Post #1 Published!!!!& Post #2 Tough Mudder!!!...all in one week!!!

It's an exciting week!  Got published in Taste of Home magazine and everywhere I go I keep seeing it in stores!!!   My holiday tags are on several pages in the magazine.  The editor contacted me a few months back to let me know but since I had never heard of the magazine I just assumed it was a small thing.  I figured I'd have to special order it and be like the 3rd reader :)  I think I scared a few people at the Costco when I saw the mag and got way too excited.

There it is enticing me at the checkout counter at Shop Rite!

My Tags On some yummy looking bread!

Santa's baked goods looking Scrum-dilly-umptious!

Thank you Taste of Home Magazine for the directions  to my online store!

#9 Who's the perfect dog? Princess Daisy!

This is the perfect breed of dog for a busy family.  Pembroke Welsh Corgi
1. Easy peasy to train.
2. Loves to dress up!
3. Legs are so short she cant go upstairs or jump on furniture.
4. Smart enough to listen, not smart enough to steal your PB&J (or maybe she's just that gentle).
5. Loves to sleep, and doesn't overdo things such as walks or ball throwing.  She pretty much is happy to do anything for 30 mins....

We love her!

Perfect day for cooking and crafting on the east coast!

I grew cheese pumpkins in my garden... I'm not sure how it happened but my kids love all things pumpkin. Today was yucky weather and perfect for baking in our jammies! Here's my recipe: 1 3/4 to 2 c fresh pumpkin blended in blendtek, add to blender 2 eggs, can condensed sweetened milk, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1tsp salt, 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp fresh ginger, 2 tbsp orange juice, & orange zest. Pulse just til mixed and pour in your pie shell of choice. Bake in preheated 350• oven for 1hr. Fresh whipped cream makes this! Feel free to add some gran marnier to the whipping cream for the adult version or tbsp of oj for the kid friendly! Yum! Shae said this was a great day. I love that:)

Question #7 Running...cost/benefit analysis?

Since this is my third fiscal running year, I struck me when my husband said I spent enough on races this year (I tried to add a last minute half...they were giving medals to all finishers....I'm a sucker for a medal).  So when I sat down and thought about it I certainly did spend quite a lot of money on races this year...not to mention all the cool swag they have at the conventions. 
When I entered into this running journey I had no idea that it would be costly.  I thought that running had a lovely simplicity...all I needed was a pair of sneakers and I was out the door!  Some novice I turned out to be.  Turns out you need 4 pairs of sneakers, nice ones...and they need to be replaced fairly often.  Not to mention a GPS running watch, special socks, shorts, winter, summer, belts, packs, fuels, bands, engineered fluids, anti chaffing magic, several boxes of band-aids, chiropractors, a load of Aleve and also some of the good shit(prescription NSAIDs baby), several apps, a gym membership to help with too much running...I know I've left out a good many things too.
So then its race time!  Right now my mania builds from like Volkswagen Bus into a Ferrari.  Season starts out with the confidence booster 5ks and 5 milers...builds to halfs and mud runs... 18 miler end of Sept. and the long races in Nov.  Race fees and hotels oh my! 

I have spent a good deal...but I'd have to say it's money well spent.  All those races are future goals.  Goals that are accomplished, fairly often but not without their pain.  Missing one would be poison to the others. Some are for training, all are for PR, and every one I've managed to finish has been a personal victory!

Well what it comes down to is that without the races there isn't that amazing sense of accomplishment.  I could just run around my neighborhood with some old sneakers I guess, but living is in the details. I guess details are gonna cost ya.

 Its also a great way to include my kids. Its like a mommy scavenger hunt :)

Question #5 What does one make for dinner on the fly...I don't have time to think,prepare or cook!

All day as I went stumbling from one errand to the next it was in the back of my head that I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner. My husband asked me around noon and then again at 4:30pm. Both times my answer was "I don't know. I haven't had time to think about it." to which he replied..."ughhh". Together we grabbed what was in the fridge and it was delicious. I love when that happens! I'm curious ...quick and delicious dinners?

That is potstickers with a peanut sauce with veggies from the wok.

Question #4 What can I do with all this tulle? +Bonus question!!!!

