Accomplishment and my dirty little secret.

This is the husband. That huge contraption he's wrangling is a slit seeder and de-thatcher. We rented it & overseeded the lawn on Saturday. After having the dry well put in the backyard for the sump pump and a tree removed in the front yard and a bit of a thatch problem, we were in need of a good overseeding. Hopefully, this spring will yield a lush, green lawn.

Here is my dirty little secret...

Fair warning, you can still turn away...

Amy, you can relax. I'm not pregnant.

Ready? It's reeeeeallly dirty.

My friends. THIS is my garage. Oh yes. I haven't parked in there in three years. It was used as Dave's "workshop" during our kitchen remodel. It houses our 8 million votive candle holders from our wedding three years ago. Dave stored boxes from his old apartment from five years ago in there. We had a broken lawnmower & a broken edger. And a brand spanking new lawnmower & just out of the box edger. An old grill. And a new grill. Our Christmas tree lights were still out from when we took them down last year.

And THIS is all of that junk sitting in our driveway. I wish that this picture did all that junk justice, but some of it is sitting behind the cars. Some of it is in my mom's truck ready for the dumpster.

And now... READY FOR A CAR!!!

And I thought weekends were meant for relaxing.

A small lesson from my husband.

He loves me, that man of mine.

Dave very much needed a night out with his friends tonight. I've gone out with mine 3 to 1 lately and he's been working really hard. And he misses his friends because as life goes, they're all 'grown ups' now and don't get together nearly as often as they used to.

Well, on his way, Finn had a puking episode and I called him. Without a word, he turned around and came home. He helped me clean up the mess, put Finn in the bath, and told me to go finish watching the debate while he rocked him back to sleep sans bookie. (Bookie is Finnegan's MUCH beloved blankie, of which there are two, and both were put into the wash.)

When I thanked him profusely for being so freaking awesome, he replied, "hey, I would have wanted you to come home too." And with that little statement, he reminded me gently of the golden rule. When we treat each other with kindness and respect, it begets more kindness and respect. Sometimes we all need a little reminder of that once in awhile.

So do me a small favor. Do something nice for someone in your life. Be kind for no reason other than to put some good karma out into the world.

Pea & Z tie the knot.

My friend and I helped another friend with some reception coordinating. We ran around like insane people for 3 hours and it was a blast. Pea, remind me to tell you MIL stories and Z, your dad is fucking HOT. For realsies. Is that totally wrong of me to be married and hitting on your dad? Probably. Oh, and I wish I could say that table seven was delightfully white trash, but well... I thought I was going to have to throw down.

So our little Pea is all hitched up, here are a few teasers. She looked absolutely beautiful. Oh, and I had to use the flash so the colors are a bit brighter than in person.

AM totally stole us 2 candy necklaces as payment for services rendered.

Happy WEDDING!

I love Real Simple & a question.

First, I just renewed my subscription to Real Simple. See below for the why behind my renewal. Anyway, I renewed it because my October issue arrived yesterday in the mail and it is my last for this current round of subscription.

I love this magazine. If you haven't read it, pick one up, you won't be sorry.

So, the magazine asked their readers, what would YOU do with an extra $100? So, this is an audience participation post, my friends. Leave a comment on what you would do with an extra $100. Spend it all, every penny.


This is what I'd do with my $100.

• Finn & I would take my mom to lunch to celebrate her new job. YAY Janet, you rock! $30
• 1 Litre of Grey Goose La Poire vodka, to make this fall lovely. $40
• 2 Caramel & Heath apples at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. $12
• Lorac Lip Polish in Bliss at Sephora. $17.50
• Bag of M&Ms DARK. $0.50

Whoring myself for the Delta Schools.

See this face? THIS is the face of my nephew, Dylan. He would like nothing more than to have a limo lunch, which is apparently one of the prizes for his school fundraiser. My friends, I am pimping out the blog to help Dylan realize his dream of getting shoved into a limo with twenty five other students, get driven around the block and eat pizza. Truthfully, I have no idea what a limo lunch entails, but he sure is excited about it.

