Lunch Experiment: FlatOut Pizza

I decided to try something new at lunch today, so I thought I would make it a blog post. Heh. It was kind of fun. Disclaimer. I am not a great cook. I fail more than I succeed. I'm also not a great photographer. This was strictly for my entertainment. :)


I've seen a number of people mention FlatOut breads when they are talking about low points recipes. My Kroger only had one kind (the sun-dried tomato variety), so that is what I got. Imagine pita that has been stretched out.

First things first, the ingredients.


hmmmm, something is missing here . . . oh yeah, the cheese! For someone who is known as the cheese-eater, you wouldn't have expected me to miss the cheese. By the time I remembered, I had already started cutting up the ingredients. Too late for a re-take.

Step 1. Bake a single piece of FlatOut bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 7 minutes.


Step 2. While baking, chop up the toppings.


There's the cheese. :) I used 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/4 of a red onion, and 1 roma tomato. I saved the rest of the toppings for tomorrow's lunch.


Step 3. After the bread has been cooked for 7 minutes, spread the spaghetti/pizza sauce over the bread as close to the edges as you can get. Sprinkle with cheese and then toppings.


Step 4. Return to 350 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes.


This is the finished product:

It doesn't really look that different from the pre-cooked version because there are so many toppings.


All in all, it was quite tasty. And only 7 points for the whole thing. Which is about what my Lean Cuisine meals usually end up being. But this was a lot tastier.


Now I just have to figure out some other things to use the FlatOut bread for . . . .

100+ Reading Challenge Completed

So I've finally finished the first reading challenge I ever signed up for. Unfortunately the page for the challenge is no longer functional. When I signed up I interpreted it as you have a year (from when you sign up) to read 100 books. They have recently changed it to a calendar year. Which is fine, I'll sign up soon for that one and try to finish 100 additional books by the end of 2009. But I really wanted to finish this challenge before I started calculating for another. I honestly didn't think it would be that difficult for me to finish because I love to read. However, I did struggle with it a little. I seem to read in spurts. I'll read a lot for a few weeks, and then really pull back if nothing sucks me in. So I had to really focus on finding interesting things to read. I did discover a few new genres and a few new authors that I really like. I don't feel like I'm stuck in a rut anymore with what I read. There are still a few books (usually series) that I will continue to re-read regularly, but it won't happen as much anymore. There are too many great books out there that I have yet to read. The books in RED are re-reads.

Without further ado, here are the 100 books that I have read since April 1, 2008. I'll leave up widget on the side with the full list for a little while before I take it down to make room for the next one.

1. Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith
2. Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
3. Educating Caroline by Meg Cabot
4. Monster by Frank Peretti
5. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy (audio)
6. Point Blank by Catherine Coutler
7. The Hollows by Nora Roberts
8. HP & the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
9. HP & the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
10. HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
11. HP & the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
12. HP & the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
13. HP & the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
14. HP & the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
15. Size 14 is not Fat either by Meg Cabot
16. Big Boned by Meg Cabot
17. The Woods by Harlan Coben
18. The Last Jihad, Joel Rosenbergl R
19. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
20. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
21. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
22. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
23. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
24. The Stork Reality by Malena Lott
25. Daring To Dream by Nora Roberts
26. Finding the Dream by Nora Roberts
27. Holding the Dream by Nora Roberts
28. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
29. Eleven on Top, Janet Evanovich
30. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
31. Twelve Sharp, Janet Evanovich
32. Midnight in Death, JD Robb
33. Naked in Death, JD Robb
34. Survivor in Death, JD Robb
35. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
36. Divided in Death, JD Robb
37. Glory in Death, JD Robb
38. Lean Mean Thirteen, Janet Evanovich
39. Good in Bed, Jennifer Weiner
40. Born in Death, JD Robb
41. Innocent in Death, JD Robb
42. Creation in Death, JD Robb
43. Strangers in Death, JD Robb
44. Morrigan's Cross, Nora Roberts
45. Dance of the Gods, Nora Roberts
46. Valley of Silence, Nora Roberts
47. Purity in Death, JD Robb
48. High Noon, Nora Roberts
49. Remember When, Nora Roberts & JD Robb
50. Devil's Own, Sandra Brown
51. The Little Lady Agency, Hester Browne
52. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
53. Calico Palace by Gwen Bristow
54. Scarlett, Alexander Ripley
55. The Husband, Dean Koontz
56. Queen of Babble, Meg Cabot
57. Tribute, Nora Roberts
58. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, Lilian Braun
59. Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich
60. Midnight, Dean Koontz
61. Queen of Babble in the Big City, Meg Cabot
62. Salvation in Death, JD Robb
63. Little Lady, Big Apple, Hester Brownea
64. Wicked
65. A is for Alibi, Sue Grafton
66. Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, Meg Cabot
67. The Pagan Stone, Nora Roberts
68. Candy Cane Murder, Joanne Fluke
69. The Danger of Candy Canes, Laura Levine
70. Candy Canes of Christmas Past, Leslie Meier
71. Divine Evil, Nora Roberts
72. Dark Tort, Diane Mott Davidson
73. Play Dirty, Sandra Brown
74. Birthright, Nora Roberts
75. A Murderous Yarn, Monica Ferris
76. Son of a Witch
77. Ritual in Death, JD Robb
78. Love Endures, Mary Blayney
79. Cold Case, Ruth Ryan Langan
80. Wayward Wizard, Mary Kay McComas
81. Trace, Patricia Cornwell
82. Blue Dahlia, Nora Roberts
83. Black Rose, Nora Roberts
84. Red Lily, Nora Roberts
85. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Joanne Fluke
86. Candy for Christmas, Joanne Fluke
87. World Without End, Ken Follett
88. The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, Hester Browne
89. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski
90. Celia Garth, Gwen Bristow
91. Into The Wilderness, Sara Donati
92. Promises in Death, JD Robb
93. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman
94. The Constant Princess, Phillipa Gregory
95. Cradle and All, James Patterson
96. Pop Goes the Weasel, James Patterson
97. Lost Souls, Lisa Jackson
98. Digital Fortress, Dan Brown
99. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells
100. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon

