Uncle Larry's funeral service will take place Monday, January 3, 2011 at St. John Catholic Church in Ennis at 10 am. The viewing and Rosary will be held Sunday January 2, 2011 at J E Keever Mortuary in Ennis from 4-6 pm. (Rosary at 5 pm in the Mortuary Chapel)
The address for Keever's is 408 N. Dallas Street Ennis, TX 75119. Their phone number is 972-875-3891.
St John Catholic Church's address is 401 E. Lampasas Ennis, TX 75119. It's on the corner of Lampasas and Paris...down from the KJT Hall.
Kelly
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Uncle Larry
Please keep the Haskovecs in your prayers. As many of you know, Uncle Larry had an ulcer rupture on Monday and was hospitalized in Waxahachie. He's being moved to Baylor Dallas today where he can receive better treatment and dialysis. He also has pneumonia. I'll keep everyone updated via my blog and FB as I receive updated information. Theresa is holding up okay and the girls are with her.
Kelly
Kelly
Monday, December 27, 2010
Awesome Christmas, Holding Baby Jesus By The Leg, Kidney Stones and Benadryl Comas.....
We had a really busy Christmas! Between Mass, kidney stones (my stepson), runny eggs and the subsequent Bendadryl OD as well as tons of food, a Trivial Pursuit match that had us rolling, and Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog, we had a fantabulous Christmas!
Off we went to Mass; Paige, my mom and dad and myself. Paige was playing the part of Mary and when it was time for her to go up there with Joseph and baby Jesus, she walked up to the altar with baby Jesus alright...holding him by the leg...LOL! We got her attention and told her to hold Jesus and she whispers back, "I know!" and we're all like, "then do it!". She would also look at us periodically and wink and blow us a kiss. So much for a nice, pure Mary!! Seriously, Mass was really nice and I'm glad we went. It means a lot to me to go to Mass with Paige every Christmas Eve. Gary, Tyler and Zoe try to see his grandmother every Christmas Eve, so this is our thing that we do together. We got home and I had enough sense to start dinner earlier, so all I had to do was make the peas and finish the spinach my sister started. I am going to get the links to each of the recipes in order to share them. I made Nigella Lawson's Onion and Sage Chicken and Sausage Bake, Roasted Potatoes and French Peas. I made Ina Garten's Grown Up Mac and Cheese. I don't want to get any flak for reprinting, etc - so I'm going to just share the links. The Nigella recipes are fantastic and easy to do during the week. I actually did my own version of the chicken and sausage dish, so if I can remember everything I used, then I will post it on my blog. The sauteed spinach I made is easy and it could be about 15 people's recipe! Dice four slices of bacon and brown them in a Dutch Oven. Once browned, add two diced shallots and 2 diced garlic cloves; saute over medium low heat until tender. Add four bags of prewashed baby spinach, a drizzle of olive oil and stir to coat. Put the lid on and let the spinach wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. Squeeze a lemon over the sauteed spinach if desired and serve. Pretty easy!
While we were eating dinner, Tyler walks into the dining room and announces that he has a kidney stone. Someone asks him how he knows this and he informs us that he "peed brown" and that's what happened last time. We tell him to lay off the cokes and drink some water and cranberry juice. We also tell him to take it easy on the cranberry juice since we are using that to make our Poinsettias in the morning :) He goes to bed and wakes up Christmas morning in excruciating pain. Gary takes him to the Ennis ER where they confirm that he has a 3 mm stone between his kidney and bladder. So, they give him a bunch of fluids and pain meds and send him home. He came home and ate an assload of pancakes, so he was obviously feeling better. He told me earlier today that he thought he passed it. I asked him if he was going to lay off the milk and cokes.....he said he would. We'll see!
After dinner, we tracked Santa via NORAD and sent the little crackheads to bed. Gary, Courtney, Gammy and I settled in for our annual game of Trivial Pursuit. As expected, Gary did not disappoint. He managed to pronounce "impotent" as if he were saying, "im-PO-tint" and we couldn't stop laughing. Then, Courtney said the aliens in Blade Runner were called skinjobs and my mom's next question was about the song "One Night in Bangkok. It just went downhill from there and we kept getting more and more perverted and twisted. Courtney and I finished tied for 1st, Gary 2nd and Gammy in 3rd. We had a fun time drinking our spiked egg nog and trash talking each other. My dad slept through all of the laughing and hollering, poor guy. My mom and I got the rest of the kids presents wrapped and then we went to bed. I'm such a craptastic mom. I didn't even put nametags on their gifts. I was like, "screw it....I'll remember whose is whose." Right....Zoe was opening P's....P was opening Zoe's....oh well...they got it worked out :) My mom bought me two new cookbooks - Nigella Lawson's Nigella's Kitchen and Tyler Florence's new cookbook. They are both full of some great recipes that are quite different from what I normally cook. Still, I'm looking forward to trying out the recipes. The Nigella cookbook is full of comments and stories from her and most of them are pretty funny.
After the kiddos opened presents Christmas morning and Gary took Tyler to the ER, we started making breakfast. I made blueberry, apple and plain pancakes and scrambled eggs. My mom made Ina's Herb Baked Eggs and we also had toast and bacon. First of all, I have a bizarre protein allergy and all of my chicken, pork and eggs have to be cooked completely. I love a good over easy egg just as much as the next person, but they don't like me and trouble tends to follow should I indulge. Therefore, I eat what my mom calls "hockey pucks". Well, one of the herbed egg dishes had two eggs that were pretty firm and one still a tad runny. I said what the hell and ate them figuring it would either not bother me too much, or maybe a little and I'd just take a Benadryl. Well...it kind of bothered me a lot and I had to take one. I managed to stay awake for about an hour and then I lapsed into a Bena-Coma for three hours. I woke up, put on a clean pair of pj's and slept for another four hours. I finally woke up, ate some cheese and crackers with Gary and had a few glasses of wine and we watched The Town, which by the way is very good. We went to bed around midnight and I slept until 11:30. I think I finally slept it off! We went to the Hall last night and had a great time visiting with friends. A couple of Jack and Cokes and I was back in business :)
When I got home tonight, I made a few pots of soup; my chicken soup and I made a hearty winter soup. I was really pleased with how the winter soup turned out. The recipe is below:
Cadillac Cowgirl Hearty Winter Soup
2 T Olive Oil
1 T Butter
2 Large Shallots, diced
5 Garlic Cloves, diced
2 14 1/2 oz Cans Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)
2 19 oz Cans Cannellini Beans, drained (if you can't find the 19 oz cans, use the regular size)
1 Bag Prewashed Baby Spinach
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Rind of Parmesan or Gruyere Cheese, plus cheese to grate over the top
4 Cups Water
French or Multigrain Bread
In a large soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil. Saute the shallots and garlic over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the bread, stir well and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow to boil uncovered for a few minutes, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the soup simmer 25-30 minutes. The rind of the Parmesan or Gruyere cheese is optional, but it really adds a lot of rich flavor to this soup. Taste before serving to make sure the salt and pepper is to taste. Ladle the soup over a piece of the toasted bread and grate the cheese over the top. Enjoy with a big glass of red wine and a nice fire!
Well, my hubby has had to work in the field the past week and he was back out there today. He got home late, ate a bowl of soup and is snoring in the recliner - where he's going to stay. I'm going to scoop the boys out of my lap and get into the bed. Paige is at Gammy's for one more night since her BFF is at her YiYi's tomorrow. I hope everyone had a blessed and happy Christmas. I know we did and I'm grateful for all that God has given my family. Have a drama free Tuesday :)
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do....
Kelly
Off we went to Mass; Paige, my mom and dad and myself. Paige was playing the part of Mary and when it was time for her to go up there with Joseph and baby Jesus, she walked up to the altar with baby Jesus alright...holding him by the leg...LOL! We got her attention and told her to hold Jesus and she whispers back, "I know!" and we're all like, "then do it!". She would also look at us periodically and wink and blow us a kiss. So much for a nice, pure Mary!! Seriously, Mass was really nice and I'm glad we went. It means a lot to me to go to Mass with Paige every Christmas Eve. Gary, Tyler and Zoe try to see his grandmother every Christmas Eve, so this is our thing that we do together. We got home and I had enough sense to start dinner earlier, so all I had to do was make the peas and finish the spinach my sister started. I am going to get the links to each of the recipes in order to share them. I made Nigella Lawson's Onion and Sage Chicken and Sausage Bake, Roasted Potatoes and French Peas. I made Ina Garten's Grown Up Mac and Cheese. I don't want to get any flak for reprinting, etc - so I'm going to just share the links. The Nigella recipes are fantastic and easy to do during the week. I actually did my own version of the chicken and sausage dish, so if I can remember everything I used, then I will post it on my blog. The sauteed spinach I made is easy and it could be about 15 people's recipe! Dice four slices of bacon and brown them in a Dutch Oven. Once browned, add two diced shallots and 2 diced garlic cloves; saute over medium low heat until tender. Add four bags of prewashed baby spinach, a drizzle of olive oil and stir to coat. Put the lid on and let the spinach wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. Squeeze a lemon over the sauteed spinach if desired and serve. Pretty easy!
While we were eating dinner, Tyler walks into the dining room and announces that he has a kidney stone. Someone asks him how he knows this and he informs us that he "peed brown" and that's what happened last time. We tell him to lay off the cokes and drink some water and cranberry juice. We also tell him to take it easy on the cranberry juice since we are using that to make our Poinsettias in the morning :) He goes to bed and wakes up Christmas morning in excruciating pain. Gary takes him to the Ennis ER where they confirm that he has a 3 mm stone between his kidney and bladder. So, they give him a bunch of fluids and pain meds and send him home. He came home and ate an assload of pancakes, so he was obviously feeling better. He told me earlier today that he thought he passed it. I asked him if he was going to lay off the milk and cokes.....he said he would. We'll see!
After dinner, we tracked Santa via NORAD and sent the little crackheads to bed. Gary, Courtney, Gammy and I settled in for our annual game of Trivial Pursuit. As expected, Gary did not disappoint. He managed to pronounce "impotent" as if he were saying, "im-PO-tint" and we couldn't stop laughing. Then, Courtney said the aliens in Blade Runner were called skinjobs and my mom's next question was about the song "One Night in Bangkok. It just went downhill from there and we kept getting more and more perverted and twisted. Courtney and I finished tied for 1st, Gary 2nd and Gammy in 3rd. We had a fun time drinking our spiked egg nog and trash talking each other. My dad slept through all of the laughing and hollering, poor guy. My mom and I got the rest of the kids presents wrapped and then we went to bed. I'm such a craptastic mom. I didn't even put nametags on their gifts. I was like, "screw it....I'll remember whose is whose." Right....Zoe was opening P's....P was opening Zoe's....oh well...they got it worked out :) My mom bought me two new cookbooks - Nigella Lawson's Nigella's Kitchen and Tyler Florence's new cookbook. They are both full of some great recipes that are quite different from what I normally cook. Still, I'm looking forward to trying out the recipes. The Nigella cookbook is full of comments and stories from her and most of them are pretty funny.
After the kiddos opened presents Christmas morning and Gary took Tyler to the ER, we started making breakfast. I made blueberry, apple and plain pancakes and scrambled eggs. My mom made Ina's Herb Baked Eggs and we also had toast and bacon. First of all, I have a bizarre protein allergy and all of my chicken, pork and eggs have to be cooked completely. I love a good over easy egg just as much as the next person, but they don't like me and trouble tends to follow should I indulge. Therefore, I eat what my mom calls "hockey pucks". Well, one of the herbed egg dishes had two eggs that were pretty firm and one still a tad runny. I said what the hell and ate them figuring it would either not bother me too much, or maybe a little and I'd just take a Benadryl. Well...it kind of bothered me a lot and I had to take one. I managed to stay awake for about an hour and then I lapsed into a Bena-Coma for three hours. I woke up, put on a clean pair of pj's and slept for another four hours. I finally woke up, ate some cheese and crackers with Gary and had a few glasses of wine and we watched The Town, which by the way is very good. We went to bed around midnight and I slept until 11:30. I think I finally slept it off! We went to the Hall last night and had a great time visiting with friends. A couple of Jack and Cokes and I was back in business :)
When I got home tonight, I made a few pots of soup; my chicken soup and I made a hearty winter soup. I was really pleased with how the winter soup turned out. The recipe is below:
Cadillac Cowgirl Hearty Winter Soup
2 T Olive Oil
1 T Butter
2 Large Shallots, diced
5 Garlic Cloves, diced
2 14 1/2 oz Cans Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)
2 19 oz Cans Cannellini Beans, drained (if you can't find the 19 oz cans, use the regular size)
1 Bag Prewashed Baby Spinach
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Rind of Parmesan or Gruyere Cheese, plus cheese to grate over the top
4 Cups Water
French or Multigrain Bread
In a large soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil. Saute the shallots and garlic over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the bread, stir well and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow to boil uncovered for a few minutes, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the soup simmer 25-30 minutes. The rind of the Parmesan or Gruyere cheese is optional, but it really adds a lot of rich flavor to this soup. Taste before serving to make sure the salt and pepper is to taste. Ladle the soup over a piece of the toasted bread and grate the cheese over the top. Enjoy with a big glass of red wine and a nice fire!
Well, my hubby has had to work in the field the past week and he was back out there today. He got home late, ate a bowl of soup and is snoring in the recliner - where he's going to stay. I'm going to scoop the boys out of my lap and get into the bed. Paige is at Gammy's for one more night since her BFF is at her YiYi's tomorrow. I hope everyone had a blessed and happy Christmas. I know we did and I'm grateful for all that God has given my family. Have a drama free Tuesday :)
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do....
Kelly
Friday, December 24, 2010
Feliz Navidad!!!!
Merry Christmas Eve everybody!! I'm sitting in my kitchen here in my warm house in the thriving metropolis of Crisp, Texas. My boys are in their cozy cave dog bed, the fireplace is going, the girls are running around like crackheads and my oldest is killing zombies. What more could a mommy ask for??? We've also been tracking Santa....I need a Gammy tracker, too. Paige keeps asking me when she's going to be here. The rain finally made an appearance as well. We've got Mass at 6 pm, a feast for dinner, cocktails and the annual Trivial Pursuit battled scheduled for tonight. I'm excited!
Our Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas Morning Brunch are going to ROCK! For dinner we're having Roast Chicken and Sausage, Ina Garten's Grown Up Mac and Cheese, Roasted New Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach, French Peas and lots of bread!!! I'm also going to break out the Brie, Cheddar, and Stilton for a pre-dinner snack. For brunch in the morning we're having blueberry, apple strudel and regular pancakes, smoked salmon fritatta, Ina's Baked Eggs, Bacon and BREAD!!! YUM! I'm looking forward to a lot of great food, fun and wine :)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with their friends and families. This really is a miraculous time of year. Seven years ago, I spent Christmas Eve and Day in the NICU with my little miracle baby born at 30 weeks. She has always been our Christmas miracle and while I'm thankful for her (and her conversations) throughout the year, I really count my blessings during the Christmas season. Regardless of your religion, there's a lot to celebrate this time of year. I love going to Mass each Christmas Eve with Paige and singing Silent Night, and lighting the candles. I love how she has such an unwavering belief that Santa will bring her exactly what she's asked for. I think about how fortunate and loved and blessed my family is and I thank God for keeping my family healthy and safe. I also pray that those in need have the love and guidance of God to get them through and keep them safe. I hope all of you feel the same love and warmth in your lives. Merry Christmas - be safe, be merry, and most of all...be jolly!!
