Rant of the Week

When I was young....I really had no audible opinions. I did have my beliefs, but I never voiced them. Maybe I was too shy or maybe like a lot of people, I didn't want to make waves or be looked at funny if my opinion was "different" than someone elses. As I have gotten older though, I realized that there are times in your life that it becomes all about the "put up shut up". You simply have to take a stand from time to time....yes....even if others look at you funny!

I usually like to keep things fairly uncontroversial on here, but every once in awhile I get riled and have to pull out the old soap box and speak my mind. Apparently I don't do it enough as one reader told me I was too middle of the road and needed to have a little more fire in my belly when I wrote my blog. Hmmm.....well.....I  guess then, that it is a good thing I have decided to make Saturday's My Rant of the Week! Now before I begin...let me put a little disclaimer here. My opinions are just that.....my opinions. And well it should be....as this is my blog. I am in no way saying that I am always right (although it is pretty much a given that I am) nor that there aren't different sides and views to an issue. I am not asking you to agree with me......but I am asking you to respect my right to have my beliefs and to express them on my blog. In turn, I give you  the right to respectfully comment on and express your own beliefs here too. The way I see it....it is a win/win situation when more than one opinion can be expressed and read. And who knows.....maybe someone might learn something in the process. So here we got with My Rant of the Week!

I am sure you have heard the expression Go hard or go home. Well I might as well jump into this and go hard! A friend and I were discussing politics the other day and our governments current economic failures. Planned Parenthoods defunding was discussed which lead us into abortion. Ahhhh abortion....the hot button of all hot buttons since 1973. I used to speak up and out about abortion all the time. I prayed in front of clinics, talked to several young girls contemplating abortions and agonized with a few friends who had abortions and then realized they couldn't take the action back. I have debated abortion more times than I can even remember and in most cases...the person I debated blew up and walked away. Few who I have debated with opposing views on the subject have ever stayed around to consider facts from both sides instead of just the facts they "choose" to listen to and want to believe. The ones that have stayed....I have an abundant respect for.

I was told one time by someone who was extremely pro-choice that I seemed like such an intelligent person....so they were baffled that I could be pro-life, which in their opinion was so unintelligent. I laughed and said....You know, I was just thinking the same thing about you. The conversation ended there, with the woman literally stomping away in a huff. My thought then and there was....if you think your pro-choice views are correct, then stand there and back them up...don't try to insult me and then walk away angry because it failed. I am always willing to stay and debate, why? For one simple reason.....No one human's choice should ever trump another human's life! It is just that simple. Life should always come before choice!

Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, the best estimate is that 50 million human lives have been destroyed due to abortion. This is a very conservative estimate due to the fact that many abortions are never reported and the "destroyed" does not count the families that have fallen apart due to abortions, the relationships and marriages that have been damaged because of it and both the mental and physical damage that has been done to women who have had abortions. If all these are factored in....the number of life's destroyed sky rockets and we wonder why society is the way it is today?!

In my opinion....we live in a very damaged world and I do blame a lot of who we are as a country on certain moral stances that we no longer see as valid....not the least of which is abortion. Human life is a gift and should be protected and respected from conception to natural death. Before 1973....the country as a whole had more of a moral compass than after that landmark decision. When we stopped respecting the most innocent and fragile of human lives....we started disrespecting all human life. Abuse both child and spousal, rapes and murders have sky rocketed since 1973. Human life is now expendable. Life is no longer sacred and I do believe the legalization of abortion helped to push the country into the a moral place it has become. We are desensitized to the fact that women "choose" daily to destroy human life because of inconvenience, fear, selfishness, etc....but we will go crazy if an animal is harmed or a tree cut down. It is okay to "choose" to kill a defenseless human life but it is not okay to wear fur. What is wrong with this picture? People will shun someone who ties a dog up in their yard, but will fully support a woman's right to "choose" death for her unborn child? How does this make sense? It makes sense because this is who we are as a country. We are selfish, we are narcissistic and most of all we have lost all touch with right and wrong in respect to human life. By the way, before anyone twists my words...I do not support animal cruelty in any fashion, but I do believe that although animals on the whole are better than a lot of people I have had the pleasure to know.....I still think human life trumps animal life in the big scheme of things. We should be putting as much if not more emphasis on saving the baby humans, than we do on the baby seals.

