Spring Cleaning

My financial adventures continue apace; I have a few dollars extra because of how my paychecks and due dates lined up this month. Hence, my first full gas tank since before Christmas, and this weekend an overdue oil change, some grocery restocking and a much needed new pair of dress shoes (and there's a sale and I have a coupon --I continue to be amazed at God's provision). Plus I sold a chair I've been storing, so that's one piece of furniture down. Now all I have to do is get rid of the TV stand ... and the loveseat ... and the kitchen table and chairs ... and that seriously funky end table that's older than I am. (And not groovy-funky, more like wow-I-forgot-the-early-early-80s-were-that-ugly funky. It's solid, though. Pics on demand. E-mail me.)

My goal (I've probably mentioned this before) is to pare down to where I could pack my bare necessities into one car load and take off on about a day's notice. I don't know if I'll quite get there -- I'm sure I'd leave some things behind, like the TV -- but there's also the added benefit of generally simplifying my life. It's cleansing to go through things and realize what you do and don't really need, and what you're hanging on to just because you've always had it. Most of the "sentimental" items I had in storage fell into that category; there was no real memory attached to them, just familiarity. And while familiarity is good, it shouldn't be a comfort mechanism, especially when it comes to things. Rely on it too much, it becomes an anchor around your neck (or a big dead bird in the same arrangement, depending on your literary tastes). Hence, the packing and repacking, the paring down of things collected in childhood and ammassed in more recent years, and the general sorting out of what I really want in life.

I'm going there again tonight; three tubs full of stuffed animals and ephermera will be reduced to one by the end of the evening. The rest will be donated or thrown away. I am determined to see this through.

Anybody wanna buy some furniture?

The Magi were unavailable for comment.

Yesterday I rode my bike to Trader Joe's to buy some toothpaste (12 miles round-trip! Yay!). I've been using the plain ol' peppermint, but I thought I would be adventurous and try the other flavor: fennel, some herb resin I can't remember ("prop-" something) and myrrh. Yes, myrrh. I'm brushing my teeth with licorice and one of the Nativity gifts. It's actually pretty awesome, and surprisingly tasty. Makes for a nice change of pace.

Although if you avoid black jelly beans, you should probably avoid this, too. Like I said: Licorice.

Sunday Night Recipe: Lamb Meatballs with Sweet Mushroom Sauce

The reason this week's recipe is late is because I cooked it for 16 people over the course of the weekend. (It was a hit.) Worth noting is that veal or even regular ground beef can be substituted since not everyone is used to lamb's unusual flavor (and some more sensitive souls get a little squicked at the thought of eating sweet little Billy Baa-Baa).

Lamb Meatballs in Sweet Mushroom Sauce

Meatballs:

Heat 1 1/2 c. chicken broth and combine with 1 c. matzah meal. Let sit 10 minutes, then combine with 3 eggs (slightly beaten) and a pinch of kosher salt to taste. Mix thoroughly with 3 lbs. ground lamb and chill, covered, for 30 minutes. Form into 1-inch balls and cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes about 80 meatballs.

Sauce:

Saute 2 large onions in olive oil, then add 3 T. flour and stir for 30 seconds. Add 4 c. chicken broth, 1 1/4 c. concorde grape juice, 2-4 T. balsamic vinegar, 3/4 lb. thick-cut (at least 3/8") carrots and 1 1/2 t. each thyme and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for at least 30-45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Before serving, saute 1 1/2 lbs. baby portabella mushrooms in olive oil, then add to sauce or glaze with liquid and serve separately.

Serve by pouring the sauce over the meatballs on the plate, or by marinating the meatballs in the sauce overnight and reheating to serve. Enjoy!

Some thoughts for Monday

-- The Sunday Night Recipe will be up this afternoon. Sorry for the delay. I had a busy weekend.

-- Turns out that when you get enough sleep, a second cup of coffee is a purely psychological addiction.

