MIA~but i am back!

hi bloggie world....or is it bloggy world? either way, i have been missing. in. action. WAY too long! i know i dont have a lot of followers, and this is a creative outlet for me.......but i am apologizing for being gone! the past 2 weeks have been an emotional roller coaster and i hope and pray i never have to face what we went thru. i am still in amazement how officer kerstetters wife and girls handled all of the activities of that week......rest in peace, # 177. you will never be forgotten, by anyone who got the pleasure of meeting you just once or knew you longer.

that boy of mine took the whole shooting really hard. way more hard then i ever imagined. i think the reality of what happened hit him like a ton of bricks, as it could have been him, or anyone of his fellow officers. almost one year to the date, that boy actually wrestled a gun away from the same animal who shot # 177. he was arrested, sent to court and was handed a much lesser sentence. fast forward not even a year later, one of our own, killed.

here is a great pic of jp with his graduating class from the academy. i am so proud of him.

JP is 4th from left. he looks super duper hottttt in his uni.

anyway, i am going to try and get back to blogging basics and start posting some fun tutorials and more baking yumminess. i did make a yummy potato pierogi casserole for a pot luck tomorrow. i will post pics and recipe when i get a second!

good night blog land. see ya on the flippy! xoxo
t

what a week~so glad its almost over.....

hi fellow blends (bloggers=friends) ~(thanks to caitlin from   the twenty fifth year ) she taught me this fun new word.....but anyway, hello hello! happy friday eve!

we have had a completely exhausting week here. i did not realize how much of an impact that this police shooting has had on myself and the hubs. police officers share a special connection. they are all 'brothers' and one of their own is called to rest, they all come together as one big family. i finally got to see that boy last night. he literally has been working around the clock, functioning on like 2 hours of sleep. when he got home early tuesday morning, (the night the shooting occurred), his eyes were swollen and red from crying. it breaks my heart to see my strong, big, normally courageous man, so upset. its pure HELL to see a grown man cry. he has not wanted to share a lot of the details with me and has been quiet, but like i said, last night was our first night home together. i am having severe anxiety about being home alone. i have been sleeping with the lights on. hello big baby. i cant help it.

i listened to the 911 call and it about broke me into pieces. i have shed more tears this past week, then i have in a long time. i can not imagine what this poor man's wife and 3 daughters are feeling right now.......the wake was today and tomorrow and the funeral will be on saturday. its going to be some long days today and tomorrow. the news keeps replaying the scene and showing his picture and its pure pain to keep rehashing it over and over and over.

anyway, i hope that everyone gave their lovies extra hugs and kisses this week. i know i have. dont sweat the small things in life...its just not worth it....its really not.....

i am going to take a 1/2 day tomorrow and go to the wake. i havent been very productive at work anyway.....

i hope all of YOU have had an amazing week, full of sunshine and love......pop over to this site for some happiness. i heart this blog! teresa from blooming on bainbridge~adorable!

hopefully after saturday i can start back into this blog thing with some yummy recipes and fun creations!
love you guys~thanks or taking the time to read. it means so much!

xoxo
hugs and love

unexpected life........

hi blog friends......i know you are probably all in shock over two posts in two days. yowza. not so typical of miss terri pies......but it brings me much sadness that i am even awake at this hour to blog about what i am about to share.......

soooo the hubs is a police officer. he is a narcotics detective. everyday he is faced with dealing with warrants, drug raids, undercover drug buys, etc. (the list is long.....)....i am sooo proud of this boy, but i have to tell you, every news topic over the latest shootings, rapes, robberies and home invasions is a constant reminder of what he deals with on a daily basis. (and i complain about working in sales....

anyway, i have become very 'used' to his hours and his job. i dont have panic attacks anymore, worrying that the 'inevitable' could happen at any second......he goes to work everyday and comes home everyday and its life as we know it......

fast forward 10:00pm. march 15, 2010. laying in bed. we actually just crawled in bed. jp decided to turn the tv on, which is strange...because typically, once we make it to bed, we usually fall fast asleep rather quickly. so he turns the tv on and the local newscast states : 'local breaking news' 'an elyria police officer has been shot'....WHAT??? i sit up.....jp sits up and leans closer to the tv.....this, my friends is the city he works for.....after making a few phone calls.....the worst has been confirmed. a 43 yr old police officer has been shot......and killed. i am sitting here crying and shaking. the suspect has been shot and killed also.

i can not for the life of me imagine what this poor officer's family is going through right now. i can not imagine how his wife will explain to his three darling daughters, that their daddy will not be home. i can not imagine what emotions and feelings this family will be experiencing for the rest of their lives.

