Tuesday in tune

I went and saw Extraordinary Measures with my mom, and it was a really good movie! I hadn't heard much about it, but it is mostly the story of how far a man will go to save his family. Very touching, based on a true story... tear jerker for me and my mom--but it is acceptable because there is a dog in the movie.
My mom and I had smuggled in some treats like the Vault Red Blitz which we had tracked down! Then I also brought in some of those new Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, and finally, these super yummy chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies... mmmm!
After that we went to Fred Meyers, where I found some cute clothes on clearance for fifty percent off, then I dropped my mom off and I went to Target and moseyed around and found some more sales... turns out I love to spend money and get things.

While I was gone my mom was preparing dinner...
Warm Lentil Salad with a side of Oven Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese and Homemade Italian Dressing


I couldn't remember ever having lentils before, but man! I was wanting seconds, thirds, fourths, to eat this salad for the rest of my life!!

As for music for the day, I found myself enjoying the song by Lady Antebellum, Need You Now, but it is quite twangy and that throws me off quite a bit.
I also really liked some of the music I heard when I watched According to Greta. I can't find a soundtrack anywhere, so I don't know the songs yet... but I want to find some of them! As for the movie... it is of an angst-ridden teenager who is very brooding and making a list of things to do in life as well as a list of how to die. It is an interesting role to see the little cinderella-diner girl to be playing, but it does show that she has a range, and can make movies without her sister by her side (Material Girls)... but I wasn't too impressed with it... mostly because I thought her character was trying too hard for attention doing such negative things, and she was also so scrappy and wore such large hoop earrings and dark makeup, dark roots and grown out blonde hair dye... she made me thing too much of a girl from high school I can't stand... haha.
But the ending message is pretty good.. even though it came super quick...

Post Script: I carefully typed in to google some of the lyrics from a song from according to Greta, (which on imdb is only credited as Greta) and turned up a result! The Acid House Kings song called This and That. They are categorized as being IndiePop and that is my favorite style!! haha I am actually really digging all of their stuff!! just listening to the thirty second song bites http://www.amazon.com/Sing-Along-Acid-House-Kings/dp/B000QQVOTE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1264578203&sr=8-1
I love how typically indie groups are not about high fashion album covers, like this group posing as a late sixties early seventies kind of style! You can hear a clip of this and that from this link : http://www.amazon.com/Advantage-Acid-House-Kings/dp/B00006G9ZE/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1264578203&sr=8-13 though, it is not the same portion from the movie that made me fall in love. It is surprising to know that they made that cd in 1997, and this style has become to be a very popular style now. Also, it is not surprising to hear that they are from Sweden!

Boy oh boy has this made me excited for Wednesday's music!

I did not actually take any pictures this week... but I still have a picture for each day, and a story/review on the picture which is a product.
Monday:

I am at work at Old Navy, on my break enjoying the energy from a Diet Mt Dew when my coworker walks in, all 4'9" of her, and she says "Girl! You don't need to be doing diet anything!" Instantly I thought of Napoleon Dynamite when he tells whatsherface that she could drink whole milk if she wanted. haha! So that was a nice boost for me! I told her I don't like to drink the calories, so thats why I drink diet sodas more often than regular sodas.

Tuesday:


I was bored and was at Big Lots awhile ago, and I was dilly dally-ing... and found this Sunsilk Winter Collection, which claimed to be anti-static and so I said yes please! I do enjoy it, it smells a little musky, but I like it. I think it would work better for me in Rexburg where my hair could sense the snow and instantly become filled with static.

Wednesday:


I went camping with Rachel and her family this past summer and I remembered her sisters eating some rice crackers. So for Christmas I asked for some, because I suddenly had a craving for them.
So my mom bought me these crunchmaster sesame and artisan four cheese rice crackers from Costco. They are kind of healthy, 130 calories per serving and 3 servings per package... only problem is... I can eat a whole package!! And in like 5 minutes! haha soooo delicious.

Thursday:

I find a substitute for MtDew... a coke product so that my mom can enter it in for her mycockrewards account. Vault. It is slightly different, but I am enjoying it. I had my first experience with vault red blitz which is a berry version which I loved! But I can't seem to find that anywhere. so, I stick to the original.