I know that there are a million pro-choice arguments about abortion....mothers health, rape, financial issues, age, family situation....I have literally heard them all. I also know that mother's health and rape are usually less than 1% of the reason women have abortions. I know that if you are pro-choice and really good at debating the subject....you can come up with heart wrenching and socially acceptable reasons why abortion is not only a want in this country but a "need." But what about these reasons are morally acceptable? As I have said....I have heard it all. But what is boils down to is....there is always an alternative. There is adoption! The adoption waiting lists are years long and for someone who finds themselves pregnant and unable to take care of their child....adoption is a wonderful choice. And I have also heard many times...well what about the mothers mental state having to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term? Well what about her mental state when her actions have no consequences and so she goes out and gets pregnant yet again...only to repeat the cycle? What about her mental state when somewhere down the line she realizes that abortion is an act you can't take back? What about when she realizes that her choice cost her child his/her life? Are we worried about her mental state then....or just when she is carrying that "unwanted" baby?

And for those of you who prefer the term fetus.....because it gives a mental picture of more of a blob than a human life.....I respectfully say bull $&!#. Zygote, fetus, newborn, toddler, teenager, adult....they are all stages of human life that everyone goes through. You are no less a human being as a zygote than you are as an adult. The only difference is that as a zygote/fetus you have no right to life.

I could literally go on about abortion for days, but I won't. I think you understand now though....where I stand on the subject. I will however give you a quick tutorial on being pro-life. Pro-life does not mean I am some political/religious fringe nutcase who is standing around waiting to blow up an abortion clinic. It does not mean I think all abortion doctors and staff should die at all costs. It does not mean that I think all women who have abortions are going to hell. It also does not mean that I am an anti-abort. There is a difference between anti-aborts and pro-lifers. Anti-aborts are the radical fringe who do blow up clinics, kill staff and think all women are going to hell who have abortions. They see the fight as an eye for an eye and don't respect human life anymore than those who support abortion do.

I am pro-life. I believe in protecting and respecting all human life from the moment of conception to natural death. To me being pro-life goes beyond abortion. It means if a woman chooses life over abortion and needs help with that choice....I need to be there to help support her and her child. It means helping not just the unborn, but any human life in need, from going to the store for the elderly lady who can no longer drive, to watching the little boy down the street whose mother is having surgery. It means being a good friend and a good neighbor. It means taking a stand against abuse and discrimination, bullying and hate. It means treating others the way I myself would like to be treated. Being pro-life is all of those things and more. So the next time you decide to call me a woman hater or spit on me because I "choose" life, remember....I am a woman....and your mother chose life too!

So there is my rant! Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to comment away. Oh...and don't forget to have a great Saturday!

Motherhood for Dummies

It's Friday! It's late....again! But never fail....I am here. Another one of those running late all day...days. Those seem to happen after Thursday nights at the bar watching my young singer do karaoke. It has become one of the high points of my week (and no...not because there is alcohol) but because I love watching Z sing. I not only love watching him, but I love watching other peoples reactions to him. I can't in a million years imagine getting up and singing in front of a group of people...not to mention singing well, but Z does it with ease. He truly impresses me.

So today is Friday and Friday just seems like the kind of day where you need to kick back and contemplate life. That is why I chose Motherhood for Dummies as Friday's theme. At least this is a subject that I have had much experience with both as a mother and a dummy and I have children who just love to give me daily blog fodder. If they aren't rolling their eyes at me and trying to out talk me with their "vast" years of wisdom, then they are falling down stairs, having seizures, or God forbid.....trying to get their drivers license. All in all....the amount of stories I have spans several decades, five kids, hospital stays, ER trips, laughing, crying and more time outs and groundings than I can even remember.