Kelly
Our Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas Morning Brunch are going to ROCK! For dinner we're having Roast Chicken and Sausage, Ina Garten's Grown Up Mac and Cheese, Roasted New Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach, French Peas and lots of bread!!! I'm also going to break out the Brie, Cheddar, and Stilton for a pre-dinner snack. For brunch in the morning we're having blueberry, apple strudel and regular pancakes, smoked salmon fritatta, Ina's Baked Eggs, Bacon and BREAD!!! YUM! I'm looking forward to a lot of great food, fun and wine :)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with their friends and families. This really is a miraculous time of year. Seven years ago, I spent Christmas Eve and Day in the NICU with my little miracle baby born at 30 weeks. She has always been our Christmas miracle and while I'm thankful for her (and her conversations) throughout the year, I really count my blessings during the Christmas season. Regardless of your religion, there's a lot to celebrate this time of year. I love going to Mass each Christmas Eve with Paige and singing Silent Night, and lighting the candles. I love how she has such an unwavering belief that Santa will bring her exactly what she's asked for. I think about how fortunate and loved and blessed my family is and I thank God for keeping my family healthy and safe. I also pray that those in need have the love and guidance of God to get them through and keep them safe. I hope all of you feel the same love and warmth in your lives. Merry Christmas - be safe, be merry, and most of all...be jolly!!
Kelly
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Ramblings...
It's almost here...the end of the debt ridden holiday season!
How is everyone's week so far? Everyone finished with their shopping? Hell no....LOL!!! I think I'm finished...I'll have to double check. I do need to go grocery shopping for this weekend's feasts! I'm really looking forward to taking off Friday and staying home in my pj's, listening to Christmas music, cooking and drinking wine...ALL DAY LONG!!!!! Oh, and Christmas Eve Mass....LOL!!
So, I've been on the hunt for the perfect pillow. I wake up every morning with a headache and I've determined it's my pillow. I've tried firm, down, memory foam, tempurpedic knock off, crappy pillow, no pillow...you name it, my head has laid on it. Last night I spent some quality time at Bed, Bath and Beyond (my budget) and I think I found a winner. It's a firm down pillow and I woke up this morning headache free! Yay!! We also bought a new featherbed for our semi new mattress and I think that made a difference, too. Hopefully this is the beginning of a better night's sleep for me! I sleep with the snorer FROM HELL. I wear earplugs and I can still hear him. I can have my earplugs in, bedroom door shut and Gary banished to the living room and I STILL hear him. Tyler hears him too...so does Paige....I have witnesses.
Paige had her very first dental procedure involving laughing gas yesterday and she was not impressed:
Paige: Mommy, what does laughing gas do?
Me: It makes you relaxed and happy.
Paige: Okay......
An hour later:
Paige: Mommy, was that laughing gas supposed to make me happy?
Me: It was supposed to, why?
Paige: Because I'm not any happier than when I woke up this morning. I didn't feel happy at all. They should call it boring gas.
Kid drives a hard bargain when it comes to mood altering drugs! I feel sure she'll let the dentist know next time to turn it up a bit for her :)
I bought Paige some Justin Beiber pj's for her birthday. She wore them the other night and when she put them on, I saw that "Beiber" was written across her ass. I became physically ill. Can you imagine walking around with "Beiber" on your ass? She loved it, of course. She also drew a picture of them holding hands. Gag.
That's what I've had going on the last week. Christmas shopping, work from hell, more Christmas shopping, more T & B Hell, you get the picture. We did have an OUTSTANDING NOW Pod Christmas Party last Saturday at our house. There was a ton of food and everyone had a great time. It didn't hurt that the cocktails were going down easy, either! Last year, I hoped very loudly that 2010 would be better than 2009. Here's to hoping that 2011 will be better than 2010. The years are getting marginally better....I think I might make it.
I will have recipes to post either this weekend or Monday. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and is surrounded by their friends, family and lots of love. I know I will be.
Spreading my own special brand of joy and kindness......
Kelly
How is everyone's week so far? Everyone finished with their shopping? Hell no....LOL!!! I think I'm finished...I'll have to double check. I do need to go grocery shopping for this weekend's feasts! I'm really looking forward to taking off Friday and staying home in my pj's, listening to Christmas music, cooking and drinking wine...ALL DAY LONG!!!!! Oh, and Christmas Eve Mass....LOL!!
So, I've been on the hunt for the perfect pillow. I wake up every morning with a headache and I've determined it's my pillow. I've tried firm, down, memory foam, tempurpedic knock off, crappy pillow, no pillow...you name it, my head has laid on it. Last night I spent some quality time at Bed, Bath and Beyond (my budget) and I think I found a winner. It's a firm down pillow and I woke up this morning headache free! Yay!! We also bought a new featherbed for our semi new mattress and I think that made a difference, too. Hopefully this is the beginning of a better night's sleep for me! I sleep with the snorer FROM HELL. I wear earplugs and I can still hear him. I can have my earplugs in, bedroom door shut and Gary banished to the living room and I STILL hear him. Tyler hears him too...so does Paige....I have witnesses.
Paige had her very first dental procedure involving laughing gas yesterday and she was not impressed:
Paige: Mommy, what does laughing gas do?
Me: It makes you relaxed and happy.
Paige: Okay......
An hour later:
Paige: Mommy, was that laughing gas supposed to make me happy?
Me: It was supposed to, why?
Paige: Because I'm not any happier than when I woke up this morning. I didn't feel happy at all. They should call it boring gas.
Kid drives a hard bargain when it comes to mood altering drugs! I feel sure she'll let the dentist know next time to turn it up a bit for her :)
I bought Paige some Justin Beiber pj's for her birthday. She wore them the other night and when she put them on, I saw that "Beiber" was written across her ass. I became physically ill. Can you imagine walking around with "Beiber" on your ass? She loved it, of course. She also drew a picture of them holding hands. Gag.
That's what I've had going on the last week. Christmas shopping, work from hell, more Christmas shopping, more T & B Hell, you get the picture. We did have an OUTSTANDING NOW Pod Christmas Party last Saturday at our house. There was a ton of food and everyone had a great time. It didn't hurt that the cocktails were going down easy, either! Last year, I hoped very loudly that 2010 would be better than 2009. Here's to hoping that 2011 will be better than 2010. The years are getting marginally better....I think I might make it.
I will have recipes to post either this weekend or Monday. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and is surrounded by their friends, family and lots of love. I know I will be.
Spreading my own special brand of joy and kindness......
Kelly
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Always The Last To Know....And Other Observations....
Were any of you aware that Christmas Eve is basically a week away? I had no idea; no one told me it was coming so soon. :) Right?? Is anyone else horribly ill prepared for the holiday that comes the same time every year? I thought I had two more weeks until some poor fool informed me last night that I don't, in fact, have two weeks and I'm going to have to get off my ass and get to shopping.
I love Christmas, but I DETEST this time of year. Receivables are slow, people are cranky from all of the junk food they won't stop consuming, traffic is horrible and there is always somewhere you have to be or something you have to buy. It just wears me the hell out. We've got a great Christmas Eve meal and Christmas Day brunch planned, so I'm looking forward to next Friday and Saturday...if I can just survive until then :) I hope it's sort of cold so that I can have a fire going in the fireplace Christmas morning....that always makes me happy! I will have recipes to share as well, especially for Christmas Eve.
It's very interesting, to me at least, that when I make a comment about CASI it's viewed as, "Kelly's on us again." (not my words...someone else's) I guess that reiterates my opinion that CASI only wants to hear praise, never criticism...no matter how relevant or constructive it might be. CASI is just like any other organization and/or business in existence - there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Why does it seem that only the ones really lobbying for the improvement believe that while the individuals in the position to really lead the changes balk at the mere thought of innovation? There is more than one way to lead a horse to water...and get the same results. Why is that so hard for CASI to grasp? Is it because it still tries to hold on to how things used to be done? Is it because the membership really does have too much of a voice? That sounds really, really bizarre coming from me, doesn't it? Let me explain...as a business owner, input from my employees is important. However, we have rules and regulations that must remain consistent in order for our business to operate smoothly and with as little trouble as possible. I personally believe the best thing that could happen to CASI would be an overhaul of it's structure. Twenty-something years ago, the membership got together and worked to form a structure that was in the best interest of CASI at the time. Well, times have changed and maybe it's time for the present membership to work with the Board to revamp the structure and culture of CASI to make it more attractive in order to increase it's popularity. Maybe it's time to change how CASI is structured and operates. I feel as if CASI envisions itself as this large, somewhat global, charitable organization. If that is what it wants to be, then it's going to have to evolve in a way that will allow it to actually function as one on ALL levels...not just where it's convenient. I'm on a committee that is attempting to come up with a CASI policy. While I appreciate being asked to serve on this committee, I sometimes wonder why CASI has all of these committees. If there are straightforward by-laws and rules, and a BOD that enforces them...then why is there a need for a committee? It's like the Rules Committee. What does that really serve? If a rule has been broken, why does a committee have to submit a recommendation to the Board for action against that particular cook off or referee? Rules are not a bad thing. Enforcing them, and having consistent structure, isn't terrible, either. Maybe instead of forming a bunch of committees to recommend how the rules should be enforced, have clear cut rules that are followed by everyone, enforced by the Directors, and move on with a happy membership that knows what is and isn't acceptable...all of the time, for everyone and every cook off.
So, if the above statements are seen as "being on us again", then maybe "us" needs to put their big girl and big boy panties on and deal with it. Take the good with the bad, the criticism with the praise. The shit with the sunshine :)
The NOW Pod Christmas Party will be held at the Brignon Compound this Saturday. We're giving the Haskovecs a break this year and having it at our place. I thought about cooking this weekend in Temple with Tom and Sam, but I really need to finish Christmas Shopping. I'm so behind it's not even funny. I have managed to buy Eddie and Waylon new beds for Christmas. They are each getting their own burrow bed. I want to buy them a toddler bed in hopes that they will sleep in it instead of taking over my bed. You don't realize how much room 24 inches of weenie can take up :) Seriously....those small dogs can take up an entire bed! But they're so sweet....and so warm....they really are great sleeping buddies!
Fred is still doing really well. His chemo has been cut back and his water consumption has decreased. Now if we can just get some of the extra weight off of him. Wyatt has made a full recovery as well. And, he's a much happier dog. I guess that's what happens when you get your ass handed to you....sort of an attitude adjustment. He's also been taking Rimadyl for his hip dysplasia and that has also made a difference. I'm glad he's okay and I'm really glad his hips aren't causing him any more pain!
The next time my number is called for 1st Place Beans, I'm not going to claim it. Every time I win beans, I don't do shit in chili!! I just need three more points. I couldn't BUY a point last weekend....LOL!! Dr. Ray is back on the chili trail and he placed in both CASI and Elks at the Irving Elks Lodge last weekend. Hell Yeah!
I'm going to get back to work....joy.
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy...fa la la la la.....
Kelly
I love Christmas, but I DETEST this time of year. Receivables are slow, people are cranky from all of the junk food they won't stop consuming, traffic is horrible and there is always somewhere you have to be or something you have to buy. It just wears me the hell out. We've got a great Christmas Eve meal and Christmas Day brunch planned, so I'm looking forward to next Friday and Saturday...if I can just survive until then :) I hope it's sort of cold so that I can have a fire going in the fireplace Christmas morning....that always makes me happy! I will have recipes to share as well, especially for Christmas Eve.
It's very interesting, to me at least, that when I make a comment about CASI it's viewed as, "Kelly's on us again." (not my words...someone else's) I guess that reiterates my opinion that CASI only wants to hear praise, never criticism...no matter how relevant or constructive it might be. CASI is just like any other organization and/or business in existence - there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Why does it seem that only the ones really lobbying for the improvement believe that while the individuals in the position to really lead the changes balk at the mere thought of innovation? There is more than one way to lead a horse to water...and get the same results. Why is that so hard for CASI to grasp? Is it because it still tries to hold on to how things used to be done? Is it because the membership really does have too much of a voice? That sounds really, really bizarre coming from me, doesn't it? Let me explain...as a business owner, input from my employees is important. However, we have rules and regulations that must remain consistent in order for our business to operate smoothly and with as little trouble as possible. I personally believe the best thing that could happen to CASI would be an overhaul of it's structure. Twenty-something years ago, the membership got together and worked to form a structure that was in the best interest of CASI at the time. Well, times have changed and maybe it's time for the present membership to work with the Board to revamp the structure and culture of CASI to make it more attractive in order to increase it's popularity. Maybe it's time to change how CASI is structured and operates. I feel as if CASI envisions itself as this large, somewhat global, charitable organization. If that is what it wants to be, then it's going to have to evolve in a way that will allow it to actually function as one on ALL levels...not just where it's convenient. I'm on a committee that is attempting to come up with a CASI policy. While I appreciate being asked to serve on this committee, I sometimes wonder why CASI has all of these committees. If there are straightforward by-laws and rules, and a BOD that enforces them...then why is there a need for a committee? It's like the Rules Committee. What does that really serve? If a rule has been broken, why does a committee have to submit a recommendation to the Board for action against that particular cook off or referee? Rules are not a bad thing. Enforcing them, and having consistent structure, isn't terrible, either. Maybe instead of forming a bunch of committees to recommend how the rules should be enforced, have clear cut rules that are followed by everyone, enforced by the Directors, and move on with a happy membership that knows what is and isn't acceptable...all of the time, for everyone and every cook off.
So, if the above statements are seen as "being on us again", then maybe "us" needs to put their big girl and big boy panties on and deal with it. Take the good with the bad, the criticism with the praise. The shit with the sunshine :)
The NOW Pod Christmas Party will be held at the Brignon Compound this Saturday. We're giving the Haskovecs a break this year and having it at our place. I thought about cooking this weekend in Temple with Tom and Sam, but I really need to finish Christmas Shopping. I'm so behind it's not even funny. I have managed to buy Eddie and Waylon new beds for Christmas. They are each getting their own burrow bed. I want to buy them a toddler bed in hopes that they will sleep in it instead of taking over my bed. You don't realize how much room 24 inches of weenie can take up :) Seriously....those small dogs can take up an entire bed! But they're so sweet....and so warm....they really are great sleeping buddies!
