Roasted Broccoli

I don't know how long ago it was, but it's been some time, my friend, Fran, and I went to a cooking demonstration class up in Alpharetta.  One of the healthy, quick dishes that was demonstrated was Roasted Broccoli.  I made some last night, and it was a good as candy!  I couldn't stop eating it.

This is what I did.
I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.
I washed and dried a head of broccoli.  Next, I cut it up into little florets and spread them into a single layer on a large cookie.  Then came the extra virgin olive oil.  I drizzled a good amount on the broccoli, enough to coat them completely. (I remember the lady at the Alpharetta cooking class actually dipping the broccoli in olive oil.)  I swirled them around a bit to make sure they were good and coated.  Lastly, I sprinkled kosher salt all over.  I popped them into the hot oven and set the timer for 8 minutes.  The broccoli got good and browned on the edges.

These are soooo good. 

Joe Shade

Both of my girls play soccer.  There are usually 3 or more games each weekend.  They love it.  They play for CFC East (Cobb Futbol Club in DeKalb county)  It sure gets hot on the sidelines when the sun is out. It seems like most of the families have these portable umbrellas that set up in a snap and offer great shade. After 2 years of being hot, sharing the shade with other folks that have umbrellas, or holding a big golf umbrella, I decided to splurge and get my own portable sport umbrella.

I searched around the internet and came across Joe Shade www.joeshade.com .  Just what I was looking for!  Easy set up and UV protection said the website.  They even had instructional videos to demonstrate the umbrella.   I promptly ordered one.

In less than a week, my Joe Shade Umbrella arrived.  Just like the website promised, it set up super easily!  After it was all set up, I noticed a few places where the fabric of the umbrella was ripped. Not good.  Not that I was going to use it for rain (which I might in a pinch), it would be the beginning of bigger rips.  What to do?

First, I took some pictures of the rip with my camera and down-loaded them to the computer.  Second, I returned to the website and found a "contact" section and emailed my concerns, although there was not a way to attach my pictures.  Then I saw a phone number, so I called and left a message.  Lastly, I finally found an email address, so I emailed and attached the pictures.  What overkill!  Sure wish I found the email address first.  I tried to be straightforward and nice about my complaint in all three messages.  Well, in no time at all, I received an email from Dave at Joe Shade letting me know he got all of my correspondence (I felt a little embarrassed about the overkill.)  He also told me that another umbrella would be on its way soon, and that they would inspect it thoroughly before mailing it out.  Wow!  That was so nice.

So...a big THANK YOU goes out to Joe Shade.  I am so looking forward to sunny soccer weekends, having my own shade that I can share with others.

Many Names

This week I've been thinking about the many names I have.

(No particular order)
Marcy
Wife
Mom (Mamma Taco- new name by child #3)
Sister
Daughter
Housekeeper
Chauffeur (glad for spell check here)
Friend
Cook
Schedule keeper
Christian
Confidant
Trainer
Blogger (kinda sorta)
Aunt
Budgeter
Couponer
Manager
Punkin
Ma-dray (derivative of Mom by child #1)
Teacher
Schedule Keeper
Shopper
Guide



My favorite title is "mom."  It's funny that soooo many people have this very same title.  When I play games with the kids, and we're keeping score, my name is always "mom."  But when I play a game with my own mother, she's "mom" and I'm "Marcy."  It's not "mom" and "mom."

I look at theses names and think that I could do a better job at most of them.  One day at a time...