Monthly Archives: March 2008

this morning’s email exchange with my sister

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This is Megan over 20 years ago..isn’t she a riot! I love this picture of her. It has so much personality. This will help you understand her sense of humor.

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This is Megan today: Isn’t she gorgeous?

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So, on to our very candid emailing:

 

MEGAN:

Thanks, Vanessa! You are so sweet to me… I love you. Xoxo

Does Rick come home this weekend?! Your last blog was so great…

VANESSA:

Thank you…he comes home tonight! 🙂

I can’t wait…I feel like a hopeless basket case when he’s gone…I get so bored in the evenings…no rompin’ around in the sack… 😉

MEGAN:

PFFFFFFFFF!!!!! You’re hilarious…

Wait, rompin’ around in the sack? You mean like this?

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VANESSA:

Now, that is hilarious!!! Exactly like that!

Megan, you make me laugh so hard. Thank you for making me smile!

 

a taste of southern vermont

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My husband is far away. For 2 weeks. I didn’t realize how much I truly relied on Rick until he wasn’t here. I, being the independent woman that I am, wasn’t too worried about getting lonely or sad for the two weeks he was gone. Granted, we both have telephones and I would see him on the weekend. No problem! Well, I confess, I have shed a few tears (at least two) since he’s been gone. I miss him. COME HOME, RICK!

I drove down for Easter Weekend and we had a blast! Here’s some eye candy of Southern Vermont:

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Continue reading →

Living on a shoestring…

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When I was 11, I would iron my dollar bills so they were nice and crisp. (Yeah, so I also ironed my jeans as well, don’t judge me.) I’d then put a rubber band around the stack of bills and run my fingers through the stiff money to fan myself. I am sure there were only 10 bills (all ones) but it was a lot to an eleven year old. Well, I’ve always been careful with my money and learned in my youth to save and be frugal. I love finding deals and why should I pay full price if I don’t have to? HUM!?!!

With a husband in medical school, we are accruing massive amounts of debt. We’re living on a shoestring! So Rick and I have found ways to save and still have fun!

Here are some ideas to get the most bang for the buck, or in my case, for FREE.

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Continue reading →

Easter treats for all my “PEEPS”

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Easter is approaching. You know what that means: Yellow Chick PEEPS! Just Born manufactures PEEPS, among other tasty treats. The availability of PEEPS year round is a marshmallow lover’s dream come true! My sister likes to let them sit in their wrappings for a few months until they’re nice and hard. I like them fresh from the package. My bro can down a pack in 45 seconds…probably. At any rate, now you can make your own! They are so easy. Just remember to add the vanilla, as I neglected. I was caught up in the moment of white fluff, that I forget to add it in. Wah. Continue reading →

“Green Drink”

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When people reach for their morning coffee or diet bubbly, the Zinkes reach for Green Drink! It’s a staple in the Zinke household. We drink it every morning. If I could, I would hook myself up and take it intravenously. From the looks of it, most folks wouldn’t touch this stuff. Don’t be fooled, this green goo is oozing with nutrients and a surprising flavor of pure delight. I’d call it magically delicious! I believe I heard Rick recently comment, “Our kids are going to be drinking this every morning!” (No doubt about it: our kids will each get their own shot of green drink before running out to the bus stop!)

So, here is what goes into our green drink:

1 orange, peeled
1 small apple
1 small raw carrot, chopped into smaller pieces
2 cups (two big hand fulls) raw spinach
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 Tbsp raw wheat germ*
1 Tbsp whole flax seed*
1 tsp vanilla
A couple handfuls of ice
Add to your vita-mix or blender, in this order: 1/2 cup of cold water, orange, spinach, apple, carrot, and strawberries. Puree. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Share with your neighbor. Serves 2 generously.  The more frozen fruit you use, the less cold water you will need.   Continue reading →

Sesame Peanut Noodles

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I made this for lunch yesterday. It’s worthy of sharing. I found this recipe card at the health food store. The best sesame noodles I have ever had! It has a very nutty and creamy taste, yet refreshing. Great topped with leftover roasted chicken, too.

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Continue reading →

“Dear Dad…

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Have you ever asked for something you really wanted?

If I asked for something, would you give it to me? Yes _ No_ Maybe_.”

I found the aforementioned letter in a file of papers from my childhood. I was laughing so hard. I was so tricky in my day. Wait, it gets better:

At age 10, I wrote the following, (all in very cute cursive). I believe they were writing assignments for elementary school. Continue reading →

ARDITH’S SPECIAL

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The Lohrke children grew up eating this dish, all the time. I love it. It’s so easy and it’s great comfort food. It’s the kind of dish that you’ll keep eating out of the pan, once you’ve finished your own serving. You’ll see why this was my favorite food when I was little. (Even now, I still love it!)

Ardith’s Special*

Preheat oven to 350.

12 white corn tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup (Low fat/fat free version of this soup are no go’s for this recipe. It will result in a soggy dish)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of cow milk (poured into the empty soup cans)
2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 4 0z. cans diced green chilies
1 can pitted sliced olives
1 small onion, chopped
Grated American or cheddar cheese

Cut tortillas in to 2×2 inch squares. Place in a 9×13 inch pan.