Fred is still doing really well. His chemo has been cut back and his water consumption has decreased. Now if we can just get some of the extra weight off of him. Wyatt has made a full recovery as well. And, he's a much happier dog. I guess that's what happens when you get your ass handed to you....sort of an attitude adjustment. He's also been taking Rimadyl for his hip dysplasia and that has also made a difference. I'm glad he's okay and I'm really glad his hips aren't causing him any more pain!
The next time my number is called for 1st Place Beans, I'm not going to claim it. Every time I win beans, I don't do shit in chili!! I just need three more points. I couldn't BUY a point last weekend....LOL!! Dr. Ray is back on the chili trail and he placed in both CASI and Elks at the Irving Elks Lodge last weekend. Hell Yeah!
I'm going to get back to work....joy.
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy...fa la la la la.....
Kelly
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Just Thinkin......
I've had several random thoughts today. Here are some of the ones I can actually share.....
I think that I need to put some new pictures up on my blog. I've got some real gems of my child that I should share.
Fred is responding well to his chemo for Cushings Disease. His water consumption has decreased and that's a really good sign. He was drinking about five gallons a day and that has gone down quite a bit. Hopefully he's getting better. Poor Black Dog Fred.
I prefer to look at Christmas lights in my warm car, with my seat warmers on and a cooler in the back seat for cocktails. I'll pass on the horse drawn carriage rides where you look at lights and freeze your ass off!!!
If you are ever 15 miles from empty, and the voice in your head tells you to stop and get gas, listen to it. Otherwise, you end up in your bank while it's being robbed! Glad I stopped and got gas! I had just pulled up to the bank when it was all over. Damnit!!
Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce is delicious!
Okay, I'm going to piss some people off now. I think that if you drive a Lexus, Cadillac, or some other high dollar vehicle and you are a doctor, lawyer, or dentist and you live in one of the high end neighborhoods in Ellis Co., AND you send your child to a private Catholic school, then you should have your ass BEAT for whining about what you've been asked to purchase for a family in need. I cannot believe some people and if I wasn't worried about assault charges, I think I'd knock the shit out of some of them. I know that everyone is watching their money and things aren't great. But if you are fortunate enough to be in the group of people who don't have to worry, like the people mentioned above, then you are just a cheap asshole. I wish that I had more to give and I could help out more to make up for all of the other people who can and won't. Gary and I have struggled for most of our marriage and just over the past few years have we been able to take a deep breath a relax a little when it comes to money. Hell yeah I know how expensive it is to pay the mortgage, raise kids, buy groceries, and all of the other things that we like to do. It's not like these people are asking for weekend spa getaways. They are just asking for the basics to help make their lives a little better and for their kiddos to have a Christmas. That kind of shit just goes all over me.
Just because I hate Christmas music in November does not mean I hate Christmas :)
I'm going to go snuggle with my Peapod. I can't believe how big she's getting.....she'll be 7 years old on Friday. Time flies.....
Have a great evening. I'm going to finish my wine and relax by the fire.
Keep it real folks, no matter what tax bracket you're in,
Kelly
I think that I need to put some new pictures up on my blog. I've got some real gems of my child that I should share.
Fred is responding well to his chemo for Cushings Disease. His water consumption has decreased and that's a really good sign. He was drinking about five gallons a day and that has gone down quite a bit. Hopefully he's getting better. Poor Black Dog Fred.
I prefer to look at Christmas lights in my warm car, with my seat warmers on and a cooler in the back seat for cocktails. I'll pass on the horse drawn carriage rides where you look at lights and freeze your ass off!!!
If you are ever 15 miles from empty, and the voice in your head tells you to stop and get gas, listen to it. Otherwise, you end up in your bank while it's being robbed! Glad I stopped and got gas! I had just pulled up to the bank when it was all over. Damnit!!
Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce is delicious!
Okay, I'm going to piss some people off now. I think that if you drive a Lexus, Cadillac, or some other high dollar vehicle and you are a doctor, lawyer, or dentist and you live in one of the high end neighborhoods in Ellis Co., AND you send your child to a private Catholic school, then you should have your ass BEAT for whining about what you've been asked to purchase for a family in need. I cannot believe some people and if I wasn't worried about assault charges, I think I'd knock the shit out of some of them. I know that everyone is watching their money and things aren't great. But if you are fortunate enough to be in the group of people who don't have to worry, like the people mentioned above, then you are just a cheap asshole. I wish that I had more to give and I could help out more to make up for all of the other people who can and won't. Gary and I have struggled for most of our marriage and just over the past few years have we been able to take a deep breath a relax a little when it comes to money. Hell yeah I know how expensive it is to pay the mortgage, raise kids, buy groceries, and all of the other things that we like to do. It's not like these people are asking for weekend spa getaways. They are just asking for the basics to help make their lives a little better and for their kiddos to have a Christmas. That kind of shit just goes all over me.
Just because I hate Christmas music in November does not mean I hate Christmas :)
I'm going to go snuggle with my Peapod. I can't believe how big she's getting.....she'll be 7 years old on Friday. Time flies.....
Have a great evening. I'm going to finish my wine and relax by the fire.
Keep it real folks, no matter what tax bracket you're in,
Kelly
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Seared Ahi Tuna Mild Bills Style, Conversations with Paige, Being Told What You Did Whilst Drinking....
I've got a full blog posting for this evening!! Let's start off with some very quick, very delicious seared tuna steaks!!
Cadillac Cowgirl Seared Ahi Tuna
2 Ahi Tuna Steaks
1/2 Jar of Mild Bills Habanero Peach Preserves
Salt and Pepper
Puree the Habanero Peach Preserves and brush over the tuna steaks; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Sear in a non stick skillet over high heat 3 minutes per side for medium rare, or 4-5 minutes per side for medium to well. I personally recommend only searing them long enough so that they are still rare on the inside.
The Peach Preserves give the tuna a perfect blend of sweet and spicy - it's sooo good! Pair with Jasmine rice and a salad (or green beans) and you've got a dinner ready in less than 15 minutes. AND it's healthy!!
We went to Marsalas for dinner last night. Paige and I sat on one side of the booth, Gary on the other. Okay, let's set the scene: dark Italian restaurant, Italian music is playing in the background. Paige, with a piece of bread in her hand, leans over the table towards Gary....you have to visualize Marlon Brando and The Godfather music playing in the background. This shit was so funny:
Paige: How did the Champ do Saturday?
Gary: You mean Tom?
Mommy: He got 9th.
Paige: How did my buddy do?
Mommy: You mean Sam?
Paige: Yeah. Sam.
Mommy: He won
Paige: He got first?
Mommy: Yes
Paige: What about the Ticklemonster (that's Babs)
Mommy: She got 7th or 8th. Why?
Paige: That's all she got? She needs to step it up at these cook offs. Maybe I should have been down there telling her how to cook chili instead of playing in the bouncy house.
Yes!!! That really came out of my child's mouth!!! I love it. You can't make this shit up!!
Speaking of chili....God, it's been so long since I just went slap the hell off on CASI or anything associated with it....LOL!!! I guess the only thing I have to gripe about concerns a committee I'm on. All of the members have sent in their input, yet nothing from the directors. What do you do? I don't know if I necessarily agree with letting the membership make these decisions. What I see, and yes I'm appreciative of the opportunity - don't get me wrong, is more rules, more b.s. and more of the same! I don't see anything being decided when the leadership isn't responding and when the decision to act on our suggestions is up to the BOD. Why not just put a policy in place and be done with it? Like I said, I appreciate the opportunity to make suggestions. I just fail to see how many of our suggestions will make a difference. I also don't see how sending the TICC winner to sponsor cook offs and established cook offs will utilize the winner in the most positive way. We need to be sending our winner to places where CASI is struggling!!! And honestly, this should be more of CASI's burden than the Pods. CASI has a better ability to generate income and sponsorship dollars in order to send the winner to various cook offs. I don't know about everyone else's Pod, but I'm guessing none of them are rolling in cash. As usual, this is just my opinion and is not meant to bash anyone :)
I also find myself giggling at some of the rule book information being posted lately. I don't quite understand why nothing has been posted about contacting regional referees before putting on a cook off....or to come referee your cook off. But hey - what do I know?
If you are running a cook off and you tell people who have mistakenly signed up for CASI instead of Novice "that's too bad", and give them a hard time about switching, then you are a putz. Thankfully, there are always people around to set things straight.
Additionally, when it comes to judging, if you cannot have beer on the judging tables, then you provide WATER ONLY. Not soda, not tea, but WATER. Water and beer should be the ONLY beverages allowed on the judging table. Jesus people.
Speaking of Jesus, if you are an atheist, then you don't get to tell me what you want for Christmas. Are you f*cking serious? I don't care if you don't believe in God. That's your problem. But, you aren't going to bitch about God and Religion and Christmas, and then expect to get a gift on Baby Jesus' birthday. That's just ludicrous...and demented...and ignorant.
Enough of my ranting.
OMG - The Green Room reopened. HELL YEAH!!! The Green Room used to be one of the best restaurants in Dallas until unpaid taxes, rent and shitty ownership shut it down. It's on Elm Street in Deep Ellum and they feature something called "Feed Me/Wine Me", which is exactly what it sounds like! They pick the food and pair wine with each course. Sooo.....last week I happened to pick up a copy of D Magazine. I didn't get around to reading for a few days and when I did, I flipped the magazine open to the page about The Green Room. I read it once. I read it twice. And then I screamed at Gary!!!! We had dinner there Saturday night and it was as amazing as I remembered it to be. I had tuna tartare, a field green salad with goat cheese, apples and raspberry vinaigrette, roasted Carolina Trout with garlic couscous and pumpkin cheesecake. Gary had steamed mussels with Serrano ham, a wilted spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette, lamb chops over sweet potato gratin and a root beer creme brulee. The wine pairings for each course were amazing - lots of Spanish and Argentinian Reds and two Conundrum Whites. Soooo delicious!
What do we do afterwards? Well, first we walk down to Elm Street Tattoo so that I can see my ink man extraordinaire, Chris. He and I talked and I told him to expect my call....I'm ready for some more ink. After that, we went to July Alley - a bar that's been down there forever. I have NEVER walked out of that bar anywhere near sober and I didn't disappoint Saturday night. That is the coolest bar...great drinks, killer music and on Saturday night - IRISHMEN. FULL BLOODED FROM ACROSS THE POND I'M GOING TO JUMP ON YOU IRISHMEN!!! And a few from England. OH. MY. GOD. I couldn't believe it! Those accents....the piercings and Mohawks!!!!! Anyways...I don't think I made too big of an ass of myself in front of them. I saved that for Cafe Brazil...where I passed out waiting for Gary. I could have gotten a PI...or been robbed or raped. I remember NOTHING about coming home. Oh well. Every now and then you have to tie one on. My blessing (and curse) is that I don't get hangovers. I have yet to drink so much that I'm actually discouraged from doing it again because I feel so bad. Give me two Midol and a Vitamin Water before I go to bed and I'm fresh as a daisy the next morning. Maybe I shouldn't be bragging about this particular talent........
We took P to Dinosaur World in Glen Rose on Sunday. So much fun!!! I got some really great pictures that I need to post. Afterwards, we went to Babe's Chicken in Burleson and it is in a really cool building! It was like something from Middle Earth.
And yes, I'm still on Jenny Craig and still losing weight and inches. I guess with all this talk about food one might wonder. And I've started Zumba....not too sure about that yet!
Have a fantastic evening. Stay warm.....
Spreading my own special brand of joy and kindness in all that I do!!!
Kelly
Cadillac Cowgirl Seared Ahi Tuna
2 Ahi Tuna Steaks
1/2 Jar of Mild Bills Habanero Peach Preserves
Salt and Pepper
Puree the Habanero Peach Preserves and brush over the tuna steaks; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Sear in a non stick skillet over high heat 3 minutes per side for medium rare, or 4-5 minutes per side for medium to well. I personally recommend only searing them long enough so that they are still rare on the inside.
The Peach Preserves give the tuna a perfect blend of sweet and spicy - it's sooo good! Pair with Jasmine rice and a salad (or green beans) and you've got a dinner ready in less than 15 minutes. AND it's healthy!!
We went to Marsalas for dinner last night. Paige and I sat on one side of the booth, Gary on the other. Okay, let's set the scene: dark Italian restaurant, Italian music is playing in the background. Paige, with a piece of bread in her hand, leans over the table towards Gary....you have to visualize Marlon Brando and The Godfather music playing in the background. This shit was so funny:
Paige: How did the Champ do Saturday?
Gary: You mean Tom?
Mommy: He got 9th.
Paige: How did my buddy do?
Mommy: You mean Sam?
Paige: Yeah. Sam.
Mommy: He won
Paige: He got first?
Mommy: Yes
Paige: What about the Ticklemonster (that's Babs)
Mommy: She got 7th or 8th. Why?
Paige: That's all she got? She needs to step it up at these cook offs. Maybe I should have been down there telling her how to cook chili instead of playing in the bouncy house.
Yes!!! That really came out of my child's mouth!!! I love it. You can't make this shit up!!
Speaking of chili....God, it's been so long since I just went slap the hell off on CASI or anything associated with it....LOL!!! I guess the only thing I have to gripe about concerns a committee I'm on. All of the members have sent in their input, yet nothing from the directors. What do you do? I don't know if I necessarily agree with letting the membership make these decisions. What I see, and yes I'm appreciative of the opportunity - don't get me wrong, is more rules, more b.s. and more of the same! I don't see anything being decided when the leadership isn't responding and when the decision to act on our suggestions is up to the BOD. Why not just put a policy in place and be done with it? Like I said, I appreciate the opportunity to make suggestions. I just fail to see how many of our suggestions will make a difference. I also don't see how sending the TICC winner to sponsor cook offs and established cook offs will utilize the winner in the most positive way. We need to be sending our winner to places where CASI is struggling!!! And honestly, this should be more of CASI's burden than the Pods. CASI has a better ability to generate income and sponsorship dollars in order to send the winner to various cook offs. I don't know about everyone else's Pod, but I'm guessing none of them are rolling in cash. As usual, this is just my opinion and is not meant to bash anyone :)
I also find myself giggling at some of the rule book information being posted lately. I don't quite understand why nothing has been posted about contacting regional referees before putting on a cook off....or to come referee your cook off. But hey - what do I know?
If you are running a cook off and you tell people who have mistakenly signed up for CASI instead of Novice "that's too bad", and give them a hard time about switching, then you are a putz. Thankfully, there are always people around to set things straight.
Additionally, when it comes to judging, if you cannot have beer on the judging tables, then you provide WATER ONLY. Not soda, not tea, but WATER. Water and beer should be the ONLY beverages allowed on the judging table. Jesus people.
Speaking of Jesus, if you are an atheist, then you don't get to tell me what you want for Christmas. Are you f*cking serious? I don't care if you don't believe in God. That's your problem. But, you aren't going to bitch about God and Religion and Christmas, and then expect to get a gift on Baby Jesus' birthday. That's just ludicrous...and demented...and ignorant.
Enough of my ranting.