i sit and wait for my police officer to come back and try to explain the whys, who, etc. life is soooo crazy, and you never know when you will see a loved one for the last time.....i sit and think, what about the times when we have little arguments and he goes to work.....this could have very easily been him. did this poor man get to say he loved his girls a last time? did he get to tell his wife how much he loved her? and the same for her........

i guess this post is just a venting ground. go, hug your loved ones and let them know how much you care and appreciate them. you never know when your life is up........you never know when the last time to tell someone how much you adore them, will be. life is too short, and i think, we, (including myself) take many things for granted. i think we all get caught up in our busy lives and dont realize that today could be our last day here, or the last day we see someone.........

i pray that this poor family finds solace knowing that 'their' officer was doing something he loved and was so good and  defending the city that stole his life......i pray that his wife and children are safe tonight, and are surrounded by close family and friends. i pray that the person who did this to this poor man gets what he deserves. pray for their comfort and peace. pray for all of our law enforcement officers, who everyday, put their lives on the line, to take care of us.

blessing and peace,
t

happy chocolate covered strawberry sunday!

hi blog land! happy sunday. i am getting soooo excited. the celebrity apprentice starts tonight. we 'heart' that show. seriously. we normally HATE love sundays....but only when its apprentice time. we look forward to eating a yummy comfort food meal and then relaxing while we watch the craziness of these celebrities! too fun! i personally have grown to love bret michaels, after watching rock of love....(um, dont judge!)....but seriously, i think he seems to have a really caring heart....but he is on celebrity, as well as cyndi lauper, sharon osborne and quite a few well knowns!

this weekend was rather low key. i didnt do much of anything besides, laundry. we did do some shopping today and i signed up for a cake and cupcake class at williams sonoma, next sunday. they offer FREE classes every sunday and since i am a HUGE cupcake lover, i thought this is the perfect opporunity to learn some new home made recipes.......later this week, i am going to make some chocolate cookie dough cuppies, so i will share that.....

tonight, however we, meaning JP and the hailmeister (my youngest princess).....made chocolate covered strawberries. divine. scrumptious. sinful. yes, my friends, i, could EAT the whole plate of them myself....but seeing how i already had a 5 guys burger and fries for lunch, i refrained.

heres a pic of deliciousness themselves:

the pic is somewhat blurry....i really need to use my camera instead of my phone, but i am always in a hurry and its easier to click from the phone and send from there, rather then take the pic and then have to upload....blah. (in case ya havent realized....i am all about EASY. like, super easy.)

so in case anyone is interested in recreating these chocolate covered delights, here's how. (i am quite sure most of you know how to do this, but in the rare case some of you do not....well, here ya go

chocolate covered strawberries

1 package strawberries, washed and DRIED. (muy important step!)
8-10 ounces MILK chocolate (i cheated and actually just bought a bag of milk chocolate at the grocery store today. however, any candy, cake or cookie supply store sells the discs.

melt chocolate in microwave safe glass bowl for 45 seconds. stop and stir. heat for approxmately 20 more seconds. (chocolate is very touchy. its like a moody girl pms'ing. you have to make sure you time it just right or it will become a yucky, sticky, dry, MESS. so, play with the microwave. you would rather under heat then over. some people recommend melting chocolate on 50% power. the biggest step is just watching and stirring. the chips will appear not melted but as you stir, and the more you stir, you will find the desired consistency.

dip strawberries in chocolate, holding by stems. place on parchment paper and allow to dry. when giving as gifts you can then drizzle swirls of melted white chocolate, or other colors on top for a 'designer' effect!

enjoy~and i am quite sure, you will find that you can not eat just ONE of these little treats.

the other delight we had for dinner tonight were turkey nachos. very easy, and low fat. the best part. (trying to offset the fattening dessert....lol....

but here is a pic and an easy recipe. these are sooo yummy and you can basically make with anything you have on hand.

turkey nachos

one pound lean ground turkey
one package taco seasoning
garlic powder
salt
diced red onion, jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro, red/green peppers
low fat sour cream and salsa for dipping purposes!
3/4 bag reduced fat shredded cheddar
tortilla chips

preheat oven to 400'. heat 1 tbsp olive oil in  pan and add ground turkey. brown meat. follow directions on taco seasoning and add to turkey. cook until liquid evaporates.

spray cookie sheet with pam. sprinkle tortilla chips in single layer on pan. add meat and diced toppings. sprinkle with cheese, garlic powder and salt.

bake for approximately 10 mins or until cheese melts.

