Photo Hunt: Self

This week's photo hunt is SELF. Some of you may not know that I have a tattoo inside my left ankle....I did this 20 years ago (wild college years)
It is a mama dolphin and her baby.



If you have time, come check out another part of ME over at Snap2days

Enjoying the great outdoors

I was inspired by my friend, Carver, to document my walk. We did spend a fair amount indoors this weekend skiing, Hula Hooping, doing Yoga, in Step Classes and so on... you might have guessed that we were playing our new Wii Fit (early birthday present to Malina from her aunt and uncle)...


It was an unusually cold and rainy weekend here in "sunny" Southern California, but Monday cleared up and since it was a holiday, we enjoyed it outdoors. Here are a few photos from a walk straight out of our house...













(this time next week, Maya and I will be breathing fresh Swiss Air....counting the days...)

Weekend Snapshot: a Kiss Sandwich

This is a picture of my brother and I giving my niece a kiss sandwich! Taken just a couple hours ago....

Photo Hunt: Shoes

This week's photo hunt theme is shoes....I went with riding boots....


Check out my other site at at Snap2days

Do You like My new Look?

Some of you may have noticed that My blog has changed a bit in the last few days.
I have my friend Lissa to thank over at She Who Designs
She is amazing and has really beautified my blog. I like it so much that I NOW visit myself, just to see my cool header and the beautiful yellow! If you saw my blog before this week, you know all the cool changes she has made....I wish I had taken a before and after photo. Let's just saw she really cleaned up the place and organized my blog... Thank you LISSA!!!
Go check out her site, she can also help you


WEll what do you know...Lissa is so amazing that she did what I ONLY thought of doing...here is a snapshot of what my blog looked like BEFORE its makeover...

Once you go Barack...

From the folks at Nerdy Shirts.com
I love it. Is that a surprise?!

Dr. House would like you to VOTE FOR CHANGE

I managed to watch the House finally last night after I got home and GUESS WHAT? There was a scene where one of the young woman doctor is in a bathroom stall and Dr. House (yummy Dr. House) sits in the stall next to her for a chat, AND in the stall with the young Lady Doctor, behind her I NOTICED a sticker that said "VOTE FOR CHANGE '08"! WOW, was that a subliminal message for all the DR. House fans to vote for Obama??

Weekend Snapshot: Taking a moment to smell the flowers

Enjoying the hot "summer-like days"

Photo Hunt: Candy

This week's theme is candy. Not a big candy fan, more of a savory kind of person, or a nice piece of dark chocolate.
I chose Skittles... My oldest loves skittles.



Check out our other project at Snap2days

One Lap Top Per Child

Started in 2002 by MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte this One Lap Top Per Child Company's mission is to provide a means of learning to children in Developing countries. Please read their mission by following the link.
About the laptop (copied from the site): The XO laptop was designed to provide the most engaging wireless network possible. The children can connect, chat, share information on the Web, gather by videoconference, make music together, edit texts, read e-books, and enjoy the use of collaborative games online. Right out of the box, the XO laptop’s antennae ears can sense other neighboring XO laptops and connect to them, creating an instantaneous “mesh” network for communal sharing and collaborating. This is important because many XO laptops will be deployed in places where there is little or no external telecommunication infrastructure.
donation of $200 will pay for and deliver one XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, $400 will pay for and deliver two XO laptops, and so on. Your entire contribution will be tax-deductible.
My girlfriend just ordered one for $400. She received one for herself (for her children) and donated one. She said her kids 3 and 5 are loving it and the software is awesome. (now I don't see this deal on the site, but I will investigate) The entire contribution is tax deductible.

Supreme Court overturns Gay Marriage Ban in California

Big news in California today. The California Supreme court has overturned the ban on Gay marriages in California. The ruling was only a 4-3 for the overturn, but a victory non the less.
I realize this is a VERY CONTROVERSIAL topic and so many people are against it, including many of my personal friends. But I thing this is a great victory. We have many friends who are homosexuals and are in committed relationships that should be allowed to enjoy the same rights that my husband and I have.
And for those of you who are against it, can I remind you that it was less then 40 years ago that it was illegal for a white person to marry a black person! That is NOT so long ago....
Still I WOULD LOVE to hear HOW YOUR FEEL?

Our new Friends....

ON our way home yesterday, we found new friends. I had to stop to say hi and take some photos. They were too cute....
What do you think?

Comma Sutra

Love this Shirt

If you are into it, check it out over at SackWear T-Shirts
(thank you Sandra M)

Do you have 2 1/2 minutes?

to check out these five 30 second videos?......

There recently was a contest to make a 30 second video in favor of Obama for the Moveon.org. One of the few restriction was that the contestant were contestants were not allowed to mention Hillary Rodham Clinton, on the other hand, they were able to use actors, real people… even cartoons. First the public voted online for the videos and then a panel of 24 judges including actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rory Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Markos Moulitsas, founder of the DailyKos blog voted for the winners.

After over 1100 submissions and more than 5.5 million total votes cast, the video below was the winner. Not the only lifelong Republican going for Obama. I have met MANY MANY.... Here is a GOP Vet for Obama


This one is great...simple but PERFECT! Won MOST ORIGINAL


Winner of the Funniest ad:


This one vote the PEOPLE's CHOICE award and gave me the CHILLS!


This one was the winner of the POSITIVE Message category and also gave me the chills (and teary eyes)

My Sunny Southern California Skies

I was checking out my fellow blogger's site over at TwoLives and was inspired to take a photo of my sky.
We have had these skies for 10 days now, with an occasional glimpse of sun.




BUT HEY, you are not hearing ANY COMPLAINTS FROM ME! I love the cool weather. I love changes in weather. Two weeks ago we were dying, OK I WAS DYING, in 99 degree heat. NOw I WELCOME THIS cool weather! Fog and CLOUDS are beautiful! A little rain would be EVEN BETTER! But I know that MOST of my friends and Neighbors are just not happy with this weather! They have a point, does it look like Sunny Southern California TO YOU?
I LOVE IT!

weekend Snapshot: Looking up

Hope everyone had a nice mother's day. We spent the morning at the park with our little one. I chose this picture. Not sure one, I just like it

Photo Hunt: Pick Any Photo

This week we could pick ANY photo for our hunt. I chose these two photos. I took them two weeks ago at a local outdoor shopping area. The roses were striking and SOO MANY OF THEM





Check out my other entry over at snap2days

Friday funnies

I heard the funniest conversation today, while attending my daughter's preschool Mother's day Brunch. Two 'almost five year old boys' were talking to each other and one said " Mason, when do you turn five?" and Mason answered "After four!"
What a great answer! So smart they are these days!

Here is another funny one for Friday.....
I got this email from my friend Nancy

After a short stay in America, Michaelangelo's David returns to Europe.

Hope this doesn't offend anyone, I just thought it was so funny....My Blog has now received an X rating!;-)

My Two favorite things all in one

Wow, I never thought this would happen. My favorite political man and cheese as ONE! I love cheese and I LOVE Obama... and here they are as ONE!

(thank you to Frances who found it at her local Whole Foods in NYC!)

I LOVE YOU NC

THANK YOU NORTH CAROLINA. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
And Indiana, gosh, 2 point lead for Hellary is NOT SOO BAD!!! I was thrilled with the Results!
ANd Obama's speech last night was HIS BEST ever! HE IS GOING TO WIN! I CAN FEEL IT!!!!
GO OBAMA!
Now, will the LOSER PLEASE STEP DOWN!

Empire Strike Barak

Big day tomorrow! Indiana and NC go to the polls!

(Thank you Carver for the video)

Morel Mushroom recipe: Ready for a low fat recipe?

Ha that is a joke. I put heavy cream in this. BUT it is to die for! So here is what I made on Sunday night. In French we call it CROUTE AU MORILLES.
The Ingredients are:
750 grams of Morel Mushrooms, I used Fresh, but you could use Dried (so that is almost 2 lbs of reconstituted if you use dry, not sure what that equals to if they are dry)
3 shallots, chopped
1 dl of Port
75 grams of butter
4dl of heavy cream

1. Cut the ends of the mushrooms. Do not cut too much. I also cut them in half to be able to clean them well. Morels tend to be sandy. I rinsed them 3-4 times in water, do it carefully as to not destroy the mushrooms. Then drain them and towel dry them. If you have really big mushrooms you can cut them further, so that all the mushrooms are about the same size

2. Put butter in a pan, I used a WOK. Melt the butter and wait until it is nice and hot. Add the mushrooms. Cook at medium hot. The mushrooms will let out alot of water, cook it down until it is almost all gone. I did end up taking the mushrooms out and cook the water down. The reason I took the mushrooms out was so that it wouldn't cook them to oblivion.

