Building my Bucket List

Like most busy moms I've found that I'm really great at dreaming up plans in my head that never come to fruition. Partly because it's impossible to be a parent and fulfill all of these dreams and plans while still caring for a child....and partly because we are terrified of taking time off of work and leaving everything behind for some relaxation. This is sad to me. I truly believe that Riley and I are the exact same person when it comes to work. Missing work just seems almost like a crime and for the life of me I can't figure out this mindset. I spend many a night sitting on the couch perusing Expedia and putting in specific dates and planning vacations. Vacations that seem so wonderful and reasonable. We always say how great we are at planning vacations.....just never actually taking them. This always gets me to thinking....I jump up on my soapbox and the hubby runs and hides. Why are we paralyzed when it comes to doing new things, traveling and just plain having fun??? I don't know the answer to this but I'm constantly in search of it......


.....which brings me to this post. If I put half as much energy into adventurous endeavors as I do blogging we'd be crossing things the list left and right. "The list" is something that only exists in my head. Little by little I mentally make note of things to add to it. It hasn't grown a lot but I'm working on it. Oh, you better believe I'm working on it. Ya see, I did very little traveling while growing up. There is so much I want to see....so many things I want to experience....so many opportunities out there. I'm not sure how many times I've dropped hints to the hubs about desperately wanting to stay in one of those over-water huts in Bora Bora....or my strange obsession with hanging out in a pub in Ireland and listening to an Irish band like the one in the movie "P.S. I Love You".....or my overwhelming desire to take a long run in Central Park and eat lunch on the grass and read a book. These are things I can vividly picture in my head.....and I would love to actually capture them through photos someday....


......so I'm gonna make an official list. Little by little. Week by week. And I'm gonna share it for the world (or at least my Pink Dishers) to see. Because what are dreams if they aren't shared? Just thoughts in my busy head. Without further ado, in no particular order, no rhyme or reason, some of little and some of great significance, some that are just plain selfish and some that are silly......


......here is my bucket list.


#1 Go on a 10 year anniversary trip to Tahiti and Bora Bora


#2 Conquer my fear of public speaking


#3 Complete the Marine Corp Marathon in D.C. with my other half by my side


#4 Sit in the audience at SNL (preferably when Justin Timberlake is hosting but I won't be too picky)


#5 Take a family camping trip to Yellowstone


#6 Have six pack abs even if it's just for a moment in time (I better hurry up if this is going to ever happen)


#7 Understand the rules of tennis


#8 Be referred to someday as "a good cook"


#9 Start a book club


#10 See Garth Brooks in concert




That was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I almost feel a sense of nervousness sharing my list. I kinda feel naked right now. Eh, I'll get over it....give it a couple more weeks. I'm gonna slowly and methodically work my way towards #100. Building a bucket list is mentally exhausting...I think I'll go grab a bowl of the dessert I made yesterday. On second that that won't get me anywhere close to #6. And it sure won't get me in a swimsuit for #1. See that, the list is already working. ;)


Do you have a bucket list? Have you written it down? Let me know.....I'm curious to see how many people out there have an official list!

Crock Pot Jambalaya

Big, big fan of cajun food. Do I ever eat it? Nope, not really. I always picture that Zatarian's commercial in my head when I think about jambalaya or gumbo. So here's a little bit of NOLA in a bowl for ya......

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups green peppers , chopped
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 2 celery ribs , sliced
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb shrimp , shelled
• 3 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces.
2. Put all ingredients (EXCEPT shrimp and rice) in crock pot.
3. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours.
4. Add shrimp the last 20 minutes of cooking.
5. Cut up whole tomatoes and add back to crockpot. Stir in rice before serving.

Sadly I left out a very big part of this recipe I've just shared. THE SHRIMP!!! Why?, you ask. Well, the hubby is not a fan of anything that lives in the sea. I made a bonehead move by not thinking to substitute sausage for the shrimp but maybe next time.

Before the cooking began

I found myself craving these leftovers all day today. I can tell there will be a leftover war going on over this! I think I went light on the Tabasco for hubby's sake.....next time I'm gonna go crazy with the hot sauce. It could handle a little more HOTness than what the recipe calls for.

