Bargain Book Bonanza #9 , Chubby Mommy Runs The Eugene Marathon, and Easy Taco Salad:

Welcome, peeps!  This is three posts in one, so to leave a comment, please scroll all the way down to the bottom of it.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit, I appreciate it very much!

Another Trip to St. Vinnies

Last week I was running my errands in downtown Mayberry.  One of those errands was to donate my paper grocery bags to St. Vincent de Paul.  

I don't like plastic bags, so when I am getting my groceries, I ask for paper.  I never have figured out how plastic bags are supposed to be better for the environment.  You can re-grow trees, and there is no reason why old growth needs to be made into paper bags, so the plastic peeps argument never convinced me.  I know, bringing your own good reusable canvas bags to the store is the best option, but I usually fill those up with things at home or forget to bring them with me.

So, I recycle my paper sacks to St. Vinnies, because as we all know -- books don't do well with thin plastic bags.  They are getting used to me coming in there now, and I hope to set an example.  The funny thing is that Oregon is going to now ban plastic, so maybe more people will soon be donating paper bags all over the place.  Oh, I love being a trendsetter!  I also think that I'll start sewing and selling cloth bags to sell in my little store.  What do you think?

Well, I got inside the store, gave to the needy and decided that I couldn't help it and walked straight over to the used book section.
Take a look at my haul:

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I got a Stephen King to add to my collection, a Star Wars book to give to my son, and a copy of Forrest Gump (I've only seen the movie 100 times but I didn't even know that there was a book).  The book that I am most excited about is the blue one, Case Histories.  It looks really good.  I might read it next.  Right now I am reading Maeve Binchy's Heart and Soul.  It is really good.  I was ready for a light reading type of book after Beloved.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I spent $6.00 that day, and the lady punched my card and combined the two that I had.  That gave me one full card for next time and a $5.00 punch on my new one.  Yay!  This really is a good deal, because a full card is worth $10.00 off the next time that I come in to shop.  If I come in on 1/2 off day, I will really get a good deal ... $20.00 worth of stuff for free.  I'm very happy about that.

This is a Bargain Book Bonanza post.  To read about others great finds, please CLICK HERE to go over to Mrs. Greenawalt's Cozy Book Nook to take a look!

JulieJulie Runs Her Very First Marathon!

Chubby Mommy Running Club ~ Julie Anderson

Do you remember my sister, Julie Julie over at the Chubby Mommy Running Club?  If not, she is the one in the orange.  Julie Julie loves orange.  She also loves staying fit.  Yesterday, she ran her first 13.5 mile, 1/2 marathon with, 10,000 others in Eugene, Oregon.  She came in 3056th place, also received a medal!  Yay for you, Aunt Julie!  (That is what I've been calling her for the past 30 years, since my firstborn was born.)

To read more about her adventures, please check out her websites.  She's a great writer and is lots of fun.  Julie is starting Chubby Mommy Running Clubs up all over the world, and that is very exciting. Maybe you can start up a chapter where you live ... just ask her how!  Here is her main blog Chubby Mommy Running Club, and here is her business website: Twist Pop Media.  This is the post about the night before the marathon: Chubby Mommy Running Club: Running the Half Marathon.  I'm sure that she will be writing a story about the event itself very soon.

I'm awful proud of you, Little Sister!

Easy Taco Salad

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

This is super easy to make and it tastes great.  My taco salad is quite a crowd-pleaser, but it isn't thrifty, unless you can get everything on sale.  It is probably super high in fat and calories, but you can make your own adjustments for that.  This is how I make it:

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

You also need a can of olives, sliced.  And an onion chopped up and cooked with the hamburger.  I forgot to take an action shot of chopping up the onion.  That is two sacks of salad, by the way (or one big one).  Oh, you also need a couple of tomatoes. 

