Work day

Today I have quite a lot of work to do, probably won't be able to finish it all in one day. This morning all Floridians were shivering when the temperatures were in the 40s (around 5C!) That is cold! We are expecting a high in the low 70s today (22C), so it should be beautiful. The sun is already out shining bright!

But I am stuck inside doing two projects, one which has to be done today (for my Hong Kong client), the other one is for a newer client from Argentina that has turned out be be very reliable, but that one has a generous deadline. That is another aspect of my job that I love, you get to "meet" people from all over the world!

Have a good one!

Secret Chili Recipe

When I first came to the US I used to make the Swedish version of Chili Con Carne, a pretty basic staple in the Swedish kitchen. But after hand I got inspired by the myriad of American recipes for chili out there. It all involved into a recipe that I have tweaked over the years, and which now is truly my very own, healthy, tasty and super easy to make chili.

SweFlo's Chili

You will need:
1 lb of ground meat (you can use beef or turkey, all depending on how lean you want it)
1-2 yellow onions, chopped into chunky pieces (I love the sweet Vidalia onion for this dish)
1 large can or two regular cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 regular can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 regular can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 regular can of white beans (cannellini or regular white is fine)
1 can of corn, drained
3 cans of Ro*Tel tomatoes with chilies (see pictures below so you know what to get at the store)
NOTE: This is the secret that makes the chili, DO NOT skip!. Depending on you preference for hotness you can use the mild, original or extra hot. I have found that 2 cans of the mild and 1 of the original gives a perfect balance. DO NOT drain cans!

Handful of Cilantro leaves (not necessary if you do not like cilantro)
Couple of garlic cloves, pressed or minced
Salt and pepper if desired
You can of course try your own favorite kind of beans, it is an easy dish to mix up...

Secret ingredients - do not omit!

Preparation:
In a very large pan, heat a little oil, put in the chopped onions and stir around for a few minutes. Add the ground meat, stir and break up into small pieces. Cook until no longer pink. Add tomatoes (with liquid), add the garlic and pepper (if desired). Add all beans and corn. Heat through. Add cilantro. Ready! Wasn't that the easiest ever? Good for you and so easy! Yummy too! This makes a huge batch good for when you have company, or you can easily freeze leftovers for a quick lunch or dinner later on.

Enjoy!

Two legged Zebra

Thought the daughter was a little too quite playing in the living room...

Went to see what she was up to.

Found said daughter hiding underneath the table. Drawing zebra stripes all over herself!

As you can see in the first picture she wasn't too happy about being caught, apparently she wasn't quite finished yet!

Floors

I am very happy to be able to get the floors much sooner then I was expecting... but this morning I was running from store to store trying to get quotes for the installation. So far they vary $2,000 from the lowest to the highest!

PEI-ratings, absorbency rates, glaze variations, slip resistance, grout options... It is pretty mind boggling! Hopefully we can come to a decision this weekend and maybe get things started next week. Installation time also ranged from next day installation (that sounds a little too fast) to 2 ½ weeks. In worst case scenario I might have to wait until after Thanksgiving, since I really don't feel like celebrating the holiday in a construction zone. And how are we going to live in this house during the installation? We are doing ALL the rooms at the same time...

But, if there is a will there is a way. Have a great day!

Yes!

I have just convinced the husband, bless his heart, that it is in our best interest to get our disgusting floors ripped out and new ceramic tile installed in the entire house BEFORE Christmas, right in time for our wedding anniversary on December 19! I am so extremely on a high right now I don't know what to do with myself!!!

This disgusting carpet is going, and I could NOT be happier about that! Oh my goodness... My Christmas is already as good as it gets... Tomorrow I am shopping for installation quotes!

So how did I get him to agree to do this extensive renovation now instead of waiting until after tax season next year? Well, lets just say he now has in writing that he will receive a mind "blowing" night... I better get some knee pads with the new floor going to being so hard and all! ;-)

My List of Essential Electronics

This morning I was just sitting here thinking about all the different electronic gizmos and gadgets I call essential in my life. Sure, I would survive without ALL of them... But it wouldn't be too much fun... Here is my list of my Essential Electronics (in no particular order), I am sure there is more... Copy at will!

