From Sticks to Twix…

Hey y’all! Remember last week when I showed you this:

Well as of yesterday afternoon, it became this:

Et Voila! Pardon my embarrassingly poor photographs, but I am NOW ready for spring to come! Go ahead spring, come knocking on my door!

In other news around the meri-goes-round household, I am sad to announce that m&ms lost big time to Twix… I’ll have a quick requiem for my beloved favorite candy…

goodbyyeeeee
goodbyeeeeeeee
GOODBYE M&Ms... I still love you...

Okay, okay, enough melodrama. Who’s up tonight?

Gummy Bears vs. Nerds

Who is it gonna be? What are you doing to get ready for spring?

Meri

 

 

 

Posted in crafts, Sugar Bowl 2012 | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Sunstoked

Well we’ve returned from the desert, back to the tundra. It’s okay though, because we’re supposed to have weather in the 50s this week, so I think I can cope.

On vacation we went hiking, horseback riding, thrifting, dining, and more. But we didn’t have to wait long or drive far to get a dose of the desert. On our first hour or two after being picked up at the airport, we were already immersed in a land nothing like what we left back home in Minnesota. Want some proof?

Minnesota: Snow outside / Arizona: Flowers in bloom

Minnesota: Gray and leafless/ Arizona: Sunny with green palms

Minnesota: Birds have gone south…/ Arizona: Peacocks!

Minnesota: Condos next door/ Arizona: Coyotes next door

What is this world coming to? Anyway, I’ll share more of the other parts of our trip soon, but didn’t feel like writing a massive vacation post all in one.

Because then I might run out of time to post today’s next Sugarbowl match! Over my short hiatus, Skittles got the most votes and will move on.

Tonight: M&Ms vs. Twix

Which one gets your vote? What is it like where you live right now? Are you more likely to see coyotes or blizzards? Flowers or evergreens?

Meri

Posted in animals, Arizona, flowers, Sugar Bowl 2012, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Dessert and Desert

Just after my surgery, I was being very deliberate about how much protein I was getting. At least while my muscles and cells were recovering and recouping, I wanted to pump it up a little bit. Annie’s tofu scrambles, fried eggs, greek yogurt, beans and more were all over my fridge and pantry.

Along with my typical protein-y goods, I bought a few items that usually wouldn’t come within ten feet of my kitchen- protein shakes/ smoothies.

I discovered a brand that was pretty benign with a nice ten grams of protein in a bottle, Mix. It didn’t even remotely resemble the nasty Ensure’s and Muscle Milks of days of yore. But alas, it is still a smoothie, and I’m not much of a juice/ smoothie fan. I figured, though, that if I made it into a “slush,” I could eat it with a spoon and it might be less of a textural problem for me.

So I threw it in my food processor with some ice cubes and vanilla. I figured I’d end up with a sort of frozen treat.

What’s that you say? It looks like whipped cream? Well in fact, that’s exactly what it turned into. I’m not sure if these smoothies are made with whey protein or something, but man did it whip itself into a frenzy! It about quadrupled in size, making my little “dessert” quite larger and frothier than expected.

Nonetheless, it was pretty fun to eat. It was also a fun kitchen experiment and an excuse to use my food processor. Next time I’m not sure it would be worth the cleanup, and I might just gag down the smoothie instead, but for this time it was fun!

Now, onto the Sugarbowl:

It was CLOSE, but Reese’s won, and Snickers are now out of the running…

Next up:

Skittles vs. Licorice/ Twizzlers

Come on and Rock the Vote! Have you ever had a funny science experiment like this in the kitchen? Do you ever use smoothies to make dessert concoctions?

We’re off to the desert in the morning, but I’ll likely be posting some Sugarbowl antics from there, so stay tuned!

Meri

Posted in recipes, Sugar Bowl 2012, Tasty Tuesday, travel | Tagged , , , , | 29 Comments

Bracket Racket

Hello my lovelies. I hope you are all having a relaxing, fulfilling, and all around fabulous Monday evening. We’ve finally made it through round one of the Munch Madness Sugarbowl, and here is the results:

So tonight, we move to the next more intense round of CHOCOLATE VS. CANDY. Who will take all? Well, we don’t know that yet.. but we do know that tonight the battle is on between…

Snickers and Reese’s

Who is it gonna be? And speaking of Munch Madness/ March Madness, etc… are there any sports or playoff seasons coming up that you guys are looking forward to? What sports do you like to follow?

