Jul 25 2009

out of town visitors and showers

My sister is on her way back up to college, and she recently acquired a new car (truck, actually). It’s a manual transmission and it’s the first time my sister has driven stick, so my mom accompanied her as far as Atlanta to make sure everything went smoothly. They arrived last Tuesday and my mom flew back to Orlando today. It was really great spending the week with them! But, it also explains my lack of blogging this week. They kept me busy! Of course, things that completely wipe me out:
* Tuesday, I got up at 9 and drove to my friend Monica’s house to spend a few hours just hanging out with her.
* Stopped at two grocery stores on the way home to buy food for the week.
* Put away groceries. Straightened a little bit. Emptied the dishwasher. Did a load of laundry that I still haven’t folded.
* My mom and sister arrived around 4:30pm. I left shortly thereafter to pick up Paul from the train station. Was absolutely completely wiped out for the rest of the afternoon/evening and did nothing but sit on the couch.

I like staying busy, and it was fun showing my mom and sister around to places that have become important to me since they last visited (which was around last October). I took them by the cat shelter where I volunteered, which they really enjoyed. We spent some time playing with the kittens and I fell in love with one I wanted to bring home. :-) I was encouraged to see a lot of new cats I didn’t recognize (meaning that other cats had been adopted and therefore space opened up for a new kitty in need of a home). I stopped volunteering over a month ago, but I liked seeing how it had changed since then. We also went by the pet store where I get my cats’ food. I really enjoy that store and the workers who work there are great. My mom also appreciated talking to them. It’s really a great store.

This morning some friends from church threw me a baby shower! I was excited and touched. It’s fun to get presents too, even if they’re all for Baby Sparkleberry. :-) I just love baby things! They’re so cute! I was happy my mom and sister got to come to a shower for me. I enjoyed hanging out with the other girls too. My friend Beth drove from Alabama for the weekend, and it was so much fun to see her and her 9 month old Maddie!

My sister is here for a few more days before heading up to North Carolina for college. I have a list of things for her to help me with around the apartment, getting it ready for the baby. :-) I can’t believe I’m only 5 weeks away from full-term. I am definitely NOT ready.

Jul 20 2009

speed bump

Jul 19 2009

shepherd's pie

I grew up eating shepherd’s pie, but had never attempted to make it myself until a week or so ago. I was delighted to find that it was easy to make and so, so tasty! I can see why we had this a lot as kids. :-)

Shepherd’s Pie
Bake time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients
2 potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1/4 cup milk (for mashed potatoes)
2 Tbsp. butter (for mashed potatoes)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups veggies (I used frozen mixed veggies, but you could throw in whatever you have on hand)
1 can condensed tomato soup (10.75 oz)
2-3 oz. cheddar cheese (depending on how much you like cheese)
salt
pepper

Directions
1. Make mashed potatoes. I make them with my stand-up mixer, and mix in the milk, butter, and a little salt and pepper to taste while I’m mashing the potatoes. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook meat and onions until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat; add salt and pepper.
3. Stir in thawed vegetables and soup. Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish or casserole.
4. Spoon mashed potatoes on beef mixture, and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

I didn’t get a picture, but let me assure you it was mmm-mmm goood! I also liked that practically any veggie can be used, which makes it great for cleaning out the fridge. ;-)

Jul 17 2009

Google

I’m cleaning off files from my desktop, and thought I’d finally post this. I found the image below on the site 140pedia (Wikipedia as told via Twitter). I thought it was really funny. :-)

google