Quinoa cold salad

Like I said before, I love quinoa.  It is full of protein, it cooks like rice and it just tastes good.  Quinoa is fat-free and cholesterol-free.  Its great for vegans because it is high in protein.  I am no vegan, but I still love it.  Lets get started.

2/3 cup of quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2 green pepper (or any color that is your favorite)
1/2 cucumber
1/4 to 1/2 onion (you can pick red, yellow or white)
chives
1 cup grape tomatoes
lemon juice
lime juice

Cut up your vegetable like the picture above. I like the grape tomatoes because you just cut them in half and they are perfect.  You could use any tomato you want but the grape tomato just looks good.  Dice up the other vegetables.

Boil the quinoa and the bouillon cube in the water for 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed (like you would cook rice).  Set aside to cool.  

Quinoa will look like picture above.

After the delicious quinoa is cooled put it the container you will refrigerate it in.  Now add the vegetables that you chopped earlier.  I use the little squeeze lemon and lime containers, but of course your can use fresh. I put a couple squeezes of each, and stir it up.  I would say it would equal two tablespoons each.  Stir it up.  It should not be runny, just move around easily with a spoon.  You can add a little more of either according to your taste. 

Refrigerate.  You can eat it right away but it tastes better if you wait at least an hour.  Saves well for the next day.  It works well at barbeques or just as a side dish.  A little secret, I sometime just eat it for lunch.

I hope you enjoy.  I love this salad.  Please leave any message telling me how you liked it!!!

Hello again!

It has been a long time since I have posted anything. A lot has gone on in my life. I have lots of new things to share. Recently I have been into making dinner or snacks from scratch. I plan to share lots of recipes with you along with pictures. I will be making a few changes to my blog so just bare with me.But first i want to share a quick story with you.

 My son is now 19 and I am a proud Army Mom. He went through boot camp, AIT and now he is stationed at his new post. I miss him very much. My whole life pretty much had been about him so now I am finding ways to fill the gaps. Hints the starting to blog again! I met a lot of really great people through the process of it all. I want to share a book that helped me while he was in Basic Training. Basic Combat Training, Army Mom, Army Strong.

While in basic there is pretty much no contact with your child so it was a very difficult transformation for me. This book was so very helpful I just wanted to give it a mention.  It walks you through, step by step, everything that is going on with them.  It gives you all kinds of tips! GREAT BIG HELP!!!

So that is my quick post to get back into things.  I hope you guys will enjoy all the healthy and sometimes not so healthy recipes I post.  Right now my favorite food is Quinoa.  Love the stuff so expect a few recipes on that.   I also work at a movie rental store, so from time to time I will post some movie reviews. 

Mojosavings

When I first decided to learn how to use coupons I searched the web and found http://www.mojosavings.com/ . I love this site. It is full of tips on how to use coupons to get the best deals. Also on the site is a list of coupon blogs. These people really know what they are talking about. They break down how to get the best deals at places like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Target. Also most of them are from all over the country so stores like Public are also on there.

In the middle of the page are the more popular deals. Like free samples and how to get stuff free from different stores using coupons. If you friend Mojosavings on facebook it will list the best deals right on your page. I use my Iphone to facebook so all I have to do is scroll down the deals. I have learned what great deals you can get at CVS buying the things I have always bought. I just never bought them at CVS.

Mojosavings led me to other ways to make money, like Swagbucks and MyPoints. Both great ways to make money doing nothing but what you do anyway, like surf the web and buy things online.

Now I just go to the blogs written by the people who know how to save money and read them so I know what I need to be doing. The other thing I learned is that not all stores will take computer generated coupons so check with them before trying. You might need to just go ahead and buy the Sunday paper so you have the real ones. CVS does take computer coupons but a store here in Oklahoma that does not is Crest. But then again Crest has great deals without coupons too.

~ Dorsa

Kara? Really?

I just want to say I am so excited about Ellen joining the show. I can't wait to see her when she finally joins the show. I really think Ellen is a good choice. She is to funny. She knows how to tell it how it is but in a nice way.

