Cooking Ingredients Suggestions...

Feta Prosciutto Scramble with White Yam Hash
Browns and spinach side salad.

So ... I have this new idea for something fun that would be engaging my friends/family/network...  here's the concept:

"I'll Cook with That" - kind of like a surprise ingredients situation ... most of my close friends know that I absolutely love watching The Food Network and one of my favorite shows is "Chopped" - the concept there is that the Chefs don't know what their ingredients are until they open the box and then they get a certain amount of time to create/cook/present the dish.  Well, I'm not going that tight on the idea to match Chopped, but I am going to open up to ingredient ideas and then on my next payday, I will try to purchase the ingredients suggested and with the supplies in my own kitchen... I will create a dinner for myself from the ingredients with as much creativity as possible.  As the list grows I will get a Google Calendar up and running with the suggestions, the person who suggested it and the day of the week I will try to prepare the meal.

This will be fun!  I like the idea of taking ideas from outsiders and then blogging about the process - taking pictures ... and if at all possible, maybe even take some video to show the process.  Just so everyone knows, I am not technically "professionally trained" ... but I do love cooking and want to get even more familiar/comfortable with it!

So... here goes... in the comments section leave your suggestions for:

1)  Protein - I am not limited to any type of products, just maybe not outrageously expensive stuff.  If I can't find a specific protein (like a specific fish) then I will find a comparable protein.

2) Carb - be it rice, potatoes, grains of any sort... you get the idea.

3) Vegetable - if I can find it I will try to cook it - again, if I can't find your suggestion... I will find the closest comparable item.

4) Random:  this is one of the fun things... suggest a spice, a fruit, creme fraiche, balsamic, salts, chocolates... have fun here!  Think of an ingredient that you maybe have seen, but don't know how to cook or know it is a challenge to cook.  I will find out how to use it and incorporate it into my meal!

Looking forward to keeping this going... and I appreciate the support from all of you!!!

Birthday Bloggin' ...

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.... uhm yeah. It's another year. :)

It's been a gentle day - nothing all that glamorous or anything.  As a matter of fact, my "big event" for the day has been going to the DMV to get my driver's license renewed.  I looked fabulous - this DL photo should be great! Fingers crossed - we shall see in 30 days!

I also decided this renewal period to go ahead with the decision to become an organ donor - no reason not to, really.  I know people who think that if you do this there is a risk that EMT folks and doctors won't fight to save your life -- I don't think that's true.  I've not confirmed it, but I just can't see that as being real.

So this year's BIRTHDAY celebration is low key... this year doesn't seem to be as "bells -n-  whistles" as previous years.  I've been in a bit of a funk lately and it seems to have spilled over into what I normally try to do to celebrate my personal new year.  I'm not trippin' about turning another year older... that's never been an issue.  It just doesn't feel like a particularly special day.  My friends and family have been spectacular about showering me with positive birthday blessings - and that is the best part of this so far!

I do have plans to go out tomorrow and play in my local community - breakfast and then off to see the movie, Les Miserables.  So my celebrations are slowly being spread out over a few weeks... maybe even over about a month once I get to schedule outings with all of my friends.

The other fun element this year is that my birthday falls the day just before the first playoff game for the Denver Broncos... so I am getting a little "colored up" for that tomorrow... I'll be wearing my "united in orange" gear - scarf/hat and my gorgeous new orange tote purse from BCBGeneration.

So, to all those who've sent me birthday wishes - THANK YOU... here's to another trip around the bright beautiful sun!

I Haven't Forgotten How to Dance...

I used to dance - clubbing  all through the week and especially on the weekends.  I miss this... not really the club aspect, but the active dancing.  I've become a bit more conservative - it takes a lot to get me to loosen up these days... to just feel free to MOVE.

And, as my birthday is getting closer, I am starting to feel my "age" setting in on me. 

I want to break out of this frozen form I am settling into becoming... I know I am a beautiful person under this fear-based body armor of "padding"!  I want to get to know me again... to awaken that powerful goddess who had stepped up in 2005 and owned her power to manifest exactly what she wanted out of life!!  Or the goddess who had trained in 2001 to reignite the beautiful body - yeah, that's what I want to do again!

So, I'm not sure where or how... but I do see a gym or training in some manner coming up... I know I am blessed with my father's genetic signature of being able to trim off the padding with a wonderful metabolism... once it is ignited.  Motivation - that is what I have to find... what is my motivation?  And is it stronger than my fear of ... rejection, abandonment, betrayal, ... all of those fears that have been padding my exterior with "softness" to ward off feeling. 

I will have to open myself to really feeling again.

I guess this is a resolution... now that I think about it.  I have a resolution for 2013!!!

Now... to find that flint stone... to find that spark... to find that fire...

Here...

I...

Go!