An Award...I has one!

And chances are, if you're reading this, you have one too!

This lovely award was given to me by the lovely Steph G. Since I got this, here's what I have to do:

1 - grab the award and post it on your blog with the name of the person who awarded it to you

2 - pay it forward to 15 other blogs that you've discovered

3 - contact those bloggers and tell them they've been chosen for the one lovely blog award!


So, here they are. Congrats guys!

• Natalie Paige @ Awkward Sex and the City
• Chelsea @ Chelsea Talks Smack
• Mei @ Diary of a Fair Weath Diver
• Katie @ Katie Blogs
• Amy @ life's Journey with a smile (She's also the one who made the kick-ass header you see on my page.)
• Mahalo Apollo
• JoJo @ One Sassy Vixen
• Sara @ Sara Swears a Lot
• Sara @ The Bucket List
• Mel @ The Dumbest Smart Girl You Know
• Intimate Ramblings... (Sorry, her blog name is too long to type. I also am stealing the Manly Lovely Blog button from her for some of the guys on this list.) 

There are also some men I would like to acknowledge, but that button is a little girly. So here is your award.

And these winners are:

• Dan @ From the head of The Danaconda
• HolyJuan
• I am your blog
• David @ The Rest Is Still Unwritten

Now I just have to tell everyone they won...yea. Haha.

♥

Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out

I have a new header!!! WOOT!!! My blog is all pretty-fied now! Hehe. The header is courtesy of Miss Amy, one of my loyal subjects. Actually, I think she was my first loyal subject. But anyway, the header is awesome and I made the rest of my blog match, so now it's all pretty. Enjoy!

HTML....yes, please and thank-you

I don't like admitting that I am one of the few people of my generation that does not understand HTML in the least bit. All I know is "♥", and according to my computer whiz bf, doesn't even really count as HTML. So when it comes to my blog appearance, it is SEVERELY lacking. I can't even use Google Analytics because I have no idea where to put the code. I used to know, and that's the sad part. I used to know a lot about HTML. But somehow, all of my knowledge has left me. I am so clueless about everything computer-related anymore, it is ridiculous.

So, basically what I'm trying to get at here, is I need help with my blog. I would like some sort of fancy-shmancy header, one that includes that cute little pic on the left of the hugging shadowy people. That is the main thing. And if any of you have any other suggestions (and can actually produce them), I'm more than open to them. Of course, if you do this for me, I will acknowledge you and send everyone over to your blog for some happy reading.

I'm just really sick of looking at this boring page all the time.

Thanks, in advance.

♥

New Content

Hey. I just put up a new page. It's all of the recipes I like making when I'm at RD's house. If you have any you would like to share, please send them in. Maybe we can make a blogger cookbook, eventually.


And in case you're lazy, and don't feel like clicking the tab, here are the recipes.

These are some of my favorite recipes to make with my boyfriend. If you have any you'd like to share, send them my way and I'll post them here.

Manda's Meatloaf

1 1/2- 2 lbs ground beef                       1 c. bread crumbs(seasoned is best)                    

1 egg                                                    salt and pepper to taste

1 onion, chopped                                 2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 c. milk                                               2 tbsp. mustard (I use Dijon.)

1/3 c. ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine beef, egg, onion, milk and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in lightly greased 5x9 loaf pan. Or, form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. (I form 2 loaves and put in 9x13 dish. That way, if we don't eat the second one, it can be frozen.) In separate small bowl, combine brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and baste over meatloaf. Bake @ 350 for one hour, or until cooked through. It should be around 150-160 degrees on the inside. (This will be the moistest meatloaf you will ever have. It's delicious.)

Baked French Toast

1/4 c. melted butter            6 pcs. French or Italian bread

4 eggs                                2/3 c. orange juice

1/4 c. sugar                        1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. nutmeg                   1/2 c chopped pecans (or nut of your choice.)

Coat bottom of 9x13 dish with melted butter. Arrange bread in single layer in dish. Whisk eggs, OJ, vanilla, sugar and nutmeg until well blended. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle nuts on top and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with orange syrup. (Recipe below.)

