The Bistro Resaurant in Lima, OH

WOW...I haven't posted in FOREVER!!!! I was having issues with my internet server and then with blogger, then I just got too busy to do it for a while. But now I'm back and will hopefully get caught up in a reasonable amount of time!

I went to Bluffton, Ohio for a Mennonite Residence Life gathering February 15 -17. On Monday night we went to this wonderful little restaurant called "Main Street Bistro." It had a sophisticated, yet cozy atmosphere and the food was delicious!

My meal started with the House Salad which consisted of Fresh greens, Granny Smith apples, walnuts, crumbled Bleu cheese and house made honey poppy seed dressing. I enjoyed the dressing a great deal.

My entree was Mediterranean Angel Hair - Sautéed chicken breast topped with Feta cheese and wrapped in Kataifi phyllo dough set upon angel hair pasta in Balsamic cream with sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, fresh spinach and basil. The chicken was tender and moist. The phyllo dough make a light and airy coating for the chicken, while the blasamic added a lovely bite to the richness of the dish.

For dessert Launa and I split a wonderful chocolate and berry mousse/cheesecake creation. (Sorry I don't have the entire description of the dessert, but the dessert menu isn't online!) Suffice it to say that the dessert was melt in your mouth delightful!

numbers 101 - 200.

So, my sister-in-law egged me on to finish my list of 200 things. I hope their aren't any duplicates, but I'm too tired to read all 200 of them right now to double check! Enjoy!...

101. I only have one stamp in my passport – it’s from England.
102. I have visited 33 states. I plan to visit 4 new ones this summer.
103. I like to sit in outdoor hot-tubs on snowy nights
104. I always take the soaps, shampoos, etc from hotels
105. I LOVE staying in hotels!
106. I know how to say “dirty whore” in sign language.
107. I got my ears pierced in Jr. High. I got a 2nd hole in my left ear in college, but let it grow shut.
108. I used to make out with my boyfriend in the music practice room when I was in college
109. I rarely mop my floors
110. I always wanted to be popular in high school…never was.
111. People think I’m a good cook
112. I like making lists
113. Flip flops hurt my feet.
114. My favorite toys when I was a kid were Barbie dolls.
115. I still like to color in coloring books.
116. I’d like to learn how to make jewelry someday.
117. I would get a tattoo if I could think of a design that wouldn’t look stupid when I’m 70.
118. I’m glad I went to private Christian high school and colleges.
119. I love the game Clue.
120. I wish I was closer to my brothers.
121. I enjoy “reading” cookbooks.
122. Someday I want to make a quilt.
123. I hate it that my sister is the pretty one.
124. I only eat yellow and orange candy hearts.
125. In junior high I accidentally slit my wrist on a can of Spaghetti-Os.
126. I wanted braces when I was a kid, but never needed them.
127. I color my hair – my color is “brown sugar”
128. I sleep with a fan on all year round.
129. I’ve been stopped for speeding 3 times, but have never gotten a ticket.
130. I collect snowmen.
131. My favorite day of the year is my birthday!
132. Someday I want to see the 4th of July fireworks in Washington DC
133. I currently have a crush on the guy I eat lunch with.
134. I do not tan…I burn, peel, then freckle.
135. I tend to hoard my ink pens…I get that from my dad.
136. I play to play poker, but suck at it and have a terrible poker face.
