Satur-date

Greetings friendlings! Tonight I’ll be raving about my favorite day of the week- Saturday! Stay on the lookout for the bolded items- some of my favorite parts about Saturdays!

This particular Saturday started out the way they should… sleeping in until after 11. Holla. Thenceforth, man-go-round and I hit another of my favorite stops, the library. I got Undeclared, Good Eats, The Bounty Hunter, and some lovely chick-lit to read!

We left, and man-go-round was hungry, so we went exploring until we found this eatery “The Grand Sandwich.”

Reuben dog, sodas

When we got home, I decided to tackle a recipe I’ve been talking about for a few days, thanks to one of my favorite bloggers who has the most incredible recipes and food photos.

So off I went, after commandeering a few of man-go-round’s neglected stone fruits (two plums and a nectarine…) to make some dried fruit/ fruit chips!

fruits, sliced as thinly as I could sans mandolin...

While they baked, I decided to channel my inner domestic goddess. I cleaned in pearls.

Voila! Clean sink! Anyone see the face in this picture from the drains and rag?

After cleaning the sink and counters, and filling our new wine rack, and checking the mail, the chips were not done. So we turned the oven off to let the chips finish while we went on a photo walk:

By the time we finished checking out all of the flowers and birdies, and had our fill of late day sunshine, guess what was ready?

before/after

Yea! They were not as dried out as I wanted them to be, since I wasn’t able to slice them very thin. They were, however, deLICIOUS! Even man-go-round, who doesn’t generally adventure in his eating, thought they were pretty good!

We’re having a relaxing night enjoying Undeclared, and the icing on today’s cupcake? I got to see my story that was published for the first time post-production!

Well, I counted over a dozen great things about this Saturday, and the night is still young.

What do you do on your happy, relaxing weekend days? Do you like to explore or stay home and relax?

Cheers!

Meri

Posted in birds, flowers, food, library, nature, photography, produce, recipes, television | Tagged , , , , , , | 43 Comments

Good (from the) Earth

Funny story.

I blog yesterday about my feelings about entering giveaways, entering contests, and so on. What do I find first thing this morning?

@GoodEarthTeaGood Earth Tea
Congrats @merigoesround @fitnspicy for winning our latest TEA-shirt giveaway!
Please DM us your mailing info.
Holla! (and no, I haven’t figured out how to copy/paste a tweet any better than that. I’m a technophobe so deal with it).
The message to get here is- keep entering things, and you will win! Now on for a nice iced Good Earth Original Caffeine Free tea… (I’m starting to think that I should work for them, along with Skechers…)
Yes, that's a 20 oz. cup there. Get yours at Target!
Mmmm yummy! Now what else is good from the earth? Well, we sojourned to one of the lovely Minneapolis co-ops  this evening (Seward, to be specific) to browse the selection. First off, these caught my eye:
heirloom tomatoes in all shapes and colors!
I have always had a soft spot for “unique” and non-uniform produce. Some people think deformed looking fruit and veggies are odd, I think they are special.
So I decided to make a night of it with the produce section and pick out some produce that didn’t fit the typical bill! This means fruit and veggies in slightly hybrid species, unexpected colors, and different shapes. The only hitch? They had to obviously look ripe and in good shape, and not be exorbitantly expensive. I’ve had good luck experimenting thus far; champagne mangos, white eggplant, golden zucchini, purple and white carrots, beauty radishes, and more.
Today’s haul?
Eggplant, purple and white bell peppers, golden zucchini, multi-colored squash, sweet treat pluot, dapple fire pluot
So what am I most excited to try? Well, since I’ve already tried the squash/ zucchinis and eggplant varieties, and I’m guessing the peppers taste much like any other bell pepper, my excitement lies mainly with the fruits! I never met a pluot I didn’t like to this day… so I’m excited mostly for the little green one! Let’s hope it doesn’t TASTE green, however…
So what’s my point tonight? Not much, really, besides- GET OUT THERE AND TRY SOME OF THE ODDBALL FRUITS AND VEGGIES! They might not be expected, but they are fun and tasty and might not be around in a few months!
I might try out Junia’s nectarine chip recipe this weekend, so stay posted!
What is your favorite non-traditional variety of a fruit or vegetable? Do you think they taste different or are just more fun to eat? What do you all have cooking this weekend?
Meri
Posted in food, produce, recipes, shopping, summer, tea, vegetables | Tagged , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Instant Winner Dinner

