This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Allison Maslan, author of “Blast Off!”. All opinions are 100% mine.

So I have about 1 year left and I am vested in the state retirement system but I really want to find a new job because of a few things, one including the hour drive to and fro, the pay, and the aggravation. Not to mention it’s not what I really want to do to begin with. I have always been interested in computers even as a kid. I am only halfway through my degree because I was paying for the classes out of my own pocket because I did not want a loan. I need to get this finished so I can get into the computers sector.

What I would like to do is open my own little computer shop/internet cafe/laundromat. That’s a messed up combination right? But I think it would work. I always got bored while waiting for laundry as I did not trust anybody there and did not want my clothes stolen. I sometimes remember to bring a book but more often than not I just sat there staring at walls. This way you could do laundry, have a tea or coffee and surf the internet. Multitasking at its best. The question would be, would it be successful? Blast Off! is available on Amazon and currently on sale at $17.96, originally $24.00. I consider this a self help book because you are the one reading it which entails you to be the one to get going and do something about your current situation. We only have ourselves to blame should we not get the results that we could if we truly try and books like these are to give us the motivation to do it and do it now. The book was launched just yesterday, January 19, 2010, as a matter of fact and can be picked up currently on Amazon as mentioned above on sale, Borders, and Barnes and Nobles. The book might be able to help me with funding and the buying of property and going through all the codes. I haven’t a clue about any of that.

If you’re into technology like I am you have noticed all the lowering of prices from each of the 4 mobile companies. Now the only question will be who will reign supreme? ‘Member that from the video game MTV Celebrity Deathmatch I think it was? That was a fricken awesome game. I always played Shannon Doherty as one of the Charmed Ones. I still have a copy of it too, just gotta build another desktop. I’m tired of fixing the current one. Might as well start fresh but I’ve gotten off topic….

Lowering of the cell phone bills, whose seen them recently? Have you taken advantage of any of them and reworked your current contracts? You should, or you could wait because I can only imagine and hope that they will go lower as everybody tries to beat out everybody else for more customers. Get your smartphone now with the Blackberry

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt
2 medium unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth
2 cups small broccoli flowerets
1 medium yellow summer squash, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

1. Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet; sprinkle with peppered seasoned salt. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown.
2. Mix chicken and remaining ingredients except broccoli, squash and basil in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.
4. Stir in broccoli, squash and basil. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Substitution
In place of fresh broccoli, you can use 2 cups Green Giant Select® frozen broccoli florets. Thaw them before adding to the slow cooker.

I grabbed this off of the Betty Crocker website and thought you guys might like it. It’s beyond easy and tasty.

Really, with just over a year left to obtain my 20 years in the state system I could potentially be looking for another place to live in a brand new city and with it a brand new job. But where would be the question. Well, not the only question either because I would want to be looking for a newer apartment/duplex or house than what I am currently living in. Something that would not need too much work and actually have a managed company renting it because, let’s face it, private owners aren’t the best at fixing things properly. Believe me, I know. The draft downstairs has just been insane these past few weeks. I can only guess at what my electric bill will be since it is not up yet.

I’m always watching HGTV and their TV shows which include Property Virgins, House Hunters, and Bang for you Buck just to mention a few. You watch as these people go around looking at rentals and/or homes to rent or buy and it makes you wonder will that be you some day? What sort of shape are the apartments in that I would want to even think about and would there be a realtor around should I need help? Then you have to see what sort of amenities come with the property. I mean could I someday be looking at Philadelphia apartments in the near future? Possibly but I think I may need to watch more of the TV shows and wait for my stupid brother in laws boat repo to go off of my credit first. Ya, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, never help your relatives out when it comes to money.

Time to learn more food facts according to me. If you are not interested you can move along. As always be sure to check out Fun Craft and Recipes to join each week and to spread the news so others might join as well.

1. Do you have any food related New Years resolutions?
Nah, I don’t believe in resolutions.
2. What’s one thing you’d like to learn how to make from scratch this year?
Hmm, anything yummy works for me. I mean I would love to know how to make cheesecake but then again I don’t NEED to make it either lol
3. What’s the most unusual thing in your cabinet, refrigerator or freezer right now?
Nothing out of the ordinary in my cabinets. I’m not that into exotic foods or spices. I guess if you wanted to get down to it though I have a box of dog biscuits right next to my cereal. That unusual enough?
4. What kind of can opener do you have?
I believe mines called Oxygrip? It’s one of those easy grip hand crank can openers. I believe I got it off of cooking.com where I usually get most of my stuff because they sell the Calphalon and you know that’s not cheap.

Okay, the conversation in clinic just gets weirder and weirder. Todays clinic was only a half a day. We ended up talking about baby jail. What is baby jail you ask? Daycare. He couldn’t figure out why people would drop their child off in baby jail and then pick them up like 10-12 hours later. Well, duh, most families can’t afford to have 1 person stay at home with a child. It’s not like years ago when he had his kids lol He then asked me if I was ever in baby jail. Nope. I remember our neighbor watching us before we went to Germany and then the nice Japanese couple upstairs watching us and then we had our grandmother when we came back and then didn’t need anybody watching us after school.

Apparently he thinks baby jail is like caging up a puppy. You let them out to play a bit, water and feed them, and put out the puppy pad so they can pee. I bet you are just dying to know what else we talk about lol

I’ll tell you about what else we talked about a little later. It was a movie that we apparently missed watching last night but in all fairness he never called me to tell me I needed to watch it. I’m not a mind reader you know