chance))

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The Weekend

The weekend is almost over and well I am exhausted. I need a weekend where we just stay home and don't leave at all. I have been up for 21 hours and I need a bed any bed, but I am not home. This couch will have to do. I am all over the place with blogging. I am trying out wordpress too, trying to figure out what I like. I like that there is an app to post and comment. But I don't know I will play around with both over the next week and figure it out. Blah falling asleep.

To Do Tuesday!

     So, I forgot about a meeting with my boss today when I made the schedule so I had to come in on my day off. No biggie just 4 short hours. My to do list is short but full! I cleaned up last night so the house is in order I just have some pretty big rocks to sift through today. But most of it is fun stuff for me so no worries. I started moving around furniture in my bedroom and cleaning out the closet so I need to finish that. And I want to set up my sewing area in my bedroom again. That is my other big rock. I will probably work on the room during the afternoon and the sewing stuff after I put the kids to bed. It's so much easier to work with scissors and needles when Aiden is out! Glad this week's list consists of things for me. I am learning to let go of the mom and wife role a little and include things that interest me. Things I can do without the kids and the hubs, like blogging, readings, sewing. It's hard as a women to not get consumed by those roles. They are the most important roles we take on that get judged and critcized the most. I also have some things to work on for my career but that can wait. Not forever just until Wednesday! Who knows maybe I can knock it all out today! Ha I wish just one Tuesday everything on the list would get done. But I am okay knowing it won't and never will. I would have absolutely no life in order to accomplish everything and I would rather have the interruptions of kids, a husband, friends, and family then none at all. And as promised my meal plan using my apps is ready! Here it is, oh and this is probably going to be a 2 parter seeing as I only used half my apps!

Tonight: Capellini Pomodoro: whole foods app
Wednesday: we usually get together at my grandmas
Thursday: simple lemon/herb chicken: all recipes spinner app
Friday: Tangy BBQ chicken or grilled halibut (haven't decided)
Saturday: Grilled Terriyaki Beef Kabobs: Betty Crocker app
Sunday: left overs free day

Meatless Monday...Tuesday?

Okay so I had this post written and set to go yesterday er make that Sunday, it's midnight and officially Tuesday. Anywho, it's meatless Monday but gosh darn it I am freakin craving my moms taco salad!!! So scratchy entire menu for the week I am making taco salad on meatless Monday. And while yes, I could bot use meat and just use pinto beans, I haven't eaten this dish since I was a kid and I just want to eat it the way my mama used to make it. So we will have meatless Friday I say Friday because I want grilled halibut so I need to thaw it out in the fridge so it will probably be Friday before we actually eat it.

So I tweeted I wanted to challenge myself and create a meal plan using my apps all about food. Because I am obsessed with it and love to cook! So I have like 8 apps involving food and recipes. I created a plan an was all set with delicious capellini pomodoro on the menu but as previously stated I want some damn taco salad!!! So add to my to do Tuesday list meal plan with apps. It really is just some rearranging. Will post tomorrow night y'all!

Sent from my iPhone

Coffee Talk: The real top 10 reasons your barista hates you!

My Store

Okay so in my title I say hate but I don't really mean it. Since I have been on Twitter I have seen a lot of posts linking to blogs, articles, what have you talking about the top 10 reasons your barista hates you. And well frankly, me and my barista's hate those posts! First of all, we don't hate we just get super annoyed and/or fed up with these types of people and/or behaviors. Secondly, most of those posts are about stupid, random stuff that the one sour-puss, bitter bean barista they are talking to feels. Most on those lists were completely irrelevant to a store that is filled with people who appreciate their job and have fun at work. So here is the official "unofficial" top 10 reasons your barista seems annoyed with you:)
*Disclaimer: if you happen to be one of these types of people. I am sorry, we appreciate your business, and we really just want to be really great at our job and make sure you have a great experience.

1. Cell phone users: Please do not shush me or tell me to wait while you sit in my drive thru on the phone!!! There are people behind you who do not want to wait for you to have your conversation. It's even worse when you are standing in front of me at the register. If your call is THAT important, wait until after the call to get in line!!

2. Not indicating  you wanted your beverage iced or blended. When ordering at Starbucks, all beverage are going to be made hot unless you specify iced or frappuccino.

3. Not paying attention when the barista is talking to you and agreeing to whatever I say even if I got your order wrong (by accident) and then getting mad because I made the wrong drink or wrong size or wrong modifier. We repeat your order so you can verify that we have the right items for you. Please listen carefully I have been known to confuse a grande for a venti!

4. asking if the decaf/nonfat drink I just handed to you stating it was decaf/nonfat. Yes we make mistakes but if I say its decaf/nonfat then it is.

5. Stupid modifiers that no one is capable of getting right. I hate to break this to you but there are no halvsies!! We can attempt a half of a pump but honestly the pump really isn't meant nor designed to pump a half. And a half a shot in a venti is not a coffee beverage just order your steamed vanilla milk and be done with it. Lastly a whole splenda/sweetnlow/ equal/or sugar will not kill you or run your diet. Please don't expect me to get exactly a half a packet in your drink!!

