Note to self.....

DO NOT USE SELF RISING FLOUR WHEN BAKING UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO.....So I grabbed the container with the Self-Rising flour INSTEAD of the regular flour and I still added baking soda (because I thought I was using regular flour) and all of the sudden I hear stuff happening in my oven and peer in to watch the banana bread explode, then sink into itself. UGH. Little bits of dough caught on fire and then the smoke detector went off....there was a haze of smoke collecting on the ceiling of the entire first floor and the house smelled like smoke as did my subsequent baking attempt. Double ugh. I've since cleaned the oven twice and may need to a third time before attempting another baking project.

These are pictures of the banana bread after I got it out of the oven....I wish I was able to catch the fire...but didn't get to the camera fast enough. Note the dough encrusted on the outside of the baking dishes. Seriously had to use some muscle to scrape it off.

On a funnier note....I walked in on the younger one meditating. He was sitting in the lotus position chanting, "Ummmm, I'm so awesommme, Ummmm, I'm so awesommme" It was so funny to see him do that, funnier still was when he then added, "Jake's so not awesommme". Even Jake laughed.

my vegan challenge is turning more into a vegetarian challenge

It is really really hard to eat out during this challenge. Yesterday we took a group of kiddos to Casa Bonita to celebrate Jake's and a couple others 10th birthdays (yes, his real birthday was a few months ago.....with studying for the boards, Jason's Achilles' tendon deal, looking for a job, Isaac being on swim team and Jake doing baseball....I was a little out of my mind this summer...and now it's Isaac's birthday and Jake pleaded, cajoled and guilted me into making sure I had his birthday BEFORE ISAAC's....and Isaac's is, oh TODAY.....argggg...anyhow, the kids have forgiven me, I hope to forgive myself in the next twenty or so years). Those of you not from Colorado, or ever been here, Casa Bonita is a, ahem - well, an experience. You don't go there for the Mexican food. Truthfully, you could get better Mexican food in a remote Canadian village. I kid you not when I tell you that you could taste the plastic in the cheese. But they do have bottomless sopapillas and lots of honey. Side note: we may have built up the sopapilla factor because when Isaac picked up his first ever, he said, 'what's the big deal, this is just bread!' As soon as we pointed out the honey, he became more satisfied. Anyhow, the point.....there was nothing, NOTHING I could order and you HAVE to order to get in. So I decided to go more vegetarian then vegan and ordered the cheese enchilada platter that came with two beef enchiladas....took one bite of the cheese enchilada....GAROSS (do NOT remember the food being that disgusting when I was a kid????) and so pretty much paid $11.95 for some rice and beans, and of course sopapillas. The company was great (the moms from coffee club, and Jason, who we called Big Love for the day), the kids (13 in all) had a wonderful time so it was all well worth it in the end. This may sound like a bad review, but seriously, Casa Bonita is a place you have to experience at least once in your life....order the taco salad, the meat comes on the side...if I had only known....

And now today....Cloudy, With a Chance of Meatballs....with some seven year olds....at the Movie Tavern. Again, nothing, NOTHING to eat if you're doing a stupid-vegan-Dr.-Oz-freakin'-sadist-challenge. So, again went more vegetarian and had a gross cheese pizza with a wilted dinner salad. The kiddos tried the special meatball pizza in honor of the movie. Oh and by the way, ADORABLE movie. Although, the main character reminded me a bit too much of Isaac...in all of his quirkiness. The kids enjoyed it.

Lessons learned....lentil soup is actually sounding better and better (holy cow did I just type that and MEAN it?). I need to get more organized. And going Vegan is really really hard!

Some shout outs to those who have been blogging and have written some funny stuff -- to make up for me being so BAAAD at blogging:


TMI but so ever funny and shoot my comment is on there which is also TMI

and if you followed Design Star at all then you have to read Dodi's Selective Reality Blog

enjoy!

Day Three Of Vegan Challenge

I really want a hamburger....

yup, that about sums it up!

(photograph from foodfacts.info.com)

Vegan Challenge

OH MY GOSH...it's been awhile, I know. I've been trying to get a job....and get this-- that whole nursing shortage IS A MEAN BAD JOKE! Well at least in Denver. I'm taking a couple days off of the whole looking thing and think I may do this: Dr. Oz's 28 day Vegan challenge Hey, if this meat and potatoes hardworkin' cowboy can do it....then I should be able to do it too....well in theory. So I started the day with my Latte but had them make it with soy milk and did NOT use any sugar or sugar substitute, then had some whole wheat toast with almond butter and an apple for breakfast. So far, not bad, but then I'm only in hour 12 of the 28 DAY challenge. If any of you out there have any vegan recipes....hand them over!

I wonder how Jason's going to feel about this?

Whatever, he can have meat at lunch.

Anyhow, this and maybe some kick boxing....I have to get into shape...one of the jobs I've applied for is in the Department of Corrections, where part of the job descriptions states, 'needs to kick above the waist and be able to use a baton in a striking manner' ..... never thought I'd see that for an RN position, but hey, I guess empathy isn't one of the major requirements for prison nurses.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers and if you hear of any RN positions in the Denver area, keep me in mind!

I'm An RN

I passed I passed I passed, and now I'm officially an RN (registered nurse).....Whoo Hoo!

OMG OMG OMG

I take the NCLEX (nursing boards) tomorrow and I'm totally freakin' out! Not to mention, Jason's Achilles tendon popped this weekend and he'll be needing surgery (we find out today when) and Jake woke up throwing up this morning. I'm feeling a bit nauseous myself, and who knows if that's pretest jitters or coming down with whatever Jake has.

If this isn't all proof that God has a warped sense of humor, I don't know what is!

Wish me luck!

What can anyone possibly fight about after 17 years of marriage? Well Let me tell you....

So now I'm getting Facebook messages that I need to blog (you know who you are and are) so here I am blogging my really stupid argument with my husband this morning. Let me first confess, I may have been a touch cranky.......

Isaac got one of those Happy Meal toy characters from the movie "Night at the Museum" (or whatever that movie is with Ben Stiller). He (Isaac) was playing with it at breakfast and Jason asks, "who is that"?
I say, "I think it may be Amelia Earhart".
He says, "It can't be, look at the plane, it's gotta be one of the Wright brothers". --- and he, as far as I'm concerned, could have added, "you moron, don't you know anything about aviation history" He denies it, but it's really the condescending tone he took.

uh, yes, I am PMSing, why do you ask?

I say, "No, I really think it's Amelia".
He says, "It can't be".

I'm disgusted and leave the room. He later leaves for work.
One of the boys finds the card that goes to the toy and would you look at that, it's AMELIA FREAKIN' EARHART....

I WAS RIGHT.

So I call him. I was dialing the phone, mumbling something about being right about the stupid McDonald's Happy Meal toy and Jake, the NINE year old asks, in an all too sane voice for my particular taste this morning, "Mom, are you really going to call Dad to say you were right about the toy?"

I say, "yes," in a voice that portrayed an air of dignity, as if to convey this is really how adults behave and I was being EVER SO FREAKIN' MATURE.

Jake just shrugged his shoulders and walked away (smart boy---uh, must take after me).

Jason answers the phone, I tell him we now have proof (proof, get that you engineer....PROOF) that it's Amelia Earhart.

He pauses......and says,
"Well then she was flying one of the Wright brother's planes".



AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!