While I would like to say I got my mothering expertise from my own mom...that just simply is not the case. My mother was a single mom and she had little help raising us....and yet she made it look easy. We had nothing....and yet we wanted for nothing. Mom always made sure we had lots of friends, lots of fun and good basic skills and values to grow up with. She just seemed to know what she was doing no matter the situation and she never panicked. While maybe she held the reins a little tightly with me or quite possibly I just didn't like to be fenced in and so broke down all boundaries.....I grew up okay. I was definitely her challenge though and her famous words to me were "If I give you an inch,...you will always take a mile!" and it was so true. Her next favorite words to me were "I hope you have kids that act just like you do!" and let me just say right now....Thank you Mom....I do! I am sure that there was some kind of curse connected with those words as throughout the years I have had mile takers and boundary breakers galore. Again....Thanks Mom!

The one lesson that I did walk away from my childhood with and have held onto for dear life is, never say your child would never! My mother must have said that a million times while I was growing up. Usually with a name and a naughty child attached to it. It always went something like...."That Mrs. D just told me that her little Janie would never smoke pot. Well I have it on good authority that Janie not only smokes pot...but she also sells it! Poor Mrs. D just doesn't have a clue." Did I mention that mom gossiped a bit too? At any rate...she was usually right. Janie probably was involved in the seedier side of life and her mom probably ended up eating her words about dear little Janie. We all know parents who refuse to believe their little darlings would ever be involved in anything worse than bible study on a Saturday night, when in reality we know for a fact that their kid is every bit as rotten as our kid....but theirs are just a whole lot sneakier.

After years of doing this though....I have learned some valuable lessons. The most important being....that kids are a blessing and yes....sometimes their actions are a curse (usually a grandparents curse to be exact) but at the end of the day, we would never trade them. Heck....we couldn't trade them....no one else would consider it a fair deal. So we walk the floor with them when they are colicky, bandage their knees and kiss their boo boos when they fall down. We cry when we drop them off for that first day of school and again when they walk through those doors for the very last time on their very last day.  We spend nights talking through broken hearts and wounded dreams, we help study for tests and stress over first dates and drivers tests. We laugh with them, cry with them, ground them for life and through it all.....we love them with all our hearts.

So I may not be the reigning Mother of the Year (had to turn in my tiara after man child told me I had a shitty attitude. Apparently both the word and the attitude are frowned upon in polite MOTY society). However....I do the best I can every day and have learned through trial and error and baptism by fire that motherhood is not just a job.....it truly is an adventure!

Hope your Friday night is fun with no residual side effects!

To Like or Not to Like

May I just start by saying....YAY!!!! IT'S THURSDAY!!! This week is almost done. This has not been one of our easier weeks as David has managed to fall twice and myself....well I managed not only to fall out of my chair, but to make a total spectacle of myself in the process. Grace was never one of my strong suits and I am very glad I wasn't wearing a dress or everyone would have gotten a free shot, as my legs dangled not the least bit daintily above my head. There is also a major blessing in the fact that everyone was so shocked at the sight of me falling....that no one thought to grab their cell phones and start clicking. Where I work...that would have been all over facebook by now. My injuries from the extravaganza were in the tailbone and back region. I won't lie...I'm a bit tender today. David on the other hand had quite a bit more cosmetic damage than I. Monday he took a header while watching tv when he had a mini seizure. His head hit the floor and resulted in a bit of a goose egg above one eye. Then Tuesday he decided to follow that performance up by falling down 10 or so steps and his grand finale was again.....face planting at the bottom. This maneuver left him a little more face damaged than the day before. But he did get high scores for originality!

Today is Thursday and I know you are anxiously waiting to find out what Thursday's are going to be. Again with the drum roll please. And the answer is....To Like or Not to Like! Ta da!!!! As you can well imagine....I have many varied and outspoken opinions on very many things. But since I also have a Rant day....I will do my best to keep my dislikes to more of a commentary than a rant. That way the days won't cross over!

I think I will begin this little venture with one great big LIKE! I realized the other day when I was wishing a friend a Happy Birthday....and it was actually on the right date and everything, that if not for one glorious invention/idea/whatever....I would not be able to do it. That invention of course is....Facebook! I have realized over time that fb is like the organizer I never had. It is also the information highway to family and friends that keeps us all connected and reminds me what my cousin Kelly Jr. looks like....when he puts his picture on his profile that is! 