OMG - The Green Room reopened. HELL YEAH!!! The Green Room used to be one of the best restaurants in Dallas until unpaid taxes, rent and shitty ownership shut it down. It's on Elm Street in Deep Ellum and they feature something called "Feed Me/Wine Me", which is exactly what it sounds like! They pick the food and pair wine with each course. Sooo.....last week I happened to pick up a copy of D Magazine. I didn't get around to reading for a few days and when I did, I flipped the magazine open to the page about The Green Room. I read it once. I read it twice. And then I screamed at Gary!!!! We had dinner there Saturday night and it was as amazing as I remembered it to be. I had tuna tartare, a field green salad with goat cheese, apples and raspberry vinaigrette, roasted Carolina Trout with garlic couscous and pumpkin cheesecake. Gary had steamed mussels with Serrano ham, a wilted spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette, lamb chops over sweet potato gratin and a root beer creme brulee. The wine pairings for each course were amazing - lots of Spanish and Argentinian Reds and two Conundrum Whites. Soooo delicious!
What do we do afterwards? Well, first we walk down to Elm Street Tattoo so that I can see my ink man extraordinaire, Chris. He and I talked and I told him to expect my call....I'm ready for some more ink. After that, we went to July Alley - a bar that's been down there forever. I have NEVER walked out of that bar anywhere near sober and I didn't disappoint Saturday night. That is the coolest bar...great drinks, killer music and on Saturday night - IRISHMEN. FULL BLOODED FROM ACROSS THE POND I'M GOING TO JUMP ON YOU IRISHMEN!!! And a few from England. OH. MY. GOD. I couldn't believe it! Those accents....the piercings and Mohawks!!!!! Anyways...I don't think I made too big of an ass of myself in front of them. I saved that for Cafe Brazil...where I passed out waiting for Gary. I could have gotten a PI...or been robbed or raped. I remember NOTHING about coming home. Oh well. Every now and then you have to tie one on. My blessing (and curse) is that I don't get hangovers. I have yet to drink so much that I'm actually discouraged from doing it again because I feel so bad. Give me two Midol and a Vitamin Water before I go to bed and I'm fresh as a daisy the next morning. Maybe I shouldn't be bragging about this particular talent........
We took P to Dinosaur World in Glen Rose on Sunday. So much fun!!! I got some really great pictures that I need to post. Afterwards, we went to Babe's Chicken in Burleson and it is in a really cool building! It was like something from Middle Earth.
And yes, I'm still on Jenny Craig and still losing weight and inches. I guess with all this talk about food one might wonder. And I've started Zumba....not too sure about that yet!
Have a fantastic evening. Stay warm.....
Spreading my own special brand of joy and kindness in all that I do!!!
Kelly
Tuesday Greetings
Good Morning...here is a quick post from Ron Barnes:
Our Annual TOT/Cowtown Christmas Party is coming this Friday night. We will have great food (the Irving Elks Lodge is providing the meats; please bring a side dish) and some kickin' entertainment! Also, bring your canned/boxed food items for the food bank and receive raffle tickets in return. What a deal! Then stick around for our two-day cookoff at the Lodge. Hope to see everyone there!
Ron Barnes
I'll be back later....
Kelly
Our Annual TOT/Cowtown Christmas Party is coming this Friday night. We will have great food (the Irving Elks Lodge is providing the meats; please bring a side dish) and some kickin' entertainment! Also, bring your canned/boxed food items for the food bank and receive raffle tickets in return. What a deal! Then stick around for our two-day cookoff at the Lodge. Hope to see everyone there!
Ron Barnes
I'll be back later....
Kelly
Monday, December 6, 2010
Bad Blogger....
Yeah, yeah...I suck at this :) Last week was one awful nightmare after another and my zest for blogging took a huge beating! I'm surviving Monday and I hope to be back and better than ever (stealing a line from Mike Greenberg) tomorrow.
I hope everyone had a great weekend, stole some chili points, and recharged their batteries. I can't wait to share my conversation with Paige...man, she's ruthless when it comes to people not stepping it up at a cook off!
I'm going to relax with MNF, my book and a glass of wine. Paige and Gilbert Charlie Robison are watching cartoons, Waylon and Eddie are acting like crackheads and Black Dog Fred has started his chemo. Just another day at the Brignon compound. And I still don't understand why Gary wouldn't buy me and P a 6 week old mini dachshund yesterday. They were selling them at Tractor Supply....females...PRECIOUS. Oh well...such is life.
I really, really need this week to be better than last week - and the one before that. I don't want to have a sucky December. I'm looking forward to the Elks Lodge CCO this weekend, Pappas, Maggiano's and the NOW Pod Christmas party the following week and then Christmas. December is always a really special time of year for us...this is when we were blessed with our Miracle Baby. Seven years ago, I was in the hospital trying not to go into labor :) This is the week that I think about my precious Paige born 10 weeks early, with brain bleeds, underdeveloped lungs and a hole in her heart. My sweet little 3 lb peapod who looked like something out of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome when they would put the billirubin goggles on her when she was under the lights. And to think, that fragile little person turned into the Paige we all know and love. Isn't life wonderful??
Good night all....I'll be back tomorrow.....
Keep it real, folks
Kelly
I hope everyone had a great weekend, stole some chili points, and recharged their batteries. I can't wait to share my conversation with Paige...man, she's ruthless when it comes to people not stepping it up at a cook off!
I'm going to relax with MNF, my book and a glass of wine. Paige and Gilbert Charlie Robison are watching cartoons, Waylon and Eddie are acting like crackheads and Black Dog Fred has started his chemo. Just another day at the Brignon compound. And I still don't understand why Gary wouldn't buy me and P a 6 week old mini dachshund yesterday. They were selling them at Tractor Supply....females...PRECIOUS. Oh well...such is life.
I really, really need this week to be better than last week - and the one before that. I don't want to have a sucky December. I'm looking forward to the Elks Lodge CCO this weekend, Pappas, Maggiano's and the NOW Pod Christmas party the following week and then Christmas. December is always a really special time of year for us...this is when we were blessed with our Miracle Baby. Seven years ago, I was in the hospital trying not to go into labor :) This is the week that I think about my precious Paige born 10 weeks early, with brain bleeds, underdeveloped lungs and a hole in her heart. My sweet little 3 lb peapod who looked like something out of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome when they would put the billirubin goggles on her when she was under the lights. And to think, that fragile little person turned into the Paige we all know and love. Isn't life wonderful??
Good night all....I'll be back tomorrow.....
Keep it real, folks
Kelly
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Greetings Earthlings :o)
Slowly but surely, this day is getting better. I can only hope that this week continues on the same positive trend. Thank God Gary and I took advantage of the special pricing on the case of wine at TICC. We bought two and I believe I'm halfway through the case of Pinot Noir. I had a bottle Thanksgiving and it went really well with the turkey.
The holidays are coming faster and faster the older I get. I've decided on my gifts for the adult females in my life and for most of the men, it will be the same ol' Visa gift card. Those are actually the best bets because they can use them at any Harley Davidson and most of them like to buy Harley stuff. Priorities.....
Paige and Zoe decorated the Christmas tree Sunday night and they did a damn good job! Gary and I put a few things on it last night but for the most part, the girls did all of it. Waylon, my crackhead dog, was up at 3:45 am and was pulling ornaments off of the tree. He had a collection of them in his bed this morning. He's such a shit. I think he talks Eddie into behaving badly :)
I thought we had our Christmas menu planned, but then I saw a recipe for a pancetta wrapped beef tenderloin and I went a little crazy. We thought about doing a pork loin and a few pasta dishes. Quick, easy, affordable! I guess we could still do Italian with the pancetta wrapped beef tenderloin. When it comes to meat, I can make anything work. That sounded nasty.
Work has been super stressful, and when it is, I think about going to Pappas, sitting at the bar and eating dinner while drinking heavily. I can do that at a table, but in my fantasy, I sit at the bar so I'm close to the booze, too. Maybe Gary and I can sneak away one night this weekend and have a nice dinner....that would be great! Hell, we don't even have to go to Pappas...we could go to Sambuca! That's one of my favorite date places. Not so great for the healthy eating...but good for my mental health, no doubt!
Paige has the Scholastic Book Fair this week and one of her choices, swear to God, is "My World Justin Beiber". WHAT IN THE HELL??? What is this? Why? She was singing one of his songs Saturday and I damn near vomited in my mouth. I guess until Hank III comes out with an autobiography, this is going to be what she reads. And it's important that she reads....still...Justin freakin Bieber? She actually calls him Justin Veever....LMAO!
Have a great evening...stay warm!!
Kelly
The holidays are coming faster and faster the older I get. I've decided on my gifts for the adult females in my life and for most of the men, it will be the same ol' Visa gift card. Those are actually the best bets because they can use them at any Harley Davidson and most of them like to buy Harley stuff. Priorities.....
Paige and Zoe decorated the Christmas tree Sunday night and they did a damn good job! Gary and I put a few things on it last night but for the most part, the girls did all of it. Waylon, my crackhead dog, was up at 3:45 am and was pulling ornaments off of the tree. He had a collection of them in his bed this morning. He's such a shit. I think he talks Eddie into behaving badly :)
I thought we had our Christmas menu planned, but then I saw a recipe for a pancetta wrapped beef tenderloin and I went a little crazy. We thought about doing a pork loin and a few pasta dishes. Quick, easy, affordable! I guess we could still do Italian with the pancetta wrapped beef tenderloin. When it comes to meat, I can make anything work. That sounded nasty.
Work has been super stressful, and when it is, I think about going to Pappas, sitting at the bar and eating dinner while drinking heavily. I can do that at a table, but in my fantasy, I sit at the bar so I'm close to the booze, too. Maybe Gary and I can sneak away one night this weekend and have a nice dinner....that would be great! Hell, we don't even have to go to Pappas...we could go to Sambuca! That's one of my favorite date places. Not so great for the healthy eating...but good for my mental health, no doubt!
Paige has the Scholastic Book Fair this week and one of her choices, swear to God, is "My World Justin Beiber". WHAT IN THE HELL??? What is this? Why? She was singing one of his songs Saturday and I damn near vomited in my mouth. I guess until Hank III comes out with an autobiography, this is going to be what she reads. And it's important that she reads....still...Justin freakin Bieber? She actually calls him Justin Veever....LMAO!
Have a great evening...stay warm!!
Kelly
Monday, November 29, 2010
I Was In Such a Thankful Mood...Until Monday Showed Up.....
Good Evening. I hate Mondays. HATE, HATE, HATE Mondays. Mondays are for liars, idiots, jackasses and morons. I don't think I could even make up some of the shit that transpires every Monday. And because it's so chockful of complete chaos and bullshit, it tends to spill over into Tuesday. UGH!!!!! I could turn this entire blog posting into a Monday diatribe, but then I would be giving this shitastrophe day more attention than it deserves. I feel a little better after bitching.
How was everybody's Thanksgiving? Ours was really wonderful. It rained that morning, but it cleared out by the time we ate around 2 pm. Lunch was scheduled for noon, but the Tadlock/Bowden in me took over and insisted that we not eat for another two hours. We also had the annual viewing of Talladega Nights, which made me VERY happy, as well as my other holiday fave, The Family Stone. There was so much food in this house - it was criminal. My MIL brought her kick ass cornbread dressing. Put a little giblet gravy over the top, add some of my mom's bourbon cranberry relish and I am in my happy place! My mom also made a flourless chocolate cake that rivals Pappas'. OMG - it was AMAZING!!! We had a good time and there were plenty of leftovers for when we all woke up from our Turkey Comas!
The Spicy Deviled Eggs came out better than I expected, as did the Jalapeno Sausage Dressing. I ended up using the jalapeno sausage instead of chorizo because I was concerned with the amount of grease. I was happy with the results. Here are the recipes for the Deviled Eggs and Dressing as well as my Sweet Potatoes:
Cadillac Cowgirl Spicy Deviled Eggs
10 large Eggs
5 T Mayo
1 T Stone Ground Mustard
2 T Mild Bills Jalapeno Relish
1/8 tsp Salt
Boil the eggs; peel, slice and place yolks in a medium size bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add a tablespoon of the mixture to each egg. Chill until ready to serve.
Cadillac Cowgirl Jalapeno Sausage Dressing
10 slices of white bread, cubed and toasted
1 6 oz box cornbread stuffing mix
1 large red or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
5 jalapeno sausages, chopped into bite size pieces
6 T butter
2 Cups chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; combine the cubed and toasted white bread and cornbread mix in a 13x9 pan and set aside. In a large pan, brown the jalapeno sausage; remove from pan. Without wiping out the pan, add the butter and let it melt. Add the chopped bell pepper, onion and jalapenos. Saute over medium low heat until tender. Pour the veggies from the pan into the cornbread/white bread mix. Add the sausage to the pan as well and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock to the mixture a 1/2 cup at a time until all of the cornbread and white bread have absorbed it, but not so much that it's mushy. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Check for doneness and for the chicken stock to be absorbed. If needed, add a little more stock and bake uncovered for 30 more minutes or until done. You don't want the dressing to be overly dry and crumbly, but you don't want it to be a pile of mush, either. Add a little broth at a time so that you can control the consistency and cook the dressing, sausage and veggies long enough for the flavors to blend and the stock to be absorbed into the bread mixture. Serve with turkey and gravy...and a little bit of cranberry sauce!!
Cadillac Cowgirl Sweet Potatoes
4 or 5 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup cream
2 capfuls of Jack Daniels
1 8 oz can pineapple bits
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups candied pecans (such as Emerald brand)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the potatoes until tender and allow them to cool. Slice them and scoop out the insides; place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream, Jack Daniels, pineapple, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using a hand mixer, beat until...oh my God...my child just came and asked me when she can grow her boobs. WTH???. Okay, back to the sweet potatoes - beat until smooth and transfer them to a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the pecans over the top...maybe a few pats of butter if you feel like it....cover and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!
How about some chili results from the HEB Mexia CCO yesterday?!?!?! There were 29 cooks and a good time was had by all!
1. Tom "Champ" Dozier - Irving
2. Kelly Brignon - Ennis
3. Randy Duke - Valley Mills
4. Donna Conrad - Crawford
5. Kenny Short - Burleson
6. Gary Brignon - Ennis
7. Dianne Stimpson - Crawford
8. Jim Trietsch - Waco
9. Robin Short - Burleson
10. Jennifer Collier - Temple
Show:
1. Snake Farm Chili
2. Texas Chili Chicks
3. Tasmanian Devil
We had a great group of cooks and everyone pitched in to help out...especially when Rosa thought she lost her dog! (False Alarm!!) The weather was nice and we all had fun razzing Tom and his big pepper...LOL!!
I just received a survey via email about Sisters on the Fly...an all women organization I belong to. The sender wants our feedback regarding our opinion of SOTF...this should be fun....considering I think of most of them as BOTF's. Certainly not the sender - I don't know her :)
I made homemade biscuits last night and you know what? They're really good with butter and Mild Bills Jalapeno Jelly or the Peach Preserves!!! Try it! Gary suggested putting one of them on a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Hell Yeah!
