1 down... 10 to go!

If you remember my post- 10 confessions from 8/23/07- I mentioned that I want to be in every state by the time I'm 30. I had 11 more that I had to hit. But now... I'm down to 10!
Because of my ankle, we had to think of something to do that didn't involve much walking. Andrew had a hankering for Pizza Hut, and I wanted to cross another state off of my list. We just had to figure- did we want to go to Vermont or Rhode Island. When scoping out the proximity of Pizza Huts and other things to do, we decided to head north. There is a Pizza Hut in Concord, NH- about an hour and a half away. The pizza was yummy (their new dipping strips pizza with ham and pineapple), and the breadsticks were EXTRA yummy!
Then, we went another hour and a half northwest to Windsor, Vermont. The Harpoon brewery!

If you've never been to this brewery, their tour consists of a walking tour around the brewery so that you can see all aspects of the beer brewing process- from the raw ingredients to the bottling line. And the best part of the tour... free samples!
I know it might sound silly to you. But all we did was drive an hour and a half for Pizza Hut, then another hour and a half for free beer samples. If you can't do that in your twenties, when can you?
And the most important thing... only 10 states left!

Busy Day

Yesterday, I was able to keep myself busy so that I did not die from boredom. I worked on a project. I really like cooking. I usually find or think of recipes and tinker around with them a little bit until I feel that I have the best product. Well, I made myself a little book to keep recipes in. I bought and decorated a 3 ring binder. Want to see how it turned out?

And then, inside, I took a folder, cut it in half and decorated it. The folder halves are going to act as tabs, keeping the recipes for different courses separate. I have folders for:
Drinks

Appetizers

Soups

Main Courses

Side Dishes

and Desserts

Speaking of desserts, I made a cake yesterday that we brought to my Aunt and Uncle's house. We went up there to watch the game (Go Yankees!!). I made a Black Russian Cake. Found the recipe on allrecipes.com.
Black Russian Cake:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package moist yellow cake mix
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, white sugar, oil, vodka, 1/4 cup liqueur, and water. Beat for four minutes. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
4. Make a glaze by combining 1/4 cup coffee liqueur and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Turn cake over on a cake plate. Poke cake several times with a fork. Cover with glaze, and dust with remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar.

I decided to add some raspberries on top. Also, I used twice as much glaze as the recipe calls for (1/2 cup coffee liqueur and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar- then I just sprinkled a little bit of confectioners sugar on top). It was very yummy. And it helped power the Yankees to a come-from-behind win!! Yay!!

Where's George?

I have this hobby. Whenever I have dollar bills (not just $1's, but also $5's, $10's and $20's- I rarely have anything more than a $20), and I go to one of my favorite websites: www. wheresgeorge.com
You register your bills into their computer. To register a bill, take any old (or new) bill that you have. For example, I have this $1 bill.

Go to www.wheresgeorge.com. Click on enter a bill. You will need to enter some information found on your bill. First, you will need to enter the amount of your bill. Mine is $1.

Then you will need to enter the series of the bill. The series is the year it was made, and if there is a letter following that year on your bill. My bill is Series: 2001

Then you will need to enter the serial number. The serial number is a group of letters and numbers that is unique to each bill. My serial number is D12460171B.

Then you need to put in your zip code, and you can write a little blurb about the condition of your bill or how you obtained the bill, etc.
Then, and this is a VERY important step, you must write on the bill to spread the word about Where's George. You can write something as simple as www.wheresgeorge.com, or you can get a little more fancy. I have 2 phrases thatI tend to use. One phrase is: Where am I going? Where have I been? Follow my travels at www.wheresgeorge.com. The other phrase that I often use is: Ever wonder where all your money goes? Follow my travels at www.wheresgeorge.com

You can make a free account with www.wheresgeorge.com. You don't have to make an account. If you don't make an account, you just register the bill as I explained above. But it is much more fun if you make a free account. When you have an account, you can get e-mail notifications when someone else registers your bill! For example, yesterday, a bill that I registered in May turned up in Connecticut! It took 128 days, 18 hours and 4 minutes for my bill to travel 81 miles! But you must be patient waiting for your bills to turn up- sometimes it can take a long time for anyone to register your bill. But when one of your bills is registered, it is so exciting! Good luck watching your money travel!

Same old, same old

So, I feel extra boring lately. I mean, I'm usually pretty boring, but at least I am out of the house seeing people and doing things. The only things that I can talk about lately is what color my bruises are or what's on tv (by the way, the cable channels changed their daytime tv lineup- they got rid of some shows, added new ones, and changed the times for others- I'm NOT happy- I had a system!). The only quasi-interesting thing I have to talk about is the status of my begonia- you know after the incident (see Plant Trouble post from 8/6/07 and Good News for my Begonia from 8/21/07). I'd have to call the begonia episode a success! If you look at my original begonia, you can hardly tell where I broke it.

Go ahead. Try to see where I broke it. I bet you can't! Well, maybe you can, but I don't think EVERYONE will be able to find it. I'll help you. Here's where it broke...

And as far as the part that I broke off goes, that piece has taken root in the dirt and is doing spectacularly! It's even growing new leaves! I love my little garden!

Both begonias are doing very well. I have had compliments on the begonia, so I may try that again in the future. Anyone want a begonia for Christmas? So I guess it's official: I have a green Thumb.