Quick check in tonight! We went to a BBQ and there was food for quintuple the amount of people there. So you might say there was a hefty grocery bill between the 7 of us… and when discussing said grocery store, our gracious hosts pulled these babies out:

Rainbow Foods’ Monopoly sweepstakes/ game. Yes, we are incredibly nerdy and spend our evenings doing things like this:

Wheeee! Matching tickets, hoping to subsidize our next grocery bill or win a whole car! I sort of feel like trailer trash doing this, but I have to say its also kind of fun too. Plus, I have the excuse to go buy groceries all of the time…

So wish us luck! I seem to be on a stream of giveaway wins lately, so who knows? I sure could use a new car or a house or even just a few free groceries!

What about you guys- do you bother with scratch tickets, surveys for giveaways, etc? Or do you think they are a waste of time?

Anyone else out there playing “Monopoly?”

Meri

Posted in food, giveaway | Tagged , , , , , | 26 Comments

It’s all Gleek to me (and giveaway winner)

Howdy friends! A little birdie said I would announce who the winner of my energizing snack-attack giveaway is (since I promised that in the title…)

Chirp Chirp says the charming little yellow finch!

and the winner is…

Terri from Rags Against the Machine!

Congratulations, Terri! Your blog is one of my favorites to read- full of style, wisdom, and joy. I don’t direct my mom to too many other blogs, as I’m a bit afraid she’ll run out of time to read mine, but I sent her yours one time! E-mail me your address and I”ll send the goodies your way!

And now, since you’re probably wondering what on earth the title means (unless you’re a fellow Gleek), I’ll continue RAVING ON, RAVERS! (you can take man-go-round out of the rave scene, but you can’t take the rave…you know…)

via

I”ll keep it simple: Why I Love The Teevee Show Glee by Meri

1. Sue Sylvester: Has Jane Lynch ever even sorted laundry or checked the mail without it being funny? I’ll volunteer to research whether this is true or not by watching the raw footage…

2. Rachel Barry’s wardrobe: Yes, this prepster can never get enough of her sweaters and skirts. Proud to be not just a Gleek but a geek myself!

3. The music: Yes, its cheesy as all get out and auto-tuned beyond Britney, beyond Kylie even… but I like to belt it out along with them and dance in my PJs and mukluks. Personal fave so far- Jane Lynch/ Olivia Newton John doing “Let’s Get Physical” or anything Kristin Chenowith did on her guest starring role.

4. The man-candy. Okay, so perhaps I’m a bit old for this, but Finn and Puck are both pretty hot. and that guy from the rival glee club who Rachel dates for the duration of a study hall.  Oh, and if he put a bag over his broccoli hair, Matthew Morrison isn’t so bad.

5. The episode where Kurt was dressed like Peter Pan. I laughed for five minutes straight as I recalled the guy with the web persona who “is” Peter Pan searching for his “Tink…”

6. Britney: My awesome brother-in-law brought this to my attention, but she makes some pretty fantastically stupid facial expressions throughout her tenure. Plus, the whole bizarro relationship she has with Santana cracks me up every single time.

7. The last name “Fabray.”

8. The guidance counselor’s eyes. I’m pretty sure she was a Disney character in a past life, but man-go-round and I like to fathom what her eyes might possibly be able to do when he enjoys the show with me I make him watch Glee.

9. The guest stars: To name a few, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Chenoweth, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Patrick Harris, Eve, Idina Menzel (the chick who plays Maureen in the movie version of Rent is how I usually describe her), and Britney Lynn Spears… Still holding out for David Bowie.

10. The cheese: It’s no secret, I love a good cheese fest. Despite it’s best attempts to be irreverent to multiple groups in every episode (Jews, nerds, gays, jocks, Asians, blacks, cheerleaders, physically disabled, developmentally disabled…) there is without a doubt always a moment of cheesy solidarity as the cast prances around in awesomely choreographed oblivion to some pop gem.

