Ten On Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday even though it is Wednesday. Whatever!!  :-)   When I first saw this on Amber’s blog yesterday, I almost decided not to do it because I am the girl who really doesn’t cook. I can make easy things like eggs and spaghetti, but I seriously can survive on cheese & crackers and Minute Rice. I am not a foodie! But then I decided what the heck!

My vegan idol, Alicia Silverstone.  You should get her book if you haven't already, The Kind Diet. 

1. What is a food that you never thought you would try, but then tried and liked?

Some friends convinced me to try the food at an Indian restaurant. I still do NOT like Indian cuisine though!

2. Do you subscribe to any foodie publications? If so, which ones

My husband gets one, I think it is Cooking Like or Healthy Cooking or something like that, but I never look at it.

3. What ingredient do you find yourself reaching for the most when you cook? I like to add pepper to everything!


4. Are there any foods that you hated as a child, but then learned to like as an adult? No, actually the foods I liked as a child I still like. I do not have a very sophisticated palate! And the foods I hated – like red meat – I still hate!



5. What do you like to eat that others may consider weird? First of all, I am a vegetarian and I know a lot of people think that is weird, but it is something I am passionate about and it is not just a phase. I have been a vegetarian since I was 6. Secondly, I love mushrooms, beets and olives—and so I know a lot of people don’t like those things! I also love tofu.



6. What is the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever cooked with? I guess tofu.


7. Do you have any major food allergies? No, although sometimes wine makes me sneeze & that makes me wonder if I am allergic to grapes!

8. Is there an ingredient that you would like to cook with, but are intimidated to try? Saffron and truffle oil because they sound glamorous and rich and exotic.


9. Do you bake? I love to bake. In high school, I baked a lot and that is when I really learned. Baking is so much more fun than cooking.

10. If you could go on any “foodie” show to compete, which one would it be, and why? Cupcake Wars!

Read more here and here.

You Should Know ....

I have it on good authority that Whoopie Pies are the new cupcakes!!

What do you think?




Read more here and here.

ABCs of Me

I borrowed this blog idea from one of my new favorite blogs, The Southern & Girly Diva. She has great taste and she is only 14!

Age: I say I am 28 FOREVER. That is my story and I am sticking to it.
Bed Size: Queen but I would rather have a King to hold all my pets! Oh, yeah, and my husband, too!
Chore you hate: I love my cats but scooping out their boxes is my least favorite chore. Part of it is because their boxes are located under the basement stairs and getting to them gives me a backache.
Dogs: One Pug, Noodles - he is wonderful!
Essential start to your day: Coffee, of course!
Favorite Color: I truly love all colors but my favorites are lovely lavender and sunny yellow.
Gold or silver: Silver.
Height: 5' 3" on a good day.
Instruments that you can play: None. Okay, maybe a triangle or the Xylophone, I like to think. Or a tambourine. No, not really! Coffee cans?
Job title: Receptionist Extraordinaire
Kids: No, thank you. My kids all have four legs and paws.
Live: Twin Cities Metro Area
Mom's name: Glenda
Nicknames: Pookie, Miss Kitty, Kathy Holiday or just Les for short
Overnight hospital stays: September 2003, I had my right ovary removed - I had an ovarian cyst the size of a small football. I only have one ovary now.
Pet peeve: People who have known me forever & still put an "e" on the end of my name. It's Lesli with an i!
Quote from a movie: Isn't my house classic? The columns date all the way back to 1972. - Cher, "Clueless"
Righty or lefty: Right paw
Siblings: One brother, now living in New Zealand
Time you wake up: 5:30 a.m. - I get up that early to work out
Underwear: I adore boy shorts
Vegetables you dislike: Green beans and brussel sprouts
What makes you run late: Everything! But definitely traffic is the main culprit
X-rays: The dentist
Yummy food you make: I make a delish crack dip. You can get the recipe here.
Zoo favorite animal: koalas and pandas and baby elephants

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Fabulous Friday Finds

I am enchanted by this cupcake kit. It comes complete with little poodles and Eiffel Towers to top your cupcakes with! Let's have a cupcake party!