-- Having watched several of her music videos in chronological order, and noted that the weirdness increases geometrically as you go, I can only conclude that Lady Gaga is a straight woman who wishes she were a gay man. In less than a year, she's gone from "sexy" to "outrageous" to "trying so hard to be outrageous and sexy that she becomes neither, and it's probably better if we just ignore her and hope she goes away". Also, her costumes have gone from "Bob Mackey on speed" to "WHAT IS IT KILL IT KILL IT WITH FIRE", which is part of the problem.

-- On a related note, our current administration has followed a similar path, just without the sexy. Thank God for small favors. Unfortunately, ignoring it would be the worst thing we could do.

-- It's warm enough that I can start riding my bike instead of hitting the gym every other evening. Hooray for rule one!

Just so you know ...

I'm not normally a person given to vandalism. I'm really not. But there's nothing makes me want to fire up a stack of tires in the middle of an old-growth forest like the company-wide "Turn off all your lights for Earth Hour!" e-mail.

So a seal walks into a club ...

Quote of the Day

"Faith is something you do about what you know. Knowledge means nothing unless it is acted upon." -- David Wilkerson

Corporate Accounts Payable, this is Nina speaking, just! a moment ...

They're having a big rebranding thing here at work, what with the New Media rebranding and the new logo and all that. We got goodies like coffee cups and what is, I must admit, a very nice pen for each of us. We were also supposed to have a live telecast with our CEO at 1 o'clock; that had technical difficulties so it's been rescheduled for ... sometime ... this afternoon. This means the big TV to my left and the overhead system in the conference room to my right are running a loop, informing us that "If you can see and hear this. Then your system is properly configured, for the following presentation. This event will begin at the scheduled time." (Punctuation as it appears on the screen.) The fun part is that the two systems (which I'm evenly spaced between) are about five seconds off each other, and the notification runs on an eight-second loop (I counted). It's been going for about 5 minutes now.

killllllllllll meeeeeeeeeeeee ...

UPDATE @ 2:58 p.m.: Apparently it's been playing for 15 minutes now, but our systems didn't refresh so we didn't see it. (At least they muted the "ready" loop.) I'm ... not as upset about missing it as I suppose I ought to be ...

Sunday Night Recipe: Rice Pudding (Stovetop Edition)

This is a good base recipe with a lot of room for variations. I've included my favorites below.

Stovetop Rice Pudding

Mix

1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla

in a saucepan and stir briskly with a whisk until incorporated. Simmer over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick, then serve warm or chill for later. For chocolate pudding, add 2 T. cocoa before cooking. Other options include chopped dates or other dried fruit, 1/2 t. of cinnamon or nutmeg, or really just about anything you can think of that wouldn't clash with tapioca. Also, if you leave out the sugar and vanilla and double the eggs, it makes a smashing breakfast cereal. Enjoy!

Presented without comment.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Names don't get more appropriate than that.

Think I was too doom-and-gloomy in my last post? The House has just voted on the so-called "Slaughter Solution," which means the healthcare vote is scheduled for Sunday. Howzit work? Basically, the House votes not to actually pass the bill, but to agree (or "deem") that it's passed without actually voting on it. They need fewer "yea" votes that way.

Depending on when the vote goes down Sunday, I may be in a public area with some friends. I hope I am; it'll be easier to keep a lid on the swearing if it passes. Also I'd rather not risk putting something through my TV. I can't afford to buy a new one.

Calvinball and chocolate

"There's the right way, the wrong way, the Navy way, and my way." -- Captain Queeg, The Caine Mutiny

One thing that bugs me the most about the current administration is that if they can't get what they want under the current rules, they change the rules. It's one reason I've stopped posting about healthcare "reform" -- if 70 percent of those polled say they don't want it, then we've won the idealogical battle. Explaining it one more time won't make any difference (insert jab at Obama here). Unfortunately, the will of the American people doesn't seem to matter to our Congresscritters. Normally at this point I'd go on and on about how this both frightens and disturbs me, but the truth is that Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank would have to dance naked around a bonfire of burning orphans before I'd bat an eyelash. (I apologize for any damage caused by that mental image.) We're just that far gone. I'm not enjoying the spectacle, by any means, but I'm at the point where I'd rather make s'mores with the firefighters than wear myself out trying to save a house that'll burn down regardless.

