Progress report

I have more than 11,000 words written on my NaNoWriMo project. And it still doesn’t seem to have a plot.

I woke up this morning with no voice and a head full of congestion. Poppy is teething, and she may have a touch of the cold I seem to have come down with. I see alot of PBS in our future today. And with that in mind…


You Are Cookie Monster


Misunderstood as a primal monster, you’re a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.

You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you’ll eat anything if cookies aren’t around.

You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking

How you life your life: In the moment. “Me want COOKIE!”

Getting to know me

This is another of those e-mail forwards that I’m turning into a blog post. Woo to the hoo, right?

What is your occupation? Mom to Poppy.

What color are your socks right now? Pink, yellow and orange stripes

What are you listening to right now? Witty banter on “Gilmore Girls.”

What was the last thing that you ate? Caesar salad.

Can you drive a stick shift? Of course! My first car, an ’87 Volkswagen Jetta, was a stick shift, so I had to learn.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Cerulean.

Last person you spoke to on the phone? My mother-in-law, Genia.

Do you like the person who sent this to you? Absolutely!

How old are you today? 28

Favorite drink? Root beer.

What is your favorite sport to watch? Ballroom dancing.

Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes. Last Thursday. Highlighting counts as dye, right?

What is your spouse’s best feature? Rockford has beautiful eyes. And he’s the nicest man on Earth.

If you could have dinner with any historical figure or famous person, who would it be? Bruce Springsteen.

Favorite food? Ice cream.

What was the last movie you watched? “The Departed.”

Favorite day of the year? Christmas Eve.

What do you do to vent anger? Eat, sadly enough.

What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie

What is your favorite: fall or spring? Fall

Hugs or kisses? Hugs.

What TV show would you like to be on? “Gilmore Girls”

Living arrangements? With Rockford and Poppy.

When was the last time you cried? I don’t recall.

What is on the floor of your closet? Clothes

What did you do last night? I read a little, then watched “CSI Miami” and worked on my nanowrimo project.

Favorite smells? Fresh baby and cookies.

What inspires you? My family.

Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheese

Favorite dog breed? Dachsund

Number of keys on your key ring? Five

How many years at your current job? Almost 15 months

Favorite day of the week? Saturday

How many states have you lived in? Three

Favorite holiday? Christmas

Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? No.

Who’s your favorite NFL team? No football for me, thank you.

Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless? No.

10 inches of snow or 100-degree weather? Snow.

What would be your dream job? I’m doing it.

Favorite sport or activity to play? Um … does scrapbooking count?

Favorite type of music? I have pretty ecletic tastes. My favorite is Wilco, though.

Your favorite age? Twenty-eight is going pretty well so far. Twenty-seven had its moments, but it also included the whole Holland thing. So. It doesn’t make the cut.

Do you like getting these e-mails? This was a really long one, but for the most part, I do. I’ll admit it. I like ’em.

Lowcountry Shrimp Pilaf

We had Lowcountry Shrimp Pilaf for dinner last night. It’s one of Cooking Light’s quick dinners in the November 2006 issue. It was very easy, very quick and very tasty. And it was only 7 Points for a cup and a half! The magazine suggests serving it with crusty bread and a salad. I didn’t do the salad, but the whole-wheat garlic bread I had in the freezer went very well with it.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the dish was peeling the shrimp. Ugh.


Lowcountry Shrimp Pilaf
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

Lowcountry Shrimp Pilaf
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups prechopped green bell pepper
1 cup prechopped onion
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
1 1/2 cups instant white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos, undrained

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add garlic and Old Bay seasoning to pan; saute 1 minute. Add shrimp, wine, and clam juice; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Place pan over medium-high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme and tomatoes; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme.

Cooking Light, Nov. 2006