Manic Mondays

Monday's are important in that they can set the tone for the whole week. So based on what happened this morning, it could get ugly.

As I was leaving for work today, I noticed the garage door was only halfway closed. I pressed the button. It went up a little and stopped. I pressed it again. It went down a little and stopped. UH OH!

There could only be one reason the garage didn't close last night .. something was in the way. The kids constantly leave skateboards and scooters around the garage but usually it doesn't cause the door to stop halfway. Nope. This time, our new van was in the way. It hadn't been pulled in the garage all the way so when the garage door came down it hit the rear end of the van. Crap! There was a big scratch down the back. Great!

We buy a new car, every ten years and we've only had Ruby (our name for the van) for 10 months. In that time, somebody has backed into us and now this. I wonder how much it'll cost. I wonder if we'll bother.

Have a great day!

New recipe - YUM

It's the same every Fall season. Once it starts to get colder, I start to crave certain types of foods and drinks. Chili is one of those foods and is on the menu this week. I also start to enjoy red wine again instead of the white wine I usually drink in the warmer months. And every year, about this time, I start to think about my mom's Shrimp Creole. Maybe it has to do with the cooler weather or maybe it has to do with warm fuzzy thoughts of sitting around our dinner table when I was young. Either way, it's delicious. I did make a few changes thanks to a similiar recipe on allrecipes.com (I add the cayenne pepper) but it's tastes just as great.

Shrimp Creole (YUM!)

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 celery rib, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 28 oz. can of (diced, crushed or a combo of both) tomatoes
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (OPTIONAL – FOR A “KICK”)
Instant rice
Shrimp (I always use already cooked shrimp that’s thawed)

Put oil in pan. Sauté onion, pepper, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until heated through. Serve over rice. I also serve a salad or peas. ENJOY!

Don't Skip Breakfast - Eat Bacon

If you're trying to lose weight, don't skip breakfast. A new Purdue University study found that overweight men who ate eggs and lean Canadian bacon in the morning had a greater sense of fullness throughout the day, compared to those who ate the extra protein at lunch or dinner. The doctor who headed up the research says, "This study is particularly unique in that it looked at the timing of the protein intake and reveals that when you consume more protein, it may be critical piece of equation.

IT'S JUST ANOTHER EXCUSE TO BRING ON THE BACON!!!

Where Did My Money Go????

Are you wondering where your money goes? You're not alone. According to a new survey by Visa, Americans are spending roughly $48 a week on ... who knows what? They can't remember. Let's see, coffee is a big one for me. I spend $1.59 a day on a medium Dunkin Donuts coffee. I consider this to be an essential part of my day so I'm not willing to cut back. Let's see ... that comes out to $7.95 a week. Then I spend $2 a week on lottery, roughly $10 for lunch. That's all I can remember. That only comes out to $20 a month.

So why is my bank account so empty? :)