Dwight for VP!

Maybe Dwight could be assistant to the president.

I know that the country is in turmoil, and the situation with the economy is disasterous. Therefore this election is one of the most important in recent history. But for the love of Sprinkles do we REALLY have to pre-empt this week's episode of The Office for the VP debates? Major sigh.

More Tina

I might actually have to start watching SNL.

The Mentalist

Watched it. Liked it.

Worst movie ever?

That might be an overstatement, but I'm not going to watch Nights in Rodanthe to find out. The marketing for this moving is awful. First of all, who thought Nights in Rodanthe was a good name for a movie? Second, they're promoting it as The Notebook of 2008. Seriously, nothing could make me want to see a movie less.

I've missed you most of all, Jim Halpert

Want some Jim/Pam scoop? According to Entertainment Weekly, something momentous between them happens in the rain. Hmm.

UPDATE: It was everything I hoped it would be. There were lots of highlights, but my favorite quote was Michael saying, "I once went without sex for 28 years. And then for 7 more years."

Wednesday's dinner

Tonight we had Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders. This is a delicious, easy, kid-friendly recipe. They're baked in the oven, but the pecans in the breading make them nice and crisp. Bonus: It's low-fat. My only suggestion: I used two egg whites instead of one.

P.S. In case you haven't noticed, I'm tearing it up in the kitchen this week!

Cuban Sandwiches

I tapped into my inner Eva Mendes and whipped up some Cuban sandwiches yesterday (thanks for the idea, Aunt Mary!). All of the recipes I found seemed very similar. I cooked a pork loin in the slow-cooker, and then shredded up the meat. I cut a loaf of Cuban bread in half, and then piled on the pork, sliced ham, pickles, mustard, and Muenster cheese. (Technically it's supposed to be Swiss, but I prefer Muenster.) Then I spread a little butter on the outside of the bread and pressed it in my waffle iron. Pretty tasty! Plus, I have enough pork left to make barbecue sandwiches later in the week.

Can't wait part 2

One of my favorites.

Breaking up is hard to do

It's not you, it's me. Check that, Heroes. It's all you, and I just deleted my season pass.

Other shows on the chopping block:

• My Name Is Earl
• The Shield
• CSI
• Did I mention My Name is Earl?

Can't wait.

This will help pass the time until Thursday, 9 eastern/8 central.

Things I love

Lloyd

Sunday night dinner

I try to make something halfway decent for dinner on Sundays. It's the only day I have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Justin usually requests chicken and dumplings, but I try to mix it up. Tonight I made Roast Pork Loin With Crumb Crust. (I'm still going to make a pork loin in the Crock Pot. They were on sale this week.) I used a 1.5-pound pork loin and cooked it for about an hour. (The recipe calls for a 4.5-pound pork loin.) This has become one of my go-to recipes.

Recipe suggestions?

I'm looking for a recipe involving a Crock Pot and a pork loin. Suggestions?

Product testing

I tried these new Ore-Ida frozen potatoes this weekend. I'd tried a different brand of frozen Ore-Ida potatoes before, but they've changed them. Before you turn up your nose, these are not instant potatoes. They are real potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks. The fine folks at Ore-Ida just take care of the prep work for you. You throw the whole bag into the microwave like a bag of popcorn, and then add milk and butter and mash them up.
I used them to make this delicious Loaded Baked Potato Casserole. Yum.
They also have a sweet potato variety that I think I'll try for Luke.

Need a hand?

At some point we've all wished we had a personal assistant. Just a little help with the mundane tasks that eat up so much time in the day. Unfortuately, a personal assistant is a tad pricey. Enter Ask Sunday. Have you heard of this?

Ask Sunday is a virtual assistant. For a monthly fee, you can visit their Web site and place a request. Here are some of the requests they handle that I find appealing.

• Make appointments (doctor, salon, plumber, etc.)
• Book flights or hotels
• Make restaurant reservations
• Have someone wait in line for me at the DMV. Call me when I'm close to the front of the line.
• Call the cable company. When a live technical support person answers, call my office and patch me in.
• Send e-mail reminders. Make wake-up calls.

There are a variety of pricing plans, starting at $19 per month for 10 requests up to 90 requests in 90 days for $135.

Isn't this appealing?

More Etsy

My interest in Etsy is quickly becoming an obsession. I've made a few purchases lately, and I'll share those with you when they arrive.

The only problem with the site is the overwhelming number of options. It's great if you're looking for something specific. But if, for example, you're looking for a blue necklace, you can search for "blue necklace" and come up with 34,456 items. Hard to filter through all of that.

Enter the Pounce function (go to www.etsy.com, click on "Buy," then click on "Pounce"). Here you can click through the most recent purchases people have made. It's basically like randomly browsing through the site. You might see a necklace you like or a really great handbag. Then you can go to that artist's store and look around. I justify my use of this by saying it's more efficient, but really it's an incredible time-waster.

If you "Pounce" often enough, which I do, you can notice some trends, like an artist who sells a lot of prints, or someone who has popular scarves. Some of the trends are a bit more disturbing.

Case in point: Bloomers. You know, pantaloons. Recommended for use in re-enactments, Renaissance fairs, or just to wear around the house. Everytime I pounce someone has bought a pair of bloomers, and for some reason, they're always selling in plus sizes. We should all quit our jobs and start selling bloomers, because evidently they're in high demand.

.
[brace yourselves] Cloth menstrual pads. Now, come on. I'd like to preserve the environment too, but shouldn't some things just be DISPOSABLE? DAH! They do come in some very cute patterns and fabrics though. STILL WRONG.