3. Add the shallots when the water has reduced. Salt and Pepper and cover. Stir. Lower the heat and let cook a few minutes, then add the PORT. Stir. Cook uncovered until the port has reduced. When Port has reduced had the cream. Stir.

4. Let it cook a low to medium heat until the cream has reduced. Keep stirring every so often.


5. When your sauce is a nice thick consistency you are ready to serve it! Now, you can use this sauce over steaks. But I used it over toast. I toasted some nice dense slice bread and just pour the sauce over it. Et VOILA!



It has come to my attention that there is a mushroom recipe going on over at MarxFoods.com so I am going over there and entering my recipe. I could win more Morels! So if you have a favorite recipe go over there and enter your lucky recipe!

Tag: I am IT

Tag your It (I got This from Jay)

Here are the rules of the game (post these first).

1)Each players answers questions about themselves.
2) At the end of the posting tag 5-6 people.
3) Post their names and then go to their site leave a comment telling them that they have been Tagged. Then ask them to read your blog.
4) Let the person who tagged you that you have completed your posting.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!

WHAT WAS I DOING 10 YEARS AGO: I was the mother of a 4 year old and living in California, not too far from here, on a cul de sac with fabulous neighbors. We used to have great neighborhood parties. I got my dog Sam 10 years ago. He was the cutest Bernese Mountain dog in the world.

WHAT ARE THE 5 THINGS ON MY "TO DO" LIST:
1) Spring cleaning the closets
2) Go to Pantagonia (long shot)
3)Go to Machu Pichu (another long shot)
4)buy presents for my cousins' children in Switzerland (trip coming up)
5) lose another 20 lbs!

3) SNACKS THAT I ENJOY: Golden Spoon Chocolate Malt with ALmonds! I CRAVE IT!

4) THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A BILLIONAIRE:
-Invest in a school in either China or Africa or India (I have not narrowed it down yet, but probably Africa needs it the most) to educate the children that have lost their parents due to illness or have been abandoned (what can I say, I wish I were Oprah!).
and if I feel selfish with my money here is what I would do:
-Buy myself a house in Switzerland in the alps
- buy more photo equipment
- travel everywhere I haven't been yet!

PLACES WHERE I HAVE LIVED: Switzerland (Neuchatel and Luzern), Collegeville in PA, Phoenix, Arizona, and a few places in California. LOOKING for a new place to live; I need suggestions. It cannot be hot, humid and I need seasons and mountains!

BAD HABITS THAT I HAVE: I bite my nails!

JOBS THAT I HAVE HAD: Answered phones at a Pizza Delivery place, Target, Six Flags Magic Mountain I worked as a waitress at a steak place, Waitress at a SOuthwestern Restaurant, front desk at apartment building, teacher, mother, horse rider side kick, personal driver (to my kids), cook (to my family), and the list goes on. MY FAVORITE JOB= Waitressing!

And I tag ANYONE who would like to do this meme. If you do participate, please let me know so I CAN come check it out!

Weekend Snapshot: Can you guess?

I have just gotten my order of Morel mushrooms from Oregon. I am making a special dinner tonight using them. It is my favorite mushroom next to the Hen of the woods, which the restaurant Craft in NYC cooks it up so well...it is to die for.


Tonight, on our menu is "Croute Au Morrilles!" A delicious French or Swiss French recipe that I grew up eating. It is simply lots of Cream, Port, Morels, salt, pepper and served on toast! To die for really. I will try to take photos and put up the recipe tomorrow.
In Switzerland I actually grew morels by accident in my planters, but you can find them in the woods. Here in California, well they definitely do not grow in the Southern Part of California, way to dry. Maybe in the NOrth of California. But these came from Oregon, via UPS! ;-)
Bon Appetit!

Will The Democratic Party PLEASE STAND UP for this MAN

The more I listen to him the more I BELIEVE in him! And I ALREADY believe in him 110%!
This speech makes me cry....(happy tears that is....)


What a speech! Don't You agree?!
We need to pick our Democratic leader and move on so HE can win in November....

Photo Hunt: Time

Lately I feel like I have time for nothing. But I did manage a photo. Here is my watch today at Lunch!!! Instead of eating lunch, I took photos of my watch! ;-)
If you have TIME, go check out my other photo entry over at Snap2days!