137. I like fruity alcoholic drinks – margaritas, daiquiris, pina coladas, etc…
138. I don’t like the taste of toothpaste.
139. I don’t like being a passenger…hand over the keys!
140. I love Cracker Barrel breakfasts.
141. I haven’t kissed a guy in over 18 years…I’m nervous about doing it again…have I forgotten how?!
142. I used to stutter a LOT, but hardly do anymore.
143. I am a pack rat.
144. I want to get a bikini wax someday…ouch!
145. I like the taste of raw hamburger.
146. I blush very easily.
147. I like to clip coupons, but usually forget to use them.
148. I am working on becoming debt free.
149. I’ve dated 3 guys that I met on eHarmony, but didn’t fall in love.
150. I want to be on TV someday.
151. I went to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
152. I’ve only been to 1 professional sporting event…a St. Louis cardinal’s game.
153. My favorite kitchen appliance is my Kitchen Aid mixer.
154. I love waterfalls.
155. I learned to swim at the age of 31.
156. I would love to own a convertible.
157. I love staying up late and hate going to bed before others…guess I’m worried I’ll miss something!
158. I’d like to visit the Biltmore estate in Ashland, NC someday.
159. I also want to go to Madame Trousseaus (the wax museum) in London someday.
160. I love buying presents for the little girls in my life…little girl toys are the best!
161. My favorite music is pop stuff from the 80s.
162. My first job out of college was at Goshen Rubber…no, we did not make condoms!
163. I HATE it when people call me “Sue”
164. I enjoy changing my calendars to a new month!
165. I think I’ll probably have to have my knee replaced when I get older.
166. I think I was a cute toddler.
167. I love spending hours looking at books at Barnes & Noble.
168. I would like to own a cottage or lake house someday.
169. I’ve been a bridesmaid 7 times.
170. I love to get massages.
171. I collect pads of paper and hoard those too!
172. My dearest friend from childhood lives in England. I think of her every day and miss her.
173. I enjoy having people over to my house for meals. A full table = a full life for me!
174. There was once a warrant for my arrest issued by the Elkhart County police.
175. Sometimes I laugh so hard that I can’t breathe.
176. I like to tip generously, but will leave a tiny tip if my service is bad.
177. I am a terrible speller…thank goodness for spell-check!
178. Buca di Bepos has the best bruschetta I’ve ever tasted!
179. I love being an aunt.
180. I have matching moles on both my hips.
181. I enjoy being silly.
182. I fell off the monkey bars in 2nd grade and cut my face open…8 stitches.
183. I’ve never broken a bone.
184. I drove my sister’s car into the ditch when I was learning to drive.
185. I love doing tv crossword puzzles.
186. I do not miss being an accountant.
187. I tend to be bossy.
188. I sometimes drool when I sleep.
189. I think my hands look old.
190. I don’t like knick-knacky stuff in my apartment.
191. I enjoy decorating my apartment with photos of family and friends.
192. I like making and frosting cut out sugar cookies and gingerbread men.
193. I like to get presents – especially ones that show the person giving it really “gets” me!
194. I am a bit spoiled.
195. My favorite pair of underwear are a deep bluish/purple color.
196. I laugh really hard at the movie “Elf”
197. Will Ferrell reminds me of my brother, Mike.
198. I like being mischievous.
199. I love my life most days.
200. I want to be remembered by lots of people when I die.

