26 years!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Jack Johnson - "Only the Ocean" - 3:39
I love to swim to this song at the end of my workout.
They also play this in yoga class during cool down, too.

Skeggings!

A skirt with leggings attached! The January 2011 Burda has a pattern, #130A on page 36. Sizes 36-44

Hue also sells a rayon/bamboo knit version in black, espresso (brown) steel (gray) and lapis (blue) for $34. I saw them at Nordstrom.

How fun! I want!

True Grit

Hubby and I have started a new empty nest tradition of going to the movies on Saturday. Our local theater has special price staggers for showtimes when the "day moon" is out. You can't beat a $5 ticket!

Last week, we saw "The King's Speech". Loved everything about it. Probably the best movie we've seen all year! Oscar thinks so too, with 12 Oscar nominations. Colin Firth is a definite lock for Best Actor.

Today we saw "True Grit". You'll definitely be able to tell it is a Coen brothers movie! There were several funny lines which had us laughing. Hailee Steinfeld is just terrific as Mattie Ross. A different ending than the first version. While Jeff also gives a great performance, I still think Colin will get the Oscar.

If you can't get to the theater, be sure to "Save" them in your Netflix queue.

Cooking Light Mix & Match Low-Calorie Cookbook

Just in at Costco - Cooking Light's Mix & Match Low Calorie Cookbook. $14.99 versus the $24.95 publisher's price.

This had me at Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies, page 264 - only 83 calories!

I also like how the page edges are color tabbed to make each section (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks) easier to find.

Thursday Tea Time

This week - Zhena's Gypsy Tea Biodynamic Blueberry Vanilla Green Tea

Cost: $8.99 at Cost Plus World Market, but I got it on their BIGIF sale

Whole Foods also sells it
Number of teabags: 15
Caffeine: No
Type of tea: Green
Steeping time: 3-4 minutes
Mix ins: Fat-free condensed milk

Teabag fragrance: Vanilla

Ingredients: Organic Fair Trade, Biodynamic Green Tea, Organic Blueberry Piece, Organic Vanilla Pieces, Organic Blueberry Flavor, Organic Vanilla Flavor.
Opinion: A little bit pricey, but worth it. A very smooth, very blueberry flavor with a nice balance of vanilla. It's not bitter nor tart at all. I think it's the best blueberry tea I've found.

Rating: 5, I'm glad I got two on sale!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

U2 - "Elevation" - 3:47
One of my favorites right now. The submarine sonar - perfect sound for swimming!

Upcoming Jo-Ann's Pattern Sales

Super Weekend Sale - February 4/6
$1.99 Butterick patterns
$3.99 Vogue patterns
50% off Olfa
50% off thread

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Christian TV - "1, 2, 3 Turnaround" - 2:56
Perfect for swimming lap flips!

Thursday Tea Time

This week - Scottish Breakfast from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Cost: $8.20 at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Number of teabags: 20

Caffeine: Yes

Type of tea: Black

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Mix ins: CBTL Fat-free Vanilla Powder, also tried fat-free condensed milk, too. No other sweetener. Both are great!

Teabag fragrance: Honey
Ingredients: Darjeeling and Assam black teas

Opinion: A Limited Edition tea, its companion tea is Irish Breakfast. I tried it as a hot tea latte in the store and it was good! You can definitely detect a honey and a cream flavor. Very smooth. My daughter got the Irish Breakfast and liked that one a little bit better. I thought the Irish Breakfast was pretty good, but I'm definitely Team Scottish - yum! Don't you love the plaid canister, too?

Rating: 5, I'm going back for more! They only had one canister left, I can see why.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Today's swimming song! (Trying to sneak in my laps while the weather breaks and before the pool closes for maintenance.)

Citizen King - "Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)" - 3:27

Ever have one of those days? I first heard this song on one and started laughing! Bye-bye bad day. The video is cute, too.

Hello Kitty Beanie Bandz

Hello Kitty Beanie Bandz!

From Hobby Lobby - 12 for $2.99

Assorted colors of these two shapes.

Stinko Netflix movies I have seen recently...

Dinner for Schmucks

Grown Ups

Over Her Dead Body

The Losers

Love Happens

Stage Beauty

Next time I'll pay attention to Netflix's star ratings for me. All of them were 1 to less than 3 stars.

Just keep the queue moving. . .

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Jet - "Are You Going to Be My Girl?" - 3:33
Perfect swimming song when you are about 10 minutes warmed up. 1, 2, 3 - Kick, kick, kick 4, 5, 6...!

Penzeys Free Minced Garlic Coupon Code

If you are on the mailing list, there's a coupon for a free 1/2 cup jar of Penzeys Minced Garlic on the cover of their Winter 2011 catalog! The telephone/online coupon code is 44350C.

