Mississippi Monkey Shines

Rainy Saturday

2011-03-05T10:06:00.008-06:00

Happy Mardi Gras Weekend, Y'all!

I know, it has been a while. My head is hanging in shame here since I haven't posted in a long time, but Mama has been busy. Work has picked up in the last few weeks, so there has been less time to sit at the computer, and the kid activities are in full swing.

The Hall of Fame Dance Competition was held in Little Rock a couple of weeks ago. Miss Coco had three large group dances and all the girls did a great job. This photo is from the lyrical number "Tiny Dancer." This one didn't garner any big awards, but they did get "Top Tap" for "Rockin Robin" and "Top Jazz" for "Party Time".

They work so hard during the week on these dances, and it is so worth all that driving and waiting and hair curling to see the smiles when they are on the stage. Today we head to West Memphis, Arkansas for another regional competition. The hair curling should begin about 1:30. Wish us luck because with the pouring rain outside, I am not sure how well it is all going to hold up! I am hoping that they will allow us to do a little bit of video or photos at this one so I will have something decent to show you later!

Pine Bluff, February 5 and 6, 2011

2011-02-10T09:52:00.002-06:00

We had a great show weekend in Pine Bluff.....all our friends had a great time too! Brady won his puppy class both days, and Joey got Best Opposite on Saturday, and Best of Breed on Sunday. Above, our little handler gets re-aquainted with a little pug that she showed in Benton Arkansas back in October. As soon as the "real" show photo gets here, I'll show it to you!

Three Holidays.......

2010-12-19T20:10:00.010-06:00

Ok, I apologize for seemingly dropping off the face of the earth, but it has been a busy time for us. I have to admit that many days, quick facebook updates are as far as I get!

I bribed the kids into letting me take some cute snaps this morning at church. They were pretty cooperative when they found out that it involved opening ONE small present!

Don't her eyes say, "Hurry up already!

Kristy Kringle spent a little time at school, then took the kids to visit Santa.

We spent Thanksgiving at the Mississippi Sheriff's Boy's Ranch with the extended family.

It was a great day of food, family, and ponies!

Fall photo ........ some days they cooperate without a huge bribe!

Halloween skirt I made for the chicklet to wear to school.

Packing for the dog show in Decatur. Honestly, Joey ( right) gets excited when he sees the suitcase come out. He and Brady both went to Decatur. Brady won his breed and a group 4 in the B match!

In Benton, Arkansas, on Halloween weekend, the little duo won the grand prize in the costume contest.

That weekend, she got a Select on her Joey, but she also had a nice single point win for a lady with pugs who recruited her to show a dog for her. It was a dog that was brought just to build the points for another dog who was hopefully going to win, but as it turned out, the kid di da good job and got the point on the little filler dog.

As you can see, we stay busy. All of the usual cooking and crafting is still going on.....

I promise to be better about updating both

Facebook and MMS in the new year. Hold me to it!

Keeping Busy

2010-09-04T18:29:00.005-05:00

This summer and fall are proving to be really busy for the family, in fact we have had to split into two traveling camps a few times recently. The girl and her little pooch were big winners in Little Rock a few weeks ago, much to everyone's surprise and delight. They won Best of Breed over several other Champions , one of whom has been ranked in the top 10 nationally for almost all of 2010! There were some very seasoned showmen in the ring, as well as a couple of professional handlers, but our tiny dancer and her little partner waltzed away with the prize for the day. I was so shocked that I dropped my camera on the floor and just nearly had a heart attack. After having won nothing the day before, this win was just that much sweeter!
That same weekend, down in Greenwood, the men of the family were at a martial arts tournament. The competition was stiff, and the opponents worthy, but our boy survived the battle and came home with a second place trophy for patterns and a third in sparring. It won't be long until he has a BLACK belt!

We have a really good time doing all this stuff with the kids, even though sometimes, the logistics makes it difficult. In a couple of weeks, we have the same thing again. Dad and boy will be going to rumble in Jackson and hopefully bring home some trophies, and the girl and I will be popping down to Tupelo to see if the judges there have any ribbons that need to go on our wall.

Red/Black Belt

2010-08-22T23:35:00.000-05:00

While the sister has been dancing her dog around the show ring this summer, brother has been working on his board breaking skills. He broke this one with his HAND! That is his brand new red/black belt. Hopefully in a few months we will have a skunk belt and sometime in the spring......a BLACK BELT!

Puppy Dog Tales

2010-08-22T20:32:00.002-05:00

This weekend at the Memphis Kennel Club Dog Show out dynamic duo won Select Dog on Saturday and gained another point toward little Joey's Grand Championship. On Sunday, they weren't in the ribbons, but I feel had the best show day ever. The child did everything right and the dog was the best he has ever been for her. We were so very proud! Last weekend in Little Rock, they were awarded Best of Variety ( same as best of breed) on Sunday, beating several professional handlers as well as the number 10 ranked dog in the country. We were SO happy with that! As soon as the pictures come in, I'll be sure and post!

The Long Wait is over

2010-08-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

We have been anxiously checking our mailbox every day for the picture taken at the Greater Shelby Kennel Club show where our little angels did a great job and were awarded Joey's first point toward his Grand Championship. It was the little ladie's second dog show ever and her first one with her very own dog. The first day, there were no accolades, but the second day - the judge liked their style!

Mucho Gracias to Judge Rodney R. Merry for seeing what the rest of us have been seeing at home!

Gulf Coastal Getaway!

2010-07-30T13:33:00.002-05:00

School starts again next week, so with that looming, we decided to take a last little weekend getaway to the coast. This time, "camping" at an RV park in Ocean Springs. This area is a pretty well kept secret, I think, because this morning, we were the ONLY people on the beach except for a few on the bike paths. There is a gorgeous playground and paved walking and cycling paths all over.

Today- beach, pool, blues, and BBQ. Tomorrow - Fishing, Lulu's, and cookout.
Pictures....I promise.

Kassie and Joey....Part 1

2010-07-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

2010-07-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

On our first dog show weekend with the incredibly cute "Joey", he got Select Dog and the first point toward his AKC Grand Championship. The Grand Championship is new to AKC and was started as incentive for people to get their Champion dogs into the ring to compete again. The judge today was quite friendly and surprised us by giving our tiny duo the Select Award. This is exactly what we were hoping for! We are so blessed to have him because not only is he a good showman, but he is a great companion for our girl and is fully capable of showing her what this dog show thing is all about.

Dynamic Duo

2010-07-17T11:15:00.004-05:00

Today was the first show for our Dynamic Duo of Miss Coco and Ch. Dazzle's See Me Shine( aka "Joey").
The preparation seemed endless with a lot of training ( for Coco, not the dog) and aquisition of the crate, the dress, the lead, and all the other stuff that is necessary. The tiny dog requires just a bit of trimming and a spit-shine bath.

Unfortunately, being only 7, our girl is not old enough for Junior Handler Competition, so she has to show in the breed competition. Little Joey is already a champion, so he can only enter in the best of variety class, which means there isn't a number placement. Basically there is a winner and best of opposite. There are some other things that are awarded, but I don't have all that figured out yet. The point being here that because there is not graduated placement, wins will likely be far between for these guys, but they both love it, so we will continue to enter as long as it is fun. Who knows, with a little polish, the ribbons might come!

How could anyone not fall in love with either one of them?

Once upon a time....

2010-07-13T21:53:00.013-05:00

........I went to the library and met someone famous.

On Monday night this week, my goofy friends and I trucked it down to the Hernando Public Library to meet one of our favorite authors, Ms. Charlaine Harris. We sure felt like big booknerds, but there were about 347 other goofy booknerds there too! For those of you who live in caves with no books or television, Charlaine is probably most famous for her Southern Vampire Series , aka the "Sookie Stackhouse" books. These entertaining books have inspired an HBO series, True Blood, which is now in it's third delicious season.

Miss Charlaine was entirely gracious as she answered questions from the audience - ranging from what inspires her to where the story is going in the future. She talked a lot about how hard it is to be a serious writer, and how she actually "goes to work" each morning in her office across the carport. She works until noon, takes a lunch break, then goes back to work. Amazing. Like a regular job, only she can wear her pajamas if she wants. She also apologized for killing off a favorite character, Claudine. I personally didn't mind the loss of Claudine, but she better not even THINK about harming the darling Eric Northman. Yes, Charlaine, that is a friendly little threat! ( Just kidding....I know you won't do away with him. )

My girls Lesley and Sarah really enjoyed their momentary brush with fame, even though Les almost had to punch some lady in the neck because she busted in front of us in line.

We got a few minor spoilers and the good news that there is a new Sookie Companion out that will contain a little novella that will feature Pam and Sookie and a trip to Tunica. There are recipes in it too ( Not Charlaine's idea, she said. ) I know I will get this one in hard cover!

After a lengthy talk period, she graciously autographed books and chatted with fans. Good thing most of us have seen cattle work through a chute, 'cause that was sort of how it felt. The little librarians were riding herd and trying to keep the peace. Eventually, everyone got their books signed and had a chance to speak to her. When we got up to the table, we thanked her for coming, then managed to work in plugs for the Tunica Humane society, then quipped about how Claudine dying wasn't NEARLY as painful as Kisten's death in Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series..... She broke out in a smile and said she knew what we were talking about, and that she really pushed the dislike button on that one too! One of Charlaine's causes is support for SPCA, so it sure didn't hurt to speak to her about the plight of the animals in her own home county!

One of the most important things that Charlaine said the whole night was that " There is absolutely no excuse for people not to read." I so wholeheartedly agree. I have been a rabid reader ever since I started reading, and I would love it if my kids turned out to be too. There are so many EXCELLENT books out there to be enjoyed! With libraries, bookstores , and electronic media, books are accessible to everyone, there really is no reason not to read. Through the years I have always found a "book friend" who would read along with me so we could talk about out "stories". At Kirby, it was Susan. At PHC, Sarah. Now, Gail. (I do have to prod Gail a bit though- she has book-o-lepsy. Every time she picks up her kindle, she falls asleep. Maybe they should put an alarm in it when it tilts over as you fall asleep.)

Anyway, the message here is READ! Teach your kids by example that reading is fun and that you can learn about anything you want to just by turning a page! If you can, volunteer at the "liberry" or help out with a literacy program. The rewards are infinate, the price small.

If you happen to read this Charlaine, THANK YOU again for coming and we look so forward to seeing you again. Oh, and say hi to Alex for us!!!!!!

2010-07-05T09:11:00.022-05:00

When we last went to the coast to take supplies to the wildlife rescue group we support, the ladies and I decided to stop by The Shed for a little 'que and to check out the place since it was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. Let me just say, Guy got this one right.....it is a DIVE. We absolutely LOVED it!

First you have to navigate a narrow lot of white slag filled with cars and trucks, and all sorts of bikes. There are some tables under tents at the end of the lot....not sure what they are for, but they overlook some swamp area off the Back Bay of Biloxi.

Like I said, there were bikes everywhere. The bikers that went with them were having a group picture made when we were there.

Walk just a few yards further and you see where the boys chop the wood used to fuel the smokers....... no kidding. They were out there with axes and chain saws cutting up logs.

There is an outdoor "theater" of sorts, and this golf cart ( destination nowhere) is on top. Everything out there is weathered and worn, and held together with nails, screws, rope and I would bet there is duct tape somewhere in the mix.

Even the marquis has a certain flair.

The landscaping was "lush"......... Guess they are going for that unspoiled look.

Inside, the decor is what you might call "Visual Noise". You walk up to the counter, order your food, then when it is ready, the servers walk around calling your first name, then you verify that it is yours by giving your last name. I so wanted to give them the fake name of some famous person. I'm gonna do it next time.

See what I mean about visual noise? Those are rope lights....there must have been a thousand miles of them.

Something about the whole thing made these two grin like they had a secret.

On to the food.....above, the SMALL pulled pork sandwich plate.

Below, the Beef BBQ salad. It was fabulous.
The BBQ sauce is called " Shed Spread" and it was really really good. They do sell bottles of it. Now y'all know what you are getting for Christmas.

So, right in there there was supposed to be a picture of Gail's baby back ribs......however, there is some sort of technical thing going on with either Blogger or me. So you will have to settle for a photo from after the frenzy.

She didn't lick the sauce out of the plate, but I know she wanted to.

