Desperately Seeking Gina

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…Sweet Saturday

Thom is always teasing me about the insane amount of candy that I consume. It is a wonder that I don’t have any cavities but it’s certainly no wonder why I could stand to lose a few pounds 😉 {my words…not his!! lol}
It’s a good thing these only come out in the Spring. I’d be in real trouble if they didn’t.
What’s your fave candy?

…I ♥ Naps

…and so does Felix! My fish naps almost as much as I do these days. I’m pretty sure I saw him actually flop down on his side to snooze among the stems of his plant yesterday. It was a funny, funny sight!

I am pleased to say that, for a second day in a row, the sun is shining down on Heber. Yesterday it warmed into the low 50s…and today should be more of the same {have you counted how many posts I’ve started out with: “it’s cold and dreary down here in Ark??}.
Yesterday I took the most glorious nap with my love when I came home from work. I was super tired from too many late nights {too obsessed with Facebook!} and I literally just fell into bed and melted away into slumber. The room was warm and filled with the warmest, most glorious sunlight I’ve seen in a while. Thom slipped in behind me and fell asleep with his hand on the small of my back. It was comforting and peaceful. {sigh} I really do ♥ naps!

…a Return to my Baker’s Helper Roots!

Hi friends! It’s been so cold and dreary {still} down here in Arkansas. Does it seem like this has been the longest-ever winter? Thom and I continue to cozy up inside-still packing up the house {14 – 30 gallon bags full of clothes donated from one closet alone!}. We have boxes stacked over every square of inch of house- boxes to donate, boxes for eBay, boxes of to-keep items. It’s a mountain range of cardboard throughout the abode.

When we’re not packing or cleaning, we’re eating {okay, that should read “i’m eating”}. I’ve been “getting my cook on” as Thom puts it.
I found this recipe for doughnut muffins about a week ago and have been thinking about them ever since. They are super delish…and they taste exactly like a sugared cake donut that’s just been taken out of the deep fryer. Even better is that they’re a muffin…and baked!
The only down side to them is having to dip them in butter to make the cinnamon-sugar stick-must research alternatives. I found that they were a buttery mess this morning when I heated a few minis up to enjoy with my emergency cup of Starbucks {the emergency being that I was dead tired from having stayed up way too late baking these goodies}.

In other, non-food related business; I’ve become obsessed with Facebook. I love checking in to see what everyone is up to and even more- I love chatting in real time!
So…that’s it. Same ole stuff. More than ready for Spring to get here. Only 18 more days! Yay.
Hope y’all are well…and feelin’ fine!!
♥

…Hey Mom, Look what I Ate!


Not eating meat is fairly easy most days. Lately, though, I’ve been SO wanting a Subway meatball sub. After a quick internet search {don’t ya just lurve the internet?} I found a couple different vegetarian meatball recipes, tweaked them to our liking, and came up with one awesome meatless-meatball sub.

Gina’s Veggie Meatball Subs:

1 tbs Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
3-4 tablespoons olive oil {for frying}

Directions:

Place defrosted veggie burgers in a bowl. Mash with your fingers until smooth. Add garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, red pepper, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese. Add eggs and mash with fingers until combined. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls. If you’re not frying right away, place a damp kitchen towel over meatballs to keep them from drying out.

To fry: heat olive oil over high heat. When oil is hot, turn down the heat to medium. Add meatballs, turning frequently until golden brown.

For the pizza sauce:

Thom’s New York Style Pizza Sauce:

1 {15 ounce} can tomato sauce
1{6 ounce} can tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper {optional…we like HEAT!}

Pop all the ingredients into to a blender…whirl a few times and heat.

For the Subs:

Spread a goodly amount of pizza sauce over bottom of your favorite hoagie/sub bun. Place meatballs over sauce and top with a bit more sauce. Top meatballs with your favorite cheese {I ♥ provolone!} Toast or broil until cheese is bubbly delicious.

…Making New Friends.

Hello, friends. It’s been so dreary and cold here the last few weeks. It has taken quite an effort to do anything other than move from the couch to bed, from the car to the house, or from the ‘fridge back to the couch. Since I haven’t worked a whole week this entire new year {!!!} getting back into the swing of work has taken a bit of gumption as well {seeing how a “full” work week, for me, is only 32-35 hours anyway, you’d think it wouldn’t be so difficult!}

We’ve stalled out on packing up Thom’s Mom’s belongings and emptying out one house so that we can {finally} fully move into and inhabit only one house!
So, you may be asking yourself: what exactly has gina been doing? Reading. I have 6 books making their way to me from Paperback Swap…and I have 3 books behind me over the last week or so. I devour the words and take comfort in getting to know the characters. I suppose it’s a way to deal with the loneliness I sometimes feel for female friendship. I miss you, friends, and so I must make new ones…is it bad that they’re fictional {it takes so much less effort to make friends with people who don’t actually speak back}.
That’s what is going on around here. I’m enjoying a quiet early morning. It’s just before 8 o’clock- the sun is shining and we have a full day planned- it is supposed to be a warmer day {temps in the low 50s}.
In case you’re curious, looking for a good book to read, or in need of a new friend, here is what I’ve been reading lately: