Goody Bags

My son's high school baseball team is in the State Tournament right now so I thought that I would put together some "good luck" goody bags. YES he is in high school, and past the goody bag stage, but I am not. So there.

One of his teammates is an amazing home run hitter. His last name happens to be Bird, so I made little bags with "Welcome to Bird's House" on the top and a bird whistle inside.

About 5 years ago when our boys were playing little league together (half of the high school team played together as little boys) there was an unfortunate comment regarding someones peanuts but it came out wrong and it has been a joke ever since. "Have you tried Ed's (pea) nuts?" So now they are good luck.

Goodies for the goody bag. My son likes to put an ENTIRE package of Big League Chew in his mouth for the games. We told him as long as he stays away from real chew, he can have as much gum as he wants. See you can even pick up parenting tips here as well!

I think my son enjoys it when I yell "Way to Go Sweet Pea!" as loud as I can. Now the other moms call him Sweet Pea too. Awwww......

Thank goodness there were only 15 bags to assemble. I used to own a stationery company that put together these for parties. 15 is fun, 150 is a nightmare!!

Goody Bags

Mango Salsa

Do you have a Qdoba Mexican Grill close to you? We live about a mile away and I could eat their mango salsa every day. I looked on their website and they kindly gave up the recipe!! Now I can eat it without scaring myself in the car!! Yeah!

Get your ingredients together
Chop up all the veggies, fruit and herbs about the same size
Soooo pretty.....
Stir her all up....I put about a third into the food processor......
Salsa two ways......I added about half of the blended back into the chopped...
Mango salsa on homemade baked chips......Deeelicious!!
Healthy snack for the new mom next door.....
Watch out for hitchhikers on your garden lettuce!
Grilled chicken and asparagus salad with mango salsa.......

Holy Moly that was good!!

Mango Salsa

(from Qdoba Mexican Grill)

2 cups of mangoes, fresh or frozen; cut into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces (I used both)
1 medium red pepper, diced into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces
1 medium cucumber, diced into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces
1/4 of a red onion, diced into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces (I rinsed mine to remove the caustic bite)
1 jalapeno, finely minced
*1/4 cup pickled jalepenos from the jar (optional)
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro (or more!)
1 lime, juiced (or approximately 2 tablespoons of juice)
2 celery stalks
*1 tablespoon of sugar (I used a few tablespoons of limeade concentrate instead)
a pinch of salt
This salsa is a sweet alternative to typical tomato-based salsas. The recipe is great year-round, although
it’s best when mangoes are in season each May. It pairs well with seafood, poultry, or simple tortilla chips.
A NOTE OF CAUTION:
If your hands are sensitive to heat from peppers or if you wear contacts, it is suggested that you wear
gloves or coat your hands in salad oil to make rinsing the pepper from your hands easier.
EACH BATCH YIELDS AROUND FOUR AND A HALF CUPS
1. If using frozen mangoes, thaw and then cut into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces; place in mixing bowl.
2. Cut ends of cucumber and peel skin. Cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon scrape out seeds. Dice
into small pieces and add to the mixing bowl.
3. Dice 1/4 of a red onion and a whole red pepper; add to bowl.
4. Mince the jalapeno and add to bowl. If you like heat or spice, leave the ribs in. If you don’t want
extra spice, cut out ribs and seeds. If your skin is sensitive to the heat, wear gloves or coat hands
with a small quantity of salad oil, which makes it much easier to rinse the pepper from your hands.
This is a must for contact wearers.
5. Chop cilantro and add to bowl.
6. Squeeze juice from one lime (approximately 2 tablespoons) and add to bowl.
7. Add sugar and salt; stir.
8. Refrigerate until needed.

Mango Salsa

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I like a crazy garden. No trimmed, perfect hedges for me. It makes garden bouquets so much prettier. We have had plenty of rain in the past few days, and my garden is loving it!! (so am I)

How is yours coming along?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Good Will Hunting...

You know I love the $19.99.
For a vintage rolling cooler? What?! Needs a new paint job.
Icckkkky Color...


Cleaned her right up...

Bottle opener....with something written on it that I can't make out....

