Left Overs

Thanksgiving Dinner doesn't have to be only one day. JJ made a beautiful turkey last Thursday and tonight I used the leftovers for a yum yum turkey soup. Perfect for tonight when the weather is on it's way south for the winter. What? It's going to be freezing tonight. Don't forget to bring in any potted plants so they don't whither. Also, HBO is playing a bunch of episodes of Bored To Death right now. Just so happens that Turkey Soup tastes great while watching. Alright, happy souping!

Turkey Noodle Soup


Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
1 yellow onion, chopped 
2 teaspoons chopped thyme 
3 1/2 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
2 cups baby spinach 
2 cups shredded turkey 
1 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles 
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained (optional. I didn't add these this year) 
3 large sliced carrots
3 celery stalks sliced 
Salt and pepper to taste
a dab or two of sriracha (also optional) 

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add thyme and stir to blend. Add broth, spinach, turkey, noodles, beans, carrots, celery, and salt and pepper, sriracha, and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Enjoy ~

Whistle While You Work

Good morning Blog,
I have one appointment today. Yes, it's that time of year. To begin preparing for the new work year. Cold calls, thank you notes for a great year, and candy drop ins. It's raining and I just want to crawl back in bed. Although, I've been out with a cold over Thanksgiving, so a nice two hour drive will be good for me to stretch my legs and get some fresh rainy air in my lungs. My work year begins in December. It's time to prepare my receipts, catch up on my logs, plan my next year of business. 2011 holds many changes for me. My last year with the Coach brand. I'm very sad by this. Adelle, Annabel, Marlie, Hilary, one more year. We shall make it a great year for Coach. Lacoste will be arriving to my home in late January. Sunglasses first. We have a new manager. He will have more time to visit more frequently. New, New, New! Planning and smart scheduling will make all the difference this year for sure. That's the name of the game. Sales. Get out there and grab it.
Meanwhile, there's a vacation in the making. JJ and I will be going on a vacation this upcoming year. Just us, husband and wife. It will be great! We are currently deliberating and researching on a destination. Stay tuned for updates. So far, we know we want sun, beach, great food, and new activities. I want to go really far from civilization. Far out of cell phone signal.

For now, on the road again!

So Many Boots, So Little Time

DSW & Michael Kors

Books, My Favorite

Good morning,
I love to be awake before the sun rises. Let me be clear. I love to be awake shortly before the sun rises. Such a quiet peaceful time. Squirrels and birds shuffling through leaves. Among the few awake early to be witness to the dawn of a new day.
"They are like a tree, planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; It's leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers." Psalms 1:3
My favorite things
Books.
I read a book called "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave
This is an exciting story of two women's courage. Little Bee is the name of the first character, from Africa, learning how to survive from the men who will kill her. She lives in a state of mental and physical unrest only because of where she is from. Her country has been attacked and her village and family have been slaughtered for the oil in the ground. She finds a strong will to live and to make it to a place where she doesn't have to worry. For her, there isn't such a place. The second character, is named Sarah. She is struggling to find the meaning to her life, her career, her marriage, being a mother. Suddenly her husband dies and Little Bee comes into her life. The story is intriguing how the two women need each other and they teach each other things about themselves they didn't know about confidence, self worth, love and selflessness. It reads fast. Great, fantastic, lovely book.

Work it Out

Notes. Marianne notes. Today's topic: work it out. In more than one way. Work out the mind, confidence, inside image. Try new. Try new food, drinks, even the every morning coffee. Mix it up and try a latte or have a small cup of juice. Tomato, orange, cranberry, pomegranate, coconut, hot tea, cold tea, club soda. There are so many flavored liquids available. surprise those taste buds. It's boring to hear someone say, "eehh, I don't like that", before tried, while they make a scrunched face. "Eww" faces are not attractive. 

Work it out. The booty that is. There are approximately 640 muscles in the human body. Work them out. Keep them toned and in top shape. Healthy, good posture, longevity, flexibility. Love those things. Now, to make my body represent those adjectives. There are so many creative ways to work out. I enjoy walking, with a jog thrown in here and there. Biking feels adventurous. There's a park near our house with a tennis court. I will be rep-ing the Lacoste eyewear collection in 2011. Stretching and pilates feel so good. A renewal for the body. Pump that blood, circulate the oxygen. Plus, exercise is great for the complexion. It's always good to challenge one's self physically. Builds self esteem. I am talking to myself for sure. Take advantage of being blessed with working legs. Plus, it's fun to build a workout wardrobe!