A Vow to Myself

I want to have a baby. I realized shortly after my miscarriage that I needed to lose more weight before we tried to get pregnant again. Even though I am relatively healthy, I am very overweight. Even though many overweight women have babies all the time, I realized for myself that I needed to give my body the best shot possible. I know I won't be at my "ideal" weight before we try again, but I need to weigh less than I do now. However, I have struggled a great deal in the last seven months to actually lose weight. I've not been able to stick with any thing for very long. I've tried to examine my reasons (excuses) and I just can't figure it out. Is it partly because if I think that if I lose the weight and we get pregnant again, I may miscarry and have to go through this again? Therefore if I don't lose the weight, we won't try and then I won't have to deal with another miscarriage. Maybe partly, but I don't think that is it completely. Is it because maybe I really don't want to have a baby deep down inside? I don't think that is it either. Is it because I don't think I can do it? Is it because I may be depressed and don't want to admit it? Is their just one reason? What reasons do people have for not losing weight? Trust me, I've tried them all on, and no one excuse fits perfectly.

So I started to think about all the promises and goals and lists I've made. Wondering where I was going wrong. What do I need to do differently. I came to the very blunt realization that I have all the tools, I know what works, and I need to stop getting in my own way. So I decided to make a vow. I thought about one of the other "vows" that I have made, and the symbol of that vow. My wedding ring is always with me. A symbol of the vow that I made to Chris. I realized that I don't even THINK about breaking that vow. So why do I break the promises that I make to myself? So I decided to make a vow to myself. And use the same kind of symbol. And just like my wedding vows, I'm doing it publicly (here). I think there is something in making a public vow that brings an extra sense of accountability. So maybe this is corny. I feel serious about it. I got a plain band at Wal-Mart. I said the vow out loud, and I'm putting it here for people to know.

I vow to do what it takes to get healthy. I will follow a healthy eating plan and a healthy fitness plan. No more putting it off. No more reasons to not try. No more excuses.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2009 COMPLETED

I have completed this challenge a few days earlier. I got kind of bogged down in the last book, but it finally came through. Doing this I discovered that I like historical fiction that is about an actual time period better than historical fiction about an acutal historical figure. In other words, I like the made up characters set in a real historical event/period.

Celia Garth (5 out 5 stars) is set during the American Revolution. One of my all time favorite books. I also found out that it was recently re-released, so I went ahead and bought it instead of waiting for it from the library.

Into the Wilderness (4 out of 5 stars) was quite good. It is set in 1792. It was a little slow to start, but once it started, it kept my attention without any problem. The begining felt a little stiff, but the kinks were worked out soon enough.