Mix all the soups and milk in a bowl. Add to the soup bowl: diced chicken, green chilies, olives and diced onions. Pour this mixture over the tortillas, gently mix. Bake for 40 minutes. Add grated cheese last 5 minutes of baking time.
*Ardith is a distant relative, I think. Gads, I am not sure who she is. Someone help me here. At any rate, this is her recipe. So delish!

Go Green

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I had this conversation with one of my clients yesterday, and it wasn’t the first time:

“Vanessa, I picked up some more house cleaning supplies this week. We are ‘going green.’ ”

I knew exactly what she was talking about. It’s the lingo of many Vermonters; highly conscientious environmentally friendly people. There is so much talk about “going green” and recycling and the environment. We’ve tried to do our best to protect the environment and though are efforts as of now are small, we believe it makes a difference. A few things you can do to get started:

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1) Reusable Bags. You know the scenario: plastic bags full of plastic bags. We all have these collections growing in our pantries or behind closed cupboards. For only one buck or two, you can pick up reusable shopping bags at most grocery stores. Most food markets will deduct a few cent off your total receipt, for each grocery sack you bring in and use to bag up your purchases. Just start declining plastic bags and use paper bags until you buy your reusable bag. I love my Trader Joe’s reusable bag because has a round base that holds a lot o’ loot! It’s great for a trip to the beach or on a picnic. Super study, super cute! Here is a site to help you start shopping.

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2) You can’t help but notice the blue recycling crates lining the curbs of Vermont streets. Our Blue Crate: We have one and it fills up fast. Vermont will accept almost anything that can be recycled and we do our fair share of filling the large recycling dumpster with our recyclable trash. Most communities have recycling programs. I hope you’re participating in this operation that makes a difference. Keep America Beautiful!

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3) Chemical free detergents, soaps, cleaners, etc. So many of my clients buy these products. They work equally as well as the “normal” products that burn your hands, are highly flammable or make you cough because they are so toxic. If you have to wear gloves, the product isn’t safe. For starters, here are some companies that sell natural cleaners: Method, Mrs. Meyers, Clorox, Seventh Generation and Ecos, just to name a few.

Clorox has come out with a new line called GREEN WORKS. (Is just me or do you, too, associate Clorox with Bleach? I think it was that a bad move when the big wigs at Clorox decided to put they’re logo on the front of these bottles! Because of that association and label branding, I am more inclined to buy another brand, but whatever, the new Greenworks products work well and are affordable!)

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4) Energy efficient light bulbs. This is a no-brainer, these bulbs last forever! I have yet to replace an energy efficient light bulb.

5) Buy Used! Craig’s List. (A centralized network of online communities, featuring free classified advertisements (with jobs, internships, housing, for sale/barter/wanted, services, community, gigs, resume, and pets categories) and forums on various topics.) We love Craig’s list! Check out Free Sharing! (A website for free recycling of your unwanted items. )

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6) Stainless Steel and Hard Water Bottles. We don’t buy cases of plastic water bottles. Instead, we just refill our bottles with water. Use a Britta filter if you have nasty faucet water. KleenKanteen sells stainless steel bottles and Nalgene sells hard plastic bottles. Check out their “OTG” bottle! (Rick’s favorite for green drinks. More on green drinks later!)

7) Compost your food scraps. If you have your own yard, this is a brilliant way to reduce the amount of wast you send to the landfills. In the process, you create free, healthy fertilizer for your garden! I have a client that keeps a trash bin with a lid on her back porch. It’s filled with moldy tortillas, carrot shavings, old bread, egg shell and wilted cabbage. When it fills up, she takes it out the garden and dumps it.

Read these articles to help you get started!

Enrich the soil with compost

Composting for the Homeowner

The ultimate ComposTumbler!

The big THREE ZERO!!!

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I am in denial. The decade of 20’s is no longer mine. Long gone are the days of my “youth.” Although I am in a new decade, I still feel 23. I still feel young at heart and full of energy. However, my body is struggling to keep up. I won’t mention my varicose veins, slowing metabolism, chipped and cracked teeth and the crows feet that appeared out of nowhere over night. ::: do eye creams really work? ::: I won’t tell ya about the 25 push-ups I can no longer do on my toes.

While all that can be depressing, it doesn’t slow me down. 30 is the new 20, right? I’d much rather be 30 than 29! Think about it: when you are 29, you’re the “old one” in a group of 20-somethings. When you’re 30, you’re rather quite “young” in a group of 30-somethings. That is something to smile about! As long as people keep telling me I look “25,” I’ll keep using that eye cream that is probably no more that some rich hand lotion.

I can’t believe it was 10 years ago that I was in my second year of college and preparing for my mission. What happened since then? What major contributions did I offer society? Did I accomplish the things I hoped to do while in my 20’s? Well, I graduated from college and barely missed my cut off date for getting married. What a close call!

