Results are in

Results are in for the Chili Cookoff....and I am not the winner. We had 5 completly different tasting chilis, and the winner was our Controller. He must of had the correct balance of spice, meat, beans, and yumness. Who would of figured. However a few of my coworkers have said they liked mine the best, so at least I wasn't last. It was a fun time judging and eating and socializing with coworkers. My belly is full. Oh and we had some awesome desserts. My diet is down the drain for today. I probably won't eat another thing for at least 2 hours. hehe

So tomorrow we are making pretties at Christina's!! She has asked me to bring chili, so I will take my nonwinner recipe to her house for the girls to enjoy. Then we will make some beautiful autumn weaths/centerpieces/pretties. I'm excited about the fellowship and the laughs we will all share. yeah rah

Chili Cookoff

Who Likes Chili???!!!!

Tomorrow I am having a Chili Cookoff at work. And YES I am in the competition...of course...it's competition and I LOVE COMPETITION!! I have this new recipe and I am tweeking it to put some Paigeneeze in it. I hope it turns out good! Oh I hope I hope I hopea.
The judging criteria for the cookoff will be based on 5 characteristics: Taste, Consistency, Aroma, Color, and Bite/Aftertaste. You know what that means....I have to taste it first....and Todd is a good critic so he can try some as well. Of course since we have FFC tonight the chili making will be a late one tonight. But that is what we have to do when we LOVE our friends and fellowship time. Who needs sleep anyways. However I might need to eat the chili for breakfast to give me a boost for the day. YUM
Anyone else what to have a chili cookoff. Maybe we should have one. CARLYE MAKES SOME KICK BUTT CHILI! Does anyone else? Leave a comment on your possible time frames and we will have a cookoff!

CARDINALS MADE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES

THE CARDINALS MADE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES. The Stinkin World Series I tell ya!! How exciting is this little...HUGE...factiod. Yaahoo!!! Ok so this morning we wake up at the crack of dawn (actually before then b/c it still looks like pitch black midnight outside) and the first thing Todd does is turn ESPN on. I have him record (DVR baby) while I get ready, so I can watch it later.
..confession.. I had to watch ESPN highlights b/c I didn't watch the game. Christina, Carlye and I talked and talked and talked some more while we listened to the boys get really emotional over the game. oh yeah, we would stop mid sentence to look through the fireplace to see them jump up and cheer and give eachother high fives. it was good times. (after ffc some stayed to watch the game, some stayed to talk)
So I got to see some of the highlights of the game and I will see the rest later. What I saw was awesome.

oh and for those that watch Project Runway, Jeffrey won. He's the guy with the semi-mohawk with the huge tatoo on his neck. Rock n' Roll style genius. I'm fine with the results. I liked all the final 4 contestants, b/c they were so different in style. If I was in style I would were most of that stuff. but Tshirts and Jeans work for me. So now Top Chef has started and the first episode looks promising. Wednesday night tv watching is all about competition for me!!

Halloween

Hello Everyone! Halloween is right around the corner and that means costumes and candy! I like Halloween for the fun part, not the crazy scary part. I don't do haunted houses. Paying $10 for 60 minutes of waiting in line and 10 minutes of walking through a pitch black building doesn't sound like fun. But if you like the haunted houses, good for you, let me know how it is this year. I don't do scary movies either.

My little nephew Logan is going to be a pumpkin. Oh how cute! I love seeing all the kids dressed up. Cowgirl, pumpkins, witches, clowns, cats, duct tape girl, spiderman, princess. lots of fun! In high school we would take kids trick-or-treating so the parents didn't have to. That was fun....only b/c we got to dress up and get the candy too! I miss trick-or-treating. So if you have kids and you want someone to take them...call me!

We usually make a drive downtown on Halloween to circle the square and look at all the cool cats dressed up. One year we counted like 5 different couples dressed up like the Matrix. That was crazy. (Now I want to say that the driving downtown is my idea and Todd just goes along with it to make me happy. what a sweetheart.)

Trick-or-Treat

What a Week

Is it just more or does it sound like everyone has had quite a week!! Glad it's Friday. So far this week I have made 3 Pumpkin cakes. Oh yeah. I have leftovers if you want some more!!! Todd & I have had people at our house for the past 3 days. UFC on Tuesday (awesome funness) Poker on Wednesday (oh yes I brought home the winner jackpot) Hotel Fergantor last night. It's always fun to enjoy company. But the week is not over yet! Tonight we kick off the volleyball league at church. Gotta buy some knee pads today...bruises are not cool on the ole knees. Tomorrow Todd & I have a softball tourney (burr) but I heard today they are having troubles finding enough teams...so we might not be playing. Oh well that's ok, it's been a while since I swung a bat.

