CHRISTMAS DAY 2009
--Lauren*
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Beef Ole
Okay, so, I made dinner tonight for Ramiro and my family-in-law [Ramiro Sr. (father-in-law), Martha (mother-in-law), and Sarahe (sister-in-law)] and it turned out really well! I know! I'm shocked too. haha. But, anyway, I thought I'd post up the recipe in case there's anyone else out there that needs a very easy recipe that makes a good amount of food in a short amount of time. :)
This is a recipe that my dad (Robert Tharp) came up with when he first started living on his own. It's cheap and easy. It's called "Beef Ole" (or, as he calls it, "Beast Ole"...he's weird like that):
Ingredients
1.5 pounds hamburger
1 onion (chopped)
15 oz. tomato sauce
15 oz. kidney beans
1 can sliced black olives (optional!)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1.5 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
0.5 pounds jack cheese (shredded)
About 10 corn tortillas (cut in strips)
Instructions
Hope that was helpful to someone out there.
Also, many thanks to all the cards, letters, e-mails, phone calls, texts, and money(!) you guys have been sending me to help ease Ramiro & me into our new life. It's all been VERY appreciated. You're the best! <3
--Lauren*
This is a recipe that my dad (Robert Tharp) came up with when he first started living on his own. It's cheap and easy. It's called "Beef Ole" (or, as he calls it, "Beast Ole"...he's weird like that):
Ingredients
1.5 pounds hamburger
1 onion (chopped)
15 oz. tomato sauce
15 oz. kidney beans
1 can sliced black olives (optional!)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1.5 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
0.5 pounds jack cheese (shredded)
About 10 corn tortillas (cut in strips)
Instructions
- Cook burger & onions; then drain
- Stir in tomato sauce, beans, olives (optional), and seasonings.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes
- Blend cottage cheese & egg in a bowl
- In a dish/pan (like for lasagna), layer: tortillas, then the meat sauce, then the cottage cheese mixture on top.
- Top the whole thing in jack cheese
- Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees
Hope that was helpful to someone out there.
Also, many thanks to all the cards, letters, e-mails, phone calls, texts, and money(!) you guys have been sending me to help ease Ramiro & me into our new life. It's all been VERY appreciated. You're the best! <3
--Lauren*
Monday, December 14, 2009
The 6th Day
Wednesday (1), Thursday (2), Friday (3), Saturday (4), Sunday (5), Monday (6)... Okay, so, today's my 6th day in my new living space. And so far things are going great!
Ramiro and I share a room that's smaller than my old bedroom at my parents' house. Which has made things very tough/interesting. We've really had to make the most of the small space and we've both had to get rid of a lot of things.
Also, there's no "my stuff" and "your stuff" anymore. It's "our stuff." We've combined our DVDs, our VHS tapes, our CDs, our games, our books, our art supplies, and (omg!) our comic books. We share a very small closet. It's been a tough adjustment!
On the other hand, we're very grateful for each other's company (not to put words in his mouth or anything, but I happen to know he enjoys having me around). And I love having him around to talk to all the time. Now when I read/hear/see something, I don't have to think "Gee, I wish Ramiro was here to read/hear/see this too!" because he is here. So that's really nice. And, as I'm writing right now, I still have just enough privacy and space to think. Which is something I was concerned about (what with it being such a small space!). So that's quite a relief too!
The first meal we cooked together was a bit of a mixed bag. haha. The hamburger patties came out fantastic and the yams were great too (except that they finished about half-an-hour later than we anticipated). But we failed to follow the directions on this weird multi-grain pasta (boil water, then add the pasta) and it turned into a weird paste. And we didn't have any cream, butter or real cheese... So we made an Alfredo sauce out of milk, sour cream, and Parmesan powdered cheese. It actually tasted just about right (amazingly!), but was a bit grainy. Live and learn, right?
However, I've noticed that I have a lot less back pain here. And Ramiro noticed that I don't have my weird stomach distress hiccups anymore (my "meeps" for those of you who know me well). And I feel a lot more relaxed. Now that I have so much responsibility, there's really no time to be "emo" about things. It's a whole new beginning! :)
Anyway, Ramiro and I also share this computer now, so I should probably get off and let him have a turn!
Until next time...
--Lauren*
Ramiro and I share a room that's smaller than my old bedroom at my parents' house. Which has made things very tough/interesting. We've really had to make the most of the small space and we've both had to get rid of a lot of things.
Also, there's no "my stuff" and "your stuff" anymore. It's "our stuff." We've combined our DVDs, our VHS tapes, our CDs, our games, our books, our art supplies, and (omg!) our comic books. We share a very small closet. It's been a tough adjustment!
On the other hand, we're very grateful for each other's company (not to put words in his mouth or anything, but I happen to know he enjoys having me around). And I love having him around to talk to all the time. Now when I read/hear/see something, I don't have to think "Gee, I wish Ramiro was here to read/hear/see this too!" because he is here. So that's really nice. And, as I'm writing right now, I still have just enough privacy and space to think. Which is something I was concerned about (what with it being such a small space!). So that's quite a relief too!
The first meal we cooked together was a bit of a mixed bag. haha. The hamburger patties came out fantastic and the yams were great too (except that they finished about half-an-hour later than we anticipated). But we failed to follow the directions on this weird multi-grain pasta (boil water, then add the pasta) and it turned into a weird paste. And we didn't have any cream, butter or real cheese... So we made an Alfredo sauce out of milk, sour cream, and Parmesan powdered cheese. It actually tasted just about right (amazingly!), but was a bit grainy. Live and learn, right?
However, I've noticed that I have a lot less back pain here. And Ramiro noticed that I don't have my weird stomach distress hiccups anymore (my "meeps" for those of you who know me well). And I feel a lot more relaxed. Now that I have so much responsibility, there's really no time to be "emo" about things. It's a whole new beginning! :)
Anyway, Ramiro and I also share this computer now, so I should probably get off and let him have a turn!
Until next time...
--Lauren*
Friday, December 11, 2009
Change of Address...
...Change of Life.
So.
I've moved out from my parents house. I'm now living with Ramiro.
I don't really want to discuss it right now, so please don't ask me too many questions. I know it's unexpected (for me too!!), but it's for the best.
I'll try to send my change of address to everyone I know, but if somehow you don't get the information, please feel free to e-mail me. And, provided you're someone I actually know and not some Internet crazy, I'll send it to you.
It's taking a lot of adjustment, but thus far I'm actually really happy. For one thing, since we now share a room, it's caused Ramiro and me both to be a lot less cluttered. We're totally Zen now. (haha, not quite, but the room we share is very tidy!)
I love my parents and I talk to them every day. And I visit them often. I miss my cat though. As of now, I can't talk about my cat (Dorian) out loud without crying. I couldn't afford to take him with me. But if anyone can take great care of my baby, it's Mom. She's a wonder with pets/animals.
Okay, well, expect an e-mail soon with my new address.
Until next time...
--Lauren*
So.
I've moved out from my parents house. I'm now living with Ramiro.
I don't really want to discuss it right now, so please don't ask me too many questions. I know it's unexpected (for me too!!), but it's for the best.
I'll try to send my change of address to everyone I know, but if somehow you don't get the information, please feel free to e-mail me. And, provided you're someone I actually know and not some Internet crazy, I'll send it to you.
It's taking a lot of adjustment, but thus far I'm actually really happy. For one thing, since we now share a room, it's caused Ramiro and me both to be a lot less cluttered. We're totally Zen now. (haha, not quite, but the room we share is very tidy!)
I love my parents and I talk to them every day. And I visit them often. I miss my cat though. As of now, I can't talk about my cat (Dorian) out loud without crying. I couldn't afford to take him with me. But if anyone can take great care of my baby, it's Mom. She's a wonder with pets/animals.
Okay, well, expect an e-mail soon with my new address.
Until next time...
