Today started as a normal day, get up, take the small people to school, meet up with a friend for lunch at the Mambo Grill in North Pole, and while we are at lunch it starts hailing. Yes- hail, followed by snow, then more hail, then more snow, and then gloomy clouds that hung around all day. Now they were not big hail chunks, just small pits of hail, then in the afternoon huge snowflakes fell, and now the skies are cloud free and clear (at 9:30 at night I might mention).
Now to mention the daylight hours- the sun sets around 10ish and it really gets dark after 11pm and the sun is up before 7am at this time. The only bad thing about this is that I forget to get to bed at an early hour. I think bedtime is now 1-2 am in the morning since I usually go to bed a few hours after the sun sets. This time of the year wreaks havoc on my sleep cycle until I get use to it again.
I am ready for warm weather, sunny days, and outdoor activities. I know I have a million things to do in the house, but I want to be outside without snow. I miss sitting outside reading a book. Soon...soon...
Until next time- think sunny thoughts for me.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Spinach & Artichoke Dip- Mmm....
This is the best dip (or dinner in our case)....
First gather all your ingredients...
Next you are going to dice about half an onion and soften them with about 3 tablespoons or so of butter (you can use the fake stuff if you want- I just prefer butter). Add a clove of minced garlic to the onions. Then after the onions are soft add the can of Cream of Celery soup. Then cube about 2/3 to 3/4 of the block of Monterey Jack cheese and stir it into the soup and onion mixture (remember to stir in one direction, it keeps the cheese smooth). Add a dash of salt and pepper to the mixture.
First gather all your ingredients...
Next you are going to dice about half an onion and soften them with about 3 tablespoons or so of butter (you can use the fake stuff if you want- I just prefer butter). Add a clove of minced garlic to the onions. Then after the onions are soft add the can of Cream of Celery soup. Then cube about 2/3 to 3/4 of the block of Monterey Jack cheese and stir it into the soup and onion mixture (remember to stir in one direction, it keeps the cheese smooth). Add a dash of salt and pepper to the mixture.
Then you chop up a bag or so of fresh Spinach (you can use frozen- just make sure to drain very well). Stir into the Cheesy mixture. Mmmm.....
Then cut up one can of artichoke hearts and stir into the mixture again. At this point you are going to want to grab the chips and start eating it, but hold off one more moment... Pour the mixture into an oven safe dish. The grate the rest of the cheese and sprinkle it on top. Then pop it into a oven at 350° until the cheese on top is brown. Once that is done grab a bag of tortilla chips and dig in! You can serve with sour cream and salsa if you like
Then cut up one can of artichoke hearts and stir into the mixture again. At this point you are going to want to grab the chips and start eating it, but hold off one more moment... Pour the mixture into an oven safe dish. The grate the rest of the cheese and sprinkle it on top. Then pop it into a oven at 350° until the cheese on top is brown. Once that is done grab a bag of tortilla chips and dig in! You can serve with sour cream and salsa if you like
This is the best dip as you can see- we polished off about half of it- the other half will be lunch for the next few days.
Ingredients list:
1 can cream of celery soup
About 3-4 tablespoons butter
1 block Monterey Jack cheese (8 to 10 ounces)
1/2 medium onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 bag fresh Spinach- chopped
Dash of Salt & Pepper
1 can artichoke hearts in water (each heart quartered)
Snow...will Spring ever be here?
What ever happened to Spring? It has been a beautiful 40 to 50° degrees here for the past week or so and then today I wake up to....SNOW. Yes, the white stuff in April and yes it is Alaska and why should I think that is weird? Maybe because I want to see grass, greenery, and flowers again?
Even though there is still snow on the ground-it is Spring here. This means that the wild animals are moving about. I have managed to see a few Moose in the slough, a couple of hares, and even a few geese that are making their way to the nesting ground here. Soon there will be more birds, more animals, and even more people outside.
Another thing that I look forward to in the Spring is the Farmer's Market. The breads, the pastries, the fresh veggies, honey, salsa, mmmm.... Okay, I need to stop thinking about the Farmer's Market- I still have a few weeks to go!!!