The Constant princess (2 out of 5 stars) was okay. I've enjoyed the authors other books about Henry VIII, but this one (about Katherine of Aragorn) just didn't hold my attention like the others. She used a different format (some in first person, some in third) and when it was going back and forth between the two, it didn't feel very smooth. Plus, since I had already read the other books (The Other Boelyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance) I already knew the general story.

when you least expect it

So I ran out to get the mail today in barefeet as Chris was pulling into the driveway. As I pulled it out of the mailbox, I saw a large catalog/magazine deal. As I looked at what it was, I felt a stab go right through my heart. It was a baby registry catalog from Target. I was very intentional about canceling all my web subscriptions that had to do with being pregnant (even though I was only signed up for a few weeks), so that this wouldn't happen. Apparently I forgot one. And besides that I would be almost 8 months pregnant right now. I would hope that I would have registered already.

Anyway, that got be to thinking about what my due date would have been, and what I'm going to do on that date. Part of me hopes that it will just go past without me thinking about it. But I'm not thinking that will be the case.

Promises in Death by J.D. Robb

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love all of the In Death books. They are all about a homicide cop, Eve Dallas, in NYC set in the future (2050+). The author has done a great job of creating this future world, with tons of little details that just make it came alive. JD Robb is a pseudonym (SP?) for Nora Roberts. So some of the scenes are quite steamy. And some of them are kind of graphic, because she is a homicide cop.

But there have been a lot of books in this series, and sometimes the storylines feel a little familar. The main plot in this story was solid. But the best part of this book was the character interactions. She brings in a lot of the secondary characters, and there are TONS of great little scenes. I swear, I wish they would make some of these into a movie. Not a made for tv deal, but a real feature movie. I truly had some laugh out loud moments. And it felt like the main character grew a lot personally in this book. If you have never read any of the In Death books, you probably won't get the same impression of this book. Because you have to know the background of each of the minor characters to reallly understand what is going on. You'll still like the book. But this book was definitely a payoff to all the longterm fans.


View all my reviews.

Green Smoothies

So awhile ago, I posted about green smoothies, and how much I loved them. Unfortunately, I have gotten out of the habit of making them. I enjoyed sleeping in way too much. However, I'm trying to add one healthy habit a week into my life, and this week it is breakfast. I just happened to have all the ingredients, so I decided to make them this morning.

I started with these ingredients:

Normally I would use a fresh banana, but I had a bunch of bananas that were about to go bad, so I cut them up and froze them, and I actually like the way the smoothie turned out with the frozen bananas. That is about 2 handfuls of baby spinach, 1 small glass of water, and 1 apple cored and sliced, and about 1 banana (peeled and cut into pieces).

First you put the spinach and water in the blender. I kind of stuff the spinach down in the bottom, because I have a cheap blender, and it doesn't always get all the stuff blended smoothly. I use the liquefy option. It just takes a few seconds. Then I add the apples (usually in 2 batches - again, cheap blender). Few more seconds on liquefy. Then I add the bananas. The banana adds a creaminess. You can also add ice or more water at this point. Chris tends to like them a little thinner, so I added some more water.

And then you get this:

Yes it is green, yes it looks a little bizarre. But I can tell you that I can't taste the spinach. The banana and the apple provide almost all of the flavor. And I don't know what exactly it is, but I have some much more energy during the day after I have one of these. Chris is even a believer (mostly - he still thinks it is a blog fad, but he agrees that they really work). There are tons of combinations out there. The other ones that I have tried are kale instead of spinach and rainbow chard instead of spinach. I've also added frozen berries instead of the apple. But then they are purple smoothies. :) The kale and rainbow chard combos had a different flavor (and texture), and I think I will have to work my way up to those over time. I think I need a better blender to try kale again. It didn't liquefy as well.

The place where I first learned about green smoothies was Happy Foody. She has some great ideas (and inspiration) and even a link to a video on how to make them. Just google Green Smoothie, and you will find a ton of resources. Particularly on peoples blogs. If you try one, let me know!

New Blogs

I found a few new blogs that I thought I would let you know about.

The first is Eightcrazy The Blog. I found it through Tip Junkie. Tip Junkie is one of my dailies that has all kind of great ideas from other people. They have everything from decorations, to organizing ideas, to food, and beyond. Anyway, they posted this link to a post on Eightcrazy about a fantastic craft idea. I won't say much more about it, because I plan on buying the stuff for this project tomorrow, and I'll blog about my success (failure).