Orange Syrup

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp orange liqueur

Combine ingredients in sauce pan on medium heat until warm and sugar is dissolved. Do not boil.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Picante

4 c. white rice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 c. Picante sauce (or salsa)

3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Prepare rice according to package. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in 2 qt shallow baking dish. Mix picante sauce, brown sugar and mustard in small bowl. Pour over chicken. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and sauce over rice. ( I like using pineapple or mange salsa.)

Taco Pie

1 lb ground beef                    1 pkg crescent rolls

1 pkg. taco seasoning             1 bag Doritos

8 oz. sour cream                   1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar or a Mexican blend works best)

Brown ground beef and drain. Mix with taco seasoning according to package directions. Arrange crescent rolls in glass pie dish or square baking dish, pressing together to make a crust. Spread 1/2c. crushed Doritos in bottom. Add ground beef mixture. Spread sour cream over beef. Sprinkle cheese on top. Finish with 1/2 c. crushed Doritos. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. ( I also put some cheese on the bottom, before the ground beef.)

RD's Famous Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground beef                             1/2 tsp parsley

1/4 onion (chopped very fine)                1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic                                             1 tsp salt

1 tsp basil                                              2 eggs

1 tsp oregano                                        1 c bread crumbs

In large bowl, combine all ingredients. You may not want to add both eggs at once. Only add second egg if mixture seems dry. Form into balls, slightly smaller than a golf ball. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil. Cook meatballs in skillet until brown on all sides. Place on a wire rack in a baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cooked through. Do not place in sauce until right before serving. (These are the best meatballs you will ever have. Everyone raves about them. Do not cut out any of the spices, or they will not taste right. We use dried, but fresh would taste even better.)

Demi Chocolate Souffle

Butter (for ramekins)

1/2 c. sugar, plus extra to coat ramekins

4 eggs, separated

2 tbsp Grand Marnier (or any orange-flavored liqueur. Grand Marnier is VERY expensive to just use once.)

6 oz. chocolate (melted)

Confectioner's sugar (for dusting. AKA powdered sugar)

1/2 c. chocolate sauce (for serving)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 4 small ramekins with butter, making sure to coat thoroughly, including rims. Coat completely with sugar, gently tapping out any excess. In a mixing bowl whisk yolks, 1/4 c. sugar and liqueur until thoroughly mixed. Stir in melted chocolate. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks, add remaining sugar and beat until just stiff. Fold half of eggs whites into chocolate mixture, incorporating completely. Fold in remaining whites, keeping batter as light as you can. Some white streaks may remain. Spoon batter into prepared ramekins. Bake 8-10 minutes until puffed. Serve immediately, dusted with confectioner's sugar and pass warm chocolate sauce at table. (This is surprisingly easy to make.)

♥

About Me

I just finished my "About Me" tab. But, in case you're too lazy to click on it, I'll post it here as well.

Enjoy!

I'm finally getting around to doing this, since my a-hole boyfriend decided he wasn't going to help out at all. (Rather than tell me he didn't want to help, he just completely ignored the fact I asked him for help. Nice, right? Actually he's a really great guy, so don't go hating.)

Here we go:

