Tinalicious

OK, groupies, it’s Macro Mania time. You know you love it. Don’t pretend like you don’t. And I aim to please. Blog bonus for you too, because today’s macro (a.k.a. meme) is Paula Deen-related. Now I love me some Paula Deen, y’all. And I know you do too. So don’t pretend like you don’t. And if you love Paula, then there’s no need for me to explain the butter connection to Paula, right? Everything is better with butter!

You just have to know how thrilled I was to be shopping in Wal Mart on Friday night, only to discover that Ms. Deen’s delectable delights are now available in the bakery section. Score!! So if you, too, are looking for the chance to clog your arteries and raise your cholesterol some sweet after dinner treats, you can now look no further than your local Wally World bakery to get something straight from Paula’s oven (almost). See for yourself.

And even though butter is  bad for you, sometimes you just gotta live on the edge. Take a walk on the pure fat and empty calories wild side. Live a little. Can butter really be that bad?! Just ask Paula.

Sending you love and best dishes, from our kitchen to yours. Just the way you love it. So don’t pretend you don’t.

OK, so I figured it’s time to get you up-to-date with My Obsessions of late whether you like it or not. Hopefully you don’t think I’m weird. Or too weird. Or weirder than you thought I was the last time you read my blog. Or something.

Chuzzle: And no, it’s not a drinking game. Dammit. Seriously though, the Chuzzle game on my iPhone is beyond addictive. It’s really the simplest and stupidest game in the world, but surely that’s part of its allure. But I guess what draws me too is just how cute the little Chuzzles are. Really. See for yourself.

Isn’t he adorable? And so are all his (or hers?) multi-colored-furry-looking-Koosh-ball-like little friends. It’s quite the multicultural world in Chuzzle land–with Chuzzles in almost every color. And the goal of the game is simple: line up three or more Chuzzles of the same color in a row. I don’t know why, but I am seriously obsessed with that game. I can play it for an hour and be surprised that more than five minutes have passed. And if you tap one of the Chuzzles repeatedly, it will like sneeze and blow off its own fur for a second. Too fun! I know, I’m easily amused. But really, who needs Angry Birds when you’ve got Chuzzle???!

Tumblr: Tumblr is just another kind of blog platform. I call it the blog for people who don’t like to write, because really, you don’t have to write to have a Tumblr blog. Most people post photos, memes, quotes, digital art, music, links, videos or just about any other kind of thing you can imagine.

There are over 30 million blogs on Tumblr. It’s really the perfect blog for lazy people. Not that I’m lazy. But I mean, if you want to blog but don’t feel like putting a lot of effort into it, it’s perfect. LOL That may be why there are so many teenagers on Tumblr. Do you have a teenage son or daughter? If so, ask if they’re on Tumblr…because they probably are. Some of the best laughs of my day are found on Tumblr. So it’s always worth a visit from me every day…and even Facebook doesn’t get that from me. Tumblr is  truly one of my favorite obsessions.

Boogie Shoes, by KC & The Sunshine Band: Hadn’t heard that song in years and then surfed into it in iTunes. Downloaded it. Can’t stop listening to it. It’s a blast from my Boogie Shoes past. I love it! And you know you want to hear it too. So strap on your Boogie Shoes and watch this fun little video I found on You Tube…it’s set to clips from That 70′s Show, which I never really watched on TV, but this is still fun to watch.

Now wasn’t that fun? I think so. And that’s the end of my random obsessions. See? I’m not so weird after all.

Got the Monday blahs? Feeling low? Need a little pick-me-up? Wishing I’d stop asking questions and just cut to the chase? Well alrighty then. I’ve collected a few random funny macros from the web recently, each of which made me…you know. L.O.L. So I added them to my ever-growing Macro Mania collection and shall post them now for your Monday viewing pleasure.

Clearly I am not as deeply and incessantly depressed as I initially thought. It makes much more sense that I am surrounded by assholes, don’t you think? Yeah, that’s got to be it.

This macro doesn’t fit me. At all. Like, ever. No way. I don’t do that. I hardly ever visit Facebook when I’m supposed to be working. I am seldom surfing Tumblr when I should be doing laundry. And I’m almost never tweeting when I should be cooking dinner. No, seriously. I’m not.

