Thursday, June 5, 2008

Cheap Sun Dresses, a Recipe and a Giftaway Winner!

Okay, yes, I'm late again with lots of stuff to catch up on. First, let me announce and congratulate the winner of last month's Giftaway, Irma's Rose Cottage! Irma, please email your snail mail info to me so I can get your Giftaway package in the mail to you!

Secondly, the reason for my absence: It hasn't been all computer problems. In fact, I can only blame the computer for a day and a half - at a stretch, possibly two days. It was just a life thing that I won't bore you with. (You know it has to be absolutely boring for me not to blog, since I blog about everything.) However, I was having a problem with Windows after my CCG (Cute Computer Guy) rebuilt my (formerly) emachines computer. He tweaked a few things for me and upgraded a couple things. I haven't had any problems since I've gotten it back. Do me a favor and, anytime you get a computer error message send it to me. If this computer runs as smoothly as I think it will, I'll need new excuses to look at him. It's an eye candy thing, Girls. LOL.

Need a simple sun dress? Here's a frugal tip: Wally World (and probably all places selling fabric) has bolts of fabric suitable for a one-seam top or sun dress. One side has been gathered in a smocking style. The instructions will be at the end of the bolt, with the price (usually under $13/yard). Don't pay attention to the instructions. Instead, wrap the gathered end around your chest and judge the amount of fabric that you'll need. I followed the instructions and bought too much fabric; I could have saved about $4 (roughly a third of a yard) if I had known to do this at that time. If your hips are larger than your bust, disregard this tip unless you plan on making a top. If you are making a dress, you may find it to be a little tight around the hips. This fabric is looong, ladies! It hit the floor with me. I originally intended to keep it long, didn't even hem it because the selvedged edge was on the bottom and this is something I wasn't planning to wear away from my back deck. I've since decided to cut the bottom to mid-knee length and put in a hem.

One of my neighbors was scheduled to have a back surgery yesterday morning. I volunteered to take her to the hospital; she needed to be there at 5:30 A.M. I waited in the lobby with her until she was called into the prep area, then sat and talked with her daughter-in-law for a few minutes longer before returning home.

Later in the afternoon I found out that she had been prepped for the surgery, given the anesthesia and taken into surgery before it was discovered that there was a major miscommunication between her doctor's office and the hospital. The hospital didn't have everything that was necessary for her operation. The surgeon ended up shooting some cortisone into her back and sent her home. The hospital personnel apologized profusely for the error and gave her a $10 gift certificate to Target. Can you imagine? My poor neighbor is still in major pain and has no idea when the surgery will be rescheduled. Plus, it will cost a minimum of $10 in gas to get to the nearest Target.

Recipe time! This is simple - the most time-consuming part is pre-frying a few strips of bacon. No measuring, either - it involves pasta and only you know how much your family will consume!

You'll need: Even number of Boneless chicken (breast or thigh) pieces, bacon, garlic salt, small onion, shell pasta (or penne, or even wide noodles or do as I did and mix the remains of open packages together), 1 can cream of chicken soup

You'll want to pre-fry and drain a few strips of bacon to avoid excess grease.

On half of your chicken pieces: Sprinkle a little garlic salt, some chopped onion and grated cheddar cheese. Place an untreated chicken piece on top and wrap a slice of pre-fried (not crispy) bacon around it. Secure with a toothpick. Bake at 350 for a half hour OR pop the chicken on the grill until it's done.

Meanwhile, cook and drain the pasta and stir in the cream of chicken soup. Fold this and the cooked chicken pieces together and serve with a side veggie (I chose peas).

As for now, I'm off to tackle today's task list. Be sure to check back soon for my June Giftaway prize package!

As always, keep grinnin' -

Sher

4 comments:

Irma's Rose Cottage said...

Hi Sher! Yipee! Thanks for having such a lovely giftaway. I will be emailing you my address. So glad you came over to my porch party. Hope you visit again as I will be coming back to visit.

Thanks for sharing your recipe, looks very yummy. I will need to try this soon, love to try new recipes.

Irma :)

Anonymous said...

A 10 dollar gift certificate? For crying out loud, do they realize they could be sued for a big wad of money? LOL I don't get it, unless they're thinking that by her accepting that gift certificate they're off the hook. I hope they don't send her a bill now.

When Larry was misdiagnosed in the ER a couple of years ago or so, I was just livid. I paid everything except the doctor part of the bill. I paid that last and sent the check in with a scathing letter about shoddy treatment and increasing suffering, etc. You see, I know that ER sent someone home to die due to a faulty diagnosis, and we believe it was the same doctor.

I copied that letter I wrote to 3 other entities, like the CEO of the hospital, some medical watchdog agency in Kansas, and someone else, I forgot who.

Anyway, they sent me back the check. They kept all the other money, but sent me back the doctor part of the bill. They called me on the phone and told me they'd changed their policies in the ER due to our experience (pain control policy I imagine) and she apologized to us, and told us that she hopes we can trust them again someday.

Well, we probably could if they'd get rid of that incompetent, uh, idiot. (Idiot is mild compared to what I want to call him.)

Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now. I am sorry your friend went through that. That is just horrible and it is frightening, because even in light of knowing there are too frequent hospital errors, they continue to happen. Give your friend a hug for me. A gentle one, I know she's hurtin'.

Okay, I'm getting my other foot off the soapbox now.

Love, Janet

Anyway,

Unknown said...

You'll be getting your package in just a few days, Irma!

Janet, those were pretty much my thoughts, too. A $10 gift certificate is ridiculous. I'm sorry you and Larry had that experience, but I'm glad it made the hospital rethink their policies and responsibilities.

Love,
Sher

Crazy4Gingerbread said...

Love the chair..the colors are perfect together...I am over here from CC...

Have a great day
Smiles & Hugs