It's good. It's a winner. Definitely one to put on the "hey babe, can you make that again" list. Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!

Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies

Had it not been for my mother-in-law asking me about this week's treat, there may not have been one. These past few days have been busy and cooking was not even on my radar. But I thought for the love of Tuesday I ought to kick it into gear and find a recipe for SWEET TOOTH DAY! Sticking with January's healthy eating theme I have found a heart smart recipe. These are similar to the cookies I made two weeks ago. I guess I'm on a cookie with dried fruit and chocolate chunks kick. But it's no secret that I'm always on a cookie kick. Let's see if these puppies can top my recent favorite...golden oreos. Curse those darned cookies with creme. Get out of my pantry! Someone (that being me) keeps buying them. Looks like a have some new and healthier cookie to munch on for the next few days. And the best part is these good-sized cookies only have 95 calories!

Lord bless my pantry! I'm slowly getting stocked up on the staples of baking. I actually didn't leave any ingredients out of this recipe. Ha! I think that's a first. This recipe was super simple, super fast.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup dried cherries

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; add brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add cherries, vanilla, and egg; beat until combined. Fold in chocolate.
4. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool on pans 3 minutes or until almost firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

My favorite thing about these cookies....they are so soft and gooey when you bite into them straight out of the oven. Well, maybe not straight out of the oven...please don't burn your mouth. But whatever you do....dunk them in a glass of milk. This lil guy had the right idea all along...

If you give a mouse a cookie.

I wonder if Mr. Mouse would be able to tell the difference between a cookie with white sugar and a cookie without white sugar. Because I can. Not a huge difference, but guess what? The chocolate, cherries and oats in this cookie give plenty of flavor to make up for it lacking my favorite ingredient. ;) Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!

So about that whole challenge thing.....

I'd like to go back to November 12th and give myself a big swift kick in the booty. November 12th was the day I committed myself to the Insanity 60 Challenge.....


......ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.


Sorry, it's hard to stop laughing. You can listen to me babble on right here.


I'm still trying to figure out what kind of special day I was having when I thought it would be a good idea to commit myself to anything right smack dab in the middle of a move and the holidays. If I'm being completely honest, I think I lasted nine days. So if we do the math on that.....calculating......well let's just say that I failed big time. I'm pretty prone to setting myself up for failure by taking on too much. I wish I could just do it all. Be a good mom, work a full time job, be the perfect wife who suprises her husband with a lunch date every now and again and has a fancy meal on the table every night, keep the canines happy and healthy by taking them for regular walks, go to the store, have a spotless house ready at any moment for a drop in guest to see, fit in a 60 minute workout every evening, have time to blog, oh yeah and I can't forget relax. Which brings me to my confession: sometimes when I'm driving around I like to pretend that I'm an SUV soccer mom who has ten arms and ten hands with perfectly manicured nails and toes with a high metabolism and a 5 a.m. workout group and a stylish wardrobe and time to volunteer at the church and have mommy/baby playdates and all the while having a bubbly personality...not to mention a perfectly happy family. Oh yeah, and I don't have a hair out of place.

Ok, not this stylish outfit though. ;)

Sometimes I pretend that's me. Am I happy with my life and myself? Yes, yes I am (most of the time). Would I like to create a better version of me? Yes, yes I would. Even though my ridiculous 60 day challenge nonsense was a big fat fail I'm gonna keep on keepin' on to my next ridiculous goal........

.......a half-marathon. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? Ok, well I admitted that I have an addiction to setting overwhelming goals. I guess now it's time to follow through with this one. ;)

Blueberry Angel Food Cake

It seems as though this healthy-er eating month has forced me to step outside of my taste bud comfort zone. Angel food cake would usually be pretty low on the list of desired desserts. Probably because it isn't the most calorie-packed dessert out there. So how can one jazz up this bland spongy treat? Well, how bout add some blueberries and lemon juice. Works like a charm. I took a chance with this recipe. It's kind of strange baking something that you aren't sure if you will actually want to eat or not when you get finished. About twenty minutes into the baking process I took a peek in the oven and knew that I'd want to eat every last bite of it. It was just so pretty. So with all that being babbled, let the treat making begin.....

HAPPY SWEET TOOTH TUESDAY!!!!!!

