I saw this recipe in the June issue of Cooking Light magazine and it sounded interesting so I thought I would try it out and put my own spin on it.

I made the oatmeal and chilled it down the night before. I also cut up a bowl of fruit the night before. I used 1/2 of a gala apple, 8 strawberries, a small bunch of red grapes, and a pint of blueberries. I combined the fruit in a bowl and squeezed half of lemon over it to keep the fruit from turing brown. It took me about 5 minutes to sear it off in the morning. I used 1/2C of the fruit mixture, drizzled 1 TBSP of wildflower honey that I had gotten at in my old home town, a TSP of creme fraiche. Totally quick, hearty, and very yummy. The wildflower honey was amazing, you can taste every flower the bees ever touched.

So let me know how you like it. If you need help, feel free to ask. Have fun with it!

PAN-SEARED OATMEAL:
Serves 6

Ms. Conceived was so kind to send a Gmail invite in my direction. Thank you so very much! Go over and send her many hugs and kisses!

I was wanting one just to see what all the hype was about. As I browsed weblogs, I'd come across one that was offering invites, but I never got there in before they were all gone. People are just gobbling these things up!

If I get any invites, I will totally share! Keep checking back for the invites!

I just found this browsing the fabulous Internet. It will calculate the amount of calories you can burn doing various exercises. What's cool about it is that it has incline options for the treadmill.

This can help me set a challenging goal for my workouts. Go check it out!

Lori posted some links for things to do in Phoenix on the 4th. That was so nice of her!

Chad, Brandy, Courtney and I are headed over to Indian Steel Park for the Phoenix celebration again this year. We had such a great time last year just kicking back with our cooler full of sodas and buckets of KFC. I think this year I'll make my favorite salad, and a pie or two to bring along for dessert.

Now that I carry my camera everywhere I go, I'll be able to share with you all the fun. I wonder if someone down there has wi-fi access? Hmmm, something to look into....hmmm.

If you're in the neighborhood, come hang out.

I've decided to reduce my workload by a huge chunk with my second job. I made the choice a few months ago, but I just told my boss last week. I just feel like I don't have enough time for myself between two jobs. It's slow right now at the second job, so it should be easier for me to make an exit. I'm not going to leave them hanging, my last day isn't until the end of August, and possibly September if needed. That should give them enough time to get used to the idea, and ween themselves off gradually.

While I was waiting to hand my ass over on a silver platter at the brake shop this morning, I read a bit in O Magazine that maybe multitasking isn't such a great thing. If you can't put 100% into what you're doing and do it well, then you're just causing more stress for yourself. That sums up my feelings over the last year to a T! I love the chef thing, really I do, but I also love the new position I have now. Since the office pays more and makes me happy I have to lean towards that for now.

Maybe another culinary door will open for me in the future and offer me great opportunities to share my talent. I'm always open to it.

I've been thinking lately about either upgrading to MT 3.0 or going over to ExpressionEngine. I still haven't decided what I should do yet. I'm also thinking that maybe I should change my domain name, but I have no clue what I would change it to. I like this domain because it's unique and I like what the memories it reminds me of. But maybe it's time to put all that in the past and look towards the future with something more shiny?

If you have ideas, please send them my way. I'm in such a creative rut these days. I could use all the help I can get.

It doesn't take much to get me all giddy these days. I'm expecting a new desktop computer over the next few weeks! My current desktop computer is about five years old and I've upgraded all that I can on it to extend it's life, but now it's overclocked, maxed out and just plain tired. And I can't play SWG on a tired computer can I?

So I've got a brand new Dell all picked out and ready to go. Once the bills for the month are paid, the new computer will be mine. Dell has a great deal going on right now, free 17" flat panel upgrades! It'll save me about $400! The extra cash can go towards my Ikea savings.

Speaking of Ikea, I just got the new catalog yesterday in the mail...lots of stuff to buy when they open here in November!

