Food Glorious Food.

So since we have been trying to menu plan ahead of time and trying to come up with new things to do cheaper...this is what we ate this weekend.

We picked up pizza dough at the pizza shop nearby ($3.50 per round) and made the filling for these homemade calzones.

Calzone Filling
(makes 4 calzones which requires 2 dough rounds)

1/4 lb deli ham, sliced
1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
3 or 4 spoonfuls of ricotta cheese
a handful of mozzarella cheese

1 egg (mix with water to make egg wash for over top.

Roll the dough out and put the filling on half of it and roll it over. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. I served mine with some jar sauce for dipping.


We had them 2 nights in a row because we had so much stuff leftover to make the filling.

Now on to dessert!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies.

I got this recipe from watching Giada De Laurentis on Food TV. They sounded strange but I had to try 'em. This is the 2nd time I've made them. Yum. Really refreshing. I didn't tell KC what was in them till he tried them first because I kinda had a feeling he wouldn't be into a cookie with ricotta cheese in it, but he loves them now!

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add cheese, lemon juice & zest. Then stir in dry ingredients. I sifted my dry ingredients (I always do). Line baking sheets with parchment(these are some sticky suckers) and place them about an inch apart. Use 2 spoons to get them into the best circles you can on the sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-15 minutes a batch. Cool on cooling racks.


Mix the glaze ingredients together after the first batch is in the oven. it makes a ton of glaze. When the cookies have come out of the oven and have cooled some (about 20 min) then spoon a little of the glaze on them, it will spread out and drip off. I put mine on the cooling racks with paper towels underneath. Then refrigerate them for a bit to set the glaze.
It makes a ton of cookies! They are really good tho, like a cake almost.

So that was my weekend in food. tomorrow we are eating something much easier than all this homemade stuff, everyone needs a day off sometime.

PS. I start work officially on Tuesday!!!!! Full details once I return!

The Waiting Game

Now I wait for my call from Disney. 10 days to 2 weeks is a lifetime when you realize that you are really ready to not be home all day every day. By 4 pm everyday I am seriously BORED. There's only so much going on tho, esp. when KC works all day. Tonight we have dinner plans (Hi Pants!) at the new French spot we found near the house. I'm really excited for it. The brunch we had last week was amazing and I can't wait to try some more of their food. It's one of those cute places with real charm and food to match. Maybe I'll review the dinner here. hmmmm...

The weekend isn't looking too exciting either. Tomorrow we need to do the grocery shopping. We have been menu planning every 2 weeks and only shopping for what we need. It has definitely saved us some serious money over the last few months we have been doing it. It's a little work, but its worth it. Once I start working it'll be more in the crock pot and making double dinners some days, so we have leftovers on late nights. I am a planner, if nothing else, so it should work out fine.

Sunday KC is off. He switched with someone for today's shift. Thats a rare occurrence but in the interest of saving some money we aren't planning on doing much. My birthday is Tuesday and we are saving for that above going to brunch. We are also trying to be on a more strict budget. It's sort of working out. It will be really nice to have some more money coming in from me working. It's going to go towards the occasional dinner out and to make a dent in the credit cards.

That's this year's main focus. Paying off some of the credit card debt we have. It's not so bad, it could be MUCH worse, but we are trying to nip it in the bud, before it got really out of hand. The goal is to not go on a real vacation again until at least one card is paid off. Of course a trip to WDW might be the exception because of my Cast Member discount (which I am hoping I get even tho I am only considered "seasonal").

BTW getting old is starting to wear on me. I don't even wanna say the age out loud, esp. being married to a 24 year old. LOL.

Employed, At last.

I work for Disney. I can’t get used to it. I am so excited about it it’s silly. Working there is going to kill my chances at disability but I honestly don’t care. I have needed to find work for a long time, for me, for KC , for us and for my sanity. I can’t spend forever waiting on disability when I keep getting denied. I need medical more than anything, that’s why I was seeking disability. I know working will be hard on me but I have to give it a real try.

Yesterday was my day for “new hire” paperwork. I was with my “class” of new hires. I was the oldest one. I was also the only married one. I was also the only vocal one in the bunch. I’m pretty sure I was the most excited to be there too.

The paperwork was meh. The typical stuff. We got all kinds of papers to read at home too. When they asked who has been to any Disney Park me and 2 other people raised their hands....there were 9 of us in the "class"!! So stupid me says "I have been there enough for all of you don't worry". I couldn’t get over it. All college age kids who just need a job, and me who was happier than a pig in shit to receive Disney folders. I digress. I’m sure not everyone in the store is that way, I hope.(no clue why the pic wont load straight?!)

Then we had to get our lovely "costumes" (note sarcasm). Polyester at its finest. Needless to say the pants run 4 sizes smaller than you actually wear so the size I need was astronomical and they have to order them for me from Florida. I was a tad embarrassed but at least they will fit. The shirts are stretchy mock neck spandex shirts. Not sexy. Clingy is a good word. The girls are showcased, not by choice. Plus a belt, which means tucking the stretchy shirt into the pleated pants. Great times. I’m glad I am going to be mainly “back stage”. Maybe I will be forced to lose weight so I don’t have to avoid mirrors while in my work clothes. Only for Disney I’ll wear this crap.

So I just have to wait until my paperwork is processed and then I can start. 10 days to 2 weeks, they said. Then I take “Traditions”. The kids I was with don’t get it. There is a separate sheet that explains dress code for it, they make a big deal of it. It’s 8 hours of Disney College basically. How to be a Disney employee. To me, this is almost an honor because only real park employees usually do this course. Since we are considered a part of Florida, we take it too. I’m excited. I absorb Disney like a sponge. I really just don’t want to be the biggest dork in the room. I probably will be. But if there is anything I know about, it’s Disney.

Dreams

Just a quickie blog to say I am alive and happier than I have been in a while.

Today I interviewed and got offered the best possible job for me- Cast Member at the World of Disney store in NYC!!!!!

I am beyond excited about this! It's truly is my dream job. I go next week for paperwork then in a few weeks after that I start!

what this means for me in terms of everything else in my life, we'll get to that. For now I am HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!!!!!!!