On March 2nd, my twin sister and I turned 30, so on to the birthday biz: Rick does not disappoint. Late Saturday night, he went to the market to pick up some last minute items. Physical exhaustion got the best of me and I climbed into bed. I was awakened when Rick finally climbed into bed. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand only to discover it was 3:32 a.m. Seriously? I was in such a slumber, that I couldn’t process what had kept him up. I dozed back to sleep. I was then awakened at 6:30, by Rick, as he got out of bed. He heads for the kitchen. I’ll let the pictures tell the rest:

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He made me breakfast in bed. I love grapefruit and a bowl packed with hot cereal or Cheerios….and daffodils make me smile.

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Seriously? This little arrangement of gifts was carefully positioned on our coffee table and smiling right at me as I walked out of the bedroom. He has such a keen sense of detail that never goes unnoticed. I have never known a man to wrap gifts as well as he does!

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Rick: “So Babe, what would you like for your birthday dinner?”
Vanessa: “Salmon!”
Rick: “You got it, Toots!”

And this is what he turned out for dinner: Incredible Maple salmon, fresh green beans, wild rice medley and then sliced fresh strawberries, toasted pecans, and crumbled feta on a bed of mixed baby greens and spinach, then drizzled with homemade strawberry vinaigrette.

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Dessert was no disappointment either. How he knew that angel food trifle is my favorite is a mystery to me. He made the angel food cake in the early morning and then put together this masterpiece:

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Triple berry trifle smothered in a rich pudding sauce and then topped with raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. Then topped with whipped cream. It’s hard to go wrong with white fluff. My mouth waters just looking at this picture!
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So what if this picture is in B&W? Maybe I am trying to hide my crows feet!
::: wink wink:::
Rick: Thank you for the parfum, the camera bag, the steam canner, the fresh tulips & daffodils and not to mention the 8 wonderful water goblets for dining! Mom: I absolutely LOVE the square spring form pan and the waffle cookbook. You sure know how to make me smile! Dad: Thank you for the Amazon gift card…it’s just that AMAZing! Matt: Bro, you rock. Thank you for checking out my Amazon wish list and getting those two movies for me: Mostly Martha and Babette’s Feast. I have been wanting those for a long time. ::: sigh ::: Grandma Betty: Thank you for your sweet card and money. Janna and Rich: The navy blue dress is so perfect! I would have picked it out myself. I just love it! Heather: Thank you for the great lunch date. You are such a great friend! Ariane and Justin: Last, but not least, the Smiths gave me BLOCKUS!!! My new favorite game. It was totally unexpected, but very warmly received. HOLLA!
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Cute dress, eh? So Audrey Hepburn!
I had this conversation with Ariane yesterday, at her house:
Vanessa: “So, I think I am going to buy Girls Just Wanna Have Fun with my Amazon gift card.”
Ariane: “Don’t!”
Vanessa: “What? Huh?”
Ariane: “JUST DON’T!”
Vanessa: “Ariane, you didn’t order that movie for me, did you?!?!”
Ariane: “Yeah, gosh, I ordered it like forever ago and it still hasn’t come in the mail yet.”
Vanessa: “RAD!”
That movie is awesome. No, Ariane, YOU ARE AWESOME! There is nothing quite like men fully encapsulated in black spandex “dancing in the street.” Ariane, you know you’re coming over and watching it with me.
Rick, your attention to detail amazes me and you are so thoughtful. I am so impressed by you and the way you’ve been honing your culinary skills. You are turning into quite the chef. Thank you for making my birthday so special. Thank you to everyone else for making my birthday very memorable for me. Good things await me in 2008 and being 30 is one of them!

our 32 hour road trip…

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On Thursday, February 28th, we made a very last minute trip to Connecticut to look at a car that we found on line. The plan was to drive down (about 3.5 hours) there to see it, test drive it, fall in love with it drive it home that day. Long story short, we didn’t buy the car because it wasn’t what it was advertised to be. However, we enjoyed staying overnight in a ghetto fabulous Super 8 Motel without a change of clothes or toothbrushes or anything you would take for an overnight trip. We wanted to look at a couple more cars the following day, you know, make a trip out of it. To my dismay, both cars were sold and I was oh, so sad.
We stopped by Mystic Seaport, which is situated along the southern coast of Connecticut, for 30 minutes to snap a few pics and talk about the next time we’ll return to take a full tour of the area for a cash fee.

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We stopped in this fantastic European market that was packed with CHEESE and all things yummy, like Ritter Sport chocolates (Rick’s favorite!) in a variety of flavahs!
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The last leg of our trip was at the North Bridge and the Minute Man Statue in Concord, MA. I have to make mention of something. We saw the car we wanted EVERYWHERE we drove. “Rick, there goes that Highlander again!” I never really noticed the Highlander until I started researching it and wanted to buy one. They are everywhere in Concord, MA! I could have cried…it seemed to be staring me in the face. WAH! Isn’t that the truth though, you only start noticing a car once you start driving that make and model?

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We finished off our afternoon at a table inside the cozy Colonial Inn for a crock of lobster, shrimp and crap bisque and a toasty Reuben sammich. ::: sigh ::: I love Reubens! If you’re ever in Concord, swing by The Colonial Inn! I love Massachusetts!

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