Paige: Mommy, isn't there some kind of meat stuff in meatballs?
Me: Yes. Meat.
Paige: I know, but isn't there some kind of meat in the meatballs?
Me: Yes....meat.
Paige: I'm confused. What do they use to make the meatballs?
Me: Paige!!! They use meat. What the ?????
Paige: But what kind of meat? That's what you're not getting.
Me: Paige, it can be any meat...beef, pork, turkey....whatever.
Paige: Turkey is meat?
Me: Oh Paige.....
I figured out that kids have a total disconnect between meat and what makes the meat. It seems like once they figure out the cute pig is actually bacon, they sort of freak out. She knows what meat is....I'm hoping this was just an isolated event.
As most of you have read on FB, my child finds it embarrassing that I don't place at cook offs, she's completely prepared to ax me in the event I turn into a Zombie and try and bite her and my husband and I have had the most horrific time dealing with our douchebag business partner. For all of the joy my life brings me, 2012 has completely sucked ass. I hate saying things like that because in the big picture, I, we, (all of us!) are extremely fortunate. Yes, we all have serious ups and downs, but we are alive, mostly healthy, mostly happy and live somewhat comfortable lives. Over the past year, I have felt like my spirit has been tested and there are times, like now, that I think the douchebags of the world have won. And then on the other hand, I remember that I'm unbreakable. Life is hard. Owning a business (read: Demo Company) is even harder. Don't ever, ever have a business partner. Never, ever trust that your financial well being will matter to someone else as much as theirs matters to them. Remember who your friends are and don't be surprised when you realize who they aren't. Marry someone that you would want in a foxhole with you and count yourself lucky to have friends and family (even if there aren't that many) who have your back. From the outside, money looks like it fixes everything. It doesn't. It creates even more greed and when you are dealing with unscrupulous people, that greed will know no bounds. There isn't anything wrong with having money (I certainly have enjoyed it), but I know now that I wouldn't trade peace of mind for any amount of money. I am so lucky to have found something I truly love to do, regardless of what kind of money I earn while doing it, or what people think of me while I'm doing it :). Mild Bill's has been a bright spot in an otherwise craptastic year. I'm fortunate and even though Gary and I have been dealing with so much the past few months, I believe the best is yet to come our way. Today is one of those days when I'd like to sit in my comfy chair in my kickin gray lounge pants, take a Xanax and a Hyrdrocodone, and drink a bottle of wine and drift off into a deep, uninterrupted sleep and wake up in a different reality. Alas, life doesn't work that way and I wonder if it did, would we all be grateful for what we had if we didn't ever have to deal with how we wound up with it? I believe everything happens for a reason and that there is a lesson in so many of our troubles and triumphs. I guess it boils down to how deep you are willing to dig your heels in to hang on to who you know you are even when life is at it's lowest point and there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. That's when I say to stop looking for the light and become your own.
K
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
A Week of Testes
Or, if you aren't Paige, testing. Catholic schools don't do that crazy TAKS, STAAR, whatever it's called, that public schools do, but they do have a week of standardized testing. Paige refers to it as her week of testes. She doesn't quite say testing, and because it's funny, I don't correct her. I know, mom of the year over here, but it's funny. So she'll talk to my mom and the conversation will go like this:
Paige: Gammy, I love testes days.
Gammy: WHAT???
Paige: You know, it's testes week. We don't have homework. I wish we could have testes every day.
And it goes from there. And I sit in the front seat and drive and laugh my ass off. I mean, isn't that kind of why people have kids....for the entertainment value???? I mean, that's why I did....
Well, technically, I got pregnant on accident, so I didn't plan on my offspring being my entertainment but why ruin a good thing by correcting her pronounciation of certan words?
I'm cooking in Cleburne tomorrow - it's one of my faves. It's a two day cook off and I usually take my trailer and my child for a mommy baby weekend. No trailer and Juicy is going to the movies with Mamaw tomorrow. Gary's working on his deer stand and I guess the babies will spend the outside with him sunning themselves. Showing off their muffs, that sort of thing :)
I would be remiss if I didn't very publicly thank Doris Coats for the HUGE shout out she gave Mild Bill's yesterday morning on Fox Good Day. Doris, you are one of a kind, a hell of a chili cook and I can't thank you enough for mentioning us on Good Day. Not only did the website blow up with orders, but the walk in business since yesterday has been insane. Thank you, thank you, thank you :)
Keep it Spicy, my friends.....and spread your own special brand of kindness and joy, whatever that may be :)
K
Paige: Gammy, I love testes days.
Gammy: WHAT???
Paige: You know, it's testes week. We don't have homework. I wish we could have testes every day.
And it goes from there. And I sit in the front seat and drive and laugh my ass off. I mean, isn't that kind of why people have kids....for the entertainment value???? I mean, that's why I did....
Well, technically, I got pregnant on accident, so I didn't plan on my offspring being my entertainment but why ruin a good thing by correcting her pronounciation of certan words?