these are the perfect 'meal' and not overly filling. serve with sour cream and spicy salsa! delish!

soooo thats the end of my weekend.....bloggies. i am super pumped to be back in the office tomorrow! lol. pause pause. NOT. i am going to try to blog twice this week. note word: "TRY".....and i am super excited....i received my FIRST cookie order. 9 dozen baby shower cookies. i will be starting those this week also....pictures coming.

enjoy the rest of YOUR sunday/weekend,

love and hugs,


terri

100th post GIVEAWAY!

yes, two posts in ONE day. there is a FIRST for everything. i have a hard time keeping up with all of the blogs i follow.....however there is the most adorable blog, i want to mention. teresa from blooming on bainbridge island is hosting a giveaway for her 100th posting!!!!

teresa and lisa of lisa leonard designs, are hosting a giveaway. check out the button to the left of this post~

check out lisa's designs here!!!

this girl has some amazing talent. insert jealousy here. kidding. but seriously she has an adorable website with tons of fun jewelry that she can customize to fit your needs. her blog is super cute also!!

 

sooo my blends, stop in to say 'hello to teresa and then head over to lisa's! you will not be disappointed!
hugs and love,
t

~sinfully delish 'french' chocolate pastries~

whoop! whoop! its almost friday,  blog land!!! yay! i have to say that i am almost as excited on thursday evening, as i am on friday at 4:00pm!! its like the night before xmas....um, ok.....not THAT good, but seriously,  i LIVE for my weekends~love them to pieces. i love the weekends more than shoes, shopping, sunny beaches and stilletos. ha! KIDDING! i like them a lot but not more than any of that FUN stuff!


sooooo i am 'making an effort'.....'trying'........really really really hard to blog at least twice a week....and then try to go from there. i love talking typing......and i really have so many fun things to share~plus i love reading all of your amazing adventures.....so this is my goal! bare with me.....i am getting there! i keep finding new blogs to follow which as i said in my last post, there are so many talented people out there......its amazing what people are capable of creating. i feel blessed to have a teeny bit of creativity, but some of you just ROCK!!

i want to share the most fattening best chocolate pastry. EVER. seriously, if you are having company over, or just want a treat after dinner......this is the key. pure lust in your mouth. not exaggerating. you can whip these lovlies up in 12 minutes.....and thats really start to finish.....so here ya go:

sinfully delish french chocolate pastries

2 packages crescent rolls
1/2 package semi sweet chocolate chips
powder sugar for dusting

preheat oven to 350'.  unroll crescent rolls into 4 rectangles, pressing seams together. (you want 8 of these total).....pour one tablespoon chocolate chips onto one side of each rectangle. fold other 1/2 of dough on top of chocolate chips. take a fork and press sides together with the tines of the fork. bake at 350' for approximately 12 minutes. the key is not to overbake. you want them only slightly golden in color~dust with powder sugar and serve immediately.

here is the pic. however, these were already packaged up for the hub hub's lunchie~so no fancy cake plates or show of display.....(imagine them on a beautiful antique cake plate.....thank you.)

close your eyes while you savor the flavor and imagine you are sitting at a bistro in paris!!! oui oui!

these areand  i am not kidding,  my daughter's favorite dessert. enjoy, my friends!!

p.s. you can also use reduced fat crescent rolls.....they taste every bit as heavenly!! mmmmmm.

xoxo
t

tip me tuesday!

ok....i have been MIA for about a week.....its not that i am THAT busy....well, sort of....but i have a hard time finding time to get on the computer after being at work for like 12 hours! i know a lot of you feel my pain....i have a nice little cozy desk job with a cute computer that i am glued to for, um....yeah, ALL FLIPPING day. some days, no lunch~ boo! i am whining but i feel i can do that once in while....so with all this rambling, i guess i am just saying, i started this blog to make new friends, share recipes, craft ideas, shopping tips etc....and how can i grow if i cant even seem to post more than once a WEEK?

yikes. hard core stuff, eh??!?

anyway, i wanted to share a really cool site i found that will lead you to literally hundreds of creative people....i mean there are seriously some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G women out there who are soooo talented. yes. i. am. jealous. i feel like i am creative in the sense that if i see something i can make it....but i also feel that i do not have the creativity to create my own ideas. hhhmm.....perplexing isnt it.....

anywho, please take a look at thist totally cool site:

there is a wealth of information, creative juices, etc. etc. etc.....check it out.....AND if you are feeling really crazy....link up your own tip me tuesday!! whoop whoop!! i am having trouble linking the pic to the website but here is tip junkie's home!!!!

