Bought my first baby bib

Ha! Not what you thought, no babies yet. Read on!

First....

Shamelessly plugging my new blog, 365 days in pictures. Check it out! Shameless plug over.

How cool are thrift stores? Goodwill, ARC, DAV… Just yesterday I got the 2 cutest tops and a darling dress, oh yeah, and a cow mug (how can I pass something with a cow up? I even bought a… cow… bib! Yup. Planning ahead for our little cow-loving baby).

My best thrift store purchase? A huge, antique trunk for thirty bucks a few years back. I almost had to fight a lady for it, but it went home with me!

Anyone else have any good finds to share?

All I Want For Christmas….

Looks like denim…. But feels like PJs! They’re Pajama Jeans!

https://www.pajamajeans.com/flare/next

Jeans that are pajamas? H3LL yeah! Sign me up! I like to be comfortable while looking sharp!

Am I ashamed of my desires? Perhaps slightly. But c’mon, it “Feels like sleepwear but looked too good to keep hidden under the covers”!

*Concern is on the rise that I may soon give in and purchase…a….snuggie. Someone stop me, I need an intervention!

There are Always Consequences

(Photo credits not mine. D@MN I forgot to bring my camera. You get the idea…)

Last night we had to make a quick wal-mart run. Yeah. We shop at wal-mart. Don’t bother trying to tell me why it’s wrong, and I already know it’s kind of white trash, but I’m all about saving a few bucks. So sue me. No, really, don’t. Please. I haven’t saved enough bucks to make it worth your time, I promise!

Anyway.

LT Fromage and I were both in sort of silly moods. This is actually normal for us, so I’m not sure why I feel the need to mention it. The crazies were probably intensified just a little by the beer he had at supper, and the glass (er, 3) of wine I had before we left.

*easily distracted this morning. bear with me*

LT Fromage insisted on pushing the cart. Usually I like to push, but he got it first (wrestled it away from me). Near the end of our list, we passed by the electronics department where LT Fromage began grazing the displays with our cart. Why? “Because I can’t do it in the car! Here there are no consequences!”

He hadn’t even finished his statement when he totally plowed over a printer and ink display!

Which I’m saddened to see doesn’t seem as funny in type as it did when it happened. But trust me, it was uh-mazing!

We laughed like kids while we scrambled to reassemble the stuff we knocked down before this overweight, waaaaay to serious wal-mart employee comes running (well, as fast as he could run. More like a brisk walk) “Is everyone ok?!” LT Fromage assured him we were fine, I was too busy laughing like a hyena to answer. “Are you sure? Do we need to file a report?”

Do tell, what would that report say?

“We were sideswiped by a gray cart, we didn’t get a plate number but it appeared
to be a male driving. They pushed us into this display and then fled the scene.
No medical assistance was necessary at the time. No property damage was
sustained (we put it all back… wrong, I’m sure, but we tried) and the cart seems
to be running fine, despite the accident”

I guess you had to be there.

Ah, I love being married.

Host First Thanksgiving as LT and Lady Fromage: Check!

(Unattempted as of yet, but they look quite yummy! Check them out here!)

Phew! It’s over.

We actually had a great time, and I have to mention (rub in) again how lucky LT Fromage and I are to have in laws we love, who love each other! The food was great, the company even better, and by a miracle of God (or it might have been my momma) the house was sparkling clean when everyone left!

However, the stress of so much company, more cooking than we normally do in a month, constant entertaining and 3 dead car batteries (each family experienced it at different times, his, mine and ours) spread over the week has us a little on edge now. When I say a little on edge, I mean I slept on the couch last night. (Lesson learned: When LT Fromage is burnt out, he wants to be left alone, which conflicts with my need to draw close again. Ah, the discoveries of a young marriage. See, L, we aren’t perfect all the time!)

With thanksgiving out of the way, it’s time to start prepping for the most spectacular time of the year…. Christmas!