Before I became a convert to fb, I was not much of a card sender (and I still am not), but more than that....I couldn't keep peoples birthdays straight to save my life. Now....all I have to do is sign onto fb and daily I know whose birthday it is and promptly wish them well. There are those hold outs who refuse to put up their birthdays....and to you I say....poo poo! Guess you don't want a Lisaland birthday wish then. To the rest of you though.....THANK YOU!!! I no longer feel like the worst friend/relative on the planet for not sending birthday wishes. And it even goes beyond that. Facebook also lets you know about anniversary's and reminds you of special events such as parties, charity walks and Christmas. You laugh....but I swear Christmas sneaks up on me every year!

Honestly though....the best part is being able to keep up with peoples daily lives. I love talking to friends I went to high school with, cousins who live hundreds of miles away and nieces and nephews and even my own kids that I don't get to see regularly. When someone is having a bad day I can smile at them (:)) or give them a virtual hug (((hug))) and just let them know I am thinking of them. When I am in crisis (and when am I not?) I can beg for prayers and know that my request is being heard all over the country. Facebook has made this single moms life....feel a lot less isolated and lonely.

I still have a couple of family members and friends who balk at the idea of fb. One in particular literally gets angry if you mention fb as they feel that too much information is put on fb walls. Truthfully maybe they are right, but I really think this person just doesn't like knowing that others know things before they do.....because it was on fb first. Sorry peeps, but I think this is the new generation of communication. The distance in peoples lives has been cut down by a keyboard and computer screen. Whatever will they think of next? So family and friends who text but refuse to fb....if I can learn to text....you can get yourselves a little profile on fb...and I promise never to forget your birthday again!

Well....it stormed last night. I am sure we didn't get near enough rain, but at this point...even a little is better than nothing. I am off to start my day...so I wish you all a very Happy Thursday...and do you know how I know it's Thursday? Facebook told me so!!! :)

A Story About Lisa

Apparently yesterdays blog was a bit controversial. No that is not right. Apparently some anonymous individual decided to make a big deal and "act" as if yesterdays blog was controversial. At any rate, maybe today's will be a little less exciting. I am thinking though that maybe I should thank Mr./Mrs. Anonymous. In the last 24 hours, my blog has had 500+ hits. Perhaps though...those hits are more about the comments to my blog, than the actual blog itself. Yesterday's blog had some great comments both here and on Facebook.....and I have some truly awesome readers. Thank you all!

Today is Wednesday and Wednesday's will now be known as A Story About Lisa Day! Again though....isn't every day A Story About Lisa Day? Doesn't matter....Wednesday's are now official!  To be honest, now that I have the floor and your complete and undivided attention...you are paying attention...right? I really can't think of any stories in particular to tell. Most of the great stories in my life happened when I was more of a spectator than a featured player. Lucky for both of us though....yesterday I was cleaning out some drawers and I found a box of notes that I have held onto since my jr. high school days. Yes...I said notes. I had a couple from some people I don't even remember but I am sure in my 8th grade world of yesteryear, they were highly secret. In fact.....it said so right on the front of the note.

One thing I ran across was one of those old questionnaires we used to pass around which held all the most important facts of our lives. You know the ones...very much like the ones that used to get passed around facebook all the time. At any rate....for whatever reason...I kept this one and I thought it would be fun to share. This little crumpled up piece of notebook paper, greatly faded and torn from years of folds held the story of the 8th grade Lisa and maybe we can contrast and compare to the modern day Lisa. Here goes!

1) Your name: (8th) Lisa    (Now) Still Lisa

2) How many kids do you want? (8th) 10 what was I thinking?  (Now) Can I send some back?

3) Who do you want to marry? (8th) Jeff S. not a word from anyone! (Now) A handy man

4) What is your favorite color? (8th) purple (Now) Anything that doesn't make me look fat

5) Who do you tell your secrets to? (8th) Susie H.  (Now) My dog Spud. He won't rat me out!