I'm cooking in Cleburne tomorrow - it's one of my faves. It's a two day cook off and I usually take my trailer and my child for a mommy baby weekend. No trailer and Juicy is going to the movies with Mamaw tomorrow. Gary's working on his deer stand and I guess the babies will spend the outside with him sunning themselves. Showing off their muffs, that sort of thing :)
I would be remiss if I didn't very publicly thank Doris Coats for the HUGE shout out she gave Mild Bill's yesterday morning on Fox Good Day. Doris, you are one of a kind, a hell of a chili cook and I can't thank you enough for mentioning us on Good Day. Not only did the website blow up with orders, but the walk in business since yesterday has been insane. Thank you, thank you, thank you :)
Keep it Spicy, my friends.....and spread your own special brand of kindness and joy, whatever that may be :)
K
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Musings.......
One of the reasons I don't blog as much is because I have to watch my mouth. If I can't express my opinion on MY BLOG, then it really isn't a whole lot of fun. I'm always being told that I can't write this, I can't write that. Well, bullshit. If someone doesn't like what I write, then don't read it. I always crack up at people who listen to or read opinions that do nothing but inflame them, then get upset about what the person said or wrote. If you know you are going to be pissed off by it, why subject yourself to it? It's like political talk shows. I can't stand them, they're ridiculous and quite frankly, I'm tired of actors and celebrities being asked their opinion on the state of our country and the world. So guess what? I don't subscribe to them - on TV or in print. That way, I don't get worked up over something that I know I drives me crazy. But that's just me. And that is my rant for this morning :)
I made the mistake of drinking Starbucks coffee the past two days. And not just the coffee, but venti Americanos with an extra shot. I couldn't figure out why my pancreas was so jacked up....and then it hit me. Ahhh....not so bright there, Spice Mistress. Not so bright at all!
I'm worried about Paige's obsession with TV. She has a hard time making good choices when it comes to TV and reading, or school work in general. Monday night I told her that she was going to have to go back to her no television schedule Sun-Thurs because she wasn't reading in the evenings. You would have thought I told her Lollipop had died or something. She means well, and she's not a bad kid AT ALL, but she has a serious love (a love hunger, if you will) for the TV. Tyler was the same way.
There is to be a meeting of the owners of T&B Demolition at some point today. Of course, only three of the owners will be present because of them wouldn't deign to be involved with all of us. I mean, if you don't read a set of plans correctly and don't walk a job prior to bidding it, how can you be surprised when it doesn't make any money? And cutting costs doesn't mean cutting the 20 hour work week of one person to 16 hours...because, you know, that's really going to make a difference. No, you cut the hours of the dead weight douchebag that doesn't work and spends his time fishing and going to titty bars instead of running the field like he's supposed to. But hey - that's just me and I obviously don't know a damn thing about running a business :)
For someone pissed off that she can't write what she wants on her own blog, I just kind of did, didn't I?!?!?!?!?
On a MUCH lighter note - Paige's 4th Annual Spooky Halloween contest is next weekend and then it'll be time for TERLINGUA!!! It has been so busy at the store and I've got so many spices and blends to talk about....that's going to be my goal.....blogging once a day and talking about one of my spices. That should keep me blogging and sort of out of trouble.
And just in case you all didn't know.....our spices are the freshest you can get your hands on. They stay in the walk in cooler until ordered and then they are packaged. You can't get our blends anywhere else....our recipes our proprietary and can't be sold to, blended for or sold by anyone else - regardless of what you might have heard or been told. Quality is key when it comes to spices and you won't find a higher quality product anywhere else :)
Have a fantabulous day! I'm going to get back to my spices and do what I do best...spread my own special brand of kindness and joy and the unmistakable aroma of some really kick ass cumin!!
The Spice Mistress
I made the mistake of drinking Starbucks coffee the past two days. And not just the coffee, but venti Americanos with an extra shot. I couldn't figure out why my pancreas was so jacked up....and then it hit me. Ahhh....not so bright there, Spice Mistress. Not so bright at all!
I'm worried about Paige's obsession with TV. She has a hard time making good choices when it comes to TV and reading, or school work in general. Monday night I told her that she was going to have to go back to her no television schedule Sun-Thurs because she wasn't reading in the evenings. You would have thought I told her Lollipop had died or something. She means well, and she's not a bad kid AT ALL, but she has a serious love (a love hunger, if you will) for the TV. Tyler was the same way.
There is to be a meeting of the owners of T&B Demolition at some point today. Of course, only three of the owners will be present because of them wouldn't deign to be involved with all of us. I mean, if you don't read a set of plans correctly and don't walk a job prior to bidding it, how can you be surprised when it doesn't make any money? And cutting costs doesn't mean cutting the 20 hour work week of one person to 16 hours...because, you know, that's really going to make a difference. No, you cut the hours of the dead weight douchebag that doesn't work and spends his time fishing and going to titty bars instead of running the field like he's supposed to. But hey - that's just me and I obviously don't know a damn thing about running a business :)
For someone pissed off that she can't write what she wants on her own blog, I just kind of did, didn't I?!?!?!?!?