For all the travelers this weekend have a wonderful safe trip!

For Angela and anyone else who loves my pumpkin cake and wants the recipe...here it is! You can use 4 full eggs but I try to cut the calories and fat so I use 3 egg whites and 1 full egg. It's still good!

Pumpkin Cake

3 Egg Whites
1 Full Egg
1 can Evaporated Milk
¾ cup Sugar
¾ cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg
2 cans Pumpkin

--Mix all ingredients together. Place in 9x13 cake pan.

1 pkg Yellow Cake Mix
1 stick Butter (melted)
--Sprinkle cake mix on top of pumpkin mixture in pan. Pour melted butter over cake mix. Bake 58 minutes at 350˚.

Todd, the 58 minutes is for you my dear!

writers block

What in the world is writers block? Is it that empty space in your head when you are trying to think of something to write down? Is it the thoughts of everything going on in your life while you are trying to be creative and think of a story to write? Is it a disease? I don't know what it is but what it is is what it is. (read that again please) ok that reminds me of the tv show 'Top Chef' I love that show and it is going to start again pretty soon. Oh yeah, great fun. Ok so last season in 'Top Chef' the had clips at the end of the season and they showed everyone saying "it is what it is" that was hIlArIoUs. Now back to the writers block thing. I was just writing about the writers block b/c I didn't know what I was going to write about. I think I was going through what some call...a writers block. Maybe not. God Rules!

Pumpkin Goodness

Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins

Who wants Pumpkin Pie? How about a Pumpkin Goodness Cake?!!! Ok well then come on over! I am in the pumpkin mood and I have to make my mom's pumpkin cake. Yes it is the offical "autumn meter." Once you have had chili and pumpkin cake it is Autumn!! Todd is cooking chili for me tonight!!!! and I will make the cake tonight to share with the UFC friends tomorrow!! So if you like the UFC, come on over. If you like pumpkin desserts, come on over Tuesday night! Yes this is your invitation to enjoy the new season and the Ferguson Mansion! And maybe if you talk nice to Todd he might make you chili for tomorrow night!?!!? But you have to ask!

Have a fantastic day!

Pink is my Favorite Color??

Pink is not my favorite color, but let's talk about the color pink. (green is my favorite...all shades)

Pink is a red and white mixture of color. Pink is romantic, and calming. It's a color for friendships, love, baby girls. It represents honor and is known to overcome evil (source: the internet). Have you ever heard of Pink the punk rock star...or how about the British rock band Pink Floyd. Pink is a color used for princesses.

I never wore pink when I was younger. I always thought it was too girly (and my room was mauve YUCK). But now I love the color. I love wearing it and seeing it. It reminds me of love and simple things in life. But I ask...and I give my opinion on my blog...
Why do you see more guys wearing the color pink?? Because it's hot! It doesn't mean the guy is queer or weak, the pink represents a hot fashionable color. I love pink on people (guys, boys, girls, women, old men). I think pink brings out the natural tones in someone's face and makes him/her look beautiful. So the next time you go shopping buy pink! It's in and it's hot!

Pictures

I will let you in on a little secret..I love to scrapbook. Yes besides that fact that our kitchen table is in the living room (gotta watch tv while I scrapbook), and the table is full of piles of paper and pictures and glue and and and lots of stick on stuff. (Boys love it) Over the weekend I have scrapbooked a fun July weekend with some High school buddies, this weekend was in 2001. I have scrapbooked my Senior Prom 2000...funny how the pictures of you and your date/boyfriend are not as precious anymore. One photo of us will do the rest will go in the trash, yes, no matter how Gorgeous I Do look! hehe (yes I am actually laughing at myself). Scrapbooked pictures from a family vacation at the beach when Todd and I were just dating (we were lean mean sexy machines WOW six pack city). I have also scrapbooked my Dad's 50th bday party 2006 Feb. And the most recent my nephew Logan! So I have tons of pages of pictures to go in albums from Multiple years. I feel like such a slacker, but then again, I'm glad I am doing this now b/c later I won't have as much time and the years will really pile up. A picture is worth a thousand words, just imagine if you can flip through pages in an album not just a shoe box of pictures. My goal is to get all caught up and not leave my living room a total disaster.