Waist-ed Away in Tortilla-ville......

2010-07-04T13:38:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to make four tortillas AT HOME. Surely, how hard could that be? Immediately I went and checked Pioneer Woman's archive and found a recipe that was rightly simple, yet contained ( gasp) LARD. Now, while it is true that I am from the South, and have no aversion to pork fat, I had never purchased lard. At least not in it's pure and un-adulterated form. When I went to the Walmart's for the weekly foraging session, I looked at the lard but couldn't bring myself to buy it. The stuff is cheap, but just the thought made me keep on trucking. The next week, however, I succumbed to it and bought some. It sat in the pantry for two weeks. Then the other night I decided to just jump the gap and make the things. They were delicious! But there was a texture issue -it was more like frybread or a gordita shell than it was a tortilla. When I think flour tortilla, I want it to be a little chewy and to bend without breaking. Not to knock Ree's recipe, I figured it was my technique.

So, back to the internet for another recipe. This time I found one with oil, and MILK. I made these this morning and again, the taste is perfect, but the texture
( while better than the first batch) still is not what I was looking for. They got eaten up with gusto, so no complaints, but still.....I strive for the perfection I know I can find.

Here's what I did:

Easy Tortillas

2 cups plain flour
2 tbsp masa ( you could leave this out, but I had some, so why not?)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk ( in my case, 1/2 cup 2% and 1/4 cup half and half)

Mix the flour, masa, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add vegetable oil and stir in til blended. Warm the milk in the microwave , but don't scald it like I did.
Pour in the milk and work until it forms a sticky, yet crumbly dough.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 2 or 3 minutes, then plop it in a bowl to rest for maybe 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the dough ball out and slightly flatten it into a rectangle. With a big knife, cut it into 8 pieces. The gently roll each piece into a ball. Put balls on a plate ( not touching) and cover with towel to rest for 10 more minutes. Evidently they get tired and testy from being handled.)

Get out your iron griddle, or in my case, electric non-stick pancake griddle and get it going at medium high. ( 375 on my electric thingie)

Roll each ball into a roughly 6-8 inch circle. Mine turned out to be shaped like
South America, but that is just how it is here in Mississippi sometimes.
As you get them rolled out, plop the first on on the heated surface and while it is cooking, roll out the next one. In 30 seconds, flip it over and put on the next one. In thirty seconds, take the first one off, flip the second one over and add the third. Obviously, if the things don't look done, don't do it that fast, but mine only took about 30-45 seconds a side.

Serve with whatever you like. Today we had them with scrambled eggs and bacon, but I could sure see some butter and honey with cinnamon ( Sopapilla?) or some fried apples. Love y'all!

"It Ain't Rocket Science"

2010-07-03T20:49:00.003-05:00

To quote Emeril Lagasse, "It ain't rocket science, it's just cooking."
Well, E is correct, but with baking, you do have to sort of follow the directions and it will most of the time turn out fine. This time, it turned out LOOKING right, but as for the taste, we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out if it was a real success. The glaze tastes GREAT! I can tell you that because I accidentally licked my finger when I accidentally let some drip on the side of the plate accidentally not on purpose.

Here's the how to:

Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup half-n-half

In mixer, beat the sugar,butter and shortening until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, allowing them to become fully incorporated.

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.
Put the vanilla in with the milk/half and half. ( Lucy's recipe called for whole milk and all I had was 2%, hence the half-n-half)
Alternately add the dry mixture and the milk into the mixer with the butter/sugar combo. Mix gently until thoroughly blended. ( Really, turn the mixer down low or you will puff flour all over yourself. Voice of experience)

Spoon the batter into a WELL GREASED and floured (and hopefully friendly) Bundt or tube pan. Bake at 325 for about an hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before you turn it out onto a plate.

Glaze:
5 tablespoons butter
1 block of Baker's chocolate ( I had semi-sweet, but use what you have)
1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder
1 1/2 to 2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup strong coffee ( hot) or a double shot of espresso
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the butter and chocolate in microwave safe bowl until able to blend with fork.
Dissolve coffee powder in the hot coffee and set aside.
Add the powdered sugar to the butter/chocolate mixture, stirring constantly. Add a spoonful of the coffee as you go, mixing well....keep adding until you get the consistency you desire. You won't likely use all the coffee . It should coat the spoon thickly when you are done if you want it to stay on the cake.

When the cake is cooled enough to touch, but still warmer than room temp, drizzle the glaze over the top..... allow to cool completely , then cover. I put mine in the fridge, but it would be ok to sit "table top" if served that day.

Don't run out and make this tonight....wait until I get some feedback from the folks at church. I am pretty sure it will be fine, but sometimes....eh. If it just had cream cheese somewhere in it, I am sure it would be PERFECT!

2010-07-03T19:58:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the big Fourth of July Fireworks and Waterslide-palooza at church and I decided that instead of entering the home-made ice cream contest (which incidentially I have never won) that I would make a cake to go with all the delicious not-made-by-me ice cream.

So, I just made Lucy Buffett's chocolate pound cake with mocha glaze, sort of. I now know that the reason nothing I make ever turns out the same twice is because I have to change SOMETHING every time!

Picture this. I have everything out on the counter, the kitchenaid is working hard at whipping up the shortening, butter, lard, and sugar. Yes, shortening, lard, and sugar. The shortening and butter were in the recipe, but I bought that lard and I just put a teaspoon in there to be bad. It will probably be what makes it over the top. When it came time to add the cocoa powder, it said only 3 heaping TEASPOONS.
My thought was, " Surely that is a mis-print, 'cause this stuff looks anemic." I dumped in two more tablespoons. The vanilla was only one tsp. Mama put in two. Then I started thinking I might have over done the cocoa and it might be a little bitter, so I put in some more sugar. I hope no one dies from this cake.

The glaze was a whole 'nother matter. The recipe wanted more cocoa powder. I was feeling Baker's chocolate bars. It said hot coffee. I thought espresso powder dissolved in real espresso. The Baker's chocolate,espresso glaze is good enough to just drink it like it is.

Anxiety is running high right now because the cake is in the oven now, in the kamikaze bundt pan. I have had the pan for 13 years - bought it just after I got married. These days, it is a total crapshoot to use it. Sometimes, the cake comes out perfect. Other times, half it decides to never leave the pan. I am hopeful that this time it will decide to act right and let the cake go so that we can have something lovely to take to the festivities tomorrow.

Oh and did I mention that my oven has to be set 20 degrees lower than whatever the recipe says because if not it will be charred on the bottom? See what I say about crapshoot? Oh well, if it does turn out, you will have pictures and recipe tomorrow, if it isn't what I think it should be, there will be a chocolate trifle of some sort for work Monday.

A New Summer Career

2010-06-23T18:11:00.002-05:00

This is the "official" photo from the show photographer. It isn't that different from the one that I took myself and showed you earlier, but I figured that since I didn't have anything else in the can for your viewing pleasure, y'all could suffer through just a little bit more of this.

Of course, when this guy hits the mats again, you will definately be subjected to many heart-tugging photographic moments.

Here's A Reason to say "Awwwww!"

2010-06-14T08:10:00.001-05:00

Little Joey was almost asleep when I went in for the nightly bedcheck. His little girl was fast asleep and he was settled in ready for the Sandman hisownself. He has such a sweet little face and those ears.....well, they just give him so much expression. So far things have gone very well for him here. It is a good think that he is secure in his doghood because he has a pink crate cover, a big luau print pillow bed with a pink blankie. I am going to shop for fabric to make him a real crate cover to use at shows with bumper pads and pillow cover to match. ( The kid is not the only one who is besotted!)

It's Monday!

2010-06-14T08:09:00.001-05:00

Here's a little something for your Monday viewing pleasure. Last Thursday my ninja tested for his red/black belt. Of course, he is ALWAYS on the far side of the room, meaning that my photos and videos are never that great, not that they would be if he was the only one. I am definately not a photographic artist. He has come so far and does try so hard!

New Sheriff if Town

2010-06-13T07:11:00.003-05:00

There's a new sheriff in town and he is riding in a kiddie buggy at the Petco!
His name is

Joey and he was a gift to my child from a long time client/aquaintence, now friend, who has been raising and showing toy dogs for MANY years. He is a finished show champion, so he will be a nice little teacher to help the girl start her dog show career. Up until now, most show dogs would pretty much retire once they became champions, but AKC recently instituted the "Grand Champion" title as incentive for people to keep showing their champions.

So far, he has just melted into the household like he was always here. Of course, being the only male in a house full of girlie dogs has made that easier. The ladies here pretty much ignored him from the start, and because they are all spayed, they weren't of much interest to him. He is far more into his little mistress and is basking in all the attention that she is heaping on him.

Their first show together will be in July.......we can hardly wait! Grand Championship here they come!

First Time for Everything

2010-06-11T12:18:00.002-05:00

I bought one of these yesterday.... and it is all Ree Drummond's fault! She posted a recipe for home-made tortillas on her website, and I have the feeling that I could well do it! Anyway, I have never owned any lard and I am not sure what in the world I would do with it other than make these tortillas. ( I did not buy 25 lbs either - just a small tub).

I'll post some pictures of the process and the outcome. It surely should be interesting because she said there is a certain learning curve to it!

First Dog Show

2010-06-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

My baby girl entered her first dog show this weekend, using a borrowed dog and wearing a hand me down outfit. It was a little bit of a trial on the Saturday set, but by Sunday am, we had it all sorted out. She really seemed to have a good time, even if "Dash" was a little bit apprehensive about the whole affair. We don't have a show-worthy dog of our own right now, so for the summer we will likely just beg and borrow for the local shows that we can get to, then maybe next year we MIGHT talk about a little something she can call her own. How could any judge not give it up for that smile?

Day at the Bay

2010-05-23T06:03:00.005-05:00

We spent the morning at the Bay Park in Fairhope. The kids played , fed the birds and fished. My girl was the fishing champion, landing three - two little croakers and a bitsy saltwater catfish.
Here she is holding one right before she tossed him back in.

The boy would rather just cast around. Waiting for something to happen is not his forte.

Feeding the birds was a whole lot of fun, for about 45 seconds. It is amazing though how they can catch a froot loop while hovering over your head.

The bay park was pretty much empty when we arrived. No people, no boats, no nuthin. They do charge an $8.00 gate fee per car, but so worth it. It is free to fish off the piers, but you do have to have a marine fishing license, which you can get online.

There are oil booms out.......but so far the only evidence we have seen of the oil is in the decreased number of people around. Traffic has been easy, and waits at restaurants have been short. The children have been having a great time, and have maybe learned just a little along the way!

Gulf Coast Adventures

2010-05-21T22:37:00.010-05:00

Today we delivered all the supplies collected in North MS to the Biloxi Wildlife Care and Rehab in Ocean Springs.

Ms. Alison was prepared and had strong male volunteers to unload the stuff.

As a special ( and unexpected ) treat, she showed us a few of the animals in the rehab program. This is a gopher tortoise who was attacked by a German shepherd and had both front legs injured. The white stuff is silvadene cream which helps with healing.

A very special guest at the center is this little sea turtle. It is a rare species, a Kemp's
Ridley Sea Turtle. It was found beached with a fish hook injury. The marks on the top of her neck are from barnacles. She is recovering her strength in a pool until she can be released safely.

The sea turtle smelled distinctly of fish, which made my little ninja back off...

What a face!

Here's another little gopher tortoise. We interrupted his dinner.

Lastly, we took a look at a baby alligator. He was small, but fiesty!

I am so hoping that the kids take away a little bit of why we came here this weekend. It really wasn't about playing in the sand and eating seafood. Maybe they will remember that we did a little something to make a difference in the outcome of even just a few of these animals.

Rock Around the Clock

2010-05-20T06:22:00.003-05:00

It was good, y'all. For a bunch of little 6 and 7 year olds, these ladies did a great job!

Regular classes and competitions are over for the summer, but dance camp starts in a couple of weeks!

Military Mix

2010-05-19T18:51:00.000-05:00

I finally got to look at the picture CD that I got from the last dance competition, and I think there are a lot of GREAT pictures on it! I know, y'all are sick of kid dance pictures, but I just had to show you a few . This number was called "Military Mix" and they won quite a few trophies and ribbons for it this year. I don't know how this many 5-6 year olds can do anything together, but these girls could!