Until then I just want to say Kara works my nerves. Always with the same response "Honey, I just don't think this is for you" "Honey, you look nice but I don't think". Kara you don't think, you look around for one of the other judges to have an opinion and jump on that, even if they ask you first you go with what you think they will say then once someone else makes a comment you jump on that band wagon.

Anyway, I just had to get that off my chest. I am going to miss Simon so much. He is funny. Sometimes he is a bit much, but he is honest. I think he is gonna miss Paula, which I know I will. I loved Paula. I hope she does join his new show!!!

Here is to the new season, and possibly the last good season. Without Simon and with Kara, I don't know how far Idol can make it!!!

Bobby's on YouTube

So I said I wouldn't blog about this stupid cult. So I am not going to even mention their name. But Bobby is on this video at about 4 mins. So I would suggest you skip the first 3 mins or so and watch Bobby. I told him not to go to the protest but of course what kid would not go. He did not get in trouble so I guess I am not so mad.

They let the school out early so all the kids could go home. The cult had it planned to show up right at 2:45pm when school usually gets out so they could cause more problems. So the school was let out at 2:25pm and that is why he is talking about getting out early.

Anyway, so check him out.

New Hair, This time it looks good.

I know lately I have not been very good at blogging so hopefully I will get better. Not that I am to busy, I just have a very boring life that I know you would not really like to hear about, LOL.

Ok so you may not have "really" seen my hair when it was orange. But it was bad. So finally I went and got it fixed. My sister goes to this girl, Chevas, so I made an appointment with her. I have been to her before so I was not worried. She is very nice and did not seem to be to put out that I had ruined my hair.

She did a great job. I really do like it. I like my hair kinda 1/2 and 1/2. So it is dark on the bottom and a different color on the top. My boss thought it was funny to say, "Nice, maybe next month you can afford to go back and get the rest finished." It really is cute. I know I look a little funny in the bottom picture but I was trying to show you the top of my hair.

I will try to be better about posting. I can tell you that we got American Idol for the Wii. I personally love it. It has a few of my favorite songs on there. I will have to blog about that next.

Rock on!!!

Someone told me tonight that I should write the story of my life. While it might be interesting I can only hope it will end like all the fairy tales I read in books. Problem is I don't remember much of it. I have a bad memory. The really interesting things I remember other people don't remember. I know they are true because I asked my Grandma before she died and she asked me not to ask her about them.

I would not know where to start with my life, but I do have some funny things in it. Like my bus trip to L.A., my time there, going to college in East L.A., riding the bus there, coming back to Kansas. All the things that happened after that. Who knows where to start and what I remember or what I made up as memories of my life.

I can start by telling you that being a single parent of a teenage son is very rewarding. Maybe I got lucky because I don't have to listen to any ones opinion when it comes to him and maybe he is not so lucky because I hold my own counsel on what is right and wrong where things concern him. Either way I am all he has so I guess he will have to deal with it.

So someday I will figure things out and write it all down for you, but until then I will just continue with the way life is and make it. Mostly because that is what single mothers are called to do. We have to do whatever we can to just make it and make it the best we can. I can only be glad I can only fail or pass once since I only have one child. Hope I get at least a C+ or a B!!LOL.

Blah, Blah

I know I have not posted in a while. I have not been busy. I have just been in a blah state of mind. My computer at work does not work, so therefore neither do I. I am getting behind which is never good. They are suppose to come replace my computer but who knows how long that will take. I hate not being able to do anything.
The only eventful thing this week that happened to me was this really nice lady I work with gave me a new shirt. She was wearing this really cute shirt at work and I told her how much I like it and today she came and gave me one. Really nice shirt I may add. She even got my size right and I love it.
There is going to be crazy things going on next week at work because the powers that be decided to change around the judges and one on our floor (which inadvertently effects us) is getting changed. That is going to be interesting. My son who is 15 wants to go to a party, Just a birthday party, for his friend he says, we shall see about that one. And still I have nothing to post about.
I don't feel like reading, which is REALLY crazy for me. Guess I am just burned out. I need something new in my life. I will let you know if I find out what that is.
All in all next week should be interesting with me finally getting my taxes, changes at work, and figuring out what Bobby is up to. You know, having a teenager could turn out to be fun!