Does it say Royal Crown? I haven't had a Royal Crown soda since we had lunch at "Pond Store" when I was a kid.

Wait that is an "F" Something...Ford?..... Frosted? maybe ....hmmm

All shiny and adorable in her Brushed Nickle paint job!!!

Fill 'er up!

Cute spout to fill my watering can.....
Awwwww

A cute enamelware ladle to scoop up some Sonic Ice.....Did you know that Sonic sells bagged ice? I love it.......If only they delivered.....

I LOVE Good Will Hunting.....Don't you?

Check me out at the Power of Paint Party

Good Will Hunting...

Our Explosive 4th of July...

Aaaahhh the 4th of July...

It makes you think of fresh herbs from the garden...

delicious, cool rice salad with feta and purple basil blossoms...


sweet little glasses of garden flowers.......
torrential downpours......

that don't stop for hours......(Denver, gotta love it)
using the indoor grill pan from the G-dub to make delicious turkey burgers....

LOUD fireworks that scare the cr@p out of your 70 pound sheepdog...literally

2 am scrubbing......5 am scrubbing....tired of scrubbing so a quick drive to the Tar-jay bright and early for a Brand New Steam Vac...........

Our 4th was Explosive! How was yours???

PS to the morons setting of fireworks on the 5th of July at 11:00 pm, I swear to you I will bring over my nervous sheepdog and let her loose in your home for an hour or so, and NO I will not let you borrow my new vacuum.

Amen.

Our Explosive 4th of July...

The Year of Magical Thinking....

It turns out that my "Year of Magical Thinking" has just come to an end. According to one of my many neuro-therapists "denial is not a plan". Says who? I was so HAPPY lazily floating down the river of denial. I decided a year ago that it wasn't really that important to know how time works, then I convinced myself that no one really knew all that past-present-future stuff that makes no sense. Well it turns out that people really do know when 2009 was. Hmmmmmm....how do you do that?

So I had to break down and buy that pill thing. It acknowledges that my memory just isn't going to cut it. Every night as I'm standing there holding a pill bottle I think, did I just take a pill? Am I going to take one? Then I think, I remember taking one, was that today, a minute ago, yesterday, last week? Every...single...night. Sooo today I had to admit to myself and to three therapists that I will start writing EVERYTHING down again, the time, the day, did I go for a run?? I have to write it down so I know that I did it......Yes, I know I'm not the only one on the planet that can't remember to take pills, but when was the last time you were in running gear and have no idea if you are going out the door to run or if you just came back? You say to your brother, "oh I finally got to see you!", and he says "I saw you last night remember?" Nope. Nothing. I asked my neurologist if he was POSITIVE that I didn't have Alzheimers and he said that a car accident doesn't give you Alzheimers, but a brain injury feels like it. I'm 42 not 82.

About the pill thing, I couldn't even figure out how it works. I had to call my husbnd at work and have him walk me through it. (It's better than me calling 10 times a day to make sure that the boys were at school. I'm past that hurdle thank goodness!) He's a great guy. He has taken on my memory like a baseball coach. "It takes a million swings, honey! Write it down, that is swing #1! You got this!!" But I have to say he can get a little impatient when trying to teach me the months of the year on a number line and I say that my months are different because my birthday is in October..... That stunned him a little.....wait.....is that not right?

Dang it. I was sooo happy just pretending that I knew what day it was, and I rarely "got caught" saying crazy things that make people a little nervous for me, I figured that was good enough. Turns out it isn't.

According to what I just wrote down, today is Friday, July 2, 2010. 7/2/10. One down 365ish to go.

The Year of Magical Thinking....

Ooopsie My Bad...

Crate and Barrel $399.00
Pottery Barn $699

Restoration Hardware $739

My mom and I went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store and saw this brand new rattan chair much like the ones above...weelllll....the chair was marked $60.00, but it was going to go half off in two days, so I said to my mom, "It will only be $30.00 in a few days, just go back." Then I saw the same chair in Country Living on the airplane home, so I quickly called and said, "Hurry Go Get It!!!!Hurry!!"

It was gone. Thrift Store 101
Buy Now or It will be Gone!!

Ooopsie Daisy!

Ooopsie My Bad...