This Friday

2010-05-19T15:39:00.003-05:00

Hello friends!

Thanks for hanging in with me on this little blog. I know I have been remiss and have not kept it up for a while, but a lot has been going on! We have had dance competitions and recitals, activities at work, and now we are taking a trip to the Gulf Coast to deliver a LOAD of supplies to the Biloxi Wildlife Care Center so that they can rehab the oiled birds that they are sure to be getting in the near future.

While the wildlife involvement at this point hasn't been as bad as it was with the Exxon spill, there still will be lots of birds, mammals and other sea life affected.

Our plan is to leave Friday am and drive down to the Biloxi Center and drop off all that we have collected. Our friends, family, clients, and collegues have been so wonderful in providing the things needed on the Center's " wish list." Thanks to them, many of the oiled animals will survive!

While I can't do much, I can do this , and hopefully this one thing will make a difference to someone.

My New BFF

2010-05-13T18:00:00.002-05:00

I think I have found my new best friend. Her name is Kindle and she carries my books around for me.

My family got the hint ( finally) and got me this little beauty for Mother's day. Little did they know that now they will have to fend for themselves for a lot of dinners because now all I want to do is come home from work and read. ( I know....you though I came home every day and played on the internet anyway, so what difference would it make?)

The beauty of this thing is that it can hold 1000 books. That is 100 books a year for 10 years. I don't think even I will read that much! Down side, you have to buy the books. Granted, there are a lot of free ones offered, and the list changes daily. For the most part, Kindle books are discounted off the price of the "real" books. It is light and easy to handle, fits in a purse and the screen looks JUST LIKE a page in a book. There is no glare in the sunshine like there is when you take your laptop outside.

I have yet to get something like a cookbook to see how that works....not sure about the "searchability" on those. Any of you know?

Thank you family for giving me something I can really use and enjoy ...now go do something while I read!

Yay!

2010-05-06T08:15:00.002-05:00

Finally! Starbuck's has come up with a solution for those of us who had the heartbreaking loss of their local Starbuck's drive through. I , for one, don't make Starbuck's coffee at home because I rarely finish the whole pot and I just can't abide with pouring out a half pot of MONEY!

Anyway, this tastes pretty great for instant. It certainly would be better if I could add a buncha sugar and cream and chocolate or vanilla , but I can't so I make do with a little splenda and some half and half. Go get some and let me know what you think!

Tragic weekend

2010-05-02T11:02:00.002-05:00

After two days of horrific storms, the front is starting to move out of our area. This photo was taken ( I am not sure by whom) in Millington, TN. A levy was breached near the Navy base there and some 3000 people were evacuated. A personal friend of mine lost her home in the flood and a couple of her pet birds in the effort to get out.
At our house, nothing was damaged. We are just a little sleep deprived from staying awake watching the radar and running outside to check the clouds.

We will be keeping all affected by these storms in our thoughts and prayers.

New Favorite Eat-at Place

2010-04-18T19:42:00.003-05:00

I spent a little time in downtown Memphis this week ( actually, it was a lot of time) at the American Heartworm Symposium and was fortunate enough to hook up with a couple of collegues I had not seen in a while. Instead of the usual educational luncheon stuff, we decided to go out and find something different. Just down the block, was the fabulous Flying Fish.

I love quirky, and this place is so that. The Billy Bass adoption center cracked me up! There were fish dressed like Santa, Elvis, and Drag queens. ( any of these can be seen in Memphis on any given day) If you bring them YOUR unwanted Billy Bass, they give you a free basket of catfish.

They even made a "flying fish" out of this big guy. If you look closely, you can even see the huge nail they used to attach the wing. Now if I did this, it would be junk, but here, it is cool.

The place has counter service, meaning that you stand in line, order, then go sit and wait for the stuff to get ready. It reminded me a little of Acme Oyster Company in NOLA, except that they give a beeper instead of yelling your name when your order is ready. I can imagine that the place is packed at night, so if you are gonna go visit, and early ( or late) lunch might be the ticket!

Since I was with people who don't know how strange I can be, I didn't take pictures of everyone's food, but I can tell you that it was really really good. I had grilled grouper with grilled veggies and some beans/rice stuff. The other gals had fried shrimp and fish and it looked pretty good as well. As you know by now, I am a fried fish snob, so I usually go for blackened or grilled when anywhere that is an unknown. The grouper was seasoned lightly and cooked just so that it still held together, but was flakey and light.

I can't wait to go back!!

Easter Beauties.

2010-04-05T08:16:00.003-05:00

As If We Weren't Already Gone to the Dogs......

2010-04-01T14:49:00.010-05:00

A sweet friend of mine called the other day and said that she had gotten a new puppy and was going on a sudden trip out of town for a few days. Before old and forgetful Aunt Lisa checked her schedule, she said, " Well, just leave that baby with me. Puff can come too. " ( Puff is the gorgeous vision of loveliness below. She was one of my little "pickups" from many years ago. She was just a pup then, and ended up with my sweet friend. )
So, as soon as I hang up the phone, I remembered that my OTHER sweet friend ( who spends half her life in Jamaica and the other half at the airport) was headed out to Beloved this week and we were to be keeping the yorkies TOO! Ok...quick math. 4 chihuahuas + 1 dachshund + 1 aussie + 2 poodles + 2 yorkies = CHAOS!!!!!!!!

As it turns out, the "campers " are all getting along fine. Above, Mika ( yorkie) checks out Puff and Tink.

Bindi Su couldn't care less about the dogs here and what they are doing. As long as she can bark along the fence and eat all she wants, she is good.

Princess, the wonder wiener, was less enthused, but agreed to be civil as long as no one interferes with her bedtime. She would like to be in bed 23 3/4 hours of the day. That other 15 minutes she has to devote to potty breaks and eating. Of course, we could get it down to 5 minutes if I would hand feed her in the bed. ( Don't laugh, I used to do it for my maltese)

Lulu, Alli, and Mya have been taking turns with the children going down the slide. Honestly, they like it.

Action shots are hard with my point and shoot, but this is Tink running up for her turn on the slide.

There she is......she is about 2 1/2 lbs and 14 weeks old. I might forget to give her back. We haven't had a poodle in over a year now and sometimes I miss that fuzzy hair.

Puff is showing her age a bit, but otherwise she is plowing right along with the rest of them.

My boy was trying to show me his school papers, but the puppies wouldn't let him.

This weekend is going to be an adventure for sure. I just know the kids are going to be sitting around the dinner table some day talking about all the times when we had 10 dogs for the weekend, or a deer fawn in the garage, or a turtle in a bucket or a rabbit in a swimming pool. At least I hope they do! :)

I Won't Lie...I Miss It.

2010-03-23T06:10:00.002-05:00

It has been about three weeks since I have had a "coke" and I gotta say, it has been rough. I don't care what people say, it is not true that after a couple of weeks the craving goes away because it doesn't. I guess for the "regular" person it might, but for those of us who use it as a substitute for other things, like snacks, it is a bit more important. I have been swilling down the water and Crystal Light, but it is SO not my beloved Diet Coke. I am not sure what health benefits I am reaping by giving it up, but I can tell you I am probably saving 30.00 a week or so, if you count in the stuff I ahve to get the kids whenever we would stop for a coke.

Surely there is some benefit to losing the soda.....if you know of any, let me know.

NEXSTAR - 2010

2010-03-20T17:46:00.010-05:00

Today was the THIRD dance competition, and man was it a doozy!

First off, we had to wear the false eyelashes. It was a fight to get them on, then the real battle began, keeping them on all day!

Sassy girl!

Two pretty little divas!

Just chillin' between dances.

After a quick lunch of Chinese, we had to have a shoe change by the car.

All smiles and ready for awards!

For the awards, ALL the girls pile onto the stage and wait for the announcements. I'm not sure what this pouting was all about.

Our little tappers got a platinum and a high gold award in the judicated section and then got both FIRST and SECOND place in the 8 and under large group competition. They did two numbers, so that is how they got both the first and second place. I am so very proud of my girl and her little classmates. They definately work really hard for everything they have earned!

Feline BMI.....Progress Report

2010-03-19T20:58:00.004-05:00

After two solid weeks of no dry food, I am happy to report that Bob has lost approximately 0.7 lbs and Poopie has lost 0.4. Smudge ( clinic cat) had lost 0.4 as of last Monday. Currently at home we are alternately feeding Pet Promise, Innova, and Wellness with a can of Friskies or Nine-Lives for variety. Smudge is eating Purina DM or Hill's M/d for the most part with a bit of Friskies . :)

The Pet Promise I have only seen at PetCo until recently. Last week it was on sale at Big Lots for a very reasonable $.50 a can. I bought a BUNCH. The EVO from Innova is grain free and is possibly the best choice for diabetic cats, of which mine are not. They like it very well, but it is quite a bit more expensive and at this point, only available at a few places in town. It is easy to find online though, but the shipping may make it cost prohibitive.

Wellness may be the best overall choice for people with multiple cats because it does come in larger cans. If I were going to be out of town and have some one come in to feed, I would likely have them give one of these daily.

A few important points that I have to mention if you are considering going "all wet" with your cat:

1. Watch for loss of muscle mass. They don't need to lose too fast. If you are feeding as much canned as they can eat and are seeming to lose muscle, you will need to increase the quality of the food.

2. Cats do not need food in front of them 24/7. They will probably beg a bit during the first week, but then will become accustomed to the meal feedings.

3. Be sure to keep fresh water available at all times. My cats are not drinking NEARLY the amount of water they once were, so don't wait until it is empty to change it. Do it every day!

4. Per my research, any canned is better than any dry. If you have a cat that is reluctant to eat canned food, then leave a little bit of dry out so that they have a means to survive, but also offer canned food several times daily.

5. If your cat is diabetic, watch closely for signs of hypoglycemia. You may need to talk to your veterinarian about the dosing of insulin. Of course, I suggest always that you consult your doctor about any change in the care of your diabetic pet, whether that be food or medications.

Let me know how it is going for your cat ( via comments) and what you are feeding.......I'd really love to know.

Reduction of Feline BMI

2010-03-13T07:21:00.009-06:00

Several years ago, through a series of fouled up plans, we aquired a lovely siamese-like kitten. His name is Bob. We went to a scarey apartment complex in Memphis to get him. There was a Bob Marley beach towel hanging over the window like a curtain. Much was going on there. But they were nice and the cats were sweet, so we took him. And fled.

Here he is as a lean and gorgeous teenager. Over the years, like all of us, he matured. And grew. And spread. Then, suddenly one day, he was this........

Twenty-one pounds of feline deliciousness. I decided that he really needed to be on a diet when he came and sat on my chest in bed one morning and I was nearly suffocated. Bob has a huge frame, so I was prepared to see that he was maybe 17 lbs or so, but 21? Desperate times call for desperate measures. I am not sayin that big cats aren't beautiful, but shoot, he near killed me. Plus I don't want him to end up diabetic and having to have shots and all, which is where he is headed.

Then I grabbed up little Poopie and popped her on the scale and she was tipping it at 14 lbs. Not awful, but still a bit over optimum considering she is average frame and a female.

Ok, so I go to my trusty Veterinary Information Network and start reading. It is current belief that cats don't metabolize grains very well and should be fed a species appropriate diet that is high protein, low carb, moderate fat, high MOISTURE. That means either mice or canned food. Mice are out of the question unless they can catch one in here on their own, ( which I strongly encourage should one have the guts to get in here), so we made the switch to all canned, all the time. They are in cat HEAVEN! Thankfully, they were already accustomed to having canned food from way back in the day when we had the old cats who had health issues, so the switch was no problem. Some cats get so addicted to dry that they won't readily accept any change . Until recently, "diet" dry foods were made so by the addition of loads of fiber and decreasing fat. I can't tell you how many cats I see that are fat as little pigs and are on diet food. ( sound familiar?)

So far, we have tried several brands of canned food. The experts don't recommend any particular brand, but say that in general, any canned is better than dry. Right now, they are eating Pet Promise which is sold at Petco, but I recently found ( thru a friend alert on Facebook) that all the Big Lots stores in our area had it, so I went and stocked up. So far, they are eating it very well. We have a stockpile of other brands too, and I sort of switch it up meal to meal just to make it interesting.