I am very observant. You will find this out about me. I am also quick to point out others' mistakes...but slow to accept my own. I am told that I can be extremely condescending, however, I don't always know I am. I'm horrible at finding the right words to say. I often say "You know what I mean...that thingy..." Haha. My mouth often works faster than my brain. I'm very impulsive in my speech, but then very compassionate if I say the wrong thing. I am extremely goofy, but somewhat reserved, so only the people who know me very well get to see that side of me. I am a total slob. I leave clothes all over the floor - dirty and clean. I like cleaning, but only when I'm in the mood. I hate doing laundry, the dishes, and putting things away. I am extremely scatter-brained. I have horrible short-term memory. I wouldn't exactly say I'm a ditz...I just don't have a lot of common sense. I'm a very passionate person. When I fall in love with someone, I love them deeply, with my whole heart. That's usually how I end up getting hurt. I am very co-dependent. My own life is such a mess, I need someone else to help me through it. I am very vindictive. Hurt me, and I hurt you back. Through any means necessary. I will always forgive, but I will rarely forget. I hold grudges. I get jealous easily. I let people in too quickly and then am very skeptical. I use movies, music and books to escape. I have always wanted my love life to resemble a romantic comedy. [i.e. boy meets girl. boy and girl fall in love. boy does something stupid and hurts girl. girl leaves. boy does some big romantic gesture to win her back. boy and girl ride off into the sunset.] I tend to jump head-first into things...that whole not thinking thing playing a part there. I try to sound smart so people won't know how dumb I really am. I am a well of useless knowledge. For example, did you know that there are 12 flowers stamped on each oreo cookie? Or that Art Fry invented the Post-it Note?

Here are some things I'm currently obsessed with:

Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks

The Big Bang Theory

Bulldog puppies

Dancing around the house like an idiot, usually to this album:

I ♥ this album.

This game is seriously so much fun.

Baking cupcakes

If you want to know anything else about me, just ask. I'm typically not one to hold back.

♥

Pennsylvania Guys/Pittsburgh Girls

I was in tears, couldn't breathe, and practically peed myself when watching this video.




*video suggested by Mahalo Apollo

And since I have that video posted, I thought I'd share something about Pittsburgh Girls. Enjoy!

PITTSBURGH GIRLS
 
A Pittsburgh girl knows just as much
about football as her guy friend
in some cases, even more.
 
She drinks beer because it tastes good
but knows when to be classy and drink
something more sophisticated.
 
She owns a Steeler jersey not just
because it's cute but because she
supports her team and understands the game.
 
She loves Kennywood and isn't afraid to
order cheese fries from the Potato Patch
because, let's face it.........
 
Pittsburgh girls wear winter coats and
scarves a lot more than bikinis and flip flops.
 
A Pittsburgh girl loves St. Patrick's Day,
even if she's not Irish because green
beer is good for the soul.
 
Pittsburgh girls don't have a funny
accent.  They just speak a different language.
 
The word yinz is dear to her heart, even if
she would never say it herself.
 
A Pittsburgh girl bleeds black and gold and
knows how to have a great time.
 
She's stylish and sweet.  She has a great
education and loves her friends and family.
 
A Pittsburgh girl goes to church on Sunday
hung over, only to be let out by the priest early
because the Steelers kick off at one.
 
A Pittsburgh girl might not live by
the beach, but the Three Rivers are just as good!
 
She has seen all four seasons and has
a reason to love and hate each of them.
 
She's the type of girl you can call late at
night and spill your heart out to.
 
She's the type you can take home to Mom and
Dad without worrying they won't like her.
Because everyone loves a Pittsburgh girl.
 
If you need a girl to take to the game, she'll be there.
 
If you need a friend to help you out, she's there.
 
If you need a drinking buddy, she'll be there with her
IC Light in hand.
 
So let your Pittsburgh girl know you love her!
 
You can take the girl out of Pittsburgh ,
but you can never take the Pittsburgh out of the girl!!!!!

♥

Yins goin dahntahn n'at?

You can usually tell where a person is from by their accent. New England, Brooklyn, the Mid-west, down South, not to mention foreigners. Well, I'd like to add another area to that list: Western PA. It seems that, unless the person you're talking to is originally from this area, no one knows you're from Western PA, Pittsburgh, specifically. Pittsburghers have a very distinct accent. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look up Myron Cope and see if you can't find some of his old broadcasts. Chances are, you won't be able to understand him half the time. Ha-ha.
Anyway, my whole point of this post was to educate people on some of the ins and outs of Pittsburghese.

We have a very relaxed way of talking around here. We like to leave out consonants and not completely pronounce vowels.  It's a very lazy way of speaking. Like "down." Moving our lips to make the "ow" sound is just too much work. So we say "dahn." Same thing with "town." So "downtown", to us would be more like "dahntahn."  We also have words that we just made up. Like "yins" and "n'at." "Yins" is our version of "y'all." And "n'at" is a contraction of "and" and "that."