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Brown 2 pounds of lean hamburger and the onion.  When it is brown, drain off the fat and add the packet of taco seasoning and mix well.  Don't follow the recipe on the back of the package.  If you need to add a teeny bit of water, that is okay though.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I usually mix this part all up in my big spaghetti pot, but it was dirty.  So I grabbed two big bowls and made two separate batches ... one to eat now and one for later.  (I didn't add the salad dressing to the one for later, that makes it really soggy.  Good, but soggy.)

Pour a bunch of tortilla chips into the bottom of your bowl.  Take a cup or small glass and crush them down into little pieces.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Add your seasoned hamburger and onion mix to your chips and stir well.  I'm switching to the green bowl now, for better pictures.  I always strive for beauty in the tiniest places.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Grate up a bunch of cheese and mix it in well with the other stuff.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Add your salad and combine everything.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

For this size of bowl, add 1/2 bottle of Catalina dressing.  There is also a sweet and spicy option, if you can find it.  If I had my clean spaghetti pot, I would have put everything in there, including the whole bottle of dressing.  Then, for serving, I would have transferred everything to a pretty bowl. 

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Top with sour cream, guacamole or fresh avocados, olives and more chips.  This part of the post seems to be a "do what I say, not as I do"!  I really wasn't in the mood to cook that day, but did it for my Cary.  I figured that while I was at it, I'd might as well take pictures of my project.

I put the rest in a gallon Zip Lock freezer bag, and we are eating it when we get the urge ... just adding a bit of dressing as we go!
Enjoy!


Kathy

If you miss a day, you miss a lot!  Don't miss out on the news ... Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.

Chubby Mommy Running Club Attends BlogHer Conference:

JulieJulie from Chubby Mommy Running Club, arrives in Oakland with her orange suitcases in hand (above).  Last weekend, JulieJulie  drove from Eugene, Oregon to Oakland, California to visit her friend Kristin.  It was a very treacherous drive, by the way.  While JulieJulie just happened to be in the area, she attended the BlogHerBET Women's Entrepreneur Conference in Santa Clara, California.  Here is a link about that, CLICK HERE. 

In a series of blog entries, Julie tells us all about her trip.  She is so funny; make sure that you watch the videos in her posts.  Did I mention that Julie is my baby sister, and I wouldn't even have thought about starting this blog with out her suggesting it?  Thanks,  JulieJulie, at least I am glad that you did.


Posts #1 & #2:

Part I - Scotch Tasting and The H & R Block Guy Video and Post

Part II - Lunch at Apples Cafeteria in Cupertino

There will be a couple of more posts about Julie's adventure over the next few days, so please keep checking back on her blog.  She's on Twitter too.

If you miss a day, you miss a lot!  Don't miss out on the news ... Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.

Maura Kelly and Everybody Else: Stop Being Mean!

Everybody's Got to Have Somebody to Look Down On:

A woman named Maura Kelly works for  Marie Claire Magazine.   Several days ago, her editor asked her what she thought of watching fat people in situation comedies on t.v.  Maura wrote this article: "Should Fattie's Get a Room, Even On T.V.?"    

Then, on Twitter, she tweeted this quote from her article:  "To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I'd find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair."   


Many people were very hurt by this, so she posted an apology underneath her article.  Julie Anderson, the creator of Chubby Mommy Running Club, wrote this post in response to Maura:  Dear Maura Kelly: Stop Being Mean.  It is very well written, so I wanted to share the link with you on here.  This whole situation makes me sad.  Why are people still being mean about weight?  Especially interesting is to me is that Maura Kelly has struggled with anorexia for a long time. 


It just makes me wonder why people are so mean, and why they keep getting meaner.  I have always liked this old song by Kris Kristofferson.  I first heard it on my Nanny's cassette tape when I was babysitting and beating up my little cousin for untying my bikini top when the workers were right there.  You were a brat, Danny!  But, you are still hilarious.  Anyway, I was in high school then, and the song has stuck with me.  Why does everybody have to have somebody to look down on?  Here is a link to a video that is circulating through Facebook.  It is by Creep Radiohead and it is neat how they made it.  The message fits in with this post:  Fitting In?