Stay tuned for cookie recipes (It’s true, I’m going to try my hand at baking once more!), darling home décor ideas and wish lists (listen up, Santa! Or blog readers in a giving mood!) In the mean time, be sure to check out Shutterfly, where you can score 50 free personalized Holiday greeting cards, with your photo! They also offer mugs, calendars and more. LT Fromage and I are totally doing it this year. Especially since we get them for free. Free is good. It means saving more money for the mega-electric bill we’ll get in January thanks to all the lights I’ll be attaching to the house.

D@MN it Feels Good to be a Gangsta

One night in December, after an evening of pizza, Wii and lots of drinking with our couple friends S & J (My best Non Sucky Army Wife friend), we met “Gangsta Gangst”, J’s alter ego.
We had a lot of laughs at his “gangsta name”, because J is not, in fact, a “gansta”, not even close. He wears sweaters and watches Food Network. LT Fromage also wears sweaters and we're also Food Network junkies, so the 4 of us can discuss the Iron Chefs for hours. It’s no surprise that we’ve become such good friends. Try as we might, none of us are quite gangtas, though.

I began to feel jealous, if fellow sweater-wearing, Food Networking-watching, early-bedtimer , J could have a Gangsta name, why couldn’t I? LT Fromage said he would work on it.
A few days later, driving home from a Monday night date (We try to get some good Margaritas….er, I mean Mexican food, on Mondays), it came to him. “I’ve got it!” he said, “Lady Fromage.” Of course!

I love, LOVE, loooovvvveeeee cheese. LT Fromage claims that if I was an animal, I would be a mouse. (Although a good friend once suggested badger… Aw, that’s mean. Oh, and then those boys MOO’d at me, so maybe a cow, also... But I digress).

When LT Fromage is away, most of my suppers consist of an array of cheeses (I always keep a minimum 6 selections stocked in the fridge at all times), jellies and jams, crackers and breads. Pair that with a bottle, er, glass of wine and I’m in heaven. Our older cat, Garrett also loves cheese, so when LT Fromage is not home, Gare and I can be found indulging on delectable dairy products together while we watch trashy MTV reality shows. (LT Fromage does not delight in cheese to the extent that I do; he prefers meals that are slightly more… diverse and substantial. He also doesn’t enjoy trashy MTV specials. His loss)

On a recent drive home from St. Louis LT Fromage took me to The Cheese Store. This is exactly what it sounds like. That is, Heaven.

I limited myself to 5 cheeses; however I sampled each and every one in the store (some more than once) My final purchases:

*Havarti with Dill (LT Fromage's favorite)
*White Cheddar with Onion and Garlic
*Cajun Cheddar Curds
*Smoked Mozzarella Curds
*White and Orange Cheddar Curds

Other favorites:

*Goat cheese. Plain ol’ is my favorite, but it’s also delicious with herbs and other add-ins.
*Gorgonzola. I make a fab-u-lous sauce to go over steak (or Portabella mushrooms, for me), and I always buy an extra tub so I can snack on the tasty chunks while I cook.
*White Queso. Pretty dee-lish, when you get it at an authentic Mexican restaurant!
*Brie. I even named a pet rat this, once. If ever you have an opportunity to eat baked brie, try it! I promise you’ll eat every last bite!
*Swiss. One word, Fondue.
*Smoked Gouda. O.M.G…. Oh, yes, yes yes!
I’m also a sucker for- this is embarrassing – Velveeta. Sorry, I can’t help it. Heat it up with a can of Rotell, you’ll love it too.

And there you have it. The backstory of my cheesy name. Now you know, and knowing is all the power (*wink *wink, LT Fromage!).

Tweeting is for the Birds

Someone help me out. I need to know, what the eff is Twitter?

If a bird, say, an African Gray parrot is involved, I’m in, but I have a feeling it’s something…. techy.

How did this happen to me? A million years ago I did contract work building websites (back when it was good old HTML coding and nothing more); after high school, I pursued a degree in graphic design, but somewhere along the way, I lost it. I can still write HTML (which is like, drawing on cave walls nowadays), but I have no idea what a 3G, or heaven forbid, a 4G phone is.

The last time I upgraded my cell phone (about 2 years ago) I was shown the Iphone, but I actually paid more for a regular old phone. A phone with buttons and no internet, a phone I knew how to use. I’m not sure how many Gs it is, but it’s green and so I’m happy with that.

