Clean Berries

So yet ANOTHER snowday. This is becoming a little bit of a joke already. Not that I mind spending the day (AGAIN) with the kids, but they are the ones that need a break from me.

Poor little things could use some interaction with more than each other and more that just me.

There was a little progress made today though, Ellie actually DID clean something. She chose to Windex the fresh strawberries. I think between her and Adam they ate about 7 strawberries each before I realized what they had done.

Poison Control (who I practically have on my own payroll right now) assured me that they would be okay. But they also advised me NOT to allow Ellie to chase the Windex with a shot of bleach as THAT could be toxic. They know her so well….

I was able to at least get Adam to his afternoon enrichment program and the only thing I had to pack him for lunch was an unopened bag of Goldfish. I did not even have anything to pack him as a drink, so I taped a note to the Goldfish bag asking the teacher to allow him to use the water fountain if he got thirsty.

I decided to resign from my volunteer position as the Head of Fundraising at the local museum, effective immediately. Even though I had just cause, the director was not happy with me.

Well, the fact that she has not been happy with me for several months now kind of explains why I was resigning in the first place. I felt like it was a conflict of interest and to make a long story short, I somehow managed to agree to a THERAPY session WITH THE DIRECTOR on Monday.

Please. This is not normal…. I was resigning because I was feeling squeezed out by the director and then all of a sudden I am going to therapy with her?

(There is an “in-house” therapist on staff.) So, on Monday, from 9:15-10:00, while all of you will be doing your normal day-to-day stuff, I will be spending time in a therapy session trying to patch things up with a woman that I will really never need to be seeing again in my life. This is so strange to me. I am still trying to figure out how it all went down and I agreed to do it, but I figure for one therapy session to never have to do one more thing for fundraising there again, it will be worth it.

I actually have a lot of things to discuss with my OWN therapist this coming week, so maybe I will try a little teaser with the session with the director and see how good THIS therapist is. After all, I may as well use Monday’s session to “test drive” a new therapist. Not that there is anything wrong with my current one, but if the situation arises (which it has in a bizarre way), I may as well make the best of it.

Meanwhile Stephen made it home safely in the ice storm the other day. I am glad that I do not have to go back to work now as his insurance policy sucks….

Anyway, I have nothing planned for the weekend… it is the Superbowl and I really do not even give a shit, but I will be making delicious Pizzettas.

Pizzettas

(recipe)

Premade pizza rounds

Olive oil

Fresh garlic

Fresh raw spinach leaves

Red onion thinly sliced

Smoked Gouda cheese grated

Thinly sliced roasted red pepper

Cooked bacon roughly chopped

Place pizza rounds in a 200 degree oven just to dry them out of any moisture from the package. Saute chopped garlic in olive oil until aromatic, (do NOT brown), add spinach and saute until just wilted. Remove spinach from saute pan, drain pan of juice and then heat up some more oil and saute red onion until soft. Remove from pan. Lightly brush each pizza round with olive oil, then spread Gouda cheese over the crust. Unwrap and spread out the spinach leaves and cover surface area of the pizza. Layer with red onion, roasted pepper and bacon bits.

Place in 350 degree oven until cheese melts. Remove, cut into triangles and serve.

Enjoy.

Life Insurance

Today is another snow day. In fact, it is snow day #4 for the winter of '08/'09.

The kids have gotten used to the routine. Adam is a whiz at using the toaster oven… he toasts his own bread and then goes into the refrigerator to get his own butter. Ellie has gotten very good at getting in to my china cabinet, liquor cabinet and the cleaning supply cabinet. (G-d forbid she actually then CLEAN anything.)

And I have no problem pushing up happy hour to noon as opposed to the universal 5pm.

Stephen decided to drive in to work today even though the roads are a mess and the forecast is for a decline in weather throughout the day. All the snow is going to be covered in about three inches of ice. This system has already killed 19 people across the country and I am NOT happy that Stephen decided to go in to work.

For two reasons.

#1. He has the original Deed to our house in the car and if the car crashes and explodes, I am assuming that could be trouble. (He has the Deed because we are in the process of refinancing.)

#2 (and this may be the more important reason for me to be upset), his life insurance policy that he has would only cover funeral expenses and enough for me to pay off the house.

I am including a recipe for Garlic Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts. Adam’s favorite. We will make them for dinner tonight.

Anyway, I am off to do the treadmill as I am super motivated this week to lose weight… E was lucky enough to get the stomach virus which will easily give her a HUGE advantage to the weight loss challenge we have going. I will just have to get myself into her car, and without her detecting it, I will lick her steering wheel….

That will give me hope for next week….

Garlic Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

(recipe)

1 bushel of Brussel Sprouts

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Kosher salt

Pepper

First peel the outer layer of the Brussel sprouts, and then slice them length wise in half. Then steam them until they are a gorgeous bright green. Remove them as soon as you say to yourself “Wow, that green looks like the first leaves of spring.”

Let the brussel sprouts sit as you heat the butter and oil in a sautee pan. When the foam subsides, place garlic in the pan (medium heat). Release the aroma of the garlic, DO NOT brown the garlic. Place brussel sprouts flat side down in pan, let them get nice and brown, then shake the pan and add salt and pepper.

YUM