We are taking Paige to Glen Rose for her birthday. She loves dinosaurs, so we're taking her to the dinosaur state park to hike the trails, look for fossils and see the dinosaur tracks. Gary and I think she'll love it. We hope so!
I'm still on Jenny Craig and I've lost weight and inches! I've only found one thing I'm not too crazy about food wise, too. I also started going to Zumba and I'm not so sure about it. I'm more of a yoga person....and a running in complete solitude type person. There's that need for autonomy...just dying to get out :)
Gary and I have had a lot of people ask us questions about Mild Bills and I hope we've been able to address any concerns and answer everyone's questions. I just want to reiterate a few things, though. First of all, nothing has changed. All of the orders placed via the website, phone, or email all still go through Tamara and are shipped from Tamara in Bulverde. In September 2011, everything will move to either Ennis, where we will have a building, or to our office in Irving and at that time the email address and phone numbers will change. A plus for North Texas cooks - you'll now be able to pick up your orders or get them from me at cook offs! If you are down South, we hope to work out a system to continue to offer spices at some of the cook offs. If we can't work that out, then shipping will have to be paid. I know that kind of sucks...but I hope to also incorporate FedEx and UPS into the shipping options. But, we will have to see.
We will not change the name and we have let Bill and Tamara know we do not want to change the name. We may freshen up the logo, or incorporate a few new things into advertising, but the name will stay the same.
The products will not change. I hope to add more products, more widespread availability and a revamped website. These are things that I don't plan to address at first as I will be immersing myself in all the day to day business of Mild Bills. I want to make sure I know all of the ins and outs, advantages and disadvantages, revenue suckers and revenue makers before I get crazy and change anything. That is my personal business philosophy no matter what industry I'm in.
Lastly, and most importantly, the service will not change. Over the past month, I've heard so many wonderful things about Bill and Tamara and all of the people I talked to mentioned the service and products from Tamara. I would not be doing this if I didn't plan to offer the same great products and personal service that Tamara has been giving the customers since she and Bill started Mild Bills. If people have questions, I want to be able to answer them and help them out. If someone is having trouble with their chili, I want to be given the chance to offer suggestions and advice. I want to take care of the chili cooks and customers the same way Tamara has and I don't want anyone to worry that any of the confidentiality would change, either. I have always, always helped anyone who asked for it and I don't share secrets. You have to be willing to help and willing to keep information to yourself if you're going to be in this business and those are two things I know that I can do. I'm so excited and so proud to begin this venture. I hope that not only will all of Mild Bill's current customers keep buying their products from me and Gary...I hope to earn new customers!
So, please....if you have any questions or concerns, ask me and Gary, or Bill and Tamara. I know there is probably a lot of information floating around out there, but to be sure that the correct answers are given, please ask us!
I'm counting down the hours until Tuesday. Until then, I'm going to have a cocktail and call it a day.
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do.....
Kelly
How was everybody's Thanksgiving? Ours was really wonderful. It rained that morning, but it cleared out by the time we ate around 2 pm. Lunch was scheduled for noon, but the Tadlock/Bowden in me took over and insisted that we not eat for another two hours. We also had the annual viewing of Talladega Nights, which made me VERY happy, as well as my other holiday fave, The Family Stone. There was so much food in this house - it was criminal. My MIL brought her kick ass cornbread dressing. Put a little giblet gravy over the top, add some of my mom's bourbon cranberry relish and I am in my happy place! My mom also made a flourless chocolate cake that rivals Pappas'. OMG - it was AMAZING!!! We had a good time and there were plenty of leftovers for when we all woke up from our Turkey Comas!
The Spicy Deviled Eggs came out better than I expected, as did the Jalapeno Sausage Dressing. I ended up using the jalapeno sausage instead of chorizo because I was concerned with the amount of grease. I was happy with the results. Here are the recipes for the Deviled Eggs and Dressing as well as my Sweet Potatoes:
Cadillac Cowgirl Spicy Deviled Eggs
10 large Eggs
5 T Mayo
1 T Stone Ground Mustard
2 T Mild Bills Jalapeno Relish
1/8 tsp Salt
Boil the eggs; peel, slice and place yolks in a medium size bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add a tablespoon of the mixture to each egg. Chill until ready to serve.
Cadillac Cowgirl Jalapeno Sausage Dressing
10 slices of white bread, cubed and toasted
1 6 oz box cornbread stuffing mix
1 large red or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
5 jalapeno sausages, chopped into bite size pieces
6 T butter
2 Cups chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; combine the cubed and toasted white bread and cornbread mix in a 13x9 pan and set aside. In a large pan, brown the jalapeno sausage; remove from pan. Without wiping out the pan, add the butter and let it melt. Add the chopped bell pepper, onion and jalapenos. Saute over medium low heat until tender. Pour the veggies from the pan into the cornbread/white bread mix. Add the sausage to the pan as well and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock to the mixture a 1/2 cup at a time until all of the cornbread and white bread have absorbed it, but not so much that it's mushy. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Check for doneness and for the chicken stock to be absorbed. If needed, add a little more stock and bake uncovered for 30 more minutes or until done. You don't want the dressing to be overly dry and crumbly, but you don't want it to be a pile of mush, either. Add a little broth at a time so that you can control the consistency and cook the dressing, sausage and veggies long enough for the flavors to blend and the stock to be absorbed into the bread mixture. Serve with turkey and gravy...and a little bit of cranberry sauce!!
Cadillac Cowgirl Sweet Potatoes
4 or 5 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup cream
2 capfuls of Jack Daniels
1 8 oz can pineapple bits
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups candied pecans (such as Emerald brand)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the potatoes until tender and allow them to cool. Slice them and scoop out the insides; place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream, Jack Daniels, pineapple, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using a hand mixer, beat until...oh my God...my child just came and asked me when she can grow her boobs. WTH???. Okay, back to the sweet potatoes - beat until smooth and transfer them to a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the pecans over the top...maybe a few pats of butter if you feel like it....cover and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!
How about some chili results from the HEB Mexia CCO yesterday?!?!?! There were 29 cooks and a good time was had by all!
1. Tom "Champ" Dozier - Irving
2. Kelly Brignon - Ennis
3. Randy Duke - Valley Mills
4. Donna Conrad - Crawford
5. Kenny Short - Burleson
6. Gary Brignon - Ennis
7. Dianne Stimpson - Crawford
8. Jim Trietsch - Waco
9. Robin Short - Burleson
10. Jennifer Collier - Temple
Show:
1. Snake Farm Chili
2. Texas Chili Chicks
3. Tasmanian Devil
We had a great group of cooks and everyone pitched in to help out...especially when Rosa thought she lost her dog! (False Alarm!!) The weather was nice and we all had fun razzing Tom and his big pepper...LOL!!
I just received a survey via email about Sisters on the Fly...an all women organization I belong to. The sender wants our feedback regarding our opinion of SOTF...this should be fun....considering I think of most of them as BOTF's. Certainly not the sender - I don't know her :)
I made homemade biscuits last night and you know what? They're really good with butter and Mild Bills Jalapeno Jelly or the Peach Preserves!!! Try it! Gary suggested putting one of them on a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Hell Yeah!
We are taking Paige to Glen Rose for her birthday. She loves dinosaurs, so we're taking her to the dinosaur state park to hike the trails, look for fossils and see the dinosaur tracks. Gary and I think she'll love it. We hope so!
I'm still on Jenny Craig and I've lost weight and inches! I've only found one thing I'm not too crazy about food wise, too. I also started going to Zumba and I'm not so sure about it. I'm more of a yoga person....and a running in complete solitude type person. There's that need for autonomy...just dying to get out :)
Gary and I have had a lot of people ask us questions about Mild Bills and I hope we've been able to address any concerns and answer everyone's questions. I just want to reiterate a few things, though. First of all, nothing has changed. All of the orders placed via the website, phone, or email all still go through Tamara and are shipped from Tamara in Bulverde. In September 2011, everything will move to either Ennis, where we will have a building, or to our office in Irving and at that time the email address and phone numbers will change. A plus for North Texas cooks - you'll now be able to pick up your orders or get them from me at cook offs! If you are down South, we hope to work out a system to continue to offer spices at some of the cook offs. If we can't work that out, then shipping will have to be paid. I know that kind of sucks...but I hope to also incorporate FedEx and UPS into the shipping options. But, we will have to see.
We will not change the name and we have let Bill and Tamara know we do not want to change the name. We may freshen up the logo, or incorporate a few new things into advertising, but the name will stay the same.
The products will not change. I hope to add more products, more widespread availability and a revamped website. These are things that I don't plan to address at first as I will be immersing myself in all the day to day business of Mild Bills. I want to make sure I know all of the ins and outs, advantages and disadvantages, revenue suckers and revenue makers before I get crazy and change anything. That is my personal business philosophy no matter what industry I'm in.
Lastly, and most importantly, the service will not change. Over the past month, I've heard so many wonderful things about Bill and Tamara and all of the people I talked to mentioned the service and products from Tamara. I would not be doing this if I didn't plan to offer the same great products and personal service that Tamara has been giving the customers since she and Bill started Mild Bills. If people have questions, I want to be able to answer them and help them out. If someone is having trouble with their chili, I want to be given the chance to offer suggestions and advice. I want to take care of the chili cooks and customers the same way Tamara has and I don't want anyone to worry that any of the confidentiality would change, either. I have always, always helped anyone who asked for it and I don't share secrets. You have to be willing to help and willing to keep information to yourself if you're going to be in this business and those are two things I know that I can do. I'm so excited and so proud to begin this venture. I hope that not only will all of Mild Bill's current customers keep buying their products from me and Gary...I hope to earn new customers!
So, please....if you have any questions or concerns, ask me and Gary, or Bill and Tamara. I know there is probably a lot of information floating around out there, but to be sure that the correct answers are given, please ask us!
I'm counting down the hours until Tuesday. Until then, I'm going to have a cocktail and call it a day.
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do.....
Kelly
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Ramblings, Part Deaux
Oh!!! The best thing about tomorrow??? The requisite family viewing of "Talladega Nights - The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". "Don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby." God, I love that movie. And Leslie Bibb is GENIUS in it...."Hey Driver, look at these." Okay...I'm getting carried away. Still, I shit you not, that is one of my favorite movies and I watch it EVERY Thanksgiving. I'm so friggin excited!!!
I've been cooking and I've entered Dressing Nirvana. I've created the most amazing dressing that I don't think I'll ever be able to top it. I didn't know it could be done. It's really that good.
Cold Front! Cold Front! Do you know what that means? All of Ellis Co. will be at the Ennis and Waxahachie Walmarts stocking up on water, firewood, frozen pizza and milk because, you know, we'll be trapped in our houses for days! Have you ever been near a Walmart prior to bad weather? You must go...it's a treat. The place is FRIGGIN packed and you can't find a parking spot. You also can't drive down Hwy 77 in Waxahachie because of the back up of cars overflowing onto the main street from the gas station. The shit is CRAZY! And everyone is in their parka and gloves....in 50 degree weather. Priceless. I'm chatty this evening....obnoxiously, Child like chatty :o) LMAO
My child, my poor, poor child. Her teeth suck. She's going to require 4 stainless steel caps on her back teeth and one of her front teeth is coming in without all of the enamel. She's looking at a possible root canal, too. A 6 year old with a root canal? I know, right? I may get a second opinion on that; but I'm on board with the caps and the sealing of the front tooth. Poor thing. I guess it could be a lot worse. Yes, dental work is painful and expensive - thank God for dental insurance. She's young and it will be more difficult for her because she's a kid and her attention span is 5 minutes max. Still, it could be a hell of a lot worse...she could really have serious problems from being a preemie, so I'm thankful that it's just teeth we're dealing with. Which by the way, can be replaced with falsies :) Can you imagine...she'd have teeth she could take out when she wanted to be a Super-Redneck!!! Always looking at the bright side!
Well, I wasn't going to cook this weekend, but Tom and I have been talking and we're concerned we might become bored by the weekend. Gary is up for a cook off, too. Problem is...not a lot of cook offs to choose from. Damnit.....
Check out my recipes below. I'm going to post the sweet potato casserole and dressing recipes Friday.
Cadillac Cowgirl Pea Salad
3 cans Le Sueur Baby Peas, drained
1 small Onion, chopped
2 T Dill Relish
4 Boiled Eggs, chopped (whites and yolks)
1/4-1/2 Cup Mayo, depending on the consistency you prefer
8 oz Velveeta, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all in a large bowl; adjust seasonings and mayo to taste. Cover and chill 2 hours to overnight.
Cadillac Cowgirl Mashed Potatoes
7 or 8 Medium-Large Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Milk
6 T Salted Sweet Cream Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large dutch oven or stock pot, boil the potatoes until tender; drain and return to pot. Keep on the stove burner while mixing the ingredients (this will help absorb any remaining liquid and keep the milk warm and melt the butter). To the potatoes, add the cream, milk and butter. Mash the potatoes until smooth and then stir with a spoon to combine. Add additional cream if needed for creamier potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.
You know how people always warn you not to touch your eyes after you've handled peppers? Well, you should listen to them. I didn't and now I'm blind in one eye. I think I'll just keep drinking wine until I'm blind in both eyes...then it won't matter :)
Have a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving! This is without a doubt my most favorite holiday, behind Halloween, and I plan to enjoy cooking for my family and making sure they are all well fed and happy. Our turkey and ham showed up this evening (Honey Baked Ham Company...if you haven't before, then you should) and is resting comfortably in the fridge. A big pot of beans and a Honey Baked Ham bone will be on the menu for Friday. Hell Yeah!
Tonight, I'm thankful that my snoring husband is asleep on the couch...and here's to hoping he stays there :)
Kelly
The Cadillac Cowgirl
I've been cooking and I've entered Dressing Nirvana. I've created the most amazing dressing that I don't think I'll ever be able to top it. I didn't know it could be done. It's really that good.
Cold Front! Cold Front! Do you know what that means? All of Ellis Co. will be at the Ennis and Waxahachie Walmarts stocking up on water, firewood, frozen pizza and milk because, you know, we'll be trapped in our houses for days! Have you ever been near a Walmart prior to bad weather? You must go...it's a treat. The place is FRIGGIN packed and you can't find a parking spot. You also can't drive down Hwy 77 in Waxahachie because of the back up of cars overflowing onto the main street from the gas station. The shit is CRAZY! And everyone is in their parka and gloves....in 50 degree weather. Priceless. I'm chatty this evening....obnoxiously, Child like chatty :o) LMAO
My child, my poor, poor child. Her teeth suck. She's going to require 4 stainless steel caps on her back teeth and one of her front teeth is coming in without all of the enamel. She's looking at a possible root canal, too. A 6 year old with a root canal? I know, right? I may get a second opinion on that; but I'm on board with the caps and the sealing of the front tooth. Poor thing. I guess it could be a lot worse. Yes, dental work is painful and expensive - thank God for dental insurance. She's young and it will be more difficult for her because she's a kid and her attention span is 5 minutes max. Still, it could be a hell of a lot worse...she could really have serious problems from being a preemie, so I'm thankful that it's just teeth we're dealing with. Which by the way, can be replaced with falsies :) Can you imagine...she'd have teeth she could take out when she wanted to be a Super-Redneck!!! Always looking at the bright side!