The point is, it's not going to go back to the way it was. There are so many debts coming due all at once that we're past the tipping point -- heck, the tipping point isn't even visible in the rearview mirror anymore. We went over that ledge before I was even born. I don't know if that makes me a pessimist, a realist or a cheerleader for the apocalypse (stock up on Twinkies now, kids!), but I've made my peace with whatever's coming, good, bad or indifferent. Maybe the healthcare bill will pass; maybe it won't. I don't think it really matters either way anymore. Too many people have lost faith in the powers that be, and that's a genie you can't stuff back in the bottle. I'm not giving up and I'm not giving in -- not by a long shot. But sometimes all you can do is sit back and see how things settle, so that's what I'm doing. I have confidence that it will all work out, but that it probably won't be in a way that anyone will see coming -- or that we'll even recognize. Get comfy. It's going to be an interesting next couple of years.

Pass the marshmallows.

They were the dudes that did the video on the treadmills a couple years ago.

They may be a bunch of Bush-hating leftist loons, but OK Go's music videos make me smile. And frankly, that's all I want from them. (I'd embed it, but for some reason it keeps eating into the sidebar.) There's another video for the same song that features a live field performance (and I do mean "field") with the Notre Dame marching band. And it's exactly as awesome as it sounds.

Cushiest salt mine I've ever been in.

The upside of losing three people from my section in the space of a week (two were fired, one got a better job) is that I finally have enough work to keep me busy all day.

The downside, of course, is that now I have enough work to keep me busy all day.

At least the sun is shining.

Funny story (but not ha-ha funny) (and I guess it's not really a story ... )

Something on my blog is crashing the browser on my work computer (IE6 roolz!) (and that, children, is called "sarcasm") so I can't actually view the darn thing as a Web page. I can view other .blogspot.com sites just fine (Hi Tam! Hi Bobbi!) and I can still backdoor my way to individual posts through the dashboard, but the homepage itself just will not stand being opened. I'm blaming this horribly outdated and unsafe browser until I hear otherwise. eriously, IT guys: Tabs would improve my life by an order of magnitude. It's not that difficult. Think about it.

Dang Canucks.

Sunday Night Recipe: Pot Roast

This is a lovely comfort food that goes on the stovestop or in the crockpot. I'd walk through fire for it.

Pot Roast

1 lb. roastin' or stewin' beef (the cut is your call) (if you use ground beef I will hunt you down)
5 carrots (peeled and cut into thirds, then quartered or halved for uniform size)
3 medium to large potatoes (peeled and quartered)
1 large onion (peeled, halved and those halves quartered)

Stovetop instructions:
Cut the beef into portions, dredge well in flour and brown in olive oil in a large pot. Add the carrots, potatoes and onion, then add water to an inch above the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for two to three hours. To make the gravy, fish out the veggies and meat, bring the liquid to a boil and thicken with a paste of flour and cold water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let your troubles be soothed away.

Crockpot instructions:
Layer the carrots, potatoes and onion in the crockpot, then lay the dredged meat on top. Add just enough water to cover the veggies and either a) cook on high for two hours and low for six to eight, or b) cook on low for eight to ten hours. Gravy goes the same as with the stovetop version. It's a wonderful smell to come home to when you've had a really bad day. Enjoy!

Oof.

Just got back from my first bike ride since, I believe, January. It was also my first real aerobic exercise in more than a month, and Lordy do I feel it. It was worth it, though -- I took the Monon to 86th Street, had a coffee and a Huevos Rancheros egg wrap at Starbucks (I got a gift card for Christmas), raided the sample trays at Whole Foods, picked up some necessities to justify said raiding and took the Monon back. I also explored a possible route for biking to work. (It was a dud.) All in all, a nice afternoon.