Friday:
For breakfast I had a bagelful... so yummy!
I have had all three flavors, original cream cheese, strawberry, and cinnamon. My favorite is the cinnamon because it is not an overwhelming cream cheese-y-ness, but the strawberry one is too separate, but the cinnamon is mixed in just right!
Then for lunch I had a craving for egg rolls... and my friend wanted to go to Jack in the Box, so I decided to get some egg rolls there... and to be honest, they were not bad!

Saturday: I do have an actual picture for what I did, but I will save that for a review for another day... so instead I will show you what my mom bought for me online since I have not been able to find any in Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, gas stations, etc.


A 12 count box of Natural Ice! (I was not looking for a box of 12 in stores, but just a single tube. I had been using my tweezers and bobby pins after my nail wasn't enough to dig out the remaining chap-stick! So now my addiction is filled, and my lips don't hurt real bad anymore, and I have a lifetime supply!! ...well, as long as 12 tubes last.

I've decided this picture a day thing is pretty awesome, and it is like a photo journal. And that is really nice because I haven't been able to consistently keep a journal in quite some time... so I have been enjoying this assignment! Every day I think, hmm what is going to be my picture today? Well, on Wednesday it was some of the kids I help teach dance to.



Here they are doing a Viennese Waltz, and this kid in the picture is flashing an I love you sign, but I don't think he does it intentionally! He just does the arm line and this happens to be his hand position! It could be worse...
Oh, also, I think he proposed to me, for after he gets off his mission.

On Thursday I had to be at work by 8, so when I went outside at 7:30 to drive to work, I saw how gorgeous the sky was and said, Yes I will take a picture of you.





Friday I had to work at 5 am.
I was driving and thought the car lights looked really cool and then when I got to work I really liked how the rain looked on the windshield and tried to capture that.



Saturday
another driving in rainy conditions liking the way the lights looked...


Sunday

Had to be at work at 5. Got in the car at 4:58. Yikes.

Monday
I made dinner! Very simple, so delicious.



I like to call them Sloppy Turks cause I like how risque it is. haha

This year for Christmas I decided to make Nanaimo Bars for all my friends, since I don't really have any money. So I made a batch of EggNog Nanaimo bars, and then a double batch of Mint Nanaimo Bars. The next day I made another batch of each!
I gave them to lots of friends, brought them to work, to a class, gave them to my visiting teachees and ers, and I still have some...

When I was at home for Thanksgiving, my sister made a batch and she cut them huge like brownies! I make mine tiny, more like two-bite sized!

The end of the semester is quickly approaching, and I have some foods I've been trying to eat up... like come extra coconut. I thought, well I will find a coconut chicken recipe... but every recipe calls for coconut milk instead of actual coconut. Well I decided to adapt one, with the few things I have.
The recipe called for onions, garlic, white vinegar, water, sugar, chicken bouillon, soy sauce, black pepper, coconut milk, and etc.

So Here is what I did...
Browned one piece of chicken breast. (I was the only one eating...)
Mixed up some water with chicken bouillon powder, with some white pepper and 1/3c of rice vinegar.
I added that to the pan with the chicken and let it cook, and boil down to nothing. I then got a plate out, and put some coconut on it, put my piece of chicken on that, and poured more coconut atop.



It was actually quite good! (for not really using a recipe and making it all up)

CRAISY Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 c margarine
1 1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water
3 eggs
3 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2-3 c oatmeal (sometimes more)
1 Bag Craisins
Secret Ingredient: Zest of one Orange, which is to be added before the Oats.

Blend together margarine, sugars, vanilla, water and eggs. Sift flour and soda. Add orange zest, then oatmeal and craisins. Bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes. Can make 6 dozen.

This semester my roommates and I have decided to make meals together, and to plan them out ahead of time. One of our favorites has been inside out pot pie! It was so simple to make, just brown one or two pieces of chicken, add a can of cream of chicken and some frozen vegetables of your choice. Cook some biscuits in the oven and call it a meal! It was super tasty.

Some of our other favorites:

Chicken Salad Sandwiches: Canned Chicken, Mayo and/or Poppyseed Dressing, cut grapes and/or apples, served on croissants.

Upside down Enchiladas: Browned chicken, ripped tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese.