Oh boy

Oh boy. I have to go back to work tomorrow. It's just a part-time, temporary position, but yikes. Right now it's a few days a week but it's ALL day. No lounging around in bed with Miss M till 8, staying in my pajamas until 10, hanging out in the backyard eating lunch. I have to go to an office. Showered. Dressed. By 8 in the morning. Oh boy.

I know I was looking for something part time, but I was hoping it would be along the lines of a few hours a day for a few days a week! This might be stretching it. I may have to nap at whatever desk I'm sitting at!

I am still looking for a bartending job as well. This temp thing right now is in the construction industry and it's just to help a company get on their feet after changing over to the software system I used to use. So it's not long term by any means. But it's some income right now while I peruse the bartending job ads and apply for stuff.

Speaking of applying for stuff - trying to be a bartender is getting a little ridiculous. Not only do you have to fill out your education, work and skills background information in their online applications, you also have to complete an assessment for every single app it seems like. Some of these assessments are 10 and 12 pages with a bazillion questions about what type of person you think you are. Stuff like "I never lose my temper" and "People are generally trustworthy in the workplace" (you have to mark whether you agree or disagree) - and I'm guessing that if you don't answer the questions the way the company wants you to, they don't even bother calling you for an interview.

What happened to the good old days where we actually got to make an impression with someone instead of filling out some stupid questionnaire online and being judged before we even meet anyone?

One application that I was doing - I don't remember for which place - made me take a TIMED test. It included all sorts of questions from math to vocabulary, matching words to their similar or different meanings... it was insane. I'm terrible at math first of all, so I had the calculator up on the computer the whole time. And some of the words? I have no idea what they even mean. I only had 10 minutes to finish this thing and I didn't get all the way through. I have no doubt that I will never hear from them! But if they would let me come in for an interview I could at least show them that I am intelligent, no matter what the dumb test says.

Side note: I hope Miss M doesn't decide to start walking or reading the encyclopedia while I'm at work these next few weeks... she's growing up so fast and I don't want to miss it!

Hey, Bartender!

I've been MIA the last few weeks, but with good reason. I posted a while back that I was contemplating going back to work part time, but I didn't really know what to do - after countless hours of searching for jobs, looking at different schools and thinking of taking a totally random new career direction, I decided on bartending school.

I did this for a couple of reasons. First, I love bartending. I did it a while back when I worked at a restaurant and it was probably the most fun I have ever had at a job. Second, bartending can be something that I can do during the day for a few days a week. Of course, that depends on where I'm hired and whether they'll work with my schedule. But I should have a pretty good shot. So I went ahead and signed up for the class at ABC Bartending School in Tempe.

School was actually a lot of fun - nothing like those long days cooped up in a stuff classroom, listening to your professor drone on and on about something you could care less about. We got to sit at a bar to learn our lessons, and got to practice behind the bar every day. Granted, we were only using colored water instead of actual alcohol, but it was fun getting back there and making drinks.

Class was 4 hours a day for 4 days a week over the course of two weeks. Sounds pretty easy - when I got there however, I found out that I would have to learn over 60 liquors and liqueurs and roughly 200 drinks, shots and shooters. For a 100 question test at the end of the class. Oh. My. God.

But it's all good. Most of the stuff was pretty easy, and with some (okay, a bunch) studying I got the majority of them down. The instructors give you very helpful acronyms to remember the drinks... stuff like "RATS On 151" for a Zombie and "My Mother Beats People Continuously" for a Jamaican Ten Speed. I think my favorite was probably "Light & Dark Burly Boys Slobber Over Girls" - that one was to remember a Rum Runner. It's probably just as easy to remember the actual drink recipe.

I think the hardest part was remembering the amounts of everything that goes in the drink. Some of the exotic drinks have 1 ounce of rum, some have only 1/2. Same with the shooters - and trying to remember which ones were which was really hard.

But I took the test and found out that I only missed two questions! So I passed with flying colors and am now able to tell someone that is hiring that I have taken Bartending Mixology and can make them pretty much any drink they want. I still have to take the Arizona Alcohol License class, but that's not required at most places to get hired. I'm going to do it just to have one more thing on my resume.

Now to find a job... who needs a bartender?!