The second is Our Best Bites. I haven't made it very far into this blog yet, but one of my weaknesses are food blogs. I want to make everything I see. So far, I've had some luck, and a few not so good choices. Anyway, I found this blog today (through Eightcrazy) and I started looking, and immediately knew I was sunk. I plan on trying a a few of their recipes soon.

Celia Garth

Celia Garth by Gwen Bristow

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my favorite books, by one of my favorite authors. It is set mostly in Charleston during the Revolutionary War. Gwen Bristow does an amazing job of portraying strong women as the main characters. There is a thread of romance in the story, but it isn't the primary focus of the story. I've learned (retained) more about history from reading some of Bristow's books than I have from my history classes. :)

My other favorites of hers are Jubillee Trail and Calico Palace.

View all my reviews.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

I just finished this book. I had picked it up on a whim at Joseph Beth. Part of my whole plan to expand the kind of reading that I did.

I think I'm to close to it to really identify what I thought about the book. At one point, I had to stop reading it for awhile because it was too depressing/hard-to-read/sad/emotional/somthing. But then I picked it back up yesterday, and couldn't put it down till I finished it.

The author is a wonderful story teller. And it is definitely worth reading. But it makes you think. Sometimes about stuff that you don't want to think about.

The Little Lady Agency and The Prince

The Little Lady Agency and the Prince by Hester Browne

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very fun book. I liked the first two books in this series a lot, and this one is a great addition.



This is a story about an English girl who sets up her own "Little Lady Agency" where she acts as "sort of a freelance advisor for single men who need a bit of help keeping everything running smoothly. You know, all the things girlfriends do for free" (but not that). In this one, she has to tackle a playboy prince who has to reform his act.



Anyways, a very good read. Fun and easy to read. Definitely has laugh-out-loud moments and I even teared up a time or two.


View all my reviews.

Paisano's Italian Ristorante

Chris and I decided to do our Valentine's Dinner early this year. The past few years, it has been a pain trying to go out to eat ON Valentine's Day. We don't usually celebrate too much, we just try to go to dinner.

Chris had class till 7 last night, so I just hung out in Lexington after work, and he met me at Coffee Times. We decided to go someplace close by, and I suggested Paisano's Italian Ristorante, because we had never been there, and it looked cute. It was delightful!!! If you have never been, it is one of the nicest Italian restaurants in Lexington. The prices were very reasonable, the food was delicious, and they had a ton of variety. We had 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 1 dessert and one beer for around $38. That is incredible!! And the dessert. AHHHHHH. We shared a tiramisu, and no joke, it was the best that we have ever had. It was just amazing. It wasn't just Chris and I who thought this either. We heard the couple at the table next to us say the exact same thing. The ambiance was very cozy, and the service was great. The rolls they served with the meal were very yummy. I had the Baked Cannelloni stuffed with chicken, spinach and cheese with Alfredo sauce. Very very tasty, and enough leftover for lunch today. Chris had the linguine with clams, and he seemed to enjoy it as well. If you don't have plans yet for Valentines Day, I definitely recommend trying out this place. You won't regret it!

They are located at:
2417 Nicholasville Rd # 3Lexington, KY 40503
(859) 277-5321

Movie Review: New In Town

Chris and I went to see New In Town last week. It is absolutely hilarious. We both loved it. One of the funniest movies we have seen in a long long time. It is set in Minnesota. Renee's character is an executive from Miami that comes to this butter plant in Minnesota to downsize the plant. I don't want to spoil any of the storyline, so that is all I'll give you about the storyline. It is a heartwarming movie, that is filled with hilarious situations.

I think part of the reason that Chris and I loved it so much is that we both really long for that fictional small town community. Those perfect little towns where there are community gatherings, beautiful downtowns, everyone knows everyone, etc. We have both lived in small towns, but haven't found one that works like that yet. Oddly enough, I have felt really pulled towards Wisconsin and Minnesota lately. I think we will have to plan a trip there to see if my day-dreams are just my imagination, or if it is really that great.

World Without End by Ken Follett

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book, and its companion (Pillars of the Earth), are two of the best books I have ever read. I love to read, but these books have completely captivated both my husband and I. We listened to both of these books on cd. They were both narrated by John Lee (who did a fanatsic job). They are incredibly long, but totally worth it. My husband and I are both sad that they are over.


View all my reviews.