New water heater?

OK, so I defiantly need a new water heater. I have put it off as long as I can, but with getting my taxes now is the time. It will not wait another year. It leaks and my water bill has gone up about $10 a month, which is a lot. Anyway, so searching the web I have found a few options. I think I am going to have to go with Lowe's and let them install it.

Well I have a 40 gal. water heater now so I assume that will be fine. The are about $400, don't know how much they are to install.

So here is the question. I know that they will charge me for "removal" of my old one. So I know they will take it and just recycle it. It has lots of aluminum and some copper pipes I am sure. Why should I pay for them to remove it and then they get money for recycling it too? Does not make much since. But how hard is it to pull the thing apart and do the recycling for myself? That is what I would like to know.

I know the thing looks bad, but don't hold it against me. I still have hot water every morning and it is just old.

I can do this! Taxes.

So I did my taxes tonight. I am one of "those" people who love doing my taxes. Must be because I am poor. Anyway - I think this is my best year ever. Really, more back than I expected. But that does not really matter.
Here is what I am thinking. Why is it that every February I have Christmas when I should have had it in December? Well the good part of that is all the WII's are back in stock and I can afford it. Not to mention this year I think I may get a little chunk of child support to boost my taxes. Don't I always say I love America?
Here is the thing. Most people run out to tax preparers. They charge you at least $100 and who could not use an extra $100 in this economy? And you get it back just as fast if you do it yourself or have someone else do it for you!! Which if everything is all complicated I think is a good idea to have a professional do it, but if you are just an average person like me trying to make it in the world, then why pay someone to do what you can do for yourself?
I like to go to www.irs.gov on the left side is a link to free file. If you are new to this, click 'help me find a company' ~ I like TaxAct but I think they are all good. Anyway, it will find you a link to file for free if you are within the guidelines. Just remember in some states you have to e-file your state taxes at the same time you file your federal taxes. If you do not you will have to mail your state taxes. No big deal if you make the mistake just a week or two to get your return.
So good luck. Make sure to print out your returns and if it all confuses you, go ahead and have them done, better safe than sorry.

ugh!

I don't want to go back to work tomorrow. Not that I don't like my job, but I hate, hate driving in this weather. They let us off early on Monday and did not open the courthouse on Tuesday. We have to be back at work on Wednesday at 10am. Not bad, I would suppose except I still have to drive myself there.
I made myself go out today and drive, so I would not be so afraid tomorrow. Well that and I needed some Diet Coke. Anyway, it did not seem so bad. I think if I can make it to the freeway I should be OK. The news said they are not even going to plow the emergency routes because it would only make them worse. Wow, who would have thought that?
Well the schools are still closed on Wednesday so at least I don't have to make the trip to the school. My son is going to go over and help his uncle shovel the sleet off his drive. At least he should have some fun and maybe sled or play the WII or something. He has been bored out of his mind sitting at home.
So I will let you know how it turns out. I don't think downtown will be so great and I hope my car does not get hit parked on the side of the road.
Just wanted to let you know that I tried to read the Sleeping Beauty book, no way. I usually make myself read to pay 100 and then go ahead and finish the book because I have already read that much. Not going to happen. For the first time ever I can't even make myself read to page 100. So unless you like being asleep while reading, I would not try it!!! Guess that is why it is called sleeping beauty! LOL.