Maybe for my next upgrade, I’ll get the Jitter Bug. Then this could be LT and Lady Fromage

Ok, so someone help me out. What the heck is twitter? Do I need one? More than one? What is it people “tweet” about? Is this something like a facebook status because I’m still not even facebook savy, all I can do there is plow a virtual farm. Without the crutch of updates like “I just harvested 9 plots of wheat!” I’m not sure what I’d have to say to Twitter. Probably things like “Running late, but really have to poop. Should I go ahead and go and be late, or wait until I get to work?” or “My sweater has a hole in it, but I’ll probably wear it anyway and if anyone says something I’ll just act surprised”. Most of my updates would probably read “Picking up green curry on the way home from work, yum!” and quite frankly, while that’s earth shatteringly exciting for me, all those people in cyberspace may be less than impressed.

So I ask you, readers, do any of you Twitter or Tweet? What do you say? And how many Gs must your phone possess to work this magic? (Extra love if you explain what the G is)

Reviews on the Jitter bug will also be accepted, as I’m due for a phone upgrade soon.

Many thanks,
Lady Fromage

Duct Tape, Pork Chops and other Nifty Things

So I realize that the last few posts have been about childhood toys, cartoon characters and reality televesion. Next thing you know, I’ll be blogging about Justin Beiber. Just kidding. I won’t go that far.

But I do owe you a grown up post, filled with useful information and nifty things you can take away with you (because I’m not all-that enough to do give aways just yet).

Here you go, some free advice. Things I’ve learned and will now pass on to you, loyal readers. Now don’t say I never gave you anything!

Duct tape works well to patch pants from the inside when they begin thinning from your fat thighs rubbing together. Be aware, though, that it will soon begin sticking to said fat thighs, which is quite uncomfortable, and will need to be gently tugged away from the skin, which can be awkward in social settings. Another layer of duct tape fixes this problem, but not for long. Lesson learned: This is not a permanent solution. Buy some new jeans, thunder thighs.

I can substitute vinegar for the cleaner in my Hoover Floor Mate. It’s way cheaper and works just as well, if not better. Plus it’s green, which I feel good saying. Since I don’t actually do many “green things” It is my favorite color though, so that should count for something.

A mixture of half Red Wine Vinegar and half White Wine Vinegar can be used in place of Apple Cider Vinegar when cooking. I don’t know how it would do in the Hoover though.

Pork Chops are a very good substitute for steak, and much less expensive; even than a less than stellar cut of beef. This sounds good to me, because A) I like to save money, and B) I don’t care as much for pigs as I do cows, and will likely feel less terrible about serving them on a plate. I made some piggies for LT Fromage last week and he loved them. (Mouth watering yet? Here you go!)

Apple Ginger Pork Chops
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri (Who totally rocks)

Ingredients
4 pork chops, double cut, center cut, bone in
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup sliced (1/4-inch) yellow onions
2 cups cored and sliced (1/4-inch) Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
In a resealable plastic bag, add the chops, apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saute pan heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to almost smoking, then add pork chops, shaking off excess marinade. Brown on both sides, then place on a sheet pan and put in the oven for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F.

In the same saute pan deglaze with wine then add onions, apples and raisins and cook until apples are soft and onions are translucent. Add butter salt and pepper, to taste, and keep warm.
Remove chops from oven and add to the apple mixture. Serve hot.

Notes From Lady Fromage:

I didn’t buy bone in chops; I couldn’t find them so I got a thick cut instead.

I subbed my above mixture for the Apple Cider Vinegar because I didn’t have any.

Also, who has fresh ginger around? I used powdered instead, but not as much obviously. Those would have been some gingery pieces of pork!

I didn’t have raisins so I used dried dates (Why we have those and not raisins I don’t know…).

I used Lime Juice because we didn’t have any lemons. A citrus is a citrus.

I clearly need to restock my kitchen. Now we don't even have anymore dried dates.

Lastly, I marinated for more like 12 hours, because how can 30 minutes do anything?