Or how about sweet polka dot bunny book ends?

Or this retro one-piece red swimsuit?

Above items are all from Modcloth.com

Happy Friday!

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Ten On Tuesday

Day Two of being home sick with a sore throat & some flu-like symptoms. I thought I would catch up on my blogging before the Thera Flu kicks in and I have to go take a nap with my pals!!

Once again, I am inspired by Amber. She keeps me blogging!

1. What condiments are always, always in your fridge? For me, there always has to be mustard and hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.

2. How do you like your steak cooked? Your burgers? Not in any way, shape or form. I am a vegetarian and stopped eating red meat when I was 6.

3. What’s your favorite use for fresh tomatoes? I like them in a caprese salad, you know with fresh mozzarella.

4. What’s your go-to dinner when you haven’t planned anything in advance and you don’t feel like going out? A bowl of cereal works in a pinch!

5. What’s your favorite snack food lately? Almonds and string cheese.

6. What’s your favorite weekend breakfast to make at home? I don't really cook but I like it when someone makes me waffles!

7. What’s your favorite thing to grill? How do you do it? I am not much of a griller. But I do like S'mores. Does that count?

8. What’s your favorite wine for under $10? If you’re not a wine person, what brand of beer is your favorite? I can find a good white wine or sparkling California wine for under $10 at Trader Joe's.

9. Give us your most delicious cocktail recipe. I don't cook & I don't really mix drinks that well either!! But I like the pre-mixed Skinny Girl Margarita from Bethenny, just add some lime juice. Or a mimosa - orange juice and champagne, easy peasy. Sometimes I make weird drinks like 7-Up with white wine.

10. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled with cheddar or a cheese & mushroom omelet

HAPPY TUESDAY - Okay Thera Flu, do your thing!

Read more here and here.

Ten on Tuesday

Okay, I am doing this as inspired by Amber!

1. What is your cleaning style like? I don't really clean. I leave that up to my husband. My area of expertise is just making things pretty & arranging things to look nice. Not fond of housework. We used to have a cleaning lady, but unless you can find someone reliable, I don't really recommend it. I had an Anthropologie rug ruined, a wedding gift vase broken, and my walk-in closet flooded by a leaky toilet (don't remember the exact details--I think her mop handle bumped something!). I take that back--paying someone to clean can be a good experience. Nothing like coming home to a sparkling clean house. But you definitely take your chances. For awhile we tried to do the clean 15 minutes per day thing but that kind of fizzled out. It was cutting into my reality TV time--kidding! (sort of).

2. What is your favorite thing to add to an outfit to take it from casual to classy? A cardigan, jewelry, heels and a nice handbag.

3. Do you like stormy weather? I love thunderstorms, and snow storms can be fun too--as long as I am safely inside my house!

4. What is your favorite cold treat on a hot day? Strawberry ice cream

5. What is your favorite warm treat on a cold day? Hot chocolate

6. Who is your favorite animated character? Mickey Mouse

7. What do you keep your jewelry in? I have a couple of flower hooks from Anthropologie that hold necklaces, and a shabby chic style jewelry armoir (tiny!), and some little dressmaker figures that hold jewelry, and finally some small hatbox type things--also full of jewelry. I have a lot!

8. Do any of the rooms in your house have a theme? Not really unless you count the guest bathroom which has sort of a jungle-y theme. There is a toucan mural painted on the wall and a tiny tree frog painted by the electrical outlet and a guest towel with monkeys....so maybe!

9. Do you watch any interior design TV shows – if so, what is your favorite? I watch them ALL! I especially like Divine Design, Color Splash and Designer Challenge.

10. When was the last time you did something risk-taking? I must not be much of a risk taker because I can't think of anything .... at .... all. I better work on that!




Read more here and here.

Woof, Woof!

I want a second dog. My husband is being stubborn and won't give in to me this time. Of course, Noodles is my one and only true dog love at the moment.

True Love
But through my friend, Amber, whose aunt does dog rescue and through Amber's friend, Shannon, who fosters dogs, I have become aware of a Shih Tzu who is in need of a good home. I would love to take him in. His name is Pooh. But I would probably change his name to Mr. Jones (like from the Counting Crows song). But Eric is not budging.

