Black Friday. What can I say?
I think I actually look forward to it more than Thanksgiving ;)
It's become a tradition for my mom and me to participate in Black Friday. While lots of people look at us like we are crazy, we embrace the day. Remember, my mom and me are strategic planners - by the time we wake on Black Friday morning we already know exactly what we want to buy and where we want to buy it. Here's how we do it:
1. Buy giganto newspaper stuffed with ads on Thanksgiving. Give paper to Dad, and start system of organizing ads. We specifically have a lull in our Thanksgiving schedule between snacks and getting dinner started to look through each ad. Mom cuts pictures out and labels them with store names and prices. I compile a master list.
2. We aren't doorbuster freaks. We have no interest in being at the stores at 5am. No sense in fighting with people over items. Instead we roll into our first stop at around 8am.
3. Have Dad drive us! You don't want to be leaving your car or purchases in the parking lot on this crazy day.
4. Shop at Target first! They have the best deals, and most of the time we are able to scratch off a ton of items on our list (plus a ton of extras) in this one stop. Last year we had two carts full. Even if you don't think you need two, get them. You might not be able to get one later when you need it!
5. Have a plan. Head to electronics and movies first. Mom holds on to the pictures and the list and while she calls out titles and names I dive into the crowd. This has got to be the funniest and craziest part of the day. You should see the mass of people! I laugh my butt off thinking about the times I've dived into a crowd looking for an item and screaming back to Mom, "I've got it!!"
5. Stash your purchases. After Target Dad always comes so we can throw our goods in the trunk. Then he usually heads to Costco or Home Depot, and we cover Gamestop, the card store, Linens and Things and Kohls. He returns, we stash again, and then he drives us to the mall.
6. EAT! By this time we are famished. We eat lunch at the food court and plan out our mall strategy. We typically only browse the mall to look for deals. We hit our favorite places, and then we are done typically before dinner. We are so exhausted it feels like we've been walking around an amusement park all day.
7. When we get home we load all our purchases on Mom's bed and close the door from prying eyes (Dad, bro-gamer, hub-gamer). We take inventory of everything we have gotten (Mom has a notebook with a page devoted to each person, then lists each gift and price). We also make a list of items we still need to get. I start wrapping. We never finish everything on this day, but it's nice to have a good load of stuff already bought, wrapped, and stored!
So that's our plan for today. This year I plan on taking my camera to photograph the madness!
Wish us luck! Happy Black Friday!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
the gamer's wife's stuffin' muffins
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
These have come about in my house as of recent years as my signature creation. Although, really all the credit should go to my mom for her recipe of stuffing that we've used over the years. All I did was add it to a muffin tin :-P
My mom has always made a meat stuffing in my house. Growing up, I didn't even know bread stuffing existed, and I never even tried that stuff until I went away to college. Major yuck!
Now we were pretty simple eaters. Growing up we didn't go by recipes, because everything my mom made was easy to make and simple. There were two recipes that we religiously followed, and we still have them scribbled on notebook paper. Meatballs and meat stuffing from my Grandma and my Aunt Debbie.
As a kid I liked to follow the recipes, because I could never remember all the ingredients and their measurements. These days, I make both of these recipes so much that they are ingrained in my memory.
The signature ingredients in momma's meat stuffing are rice, meat, onions and mushrooms.
This isn't really a recipe, but just a way of doing. This should make 12 regular stuffin muffins.
Mince one large onion. If you are really into onions, make it two.
Mince two packages of white button mushrooms.
Heat oil in a large skillet, then saute mushrooms and onions. Add salt and pepper.
While mushrooms and onions are sauting, cook 1 cup of rice (or 1 boil-in-bag). White or brown - whichever you prefer.
When rice and sauteed mixture are done, place both seperately into containers and place in fridge. Leave overnight. These will be added to the meat mixture, and the process is easier if everything is close to the same temp. If you don't have time to place in the fridge, throw in the freezer for awhile. Mom and I have done this plenty of times and it still comes out fine.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
In large mixing bowl add:
1lb chopmeat (80/20)
1 egg
1 cup cooked rice
Sauteed onions/mushrooms
Spices to taste
You can add any type of spices you like. My mom can't make this meal without me because she says I have the nose. Basically, if it smells really good, and not just like raw meat, it's gonna taste awesome.
I have a strange mix of spices I use. Two teaspoons of each Mrs. Dash table blend, onion powder, chicken and meat seasoning, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.
It the meat mixture looks a little dry to you, or doesn't seem to bind, add another egg or beef broth if you have that on hand.
