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8.28.2007

Quiche!!! Lorraine!!!


I love quiche. I've never actually made it before though, I've always ended up making fritattas (sp?) in a cast iron pan and praying to God that I didn't cook it too long. Well, I did that last Fall when I had some friends sleep over. I felt bad, but I think everyone was hung over enough where they ate it anyway. Oh, well. I've always bought those individual quiches in a blue package that come frozen and all you do is put it in the oven for awhile.


I decided that it's time for me to grow a spine and try to make quiche. I found this recipe on the food network website and I tweaked it to my liking. I'll be in Minneapolis this weekend, so I'm going to try and make it tonight or tomorrow night. We'll see how busy I am!

1 (9-inch) prepared pie shell (unbaked) that you get in the baking aisle
1 cup grated Swiss
1/2 cup grated marbled jack
3 tablespoon grated Romano, plus another handful
1/2 cup chopped medium onion
1 cup broccoli florets (fresh)
1 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
7 or 8 cherry tomatoes if you like them, I do

Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
Sprinkle the cheese over the bottom of the pie shell, then evenly distribute the onion, broccoli, and mushroom over the cheese layer. Mix the eggs and the spices together in a bowl. Add the milk and half-and-half and mix well. Pour over contents in the pie shell.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves and place, cut side up, in a ring on top of the mixture. Sprinkle the extra handful of Romano over top. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 300 degrees F and bake an additional 45 to 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean.

PSH

8.27.2007

Big Ten Network and my Golden Gophers

Organizing My Photography

It's a job that I swear is larger than life. I've had 8x10's from high school lying around the apartment, taken them out of their binders and somehow, they've ended up all over the apartment. Yesterday, I took an hour and sat on the floor in our bedroom and stuck them all back into their binder.

1. I put all the photos (I hand printed, enlarged, etc... myself in college, so they're still a little smelly, but at least I have them ALL) into plastic sleeves so that I could put them all into a 3-ring binder.
2. As I shoved them all into the 3-ring binder, I didn't really organize them by time period or subject, because I just wanted to get them out from under the bed and away from the desk, the bookcases in the living room, and just out of the living room, period.
3. When I have more time, and when I get new portfolios, I will most definitely organize by subject. But as you can tell, there's not too much time in my life for doing these things in one day. Plus, we don't have much money for organizing - I mean, we live in a 640 square foot apartment for Pete's sake. I'm not about to spend money when we're not going to live here forever!

I definitely feel much better, but I know that when I only have time for some things, that's all that I have. I've been very good about trying to follow the flylady.com's schedule, but I'm not exactly about to "shine my sink" on a nightly basis - as I wake up the next morning and CJ's usually made a mess of it again anyway. I'll have to train him.

8.24.2007

My Photography Business

Finally has it's own website!!!! I am completely jumping for joy right now, the only thing that I really need to do is put together more galleries and add more images, right now it looks like I've only done one wedding and that is so NOT true. So in any case, enjoy my professional photography. Eventually I will be adding more and more to it, not only to make sure that people know that I am a "real" photographer, but to have my own domain name instead of using a blog to promote my stuff. Not only is it way more professional, but I'm also a lot more proud of myself for making it myself.

www.psphotographyonline.com

PSH

8.21.2007

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Basically, crockpot chicken tacos. Yum! Thank you Nesties!

- 3 or 4 chicken breasts
- one jar of salsa
- one can of drained & rinsed black beans
- one pack of taco season OR 1 tbsp chili powder and 1 tblsp cumin and salt & pepper
- 1 package frozen corn (optional)
- 8 oz sour cream

Cook until chicken breasts are done (6-8 hours on low). Take chicken out, shred, put back into the crockpot along with frozen corn and sour cream. The sour cream cannot be cooked all day because it is a dairy product - put in 30 minutes before you are ready to serve this meal. Put in tortillas or serve over rice.

I don't usually make this with sour cream because my hubby's not a big fan. With the leftovers we make nachos and quesadillas. I also do a cheesy chicken dip too if there's enough left over and bring it to work the next day with tortilla chips.

Work Related Jokes - They Cheered Me Up Today!!

I'm not normally in such a bad mood, but lately it's been awful! So I did a search for workplace humor and these ones made me laugh. Outloud. In any case, there are some people at my work who look down upon secretaries, and let me tell you... I will not be a secretary forever and so those people can kiss my butt in two years when they're still here and I'm in a spacious chalet in the Swiss Alps. They could've been invited, but karma bit them in the butt and I won't return their attitude.

I always treat people the way that I would like to be treated and here I don't get much in return, and so my mom always told me, "Don't you hate it when karma bites you in the ass???"