Well, I wasn't going to cook this weekend, but Tom and I have been talking and we're concerned we might become bored by the weekend. Gary is up for a cook off, too. Problem is...not a lot of cook offs to choose from. Damnit.....
Check out my recipes below. I'm going to post the sweet potato casserole and dressing recipes Friday.
Cadillac Cowgirl Pea Salad
3 cans Le Sueur Baby Peas, drained
1 small Onion, chopped
2 T Dill Relish
4 Boiled Eggs, chopped (whites and yolks)
1/4-1/2 Cup Mayo, depending on the consistency you prefer
8 oz Velveeta, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all in a large bowl; adjust seasonings and mayo to taste. Cover and chill 2 hours to overnight.
Cadillac Cowgirl Mashed Potatoes
7 or 8 Medium-Large Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Milk
6 T Salted Sweet Cream Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large dutch oven or stock pot, boil the potatoes until tender; drain and return to pot. Keep on the stove burner while mixing the ingredients (this will help absorb any remaining liquid and keep the milk warm and melt the butter). To the potatoes, add the cream, milk and butter. Mash the potatoes until smooth and then stir with a spoon to combine. Add additional cream if needed for creamier potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.
You know how people always warn you not to touch your eyes after you've handled peppers? Well, you should listen to them. I didn't and now I'm blind in one eye. I think I'll just keep drinking wine until I'm blind in both eyes...then it won't matter :)
Have a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving! This is without a doubt my most favorite holiday, behind Halloween, and I plan to enjoy cooking for my family and making sure they are all well fed and happy. Our turkey and ham showed up this evening (Honey Baked Ham Company...if you haven't before, then you should) and is resting comfortably in the fridge. A big pot of beans and a Honey Baked Ham bone will be on the menu for Friday. Hell Yeah!
Tonight, I'm thankful that my snoring husband is asleep on the couch...and here's to hoping he stays there :)
Kelly
The Cadillac Cowgirl
Ramblings....
I guess this is what you would call Thanksgiving Eve! I'm getting into gear; boiled 30 eggs last night! I'm going to make my peas, mashed potatoes, dressing and sweet potatoes tonight so I'm not all over the place tomorrow. Our turkey and ham will be delivered today, so those just have to go into the oven to warm. I'll have to put my rolls out early so that they rise and I think that's it. I love Thanksgiving and tomorrow is going to be great. I'm also excited that it's going to be cold - I can have a fire in my fireplace while I'm cooking...hell yeah!
Paige has a dentist appointment today. Her permanent teeth are coming in sans enamel and she's very prone to cavities. When she was born (10 weeks early) her body stopped producing enamel. If that is the only lingering effect her premature birth has had on her, then I would say we are pretty damn lucky! Fortunately she likes going to the dentist, so it's a pretty easy trip each time. She's seeing a different dentist today, one that specializes in pediatric issues.
If you are buying a vehicle from me in the form of payroll deductions, not only do you not let the insurance lapse, you do not, under ANY circumstances, allow some gun toting punk to drive it. When I have to interrupt my day to obtain insurance and bail my Navigator out of the DPD auto pound at $300 a pop, I tend to get pissed. Fortunately, I have another trailer that needs work and I will own this certain individual for awhile.....he's like my kid....only worse.
I'd also like to write a letter to HEB Food Stores. When I moved to Ellis County and discovered HEB, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Nine years later, not so much. The HEB in Ennis is atrocious. It's small, old, cramped and constantly packed...and usually out of what you need. The one in Waxahachie was recently remodeled, but it still isn't big enough to service the vast majority of people from Ellis Co. that shop there. The parking lot is too small, the store needs to be the size of the entire shopping center and they need to add back most of the items they stopped carrying when they "remodeled to bring you more items." Whatever. So what does HEB do? They build a friggin brand new store in Burleson the size of an HEB Plus. Burleson? Burleson? They won't build a bigger one in Waxahachie because they said there's no need for one. But there is in Burleson? That's such bullshit! I can't handle going to the one in Waxahachie. It's packed, the parking is a nightmare and it seems like I age 10 years every time I leave. They will never do anything to the one in Ennis, so it really pisses me off. I have started going to the Brookshires in Kaufman that is very nice, spacious and friendly. The only crappy thing about that is that it's more of a Sunday type grocery trip rather than going on a weeknight. So, Harold E. Butt, I'm imploring you, PLEASE do something about the HEB's in Ennis and Waxahachie. Thank you.
Anyone cooking chili this weekend after they gorge on Thanksgiving food? Gary and I are taking a break this weekend. There are cook offs coming up the following weekend that we will try to attend. Wichita Falls always has a great cook off and so does W. Tawakoni. There Irving Police and Firefighters will also be having their cook off in downtown Irving that Saturday. Lots of good cook offs to choose from and plenty of places to get those points.
There are so many reasons why I'm looking forward to owning and operating Mild Bills and this is one of them. Think of all the spices I'll get to play with!!! I've also started writing down all of the great ways to use Mild Bills jellies, relishes and preserves. I'm going to make half of my deviled eggs with the Jalapeno Relish. You can also use it to make a spicy chicken or tuna salad. I'm going to puree the Habanero Peach Preserves and inject either a chicken or turkey and fry it....or a pork loin. Same with the Jalapeno Jelly - perfect for using as a marinade for chicken or pork. The possibilities are numerous and I cannot wait to start incorporating ideas and recipes for all of the products on the website. I'm going to be on Cloud Nine. This is going to be so much fun and it really is a dream come true for me. I can't wait!!!
I hope everyone has a wonderful, relaxing and blessed Thanksgiving. Good luck to anyone getting up at some ungodly hour Friday to go shopping. I don't know if we'll be doing any Black Friday shopping this year...at least not in the wee hours of the morning. Enjoy your families and food and kick back and relax! I'll post recipes Friday...or Saturday...or Monday :)
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do......(and thankful that I'm able to)
Kelly
Paige has a dentist appointment today. Her permanent teeth are coming in sans enamel and she's very prone to cavities. When she was born (10 weeks early) her body stopped producing enamel. If that is the only lingering effect her premature birth has had on her, then I would say we are pretty damn lucky! Fortunately she likes going to the dentist, so it's a pretty easy trip each time. She's seeing a different dentist today, one that specializes in pediatric issues.
If you are buying a vehicle from me in the form of payroll deductions, not only do you not let the insurance lapse, you do not, under ANY circumstances, allow some gun toting punk to drive it. When I have to interrupt my day to obtain insurance and bail my Navigator out of the DPD auto pound at $300 a pop, I tend to get pissed. Fortunately, I have another trailer that needs work and I will own this certain individual for awhile.....he's like my kid....only worse.
I'd also like to write a letter to HEB Food Stores. When I moved to Ellis County and discovered HEB, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Nine years later, not so much. The HEB in Ennis is atrocious. It's small, old, cramped and constantly packed...and usually out of what you need. The one in Waxahachie was recently remodeled, but it still isn't big enough to service the vast majority of people from Ellis Co. that shop there. The parking lot is too small, the store needs to be the size of the entire shopping center and they need to add back most of the items they stopped carrying when they "remodeled to bring you more items." Whatever. So what does HEB do? They build a friggin brand new store in Burleson the size of an HEB Plus. Burleson? Burleson? They won't build a bigger one in Waxahachie because they said there's no need for one. But there is in Burleson? That's such bullshit! I can't handle going to the one in Waxahachie. It's packed, the parking is a nightmare and it seems like I age 10 years every time I leave. They will never do anything to the one in Ennis, so it really pisses me off. I have started going to the Brookshires in Kaufman that is very nice, spacious and friendly. The only crappy thing about that is that it's more of a Sunday type grocery trip rather than going on a weeknight. So, Harold E. Butt, I'm imploring you, PLEASE do something about the HEB's in Ennis and Waxahachie. Thank you.
Anyone cooking chili this weekend after they gorge on Thanksgiving food? Gary and I are taking a break this weekend. There are cook offs coming up the following weekend that we will try to attend. Wichita Falls always has a great cook off and so does W. Tawakoni. There Irving Police and Firefighters will also be having their cook off in downtown Irving that Saturday. Lots of good cook offs to choose from and plenty of places to get those points.
There are so many reasons why I'm looking forward to owning and operating Mild Bills and this is one of them. Think of all the spices I'll get to play with!!! I've also started writing down all of the great ways to use Mild Bills jellies, relishes and preserves. I'm going to make half of my deviled eggs with the Jalapeno Relish. You can also use it to make a spicy chicken or tuna salad. I'm going to puree the Habanero Peach Preserves and inject either a chicken or turkey and fry it....or a pork loin. Same with the Jalapeno Jelly - perfect for using as a marinade for chicken or pork. The possibilities are numerous and I cannot wait to start incorporating ideas and recipes for all of the products on the website. I'm going to be on Cloud Nine. This is going to be so much fun and it really is a dream come true for me. I can't wait!!!
I hope everyone has a wonderful, relaxing and blessed Thanksgiving. Good luck to anyone getting up at some ungodly hour Friday to go shopping. I don't know if we'll be doing any Black Friday shopping this year...at least not in the wee hours of the morning. Enjoy your families and food and kick back and relax! I'll post recipes Friday...or Saturday...or Monday :)
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do......(and thankful that I'm able to)
Kelly
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, Monday
Greetings and Salutations! How was everyone's weekend? We made a quick trip to San Antonio to sell Mild Bill's chili mix, jellies and spices with Bill and Tamara at the Freeman Coliseum. They have a great Christmas Arts and Crafts show there each year and we had a great time. Gary is the official Jalapeno Jelly Salesman after his fine performance on Saturday. He was such a hoot!!
My mom and I have finalized our Thanksgiving menu. This is what we have planned for Thursday:
Roasted Turkey
Smoked Turkey Breast
Honey Baked Ham
Chorizo and Jalapeno Dressing
Cranberry Pecan Dressing
Traditional Dressing
Green Rice Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Pea Salad
Shoepeg Corn Casserole
Deviled Eggs
Stuffed Celery
Giblet Gravy
Bourbon Orange Cranberry Relish
Rosemary Rolls
Pumpkin Pie, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Pecan Pie
OMG - that is so much friggin food!!!! We have a lot of people come over, so this ends up being just enough food with plenty of leftovers. We also have plenty of wine this year...so my grocery bill wasn't as high as it has been in the past...LOL!!
I don't plan on doing any Black Friday shopping this year. Hopefully Gary and I can get the Christmas tree put up on Friday. I believe the lights are being put up tomorrow, so that will be out of the way. I'm stumped over buying Christmas presents this year....I don't want to spend a lot of money, but I want to make sure I have really personal gifts to give. I'm kind of over the mass gift card giving. They're nice, definitely, but I like to give gifts rather than a ton of cards with a gift certificate inside. I guess I'll need to peruse eBay and see what I can find.
The boys come home from the Puppy Hotel today. They're getting spa treatments and their nails clipped before we pick them up. I do know what they are getting for Christmas - a burrow bed!!! They are going to love it! I also bought Eddie a new collar...it's blue (to match his eyes...Jesus....) with gold crowns on it. Lord help me!!! It was so quiet in the house without them and I just don't like it! I miss my Secret Lovers!!!!
Here's hoping that everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving. I'll be posting my Thanksgiving recipes throughout the week. Have a painless Monday!!!
Spreading my own special brand of joy, kindness and common sense.....
Kelly
My mom and I have finalized our Thanksgiving menu. This is what we have planned for Thursday:
Roasted Turkey
Smoked Turkey Breast
Honey Baked Ham
Chorizo and Jalapeno Dressing
Cranberry Pecan Dressing
Traditional Dressing
Green Rice Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Pea Salad
Shoepeg Corn Casserole
Deviled Eggs
Stuffed Celery
Giblet Gravy
Bourbon Orange Cranberry Relish
Rosemary Rolls
Pumpkin Pie, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Pecan Pie
OMG - that is so much friggin food!!!! We have a lot of people come over, so this ends up being just enough food with plenty of leftovers. We also have plenty of wine this year...so my grocery bill wasn't as high as it has been in the past...LOL!!
I don't plan on doing any Black Friday shopping this year. Hopefully Gary and I can get the Christmas tree put up on Friday. I believe the lights are being put up tomorrow, so that will be out of the way. I'm stumped over buying Christmas presents this year....I don't want to spend a lot of money, but I want to make sure I have really personal gifts to give. I'm kind of over the mass gift card giving. They're nice, definitely, but I like to give gifts rather than a ton of cards with a gift certificate inside. I guess I'll need to peruse eBay and see what I can find.
The boys come home from the Puppy Hotel today. They're getting spa treatments and their nails clipped before we pick them up. I do know what they are getting for Christmas - a burrow bed!!! They are going to love it! I also bought Eddie a new collar...it's blue (to match his eyes...Jesus....) with gold crowns on it. Lord help me!!! It was so quiet in the house without them and I just don't like it! I miss my Secret Lovers!!!!
Here's hoping that everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving. I'll be posting my Thanksgiving recipes throughout the week. Have a painless Monday!!!
Spreading my own special brand of joy, kindness and common sense.....
Kelly
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Vegetarian Chili
I'm making chili for Paige's school and one of the ladies in the office is a vegetarian. She asked if I could make vegetarian chili for her and I told her sure...as long as she didn't mind being my guinea pig! Tonight was my first foray into vegetarian chili and Gary says I sort of kicked ass with it. I liked the results, too. Here is the recipe:
Cadillac Cowgirl Veggie Chili
1 Can Diced Tomatoes, do not drain
1 Can Hunt's Diced Chili Tomatoes in Sauce, do not drain
1 Can Kidney Beans, drained
1 Can Black Beans, drained
1 Can Cannellini Beans, drained
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp Gebhardts Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Telicherry Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne (or Hot Stuff if you have it)
1/2 4 oz Can Hunts Tomato Sauce
1/2 4 oz Can El Pato Tomato Sauce (yellow can)
1/2 Can Vegetable or Chicken Broth
In a large soup pot, combine all of the above ingredients, except the Cumin - you don't want to add it too early or it will become bitter. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium heat for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Add the tablespoon of cumin, stir and continue cooking over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Serve with cornbread or crackers.
I'm enjoying a nice glass of Woodbridge Pinot Noir. It's light but still has enough of a spicy kick to be interesting. I really like it. I also got the brand new Barefoot Contessa cookbook and I've been perusing it off and on this evening. TONS of amazing stuff in there! I love her and if I ever win the lottery, you can bet my happy ass will relocate to the Hamptons, have a farmstead selling my goat's cheese and milk and be the happiest redneck on the block!!