So. If you would like to help Dyl, you have until September 30, here is what you do...

1. Go to http://store.gafundraising.com/
2. Type in 981522 under school code.
3. Type in Dylan under first name.
4. Type in Knopp under last name.
5. Then shop for all kinds of goodies OR you can RENEW or get new magazine subscriptions. And let's face it, we all have to renew them so might as well help Dylan while you're at it.

OK, I am hereby officially done pimping the blog. My sister now owes me free babysitting when I go get hands up my girlie parts on Wednesday.

Fair trade my friends.

After dinner.

The weather is getting cooler, the evenings are getting shorter, playing outside after dinner is soon going to disappear. For now, the poodle and Finn are enjoying every second.

Climbing.

On. Everything.





And insisting on putting on his own hat. Um, let mommy just fix those ears, they're not really supposed... oh, ok, you don't want me to fix them. Yeah. Mommy hopes they aren't stuck like that forever, but she is secretly pleased that you look like Dobby the House Elf.




And climbing some more.



His new trick is jumping off of things. This should be fun.

Prudence, you are a genius.

People, if you haven't checked out my daily reads -----> right over there to the right, you really should take a small gander at Prudence Pennywise. I can't even remember how I stumbled upon her fun blog, but I'm hooked. So in my quest for new recipes and meal planning fun, Prudence has surpassed all others, at least for this week.


So far this week, we have made the Strawberry Ice Cream sans the white chocolate and the ice cream maker. YUM.



And the granola found here. I added a cup and a half of nuts instead, half a cup each of walnut, almond, and pecan. Then, at the end added craisins. The little bug can not get enough of the stuff. It is much better than store bought.

The yummiest salad ever, based on her salad posted here. We used her exact homemade dressing, but fudged the salad a bit. I marinated 1/4 chicken breast, cut into chunks in teriyaki, sauteed that in a pan with olive oil, then pulled it out and sprinkled liberally with sesame seeds. We then used a butter lettuce mix, topped it with avacado, mandarin oranges, the chicken, and chow mein noodles. We'll be making this one a staple. It was so quick and easy and goooood.

Tonight, it was the greatest brats ever. This is totally a married person dinner my friends, the onions alone can kick your butt so it's not date friendly. We sliced the brats in half and that made it somewhat easier to eat. Grilled apples. Good. Grilled onions. Good. Brats. Good. All together on one fantastic sandwhich? Oh. Lordy. Delish.

So go on over there and check her out. You won't be sorry.

Pumpkin Divine.

You can bet your bottom dollar I will be making THIS recipe.

Anyone having a Halloween Party?



Anyone?

Oh, and to make pumpkin butter, since the recipe calls for it, head over to Bea's blog for the recipe for an easy one!

Not to open a whole can of worms.

Do you and your family members have the same political views? As this election looms closer, I feel blessed that Dave and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum, yet seem to respect each other's views. Well... maybe respect is too strong a word. Tolerate, perhaps? Laugh at with a raised eyebrow, maybe?

We both were raised differently. We're molded, but not exactly the same as our parents... and their parents before them.

I am a tree hugging liberal. Dave is a libertarian really, but tends to vote republican most of the time. The funny thing is that he loves NPR, he just doesn't want to pay for it. There may be a little liberal in there somewhere Love.

We used to love watching Meet the Press on Sunday mornings together. Our friends thought we were weirdos, but we enjoyed those debates that inevitably followed. Tim Russert was an equal opportunity basher and the best political reporter of our time in my opinion. It just hasn't been the same without him. Especially with the appointment of the VP nominees for both parties.

One of the best conversations I have ever had with my husband was on our first trip together. We sat in a cozy little restaurant in Cleveland, next to a fireplace and debated until we were blue in the face. I think really that is when I fell in the deepest love of my life.

So, Love, looking forward to the next 50-ish days of discussions with you. Someday, there will be more than a 2 party system and your candidate will have a fighting chance, at least, here is hoping.

They will be mine. Muuuaaaahhha ha Um... ha.

