CauliBroc Salad - YUMMMMEEEE

This Memorial Day, if you are looking for an easy, refreshing, and tasty summer salad this one is just for you. It’s a flavorful combination of all things good in life; mayonnaise, broccoli, and bacon!!

CauliBroc Salad
2 c. Chopped Broccoli
2 c. Chopped Cauliflower

½ c. Crispy Chopped Bacon (it’s hard to judge ½ c. before it’s cooked, so I use 10 slices)

½ c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

THE Dressing
1 c. Mayo
½ c. Sugar
2 tbls. Vinegar

Chop all the veggies and mix together with the dressing and before you know it, you are hip checking Rachel Ray right off the Food Network.

And because posts are always more yummy with pictures:

and a close up of the goodness:

A Baby Changes Everything

I heard a commercial once that said "A Baby Changes Everything". As my beautiful daughter is getting ready to turn the ripe age of one, I look at my life today and compare it to my life one year and nine months ago and you know what? That commercial is right, a baby really DOES change everything.

I am not just talking about waist lines and sleep patterns, I am talking about walking into a clothing store and bee lining it to the baby section, looking in my rear view mirror not to scowl the person behind me, but to make sure she is safe and sound, waking up in the morning not cursing my alarm, but jumping out of bed because I can hear her babbling away and can already see the smile on her face when I open her bedroom door, and lastly, pulling into Tobey's store praying I will see someone I know who can watch her so I don't have to wake her up and lug her inside.


In addition, babies make quite an impact on your house. I was always one of "those" people who said 'when I have a kid, my house is NOT going to turn into a Toys-R-Us', and 'my kid will not have toys scattered throughout my house'. YEAH RIGHT! It's funny how that happens without you even noticing...

Last year we switched our home insurance to Tilton Insurance and part of the process I had to take pictures of my house. I found these the other day (which sparked the idea for this post) and marveled at the transformation my house has undergone in just the last year. When I took the 'now' pictures I thought to myself 'you should really pick up first', but I didn't, because THIS IS WHAT MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE! So, albeit mildly embarrassed, I post these pictures so you can get an accurate portrayal of my homes; let's call it, Baby Makeover.

Living Area Before:

Living Area Now:

Dining Room Then:

Dining Room Now:

A few others I have to share.

My bathtub; notice shampoos and conditioners out of babies reach and once again toys showing up in places I vowed never for them to appear:

I have to include this last shot, because it makes my heart smile each time I see those little pink

clothes blowing in the wind:

Senior Portrait Time!

It's almost time to have those Senior Pictures done!! I have slots open for this summer and am offering packages starting at only $200. If you are interested in booking a session or know someone who is, feel free to send me an e-mail with any questions at guynamy@fairpoint.net

 

STRANGER not always DANGER

This may come as a surprise to all of the five people that read this blog, but my husband and I don’t always see eye-to-eye. In many ways we are two peas in a pod, but in other ways we are ying and yang. Here is a perfect example of our ying and yangage:

Usually after every mutual shopping trip, he complains that I talk to everybody, adding we can’t go anywhere without me talking to someone, and brace yourself for this one, he points out that I talk to people I don’t even know (GASP)! In my defense I know a lot of people, but more importantly, when did it become a crime to TALK to people?

There are too many people out there who refuse to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Now don’t get the wrong idea, I will certainly teach my daughter “Stranger Danger” and I don’t walk into a Target and start chatting it up with everyone who walks by, but if I see someone has a cute dress in their cart I may ask where they got it and I may make a comment to someone if they are trying on the same shoes as me “cute aren’t they?” or if I am waiting in line at the grocery store I may attempt to make small talk with the person behind me. Alright, re-reading that last sentence it does sounds like I talk to everyone, but I promise you I don’t.

"Why would you talk to someone you don’t even know" my husband asks and I think it is because I grew up on a camp road where we waived to every single passing car, regardless if we knew them or not... wait, I can’t use that argument because my husband (who thinks talking to strangers should be a whole class of felony on its’ own) grew up on a camp road too. I don’t talk to people because I want to be their best friends or to find out what they had for supper the night before, I do it because I like people and when talking to someone you never know what you may find out or what may come from the micro-conversation.