6) What do you want to be when you grow up? (8th) A writer  (Now) Employed is nice!

7) Who is your favorite actor? (8th) John Travolta  (Now) Johnny Depp...and he's not bad to look at either

8) What is your favorite song (8th) Are you ready for this? Handy Man by James Taylor! See....even then I knew what I wanted in a man! (Now) Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean

9) Have you ever been kissed (8th) No (Now) Well duh! Just not in the last decade!

10) Where will you live when you grow up? (8th) New York City (Now) The same place I lived in the 8th grade! Ironic....isn't it?

So there you have it folks....a glimpse of me now and X# of years ago! It is not exactly a story...but in a way it tells a story. Oh to be young and have all those far off years left ahead of me again to dream, to build, to change. But no...I wouldn't go back and I wouldn't change a thing.....even if I could. For the most part, I like my life and me....just the way things are. So maybe next Wednesday .....I will reveal a little more. Until then....have a truly Wonderful Wednesday and just remember....only two more days until the weekend!

Dating 101 or How to Find a Man in Lisaland

Alright.....lets just jump right into this one. Tuesday's are gonna be dedicated to me! Okay...I know it appears that I feel that most days are already dedicated to me....but Tuesdays are going to be dedicated to my love life, or lack there of. We are going to call this little diddy: Dating 101 or How to Find a Man in Lisaland! The title.....although catchy, was not a creation of mine but rather a suggestion by one of my readers. Thank you G. and yes....you know who you are!

How to begin this??? Well, first of all I guess I will tell you what I don't want. I don't want to try and find someone through a dating site. I am more into actual people and not so much profiles. This is in no way a diss to people who use dating sites or have used dating sites in the past. In fact, when I talked about a dating site in an earlier blog I got lots of comments from people telling me how much success they had had with them, but honestly.....they are just not for me. Catch me in a year though, and we might be talking a whole different story. I don't want to be anyone's mommy. If you can't fix a meal for yourself from time to time, pick up your own underwear off the floor or grab your own kleenex box when you are sick, then you and I are probably not meant to be. I already have kids the law says that I have to take care of. I don't need a big one thrown in for good measure. I don't want someone who doesn't like kids or dogs...... or vice versa. They say if the kids or animals don't like someone...that is a pretty good sign to cut them loose. And I really don't want to be in a relationship where we both are in love with the same person! I don't want someone who placates me all the time nor someone that thinks they will control me. I don't want someone who will be jealous of my kids nor do I want a momma's boy. If you haven't cut the apron strings at this stage of the game....chances are you will be happier with a cat than you will be with me. Finally....while I am not a neat freak, it would be nice if you bathed regularly, brushed your teeth every once in awhile and knew what deodorant was. Smell has become about 65% of how I view my male first impressions.

The what I don't wants I think are easier than the what I do's.....because frankly....aside from being male, having a pulse, not being a hundred and not smelling like he works in a sewer, I have absolutely no idea what I want. I won't lie and say that appearances don't matter, because we all know they do. But they matter in a different way now than they did when say..... I was in my 20's. Now the appearances that matter to me are things like does he smile and laugh alot or does he look like he hates the world? Does he hold a door for me or does he walk a head and ignore me?  When he talks to me is it all about him or does he give me a chance for some input? No longer do I care what kind of car he drives, what the label on his jeans say or even how good he looks in said jeans. Okay.... maybe a nice butt does not go unnoticed by me, but it is certainly not a deal breaker! I think what I want is real substance. I want a grown up...who has a job and his own transportation, who is not currently on parole or on the run from the law, is not afraid to laugh, who understands that life can change in the blink of an eye and can roll with the punches when it does. I want someone who will fight with me and not be afraid to tell me when I am wrong but at the same time realize....I am NEVER wrong! I want someone who loves me for me and not somebody they want me to be. I want someone who knows how to have fun and also knows when to man up and help out. And as we all know.....if he has handy man skills, most of the other stuff probably doesn't matter. AND if he has handy man skills and money....well he had me at handy man!