MIX WELL.
At this point it can be helpful to ball the meat mixture loosely so that you can place it into the muffin spots. LOOSELY.
Place into oven. Depending on the fat content of your chopmeat the stuffin' muffins might bubble over as they cook. We use a drip pan on the rack underneath so it doesn't mess up our oven. Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour until done.
Let cool slightly and then use spoon to ease each muffin from the muffin pan.
VOILA! The gamer's wife's stuffin' muffins!
In case you were wondering, meat stuffing becomes meatloaf in my family when added to a loaf pan instead of stuffed into a bird or muffin tins :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
These have come about in my house as of recent years as my signature creation. Although, really all the credit should go to my mom for her recipe of stuffing that we've used over the years. All I did was add it to a muffin tin :-P
My mom has always made a meat stuffing in my house. Growing up, I didn't even know bread stuffing existed, and I never even tried that stuff until I went away to college. Major yuck!
Now we were pretty simple eaters. Growing up we didn't go by recipes, because everything my mom made was easy to make and simple. There were two recipes that we religiously followed, and we still have them scribbled on notebook paper. Meatballs and meat stuffing from my Grandma and my Aunt Debbie.
As a kid I liked to follow the recipes, because I could never remember all the ingredients and their measurements. These days, I make both of these recipes so much that they are ingrained in my memory.
The signature ingredients in momma's meat stuffing are rice, meat, onions and mushrooms.
This isn't really a recipe, but just a way of doing. This should make 12 regular stuffin muffins.
Mince one large onion. If you are really into onions, make it two.
Mince two packages of white button mushrooms.
Heat oil in a large skillet, then saute mushrooms and onions. Add salt and pepper.
While mushrooms and onions are sauting, cook 1 cup of rice (or 1 boil-in-bag). White or brown - whichever you prefer.
When rice and sauteed mixture are done, place both seperately into containers and place in fridge. Leave overnight. These will be added to the meat mixture, and the process is easier if everything is close to the same temp. If you don't have time to place in the fridge, throw in the freezer for awhile. Mom and I have done this plenty of times and it still comes out fine.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
In large mixing bowl add:
1lb chopmeat (80/20)
1 egg
1 cup cooked rice
Sauteed onions/mushrooms
Spices to taste
You can add any type of spices you like. My mom can't make this meal without me because she says I have the nose. Basically, if it smells really good, and not just like raw meat, it's gonna taste awesome.
I have a strange mix of spices I use. Two teaspoons of each Mrs. Dash table blend, onion powder, chicken and meat seasoning, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.
It the meat mixture looks a little dry to you, or doesn't seem to bind, add another egg or beef broth if you have that on hand.
MIX WELL.
At this point it can be helpful to ball the meat mixture loosely so that you can place it into the muffin spots. LOOSELY.
Place into oven. Depending on the fat content of your chopmeat the stuffin' muffins might bubble over as they cook. We use a drip pan on the rack underneath so it doesn't mess up our oven. Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour until done.
Let cool slightly and then use spoon to ease each muffin from the muffin pan.
VOILA! The gamer's wife's stuffin' muffins!
In case you were wondering, meat stuffing becomes meatloaf in my family when added to a loaf pan instead of stuffed into a bird or muffin tins :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
happy thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family!
I am so excited to host my very first Thanksgiving at my house! I might have had to borrow a ton of stuff from my mom, but I'm looking forward to executing my Thanksgiving plan and can't wait to start eating!
Tomorrow my recipe for stuffin' muffins will automatically post for your enjoyment!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I am so excited to host my very first Thanksgiving at my house! I might have had to borrow a ton of stuff from my mom, but I'm looking forward to executing my Thanksgiving plan and can't wait to start eating!
Tomorrow my recipe for stuffin' muffins will automatically post for your enjoyment!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Monday, November 24, 2008
it's the final countdown
Today marks one week until we find out how our lives might be potentially changing.
What we find out next Monday determines many things for us - most important being whether we will continue to stay living in NC next year or whether we will spend another six months playing the waiting game.
Our life path is about to make a significant change, regardless of the answer next Monday.
It's a crazy thought to think!
The gamer is quietly stressing. I've been trying my best to keep him busy, and am thankful that this is a holiday week.
Will two years of the application process, thousands of dollars, and tons of recommendation letters finally pay off?
We shall see.
What we find out next Monday determines many things for us - most important being whether we will continue to stay living in NC next year or whether we will spend another six months playing the waiting game.