When I think of angel food cake, I think of a bundt cake pan. A bundt cake pan is something my kitchen was lacking. Not only is this blog opening up my eyes to the world of cooking but apparently it is helping me slowly but surely complete my kitchen.

Ingredients:

Cake:
*1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
*1 cup sifted cake flour
*12 large egg whites (about 1 1/2 cups
*1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

*2 tablespoons sifted cake flour

*1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Glaze:

*1 cup powdered sugar

*3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375°.

2) Sift together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup flour.

3) In a large bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

4) Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in. Fold in vanilla and blueberries.

5) Combine 2 tablespoons flour and lemon rind; toss to coat. Sprinkle over egg white mixture; fold in.

6) Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting   through batter with a knife. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen the cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate.

7) To prepare the glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.Drizzle over cooled cake.

I was so excited to flip over the pan and have to admit was a little bummed when I saw that all of the blueberries had decided to have a party at the bottom and had congregated together. For taste this means great things....but for looks not so much. My photograph tricks the eye....my clump of blueberries is on the opposite side so you can't see. ;) So here is my blonde cooking moment this week: I left out the cream of tartar. For a couple reasons. #1: I have no idea what it is. #2: When I asked the nice lady at the store to direct me towards it I ended up on the tartar sauce aisle. That would've been some funky tasting cake! Cream of tartar, where are yoooooouuuuuuuuuu? Today was my first go round with my new mixer from my mother-in-law. I've had it since my birthday in November but have yet to use it since I went on a cooking hiatus. Ok, that's not entirely the truth though. I was afraid to use it. Appliances intimidate me and I waited for a tutorial sesh with her before I put it to use. It's official now.......I. LOVE. IT. Look ma, no hands! I felt lazy just watching the mixer do all the work though . Hehehe. So back to the dessert of the hour......it has flavor to the max!!!!!! My sweet girl and I sat atop the counter and enjoyed sharing a piece...or two or three. Sssssh. Don't tell. Super sweet and extra moist is how I would describe it. Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!!

Turkey Sliders and Sweet Potato Fries

So here's the deal. As I sat and pondered what healthy recipe I would chose for this week all I could think about was eating a big juicy cheeseburger and salty fries. The exact opposite of the direction I was trying to go in. Great. Lightbulb flickered on in my head. Eureka! I could make the healthy version of the heart attack waiting to happen that I had been dreaming about. I sifted through my healthy eating magazine and noticed a scrumptious picture of some southwestern sliders. I LOVE me some sliders! And so does the hubby. This was perfect. Lean ground turkey it would be! I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes but I have munched on a few oven baked sweet potato fries before at a restaurant and they weren't half bad. I thought I'd give them a shot to see what would happen. Both of them just happened to be super easy recipes which was an added bonus. We had our burger and fries after all....and no heartburn afterwards! ;)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground turkey, 85/15 blend
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1/4 cup minced green onion, (about 1 scallion)
• 1 or 2 serrano peppers, minced, to taste
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Emeril's Southwestern Essence
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• 12 mini burger buns or small soft dinner rolls, warmed in oven
• 12 small lettuce leaves
• 12 slices tomato
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• Mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, optional

Directions:

1) Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

2) In a large bowl, combine ground turkey with minced red onion, green onion, peppers, egg whites, Essence, cumin and Worcestershire sauce.
3) Divide the turkey into 12 equal portions and, using your hands, shape into 12 small burgers about 3 1/2-inches wide.

4) Place the burgers on the grill and cook until turkey is done and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, about 3 minutes per side.

5) Serve the burgers with cheese on the mini buns with lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced red onions and avocado, garnished with mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup to your liking.

The sliders were originally supposed to be southwestern style but Walmart did not have the southwest Emeril seasoning that the recipe called for so I have now named them original flavored...I used Emeril's original essence seasoning...

I can't take credit for actually doing the grilling of these tiny burgers. My plan was to put them on the grill while "the grillmaster"/grill monopolizer (aka my husband) was out on a run. That didn't happen and once he spotted grilling material on the counter he was flipping them on the grill faster than I could say "hey wait, this is my recipe!" They smelled so good while cooking. Not to mention pretty and colorful! I guess I've been a prejudiced onion purchaser in the past. Never once have I purchased a red onion. In fact I've tried to steer clear of all onions whenever possible. Lately I've been getting to know the white onion but since meeting red onion I think I'm actually quite fond of it.....