So what does a man who has all these attributes get in return? He gets a real honest to goodness woman! Some days I am sweet as pie and others I can put the fear of God in you with just a look. Some days I am all about happy and some days you just better run. I am fairly intelligent with a bit of a problem when it comes to remembering things (keys, glasses, birth certificates and checkbooks all fall into this category). I am honest for the most part (don't ask me my age, my weight or my real hair color because I will lie like the rug you are standing on). I love my kids (most days), I work hard (every day), and I play hard (on the rare occasions when I get the chance). Most of all though.....I like to laugh....a lot. I try to find humor in most things, I don't like to be agreed with just for the sake of peace and I believe that every once in a while....a good argument is necessary to clear the air and move on. I will bend over backwards for those I love and I am fiercely loyal to those who are close to me. I have no patience with liars, schemers or those who seem to see themselves as better than others. If you like/love me...then do so to the fullest and if you don't, then just be honest about it, don't play games and back the hell away. I have no real skills other than cheesecake baking...oh and did I mention I have a tattoo? If I had you at cheesecake....well then we may be on to something here.

The bottom line is...when I married my husband and got out of the dating rat race, I thought it would be forever. I was wrong. For all intense purposes....it has been a decade since I have been out with a man and I really don't even know if I am ready for all of this again. I guess though...I will never know until I try. So this is me.....getting ready to get ready to think about thinking about....dating again! I guess now all that is left to do is to welcome you to.......Dating 101 or How To Find a Man....In Lisaland! To be continued........

Happy Tuesday!

Blogger Idol Play Along....When I Grow Up

It's that time again! Time to Play Along with Blogger Idol. This week.....What I Want to Be When I Grow Up!!! I love it! Quite obviously, I am grown and all that is left in the aging process for me.....is to grow old. However, that does not mean my hopes and dreams stop just because I am grown. The body maybe older, but the dreams are still young and somewhere deep inside me remains the hope that one day some of them (at least one or two) will be achieved.

So if you ask me what I want to be when I grow up....the answer is simple. I want to be what I have always wanted to be. I want to be.....just like my hero, Erma Bombeck. I have always dreamed of being the next Erma Bombeck, since the day I was twelve years old and picked up The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank! Even back then I "got" her wit and her wisdom which was carefully woven into each and every sentence. I already loved words and the way they could be used to tell a story, bring on emotion or persuade someone to a certain way of thinking. However, when I realized just how much joy, happiness and down right laughter someone could bring to life....as Bombeck did through her writing, I no longer just wanted to write, I wanted to write like her.

Much of my writing over the years has been modeled after Bombecks wit. I find it particularly inspirational knowing that she too had a house full of kids, a mortgage, family and health issues and still found time to write and the ability to also maintain her sense of humor even in the less than humorous moments of her life. Bombeck made the art of writing and humor look effortless as she talked about being caught in an innocent yet compromising pose by a nosy neighbor peering in her window or when she talked of those moments when her youth was dwindling along with her patience and life kept coming at her. And finally, when she talked of her own battle with cancer the humor remained along with a strength and honesty that had not been so clearly evident in her writing before. Her way with words made us laugh, held us captivated and held her in our hearts even after she was gone.

Those that know me know just how deep my love for this wonderful woman's writing goes. She endeared herself to an international audience and kept us entertained from septic tanks to post natal depressions and along the way taught us how to laugh at life, our selves and yes.....even in the face of death. So yes folks.....when I grow up.....I would be ecstatic to have just half the talent, a smidgen of the humor and a whole heck of a lot of the human strength that this woman allowed us to see. When I grow up....I want to be....just like Erma Bombeck. 

My Favorite Recipes!

Welcome to Monday and August 1, 2011. Today is suppose to be a nice "balmy" 107 degrees. I won't lie. I am a little tired of the hot. Especially since my pool went green again. I have once again had to buy the pool "flock" which has to set 24 hours and then be vacuumed out of the pool. It looks to be doing its job and tomorrow we will be back in the pool business (waterproof bandage over the tattoo and all), but it is just a pain to lose a couple of days when the weather is so darn HOT!