****edited to add: There are a number of graphic scences in this book. There are a number of very uncomfortable scenes. There are sexual scenes, as well as very violent scenes. Definitely for adults. Wanted to make sure you all were aware of it if you decided to read this book.

Working From Home

For those of you that don't know, my employer recently decided to start a work-at-home pilot program for my team. They picked two of us to test it, and I was one of the lucky two! This has been in the works for well over 6 months, and I had been not-so-patiently waiting for it to start. The first few days were VERY stressfull, because when we had a problem, it was hard to determine if it was us, the computer, the connection, the secure line to work, the program, etc. As we have gotten to be more familiar with how it all goes together, it has been much smoother. We still have a few kinks, but they are being addressed. Hopefully it won't be long before the rest of our team is working from home as well!

Right now, I work from home 4 out 5 days. On the fifth day, I go into UK to work. It has actually been nice, because the one day that I'm at UK, I get to get out and about, and see people, and run any errands after work. Plus, we found out that our offices will be moving offsite, so when that happens, I won't have to worry about paying for parking anymore. My job is exactly the same. I'm tied to my computer via my headphones, and I troubleshoot over the phone all day. But now, I have a window and comfy clothes, and a relaxing envioronment. Positives all the way around! It has actually already been a benefit to UK as well. One day a few weeks ago, UK lost power for 5+ minutes, and the rest of my team weren't available to answer calls because they didn't have electricity, but since I wasn't there, I was able to keep answering calls from the rest of UK that didn't lose power. :) So far my stats are staying high, and I'm able to answer just as many calls now as I did before.

EW's New Classics Books Perpetual Challenge

So I'm joing my first perpetual challenge. Meaning no deadline. I've posted this list before, but I wanted something more official to remind me to read books on the list. :) Hence, the challenge.

The list of books, and which ones I've read can be found here. I've currently read 3% of the list (how sad). My personal goal is to have read 15% by the end of this year.

Book vs Movie Challenge 2009

I think this will be fun. It will be easier to do a comparison review than just a plain content review. The rules are:

Read a minimum of 6 books that have been made into movies and then watch the movie. Write a review of the movie and be honest about whether or not you think the film-maker was successful in translating the book to film. You must both read the book and watch the movie within 2009.

Right now I'm going to read/watch the following:

1. The Time Travelers Wife, Audrey Niffeneggar

2. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis

3. Prince Caspian, CS Lewis

4. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer

5. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

6. Nights in Rodanthe, Nicholas Sparks

Outlander Challenge 2009

Found this one when I was browsing sites to find books for the Chunkster Challenge. I forgot that the next book in this series is coming out in the fall!!

I've read this series three times through. I think for this challenge, I'm going to try to listen to it on audiobooks. I've been enjoying listening to audiobooks a lot lately, and I've heard that Davina Porter is a really good narrator of these books.

The deadline is just going to be prior to the release of An Echo in the Bone.

2009 Chick Lit Challenge

Yes, before you say anything, I think I am going a little challenge crazy. But its all good. Hopefully next year there will be a baby so I won't have as much time to read! Got to get it all in this year.

Challenge runs from Jan 1 - Dec 31. You have to read at least 10 chicklit books. The books can overlap with other challengs (yea) and you can change the list at any time.

I'm going to spend some time looking at other people's lists and then I'll do another post with my list. When I have a list, I'll add a widget on the sidebar with my list and status.

*** edited to add my books

1. Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah

2. The New Yorkers, Cathleen Schine

3. The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, Hester Browne

4. Certain Girls, Jennifer Weiner

5. Bridget Jones' Diary, Helen Fielding

6. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman

7. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells

8. Barefoot, Elin Hilderbrand

9. Wish Club, Kim Strickland

10. Can You Keep A Secret, Sophie Kinsella

Romance Reading Challenge 2009

Going to join the Romance Reading Challenge. I seem to like to do smaller themed challenges that fit in nicely with the huge volume challenges. That way I get some variety.

This one should be pretty easy. Read (and review!) 5 novels between Jan 1st and Dec 31st 2009. It is okay to change the choices. For right now my choices are:

1. Bridget Jones' Diary, Helen Fielding

2. The Reluctant Widow, Georgette Heyer

3. On a Highland Shore, Kathleen Givens

4. The Awakening, Kate Chopin

5. The Princess Bride, William Goldman

I haven't read any of these before, and they all come from reccomendations from other bloggers and/or bestseller lists.