The Munch

Who doesn’t like spaghetti & meatballs? I know… it’s so, um… kiddie. Well, yeah, it is (!) and that makes it a perfect meal in my household. I usually make this dish with store bought turkey meatballs and sauce out of the jar (so easy, but kinda expensive). Now that I have a little more time on my hands, I decided to try the classic dish from scratch. Man… if I could kiss myself, I would. WORD.

I am amazed at how quickly this dish came together (it tasted like I slaved over this all day.) See how a few ingredients turned a regular Tuesday night dinner into something special.

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Even though I was dying to get in the kitchen, I had no idea what to make. I asked Probe what he felt like eating and he said a sandwich. I’m always thrown off by sandwiches - it’s just not food that I tend to crave. So, happy to have some direction, I head to the grocery store.

I of course baked my bacon and prepared my veggies. I toasted the bread slices, trimmed the edges and seasoned the mayo. I served it with a side salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, croutons and the raspberry dressing from the other night. I don’t want to waste anything - I’ve developed this habit of using as much of the food that I buy and not waste anything.

I called it the Christie Club because my friend Christie loved it, but it really could have been named the Kia Club or the Probe Club or the Haze Club. We all really enjoyed it!

Representing for my love. Marriage ain’t for the weak, but this post isn’t about that. This post is about celebrating 10 years of giving it the the best that I got.

Yes! I am talking about popcorn, the glorious, low calorie, easy-to-make snack for all ages. I originally bought this popcorn maker so my kids could make it by themselves. For one, I was over buying popcorn from the store every day (what a rip off!!) and for two, I hated making it, whether in the microwave or stove, every time they had a craving.

Anyway, I have come to love this machine. It is so inexpensive (I paid $15 on sale at Walmart) and it pops nearly every kernel every time. In less than 2 minutes, the kids have a big ass bowl to watch their favorite show with or to split amongst themselves. The clean-up is a cinch and I have the option of adding salt or butter. Most times I do, but sometimes I can get the kids to eat it with no toppings at all. Win win for everyone.

A very lovely fashionista/editor/friend of mine recently introduced me to good to go, a product in the Nail Treatment line by Essie. To say that I fell in love with it almost instantly would be an understatement. In between outings she stopped through the crib and did some nail maintenance; a quick color change (light to dark!!) applied a top coat and was out the door. Of course, I held the doors for her and helped her into her car, but that was merely being over-cautious. Seriously. This product truly lives up to its name: the fastest drying top coat.

You apply your color and a layer of this topcoat will give you the professional salon-like glossy look you’re used to shelling out at least $15 bucks for.  You can do basic things like grab your purse, turn off all lights and get out the house, jump in your whip or hail a taxi… the basics. I haven’t tried or would suggest fiddling through your purse to find your keys, BlackBerry/iPhone, lip gloss or gum. Get all that stuff BEFORE you do your nails or wait at least 10 minutes, which may or may not put a halt in your plans. Overall, I say, if you are on-the-go, then good to go is for you.

New for ‘09 is Essie’s releases, matte about you. Now this topcoat does the quite the opposite of good to go. Instead of that “shiny-shiny” good to go gives you, matte about you is well… simply that: matte. And of course, it’s just in time for Fall ‘09 which touts matte nails as the latest fashion trend.

So… for a busy working-mom trying to keep up with my children and fashion, at $10 a pop, these products are well worth the investment. Purchase from Essie here.