I am happy to report that Bob has lost about 1.5 lbs since this experiment started. Poopie has probably lost about a half pound. They are both more active and alert, and they have been tumbling around together like they did when they were kittens.

Just to make things interesting, we started our clinic cat, Smudge, on our little "Catkins" experiment too. She has been chronically overweight for years and has been on a nationally well known reducing diet. Her claim to fame was that she would tear open bags of food if she didn't have a full bowl all the time. The diet food didn't make her lose weight, but she sure was able to fill up her litter box, and she was starving all the time. So far after one week on the diet, she is faring well.

Poopie says that she would love to be the svelte kitten in this picture.....though I doubt that she would be too interested in California rolls........but then, you just never know.

More from Teton Trek

2010-03-08T19:52:00.004-06:00

A beautiful Trumpeter Swan. She was pretty miffed at being disturbed during her nap.

The Grizzly bears were out playing in the sunshine.

This grey wolf seemed to be really happy to see all her visitors.

Then she closed her mouth and showed us her extreme orthodontic misfortune. They should have named her "Scoop."

Spring?

2010-03-07T19:59:00.000-06:00

This weekend was pretty busy as the children had to go to school on Saturday to makeup a snow day, then we had a big dance competition to attend in Arkansas. I am proud to say that my little girl's team got two "Gold Awards" and placed 4th overall in the 12 and under division. Today we made a trip to the zoo to check out the new "Teton Trek" exhibit. It was a beautiful day and the lodge is really impressive. I have more pictures to show, but just had to get this one up tonight. They are growing up so fast!

Scarey!!!!

2010-02-28T19:27:00.002-06:00

Usually, I don't have many hair-raising experiences at the grocery store, but today, I was shopping with my mother and we found something downright scarey! IMITATION BOLOGNA!

Come on, bologna is scarey enough as it is.....but imitation? It was sort of a greyish color, but that might have just been the rag on the outside. I tried to read the ingredients, but couldn't make them all out. I might not have wanted to know anyway.

Ever since the tank truck turned over on the interstate and leaked pinkish bologna/hotdog goo on the road, I have sort of not eaten those products too much. However, we do still buy "boloney" because my older child thinks that it is the ONLY thing suitable for his lunchbox, and of course both kids love hotdogs. I admit, I do like it too. I remember my papaw eating bologna, cheese, and crackers nearly every day as soon as he got home from the bakery. It was never a whole lot, just enough to make it 'til supper. Anyway, I still don't know what imitation bologna is, but I do know that we probably won't be having it here!!!!!

Siblings

2010-02-28T13:09:00.000-06:00

Even though big brother would rather get his teeth drilled than go to dance recitals and competitions, he is proud of his little sister's accomplishment and was very excited to have a picture taken with her. They will be so glad they did this some day.

ShowStoppers!

2010-02-28T13:05:00.000-06:00

This weekend was our first dance competition and it was So much fun! Our little girl's team got two division first's and a third overall. I only have about a thousand pictures, so y'all should get ready to be innundated with them, in small increments of course.

Yay! I can have OATMEAL!

2010-02-19T07:21:00.004-06:00

Yesterday when I was cruising in the Walmart, I found this SUGAR FREE Instant Oatmeal.

I was so excited because I really like oatmeal, and have missed being able to have it when the mood struck. I know, it is possible to make regular quick-cooking oatmeal without sugar, but I have a real problem with portion control when I make that. I always make more than one serving, and then am compelled to eat more than one serving. This way, one packet is all I have.

The pictures shows the apple cinnamon flavor, but I got the maple/brown sugar variety. ( How can they make it taste like brown sugar when there is no sugar?) At 100 calories, 2 g fat and 15 g net carbs, it sounds like it will fit the bill perfectly.

I just had one packet with 1 tsp of Olive oil margarine and a little extra splenda on top. It didn't taste quite sweet enough without it. I added a boiled egg to round out the breakfast and add some protein, which will slow down the carbs in the oatmeal.

My fasting glucose was 115 ( that is pretty good) this morning, so I guess we will see in a little while how the oatmeal affects it.............. ( Imagine time lapsing here..........)

So, one hour later, glucose is 107, which I feel is pretty darn good considering that it was 115 BEFORE the carbilicious oatmeal. I am thinking about adding a tablespoon of pure oat bran to it next time to see what that does. Hmmmmmm.......

Big Top Cupcake

2010-02-15T06:08:00.004-06:00

The Big Top Cupcake pan is an item that my children had been begging for , so I found one only after visiting three different Walgreen's. I attempted to make one according to the directions, using one box of cake mix. It didn't fill the pans enough, so on the second attempt, I let the child make it , using TWO boxes of cake mix. It really only needed about 1 more cup of batter, so we baked off the extra in a loaf pan. It will keep in the freezer for a surprise treat later.

The filling on this particular one was the filling mix from a jello "Oreo" no bake dessert, sans the oreo bits. It is just basically a white cream. We topped the white filling with half a jar of strawberry preserves, which ran out the seam when the top was set on. Oh well, it tasted good according to the little pastry chef.

I think that given more time, and less help, I would decorate the next one with a piping tip and actually frost the bottom part, perhaps in a contrasting color. The possibilities are endless!

A BIG Surprise!

2010-02-08T12:20:00.011-06:00

We woke up this morning to about 6 inches of totally unexpected snowfall. It was absolutely beautiful at sunrise when all was still and quiet and nothing was disturbed.

Then the kids got up and set about wrecking all the beauty of it, instead, filling the neighborhood with laughter and screams and snowball fights.

We made strawberry snow smoothies and snow cream.

..and a lovly snow lady resplendant in her purple hat and pink scarf.

Then we ventured to the church for a bit of sliding down the hill in the plastic pool that we had on top of the rabbit cage.

Snow bunnies.

My handsome boy. I think he grows taller every day.

It is kinda cold.....can you tell from her cheeks?

They are back!

2010-02-07T07:13:00.003-06:00

When I went out with the dogs this morning, there were about 10 of these sitting in the big tree in the back yard and on the fence. I really love hearing them call. It is the sound of summer.

This is the female red-wing. Pretty plain little thing and I have to say that I didn't see a single one out with the boys in the yard this morning.

Hopefully, the spring warming will be here soon. We are so tired of the cold and wet!

New Laptop

2010-02-05T20:49:00.002-06:00

So, as you may already know if you are with me on Facebook, my old laptop began to pop it's buttons a week ago and we had to make the executive decision to go ahead and replace it. So after a bit of internet research, Sunday ad checking and check book balancing, we decided to go with this CompaQ Notebook.

So far it has been easy to use, although the number pad on the right side makes the letter keys be off center by an inch or so, making me type some really strange things if I am watching tv and trying to type at the same time.

Hopefully with a faster, less encumbered computer, I will be able to upload pictures faster and get them to YOU faster......Now all I have to do is get out there and find something to take pictures of!

Y'all have a great weekend!

Chicken Soup

2010-01-31T09:22:00.006-06:00

They say that chicken soup is good for the soul, but I say it is just plain good. Since we were in the middle of a frozen precipitation lockdown, I had to come up with something that I could make from what we had in the freezer and pantry, and this was it. This is not so much a recipe per se, but just how I made it this particular day. The beauty of soup in general is that you can pretty much put in whatever you want, but with chicken soup, it is really more about the brothy part than the other stuff. So, amend this as you will, but this one turned out exceptionally well! Start out with a BIG pot and either a whole chicken as above, or a couple of packages of chicken parts. I used 11 large bone in, skin on breasts. That is a LOT of chicken, but I was also planning to make some chicken salad and some chicken and dumplings. Plan on the equivalent of one whole chicken, which would be about 4 breasts. I would have loved to use the whole bird because the darker meat has a much richer flavor, but I didn't have one in the freezer and there wasn't one pecking around in the yard.

Cover the chicken with water, add a couple of teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Allow it to boil gently for about 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is done through. If there is foamy stuff that comes to the top, just skim it off with spoon. When you think the chicken is done, turn it off for about 15 minutes, then remove chicken to a plate to cool. Allow the broth to cool a bit and skim off as much fat as you want to take out. Keep in mind that the fat is what is going to give the soup it's rich flavor, so don't take it all out. If you are really pure, at this point, you can put the broth in a pitcher and refrigerate, then after it is chilled , it is easy to skim off the fat.

Of course, if you didn't want to fool with the broth part at all, you could just bake your chicken in the oven, then used canned or boxed stock. ( Though I wouldn't advise it - flavor suffers) I guess you could use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery if you REALLY wanted to....might really get some good flavor from the seasonings.

Now, since this was a snow day, I had to improvise and use what I had on hand. Originally, I had intended to use this for some veggie dip for "Big Game Day", but since that is NEXT weekend, I figured I would replace it and just use this one in the soup. There are probably several different ones that would work, but I would not suggest using one that is going to make a "tomato-y" base or one that is labled "creamy". ( Unless you want your chicken soup to be red or creamy) So, in the pot it went along with a chopped half onion and a little chopped celery and some carrot medalions that were hanging around in the freezer. I think a handful or two of just frozen mixed vegetables would add a little color and variety too, but I just didn't want to dig through the freezer for them. Just put in whatever you like or have leftover in the fridge.

While the broth and veggies and dip mix were simmering, I pulled all that chicken off the bone. The meat sort of shredded a bit, but I like it that way. Be sure and TASTE the broth from time to time because the veggie dip mix has a lot of salt and you don't want to over salt your soup.

Add the chicken back into the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes or so, tasting for seasoning a time or two. I added some poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and a bit more salt.

After you get the seasoning just about right, add whatever pasta you like. Usually, some nice egg noodles would be perfect, but living in the land of lower carbs, I have to try and use Dreamfield's whenever possible. ( Plus that was all I had besides spaghetti noodles). You could even use cooked rice if you like, but don't use minute rice. It becomes an odd shape and texture in soup.

So, I put in about half of this 16 ounce box of pasta and let it continue to cook for another 15 minutes, checking the pasta for doneness after about 10 minutes. You kinda want to turn the heat off when the pasta is al dente because it will get too soft if you wait until it is totally done. Remember, it will keep cooking until the soup cools down. Check seasoning again, because the pasta will soak up a lot of it. The broth is really what you taste in this soup.....I added a bit more pepper and garlic powder at this point.

Allow the pot to cool just a little, then serve in big bowls with whatever side floats your boat. In our house , that was cheddar cheese toast. On another day, it might be a little romain and tomato salad, or saltines.

This one was a real hit...the ulta picky boy kid even ate it and pronounced it his best "new" food ever. I was pretty proud of him because he is a strict non-vegetable eater and this was a big step for him to even try it when there were visible pieces of carrot and celery present.

I know there are no precise measurements here ( because there were none) and it might be hard to follow, but you know, it is only soup after all. You can always add stuff or take out what you don't like. Just be careful with the salt because there is a fine line between just right and too much! Good Luck!

( As soon as this was cooled, I packed it up for distribution in mason jars, and then they steamed up and I couldn't get a decent picture......next time, I promise)

Winter storm 2010.....update.

2010-01-31T08:45:00.002-06:00

Well, the winter storm "holiday" is officially coming to an end here in the tundra land of North Mississippi. In our little corner of the world, we got pretty much just sleet and ice, but on the top side of Memphis, there was quite a bit of snow. The kids here were really disappointed that they didn't get a chance to build a snowman, but even more sad at the fact we didn't get to make snow cream.

My laptop decided to start falling apart on Friday, so that called for an emergency trip to Best Buy yesterday to get a replacement before I was left totally unconnected. Thus the reason you get a stock photo this morning instead of something from real life. The new one doesn't have a camera card slot and I have yet to load pics onto the old one and then email them to myself and open them on this one. I do have a couple to share, and as soon as I have had a bit of coffee, I will try to figure out the whole memory stick thing so I can get them off the old computer faster. What the whole thing amounts to is getting a card reader that will fit all the cards I have and just plugging it in. That would mean a whole 'nother trip to town, and I am just not sure we are up for that.

Hope y'all have a lovely day!

Snow Day.....First Installment

2010-01-29T09:34:00.003-06:00

Today has turned out to be a "snow day" after all! Actually though, mostly what we have at this point is heavy sleet. Everyone is hunkering down for a long weekend since it is supposed to stay below freezing for the rest of the weekend. Fortunately, none of us had to get out for school or work, so I have a huge pot of chicken cooking on the stove to make some chicken soup ( for the girl) and chicken and dumplings ( for the boy).

When I took this, it had been sleeting for about an hour........when the snow does finally get here, it will have a nice thick crust to stick to. I promise, updates as things develop.

Best Friends

2010-01-24T22:06:00.000-06:00

A Great Place if you DON'T take the kids!

2010-01-24T18:38:00.011-06:00

This weekend I took a whirlwind trip to the coast with my little Coconut and her best friend. We were have a celebratory roadtrip because it was Coco's birthday and she wanted to go to the beach. So, being the nutcase that I am at times, we went! We got there at dinner time, and asked the desk clerk at the hotel where we should have dinner. In most cases, I find this to be a great way to find something that isn't too touristy, but this lady evidently was blind to the fact that the two rowdy first graders jumping on the lobby furniture were with me. She recommended a restaurant named "Shady's" because it has great food and a varied menu. We stowed our stuff and off we went. From the outside, it looked much like any other burger and shrimp joint. Inside, well, it was much nicer than we were expecting. Eclectic asian decor and a menu that had everything from pad tai to mashed potatoes. The seafood selections were great, and there were lots of interesting Tai dishes listed. The thing was, there was NO KID'S MENU. Now not having a kid's menu is fine if you have children who will eat adult food. Fortunately , my girl will, Bestie will not. I know for a fact that my boy child would have been pretty put out, but they did have spaghetti and a great looking burger on the menu that might have suited him.

The place was full and the biggest group in there was about 12 people who appeared to be a wedding party. We sat in the corner to try and stay out of the way.

The highlight of the evening was when Bestie started reading the wine menu pretty loudly and mentioned that she thought $7.50 was pretty expensive for a glass of wine. I had a hard time shushing her because I was laughing. The other tables around us were chuckling too. I guess they agreed.

Coconut finally ordered a shrimp Po' Boy without the bread. They did not have a fried shrimp entree on the menu, but they more than compensated for that by giving her a LOT of shrimp. I would have hated to see the sandwich this many shrimp would have filled! They were really tasty and came with a really nice and spicy cocktail sauce and a spicy ranch dip.

Bestie chose the ever familiar cheeseburger. It was HUGE.......I think she actually ate three bites.

This is a blurry picture of what may be the best grouper sandwich I have ever had. In fact, it might well have been actual grouper instead of " catch of the day" , as they often are. The slaw was really good and the creole tartar sauce was excellent. The seasoning was just right and it was nice and crispy. Next time, I am gonna have to look over the menu a little more closely and maybe try the pad tai. It looks marvy when it came to the table next to us. I was in a real hurry to pick out something, so I just got the grouper .

Since it was a birthday, we got a little dessert for the girls to split. It was a delicious warm brownie with the hardest scoop of ice cream I have ever seen! I think they had to scoop the ice cream ahead of time and store it in a sub zero freezer so that they can just grab it and go. It was frozen so hard that I had to chop it up with a knife for them. The brownie was warm underneath and those are cashews scattered on the top.

They went to work on it ........

and pretty soon it was all gone. Overall, I would say that I will definately go to Sharkey's again, but now that I know what to expect, I would maybe dress a bit nicer and also try and either not take the kids, or go at lunch time if they are going. It is a lovely place, they were really nice to the girls, and the food was excellent. If they only had mac and cheese and chicken nuggets......

When did THIS Happen?

2010-01-22T08:36:00.022-06:00

Today is the day before the 7th birthday of the fabulous little lady who runs this household.

I am in the process of scanning THOUSANDS of pictures for her scrapbook, so bear with me as I put a few here to document the change that has taken place in what seems like an instant.

Here is the raw material ................ probably 7-8 months old at this time.

With Daddy before he really was "Daddy." Eerie isn't it?

Good nutrition is important....and this girl is really "into" it.

Who knows, maybe she will be the next Rachel Ray.

Lots of time outdoors is important to our little naturalist.
There is no doubt who the Princess is around here.

Regular additions of seafood and cousins and grandparents speeds the development.

The character is built by regularly scheduled work days.

Sometimes, recreation and education occur at the same time.

Participation in the fine arts adds depth and refining.

While still a work in progress, the seven-year-old has become a lovely young lady and is one of the two absolute joys in our lives............I can't believe it is happening so fast.

I am not sure we are doing it right, but I do know that I am very proud of the way she is turning out so far!

Happy Birthday, Coconut!

Lunchtime

2010-01-13T12:51:00.004-06:00

I get so sick of salad. It is really the only thing I can "legally" eat until I feel full. I have probably eaten a dump truck full in the last two years, and again today I hoofed it over to the grocery store salad bar. Luckily, they had some good tuna salad, cause I really needed a bit of something different today.

FYI- the average volume capacity of a commonly used dump truck is 27 cubic yards. Just thought you might like to know.

Mardi Gras Preview.....

2010-01-10T18:52:00.004-06:00

It won't be long til Lent, so my assistant and I decided to go ahead and get the party started with a little King Cake. The "cake" is really a simple brioche dough with a sweet cream cheese or cream cheese/fruit or nut filling. This is a big step-out for me because I don't usually do a great job with YEAST. I think it has to do with over-zealous kneading and impatience when rising.

Traditionally there is a small "baby" figurine representing the baby Jesus inserted somewhere in the cake. In our case, it is a monopoly dog. Whomever gets the piece of cake with the baby will have to make the next cake or have the next party ( by one theory) and will be doubly blessed. The colors of gold, green, and purple represent power, faith, and justice.

This particular version has lemon zest in the dough, a cream cheese filling, and a tart lemon glaze. I'll post the recipe with some variations after I make another one Thursday with fruit filling. How does cherry sound?????

Wiener Dog........

2010-01-10T06:54:00.003-06:00

It is COLD outside.... and this little wiener dog was destined for the shelter due to a complicated story of job loss, an out-of-state move and inability of the owner's elderly parents to care for her.
Y'all ought to know by now that we couldn't let "Princess" go to the pound and have to be on the cold concrete for an undetermined amount of time with an uncertain outcome.

She isn't any trouble, really, and she sure seems to appreciate being cared for by my assistant.

So far, she has melded in with out any problems and will be with us for at least 6 more weeks as she is having heartworm treatment. As my friend put it, " See you at the weenie races in September!"

Red Ballerina

2010-01-03T10:39:00.002-06:00

It seems like she went from diapers to diva in about 12 seconds.........

Pig and Pancakes

2010-01-03T07:37:00.005-06:00

My picky eater has decided that ribs deserve top billing on his limited menu.

I can see a lot of rib-cooking in our future.

The big boy cousin sorta likes them too.

He had his with a special-order side of pancakes. Who wouldn't jump up and cook pancakes for a cute little thing like this? I think he has my number and knows how to dial it. Pig and Pancakes....go figure.

What a six-pack!

NeW YeaRs EvE - Product review

2009-12-31T18:56:00.002-06:00

Hey y'all! There isn't a lot going on around here tonight, and I didn't feel like cooking a whole lot of stuff for just us, so we are having these little rotisserie chicken wings. They are made by WillowBrook and can be purchased at Sam's Wholesale Club. The bag is 4 lbs and costs 14.00, so it really is a pretty good value, considering that they are DELICIOSO! I haven't found them anywhere else, but since Walmart is actually Sam's little brother, maybe they would be able to order them????

Just about 20 minutes on a baking sheet and you have some way good appetizers or even a main dish if you want to make sides to go with them. Tonight, we had them as part of a "snack supper " with some leftover bits and pieces from freezer. It turned out to have something for everyone.... wings, pizza, stuffed peppers, ham from Christmas in little crescent rolls, etc.

Tomorrow we will be having some black-eyed peas, leftover ham, and greens to help bring us some good luck in the new year. Happy New Year to all of YOU!

Inspector Hector Plaque Detector

2009-12-28T07:53:00.007-06:00

The short people at our house really never wanted to be bothered with proper dental hygiene...until we got the secret weapon....."Inspector Hector Plaque Detector".

Now, they brush three or four ( or eight) times a day without complaint. Something about blue teeth and tongues is really appealing to them.

I am not sure that it does the greatest job of highlighting actual plaque on the teeth, but it does put a generalized blue haze on the whole mouth, which compels them to brush. So far, the excitement of blue teeth has not worn off, and maybe before it does, they will develop a habit of brushing at least twice a day without all the "carrying on" about it.

Right now, they are traveling with Dad to the other end of the world ( East Tennessee), doing the Christmas trip to see the other side of the family. Our family tree sort of has three trunks, so we have to spread the holidays out over both Christmas week and New Years.

It is certainly quiet around here, just me and the dogs. My camera is gone with the kids and Bindi ate the memory card to the little Kodak, so y'all will just have to do with old pics until I get a new one!

They will be back soon enough and we'll fire up a whole new year of cooking and craziness!

Christmas Eve Preparations- the Beginning

2009-12-24T11:05:00.005-06:00

Finally! The day is here and we are getting everything together for a lovely day tomorrow. Above is the butternut ( squash) that has been languishing on my counter top for several days. ( We can't call it squash here because if we do, no one will eat it...so to us, it is just a butternut) I used Pioneer Woman's recipe, sort of. You know I can't do anything by the book.

I did do the prep part like she says. But then I was concerned that it wouldn't hold the heart shape that my girl wanted on it, so we added a couple of egg yolks and baked it a few minutes so it would stay put. If you want the recipe, check the link in the side bar, or just hop on over to www.thepioneerwoman.com and take a peek.

It is a lovely golden orangy brown color and has a really mild flavor. Ree is so right about the texture - smooth as silk. It has a really nice, mellow flavor ...so unlike the "in your face" stuff I usually like. I hope everyone likes it, because if they don't I will have to finish it off. Luckily, it is a lot lower carb than sweet potatos and has fiber, so I can have it.

I think the people are getting the idea that we all need to share in the preparations. Here the elder child is searching through my Fanny Farmer cookbook for something to bake. Of course, he picked something that we didn't have all the stuff for, but then he landed on a short recipe for banana nut bread.

Look at his surprise when I told him it was already in the oven! We will have a big loaf out in about 30 minutes....come on over and have some!

Response to comments -

2009-12-21T07:54:00.002-06:00

"How many eggs do y'all eat?" " Why do you have so many eggs?"

Ok, so you noticed the abundance of eggs in the fridge. What you didn't know is that there are several more dozen hiding in the garage refrigerator. It all stems from the fact that two weeks in a row I have gone to Walmart and Kroger BEFORE going to Aldi. Eggs are anywhere from 1.27 to 1.77 at the major stores, then at Aldi, they might be .49 or .79, depending on factors unknown to me. I just can't go there and not cash in on that savings. Eggs keep a long time, and since I use a lot in cooking ( especially in all those cakes , brownies, and pies this time of year), so they will surely get used up. Heck, one pound cake takes 6 and a chocolate pie uses 4!

Back when we lived out a little farther, we had hens and it was nothing to have 20 dozen eggs in the fridge at any one time. We gave them away to anyone who would take them! I miss having fresh outta the bird eggs, but those were the most labor intensive eggs ever! We did enjoy the chickens as pets, or at least I did, with the eggs being an abundant fringe benefit. Maybe some day if we ever move back "out" where we can have them, we will get a few hens again. I think my girl would like that.

So, if you ever need to borrow a dozen eggs, just drop by. I am sure I can hook you up!

( and in response to several other comments, I will gladly come sort out your fridge, but I am not washing all the dirty containers that come out of it. It was bad enough to do my own! Hahahahahah!)

The Wee Hours at Walmart

2009-12-20T06:06:00.002-06:00

I took a quick little trip to "The Walmart" at 3 am this morning to do a little more covert Christmas shopping, and I must say that going in the wee hours is certainly the way to go!
There were only a few cars in the lot , so I got a good space . I went with the intention of getting stocking stuffers and little "fill in" gifts since Santa already got the bigger things. As it was, I ended up getting my girl a new coat because she has been wearing brother's old camo coat. They will be heading up to East TN for a few days after Christmas, and with the amount of snow that has fallen there in the last few days, they both need hats and gloves. Throw that in the basket too.
The shopping gets harder as they get older. The stuff they ask for comes in smaller packages, and some of the WOW! factor is somehow lost, at least for me. I guess if they get what they ask for they will be happy. The girl said yesterday that she wanted ( of all things) a PUPPY! I pointed out to her that we have a plethora of dogs already , but she said that she wanted a different kind with fluffy hair. I have a feeling that this is one request that Santa just won't honor.
So, I am here sittin in the chair with a cup of coffee and thinking about making something good for breakfast. Wonder what the rest of y'all are doin'?