Meri

Posted in Sugar Bowl 2012 | Tagged , , | 25 Comments

Best supporting costume…

I might be watching the Oscars, but that isn’t what this post is about. Despite the gorgeous gowns I just witnessed on Octavia Spencer, Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, and others, I’m actually talking about the fashion I saw on (what I’m assuming is the finale) episode of Pan Am that I watched this morning:

First up:  Kate’s outfit is making me believe being a spy is even MORE glamorous than previously thought…

 

“Never send a man to do a woman’s job…”

Next we have a coat that Colette is wearing that is worthy of Blair Waldorf…

…followed by a similar dress that is also striking and chic…

…and for the finale, the New Years Eve party gowns. I adore Colette’s dress (in the center) and her hair too, actually…

okay, and one more of the New Years Eve gowns…

P.S. I can’t stand Laura, I don’t know why. I might be biased by my obvious love of all things Colette. Oh, and I can’t stand Christina Ricci’s character either. She is shrill all of the time.

Now, onto just as frivolous and even more meaningless drivel… the Sugarbowl.

Yesterday, Sno-caps took on Whoppers in the battle of… candies I never eat but felt the need to include in the Sugarbowl. Aaaaaand the winner is… WHOPPERS! Sno-caps would have been my vote, but they didn’t come even close.

Tonight, in the last match of round one:

Pixie Sticks vs. Everlasting Gobstoppers!

This seems like a fun one to me! Tomorrow we’ll move on to round two and things will get a bit more heated!

Which candy do you vote for? Are you watching the Academy Awards? Are there any TV shows you watch just for the clothes or scenery?

Meri

Posted in movies, style, Sugar Bowl 2012, television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Feather my nest

Hey y’all, and Happy Weekend! After a long and wonderful day of Michaels, Target, crafts,, and going out for a belated Valentine’s Day date with man-go-round, I’m not sitting by the fire plotting our trip to Arizona and hiding from the cold.

But before long, it will be spring. This week is already March (which I can’t believe), and soon comes Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, birthdays, the Pippi Longstocking exhibit at the American Swedish Insitute, and the birth of my new nephew.

The upcoming spring calls for celebration. Well, that, but also… decoration!

I used  combination of coupons and gift cards at Michael’s today to buy these fake flowers and twiggy wreath. My idea is to break apart the flowers into separate branches, and then sort of weave them into the wreath. Any other ideas for me?

Beyond my premature spring fever, there are more important things to discuss… like the SUGARBOWL.

We’re nearly to the end of round one. There is just one more chocolate match and one more candy match before we move on to round two. Last time, we did the wild card round and jelly beans took on candy corn for the “holiday candy” title. Who won?

jelly beans!

(ewwww) okay you jelly bellies- you win this time! I utterly despise jelly beans, along with skittles and mike and ikes and all of their similar ilk… but I believe deep in my heart that candy corn is a winner too. Okay, I’ll get over myself so we can vote on the next one:

sno-caps vs. whoppers!

Vote on, people… and tell me what you’re up to this weekend!

Cheers!

Meri

Posted in crafts, Sugar Bowl 2012 | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Have funds, will travel…

Tonight is Travelin’ Thursday. It’s exciting for me this week because by the next Traveling Thursday I’ll be happily, well… traveling!

Thinking about my upcoming vacation, I was thinking about how often I travel, versus how often I would like to travel. I think the majority of us would like to do more traveling than our schedules, wallets, or other obligations would allow. Another factor that can change frequency and type of travel is the stage of life you are in. When I was growing up we went on 1-2 trips a year. Sometimes road trips, sometimes by air, and occasionally international. In college, I spent a few years traveling much more frequently, and since then I have slowed down a bit again.

Another factor for my particular family is that we have a family cabin on a lake in Minnesota, so most of my summer “vacation” is spent there rather than further afield. In 2011 I took 3 more substantial trips, a few day trips in MN, and several trips to our cabin.

Venice Beach, California, January 2011
Camelback Mountain, Arizona, March 2011
Chicago, Illinois, October 2011

And now, onto the Sugarbowl! Yesterday we had York Peppermint Patties taking on Nestle’s Crunch bars. Unlike their mini counterparts Junior Mints, York Peppermint Patties lost to the Crunch bar. Fortunately for me, SOMETHING minty still prevails…

Tonight, it’s WILD CARD time… remember that special holiday edition of the sugarbowl? Well, now those two holiday candies will compete for a chance to move on.

Candy Corn vs. Jelly Beans

Vote for your favorite wild card candy! How often are you able to travel? Is it as often as you would like to travel if money were no object?

Meri

Posted in California, Chicago, Little Johns, Sugar Bowl 2012, travel, Travelin' Thursday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

State of the Union

Howdy friends, from the land of Wordy Wednesday. Tonight I have something to sound off on- and perhaps to get your opinions too. It’s not the economy, my thoughts on birth control, or even the new hit drama “Smash” (which I watched for the first time today).

No, I want to talk about U.S. State Stereotypes.

