Money Saving Tip

Did you know that you can save 5 cents per bag at Albertsons if you bring your own bags for your groceries? I have four of these bags that I plan to keep in my car & reuse each time I go grocery shopping. Just a money-saving, earth-friendly tip :-)

Bark!

Every year I seem to forget what hard work it is to lay bark! Today, my sister Mandi helped me lay 2 yards of bark (which is the equivalent of two pickup truckloads) around my landscaping. We had to make two trips to the nursery - I was glad there is one only 1/2 mile away! I know that I'm going to be sore tomorrow from all of that shoveling, but it is well worth it!

Shrimp Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

I tried this new recipe tonight and thought I'd share. It's super easy and delicious!!!

12 ounces dry fettuccine
2 red bell peppers, julienne
3 teaspoons garlic
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup chicken broth
raw medium shrimp
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
dash crushed red peppers
salt and pepper to taste

1. While the noodles are cooking, saute red bell peppers, garlic, & cayenne pepper on medium, in 1 tablespoon olive oil, for 3-5 minutes.
2. Stir in sour cream & broth, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
3. Add shrimp, crushed red peppers, salt, & pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes until shrimp are done. Stir occasionally.
4. Remove from heat & stir in cheese.
5. Toss with pasta.

Unoriginal Inventions

I think in a past life I must have been an inventor. I come up with the best new ideas, only to find out that I'm not the first to think of the idea. It's not that I've seen these ideas somewhere before and then later recall them thinking the idea originated in my head. It's truly that I think of something cool, useful, etc. that would be really nice to have, and then see that someone else has not only thought of the idea, but developed and marketed it as well. Take string cheese, for example. I love string cheese, but I really love pepperjack cheese. A couple months ago I was talking to my friend Kris about how someone should really make pepperjack cheese sticks - what a great snack idea! Well, a couple weeks later, as I was shopping at Albertsons, I came across pepperjack cheese sticks. Hmm..... wonder why I never saw those before. Maybe someone just started selling them that week? Is my office bugged?

The most recent idea I had, however, actually has to do with blogs. I seem to spend more time recording my life on this blog than I do in my journal... so why not start a company that can actually publish my blog in a book? Just think, wouldn't it be nice to be able to pick which blog entries, pictures, comments, etc. that I'd like published, and maybe even play around with the layout? What a novel idea, right? I know, I thought so too. Turns out there's actually this company out there (that happens to be going out of business) that publishes blogs in the form of books. Not sure if their company offered everything I was envisioning in my mind, but the basic idea is the same. Anyone have some extra cash that would like to invest in/purchase this company with me??? Because it was my idea, after all :-)

Softball Season Comes to a Close

Well, tonight marks the end of softball season. Can you believe it's already been 10 weeks? Our team wasn't too bad - I think we actually ended up in 3rd place with a record of 7-3. And the two teams ahead of us have a record of 7-2-1, so they didn't win any more games than we did. Plus, we beat both those teams, and we scored more points in the season than any other team, so I like to think we're the best :-) Like my logic??? Anyway, I'm glad I played. I was kinda nervous at first, but it all turned out okay. I had fun - it was nice to get out, do some physical activity, and meet new people. Maybe I'll have to hit the batting cages this summer in case I get invited back to the team next year. I actually got a decent hit tonight - it flew into center field, so I was happy with that. I'm going to miss playing - it was nice to have that once a week. Guess I'll have to find another activity to take its place. Maybe I'll play some volleyball - some of the people from the team are planning on playing pickup games on Thursdays. Maybe I can move from one adventure to the next!

Power Rush

I remember clearly the first day that I rode my motorcycle on a 35 mph road. I cautiously turned out of a subdivision onto Ustick Road, and felt a huge rush as I accelerated to 35. Prior to that, I had gone only 20 mph in neighborhoods - it was amazing the difference that 15 mph made! Needless to say, the excitement of going 35 is long gone, and even going 55 doesn't thrill me like it used to (although I still love feeling the wind!). Well, last night I experienced that same rush that I felt last year... for the first time, I rode Ryan's Honda Shadow - a bike that is more than twice the size of mine. It was incredible to feel the acceleration. I was going 30 in a matter of seconds, and I was still in first gear (on my bike, I would have already shifted to third). A big smile spread across my face as I enjoyed the power of the bike under me. What a ride. I still love my little Rebel, but now know what excitement awaits me when I decide to upgrade :-)

A Season for Fruit

A couple years ago, my mom and brother transplanted a few raspberry plants from their garden to mine. I didn't get any raspberries the first year, and I think I can count on one hand how many raspberries I got last year, but this must be my year for raspberries! I was so excited this afternoon to walk out back and see red amongst the green vines of my raspberry plants. Of course I had to try some out right away - they're delicious! It's amazing how good fruits & veggies taste when you pick them from your own garden. I can't wait until I have vegetables to harvest. That won't be long! I've got little tomatoes starting to grow, and I should be able to harvest some zucchini in a week or two!