Sold.

So do you watch Glee? Love it? Hate it? Have another show you’re into at the moment and hoarding on Netflix instant queue (or as my co-worker would say… “kway.”

Yours til the Gleek streaks…

Meri

 

Posted in giveaway, television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 64 Comments

Borders Patrol

Tonight we went to Borders, because if you haven’t heard yet… they are closing. First things first- you want to see the goods, right?

media case for my camera...
Easy crosswords
...and a mystery present for my niece! Libs and Eric you will have to WAIT! Muah ha ha.

My favorite things about Borders were always the crossword book selection, the Paperchase stuff, and browsing around new books looking for things to get from the library. But I have Barnes and Noble and Amazon for that, still… so I guess I’ve already moved on. Sorry Borders.

Other bookstores, however, are harder to “get over,” should they close down. Small, quaint used bookstores; unique specialty bookstores, and boutique gift stores. I love them all! Despite my book-owning phobia, I sure do love a good bookstore. So what better way to rave about them than to

1. List a few of my favorites from all around

2. Ask you guys to share your favorites with me for my next travels! (and for other readers!)

Twin Cities:

Birchbark, Booksmart, Amazon (did they close???), Micawber books, Magers and Quinn, Half-Price books, Patina (yes, for books too!), Once Upon a Crime (mystery), The Red Balloon Bookshop, Walker Art Museum store, Minneapolis Institute of Arts store, Cummings Books, Goodwill

Nisswa, MN

Rainy Day books (flashbacks anyone?)

San Francisco:

Adobe books, Forest books (both in the Mission)

Scottsdale, AZ

The Antiquarian Shop

Sooo… obviously there are hundreds and hundreds of great bookstores out there- from the big huge chains to the itty bitty indies! Let me know your favorites and I’ll do my best to visit them!

AND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, IF YOU HAVEN’T ENTERED MY GIVEAWAY YET YOU HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE!! ENDS TOMORROW!

hehe.

Goodnight bookworms!

Meri

Posted in books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 51 Comments

Go ahead, make my…

…List!

What’s the new feature I was talking about the last few days? Well, I was looking over my weekly to-do list last Friday, seeing how I had done for the week, and I thought about how much I like listmaking. I’ve had whole listmania months here at Meri-Goes-Round, I make weekly to-do lists (separate for work and home) and I make larger scale “this summer” and “30 before 30” lists.

So I got to thinking, and I  thought it would be neat to share my weekly lists with you, and hope that you guys want to join in the fun too! Why? Well… how about a list!

1. It will hold me more accountable to some of the more mundane items on the list, putting it in writing.

2. It can be a way to share ideas with others…

3. It will be fun to get ideas from you guys!

So I’ll give you my inaugural Monday List, and next time I hope some of you will join in! If you blog, you can link back here or just use the idea (there are pretty pictures above if you choose to use them). If you don’t blog, or are too lazy to post, you can put it in the comments! I’d love to hear the tasks that build your week up! So here’s what I’m looking at this week:

1. Tell all of my friends and family I’m having one of my fictional short stories published! (yes, that’s the news I alluded to yesterday. It’s also an item on my 30 before 30! Holla! If you want more details, just e-mail me!)

2. Fill/ organize new wine racks (Thanks mom and dad!)

3. Think of ideas for costume/ props for nieces impending magical birthday party… (ideas welcome)

4. Enjoy bbq at man-go-round’s brother’s house

5. Lift weights

6. Fill out paperwork for dermatologist appt (all over body  mole check)

7. Check out Borders for sales

8. Return some of this stuff to the library/ pick up new stuff!

9. Order pictures from Snapfish (100 for $1! Love this sale!)

10. Open pinterest for approximately the 2nd time. Actually do something with it.

11. Get some new produce for my sad empty crispers! (a weekend out of town will do that!)

12. Finish Bossypants, or at least make progress

13. Choose GIVEAWAY winner on Wednesday! Enter if you haven’t yet!

14. Think of ideas with man-go-round for our upcoming anniversary. 5 years. Whoa I’m old…

So there you have it! What do you guys all have on your to-do lists for the week? And if you want to link up next week, let me know and I can make it a PARTY over here!

