Actually, I’m contemplating my next life.

I’ve decided I want to return as a chihuahua. A pampered and spoiled chihuahua. Much like the one I have sitting on my lap as I drink my morning coffee and contemplate my next life.

I don’t want to return as simply a pampered pet, I want only to be a chihuahua. Why you ask?

There are lots of lap dogs and pampered pooches out there. You can see them just about everywhere you look. But, there is no other breed of dog that is useful only as a lap dog. Every other breed is expected to do something. Not so with chihuahua’s. All anyone expects of them is sleeping, cuddling and love. And they’re really good at it too.

Yup. A chihuahua. No more working life for me! I’m ready to lead a pampered life, sleeping on my human’s lap, eating the choicest pieces of meat, soft pillows to lay on, never having to walk anywhere.

It’s going to be great!

(psst! If you have a pooch you’d like to spoil, check out Poocheze! The best dog treats anywhere!)

Drum roll please…..

Through The Mouse Door submitted by Amy of Heathens Hearth on Etsy.

Thank you so much Amy, I love the name!!

And now it’s off to list the print in my Etsy shop.

Thanks to all who submitted and voted!

I’ve collected all the entries and now it’s time to pick a winner! Click on the link below, choose your favourite, (you can vote for more than one) and the one with the most votes will be the new name for this print, plus that person will win an 8×10 of this print!

Happy voting!

Help Me Name This Print!
(polls)

But, that’s besides the point, right?

I’ve been working out every day using the Wii Fit that hubby and I bought just before Christmas. It’s a lot of fun and it’s been working a bit, I’m actually down 1kg! We put the Wii system in our bedroom so I can exercise when I want, and in peace when the kids and hubby were home for the holidays.

Now that the holidays are over, though, he’s back to shift work, which means that there are times when he works midnights and I can’t use the bedroom. Not a big deal, I have yoga dvd’s downstairs that I can use. And I do thouroughly enjoy yoga.

Today was the first day I pulled out the yoga mat while hubby is blissfully snoring away upstairs.

I didn’t take into account the two very young, very energetic and very loving chihuahua puppies I aquired over the summer.

Have you ever tried to do downward facing dog with two tiny little dogs licking your face? It’s not easy, I have to tell you. Never mind meditating after your workout!

I’m definitely going to have to figure something out, though. It’s very hard to find inner peace with a chihuaha dancing around your feet while in tree pose.

Here are the rules

1. Add your choice of name to the comments section. You may enter as many times as you like.

2. That’s it! Easy, right?

After one week from today, I will put all the names I’ve collected to a vote. The name that gets the most votes wins! I’ll use that as the name for the print and the winner will receive a free 8×10 of this print.

Good luck! I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

As some of you may already know, I sell photogaraphy on Etsy. If you like, you can see my shop here.  Because I fancy myself a photographer, I tend to have my camera with me pretty much wherever I go and I’m continually snapping pictures, hoping for a good one.

Alas, that was not the case for poor Jack. He just didn’t fare well in this one.

It’s a time of reflection for me, and of renewal. I try to look back at the year before, see where I went wrong, what changes need to be made to make this year more successful.

Today I start a new exercise regime. Yes, I know, everyone does that, and who knows, maybe I’ll be like most and not be successful at it. But I’m going to try.

More importantly though, I’m on a personal journey of a spiritual nature. I’m taking this year to learn about myself, my body, my mind, my connection with nature and the world around us. I want to live more in harmony with the world and find myself in the process. It should be interesting if nothing else!

I’ve made it my goal to ensure that I keep this blog up and running too! I’ve been so lax in everything in 2009. I need to make some serious changes.

I hope that people will join me here as I work my way through to learning to live a simpler, happier life. I’ll still be posting recipes and tips and hints and all that good stuff. I’ll just be more regular at it!

Cook hamburger with onion. Drain hamburger. Mix cream of mushroom and cream cheese. Cook noodles. Put hamburger back in pan add drained corn and cream cheese mixture. Heat hamburger sauce enough so it will be easy to mix with noodles. Pour noodles and hamburger sauce in casserole, mix. Heat in oven until bubbly.

Makes 48 meatballs; 8 servings

3 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
3 eggs
6 tablespoons minced onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 400 .
In a large bowl, mix beef, crumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into 11/2-inch meatballs. (A miniature ice cream scoop makes fast work of shaping.)
Arrange in two 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pans. Bake in preheated oven until meat is browned, with no trace of pink and juices run clear, 10 to 13 minutes.
Drain, let cool to room temperature, divide into thirds and freeze each portion in vapor-moisture proof containers or use in one of following.

3/4 lb hamburger
28 oz can spaghetti sauce
1 C water
15 oz Ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 t oregano (optional)
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T parmesan cheese
8 lasagna noodles, UNCOOKED

In separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg & oregano.

In 9×13 pan layer ingredients as follows: 1/2 the sauce mixture, 1/2 the pasta, 1/2 the ricotta mixture and 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over all.

Cover pan with foil. Refrigerate overnight or freeze**. Bake @ 350 degrees 50-60 minutes. Remove foil cover during last 10 minutes of brown top is desired. **If frozen, thaw in refrigerator overnight before baking.

**My kids LOVE this recipe. Even my son who really doesn’t like lasagna all that much.