Bands of Yesteryear

A friend just posted a cry for help on Facebook for bands from the 90's, and well, I was pretty proud of my little list here. If anyone else is like me and enjoys this music, you're welcome. It's pretty extensive. ;)

Barenaked Ladies, Better than Ezra, Hole, Violent Femmes, Collective Soul, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Goldfinger, Aerosmith, Alanis Morissette, Amber, B-52's, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bizarre Inc, Black Box, Blind Melon, Blur, Eiffel 65, Bush, Busta Rhymes, C+C Music Factory, Ce Ce Peniston, Coolio, Corona, Crystal Waters, Culture Beat, De La Soul, Deee-Lite, Depeche Mode, DMX, Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Eminem, Enigma, Everything But The Girl, Fatboy Slim, Filter, Fiona Apple, Freaknasty, Garbage, Gin Blossoms, Gina G., Goo Goo Dolls, Grandmaster Flash, Gunther, No Doubt, Haddaway, Harvey Danger, House of Pain, Jane's Addiction, Jay-Z, Kriss Kross, La Bouche, Le Click, Lenny Kravitz, Lit, Live, Lo Fidelity Allstars, Local H, Londonbeat, Luniz, Madonna, Marcy Playground, Marky Mark Wahlburg, Mary J. Blige, Matchbox 20, MC Hammer, Michael Jackson, Montell Jordan, Nelly, Nicki French, The Notorious B.I.G., The Offspring, OMC, OutKast, Paula Abdul, Pearl Jam, Presidents of the United States, Faith Evans, Puff Daddy, Quad City DJ's, R.E.M., Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Real McCoy, Reel 2 Real, The Romantics, Run-D.M.C., Salt-N-Pepa, Sir Mix-A-Lot, The Smashing Pumpkins, Snap, Soundgarden, Spin Doctors, Stone Temple Pilots, Sugar Ray, The Sugarhill Gang, Suzanna Vega, Tag Team, Technotronic, Three Days Grace, Three Doors Down, Tom Cochrane, Tone Loc, U2, Veruca Salt, The Verve, The Verve Pipe, The Wallflowers, Will Smith, 2 Unlimited, 2Pac. 

Everyone deserves a pat on the back

Although a lot of people like to tell me I'm super mom, I know full well I am far from it. I am proud of myself for accomplishing a lot of things in my short, yet chaotic, life, but am far from perfect. One thing I cannot wait to cross off my list is my education. I miss going to school. I wish I would have appreciated it more when I was in high school and continued on to a University instead of the Community College near my hometown. Don't get me wrong, Cabrillo is a great school, it is just too easy to get stuck there and have no motivation to leave. I mean, half the classrooms look out to the ocean! How can you expect to concentrate on something as dry as Business Calculus or Accounting 1A when the beach is beaconing for you to come play? Haha.
Anyway, with that being said, I feel everyone deserves a pat on the back. And lately, I have been pretty down on myself and stressed out to the point I feel like every day is a blur and I never accomplish anything. As if having 2 children isn't stressful enough, still being a child yourself AND being a military spouse is enough to send even the most sane person over the edge. Not to say I was ever the most sane, but, I definitely was on that side of the scale.
So, here are my accomplishments and things I am proud of. I have a wonderful husband who loves me, who goes to work every day (or as of right now, nights), and still has enough energy to play with our kids and spend time with me when he is home. I have two of the most beautiful daughters in the world who are absolutely amazing, and although a handful, they are caring, funny, and a joy to call my own. I am a great mom and because of it my kids are wonderful. My 2 year old shares, is gentle with Annie, and willingly gives everyone hugs and kisses and lets them know she loves them. And not only are my girls awesome and I am great mom, but I had my second child while my husband was in Afghanistan. He left a little less than halfway through the pregnancy, so I was a single, pregnant, parent to a 1 1/2 year old. I have also learned to not only be a great wife, but to be a mother in a very short period of time, and all at the young age of (now) 23. I am the Key Spouse of our squadron and not only built our new website (I have no idea where the time for that came from!), but I also have been branching out and making sure to call spouses (I hate phone calls), and volunteering with John for numerous activities around base for our squadron. I can cook pretty much anything as long as I have enough ingredients to make things up as I go along (don't ask me to bake, I'm baking challenged still) and for the most part (I think I've made one "not so yummy" meal) everything is delicious. And, even after having 2 kids, although my body isn't the same shape as it was in high school, and I have a few new battle scars, I still consider myself to be pretty darn good-looking. I would like to make time for the gym, but, the time will come eventually.
I hope everyone out there can take a few moments to really look at yourself and make a good, long, list of everything that makes you special and all the things you've accomplished so far. It will put a smile on your face and make you realize just how amazing you really are!
Have a happy Friday everyone. And remember to be thankful for everyone out there who has helped you get to where you are today. :)

Go vote!!!

