Tater chip...Mmm good.

Yes, I haven't blogged in like 2 weeks b/c we just had our biggest events @ work...and now I'm sitting in the hospital back home w/ my Dad. He had a mild stroke & I came home 2 B w/ him...he's doing really well. :o)

But I have a lot of time 2 sit here & catch up on my Blackberry bloggin'!

Below are handmade potato chips we enjoyed @ work, provided by my fave caterer, Ann w/ Great Endings. The 1st one was a cute lil' pillow chip...they were so good. :o)

FREEdom...in the mail.

Some days it pays 2 check the mail. Last week I got all FREE stuff, & not a single bill on this day. :o). I got my Aveda card 4 a shampoo sample, a pair of V.S. panties, & a b-fast @ Cafe Express!

So, my hair can be clean & Aveda-smelling, I can be sporting some sassy knickers, all while enjoying a bac/egg/chz ciabatta b-fast sandwich! That's my next Sat. morn, I tell you!

IKEA, meet my master bdrm!

So, I know I put this up on FB a few weeks back, but not everyone I know is on FB. (C'mon slowpokes!). :o}

I snagged me this cute bed set: duvet cover w/ pillow cases, $40, 2 euro shams & pillow fill, $30, gray accent pillow, $9, orange throw, $10 - $89, I love U IKEA!

Plums round 2 (& 3)...

So last week I went at it again, w/ the 2nd batch I had been collecting the previous week. I had a LOT, enuff 4 1 batch & a 1/2. So I decided to combine the remaining 1/2 batch w/ these hard, yet crisp & sweet pears my managing editor, Linda, brought me from her own trees! :o)

Note: if word gets out that U can, people bring U things...so spread the word, 'cuz free is good! Just repay them by bringing them a jar of whatever ingredients U canned of theirs. Share the love. :o)

Re-branding the blog.

Okay kids, after much self-debate, and feedback, I've gone back to the drawing board, and decided to change the branding (identity) of my blog to "Food*Sparks". The idea being it combines me w/ my fave thing, food - mostly that I love to cook food and entertain. And food 'sparks' conversation, debate, excursions, passion, therapy, etc.

AND everyone didn't necessarily understand the inside joke of the previous name. Mostly I got this:

"Now, why is it called 'I have a coupon for that', and why are you 'Ms. Sparkstein-Whoreowitz' when it's mostly about food?" haha

So, hence the change, it just seems more fitting. Now go and update your bookmarks, your favorites, your Google Reader (if you don't do this already to keep up w/ your fave websites and blogs, just DO IT, you'll love it!) And THANK YOU so much for all of your comments and support - I love that you read it! :)

Salsa canning.

I'm slow & haven't updated in a few weeks, but over the Labor Day wkend I headed 2 the Farmers Mkt & got stuff 2 can 2 diff kinds of salsa - original w/ heirloom & reg tomatoes & some w/ the roasted green chile Ben gave me. :o)

I used these great wide-mouth Ball jars & love the tiny pear & grape tomatoes I used. I left them halved so U could see the detail in the jar. :o)

Cute new fall bag.

SO...of course it's always dangerous 2 go in2 DSW, right? Well, I was on a mission 4 new athletic shoes 4 my Zumba class...gawd knows I needed a pair, as my others were 3 years old!

Well, the plan was 2 go in2 DSW w/ blinders on, & head straight back 2 the clearance. Yeah, that didn't happen! On the way I eyed this supple, eggplant colored Cole Haan suede bag. It was marked down 70% off - the deepest discount DSW gives! How could I resist?

The bag is still available on Cole Haan's website, marked down to $189.95, from $375! And I STILL got it at $60 - now, THAT'S a Sparkstein special! ;)

So, $60 & no athletic shoes later...I left the store w/ this lil' gem. *sigh* All in a day's work. HEY, Fat Girls love their shoes and handbags, b/c our feet mostly stay the same, and handbags fit errrbody! :)

I came, I saw, I rescued, I canned!

Rememba' these babies? Well, they met their tasty demise last night when I canned my first round! I boiled them up, added the sugar & Sure-Gel, skimmed off the "scummy" froth caused by the hard boil, & ladled the tangy sweet concoction into pint Ball jars.

It smelled wonderful, tasted delightful, I only hope the skins of the plum don't turn out to be too chewy. I got 10 pint-sized jars w/ 6 cups of fruit & 8 cups of sugar.

The making of Christmas gifts has officially begun! :o)

Can-can time!

This was my haul 2day...those are all Ball jars across the back if my truck. It's me vs. the plums...it's on! :o)

Thai 2 Go...new 2 Dallas.

So, I tried this latest Thai establishment after seeing it in Daily Candy. I had the beef pad thai, which was pretty good. Pei Wei's is my all-time fave, but this would run a close 2nd. I like the carrots & bean sprouts mixed in.

If U wanna check it out, it's over on Medical District, just off Maple. Basically, just behind Elliott's Hardware, in the strip center of those new apts.

White trash quick n' dirty mac n' chz

Sometimes I crave foods that don't even fall in2 a food category...& the other night that was Velveeta 2% (as if the low fat milk even matters...I don't think there's milk in it - it sits on the SHELF!). Lol

So, I busted on dwn 2 my local Albertson's & bot Barilla elbow macaroni & a block of the orange stuff...the food of the Gods. Lol

It was YUMMY 2 say the least!