Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I forgot to add that he has a Yahtzee and FreeCell handheld, plus bass fishing and shooting and all sorts of games. I don't know how long they keep him occupied. Ordinarily he would be in his workshop building something or driving a car. He works for a dealership "hiking" cars. Three or four guys drive four cars to a dealership in another town (or state) and then all ride back together, or they go together and come back in separate cars. Sometimes he goes by himself and just swaps out cars. This is like when you want a particular color or option and your dealership says they don't have it but can get it. They call a guy like my dad to go pick it up and bring it back. Anyway, it's a good little job for an old retired guy who wants to stay busy.

Coco, cumin isn't really like any other spice. To me, it smells like taco seasoning, and that's the main flavor I always taste when I use it. On my bottle, it says "Cumin, sometimes called Comino, is an ancient seed known in biblical times. From India, its earthy flavor is featured in many Middle Eastern and Latin American foods. Use in chili, tamales, enchiladas, lentils, meat loaf, lamb dishes, barbeque sauce and salad dressings. Excellent in sauerkraut, sausage, and game."

So, there you go. What kind of recipe is it that you're needing it for?

I woke up this morning to lightning, thunder, and snow. Thunder snow happens occasionally here - like once every 5 years or so, so it was pretty cool. School is cancelled today, so we're just taking it easy. Oldest dd put a bowl outside to measure the snowfall. Later today we're going to pretend we're running a restaurant and make up our dinner menu, ingredients list, etc. It'll help them practice planning, writing, reading, fractions, etc. Ha ha ha! Education, and they don't even know it!

Vickie, dh is trying to plan a quick weekend trip for our anniversary in April. I keep trying to get him to choose Chicago, so we could meet up for dinner at one of your favorite Core restaurants. He says he wants to go someplace warm, but I'm working on him.

Kids want to go out in the snow, so I'll bbl.

Angela

The recipe that I am wanting to try is in the Turnaround cookbook.
Its called Vegetable Picadillo.
And it is calling for the cumin 1 teaspoon. And Cayenne. I dont have that. But thougth I could use fajaiti seasoning for that.
But its just Green and red peppers, onion, garlic minced, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and tomatoe paste and the 2 spices.
So thought it would be something different.
Will have to go through my spices and try and get some new ones.
Thanks!!
coco

M&Ms and Popcorn? I can't say I've ever heard of it but it sounds like it would have the same appeal as chocolate covered pretzels, which I like. I've not had corn with pasta yet, but I have put some zuccini and summer squash in my sauce and that's been pretty tasty.
Tonight's stir fry night for me. I have to be better than good for the next day or so because my husband and my freinds are going away from Saturday -Monday at a really nice B&B. I know I will be eating non-core, so I saved up my points and will just have to do the best I can. I already know that there is champagne and chocolate covered strawberries waiting in the room for us.
The good news is that we'll be going to Maine and I can happily eat my weight in lobster and forfeit other more fatty meals. Plus I always get a salad, a veggie and a baked potato anyway so as long as I ask for FF dressing and all conmdiments on the side, it should be too bad. At least I hope not...
As long as I don't gain when I weigh in on Wednesday, I'll be happy. I'm so close to my fist 10 pounds that I would be really disappointed if I back track.
Well, that's today's rant.
Hey, I heard that WW is coming out with a core cereal. Has anyone else heard this? I was quite psych'd about the smoothies.

There is one cereal that I know of with the Core checkmark -- it's the puffed vanilla. It's very good! I bought mine at Super Target.

Is the Golden Box of Cambells butternut squash soup core? It doesn't look like it has anything bad in it but I was wondering if anyone had heard anything. Also, my coworker said that the 94% FF Kettle Corn is core but I don't believe him. Could it be true?

That kettle corn started out Core but was changed in a subsequent update.

I think those soups are too new to have a determination made on them but I have been treating one of the others as Core. I think it's called red pepper black bean or something like that. There's nothing in there that's drastically different from any of the other soups that are Core. The butternut squash soup says it has a hint of creamery butter, so it might not be Core, but I'm sure the points would be low on it.

Well here I am stressing out at work due to year end financial projections and contracts which are NOT finished on time (our year end is March 31) so I do feel like pulling my hair out and the pressure is on to get things tied up - but all I am running into are problems, problems, problems. I have found several 'loopholes' tho in some of our policies and this seems to be a godsend at this time as we try to satisfy our 'clients'.

Suffice it to say that I am ingesting sugar and other bad things as I am so out of control with my eating! and very tired to boot (went to bed too late).

Coco - I would try for a small bowl of a 'core' cereal and milk (if you can take the pill w/milk?). Otherwise if you want to stay core maybe fruit and yogurt?

I have also recently discovered cumin - and now could not do without it! Very essential in many recipes!

Vickie - have fun at the hairdresser's!