Why did I not get this sooner? Instead of having to wrestle my daughter (or husband) to get a thermometer in their mouth, I just pop this sucker in their ear and it is done) Don't ask why, but my dear husband thinks I used the old thermometer to take one of the dog's temperature a while back when it was sick, and he now refuses to come near the thing. Look, it was a different one, alright! And ever heard of disinfecting? Yeez!

Of course, my beloved digital camera that is sadly starting to get old...

Does a car count as an electronic? I guess somewhat... Oh, well. It is essential in my world! Check out the Swedish license plate...

As many of us bloggers have discussed previously, the ICE MACHINE that most American refrigerators are equipped with is a true miracle!

What would I do without my dish washer? A lot more dishes, that is for sure! Check out Bob thinking mommy is crazy taking pictures of appliances...

And the bread machine... Can't bake bread the regular way if my life depended on it!

Before owning this miracle tool I could never figure out if the meat on the grill was ready or not. No more undercooked chicken!

This plain little box is worth it's weight in gold... It is my Lingo box that for $20/month gives me free calling within the US, to Sweden and most other places in the world! (Hey Fiona, I can now call Australia for free; if you ever feel like chatting, call me and let me know and I will call you right back so you only have to pay for 1 minute!)

Our wireless router... Blogging from the couch, anyone?

Of course, without my computer life would not be much fun, would it? And I wouldn't get much work done either...

I am amazed how dependent I have become on my cell phone this past decade!

This unassuming postal scale have many duties in our house: helping out with eBay auctions, calculating postage to Sweden, and doubling as a household scale when I need to measure some kind of food in grams...

This air cleaner from Sharper Image (together with it's office twin) hopefully help clear the air of some of that musty carpet smell...

I LOVE this thing! This DVR records all my favorite shows on TV without me having to lift a finger...

A bit fuzzy, but this indoor/outdoor thermometer lets me know what to wear.

Of course, my notebook computer provides easy access to the Internet whenever needed...

... a lot in thanks to it's wireless broadband card.


Well, that was the most Essential Electronics I could think of in my life right now. What are yours?

Fruit Farm & Bees!

Today we headed out to a close by Fruit Farm called Mixon. They specialize in citrus, and usually offer tram rides around their groves during the winter time. Today they were having a little Harvest Fest of sorts, so we decided to stop by. After all, we have lived so close by all these years but actually never visited before.

We had a lovely morning with very welcome temperatures of just above 70. There was a huge gift shop that carried all kinds of fun stuff. We sampled freshly squeezed citrus juices; their grapefruit was awesome! We also stocked up on their yummy looking orange marmalade.

We also had some fun (or mostly Sarah) in a jump castle outside, and they also had a game set up that we tried out. Ken and Sarah made their way through a "magical garden maze" as well:

Jumping high!

Trying to score some points!

Sarah being a butterfly at the magical garden

After our visit at the fruit farm we had a quick lunch and then headed to the movie theater to see the new Bee Movie that came out yesterday. We can highly recommend it, it was pretty funny!

The movie is about to start...

Funny movie!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Do they pee with their peanuts?

Yesterday I had my first public preschool "moment", you know one of those incidents when your kid says something potentially embarrassing in front of other people...

We were at the produce section of Publix, our local grocery store. Sarah was in a very chatty mood talking about all kinds of stuff. All of a sudden she said loud: "Mommy do you see the penis?"

I was like: "WHAT?" She is very interested in anatomy and the human body, and she is very well aware what the different parts are called, but I never heard her talk about it in public before.

"Do you see it? Do you see it?" I sure didn't see any penises... Wait! Slap on forehead: She meant the PEANUTS! "Oh, yes sweetie, I see the PEANUTS!"

The bad part is that she kept talking about the "penis" for at least 5 minutes, and there were a few old ladies that raised their eyebrows... I just tried to repeat everything she said with a clearly pronounced PEANUTS, so they wouldn't think we are a completely freaky family...

And then came the money shot: Sarah happily announced: "Some mommies really like to eat PENIS". At this time I could do nothing but laugh...

Have a great Friday!

Sick pay? Ha!