Much prettier

Moving on to the burger's best friend.....

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss sweet potato wedges with oil, salt and pepper. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total.

So what does a girl do when her husband doesn't like sweet potatoes? He gets the unhealthy version of fries......

The sweet potato fries were delish!!! And surprisingly very flavorful! Not too shabby for a "healthy" meal. You can have your burger and eat your fries too! This meal was a huge hit with both of us! Eat up! Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!!!

New Recipe Night: Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

 

I apologize for the long delay as I'd promised this recipe on Tuesday. Well let's just say it's a bit hard to blog about food when food is the last thing you can think about. Now that I'm over that mysterious stomach bug I'm ready to share this yummy new treat with you. This recipe comes courtesty of Pinterest and my sister's lovely food board. I didn't intend to have ginger in both of my recipes that I made on Tuesday...it was something of a coincidence I guess. The very odd part being that I'd never ever cooked with ginger before. No fresh ginger to speak of in the grocery store so I settled for a jar of crushed ginger. Honestly it looked kind of gross when I opened it but it smelled oh so good and made for a very delicious dinner. Well, that mixed with the sesame oil......MmmmmmmMmmmmmmGood.

 

Ingredients:


*2 large tilapia fillets (or similar thin white fish) - about 3/4 pound
*1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
*3 garlic cloves
*1 inch grated ginger (1 tablespoon)
*2 tablespoons soy sauce
*1/4 cup white wine
*1 teaspoon sesame oil
*1/3 cup chopped cilantro
*Scallions, chopped for garnish
*Extra cilantro, to garnish




Directions:


1) Heat the oven to 475ºF. Pat the fish dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish.

2) Chop the pepper and garlic, and grate the ginger. Put in a small food processor with the soy sauce, white wine, sesame oil, and cilantro. Whir until blended.

Crushed ginger in a jar. I'm still kinda creeped out by the looks of it. ;)

3) Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little.


4) Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. It will be very moist and gelatinous, still. Serve immediately over brown rice, garnished with scallions and cilantro.


I made quite a few changes to this recipe. Most of them were for convenience but the kick I gave to the brown rice was for some added flavor.....I added 1 Tbsp of butter after cooking it and a tsp of lime juice. Mmm. I didn't use a food processor because I don't have one. The last time I bought a food processor I brought it home, unpacked it from the box, tried to make salsa with it, couldn't get it to turn on, cleaned it, took it back to Walmart and told them it was broken. I've yet to attempt another food processor purchase. I took it as my sign a few years ago that I didn't belong in the kitchen. ;) I ended up not needing the processor seeing as how I left out a few ingredients that would've needed blended. I went without the white wine, scallions, and the jalapenos. The jalapenos were left out simply because I forgot to buy them. The wine was left out simply because I don't drink wine. The scallions were left out simply because I don't know what a scallion is. Hehehehe. FYI, I'm not kidding. So with all of my omitions being mentioned, the fish ended up with a perfect taste which can only get better with all the missing ingredients I'm sure. ;) If anyone wants to gift me with a bottle of "cooking wine" I would be your friend forever. Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!!

A big thumbs up from my taste-tester!

Blueberry and White Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

HAPPY SWEET TOOTH TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm back behind the oven and ready to bake! Since the last time you were subjected to my novice baking skills I have gained an actual apron, dual ovens to do twice the baking and my very own "baking station." So here's the deal ladies....how many times in life do you get the chance to have a home-ec teacher come in and organize your kitchen for you? Organizing the kitchen during our move was something I would've stressed about and avoided because I would've wanted it to be "perfect." Whatever that means. ;) MIL to the rescue!!! Not only did she help me move the entire kitchen from our rent house to the new place, but she also unpacked and helped me figure out where to put everything for easiest access (this may sound silly but I really do lack the common sense necessary to makes things convenient). Welcome to "the baking station." ....