I am going to do my very best to be kind to everybody that I meet today.  I'll probably run into a lot of ornery people now that I have said it out loud, in print.  But just for today, I will try.
 

Click here to watch Kris Kristofferson perform Jesus Was a Capricorn

(Owed to John Prine)

"Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods.
He believed in love and peace and never wore no shoes.
Long hair, beard and sandals and a funky bunch of friends.
Reckon they'd just nail him up if He come down again.

'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.
Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.

Get back, John!

Egg Head's cousin Red Neck's cussin' hippies for their hair.
Others laugh at straights who laugh at freaks who laugh at squares.
Some folks hate the whites who hate the blacks who hate the clan.
Most of us hate anything that we don't understand.

'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.
Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.

Help yourself, brother.
Help yourself, Gentlemen.
Help yourself Reverend."

(Thank you to  Cowboy Lyrics  for these lyrics!)

I hope that each one of you has a very wonderful day, filled with love and kindness. 

~ Kathy

P.S. - Kris Kristofferson is HOT.  He reminds me of my husband.  Maybe Kris will be my new secret boyfriend.  Who should I pick?  Billy the Exterminator  or Kris?  Who would you pick?  I'm still keeping Johnny Damon though.  I just happen to heart that young man.


P.S.S. - I just added this to Natasha's  (5 Minutes Just for Me) Sunday Songs Linky Party.  This is kind of a heavy post, but it does definitely include a song and video.  Please check out Natasha's site for more Sunday Songs!  Thanks.  I also visited two of the other participating blogs: "How Sweet the Sound"   and  "Joys of Christmas"

Chubby Mommy Running Club:

NEWS ALERT!!!!  

Okay, remember a couple of months ago when we were voting for Julie to get her own show on Oprah?  Well....take a look at this link!  Julie is featured in the advertisement for OWN T.V.  She is near the end of the promotional segment.  WOW!!! Click here to see the video: OWN Channel by Oprah

==========================

While I was out eating pizza at my daughter Kristin's Guatemala Trip Fundraiser, my sister was across town with the t.v. news cameras on her.  Julie is the creator of Chubby Mommy Running Club , and in my opinion is on the way to becoming famous.  Between Julie and our grandson Tyler, and Bob Ross; my goodness!  We seem to be surrounded by celebrities around this joint.

If you want to watch the news clip, here it is:
 JulieJulie and Chubby Mommy on the Eugene News last night:

Julie, I am sure proud of you and that all of your hard work is being noticed.  Yay!

~  Kathy

JulieJulie's Great Interviews:

JulieJulie did not end up getting her own talk show last week, but she did get some great interviews and made a bunch of new friends.  Way  to go, Julie!  

Here is a link to a video of one of the people that she met in line, and for some reason this lady makes me so happy and proud of her that she makes me cry:

Patricia’s Story: “I gained 100 pounds after the divorce.”

http://www.chubbymommyrunningclub.com/2010/06/oprah-oprah-oprah/

JulieJulie, Oprah and L.A. Auditions:

Remember this woman, JulieJulie of Bend?  Chubby Mommy Running Club?  Twist Pop Media?  My little sister?  Well, she is now on her way to L.A. to attend an audition that is being held by Oprah that just may end up in JulieJulie getting her very own talk show! She would be perfect for the job, really.  If Julie wins, her talk show will focus on everyday fitness.  

Today, in getting ready for the trip, Julie and her friend Sissy went shopping for clothes and shoes for the trip.  Click on the link below to take a peek: http://www.chubbymommyrunningclub.com/2010/06/shopping-for-my-oprah-moment/

Best of luck, JulieJulie!

Here is the link to all of JulieJulie's videos:
http://www.chubbymommyrunningclub.com/videos/