Cioppino

I made this last night, it's also know as Italian Fish Stew. It's very good!! This is my version and I'm gonna assume you have cooking experience. Feel free to improvise with this one, it can be made in so many "oh so good" ways. Also, this is made in the slow cooker...so set it on low and come home to a fantastic soup.

1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 stalks of celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste) 3/4 makes it fairly spicy
1 small can tomato paste

Saute all the above ingredients in order in a large pan.. onion, celery, garlic and olive oil first till onions are translucent. Then red pepper flakes and tomato paste for about 3 or so mins...till it's all stirred and smelling yummy. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker.

1 28oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 bottle clam juice
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 cups shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cans chopped clams
2 cups firm fish (I use either salmon or tilapia, depending on price but I recommend salmon)

Add all of the above to the slow cooker...maybe less water if you think it's going to spill over. Definitely use the wine and the clam juice! :) Set the slow cooker on low assuming you do it in the morning. 4 hours on high if you are going to be around the house.

Enjoy it with french bread or sour dough! :)

Just for Moni am I doing this tag thing. :-)
Here are the rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their name, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. <----gonna skip this part as I only read the same 5 or so blogs and I'm sure some have already been tagged!

What was I doing 10 years ago:
Ten years ago I was engaged to Owen and preparing for life with a husband....little did I know at that time, I was so blissfully ignorant!!! Now, ten years down the line, I'm very pleased to say that I adore my husband and he's also my best friend!

Five Snacks I enjoy:In a perfect, non weight-gaining world:
1. Chocolate
2. Guacamole chips
3. popcorn with real butter
4. french fries
5. sour cream onion dip

In the real world:
1. I can never get the laundry caught up.
2. I love playing with my little boy and seeing the world through his eyes.
3. I manage all our bills, but I want to change that.
4. I'm looking for a job and part of me is willing for a job and another unwilling because I love being at home with my boys.
5. I wish someone else would clean the kitchen after I cooked in it.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: (first I want to say I'm grateful to NOT be a billionaire)
1. Travel with my family and friends
2. Buy houses all over the world so I could decorate them. (yes purely selfish there)
3. Set up college scholarships.
4. Orbit the earth in space.
5. Become a lobbyist for a better America since I have a feeling Congress would listen to a woman with a billion dollars.

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Rainbow Pennant
2. daycare
3. temp worker
4. medical assistant
5. Mom at home (current job)

Three of my habits:
1. talk without thinking.
2. yell when I get really excited/angry.
3. tickling my boys.

Five places I have lived: (just for fun, I'm gonna list them all)
1. various places in Oklahoma (7 different towns: Del City, Bethany, Howe, Muse, Choctaw, Edmond & Tulsa).

2. Wichita, KS

3. Kansas City, Mo

4. Federal Way, WA

5. California City, CA

6. Ft. Worth, TX

What do you want others to get from your blog:
Maybe a small sense of who I am now...a lot of you who read my blog know me best from around 10 or so years ago...I think I've changed a lot since then. :) Also, to let others know what's new around here.

Five People I am going to tag! No one, this is a "get out of being tagged free card". But, thank you Moni for tagging me...it helps to consider some of these things. I had the hardest time trying to think of what my habits are and I probably have more good ones but all I could think of were the ones I want to change.

Update on Nerves...

Turns out, I had nothing to be nervous about. After driving to the interview appt., which was a 30 min drive to Keller, TX., my interviewer was gone. He apparently was called out to another office for some reason or the other. So, ugh...frustrating. Now, I'm wondering about this position. The office was nice and the few staff members I talked to were pleasant. However, a job interview is a two-way street, the way I view it anyway. I'm also interviewing the doctor (or PA in this case) to see if I want to work with him/her. In a work relationship such as a medical assistant with a Dr. there has to be very clear communications so that the patient gets the best possible treatment. Not calling me was bad communication and makes me think that my time was perhaps under-valued. So, I believe I will ask for a phone interview to get some basic things out of the way and if that goes well, I'd be willing for a face to face interview. At any rate, this definitely cured my case of super-nerves. After all, with the amount of jobs available to a CMA, they need me more than I need them. Not a bad position to be in! :-D

Nerves, Nerves and more Nerves!

I have a job interview today. My first real job interview since my externship 3 years ago. I am seriously nervous about it!

Another thing....I was all set to get a babysitter, but they said bring my little guy to the office, they love kids and wouldn't mind at all. Ok, now I'm nervous about that! Perhaps I should have gotten a babysitter!!!

So, I'll post an update with how it goes.....sheesh...I'm nervous!