I almost forgot to add that today is Election Day!! So, everyone, go cast your votes!!!
If you need help finding your polling location, I've found an excellent site to aid in your search:

www.yourfuckingpollingplace.com

Hope you all have a great day!!!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner!!

So, although I'm sure many of you own your own calendar and know full well what time of year it is, I just had to write a quick shout out to my favorite holiday of the year: THANKSGIVING!!!

I really think is should be mulitiple times a year. I mean, turkeys aren't seasonal, and they are usually frozen anyway, so, why not stock up and have them a few times a year!? I've pretty much decided that we need a deep freezer for the garage so I can buy them now when they are on sale, and feast on them every couple months. And the same goes for pumpkin pie. Who said you could only eat them in the fall when they are easily canned and frozen for months and months! 

Anyway, needless to say, I am super excited to put on my Thanksgiving feast. It's quite a spread. I make everything from scratch (minus the turkey, I do buy that) from my pear/sausage stuffing (which I guess isn't entirely from scratch either since I start with a box of stuffing...), apple-basil-cranberry sauce, red wine gravy, etc. SOOOOO YUMMY!!!

Here are a few of my favorite recipes. This next time around I'm going to have to take some better pictures for my collection.

CRAN-APPLE-BASILY CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup apple cider, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 cup Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped

Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Preparation

• Place a medium pot over medium heat with the cranberries, orange juice, apple cider (hold back about 2 tablespoons), sugar, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper. 

• Bring liquid up to a bubble then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries start to break apart and the mixture becomes saucy, about 5 minutes. 

• In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and reserved apple cider, and stir the mixture into the simmering cranberries. Add the apples and cook until tender, and the mixture thickens, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the basil and let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature. 

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TURKEY STUFFING: SAUSAGE VERSION

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce box traditional stuffing mix
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 8 ounces spicy sausage (2 links)
• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 3 sprigs thyme, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
• 2 sprigs sage, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
• Giblets and neck from the innards of 1 turkey, left whole
• 1 Vidalia (sweet) onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery (about 1 cup), finely chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms (cremini or white button), sliced
• 2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 cups liquid (equal mix of wine, beer and vegetable stock)

Yields: 6-8 servings

Preparation

• Empty the stuffing mix into a large mixing bowl and reserve. 
• Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat with the EVOO, about three turns of the pan. Add the sausage, turning occasionally, and cook about 4 minutes per side. Remove the sausage from the pan, allow to cool slightly, then roughly chop it up and reserve. 
• As soon as the sausage is removed from the pan, add and melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, mushrooms and pears to the pan and allow them to cook 5 minutes, until they start to get tender. Add the herbs, cook a minute or two, then add the liquids, turkey giblets and neck and simmer 5 minutes or so. 
• Remove the turkey giblets and neck from the pan and stir the chopped sausage into the veggies and pears. Pour everything in the pan into the bowl with the stuffing mix, tossing everything lightly to combine it all. Stuff the turkey with the prepared stuffing and roast. 

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My family's SECRET turkey recipe. Haha, alright, not so secret, but it's so amazing, it should be. ;)

Turkey directions

1. Defrost turkey in fridge for 3-4 days.

2. De-feather turkey and take out packet/giblets

3. Take FLUFFY stuffing, stuff turkey, both ends, use a spoon. Don’t cram it in there, just drop it in, otherwise it won't cook all the way 

        through.

