Archive | June, 2013

music to fix my very short attention span

29 Jun

man, i love rush hour.

but i didn’t always.  i inherited my dad’s massively short attention span.  for those of you that like my presentation skills in front of car dealers, it’s because i try to present to people like me.  keep it short, keep it entertaining, keep it passionate.  now… i’m not bragging about my inability to concentrate.  it actually causes me a great deal of stress.

back to rush hour.  so at 43 years old, i have NEVER had to be in rush hour.  never.  in chicago, i walked to work.  in dallas, i lived 10 minutes from work but now that i’m in birmingham, i have a 30 – 45 minute commute.  at first i hated it.  because of my short attention span, i can’t listen to a song in it’s entirety on the radio.  so i’m flipping and  flipping and pretty frustrated.   some like making phone calls, some dictate emails into their iphones and some juggle eating an egg white mcmuffin, green tea and applying make-up. but not moi. i prefer jamming good tunes.

and I found the cure. on a free app called mixcloud.  here is where famous and not famous djs spin on-going tunage.  having a dj spin music cures my need to turn the song after the first few seconds. i have full on worn out colin peter’s mix with nile rodgers.  nile rodgers was in chic and is madonna’s inspiration.  in fact, she opens up the mix.  nothing like a little daft punk with carly simon and donna summer.

this is EXACTLY what I need to take on the day at full throttle. download it, love it, play it LOUD.

if you even were next to me on my drive down to work, you’d crack up. and be a little embarrassed for me.

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rant: only say thank you when you are thanking someone. thanks.

24 Jun

it’s not normal for me to rant on my blog called “the appreciator” but i feel like it.  and it’s my blog.

have you noticed how incorrectly people use the words “thank you”?  

especially in this modern day communication via email, i notice that people say “thank you” when they really aren’t saying thank you for anything at all.  like the entire email is one big to-do list for you and at the bottom is “thank you!”  for what?  reading my diatribe?

the worst offender is the one that populates their signature with the word “THANKS!”  which means that they could be ripping you a new one in the email but don’t forget that i added “THANKS!” to the end of the email so now we’re all good and i’m really a nice person.

really annoying.  there.  i’m done ranting.  

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best chicken recipe ever. like ever.

20 Jun

i’ve had this blog for two years now, and you need to know that this has been my most popular blog to date.  like off the charts.  so now, i’m going to repost the heck out of it.

just kidding.

this is my sister-in-law’s recipe that i have made and can attest that it is so delicious.  don’t go get that burger king for dinner tonight, print this out and make it.  let me know how it is.

& susan, can’t wait to see you soon!

trish’s italian chicken and love roll ups

thin sliced chicken breasts

mozzarella cheese, sliced

flour

egg and water, beat

bread crumbs

butter

parmesan cheese

pasta

marinara sauce (I buy prepared or you could make your own, lol)

roll thin chicken and a slice of cheese and secure with a toothpick. dredge each roll in flour, then egg and water and then bread crumbs. place rolls in a baking dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and put a small pat of butter on each. you don’t need to add love separately, if you have gotten this far, it is already in there.

bake @ 425* for 20-25 minutes. cook the pasta separately and heat the sauce.

i add a vegetable or salad and italian bread for a yummy meal. this is my husband mike’s and my son bill’s favorite meal. i have made it for them many times. i have also made it ahead of time for a buffet, to pop in the oven for 50 people. the point… it is easy and a good recipe for few or many.

cabin fever

19 Jun

ROF and i are embracing the michigan lifestyle and this includes going “up north”. if you don’t know what that is, check out this video:

we’re slightly crazy about it and are thinking of renting a cabin for the summer next year. if you’re not familiar with michigan

look at a map

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it’s surrounded by big, glistening lakes. you have no idea how unbelievably beautiful this state is. if you don’t believe me, believe chef mario batali

anyway, all this thinking and dreaming of a lake house made me dig around on houzz to research my dream place. what i found was my ultimate michigan barn.

this was designed by northworks architects and planners out of chicago, il. this place is my idea of a getaway!
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you can see more on my cabin fever page on houzz here

summer drive, michigan style

9 Jun

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it’s a nice 80 degrees out with a cool breeze. driving home from chicago, we detoured along lake michigan and scanted along the lakefront and then cut through the state on farm roads that were hilly and lush. loved hearing ROF say: “even though i’ve lived in michigan before i never thought it was this beautiful.”

#puremichigan