Fri 23 Oct 2009
Cucina Gigiola is now up! No i don’t own a restaurant - however that WOULD be nice someday… 
check it out for updates on food recipes and other fun food sites!
I can’t help it. i LOVE food
Tue 13 Oct 2009
so many of you may or may not know - i love to eat! what’s my favorite? pretty much everything that’s edible! (except for peanuts and fish that is) - lately, i’ve been doing a bunch of cooking and what not. i LOVE it! One thing I have mastered is the oh so popular spinach & cheese stuffed pasta shells! Last night, I attempted to make some fettuccine alfredo with chicken - needless to say the boyfriend was very happy, full, and satisfied
Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells:
Fettuccine Alfredo + Chicken:
I’ll post more pictures and other recipes as I go along and cook them. Refer to my past blog about cooking by click here! enjoy!
Aside from my food obsessions, it’s fall in Chicago! Guess what that means? a whole lotta shopping! bobby bought me a pair of these shoes - i still need to shop and find out what looks good with it. any thoughts??
Oxford Boot:
Thu 20 Aug 2009
Forbes 100 of Most Powerful Women
Posted by Administrator under food , Internet findings , fashionNo Comments
So, I try to catch up on interesting articles during my lunch breaks everyday. Either finding food recipes, “Eat This Not That” stuff, and the occasional topics that include “Decorating the Interior” or “Style Watch Winter 2010.”
Today, however, I found myself listening to the oh so popular “Charlie’s Angel’s” soundtrack and couldn’t help but think ‘”Wow, am i all about independent and powerful estrogen today.” Which leads me to sharing an article on MSN listing of 100 Most Powerful Women. (according to Forbes)
Unfortunately, Mrs. Obama and Oprah’s ranking aren’t close to the top. Read on and find out who ranks top of the most Powerful Women.
Thu 9 Jul 2009
Bastille 5K Run/Walk Block Party + Summer!
Posted by Administrator under food , Internet findings , vacation & travel , randomnessNo Comments
today’s a good day! not happy about my B.E.L.T. Breakfast Sandwich from Potbellys though. I’m usually really good about breakfast and choosing the right stuff - this had Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato, and mayo. BAD CHOICE. i didn’t realize that this sandwich almost has 1000 calories! I’m definitely kicking myself in the rear end for it. On the bright side, it’s a bit of a plus because I’ll be needing these calories for the Bastille 5K Run/Walk Block Party in West Loop. My friend Caroline had wanted me to do it with her and a couple of other friends. Although I haven’t ran in FOREVER, this is definitely going to be tough on me. The last time I did a 5K run was for the Y-ME Breast Cancer race a couple years ago. Now THAT I definitely did train for and ran on the track. I’ll tell you - wasn’t easy at first! But, this one isn’t a mandatory run–and the “block party” is a good reward after! Yep, i’m definitely taking my runs seriously nowadays!
anyhoos, aside from that it’s the summer and we all know what that means–wedding season! My cousin Theresa is getting married next week. It’s a big deal becauase all family from around the U.S. will be coming in to celebrate. Reunion! Ton of festivities, drinking, and children playing. So, it’s defintiely something I’m looking forward to
I just recently came back from the outer banks in North Carolina w/ the Guercio Family - let me tell you…TONS of fun! Couldn’t ask for a more relaxing vacation. Lots of beach, boogie boarding, and pool time. Oh yes, and eating! My favorite part of the vacation was watching the sunrise @ 5:48AM — and realizing that there were dolphins swimming! It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen! Thank you Grandma Ruth for inviting me to come on this wonderful trip. I had a blast
Next up? who knows..definitely a trip to California or down by Mexico or Costa rica! But for now, we’re laying low. You know what i hate about being grown up? Bills and taxes and mortgage. Those 3 words alone don’t sound very fun in general. blegh. time to save for bigger & better things in the near future!
That’s it for now - ciao tutti!
Wed 29 Apr 2009
Facelift! (my blog site, that is.)
Posted by Administrator under television & movies , designNo Comments
I’ve had this blog FOREVER - and i don’t think i have a v.2 of it - soo i think it’s about time to give it a facelift don’t you think? I do! I’ll have to brainstorm and see what types of colors and layout ideas i have - it’ll give me a better grasp on CSS and how it actually works. hate to admit it, but my CSS skills are NOT up to par nowadays…
On a chipper note, I’m a HUGE fan of The Hills. My boyfriend hates it - but he [surprsingly] found out that the ever-so-popular LC aka Lauren Conrad gets animated on the upcoming episode of Family Guy. Check it out here! great find guercio! I’ll admit - family has got to be one of the best shows out there — i always look forward to sunday night’s animation domination!
Tue 28 Apr 2009
My New Phone: The New Samsung Behold
Posted by Administrator under Internet findings , electronics/technology , musicNo Comments
So, Guercio and I decided that it was about time for us to do some upgrading on our phones. We’ve had dinky 2-3 inch phones w/ barely any FUN features. (i.e., Internet, Web-browsing, navigation, cool downloadable apps) - i’m actually really happy about this phone — i was a little worried that the phone may be too big and bulky but fortunately, the size is perfect! small and thin — with a large screen! it’s got a 5px camera and video as well along with an mp3 player to import music - ahhhh finally a phone that i’m oh so proud to own!
________________________________________
Now, Guercio got a pretty sweet phone. I have to admit - it’s sweeter than mine - and def. more expensive. I’ll spare the details on his phone. check out the links below yourself for the specs on our new toys! ciao ciao!