Ali - Froufs just LOVE chocolate covered strawberries and champagne - and don't get me going on lobster - sounds like a great weekend in store for you - have fun!

So Angela - what's for dinner? Do they get to cook it to? or just plan it?

Well I am very sad to say that my gf who I was going to have dinner with has CANCELLED due to pending bad weather - how poopy is that? I was really looking forward to it. While the snow has finally stopped we are expecting freezing rain later - and I guess it does not look bad now but I suppose it might be worse later on? Anyhow I do understand cuz she does live at the other end of the city and I guess driving home might be a problem. So now I have to go home after work and find something to eat!....and drive dd to and from dance class.....oh well.

...and did not get a chance to grab the 'talking bear' this morning so will have to plant a message sometime when little ds is not looking! Maybe a good night message!

As for dd - just cuz you didn't hear about her Vickie does not mean she is behaving. She has been 'harrassing' me day and night to purchase this Zen mp3 thing for her - like $250, and she keeps sending me ebay links and asking me to bid on ones she has found - like no! She certainly does not deserve it in my books - and is still hardly able to keep her room, bathroom clean and do her laundry on any regular basis. Besides the fact that money doesn't grow on trees - just wrote a cheque for $225 for her dance costumes and made a hotel reservation for the 2 days we will be in Toronto for her dance competition in April (hotel = $250, plus gas, meals, etc) - asked her what would she prefer dance or the zen - of course she answered both. I guess she still has a lot of growing up to do?

Did get her report card yesterday and seems she is doing well (except for math which she barely passed with a 55%!). Her average is 74% (and that includes the bad math mark) so she is doing okay.

....and now she is on some sort of a fitness trend - says she is taking 'fitness' at school - this requires another $225 for 'supplies' - and of course a Y membership so she can work out? So I shall go down to the printing press in the basement and print up some more money I guess?

At least tomorrow's friday!

Frazzled Frouf

Thank you! That's very helpful! I don't have the puffed vanilla in my supermarkets yet onlt the one with almonds. I'll keep looking though. Sorry to hear about the kettle corn. I guess we have old info.

Oh Froufy! It sounds like you're having a tough day/week. I got my husband the Zen Nano for Christmas and he really likes it but that was his big gift and even so it was only $129. Anyway, I hope work calms down for you soon.

hi, chickies. sorry i didn't get back here yesterday. we were keeping our phone line open in case the guys from texas called. then i got caught up in tv and the olympics. (ai, too) today is frigid!! it was 15* when we went to shoot today and the temp is falling. our low tonight is to be around -7*, and we're the banana belt of montana. i think our temp is the state high today but i'm not sure.

melissa, m&m's and popcorn are one of my favorite combinations. i also like to have a diet coke in a cup with popcorn "accidentally" spilled in it. i love soggy popcorn. but my fav is popcorn and chocolate--especially m&m's. i'm sorry you're still stressed. i can relate. one year when i was teaching high school there were more than normal fights in the halls. as an "old" elementary school teacher i felt it was my duty to jump in and break things up. i remember one time stepping between 2 BIG guys. the one who went on to play football for minnesota was very protective of me. he picked me up and put me out of the way before he hit the guy back. another time i was tugging on a fighting guy from behind by pulling on his jacket while yelling, "quit it!". another football player (i was cheerleader sponsor and went to all their games and baked them goodies so i was their pet) picked me up and put me out of the way. for days afterward kids would see me in the hall and say, "quit it. quit it." it was actually sort of funny. anyway, to make a long--getting longer- story short, i wound up in the hospital with a urinary tract infection that the doctor told me was caused by stress. you be careful not to let stress get you down.

i'm on a roll now. here's more info on that archery tournament. like i said yesterday there will be at least 1800 and up to 2700 kids competing on friday. there will probably be around 1800 adults competing sat/sun. there will be cheerleaders and bands and huge trophies for the kids on fri. sat/sun there will be vendors and a lot of adults "strutting" their stuff showing off their archery gear. we know folks from all around the states who will be there competing. watching archery is not exciting for most spectators as the shooter has to stand very still. in fact, the less movement you can see--the better job the shooter's doing. also, it's hard to see arrows in the targets (20 yds from the shooters) unless you have binoculars. but i love watching!!!!

enough archery talk for now. ya'll be watching my temp thingee and be glad you're in warmer places. if you're in colder places, you have my sympathy.

kathy, norm, our friend from grandview who was up here, is tournament director next year for the u. s. indoor world trials. these are held biannually (sp?). he was in charge last year and held the competition in hillsboro. next year the tournament will be somewhere around ft. worth. a lot of olympic style shooters (and olympic medal winners) will be attending as well as a lot of the top compound shooters from the u. s. you might want to take a peek. i'm hoping we'll be down there at that time (around jan). if we are i'll compete for the fun of it and for the experience. i'll update you when i can. i think judd would be impressed with the shooters, too. he might be interested in watching. (and if ya'll aren't interested, i understand)

i'll bet i'd like corn in spaghetti. i love both.