On a MUCH lighter note - Paige's 4th Annual Spooky Halloween contest is next weekend and then it'll be time for TERLINGUA!!! It has been so busy at the store and I've got so many spices and blends to talk about....that's going to be my goal.....blogging once a day and talking about one of my spices. That should keep me blogging and sort of out of trouble.
And just in case you all didn't know.....our spices are the freshest you can get your hands on. They stay in the walk in cooler until ordered and then they are packaged. You can't get our blends anywhere else....our recipes our proprietary and can't be sold to, blended for or sold by anyone else - regardless of what you might have heard or been told. Quality is key when it comes to spices and you won't find a higher quality product anywhere else :)
Have a fantabulous day! I'm going to get back to my spices and do what I do best...spread my own special brand of kindness and joy and the unmistakable aroma of some really kick ass cumin!!
The Spice Mistress
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
So This is What My Blog Looks Like.......Back in the Day.......
Haha.....long time no blog :)
This is going to be a short but sweet one, with more to follow tonight and tomorrow.
We have a lot to catch up on.....conversations with Paige, recipes and as was recently pointed out to me by my husband, my lack of hotness as compared to 20 years ago.
But let's not dwell on that awkard domestic dispute this fine morning. Let's start (and end!) today's blog post with a Paige Special:
Paige: Mommy, this book says that you can introduce dogs to guinea pigs, but that you should be careful.
Me: Yep (it's 7:15 am and I haven't had enough coffee....so I'm not much of a conversationalist yet this morning.)
Paige: Well, I just don't think that's a good idea. Especially with Eddie. He has a hunger for Lollipop. A love hunger. And a food hunger. I mean, he wants to eat her, but he's hungry for her love, too. That's why I called it a love hunger. You can have a love hunger and a food hunger for someone.
Have a great day everyone! I'm going to keep it spicy today - hope you do too.....
The Spice Mistress
This is going to be a short but sweet one, with more to follow tonight and tomorrow.
We have a lot to catch up on.....conversations with Paige, recipes and as was recently pointed out to me by my husband, my lack of hotness as compared to 20 years ago.
But let's not dwell on that awkard domestic dispute this fine morning. Let's start (and end!) today's blog post with a Paige Special:
Paige: Mommy, this book says that you can introduce dogs to guinea pigs, but that you should be careful.
Me: Yep (it's 7:15 am and I haven't had enough coffee....so I'm not much of a conversationalist yet this morning.)
Paige: Well, I just don't think that's a good idea. Especially with Eddie. He has a hunger for Lollipop. A love hunger. And a food hunger. I mean, he wants to eat her, but he's hungry for her love, too. That's why I called it a love hunger. You can have a love hunger and a food hunger for someone.
Have a great day everyone! I'm going to keep it spicy today - hope you do too.....
The Spice Mistress
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
A Small Morsel Until I Blog Again.......
This morning, Paige had the following to say:
"Mommy, since I can't lump Lollipop like Gilbert did, I just scratch her back when she wants to be lumped. I know it's not the same, but I thought I could make her feel good until we find another guinea to lump her."
And yesterday:
"Mommy, next time I go to Gammy's, I'm going to get my butterfly net and bring it home to catch a rabbit. I'm going to keep it alive, I don't want you to think I'm going to kill it or anything. I just thought Lollipop could use a friend. But I'm not going to let them birfalize."
I haven't blogged in a few weeks and in that span of time, Gilbert passed away :(. It was really sad and Paige is still a little upset. Poor baby. School started last week and that had been a nice distraction, but still....
Lunch made (still proving a point to that lunch lady), breakfast made and I'm drinking my coffee. Just a few more days until we head to Gruene for my annual Charlie Robison lovefest/birthday celebration. This will be my last weekend on the river until next year, so I'm going to make this one count ;)
Keeping it real by providing services to ALL the residents of Ellis Co.......
The Spice Whisperer
"Mommy, since I can't lump Lollipop like Gilbert did, I just scratch her back when she wants to be lumped. I know it's not the same, but I thought I could make her feel good until we find another guinea to lump her."
And yesterday:
"Mommy, next time I go to Gammy's, I'm going to get my butterfly net and bring it home to catch a rabbit. I'm going to keep it alive, I don't want you to think I'm going to kill it or anything. I just thought Lollipop could use a friend. But I'm not going to let them birfalize."
I haven't blogged in a few weeks and in that span of time, Gilbert passed away :(. It was really sad and Paige is still a little upset. Poor baby. School started last week and that had been a nice distraction, but still....
Lunch made (still proving a point to that lunch lady), breakfast made and I'm drinking my coffee. Just a few more days until we head to Gruene for my annual Charlie Robison lovefest/birthday celebration. This will be my last weekend on the river until next year, so I'm going to make this one count ;)
Keeping it real by providing services to ALL the residents of Ellis Co.......
