Recipe Thursdays!

Mini Taco Bowls
I made these mini taco salad bowls last night and they were muy bueno!

flour tortillas

ground beef
salsa (about 1/2 cup)
shredded cheese
chopped lettuce
chopped tomatoes
ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 350. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds until soft. Press tortillas into muffin pan cups to form a bowl shape. Fold edges of tortilla back to keep an opening for the filling. Bake for 10 minutes.

Brown ground beef on medium heat and drain. Stir in salsa (or use taco seasoning) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon about 1/4 cup of meat mixture into each tortilla bowl. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato and drizzle with ranch dressing.

1.5-hour caucus meeting . . . I took detailed notes

More Teen Girl Squad: So Good!
I got jimmies!
You guys need boyfriends
Lunchables and Brett Bretterson

No more shenanigans, no more tomfoolery, no more ballyhoo. . .

Everybody has an opinion about politics, and if you don't, get one. People around me are always saying that they are frustrated with the way things are. Well, now is your chance to do something about it. There are caucus meetings being held tonight all over the state (I used Google to find out where the caucus meetings were for my voting precinct. The precinct is listed on your voter registration card or go to your county government website). I went to a caucus meeting a couple years ago when a family friend ran for governor and loved it - I learned so much about the election process and it was actually kind of fun.

Movie Quote Tuesdays

". . . you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."

the list

I decided to write a 32 things about me list for my birthday.

* Dream Vacation: Mediterranean Cruise or Fiji
* I am addicted to peanut butter, diet coke (not the caffeine), dark chocolate and asparagus
* I love photography
* I love curry
* I love animals and want to get a Boxer as soon as I move into a place that allows dogs
* I hate talking on the phone
* I don’t like most chick-flicks
* I love to read gossip columns and travel articles
* Favorite Foods: toast, cereal and chicken coconut korma
* I don’t think I look 32
* I miss riding horses (me at 14 riding the Grey in a bareback competition - we won first place)

* I drink a lot of water
* Favorite Movies: Happy Gilmore, The Man From Snowy River
* I love office supplies, pens and notebooks
* Favorite Album: Bob Marley/Exodus
* I like talk radio, but that makes me feel old
* I don’t like seafood, it all tastes like rotting fish (yes, even fresh seafood, eaten in a non-land locked state, at a very fancy seafood restaurant, caught fresh hours before, cooked by an award winning chef tastes fishy)
* I can be stubborn
* Favorite Books: To Kill a Mockingbird, Kon-Tiki
* I like to draw and paint














* I talk a lot - too much
* I often say stupid things
* I am clumsy
* Favorite Hobby: photography
* I like to dance, but can’t really
* I like waking up early in the summer
* I love to cook
* I make a mean Jamaican eggs benedict and strawberry yogurt cake
* I love flip flops
* I hate wearing socks
* I love the water – especially the ocean
* Going to the pool or beach is my favorite thing to do in the Summer

joyeux anniversaire to moi!

It was my birthday yesterday. I have pretty much been celebrating all week - and it's not over yet! I went to House of Kabob on Saturday with friends, dinner with my mom on Monday, I took a day off work on Wednesday and slept in, made Belgian waffles, went to Thanksgiving Point dinosaur museum, and Yapona for lunch. Then went to book club where there were balloons and cupcakes (see banner) waiting for me!

Opening Lori's present

looooove itblurry pic of rainy walk to House of Kabob - what is it
with me and waiters with questionable accents?

the loot - well, some of it. THANKS EVERYONE!

Tres delicieux - merci beaucoup Lori!It has been the bestest sweet sixteen (deuced plus two) ever!

Lucky Me!

The thing is, I don't win contests. Ever. Not even if the prize is a pair of Styx tickets and there are only 5 other people spinning the wheel of prizes (each of whom won since almost every slot was "free Styx tickets"). I am the queen of the bumper-sticker consolation prize. So you can imagine my shock at winning a contest on the radio last month for a trip for two to Las Vegas. Prize package included: $100 to Rodizio grill, $100 to Mt. Olympus Spa, airfare to Las Vegas, 2 nights stay at the Wynn, dinner at Corsa Cucina (we ran up $145 tab), and tickets to see Monty Python's Spamalot.
Winning a trip is an interesting experience. Apparently, there are all sorts of things that aren't "included." Here are a few lessons I learned about prize vacations: double check the hotel booking, double check the spelling of your name on the plane ticket, double check the meaning of comped "dinner for two" as well as "reservation," double check true origin of the maitre d's questionable New York accent as he not-so-politely asks you to leave his fancy restaurant (aka "walk of shame") when he finds no record of said comped dinner for two and then, after realizing he was wrong, greasily maneuvers to Mr. Disgusting Flattery.
The trip was lovely - 70 degree weather, buffets as far as the eye could see, pineapple in abundance, and there may or may not have been a spiked Diet Coke incident.

Photos from the trip:

The room:

The bathroom - so luxuriousThe flatscreen in the bathroom

The view

Lori vs. the waterfall. Lori won.The pool cabanas - very south of France
Lori at the pool - also looking very south of France. Ou est la piscine? My feet at the pool. They had a lovely time.

Worth the Wait

This is a pink diamond. From what I understand they are pretty rare. Part of what makes them so valuable and beautiful is how difficult they are to find. What makes them so difficult to find is that they are buried under a lot of stuff. What buries them tends to apply a huge amount of stress, pressure and heat. What applies this adversity also tends to make them incredibly strong and resilient. What makes them strong and resilient also makes them compassionate, accepting, sensitive and kind-hearted. This is why you don't see one of these every day. This is why they are worth both the work and the wait.