On that website I linked to up there, there is also a translator. Want to hear how Shakespeare would sound in Pittsburghese? Try it. I like setting it up. "When you are finished cleaning your room, you all can go downtown and get some sandwiches." turns into "whenever yinz are finished redd uping yinzes room, yinz alls can go dahntahn and git some sammitches."

You would think that a grammar snob like me would hate this way of speaking, but I love it. I'm a Pittsburgh girl, through and through. I always used to talk of moving away from here. But, in truth, I don't think I ever could. There's nothing like heading in-bound on the Parkway West and going through the Fort Pitt Tunnels. Before the tunnels, there's nothing but trees lining the highway. Then you go through the tunnels and BAM! There's Pittsburgh. It's awesome.

See what I mean?

Anywho...I hope you found this post to be informative. If there are any Pittsburgh natives out there, and I forgot something, please let me know.

Later lovelies!
♥

What is bought is cheaper than a gift.

The other day, my boyfriend asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I've always hated that question. I never know what to say. There are lots of things I want, but I don't like telling people because it makes me feel selfish. I told him I didn't know. He's like, "I could pay for your car to be fixed." I just gave him a look. He quickly back-pedaled, saying that would be kind of impersonal. Really? Ya think? Anywho, I told him that I wanted him to get me something he thinks I would like. I want something that, whenever I look at it, I can distinctly remember when I got it, who gave it to me and my reaction. Like my Christmas gift from him.

Last Christmas he bought me a Kindle. At the time, they were still expensive. Of course, now they're going for just under $200, but they were around 300 back then. Anyway, I didn't think I was getting one. I had originally told my parents I wanted one, but then I saw how much they were and knew they couldn't afford it. So I gave up hope of receiving it. On Christmas Day we were over at my house with my family, opening gifts. I get to one of the one's RD got me. I ripped off the paper and saw it was an Amazon box. I think the first words out of my mouth were "I'm going to kill you." I finally got the box open and there it was: My Kindle. I cried. I couldn't believe it. Even my mom got a little teary. We knew how much it was. That was a huge gesture.

I'm one of those people who gives really personal gifts. For that Christmas, I got him tickets to a Cleveland Cavs game, since he hadn't been to one yet, and there were rumors of King James leaving. For his birthday, I got him a new Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven shirt, since his got ruined. It took me forever to find that shirt. I think the best thing I got him, though, has to be the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, leather-bound, 50th anniversary edition. He's even said it's the best gift he's ever gotten.  I'm also being an awesome girlfriend again with his birthday coming up. (It's a week after mine.)

So when it comes to gifts that I receive, I like them to be just as personal. I want to see that he paid attention during the million times I've mentioned I want to see Chelsea Handler when she comes to town. Or when I pointed out the Pandora bracelet billboard and said "Those bracelets are so pretty."  I've also mentioned a bunch that I would like to maybe be a pastry chef and open my own bakery. It would be nice to see he paid attention and have him get me some book about baking, etc. But I'll never tell him any of these things. Why? Because I need to know that he actually listens to me when I talk. I know that I tend to ramble and go on unbelievable tangents when I tell stories. I know it's sometimes really hard to follow along with me. But it would be nice to know that he doesn't automatically zone out as soon as I start talking.

Wow...see what I mean about tangents? I started talking about my birthday, and now I'm rambling about how I'm not sure if my boyfriend listens to me. I think it's time to end this blog now.

What are some of the best gifts you've ever gotten? Or given? Either one, or both, will work.

Later lovelies!

♥

The stink-bugs made me do it!!!

I just had a 15 minute show-down with a stink-bug. I don't know where some of you live, but here, in Cranberry, PA, we have a stink-bug problem right now. Since the weather is getting cooler, they're trying to go where it's warm, aka your house. I think they should go to Del Boca Vista. Go bother gram and gramps for a while. Stop terrorizing us entophobics (fear of flying insects). It's ridiculous.

