Along the path...

Creamy Tortilla Soup 8 corn tortillas 1 T olive oil 1 onion 3 cloves of garlic pressed or minced 2 whole carrots grated 2 whole zucchini grated 5 cups fat free chicken broth 2 cups salsa 2 t. cumin 2 t. chili powder ½ t. pepper 3 c. frozen corn 1 can black beans 4 T cornstarch 1/3 c. cold water 1 lb. boneless chicken breast shredded 1/3 c. cilantro fresh 4 cups fat-free half and half 4 oz reduce-fat cheese Preheat oven to 350. Cut six of the tortillas in half then slice into ¼ inch strips. Place on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray . Place in the over and turn after 4 minutes. Cook another 4 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and cool. Cut the remaining tortillas, into diced pieces. Very small squares. In a large pot warm oil and saute the onion and garlic. Add broth if necessary. Add carrots and cook then add zucchini and cook. Add broth as needed. Add the diced tortilla cover and cook 2 minutes. Add the rest of the chicken broth and bring to a boil Add salsa, spices,

Bring me a dream!!!

Anyone who knows me, I mean really knows me, knows that jello and I do not play well together. My jello usually turns out too soft or too firm or too runny or too not-jelloy. Don't ask me how it happens. It must be a trade secret. But, I came across this recipe and thought I might try it. How badly could I mess it up? It doesn't even have to set. 1 container Cool Whip, 8 oz. 1 container small curd cottage cheese, 16 oz. 1 small box orange jello (can use sugar free or other flavors) 1 large can crushed pineapple, 20 oz., well drained 1-2 can mandarin oranges, well drained (to taste) Gently combine cool whip, cottage cheese, drained pineapple, and dry jello powder in a large bowl. Gently stir in mandarin oranges, reserving some for garnishing if desired.Garnish with mandarin oranges. Chill well before serving.

In my e-travels I recently came across a friend's friend's post about a nifty find that I hadn't really appreciated before. Here are some helpful tips and tricks--some may be more applicable than others. Who would have guessed that coffee filters could be so versatile? And fairly inexpensive. What can you do with them? I'm so glad you asked... 1. Excellent covers--cofee filter cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. 2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling. 3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish. 4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter. (Not sure that I'll need this idea often.) 5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust. Bet this would work for a dutch oven too! 6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a

I see dance being used as communication between body and soul, to express what it too deep to find for words. Ruth St. Denis

It's a Brand New Day with Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer .

A friend at work (from a different department, may I add) sent this cartoon to my team. Guess I'm soulless.

Whoever said corporate America was dull? Someone at Nestle's sure has a great sense of humor! A friend told me about Nestle's "funner" automatic message system. It even offers a cure for cooties - and I had to try it. Dial 1-800-295-0051. Wait until after the automatic operator says to press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish. Don't dial anything. Don't say anything. Then you will will be asked to push 3 for nutrition information and the asterisk for Pig Latin. Press 4 to access the "funner" menu. Press 7 to find the long sought cure for cooties. Pressing 4 to access the "funner" menu and then pressing 1 will tell knock, knock jokes! What a way to brighten someone's day. Thanks Nestle!

A friend introduced me to the zany online antics of Dr. Horrible and his nemesis Captain Hammer. So silly. Here is a trailer.

A friend introduced me to the zany online antics of Dr. Horrible and his nemesis Captain Hammer. So silly. Here is a trailer .

This was a funny picture I took in the middle of a downpour in Salt Lake at the 2009 Arts Festival last summer. It seriously felt like someone had turned on a faucet and let the water run unmonitored and uncontrolled. A sweet guy shared his umbrella with me and two friends. From this picture you can tell we were uber dry. Good times!

You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart . Author Unknown Happy Valentine's Day!

Last June a friend of a friend (Brett) was diagnosed with Stage 3 testicular cancer. After numerous surgeries and six rounds of chemotheraphy his doctor has still found some residual cancer. He is now undergoing what is called salvage chemotheraphy which comes as back to back bone marrow transplants. There has been a 5K run/walk put together to help raise money for Brett and his never ending medical expenses. If you, your family, or your friends are interested in participating or simply donating, please go to www.fafard5k.com .

This Sengoku warrior on horseback was created from hundreds of thousands of rice plants. The colors and shapes come from the different varieties of rice plants grown together. On the ground, the pattern is unintelligible. From the air it is amazing. The photo was taken in Inakadate, Japan.

It's a wordle from my blog.

Stifling an urge to dance is bad for your health - it rusts your spirit and your hips. Adabella Radici

Happy birthday, little red riding hood! Watch out for wolves and bugs along your way... Thanks for teaching me that life and family are precious and should be held close. Thanks for knowing how and when to laugh. Thanks for loving me too. Hope you have the best birthday ever and that this year all your greatest wishes come true. (Just think it's your last employeed birthday...)

My cousin Facebooked this YouTube video recently. It's a potter puppets skit - I think I'm warped forever. Lollipop. POP! (I couldn't get the video to load into to blogger. I'll try again later. For now the upper link will have to be enough. And here is the video sped up .)

Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen? Friedrich Nietzsche

Last month, my mom tried yoga, but quit because it made her extremely nauseous after each session. One of my friends at work and I were talking about exercise and nausea and decided to google connections between the two. The information found was interesting. Most of it came from commentary on chat boards, based on e-people's experiences. Nothing seemed too out-there overall, so I am jotting it here as a reminder of what to or not do the next time I feel sick rather than feel the burn. Exercise pointers "from those who know": * Drink . Dehydration can cause nausea. Drink plenty of water before and after exercising; sip during your workout. Exercise such as yoga kicks up toxins in the body and water helps flush them out. Be sure to drink lots of water even several days after a yoga class. (Just don't drink too much as that can also cause nausea.) * Fill the tank . An upset stomache may mean your body needs water, electrolytes, and protein. In short, your fuel tank is e