Monday Menu Planning

The next couple of weeks will be unusual here at the Castle as we have Beren's girls for two weeks solid! This will be the first time they've stayed with us for such an extended period of time and while I'm certainly looking forward to it, it does present a few challenges.

I've mentioned before that they are rather picky eaters and, unlike the rest of us, not fans of vegetables but also don't eat meat so cooking for them is a bit difficult! They eat lots of pasta at home so I'll be focusing on that and will sneak some veggies in where I can. *wink*

Meatless Monday ~ Cheryl's Spinach Cheesy Pasta
Take-Out Tuesday ~ Pizza Night
Weight Watchin' Wednesday ~ Shepherd's Pie (vegetarian)
Thrifty Thursday ~ I have all of these ingredients on hand making this Mexican Vegetarian Casserole a cheap and easy meal!
Fishy Friday ~ Ack! Neither of them eat fish so it's going to be Clean Out Refrigerator Night, am sure there will be enough leftovers to go around
Social Saturday ~ Family BBQ - burgers, veggie dogs, the usual fare
Slow Mo' Sunday ~ Crockpot Veggie Soup

Happy Birthday, Jillina!

We celebrated Beren's daughter's 16th Birthday at the castle last night, had a wonderful BBQ with family & friends followed by the most delicious and beautiful cake, if I do say so myself! A combined effort of mine & Kali, using the mottos "make it work" and "more is more!"







We all had a wonderful time grillin' & chillin', a fabulous celebration of a lovely young lady!






Special thanks to Kali for the Kitchen Clean-Up Duty!

Busy Month for Bambi

It's been a wild whirlwind of a month for my Baby Girl, she went to Prom, graduated from high school and turned 18, whew! Where did the time go???



















I love you, Bambi, and am ever-so-proud to be your Mom!

On My Hearth: Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo Veggie Explosion!

Back on track with my diet, am working so hard to get in pin-up shape..smile...but coming weekend presents a couple of challenges, we are celebrating another family birthday (Beren's daughter) and I'll be making dinner and a cake for her. We are also attending a birthday party on Sunday, Madonna-themed and I've already heard about the decadence planned for that one!To start the weekend off right, I'm going to be making a pasta dish from Hungry Girl tonight. I'll be using Shirataki noodles for my serving, whole wheat penne for the family as they aren't quite as fond of the miracle noodles as I am!


photo courtesy of Hungry Girl

Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo Veggie Explosion!

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 151 calories, 4.5g fat, 407mg sodium, 20g carbs, 7g fiber, 7g sugars, 9g protein -- POINTS® value 3*

Ingredients:
1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/2 cup red pepper chunks
1/2 cup large zucchini chunks
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tsp. reduced-fat grated parmesan-style topping
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: garlic powder, chili powder

Directions:
Place all the veggies in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with 2 tbsp. of water. Cover bowl and microwave for 2 - 3 minutes (until veggies are fully steamed and tender). Drain water and set aside.

Drain and rinse noodles well. Dry noodles thoroughly (use paper towels to soak up as much moisture as possible), and then use a knife or kitchen shears to slice them up a bit. Next, place noodles in a microwave-safe bowl, and top them with the cheese wedge, sour cream, and parm topping. Then microwave for one minute.

Stir well, and then microwave for one additional minute. Mix in the veggies, and season well with salt and pepper. If you like, add some garlic powder and/or chili powder. Enjoy!!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Now, off to the treadmill to keep those pounds off, I really need to make morning exercise a habit. Have a great day, TGIF!

Is it Monday Already?

I am dog tired today, dear readers, trying to figure out how to get the caffeine into my system more quickly than my mug of java provides. *yawn* You see, Beren and I had an unusually busy Saturday night and I daresay that I am still recovering! Even a lazy poolside Sunday wasn't enough to revive me, more extreme efforts must be required.

In case you're curious about what caused this overwhelming exhaustion, I'll share with you. Saturday night we decided to walk on the wild side a bit, got tickets to Art Undressed in Miami. Oooh, what an experience! The art, both still and performance, was deliciously enticing, interesting and thought provoking. There were several pieces I would have loved to own but that wasn't in my budget this year, perhaps next time. I did, however, shell out $20.00 to have a serpent painting on my chest, would you like to see the picture? It's a bit grainy as I had only my camera phone to work with, but a professional photographer took a few shots and promised to share them with me so hopefully he'll follow through on that.