4. Use stuffing pins to close up the bird (3-4) on top and bottom. Needle and a thick string works well too.

5. Place Turkey breast down on a roasting pan. 

6. Bake at 300 degree for 1 hour to kill off any bacteria

7. Turn heat down to 170 degrees overnight (or whatever the lowest setting is on your oven)

8. Turn oven up to 200 degrees after you wake up (you want the turkey temperature up to 190)

9. Put the thermometer right above the leg not touching bone to help you monitor the temperature.

10. 1 hour before you want to take the bird out, turn it breast side up, turn oven up to brown skin (and in my experience, to bring it up to 

        the correct temperature)

11. Place turkey on cutting board and let rest for up to 30 minutes so the juices don't run out when you carve it.

12. Make the red wine gravy in the roasting pan. And serve!

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RED WINE ONION GRAVY

Ingredients

• Pan drippings, plus butter as needed to make 4 tablespoons fat
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups broth (turkey, beef or chicken)

Yields: Approximately 4 cups

Preparation

• Pour off all but 4 tablespoons fat from pan drippings. (If you don't have 4 tablespoons fat in the pan drippings, add butter to compensate.) Place the roasting pan over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until tender, 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. 
• Add flour and completely mix all ingredients. Cook the flour with the vegetables for about 1 minute. Add wine and scrape up all the bits stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan with a wooden spoon. Whisk in the broth and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Serve warm. 
• Note: Depending on the flavor you want for your gravy, you can add in any of the following ingredients to shake things up - orange juice, pomegranate juice, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, horseradish, white wine, apple cider, red bell peppers or mushrooms. 

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And last but not least, my dessert!!!

Mile-High Pumpkin-Caramel Pie

Ingredients

• 24 Squares chocolate graham crackers, crushed (1 ½ cups)
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 LG egg white, plus 3 whole eggs
• 2 ¾ cups heavy cream
• 1 15-oz can pure pumpkin puree
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp salt
• 28 caramel candies
• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate for grating

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs and butter until combined. Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the 9-inch pie pan; freeze until set, about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork and lightly brush on the pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes; let cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the 3 whole eggs, 1 cup cream, the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt until just combined. Pour into the pie shell and bake until just set, 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• In a bowl, microwave the caramels with ½ cup cream at high power until melted, about 1 ½ minutes. Stir until smooth, then let cool to room temperature.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the remaining 1 ¼ cups cream until soft peaks form. Drizzle in the caramel and beat until well blended. Spoon the caramel whipped cream on top of the pumpkin filling and refrigerate until completely chilled. Before serving, coarsely grate the chocolate on top of the pie.

Our lack of Halloween

Well, as much as I usually LOVE Halloween, this year it just didn't happen. The girls had costumes and everything, we just didn't go. Between Utah changing the trick or treating date to the 30th, the weather turning bad and raining, all 4 of us being sick, and John working night shift, it just wasn't going to happen. In fact, I didn't even hand out candy. I was lazy and just stuck a bowl on the porch and curled up on the couch and watched TV with the girls and a box of tissues. Fun, I know. Oh well, Tori didn't really know what she was missing. We did go to WalMart the day before all dressed up in our costumes, so, I'll just count that one. ;)

In other news, the Giants are world champions!! I am so excited. I don't keep track too much with sports these days since my husband doesn't like to watch them and I am just so busy with my kids, but I usually check weekly and see how each of my teams are doing. Anyway, so guess that means you can call me a bandwagoner, but, I've been a Giants fan my entire life. I'm also forever a 49ers fan and a Sharks fan. Heck, I'm even a Clash fan, although I can't remember the last time I watched one of their games. Ha. Soccer in general isn't something I follow. I barely paid attention to the world cup this last year too. Lame, I know. I'm blame the hubs. He's lacking that part of his testosterone. ;)

So, congrats to my home team. And to everyone who is out there, I hope you're all being safe and not partying too hard!

Veteran's Day Freebies!!

So, I don't know how many people actually read this thing (especially since I hardly ever post anything!), but I figured I would post all this great information. In honor of Veteran's Day, a lot of restaurants, entertainment, and retailers are offering special deals for anyone who has served in the military and their families, as well as police officers and firefighters. Here's the list!! It's huge, so make sure to check them all out. Also, pass it along!!

Veterans' Day Appreciation by Companies

In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, restaurants, retail stores and

entertainment centers across the country are offering some truly amazing

deals and some okay deals for everyone from veterans and their families

to firefighters and police officers.

Restaurant Freebies

Applebee's Restaurant - Free dinners to veterans throughout the day.

Outback Steakhouse - Free Blooming Onion and beverage.

Golden Corral- Free buffet dinner from 5-9 p.m. on Nov. 16 to anyone who has ever served in the U.S. military.

Krispy Kreme - One free doughnut of any variety.

UNO Chicago Grill- Free entree or individual pizza with an entree or pizza purchase of equal or greater value.