Shit, I just spent a huge chunk of my FlexPoints. Crap! Why is that when PMS comes for a visit that I feel the need to entertain it's cravings? That just pisses me off. I've been slacking on the gym, and now I leave myself no other option but to go and burn off at least 600 calories at each visit. Then maybe I'll break even for the week.

It's just frustrating. Anygot any ideas on how to manage the whole PMS cravings? Anyone?

Say a little prayer for my friend Brian today. He's taking his Series 7 test today for the first time. The Series 7 is a 250 question test that will allow Brian to become a stock broker when he passes. The test is very rough especially if you don't use it everyday. For us tech support geeks, this is stuff is totally greek. And without much support from our employer we don't get much time to prepare. Everything has to be done on your own.

Brian was able to buckle down and get all the reading done, and take a week long class. I am very confident that he will pass cause Brian rocks, and he deserves to pass.

Good luck man!

Dear Perry Farrell,

Could it be more like high ticket prices as the reason behind low ticket sales? Or perhaps the lack of a Phoenix date? Coachella is successful, and I understand the need to imitate, but the line-up you had for this year, with the exception of the Pixies and Morrissey, is just lame. And the second day was a poor attempt to copy Coachella.

Just a tip for next year man, don't call it Lollapalooza. Put a little more effort into finding bands that can insipre and take us to new musical heights. Just slapping together a bunch of bands at the last minute isn't going to appeal to anyone. It for the fans remember?

Thank you.

So everything was moving along just fine today. Met up with Brian for coffee, and we got extra time to hang out since he wasn't going to the office today. Got to work, and got moving on my stuff, when at 930am, the shit hits the fan. No one could get signed into their workstations. Now I'm not in tech support anymore, so I had no idea what was going on, besides this is a domain issue not anything I knew how to fix. We had chaios all over the place. Calls are still rolling in and reps are dropping off like flies cause they can't login to their desktops to take the calls. Just pure madness I tell you.

After about 4 hours, and of course after the market closes things return to normal. Then comes the barrage of questions about how this will impact incentives for the reps. Honestly I could care less cause my incentives suck now. I wanted to say that, but didn't.

Thank god I'm home. Things are quiet, the doggies were good today, and no one is home to bother me for a while. Just me and silence. AHHH!

I've been watching the wedding cake shows on FoodTV this weekend. When I got out of culinary school, that's what I wanted to specialize in, making fabulous and artistic wedding cakes. Cakes that pushed the tradition and tasted yummy. Now America has one wedding cake designer that everyone knows and raves over, she was asked to participate in the wedding cake competition for FoodTV. Her cakes are famous for creativity and flare. So is it wrong for me to say that I really don't care for many of her designs? My style is to have clean crisp lines. Simplicity to me is what makes cakes beautiful. I just don't like cakes that are all busy with stuff, it just detracts from the beauty of the cake.

Now this guy was also on the show and I was totally impressed at the final product. The architecture was just amazing to me. I don't know why he didn't win.

When I get married, my cake designer better watch out! I have a feeling that it'll be me.

I met up with Brian last night to see Stepford. I liked the movie, it was very entertaining as movies should be. I think what I loved most was that within the first thirty minutes of the movie I noticed something pretty cool. As the main characters were driving out to Stepford, I noticed that the son was wearing a DEPECHE MODE Violator Tour t-shirt! How cool was that! I own that very same shirt!

Go ahead, say it. I'm a freak.

I just got rid of my little black Toyota pick-up. It feels kinda weird. I've had that truck for 10 years. Ten critical years of my life. It's like I'm leaving behind a part of me in that truck. Over the last five years I didn't even drive the truck, I turned it over to Courtney, but it was still there in the driveway everyday. I loved that little truck, and I think it loved me back because I really never had any major issues with it until just recently. I think after putting up with me for so long it deserved a few issues.

Good-bye little black truck.

