Biscuits and Gravy

I have found vegetarian bliss. This morning I made some biscuits and gravy. I used Morningstar "sausage patties" and I swear, I could not tell the difference. I actually went and pulled the package back out to read the ingredients to make sure there was no meat in it. I didn't have high hopes this morning because most of the recipes I have made or the store-bought stuff I have tried was no where close - it was just pretty much gross or weird textury. But now, I finally have a sausage replacement!!! This may not seem like a big deal to all you meat eaters, but trust me, this is big in my little vegetable patch world. We can have sausage lasagna, sausage in soup, sausage on pizza, so many options!

Now if only I would have read my biscuit recipe correctly...4 teaspoons of baking powder, not baking soda...

Running Total: Garden Savings Update

10 lbs tomatoes @ 3.29/lb = 32.90
1 lb cherry tomatoes @ 3.99/lb = 3.99

Total Garden Value As of Today = 241.88

Underwear Says It All

Sociology classes comprise a large part of my core curriculum, so I'm in a lot of them. I generally find them to be fascinating. But, there is one instructor who makes me go beyond fascinated to being absolutely in love with issues in sociology. He is so opinionated and brings all his (very extreme) views into the classroom. It gets me fired up everytime. Anyway, this week we've started discussing a bit about how physical beauty affects status inequality. There are a million points to be made, but of course, the conversation naturally folds into the genders. I always try to include examples in my discussions because, well, I don't know why, but I do. So I was going through thinking about examples to help drive my point home - ah, that's why I do examples...to prove how right I am. =) Anyway, this week, I settled on the example of Target stores. Picture the inside of Target from a bird's eye view. You'll notice that space devoted to how a woman looks is at least 75% larger than space devoted to how a man looks. We've got 3 or so aisles of makeup, we've got a jewelry counter (with minimal pieces geared toward men), the purses/accessories section, the shoes (with maybe 25% devoted to men), and then when you look at the clothing sections, the women's side is probably double the floor space. BUT - this is the best part of the example. Look at the underwear. For the men, we have a few display boards within the clothing section. For the women, we have a separate section devoted entirely to underwear. Not only that, we have underwear that enhances, lifts, firms, tucks, and generally promises to make the body better. It's socially acceptable for companies to suggest that women should/need to change the shape of their bodies - They should buy padded bras if they are too small-chested, but ope, don't get too big, otherwise, you'll need a minimizer bra. And don't have a flat butt, but definitely purchase some Spanx if there is too much junk in that trunk. And this is acceptable...this is normal.

So what do you think would happen if Hanes started marketing padded boxer-briefs, or for the well-endowed, briefs that minimize? Do you think men with beer bellies would buy waist cinchers? No, no, no...we laugh at either situation because it seems preposterous to suggest that a man would go to such lengths to alter his figure in public.

But - I didn't hear much laughter the last time a padded bra made the register beep.

Running Total: Garden Savings Update

6 lbs tomatoes @ 3.29/lb = 19.74
1 lb cherry tomatoes @ 3.99/lb = 3.99
9 oz. basil @ 2.79 for .66 oz = 38.05
.5 lbs green beans = 1.20

Total Garden Value As of Today = 204.99

Running Total: Garden Savings Update

3 lbs cherry tomatoes @ 3.99/lb = 11.97

Total Garden Value As of Today = 142.01

The Evolution of Chain Mail Part II

So, I got tagged by Dale for the little game that I joined in on a while back when Jenivere tagged me - you know, the one where you have to post random things about yourself. So, I'll play along again because I always think it's so funny to read what people write. For instance, I now know many a thing about Dale's various body parts and my life is fully enriched because of it. However, I won't tag anyone this time, because last time, most of those who I tagged didn't play along. (Ahem, you know who you are!!)