Our life path is about to make a significant change, regardless of the answer next Monday.
It's a crazy thought to think!
The gamer is quietly stressing. I've been trying my best to keep him busy, and am thankful that this is a holiday week.
Will two years of the application process, thousands of dollars, and tons of recommendation letters finally pay off?
We shall see.
Friday, November 21, 2008
thanksgiving thoughts
This will be the very first Thanksgiving at my house. My house, people. You heard right.
While I may lack common sense in most areas (which I think is just God's way of giving my mom a laugh at my expense) I am not too shabby in the kitchen.
Since Chris and I got married, I have made all of our meals. Each night I bring him into the kitchen to give him tasks in hopes that one day he'll learn on his own without me having to tell him what to do next. It has been 18 months, and even though we have made tacos, stews, soups, pastas, chickens, pork, you-name-it, hundreds of times, that boy STILL doesn't know the steps on his own.
I told him, in the nicest way possible, that I would prefer if he stayed out of the kitchen on Thanksgiving.
He jumped for joy.
I reminded him that it doesn't mean I'm giving up on teaching him and doling out tasks, but that I just need this day without him. I am determined to teach him organization in the kitchen so that by the time we have kids, he'll be prepared to cook me dinner.
In the meantime I've been busy planning how I will execute this Thanksgiving's festivities. For those who aren't used to my family's traditions, we split our day into snackies and dinner. Snackies refers to the spread we set out around 10am to hold everyone over until dinner (and out of the kitchen!). Dinner is our traditional holiday meal, served early.
Here's the plan!
Thanksgiving Snackies:
-Assorted cheese platter
-Assorted raw veggies platter
-Hard boiled eggs
-Deviled eggs
-Weenies
-Chicken wings
-Chips and dip
Thanksgiving Dinner:
-Turkey Tenderloin
-Ham
-Sweet Potato Casserole
-Steamed Vegetables
-Roasted new potatoes and carrots
-Smashed Potatoes
-Turkey gravy
-Stuffin' Muffins
-Bread stuffing
-Yeast rolls
-Cranberry sauce
Thanksgiving Desserts:
-Pudding pie cups
-Jello cups
-Chocolate chip brownies
-Walnut brownies
-Chocolate chip cookies
Obviously you can tell we aren't a family that likes the traditional Thanksgiving fare of pumpkin or pecan pies. We aren't pie people. We are chocolate people.
When I think back to my childhood Thanksgiving I remember being most excited about the pigs-in-a-blanket (weenies!), jello cups, and Mom's stuffing. I could care less about the turkey or green beans :-P
To me, those three things signify holiday eating in my house. And they might be so far from the typical family Thanksgiving food, but to me that doesn't even matter. I'll take mini hot dogs and jello any day over pretentious stuffings and casseroles that no one even likes!
While I may lack common sense in most areas (which I think is just God's way of giving my mom a laugh at my expense) I am not too shabby in the kitchen.
Since Chris and I got married, I have made all of our meals. Each night I bring him into the kitchen to give him tasks in hopes that one day he'll learn on his own without me having to tell him what to do next. It has been 18 months, and even though we have made tacos, stews, soups, pastas, chickens, pork, you-name-it, hundreds of times, that boy STILL doesn't know the steps on his own.
I told him, in the nicest way possible, that I would prefer if he stayed out of the kitchen on Thanksgiving.
He jumped for joy.
I reminded him that it doesn't mean I'm giving up on teaching him and doling out tasks, but that I just need this day without him. I am determined to teach him organization in the kitchen so that by the time we have kids, he'll be prepared to cook me dinner.
In the meantime I've been busy planning how I will execute this Thanksgiving's festivities. For those who aren't used to my family's traditions, we split our day into snackies and dinner. Snackies refers to the spread we set out around 10am to hold everyone over until dinner (and out of the kitchen!). Dinner is our traditional holiday meal, served early.
Here's the plan!
Thanksgiving Snackies:
-Assorted cheese platter
-Assorted raw veggies platter
-Hard boiled eggs
-Deviled eggs
-Weenies
-Chicken wings
-Chips and dip
Thanksgiving Dinner:
-Turkey Tenderloin
-Ham
-Sweet Potato Casserole
-Steamed Vegetables
-Roasted new potatoes and carrots
-Smashed Potatoes
-Turkey gravy
-Stuffin' Muffins
-Bread stuffing
-Yeast rolls
-Cranberry sauce
Thanksgiving Desserts:
-Pudding pie cups
-Jello cups
-Chocolate chip brownies
-Walnut brownies
-Chocolate chip cookies
Obviously you can tell we aren't a family that likes the traditional Thanksgiving fare of pumpkin or pecan pies. We aren't pie people. We are chocolate people.
