Ya might wanna turn down your speakers, and then again ya just might wanna crr-r-r-r-a-a-a-ank 'em up. Psst...browsing with Firefox? Scroll to the bottom of the page and enjoy the music.
Welcome! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so you won't miss the Blarties (=blog+party) on the weekends. To find out more about our Blarties check out this post, too. Looking forward to seeing you on the weekends!
Fall is less than a month away (the calendar says), so nears the season for tailgate parties, Monday Night Football, and all new, prime time television episodes. Once the new TV lineup is underway, one night during the week will be designated in our living room as “TV Night”. We retire in front of the idiot tube and become couch potatoes to watch our favorite shows. TIVO makes it possible to do this on OUR schedule.
TV Night constitutes a Carpet Picnic complete with TV trays, paper plates, and appetizers, aka “junk food”. The norm for this junk food buffet consists of our own house version of a sausage & cheese, e.g. turkey polish sausage, sliced, grilled in a skillet, then sprinkled with dry BBQ seasoning, an assortment of cheeses, and pickles; occasionally, some imitation crab meat, and always, baked chips with a BIG bowl of Meat/Meatless Lovers Dip, served HOT!
The choice of meat or meat substitute for this concoction is up to you, as Paula Deen would say, “Make it your own.” I have made this dip using various combinations and substitutions and “It’s all good!” You don’t have to be a meat lover, vegetarian, or like spinach to absolutely LOVE this recipe, trust me.
Meat / Meatless Lover’s Dip
12 Ounce package frozen Morningstar Veggie Crumbles*
1 Can Rotel® Original
10 Ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
8 Ounce package fat free cream cheese, softened
8 Ounces reduced fat sour cream
1 Cup shredded sharp cheese, 2% variety
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
4-5 green onions, chopped
Coat a large non-stick skillet or saucepan with cooking spray. Add veggie crumbles and green onion; heat thoroughly on medium-high, stir to prevent any sticking. Next, add garlic powder, Rotel®, spinach, sour cream, and cream cheese; reduce heat to medium, cook and stir occasionally until hot throughout and cream cheese is melted. Add cheddar cheese and cook another minute or two until all the cheese is melted and dip is well blended. Serve warm with your favorite chips or crackers. It also makes a great baked potato topping!
*Substitutions: Meat lovers substitute one pound of ground turkey sausage, or your favorite variety; just be sure to drain the fat, no need to spray your pan. After draining fat, add 2 tablespoons of water, cook for one minute then begin adding the rest of the ingredients. If you are preparing vegetarian style, you can also substitute one 20oz. can of Worthington Vegetarian Burger, or a package of Gimme Lean Sausage in place of the veggie crumbles.
Let me give you a heads up on some restaurant finds and ways to obtain freebies, discounts and coupons if you decide to take your family out for dinner. First, I need to start from the beginning. I recently patroned a new restaurant chain that opened in my area, Red Robin, offering a selection of Gourmet Burgers including an A.1 Peppercorn Burger, a Pot Roast Burger, and a Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Burger.
On the lighter side, you can order a Garden Burger, a grilled Turkey Burger, or customize your burger by substituting a Boca Patty. I have to confess, I had a Fajita Fiesta Pollo Salad instead of a burger. It’s hard to go back to work and be productive after a heavy meal, all their burgers come with bottomless steak fries.
I knew Red Robin was getting close to opening and had noticed their parking lot was full, so I called. They weren’t open, but were doing trial runs, I was able to make a reservation for four the following day at lunch. Restaurants of this stature, family dining, will often do trial runs before they officially open to train their employees, and your meal is on the house! Don’t expect to see trial runs advertised though. This is the second one I have participated in. You usually just have to be up to speed on what’s opening up in your area, or learn by word of mouth.
After my lunch at Red Robin I filled out a comment card including my email address, which made me a member of their eCLUB. eCLUB members receive (via email) a $3 off coupon, (towards their next visit – to be used within two weeks) and a coupon for a free gourmet burger for their birthday. A number of other restaurant chains advertise similar offers when you join their eCLUB, from free appetizers and desserts to free meals your birthday month, and sometimes just for joining.
There’s usually a minimum purchase to redeem your coupon, and a limited time to use it, normally a two week window. Some of the other restaurants I’m aware of advertising eclub freebies are: TGI Fridays, Abuelos, Firebirds, Red Lobster, Texas Roadhouse, Texas de Brazil, and Dixie Café. Check out your favorite restaurant’s website for eclub information.
Holy cow! Ding, ding, ding went my Google notifier last night! While surfing and listening to my favorite music, my email inbox was suddenly inundated with email messages from Baby Boomer Divas hand picked by THE BABY BOOMER DIVA herself, Beverly Mahone. Beverly has taken the world and the web by storm with the Baby Boomer Diva Web of Fame and is bringing together some FANTABULOUS and talented Divas.
The Baby Boomer Diva Web of Fame is fast becoming THE WEB of Divas! Their fields of expertise range from journalism, writing, event planning, virtual assistance, coaching, acting, singing, producing and more. What matters isn’t whether or not they’re successful according to society’s standards, but instead, whether or not a woman is Divinely Inspired, Vivacious, and Anointed according to Bev, a self-proclaimed Baby Boomer Diva.
Bev is on a roll determined to bring together and showcase the women of our generation and show the world Boomer women won’t be settling into rocking chairs anytime soon, but instead to show it we are divinely inspired, vivacious, and anointed women with plenty of energy and vitality to keep on LIVING and make a difference! We won’t just fade away into the sunset without first leaving an indelible mark…again.
We’re living our lives the way we see fit and doing what we believe we are called to do. We’ve cast off all the old notions of previous generations as far what is expected of us and life at this stage of the game. We still seek challenges, adventure, and to do all we dreamed of doing while busy with other obligations and expectations in our younger years. Those years are over now…we’re free to be the person we WANT to be. Not the person society EXPECTS us to be. Yes, I said, “…we WANT…” Why? Because ‘want’ is desire and desire is divinely inspired.
I’ve been blessed with the honor of being included in Bev’s Baby Boomer Diva Web of Fame with all those remarkable Boomer women. I can definitely appreciate it because I do seek to be divinely inspired, vivacious, and anointed. What an honor and how encouraging to be included with women who are still determined to make the world a better place in their own way!
Look out world! Say whatcha want and think whatcha wish about the Boomer generation and its women. These Divas have cut loose and busted free of all pre-conceived notions about life after forty. They’re Boomers, the generation known for paving the way to a NEW way of thinking, believing, and living! History is in the making again NOW! Cheers to my Diva Sisters and Boomer women everywhere!