We all know them- Texans are ten gallon hat wearing gun slingers who live on ranches and have big hair. New Yorkers are rude, brunette, and always sharply dressed. Californians are are hippies, Floridians are somehow Cuban, Jewish, and over 80 all at once. If you’re from Colorado you’re outdoorsy, Alabamans are backwards, and if you live in the state of Washington it’s pretty much 1994 with flannel shirts and starbucks mugs, right?

As a Minnesota gal, I’m pretty sure the stereotype is some combination of “Yah, you betcha,” sayin, lutefisk eating, hockey playing parochial farm. Sure, these stereotypes exist, but we are so much more than that too. And likewise, I have met people from pretty much every state in the union, and almost none of them fits their state category! Funny, isn’t it?

So I’m going to do a quick word association with some U.S. states (why not all of them? because i’m not sure I could remember all of them. Sad but true).

  • California- Plastic
  • Arizona- Outlaws
  • Texas- Gunsli
  • Oregon-Crunchy
  • New York- Rude
  • Connecticut- Suburban
  • New Jersey- Oily
  • Florida- Retired
  • Idaho- Napoleon Dynamite
  • Washington- techie
  • Washington D.C.- political
  • Utah- Mormon
  • Iowa- Farmer
  • Hawaii- Surfer Dudes
  • Alaska- Rugged
  • Carolinas- Belles
  • Dakotas- Behind the times
  • Louisiana- Partiers
  • Wisconsin- Beer
  • Tennessee- Country
  • Alabama- Debutantes
  • Minnesota- The best people you will ever meet… (okay, I’m biased… sue me!)

Okay- have I offended enough of you yet? Do you have better stereotypes that I missed? This is all in fun, of course… I truly hope nobody takes this the wrong way. If I missed your state, chip in! Let’s all have a good laugh at our own expense…

And as for the SUGARBOWL…

In the rematch of Junior Mints vs. 100 Grand, Junior Mints pulled through! Their fans were either more repetitious, more vocal, or more in number- I don’t really know, so they move on!

And in the battle of Smarties vs. SweeTarts (that spelling still just KILLS me), Smarties win! I can’t say I’m displeased, I LOVE Smarties!

Up tonight:

York Peppermint Patty vs. Nestle’s Crunch Bar!

Who gets your vote? And PLEASE don’t be shy with your opinions about state stereotypes- I really want to know what you guys think, especially you non-Minnesotans!

Meri

Posted in Sugar Bowl 2012, Wordy Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

cut and paste to taste!

I have a special treat for this Tasty Tuesday- which is also Fat Tuesday! Instead of spending time in the kitchen, I’ve been drinking champagne and browsing Pinterest. To share the wealth and assuage my guilt about not being domestic… I’ll share my favorites!

Source: blog.shopdirtylaundry.com via Meredith on Pinterest

Festive snowflake tortillas, sunnyside up pizza, and strawberry rice crispie cupcakes… what could be better? I don’t have the answer.

I do have the answer to who you guys like better in the battle of 100 grand vs. Junior Mints, though- wait, NO I DON’T- because at time of press the two are tied.

Thus, for tonight’s battle we’ll continue yesterday’s match along with the new ones:

Junior Mints vs. 100 Grand (overtime)

and

Smarties vs. SweeTarts (yes, its spelled that way, which I can hardly bear…)

VOTE VOTE VOTE for your favorites!

Meri

Posted in recipes, Sugar Bowl 2012, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

Wordle the Turtle

Today at work I was meeting with one of my middle school kiddos and she was expressing feelings of not knowing who she ‘really was’ and having a hard time with her identity. I sketched out a quick outline of a girl and started writing some of her main qualities over the body. We didn’t stop until the page was covered in colorful block letters describing my client.

Later, I was sitting home watching the snow fall and remembered that I’d seen blogs about Wordle months back, and that man-go-round had mentioned it for some reason or another just the other day. I figured it was as good of a time as ever (Make my list Monday) to list some of the positive qualities about myself and how I identify. Below is an abstraction of that. The quick, flattering version, anyway.

Who is Meri?

I’m pretty sure I misspelled extroverted, but I’m not a perfectionist (notice that’s not on there? yeah, neither is type- A or follow through…). Even with mistakes, though, the message is affirmative for me and I think you should all do it too! In the comments, tell me a few characteristics that you feel add to your identity!

And if you aren’t into talking about feelings… you might still want to vote for the Sugarbowl, right? Good. So who won yesterday’s battle?

Lollipop lollipop oh lolly lolly lolly.. LOLLIPOPS!

Up tonight? Would you rather have…

100 Grand or Junior Mints?

So VOTE AWAY! And tell me a few adjectives about YOU! Have you ever made a Wordle? What kinds of things do you use the site for?

Meri

 

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Posted in kids, lists, Make my list Monday, Sugar Bowl 2012 | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments