Chatbug Karen

Last night, while visiting in St. Louis, we visited an interesting restaurant. The Jazz Bistro is noted for the jazz musicians who perform every weekend. We weren’t there long enough to enjoy the music but it looked like it was going to be a lot of fun. The Bistro hosts nationally recognized musicians from September to June.

I don’t know if the hostess was new or not but she was a bubble brain! When she directed us to our table, she told us to wait as she folded the sides of the table down. Folding the sides made a large round table into a small square table that was more fitting for us. She didn’t move any of the plates and when she put the sides down, each table setting fell to the floor! It was comical.

The antics of the hostess didn’t act as an appetite suppressant for us at all. We ate a wonderfully prepared meal. I had chicken madeira and my husband had New York strip steak. The flavor of both entrees was amazing.

If you are ever in St. Louis, I recommend the Jazz Bistro. The Bistro at Grand Center is located just East of the Fox Theater overlooking beautiful Strauss Park, perfect for dining prior to a show at the Fox.

The Fabulous Fox Theater looked like a place to check out in the future. Last night, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy was being performed. Cirque Dream are enhanced with over 150 spectacular costumes and set in a fantastical jungle ignited by striking visual effects. It was fun to see everyone dressed up, eating their dinner, and preparing to go to the theater. Fun!

It is time, once again, for Four Foods on Friday! Here are the questions for this week.

#1. What’s your favorite cereal?
I really like oatmeal with raisins in it. I like to add brown sugar but don’t because I am counting calories.

#2. What do you use to flip food on the stove?
I use a plastic spatula or what some call a fry turner. Oh heck, one of these…

#3. What’s your favorite type of donut? I love Krispie Creams custard filled with chocolate icing. (How much you want to bet that my sister answers this one with the same donut. LOL).

#4. Share a rice recipe.
Fried Rice
Fry chicken strips in oil until cooked through.
About 10 minutes into the frying time, add onions, red and green peppers

Add 3-4 eggs and cook until scrambled. Pour in 4 cups of cooked rice. Stir.

Feel free to join in on this fun and easy meme!

The one good thing about the economy here in the US is that it is forcing people to make changes. These changes can be good! For instance, many people who were stuck in a job they hated are now forced to look for other means of employment. This can be a good thing. They can take the experience they have gained through their old job, combine it with new education and go for a high paying, challenging job.

The project management curriculum at St. Joseph University prepares those wishing employment as a project manager in many fields. Learning the skills needed to manage and complete a project, as well as guide others towards the completion of a project will lead you to a fulfilling and rewarding career.

When I think of project managers, I think of the people we have dealt with in our industry. We sell floor covering and rely on construction project managers to guide us through a profitable project. St. Joseph University online Project Management certificates qualify students in many management fields. A study in the field of project management will prepare you for working as an engineering manager or construction manager. The curriculum also prepares those who seek employment in the fields of management analysis, computer and information and systems managers.

Now is the perfect time to qualify yourself for the job of which you have always dreamed. Let St. Joseph University help you reach that goal.

Sad news for the guys but good news for bunnies.

Every February, my dh goes to our church to fry up rabbit for the men’s annual rabbit dinner. The guys have a great time goofing off and cooking. They rarely get together just for fun and so they catch up on fishing tales and the latest news. The menu is always the same, fried rabbit, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits and brownies. The ladies have a dinner at a different location and then we join the guys in the sanctuary for entertainment. The entertainment varies. Last year it was Dueling pianos.

This past year, the guys made their own brownies where in the past I made them. Last year I made 250 3″ brownies for the rabbit dinner. Our church bought the old fire station in our town and did a huge renovation to it. It has a state of the art kitchen. I made the brownies in that kitchen. It went so fast because they have a huge kitchen-aid mixer. The baking sheets are twice the size of mine and the oven bakes 10 trays at a time! I baked 5 trays of brownies at one time!

When my husband finished cooking for the dinner this year, he came home and plopped down onto the couch. He was so tired. He and two other men did the majority of the work for the dinner this year. They have decided that they are getting too old to spend a day cooking. This was the last year for the rabbit supper.

I am in the mood to start another quilt project. I have made several purses the past week and am ready for something different.

The last big quilt I made is on my bed! I catch myself peeking at it to make sure that I really did finish such a big project. After painting the walls, washing the curtains and putting back our sleep number bed, the room is complete. It is comfy.