Lite-Brite, Lite-Brite, Turn on the magical shining light!

Last week LT Fromage and I took a beginners pistol class. LT Fromage was kind enough to tell me when we arranged it “I’m sure there are things I can learn,” but of course there weren’t. I think he may have actually outshot the instructor, but I had a good time and discovered that I am actually a better one handed shooter than I am when I use both hands. Who knew? Anyway, I got to wear my pink earmuffs, shoot some paper plates and see some cows in the adjacent field and all in all we had a fun day out.

But what does this have to do with a lite-brite? (I know you’re thinking “Where the eff is she going with this story?”)

We had a mega long lunch break, and after we hit up our favorite burger place we still had an hour before class resumed. During that time LT Fromage got a hair cut while I bought yet another pair of sunglasses (our German shepherd keeps eating them) and a cow pen that moos when you push on his head.

So far, there were already multiple high points of this day:

1. Sharing a mid-week day off with LT Fromage. Extra fun because we were shooting

2. The NRA teacher was named Myron Calhoun, which is pretty much a FREAKIN’ AWESOME NAME, right? And he was totally this cute little old man with a big old stocking cap! He even wore a huge name tag, even though we were the only 2 people in his class. Too cute! I have a thing for little old men. We’ll talk about that another time.

3. Lunch at So Long, which included fried pickles and a green chili “burger” with onion rings

4. The above mentioned cow pen. Which totally makes me look like a 6 year old but who gives a D@MN (Using bad words helps me not feel like a kid. Kids can't sware.) Also I got a pink cow eraser. Score!

On our way back to class after the eternal lunch break, we stopped at this funky second hand shop. There it was: The lite-brite. (I told you it was coming)

Pretty much the coolest toy ever. Except maybe Little People. I have a deep rooted love for those, too.

I went a little crazy when I saw it. Ok, more than a little. I may have caused a bit of a scene. But, c’mon, it’s a lite-brite! Who doesn’t remember this from their childhood? I’ll tell you who. LT Fromage.

Boy, he missed out!

I probably should have bought it (It was only ten bucks!) so he could try it out; that is, if I could share it long enough for him to have a turn.

So if you’re in the mood for some lite-brite fun now, because I sure am, I found a website where you can play lite-brite for free. It's not quite the same, but at least it means I won’t be digging those little pegs out of sofa cushions.

If you’ve got an urge for Little People now, well, you’re on your own.

Priorities

With very little time this week to be online it’s going to be about prioritizing. What does this mean? Online shopping totally takes precedence to anything else.

In my blogging absence, enjoy eyeing my recent purchases:

Owl earrings from Etsy.com

Teal Satchel from Target

(Ok, lie. This wasn’t online, I got it in store because they marked it 30% off. I was supposed to wait until Christmas, but since I was having a rough day yesterday, LT Fromage decided I should go ahead and begin using my new bag! Thank you, LT Fromage!)

See you Monday!

Adult Content

So LT Fromage has XM radio in his car, Beth. My truck is a 2004 so I’m stuck with the basics, AM, FM and CD player. Which is totally fine, but I do enjoy driving Beth sometimes because, among other stations, I can listen to Cosmo Radio.

Cosmo is pretty much my bible.

So a few months ago, while listening to this fabulous talk radio channel in LT Fromage’s car, an ad was played which offered a 25% discount code for a website which offered Cosmo’s Truth or Dare card game, which as soon as I learned of it had to have.

Upon returning home I immediately logged onto the website, which turned out to be strongly adult themed. NBD, I’ve seen the naked body before and I am a cheap wad so I wanted my discount. (This is why I love online shopping. No one has to know what you’re doing. Unless you later blog about it. Oops) Days came and went, my game arrived (Which, as is everything Cosmo cranks out, is fantastic) and life went on. Except that in addition to the game, I seem to have bought myself a life time of mailers from this adult website.

Now, every time I open my email there’s a “coupon code” or “special offer” from this website. For no real reason I once opened one of these messages, unfortunately it was while I was at work and I got a message explaining that some content of the page I was trying to view had been blocked… Oops.