Oklahoma closed down

Well, the state has been called a "State of Emergency" which in a little scary. All in all the roads are really slick, the airport is closed down and I for one am not going anywhere. I hate the icy roads and anything about the ice. We were let off work today at noon and I was glad. The drive home was not so bad, I did not slide, I did drive about 20 mph all the way home. Other people I know spun out, slipped past their drive and some took 1 1/2 hours to make the 30 min drive home. My 30 min. drive took about 45 min.
Anyway, so with everything closed down for Tuesday, I am off work and so is my son. Good thing I have some books from the library to keep me company. I think I will start Sleeping Beauty, by Judith Ivory. I have read another one of her books, Untie My Heart, which was very good. I have just finished a really good series by Tracy Anne Warren, the Mistress series. Starts out with My Fair Mistress , The Accidental Mistress and finally His Favorite Mistress. I will have to say the one I liked the best was My Fair Mistress. Very good plot. Never know how things will turn out, but you will be surprised how they do. Lots of steamy scenes. Love those. But you really get in the plot with them. If you get a chance you should check it out.
I will let you know how Sleeping Beauty turns out.
I really like the Victorian, early English kinda scene. We shall see how this one turns out and I will let you know if it was worth my day off!

Bad Day!

Have you ever had that day at work where you just give up? Well mine came on Thursday. It started out bad, I do the docket and there were mistakes in there. I hate making mistakes. The problem is I could blame them on someone else but the ultimate fault was mine. I always take the blame when I have the any fault. Which you may not believe. But some guy went to jail, really not my fault but who's fault it was did not own up to it. Anyway, I fixed it later without blaming the person who's shoulders it fell on, which by the way felt no regret, or at least showed none. Anyway the rest of the day was shot.

So then you think it can not get worse than that. It does. Today the cutest little boy had to testify. I will just say I have made it a point not to pay attention to the cases that we do because if I did I would probably never get up in the morning. Anyway, this boy was about 7, cute and tiny. He had this little lisp in his voice, said the cutest things. After all he had been through most kids are not as sweet and happy. He tore at my heart from the moment he opened his mouth. I will just say that I see these kids all the time. Yes, my heart goes out to all of them, but this one broke my heart.

Then my heart broke even more. He was even more the "little man", never cried and said what he had to say. Man, what a day, and I did not even have to go through what he had gone through.
Where do these crazy people come from? To hurt a little boy. You would think I would hate my job even more. But in that moment I realized it was worth all the heartbreak and drama. If just one sick person never sees the streets again then it is worth it.

Now don't think I am just some lock them up kind of person. Sure the defendant is innocent until proven guilty. But I will end this with saying the defendant made a full confession to the police when he was arrested. I know some think the police may have beat it out of him. But let me also say the little boy did not have a mean bone in his body. He was only sorry he had to tell and the defendant was in trouble.

Godspeed all his love to that little boy and God bless all our children!!!

Worlds best Grandma!!!

Well I know I have said before someday you will hear me speak of my Grandma on here. Today is the first of many. I love my Grandma. The best woman to ever grace this earth with her presence. Though would not have seen it that way.
Is there anyone in your life that you think of and cry? Whether the are still alive or long in the past? Well I can tell you there is only one person in my life. My Grandma was the best person ever. This is kinda a sad funny story that I don't even know if my brother and sister know about me. But you will think I am a brat when it is over, as I think of myself.
When I was younger like 9 or 10 or who knows, it is all a blur. I was a brat (bet you have not figured that out by now). Anyway, I don't know what I did that day that had upset my Grandma but something had. She was not happy with me.
The next scene begins with Grandma feeling bad that she was mad, she was in the kitchen making cookies for our family. So I go into the kitchen to annoy the hell out of her because I am not aloud to go out because I am in trouble. I know how this works, my son does it to me all the time and I usually give in to get him the hell out of my hair. She is trying really hard not to let me get to her, I can tell that now.
So she is making chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Well, she is trying to cheer me up and cracks an egg on my head, you know how you would crack it on the counter or something, not at all getting it on me. Just trying to make me laugh.
Brat that I am starts screaming "child abuse, child abuse, I can't believe you attacked me with an egg. I am going to call the police and tell them!!!" I don' t know if she thought I was crazy or if she thought I would never do it. So she says, "Go ahead".
Well I rush into the other room and call the police. Not 10 minutes later a patrol car shows up in the drive way. I rush out the door to tell the police what a awful person she was. Grandma stays in the house taking her cookies out the oven. So I can tell my side of the story.
I proceed to tell him the horrible things that she had done to me.
He looks at me, tells me how lucky I am to have such a Grandma and lectures me on what a brat I am. Well at the time I was outraged. Guess what.
Grandma comes out the house tells him that I am just upset and is sorry that I bothered him. I think he told her I was a brat.
I will never forget that day. What a sad little person I was. Grandma was sticking up for me and the whole time I had been a brat.
I learned a lot that day. Things I still carry with me. I know you may not see the funny in this story, but if you were me you would. See looking back I think it is funny that the policeman did not take me away. Sad thing is that I think that was Grandmas biggest fear.
I wish everyone could have had the Grandma that I had, because I know I still would have been just as special to her. She had the biggest heart ever.
I started this blog for other reasons, but I really enjoy just putting my memories to print. It heals me in ways that I would never have guessed.
So to Grandma, I love you, miss you and think of you daily!!(really I do).

