And I dont even like Spaghetti...

 First off, I should tell you that I don't even like spaghetti- or red sauces in general. 

 however, on the rare occasion that I do crave the meaty red warm garlicky goodness... This is where I turn.  This was given to me by a friend who got it from his mom who got it from someone who got it from someone... and so on- apparently it's legitimately Italian or from Italy...It tastes amazing, so I don't really need its pedigree.

And it makes enough for about 300 people, so be prepared (but honestly the left overs are ALWAYS better when your talking about spaghetti! Right??)

This is the original....

1 lbs Ground beef or sausage (I have tried both and 50/50 sausage is the way to go- and I double mine...)

 1 medium Onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh, also tried both, I vote fresh)

2-3 (12-13oz) cans of tomato sauce

1 Tbs chopped garlic (the slurry in the little jar works perfect)

1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Salt / Pepper to taste

2-3 Tbs Sugar

My additions: Not sure where I got it (I swear the recipe called for it once) but I add a  5oz can of tomato past to thicken it up, red-pepper flakes and Cherry tomato's if I have them

OK, let the foodie-blogging-begin!!

I mix mild and hot sausage because I like a little kick to it

I cook up the sausage AND I mix in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes now

When the sausage is done cooking I take it out and drain out the grease just a little...

After chopping up the onions, I saute them with garlic and salt & pepper

I split the cherry tomato's- The recipe is fine without these, but I usually have some laying around that need used

When the onions are nice and golden and soft and makes your house smell AMAZING, mix in the mushrooms to soften them up a little- not to much.

When the onions, garlic, and mushrooms have all been mixed and softened up a little, mix in the meat and the tomato's (Including the cans of tomato sauce and tomato paste)

And last but not least, don't forget the couple tablespoons of sugar- I hate sweet sauces, but honestly you cant even tell its in there, this is very savory... but it makes a difference when you don't

Once everything is in the pot, let it simmer and meld and mix and percolate and exude deliciousness until you are ready to eat it!!

This sauce is good on any pasta, I like angle hair and vermicelli (thin spaghetti)

Make some buttery garlic bread, and a green salad and ENJOY!!!!!

An Ode' To Jodie on [ or around] the day of her Birth!

Who is Jodie you ask?

and what is an "ode'" ?

This is Jodie.

(and an Ode'  is a noun. A lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter.)

Roommate of about .... 3.5 years.

(And we have been through A LOT in those few years...A.Lot.)

Student. (Or at least has been the whole time that I have known her... we share the "study zone" ... and sometimes actual studying takes place)

Medical Professional (and a great massage therapist and not just to half naked men in our living room, but she shares her mad skills on me too!)

Artistic. (Not just with snookie-style-hair)

Kind.(she took care of this hot-crying-whinny-swollen-mess when I had my wisdom teeth ripped from my mouth...and buys my O.J. and grilled cheese every single time I'm sick!)

Animated.(She has a mix of hand gestures, facial expressions [displayed below] and elevated vocal cues...and uses them in a way only Jodie can)

Spiritual. (um...um...She is, I swear!)

Funny. (Don't let her cool and mature demeanor fool you...)

Story Teller.
 (while her story's are LONG and fully of wacky tangents that have nothing to do with anything, and that I sometimes LOOK like I have tune out, I haven't [usually]...she tells a great story)

Passionate.(about everything)

Considerate.

(Even while on vacation she takes the time to send me pictures of random handsome and very attractive gentleman that she thinks I would enjoy ogling over... This is one of them; a sexy mix of bald hunkyness)

 

Generous.

(With everything she owns, and the compliments she gives. and she puts up with me

[and me wiggling my bum all the time],

 which is MIGHTY generous)

Great Dish Washer.
(She does my dishes because she loves me, and because she knows I get a 'lil OCD neurotic crazy clean, and I rarely have time for that crap...and sloppy/messy people piss me off and maybe she just doesn't want to hear me complain and whine...It is all suddenly making sense!)  