Post number 200

So, this is post number 200 on my blog! On facebook there is a pass-along note that has you list 25 random things about yourself. For my 200th post I'm going to tell you 200 things about myself! You may get bored or you may learn some interesting things about me! :)

1. I LOVE McDonald's filet-o-fish sandwiches.
2. I am the youngest in my family and I love it!
3. I sucked my thumb until I went into jr. high
4. I wore glasses from the time I was 2 1/2 until last April...that's 34 1/2 years!
5. My first car was a Geo Prizm...it was mauve...I miss it.
6. My first date was to a Fairfield High School football game and dance.
7. I cried myself to sleep every night my first month of college.
8. I would love to learn to ride a motorcycle by myself.
9. I like to eat frozen grapes.
10. I want to travel to Italy someday.
11. I would like to have a garden.
12. I HATE it when dogs lick my face!
13. I like squares better than any other shape.
14. I wish I could make a good pie crust.
15. I have fairly flat feet.
16. I love snow, but I don't ski or snowboard.
17. I enjoy driving - across town, across the county...it doesn't matter!
18. I can't imagine enjoying any job more than the one I have now.
19. I sleep with flannel sheets all year long.
20. I like to sing really loud with the radio in my car.
21. I wish I could justify getting a manicure every week.
22. I also with I could justify hiring someone to clean my house!
23. I hate to get dirty.
24. I think freshly mowed grass smells wonderful!
25. My favorite drink is Diet Coke.
26. I wish I was thin.
27. I don't really care that I can't speak another language.
28. I find it harder to remember what my dad looked like. That makes me sad.
29. I worry my mom will die before I have kids (IF I ever do!)
30. I wish I was brave enough to move away from Goshen, Indiana
31. My eyes and hair are my favorite features.
32. I am the worst procrastinator I know!
33. My meatloaf is my favorite thing I cook!
34. I buy generic tampons.
35. I usually vomit when I take vitamins.
36. I have a very messy bedroom.
37. I love it when people play with my hair.
38. I think I have more friends than most people.
39. I really really really like having lots of friends!
40. I sometimes wonder why people want to be my friend.
41. I hate the flavor of mint, but am growing to kinda like peppermint.
42. I like to have several flavors of chewing gum in my purse at all times.
43. I make math equations with the numbers on licence plates.
44. I like to speed...a lot!
45. I pee many many times throughout the day.
46. I am a diabetic.
47. I think my dentist has beautiful eyes.
48. My first kiss was while dancing to a Chicago song, "Hard Habit to Break"
49. I check my email and facebook ALL the time!
50. My favorite drink at our campus coffee shop is the strawberry & pineapple smoothie
51. My sister showed me a Playgirl magazine when I was in 9th grade...it scared me to death!
52. It really annoys me when other people hum or sing to themselves.
53. I love it when people write comments on my blog posts.
54. I would love to own a cake shop someday.
55. I hate to buy used clothes, but I sometimes do so because it makes sense financially.
56. I enjoy putting together jigsaw puzzles.
57. I love my mom more than anyone else - even though she drives me crazy playing the guilt trip on me all the time!
58. Thursday is my favorite day of the week.
58. I rather die young than grow old alone.
60. I wish I knew how to decorate my apartment and make it look trendy.
61. I wish I had a nice singing voice.
62. I sometimes litter.
63. I sometimes wish my life was different.
64. I like sunny days, but not warm weather.
65. I hate bugs - esp earwigs.
66. I can't decide if my favorite color is blue or purple or pink.
67. I think goatees are sexy.
68. I love going out to eat!
69. I don't know if I'd be strong enough to fight cancer if I ever got it.
70. Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit over and over again.
71. I had a heavy duty crush on a guy in college who is now gay.
72. I would go back to college and relive those days in a heart beat!
73. I don't have a favorite flower....maybe ones from a guy?!
74. I want to fly first class someday.
75. I don't think I'll ever have kids of my own...that makes me sad.
76. I think my nieces and nephews are amazing!
77. I have lots of male friends, but get very shy with a guy when I am interested in him.
78. I love getting magazines in the mail.
79. I like sour apple flavored candy.
80. I'd like to learn how to arrange flowers.
81. I loved the Ramona books when I was a girl.
82. I don't like Monty Python movies!
83. I eat lots of ketchup with my french fries.
84. I always do a "ring check" when I meet a man.
85. I cry at least once a week.
86. I would like to write a cookbook someday.
87. I think my toes are ugly.
88. I admire the women in my home group a great deal.
89. I don't think anyone really understands me most of the time.
90. I love to laugh and do so as much as possible!
91. I really like chick flicks, but can't decide which one is my favorite.
92. I like to walk outside when it's chilly/cold.
93. I don't like washing dishes, taking out the trash or pumping my gas.
94. I like taking photos of people I care about.
95. I love going to movies at the theater!
96. I like trying new restaurants.
97. I am a positive person.
98. I have ugly, but very comfortable house slippers.
99. I could waste days on end reading fiction.
100. I want to fall in love and get married and live happily ever after.

OK, I guess I'm not as interesting as I thought I might be. I'll stop at 100.

RA fun for February

We had a hard time finding a date to get together for a fun activity in February. "Spring" break is next week, so we had one week less than normal to plan with and with Ash's recital, basketball being in full swing, and mid terms it's just been crazy! So, we got up early on Sunday morning and went out for breakfast together. We went to a local place called the Lux Cafe. It was just a relaxed time of connecting with one another.

Julie & Josh

Jenna & Kelly

Bryce & Jon

me & Ashley

Recipe #3

I made another recipe from the cookbook....

Smoked Paprika Pork Chops with Bell Pepper and Corn Relish


1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tsp minced ginger
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 (15.5 oz) can no salt added whole kernel corn, drained
1 tsp cider vinegar
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
1 1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
4 (4 oz) center-cut boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
Cooking Spray

-Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger, and saute 2 minutes r until tender. Add bell pepper and next 3 ingredients, and cook 3 minutes or until bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon relish into a bowl. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.