What sucks is that the screen door on the back deck is a POS, and the weather strip leaves an inch gap on both the top and bottom. So, if the storm door is open, they can still get in. It's beautiful outside, but I can't enjoy it because of the mother fucking stink-bugs. At least two get in every day. I want to scream.

And they are the calmest bugs in the world. It was on the top of the curtain and I wanted it to move so that I had a better shot of trapping it under the cup. (You can't squish them...they get all stinky.) So I tried shaking the curtain. Nothing. I swung the door open and closed a few times. Still nothing. Finally, I started blowing on it, and it decided it didn't like that. It slowly started to crawl up. I thought "Yay! When it gets onto the wall, I can trap it." Haha. No such luck. It stopped when it reached the ledge of the trim. It proceeded to crawl back and forth on the trim for the next 15 minutes or so. Finally, FINALLY, it started down the side and I was able to trap it. I was going to be nice and take it back outside, but that little fucker pissed me off. So I took him to his watery grave.

Diagram of the crime scene.

♥

CUPCAKES!!!!

I made them.

Also, I just got 50 page views!!! But, alas, no followers yet. :-(

♥

FYI

Did you know that http://www.google.cm/ takes you to the google site for Cameroun? Interesting.

♥

The Celtic Storm

Today is my best friend's 30th birthday. There won't be any cake or presents. There won't be any singing. No getting older jokes will be told. There won't be any group of friends getting together to surprise him at his favorite bar with PBR pounders and duck-pin bowling. There won't be raucous bouts of laughter as he tells "The Infamous Midget Story" for the millionth time. There won't be any hugs and well wishes as he embarks on his 30th year.

There won't be any of these things because my best friend passed away this March.

Not a day goes by that I don't miss him. I only knew him for a few years, but I knew I could tell him anything. And after he stopped laughing at my stupidity, he would always give me some of the best advice ever. A lot of people who casually knew him would say that he was an asshole. Yeah, he could be sometimes, but underneath all of that was the kindest, most warm-hearted person I have ever known. He cared about his friends tremendously and considered many of them the family he didn't have.

He lived a hard life and had the most screwed up past that no one should have to deal with. But somehow he always came out of every situation with a hilarious story. He gave his writing one of the most unique voices I have ever come across. He one day dreamed of collecting all of his stories together for a book. He wanted a house, a wife, and kids. He had big plans for himself.

But he had demons that wouldn't let him go, and they eventually took his life.  It hurts me so much to think that no one was there with him at the end. At the time, I hadn't seen him in almost a year. Every time we would make plans to get together, something would fall through and we'd reschedule. I will admit, some of those times, I just didn't feel like going out, so I made an excuse. I can't tell you how much I regret that.

My best friend taught me that not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Life isn't always "happy unicorn land." But no matter what life throws at you, you have to look at what you will get out of it in the end. How will this make me a better person? Though his stories were usually hilarious, they always had a moral at the end...it was sometimes a totally hilarious and twisted one, but a moral none the less.

Happy Birthday, Sean. I love you.

Later lovelies.

♥

The lady I know /Yeah, she bought some broccoli /Choppin' broccoli

unlucky in love
those who sit naked at screen
writing a haiku 


want instant white teeth?  
office supply solution...
use liquid paper 


The supermarket  
Misbehaving, screaming kids.
Yay Vasectomy! 

G.I Joe is there
Real american hero
With no genitals 

Let's see some of your haiku.


Later lovelies!

♥

And today we'll be discussing-- oooh!! Shiny!!

I think I've realized what my problem is when it comes to writing. I'll have an idea of what I want to write about, but then I'll lose interest about half-way into it, and rush through the rest just to finish. I hate having a short attention span. I don't have A.D.H.D. I have A.D.O.S.: Attention Deficient Ooh Shiny!!! Haha. I used to tell my old boss that I have the attention span of a goldfish. I know it drives RD crazy. It takes me forever to tell a story because I start going into unnecessary  detail and slowly veer off from the original subject. I'd go see about it, but I have no health insurance, or job, to pay for it. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to--Ooh, shiny!