I'm beat.

Quote Headdesk of the Day

From a coworker, re: Harry Reid's wife and daughter being involved in a fairly serious car accident: "I hope they're okay, but maybe this'll change his mind about healthcare."*

Me, unable to contain myself: "I highly doubt that."

*Some clarification: The coworker in question thinks Harry Reid is a Republican and opposed to "reform". Yes, she's that girl around the office. I responded to her before it clicked that what she said probably wasn't what she meant.

It's new! It's improved! It's NaNoWriMo 2: The Rewritening!

[Orig. post March 8, 2010. Bumped because the link was bad the first time. - ed.]

The second draft begins posting today. I think it's crap (I'm required to by law), but soon I'll take a fine-toothed comb to it and hopefully I'll end up with something that is Not Crap. And hopefully that Not Crap will get published and make me some cash. And your feedback helps, my lovely and talented readers! Keep in mind that each installment comes down precisely one week after it goes up, so if you don't read it now you'll have to wait for the dead-tree version. I hope you enjoy it!

Days like today, part II

On the upside, my hair looks fantastic.

Days like today ...

It's Wednesday afternoon and I'm halfway home, weekend-wise, but boy oh boy ...

I can't tell if the healthcare bill is alive or dead -- some say they'll vote no, some say they're undecided, Pelosi and crew insist it'll pass tho' Heav'n and Hell be arrayed against it. Our Fearless Leader has plans to add trillions to our national debt over the next ten years. I'm freaked out wondering what's going on at the back of the stage while we're all distracted by the arguments at the front. Duck season! Wabbit season! It makes my head spin. And then the girl in the cube next to mine (who's sweet and fairly intelligent and should know better), said this morning, and I quote, "They need to give out some more stimulus money. You know, like they're trying to do with healthcare."

*bangs head on desk for a solid minute*

Mark Steyn said it best in a recent column: Government healthcare isn't about healthcare, it's about government. If we let that large a chunk of our economy and personal decision-making fall under the auspicious oversight of our lettered betters, you can be darn sure we'll end up just like Europe: Balkanized, inert and ultimately failing. I don't want to go there. I don't think any sensible person with an understanding of history wants to go there. America is an aberration. We are a 200-year outlier in some six to ten millenia of human history. If we go, it's not likely we'll see another outlier of the same sort.

Don't worry; if you think I'm a downer now, just wait a couple weeks 'til I do my taxes. Oh, the fun we'll have then ...

UPDATE: Think I was kidding? Think I'm overreacting? Then check this out: If they can't pass the bill they want, they'll just change the rules until they can. This isn't politics. It's Calvinball.

Oh my life.

This morning, I walked off without my pocketknife and my wallet (I'll be driving very, very carefully on the way home tonight!). It was an unpleasant realization: I am a defenseless, broke nobody.

Then I looked around my cubicle and realized that was normal.

I'm getting out of here as soon as is humanly possible. If necessary, I'll dig a tunnel using mainly spoons ...

And the world would be a better place ...

Forwarded to me by my mom:

Little Melissa comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about the history of Valentine's Day.

"Since Valentine's Day is for a Christian saint, and we're Jewish," she asks, "Will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine?"

Melissa's father thinks a bit, then says: "No, I don't think God would
get mad. Who do you want to give a Valentine to?"

"Osama Bin Laden," she says.

"Why Osama Bin Laden?"' her father asks in shock.

"Well," she says, "I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough love to give Osama a Valentine, he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and sent Valentines to Osama, he'd love everyone a lot. And then he'd start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them, and how he didn't hate anyone anymore."

Her father's heart swells and he looks at his daughter with new-found pride. "Melissa, that's the most wonderful thing I have ever heard."

"I know," Melissa says, "and once that gets him out in the open, the Marines could shoot the bastard."

You're welcome.

At least they still know the difference between "shiny movie" and "good movie".

Tam sums it up.

