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Spinach & Goat Cheese Egg White Frittata

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Heather

Let’s be honest, my house isn’t the most delicious place to be when we’re on a diet and we’ve been doing the juicing thing. But I’m trying to get myself re-motivated in the kitchen and Bob might be making me just a little.

I found this low carb recipe, but I wanted to make it lower in fat (yolkless) and needed to adjust what I had (or didn’t have) in my house.

Spinach & Goat Cheese Egg White Frittata

12 egg whites
2 tbsp milk
1 lb fresh spinach
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced fresh garlic
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
4 oz goat cheese
salt & pepper

Preheat to 400. I cooked down the spinach with a little water (no oil), but not to the point of soggy. Whisk the eggs, salt, pepper, garlic and milk with a fork. Throw everything else in the bowl with the egg, make sure to break up the goat cheese into tiny pieces. Spray a medium size casserole dish with cooking spray, dump everything in and bake for 25-30 minutes (check at 25 but mine took 30). Make sure the eggs are done, they’ll get a little browning on the top. The fresh cooked spinach will be somewhat moist, just make sure it’s not raw egg.

It’s delicious, and happens to be awesome slathered in salsa.

Posted in Health, Recipe | Tagged frittata | Leave a comment

Week End Recap.

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Heather

…and I’m back on my meds.

And feeling much better.

Still not smoking, still exercising, still dieting, and back at work. All good things this week. They’ve actually been better than good for the most part, so I’ll recap a little.

I had to go in to work on January 1st since we were re-opening on Monday. Furniture needed some TLC, Christmas decorations needed to come down, butter taken out of the fridge. Normal stuff. The “not normal” part of my day resulted in a handful of crazy emails I sent out to some contacts I know, and contacts I don’t. My “idea” is still consuming me, but I’m not one for sitting around, waiting. I’d rather people think I’m a little crazy versus lazy, and if I get judged on both accounts I don’t really give a flip.

By Wednesday I found out I didn’t get a ticket to the Martha Stewart event in march for Dreamers into Doers. I was pissed off, because they said the tickets were going to the first 80 people whom emailed. Unless I didn’t follow the directions (possible) that’s not necessarily true. Because everyone at work, including my mom, received a ticket- except me. I sent my mom’s email in after I sent mine. All 6 of the girls got a ticket, but not Heather. Nice.

Typical yes, but as luck would have it, I got a phone call that would change all that. And yes, I’m leaving this statement hanging, because it has everything to do with my idea and my crazy emails. But it’s not the time to get into that craziness, all in good time. All I know is that not going to the Martha event isn’t a big deal.

As for home life, I’m keeping myself decently occupied with my treadmill, a trampoline I bought myself to burn off the crazy (it works, by the way) and my diet.

Bob and I started a juice diet. I love fad diets, as I’ve always admitted. We happened to watch the documentary “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead” and decided we had nothing to lose so decided to give it a shot.

It’s actually not that bad, but after 2 days we couldn’t “just” do juice. I love food too much, so for now it’s just getting used as a meal replacement. Then there’s my mom the diet sabotager, who comes over with a giant pot of homemade spaghetti bolognese to torture me.

And now let’s discuss another kind of crazy. Crazy customers.

My name is Heather and I own a cupcake shop. Within the first week of being open, I was already familiar with the term “crazy customer”. Every once in a while, we have a run in with someone that blows our minds. This year, I think it’s time for me to start sharing some stories. Maybe you’ll laugh, maybe you’ll be horrified, or maybe you’ll learn to keep your own mouth closed next time something totally ridiculous is about to come out.

My First Cupcrazy of the Year.

Our hours aren’t a secret, they’re posted on our website. If you call the store, they’re also listed on our voicemail message. Saturday is the busiest day of the week for custom orders, and often people need to pick up things before we open at noon. Customers know to call us on the phone, and we let them in.

When I saw 2 ladies banging on the door yesterday, I figured they had a pick up.

I opened the door and smiled, “hi, here for a pick up?”

Stink face. “No.”

…”oh, okay! We open at 12 on Saturdays.”

pause. flush. insanity.

“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I’VE TRIED TO COME HERE AND YOU’RE CLOSED!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! I DROVE ALL OF THE WAY HERE FROM (the town next to us, 5 miles away). I’M SICK OF THIS! I’M FINISHED, AND DONE WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“ma’am. uh, ma’am…we have a few things ready now if you’d like to come in?” Now I’m hot and embarrassed and see everyone at Starbucks is looking over at us.

screaming from the middle of the street- “NO- THAT’S IT, I’M DONE WITH YOU! SOOOOO DONE!!!”

Last time I checked, I owned a cupcake shop. I don’t run an emergency room.

