August 24, 2012

the list is long, but not complete


When I think back to all of the jobs I've had in my life....wow...goodness the list is long!  Really, though, I wouldn't trade the experiences for anything. 

16 different companies,  23 different  positions! 
Lord, that must really sound so bad!!
It actually makes me laugh though...because I know who I am..and it's not that way.
Take a look.

1) weight loss counselor/sales of weight loss programs
2) ice cream stand/ make various ice cream treats and hot foods
3) manager at same ice cream stand
4) pizza shop/ pizza maker
5) manager at same pizza shop
6) front desk hotel
7) lifeguard at same hotel
8) housekeeper at same hotel
9) Disney store/ greeter and helped customers spend their money
10) major department store/ cashier
11) service desk at same dept. store
12) pizza/pub restaurant at the airport/ cashier, hot foods, tend bar on occasion
P.S. I totally sucked at bar tending!!! I could barely mix a drink, didn't know the recipes for the drinks, but I totally mastered pouring a beer from tap into a glass....that was actually fun!!!! 

13) manager at a sub sandwich shop
14) receptionist/data entry at a collection agency
15) supervisor at the same collection agency
16) receptionist at a factory bakery that made biscotti
17) part time customer help at a craft store while working full time at bakery
18) the cook at an assisted living home for elderly people/ cooked lunch and dinner for 120 people
19) activities director at same assisted living home
20) short order cook at golf course
P.S. I totally sucked at being a short order cook! Like really bad. I could handle about 2, maybe 3 orders at at time...no problem, but when those tickets started lining up in front of my nose and I had stuff in the fryer, stuff on the grill and stuff on the flat top cooking.....OHHHH NO! Mamma could NOT handle it! Nope!! It's hilarious now that I look back at it! Do you know how many hot dogs I have burnt to a crisp! How many eggs I broke the yolk! How many fries I burnt, grilled cheese I burnt...flames higher than my freakin' head on the flat top!! customers at the bar seeing through the kitchen door, looking at the sudden burst of grease fire flames shooting up higher than my head and collectively saying "WOOOOOOHHHHHH!" Oh for real people, that was me...short order cook.....EPIC FAIL!! 

21) JoAnn Fabrics/ cashier, fabric counter
22) receptionist for an interior decorating company
23) Pier 1 Imports/ cashier