Festive Colors

2009-12-19T18:13:00.002-06:00

Take a look at this enameled cast iron roasting pan I got today for $17.99 at Aldi. It will be perfect to hold Christmas Breakfast Casserole next week. Those jalapenos are gonna be made into WOW! sauce tomorrow for some little gifts, so if you want some, come by!

Here's a little gifty I got and am so excited about......Mexican vanilla. It smells SO good and somehow very different from the McCormick stuff that you get at the store. There are even beans in the bottle! So far, I have only used a teensy bit. I am gonna really try and make it last. (I can spare a few ounces for you, Mom.)

Saturday Refrigerator Cleanout

2009-12-19T13:25:00.005-06:00

So, since I watched "Julie and Julia" I have been thinking about making some different things than our usual "Ala Paula" fare. Of course, that involves looking at recipes, making a shopping list, and figuring out what I already have. Well......I took a look in the fridge and couldn't tell what was in there. The situation was desperate....how many half-jars of jalapenos does one person need? I say one person, because I am the only one here who eats them.

I threw out all the jars with one pickle, combined all the peppers, and dumped all the old jelly and other condiments that were questionable. I found a couple of casserole dishes that I thought had been lost......

Here is tonight's dinner..... it was supposed to be for my birthday, but we didn't do it last night, so we will cook these babies tonight. Those are the ugly oreo balls on the left.

So I have most of the essentials to make at least a couple of Julia's recipes. I am thinking we may have some creamed onions with our steak tonight.

Wish me luck....I wonder how Paula's house seasoning work in Julia's recipes? ( I smell disaster)

Julie and Julia

2009-12-18T18:59:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I don't get to the movies much, and watching them at home interferes with my reading, cooking, laundry and cleaning up after this family of dogs and kids.

I just watched "Julie and Julia" and I have to say that it is the best movie I have seen in a LONG time. Maybe it is because it is about a blogger ( Julie) who is at an impass in life and decides to cook her way through Julia's big-ass cookbook. It made me want to go buy the cookbook, however, since I am not one to go strictly by any recipe, I am sure that whatever I made out of it would end up not exactly as intended. I am going to try and scratch around and find a few of the recipes to try. I have sort of wandered through Lucy Buffett's cookbook and have made a lot of Ree Drummond's "food of love" stuff, but a really complicated thing kinda scares me! I can make most of " Aunt Paula's " food without even looking at a book and one hand in my pocket, so I figure since I can read and follow directions on some things, maybe I can follow at least the recipe for Julia's Beef stew! ( I can't spell that B word and I really don't want to go look it up)

Anyway, go rent the movie and watch it. You will like it. I am going to the store to buy beef and butter.

Party Day!

2009-12-18T07:30:00.003-06:00

Today is Christmas Party Day at school, and the little people dressed appropriately in the shirts that they got for Christmas last year. After the party, we'll be checking out of school to do some fun stuff and maybe a little shopping. Then maybe home to do some chores, then settling in for some movie watching and a little nap!

Winter Recital 2009

2009-12-16T12:05:00.004-06:00

These are just a couple of pictures from the recital last Sunday. The recital really makes us remember why we do all that sitting and waiting and looking for shoes, etc.

Our Fifth Recital

2009-12-13T19:26:00.004-06:00

Today was our girl's fifth dance recital....time flies by it seems. It really hasn't been that long since she was wearing a little blue dress with a halo, doing little bows and dips. This time she had three different costumes and dances. I was so proud of her accomplishment. She has really come a long way from even since last year!

I think her big brother was pretty proud of her too. Of course, we had to bribe him with ice cream to get this picture.

This one didn't require a bribe at all......

I'll post more pics as I get them.

Party Preparations

2009-12-12T06:53:00.002-06:00

We have a moderate sized party to attend tonight, and tragedy has struck. I can't find my good crab dip recipe anywhere! I have only made it a jillionty times and I remember everything that is in it, but you know how easy it would be to miss one thing and really mess it up! It was a highly requested menu item, so it really needs to turn out right. Everyone loves the hot bubbly
"crab crap." I suppose I will just wing it and it will turn out fine.

Last night I made a beautiful chocolate pound cake that will have a ganache drizzle on top at some point today. It won't take but about 5 minutes to finish that , so no worries there. The only other thing I know for sure I am making right now is stuffed jalapenos, although I may have to eat them all by myself because I am not sure that these party people are tough enough to handle them. My "almost 7 year old" eats them like popcorn, so I know they aren't all that hot!

Stay tuned for some pictures over the next few days because we plan to play wii hula hoop at the party and we have dance recital tomorrow.....it should be very very interesting!

A New Pack Member.....TEMPORARILY!!!!!

2009-12-10T07:56:00.003-06:00

I know what you are thinking......"temporary......we've heard that before. " This time, it really is short term because the baby lab will be going to a new home on Christmas Eve via Santa's sleigh.

She was born at our clinic by c-section about 8 weeks ago, and has a condition called "ectrodactyly" which means that she has a "lobster" foot. You can see it in the photo above. It is only one foot, the right front, and she uses it well. It looks a little different, but when she is moving along at playing speed, it is hard to see. For her, at least at this point, it is not a disability at all. She already has a home with two precious little boys who will be so surprised when she appears under their tree on Christmas morning. In the meanwhile, this old elf is busy trying to get her used to sleeping on her own without wailing all night and at least starting her on house training. So far, she has done pretty well on the outside part, but is still sleeping with Bindi at night.

The kids here are really excited to be able to help Santa give a sweet surprise to some other kids. This one didn't cost anyone anything, and we have saved a little life and used it to give some happiness to someone else. That is really what it is about , right?

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December 6th

2009-12-06T15:01:00.000-06:00

I am lagging........WAY BEHIND. Usually by this day in December I have already mailed out 50 or so Christmas cards and done at least SOME shopping. Not this year. Today we were finally able to convince both of the above parties that they would be in a good mood at the same time and would willingly stand still at the same instant so I could take a pictures to use on the cards. There was much discussion of cooties and touching and germs, but finally, under threat of bodily injury, we got this. There were a few others, but they involved dance and taekwando poses and crossed eyes and bunny ears. Heck, I may just make cards with them all!

Maybe the shopping spirit will hit this week, maybe not, but at least the card photo has been made!

Another Addiction

2009-12-04T06:25:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday night, I got a tremendous craving for "Olive Garden" salad, so Sunday after church we went there and ate the it til I nearly popped. It is probably the one thing I can have without feeling TOO guilty! Ever since, I have been making the home version, but I don't know what is missing. I even stopped in and got a bottle of dressing at Olive Garden on Monday , and have put in everything that I can see in the salad ( and no extras) and it still isn't quite the same. I have almost made myself sick eating the peppercinis straight out of the jar, and I have had so much garlic- infused dressing that I could likely repel vampires.

Eventually, I am gonna get it right!

Product Review - Madras Lentils

2009-12-02T12:35:00.002-06:00

Ok y'all, before I go into how good these things are, let me first say that I have been to an Indian restaurant ONE time.......and that experience left a lot to be desired.

The first problem with the Indian place was that we went as a group, with NONE of us knowing anything about Indian cuisine. There were all these people gobbling up all the stuff on the buffet and we were just a few poor scared red-necks who didn't even know WHAT we were eating much less how to eat it. To me, it looked like a bunch of odd soups with little scraps of bread. We did find something familar in the tandoori chicken, but it was a brilliant magenta color, so we were a bit wary of it. We left a bit unsatisfied with our experience and had to send a runner to Wendy's later in the day.

Back to the lentils........One of the participants in the Indian Restaurant Debaucle, Dr. C., found these little tasty packets at our local Costco. She noted the relatively low carb content and called me after she tried them and pronounced them , "Fitt'n to eat". She said, " These thangs are good and I am purty sure you can eat 'em. " ( Y'all that know her can almost hear that, right ?)

She bought me a box, and I had my minon pick them up the other day and haul them home. He was delivering pumpkin pies and just made a little trade at that stop.

To prepare them, you just snip open the foil packet, pour into a microwavable container and heat til warmed through. I used a coffee mug and it works beautifully.
The flavor is a lot like chili, but the texture is thinner and the lentils are small, making it more of a soup. It is vegetarian, low fat, and very low carb. Each serving is 120 calories and only 18 carbs plus 4 grams of fiber , yielding a net carb of 14. Of course, like all things that taste good, there are two servings per packet, meaning that I am going to eat the whole thing, giving me a net carb of 24, which still isn't too bad.

I can really see me eating these requently, especially as a part of a "taco" salad or some sort of burrito , maybe even with some peppers and onion added . It is a vegetarian dish, so those with cholesterol or meat issues could enjoy them as well. Overall, I was really pleased with the flavor, texture and appearance of it and the nutritional content is very good for my needs! I am thinking that they would be delicious with some fritos and cheddar cheese, however that would completely wreck the intent of having something that is flavorful with low fat and carbs. One suggestion on the box is to add sour cream to make a dip....hmmmmmmm. Maybe a little experiment for the office Christmas party????

Thanks so much for your contribution, Dr. C., to both my lunch and my blog!

Ranch-giving

2009-11-30T20:20:00.009-06:00

Here are some lovely ladies who were surely glad we were having turkey rather than steak.

Baa baa black-n-white sheep.

Minature horse, Tater Tot.

Taz is Tater Tot's daddy.

Goat sandwiched between two sheep.

Remember that story about the musicians of Bremen? I just expected these guys to stack up and start playing a tune. As it was, the pig was highly disturbed....I think she was expecting some dinner since everyone else was eating.

Two of the more domesticated critters we saw that day.

There was way too much food, a lot of fun, a short nap for the menfolk, football, a golf cart, tons of animals, and a whole herd of very sweet children.

It was a very good day of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-26T20:18:00.000-06:00

Here's what we have to be thankful for..........our wild bunch! We had a lovely day at the ranch playing outdoors, driving the golf cart, looking at cows, and petting and loving all the animals. Of course, there was WAY too much food and we ate more than we should have.

I have lots of pictures but since we just got home, I just wanted to quickly wanted to wish all of YOU a very Happy Thanksgiving evening!

Orange Slice Cake - Preview

2009-11-22T12:44:00.000-06:00

Hey folks...just a little preview. At least it came out in one piece. I kinda over floured the pan, so it was a little dullish on top, so there had to be a glaze hastily invented. We'll take it to church tonight and see how it goes over. Unfortunately, church dinners are not the best place to get opinions on new recipes because everyone gets some of everything and often there is just so much that one item gets sort of "lost". Also, no one knows who made stuff, so you don't get feedback.

If things go well and anyone tells me that it was good, I'll tell you how I did it.
Now I gotta go make lunch for the starving family and then then get ready for work.

Have a great afternoon!

Trust the Taste Tester

2009-11-22T10:01:00.004-06:00

According to our resident taster, it really doesn't matter if the cake LOOKS good, but the important thing is that it TASTES good.

Just to be sure that the fault was mine and not the cake pan, I decided to give the old thing another chance. At this very moment, she is in the oven holding an orange slice cake batter which will hopefully make it to the plate without coming undone.

No worries, if it turns out I will put the recipe up since I made it up sorta. The one I found on the internet was way too complicated and took about three hours, so there was a cake mix in the pantry volunteering for an experiment. I guess we'll see in a little while how it goes.

This time, I greased the pan with butter flavored Crisco because I bought about 20 sticks of it last year during a cookie frenzy and have a LOT left over.

Supposedly, if you put a LOT of criso in there, then dump in some flour and shake it around,

Then you would get this. I had to go back and bang a little more flour around there in the middle.

As you can tell, the broken cake incident has stuck in my craw. I am thinking about trying to make some "Pumpkin Bread Pudding" with the messed up cake. Anybody got a recipe for that?

This Does NOT Bode Well.....

2009-11-22T06:22:00.002-06:00

I fear that the church Thanksgiving dinner may be in peril, because this happened to my pumpkin-apple butter cake last night. I think it stuck because I have been using the same non-stick bundt pan for 12 years and it has just decided to keep some of the goodies for itself.