--Lauren*
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Not Feeling Well
First of all, many thanks to those of you who have written and/or called me to wish me well. It's true: I haven't been feeling well lately. I've been in and out of the hospital with a string of "illnesses."
Early last month, I had a bit of a cold, but continued to go to work anyway. I was getting more hours and needed the money and I forced myself to keep going even though I kept getting progressively worse. The day before Thanksgiving, Ramiro ended up taking me to the hospital. My cold had turned into Pneumonia. I was forced to take some time off from work. (I haven't been back to work since November 23rd).
And, just as I was starting to feel all the way better (except for a lingering cough--which I've been told could stick around for another two weeks!), poor Ramiro ended up having to take me to the hospital again. With my zero immunity from the Pneumonia, I ended up catching a very bad flu virus that mainly affected the "violently throwing up" and "non-stop diarrhea" parts of my anatomy. NOT PLEASANT AT ALL! Ugh.
I'm out of the hospital now and on the road to recovery from all my various troubles. Except my wallet is a bit worse for wear. I've ended up having to spend much MUCH more than I made when I forced myself to go to work with a cold. And my dream of having a Saving's Account? Well... Maybe next year. I was only a few dollars away, but now I'm pretty much down to the "lucky" two-dollar bill I started out with. I'm trying very, very hard not to be extremely bummed about this and remain optimistic that 2010 will be better money-wise. *smiles*
On the bright side, my Thanksgiving went pretty well... I had Pneumonia and couldn't taste anything (and my diet restrictions meant I couldn't eat a lot of the "good stuff"--it was basically just an ordinary meal for me), but Ramiro came over and my mom's brother and his ex-wife. So that was nice.
And I'm very thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. Especially Ramiro. And my parents. And Ramiro's parents & sister. There are many many AWESOME people in my life, but those are the ones that I'm the most grateful for at this moment. You know that people really REALLY love you when they'll still sit with you when you're horrifically throwing up. Thanks, guys. I love you all so much. <3
Anyway, that's pretty much what I've been up to lately. Just...being sick. You haven't missed much! haha.
Hopefully my next entry will be something more fun!
Later.
--Lauren*
Early last month, I had a bit of a cold, but continued to go to work anyway. I was getting more hours and needed the money and I forced myself to keep going even though I kept getting progressively worse. The day before Thanksgiving, Ramiro ended up taking me to the hospital. My cold had turned into Pneumonia. I was forced to take some time off from work. (I haven't been back to work since November 23rd).
And, just as I was starting to feel all the way better (except for a lingering cough--which I've been told could stick around for another two weeks!), poor Ramiro ended up having to take me to the hospital again. With my zero immunity from the Pneumonia, I ended up catching a very bad flu virus that mainly affected the "violently throwing up" and "non-stop diarrhea" parts of my anatomy. NOT PLEASANT AT ALL! Ugh.
I'm out of the hospital now and on the road to recovery from all my various troubles. Except my wallet is a bit worse for wear. I've ended up having to spend much MUCH more than I made when I forced myself to go to work with a cold. And my dream of having a Saving's Account? Well... Maybe next year. I was only a few dollars away, but now I'm pretty much down to the "lucky" two-dollar bill I started out with. I'm trying very, very hard not to be extremely bummed about this and remain optimistic that 2010 will be better money-wise. *smiles*
On the bright side, my Thanksgiving went pretty well... I had Pneumonia and couldn't taste anything (and my diet restrictions meant I couldn't eat a lot of the "good stuff"--it was basically just an ordinary meal for me), but Ramiro came over and my mom's brother and his ex-wife. So that was nice.
And I'm very thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. Especially Ramiro. And my parents. And Ramiro's parents & sister. There are many many AWESOME people in my life, but those are the ones that I'm the most grateful for at this moment. You know that people really REALLY love you when they'll still sit with you when you're horrifically throwing up. Thanks, guys. I love you all so much. <3
Anyway, that's pretty much what I've been up to lately. Just...being sick. You haven't missed much! haha.
Hopefully my next entry will be something more fun!
Later.
--Lauren*
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