Thursday Tea Time

This week - The Republic of Tea - Coconut Cocoa Tea

Cost: $10.99 at Whole Foods Market
Number of teabags: 36 sachets

Caffeine: Low
Type of tea: Herbal
Steeping time: 5 minutes
Mix ins: Fat-free condensed milk
Teabag fragrance: Chocolate and coconut

Ingredients: Roasted carob, caramel malted barley, roasted chicory, dates, coconut flavor, cocoa powder and chocolate flavor
Opinion: While you can smell the cocoa/carob and coconut in the container, the brewed flavor favors the coconut. It still has a very nice, albeit unusual, overall ingredient combination. They call it a "cup of dessert herb tea, "and it was a special yummy treat on a cold night. The label also suggests you can also drink it in the warmer months "cooler" style, by adding milk and ice.

Rating: 4.5

Last night's sunset cloud picture

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Miss ya, Dad!

I can't believe it's been 30 years. . .

I'm 5 years old in this picture; it was my sister's 2nd birthday party at my Aunt and Uncle's house. We had matching fabric (yuck!) dresses. Looks like I tried to bling it up with a necklace!

Hello Kitty iPod Touch Cover

Found at Best Buy. I especially like the blingy crystaled bow on the back.

Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2011

A Pavlovian response as soon as I see the Cooking Light type face, the new Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2011 quickly moved from the table to my cart at Costco the other day. Costco's price of $20.99 is a considerable savings over the publisher's price of $34.95. But well worth every penny, even though I subscribe to the magazine, too. I rip out the recipes I want to try, and then the ones we liked are put in my recipe binder. Now my tearable (sic) magazine folly during the year has been made whole again into a book.

Sigh, I counted my Cooking Light cookbooks the other day. I have 31. Not counting the 17 special issues they publish during the year. Obsessed. Yes.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Bruno Mars - "Runaway Baby" - 2:28

Fun and bouncy with a GREAT beat for the fast portion of your workout.

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

Another cold snap, another bloom. I love how my "Pink Promise" rose gets these touches of hot pink from the weather changing during its bud formation. In the warmer weather, the flowers are a creamy white with just a little touch of salmon pink.

Today's pretty cloud picture

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4 Cheese Lasagna

Yum!!

4 CHEESE LASAGNA

1 package lasagna noodles

1 container low fat Ricotta cheese

1 container low fat cottage cheese

Dried parsley flakes

1 package shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup, plus additional grated Parmesan cheese

1 can tomato sauce, 29 ounce

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained (try to find Italian style)

1/2 pound ground round or ground chuck, browned

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon basil

Several shakes of garlic powder

Several shakes of onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1. Start water boiling for lasagna noodles. Follow time directions to the "al dente" stage. Drain.

2. Brown the beef. If you bought a 1 pound package-set aside half to freeze for another use.

3. In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and parsley flakes.

4. In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, browned beef, basil, sugar, garlic and onion powder.

5. Put a row of noodles on bottom of pan. Add 1/2 of the cheese mixture, and enough sauce to cover. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat.

6. Add another row of noodles, cover with remaining sauce, mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top to fill it in and look pretty.

Ready to bake!

7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Mangia tutto!

Any leftovers? They will freeze well for up to a month.

____________

(Adapted from the 1978 edition of Betty Crocker's Cookbook)

Upcoming Jo-Ann's Pattern Sales

January 13/15
$1.99 Butterick
$1.99 McCall's

Winter Warm-Up Sale - January 16/22
99 cents Simplicity
50% off quilting notions
50% off interfacing by the yard
50% off Red Tag fabrics
40% off quilting, knitting and crochet books

January 27/29
$3.99 Vogue

January 9/29
40% off Gutermann thread

Thursday Tea Time

This week - The Republic of Tea Dream By The Fire Tea

Cinnamon Vanilla Herb Tea

Limited Edition - "When It's Gone It's Gone"

Cost: $10.99 at Cost Plus World Market (now marked down to 50% off, and maybe even 75% off now)
Number of teabags: 36

Caffeine: No
Type of tea: Herbal - Red Rooibos
Steeping time: 5 minutes.
Mix ins: Skim milk and sugar or fat-free condensed milk
Teabag fragrance: Fruity vanilla with a touch of cinnamon

Ingredients: Rooibos and natural vanilla and cinnamon flavors.
Opinion: Very good! I went back to grab another on sale. It is a perfect comforting tea when the weather is cold and dreary. "Snuggle up to the glow of the fireplace and let the silent night lull you to blissful dreams."
Rating: 4.0

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Today's perfect swimming song!

Uncle Kracker - "Smile" - 3:21

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Mudcrutch - "The Queen of the Go-Go Girls" - 3:42

Netflix Stars - Happy Accidents

4.5/5 stars - Interesting combination of romance, comedy and sci-fi. A little bit slow to start, but stick with it. My favorite line -- "I feel like my whole life has just been a journey into your arms." (swoon!) This is definitely an unusual movie with a surprise ending.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Bruno Mars, featuring Cee Lo Green and B.O.B. - "The Other Side" - 3:47
Not only a great beat for the treadmill. This song is just perfect for swimming laps, too - I loved doing the flip turns at just the right changes! Zoom!

Netflix Stars - The Sorcerer's Apprentice

4/5 - Outstanding special effects! And the live-action Fantasia re-enactment scene was great. I also liked how it was set in modern day NYC. We all enjoyed this one.

Source: PSDeluxe