The Spice Whisperer
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Irony - Brignon Style, Conversations with Paige and a Few REALLY Yummy Recipes
Some people call it the Bowden curse, but I like to call it a special form of irony...you know, when you find something that works wonders for you in one aspect but f*cks you in another? Yeah - that kind of irony.
I stopped taking Cymbalta a few months ago because it was doing more damage to my already short term memory issues from my concussion and it wasn't very liver friendly for me. However, it helped with a lot of chronic pain I have from Lupus, my myriad of stomach issues (yes, I'm serious) and my tendency to be a rageaholic. My memory had just deteriorated to the point that I literally had no recollection of what I had just done. After very careful consideration from two physicians, I stopped taking it. While my memory has somewhat improved (I no longer wash my hair multiple times each morning), my chronic pain has returned, which sucks. I've started taking another chill pill so that I don't kill anyone, but it just isn't the same. Cymbalta was like a miracle drug for me in so many ways, but I was on a very fast train to CRS Land and if not taking it would help restore my memory, then I had to explore that option. I'm still not convinced that I've regained enough of my short term memory to justify not taking the Cymbalta anymore, but I said I'd give it 6 months and I still have a few to go. (Between you and me, I'm counting the days until I refill my Cymbalta RX!!!!)
Next on the agenda, my FABULOUS hormone shots. Again, extremely helpful for some of the female bullshit I've got going on right now....but, guess what - Lupron causes bone loss and osteoporosis. I have been baffled as to why my left hip has been killing me for the past four months. I found out Monday and I was just like, "WTF????" I finally find something that works for me and it's slowly eating away at my hip. The upside (so maybe this doesn't count as shitty irony) is that I have plenty of refills on my hydrocodone!!! I seriously could not figure out what the hell was going on with my hip and when I went in for my follow up on Monday, he sort of spelled it out for me. I have to have a bone density test now. Yay. I'm so excited.
So, that is my sad tale of irony and how it has worked against me for the past six months. A side note to my doctor's appointment on Monday, though - I took Paige so that she and Dr. Truong could see each other. He hasn't seen her since he delivered her and I wanted him to see the "Miracle Baby Born at 30 Weeks". She and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him and the NICU at St Paul/UTSW and now that she's gotten older, we've been able to tell her some of the things that went on during and after her birth without scaring her. She's so curious and always wants to know about when she was a baby, but we've always been careful about what we've told her. It was really cool to see them meet. He told her the reason she was so smart and coolnwas because he was the first one to touch her and he transferred his coolness to her. She ate that shit up.
Speaking of Paige.....
I've got some really good ones in store :)
A few weeks ago, I told ya'll about her latest adventure - songwriting. Well, she was over at my mom's last week and was working on a new song. The title?
If You Want It, I Can Fake It.
Yep, you read that correctly. My child wrote a song called If You Want It, I Can Fake It.
She swears she was talking about Karaoke. I sure as shit hope so.
Her friend Abby spent a few nights over here and the first night the girls played dress up. Paige told my mom she dressed up as a "Goth" but couldn't tell my mom what that meant. She said she knew she was "Goth" because she had on dark lipstick.
A few days later, she asked me to fix her hair in a "dirty ponytail", like the one they put in Abby's hair. I wasn't quite sure what that was and I know the look on my face clearly expressed that to Paige. So she says:
"You know, a dirty ponytail."
Me: No, I don't know.
Paige: A dirty ponytail is how girls wear their hair when they want to look trashy and hot.
I just looked at her!!!! I don't think she had any idea what she was really saying. I told her no and that she didn't need to go around telling people she wanted to wear her hair in a dirty ponytail so she could look trashy and hot. God....I am so paying for my raising. And it didn't stop there.
We were watching the Olympics Saturday night and Paige looks at me and says:
"Mommy, not everyone has nipples."
Me: WHAT?????????
Paige: Nipples. Those things on your face when you smile. (OMG...it just gets worse!!!)
Me: You mean, dimples?
Paige: I guess. I thought they were called nipples.
Me: No!!!! They are called dimples. Please do not call them nipples.
Paige: Okay. But does everyone have nipples?
Me: Yes, everyone has nipples. Can we stop talking about this??
I couldn't wait to call my mom and tell her about that. I could hardly keep from laughing long enough to tell her. Oh Paige.....
So we got up and walked early Tuesday morning. We were walking by the Patak's and Paige moos at his cows. She then tells me that she doesn't know what she's saying when she moos, but those cows know because they moo back to her. She moos again because she knows that they'll know what she's saying even though she doesn't know. And that is how she talks to the cattle. She doesn't know what she's saying, and she doesn't know what they're saying back to her, but they answer her, so they must know, so she keeps talking to them.
This was all pre coffee at 7 am in the morning. I love my child.
On a very positive note, I made chicken tacos Saturday night and my child ACTUALLY ate the chicken even though it had been simmered in a tomato sauce. I almost fell over. And, she ate another one on Sunday. Unheard of!!!