A Tour of the New G1 Phone
Behold, a new Samsung phone
Tue 21 Apr 2009
So, it’s been a long time since i’ve written - and i’d LOVE to share with you why:
1. My ever so wonderful boyfriend has moved in. (and it’s awesome! i cook - he cleans. simple compromise, don’t you think?)
2. Work’s been extremely busy - it’s been soooo busy i don’t have time to read my daily articles and online news!
3. I’ve been enjoying life
4. Planning and budgeting on how to [finally] improve my home. Get some painting done and fix up the basement!
6. Me and bobby-boo have been sucked into watching our weekly shows such as Heroes, House, The Office, Lie to Me — along with Tough Love (this show is actually VERY good!) he’ll usually sit and watch “The Hills” once in a while too. Our Sundays consist of a good 2-3 hours of Animation Domination on Fox. Who can’t love the Simpsons and Family Guy?!
5. I’ve been COOKING!
now that i’m cooking for 2 — it’s been really fun coming up with new ideas: salads, making my own dressing, baking chicken, pastas and such…i think i go to to the grocery store more than i should!
Below is a list of a couple recipes that I’ve tried (and bobby has enjoyed) –
1. Garlic fried rice with vegetables
2. Home made Pizza with chicken teriyaki, onions, and green pepper as toppings.
> sausage & pepperoni
> cheese and sausage (the list can go on)
3. Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
4. Spinach & cheese Stuffed Shells
5. Meat & Cheese Lasagna
6. Lemon Pepper Chicken
7. Minestrone Soup
8. Tuna Salad - pickles, red onions, seasoning, and added bell peppers
9. Chicken Stir Fry
10. Homemade Sloppy Joe’s
11. Longanisa + rice (Filipino Sausage)
12. Chicken Adoboe (Chicken + Bay leaves soaked in vinegar & soy sauce)
13. Zesty Italian Pasta
14. Lemon Garlic Angel hair Pasta with Chicken
14. Chocolate Eclair Cake
so..you think i like Asian & Italian food, ey?
Wed 7 Jan 2009
Happy New Year! Another year has passed us by…Time flies doesn’t it? So here I am with a couple or resolutions to share:
1. Eat Better - surprisingly, i’ve been eating extremely bad. McDonalds chicken nuggets bad. I’ve turned into a nug-nut. 
2. Keep a consistent work out - i think 1 and 2 here are almost EVERYONE’s resolutions
3. Budget & save - this economy is off whack. come on Obama!
3. Read more novels - i’ve got maybe 2-3 books that I have not touched! Now would be a good time to read on my train ride to and from work - and even on some downtime before bed
4. Paint my walls in my house - Yes, regardless of how long I will be living in my town home, it definitely needs to be more “home” to me - why not do some painting and add some more wall decor! it’s been about 3
years!
5. Be nicer - i hate to admit it, but i’ve been so cynical the past year or two - i do think i need to tone it down a notch. You may not see it, but i do!
6. Relax - I should really take more time to myself and do some pampering every so often. The older i get, the more tense i get - it’s weird. I need to do a little more self-calming…
7. Sleep more! need to get that 8 hours!
8. Pace myself with the alcohol - Like my Bobby said, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Try to make it to the finish line, will ya?” enough said. 
this is the jist of my 2009 resolutions - i say these are easy to do, don’t you think? The big test on no. 8 will be this Saturday for my birthday party - oh my.
ciao ciao!
Fri 19 Dec 2008
Movies movies and more movies!
There have been a GREAT deal of extremely interesting movies that have been out in theaters (and soon to be) - So, I’ve taken mental note (and online note) on a couple that I just HAVE to see. What are your thoughts? I’ve actually looked up the reviews on some of these and surprisingly the critics review and viewers are similar!
Doubt
Story takes place in New York during the 1960’s. A nun has growing suspicions of a priest taking too much interest in the personal life of a young African-American boy who had just joint the church. She realizes that the priest may be abusing him. Cast includes Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Frost/Nixon
The legendary battle between Richard Nixon and David Frost in the story of the historic encounter that changed both their lives. Cast includes Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon
Milk
Story about Harvey Milk who moved to San Francisco and became a Gay Rights Activities and city politician. Later, was elected to the Board of Supervisors making him the first gay man to be elected in public office. Cast includes Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch ,Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco
Seven Pounds
An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers. Cast includes Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, and Woody Harrelson.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Story takes place at the end of WWI in 1918. Classic story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who’s born in his eighties and ages backwards. This movie follows his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be. Cast includes Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton.
Fri 5 Dec 2008
Greetings! It’s Friday and the winter weather in the city of Chicago has officially kicked in. I’m realizing these because my .25 walk to work was extremely painful. I wore jeans and my legs were freezing cold. I should buy thermals for myself!
Last night was Navigant’s “Wine, Women, and Shopping” Event @ the Union League Club here in Chicago. I was lucky enough to win a pair of earrings from a jewelry vendor who was giving them away in a raffle. I never win these things - Needless today, I’ll most likely be giving these earrings away as a gift! I think I have enough jewelry to last me the rest of my life. ha!
Tonight is also my company’s Christmas party @ the House of Blues - I’m pretty stoked! Unfortunately, the huge debate tonight is whether I’ll be wearing a dress or a dressy blouse and slacks. (I know, SUCH a big decision) But, I’m hoping that I won’t be outside for long waiting for the train.
I’ve got another holiday party to attend to tomorrow night for the Tuy Club. Probably doing an eat & run. Potlucked food and such - not to psyched about it. but, I’ll be attending with the Guercio for a little bit to make a small ‘appearance’.
That’s my updates for now! ciao tutti!
p.s. Go Pacquiao!