The long list makes me look flighty and un loyal. 
I know!! It totally looks that way! 
But really, it's not as bad as it looks!!
~~~~~~
Jobs 1 through 5, I was just a kid. Also, sometimes I had to quit a job because of particular circumstances....college courses, lack of hours on the schedule, needing higher paying job, moving out of state, moving again, having a baby, working part time after my first child turned 1, having another baby and back to being  home full time, then holding a part time job after my 2nd child was born so I could get out and earn some money and my husband could actually spend time with the kids while I worked...otherwise he would have been out working a 3rd job to provide (not always....just sometimes in the beginning, when things were tight) then,  moving out of state again, being a stay at home mom again, then deciding to go back to work.... then realizing I wanted to be a stay at home mom again, and was able to because the hubster was making big bucks... sooooo... stuff like that.   

Oh, by the way, I only got fired once! hahaha! No, it wasn't the short order cook job, it was the supervisor position at the collection agency. Trust me, it was a slap in the face! Like totally dumfounded! I have always been the "goodie- two shoes" at work, the one that followed all the rules, the one that got promoted....and ya, this was a whammy! I am telling you the truth though.... the owner of this company fired about 6 people during the 1 year that I worked for him...he was just one of those people...you'd show up to work, he'd call you in his office, and fired you. I always watched the people walk out with smiles on their face, but tears in their eyes, trying to act like it didn't bother them, but it did....and there I sat, at my desk, thinking I was one of the safe ones...well, I guess I wasn't! 

So, why did I want to share this with you guys? I don't know. I'm sorry, that is not an answer. So let me dig deep. It's not like I'm proud that I've had 950 thousand jobs in a course of 20 years...but in a way, I think it's kind of neat. I have learned to do soooo many different things in a variety of businesses that I would have never learned or experienced otherwise. The friendships with people I have worked with, from all walks of life, from different countries, varying personalities and backgrounds.... have been priceless. I have learned a lot and gained a lot from working with them.  

All of my work experience makes me who I am. 

True, I don't have a degree in anything....that does stink...cause I know I could have done much better had I a degree in something. I struggle with that so bad sometimes! Like really bad! So many times I have felt like nothing. So many times I have felt embarrassed that I didn't have a college degree. It has made me feel less than others at times. But now, really, I am over that. Like, really, really over that. I did go to college a couple of times and I actually did very well...but I didn't finish. :p  (making raspberries sounds with my lips)

But what can I say?
I am who I am.
I am me.
Bonnie.
I got married, I had kids, and I'm a mom.


That's who I am. 
I don't have an education, 
I don't have a fancy, good paying job, 
but....I do have an important job...
raising 2 boys that may become someone important one day.


Maybe they will invent something great or help a lot of people in some way. 
And I will be the mom that nurtured them.
And...if they don't invent anything or helping lots of people....
they will always be awesome and important to me.


So, 
I'm a mom, 
that's raising 2 boys, 
keeping house and home for my hubby and the kids too, 
and maybe some day 
I'll do something too. 
In fact, I really think I will. 
It's in there...
it's in me...
I know it is. 
I really do. 
I'm far from done.
Honestly, I've only just scratched the surface.



August 21, 2012

sailboat quilt, com.....plete!


Well...I've been going on and on about my sailboat quilt for some time now. 

I've been talking about it here on my blog...and on my facebook. 
Well....I have finally completed it! 
Finally! Yay!!  
I will talk no more about it....I will just show ya a couple of pics and then we can move on. hee hee!



Wait...I have one thing I have to say...pay no mind to the cut off points of my triangles!!! I totally messed up on this quilt! Years ago, when I started this quilt...I wasn't concerned about perfect points and all...if I was piecing this now-a-days....I would not be liking this and would rip out stitches and re-sew...anyhow, just sayin.







Curious about the fabrics? They were all purchased at JoAnn Fabrics about 6 years ago. I haven't purchased  any fabrics on  line yet....but  I am oh so ready to do so!! You just can't  get awesome quilting  fabric at stores  anymore. There IS still some out there....but, it  seems like the fabrics that make me drool are all available through the internet....these on line fabric shops totally rock! 

Have a great day!

August 20, 2012

Peach Butterscotch Pecan Pie...oh ya baby!


Oh baby! 
This is the mother of all peach pies!
I am really loving how it turned out!!
Sooooo delicious! 

So the basic ingredients....
beautiful juicy peaches!


freshly chopped pecans!


smooth and creamy butterscotch!!!
Major yum!


I tried something different with the top crust. 
This is the first time I tried this design....
and I like it!!
I always brush my top pie crusts with half n half cream 
and sprinkle generously with sugar.


Goodness....it's a thing of beauty.
And, it tastes fantastic!! My husband had 2 slices.