I can only end this post with a few tips:

1. Check the hours of a business you’ve never been to, and 2. Don’t treat people like this. EVER.

So that’s the first week of the year. A rollercoaster as usual, and I’m determined to enjoy the ride. Even if it makes me throw up.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged crazytown | 1 Comment

2012.

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Heather

New Year’s Eve I went to bed at 9:30pm. The kids were in bed, Bob was hanging out with his dad, and I was upstairs having a panic attack.

First and foremost, I quit smoking. I’m not a big chain smoker, it’s just a crutch for dealing with stress. My kids don’t even know I do it, because I hide it. I don’t smoke everyday, but some days I will smoke 5 or 6 cigarettes in an hour. I was on my way to Hobby Lobby when I took the cigarette, threw it out the window and decided I was done. I haven’t craved them once since, and that was one month ago. But I noticed an increase in anxiety attacks, so maybe that’s my withdrawal symptom. All I know is that I’m lucky I don’t miss them.

Which leads me to focusing on these insane anxiety ridden panic attacks. I don’t know why I stress out, because I’ve found a decent balance between work and home. Although I still suck at making dinner, and I miss how much I loved to cook. Does that even make sense? And I never make time for myself. My hair is a wreck. I haven’t bought anything nice or pretty for myself in a long time. Most days, I look like a homeless person in a butcher’s apron.

Either way, I’ve been laying awake at night anxious, for one major reason.

I’m bored.

Yes, I’m crazy for saying that with four kids, a husband, and a business. But I’ve been feeling stifled and restless. What I’m doing is not enough.

For years I’ve had ideas pop in and out of my head at night. If I had been really smart, I would’ve left a notepad next to the bed to write them all down. Maybe I’d be really wealthy and feel complete by now. Or not. All I know is that while running on my treadmill (because the gym is a one way trip to HELL for me) I came up with an idea. It’s an idea that is nuts, and grandiose, maybe ridiculous, but my brain is consumed with it. Here I am at 2am reading, researching, scanning, looking….and now purging some of this psychotic energy into a post. My first personal post since falling into a rut of monotony.

I have an idea, and need to figure out how to turn the idea into reality.

This is how I’m starting 2012.

Totally and completely manic.

Posted in I Am An Ass, ideas | 1 Comment

Hey, Santa? Chill out.

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Heather

“I know it’s all about the photo op, but my girls wanted to tell you what they’d like for Christmas first.”

Yes. That’s what I snarked at Santa. I was pissed off. I thought I was smart getting to the mall on a weekday when it opened. I was promptly tossed a blinking pager and told to stroll the mall for an hour until it buzzed. Are you joking? What is this, Disney World? An hour later we got back to Santa only to find a line. A line that would take another 35 minutes of waiting. Luckily my mom came along, so I had her get the girls some lemonade and a hot pretzel to entertain them and keep the “hangries” at bay.

It’s finally time. For all of her excitement, Shaye got nervous. REALLY nervous. Even as a baby she was a little shy at first around strangers, she isn’t the ballsy bossy pants that Brinn is. So she hesitated for a second. In that one second, Santa was up off the chair, practically charging at her. He rounds the girls up and heads over to the chair, and begins hollering demands at his “elves”.

“Put her here, set her on this knee, turn the camera like that….” Kid you not, he was not going to say more than hello to them before having this picture churned and out and could be on to the next kid. Isn’t the whole point of going to see Santa to deny that you’ve been hell on wheels all year and beg for some toy you saw on a commercial? Hey Santa? CHILL OUT. He was a little stunned, understandable. Only Heather yells at Santa. But the girls did have a few gift requests (pillow pets, candy and a hamster- that’s another story), and had been so excited to see him, not to mention I waited for an hour and 45 minutes for their 2 minutes of Christmas glory, and managed to blow $200 on shoes they may or may not have needed while waltzing aimlessly through the mall.

Either way, the girls did get what they asked Santa for, we got this cute picture, and maybe Santa remembered to ask a few other kids what they wanted this year, instead of solely focusing the business of pictures.

Posted in family, holidays, I Am An Ass | Tagged dear santa | Leave a comment

I’m featured on Martha Stewart’s website as their “Dreamer Into Doer” this week.

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Heather

http://dreamers.marthastewart.com/page/doer-of-the-week-heather-mcdonnell?czone=community%2Fdid-cnt%2Fdreams-come-true&center=856244&gallery=351814&slide=872152

Above is the link to the article and interview.

Ever week on Martha Stewart’s website, they feature someone who turned their dream into a reality. It was pretty cool to be picked, since they only pick one a week for the year.

Not gonna lie that I was super excited, flattered and a shocked to be chosen.

Come on, it’s MARTHA. She is to baking what The Beatles are to music.