I once heard the Oscars described as "Hollywood getting dressed up and telling itself how great it is" (or something to that effect). The only time I was ever interested was when Lord of the Rings was up for awards (and I was 18/19/20 and a raving fangirl those years, so I think I'm excused).

I admit to a passing interest in the jewels and pretty dresses.

Sunday Night Recipe: Chocko Chip Cookies

Not much intro; the cookies speak for themselves. I like to use Trader Joe's house brand chips on account of they're cheap and they use real vanilla.

Chocko chip cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. chocko chips

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla. Add chocolate chips, then combine and stir in dry ingredients. Drop onto greased cookie sheets and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 9-11 minutes. Makes about 5.5 dozen; it should be six, but let's be honest: you'll eat that last chunk of dough straight out of the bowl, and you know it. For a chewier cookie, up the flour just a smidge and drop the cookies in small and round on the sheets. Cool on a wire rack and eat warm with a glass of milk. Enjoy!

Heh heh ugh.

Yesterday I tried driving with my right foot, to see how my ankle was progressing (there's generally not much pain unless I use it for something, so that's my only meter stick). I quit after about a minute, not because it hurt, but because I'd been driving with my left foot for long enough that it felt weird the other way, and I didn't want to bother with the mental adjustments.

On a somewhat related note: I'm not going to comment much on the healthcare bill(s) until something changes (i.e., they actually vote something up or down or all around). I've already spoke my piece and counted to three, and I don't much believe in repeating myself. It just wastes my energy and my audience's time. So, despite its being one of the single most important pieces of legislation ever to come before our Congress, there isn't much I can say about it now. Government takeover = bad. Tort, malpractice and other private reform = good. I'm more concerned about them sneaking something else through while everyone's paying attention to other, more headline-grabbing things.

You know what, I'm just going to focus on my ankle for a little while longer. At least it doesn't try to rear up and strangle me in my sleep.

Friday the Random

GUH it is HOT IN HERE this morning -- probably because they've got the central heat on AND the sun in shining full on the window behind me. But it is FRIDAY and I am having FAR TOO MUCH FUN with the CAPS LOCK KEY.

I'm falling more and more in love with my French press; kitchen gadgets are a major weakness of mine, and this one's a doozy. And did I mention how much counter space it frees up? Seriously: I have half again as much space by the sink as I used to. I went from a 6x8" appliance that barely fit under the cabinets to a 4" diameter cylinder that spends half its time in the dishdrainer, anyway. And it makes REALLY good coffee. *cue spotlight and angelic chorus, with a smattering of Handel*

You know what's interesting? I wrote 25 chapters, plus pro- and epilogue, in 30 days, but it's going to take me three weeks to rewrite the last four chapters. Okay, granted, two of those are expanded from one, but still! Worldbuilding is a real time-sink. Don't be a writer if you can do anything else and be happy. (For the record: I can't.)

Speaking of writers, Marko has a free short story up for all to see. It's quite good, and you can easily finish it on your lunchbreak if you're so inclined. One thing's for sure, I'll be looking for his books when they come out. I'll read them while I make coffee with my French press.

Did I mention I love my French press? *whistles, hands in pockets, and shuts up*

I think I like Scrabble better.

Let's play a fun game. First, you go online and see how much you got in your paycheck. Then, you pay all the bills and balance your checkbook. If you have more than $30 left over, you win! Except I lost this week! Again! Hoo-freakin'-ray!

Just had to get that off my chest before I started screaming. As you were.

NaNoWriMo Draft 2: Electric Boogaloo

For those of you keeping score at home, the second draft of my NaNo novel goes online on March 8. I've made some tweaks to the story and cleaned up a lot of crap from the first go-round, so this is mostly a feedback exercise. Click on the NaNoWriMo winner icon in the sidebar for more information.

Argle bargle stupid bargle candy jar.

Some scum-sucker filled the office candy jar with those Easter-season pastel-wrapped Reese's Cups and stuck it right in front of my cubicle.

I'm trying to keep the weight off!