Dilbert's Words of Wisdom
1. I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow's not looking good either.
2. I love deadlines. I especially love the swooshing sound they make as they go flying by.
3. Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.
4. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
5. Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If he isn't there the first time you need him, chances are you won't be needing him again.
6. I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
7. On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.
8. I don't suffer from stress - I'm a carrier...
9. Everybody is somebody else's weirdo...
10. Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.



WAYS TO KEEP A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Page yourself over the intercom. (Don't disguise your voice.)
Find out where your boss shops and buy exactly the same outfits. Always wear them one day after your boss does. (This is especially effective if your boss is a different gender than you are.)
Come to work in army fatigues and when asked why, say, "I can't talk about it".
Send email to the rest of the company telling them what you're doing. For example "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom."
Phone someone in the office you barely know, leave your name and say "Just called to say I can't talk right now. Bye".
"Hi-lite" your shoes. Tell people that you haven't lost your shoes since you did this.
Put up mosquito netting around your cubicle.
Every time someone asks you to do something, ask them if they want fries with that.
When someone hands you a piece of paper, finger it, and whisper huskily, "Mmmmmmm, that feels soooooo good!".
Put your garbage can on your desk. Label it "IN."
Determine how many cups of coffee is "too many."
Put decaf in the coffeemaker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
Walk sideways to the photocopier.
Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
While riding an elevator, gasp dramatically every time the doors open.
If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
When driving colleagues around insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep 'em tuned up."
Say to your boss, "I like your style" and shoot him with double-barrelled fingers.
Babble incoherently at a fellow employee then ask "Did you get all that, I don't want to have to repeat it".
Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think?".
Practice making fax and modem noises.
Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink directly from the nozzle.
Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
Shout random numbers while someone is counting.
Staple papers in the middle of the page.
Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
TYPE ONLY IN UPPERCASE.
type only in lowercase.
dont use any punctuation either
Repeat the following conversation a few times: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, it's gone now."
As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
When nearly done, announce "no, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
Ask people what gender they are.
While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
Sit in the car park at lunch time pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles".
Why not try some of the following neat little exercises, not only will it make meetings more interesting but your fellow workmates will become suddenly more alert and maintain a respectful distance. By following these simple guidelines during important meetings, you too can be an unmitigated success:
Discreetly clasp hold of someone's hand and whisper: 'can you feel it?' from the corner of your mouth.
Draw enormous genitalia on your notepad and discreetly show it to the person next to you for their approval.
When refreshments are presented, immediately distribute one biscuit to each of the attendees, then systematically smash each one with your fist in front of them.
Chew tobacco.
Wear a hands free phone headset throughout once in a while drift off into an unrelated conversation, such as: 'I don't care if there are no dwarfs, just get the show done!'
Write the words 'he fancies you' on your pad and show it to the person next to you while indicating with your pen.
Respond to a serious question with: 'I don't know what to say, obviously I'm flattered, but it's all happened so fast'.
Use Nam style jargon such as 'what's the ETA?', 'who's on recon?' & Charlie don't surf'.
Reconstruct the meeting in front of you using action figures and when anyone moves re-arrange the figures accordingly.
Shave one of your forearms.
Draw a chalk circle around one of the chairs then avoid sitting on it, when the meeting starts. When someone does eventually sit in it, cover your mouth and gasp.
Turn your back on the meeting and sit facing the window with your legs stretched out. Announce that you 'love this dirty town'.
Walk directly up to a colleague and stand nose to nose with him for 1 minute.
Mount the desk and walk along its length before taking your seat.
Reflect sunlight into everyone's eyes off your watch face.
Gargle with water.
Repeat every idea they express in a baby voice while moving your hand like a chattering mouth.
Gradually push yourself closer and closer to the door on your chair.
Hum throughout.
Pull out a large roll of bank notes and count them demonstratively.
Bend momentarily under the table then emerge wearing contact lenses that white out your eyes.
Drop meaningless & confusing management speak into conversations such as:' what's the margin, Marvin?"When's this turkey going to get basted?" If we don't get this brook babbling we're all going to end up looking like doe-eyed labradors'
Produce a hamster from your pocket and suggest throwing it to one another as a means of idea-exchange.
Use a large hunting knife to point at your visual aids.
Announce that you've run off some copies of the meeting agenda. Then hand out pieces of paper that read:My secret agenda1 Trample the weak2 Triumph alone3 Invade PolandRe-collect them sheepishly and ask everyone to pretend they haven't seen them.
Attempt to hypnotise the entire room using a pocket watch.
Leave long pauses in your speech at random moments. When someone is prompted to interject shout 'I AM NOT FINISHED'.