i shared this lovely totally fattening buttery recipe for the caramel corn.....you can find here:

incredible delish~

also, i wanted to let you lovelies know that I WON MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!! i won a gift certificate to
torreh's uppercase living site! check it out:  absolutely cool stuff for ALL your walls!

i want to thank kim from today's creative blog for hosting this GREAT giveaway!! thank you thank you! i cant wait to go shopping.......


ok blends (aka. blogger+friends), i am outy. i am dying to plaster my fat bummmmmm~yes, i said it....on my oh so delightfully comfy COUCH! hugs and loves
t

manic monday!

um, yeah....remember the cindy lauper song??? lol...ok, i am a dork. officially i admit it....anyway, hope everyone had a super fab monday.....i just dread going back to work on sundays.....i think about it. i dwell on it.....i wake up counting the minutes til the alarm is going to buzzzz.....and then its done and over with before you know it and i am a happy girl again. after all......we are ONE day closer to fantabulous FRIDAY! yay!

soooooo after not following very regimented diet control this weekend, i had an epiphany that i just wanted to share......everything is good in moderation. um. yes. everything, my friends......however, easier said then done! i ended the weekend making some super delish potato pancakes that are seriously amazing.....(if you are a carb WHORE as myself, you will totally appreciate)....if not, bear with the post! but as i was saying...(sorry i tend to go off on diff subjects....), as i was saying....i feel so much better when i really do count my weight watcher points....i do allow myself that one day of guilt free eating, but in honesty, i feel better when i really watch what i eat....soooo with that being said, i am going to try to start posting yummy, low point treats and eats that are super diet friendly.......(we shall see how long this lasts......remember: BAKING ADDICTION!).....

have y'all checked out this site:  hungry girl!!!   this girl has some way cool changes she made to everyday eats with amazing yumminess......i did buy her first cookbook and i LOVE it......all of the recipes that she posts on her site, typically have your WW points figured....but the cookbook has all of the nutrients, so if you do follow WW, you can easily figure out....which i love. check out this recipe:

cap'n crunch chicken


PER SERVING (1/2 of recipe): 234 calories, 2g fat, 617mg sodium, 23.5g carbs, 4g fiber, 10g sugars, 29g protein -- POINTS® value 4
Check out our surreal, cereal-coated chicken recipe -- inspired by the classic version that Planet Hollywood serves up. It's GOOOOOD!

Ingredients:

8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast tenders

1/2 cup Cap'n Crunch cereal (original)

1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)

3 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

2 tbsp. Best Foods/Hellmann's Dijonnaise

2 tbsp. honey mustard (actual mustard, not dressing)

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

dash salt

dash black pepper



Directions:

Place Fiber One in a blender or food processor, and grind to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Set aside.



Put Cap'n Crunch in a sealable plastic bag and seal. Using a rolling pin or a can, coarsely crush cereal through the bag. In a wide bowl, combine Fiber One crumbs, crushed Cap'n Crunch, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.



Place chicken tenders in a separate medium bowl. Cover chicken with egg substitute, and flip chicken to coat. Shake off any excess egg substitute, and then coat chicken in the cereal mixture.



Bring a large pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Place coated chicken pieces gently into the pan, spacing them out as much as possible. Cook for 5 minutes, and then carefully flip pieces over. Cook for about 4 additional minutes, until chicken is cooked through.



Combine the Dijonnaise and honey mustard in a small dish, and mix well for a tasty dipping sauce. Enjoy!
 
 
does that not sound sooooo GOOD?? i love sweet/salty stuff, so i am def going to try this......one of my gf's at work, made it with crunch berries....um, (yeah, weird i know)....and she said it was heavenly!!!
 
ok, i am going to leave with my super yummy potato pancakes.....enjoy!
 
potato pancakes
 
1 bag shredded potatoes (purchased in the refridgerator section)...you can also shred your own....about 5 large potatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
small onion chopped fine
garlic powder
sea salt
pepper
oil for frying
 
mix all ingredients. season with spices. i also added in some dried chives for color. heat oil in frying pan. measure out 1/3 cup potato mixture. flatten with spatula......now the tricky part. do not flip until golden brown.....you may need to season with extra salt. serve warm with sour cream. (i typically just cover them with foil until i am ready to serve, so that they stay warm , but for extra crispiness, you could keep in oven very low until serving time.....
 
sorry~not low fat by any means...but perfectly easy for a brunch or light dinner~
 
heres some pics:
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the ingredients!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
mix it up!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
frying them! dont flip til golden brown!!!
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
enjoy!
 
have a super duper fun week everyone!!! hugs and love,
t