Cute For A Rainy Friday..

I can't live without my Snuffles. I came across this video - I never knew he had his own dance - the WAMP WAMP..
Hope this makes you giggle.
xo

Being Frugal Made My Hair Fall Out..

Well, not all of it..Let me back up for a second..

In these dire economic times, it pays to be frugal, save money where you can and if you must invest, do so it wisely..Right, could someone please explain to me why folks do not act this way all the time? I clip coupons and shop sales, I try to never pay retail for anything and if I must, it is for something that will last me for a long long time..I was raised this way, my mom installed in us a sense of how important saving is. And why pay alot for something when you don't have to? After I graduated college, and money was tight, I was glad to know how to save and be frugal, it really is a great habit to get into. S and I play the "how much did we save this week" game at Price Chopper every week, I get giddy if the line on the bottom of my receipt that tells me how much I saved is over $20. Giddy, I mean all out acting like a little girl on her birthday because, hay, that $20 can be used toward our next vacation, furniture for our new house, or a couple of cocktails.

So anyhow, yes we are in hard economic times and now it is quite en vogue to be frugal. It has become America's obsession, stories on how to stretch your income grace the cover of magazines and newspapers. But guess what? All of this advice is common sense. Case in point, buy the generic or store brand when you can. I do this with ibuprofen, the only time I buy Advil is when it is on sale and I have a coupon that would make it less expensive that say the CVS brand, it does happen, but not very often.

Bottom line, save where you can. However, there are instances where paying alot for a product is worth it and it is very important to be aware of this. Let me explain. I came of age during the 1980's, that meant (among other fashion disasters) big hair. Remember it? Permed, teased, curling ironed, sprayed. We yanked, fried and dyed our locks until they were so frail, hair could be heard snapping off all over the city. So, with the abuse I used to put my hair thru, I figured it was time for some TLC. And I do this by splurging on salon products for my hair, pricey, yes, but really worth it. I may not perm and tease my hair anymore, but I color it, blow dry it and sometimes go at it with the flat iron. Taking care of my hair is important (to me anyhow)..

Ok, so I prefer the expensive salon products..I ran out of conditioner recently and thought I might try a regular brand that may be bought at the drugstore. So I did. BAD IDEA. My hair starting coming out in clumps in the shower, it was dry as straw and looked awful. After a week of that , I broke down and went back to my salon conditioner and I swear I heard my hair follicles thank me.

So, the point of this long and tedious blog entry is, be frugal where you can, but know when it is ok and sometimes necessary to splurge..Now that the track is open, maybe splurge on those $3 bets! :)

Bulldog and Bourbon

After a hectic weekend with L and D, S and I some alone time last night..So we cooked. Our kitchen in the new house is nice and roomy, we still bump into eachother a bit, but not as much as we used to.

Before the cooking could begin, the cocktails had to be made, because I swear I cook better with a martini within reach. Anyhow, earlier in the day I had fit a visit to Empire Wine and Liqueur (Northway Mall, Central Ave)into my schedule of errands. With my mind set on a bottle of Junipero gin, I was disappointed to see that they were out of it. Feeling adventurous, I instead bought a bottle of Bulldog gin, and was on my way.. For those of you who are unaware, I am quite picky about my gin and the way my martinis are made, and this Bulldog did not disappoint. S made me my usual dry martini up with a twist, he is the best bartender husband EVER! Anyhow, the cocktail was amazing, the gin has a very clean taste to start, then the flavor sneaks up on you with just a hint of fragrance and that bite that is usually much stronger. I have to put Bulldog up there on the list of must have gins.

So, after the cocktails were made, dinner was next. I had a recipe for a bourbon marinade for salmon. I can't remember where I found it, somewhere on the web. It consists of bourbon (Even Williams was the one on hand, S likes that in his manhattans), garlic, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, brown sugar and a few other ingredients I cant remember. The salmon marinated for about 1 1/2 hours (while S and I furniture shopped online and had another cocktail).

