Tag Archives: fun

The Monday Ante #8

Are you guys ready for another week of amazing posts, finding new great bloggers and a chance to be featured this Saturday? I know I am! So, let’s just get right to it!

And don’t forget, you can keep entering even after you win.

Please note, The Monday Ante will not be up next week as I prepare for an upcoming event on Tipsy Lit featuring a few of your favorite expat bloggers! Stay tuned for more details.

♣♦♣♥

How is about you? One person from every link-up will have their post featured on C2C on Saturday just in time for weekend reading, gaining additional exposure for your blog. I will share your post with a link to your site and at least one social media option. This will also be publicized through my social media channels.

Why? Because you guys are awesome and the world needs to know! I want to say thank you for your readership and your support by helping to share and promote your work.

When. The link-up will open every Monday at 8am, closing every Wednesday at 11:55pm. (Time zone is CET - Central European Time which is GMT+1 - Greenwich Mean Time. If that is confusing, ahem, 6 hours later than EST. Hope that’s clear as mud.)

What you need to do. Look at your posts for the past week and pick your favorite. Come back here and link it up before the end of the day on Wednesday. That’s it! (aside from a few simple rules coming up)

What you don’t need to do. No badges. No prompts or topics - the post can be about anything. No additional follows (aside from this blog). You don’t have to read the other submissions, but why would you not want to? Maybe you can find a new blog to love! Or you can just wait for the winner on Saturday and come back and congratulate them. It’s up to you because this is what???? ALL. ABOUT. YOU.

RULES

While I am trying my best to keep this simple and fun, there are just a few requirements for your entry to be accepted:

You must be a follower of this blog through Bloglovin’, email or WordPress. Obviously since I am doing this to support my readers, you need to be one. Duh.
You must share this link-up via Twitter. Not only do we want people to participate, but we also want people to look forward to reading the winning post. There is a handy-dandy Twitter share button below you can use to make it easier or feel free to share on your own, but please use my twitter handle in your tweet so I know (@Casinos2Castles). If you don’t have Twitter, leave a comment and we can work on #1 why you don’t have Twitter and #2 an alternate way to promote if you are against twits.
No inappropriate, hateful or adult content. This one is a given, but I figured I’d better list it because, after all, your work will be highlighted on my blog; therefore, I am endorsing it.

That’s it! I am always open to suggestions so if you have ideas that you’d like to see or that you think will make this better, please share with me!

I’m looking forward to reading all of your great posts and I know selecting a winner will be difficult.

Again, thank you for being you and being a part of my blogosphere. <3

♣♦♣♥

Now, link-up!

J’adore: A Trip to Paris with Jessica

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La Ville-Lumière. The City of Light. I had never been out of the country, but for my twenty-first birthday I was granted the opportunity to go to Paris with my best friend.

No one wants to hear about the process of getting my passport or the long flight or getting through customs but it was all just beautiful to me.

We went during the winter to avoid a lot of the tourists. Yes it was cold, but I didn’t feel it. With my broken French from high school and my friend’s learned French from multiple previous trips to the city, we would be able to navigate fairly well.

We stayed at the Hotel Dauphine St. Germain on the rue Dauphine, within walking distance of most things if we hoofed it. It was an adorable hotel with a tiny bathroom and twin beds and a view overlooking the white rooftops of Paris. Breakfast was delicious. Who am I kidding? The food the entire time was delicious! My favorites were the baguettes grabbed fresh from shops on the street, chocolate filled croissants, Orangina, and Nutella crepes. I had no idea Nutella existed before Paris.

We visited the Eiffel Tower, didn’t go up in it because it was freezing and crowded, but just standing beneath the thing was an experience. I looked up through it’s metal spirals and thought “I have arrived.”

Notre Dame was one of my favorite attractions. I am not an especially religious person but I felt reverent inside. My friend got sick so I went alone. I spent a quiet hour or so on a tour, observing the grand architecture and sheer history of the place.

But the Louvre, ah the Louvre, that was my absolute favorite place in Paris. We didn’t spend enough time there. You can go to Paris and just vacation there for the museum. It is that large and densely full of art and information. As artists ourselves, my friend and I were in Wonderland. The museum itself is beautiful, not to mention the works of art it showcases. I spent a good deal of time in the Ancient Egyptian section because I have a particular interest in that period of history. I was sad to leave. I vowed to its walls that I would return someday.

We also visited the Rodin museum. I didn’t know I enjoyed Rodin until we were done touring the site. Some of the sculptures, like the Gates of Hell, were so twisted and dark but held their own unique beauty.

I had only a few days to enjoy Paris. But it’s something I will never forget. When asked what my favorite city is? I answer with Paris. When feeling blue, I often recall my memories of the City of Light. And you can hear me on the phone with my best friend often sighing and asking, “Do you remember Paris?”

Jessica Sita is a full time writer living in Oklahoma with her husband and two dogs. You can find her writing at her blog,Watchful Creature or at Tipsy Lit . Also swing by and chat with her on Facebook or on Twitter.