Lynn wants to put a television in our bedroom but I don’t want one in there. I have heard that if you work on your computer, watch television or work on other tasks, it is harder for your brain to relax in that particular room. I don’t want to have any problems falling asleep.

We were not able to install a customer’s flooring this week and so the guys did a lot around the store and shop. They have been doing yard work today. It feels good to get things ready for spring.

The installers, including my husband, put down new laminate flooring in the showroom and it is beautiful. It is easy to sell our laminate product because the customer can see how it looks.

We have another product that is unique. It is what they call a floating locking floor system. It is not glued down to the sub floor. It is connected by laying one overedge of a plank on the underedge of the adjacent plank and press together. This is a very unique interlocking-edge design making installation so simple. Konecto Prestige Collection has a 12 mil (0.3mm) wear layer. This wear layer is an aluminum oxide finish. That is a tough floor! The planks are so realistic. I wish we had a spot to display it on the floor. I know we would sell more of it if they could see how pretty it is. Seeing is believing in our business.

I have an issue with our school system that bugs me. They are pulling programs that are beneficial to our kids and at the same time are spending more money to enhance sports programs. Why is so much attention placed on sports programs in our schools? Do they think our schools will produce a star athlete?

I am not against school sports. I know that so many of our kids are obese and need activity. Sports teach our kids how to follow rules and to work as a team. They learn a lot from sports. It is when other programs are cut, too easily in my opinion, to afford bigger and better stadiums and weight rooms, that I take issue.

The programs that are being cut are what our school calls consumer classes. These are the classes that teach our kids how to balance a check book and why credit cards should be handled with care. Our kids learn the basic homemaking skills like how to cook and how to plan a grocery budget. After reading our local paper, I was surprised to learn all the things that are taught in the consumer classes. It is sad to see them cut from our schools.

Thank goodness we have the Internet. We can get information from websites to inform our youth, if we take the initiative. There is an excellent website that deals with women’s health. It is called Women’s Health Base. It is full of information that covers things like smoking and lung cancer. Other articles include new discoveries concerning breast cancer and heart disease.

The website also has interesting articles concerning beauty, diet & fitness and relationships. Although the website is geared towards women’s health, this website is very informative for those of you looking for information to share with your children not matter their gender. Young adults may find answers to questions dealing with skin problems and healthy dating practices.

We need to pick up the pace on educating our kids, especially if they aren’t being taught these things in school. It all boils down to our responsibility as parents.

Brody got a haircut and a new bandanna to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. He feels so much better since he got rid of that heavy fur coat. He was laying over the air conditioning vent hoping to get some relief. Too bad we don’t run the air conditioner when the temperature outdoors is only 30 degrees. Silly dog!

From me and my puppies, HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY.

I was looking at all the wonderful recipes Val has posted for Easter and discovered it is time for Four Foods On Friday. Yay, the weekend is almost here and I get to sew!

#1. Olive oil. What kind do you prefer to use?
I am so confused about which olive oil to buy. Hopefully, someone will tell me what kind I need to buy.

#2. Meatballs. Do you make them from scratch, buy premade cooked or buy premade frozen?
I buy them premade from Sams Club. I only think of them for holiday pitch-ins for some reason.

#3. Do you use napkins at home? Paper or cloth?
We use paper napkins. If I have Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at my house, I will use cloth napkins. I have some that look winter like.

#4. Share a recipe for a white sauce.

I make a white sauce to pour over salmon patties. I melt 1/4 cup of butter or margarine. Add a bit of flour and stir over medium/low heat until it begins to thicken. Slowly add 2 cups of milk. That is how I make white sauce for my pot pie too.

A little hunting could get you a lot of luck during St. Patrick’s Day week.

The Big Bag of Luck Giveaway
March 13-23rd, 2009

Spring is around the corner. Are you ready to put that old leather handbag away and carry something bright and cheerful? Check out the beautiful handmade bags made by the members of the Carried Away Team’s Etsy shops. By entering The Big Bag of Luck Giveaway you have a chance to win. Visit the participating Carried Away Team member’s Etsy shops, mine is Kreated by Karen. The grand prize is valued at over $100(US)! For full details and how to enter, please see our blog at: Carried Away: The Etsy Bag Makers Team.

This promotion is available to worldwide and many of the prizes include free shipping.