One bad thing about being self-employed like I am is that you have no sick pay. As you know I have been sick a LOT, especially with all the hospital stays the last couple of months. This is greatly reflected in my accounts receivables, not much fun at all. At least I have enough AR to cover all my regular bills and so on. But no extras for fun stuff. Luckily I can rely on the husband who has been making more money every month with his business, but still. I better get some big, juicy projects here soon, I do not like to be broke right before Christmas... :-(

Yesterday my dear husband showed me he has learned quite a lot about how I work. Since we are celebrating our 10th Wedding Anniversary next December, he wanted to surprise me with a nice vacation somewhere. But then he realized he better have me plan it, and just pay for it. After all, I am a bit of a control freak... So we started planning a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas, something all three of us are guaranteed to enjoy. But then I stopped and told him: no cruise. No vacation. I just want NEW FLOORS! I HATE CARPET!

Have you tried to live in a house with a small kid, two dogs, and light beige carpet? It is not possible! This carpet of ours was brand new when we moved in here in 2004, but now, it is just so gross... It doesn't matter how many times I steam clean it, or even hire a professional steam cleaning company, it just is the most vile thing ever. So I am very happy to be promised new floors. New shiny, tiles all OVER! Yes!

Tile flooring works well in Florida where it is so hot most of the year. And it is easy to clean. We are also re-tiling the shower in the master bath and putting in new toilets in all the bathrooms, they just suck. As it is now we shower in a guest bath because some tiles are loose in the master bath, and we don't want to get any water behind those. So this is a big deal for me. I get new floors and my own bathroom back.

Too bad I probably will have to wait until May... I am not sure how long it will take, but it most likely will not be fun to live through. In worst case scenario we will have to grab the dogs and stay at a hotel for a few nights. But did I mention: I AM GETTING NEW FLOORS!

Halloween "swarms"

Right before we were getting ready to go out Sarah decided she wanted to wear her old yellow baby blanket around her, going as the Yellow Power Ranger. Mind you she has never even seen an episode of the Power Rangers, but apparently the boys in school like to play it. She knew all the different moves from the show!

I didn't think a baby blanket would be that great as a costume, but then she declared she wanted to be Snow White (from last year) and not a witch... So Snow White it was! And the dogs got to wear glow stick collars around their necks, so I could keep track of them in the dark. With the dogs glowing like Christmas trees, Sarah having shoes that light up when she walks, a light up, blinking Snow White wand and a large glow stick around her neck, we sure didn't have to worry about not being seen!

Our neighborhood happens to be very popular for trick or treaters, but this year it went a little overboard. I completely understands that if you perhaps live in an unsavory kind of neighborhood that isn't exactly kid-friendly, I would take my kid(s) to a more decent place too. Not the fanciest place, but a regular, friendly neighborhood. Like ours.

But. It is like they are selling tickets to our neighborhood somewhere. I counted 16 cars parked just on our street. 16! And not normal cars; no, big things that each had probably 10 or so kids (plus adults) in them! Before it was even dark the streets were swarming with these crowds!

Like I said, I don't mind the idea behind it, but I would like to see it in normal fashion, you know, the parents and a couple of kids. NOT mobs of people swarmed together! And they are not very polite either, Sarah got showed into the bushes several times at our neighbors' houses. We know our neighbors pretty well, and they were all trying to get a look at Sarah's costume, chat a little with us, but we got showed around pretty bad by the swarms (that is the best word I can describe them with!)

This is not the first year this has happened, it seem to be an annual occurrence. Last year was pretty bad too. I saw kids (teenagers and middle school age), part of the "swarms", that switched costumes with each other and then went back and hit the same houses they had already been to several times. That is all fun and games, but they seemed so calculated about it, like they only cared about getting as much candy as possible. It didn't really give you a warm, fussy feeling about Holiday fun...

I think people must have complained, because I saw two police cars driving up and down our street. Unfortunately we live on the first street in the neighborhood, so most of the "swarm" parked close to our place.

We got a little shocked when we saw all the people piling out of all those cars, so we decided to walk waaay back and start from there. That was good, since we got a few streets with peace, quiet and fun! Then when we made our way back to our place we got "swarmed" again.

It would be a shame if we, who live here, have to go to a different neighborhood to be able to enjoy some trick or treating in peace!

Sarah did have a lot of fun, walking around for 2 hours, and that is what is most important. But this hole "swarm" thing kind of irks me... What do you think!