"I see a dark, handsome man in your future..."

I was cleaning out my old wallet last night when I came across some old fortunes from past dinners of the Chinese persuasion. I'd like to share some with you now.

"Don't accept that others know better than you." (How true is that?)

"Change your thoughts and you change your destiny." (I'm trying...)

"Life is a journey, not a destination." (I actually have a bracelet that says the exact same thing.)

"Your love light shines on another." (My personal favorite.)

What are some of your favorite fortunes?

Later lovelies!

♥

"ABCDE--" "You called me?"

I was browsing a baby name site the other day-- What? You mean it's not normal to pick out names for your not-yet-conceived children with your non-existent husband? Anyway, I came across a name that had me shaking my head at the ridiculousness of today's society. The name was "Abcde." I am not shitting you. Well, at least no one will ever misspell his name. "Abcde? And how do you spell that?" "Um...it's the first five letters of the alphabet." God...how freakin lazy are we people? You can't even think of proper names for your kids? And here I thought it couldn't get worse than Lemonjello and Orangejello.

Later lovelies!

♥

Blog title

I changed my blog title and URL. The old one was just too long, and it wasn't me.

He drives me crazy. Ooh. Ooh.

I love my boyfriend. I'm crazy about him. There are times when I don't know what I would do without him. He's one of the funniest, sweetest, sexiest, smartest, most caring people I know.

However, there are some things about him that drive me up the wall.

First there's the throat clearing. It's constant. Sure, if there's a little tickle or some phlegm or something, I'd understand. But there are times, especially when he's on the toilet, I have to ask him if he's okay. It's like some weird OCD thing.

Speaking of the bathroom brings me to another one. Anytime he does anything in there, he has to shut the door. I can understand if he's taking a shit, but is it really so bad if I glimpse him using a Q-tip? On the other hand, I'm completely the opposite. Unless I'm dropping the Cosby kids off at the pool, or if I'm around other people (i.e. at a party), that door is open.

Actually, that could be used as a metaphor for our personalities. I'm an open book and he's one of those diaries with a lock code needed to get into it. He's a very private person. I guess that would be why he flipped his shit when I blogged about our sex life...while having a link to my blog on Facebook. Whoopsies. But you live and learn. And then you get Luvs. Haha.

Here's another one that bugs me, but not as much as the others. He's one of those people who really have no need for a dishwasher, because he almost completely washes the dishes before putting them in there. That used to really drive me crazy, but I've slowly become accustomed to it.

In truth, none of these things really bother me to the point of a break-up. I deal with them because I love him, annoying habits and all. And when I think of all the things he does that are so amazing and wonderful, I forget all about the annoying shit...at least until he does something that bugs me again. If you happen to read this, I love you baby!

Later lovelies!

♥

Let's try this again...

Well, let's hope this time around goes better than last time. The last time I was on here I posted way too much personal information concerning my boyfriend's and mine relationship. It caused him to almost break up with me. That was not a good time. However, I've really missed blogging. I've missed a lot of the people on here whose blogs I would faithfully read. So I've decided to come back. Ta-da!!!

You may be wondering about the title of my blog, Alcoholics Who Like To Drink And Stay Home. I could think of absolutely nothing that I felt was clever enough, so I turned to one of my favorite comedians, Chelsea Handler. It's her own version of M.A.D.D.. She came up with it after her small stint in the slammer after being pulled over for drunk driving and being apprehended for "stealing" her sister Sloane's identity. Are You There, Vodka? It's me, Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang, Bang, and My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-night Stands will have you in tears with laughter.


Wow! I forgot how much Blogger sucks...thanks for not letting me hit "enter" at the end of a paragraph, asshole.


Well, I think that's of enough of such stuff for one day...sorry, Dr. Seuss reference. Anywho, I'm off to read some of the blogs I've been neglecting for quite sometime.


Later lovelies!
♥