Does your skin get really, really dry in the winter? Mine does and I discovered if I use the Neutrogena body oil after I take a shower and then use lotion after the oil has been absorbed by my unnaturally dry skin, I'm not a dry, withered mess. I know that's sort of off the cuff, even for me, but try it!
Gilbert Charlie Robison is doing well. He lets us pet him and Paige has been able to pick him up and love on him. He's a cute little thing and Eddie wants to "love" him. Jesus.....
Black Dog Fred has Cushings Disease. It's a disease that causes the body to produce too much steroid hormone and have a freakish appetite...which would explain why Fred eats other dog's poo, leather boots, fish food, loaves of bread, tortillas and raw filet mignon, among other things - like his dog food. It also causes the dog to drink assloads of water and piss a river, which Fred is famous for. He will start his drug therapy in a few days and will hopefully return to normal; whatever that might be for our dogs.
I gave Gary my BB Torch so that I could go back to my Bold. Well, he doesn't like it and I'm not due for an upgrade on the account until August. So, I'm either going to have to go back to the Torch and learn to love it or pay out the ass so that he can have a new phone. Hhhmmm.....I'm not sure what to do. A friend just bought a Torch and she loves it....says I need to spend some time with it. I guess I didn't spend a whole lot of time personalizing it. Still, I don't know if that will solve everything. I guess I'm going to have to give it another whirl.
I believe I'll sign off for the evening. I'm ready for bed. Have a wonderful evening.
Over and out.....
Kelly
Cadillac Cowgirl Veggie Chili
1 Can Diced Tomatoes, do not drain
1 Can Hunt's Diced Chili Tomatoes in Sauce, do not drain
1 Can Kidney Beans, drained
1 Can Black Beans, drained
1 Can Cannellini Beans, drained
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp Gebhardts Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Telicherry Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne (or Hot Stuff if you have it)
1/2 4 oz Can Hunts Tomato Sauce
1/2 4 oz Can El Pato Tomato Sauce (yellow can)
1/2 Can Vegetable or Chicken Broth
In a large soup pot, combine all of the above ingredients, except the Cumin - you don't want to add it too early or it will become bitter. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium heat for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Add the tablespoon of cumin, stir and continue cooking over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Serve with cornbread or crackers.
I'm enjoying a nice glass of Woodbridge Pinot Noir. It's light but still has enough of a spicy kick to be interesting. I really like it. I also got the brand new Barefoot Contessa cookbook and I've been perusing it off and on this evening. TONS of amazing stuff in there! I love her and if I ever win the lottery, you can bet my happy ass will relocate to the Hamptons, have a farmstead selling my goat's cheese and milk and be the happiest redneck on the block!!
Does your skin get really, really dry in the winter? Mine does and I discovered if I use the Neutrogena body oil after I take a shower and then use lotion after the oil has been absorbed by my unnaturally dry skin, I'm not a dry, withered mess. I know that's sort of off the cuff, even for me, but try it!
Gilbert Charlie Robison is doing well. He lets us pet him and Paige has been able to pick him up and love on him. He's a cute little thing and Eddie wants to "love" him. Jesus.....
Black Dog Fred has Cushings Disease. It's a disease that causes the body to produce too much steroid hormone and have a freakish appetite...which would explain why Fred eats other dog's poo, leather boots, fish food, loaves of bread, tortillas and raw filet mignon, among other things - like his dog food. It also causes the dog to drink assloads of water and piss a river, which Fred is famous for. He will start his drug therapy in a few days and will hopefully return to normal; whatever that might be for our dogs.
I gave Gary my BB Torch so that I could go back to my Bold. Well, he doesn't like it and I'm not due for an upgrade on the account until August. So, I'm either going to have to go back to the Torch and learn to love it or pay out the ass so that he can have a new phone. Hhhmmm.....I'm not sure what to do. A friend just bought a Torch and she loves it....says I need to spend some time with it. I guess I didn't spend a whole lot of time personalizing it. Still, I don't know if that will solve everything. I guess I'm going to have to give it another whirl.
I believe I'll sign off for the evening. I'm ready for bed. Have a wonderful evening.
Over and out.....
Kelly
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Conversations with Paige, Ramblings, and Other Serious Business.....
Last night on the way home, my daughter provided me with the following information:
"Mommy, I'm not going to birfalize because God made me a kid."
After asking Paige to repeat herself to make sure I knew what the hell she meant, we engaged in the following conversation:
Me: Well, I was a kid once and I grew up and had a baby. You won't stay a kid forever.
Paige: I know that.
Me: Uumm...then I'm not quite sure I understand.
Paige: I can't have babies in my stomach if I'm just a kid.
Me: That is correct. I'm glad you realize that. And you are going to be a kid for a long time.
Paige: So when will I be old enough to have kids?
Me: Well, that's kind of up to you and your husband. You make those sort of decisions together. Usually in your 20's or 30's.
Paige: Who says I'm going to have a husband? Why do I have to have a husband if God puts the baby in my tummy.
Me: You certainly don't have to have a husband to have a baby, but that's how most people do it. It's easier for God to put the baby in your tummy when there's a man involved.
Paige: I've had offers.
Me: Excuse me? Offers?
Paige: Yes, husband offers. The boys at school have been surrounding me and offering me $5 to marry them. I tell them not to crowd around me so much and I'm still thinking about it.
Me: You don't have to make a decision anytime soon. There's really no need for you to get married right now.
Paige: I know that. I've also told them they'll have to offer me more money if they want me to birfalize.
Me: Okay, Paige. That's great, just great.
I love my child, I love my child, I love my child. She seriously scares me sometimes. I don't know where she gets some of this stuff. It is truly frightening. Gary and I are so screwed.....
I'm tired today. I've gone to bed early the past few nights but I've still drug ass during the day. My dogs were on crack all night. Waylon kept pulling my alarm clock off the nightstand and trying to drag it under the bed. He succeeded in dragging one of Gary's boots under there and eating the boot strap. LOL....Waylon's a punk!!! Black Dog Fred, he of the bald spots, unbelievable water consumption and mad food obsession, is back at the vet being tested for Cushings Disease. That is a disease of the adrenal glands and it causes too much production of steroidal hormones...which explains the never ending appetite and need for water. They can give him a pill to treat it, Thank God. Poor Fred....all bald and mangy looking right now.
I want to take a moment and tout the benefits of spell check. While I am not exempt from a misspelled word or grammatical error, I do take every step I can in order to make sure I don't have an email, blog posting, or written communication rife with errors. Spell check should be EVERYONE'S BFF. I am always shocked at the amount of misspelled words I see on sites that get hundreds of hits a day. I know that you can't necessarily blame someone who is posting a blurb written by someone else if there are rampant mistakes, but when you don't check your own spelling and grammar, it just looks completely unprofessional. Jeannie and I are constantly spell checking and looking over our emails to make sure we aren't sending a communication full of grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. And honestly, if I'm given something to repost, I use spell check on it. Why should that person be embarrassed by misspelled words when they could be prevented by a quick click of the spell check? Ever heard of the saying "Cleanliness is next to Godliness"? Well, it is...and so is proper spelling and grammar....at least in my opinion :0)
Now I've probably forced people to, shudder, *roll eyes* at my egotistical rant on people who who don't spell check. Oh well...we all have our pet peeves...that just happens to be one of mine!!!
Now, on to serious business!
This is from Doris Coats:
We would like to invite you to participate in the 14th Annual Texas Holiday Chili-bration Chili Cookoff
This Saturday, November 20th, 3913 Main Street in Rowlett, TX
Jackpot Beans turn in 12:00 noon
CASI & Local Chili turn in 1:00 PM
Holiday Parade begins at 10:00 AM
Main Street will be closed to traffic at 9:00 AM for the parade
Benefiting the Amateur Community Theatre of Rowlett
For more information call Tom or Suzan Fulton 972-475-4330
Please go out and support the ACTOR and Bob and Doris this weekend. The weather is supposed to be very nice!
How is everyone's Thanksgiving planning coming along? We've got our menu ready and I just need to find time to do my grocery shopping. I'm looking forward to lots of delicious food next week!
If you are in the Waxahachie area this evening, please drop by the Gingerbread House located at 425 E. Ross for our NOW Pod November meeting. Tom Dozier and his Pepper will also be there and we will be discussing plans for the 10th Annual Gingerbread House CCO February 4-6 at the Ellis Co. Expo Center in Waxahachie.
Enjoy the rest of your day.....remember to spell check....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Keepin it real.....
Kelly
"Mommy, I'm not going to birfalize because God made me a kid."
After asking Paige to repeat herself to make sure I knew what the hell she meant, we engaged in the following conversation:
Me: Well, I was a kid once and I grew up and had a baby. You won't stay a kid forever.
Paige: I know that.
Me: Uumm...then I'm not quite sure I understand.
Paige: I can't have babies in my stomach if I'm just a kid.
Me: That is correct. I'm glad you realize that. And you are going to be a kid for a long time.
Paige: So when will I be old enough to have kids?
Me: Well, that's kind of up to you and your husband. You make those sort of decisions together. Usually in your 20's or 30's.
Paige: Who says I'm going to have a husband? Why do I have to have a husband if God puts the baby in my tummy.
Me: You certainly don't have to have a husband to have a baby, but that's how most people do it. It's easier for God to put the baby in your tummy when there's a man involved.
Paige: I've had offers.
Me: Excuse me? Offers?
Paige: Yes, husband offers. The boys at school have been surrounding me and offering me $5 to marry them. I tell them not to crowd around me so much and I'm still thinking about it.
Me: You don't have to make a decision anytime soon. There's really no need for you to get married right now.
Paige: I know that. I've also told them they'll have to offer me more money if they want me to birfalize.
Me: Okay, Paige. That's great, just great.
I love my child, I love my child, I love my child. She seriously scares me sometimes. I don't know where she gets some of this stuff. It is truly frightening. Gary and I are so screwed.....
I'm tired today. I've gone to bed early the past few nights but I've still drug ass during the day. My dogs were on crack all night. Waylon kept pulling my alarm clock off the nightstand and trying to drag it under the bed. He succeeded in dragging one of Gary's boots under there and eating the boot strap. LOL....Waylon's a punk!!! Black Dog Fred, he of the bald spots, unbelievable water consumption and mad food obsession, is back at the vet being tested for Cushings Disease. That is a disease of the adrenal glands and it causes too much production of steroidal hormones...which explains the never ending appetite and need for water. They can give him a pill to treat it, Thank God. Poor Fred....all bald and mangy looking right now.
I want to take a moment and tout the benefits of spell check. While I am not exempt from a misspelled word or grammatical error, I do take every step I can in order to make sure I don't have an email, blog posting, or written communication rife with errors. Spell check should be EVERYONE'S BFF. I am always shocked at the amount of misspelled words I see on sites that get hundreds of hits a day. I know that you can't necessarily blame someone who is posting a blurb written by someone else if there are rampant mistakes, but when you don't check your own spelling and grammar, it just looks completely unprofessional. Jeannie and I are constantly spell checking and looking over our emails to make sure we aren't sending a communication full of grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. And honestly, if I'm given something to repost, I use spell check on it. Why should that person be embarrassed by misspelled words when they could be prevented by a quick click of the spell check? Ever heard of the saying "Cleanliness is next to Godliness"? Well, it is...and so is proper spelling and grammar....at least in my opinion :0)
Now I've probably forced people to, shudder, *roll eyes* at my egotistical rant on people who who don't spell check. Oh well...we all have our pet peeves...that just happens to be one of mine!!!
Now, on to serious business!
This is from Doris Coats:
We would like to invite you to participate in the 14th Annual Texas Holiday Chili-bration Chili Cookoff
This Saturday, November 20th, 3913 Main Street in Rowlett, TX
Jackpot Beans turn in 12:00 noon
CASI & Local Chili turn in 1:00 PM
Holiday Parade begins at 10:00 AM
Main Street will be closed to traffic at 9:00 AM for the parade
Benefiting the Amateur Community Theatre of Rowlett
For more information call Tom or Suzan Fulton 972-475-4330
Please go out and support the ACTOR and Bob and Doris this weekend. The weather is supposed to be very nice!
How is everyone's Thanksgiving planning coming along? We've got our menu ready and I just need to find time to do my grocery shopping. I'm looking forward to lots of delicious food next week!
If you are in the Waxahachie area this evening, please drop by the Gingerbread House located at 425 E. Ross for our NOW Pod November meeting. Tom Dozier and his Pepper will also be there and we will be discussing plans for the 10th Annual Gingerbread House CCO February 4-6 at the Ellis Co. Expo Center in Waxahachie.
Enjoy the rest of your day.....remember to spell check....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Keepin it real.....
Kelly
Monday, November 15, 2010
Gilbert Charlie Robison the Guinea Pig, Pork Butts, The Champion and Other Assorted Observations.....
First of all, I'm a crappy blogger. My blogging conditions must be ideal before I will share my opinions with the world :) Haha!!! I was just too sick to blab, I mean blog, last week. I'm feeling better today, thankfully.
Did everyone have a great weekend? Here are the results from Saturday's Denton Elks Lodge Foxy Ladies CCO:
23 Chilis
1. Babs Johnson
2. Dru Stewart
3. Kelly Brignon
4. Tom Dozier
5. Debbie Longabaugh
6. Keith Longabaugh
7. Suzie Herrin
8. Budda Manske
9. Rick White
10. Jennifer Moore
We had a fantastic time, as usual! Paige came out and entertained everyone and Tom even found time to cook hot dogs for all of the little people:) The weather was great, the company was even better and the chili was all very good!
Paige and I met Gary, the kids and his parents at Pappas for dinner Saturday night. The Juicy damn near made a sculpture out of her bread! She's always such a good girl when we have dinner there. She had her own pat of butter for the bread and she even tried lobster for the first time. She didn't ask for the Sommelier to pour her a glass of wine, but she did sniff the cork. Gotta love her. Dinner was amazing as always. Tyler kept the crab mac and cheese next to him and didn't share it with the rest of the table. We've created another monster.
Sooo....Sunday was the day to make the bunny purchase. Using reverse psychology, I helped Paige decide that maybe a rabbit wasn't the best pet for her situation and perhaps a guinea pig or hamster would be a better fit. Not wanting Gilbert the Rabbit to meet an untimely fate by way of one of our hounds, Paige decided to look at another alternative. Off we went to Petsmart and Gilbert the Guinea Pig was chosen by the girls. He is now living in the friendly confines of P's room in his roomy cage, complete with a bed and a tunnel. We've got to pick up a few more items for him so that his living quarters are up to par. This morning, Paige decided to give Gilbert (pronounced Gil-fert (for those of you with no front teeth)) a last name...because, you know, it can't be Brignon. She settled on Charlie Robison as his last name. She is now the proud parent of Gilbert Charlie Robison, the Guinea Pig. While she was getting ready this morning, we had the following conversation:
Paige: Mommy, will Gilbert be lonely while I'm at school?