Jessica is currenty trying to crowdfund her up-and-coming book of poetry. Check out this link to help: Outcrychapbook.pubslush.com.

The Monday Ante #7

6 Replies

Are you guys ready for another week of amazing posts, finding new great bloggers and a chance to be featured this Saturday? I know I am! So, let’s just get right to it!

And don’t forget, you can keep entering even after you win.

♣♦♣♥

Why? Because you guys are awesome and the world needs to know! I want to say thank you for your readership and your support by helping to share and promote your work.

RULES

While I am trying my best to keep this simple and fun, there are just a few requirements for your entry to be accepted:

You must be a follower of this blog through Bloglovin’, email or WordPress. Obviously since I am doing this to support my readers, you need to be one. Duh.
You must share this link-up via Twitter. Not only do we want people to participate, but we also want people to look forward to reading the winning post. There is a handy-dandy Twitter share button below you can use to make it easier or feel free to share on your own, but please use my twitter handle in your tweet so I know (@Casinos2Castles). If you don’t have Twitter, leave a comment and we can work on #1 why you don’t have Twitter and #2 an alternate way to promote if you are against twits.
No inappropriate, hateful or adult content. This one is a given, but I figured I’d better list it because, after all, your work will be highlighted on my blog; therefore, I am endorsing it.

That’s it! I am always open to suggestions so if you have ideas that you’d like to see or that you think will make this better, please share with me!

I’m looking forward to reading all of your great posts and I know selecting a winner will be difficult.

Again, thank you for being you and being a part of my blogosphere. <3

♣♦♣♥

Now, link-up!

Saturday Feature: Tales From The Motherland

10 Replies

I love this link-up so much! I hate to admit it, but I’m just not always able to get to everyone’s blogs during the week and I miss out on some great posts sometimes. But, when you share them here, I never miss out and neither does anyone else who follows along. I had some great ones this week and even more fun were the new people who joined us. Just so happens that this week’s winner is a newbie because this post is just too funny and right up my alley this week. We sold our car and haven’t found another one yet so it has been very challenging and stressful. We don’t live in a city where there is easy access to public transportation and while everything is going to be fine, I still used the word “HATE” a lot this week.Plus, this post mentions the other place I call home on the internet, Tipsy Lit.

So, when I saw Dawn’s post, I just knew I had to feature it. Dawn writes over at Tales From The Motherland and is the process of waiting to hear back about the publishing of her novel. She is a traveler, as are her children, with one who lives an an expat herself, like many of us. Her youngest is about to graduate and I mention this because the pieces she writes about her children just bring your emotions out in full force. She has so much knowledge and wisdom to share about parenting and is an excellent writer who has been freshly pressed twice and also had a story published like myself.

♥

A pretty picture I took, to soften the blow of the word “hate.”

First, let me explain the title… I can easily come up with 21 things that I irrationally (if you say so) hate, but the idea for this post comes from Ericka Clay’s post, which she stole from me, before I could think of it. She did it first, but it was just so great, I had to do my own list. These are 21 Things I Irrationally Hate:

Bloggers who come up with ideas for posts that I totally wish I had thought of myself. This is specifically directed at Ericka Clay, at Tipsy Lit, for coming up with this particular blog post, before I could think of it myself… Which, for the record, I eventually would have. (It should be noted that Ericka’s post is titled, “Twenty-one Things I Irrationally Hate, while mine is “21 Things…” See, it’s different. I thought of using the number… not spelled out. Not the same.)
That my husband can’t in fact read my mind. If he could, we could avoid so many arguments, because he would know that I’m thinking: … And don’t argue with me.
When someone in my house, generally a teenager, or someone much younger than me, eats the last of something that I didn’t say I wanted (particularly left-overs that I cooked!)… but I did… really want. This could also be filed under: people who can’t read my mind.
Raisins, especially cooked in anything. (And once you’ve picked on out of your kid’s diaper… well, you can never eat one again!)
When anyone at the grocery store, anyone, calls me “Mam.” It’s bad enough that I have to do the grocery shopping in the first place, without also being reminded that I’m a Mam now.
Sauerkraut.
Scales that don’t say what I want.
That eating chocolate chip cookies/bacon/nutty bits/milkshakes/Cheez Its/ Doritos/most of my favorite foods, don’t melt fat. Who thought of that bullshit science anyway? Thank God, sushi does… melt fat.
That working out and not eating does in fact burn fat. Again, science. Really?
That I’m 51 and I didn’t start doing what I really want to be doing: writing, thirty years ago. For real.
Editors and Agents that seem to think it’s reasonable for me to wait 6 to 9 months, to know if they like my manuscript. Don’t they know that I’m 51 and wish I’d done this thirty years ago? (Even if I couldn’t have written this particular novel 30 years ago.)
That other writers keep telling me that I do indeed have to wait this long to hear from editors and agents, and that: “that’s just the way it is.” Bite me, agents, editors and other writers.
Most teenage girls.
Teenage boys who say “dude” to everyone. Really? Dude?
Other bloggers who get their novels published, while I wait to hear from editors and agents… Hmm, Ericka Clay just got her novel published. And well, it does look really good, but… Other bloggers who get their novels published.
That bladder control issues, wrinkles, acne, weight gain, and a host of other insults, all come at an age when you are already freaking out, just thinking: What the fuck! I only have twenty (reasonably good) years left? And I haven’t heard from that agent or editor yet!
Stores who post a “We card anyone under 40,” sign, and then card me. Do we really need to make that point, Mam?
People who are always on time. So, I’m a little late sometimes. It starts innocently: I have some extra time, and then some friends from high school, who I wasn’t necessarily friends with in high school, have posted some things on Facebook that I really need to read? And like, and comment on. And then there was a photo on the sidebar of Facebook that I had to see: of a snake eating a crocodile (never mind that snakes give me the willies, and these photos totally freaked me out)… Which led to a photo of an otter (!!) eating an alligator… Which got me wondering when crocodiles and alligators became such losers… Which got me wondering what Liza Minnelli had to say about Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscar joke… which made me wonder which award winning movies I should add to Netflix (because yes, I still use Netflix)… which got me checking out other movies, and realizing I’ll never get to see the 3,452 movies on my Netflix list… Why the hell doesn’t the rest of the world realize that shit happens, and I might be late?
When people put the chips on the cereal shelf, or the measuring cups in the Ziplock- bag drawer, and then when I ~~complain~~ explain why I don’t like that, ask me why I care, when my office is a hoarder’s den… like chips have anything to do with my office?
Yellow bananas. Make mine a semi-green one, every time.
Whistling. Unless it’s in this song. Or this one.
People who complain.

