Working Girl?

Took a teller assessment test for a possible job with a bank yesterday and PASSED! Also had a call from HR about an hour ago, but we're playing phone tag right now so haven't actually spoken to her yet today.

I really need a job, and although this may not be THE one, it's definitely attractive, so I can't help being excited.  Have no idea about the pay, but I know they have benefits, reasonable hours, and it's close to home, so with the price of gas these days, that's definitely a factor.  Right now, we need to pay down our debt and replace at least one of our vehicles, so ANYTHING would help, and this is much better than just anything! 

Did I mention I'm excited?!?!

Plus, just passing the test and getting the call is such a boost to my deflated sense of self-worth after submitting so many resumes and applications with absolutely no response, except an automated one acknowledging reception of the submission.

So I'm just a LITTLE excited.

OMG! The HR person just called me back! I'VE GOT AN INTERVIEW SCHEDULED NEXT WEEK!!

Please keep me in your prayers! I know my Higher Power is in this entire situation and has my best interest at heart, so please pray that I will accept His direction and know that if this job isn't the one for me, He will lead me to the one that is.

xoxo

Cooking with Whine

I made Chicken Divan the other night.  I haven't made it in FOREVER, and definitely not since I got sober.  However, I needed to come up with a dish that could be frozen for a family with a new baby, and that's always been my old standby in situations like this.

So, I went to Kroger and shopped for all the ingredients.

Now, you need to understand that in the past, I've always used white wine or sherry in the sauce.  Not wanting to purchase the "real" thing, I purchased a small bottle of white cooking wine.  You're only supposed to use 3 tablespoons in the sauce, or 5 1/2, since I was increasing the recipe by half.  I put in the amount called for, and all you could taste was butter and plain flour. Yuck! So, I continued adding and adding more cooking wine, and it still turned out very disappointing.  My husband liked it okay, but I knew it wasn't nearly as good as what I used to make with real wine or sherry.

So, this is my dilemma: I love to cook, and in the past cooked a lot, and a lot of my favorite and most popular recipes called for wine.  I don't want to use "real" wine now, because, quite frankly, I think it's still too much of a temptation for me to have open in the house.  But, how do I cook and get the same quality of taste from recipes calling for wine when I can't, or won't, use it?

Any advice from other alkies would be greatly appreciated.  Meanwhile, I guess I just need to suck it up and quit whining.

Too Pooped To Post

It's Saturday and I'm pooped. This week has been a whirlwind of activity. Nothing major. Just stuff I'm not used to doing anymore.

On Monday, I cleaned the house from top to bottom, or more precisely, from one end to another. My sister and her family arrived late that evening and left in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday. Fun, but tiring. I cooked, cooked and cooked some more. My sis was a lot of help, but I had zero alone time while they were here, and I need an hour or two in the day just to reflect, refresh and recuperate.

On Thursday, my pastor called me to ask me to prepare a meal for a couple in our small group who have just been blessed with the arrival of their first baby.

So I shopped and cooked and baked and froze.  And cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom, including removing the knobs on the stove and scouring the stove top and wiping the floor down again.

And I'm exhausted. Wiped out. Pooped.

I used to be SOOOO Martha Stewart. Not anymore. Wonder where that went, and when??

Now it's Saturday and I just want to sleep, catch up on Cupcake Wars and Criminal Minds and sleep some more.

And, I ask you, Martha: What's wrong with that?