That's Pooh in the back of the photo. The two dogs were on their way to an adoption event to find their fur-ever homes.
To satisfy my Shih Tzu fix, I get to babysit (dog-sit) Roxie whenever her owners go on vacation. She is sort of like my part-time dog and also a Shih Tzu. You have probably seen her around my blog or on Facebook.

Little Roxie Fox!

I love Shih Tzus as we had one when I was in high school. His name was Dewey and he was wonderful!

Lately, I have also become enchanted with Cairn Terriers. There were a couple of them at Noodles' doggie daycare who were adorable. They are just like Toto! I would also like a Cairn Terrier.

A Cairn terrier - so cute! Just like Toto.

Anyhow, right now Eric says no but I take no as just a jumping off point, a place to negotiate. I never take no for an answer. I seldom give up! How do you think I got Noodles?

What do you think? Do you have to run things past your signficant other? Of course, a second dog can be a big change to a household and is a commitment for the lifetime of a pet. I am a big believer that if you adopt a pet, then you just made a commitment. Pets are not disposable. So, of course, all people concerned have to agree on the addition of a new four-legged member to the household.
I am just wondering, what sort of things do you have to run past others in your house and do you have any tips for swaying my husband? Ha ha! Leave any tips in the comments section.

And you can read more from me here and here. It's where I also blog (on occasion - bad blogger!)

Of Sweet Animals, Emails That Go Unread & Long Lost Cousins!

How is that for a title?!!


First of all, I am always excited to find a new author and I think I have found my newest favorite! Katrina Kittle. Her latest book and the one I just finished reading is "The Blessings of the Animals." Her book was featured in the "Twin Cities Live" Book Club as a selection to read and since I love the co-host of "Twin Cities Live", Elizabeth Ries, (isn't she lovely??) I decided to put it on my To Be Read List. And, I am so glad I did!




The book has everything--heartwarming animals (even a goat!), a divorce, complicated relationships, a gay couple, adoption, Alzheimers, etc., etc. The main character is Cami who finds herself after her husband leaves her. She finds herself through her animals and learns from the animals in her life and others what makes her happy and what doesn't. I just cannot recommend this book enough and am probably not doing it justice with my review. So just read it! I promise you that you will love it!

And in other book news, I am really bad about reading one of my personal email accounts. Okay, it is my hello kitty email account and the email address that I give to readers of this very blog! But my secret is I seldom check that account. I mean, I can go months! It is not my primary account or even my secondary account-it is my tertiary account! Anyhow, I recently got around to checking it and.......drum roll....I had the sweetest email from writer, Sally Koslow! She had read my blog review of her book, "The Late Lamented Molly Marx" which by the way, I also loved and immediately added Sally to my list of favorite new authors and I rushed out and got her other two books, With Friends Like These and Little Pink Slips.

But I just have to say I love her eleventy times more for sending me a personal email and wishing me a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and then I didn't even read her email until a few months later.

Anyhow, she is absolutely lovely so you need to read her books, too! And follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

And as for me and checking my Hello Kitty email, I got another surprise when I decided to start going through some very old emails that had not been opened. 1,240 some to be exact! When I got to September of last year, I found one that asked, Are you my cousin? And it listed the names of my mom and my grandmother and complimented me on my fashion sense....and it was from a long-lost cousin that I had lost touch with. She lives in a different state and is 10 years older than me, but she used to babysit me and she is a Libra like me!

I instantly emailed her back, explaining how I never check that email account. Well, maybe every few months, but now I tell you people, I am going to check it every single, solitary day! And then I tracked her down on Facebook. And, inpsired, I tracked down two other cousins, this time on my dad's side of the family.

My own immediate family is quite small--just me and my brother and my mom these days. I don't have children. I have my husband and I have his whole family. But there is something special about cousins. All female. I always wanted a sister (I had a sister who died before I could know her) so I kind of feel that maybe my new found cousins could be like sisters!

Note to self: Always check your email!

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HAPPY MARCH!!