Isn't she beautiful? Even though it only lasted until the next morning's shower it was so much fun and drew quite a bit of attention at the next event...

After we perused the gallery and got our fill of art, we headed over to a hip & happening club which occasionally hosts a Burlesque show. I've been wanting to attend for some time but we rarely hang out in this part of town; tonight, however was the perfect occasion!

The show was titillating and totally entertaining and the crowd provided even more eye candy; Miami does indeed have more than it's share of Beautiful People! Beren and I had a fabulous time and I'm quite sure that I burned off several glasses of chardonnay on the dance floor!

By 1:00 am we were totally spent, caught a cab and headed to our hotel room. Yes, hotel room! We had decided to make a mini-vacation out of this, sparing ourselves the hour-long ride home and allowing us to have a few cocktails safely and responsibly. So off to our gorgeous 27th floor room with a stunning view of the Miami skyline.





We awoke the next morning, had breakfast and headed back to Suburbia, having thoroughly enjoyed our foray into hip & happening Miami nightlife! We'll definitely do it again sometime, but first, a nap might be in order.....zzzzzzz......

Unsettled

Phases Of Appreciation ~ Leo Daily Horoscope

Unsettled feelings can plague you today, putting you in an uncomfortable and edgy frame of mind. This can be the result of your having had a recent disagreement with someone you care deeply about, or your unwillingness to give way in an interpersonal conflict with an acquaintance. Your brooding mood will likely have no effect on your situation, however, and the stress you feel can even interfere with your well-being today. Easing your anxiety can be as easy as reminding yourself that your relationships, whatever their nature, will likely change in many appreciable ways over the course of your life and that talking about differences is often the best way to resolve them.

When we recognize and accept that the love we feel for the special people in our lives will wax and wane as time goes by, we can weather challenging periods in our relationships without questioning the strength of the bonds that unite us. Our ability to maintain a positive attitude during periods of interpersonal conflict ensures that we do not feel unduly stressed or strained by the natural rigors that are a part of all emotional partnerships. Our readiness to approach such difficulties rationally instead of allowing our emotions to interfere with our judgment ensures that we, in partnership with the individuals most important to us, are capable of resolving our differences in a focused and effective fashion. When you act constructively instead of brooding in response to personal conflict today, it will no doubt be resolved more quickly and more easily than you might expect.


Last weekend I had an altercation with a very dear friend and it is indeed still haunting me this morning. It's a long story but basically what happened is that both of our emotions were running high due to some issues in our lives and as a result feelings got hurt, misunderstandings occurred and words were spoken that probably shouldn't have been. I tried to resolve the situation the next morning but failed. The ball is now in her court and I am not sure where to go from here.

Though I'm hurt and upset, I have also taken some time this past week to reflect on the nature of our friendship, reviewing how we met, the circumstances surrounding our connection, why and how we fit into each others lives. There has been some strain between us for a couple of months now which I've acknowledged to Beren but not to my friend herself. Perhaps this blow-up was a result of the ongoing, unresolved tension and it needed to be released?

I'm still pondering all of this but I am thinking that maybe we needed to redefine our relationship at this point. When we met our situations were different and I relied on her for certain things that are no longer relevant. I "needed" her at that time and now, though I love and want her in my life, there is no longer a need. This, of course, has changed the dynamics of the relationship, changing the balance of power, if you will. Now that she is no longer in that role, where does she fit in? Can we take the good parts of us and use them to build a different sort of friendship, one on a more even keel?

I hope so but am also willing to honor and accept the fact that we may no longer have the same "level" of connection that we once did and will need to figure out what that means and where to go from here. I just wish she'd call me so that we can talk, hate having unresolved issues, closure one way or another is so important to me.

No matter what, I still love her and will always cherish the times we had and her importance in my life and continue to hope that we can get beyond this to a stronger, better place in our relationship.

Seeking Happy Thoughts

photo by isabel bloedwater

Engaged By Cheer
Leo Daily Horoscope

It may feel as if the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders today, causing you to devote your mental and physical energy primarily to serious and deep matters. Should you find yourself presented with an opportunity to spend time with people as somber as yourself, you will likely be quite pleased by the prospect. Yet the concerns that have likely inspired this solemn mood may not be as dire or as permanent as you imagine them to be. If you allow yourself to have even a touch of lighthearted fun today, you may discover that life looks much brighter because your overall outlook has improved.

