I lived in a dorm for the first two years of college.  My freshman year, I had the best roommate named Jenna.  We named everything in our dorm room: the floor fan was Fran, the microwave was Maverick, and the mini-fridge was Iceman.  Since Maverick sat on top of Iceman, they were having a gay love affair.

Just thought I’d share.

The main dining hall was, 9 times out of 10, overrun by equestrian students who had come straight from shoveling horse manure at the barn and were too self-righteous to see any point in changing out of their crap-covered boots before traipsing around the food and diners.  The only other option on our meal plans was The Cave, a sort of café on campus, but their meal plan options were slim.  I didn’t have a car or job freshman year, so I ended up eating at the dining hall for lunch and The Cave for dinner almost every day.

For a girl that thrives on change, this was terrifically boring.  I really wish I’d have known more ways to use Maverick to cook back then, but I didn’t really know how to make much except pasta anyway (I didn’t learn how to cook until the food situation got so dire that I went part-time junior year in order to move off campus and get my own apartment).

I wish I’d known you could make Twice Baked Potatoes in a microwave.  I mean, they’re baked, right? And you can’t BAKE things in the microwave…right? But according to Adrianna over at A Cozy Kitchen, you can.  She not only tells you that it’s possible, but shows you how to do it and gives two variations.  Um…hello??? It’s such a no-brainer.  Why did I not know this??

If you are like me and somehow didn’t consider this obvious method of making a delicious meal, or you have never been to A Cozy Kitchen, you should go check it out.  Adrianna is so cute and her recipes are gorgeous and oh-so-comfy.

You should also turn me on to more microwave-cooked fare if you know of any, because I seriously use mine just for reheating, and that’s touch-and-go.  I could use the help.

Posted by Valerie 
Category: Culinary cravings, Rants and Ramblings

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The trees are being weird again.  Last year some of them went through the full range of colors, and only as they were dropping or about to, more started their change.  There were about three waves of “autumn” instead of the usual one.  This year….this year they’re just skipping the colors and going straight to brown.

I don’t understand New England or its trees.

But they’re not the only ones shedding things! I am trying to shed some leaves too, you see.  Now that I can handle a relatively decent amount of physical work, I’m slowly working my way back into working out.  I’ve begun stretching again, and it feels so. damn.  good! I’ve also started walking again, and that feels amazing as well.  Pretty soon I’ll be back at the gym!

In case I’m not the only one excited about the prospect of walking in the crisp air and dropping some pounds, I have some advice for other women starting a workout program.

1. Wear a push-up bra.  I’m not kidding.  Everyone knows you need to be dressed comfortably; just try pulling skin-tight jeans off a sweaty body.  No.  But a push-up bra is a must.  a.) The girls will be jogging along with you if you know what I mean and they need proper support so your knockers aren’t knocking around.   b.) Knowing you’re a smokin’ hottie gives you better posture.  When you’ve got killer cleavage, you tend to naturally put it all out there.  And all the stares you’ll garner from the men driving by will only boost your confidence that much more.  Win-win.
2. Put fruit in your water.  We all know you need to stay plenty hydrated, but water is boring and those flavored waters are a waste of money.  They taste like crap and are full of sugar or worse, fake sugar.  Just fill a reusable bottle with water and throw in some lime wedges or slices of cucumber, or even a bunch of fresh mint.  Hell, leave a twizzler in it overnight.  I won’t tell if you won’t.
3. Smile at everyone you pass.  You know those super happy looking people in commercials, in their biker shorts and sports bras, walking enthusiastically down the sidewalk?  Now look at the sweaty, grouchy-looking people grunting through the park.  Now answer this: do you want to be the pretty workout chick or the scary workout chick? If people are focusing on your pearly whites, they’re not paying attention to the sweat making your hair stick to your forehead.
4. Buy yourself some lingerie every time you go down a clothing size.  You have to show off your new body, and who better than to your significant other? Other than yourself I mean.  So even if you’re single, get yourself some lingerie to celebrate.  Just put it on and stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself, “hot damn but I look good.”
5. Stop eating steamed vegetables and boring food.  If you’re cutting out fat, increase the seasonings.  Find ways to make food more exciting so finding healthy recipes is something to which you can look forward.  Your food should be as sexy as you are, not limp and lifeless

Now go out and have fun working out, you vixen.

Posted by Valerie 
Category: Rants and Ramblings, Spirituality/Philosophy

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I’ve gone through most of the old posts and re-uploaded the photos.  Phew! I didn’t realize how many posts have two photos in them.  I still have a couple categories left to do, so please bear with me! And believe it or not, I have a bunch of new recipes photographed.  I just need to rustle up the time to sit down and write them!

Tell me, which would you rather see first: Shrimp, Fish, Cake, or Breakfast?

Posted by Valerie 
Category: Rants and Ramblings

3 Comments »

…after looking down and seeing your spoon smiling at you.

(The soup is Fully Loaded Baked Potato in case you’re wondering.)

Posted by Valerie 
Category: Rants and Ramblings, ROFLMAO

2 Comments »

Happy New Year! I’d like to tell you about all the wonderful food I made for the big dinner party I had, but it would be a lie.  My New Year’s Eve was very quiet.

And I couldn’t be happier about it.

You see, between The Grump’s week of vacation, and the immediately-following week-long visit from my mother and baby brother (who’s only a baby by nickname; he’s actually 22), I had not had 1 hour of time to myself until today.  And I reveled in it.

But.  Because it is almost 2am on January 1st, I do have an important tradition to get out of the way.  The goal list! This year I am doing it slightly differently; from now on I am not keeping my list of goals on this site.  Rather, it will be on my main website, V-files.net.  I will, however, still comment on last year’s goal list here since this is where I’d originally written it.

1. Finish bachelor’s degree – Incomplete.  Not for lack of trying; I was unable to get a loan to pay for the class I need and cannot seem to find another school around here that has it.  Still looking, though.
2. Pay off my bills – Incomplete.  We’ve had other expenses come up that, combined with unemployment for half the year, prevented this.
3. Car: – Complete! Although my car is not completely fixed, I did do everything I set out to do at the beginning of the year.
4. Get Lunatorium up and running – Complete! Not that it’s really gone anywhere yet, but there is a working website.  I just need to actually advertise it…
5. Be more proactive in my faith – Work in progress.  I deliberately left this one open as something to continually improve.
6. Remind myself every day of @ least one reason I love Brian – Also an open-ended work in progress.
7. Write more – it’s my first passion and I need to give it due attention – I have indeed been writing more than I did the previous year, but still not as much as I would like.  Partial success.
8. Learn php – Incomplete.
9. Get a passport – See number 2.
10. Get a new tattoo/piercing – Also see number 2.
11. Convert all household cleaning products to homemade – Almost complete. All that is left is laundry soap, and the same reason as # 2, 9, & 10 prevented this.  I consider it a success.

So there you have it.  The new list is over heeyah, and that is where I will be tracking my progress throughout the year.  Some of the goals this year are a bit vague so I might be narrowing them down as things move along (wedding planning, for one…!).

What are your goals or resolutions for the year? Are you doing anything differently this year from previous years?

Posted by Valerie 
Category: Rants and Ramblings, Spirituality/Philosophy

1 Comment »