-Combine remaining 1/2 tsp salt, remaining 1/78 tsp black pepper, and paprika, sprinkle evenly over pork. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with relish

I made the pork chops for myself as a Valentine's Day dinner. I added some mashed red potatoes with garlic and a slab of french bread to the chops to make it a full meal. It wasn't the most "romantic" way to spend the evening, but at least I felt well taken care of...by myself! :) I really liked the recipe and will likely add it to my regular repertoire of recipes! I'd give it an 8 or 8.5.

Senior Night

Saturday was the last home game for the men's basketball team. It was also Senior night. It was a special day, as one of my favorite students is a senior basketball player this year. Bryce Bow has been one of my RAs this year. I've considered it an honor and a privilege to work with this amazing young man. He is smart, fun, and has a deep deep faith - especially for someone so young.

Bryce with his mom and dad.

I often look at myself and wonder how God brought me to this place. Seriously, how does a short overweight middle aged woman get the opportunity to mentor and impact the life of such a fine athlete?! It's just God...no other way to explain the close relationship that I have developed with this young man.

Bryce taking his opportunity to share with the fans.

Ashley's sophomore recital

The students in our music department are required to do a recital their sophomore year. Ashley, one of my RAs, had hers on Friday. I went and was not disappointed! She did an amazing job! She sang a nice variety of music - sacred and secular, upbeat and mellow, serious and light hearted. And she did it all while sounding amazing!

Ashley singing in the recital.

Ashley & me after the recital

I had a little "proud mama" moment during the recital. I looked around me and all but one of my RAs had made it a point to come support Ashley at her recital. I work hard at building a cohesive and connected team each year - it seems as though overall this year's team has embraced what I've been trying to accomplish. It is part of what will make saying good-bye to this year's team so very difficult in a few months!

Thursday = break

On Thursdays my department takes "break" together. We close the office for 30 minutes and get together to visit and eat some treats. This week was my week to bring break food. We had chocolate croissants (which are really just crescent roll dough with Cadbury milk chocolate squares inside.) apples & cinnamon caramel dip and conversation hearts. It was easy and yummy...a great combination in my opinion!

K/M is hard core about pancakes!

Josh was going around rubbing pancake batter on all of our cheeks during the pancake night. We thought it looked like eye black that athletes wear to reduce the glare on the field, so we took photos of ourselves looking all "hard."

Kelly

Ashley

Julie

Jon

Bryce

Me

Josh

Jenna

Connector Night Life - February

My staff was in charge of Connector Night Life again this month. We decided that it was time to do our annual late night pancake & sausage breakfast. We also wanted to add some other fun activities, so we asked some of the students that are applying for RA next year to join us and supervise the other stations so that we could have all hands on deck for pancake making. The potential new RAs helped man the Valentine's Day card making, the jewelry making, and the video games on the big screen. They did a nice job and we so appreciated being ale to just work on the food portion of the evening!

Here are some photos of the pancake making fun...

Josh gives pancakes a big "thumbs up!"

Kelly & Jenna pose with their spatulas.

Bryce can't get over ALL the sausage we make!

Jon gets some love from Julie and Ashley! :)

Jon & Julie are really enjoying making pancake batter!

Haly and David's first wedding

One of my nearest and dearest students at the college got married on Saturday the 7th. She and her fiance (now husband!!!) are getting married in July...but due to a complicated set of circumstances they got married legally this weekend, but will officially get married at the "real" wedding in July. No, they are NOT pregnant or anything like that! In fact, they are going to continue living separately and not live as a married couple until the wedding in July.

Amy (bridesmaid), Haly, David, and Grant (groomsman)

They got married at the College Cabin. It was a very small wedding...her parents, his parents, an aunt & uncle, two of their attendants and me. Haly really wanted me to be there, so they had me cater the meal afterwards so that I had an "official" capacity there, since many others would have liked to have been there, but they really wanted to keep it small.

her parents, Haly, David, and his parents

me with the bride & groom

Last bit from my trip

Just wanted to post some photos of the yummy treats we made to eat while we watched the Super Bowl when I was in NC a few weeks ago.

Clockwise from the left: chips & salsa, Magic Puffs, 3-Cheese Veggie Pizza, Broiled Shrimp and homemade cocktail sauce, and in the center is Beer Batter Bread and Spinach Herb dip.

Dawn made the Beer Batter Bread and Spinach Herb Dip.
Dawn's mom (Diane) made the broiled shrimp and homemade cocktail sauce
I made the 3-Cheese Veggie pizza (that I blogged about earlier) & Magic Puffs

Magic Puffs...sweet cinnamony goodness!