It’s easy enough to delete a few emails without anyone being the wiser that I’ve got 3 or 4 porn messages in my inbox (Again, unless you blog about it. Eff) but the mailers are what are really getting to me.

A few times a month, a flashy envelope plastered with nude women posed provocatively but in such a way that covers just enough to allow these to go out in the mail. So now the post man thinks I’ve got some kind of fetish, I’m sure. It didn’t help that recently we received a package and our nice mailman came to the door to deliver it, bringing with him our mail. With a Play Boy special lying right on top. Some dark haired beauty, naked, of course, crawling under the HUGE wording, “LT Fromage, sign up now for a special offer! 1 year of Play Boy for $19.99!”

Normally our friends who live down the street watch our house and pets while we’re gone. They used to pick up our mail, too, but I’ve since stopped leaving the key for obvious reasons.

At least if I ever want to buy a blow-up fireman, I’m sure to have a catalog in the mail and discount code or two in my inbox…

*Normally I’d try to find a fitting picture to go with this post, but since I’m at work I’m not going to google image search this one.

As Seen On TV!

I am such a sucker for advertising. Put an enthusiastic actor on a commercial and I’m in; I’ll buy whatever it is you’re trying to sell. Even as a child I was easily influenced; my mom likes to tell the story of 4 year old Lady Fromage watching her do the dishes and offering this advice: “Mom, you should buy Dawn, because Dawn takes grease out of your way!”

I was obsessed with an expensive knife set for a while in high school. Not because I was an avid cook at the time, but if the occasion ever presented itself and I needed to throw a pineapple and slice it midair, I knew would be able to make that cut because I saw it done by a man who truly seemed to believe those knives were the best thing known to mankind. (Thank God I didn’t have the money to buy those… Though I did, honestly, dream of them for some time…)

Most recently, I’m in awe of a washing machine that is advertized to wash up to 34 towels at a time! How I am getting by with our measly machine? Oh, right, that’s how, because we don’t even OWN 34 towels. But if we did, I could wash them all at once. I’m still trying to reason why I would have 34 dirty bath towels at any given time, but it would be nice to know they could all make it into one load. I suppose I could just buy a Sham Wow! and then I’d only ever need one towel, or so they tell me.

Some things really are as awesome as they seem on TV. Like the Vidalia Chop Wizard (As badly as I wanted those knives, you’d think I actually like chopping but I hate it. I love my Chop Wizard!). I’m also pretty crazy about my new Hoover Floormate, which absolutely does out clean the Swiffer Wet Jet. Sadly, I don’t reserve those “must buy. NOW!” feelings for only the good products, nope, I want them all. The Bacon Wave, which promises easy bacon’ makin’, a must for a vegetarian like myself; or I could order the Listen Up, so I could easily hear the television while my partner sleeps, or I could eavesdrop on others while at the park. Maybe I’ll order that nifty Fish Pen, so I can fish anytime, anywhere! No, I’ve never actually fished before, but if the urge ever overtakes me, I should be ready!

So, folks, if you’re trying to make some extra money, sit me down for 30 seconds or half an hour, get excited about whatever piece of crap it is you’re trying to peddle and I’ll be whipping out the checkbook before you can say “Please allow 6-8 weeks for shipping and handling”! Whatever it is, it can end up in the pile with my microwave rice cooker, Hydroxycut and Bump It!s…. At least I haven’t bought a Snuggie… yet….

Too Much Time On Etsy.com...

I very badly want an orange purse. I think this one would look great with my green winter coat!

I love the color of the bird (My MIL's favorite color, it's rubbed off on me!) and the locket inside the book

What a darling combo of bird and deer....

My mom loves old skeleton keys, this necklace makes me think of her, and thus, makes me happy

I want this clock. I want a room big enough to display it.

This is such a calming print, I have the perfect place for it in the living room



I need a pill box, because I currently carry around full bottles of Tylenol, Vitamin D, Ibuprofen plus a few others. I want to keep them in tiny, daily doses...

At first, I was put off by this deers strange eyes, but they grew on me...

Cats. Ehm.