1. When I was a kid, I won a savings bond from my orthodontist for my superior dental hygiene.

2. Cold, snowy, mountains freak me out because of all the scary, big animals waiting to eat me up in there. Plus, avalanches! The ocean and sharks, however, are very friendly toward me. This creates a bad dichotomy in my marriage with a mountain-loving-heat-hating-water-monster-fearing-Canadian.

3. Weeping willows are my favorite trees.

4. I recently discovered I am allergic to the antibiotic, Bactrim.

5. When Jesse and I were dating and I would stay at his mom's house, we discovered that Tember (a heeler) did not like my singing voice. She would howl and howl if I so much as hummed. Jesse thought this was very amusing.

6. I eat at least one bowl of Frosted Mini Spooners every day.

Without My Canuck

Since my Canuck has been gone (not a permanent state) I have...

had massive amounts of conversation with these boys:


cleaned massive amounts of poop of this bottom:


spent massive amounts of hours cleaning up this mess:


gotten massive amounts of rashes from these plants:


spent massive amounts of money on these textbooks:


checked e-mail massive amounts of times waiting on this boy:


The end.

Bedroom is Finally Done

Most of you have probably heard (read) me lament our bedroom decorating dilemma and how the windows in the corner throw the whole thing off and how I just can't figure out a way to arrange the furniture or decorate to make it look nice. Well, I am happy to finally say that is no more! The bedroom is done and I am finally satisfied.

A few months ago, I thought I had the problem-solver idea to paint a mural in the corner opposite the windows to try to balance it out, but the walls are textured, and I couldn't get any clean edges and it didn't look good, so I ended up painting over it. Then I spent months trying to think of a new idea and we rearranged, and tried all kinds of things, but basically, we just kept the bedroom door shut all the time because it drove me nuts. Last week, it was really getting on my nerves and one night I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up trying to think of new ideas, and it finally dawned on me that I could still do a mural; I just needed to do it on something else first and then apply it to the wall. So, off to Lowe's we went looking for something cheap that would give a clean edge when cut with the jigsaw. We ended up with some good old quarter inch MDF, (which side note: one time a guy at Home Depot told me that it didn't exist...and he called me "sweetie" at the same time...ugh). Anyway, so I stenciled the design on, and then passed it off to the resident handyman who cut it out for me (and even painted it today while I was grocery shopping). We put it up this afternoon (and I got to use the brad nailer, so I'm extra happy) and I love it. Just how I had pictured it. Plus, I had a gift card for this snotty decorating store, so we got some free accessories. And now, the room is clean, nice, balanced....ahhhh.... and I'm so happy. Jesse is too, I think, because now he knows he doesn't have to listen to me grumble about the stupid contractor who decided to install the windows like that, and how we have never invested the time or money to make our bedroom nice and how we always put all the other rooms first and how I hate that our bedroom is full of junk and looking shabby and I just wish we had a nice bedroom... Blah blah blah...every husband's dream right there.

Anyway, here is what finally shut me up:


Some of those free decorating accessories...


The mural...


The fabric in there...

Running Total: Garden Savings Update

1 lb green beans = 2.39
1 lb tomatoes @ 3.29 lb = 3.29
2 lb cherry tomatoes @ 3.99/lb = 7.98

Total Garden Value As of Today = 130.04

Days

After much deliberating about my motives for different grad school options, I have decided to only apply for one program. The happy news is that the GRE is not required. Sweet! I returned all my study books to the library (very happily). I'm really super excited about the program, but the odds of it all working out are somewhat slim, so I'm going to be reserved in what I even say about it (as in this blog post is probably the only thing I will ever say about it unless I get in). I won't know until May whether or not I am in anyway. (Sigh...) If I don't get in, it will probably be job search time and life will go on as normal. If I do get in, Jesse and I will need to look at some adjustments to make it all work. Until then, I will wonder about it everyday... that's only about 300 days of wondering.

In the meantime, I have two fun distractions:
33 days until my brother's wedding
38 days until vacation

So that leaves me with only 262 days of wondering...