not your typical Barbie......

You know, Barbie has always been criticized for being too "fake"....too "made up" and the feminists have always hated her for being too much like an old fashioned ideal of a woman. She really needs to get with the times, right? Like she has her place and Ken has his place.......But hey, look what I found in my daughter's room tonight! Take a DARN good look.......

Can't really tell what's going on? This is how I see it.....look a little closer......

Ken is NAKED. That's right. Totally nude. From what I see here, Barbie is making her man go naked. Who's in charge NOW?!!!!! "Take it all off, Ken!" It looks like he's whispering compliments in her ear, too........Barbie is A LOT smarter than she's been given credit for...

I have to wonder what was going through my missy's head when she was playing this out....I guess you are never too young!

Had to share my very amusing find.

yummy soup for a cool Spring night.....

Now that I have started running outside again, I work up QUITE the appetite. I mean, I cannot stop eating! Or thinking about food! Do you love the Pasta Fagiole soup at the Olive Garden? Well, here is the recipe, and it's to die for. Try some yummy soft rustic bread with it, and you've got a really great meal....

Olive Garden Pasta Fagiole

1 lb. ground beef

1 C. diced onion

1 C. julienned carrot (you can buy this in bags)

1 C. diced celery

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 (14.5) oz. can diced tomotoes (I actually love the big stewed tomatoes)

1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, undrained

1 15 oz. can great northern beans, undrained

1 15 oz. can tomato juice

1 12 oz. can v-8 juice

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

2 C. water

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. thyme

a dash of tabasco or cayenne pepper

1/4 lb. Ditali Pasta

Brown the ground beef in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Drain off fat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Simmer for 1 hour. About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook pasta to al dente in another pot. Drain, add pasta to soup. Simmer. Serves 8-10

Yuuuuummmmmmmmm! I mean it, yum. Maybe my next post won't revolve around food....maybe it will revolve around my sweet Damon who is making his return this week on Thursday night on Vampire Diaries! Hmmmmm...........anyone else love that show as much as I do? Is it creepy that I am thinking about my favorite soup and favorite vampire at the same time? Forget about Edward....I am Team Damon for sure.

cocky much???

veto on the ground beef

Do any of you just get so tired of the same old dinners every night? The same, old reliables? Tacos.....spaghetti....chicken and rice.....tacos......tacos...........and more TACOS?!!!

I was sitting down Sunday night racking my brain trying to figure out something new and exciting to make for dinner this week. Sunday is sort of my "weekly planning" night. I sit down with my weeks schedule in front of me, make sure everything is on it, including meals so I can write out the grocery list. And I just couldn't bring myself to write down "ground beef" this week. Blah.

Lo and Behold......a new recipe that my family loves. Found in a random cookbook I've had for years. Easy. Yummy. Uses a rotisserie chicken (um, yum!) Put some rustic bread with it and a fruit, and it feeds the family for days. Yeah!

Here's my new little friend:

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 package Uncle Ben's Wild Rice Mix (prepared as directed)

1/2 small onion, chopped

4 T. butter

1/3 c. flour

5 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. cooked chicken, rotisserie is best, cubed

1 1/2 c. half & half (oh yeah!)

optional: sauteed mushrooms

Cook rice according to package. In sauce pot, saute onion in butter until tender. Blend in flour and stir, making a rue. Turn off heat, gradually add broth. Stir constantly. Mixture will thicken slightly. Stir in rice, salt and chicken, simmer 5 minutes (turn heat back on). Blend in half and half, stirring. Heat for about 10 minutes. Serves about 6. I doubled the recipe, so I used the entire rotisserie chicken. If you don't double the recipe, you'll use about half of the chicken. You can add sauteed mushrooms in with the onions in the beginning if you want.

We have literally been eating on this for 3 days. It's even better the next day. It is DELICIOUS. I bought some rustic artisan bread at the Store and slathered some butter on......soooo good! Try it! I'll be keeping my eyes open for some new additions to add to my weekly routine.....

"spark"-le of a night

I tried to count how many times the word "spark" was used in last night's finale of the Bachelor....and I lost count after twenty five. "That certain spark was missing"......."you and I just needed a certain spark"..."Vienna and I had a spark"...it was definitely the word of the evening. Also a word of the evening? IMMATURE

Jake obviously likes very immature girls. Period. I am not saying that Vienna is a bad person. In fact, I liked her better than I ever have last night. BUT.....really, Jake? Her? She acts like she's still in junior high, and I will NOT miss this phrase: "This is my fairytale....this is the fairytale that I've always dreamed of." Get with it, girlfriend. Reality is going to set in faster than you can say, "Sugar daddy buys me all the dresses I want."

There were a few CLASSIC moments during which I was laughing outloud:

"Vienna makes me feel like I'm the only guy in the room." Jake....... sweetie...... 99.9% of the time, you ARE the only guy in the room....EVER! Chris doesn't count.

"Vienna is just drop dead gorgeous." Laughter. Her?

"Does it worry you that we have such an emotional connection and not so much a physical one? I'm not talking 'sexual'....".......Tenley, you go girl....."Then what DO you mean, Jake? Because you've been on me like a rat on a freakin' cheeto!"

The cheeeeeesiest moment of the night for me, other than the serenade of "On The Wings of Love" (gag) was when the two helicopters were flying in the background behind Jake, as he was waiting on top of the mountain. Oh my gosh, I was waiting for them to collide. That would make Bachelor history for sure.

And I'm sorry, but the producers of this show need to MIX IT UP a little! WHY oh WHY does the girl who's going to get dumped always show up FIRST!? That ruins it for me! As soon as I saw Tenley get out of her flying limo first, I just knew it was over for her. Duh, mix it up.

I knew Alli would be our next Bachelorette, you know I'll be watching! Can't say I'll be watching Jake on Dancing with the Stars, though. I'm not sure I can handle seeing Vienna on the front row every night drooling over her "fairytale prince".......sorry ABC.