As the saying goes

I'm heading to Vegas this coming weekend with a bunch of my girls - and of course, the inevitable "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" always comes up. We are a bunch of well behaved wives and mothers, so I'm sure nothing will happen there that needs to stay there... but it got me thinking. What sayings out there come up all the time but should come with disclaimers?

 

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"

     --Disclaimer: Except for STD's. That shit stays with you forever.

 

"The grass is always greener on the other side"

     --Disclaimer: That's probably because that grass is all full of manure. Go ahead. Take a trip to the other side and see what you get all over you.

 

"There is no "I" in team"

     --Disclaimer: Uh, yeah there is. See below.

 

 

 

"Once a cheater, always a cheater"

     --Disclaimer: Unless it's a guy and the last girl he cheated on cut off some vital body part. No more cheating for him.

 

"If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was meant to be"

     --Disclaimer: First of all, if you love it, why set it free in the first place? But anyway, pertaining to animals - don't set it free. You set an animal free and it gets hit by a car and dies. Then what?

 

"When one door closes, another one opens"

     --Disclaimer: What if I wanted the stupid door closed? Leave it closed and leave me alone!

 

Then there are the statements below. Women would never lie about any of these things... no disclaimer needed.

 

 

 

 

Fool for food

I am in heaven... in love... so super duper happy! About my new food processor. Yup, I'm that person.

I got a food processor for Christmas (thanks, Mom!) and after my initial paranoia about not having a clue how to use one of these things, I drug it out yesterday for all my prep work on my chicken pot pies. I make pot pies and stick them in the freezer so if we need a meal in a pinch, I can pull one out and cook it. They taste really good and except for all the chopping and dicing, are super easy to make.

I always hated the prep part of them because you have to chop/dice 6 carrots, 6 celery stalks, 3 onions and 3 potatoes. Not to mention shredding the 6 chicken breasts as well. But with my new kitchen toy, this takes a matter of minutes. It's freaking awesome.

It took me a couple tries before I finally figured out the best way to slice everything up - but when I finally got it...

Then I decided, what the hell - I'll do a couple casseroles to put in the freezer too. One was super easy (read: requires no cooking, chopping, dicing, shredding, effort) and the other took a bit longer but I got to use my new processor again. Score.

Red and White Tortellini casserole - looks great, will have to let you know if it's any good!
Buffalo Chicken casserole - same as above
Sweet and Sour Meatballs - didn't freeze, but made the same day (verdict = LOVED)

I have no idea where I found the original recipe for the chicken pot pies, but read on below if you want to make them. I have it saved on my computer since I make them a lot. It says it makes 3 - it can easily make 5. It's a ton of food! The tortellini and buffalo chicken casseroles will make 8 different meals (instead of putting them in a 9x13, I split them into two 8x8 pans). The meatballs were about 3-4 meals. The pot pies? Those will last 2 meals each and I've got four, so that's 8 meals. I'm set for a while LOL.

So as soon as we buy another freezer (because our current one is stocked to the brim), I can make some more crock pot meals and casseroles. Now that I won't have to spend hours in the kitchen, I can make up a ton of stuff to have on hand! Because let's face it - I like my food.

This is why I will never survive a diet. Oh well.

Chicken Pot Pie – if thawed in fridge, cook at 350 for 45 minutes (frozen, cook for 60-75)

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
3 onions
6 carrots
6 celery stalks
3 potatoes
42 oz chicken broth
3 cans of peas
3 cans cream of chicken soup
9" pre-made pie crust (one for each pie)
8" foil pie pans (one for each pie)

Directions:

• Wash and trim 6 chicken breasts. Put in a pot of water on the stove and cook at med-high for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• Chop the onions, carrots, celery and potatoes.
• Melt 4 tbsp butter in large pot and add all veggies except potatoes.
• While veggies sauté, shred chicken and set aside.
• Add chicken broth and diced potatoes to veggies after about 5 minutes and simmer over med heat until reduced by half.
• Remove pre-made pie crust from fridge to sit for 10 minutes before placing in foil pans.
• After broth is reduced by half, add in shredded chicken, peas and cream of chicken soup.
• Line each foil pan with a pie crust.
• Evenly distribute chicken/veggie mix into each pan.
• Top each with remaining pie crust, pinching sides together with your fingers.
• Cut 2-3 vents in the top with a knife.
• Wrap well with plastic wrap and place into a gallon freezer bag.
• Write cooking instructions and date on each one.
• Place in freezer.