frouf, that's exciting about your bro knowing the olympic marathon runner. don't you think that makes it a lot more exciting to watch? we've met some of the u. s. olympic archery team. (no surprise there, right?) i can't say we really know them, though, cuz we only talk to them a little at the big tournaments. i love reading about ds's little bear. how cute!

kathy, i think the 30's down there are very cold. that dampness makes me ache to the bones. it's really windy here right now and is supposed to snow heavily for about 3 hours this afternoon. we're settled in prob till saturday. i saw most of ai last night but am still out of the loop, too, on who i like--except for the grey haired guy. is his name travis? i like his personality.

coco, if i need to find a sub for something, i go to askdotcom and ask jeeves. i usually find out what i need to know.

vickie, you have to be rundown from all the pain you've been through. i'm not surprised you're catching a cold. i hope you have a light case, though.

angela, what a fun idea to do with your dd's. enjoy!!

alicat, let us know when the core cereal comes out. i hope you lose your first 10 soon. good success to you!!

frouf, here's my confession--i'm having too much sugar today, too. i normally don't allow myself sugar close to tournaments, so this should end soon. print me some $$ while you're at it. (just big $$)

got to go. i need to watch some tv. i feel a nap coming on and need to be in the loveseat in front of the tube.

Brief, brief, brief, because I'm leaving!! Yippee!! Although I'm not going home, I'm volunteering tonight at a food bank with some people from church. But I'm looking forward to it.

Kathy, I bought some of that very soup yesterday at kroger, they had it for about 1.50. I thought it looked great, and figured it was core-enough for me.

Frouf, I'm sorry that your plans got cancelled with your gf. Maybe you could find something else fun to do? And maybe you should tell dd that she can earn money for her mp3 player by doing work for you...then see how much she wants it!

Sandra, I can just picture you fighting with some big football players. That tournament sounds like so much fun! My mom rides horses in some competitions and it sounds similar. Always lots of people and lots of things to spend $ on.

Well I'm getting out of here. I'm hoping that after I get home tonight and have a bite to eat that I'll feel like exercising. Of course DH might feel neglected. I'll have to play it by ear. But a few minutes ago I was messing with my hair in the mirror and realizing just how ROUND my face has gotten--such motivation!!

Gotta run, have a great evening everyone!!

melissa, when we go to louisville, we always see a lot about horse competitions advertised. what kind of competition does your mom do? i think that's a glamorous sport working with those handsome horses.

okay, i'm going to take it upon myself to start a new thread. 31 pages is enough. now i need to come up with a title. i'll see ya'll there.

Woohoo, Melissa! Leaving work early!! What a good person you are for working at the food bank. I've been reading a lot of Ky. stories lately -- namely the one where John Michael Montgomery got arrested for DWI yesterday (or was it today?) ... anyway, Judd's cousin is getting married in Lexington next weekend but we aren't going. They were supposed to get married in the summer but the bride's dad has terminal cancer and he's not expected to make it that long, so everything got moved up.

Sandra, Judd would actually love to watch the archery, especially if I told him to! No really, he has a bow that he's had for a while and we're going to mount it on the wall of his study whenever we make him one. That depends on when Erin moves out, because her room is the one he wants. You keep me posted; but for sure when you're here in the spring we are definitely getting together. I'd love to see you shoot sometime.

Froufy, what a big day you're having! Step away from the sugar though; you know better. And now you can tell me to step away from the beer. I got to work at 6:30 this morning and so I left at 3:30 this afternoon. Came home to a quiet house and oh yeah, I needed some stress relief. Anyway, I love the bear story and hope Emily settles down soon about everything. I'll also take some $$$ if you end up with too many bills.

Where's Vickie?

Alrighty, Shaun is in Dallas at MEPS taking his test tonight and physical tomorrow. Please, please, PLEASE let's all keep our fingers and toes and eyes and legs crossed in the hopes that he gets in the Navy. I honestly can't take much more of him being here, especially since there's no contingency plan. I don't know what will happen if he doesn't get in. Sigh ...

Kate is scheduled to move out on Mar. 19. Last night they went and bought living room furniture. Devan and Jeremy (the other roommate) are buying it but Kate put down the $100 deposit. She'll buy the dining table and chairs. I guess she took Judd's advice to heart about not getting joint credit to buy furniture. She said they have all discussed what would happen in the event of a breakup, so it sounds like they're considering all angles of this deal.

Her room is yikes-nasty and I'm not kidding, so I'll probably have to rip up the carpet, paint, scrub down the blinds and fumigate. It'll be our new guest room, and if Shaun goes to the Navy, there will be a back-up guest room. One of them will hold my sewing machine and bookcases with all my fabric.

Okay enough of that. Everybody have a good early evening and I'll be back in a while.