I made these apple tarts for someone's birthday today. Nothing big, just 4-inch tarts with sliced apples and a vanilla custard. The birthday boy had two tarts, and on the second one he said that he "ate that like it was a Tic-Tac".

It made me laugh. I have never heard that one before.

Check out this article about how to broadcast your iPod using iTrip.

Sounds very entertaining. I think I might look more into this. I'm all for blasting those idiot teenagers with Depeche Mode tracks instead of their hip-hop/pop star of the moment tunes.

I lost 4.2lbs at last night's weight-in. That puts me at my lowest weight ever! I am so excited! I am 9lbs away from my 10% goal.

Yeah me!

I wasn't sure I wanted to go to see these guys tonight, but now that it's upon us, we're going. Now I'm totally excited about it. I just love these guys. I hope that you like them too. Check out this little number:

"The First Single"

See you at the show!

Whenever I see this I think of my friend Glen. This is for you man!

GLEN

*Turn the sound down if you are at work. Uses Windows Media Player.*

What's this blazing in front of me as I walk through the doors of my local Safeway market this morning....Coca-Cola's latest venture into less sugary colas C2. Trial packs of 8 on sale, sort of, 2 for $6.

I chilled one can down and gave it a try. Not bad, so much better than Diet Coke. It does have aspartame listed as one of the last ingredients, which makes me wonder if the amount is far less than in a Diet Coke. The Classic Coke taste and bubbles are there. I could drink this in place of Classic Coke and not really miss it. As long as the aspartame doesn't cause headaches. I'll let you know that one later.

Here's the point breakdown on a 12oz can (1 serving):
70 calories
0 fat
18g total carbs
= 1 point

I heard about this movie sometime ago. Courtney and I went tonight to check out the latest teen flick SAVED!. It was totally funny, and the writing was great. Mandy Moore does such an excellent job in this movie as the crazed Christian-Spirited Popular girl. Oh and Patrick Fugit...he's just adorable. He's one of those guys that gave you a reason to go to school back in high school.

Go see this movie! You'll laugh your ass off :)

Everything I've tried to eat today tastes like crap. I haven't eaten in two days, I so want and need food, but if everything is going to taste like poo why bother?

I'm better but still a bit icky. I haven't eaten anything in two days. I'm sure once I eat something, I'll feel better.

I'm back at work with a ton of emails and stuff to get done. Thankfully the market is closed so things will be slow today.

I'm home sick today, and I feel like a truck hit me. I went into work yesterday and I felt like total crap, after an hour I came home with the worst chills and body aches. It's 110 degrees outside and here I am with 8 blankets on me and I still can't get warm. I slept most of the day yesterday, and today I feel a bit better. It hurts to talk, but that is probably a good thing. I haven't eaten much over the last two days either, which has Courtney all freaked out. IT's just hard to eat when it all tastes like crap right now. Well I'm headed back to bed.

Went for my weekly weigh-in last night, and I am proud to say that my efforts have paid off and I'm down 1.6lbs! That's with going to the gym only once during the last week. Kick ass!

Now I need to stay focused on the food and try to incorporate the cardio. If I can be successful at this, then I know I'll see more drops in my weight.

I still believe that I can get to my goal to be at 200lbs by my birthday in August, but if I don't then that's ok.

Two weeks ago Courtney was let go by the restaurant after a year and half of dedicated service. It was a really hard blow, not an unfamilar one, but still hard. I think this one was particularly hard because he really gave it his all for the job, he never called in sick, never took time off, and never complained. It would be a blow for anyone's ego.

Flipping through the tv guide two weeks ago, I stumbled across this show again, and my heart skipped a beat.

If you love Liam Lynch and his sense of humor, art and most importantly sock puppets, then you need set TIVO to record these shows. They crack my shit up.

Please pray that MTV will release the first season on DVD very soon. We need some good in the world these days.

Courtney and I went to see Harry Potter yesterday afternoon. It was pretty flippin cool if you ask me. I've never read the books, so I was totally blown away.

We went to see it at Harkins Cine-Capri, if you've lived here in the Valley of the Sun then you know all about Cine-Capri.

Waiting in line for the show was nothing out of the ordinary, but I stopped to look at everyone in line, they had the video of Cine-Capri's history in the Valley playing in the background, and it hit me like a brick. The dad's taking their sons and daughters to see the first big summer movie, the memories of my dad taking me to see Star Wars for the first time came flooding back. Then I remembered when Cine-Capri was on Camelback, and I spent many summer days there watching all the must see geek Trilogies: Indiana Jones, Back To The Future, and the god of all Trilogies....Star Wars. I know that doesn't seem like much, but try watching the trilogies in ONE SITTING. Yes, Harkins used to play them back to back, and for $20 bucks you could spend the whole day watching them. You would get about 45 minutes in between movies to empty your bladder and get another bladder buster drink for the next movie. As I got older, the experiece got better because I became more wise in the art of movie watching. The consession stand wasn't good enough, my friends and I brought our own, KFC and beer. It didn't get any better than that.

So Dan Harkins, if you happen to stumble across this entry, please run your Trilogy Marathons again. We need a reason to spend the entire summer indoors, away from the desert heat and skin cancer fears. We're dying to see all Star Wars movies back to back. Yes all six of them, so start planning now please. Plus you'll make two people very happy to call in sick for work just to be there.

Hey I got time to work on the photoblog. Go check it out!

You can find anything before May2004 here.

To start drinking at 3pm and finish at midnight. But it was all in celebration for Brian's birthday. Funny, Brian left the party at 7...

Where is my car?

FTB just told me that there is a rumor floating around the Internet that George Lucas is calling it quits on Episode III. Please tell me this isn't true, cause we all know that everything that we read in the Internet is total truth (ha ha).

I went to the gym last night, I did 60 minutes on the treadmill, burned off 400 calories and went 3.25 miles, earned 5 activity points. I do feel better I admit that. Still it was a chore getting my ass to the gym, especially since it was freakin 110 degrees!

I talked to my friend Jerry, who goes to the gym on a regular basis, and asked him if I needed to step it up a bit, or if there was something that I could do to make the workouts more effective. He tells me that 1lb of fat equals 3500 calories! Shit! That means I need to workout 7 days a week and burn off 500 calories each time.

I think I can do the 500 calories part by just adding an extra 15-20 minutes, but the 7 days a week is going to be tough. That's my goal for the next week, go to the gym everyday, and burn off 500 calories each visit.

Baby steps man.

So I've managed to gain back 4lbs since the first week of March. I'm not too happy about it either. I'm a bit frustrated.

I stopped keeping track of my food, that's probably where I went wrong. I'm trying to be more consistant with that this week. Everything that goes in mouth is going in the journal. I dipped into FlexPoints today, but that's ok...that's what they're for. I feel full too, opting to munch on 0-1 point snacks helps. What would I ever do without pickles!

Now I was going to the gym 2, 3, and sometimes 4 days a week. 60 minutes on the treadmill, 3-4 miles, 400-500 calories. This week however has been rough. I can't seem to find the motivation to go. Maybe I'm not getting enough sleep, I don't know. I just don't feel up to it.

This is my question, how do you motivate yourself to do something you hate?

I used a regular hot dog bun, 110 calories, 2 points. It didn't seem that big of a deal to me to use the flavorless low-carb buns, one point was not going to kill me here. I also used Wolf Hot Dog Sauce, just 2 tablespoons with the addition of salt and red pepper, 0 points. The hot dogs are 1 point each.

These are so much better than the BallPark brand. The texture and flavor are just what you would expect from a traditional hot dog. Yummy!

Here's the point break-down:
Hebrew National 97% fat-free hot dog: 1 point
Regular hot dog bun: 2 points
2 TBSP Wolf Hot Dog Sauce: 0 points
TOTAL: 3 points