So let's talk about these chicken tacos. You can do them in the slow cooker or on the stove in a dutch oven like I did. Either way, they are awesome! Serve along with some rice and beans and you've got a delicious dinner!
Cadillac Cowgirl Chicken Tacos
3-4 lbs Chicken Breasts
1 2 oz package Mild Bill's Taco Seasoning
1 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 4 oz can Diced Green Chiles undrained
Salt and Pepper
Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large covered skillet or dutch oven, brown the chicken breasts on each side. Once brown, add the diced tomatoes, green chiles, and taco seasoning; stir to combine. If necessary, add a little water to make sure that the chicken breasts are covered with liquid, but don't drown them. Bring to a boil, cover and then turn the heat to medium low. Simmer until done and the liquid has reduced some - about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts and allow them to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat and return to the tomato mixture. Stir to combine and warm them over low heat. Use either soft or crispy taco shells and top with cheese, sour cream, lettuce or whatever you prefer. This recipe easily serves four hungry adults :)
I had enough of the cooking liquid left over and I used it to make my Mexican rice. It was a little spicier than usual (well, I am the Spice Mistress) and we all loved the extra flavor it gave the rice. If you are making rice to go with the tacos, use some of the excess liquid in place of the tomato sauce, chicken broth or water you would use in your (or the recipe I've posted before) recipe. I think you'll love how it turns out!
I love fried chicken. I'm picky about my fried chicken and it's always been something I endeavored to make on my own. To me, Babe's has the best chicken hands down. I also love Popeye's (especially their mashed potatoes and gravy OMG) and my mom's is pretty damn good, too. I have tried and failed so many times to prepare delicious, thoroughly cooked on the inside and not burnt on the outside fried chicken. I finally achieved my goal and I think I actually reached Fried Chicken Nirvana. Below is my recipe - try it and enjoy this deliciousness with mashed potatoes, cream gravy and hot buttered biscuits. (And no, this is not supposed to be healthy, so be careful not to make it too often!!!)
Cadillac Cowgirl Fried Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skin on
4-5 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin on
1/2 Quart Buttermilk
4 teaspoons Seasoning Salt
2 teaspoons Mild Bill's Telicherry Pepper
3-4 Dashes Louisiana Hot Sauce
3/4 Cups Milk
1 Egg, beaten
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
5-6 Cups Vegetable or Peanut Oil for frying
In a very large bowl or resealable bag, cover the chicken with the buttermilk and 2 teaspoons each of the seasoning salt, telicherry pepper and a few dashes of the hot sauce. Cover (or seal the bag) and refrigerate overnight, or for at least six hours. About twenty minutes prior to frying the chicken, remove it from the fridge in order to take the chill off of it. While it's hanging out, set up your wet and dry stations. Using either a resealable bag or a pie plate, combine the milk, a few dashes of hot sauce and egg in one and the flour, baking powder and remaining two teaspoons each of the seasoning salt and pepper in the other; combine well. Once your stations are set up, pour your oil in a deep cast iron chicken fryer or dutch oven. Bring the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess buttermilk; dip it into the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour mixture and shake off any extra flour. Place the chicken into the hot oil and fry in batches for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken floats. Once you've got the chicken frying, lower the temperature to medium so that the outside doesn't burn in the first 5 minutes of frying! As you start new batches, you'll need to increase the heat to bring it back up to 350 and then reduce it a little to keep it from burning to a crisp. Remember, the dark pieces (thighs) will take longer to cook, so keep that in mind if you fry the breasts and thighs together. Don't crowd the chicken into the frying oil because it will not only reduce the temperature of the oil, but it will also prevent you from being able to turn them so that they brown evenly on both sides. The chicken will float when it's done, so that is also a good guideline when checking to see if they are done. If you are using a meat thermometer, make sure when you insert it into the chicken, you don't let it touch the bone; that will give you an inaccurate reading. The temp on the thermometer should reach 160 for the chicken to be cooked thoroughly. Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!!!!
I think I'm going to sign off for now. Bubba turned 18 today and we are going to Pappas Monday to celebrate his birthday. I can't believe he's 18 years old. It seems like just yesterday he was playing with his Pokemon game cards :)
Have a FANTABULOUS weekend....and Keep It Spicy :)
Spreading my own special brand of whatever I can get my hands on......
The Cadillac Cowgirl
I stopped taking Cymbalta a few months ago because it was doing more damage to my already short term memory issues from my concussion and it wasn't very liver friendly for me. However, it helped with a lot of chronic pain I have from Lupus, my myriad of stomach issues (yes, I'm serious) and my tendency to be a rageaholic. My memory had just deteriorated to the point that I literally had no recollection of what I had just done. After very careful consideration from two physicians, I stopped taking it. While my memory has somewhat improved (I no longer wash my hair multiple times each morning), my chronic pain has returned, which sucks. I've started taking another chill pill so that I don't kill anyone, but it just isn't the same. Cymbalta was like a miracle drug for me in so many ways, but I was on a very fast train to CRS Land and if not taking it would help restore my memory, then I had to explore that option. I'm still not convinced that I've regained enough of my short term memory to justify not taking the Cymbalta anymore, but I said I'd give it 6 months and I still have a few to go. (Between you and me, I'm counting the days until I refill my Cymbalta RX!!!!)
