Move over Sandra Lee

This weekend was a lazy one and I loved every second of it.  We stoked a fire in the living room every evening and watched Netflix like it was going out of style.  We did manage to squeeze in a family walk down on the SUNY campus Sunday and then a 40 minute workout afterwards so we didn't feel like complete couch potatoes.  Plus, Riley was on the mend.  Saturday morning we brought him into see the vet since he's been out of sorts lately and as it turns out his glands needed to be expressed internally as opposed to the external technique the groomer uses.  Apparently those bad boys were full and making things rather uncomfortable for him.  No sooner were they emptied, he was back to his snuggle-loving self.  I love when things work out.

Got any recipes?

Last week the hubby and I had a hankering for Chinese food and dug out a recipe my Aunt Michele had shared for Lo Mein.  We also picked up some assorted sushi rolls from Price Chopper.  Although not true sushi (all cooked California style rolls) they were delicious none the less.  In order to make the Lo Mein, I had to pick up Tamara Sauce (a dark soy sauce) and Hoisin Sauce.  The recipe only utilizes 3 TBSP of each, so I am looking for more recipes to use up both these items.  If you have any please share and I will do the same by posting the Lo Mein recipe, courtesy of Aunt Michele, here:

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons Tamara sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Lo Mein:

• 1 pound spaghetti
• Salt / pepper to taste
• 4tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3 chicken breasts cut into strips (can substitute Pork, Beef, Shrimp, etc)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (I used minced)
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips

Directions

• Mix together sauce ingredients and reserve.
• Bring pasta water to a boil, salt water and cook spaghetti as per box instructions.
• While pasta cooks, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in nonstick skillet over high heat. When oil ripples, add beaten eggs and scramble them.  Remove and reserve.
• Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining vegetable oil then add meat and stir-fry 4 minutes.  
• Push meat to the side and add garlic, red pepper, and mushrooms. Stir-fry 2 minutes, then drain.
• Combine all ingredients (pasta, veggies, eggs, chicken) in the pot used for spaghetti. Pour sauce over all and toss to combine.    

ENJOY!

3 Inches

Three inches...that is what we are struggling to keep the water levels below in our basement.  Thanks to hurricane Irene, Lee and Katia we have the makings of an indoor swimming pool.

Today we woke up to more rain, checked to see if our sump pump was running and then left for work.  Well about 30 minutes into our work commute, my Dad called to say he stopped in to check on us and found the sump pump was on and "humming" but not pumping.  So back home we went to hook up our second pump.  Justin and Dave, my pseudo-father-in-law, took the other one apart and got it working again. Currently we have one pump draining into the built in drain in the basement, the other is pumping out through a hose out the basement window and into our driveway.

My neighbor says that our basement never took water, but I have a hard time believing that.  All I can say is that although I am frustrated in my own flooding situation, I am totally heartbroken for those in Schoharie, Schenectady, Middleburgh and the surrounding townships who were attempting recovery but are yet again under water.  If you have not yet donated and are unable to assist physically with the relief efforts, please visit the Red Cross online, stop by your local Price Chopper, or call your local fire department to inquire as to making a donation.

Awwwbany Shopping

Oh how I miss Albany shopping ("Awwwbany" as a friend of mine says).  Albany has the convenience of being 5 minutes from just about any store you could want or need.  Don't get me wrong, where I live now I kind of have the best of both worlds.  I live on a country road but I am still 5 minutes from a Price Chopper, a Wal-Mart, an Agway, a handful of pizza places, a movie theater, and a small shopping plaza.  However, as you can probably already guess, the store selection is very limited and most close around six p.m.  A new store is in development by my workplace and it was rumored to be Target (aka Tar-Jay).  Boy was I excited!  Well I was until I heard officially that it's TJ Max instead.  Don't hoot and holler - I like TJ Max too, just not as much as I love me some Tar-Jay.