Dedicated. (To what ever she puts her mind to)

Beautiful. (And not just on Halloween)

And All-In-All ... Just a GREAT friend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIEND!!!!!!!

2013......

How does 'Grumpy Cat' always know the face that goes along with how I am feeling!

You have done it again  grumpy. You have done it again.

Perhaps my first day back to work after a nice long New Years vacation isn't the best time to update my blog- Ill try and keep the snarky and sarcastic remarks to a minimum.

This New Years really doesn't feel like it always did when I was younger. Parties, dances, playing monopoly, celebrations- singing "Shot thru the heart, and your to blame, you give looooove a bad name!" by Jon Bon Jovie at the top of my lungs along with some lobby cover band just isn't what it used to be.

This year just doesn't seem to be starting off with such a BANG!

I guess it could be worse.... right?

I just need to talk myself into it! I need to pump myself up with excitement... or maybe really low expectations is just what the Doctor ordered (I better get a prescription for that)

Here is to a mediocre year with low expectations!!!

Confession: I Miss A Real City

Every once in a while, I go thru Big city-withdrawal.

 I miss the loud noises

The tall sun-blocking-shadow-causing buildings

The smells (even the smelly people smells)

The food choices from every corner of the globe

The sidewalk restaurants with little wobbly tables and chilled glasses of water

The shopping (OH sweet baby Tootsie roll the shopping!!)

The parking garages

The walking EVERYWHERE

 The people who walk into you at cross-walks

 The food-vans and food-carts

New people to meet ALL THE TIME

The lights- everywhere! 

Some this open at ANY time of the day-or-night

The cars humming as they wait for a light to change.

The sounds of bands and singers in random bars, clubs, coffee shops

Always having something to look at

Always having something to DO; even if it’s just sitting and waiting.

The fact that everyone seems so purposefully- they are going THERE or HERE or somewhere.

The clothes you get to wear in a city (much nicer than a "trip-to-Wal*Mart" outfit...)  

The variety of EVERYTHING. 48 different doughnut shops? Yes -in a 3 block radius.

I just miss it.

Thanksgiving (From my heart)

Whelp, I’m sitting here at work blog surfing and catching up on some of my favorite people and what their lives have gotten them into, pinning thing on Pinterest, and stalking people on facebook, when I remembered how long it had been since I had actually hammered out a few lines, slapped up a picture and said a little "howdy ‘do" to the blog followers of my own.

Hello blog-stalkers. I know, I know, it’s been far too long. Please forgive me. Pretty please! Will big doe-eyes and a duck face make it all better?

Phew... ok now that that is out of the way...

Me: Well today is Thanksgiving...yes I’m at work "working “today for a bit.

You: But why are you at work????

Me: Well you see kids, I had no real plans, and my family is spread all over and so my roommate and I planned a little some'thang some'thang for dinner...plus holiday pay... plus all my coworkers have families and activities to run to and be involved in... And did I mention holiday pay???

You: Ohh I see. Yeah, that makes sense. Wow Ry, you’re so thoughtful and nice to your co-workers...

Me: Aww shucks, stop-stop.

ANYWAYS.....

Today is Thanksgiving, and what a better time to ponder all the things i am thankful for.... These are a little unconventional ....I’ll try and be a little serious....maybe. (Please know that I 100% and truly thankful for the following list....)

1) I thankful for a job. A paycheck. And the not-stressing day to day how I would be supporting myself.

2) I am thankful for my P.O.S. lil' 1994 Toyota. Its not much, but I don’t have a car payment and it starts and gets me from A to Z with pretty decent gas mileage.

3) I am thankful for the 180degree switch my body has made from night-owl to morning-person. From sleeping in until 2 or 3pm to waking up on-the-dot-alarm-or-not at 5am and able (most days) to hop up and start the day is amazing. I love it. It makes me feel so GREAT!