Next on the agenda, my FABULOUS hormone shots. Again, extremely helpful for some of the female bullshit I've got going on right now....but, guess what - Lupron causes bone loss and osteoporosis. I have been baffled as to why my left hip has been killing me for the past four months. I found out Monday and I was just like, "WTF????" I finally find something that works for me and it's slowly eating away at my hip. The upside (so maybe this doesn't count as shitty irony) is that I have plenty of refills on my hydrocodone!!! I seriously could not figure out what the hell was going on with my hip and when I went in for my follow up on Monday, he sort of spelled it out for me. I have to have a bone density test now. Yay. I'm so excited.
So, that is my sad tale of irony and how it has worked against me for the past six months. A side note to my doctor's appointment on Monday, though - I took Paige so that she and Dr. Truong could see each other. He hasn't seen her since he delivered her and I wanted him to see the "Miracle Baby Born at 30 Weeks". She and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him and the NICU at St Paul/UTSW and now that she's gotten older, we've been able to tell her some of the things that went on during and after her birth without scaring her. She's so curious and always wants to know about when she was a baby, but we've always been careful about what we've told her. It was really cool to see them meet. He told her the reason she was so smart and coolnwas because he was the first one to touch her and he transferred his coolness to her. She ate that shit up.
Speaking of Paige.....
I've got some really good ones in store :)
A few weeks ago, I told ya'll about her latest adventure - songwriting. Well, she was over at my mom's last week and was working on a new song. The title?
If You Want It, I Can Fake It.
Yep, you read that correctly. My child wrote a song called If You Want It, I Can Fake It.
She swears she was talking about Karaoke. I sure as shit hope so.
Her friend Abby spent a few nights over here and the first night the girls played dress up. Paige told my mom she dressed up as a "Goth" but couldn't tell my mom what that meant. She said she knew she was "Goth" because she had on dark lipstick.
A few days later, she asked me to fix her hair in a "dirty ponytail", like the one they put in Abby's hair. I wasn't quite sure what that was and I know the look on my face clearly expressed that to Paige. So she says:
"You know, a dirty ponytail."
Me: No, I don't know.
Paige: A dirty ponytail is how girls wear their hair when they want to look trashy and hot.
I just looked at her!!!! I don't think she had any idea what she was really saying. I told her no and that she didn't need to go around telling people she wanted to wear her hair in a dirty ponytail so she could look trashy and hot. God....I am so paying for my raising. And it didn't stop there.
We were watching the Olympics Saturday night and Paige looks at me and says:
"Mommy, not everyone has nipples."
Me: WHAT?????????
Paige: Nipples. Those things on your face when you smile. (OMG...it just gets worse!!!)
Me: You mean, dimples?
Paige: I guess. I thought they were called nipples.
Me: No!!!! They are called dimples. Please do not call them nipples.
Paige: Okay. But does everyone have nipples?
Me: Yes, everyone has nipples. Can we stop talking about this??
I couldn't wait to call my mom and tell her about that. I could hardly keep from laughing long enough to tell her. Oh Paige.....
So we got up and walked early Tuesday morning. We were walking by the Patak's and Paige moos at his cows. She then tells me that she doesn't know what she's saying when she moos, but those cows know because they moo back to her. She moos again because she knows that they'll know what she's saying even though she doesn't know. And that is how she talks to the cattle. She doesn't know what she's saying, and she doesn't know what they're saying back to her, but they answer her, so they must know, so she keeps talking to them.
This was all pre coffee at 7 am in the morning. I love my child.
On a very positive note, I made chicken tacos Saturday night and my child ACTUALLY ate the chicken even though it had been simmered in a tomato sauce. I almost fell over. And, she ate another one on Sunday. Unheard of!!!
So let's talk about these chicken tacos. You can do them in the slow cooker or on the stove in a dutch oven like I did. Either way, they are awesome! Serve along with some rice and beans and you've got a delicious dinner!
Cadillac Cowgirl Chicken Tacos
3-4 lbs Chicken Breasts
1 2 oz package Mild Bill's Taco Seasoning
1 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 4 oz can Diced Green Chiles undrained
Salt and Pepper
Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large covered skillet or dutch oven, brown the chicken breasts on each side. Once brown, add the diced tomatoes, green chiles, and taco seasoning; stir to combine. If necessary, add a little water to make sure that the chicken breasts are covered with liquid, but don't drown them. Bring to a boil, cover and then turn the heat to medium low. Simmer until done and the liquid has reduced some - about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts and allow them to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat and return to the tomato mixture. Stir to combine and warm them over low heat. Use either soft or crispy taco shells and top with cheese, sour cream, lettuce or whatever you prefer. This recipe easily serves four hungry adults :)
I had enough of the cooking liquid left over and I used it to make my Mexican rice. It was a little spicier than usual (well, I am the Spice Mistress) and we all loved the extra flavor it gave the rice. If you are making rice to go with the tacos, use some of the excess liquid in place of the tomato sauce, chicken broth or water you would use in your (or the recipe I've posted before) recipe. I think you'll love how it turns out!