Still about Pius!

Well talking about my dad brought back lots of memories. I love the pictures I have of him and Bobby. Bobby HATES the Ferris wheel but the deal was if grandpa goes on the ride that was pictured in my last blog then Bobby had to go on the Ferris wheel. He does not look very scared in this picture, but he was. What a handsome boy he is at 11. Grandpa loves Bobby which you can certainly tell in this picture. I really did have a great day so many years ago with them.












This is Bobby and I in the same bucket on the Ferris wheel. He was still scared but looked quite dashing. Now he is bigger than I am by at least 3 inches now.




Most of all I love that Grandpa rode that "bull". He makes me laugh to this day about that. Can you believe he took the man working the bull's hat? Of course you could if you knew him. He just took his hat and sat his aside like it was part of the ride, LOL.

See, here is the man before Grandpa jacked him of his hat. By the end of the ride I think that man was wearing Dads hat.



Well Pops still makes me laugh. We have had our share of days we don't get along. But looking at pictures of him on the bull it will always remind me of the song (which is on my blog) "This ain't my first rodeo"!!




Well Pops you may not know it but you are a great inspiration in my life. Thanks for all you do and even the things you taught me I did not want to learn.

Oh, by the way he is a teacher and was Bobby's first substitute teacher. That is for another day. But let me just tell you, he had already spoiled Bobby so Bobby though he could do whatever he liked. I will tell you that story someday but not now, I will say it ended with other teachers telling me they had to come into the classroom to settle it down.

Love you Pops, tell Kathy Hi, and thanks for loving you!! ~ ME

Pops!!! Pius

Well most my life when people ask me about what I want to do I always say "When I grow up I want to be" this or that. Then when people started looking at me like I had already grown up, I still did not think that it made a difference. I still did not see that I had already grown up, and had a child that was quite on his way to being a grown up. Funny, when I talk of my son and then people say "how old is Bobby" and I tell them they look at me like I have lost my mind. Most think I am talking about some 5 or 6 or even 9 year old. Hewill always just be a child in my mind, as I am in my own mind.

So I have decided that now that I am grown up, that I have to do something with myself. I have always had a comfort that my boss has kids younger than mine so he will not be retiring soon. But than again even if I don't have a child at home I still need retirement to take care of myself. So maybe in 2009 I will go back to school in the evenings and get some official degree. I think I will always put it off because I will always be my fathers' daughter and procrastinate until it is to late.

Well the one thing I can tell you is that although my "pops" was a procrastinator he still taught me a lot of things.

1: eat all your taco, even the tomato's on top (no need to waste them under the car Duane)

2: gamble all you want, but act like it is your job

3: it is never to late to find love (congrats Pops!!!)

4: the child that gives you the most trouble is the best {that would be me :)}

5: when life gives you onions, make them in the microwave for dinner

and mostly

6: when "they" say you can't, that's when you can

Friday night!