Meri

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Luck be a Ladybug

Hi folks! This weekend I took a little trip! I visited some scenic spots that I’d like to share with you:

 

So there you have it! A visit to some of my favorite spots, with my  new friend (won from a very talented and crafty blogger) along for the ride. Munsinger Clemens Botanical Gardens (including both the regular flower garden and the rose garden), Lake George, and a few other stops along the way such as my momma’s own very special garden and visits with friends and family! Thanks for reading today! I’m always so happy to have readers out there, and know that not everyone always comments. So now is your moment- stop and say hi to me so I know you’re out there!

And if you haven’t already, enter my yummy yummy GIVEAWAY!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a new fabulous feature and some awesome personal news! Enjoy the remainder of Sunday…

Meri

Posted in flowers, nature, photography, summer | Tagged , , , , , | 37 Comments

Social Net-worth

Happy Friday Friends! How about a daily reminder to ENTER MY GIVEAWAY if you haven’t already, and win yourself some tasty treats!

Done? Good. Now onto a special treat of a different kind-  a combined rant/rave about an increasingly controversial topic: Social networks. A few weeks ago I joined Twitter (for real this time, as in I actually logged in for a second time…). Then today, after weeks of interest, joined Pinterest. I’d tell you how to access my Pinterest page, but that would be embarrassing since I’m pretty sure I’ll not get around to pinning anything for at least a week, more likely three. This had me thinking about other networks I am or am not a part of.

People love or hate their networks. I’ll give you my thoughts on some of the biggies, and then I’d love to hear what you guys think! There must be ways I’m not using these sites that I might like, or even social networks this nerd has never heard of… but here goes…

 

MySpace: Does this one still exist? To me, myspace will always smell like desperate 14 year old girls trying to get noticed, and pink hearts on a black background with Fall out Boy blaring from the speakers as the page tries to load. Not my thing. I was a member once, but not anymore (I don’t think?)

via

Twitter: Pro? The blind narcissism… “I’m at the NKOTB concert and here is a picture of Joey naked.” Con? The blind narcissism…”I just pooped and it looked like a member of NKOTB! Here is a picture.” Pro? You can follow people or they can follow you without reciprocation. i.e. less awkward than facebook. Con? I find it hard to find people I know or want to follow. Pro? Pseudo fame. You can tweet at someone and they might even respond. Awesome. Con? sorting through the dregs of people’s cyber diarrhea.

LinkedIn: The best part about LinkedIn? It’s a one-stop answer to my continuous and embarrassing questions of what loved ones (like my parents) actually do for a living. Going to see a friend you haven’t seen in awhile? Get the details of their job! The worst part about LinkedIn? No one seems to get it, use it, or even be completely sure if they are on it.

Pinterest: Too soon to tell. Flickr: I have but one small collection. I need to expand it! Snapfish: Quite satisfied, overall! I like their prices for a photo-monger like me

Google+: After fretting for a week that I wasn’t invited yet, now that I can join I haven’t yet, because it seems like so much work. TBD.

aaaaaand….

via

 

Facebook: You knew this one was coming. People seem to be most vigilant about their love/hate for facebook. Verdict for me? Love. I love the photos, primarily, as I’m a photo junkie and total stalker. I also love the easy messaging system. It organizes my life for me. I like the “like” button, even. I think they should invent a way you can tell someone you like them when they like your post at the touch of a button. It would say, “I like you,” or similar. Downsides to facebook? Well, it can be creepy. And a lot of the apps are hella annoying. As with twitter, people like to discuss every movement they make throughout the day. And there’s always the slim chance something embarrassing from, say, last weekend college will emerge. But overall? I give it a B-.

Overall, I think there are upsides and downsides to social networks. I like connecting with people that I would have lost touch with, sharing photos, discovering mutual friends, and getting to share everyday messages with people who I don’t have the time to have deep meaningful conversations with. I don’t like how much garbage comes along for the ride. But hey, as I always argue to man-go-round (a stubborn social network loather), if you are busy or not interested… don’t log in that day! Just don’t go on!

What do you all think about social networks? Do you love ’em or loathe ’em? Do you think they are worth it? Did I miss any?