I love fried chicken. I'm picky about my fried chicken and it's always been something I endeavored to make on my own. To me, Babe's has the best chicken hands down. I also love Popeye's (especially their mashed potatoes and gravy OMG) and my mom's is pretty damn good, too. I have tried and failed so many times to prepare delicious, thoroughly cooked on the inside and not burnt on the outside fried chicken. I finally achieved my goal and I think I actually reached Fried Chicken Nirvana. Below is my recipe - try it and enjoy this deliciousness with mashed potatoes, cream gravy and hot buttered biscuits. (And no, this is not supposed to be healthy, so be careful not to make it too often!!!)
Cadillac Cowgirl Fried Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skin on
4-5 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin on
1/2 Quart Buttermilk
4 teaspoons Seasoning Salt
2 teaspoons Mild Bill's Telicherry Pepper
3-4 Dashes Louisiana Hot Sauce
3/4 Cups Milk
1 Egg, beaten
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
5-6 Cups Vegetable or Peanut Oil for frying
In a very large bowl or resealable bag, cover the chicken with the buttermilk and 2 teaspoons each of the seasoning salt, telicherry pepper and a few dashes of the hot sauce. Cover (or seal the bag) and refrigerate overnight, or for at least six hours. About twenty minutes prior to frying the chicken, remove it from the fridge in order to take the chill off of it. While it's hanging out, set up your wet and dry stations. Using either a resealable bag or a pie plate, combine the milk, a few dashes of hot sauce and egg in one and the flour, baking powder and remaining two teaspoons each of the seasoning salt and pepper in the other; combine well. Once your stations are set up, pour your oil in a deep cast iron chicken fryer or dutch oven. Bring the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess buttermilk; dip it into the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour mixture and shake off any extra flour. Place the chicken into the hot oil and fry in batches for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken floats. Once you've got the chicken frying, lower the temperature to medium so that the outside doesn't burn in the first 5 minutes of frying! As you start new batches, you'll need to increase the heat to bring it back up to 350 and then reduce it a little to keep it from burning to a crisp. Remember, the dark pieces (thighs) will take longer to cook, so keep that in mind if you fry the breasts and thighs together. Don't crowd the chicken into the frying oil because it will not only reduce the temperature of the oil, but it will also prevent you from being able to turn them so that they brown evenly on both sides. The chicken will float when it's done, so that is also a good guideline when checking to see if they are done. If you are using a meat thermometer, make sure when you insert it into the chicken, you don't let it touch the bone; that will give you an inaccurate reading. The temp on the thermometer should reach 160 for the chicken to be cooked thoroughly. Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!!!!
I think I'm going to sign off for now. Bubba turned 18 today and we are going to Pappas Monday to celebrate his birthday. I can't believe he's 18 years old. It seems like just yesterday he was playing with his Pokemon game cards :)
Have a FANTABULOUS weekend....and Keep It Spicy :)
Spreading my own special brand of whatever I can get my hands on......
The Cadillac Cowgirl
Monday, July 30, 2012
Mmmmm.....Delicious!!!!!
Today was DEFINITELY a Monday!!! You ever have one of THOSE days? I definitely did!!! Gary and I decided to go to Chili's for a cocktail and light supper. We each had a margarita and we split fajitas. It hit the spot and we've been hunkered down at home in the A/C since then. Gary took a power nap, I caught up on my DVR'd episodes of French Food at Home and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. If that doesn't speak to my diverse interests, then I don't know what does. I like to be just as well versed in the highbrow as I do the lowbrow :)
This weekend I kicked ass in the kitchen! I made shrimp salad Saturday night and a new potato salad last night to go with our smoked pork shoulder. Gary totally rocked the pork shoulder. He smoked it up at the store yesterday. He rubbed it with Mild Bill's Spirit of the West BBQ Rub and glazed it with our Sassy Syrup. It ROCKED!!! Here are the recipes for the shrimp salad and potato salad.
Cadillac Cowgirl Shrimp Salad
1 1/2 lbs fully cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced shallot
1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon Mild Bill's Cajun Seasoning
1/2 cup mayonnaise (feel free to adjust for your consistency preference)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the above ingredients in a medium bowl; taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Cover and chill for at least an hour. Serve with crackers, stuffed in tomatoes or avocados, or over a a bed of lettuce :) You could also use the filling to make shrimp rolls. Buy some French bread rolls or really good hot dog buns. Toast and fill with the shrimp salad. Viola!