Coushatta Casino Resort - The Louisiana casino and resort is offering a free

seven-clans lunch or dinner buffet to veterans or active military.

MarketPlace Grill & Express - Veterans and active-duty military receive free entrees.

Masala Wok - The Northern Virginian restaurant is offering a free entree to veterans.

Hy-Vee supermarkets - The mid-western supermarket chain is offering a free breakfast to veterans.

Abuelo's Mexican Food Restaurants - All veterans and active-duty military receive a free entree.

Carolina Burgers & BBQ - In Matthews, NC is offering a free meal to all service members and veterans.

Retail Freebies

Brides Across America - Provides free wedding gowns to qualified military brides.

Lowe's & Home Depot - Extra 10% off to active-duty military members, National Guard and reserve members, retirees, honorably discharged veterans and immediate family members.

Sam's Club - Over 25,000 Hugo canes will be given away to U.S. veterans in need of mobility assistance. Membership is not required, but supplies are limited, so check with your local store.

Amazon.com - Free "Veterans Day Honor" MP3 album download. The album includes 12 songs by The Bands and Ensembles of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Cabela's Outdoor Store - Offers their employee discount to all veterans, active-duty military and reserves, law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel Nov. 11-12. Discounts vary from 5% to 50%, depending on the item.

Build-a-Bear Workshop - Members of the armed services including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Reserve Officer Training Corps, will receive a 20% discount Nov. 11-15 on any one transaction at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Dollar General - 10% discount for all veterans, active-duty military, National Guard and reserve and their immediate families.

Fashion Bug - 20% off all plus-size and misses clothing purchases with a copy of military ID or spouse's military ID.

Entertainment Freebies

National parks, forests and monuments - Admission is free to everyone on Veterans Day.

Knott's Berry Farm - Free park admission to U.S. armed forces personnel and a guest during Veteran's Month, November 1-26.

Colonial Williamsburg - Free admission Nov. 6-11 for active-duty military, guard and reservists, retirees, veterans and their dependents.

San Jacinto Museum of History - Free visits to the Observation Deck, theatre, and special exhibit for veterans, active duty military personnel, and their families.

Historic Jamestown - Free admission to veterans, current Armed Forces members and their family members.

Battleship Cove - Free admission and a special ceremony for veterans, active, duty and reservists.

Vicksburg National Military Park - Free admission for all.

Birmingham Museum of Art - Free admission to the ticketed event "Life and Liberty" on Nov. 10-11 for veterans and active military.

Vulcan Park and Museum- In Birmingham, Alabama is offering discounted admission through November to the park and museum.

Greenbay (WI) New Zoo - Free admission to veterans and their families.

Central Florida Zoo - Free admission to the Sanford, Florida zoo with proper ID.

Strategic Air & Space Museum- Free admission for veterans Nov. 11-14 to the Ashland, Neb. museum.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum - in Oklahoma City offers free admission to veterans and five guests from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Veterans Day.

Natural Elements Spa & Salon - In Chesapeake, Virginia, will provide free services from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to both active duty and retired military.

Few things

First off, there is an extremely old film of Market Street in San Francisco, CA that has been circulating the internet for a while now. It was just featured on 60 minutes, and although I've seen it many many times before, it was neat to see the 60 minutes version where they really go into depth and explain the film, show the modern day Market Street as well as tell you when it was filmed, which was about a week before the 1906 Earthquake and fire. Anyway, I loved watching this, and wanted to share it.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6966797n&ref=nf

In other news, I have been in CA visiting my family for about a week now and have been having a great time. The girls haven't really slept since we've been here, which means I haven't slept, but, other than that, it's been great. I've been able to see family and friends that I haven't been able to see for months, and for the most part, they are all meeting baby #2, Anneliese. So, that has been fun. Plus, they haven't seen Tori in 8 months or so, and since she is now 2 1/2, it is a HUGE change. She is now talking up a storm, running, etc. So, it's pretty crazy seeing everyone's reactions.
Anyway, I do miss my hubby a lot. It was really nice to get away from everything for a short while, but, at the same time, I missed him the moment he drove away. I'm going to be really happy to see him, and I still have another week! Ha. Good to know just how much I love my husband. ;)
If anyone is in town and wants to hang out, let me know. I'll be around. I may be getting a rental car since it's impossible to see anyone these days when I'm sharing a car with my busy mom. ;)