4) I’m thankful for make-up. Sometimes before I slap on the ole'war paint and head out into the world I get a glance of fresh-faced-me.... She ain’t as young as she once was that’s for DANG sure! I’m thankful makeup can help rectify that situation.

5) I’m thankful for amazing friends who make me laugh until I pee my pants and my cheeks hurt and I can’t stand up straight and tears roll down my face and come with me to stupid events and lame movies and let me rant about stuff they don’t care about and listen as I make fun of people who dress up their animals, and "LoL" when I sent them stupid pictures of turtles dancing and put up with my "no cell phone when we are together" and "be on time or I will stab you" rules (yes...those are real rules) and who make me the happiest gal in the whole world just by texting me and being my friends. I’d be in a psych ward talking to a fish tank without them.

6) Shopping. Yep. I’m selfish and I’m an addict and while I really only have 3.8 stores here to shop at, I’m thankful that I can go spend money and buy pretty things (plus, those 3.8 store options make it so that I am not in bankruptcy court)

7) I'm thankful for Vanilla ice cream and nerds. It might seem silly but it tastes amazing- and often times can turn my frown upside down.... So can Oreos, a juicy hamburger, sushi, good lemonade, and hundreds or even thousands of simple pleasures.

8) I am thankful for the ability I have had to travel. I still have tons of "go-here" places, but I have seen a lot of beautiful places and hiked and strolled and zip lined and swam and canoed and bussed and trekked thru and to a bunch of really amazing places.

9) I’m grateful for a tan. When the sun hits my skin i can almost hear it say "Ohh hello honey! I love you. let me hold you until you are a golden hue and let me make you toasty and warm and did I mention that I love you?? Cuz I DO!!”.... I swear! That’s what it says to me!

10) I’m thankful the history channel, the discovery channel and stupid TV shows that either suck me and dull my mind for 30min, or educate me and give me knowledge and information on random topics like how to make a kite or how the dinosaurs lived, etc...

Well, that’s a good start. Happy Thanksgiving! May your pants fit tomorrow!!

.....what?

Do you ever hand your phone to someone to show them ONE picture, and then suddenly they are flipping thru thousands of hundreds of random pictures that you have taken over a 4 year time span? (dang you memory card that allows me to keep phone pictures years after taking them!- DANG YOU!) 

well... this happened the other day and it made me think 1.) Good thing I don't have any inappropriate-ish pictures and,  2.) I hope they enjoyed my hundreds of bored "duck-face" pictures I take to check my makeup when I don't have a mirror handy (I cant be the only one that does this... can I?)

So I started flipping thru the pictures to "check" out what they may have just seen ..... and I found these......... Enjoy!

(For some reason I was impressed to take a picture of my breakfast... This is usually what I eat Monday -Friday- I cant get enough!)

(DUCK FACE!!!!!! ..... And I straightened my hair and was taking a picture for my sister...)

(Stayed in Vegas a few weeks ago and the uber nice hotel had this amazing mirror that was crafted by the Gods and blessed by some Buddha prayers and was then sold by unicorns and elf's .... you get my point, best make-up mirror EVER... In pricing them I found its over $120.00 - Dang you elf /unicorns! Cant you have a coupon or a sale???)

(I was on hold at work and was really really really bored...... )

Channeling my Inner Betty Crocker

Yup. You know when you walk into any store, you see those little plastic containers with huge soft fluffy sugar cookies with whipped buttery smooth frosting and the trade mark sprinkles? ( I'm drooling just typing this out...) 

Well, with the help of Pintrest, I was able to stumble across this little recipe of delight and joy!! 

24 hours later (you have to refrigerate the dough over night) but once their cut out, baked and frosted  and sprinkled, they practically scream "Quick eat me up and then eat 7 or 8 of my friends!!"   

....Who am I to ignore the wishes of this beautiful lil' blue cookie!