I’m off for a weekend with family! I’ll be blogging here and there, and I have a new feature I’m very excited about scheduled to start Monday!

Thanks for reading!

Meri

Posted in rant | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 51 Comments

Shop, drop and roll with the punches

Hey everyone! Did you enter my giveaway yet? If not, click here (or scroll down to yesterday).

Then continue reading for something else quite tasty: a delicious RANT! With impeccable timing for Rants ‘n’ Raves month over here at Meri-goes-round, blog friend Christianna has launched the inaugural “What the Hell Wednesday” at her blog to celebrate all things beyond human reason. Her initial WTF style post is pretty priceless- I suggest you check it out. And then come back once more to finish reading this post, which I promise I’ll get to!

Right now!

Ahem. Shopping…. hmmm where shall I start? There are many kinds of shopping I adore. Grocery shopping, farmer’s markets, book stores… yes please!

Clothes shopping? Good Gravy, no. I adore clothes. I wish I could afford all of the clothes I lust after on style blogs, magazines, and teevee. Or at least borrow the clothing items for a quick wear. Actually going to the mall or a clothing store? Leaves me needing, well… “retail therapy,” so to speak. What do I find most detestable?

Why clothes shopping signals the end of the world… (dramatic? me? never!)

1. The music: No, I’m not talking about the Electric Fetus or Let it Be (RIP) or any other cool hipster record store. They tend to do music pretty well. I’m talking about stores that blast crappy dance pop remix eruptions from hell so loud your ears duck out in defeat and your brain is too tired to resist the flashy cheap crap being sold. I’m not naming names, but if I were Abercrombie and Fitch comes to mind. So does Express and Forever 21, Wet Seal and Charlotte Russe. I’m not even going to talk about the hot mess coming out of the speakers at Marshall Field’s when I worked there. On repeat. All of the time. Please retail mafia dons- have mercy on the souls of your employees and turn that crap off, or at least down a few notches…

2. The salespeople: Gah! Back off! I’m already overwhelmed by the music, and now someone is talking to me? (Or their lips are moving, I can’t hear them talking though…). I’m okay with a simple, “can I help you find anything today,” or similar, but the socially awkward teenagers that follow you around the store asking about your day, desperate for a sale? The commission ain’t worth it, baby… I’ve been there. Have some dignity and just walk away.

3. The clothes: Something about shopping at a store where I used to be one size… but now I’m not even close… and then trying on two pairs of the same jeans, same size, same style… but one is high water short and the other fits… well, DOESN’T FIT. Why is there no regulation in clothing size? For crying out loud, its supposed to make things easier, not harder! There should just be actual measurements on clothes, and everyone should just know their general measurements. Forget size 10 or size 0 or the new “00” which I believe comes directly from stupid size inflation, as it makes no sense otherwise…and what is an XXS BCBG? are people getting smaller or are clothing manufacturers just making less and less sense? ARGHHHGGFLFLLLL! (that’s a real noise I just made).

4. The other shoppers: No, I don’t hate humanity in general. Promise. But when I’m already distracted by the techno seizure in my head, bombarded by acne-ridden teens in skinny jeans with perfume samples, and trying to figure out what kind of size I might be, your kid is not so cute. And those teen girls shouting in their cell phones as though they are trying to yell to the actual physical location of the receiver of the call? They work on my last nerve.

5. The parking: Okay, so I should explain that for a long long time the closest mall was the Mall of America. The parking at MOA is always pretty bad. Certain times of year, however, it is utterly mind numbing. Weekends? Christmastime? (aka October through January)? Back to school? Awful. No traffic directing degenerate in a vest is helping one bit, either. I think they laugh at us as they stand there. Maybe I should join in on the joke? It certainly beats the fuming behind the wheel…

So, with some restraint that I still have left, I’m going to end rant. It feels good to let it out to a certain extent, but then I start to get cynical. So never fear, I’ll be a bit cheerier tomorrow, when I have an exciting surprise for you all!

Do you like shopping for clothes? Do you still go to stores or do you prefer online shopping? Any obnoxious parts about shopping/ malls that I missed?

Meri

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Posted in giveaway, rant, shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | 36 Comments