All last year I searched for white pumpkins and was left empty handed. This year, I have scoped out a stash of them and they WILL be mine. Oh yes my friends, they will. Muahahaaahaaaahaa.

Seriously, Dave doesn't get it. He asked me what the hell I'd want white pumpkins for. Of course, that was after I slowed the car (his car that I was driving) and asked him to leap out, steal a few and run back to the car. He wasn't amused. Wait till I tell him they are twice the price of the orange variety.

Bat, Pirate, Skunk, or Monkey?

And the great costume search of 08 begins for the wee one...

take a gander and leave a comment with your vote!

monkey

skunk

pirate

bat

Project 2996.

http://project2996.com/getinvolved.html


I thought this was such an interesting concept. Next September 11th I would like to be able to participate. It seems as if we're already forgetting as a nation.

Live it.

Act as if you know what’s going on, as if you are divinely guided. Believe that you are always at the right place at the right time and everything you do and everything that happens is orchestrated for your higher growth.


I'm not sure who the original author is, as it is floating around these here internets, but I thought of my friend when I read it. Friend, this is expressly for you. ((hugs))

Adventures with food.

I am in a rut people. I've been trying all year to meal plan. For the most part, I've done ok. Mediocrity isn't my thing... well, except when it comes to cleaning my house. So I've been on the lookout for some meal planning ideas, new recipes and the like. What I've found instead is loads and loads of SAHM (stay at home mom) blogs that are a bit Duggar-esque for my liking. Are ultra conservative Christians the only people who meal plan these days?


So I have some leads and I found some great stuff at Prudence Pennywise, but if you have any great sites for me to check out, please post a comment. I only ask that they be relatively easy to locate ingredients and not too difficult to throw together.

Actual Tomatoes. What the fuck was I thinking?

Thanks to Jen for the extra little push I needed to attempt this crazy ass feat of making my own tomato soup from scratch.

But ummm.... WHAT was I thinking?? It took me forever. As in, this was my activity of the night.



I got this recipe from Fete Accompli! The Ultimate Guided to Creative Entertaining and aside from the Barton G recipe, it's chock full of of good stuff. Anything I modified is in pink.




Serves 15


Seasoning Mix

2 TB chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 TB sugar (I used 2 heaping TBs)
2 c roasted & chopped garlic (I roasted about 5 heads of garlic for 45-50 minutes on 400 degree heat, covered with foil)



For the Soup

1 c heavy cream (I used 1 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 TB unsalted butter
1 1/2 c chopped onions
1/2 c chopped celery (I used 3/4 cup)
11 c peeled & chopped very ripe tomatoes (about 16) (I ended up with 8 cups of tomatoes and their juice, I peeled and seeded mine)
1 1/2 chicken stock (I used 16 oz instead)
1/2 c chopped fresh basil



Instructions

• combine the ingrediants for the seasoning mix in a small bowl and set aside


• bring the cream just to the boiling point in a small saucepan. remove from heat and set aside (I put the cream on at the end instead of the beginning.)


• melt the butter in a heavy three quart non-reactive pot. (don't use cast iron) over hight heat and add the onions and celery. cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes or until soft. stir in the tomatoes and the seasoning mix, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. when the mixture boils, uncover the pot, stir well, and cook for approximately 3 more minutes. stir in the chicken stock, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. (I simmered for more like 30-40 minutes)


• raise the heat to high and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes. stir in the basil, then remove from the heat.


• put the soup into a food processor (in two batches) and process until coursely pureed, but not quite smooth. (I used the blender and did it all in about 5 batches maybe 1/2 full)


• pour the soup into a large bowl and stir in the cream. serve warm.

Dave said it's the best he's ever tasted, but I don't know whether to believe him or not. Personally, I think the Martha Stewart / Kirkland stuff at Costco is pretty damn good.

Proof my husband loves me.

1. I went to bed last night at 7:30 because I was exhausted. I woke up this morning at 7:15 and he stuck around before going to work so that I could wake up and get my shit together before dealing with Finn.


2. He gives me vitamins everyday because if he doesn't, I forget. This morning they were sitting on the table waiting for me.


3. I mowed the front lawn and stuck him with the apple & Monty land mine back yard. And he did it without a complaint.


4. He is on the way to Sonic which just opened two days ago to get me a cherry limeaid.


5. He took the dog with him.


6. While he is out he's getting me another pint of cream for the soup I am making. And I didn't even have to ask. In fact, I forgot all about it until he said something about picking it up for me.

Either he loves me, or he wants some booty tonight.

Or both.

Slacker Uprising.

This is the new film by Michael Moore. He is distributing it via web for FREE. You will be able to download the entire movie for free on September 23rd if you sign up. www.slackeruprising.com

Fun Halloween Tricks & Treats!!

As you can see ----> over there in my blogroll, I read the fabulous Linda over at Restyled Home daily. She is one of those endlessly fabulous creative women and she is having a contest in tandem with Matthew Meade! Even if there hadn't been a contest, I'd be encouraging you to check this out.

So head over to Matthew's Site to check out his new Halloween tricks & treats. And pick up his new Halloween magazine, on newsstands now! There are tons of new, fresh ideas that I will be trying out myself.

Look who is in town!

The Extreme Makeover Home Edition crew is in Toledo this week. For more info on the family and the project check here here here and here.

Baby Belly.

Miss Emily, you are so cute. So long as you keep your baby germs to yourself, we're cool. (We all know you made Brittany get knocked up.) I am glad you had fun at your shower & got lots of stuff for lump. My money is still on GIRL!

Back to Sunday.

We headed to the zoo this morning to buy a membership & do a little polar bear observing. Unfortunately BOTH cubs, if you can call them cubs anymore, were zonked out.

Then to Packos at the Park for lunch, over to J-ma & Papa's house. They had their gallery open for the Wander the Warehouse District event. Then, it was over to the main library for some stories & playtime in the toddler room. I see another trip there soon with some friends, there were about 5 times the amount of board books as our branch, tons of toys, and lots of things to climb on and explore.

Daddy is going to be happy to go back to work on Monday after all that running around.

And as a side note, our weekend didn't even compare to what Bunny was doing. Check it out here. The woman never ceases to amaze me. Congrats BunBun, you kick ass.

Thanks Britt.

Now this can be in all y'alls head.

Swallowfield

I am in love with this print from Etsy seller Swallowfield. Visit the shop here.

Toddler Trails

Finn and Miss Sophie went on a toddler trails adventure this morning. It was actually a cute little hike and nature walk for the little ones. Our naturalist was very knowledgeable and pointed out some fun things for them to see. We saw chipmunks, squirrels, deer, daddy long legs, a creepy spider, and a caterpillar all in an hour. They also got to carry around acorns, look at what is inside a berry, and smell sassafras leaves.

Right Said Fred.

My brother in law texted me this morning to give me shit about not giving fair and equal time to the RNC on my blog. Ummm... yes I watched, but the DNC is obviously more deserving of my (blog) time Britt. Here is the funny thing about my family... most of us bleeding heart liberals are married to and/or dating republicans. My Meme constantly tells us that she must have been doing something wrong if we all chose republicans. At least we're cancelling their vote out. So here Britt... so you don't have to start your own blog. Here is your damn RNC post. Comment away.

Oh yeah, and a little bit for Lynds too... every single time I see Fred Thompson speak it makes me think I am watching Law & Order. I wonder if this is how the old timers felt about watching Reagan when he ran?

Nice to meet you.

I ran into my ex at the grocery store tonight... if you could call him that. I don't even know if we really dated so much as slept together on and off for more years than I care to remember. It was in my young and stupid days. Why couldn't he have just completely ignored me? I quite honestly wouldn't have even realized he was standing a line over, I was preoccupied. But nooooo.

Instead I get yelled to across the checkout lane. Introduced to his wife. And his kids. And I in turn had to do the same. Then I was practically having laughing convulsions in the line at the Kroger store when I told my husband who it was. Then, it was more than a nice to meet you as he took another look at who I used to be an idiot over.