Adventures in caffeination, part two

So yesterday I mentioned that I had broken the carafe for my coffee maker and would have to make do with paint thinner cowboy coffee until I could spring for a new one. After a friend's unexpected generosity (tank yew tank yew tank yew) and a couple off- and online discussions, I went to Target after work and picked up one of these instead: an 8-cup Bodum French press.

It's amazing.

Not only does it free up a major chunk of counter space, it makes exactly the amount of coffee I want to drink in the morning (8 "cups" = 32 oz. = 1 mug + 1 thermos for later), and it does so with minimal effort. It's a multi-tasker, it has plastic fittings on the carafe so it can go in the microwave, it's easy to clean and store, and it's just plain elegant. It makes me happy to get up in the morning.

Most importantly, it makes the best cup of coffee I've ever had, bar none. Rich, frangrant, nuanced, layered, just the right temperature to drink immediately after pouring and a true delight on the tongue. Even after two+ hours in a thermos, it's still delicious. And if I get adventurous on the weekends, I can use it to froth up some hot milk and make a cappucino. I went from a huge clunky appliance that barely fit on my counter and only did one thing to a handy little device that does a better job of that one thing, plus a lot more. For the second time this week, I'm never going back.

Mmmm, coffee.

Adventures in caffeination, part one

Sunday night I went to take a table knife out of the dish drainer, fumbled it, dropped it and cracked the carafe for my coffee maker (it was also in the dish drainer). That's the third one I've broken in, oh, a year. They're fragile little buggers. And I'm honestly not sure I can justify dropping $12 on a new one if I have other, cheaper options -- food/gas, an overdue oil change, a new carafe: pick any two. Yesterday I put a bowl in the machine and jammed the stop-and-pour doodad with a garnishing utensil. It worked, but it was time-consuming. This morning I boiled water in my hotpot and used a seive and a saucepan to make my morning joe. It worked, but it was time-consuming. I had to pack my breakfast and eat it at work. I think tomorrow I may just throw the grinds in a pot with some water, boil the whole thing while I dress and be done with it. Mmmm, cowboy coffee.*

Do they make carafes in metal?




*Instructions fer cowboy coffee: Boil coffee in water and throw in a horseshoe. If the horseshoe sinks, add more coffee. Repeat as necessary, or until your stomach lining gives up and goes home.

Dagnabbit, I'm trying to keep the weight off!

Via Uncle Jay: Chocolate-covered Peeps.

I normally avoid Peeps (despite their crunchy sugary deliciousness) because of the bright, shiny spring colors. (I had a box of white Peeps once. That was a good day.) Luckily for me and my waistline, the marshmallow itself will be yellow. Nothing helps me say "no, not today" like the specter of wrapping my car around a telephone pole because hey a firetruck!

Just FYI

I should probably mention that the woman killed in the murder-suicide the other night was a coworker of mine. I didn't know her well, but she was always very nice and ready to help out the new girls, and the people who did know her are just absolutely in shreds. There's not much else I can say except that it's a horrible, horrible tragedy and I hope her little boy pulls through and gets the healing and support he needs.

Also the shooter can rot in hell. She was pregnant.

I don't care if they're made of corn. Some things are worth the pain.

Oh. My. God.

I just discovered Funyuns.

I'm never going back.

Sunday Night Recipe: Breakfast Casserole

You know, I'd rename this feature "Start of the Week Recipe" if that wouldn't mean going back and changing a year's worth of tags. Ah well.

Breakfast Casserole

4-5 medium potatoes, diced (enough to fill a 9x13" baking dish)
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
8 eggs
2 cups 2% milk
1 t. kosher salt
1 clove chopped garlic
2 slices turkey bacon
2 T. paremsan cheese
Chopped parsley

Combine potatoes, onion and shredded cheese in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and garlic and pour over potatoes. Top with parmesan, parsley and chopped turkey bacon and bake at 375 degrees for one hour or until the potatoes are done (test with the tip of a knife). Cut into squares and serve hot. Enjoy!