Today is the first day of my blog themes and I told you I would just surprise us all and pick today's theme at the last minute. Well drum roll please......today's theme is My Favorite Recipes! Perhaps you should make a note....Monday's will forever be Recipe Day in Lisaland. That is until or unless the queen of Lisaland gets tired of or decides to change that. Awwww....it is good to be Queen!

A little history on my culinary skills. Before I married my late husband Tim, I had none. If it couldn't be put in the microwave......I couldn't make it. Come to think of it....that might have been why I was so skinny back then. After marrying Tim though (who might I add was an excellent cook) I had no choice but to learn. The funny thing is, I went from someone with no recipes to someone who really doesn't use a recipe. I either make stuff up as I go along, or I look at a recipe, read the basic instructions and then tweak the heck out of it. For the sake of not driving my readers crazy though....I have done my best to put measurements with my recipes so that you won't have to be flying blind on them. I am fully aware that "a little bit of this" is greek to most people.

Today I am going to share two recipes with you. The first one is one that I found years ago in a magazine. I have made this recipe dozens of  times over the years and taken it to many functions with always the same result.....people LOVE IT! The second is an all time favorite of mine. A restaurant that is now closed used to make this wonderful salad and that was about the only reason I would ever go there. After years of playing with different recipes....I found a pretty close and comparable substitute to my restaurant favorite.

What comes to mind when I say tuna casserole? Blah? Boring? Maybe even....Yuk?! Well Company Tuna Casserole may just change your mind. This casserole has a rich flavor that most tuna casseroles don't and it doesn't have the normal cheddar cheese flavor that most do.....because the cheese used in this one is cream cheese. If you decide to try this one at home.....I would love to hear your comments. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Company Tuna Casserole
1 reg. size can tuna in water (drained)
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (left out to room temperature about 4 hours)
1 tsp. mustard (the hot dog condiment)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small onion diced
1 small box of elbow macaroni (cooked per directions)
crushed crackers or potato chips
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Fix macaroni per directions. Once done set aside in a draining colander. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese and mushroom soup. Mix until creamy and no lumps. To this mixture add the mustard. Mix again. Then add tuna, diced onion and finally the macaroni. Mix until all macaroni is thoroughly covered. Put in a 9x9 baking dish and cover top with crushed crackers or chips. Dot the top with the T. of butter/margarine. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 to 45 min. This casserole is great right out of the oven or even better on day two as left overs. This recipe can be increased proportionately as needed to fit your family or gathering size. If you are like me, this recipe will be with you for years to come!

I get tired of the same old salads all of the time. Every once in a while I like a salad that has more flavor, more bite, more pizazz. After scouring recipes for years...and playing with all kinds of ingredients, I finally found a recipe that was pretty darn close to a restaurant favorite. Here is my version of garlic salad....and with this new day and age of prepackaged salad...it is easier than ever.

Yummy Garlic Salad
1 sm. package of shredded lettuce
1 sm. package of coleslaw cabbage mix
1 c. real mayo
1 Tbsp. Garlic juice
1/2 Tbsp. garlic salt
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

Put lettuce and cabbage mix through a food processor to chop up some (can also leave lettuce and cabbage as they are out of the package) then combine in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix mayo, garlic juice, garlic salt and garlic powder until thoroughly mixed (this makes the dressing). Then toss the lettuce/cabbage mixture with the dressing. Salad is best if refrigerated 2 to 24 hours. If you like a little less garlic then I suggest playing with this recipe until you get the amounts where you like them. Once you do though....I think you are going to find this a nice change to plain old cole slaw or regular old salads.

So here you have it folks. Not only have you gotten a glimpse of my life in this blog, but you also get a glimpse into my kitchen. Exciting ain't it?! Please let me know if you try these recipes how they turn out and if you like them. Also let me know if you need any help with them as I don't always explain as well as I think I do. And finally....on Recipe Day....don't hesitate to throw in your own favorite recipes as I surely can use some add ons to my recipe repertoire. Who knows....one of your favorites could become one of my favorites and end up forever glorified in my blog!

Well hope this starts your day out with some new ideas and gives you a fresh start to both the week and the month. Happy Monday everyone!

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