This Tuesday's treat goes along with January's theme, healthy eating! This recipe caught my eye while doing a quick google search for low fat/healthy cookie recipes. Anything with blueberries and white chocolate mixed together is a friend of mine. A friend indeed, these do not taste like "diet cookies"....no sirree.

Ingredients:


*1 cup all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup wheat germ
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
*1 large egg
*3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
*1/3 cup canola oil
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/2 cup oats, quick-cooking or old-fashioned (not instant)
*2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
*1/3 cup dried blueberries
*1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped


Directions:

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°F.
2. Whisk flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt and ground ginger in a small bowl. Whisk egg, brown sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir to combine. Add oats, chocolate, blueberries and crystallized ginger; stir just to combine.

   

3. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart.

4. Bake the cookies until puffed and barely golden around the edges, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Confession time. When I read step #4 I rolled my eyes. Really recipe?? Really? You want me to put the cookie sheet that close to the heating element and you also want me to switch and flip the cookie sheets halfway through? Really? Don't you know I'm trying to talk to cable tech support simultaneously? After much consideration I decided to follow the directions and put two pans in at once instead of baking them separately. I switched the pans at four minutes and removed then after another four minutes. They turned out perfect! Easy to mix up, short baking time! The perfect (and unusual) low fat cookie!

If you are as challenged in the grocery aisles as I am then you may as well just start looking for an employee to help you the moment you walk through the door. I, instead, searched for a good ten minutes up and down the aisles multiple times trying to use my super hero powers staring at the shelves hoping that the ingredient I was desperately looking for would appear. Alas, I needed help. We hunted down the elusive wheat germ and the dried blueberries. But this is only after I spilled the fresh blueberries which then reminded me that the recipe did not call for fresh which then led me to imagine how big of a mess that would've been. Aha, my cookies ingredients were flying in the basket and I was almost done with my hunt for strange ingredients. But no help could solve the case of the missing crystallized ginger. Word on the street is that this so called crystallized ginger is not in high demand. That would explain why I've NEVER EVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. It sounds magical but my cookies did without it and turned out just fine. But I'm still a tad curious though about how it would've changed the taste....after all it called for 1/4 cup. Eh. Whole Foods, where are you?!?!?!

Meet my new friends Mr Wheat Germ and Mrs. Dried Blueberry

I must warn you, it's highly unsafe to leave them sitting nearby the computer. Three have disappeared in a matter of minutes. Someone come and take them away NOW!!!  And take this extra pack of dried blueberries and jar of wheat germ with you while you're at it. Besides making another batch of these cookies, I doubt I'll be using them...ever! ;) Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!

It's Baaaaaaaaaaaack!!

Pull out your aprons and your mixers.....because The Pink Dish is back!


When I started this blog four months ago I really didn't know what to expect. Like I mentioned, one of the goals was to learn how to cook and learn to love it. Well, I can check that off the list. But I also wanted to create healthy eating habits for my family by being able to cook meals more nights than not during a busy work week. It's true that not all of the recipes I post are what you'd call healthy, but I do think that cooking in the kitchen is a lot better than my frequent urges to pick up a pizza or some tacos. This, my friends, is what we have been fueling up with over the past month. If you're like me then this thought has crossed your mind a time or two: "why can't I be a millionare like the Hollywood celebrities who have a trainer for two hours everyday with childcare while they work out and delicious, nurtitious meals delivered right to their doorstep?" Pssssh! Moving and holidays have taken a toll on our bellies and our bodies....four added pounds later for me and a husband who let it be known that he feels "fat and old." It's time to get back in the kitchen and out of the fast food lane. Besides making a batch of no bake cookies and a bowl of spaghetti, I haven't touched any kind of cooking utensil since mid-December. I'm in the process of rounding up some yummy recipes for January. Of course I love a good theme and this month's theme is going to be "healthy eating." Even Sweet Tooth Tuesdays is getting a healthy slap in the face. Healthy eating January better take this extra holiday pudge with it when it's over with. Stay tuned...tomorrow will be a busy day in the kitchen! Thanks for reading! If you know of any good healthy recipes you'd like to share don't be shy....DISH is out!!




Oh my husband, what a wise, wise man who repeats this all the time........"One should eat to live, not live to eat" -Benjamin Franklin.....if only I could even begin to buy into this statement. ;)