Make-Me-Laugh Monday!

Last night I got to hug Barack Obama.

In my dreams!!

No literally, in my dreams I hugged him and it was wonderful.

This dream had to be at least the 5th of which involved me meeting/knowing/hugging Obama. We're practically best friends by now...

"I'd like to give a shout-out to my best friend Maria- I love you girl!" See, the feelings are mutual.

Did anyone see him on Jay Leno last week? I thought he was so charming and funny, but then again, he is my friend and that's pretty much a pre-requisite. On the show, he was talking about Secret Service men that don't allow him to do certain things, such as take a 5-minute walk. In my dream, I hugged him, but Secret Service was standing by. Maybe I'm a little more dangerous and suspicious-looking in my dreams. Any worries the Dreamland Secret Service may have had was probably erased when after hugging Obama I exclaimed "Yes, I hugged him, I hugged him!!" That part of the dream was probably the most accurate because I believe that's what I would do if indeed I did get to hug Mr. Obama.

The point of this whole story is that I made myself laugh first thing this morning when I remembered this dream. If it didn't make you laugh--and it probably won't because other people's dreams and inside jokes are often only funny to themselves--I want to at least provide a joke so that I don't disappoint you. And if you would like to leave a joke or funny dream, please do!!

Here is a joke that my aunt told me. It's sort of about religion, but since I have already sort of talked about politics, here it goes...

A taxi driver picked up a nun and while they were driving the driver said, "Sister, I have something to ask you. I know this sounds weird, but I have always wanted a kiss from a nun; Do you think you could do that for me?"

The nun responded, "Yes, I think I could do that for you, but you have to promise me two things. One is you must be Catholic and the other is that you must not be married."

The taxi driver said, "OK sister, I promise that I'm Catholic and that I'm not married."

When they got to the destination, they both got out of the car and the nun gave the taxi driver a kiss.

The taxi driver then said, "Sister, I have something to confess- I'm not Catholic and I have a wife."

The nun looked at him and said, "That's OK, my name is Larry and I'm going to a costume party!"

Well, on that note, have a great week!!

Cheese. (That's a catchy enough title, right?)

I'm probably the only human being on earth that doesn't like to eat a straight-up chunk of cheese. I went to Costco (which by the way is my new favorite place) with my friend yesterday and of course there were samples. I usually don't take samples at Sam's club because of the swarms of people around the poor old ladies usually doing the sampling. Either Costco patrons don't take part in the act of competitive eating, or we were there at a good time, because the sample tables were empty. We tried a chunk of aged cheddar cheese that I could tell would be good on a cracker or grilled cheese sandwich, but just not as a naked chunk (that sounds bad!). I felt bad throwing half away, but I just couldn't do it.

Anyway, along the same cheesy theme, I just found a website I'd like to share. It's called Ilovecheese.com and is the site of the American Dairy Association. After just a little browsing, I can tell there is a plethora (great word) of information about cheese. There is a cheese guide, entertaining ideas, food and wine pairing tips, recipes, and more. Even I--a cracker girl--can appreciate this site!

*Photo taken from ilovecheese.com

It's Make-Me-Laugh Monday Once Again

This Monday, I am particularly in need of a good laugh. Searching for a job is not easy as it is, but in these tough economic times, it's even worse (obviously!). I try not to complain too much because I do not have a house payment or a family to support. I just hope things turn around soon!

OK, enough with the depressing stuff; I'm starting to sound like Debbie Downer. That's it!! Oh man, I'm excited; I'm going to post a Debbie Downer video for today. I wasn't sure what to post and now I do, so I'm already in a better mood! I hope this cheers you up too:



Sorry to post another video, but this one was just too appropriate for today. And it got even better when she mentioned bananas and potassium!

This is going to be a quick post because I have to get ready to go out with my mom. We're running errands and going to lunch for her birthday, which is tomorrow! Last night, my brother made my family dinner to celebrate. He is an AWESOME cook! He is not professionally trained, but he has trained under a great Chef who pretty much taught him everything he needs to know (or so it seems).

I took pictures of what he made, but they really don't do the meal justice, so I don't think he would want me to post them. I am so bummed about it! The lighting in our kitchen at night is horrible and my old camera (which is what I used) is terrible too.