A bit of lighthearted conversation can work wonders to dispel a serious mood as the fun we share with others through dialogue permits us to invite them to adopt a mind-set as cheerful and playful as our own. When we are fully engaged by these jolly musings and emotions, it is difficult to devote much time at all to mulling over deep or weighty topics with any real conviction. Instead, our thoughts turn to more pleasant matters and we feel compelled to spread our upbeat mind-set among our family, friends, and colleagues. As we show the people we care about and respect how much there is to be happy about, any lingering seriousness we might have felt will disappear. Your heavy mood will turn to one of delight today when you choose to immerse yourself in happy subjects that enthrall you and inspire your creativity.


It's been 4 months today since the passing of my mother and I am indeed in a somber mood. There are moments when the grief is as fresh as the day we lost her, the pain literally bringing me to my knees.

We have a fun evening planned with family, am hoping I can do as my horoscope suggests and put aside the sadness for a while.

Growth

photo courtesy of pinkorchid_too.

Monday Menu Planning

We have a busy week and will be out & about quite a bit so the menu planning is a bit more difficult. I'm going to be relying on my freezer & pantry for most of our meals, nothing fancy!

Meatless Monday ~ Spaghetti Pie (from the freezer) for the kids, Beren and I will be eating in Palm Beach!
Take-Out Tuesday ~ Bambi's High School Graduation, eating out, location TBD.
Weight Watchin' Wednesday ~ Israeli Salad Pitas
Thrifty Thursday ~ Last Day of School for Kali, her first full year of teaching! Meeting them for pizza at Primanti Brothers where they have an awesome family special
Fishy Friday ~ Tuna Noodle Casserole (WW Style)
Social Saturday ~ We're meeting friends at the Art Undressed exhibit in Miami, will either eat something quick at home or grab something on the go
Slow Mo' Sunday ~ Whew..finally a day at home! We'll surely spend it poolside, weather permitting, so this Weight Watchers Slow Cooker lasagna will be a easy meal to throw together while we relax and recoup from the busy week!

I am Not Crazy..Am I?

Taking a Time Out - You Are Not Crazy

Most of us feel a little crazy from time to time. Periods of high stress can make us feel like we’re losing it, as can being surrounded by people whose values are very different from our own. Losing a significant relationship and moving into a new life situation are other events that can cause us to feel off kilter. Circumstances like these recur in our lives, and they naturally affect our mental stability. The symptoms of our state of mind can range from having no recollection of putting our car keys where we eventually find them, to wondering if we’re seeing things clearly when everyone around us seems to be in denial of what’s going on right in front of their eyes. For most of us, the key to survival at times like these is to step back, take a deep breath, and regain our composure. Then we can decide what course of action to take.

Sometimes a time-out does the trick. We take a day off from whatever is making us feel crazy and, like magic, we feel in our right mind again.

Today's Daily Om is eerily appropriate as this is exactly how I've been feeling lately. In addition to Mom's death I've had some other drama brewing in my life for the past 3 months, it finally boiled over this past Friday and while it turned out mostly positive, I'm still mopping up some of the mess that it caused. I'm feeling a little bit crazy, a tad unstable, and still rather angry. Uncomfortable with those feelings longterm, I really need a break, a new attitude, a change of scenery, something, anything so that I can move on.



Beren has a 2-day meeting in Palm Beach, just over an hour from here, so I took today and tomorrow off from work in order to tag along. Even though we just returned from a road trip, this convention is a yearly event and just happened to coincide with the aforementioned Mermaid night in Ft. Lauderdale, so off we go again! The waterfront hotel we're staying at is within walking distance of a mall and all that that entails and boasts of a lovely lakeside pool and spa. Beren has already headed north, I'll be following him this afternoon. I am hoping to check in and relax for a bit then join him for a nice dinner and soak in the jacuzzi, then tomorrow I'll perhaps do a bit of shopping and find somewhere to have a pedicure. Perhaps by Wednesday I'll be feeling relaxed, refreshed and a little less crazy. One can only hope.