6. You are late and mad because you have to wait your turn and then get pissy with me because I will not make your drink before the 5 people ahead of you nor will I let you cut to the front because all you want it a drip. If you are THAT LATE, don't go to a busy coffee shop and get coffee, office coffee that day.

7. Expecting free/extra stuff or special pricing because you come here everyday. I hate to burst your bubble, but while we enjoy your company and visiting with you everyday we do this with lots of people. Like 500 on a slow day. So while I would love to only charge you for a tall and give you a venti I have to pay my bills too and I like my job and want to keep it. If I have to pay for my food and refills so do you.

8. Ordering at the window during peak time and especially ordering hot breakfast items at the window. I will have to apologize and sometimes calm down the irate person behind you because they don't care that you added 3 items to your order at the window it is my fault and I am too damn slow!

9. The iced water girls. Please do not come through my drive thru, especially during peak, and only order an iced venti water. First I will only give you a tall if you don't order anything else, it's policy. Second do not be that lazy!! Third, that cup, lid, and straw cost me money and we are not allowed to charge you for it. Everywhere else gives you a tiny cup for water why do you expect a giant one from me?

10. Lastly and super importantly: We are human, we make mistakes, it's just a cup of coffee. You do not get to yell at us, call us names, throw your beverage at us or throw a tantrum because we made a mistake. That is seriously rude and uncalled for. We will gladly remake your beverage and offer to pick up the tab on another one later but don't be rude. We have feelings too.

Okay so there is my random rant of the week. I guess it was kind of a rant inside of a rant. Oh well enjoy.

To Do Tuesday!

So I am at work. I am taking Thursday - Monday off so I have to work today. But I came in at 4am so I'm off at 1p. Fair trade I think. But for that reason my to do list is extremely short today. Keeping it simple with 1 load of laundry, hit up the bathrooms, and bake some zucchini bread. (I have giant zucchini overtaking my garden)

I do however want to refer back to the argument er discussion 2 weeks ago in my house, where my hubs jokingly asked for a chore chart and I not jokingly threw the Smith House Binder at him. Of course I call it the Smith Family Playbook because it is our game plan for running a house and family. And since I threw introduced my hubs to it, he has really stepped up his game. Granted he is still learning his role in the plays but he's trying and I did get to relax a little after dinner a few times last week. So hopefully he sticks with it. Our playbook is broken down into days of the week and each day lists which duties should be completed each day. There of course are notes regarding who could possibly complete each duty to help but again it's just a suggestion. There is another section entitled the boys and that is again broken down into days of the week and any special events or dr's visits or what have you's regarding the boys goes under there. That's all I got for now but I figure it's a start. I am thinking of adding a home section where we list ongoing projects and wish lists regarding things to do for the home or improvement of home. Anyway, have a great Tuesday!

Meatless Monday

  I am trying desperately to get more recipes I can use for Meatless Mondays. Ok recipes I think my 3 year old and 31 year old kid and hubs will actually eat! Especially some with lots of veggies. I have an ap I truly love and use a lot. It was just updated and the recipe bank just got way bigger! Super excited, I search the app and find a category listing all recipes using veggies. Score. What I love about this app is that it features a pic, the recipe and I can add to my fave list and go back to my search where I left off. So this super awesome food app is: The Betty Crocker app! People if you need an all around go to food app- this is it. It has appetizers, cool stuff for kids, healthy stuff, bakes goods. Oh and the quick and easy stuff, like bisquick crepes. Yup awesome.
  So for this Meatless Monday, I turn to dear old Betty and Olive Garden. I really am craving some soup, salad and breadsticks. I don't want to take the kids and go out and even though I know if we got it to go it would be too much food to finish, it just seems wrong to get an all you can eat dinner to go. So I turn to my Betty app find a quick and easy minestrone recipe and pair that with a salad and some bread. The killer part is I can buy the Olive Garden house dressing to go and pair that with a crisp green salad. Then I am thinking for the breadsticks, some cresent rolls that I slather in garlic butter before rolling and baking. Now here is the minestone recipe. I have 2 kinds of squash in my garden so I using that and I like spinach instead of cabbage so I am using that. Enjoy!!

Minestrone:

1 20 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 med stalks celery thinly sliced, abt 1 cup
1 small zucchini, sliced abt 1 cup
1 small crook neck squash, sliced abt 1 cup
1 med onion chooped, abt 1/2 cup
baby spinach washed and drained
1/2 c macaroni salad pasta or whatever shape you like
1 1/4 c vegetable broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic minced
shredded parmesan to top

1. Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling. Breaking up tomatoes, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 min stirring occasionally until macaroni and veggies are tender. Serve and top with cheese. Add croutons if you like or if not serving bread.