C'mon, just watch it.

I know, last week I said The Office was my favorite show. But I didn't engrave it in stone or anything. Sue me. House is my favorite show today. Hugh Laurie is brilliant as a despicable, charming, hilarious, curmudgeonly Vicodin addict. Oh, and did I mention he's a kick-ass doctor?

Mmm. Muffins.

I made these Apple-Oatmeal Muffins yesterday (from Cookie Madness). Quite tasty.

Giveaways Web site

Bookmark this site, and sign up for giveaways. Who doesn't love free stuff?

I Love Giveaways!

SNL

Did anyone watch SNL last night? I missed it (way past my bedtime). The clips I saw with Michael Phelps seemed pretty painful (and I'm not just saying this because of his "Go Blue" promos during the ND game), but this clip is funny. Tina Fey is going to have to return to SNL to be Sarah Palin. She is flawless.

You know you're getting old when...

...you get excited about the Fiber One Yogurt coupon in the Sunday paper.

Who knew Brooke Shields was funny?

Baby high heels

(from www.heelarious.com)

If you buy these for your baby, there might be something wrong with you. I do feel slightly better knowing that these are for small babies and aren't meant for walking, but still. It's kind of creepy to dress your baby girl in heels, no?

Don't buy this

We were at Target this weekend, and a woman was giving out samples of these Weight Watchers Golden Sponge Cakes with Creamy Filling (aka Twinkies). She asked if Luke wanted one, so I gave one to him. Then he kept doing the sign for "more," which she recognized and thought was adorable (obviously), so she kept giving him more. Finally I felt compelled to buy a box. Don't get me wrong. They taste fine and Twinkie-esque, but they are minute! The box boasts that there are less than 100 calories per serving. Well, there better not be many calories! I usually find the 100 calorie snacks to be a scam, and these are no exception.

Fringe

Anybody catch Fringe last night? I wasn't going to watch, but Entertainment Weekly described it as "a blend of X-Files and Bones" from the creator of Alias and Lost. All things I enjoy. Turns out, I also enjoy Joshua Jackson. It definitely has potential. I'll be tuning in again next week. If you missed it, Fox is airing it again on Sunday.

True Blood

Did anyone watch True Blood on HBO? It's very strange, but we kind of liked it. The premise: Vampires are living amid regular people after the invention of synthetic blood that prevents them from, you know, feeding on humans. It stars Anna Paquin as a waitress in a small Louisiana town who falls for a vampire. It's funnier than I made it sound. We weren't planning on watching it, but we got sucked in after Entourage. (Get it? SUCKED in? HA!) I'll definitely give it another try next week.

Bad news for 24 fans?

The producers shut down the filming of 24 for rewrites. That can't be good. (Read more here.)

The gauntlet

We were watching TV the other night, and Justin--apropos of nothing--said, "Chuck is my favorite show on TV." All definitive-like. Now I haven't felt confident in naming my #1 show probably since season 4 of The Sopranos. Sure, I can give you a top 3, but singling out one show is a lot of pressure. But after his declaration I felt compelled, so here it is: The Office. Trust me when I say that wasn't easy. So now the gauntlet has been thrown: Name your favorite TV show. Just one.

Against my better judgment

I don't think he's a very nice person, but I can't help but like Kanye's music. It's not my fault his songs are so darn catchy! And Estelle seems pretty cool too. Plus, I have to give him credit for his vocabulary. How often do you hear "bespoke" used in a rap?

Sandwich on my mind

I had the most delicious sandwich for lunch yesterday. Feta cheese, carmelized onion, and tomato grilled on rye bread. I can't stop thinking about it.

So THIS is my problem

A recent study shows that thinking too hard makes people overeat. I like this study.

Read it here.

No-bake this

I made these cookies from Everyday With Rachael Ray. Delicious and simple.

No, I will not join Facebook.

I'm beginning to fear that resistance is futile, but NO! I will not join Facebook. I just don't see the appeal of getting "poked" on the internet by my long-lost high school classmates. But my BFF Joshilyn Jackson has been extolling the many virtues of Facebook on her blog (evidently there are games? I had no idea...). And pretty much all of my friends--yes, even my mother--are on Facebook. Am I the last holdout?

Do you Etsy?

You know about Etsy, right? It's an online marketplace described as "your online place to buy & sell all things handmade." I recently ordered some Christmas gifts for my co-workers and this growth chart for my son. I have my eye on many more items. Check it out. Have your credit card handy. It's seriously addictive.

Bones Season Premiere!

I'm so excited for the two-hour season premiere of Bones tonight. And it's not just because I'm in love with David Boreanaz. Read this interview with him. You'll fall in love too.

He and Emily Deschanel have the best chemistry of any small-screen duo (it's a fact; I researched it), and the show is really clever and funny. One of my favorites for sure.

Musical stylings

I have to get this off my chest: I hate Coldplay. I know this probably makes me tragically unhip, but in my estimation they fall into the "whiny white guy" genre of music, which I loathe. (See also Nickleback and Creed--the ultimate offender.)

Meanwhile, I'm really digging this Jesse McCartney song right now. (No, I'm not a tween.) Is my street cred irreparably damaged?

Welcome to Katie's Korner!

First, a note on the blog name: As you well know, the easiest way to add class (dare I say "klass"?) to an establishment by changing the "Cs" in the name to "Ks." My dream is to one day own a hair salon named Katie's Klips (the "Ks" would be in the shape of scissors, naturally). This blog will have to suffice until that dream is realized.