I was going to end the post there, but when I had the camera out, Quincy and Roxy wanted their pictures taken, so I figured that I'd throw them onto this post, too.
Quincy

and Roxy

Then, after the initial excitement of having their pictures taken had worn off, the animals started to show their "real personalities".
Quincy (the world's biggest Mama's boy)

and Roxy (envisioning hunting and killing anything she sees)

Favorites

Breanna tagged me on her blog to do this next. Usually I don't do things like this, but because I'm house bound, I have nothing better to talk about. So here goes:
Favorites:
Sound: Ben Folds Songs

Late Night Snack:This is going to sound really weird, but trust me...it's good. I take a slice of American cheese, put some yellow mustard on it and add a pickle slice or 2. Yummy!

Smell: Banana bread baking (or the banana nut candle from Yankee Candles...same smell)

Color Combination: White and Yellow- remember how pretty my wedding was?

Nut: Yum! I love all nuts! My favorite nuts are the kinds that you can buy from the guy on the street. You know, the warm nuts that are honey roasted and covered in sugar and salt!

Time of Year: I am a summer girl! I love going swimming, cooking on the BBQ, drinking frozen cocktails with friends outside watching the sun set, goofing off around a bonfire, eating fruits and vegetables that my parents grew... I'm totally a fan of summer!

Books: Seriously, usually whatever book that I'm currently reading is my favorite, but if I have to think back to past books... recently I've loved Marley & Me , My Sister's Keeper, The Secret Lives of Bees, and The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

Female Actress: When I was growing up, I used to love Drew Barrymore. I still like her, but she hasn't done any spectacular movies lately (it's hard to top classics like The Wedding Singer- one of my favorites), but I'm actually really into Mandy Moore right now. She has dome some really funny moves (like Saved! and Because I Said So), and she has/will be doing guest spots on 2 of my favorite tv shows (Scrubs last season, and she's going to be on the premier of How I Met Your Mother), and her newest album, Wild Hope, is not teen pop, like her other stuff, she sings like a grown up! I sound like her agent or something!

Flower: Daisy

Vacation Spot: Anywhere where I can sit on a beach with a frozen drink in my hand...

Pizza: Buffalo Chicken!! With Bleu Cheese!

Subject in School: Math and History

TV Channel: I don't have a favorite because most of the stuff that they show on tv is crap!

Radio Station: I prefer to listen to home made mix cds.

Holiday: Halloween- I went Trick or Treat-ing until I was a senior in high school! And I still wear a costume!

Perfume: I haven't work perfume since 1998. Sorry!

Shoes: I had this pair of Sketchers sandals 2 years ago- loved them- wore them out until there were holes in the bottom. I liked them so much that I went online and ordered a new pair of the same exact shoes, so I guess they're my favorite!

Candy: I don't really have a favorite candy. I'm much more of a cookies or chocolate ice cream kind of girl.

City to Shop: I don't really like shopping. I'd rather save money for a big purchase- like a vacation or something. Or maybe a fancy dinner.

Beauty Products: Does shampoo and conditioner count as beauty products? I use nice smelling Bath and Body Works lotion. Oh- wait! I have this St. Ives Apricot facial scrub that I like!

Item to Shop For: Plants. I love all of my plants!

As far as tagging other people, I'm going to have to go with Amy (if you want to) and my sister Bre (Bre- you can use your Live Journal...) because there are the only other 2 people with blogs that I talk to. Girls- if you don't redo this thing, I will only cry myself to sleep for 1 week. Just Kidding! ;-)

Ankle Update...

I went to me one week follow-up with my doctor today for my ankle. He said that because it's so swollen still, I tore some ligaments in my ankle. No wonder why it still hurts like a mother! He says that I have to stay out of work for at least another week, and continue to ice and elevate my ankle. I AM BORED OUT OF MY MIND!!! Talk about cabin fever! I just want to go outside, go to work, do something! When friends came over this weekend, we went to the Sam Adams Brewery (by the way- free tour and yummy free samples!!!) and took them to see The USS Constitution. I only walked from the car to the nearest chair (or cannon when we were on the ship) that I could find, then sat and waited until it was time to move again. I pretty much sat the whole time. I was sore, so we came home and I rested, elevated, and iced before we went out to dinner. The doctor told me that I totally overdid it and I can only walk or stand on it for short periods (like going to the bathroom, when I'm in the shower, etc). So I'm back to being house bound and only getting up to pee. The doctor told me that the swelling should continue to go down (though it may take a while), but the bruising will continue to get worse- more will appear and the bruises that I already have will get darker- for more time to come. So here are some pictures I took today. Lovely shades of purple in there, right?

Earlier in the evening...

Sadly, I think that my injury will be the most memorable part of Lobsta Fest 2007- but that's not to say that it wasn't a great party. First, let me talk about the food. Some of the appetizers were especially delicious. My favorites were the Paul Newman Bean salsa, and the water chestnuts wrapped in bacon. Yum! Although on the water chestnuts- I do have to say that it's hard to go wrong if you're wrapping something in bacon. Then for the main course, it consisted of lobster (duh! Lobsta Fest) and corn on the cob. Everything was so delicious! The Cape Codders weren't bad either! :-) My mom just e-mailed me some pictures from the night.
When we arrived, Grampy and Uncle Charles wanted to make an entrence, so they took the motorcycle! They rode the bike right into the back yard!
Grammy and Anita look at Anita's garden before the party got rolling.
Here are Andrew, Grampy, Grammy, and Anita
Lori had to work so she got there late. She ate her lobster while Marsha, Charles and Mark relaxed.
Marsha and Wayne shared a moment of fun.
Grampy told Mark some stories.
And my mom grabbed a pictures while us girls (Lori, me, Marsha and Anita) relaxed in the kitchen.
And Lori and I moments before my fall...
Good Party, Wayne and Anita! Count us in for next year!