Speaking of food- we are going to have Spinach and Artichoke Dip for dinner tonight. The only way to get my girls to eat spinach..the recipe is de-lish. I will have to follow later with a recipe and a picture....
Even though there is still snow on the ground-it is Spring here. This means that the wild animals are moving about. I have managed to see a few Moose in the slough, a couple of hares, and even a few geese that are making their way to the nesting ground here. Soon there will be more birds, more animals, and even more people outside.
Another thing that I look forward to in the Spring is the Farmer's Market. The breads, the pastries, the fresh veggies, honey, salsa, mmmm.... Okay, I need to stop thinking about the Farmer's Market- I still have a few weeks to go!!!
Speaking of food- we are going to have Spinach and Artichoke Dip for dinner tonight. The only way to get my girls to eat spinach..the recipe is de-lish. I will have to follow later with a recipe and a picture....
Monday, April 12, 2010
Ice
Okay, last month I am in the parking lot of the grocery store and pulled in a bit too close to the ice that has build up in the parking lot. I hear a crunch and look to see that I have smushed the bottom guard on my truck...No big deal I think to myself. I will fix it when the weather warms up. I thought to myself I can get a new one, I know how to use a screw driver, and it will be good as new. Well....that is not the case.
I go to a body shop to see how much it will cost to replace the guard and they look at me and say "Sweetie..." Now when I hear the words sweetie at the beginning of the conversation I know it is not good, especially coming from someone in the service industry. What this means is I HAD to report it to my insurance company since the bill...GULP...is going to be almost $2000. Not only did hitting the ice crack the lower guard, it pushed up my bumper, which then bent each fender a bit in the corner.
Ice- until now I only thought it could cause my butt great pain when falling on it. Now a chunk has also caused my pocket book great pain.. OUCH!!!
I go to a body shop to see how much it will cost to replace the guard and they look at me and say "Sweetie..." Now when I hear the words sweetie at the beginning of the conversation I know it is not good, especially coming from someone in the service industry. What this means is I HAD to report it to my insurance company since the bill...GULP...is going to be almost $2000. Not only did hitting the ice crack the lower guard, it pushed up my bumper, which then bent each fender a bit in the corner.
Ice- until now I only thought it could cause my butt great pain when falling on it. Now a chunk has also caused my pocket book great pain.. OUCH!!!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
In the beginning...
So here I am today deciding that I need to do this since I have a million and one thoughts in my mind and they need to come out. This is a little about me, the things I like, what I am thinking right at that very minute, and maybe even a few recipes here and there (Since I have been told that I can cook). Pretty much I am trying to do things in a simple, easy fashion- what ever that really is in today's world.
I just quit my job- for sanity's sake- and now I am a FREE woman, in a sense. I have two small people that can drive me crazy at times, but then say the darndest things that will make me laugh two seconds later. I love them more than they will ever know.
I have have been married to a great guy for quite a few years now. And he has so lovingly dragged me to the frozen tundra of what is called Alaska. Now just to let you know- I am not a wilderness kind of girl. I like cable TV and I like the internet. I do not like bears (unless they are in a zoo) and I get freaked out walking in the woods when I cannot see what is watching me. And well, Alaska has a lot of bears and I what they call internet in my neck of the woods is not the best, but hey I have managed to get through this.
This summer I hope to have many exciting adventures and journeys in this sort of thawed tundra called Alaska!
I just quit my job- for sanity's sake- and now I am a FREE woman, in a sense. I have two small people that can drive me crazy at times, but then say the darndest things that will make me laugh two seconds later. I love them more than they will ever know.
I have have been married to a great guy for quite a few years now. And he has so lovingly dragged me to the frozen tundra of what is called Alaska. Now just to let you know- I am not a wilderness kind of girl. I like cable TV and I like the internet. I do not like bears (unless they are in a zoo) and I get freaked out walking in the woods when I cannot see what is watching me. And well, Alaska has a lot of bears and I what they call internet in my neck of the woods is not the best, but hey I have managed to get through this.
This summer I hope to have many exciting adventures and journeys in this sort of thawed tundra called Alaska!
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