Stop judging me.

I don’t get it. What does the mushroom look like? Let me think on this a bit. I’m feigning ignorance just for the heck of it. It’s Monday, after all. My brain isn’t even firing on all four cylinders yet.

I need coffee.

First post of October. Seems appropriate that I share some deep thoughts, brought to you by the caped crusader.

Sage advice from a man dressed as a flying rodent.

No, seriously.

It’s been quite awhile since I posted a recipe for Tasty Tuesday, but then it’s been awhile since I’ve tried any new recipes too. This Chili Casserole one is really good, so hopefully it makes up for the gap in my recipe posts–because I’m sure that each and every one of you are not always anxiously awaiting my  next culinary creation.

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Turkey (I always use ground turkey, but you can use beef, of course)
1 medium Onion, diced
2 cans Diced Tomatoes
3 cans of your favorite Chili
3 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
16 ounces Sour Cream
16 ounces small Pasta Shells (or your favorite pasta), cooked

Directions

In a large pot, brown your Onion and Ground Turkey until the turkey is fully cooked. Add the Diced Tomatoes and simmer until heated through.

Add in your Chili, Cheddar Cheese, and Sour Cream, and stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then add the Pasta Shells and mix well. Pour into a large oblong casserole dish.

Bake uncovered at 350° for 25-30 minutes. You can add a little extra cheese on top after cooking for a bit of extra color.

The Hubs and I both liked this. I’m all about casseroles anyway, so it doesn’t take much to make me happy in that regard. But if the Hubs likes it, then I know I’ve done something right. Hope you like it!

I really need someone to explain this to me. I’m so confused and annoyed by it, I’m almost speechless. And that doesn’t happen often, as you well know. So here’s the scoop…

I have a granddaughter, Destiny, who is not quite 2. Destiny loves Elmo. And Destiny loves Elmo DVD’s. So every time I’m babysitting, we watch Elmo. Over, and over, and over. But even though I personally wouldn’t watch Elmo if I were by myself [no, seriously], the repeated watching of said Elmo DVD’s is not what’s annoying me.

What IS annoying me is the way my DVD controls get hijacked at the beginning of some Elmo videos, so that I can’t fast forward through the stupid FBI piracy warnings and other pointless previews, in order to get to the main menu and push Start. WTH is up with that, man? Why must my not-quite-two-year-old granddaughter be forced to wait for Elmo to appear? Do these people not realize how impatient a not-quite-two-year-old can be?! And do they really think a not-quite-two-year-old is going to pirate their freaking Elmo video? More importantly, do they not realize that a not-quite-two-year-old CANNOT READ?!!!

I cannot be the only person in the world who fast forwards through the B.S. at the beginning of movies to get to the movie itself. Nobody wants to see that stuff. We know it’s there. And we know that under penalty of law we can’t legally pirate your precious video. And we also know that other movies are coming out that your previews will detail. But guess what? If I wanted to be force fed previews, I would be sitting in a movie theater where I could be posting rants via my iPhone on Facebook about all the stupid changes they’re always making, while eating popcorn and Goobers, to pass the time until the previews are over. I do NOT want to see previews on a DVD. And neither does my not-quite-two-year-old granddaughter.

If this were an adult movie, I could deal with this madness. But it’s an Elmo movie, people. And when Destiny is looking up at me with her sad little pouty face, saying, “Momo, Momo, Momo” (that’s how she says “Elmo”), every precious second counts! I want to FF and then hit Start as quickly as possible. Like, RIGHT NOW.

Heartless bastards. They have no common sense at all.

Luckily, not all her Elmo DVD’s are like this. And luckily I have enough patience to not rip the offending DVD’s from the DVD player, take a hammer to them, shattering them into tiny pieces, which would result in my granddaughter’s guaranteed need for years of costly therapy. Grandparents really shouldn’t be the cause of their grandchildren’s therapy, after all. That’s their parents’ job. *wink*

I think the only thing I can really do is send a message to the big meanies who manufacture these DVD’s. So this is it, from Elmo, and me.