Well just another night that I can blissfully thank God I don't have to get up early in the morning. I didn't have to go to work today, but I did. I need to catch up on all the things I am suppose to do, but can't get done because for some reason people think that I am there for their social conversation and to figure out what my boss would let them get away with.

Personally I think they should ask him because I have no idea. But instead I have to smile and try to be nice to them because I would not want them to think of me as some "rude" person that will only make things harder on them when they finally ask my boss what they want. Anyway, I do love my job, I always have. The problem is, sometimes I don't.

Just this week I realized the reason I don't want anyone to "help" me is because my grandma did everything by herself. She raised her daughter, than her daughters four kids by herself without a man. So I think I always thought that I could do anything myself. Guess what, I can, but I don't want to anymore. I bet she felt that way at times. I think now is the time to figure myself out, albeit a little late in life.

Well I won't bore you with the fact that I went to get my hair cut today and the lady had a mans way of thinking and when I said "a little less than an inch" and she cut off over two inches. It is not so bad and I probably needed that much cut, but is that not for me to decide?

Till next time ~ Happy weekend!!

Kids, you have to love them!!

I was reading my brothers blog and it made me think of one of the stories I like to tell about my son. We were at an indoor swimming pool and he was in 1st grade. Well, I was sitting by the side of the pool and some little boy pushed some other little boy in. I really didn't think much of it because that happens all the time.

So anyway the little boy who got pushed in started crying and the little 17 year old lifeguard came over to see what the problem was. The little boy was crying so hard he really could not tell her. So my son says to the lifeguard, "That boy over there in the red shorts pushed him in." and he pointed off in some direction where there were about 5 kids. They were all quite young maybe 6 or 8. So the lifeguard looks over and says to my son, "The Black kid?", my son looks at her like she has two heads and says, "No, well I guess he is kinda brown."

The lifeguard looked very embarrassed, because now she could tell I was listening in because I had a funny smile on my face. She just looked at my son and said "OH!"

The point is kids are so innocent until we change all that. He didn't care what color the kids skin was he was just trying to help the little boy explain. Kids sometimes say crazy things. But I think this time he was right and it is time we started looking at people from the inside and get over the past. Sure learn from history, we don't want to make the same mistakes. But also learn to forgive and get to know people before you judge them. Because we all just start as innocent little babies until the people around us change all that!!!

American!!!

Tonight I was watching American Idol. Don't we all wish we could sing?

When I was 18 I had my son. He was so sweet. The cutest baby ever. Still is in my world. Anyway, being so young and not having your typical childhood I did not know a lot of lulibies.

Well when I was in 7th grade my dad insisted that I played some sport. Basketball, that is his sport. So I did, well I may not have been very good but they let me play guard, on varsity no doubt. Anyway, the point is on the bus to different schools the other girls would sing. I did not listen to very much music so I did not know very many songs. One that they sung a lot was SuperWoman by Karyn White. Well I learned the song, every word.

So when my son was born he was not the kind of kid that went to sleep with lullabies or a pacifier. So I tried my favorite song from when I was on that bus long ago. SuperWoman. I would sing and sing and he loved it. He always fell asleep to that song.

Life goes on but that is still one of my favorite songs. Tonight listening to American Idol I thought of that song. I actually sang it with all my heart. Yeah still would not make it on the show, but once 15 years ago someone enjoyed it as much as I did.

duck duck

Well another day come and gone. On Sunday I went to see "Marley and Me" ~ don't do it~ what a sad movie. It was really good. Just did not realize it had a sad ending. Leah could have told me (she read the book). Anyway it was really good. Very good actors. Wilson is a great actor. Anyway then I went to dinner at my sisters and mom came over. She told me she hates my hair, so that only made me like it more, LOL!!!

Leah and I went walking at lunch today we went down to Myriad Botanical Gardens ~ I told her I needed pictures for my blog. We took pictures of the ducks that tried to attack us for food, which we did not have. When they realized we had no food they took off.

You really don't know how you look till you see it in a picture that you didn't take of yourself. That is OK. I am working on it. So here are the ducks ~ they did not know I was taking their picture!!!LOL!!!