Getting Creative Ideas




I'm starting to get together ideas for a more well rounded and organized bedroom. I know what I like, it's just putting the whole entire room together. To the left are the dressers that I absolutely love from Ikea. The only problem - there's not an Ikea near me. And so for shipping these things, it's well over the actual prices of the furniture. Pretty much, double the price and that's the shipping cost. Absolutely ridiculous! But, the store is meant for you to pick up your furniture at the store and put it together yourself, so I don't blame them! I just have to look for furniture like these, or maybe do some temporary shopping. I'm onto the Container Store next. I think I need some closet organizers, maybe some new bedside tables for organizing the clutter. I'm not sure. This is such a work in progress that I'm a little afraid almost to think too far outside the box - mostly because we'll be moving into a new place next year and I don't want to customize this apartment.


The joys of being a renter. Ugh.



PSH

8.20.2007

Beer Bread

I absolutely LOVE the Tastefully Simple Beer Bread recipe. I mean, I could eat that bread for days and I'd be the happiest person in the whole entire world! In a perfect world, I would absolutely love to sell Tastefully Simple food, in fact, I would probably have food parties every single weekend! But, alas, I'm stuck in Indiana and that's not possible on my salary. So here's one of my beer bread recipes that's KINDA like the Tastefully Simple mix.

BEER BREAD

Pam cooking spray with flour
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces Guinness (you can have a sip or two, or maybe even 3)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat an 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray (or you can stick your hand in a sandwich bag, then stick your hand covered by the bag into a margarine tub and just rub the pan with your fingers, that's easy too)

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour in beer and olive oil and mix until just blended. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 45 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve warm with butter or margarine. This tastes fabulous with broccoli cheese soup or really, any soup at all.


PSH

Tiramisu - Patty Harayda Style

Chocolate, whipped cream, coffee and liquor. My favorites all rolled into one delicious dessert. Who in their right mind would ever come up with this? That, I'm not sure, but I do know that it is really, really hard for me to say no to Tiramisu. This is one recipe that I got from the foodnetwork.com and I have made my own. I decided to omit eggs, because I'm kinda not a fan of salmonella and I know that I probably wouldn't get it, but I still don't take the risk, so this recipe uses cream cheese instead.

Tiramisu

8 ounces light cream cheese
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar/powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whipped cream, divided
1 package ladyfingers
1 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
1 tablespoon powdered sugar for topping
1 tablespoon chocolate chips

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Fold in 1 1/3 cups of whipped cream. Dunk ladyfingers in prepared liqueur. Halve and place layer of ladyfingers in the bottom of tall deep glass bowl/fancy dish. Spoon half of cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Top with another layer of ladyfingers and remaining cheese mixture. Top with remaining ladyfingers. Spoon remaining whipped cream over top. Sift powdered suger over whipped topping and garnish with chocolate chips.

You can even split the mixture between four tall glasses if you're having a small party or just dinner with friends.

Yum!



PSH

The Easiest Beef Enchiladas

Ok, so I get cravings for Mexican food a lot! I always crave enchiladas because they're like tacos that you have to eat with a fork. My husband has never had an enchilada before last night (even though I ALWAYS order them at restaurants, especially at La Charreada, yum!). He surprisingly enough, really like them!

Patty's Easy Enchiladas

1/2 lb ground beef
1 12 - 15 oz can black beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 - 6 fajita size flour tortillas
1 small can of store brand enchilada sauce
1/4 cup salsa verde
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup of grated cheese, any kind is fine
Greased or buttered 9x12 glass baking dish (make more enchiladas if you want to use a larger baking dish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.

Saute onions in large non-stick pan over medium heat until clear. Add beef to pan and brown. Drain the can of beans and rinse, pour half the beans into the pan, smash the rest of the beans in the can with a fork. Then pour the rest of the beans into the pan. Add chili powder, cumin, salsa verde, coriander, salt & pepper to the pan. Cook until all is heated through and it is thoroughly mixed.

Fill flour tortillas with even amounts of the beef & bean mixture. Roll them up and put them seam down into the glass baking dish. Pour the can of enchilada sauce (you may need two cans if you're making a HUGE dish of enchiladas) over the tortillas, coating all of them evenly. The sauce will go to the bottom of the pan and bubble up, yum! Top with ALL of the cheese, cover with foil and put into the oven for 20 minutes.

Take off the foil and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Let cool and serve warm.

Patty's suggested toppings: salsa, green onions, lettuce, more cheese, refried beans.

Yummy! Everyone should try this one, it'll give you a good excuse to make some homemade take-out! Fabulous, easy and cheap, just the way that food is supposed to be!

PSH