I did take some pictures early in the day--when there was natural light-- of vegetables that I chopped to roast in the oven for dinner. It was a combo of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, carrot, and a head of garlic. I have been wanting to do this for a while ever since I saw Giada do it on Everyday Italian.

All you do is chop the veggies and toss in olive oil, sea salt, and pepper and roast about 1/2 hour-45 minutes in the over at 400 degrees. The garlic is in the upper-righthand corner. You just cut off the top, drizzle a little olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast just like the vegetables.

This is such a simple way to get your vegetables in! As you can see, I made a TON, so the leftovers will help remind me to eat them through the week as well...I only wish I had thought of it sooner!

Have a great weekend!!

Happy RD Day to Me!

You know, I never really had a "day" devoted to me other than my birthday. I'm not a Mom, Dad, teacher, secretary, or Veteran and thus have never had the privilege. Well now I do! Last year was the first annual Registered Dietitian Day! I know it's exciting, but please get ahold of yourself. The thing is, last year, I wasn't a Dietitian yet; now I am, so I'm celebrating like it's 1999! OK, I'm not really celebrating, I just had the urge to write that, so I did.

This glorious holiday falls in March because it is National Nutrition Month. Each year, there is a theme, and this year it is simply "Eat Right." Sounds simple and really is simple if you are willing to dedicate yourself to making lifestyle changes that benefit your health both now and in the future. Here are some key components to a healthy, balanced eating plan (we try not to say diet because it tends to foster negative thoughts):

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts.
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.

You can read more about Eating Right at eatright.org. The link that I've provided takes you to a page discussing the Key Messages from this year's National Nutrition Month. You can also navigate around the site to find more fun and useful info.

Well, I guess I better go get started on my day.

I feel like a princess....

TOTALLY KIDDING! But do you like my tiara?

Have a good one!

Yesterday's Promise

Yesterday I said that I would post today about an awesome drink that is easy, refreshing, and healthy. It's perfect for the warm Spring/Summer days just around the corner! With temps in the 70's here in Cincinnati, I might just have to whip up a glass.

I hope you weren't anticipating a recipe for an elaborate, bubbly cocktail that you can sip from a champagne flute at a garden party, pinky in air. That's not my style. In fact, this is not a recipe at all. It is just a simple idea that I received from the same Dietitian that introduced me to Salmon Burgers.

Green Tea Iced Tea. Simple. Healthy. Refreshing. Delicious. Cheap.

Drink this, not that

That's all you have to do is buy your favorite green tea and steep- If you do not have a favorite, try Bigelow- it's awesome! They even have different flavors, such as Green Tea with Pomegranate and Green Tea with Lemon, but I really don't like flavored tea so I stick with the plain.

The directions for iced tea are on the box. If I am making just one glass, I steep 1 tea bag in a few ounces of hot water in a heat-safe glass- it creates a concentrate (sort of like juice). After about 5 minutes or so (when it has imparted flavor and cooled) I fill the glass with cold water, add ice, and stand in awe yet again at how good this is! Hot green tea doesn't excite me, so I am surprised every time when I like it cold.

Here's to drinking to good health!

Make-Me-Laugh Monday!

Oh man, I almost wrote a completely different post until I remembered it was Monday!! Now you will just have to wait until tomorrow to read about the healthy, easy, refreshing drink idea I was going to share!

Hmm, how can I make you laugh today? Personally, I LOVE to laugh and find that I laugh at almost anything. Don't get me wrong, I don't go around handing out free pity laughs, but I am also not shy when it comes to belting out a good laugh.

I have already mentioned my love of comedian Demetri Martin. If you haven't been watching his new show Important Things With Demetri Martin you have really been missing out!

Another all-time favorite of mine is Andy Samberg of Saturday Night Live. For several years after cast members like Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri left the show, SNL just wasn't very funny. Now, I feel like it has it's spunk back, and it is largely due to Andy Samberg (in my opinion).

Here is one of my favorite "Digital Shorts" created by Andy and his friends. There are a lot more on NBC.com, but as you may know, some of them are just a weee bit inappropriate! I decided to keep this one clean, but it's still hilarious- Happy Monday!


*By the way, Chronicles of Narnia (Lazy Sunday) is my all-time favorite, but there is one bleeped cuss-word so I didn't want to put it on here. I recommend you check it out on your own!