Hi everyone!

Sorry, no new recipe tonight, just good ole spaghetti, meatballs, salad, and garlic bread over here!  After some crazy Olympic country meals, it's nice to have a relaxing week.  Don't worry, though, I'll be back tomorrow with a Wicked Cheap Wednesday meal:)

So this week I'm thinking about what "stuff" I wish I either could make, or could make better:

1.  sushi!
2.  mashed potatoes - I just can't get them right!  What would be even better is garlic mashed potatoes like at TGI Friday's!
3.  chocolate mousse - how the heck do you separate the whites and yolks from eggs correctly??


What do you wish you could make in general or better?  Also, when you have frozen leftovers, like ground pork, turkey, etc, what are your best go-to recipes when you're trying to use up what's in the freezer??

I'm off to clean out my scrapbooking tote - it's a disaster after Croptopia this weekend!  See you tomorrow night!  I also have to get some pictures of my new pages up - all in good time:)

Oh!  Who's psyched about the dwts new lineup?  What about Jake and Vienna?  Sorry, tv blogging;)

I've received an award!

Thank you so much to Alison!!  What you do is you list 10 things that make you happy, then pass it onto 10 other bloggers:)

1.  My husband, because he's my best friend, takes care of me in every way possible, and well, because he's my husband!
2.  My bff Melissa, because our personalities bounce off eachother quite well - also the rest of my friends of course:)
3.  Family - mom, dad, and brother especially!
4.  shopping!
5.  scrapbooking!
6.  traveling, especially cruises and Caribbean island visits!
7.  a great dessert - pb pie, cookies, anything, just not anything minty
8.  Red Sox games!
9.  Artsy sports, like gymnastics and figure skating - and the Olympics as a whole!
10.  Last but not least, doing this blog, my readers, the posters, and everything that goes with it.  How far I've come!

Congrats to the below 10 blog(gers) that I've chosen to give this award to!

http://sunlight-simplicity.blogspot.com/

http://sharyncarlson.typepad.com/ 

http://www.cookiemadness.net/ 

http://www.howsweeteats.com/ 

http://tasteofhomecooking.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.kaceyskitchen.com/ 

http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/ 

http://highheelsandaprons.blogspot.com/ 

http://momskitchencooking.blogspot.com/ 

http://thescrappytree.blogspot.com/ 

Thanks again, Alison for the award!  I hope the fantastic blog(gers) I've picked will accept this award and have fun with it!

Cheycancook is back from Croptopia!

15 scrapbook pages later, I'm back from our Croptopia getaway in CT!  So much fun, and so relaxing - a big thank you to the husband who surprised me with a gift card to get a massage at the spa while I was there!!! 

I'll be back tomorrow night, after a good night's sleep hopefully tonight, and a long work day tomorrow, to share some more about Croptopia and upcoming cooking things for me:)  I can't wait to catch up on all of your blogs that I am 3 days behind on - sorry!

BTW, is anyone else sad/crying because the Olympics are over??  Vancouver did an amazing job!  Did anyone else watch old Michelle Kwan videos on Youtube during the Olympics just for the heck of it/to torture themselves?? That is me:( 

Talk to you tomorrow night!

Today I've been inspired to make...

I <3 our white board that I put up each week's menu on, and when the husband saw last night that only Sunday was filled in, he panicked!  I had to reassure him I would be feeding him, just with the snow I hadn't made it to the store yet (Monday after work I'm thinking)...he understood, and we continued on with playing the Wii;)  These are some of the meals I have found today and been inspired to make this week = posts you can look forward to!

* Coconut shrimp and dipping sauce from my Betty Crocker cookbook*
*Cornbread and chili casserole from www.theweatherincascadia.blogspot.com*
*A macaroni and sausage bake, with white sauce, from www.fruitychicken.com*
*Chicken whatchamacallit from www.cookingforzo.com*
*A fave of the husband's to please him, Martha Stewart's Mini Turkey Meatloaves - a fave of mine too!*
*Good ole pizza, I am craving it!*

I'll be back tonight with our cranberry pork loin dish - pictures and all!  Time to scrapbook!!!  Oh, and before I forget, here are some NYE pics...I am not quite the photographer, but my good ole orange digi hasn't done me wrong:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

68 one day, 40 with snow another

Snow, yes it is beautiful to look at with the gleaming Christmas lights, and it's fun to see kids have fun in it (I used to have fun in it, especially when my brother's sled would hit a tree - that was funny, he wouldn't steer out of the way!), but I really dislike it.  Driving in it stinks, other people not knowing how to drive in it stinks, and the next day when it's all gray and black and dirty looking, it stinks.  Also, I help people who have auto accidents as my profession, so while I enjoy helping each and every one of them that needs my help, this gets to be quite the busy/stressful time of year at work.  I just hope I can help everyone thru the process and remind them that a car is just a car and as long as they're okay, then everything will be a-ok.

So what does this have to do with food?  Nada!  I made a great dinner tonight if I do say so myself, but am on the couch now resting and relaxing for what I know will be a busy week, especially after being down last week with the stomach bug.  I will post the recipes and pictures of my meals tomorrow, along possibly with some icksnowick pics;) 

Also tomorrow, since I received all of my supplies, I must start my Christmas cards and also continue working on my Christmas scrapbook.  I'm taking pictures as I go, so I'm just kinda writing down, or journaling, as I go as well, and then when I have the pictures printed, I will put it all together.  I follow not only alot of cooking blogs, but also alot of scrapbooking blogs, and I've learned so many techniques, designs, and just to go for it - I've always been afraid to use too many colors or papers/textures overlapping eachother, but I know I need to get over that and just go!  I can't wait to see what happens!

Talk to you all tomorrow:)  If you have to drive in the snow, drive slowly and be mindful of the other drivers out there:)

A couple more scraps

Scrapbooking pages that is - I hope to get alot of them done today while the cacciatore cooks :) Also on the list, catch up on the other blogs I read/post at, check my figure skating fantasy league, watch Say Yes to the Dress on the DVR, read US Weekly, go for a walk, and oh yeah, clean the kitchen;)

Chey can also scrapbook!

I haven't scrapbooked for a really long time - between wedding planning, being sick, etc etc, I just haven't had the time or inspiration. After a nice day Saturday with some girlfriends, and laughing over some old high school photos, I started to feel some inspiration. Scrapbooking, like cooking, is just another way to express your creativity. I hope you enjoy these pics! I am not a master scrapper like others, but I enjoy it :) And yes, that is a pillow/pillowcase behind the pics - any suggestions for a backdrop for next time??? ;)