3.31.2009

Quiet

Please excuse my non-communication lately.
2 weeks is a long time for me not to blog... specially since I am home.
Not really sure what I have been up to lately.
My hubby had his big birthday the other day... and we are planning his big party! Should be so super fun. We are having college friends from all over this country coming over for it. The house will be FULL- the words house party will never again ring so true. I'm tempted to sit at the front door and charge 5 dollars per cup!
I had my mother, her man, mother and father - in law over for dinner on Saturday to celebrate husbands birthday. Dinner was delicious and we had a great time. I've never had them all over together!
I've gotten the last of the rejection emails, calls, letters... not waiting on hearing from anyone right now. Weird. The last letter that I got said that my resume along with the other 500 were accepted and yet I didn't make the cut. Can you believe that out of 500 I didn't make the cut; I feel like I'm on American Idol or something. Ugh. I need to rethink my strategy. Also I'm helping a friend out with another project so that will take up some of my time and brain skills once the party is over.
My sister and her family are in Disney. She posts random pictures to Facebook that are A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E... can't wait to hear all their stories!
Well peeps... that is all for now. I have some fun pictures to post... try to get to it this week.
Hope all is well with you.
Get out and enjoy the change of the season, tis amazing!
Ciao
S

3.17.2009

A-Z

A - Age: 32
B - Bed size: Olympic queen (pain in the ass to find sheets for)
C - Chore you hate: if pumping gas is a chore... then that... if not then shoveling.
D - Dad's Name: Giuseppe
E - Essential start your day item: COFFEE
F - Favorite actor(s): Phillip Seymour Hoffman
G - Gold or Silver: Silver
H - Height: 5'3"
I - Instruments you play(ed): piano and flute
J - Job title: used to be an Account Executive at an Interactive Agency
K - Kid(s): not yet.
L - Living arrangements: me and my husband in our awesome house.
M - Mom's name: Giovanna
N - Nicknames: Fania
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: none
P - Pet Peeve(s): people interrupting me
Q - Quotes you like: hmmmm... have to think about that one.
R - Right or left handed: right
S - Siblings: 1 sister...Susanna
T - Time you wake up: 8:30ish...
V - Vegetable you dislike: love them all!
W - Ways you run late: bad directions, mistaking how long it will take to get there.
X - X-rays you've had: MRI on my back for herniated disc.
Y - Yummy food you make: everything I make is yummy. My hubby thinks so at least.
Z - Zodiac: Aquarius


Ciao
S

3.14.2009

No words

I still am at a loss for words when it comes to bloggie land. And if you know me you know that I am rarely a quiet person.
I've been in a little bit of a funk and decided today to GET OUT OF IT. I'm not so sure that it will be that easy ... but the first step is to make the choice and then do it. We are back to the old mantra.... choose Happiness. I'm not really sure what ever made me stop that mantra but I need it back and baaaaaddd.
In other news... plans for the hubbies big b-day bash and coming together... the invite has been sent and peeps are coming from all over. (If you haven't gotten an invite and you want to come.... drop me a line.) We're talking Chicago, LA, New York, Atlanta... whew. We will be a full house. But you know the old saying... the more the merrier and we mean it. I love to entertain and it will be so great to see old friends, new friends, estranged friends... We need to warn the neighbors and let em know that we are planning a pajama jammy jam!!!! I am so excited.
The best part is that I have been so lucky to spend this past decade with my man. I couldn't be prouder or more in love. I never thought that our love could grow so much and still laugh and be each other's best friend. Every day I can't wait for him to walk in the door at night, when I make dinner I wait to hear that he is enjoying it, when we are coming home from being out with friends or at a party I look forward to sharing the stories with him. You would think that we are newlyweds or have only been together for a few years instead of the almost 14 years that we have been together. Wow...

ciao
S

3.07.2009

What's up with you?

It's been a pretty quiet week here. Not much to report at all. Monday we had a snow storm and today it is gonna get to 60 degrees... Ahhhh New England, gotta love it.
Today I am meeting Jenn in West Hartford Center for a walk and some coffee/ ice cream. Tomorrow is still up in the air but I think I heard that we are continuing that Dexter marathon... sounds good to me.

So without further ado.... here is another meme.

Two names you are called that are not your real name:
1. Fania
2. Zia

Two things you're wearing now:
1. sweatpants
2. slippers

What are 2 of your favorite things to do:
1. read
2. dinner with friends

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. to have all the cleaning done
2. to get that job

Two things you did yesterday:
1. read
2. applied for jobs

Two things you ate yesterday:
1. sushi
2. my favorite dark chocolate covered caramel

Two people you last talked to:
1. Susanna (my sister)
2. Hubby

Two things you are doing tomorrow:
1. Dexter marathon
2. Cleaning/ cooking

Two favorite holidays:
1. Valentine's Day
2. Thanksgiving


Two favorite beverages:
1. Coffee
2. Red Wine

Two people no longer alive that you'd like to talk to:
1. my Dad
2. my Grandma


That's all for now....
take it easy and enjoy these gorgeous days while we got em.
Ciao
S

3.02.2009

March on in

March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. Well so far so good. We got walloped something good this morning with snow. The weatherman last night kept predicting this horrible storm with 8-15 inches of snow... supposed to start at 7pm. Well at 9:30ish when nothing was doing we thought for sure it passed us by. Boy were we wrong... we woke up to a vast white vista. Wind on top of snow makes for crazy snow drifts all over the place. The snow was up to my knees in the front yard and clean steps in the back.
We are staying in and eating leftover curry chicken from last night. I got this great recipe on myrecipes.com... Curried Chicken with Spring Peas.

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 3 cups chopped onion
* 1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
* 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled red potato (about 1 pound)
* 1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 8 ounces)
* 1 1/2 cups shelled green peas (about 1 1/2 pounds unshelled green peas)
* 1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
* 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
* 6 cups hot cooked basmati rice

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add the minced ginger, curry, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add flour, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (mixture will have a thick, pasty consistency).

Gradually add chicken broth, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits, and bring to a boil. Add the cubed potato and diced apple, and bring mixture to a boil. Cover; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Add peas, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until peas and potatoes are tender. Add the chicken to pan, and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat, and stir in the sour cream. Serve with rice.

The first time I made it I used mango instead of apples and soy beans instead of peas. It was delicious. Last night I used butternut squash instead of apples and corn instead of peas (hubby hates peas). The butternut squash takes a little longer to cok so I suggest roasting or steaming it first. Otherwise great recipe and pretty easy... tip: follow the times they are super close. I served this with wheat cous cous last night and am looking forward to the leftovers for lunch. Below is a picture from last time we made it.


Ciao
S