Birthday Weekend Phase One Complete

Eat favorite pizza (pepperoni and green olive from Taste of the Big Apple), and stay up late playing video games: Check

5 Rules About Going Out To The Bar With Jamie

1. She will always find someone to get us free drinks.

2. Jamie is not allowed to find random rides home - we only live three blocks away.

3. Snow angles will be made in the front yard...wonder what the landlords will think of that.

4. Jamie needs to wear Uggs for the snowy trek to the bar.  Flats will make your feet wet.

5. Jamie will dance if pulled out onto the floor by strangers...and booze...

P.S. No injuries to report tonight.  I didn't fall down the stairs this time.  Sweet!

The Single Sister's 10 Rules For Online Dating

1. IM (instant message) me using full words. Using actual full sentences will get you bonus points.  As you can already tell, I'm no English major but let's at least write at a 7th grade level.  

2. No baby talk.  Ever.

3. No, I do not want to see your web cam or naked pictures.

4. No, I don't have a web cam or naked pictures.

5. Asking me what my favorite color is, isn't going to give you any valuable insight.  It's just going to tell me that you are kind of clueless.

6. Seriously?  I'm not going to talk about sex when we haven't even met.  

7. No, I'm not going to meet you so we can talk about sex.

8. Post a picture.  Call me superficial but I'm not gong to talk to you without seeing your picture.

9. Don't come on a dating site to try and sell me vacations or get me to join your pyramid scheme.

10. Be genuine and honest.  That's all we want.

Ever wonder what it's like to be single again?

Just watch "He's Just Not That Into You" and you'll get the general idea. 

And then you'll be glad your not dealing with it anymore.

Suzy Home Maker

I saw these the other day on bakerella and decided to give them a try.  I wanted to do something fun and decided this looked a little too ambitious.  So easier alternative here I come. Only the grocery store didn't have red velvet cake mix so I used strawberry and I didn't make my own frosting...and I decided to cut the cookies into heart shapes then make them into sandwiches (yes, with my store bought frosting).  And since I was doing pink and white sandwich cookies I bought vanilla and strawberry Cakesters and cut them out using a smaller cookie cutter.  

Aren't they cute?

New Career Path?

The Roomie sent me a text yesterday: "I don't plan on getting married any time remotely soon...but will u help me when I do?"  She's been getting to hear (along with anyone else that will listen) all about the wedding planning progress that Samantha and I have been making.  I sometimes wonder if I've been too involved in this process, but then I hear Sam say "We need to decide on this..." and I'll ask her, "We as in you and Chris or we as in me and you?"  She'll stop and ponder, "Well I suppose it should be me and Chris, but lets be real, its me and you."  

The process has been something like this:  Sam and I will discuss, strategize, come up with a game plan and options then Sam will run it by Chris. Usually he really doesn't have an opinion.  He just doesn't want butt bows or boob bows and has given me full veto power.  Which I have utilized.  

So back to the text message, it got me thinking. This has been fun, maybe a career in wedding planning is in the future.  I'm already getting experience in assisting in dress buying, venue viewing, fielding freak-out phone calls, determining trashy vs. classy, searching the web for $1.60 tacos and Fish! graphics.  But then again, this is also for my BFF.  I'm less likely to strangle her when she decides that she not only wants fish on her invites, but real photos of goldfish.  Ms. Neurotic-Stranger-Bridezilla?  She wouldn't get the same amount of patience and probably doesn't stand a chance.  

I think I'll stick to my day job and leave the bridal planning to friends who ask for help and my own someday.  On the up side?  Sam gets to be the guinea pig and we'll be pros by the time I go through this.

Sam, through fish photos and all I really have been enjoying this.  Thanks for letting me be apart of it all and having me as your maid of honor.  Love you!

Now I'm Hungry

After just reading thehansonhattrick and reading about the yummy recipe that she posted not only did it make me hungry but it reminded me of a fettuccine alfredo recipe that I made this weekend with the apple boy.  Now don't turn up your nose at it when I tell you this.  But guess what?  Its a light recipe.  And guess what?  Its actually pretty good.  And even better?  I don't feel like I ate a gallon of butter, cream and cheese when I'm done eating.

Ingredients:

8 oz. fettuccine noodles, uncooked (half the box)

1 1/4 cups 25%-less-sodium chicken broth

4 teaspoons flour

1/3 cup Philadelphia light cream cheese spread

3 Tablespoons 100% Light Parmesan Grated Cheese divided (yes, the stuff in the can)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, combine broth and flour in medium saucepan. Stir in cream cheese spread, 2 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese, the nutmeg and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with wire whisk until mixture boils and thickens.

Drain pasta. Toss with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and the parsley. 

Servings Per Recipe: 4 

And it even gives the nutrition facts per serving! 

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 331

Total Fat: 5.3

Cholesterol: 10mg

Sodium: 127mg

Total Carbs: 58.5g

Dietary Fiber: 2.7g

Protein: 13.1g

In weight watchers speak its about 7 points per serving.  Which isn't too shabby.  When we made it this weekend we added broccoli (yes mom, I voluntarily ate broccoli for once) and apple boy made really yummy chicken to add to it.  I really we skipped on the chopped fresh parsley.  If I were to make it for a family I would probably make the whole box of pasta and double the recipe.  Mmmm....leftovers....

Why I gave up on "The Count of Monte Cristo"

Ok, I suppose this is slightly a lie. I did finish it when I read it for College Prep in High School and I loved it. The characters came alive for me and it's one of the first books where I was disappointed when I finished reading it. I wanted it to keep going.

It is the unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo that I never finished. I borrowed it a few years back from a guy I was dating at the time. I eyed it on his bookshelf one day and I figured I'd give it a shot since I loved the story in High School.

I don't even think I made it as far as The Count finding the treasure and I lost interest. That unabridged version is long!

I still have the book, never had the chance to return it when Mr. Twin-Gun (Sam and Chris's nickname for this guy) ended the relationship. I think about starting it every once in a while but I haven't actually done it.

Maybe some day.

Ice Skating

The dating strike has gone into negotiations...Sam and Chris went on a double date with the Apple Boy and I. Sam, Chris and I figure that we hadn't been on ice skates in 10+ years. So we knew it was going to be pretty entertaining. It was slow going...especially for Chris. And only one of us fell...it was Chris. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Chris trying to regain his balance...Me and Apple Boy trying to look cute...

Me and Apple Boy

Chris and Sam

Chris discovered that having Sam pull him worked the best.