After the marinading was done, the salmon was dropped on a hot grill pan for a few minutes per side, meanwhile, I steamed some fresh green and yellow beans from the farmer's market and made some white rice. S plated (he is really good at that), sprinkled some chopped up scallions on the salmon and that was that..Really flavorful, and the marinade caramelized a bit in the pan. Heaven! A bottle of Smoking Loon sauvignon blanc and all was right with the world.

It's great when S and I can have some grown up alone time, it does not happen often, so when it does, we try to make the most of it. What do you and your so do with your alone time?

Happy 50th Birthday

This year makes the 50th anniversary of Honda. I love Hondas - LOVE them..I got my first one, a Civic (no power steering, door locks or air conditioning) as I graduated from college in 1992. I drove that little black beast until 2005, when i took the rusted dented little fella to Kia Honda and traded him in and purchased a more grown up Accord (with air conditioning - yay!) When i realized it was time for a new car, I did not shop around a whole lot, buying another Honda felt right. During my time with the little Civic, money was tight and I was so thankful for a dependable car that got great gas mileage.

I always recommend these cars to those in the market, you just can't beat the dependability and gas mileage. They are not the most inexpensive cars, but well worth it. So, make a toast to Soichiro Honda,and enjoy this article from the NY Times chronicling the history of the brand Honda. All of this car discussion is reminding me that my car needs to be cleaned, anyone good at detailing? :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/automobiles/12honda.html

Quote of the Day

So, I'm still mulling over the direction of my little blog - thanks Albany Jane for ideas - today's snacky food is salt free pretzels, Price Chopper brand, on sale this week for 2 for $3. They are quite yummy..

Anyhow, snacking on pretzels (despite being free of salt) tends to make one thirsty and I am always trying to stay hydrated.. Ask my Pilates instructor what happens when I try to make it thru a one hour session with her not being properly hydrated..yikes..So, in my attempt to stay hydrated, I opened a Snapple Noni Berry Juice Drink (only 10 calories!)and there is a quote on the inside of the top..

"Your eye expands up to 45% when looking at something pleasing." Now, I had no idea..Did you? Made me think....What do I see that is pleasing????

- S first thing in the morning with his bed head;
- Miles of a sandy beach;
- A sale rack at Macy's;
- My mom smile;
- An extra dry martini waiting for me to drink it...
Ok, now you...what is pleasing for you to see?

Flounder

I'm not a big fan of flounder - probably my least favorite fish, to me, it lacks flavor - it is too mild. I envision it as the fish that is constantly bullied, I'm sure the salmon take it's lunch money everyday..

Anyhow, what is the point of this non-sequiter? you might ask..As of late, I feel like my little blog is floundering - with no real rhyme or reason or direction..I have to ask myself, what is the point of this little piece of the web that I am currently occupying? I wrote about the fun (not) that packing and moving were - What now? I wanted to document more about trying to start a family, but that has proven to be a bit too personal to share with cyber space..Which direction do I aim the boat now?

Any ideas/thoughts? There are tons of food blogs already out there and my cooking is not consistent enough to write a new entry every day or even every other day..fashion? politics? health? Any suggestions would be appreciated..I will also give this some thought.. :)

Hope y'all get out there and enjoy the sun while it is there. xo

LA Woman

I heard that song this morning, by the Doors - love it - but now I can't get it out of my head - which is frustrating because I don't know all of the words, Ill have to google it- or better yet, try to find it on youtube. Anyhow, I do love the Doors, I see Jim Morrison as a poet, not so much a rock star, tho he did rise to stardom pretty quickly.

I have a theory about his death, as most (who care) do..I believe he faked his death and is living somewhere secluded writing poetry and loving life. What do you think? After reading the book "No one Gets Out Alive" (help! is that the correct title?), it became clear that he hated being a sex symbol rock star - all he wanted to do was write poetry..

Food for thought on a sticky humid ick morning - it is like Miami - without the ocean or fabulous people..;)