I was in Greenville, ME not to long ago at the mildly famous Indian Hill Trading Post, where I let an older gentleman in back of me cut because he had one item as opposed to my 146. We made small talk and went along our merry little ways. Later that night I saw the man at a local pub, he thanked me again for letting him cut and he bought me a drink! My husband looked at me with one eyebrow raised and when I said I met him at the Trading Post he just rolled his eyes.

So there, it’s out there, talk to people, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation next time you are stuck at Wal*Mart check out, or with someone who is right next to you trying on the same shoes, who knows what could happen, you might even get a free drink out of it!

Hugs & Shrugs

HUGS: 1) BLT’s; who ever thought bacon would be good on a lettuce and tomato sandwich is a culinary genius! 2) Mulch; the dark kind, you make weeding a thing of the past and make my gardens look professionally kept (when we all know they are not) 3) Sunglasses; you protect my eyeballs from the sun’s harmful rays, you make me feel like a celebrity while driving in my car, and you are the perfect hair accessory on a humid day.

SHRUGS: 1) Dog hair; it’s everywhere, in my car, on my floors, on my clothes and in my daughters mouth; is it unheard of to shave a lab??? 2) Alarm clocks going off at 3:30am on a Saturday for… wait for it…. Turkey hunting, let’s not go there. 3) Jon Gosselin; there once was a time I felt bad for you, now I just think you are a waste of valuable ET time and by the way you are getting chunky!!

"What do you do?"

Social networking is a great way to meet new people, develop connections, and enhance your social calendar. From time to time I attend professional networking events and as a result I have met some amazing, talented people and formed some great friendships.

However sometimes these events can get a little awkward... Case in point, I recently attended an event with a co-worker, where we were one of the first to arrive. We set up shop at a near by empty table and not long after a lady came over and asked if she could sit with us, we said of course and she sat down. Now I am all about getting to know new people, but I have to admit when the first question they have for me is “What do you do?” I am immediately turned off. You just met me and that is the first question you want to ask? Seriously?? And you know the ‘do’ is not what do you like to ‘do’, it’s where do you work and what you do there. So with an internal eye roll and small sigh I responded with my current job title and place of occupation. Seemingly satisfied with my response, she moved on to my co-worker and addressed her with the same question.

Now I am sure 89% of people reading this right now have been asked this question before even getting the interrogator’s first name. Why do people do this? Do they feel insecure about what they ‘do’ so they feel the need to size up the competition? Or are they just socially awkward and that’s the first thing they can think to ask?? Wouldn't you just love to respond “Oh, me? I garden, cook supper, love being a Mom, and crap five times a week” (GASP, I know, I can’t believe I just typed that last part either). Can you imagine the look on their face though!!! I bet that would be the last time they started a conversation with “What do you do?” J

Toes in the Water...

I start this post with the caveat that I am not a prude when it comes to music. I have DMX, Ani DiFranco, AND Guns n’ Roses on my iPod, so don’t be quick to judge.

The other day I was driving along with the radio turned up loud, wind blowing in my hair, when I had to stop for a second and listen to what was coming out my stock speakers. The song was Rihanna’s Rude Boy. “Come here rude boy, boy can you get it up?” Catchy right? I thought so too, then I rolled up the windows and started listening to the song. “I like when you tell me kiss it here, I like when you tell me move it there, so giddy up, time to get it up” – Errr, get what ‘up’ exactly?? Okay, you don’t have to be Dr. Ruth to know what she is talking about and yet this song is playing on the radio, in the middle of the day, on what I consider a ‘family friendly’ radio station.

Yet two dials down, a song from one of my current favorite bands, The Zac Brown Band, is censored. “I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand” Yeah, that one. On the radio though, they don‘t play that, they play ‘toes in the water, toes in the sand’. Apparently the word ass is more offensive than the analogy of getting ‘it’ up!! You also don’t hear the full line “Gonna lay in the hot sun and roll a big fat one” I think you hear “Gonna lay in the hot sun and ___ _ ___ __ ___” Now why does that get cut out??? In the context of the lyric, he could be talking about a chicken caesar wrap or a burrito for all we know.

But evidently someone somewhere made a decision that the word ‘ass’ and lyric ‘roll a big fat one’ is more offensive to listeners, but the lyric “I like the way you touch me there, I like the way you pull my hair, Baby, if I don’t feel it I ain’t faking, no, no” is acceptable.