Cadillac Cowgirl Potato Salad
2 lbs small red potatoes (you can normally buy the 2 lb bag at the store. I like this option because the potatoes are really small and they'll cook quicker.)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion or shallot
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon Mild Bill's Jalapeno Ranch Dip Mix
3 boiled eggs, chopped (whites only)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, boil the potatoes in salted water over medium high heat until tender - about 20 minutes. Once fork tender, drain and cool. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients and taste for seasonings adjusting the salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I like to serve it warm, but it's good either way.
Paige has been at Gammy's since Friday. I took on my closet over the weekend and while I made quite a dent in it, I'm still not finished. At least you can see the carpet in the floor now. I know, I know. It's pathetic. I mean, what 38 year old woman allows her closet to just go to shit? Well, this one. I will say I inventoried all of my purses, wallets, boots and turquoise jewelry and everything is present and accounted for. That was actually my goal - to get all of that put back in it's proper place. Look, we all have our vices and mine is purses. And turquoise jewelry. And boots. I admit that I am a slave to those things and it pained me that my jewelry wasn't in it's designated area, my boots weren't up on the shelves and my purses weren't in their protective bags. Now they are and balance has been restored to my life :)
The dogs were not down with my cleaning plans. In fact, they did everything they could to discourage me from cleaning. They'd lay on the bed exposing their muffins for belly rubs. They'd drag my shit out of the bathroom so I'd have to run after them to get it back. They'd come sit in my lap or in the middle of the floor where I was trying to clean. They simply couldn't understand why I didn't want to just lay on my ass all day and do nothing and frankly, I see their point. That closet kicked my ass!! But hey, I made progress on a project that I've needed to tackle for a looooong time, so it's all good!
I wanted to give a shout out to all of the Mild Bill's customers that placed over the weekend. Way to go!! I love to see all of our customers cooking, placing and having a great time - especially with the freshest spices out there :)
Spreading my own special brand of kindness, joy and spicy love.......
The Cadillac Cowgirl
This weekend I kicked ass in the kitchen! I made shrimp salad Saturday night and a new potato salad last night to go with our smoked pork shoulder. Gary totally rocked the pork shoulder. He smoked it up at the store yesterday. He rubbed it with Mild Bill's Spirit of the West BBQ Rub and glazed it with our Sassy Syrup. It ROCKED!!! Here are the recipes for the shrimp salad and potato salad.
Cadillac Cowgirl Shrimp Salad
1 1/2 lbs fully cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced shallot
1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon Mild Bill's Cajun Seasoning
1/2 cup mayonnaise (feel free to adjust for your consistency preference)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the above ingredients in a medium bowl; taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Cover and chill for at least an hour. Serve with crackers, stuffed in tomatoes or avocados, or over a a bed of lettuce :) You could also use the filling to make shrimp rolls. Buy some French bread rolls or really good hot dog buns. Toast and fill with the shrimp salad. Viola!
Cadillac Cowgirl Potato Salad
2 lbs small red potatoes (you can normally buy the 2 lb bag at the store. I like this option because the potatoes are really small and they'll cook quicker.)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion or shallot
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon Mild Bill's Jalapeno Ranch Dip Mix
3 boiled eggs, chopped (whites only)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, boil the potatoes in salted water over medium high heat until tender - about 20 minutes. Once fork tender, drain and cool. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients and taste for seasonings adjusting the salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I like to serve it warm, but it's good either way.
Paige has been at Gammy's since Friday. I took on my closet over the weekend and while I made quite a dent in it, I'm still not finished. At least you can see the carpet in the floor now. I know, I know. It's pathetic. I mean, what 38 year old woman allows her closet to just go to shit? Well, this one. I will say I inventoried all of my purses, wallets, boots and turquoise jewelry and everything is present and accounted for. That was actually my goal - to get all of that put back in it's proper place. Look, we all have our vices and mine is purses. And turquoise jewelry. And boots. I admit that I am a slave to those things and it pained me that my jewelry wasn't in it's designated area, my boots weren't up on the shelves and my purses weren't in their protective bags. Now they are and balance has been restored to my life :)
The dogs were not down with my cleaning plans. In fact, they did everything they could to discourage me from cleaning. They'd lay on the bed exposing their muffins for belly rubs. They'd drag my shit out of the bathroom so I'd have to run after them to get it back. They'd come sit in my lap or in the middle of the floor where I was trying to clean. They simply couldn't understand why I didn't want to just lay on my ass all day and do nothing and frankly, I see their point. That closet kicked my ass!! But hey, I made progress on a project that I've needed to tackle for a looooong time, so it's all good!
I wanted to give a shout out to all of the Mild Bill's customers that placed over the weekend. Way to go!! I love to see all of our customers cooking, placing and having a great time - especially with the freshest spices out there :)
Spreading my own special brand of kindness, joy and spicy love.......
The Cadillac Cowgirl
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