When I think back to my childhood Thanksgiving I remember being most excited about the pigs-in-a-blanket (weenies!), jello cups, and Mom's stuffing. I could care less about the turkey or green beans :-P
To me, those three things signify holiday eating in my house. And they might be so far from the typical family Thanksgiving food, but to me that doesn't even matter. I'll take mini hot dogs and jello any day over pretentious stuffings and casseroles that no one even likes!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
snow!
We had a dusting of snow today here in Raleigh. Unbelievable!
We didn't have a single bit of snowfall last season, at all.
Hopefully this is a sign of whats to come this year. I did see snow (and just one day!) my first winter in Raleigh, but Chris has yet to see snowfall since he moved here!
We didn't have a single bit of snowfall last season, at all.
Hopefully this is a sign of whats to come this year. I did see snow (and just one day!) my first winter in Raleigh, but Chris has yet to see snowfall since he moved here!
Monday, November 17, 2008
expansion
Great news for the gamer's wives!
It's just what you've been waiting for!
The WOW expansion is finally here!
I can now say with excitement that the gamer husband, gamer's best friend, and my own gamer brother all have the expansion set.
Gamer brother went to Best Buy at midnight on the release day. That's dedication.
Gamer husband bought the last expansion box available at his Best Buy. Boy was I nervous he wasn't going to get it.
So what does this mean, anyways? It means that our gamers will be spending even more time playing WOW than before. THANK YOU BLIZZARD!
Sense my sarcasm?
And on that note, here's a new article regarding the expansion and women fighting back. Go gamer's wives!
It's just what you've been waiting for!
The WOW expansion is finally here!
I can now say with excitement that the gamer husband, gamer's best friend, and my own gamer brother all have the expansion set.
Gamer brother went to Best Buy at midnight on the release day. That's dedication.
Gamer husband bought the last expansion box available at his Best Buy. Boy was I nervous he wasn't going to get it.
So what does this mean, anyways? It means that our gamers will be spending even more time playing WOW than before. THANK YOU BLIZZARD!
Sense my sarcasm?
And on that note, here's a new article regarding the expansion and women fighting back. Go gamer's wives!
Friday, November 14, 2008
good news gamers
Gamers got a shout out from Perez...
http://perezhilton.com/2008-11-14-the-gamers-arent-affected
Basically, game sales are up, even though the rest of our economy sucks. Thank goodness for the gamers!
http://perezhilton.com/2008-11-14-the-gamers-arent-affected
Basically, game sales are up, even though the rest of our economy sucks. Thank goodness for the gamers!
Friday, November 7, 2008
countdown
I don't know if I'll be blogging much from my conference next week...I think I might be without internet! Or, it could be worse and I'll be bored and with internet, and if that's the case, you can expect LOTS of daily blog updates :-P
In the meantime, here's a countdown!
10 days until Elon interview
14 days until Belmont interview
20 days until Thanksgiving
21 days until BLACK FRIDAY
22 days until Christmas tree cutting!
24 days until we know if Chris got into ELON!
48 days until Christmas
49 days until our Delaware family trip
There is definitely a lot to look forward to in these next couple of months!
In the meantime, here's a countdown!
10 days until Elon interview
14 days until Belmont interview
20 days until Thanksgiving
21 days until BLACK FRIDAY
22 days until Christmas tree cutting!
24 days until we know if Chris got into ELON!
48 days until Christmas
49 days until our Delaware family trip
There is definitely a lot to look forward to in these next couple of months!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
victory
YAY for our newly elected President Obama!
It couldn't have gone any better than it did last night. The gamer and I were glued to the tv last night for hours - well, okay, I was glued to the tv and the gamer was next to me playing games on the laptop.
It was an exciting night!
This morning when I got to work, the college decided to cancel classes for the day to allow students the opportunity to celebrate! How exciting.
We also had a huge assembly of the students and staff where we watched the acceptance speech over, and allowed the students time to discuss their reactions to history in the making. And the whole event was taped by the local media!
Change is here!
It couldn't have gone any better than it did last night. The gamer and I were glued to the tv last night for hours - well, okay, I was glued to the tv and the gamer was next to me playing games on the laptop.
It was an exciting night!
This morning when I got to work, the college decided to cancel classes for the day to allow students the opportunity to celebrate! How exciting.