All The Leaves are Turning

Good Morning, Good Morning! Today is the day before Thanksgiving. I'm excited to watch the parade tomorrow morning. I wish there was a petite fashion show thrown in here and there. It is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The high school bands get a little tiring. That's usually when you get up and use the restroom or see what's going on in the kitchen. I'm not saying get rid of the bands, just mix it up. Jenks High School Band... followed by Chanel & Fendi. I think Karl Lagerfeld would have a gorgeous float. It would be all black and white. Karl would be waving with his shades on and then the float would do something amazing, like clothe homeless children with every block it traveled. Ahh, well...
So, the pictures show one style of my new trend I've been crocheting. I think my niece is the perfect model for my new crocheted cowls. I have completed two and my next one with be started today, probably. They are the perfect size to stay warm without the fuss of a long scarf. They are warm, I tried one yesterday working on the road. I found the pattern for this on Lion Brand iphone app. Love the Lion Brand iphone app! I don't have to worry about losing papers and carrying a book around with me if I happen to be traveling to visit family out of state. It lets you choose favorite patterns and keeps track of them for you! You know how I love making lists! Here is the link www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90438B.html
Happy day and Happy Thanksgiving!

December. Happy New Year!

Hello out there in computer land. So far, I have 0 followers, so I'm writing this to myself. That's alright. The weather is turning cold quite rapidly. Soon, all the leaves will be gone and going outdoors will be thought of as doing something "crazy". I am approaching this winter a bit differently. It's about that time to make adjustments. Make some lists and check them twice, then check them about once per month. Maybe, twice per month. There are many things I would rather be doing. Instead I waste time on my phone and computer playing mindless, pointless games. I'm ready to live in the real world again. Time to practice the English language and bring grammar back to life. I'm reorganizing. I'm ready to try new. I really would like a big soft chocolate cup cake right now and some coffee. Mmmmm... Well, this is part of my list. Living a Daily Frugal Life. Stop Silly Spending. Using less and producing more. Producing more creativity, energy, productivity. Discovery. What can I do? I can do many things. I know I can shop like a cat can drink milk. But, what's the point, if I can't shop in Italy? What's the point if I can't lie on a beach in the Caribbean? I've got to stop the madness! Shopping is my addiction. Spending is my addiction. What is life if I am constantly in debt? I want things. I want to experience places. I want to have a boat in the Mediterranean. I want to have an Italian villa. Or a French Chateau. I want to know how to cook any dish. I want to have fitness. Be athletic. My inspiration is French and Italian Riviera.

Who wouldn't be inspired by this?

This is the simple life. Great friend, good outfit, and a cup of coffee. Simplicity.

So, what to do in the mornings? Good question. I usually go to the coffee, aka, fountain of life, then straight to the computer to do some fb-ing. Lame. No more. But, the question is what to do with my 30 minutes each morning? I'll have to think on this and experiment. I'd love to hear some ideas from any followers out there....no, nothing. Alright. I'll figure something out. 

Fall in Love with FENDI

From: Fendi Facebook page

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are Good!

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semisweet mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  
  

  • Directions

  • 1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
    2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
    3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Family Tree

Now that it's getting cool outside, and work is slowing, I feel this year will be the time to get seriously started on finding and making my family tree. I believe there is much to be found in multiple countries by searching for my family. Hungary, Ireland, France, Scotland, maybe more.

My name is Marianne Amelia and this is a picture of me and my grandmother, Lola. She was from Wisconsin. She met my grandfather in Ohio, married and moved to California. Her mother, Amelia was born in Hungary. That is about the extent of my knowledge of two beautiful women in my tree. If there are any good websites or reference sources for family tree hunting please share. Let the search begin....

News to me

Something about me. Ocean Flowers Nature Books Crochet Movies. This is fun. What should I write about? Anything my little heart desires. Well, what should I type? Anything my imagination can dream up. This might be more fun than other networking sites. I like the idea of journaling on the computer and sharing with my friends and family. I'm trying a new hair do today. Not sure about it. It's a good one for house cleaning or working in the yard. There are so many leaves outside in our yard, the neighbors are not going to like us for not raking. Fashion Fun Biking Family Cooking Inspirations Sunshine Sunbathing. Sunbathing is one of my very favorite things in the world. I'd like to learn how to sail. I should utilize the resources in my current environment. No ocean in this state. Sad. Autumn in OK. What to do? Wind Bikes Jogging Dog Walking Crafts Hot Tea & Chocolate & Toddies Music Records.