Right now, I have some raspberry jam bars in the oven, and hopefully they will turn out! Rocky Road brownies will follow.....those are always a hit.

So if you don't mind ugliness, come on over and have some cake for breakfast!

We're still here!

2009-11-19T19:42:00.009-06:00

Ok friends and family, I have heard received your calls, texts, emails, and facebook queries and the answer is , "Yes, I do intend to continue the blog." The problem is, nothing exciting has been happening except the same old routine. You know... work, laundry, cooking, cleaning, reading, watching movies, dance class, karate class, etc......

The children are fine. Here they are at our volunteer project with Angel Food. They like breaking down the boxes and hauling them out to the recycle thingie.

I have given a few hair cuts recently to the men of the family. I hate to tell them I learned my techniques on about a thousand dogs. I suppose what they don't know won't hurt them.

Things on the animal front have been quite mundane. Of course, the summer's highlight was taking these little guys to the beach on my girl's weekend and not only having them pose for pictures, but also nearly burning down the hotel while heating towels for them , necessitating a

1 am trip to walmart to buy a heating pad, then encountering biker-guy on the way back in who told us about the almost fire that we didn't even know about. Then the little things died anyway.

This is "FreeBird", who was found flying free in Bartlett , now he only flies in here and likes to poop in people's hair.

So forgive me for not being the faithful poster I have always been. We are working hard to keep things in the road so that we can bring you more goodies like this one above. The next recital is in December....we have a girl in 4 numbers. I can't even bring myself to tell you how much the costumes cost. No matter - it is worth every dime.

So, as soon as I learn how to replicate the faces of the entire cast of "Cats!", I will get the blog rolling again. Just kidding, actually I will get you some good things on here this weekend since "New Moon" starts this weekend and I have to review that AND I will be doing a lot of cooking for both the upcoming church Thanksgiving dinner and the family Thanksgiving dinner . Hopefully there will be some new blogworthy recipes or at least some real mess ups that I can share.

Empanadas

2009-11-03T09:53:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about you , but we have been some busy people the last few weeks.

I am working right now on some variations of empanadas, and hope to have them all worked out to show you soon. So far we have had cheese, onion, mushroom and spinach ones made with frozen yeast roll dough. They were "yummy" according to my taste tester. I can only eat the middles, but she said it was really good.

If there is anything specific that YOU would like to see rolled up in some dough, just send me a line and I'll see if I can figure out how to get it done!

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Ready to Rumble!

2009-10-31T13:04:00.000-05:00

It is barely noon and they are dressed for success.........

Halloween Practice

2009-10-31T10:16:00.000-05:00

This morning we got up early and got the chili on for the Halloween visitors tonight, and the girlie girl wanted to practice her makeup
for her Kitten costume. It turned out really cute for the first try! Hopefully, we will all be dressed up for Trickin' and Treatin' in Olde Towne later today, then back home tonight for chili and friends!!!!!

Pork Roast - Three Ways for Three Days

2009-10-18T18:55:00.005-05:00

Here is the star of this week's menu, the 5 lb Boston Butt pork roast. It was on sale this week, so I got a pretty big one. A 4 lb roast will cook down to yield about 3 lbs of meat.

To cook a roast this size, I used an oblong, removable crock , slow cooker. You could surely do it in the oven, but for me, the crock pot is so much easier!

First, I rub the meat with a "not too sweet" BBQ dry rub and black pepper. At this point, I don't salt it because it will have other seasonings added and we wouldn't want it too salty.
Plunk it in the slow cooker and add about a cup of water down the side ( so you don't disturb the rub) and turn it on low for about 8-10 hours. If you are in a hurry, do it on high for three hours, and another three on low. It will really depend on your cooker and the roast as to how long it takes. When it is falling apart, it is done.

When the meat is done, take it out of the crock pot and allow it to cool. Shred with a couple of forks, discarding fat and bone.

First meal: Posole soup. The recipe for this is on the previous post. Worth the effort!

Second meal: Burrito filling. Put one portion of the shredded meat in a skillet with one package of your favorite taco or burrito seasoning and one can of diced tomatoes ( with the juice). Cook on low until reduced a little and thickened. To serve, roll it up in flour tortillas ( or high fiber wraps in my case) with sauted onions, peppers and cheese, salsa and lettuce. This Ortega seasoning is my favorite for tacos or burritos because it really has a nice jalapeno punch.

Third meal: BBQ pork. My favorite bottle BBQ sauce is this one. All you gotta do on this BBQ is to put the shredded pork in a baking dish pour the sauce on. Mix it in with a pair of tongs and you are good to go for BBQ sandwiches. Make a little cole slaw and buy some buns and a can of beans and you are set.

These quick fixes could be done with a bunch of chicken, or even a nice beef roast. Try it! It is a great way to utilize all of the piece of meat without feeling like the meal is "leftovers."

Saturday Night Posole

2009-10-18T17:34:00.004-05:00

Posole is a "South of the Border" soup that features hominy and pork as a main ingredients. Traditionally, it is made with pork, but you can use beef or chicken if you like. The version here is one that my kid and I made last night at about 9 o'clock after seeing Guy eat some on "Diner's Drive-In's and Dives." ( What six-year-old wants to make spicy soup at 9 pm?) It turned out great!

Ingredients:

1 lb shredded pork roast (about 3 cups or so)**

2- 15 oz cans hominy, drained and rinsed

2 -15 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 - small can green chilies

1 -medium onion

1- bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp chopped chipotle chili ( comes in a can with adobo sauce)

1- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed well

1 - 15 oz can chicken broth

1/2 tsp cumin

salt

black pepper

Chop the onion and bell pepper in to a chunky dice, then saute it with the minced garlic in a tablespoon or two of bacon grease ( you had to know that was coming) or other fat until tender.

Put all canned ingredients ( except for the chipotle )in a big pot and add the shredded pork, bell pepper and onion. Add the cumin, and about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Now, the tricky part is to add the chipotle to taste.

Chipotle is just smoked jalapeno peppers and actually are not as "hot" to me as a fresh jalapeno. They have a very different flavor and I think add a lot to this soup. They are slimy when you take them out of the can, so be prepared. I take a couple out of the can and put them on the chopping board, then remove as many seeds as possible, then chop the rest. The best thing to do is to add a tsp at a time , letting it simmer a little in between until you get to the right "heat" for your taste. I found that a tablespoon was adequate for me, and my little gourmet ate it without complaint. You could leave them out if you like, and just add a few drops of liquid smoke ( assuming your pork wasn't smoked.)

Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, then serve hot after checking the need for more salt. It would be most authentic served with a chewy flatbread, but cornbread sticks would be great. Garnishes could include a little salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese or chopped cilantro. I just go with it plain, but I can sure see how it would be good with some pretty add-ons.

( I don't normally keep hominy on hand, but I had bought it to make Ree Drummond's hominy casserole and had not yet had occasion to make it. )

** Next post on how we stretched one pork roast to make three plus meals.

Weekend Update

2009-10-18T17:20:00.005-05:00

The weekend started with an early dance camp with the high school dance team.

Stretching wasn't a new thing to our tiny dancer.

The girls all had a great time and will be dancing in the halftime show at the last home football game. Great fun, huh? We just love the small town, family friendly atmosphere of living here. Quite a few of the girls either go to school or church with us, some both.

Then we attended a block party hosted by a local pastoral family here launching a new Methodist church. It was a lot of fun, but the it was just a wee bit chilly!

Then there was this little guy, Teco. He had a bladder stone removal on Friday and wasn't quite ready to go home on Saturday, so he spent the weekend recovering in our bathtub. He is doing VERY well and should be going home to his family on Monday. He had a late lunch today and then a little walk ..... he may not want to go home.

Fried chicken "On the Bone"

2009-10-16T07:06:00.007-05:00

All that talk about skillets got me wanting to cook something and it was just my good fortune that my boy decided Thursday morning that he wanted to have "Fried chicken on the bone" for dinner. Living in the world of fast food nuggets and strips, home cooked "on the bone" chicken is something they really look forward to. I knew there was a package of drumsticks lurking in the freezer, so I told him that his wish would be granted. The girl wanted gnocci with pesto.......but that is another story for another day.

Fried chicken is just about my favorite thing ever! I know that back in my single days that there were times when I would have it three or four days in a row. My grandmother used to cook up batches of wings , cut into two pieces of course. They were so delicious , I can almost taste it right now. Her biscuits were good too, and I have never quite figured out that secret. I think it had something to do with bacon grease....as do most things that are really, really good. If I remember correctly, we had chicken about once a week when I was growing up, most often with masked potatoes and English peas. That is still one of my very favorite meals ever, only now I can only have a little bite. It is enough though..... :(

When I make anything fried, I use a paper bag to do the "flouring" because it gets the pieces coated evenly and then after you are done, the whole thing can just go in the trash. The seasoning that I usually use is salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and maybe a little paprika. I have even added a table spoon of ranch dressing powder to the flour - it was pretty darn good! You can use anything you like really, just watch the salt because there is a pretty fine line between perfect and disaster.

The oil I use is usually just plain vegetable oil, but you can use canola or peanut - whatever you like. The best I ever fried was in shortening and of course, for the really authentic flavor of the South, you would need to use LARD. I have never bought it.....just can't do it.

( Side note: Do any of y'all recall having to break through a layer of solidified fat on top of a bowl of vegetables in the fridge to be able to tell what was under it? We never HAD to cover stuff in the fridge - the fatback did it for us! )

It is really hard to get the most out of your chicken leg when your front teeth are in various stages of eruption.

Perserverance is the key! She cleaned it off in no time and had room left for her parmesan pasta! One of these days, she is gonna be the one cookin' for the rest of us!

Guest Blogger - "Skillets"

2009-10-14T10:00:00.008-05:00

Hey there y'all! I got a great e-mail from my friend Marilyn, AKA "MistiMemphis", this morning about her iron skillets. I guess she was having a nostalgic moment and had to let me in on it. Anyway, I figured that what she had to say was pretty important to her, so I called her and asked her if I could have her as a guest blogger....she said GREAT.

Of course, she had already posted my response to her note on some message board so I guess she had to say yes, huh? Anyway, here is what she had to say. ( background- Marilyn works for airlines and gets to fly around a lot. She is also the mother of a beautiful daughter who lives in Japan at present and is teaching English. Her dogs stay at "MMS 's home base" when she jet sets all over the world . She has been a great friend to us for as long as we have been an "us." ( We even had our post wedding BBQ party at her house AND she made the wedding cake!)

Here's what she had to say ........

" As I travel the Jamaican countryside I see many bright, silver aluminum pots for sale. I don't recall, however seeing a black cast iron skillet in Jamaica. These skillets are the mainstay of African- Americans since slavery times. They are our Teflon, because if they are cured properly, and coated correctly when cooking, you get the same non- stick easy to clean surface. As members of my family have died I have become heir to the skillets. I now have about five. The most recent one came from my mother's house.

This morning I was washing about 3 of them when I noticed that the one from my mothers had layers and layers of a black deposit on the outside of the skillet (the inside being perfectly smooth like the others. I started to contemplate how I could remove this scale, then I asked myself if it hindered or enhanced the process of cooking, and why would I bother to remove it ? (If it ain't broke, why try to fix it?). I ran my hand over the scale, and realized that it represented many meals cooked by my grandmother, and then my mother, or maybe even further back than that. Who knows? So, this morning I felt their spirit, the fried chicken, the slab pork bacon, the cornbread baked in the oven all crusty brown, the eggs scrambled for a husband going off to work, the yeast rolls rising on the stove to go in the oven later…food from a time when women really cooked. I decided never to remove one bit of the scale, it is my legacy, my heritage, my fore-mothers talking to me from beyond. I wondered when I die if my daughter will even realize what these skillets mean. Will they become part of a massive garage sale, and then she will return to her life in Tokyo? That will be her choice, she has her turn on this earth. But for now, I washed them, and turned them lovingly together into the rack to dry and realized that I have been the lucky recipient of a rich history indeed. " - Miss Marilyn

Now y'all know I use my cast iron almost everyday, so this subject was near and dear for me. Nothing beats it for slow cooking and even frying. I do feel a certain nostalgia when I use my "big irons." If you have a great cast iron story or memory you want to share, just post it in the comments or send me an email and I'll post it for you.....pictures too!