Mind you that all these snacks were for 4 people! We didn't eat all the food, but we sure made a good dent in it! :)

Sonic - good

I mentioned in my earlier post that we didn't go out an do much while I was in NC. I do have to say that Rick and Dawn made sure that I got my Sonic fix each day that I was there! You probably don't know, but I have a MAJOR addiction to Sonic's Cherry Limeades! I absolutely LOVE them! We haven't (until the past couple of months) had a Sonic anywhere near Goshen, so whenever I travel I make sure to get a Cherry Limeade if there is a Sonic anywhere nearby.

Doesn't that look refreshing and delicious?!

This fall (maybe Christmas time) a Sonic opened in Mishawaka (about 45 minutes from here) so I do get my Cherry Limeades more often that I used to, but they still aren't as easy to get a a McDonald's Diet Coke - another one of my favorite beverage options! :)

Recipe #2

While I was in NC I made another recipe from my cookbook that I am working my way through!

Three-Cheese Veggie Pizza

2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8oz) pkg pre-sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
1 (1 lb) Italian cheese flavored pizza crust (such as Boboli)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup sliced bottled roasted red bell peppers
1 Tbsp capers
4 drained canned artichoke hearts, thinly sliced

-Preheat oven to 500.
-Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, mushrooms, and black pepper; saute 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and most of the liquid evaporates.
-Spread sauce over pizza crust, leaving 1/2 inch border, top with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella, Fontina, and Parmesan cheeses. Top with roasted red bell peppers, capers, and artichokes. Bake at 500 for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

A photo of my Three Cheese Veggie Pizza

I made a couple substitutions because the only Fontina cheese we could find was $9.00 for a small block! Sorry, I'm sure it was worth it, but we couldn't quite justify that expense given the current economy. Instead we found a shredded mix of Parmesan, Fontina, and Romano. We also used a whole wheat store brand crust not the special cheesy Boboli one.

I thought the pizza was good, but it didn't wow me. I might go back to the recipe if one of my vegetarian friends was coming over and wanted pizza, but I have other recipes that I think are better for pizza. I did really like combination of the roasted bell peppers, artichokes and mushrooms though!

My score....6

A relaxing weekend

My trip to North Carolina was wonderful! Most of the time when I go on vacation I only count it "worthwhile" if I have had the opportunity to go and see new things, eat out at restaurants, and see at least one tourist attraction. This trip was totally not like that! I arrived on Friday evening. We had a delicious home cooked meal and spent the evening chatting and watching tv. Saturday our excursion was to the grocery store - other than that I was either cooking or holding baby Caroline. Sunday we went to church and I ran to Wal Mart with her husband Rick, and again did some cooking and held baby Caroline. It was wonderful! I had a busy January with some intense stuff at work, so it was fabulously relaxing to just hang out. I seriously didn't miss the going and doing part of my usual vacations.

Here are some photos from my stay...

Precious Caroline

Dawn's mom - Diane Rodman

Me, Dawn, and Caroline

Sleeping baby

Caroline and Auntie Susie

Let's fly away....

One of my favorite things to do is fly!

I don't mind waiting in line...when it is to board a plane. I get a rush when I'm pressed back up against my seat during take off. I think the pop tastes better at 30,000 feet in the air. I especially enjoy the sight of clouds from a different vantage point. I am awed by the different perspective of mountain ranges and bodies of water from the sky. Looking at the rows of houses near the landing strips as the plane comes down from the air is cool too. And I like the sound of the air rushing over the wing brakes when you've landed and the plane comes to a stop.

Flying is so cool.

I got to fly the weekend of Jan 30 - Feb 2. I went to North Carolina to visit my friend Dawn and her new baby Caroline (and her mom and her husband.) I had shared with Patty (my friend from church/home group) that I was going to go. She has a niece that lives in NC, so she decided to fly there with me and back. We spent the weekend in different parts of the state, but traveled together. It was really a great way to travel! I had a fantastic flying companion - we talked, played cards, talked, ate meals together, talked, and had a great time! Then I was able to go have a great time with Dawn and on the way home I could give Patty a play by play of my weekend fun (and she did the same) while we traveled home. Here are a couple photos from our stop in Detroit on the way to NC! :)

Patty & me being pretty.

Patty & me being pretty "special"