Fushia, Lavendar, Teal Tulle Oh My
You want the long story or the short?  How about a short version of the long.

Fabulous husband buys sewing machine for wife who doesn't know how to sew. 
Wife in an attempt to use sewing machine sews on paper.  Yes paper...I am a papercrafter not a seamstress!!!
Had wonderful idea based on a ballerina stamp...sew on a tulle skirt and sell on etsy.  The money rolls in...it didn't really but just saying it makes me feel like it might.  The tulle color requests pile up.  Problem is I only need about 8 inches of tulle which comes on a super large spool. 
Mission accomplished...thats the long and short of it!

Now I am heading to the internet to find out what I can do with tulle.
I've come up with a few things.... (I have no baby by the way, not sure why I thought this up I didn't see it on internet)

(Oh and I don't know anyone having a baby)

I haven't even made a dent on the pale green...which apparently can only be used to make baby paper things. 

You can purchase these lovely tulle items at my etsy store.  Maybe you have a baby or know someone who does.

www.serendipitycrafting.etsy.com

Time for a bonus question!!!!!!! I have a curious mind... so today I thought more than one thing. 

I find it a little annoying when words aren't used properly.  It's not something I really understand about myself as I make up shit all the time...I do.  So I was curious about the two words

Enquire VS Inquire

"These are two spellings of the same word, which means to seek information about something or to conduct a formal investigation (usually when followed by “into”). The corresponding noun is enquiry or inquiry.
Either spelling can be used, but many people prefer enquire and enquiry for the general sense of “ask”, and inquire and inquiry for a formal investigation:

• I enquired his name
• The first enquiry in my inbox today was about lost property.
• We are going to inquire into the incident.
• The lawyers asked when the inquiry will be completed.

In practice, enquire and enquiry are more common in British English, and inquire and inquiry are more common in US English, for both informal questions and formal investigations. However, the Guardian (a British newspaper) tells writers to “use inquiry” and the Oxford English Dictionary seems to recognise inquire as the more dominant form, deeming enquiry:

”An alternative form of INQUIRE. The mod. Dicts. give inquire as the standard form, but enquire is still very frequently used, esp. in the sense ‘to ask a question’.”

So, it’s up to you which spelling you use, though if you’re writing for a particular publication, it’s worth asking about their house style. Sticking with inquire is probably best if you’re at all unsure, and whichever you pick, be consistent!"


(from dailywritingtips.com).
....thanks you've been no help!!!

Question #3 How does a person who doesn't eat red meat, chicken or pork increase protein for marathon training?

It has come to my attention that my diet may be in need of an overhaul to keep up with all this running.  I'm one of those "kitchen sink" runners...ie I'm incredibly needy and need constant distraction in order to justify the craziness of training to run for 4 hours straight.  So I should mention that since I've increased my exercise so has my weight...wha.wha.what says I?  What am I doing wrong...and my husband can quit it with the "muscle weighs more than fat" lecture.  I haven't lost one pound to running...I'm burning a ton of calories...I don't order a pizza at the 6 mile mark...I don't even like cheesecake.  But I do eat all day long.  I'm always hungry.  So I did some internet digging...all those professors who claim there is a bunch off useless info on this highway..I say boo to you...tons of good stuff, throwing out all stupid textbooks as we speak.  Anywho, perhaps I need to look to my diet said I, to solve this mystery.  So I am looking around and I find out that there is this thing called protein...very important.  Well being vegetarian almost (I do eat fish and eggs.), technically I guess you'd say I'm ovo-lacto-pescatarian...I tend not to get a ton of preotein.  Twin...this is what you need to do...

Increase the amounts of  these low cal high protein somewhat vegetarian items...
1. Cottage Cheese 15mg of protein...104 cal per serving
2. Egg Whites  1 c has 26mg protein and only 117 cal
3. Edamame (luckily they have those single serving packs in the freezer aisle) 12mg 120 cal 3.75oz
4. Chickpeas,refried, kidney beans,lentils 8mg protein 100 cal 1/2 c average
5. Tunafish,monkfish,roughy,pout, cuttlefish,clams, crayfish...3 oz 100 cal 22mg protein
6.Skim Milk
7. greek yoghurt
8.quinoa is a good high fiber carb

Any other suggestions????