Here's one of Marilyn's skillets, cooking up some Callaloo (?).

Fall Break, Day 2

2009-10-13T19:35:00.007-05:00

The second day of Fall Break started out with some computer time. Thank goodness for laptops, dvd players and Nintendo DS because we would have been sorely hurting if not for our electronic babysitters.

A bit later in the morning, we had a few spare minutes, so we let the apprentices take a look at the inner workings of their dog.

They were pretty interested in both the ultrasound and the x-rays that we took right after.

Hopefully by the time they are teens, they will be ready for summer jobs at any clinic in the area. I figure, since I got hired when I was a kid, and I have helped "raise" a lot of other people's kids in a clinic environment, there will be someone who can train these in what it means to get up every day and do whatever it takes.

Spaghetti for lunch means wearing a few towels so that it doesn't ruin your scrubs!

Good thing we had spaghetti because that's my boy's very favorite.

The afternoon rolled on without too much excitement, except for these puppies, who fortunately have a home of their own and did NOT need to come home with us!

Take Your Kids to Work Day ( otherwise known as "School's out and there is no babysitter")

2009-10-12T17:37:00.010-05:00

During the two-day fall break, the little people in the family are "working" with Mom.
This guy is getting a little OJT and learning how much work it takes to keep the clinic running.

He's a pretty good table cleaner now that he is tall enough to reach across it.

The laptops come in handy in these situations. So do portable DVD players, Nintendo DS, and cable TV. We had it all going at one time!

Super Collapse and Bejewelled require some brain power.

" Tinkerbell " the poodle came in to get her stitches out from her emergency Hysterectomy that happened last week. The kid was there the day she had the surgery and had made a picture of the "real Tinkerbell" for the dog Tinkerbell to take home with her. It was really cool that she got to see how things turned out.

There is always some sort of cleaning that can be done. Window washing is a good place to learn.

Also, it got her away from the brother for a few minutes. Things were getting a little intense.

She did a pretty good job , at least on the lower parts.

Always time for a little posing.

The day ended a bit earlier than usual, and we headed home to our own little pack of ankle biters and a lot of house work to complete. It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings!

"Our School is the Best!"

2009-10-10T08:07:00.002-05:00

Center Hill Elementary has been awarded "Blue Ribbon" status by the US Department of Education, which is a VERY high honor. Yesterday, we attended the recognition ceremony and were very impressed by all the accolades voiced for our principal, teachers, and students. Some of the faculty will be going to Washington in November to attend the official award ceremony.

Of over 120,000 public schools in the country, only 314 achieved the Blue Ribbon award. Only 4 of those schools are in our state. When we were choosing a place to buy a new home, I got busy talking to people and browsing online at the schools in this area and based on what I found, we bought our house smack dab in the middle of the district. It really didn't have anything to do with the house itself....the school is what counts.

Anyway, we are so happy that we are a part of this wonderful school family! It is so nice to attend school functions and see people who live in our neighborhood, attend our church or are patrons of our businesses. Makes it seem just a little like Mayberry!

"When I Grow Up" Day

2009-10-07T18:54:00.004-05:00

Today the children were asked to dress up as whatever they will be when they grow up. I am not sure that mine really WANT to be a physician and veterinarian, but these are careers that I can easily costume for! The scrubs came from an internet uniform place that is local. I had to pick them up after hours from the front seat of their delivery van. The rest of the stuff, we already had.

The little veterinarian took her little poodle to "work" with her in a little pet taxi that has wheels and a pull handle. Just like Mom.....

How cute can one kid be?

Ok, how cute can TWO kids be?

"Decades" Day

2009-10-06T08:38:00.005-05:00

To celebrate our school's accomplishment in being selected as a "Blue Ribbon" school this year, the children are dressing in a different theme each day this week. While in theory, this is a great idea, for working parents, it is a big pain. Fun, but a pain! We chose the 60's because it seemed to be the easiest one to costume. Here is my girl wearing her very marginal tie-dye and a hacked up sweatshirt vest.

She was pretty proud of the whole thing, but then she is one for dressing up ( or down) anyway.

The boy was not quite as into the idea, and was quite perturbed when the red of his tie-dye actually turned out to be a little on the pinkish side. Ok, it is a lot pink, hence the black jacket.

He did consent to wear it only because we made a black headband out of one of my old shirts and I let him wear his shark necklace. He said the headband was like a ninja, so it was all cool.

Tomorrow is " When I Grow Up Day". Good thing they both said they would dress as veterinarians . They both have scrubs and I can get caps and masks. A stuffed animal and we are DONE!

"Applesauce" is almost done!

2009-10-02T08:52:00.004-05:00

Here's what I have so far on Applesauce's outfit. The top is just an expanded ( greatly) version of the simple pillowcase dress. The bottom is a very flowy split skirt that I got from Goodwill. The fabrics coordinated very well, so even though it is quite busy, I think it will work. ( It actually can make me a little nauseous if I look at it together too long.)

The top needed a little weight at the bottom to hold it down, so I went to JoAnn's and got this cool polyester upholstery trim and ran it around the hem. It adds a lot, so much in fact, I have made some bands to put around the bottoms of the legs of the pants ( gonna have to do some major gathering on that!) so I can put it around the bottom - making sort of "balloon" pants.

The top is held together at the shoulders with ribbons. This is really simple, in fact, the hardest part is facing the armholes, and even that isn't all that complicated.

I think we might have to build on a room to hold all the clown stuff. Or maybe just add a closet in the garage.

A Nip in the Air!

2009-09-30T06:14:00.002-05:00

Yeah! It is finally cooling off a little and starting to feel like fall, and that makes me want to start cooking some "fall-ish" type stuff. This weekend I am gonna be doing some things with two different churches, both of which will involve baking, so tonight I am gonna roast some pumpkins and make a big batch of pumpkin puree for making some pumpkin bread , pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins......it can go on and on.......

Last year I just bought extra pumpkins when I got the kid's jack-o-lanterns, but this time, we are gonna do pie pumpkins. They are supposed to be a lot sweeter than the big ones and not as stringy. I think they will be easier to handle as well.

Anyway, if you are in the neighborhood Thursday or Friday, stop in and check the progress on operation "Punkin pie pulp." Who knows, there might be some ready goods to sample!

Besto Pesto ( or a way to use up the Basil gone wild)

2009-09-27T14:34:00.005-05:00

The basil plant that I put in the home depot bucket on the back porch has gone ape with all this rain and was starting to seed all over the place, so I decided we needed to put at least some of it to good use. This is a simple pesto that is good on pasta or bread. All you need to make it is parmesan, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and of course, Basil. I had a little bit of parsley, so I used that too.

The pine nuts may sound exotic, but I got mine at "the Walmart's" , right there hanging out by the chocolate chips and pecans. Don't be afraid of them. They don't taste like pinesol. You can substitute walnuts for them if you can't find them or have a fear of the unknown.

Anyway, here's how I did it.
In the bowl of food processor, dump:
1/2 cup pine nuts
5-6-7-cloves garlic, peeled. ( use however many you want, I did 7.)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-3 cups basil leaves ( rinsed and dried in papertowel)
2 tbsp fresh parsley ( if you have it - nosweat if you don't)

Pulse this a little to break up the nuts, then drizzle the olive oil in with the processor running just until you get some good motion. It is supposed to be pasty, not runny.
Then add in about 1/3 cup of the parmesan cheese. ( the powdered kind will not be as good - go ahead and buy the grated kind or grate your own)

Taste it and adjust salt and pepper. Keep in mind that the flavor will intensify some as it sits a while. You might want to even add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, but I didn't because I live in the land of pepper wimps.

It will be a lot lighter in color than the basil was on it's own, but it does darken some when you put it in your pasta dish or on your bread. This particular recipe made 3- 4 oz jars. I'll show you how to do the pasta one day this week when I make it. Tonight we are having pesto burgers!

Store it in sealed containers in the fridge. I hear tell that you can freeze it if you leave out the parm and then just add it in when you thaw it. I figure three jars we will use before they go bad, so I ain't freezing it.

Some kids like to lick the frosting or batter bowl.........

Mine is into the finer things in life.......she is so strange!

Monkey Dress

2009-09-27T11:25:00.003-05:00

Here's a little fashion show featuring the little dress we whipped up last night at 10:30.

It is just a basic pillowcase dress with wide bias tape around the arm holes and hem. There are a thousand sites online with instructions for different sizing, but basically you just have to cut one out of some scrap ( or an old pillowcase, or sheet) and adjust to fit the body that you are trying to clothe.

Ain't she sassy? If we had been able to locate some purple shoes in her closet ( I know we have some) it would have been perfect, but as it was, these were fine.

Now I gotta go make a top for "Autumn", the fall festival clown.........

Meatball Stew

2009-09-26T18:23:00.001-05:00

I was cleaning out the freezer and found a bunch of "odds and ends" and decided to just let it all get aquainted in a nice soup/stew for a lazy Saturday. The star of this particular one happed to be meatballs, because I had a couple of half bags. It turned out really well considering there are a few ingredients you might not think to put in a stew....so here's how it went.

1 pound of frozen meatballs ( I had a half bag of Italian style and a half bag of turkey ones)
1 cup whole kernal corn
1/2 bag gumbo vegetables ( you know, the okra and corn stuff)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 bag of Jimmy Dean breakfast stuff ( potatoes, onion, sausage crumbles)***
2 cans chicken broth
1 jar of spaghetti sauce ( mine had a little spinach and parm in it)
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup frozen blackeyed peas
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

I just put it all in my cast iron dutch oven and let it go on medium heat for a bout an hour. The little critic of the household had some for lunch and she said it was delicious, so we are having it again for dinner tonight. In fact, the cornbread is in the oven right now. Nothing like a warm dinner in a big bowl for a football ( or TV) night in the fall!

** The amounts of the veggies is approximate. It shouldn't matter how much you use, just put in what you like.
*** You could just as well use a chopped potato or frozen hash browns, but this worked just fine.

Instruments of Torture

2009-09-21T17:11:00.002-05:00

Ok, so here is what happened this morning. Everyone in the world known to me called between the time I got back from the Y and time to leave for work. Because of this, I had to take a VERY quick shower. I mean REALLY quick.

When I got to work, I realized that I had on capri pants and hairy legs. Mortified, I showed the problem to Gail ( has worked here 23 years), who snickered and said, " Just go get the epilady out of the drawer." Who the heck still has one of those things around? Apparently we do - two of them in fact. The one I chose was the 1986 model..in mint condition.

Lemme tell ya, that thing will hurt you! But your legs are smooth when you are done if you survive it. I only thought waxing was bad. At least waxing is warm. I have to say that after a few passes with it, the pain didn't lessen any, but it was at least not getting any worse and by the time I had finished the second leg, it wasn't so bad at all. Maybe this is how it is when you get a tattoo. No worries, I am not going to try that next. Not yet anyway.

I am taking the antique torture device home to catch the strays that weren't long enough to get grabbed today........didn't someone say that achieving beauty is painful? They were right.

I might never have to eat again.....

2009-09-20T22:11:00.002-05:00

I was just sitting here thinking about the news story that I saw on tv the other night about how there is a proposal to add an additional tax on soft drinks. Gah! More on that later.
Anyway, I was preparing a long rant about how they already tax every vice there is and that if someone needs diet coke to stay off the pipe, they ought not to have to pay 2.00 a can for it. ( I digress) I was searching for a graphic to illustrate and I came across this beautiful thing. I have to say that I have swigged diet coke at the same time as eating a BLT and I remember it feeling right. If they would make Fried Chicken Flavor Diet Dr. Pepper, I might never have to eat again.

Ok, so back to the tax thing. I don't mind paying my fair share, but shoot, tax stuff that is truly a menace to society. Like those dang baggy jeans that show a lot of crack. If they** are worried about the obesity epidemic, make supersizing cost $3.90 instead of .39 . Oh I could go on for a while on this, but I am afraid some not so quaint words might spill out and since this is a family oriented blog, I will have to cut my comments short.

Y'all have a great night. Tonight I am gonna think about the proposed talk show with Paula Deen and Kate Goessling hosting. It is gonna be a combo cooking, beauty, lifestyle thing. I do love Paula, but Kate, well....not so sure how that pairing will work out.

** Who are "they" anyway?