That is always a good sign!

****
PEACH  BUTTERSCOTCH  PECAN  PIE

4 cups sliced peaches {peeled and pitted}
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. lemon juice
pastry for 2 crust, 9 inch pie

Dump sliced peaches in pastry line pie pan. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of peaches. In a saucepan, mix brown sugar, flour, salt and butter. This will be your butterscotch filling. Heat until well incorporated and the consistency of thick syrup. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Pour this butterscotch mixture over top of the peaches and pecans. Top your pie with the second pastry. Make sure to cut slits to allow steam to escape. You can do the above design I chose by cutting slits into the dough before you put in atop your pie.
Brush your top pie crust with milk or half and half and sprinkle with sugar.
Cover edges of pie crust with foil to protect from burning. Remove foil 10 minutes before done.
 Bake in 425 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes. 
Bake pie on a cookie tray pan to prevent spillage in oven.

August 18, 2012

no smoke and mirrors here


Hello readers and friends! It is Saturday and it is so beautiful outside. Today I am planning on quilting, baking  pies and making tomato sauce. I have so much fresh fruit and tomatoes on my kitchen table right now...the fruit flies are having a lot of fun, I tell ya! This morning I changed my bio on my blog. An anonymous commenter noted that my pepperoni rolls are in complete contradiction with my profile description of myself.   My simple recipe  for pepperoni rolls is made with frozen bread dough, jarred pizza sauce, and shredded cheese from Wal Mart.....but....my bio stated that I believe in making everything from scratch. It's funny, because, for a very long time, my bio stated that I make meals from scratch, "but not everything", and I said "I'm not perfect ya know". Well, when I was updating my blog not long ago, I decided to re-word my bio a little bit and I dropped that part.  Well, I don't want to give anyone the false sense that I make my own cheese, or that I make my pasta from scratch or that I grind wheat berries to make my own flour. Although, I would totally love to do all of that because I find that stuff completely awesome!! So, I would like to say that
I DO NOT make everything from scratch....BUT...
there are many things I make from scratch.
I do have store bought pasta sauce in my pantry...BUT...
I do make homemade tomato sauce as well...cause it's awesome and oh so yummy!
Also, I love, love to bake most of my cakes from scratch....
pretty much about 99% of my cakes are from scratch.
I do on occasion bake a cake from a box mix....yes, it's true...I know...what can I say.
I do bake my pies from scratch...always, always, always, always, always!!!!!!!!
Every single pie crust I make is from scratch.
I rarely buy pre packaged food...it scares me all the crap they put in freezer food.
I have definitely bought many freezer pizzas....
but I have also made pizza from scratch many times....and it is soooo much tastier!
I buy Oreos and those mini powdered sugar donuts and put peanut butter on top of 'em....
cause it's a sickness I have....
peanut butter and powdered sugar...
I like it way too much! LOL!
I do sometimes make prepackaged flavored rice....although, I do feel guilty about it when I do...
because I know I can make it with the ingredients I have in my pantry.

On a last note, I know that my faithful readers and commenters already know this about me. I want to thank all of you guys out there. You have been so awesome with your support and faithful reading. You guys keep me going. I often go back and forth on whether or not to continue this blog. I do enjoy it, but it does keep me on the computer a little more than I would like. For some reason, I am not a quick blogger. It takes me a lot of time to make a post....sometimes. The best thing that I have gotten from this blog is the friendships that I have made with some of you. It is so awesome to be able to share interests with others that enjoy the same thing as me. I've gotten to know about your families and I care about what happens to you guys. I always think of blogging as modern day pen pals...I think it is pretty cool.

P.S. I don't want you guys to think that one comment has really disturbed me to the point of making a big post and all this stuff. I'm not mad or hurt or anything like that. I kinda have a dream of one day publishing a book....recipes, family life, Pennsylvania....stuff like that....and if I am going to ever do that, I better make sure that I am coming across real and I don't want to be misleading at all.

Love you guys!!
Have a totally fantastic weekend!
I know I will!
Lots of baking planned!
And.....by the way, I am in the home stretch with my sailboat quilt! Last night I starting attaching the binding/the edging that goes around the edge of the quilt!! I am so happy! It WILL be done today! Yay!!



August 16, 2012

from my viewpoint

Have you ever wondered what it looks like where someone else lives? 
I have often wondered this about my long distance friends and relatives.
I thought maybe you might like to see what it looks like here.
And maybe...you might find it neat
 to see what I see everyday.
Am I the only one that thinks of such things???
I really hope this is not like, the most boring-est post I've ever done!
This kind of stuff interests me...but who knows if it interests anyone out there?
haha!
So, do you ever wonder about things like this???













Bye for now!
Have a blessed day!