Yeah; that’s twenty-two. I had more than 21, and I didn’t want to erase any of them. I also hate limits. Now, share yours. What do you hate? You can make your own list… but be a good egg, and link back to my post, and Ericka’s. And Note: I think I have more than made up for borrowing Ericka’s idea, by linking to her a bazillion times here!

♥

Hope you enjoyed that and if you did, make sure you go by and check out Tales From the Motherland for yourself. Have a great weekend everyone!

Cooking For Expats: Mexi-Chicken Casserole

16 Replies

Welcome back to the Cooking for Expats series on C2C! I’m looking forward to bringing you more budget and “Germany friendly” recipes. Also, don’t forget to check out Emma, from A Bavarian Sojourn, and her “Expat Essentials” series today.

Well, if you can believe it, today I actually have a chicken recipe! Shocking, I know! I initially planned to share vegetable soup, but I made this last night and it turned out SO GOOD. This is an excellent “expat recipe” because it’s another that calls for condensed cream soup that I made myself. I have made versions of this before, but this one turned out the best by far. It’s pretty versatile, so throughout you’ll see where you can use other options. Also, don’t let it scare you that it has a few steps. It’s really very easy and you can do the cream soup ahead of time to make it easier. You would just need to add a little milk or chicken broth later if it’s too thick. I also cook the chicken in the slow cooker because it makes for more flavorful tender chicken. Again, not necessary if you have a preferred method. You can also add green chiles when cooking the chicken or jalapenos to the casserole before cooking if you like it spicy. We would, but alas, not good for the boy. We clearly need to divide our meals in half for his portion and our spicy portions!

Make sure to read all the way through when preparing for this as the ingredients are listed for the total needed but used at different times in different amounts.

1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced yellow onion
1-2 TBS taco seasoning mix (I used about 1/3 of a seasoning packet)
300ml (plus another 3/4 cup to be used later) chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
50g unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cups of milk
shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of your preference - I used the light Reibkase)
100g sour cream
450g cooked shredded chicken
tortilla chips
salt and pepper

1. Place cleaned chicken breasts, bell pepper, onion, taco seasoning, tomatoes, 300ml chicken broth in slow cooker for 4-5 hours on low. Stir every so often. When done, pour contents into a colander to strain out liquid. Let chicken cool so you can shred. Shred and set aside in a medium-sized bowl including the tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.

2. Preheat oven to 350F/178C. Lightly spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

3. Melt butter over medium heat.

4. Whisk in flour until smooth. Add 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup chicken brother. Stir until thickens. Add salt/pepper to taste. (I only added pepper).

5. Pour sauce into chicken mixture. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk and sour cream. Mix well. You may add more taco seasoning or even just cumin at this point if you prefer. I didn’t because my husband doesn’t really like the strong flavor. *gasp*

6. Layer the bottom of casserole dish with crushed tortilla chips. Pour half of chicken mixture over chips and spread evenly. Add another layer of crushed chips and cover with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle the top with cheese.

7. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes. I have a top-only heat,old sucky oven, so I ended up having to uncover and bake until the cheese browned on top which I think turned out better.

8. You can serve with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes (optional).

Please let me know what you think and feel free to suggest ideas for recipes or ask any questions you may have! I hope you enjoy and if you make it, come back and tell me!

*recipe adapted from Key Ingredient