We also had a huge assembly of the students and staff where we watched the acceptance speech over, and allowed the students time to discuss their reactions to history in the making. And the whole event was taped by the local media!
Change is here!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
heather votes!
Hello Election Day! You are FINALLY here!
OK, so I voted a few weeks ago by absentee ballot, but here's the scoop...
Since I'm registered to vote in Forsyth County I've been doing absentee voting all this year in Wake County. After seeing Michelle Obama speak at a rally earlier in the year, I became more politically active than I had been in the past and ended up voting in all the primaries.
So I had been holding on to my absentee ballot for the presidential election for over a month. It's not like I didn't know who I was going to vote for (obviously Obama) but I hadn't made any real decisions regarding the other 20 or so people on the election ticket.
I didn't want to vote blindly for representatives and others, so I spent awhile researching every campaign, and finally voted for everyone one day while it was slow at work. I even had my co-workers be my witnesses!
And then I carried that ballot around FOREVER. Finally, with about 13 days left until the election I sent in my ballot!
I will cry if McCain wins. I'm not even joking.
So here's me with my ballot. And you can clearly tell who I'm voting for.
Keep your fingers crossed!
Tonight is our "Bye Bush" party. I plan on staying up all night until I know the winner!
OK, so I voted a few weeks ago by absentee ballot, but here's the scoop...
Since I'm registered to vote in Forsyth County I've been doing absentee voting all this year in Wake County. After seeing Michelle Obama speak at a rally earlier in the year, I became more politically active than I had been in the past and ended up voting in all the primaries.
So I had been holding on to my absentee ballot for the presidential election for over a month. It's not like I didn't know who I was going to vote for (obviously Obama) but I hadn't made any real decisions regarding the other 20 or so people on the election ticket.
I didn't want to vote blindly for representatives and others, so I spent awhile researching every campaign, and finally voted for everyone one day while it was slow at work. I even had my co-workers be my witnesses!
And then I carried that ballot around FOREVER. Finally, with about 13 days left until the election I sent in my ballot!
I will cry if McCain wins. I'm not even joking.
So here's me with my ballot. And you can clearly tell who I'm voting for.
Keep your fingers crossed!
Tonight is our "Bye Bush" party. I plan on staying up all night until I know the winner!
Monday, November 3, 2008
halloween weekend update
I have nothing interesting to share. Here's a recap.
1. Halloween night was fun - Ryan came over and we all watched Appalachian crush Wofford in what we thought was going to be an edge-of-your-seat game.
2. Only one group of kids came to trick-or-treat. Sadness.
3. The gamer guys gamed ALL NIGHT. I'm not even kidding when I tell you they gamed until 5am.
4. I got my boots as part of the deal for the gamer getting the new guitar hero game. And then proceeded to where them around the house the rest of the weekend.
5. Next week will mark the first time the gamer and I will spend apart since we got married. I'll be away at a conference, and my #1 concern is making sure the gamer has enough to eat while I'm gone. He thinks McD's, grilled cheese and pizza are acceeptable foods for a week. I think not.
6. Two more weeks until Chris's interview at Elon!
7. Five weeks until we know if we'll be staying in NC. Wow, I can't believe we'll know in this next month!
8. Saturday was the first day of Chris and Heather's $$$ November Challenge. I won't say how much money we have budgeted for, but let's just say it is significantly lower than what we usually spend in a month. After evaluating where all our money goes, I think we can do it. Wish us luck!
1. Halloween night was fun - Ryan came over and we all watched Appalachian crush Wofford in what we thought was going to be an edge-of-your-seat game.
2. Only one group of kids came to trick-or-treat. Sadness.
3. The gamer guys gamed ALL NIGHT. I'm not even kidding when I tell you they gamed until 5am.
4. I got my boots as part of the deal for the gamer getting the new guitar hero game. And then proceeded to where them around the house the rest of the weekend.
5. Next week will mark the first time the gamer and I will spend apart since we got married. I'll be away at a conference, and my #1 concern is making sure the gamer has enough to eat while I'm gone. He thinks McD's, grilled cheese and pizza are acceeptable foods for a week. I think not.
6. Two more weeks until Chris's interview at Elon!
7. Five weeks until we know if we'll be staying in NC. Wow, I can't believe we'll know in this next month!
8. Saturday was the first day of Chris and Heather's $$$ November Challenge. I won't say how much money we have budgeted for, but let's just say it is significantly lower than what we usually spend in a month. After evaluating where all our money goes, I think we can do it. Wish us luck!
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