Me: Well, he will be at first, but he'll get used to your schedule.
Paige: Don't you think he needs a friend?
Me: Let's just have one for awhile and see how that goes. You don't want to overdo it.
Paige: Did anyone ever tell you that you were overdoing it when you got seven dogs?
Me: Yes, but I don't listen to other people, Paige.
Paige: Oh. Why do I have to?
Me: Because I said so.
Paige: Oh. Okay.
So Paige brushes her hair and her teeth. While she's standing in front of the sink, here come Eddie and Waylon. Paige looks at me and says:
"But Mommy, if Gilbert is by himself, then he won't have anyone to love on his back the way Eddie loves on Waylon's back."
I said, "Paige, that's a good thing. We don't need a bunch of Guineas running around."
Paige replies, "Yeah, because if Gilbert has someone on his back, they'll start birfalizing."
And off we went to school........
How in the world can my Monday can any better...or worse, depending on how you look at it?!?!?!?
Gary and I are still trying to figure out our electric smoker. We've been covering our brisket and ribs and now we've figured out that you aren't supposed to. We smoked an ass, I mean pork butt, for almost 12 hours yesterday. It was a smokin ass by the time we were finished....sorry, couldn't help myself. We'll try again next weekend, or not!
On other hand, the pasta dish I made last week was a success. Here is the recipe:
Cadillac Cowgirl Pasta Italiano Casserole
1 lb ground beef or turkey, seasoned, browned and drained
1 lb wide egg noodles, rigatoni, or penne, cooked to al dente and drained
1 16 oz jar pasta sauce
1 Cup Mozzarella cheese
1 Cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first three ingredients in a greased 2 quart (8 x 8) casserole dish; mix well. Top with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.
This was extremely easy to make. I used ingredients I had on hand, also. Ground meat and pasta can be the base for just about any kind of casserole. No pasta sauce or Italian cheese? Use canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and American cheese if that's what you have in the pantry. You can also add mushrooms, onions and/or bell peppers. If you have macaroni instead of rigatoni or penne pasta, use that instead. I'll try and be creative (but not make something gross) instead of going to the store or getting fast food. I try to make dinner at home as much as possible. I'm not real sure what my stepkids eat when they're not with us, so I do what I can to make sure they get healthy meals the days that they are with us. I suspect they live on fast food when not in our care. Oh, how I'd love to go on...but I won't. And no, I'm not knocking fast food....I just don't think it should be a kid's, or teenager's, main source of food every meal of the day.
I wonder if that qualifies as my rant of the day? Oh, wait! No! I haven't gone off about the onslaught of Christmas before we even have Thanksgiving!!! Give me a break! I went into Target yesterday and hanging from the ceiling are 50 "Merry Christmas" signs. WHAT THE HELL??? Can we please have Thanksgiving first for God's sake? Christmas is great and I love it to - IN DECEMBER. AFTER THE HOLIDAYS THAT PRECEDE IT. This is the real "Nightmare Before Christmas" if you ask me. When I can't even buy Thanksgiving decorations because they move them out to make room for Christmas crap in OCTOBER and the first week of November, I get pissed! And those horrible Christmas song remakes? Ugh! I don't like Gloria Estefan and Josh Groban any other time of the year....so listening to them screw up good Christmas songs while I'm still in shorts in November is just completely unnecessary. Jesus. Okay...I'm done.
The Champion and his trophy will be at The Gingerbread House in Waxahachie tomorrow night! Come out to the NOW Pod's monthly meeting as we start preparing for our February 3 day cook off. This will be our 10th annual cook off and we are looking forward to another successful weekend!
Have a great Monday everybody!!
Spreading joy, kindness and the Christmas spirit (only in December) in everything I do......
Kelly
Did everyone have a great weekend? Here are the results from Saturday's Denton Elks Lodge Foxy Ladies CCO:
23 Chilis
1. Babs Johnson
2. Dru Stewart
3. Kelly Brignon
4. Tom Dozier
5. Debbie Longabaugh
6. Keith Longabaugh
7. Suzie Herrin
8. Budda Manske
9. Rick White
10. Jennifer Moore
We had a fantastic time, as usual! Paige came out and entertained everyone and Tom even found time to cook hot dogs for all of the little people:) The weather was great, the company was even better and the chili was all very good!
Paige and I met Gary, the kids and his parents at Pappas for dinner Saturday night. The Juicy damn near made a sculpture out of her bread! She's always such a good girl when we have dinner there. She had her own pat of butter for the bread and she even tried lobster for the first time. She didn't ask for the Sommelier to pour her a glass of wine, but she did sniff the cork. Gotta love her. Dinner was amazing as always. Tyler kept the crab mac and cheese next to him and didn't share it with the rest of the table. We've created another monster.
Sooo....Sunday was the day to make the bunny purchase. Using reverse psychology, I helped Paige decide that maybe a rabbit wasn't the best pet for her situation and perhaps a guinea pig or hamster would be a better fit. Not wanting Gilbert the Rabbit to meet an untimely fate by way of one of our hounds, Paige decided to look at another alternative. Off we went to Petsmart and Gilbert the Guinea Pig was chosen by the girls. He is now living in the friendly confines of P's room in his roomy cage, complete with a bed and a tunnel. We've got to pick up a few more items for him so that his living quarters are up to par. This morning, Paige decided to give Gilbert (pronounced Gil-fert (for those of you with no front teeth)) a last name...because, you know, it can't be Brignon. She settled on Charlie Robison as his last name. She is now the proud parent of Gilbert Charlie Robison, the Guinea Pig. While she was getting ready this morning, we had the following conversation:
Paige: Mommy, will Gilbert be lonely while I'm at school?
Me: Well, he will be at first, but he'll get used to your schedule.
Paige: Don't you think he needs a friend?
Me: Let's just have one for awhile and see how that goes. You don't want to overdo it.
Paige: Did anyone ever tell you that you were overdoing it when you got seven dogs?
Me: Yes, but I don't listen to other people, Paige.
Paige: Oh. Why do I have to?
Me: Because I said so.
Paige: Oh. Okay.
So Paige brushes her hair and her teeth. While she's standing in front of the sink, here come Eddie and Waylon. Paige looks at me and says:
"But Mommy, if Gilbert is by himself, then he won't have anyone to love on his back the way Eddie loves on Waylon's back."
I said, "Paige, that's a good thing. We don't need a bunch of Guineas running around."
Paige replies, "Yeah, because if Gilbert has someone on his back, they'll start birfalizing."
And off we went to school........
How in the world can my Monday can any better...or worse, depending on how you look at it?!?!?!?
Gary and I are still trying to figure out our electric smoker. We've been covering our brisket and ribs and now we've figured out that you aren't supposed to. We smoked an ass, I mean pork butt, for almost 12 hours yesterday. It was a smokin ass by the time we were finished....sorry, couldn't help myself. We'll try again next weekend, or not!
On other hand, the pasta dish I made last week was a success. Here is the recipe:
Cadillac Cowgirl Pasta Italiano Casserole
1 lb ground beef or turkey, seasoned, browned and drained
1 lb wide egg noodles, rigatoni, or penne, cooked to al dente and drained
1 16 oz jar pasta sauce
1 Cup Mozzarella cheese
1 Cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first three ingredients in a greased 2 quart (8 x 8) casserole dish; mix well. Top with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.
This was extremely easy to make. I used ingredients I had on hand, also. Ground meat and pasta can be the base for just about any kind of casserole. No pasta sauce or Italian cheese? Use canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and American cheese if that's what you have in the pantry. You can also add mushrooms, onions and/or bell peppers. If you have macaroni instead of rigatoni or penne pasta, use that instead. I'll try and be creative (but not make something gross) instead of going to the store or getting fast food. I try to make dinner at home as much as possible. I'm not real sure what my stepkids eat when they're not with us, so I do what I can to make sure they get healthy meals the days that they are with us. I suspect they live on fast food when not in our care. Oh, how I'd love to go on...but I won't. And no, I'm not knocking fast food....I just don't think it should be a kid's, or teenager's, main source of food every meal of the day.
I wonder if that qualifies as my rant of the day? Oh, wait! No! I haven't gone off about the onslaught of Christmas before we even have Thanksgiving!!! Give me a break! I went into Target yesterday and hanging from the ceiling are 50 "Merry Christmas" signs. WHAT THE HELL??? Can we please have Thanksgiving first for God's sake? Christmas is great and I love it to - IN DECEMBER. AFTER THE HOLIDAYS THAT PRECEDE IT. This is the real "Nightmare Before Christmas" if you ask me. When I can't even buy Thanksgiving decorations because they move them out to make room for Christmas crap in OCTOBER and the first week of November, I get pissed! And those horrible Christmas song remakes? Ugh! I don't like Gloria Estefan and Josh Groban any other time of the year....so listening to them screw up good Christmas songs while I'm still in shorts in November is just completely unnecessary. Jesus. Okay...I'm done.
The Champion and his trophy will be at The Gingerbread House in Waxahachie tomorrow night! Come out to the NOW Pod's monthly meeting as we start preparing for our February 3 day cook off. This will be our 10th annual cook off and we are looking forward to another successful weekend!
Have a great Monday everybody!!
Spreading joy, kindness and the Christmas spirit (only in December) in everything I do......
Kelly
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
White Chicken Chili
Good Morning. I feel like total crap. I can't stop coughing and I've lost my voice. But alas, that doesn't affect my ability to type....hahahahaha!!! Anyways....I made White Chicken Chili for dinner last night and wanted to share the recipe. I don't think I've posted this one before, but if I have, please forgive me and my horrible memory.
This is very easy and inexpensive to make. Even though it uses canned items and rotisserie chicken, you simmer it for about 20 minutes and it tastes homemade. Enjoy!!
Cadillac Cowgirl White Chicken Chili
1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat pulled and shredded
2 15 oz Cans of Cannellini Beans (do not drain)
1 7 oz Can of Diced Green Chiles (do not drain)
32 oz Chicken Stock
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic Granules
1/4 tsp Onion Granules
1/2 tsp Cumin
(All spices from Mild Bills, of course!!)
Garnish:
Cilantro, Diced Avocado, Grated Cheese, Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips
In a large pot, add the beans, green chiles, chicken stock and all of the spices. While the soup mixture is heating up over medium high heat, shred the chicken and add to the pot. Using a large spoon, mash some of the beans to help thicken the broth. Put the lid on and simmer it over medium low heat for 20-25 minutes until heated through and thickened. It's not going to be super thick, but it shouldn't be real thin either. It will thicken up as you cook it and if it doesn't, just mash a few more of the beans. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
When you're ready to serve it, ladle the soup into a bowl. Top with any or all of the garnishes and enjoy!
HEB had Rotisserie chickens on sale last night two for $8.00 - so I went ahead and refrigerated the one I didn't use for dinner tonight. I've got pasta, sauce and cheese coming out the wazoo in my pantry. I think I'm going to shred the chicken and make a pasta bake with it. I'll post that recipe tomorrow. I'm still on Jenny Craig (and the food is still good), but I love to cook, so that's what I'm going to keep on doing :)
Now that we are back from Terlingua, it is time to purchase a bunny for Paige, per our agreement. And you know what happens when we talk about rabbits in my house? The return of one of the best things to ever come out of my child's mouth:
BIRFALIZE!!!!!!!
YES!!!! She wanted to know if the rabbit would be birfalizing babies at the house. I told her no, there had to be two rabbits in order for birfalizing to occur and that she would only have one rabbit. I told Paige that there would be no birfalizing of bunnies anytime in the near future.
Did any of you save newspapers you bought while traveling to TICC or while you were there? If so, Linda Buschel is collecting them for a group that sends them overseas to the troops. It's a way for them to read about what's going on in different parts of the world. If you have some to share, email me at kbrignon-tbdemo@sbcglobal.net and I'll give you an address to send them to.
I'd like to address this newfangled contraption, the Neti Pot. Can someone tell me why I need to stick something that looks like this up my nose:
Is it just me, or does that little spout look a little...you know, phallic? I took it out of the box and was a taken aback by the design. Gary even commented on it, saying something along the lines of "you never let me stick anything like that up your nose." But anyways...it works pretty well and if you can get past the somewhat perverted design, it's worth a shot....no pun intended.
I'm off to spread joy and kindness....and hopefully very few germs.
Kelly
This is very easy and inexpensive to make. Even though it uses canned items and rotisserie chicken, you simmer it for about 20 minutes and it tastes homemade. Enjoy!!
Cadillac Cowgirl White Chicken Chili
1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat pulled and shredded
2 15 oz Cans of Cannellini Beans (do not drain)
1 7 oz Can of Diced Green Chiles (do not drain)
32 oz Chicken Stock
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic Granules
1/4 tsp Onion Granules
1/2 tsp Cumin
(All spices from Mild Bills, of course!!)
Garnish:
Cilantro, Diced Avocado, Grated Cheese, Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips
In a large pot, add the beans, green chiles, chicken stock and all of the spices. While the soup mixture is heating up over medium high heat, shred the chicken and add to the pot. Using a large spoon, mash some of the beans to help thicken the broth. Put the lid on and simmer it over medium low heat for 20-25 minutes until heated through and thickened. It's not going to be super thick, but it shouldn't be real thin either. It will thicken up as you cook it and if it doesn't, just mash a few more of the beans. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
When you're ready to serve it, ladle the soup into a bowl. Top with any or all of the garnishes and enjoy!
HEB had Rotisserie chickens on sale last night two for $8.00 - so I went ahead and refrigerated the one I didn't use for dinner tonight. I've got pasta, sauce and cheese coming out the wazoo in my pantry. I think I'm going to shred the chicken and make a pasta bake with it. I'll post that recipe tomorrow. I'm still on Jenny Craig (and the food is still good), but I love to cook, so that's what I'm going to keep on doing :)
Now that we are back from Terlingua, it is time to purchase a bunny for Paige, per our agreement. And you know what happens when we talk about rabbits in my house? The return of one of the best things to ever come out of my child's mouth:
BIRFALIZE!!!!!!!
YES!!!! She wanted to know if the rabbit would be birfalizing babies at the house. I told her no, there had to be two rabbits in order for birfalizing to occur and that she would only have one rabbit. I told Paige that there would be no birfalizing of bunnies anytime in the near future.
Did any of you save newspapers you bought while traveling to TICC or while you were there? If so, Linda Buschel is collecting them for a group that sends them overseas to the troops. It's a way for them to read about what's going on in different parts of the world. If you have some to share, email me at kbrignon-tbdemo@sbcglobal.net and I'll give you an address to send them to.
I'd like to address this newfangled contraption, the Neti Pot. Can someone tell me why I need to stick something that looks like this up my nose:
Is it just me, or does that little spout look a little...you know, phallic? I took it out of the box and was a taken aback by the design. Gary even commented on it, saying something along the lines of "you never let me stick anything like that up your nose." But anyways...it works pretty well and if you can get past the somewhat perverted design, it's worth a shot....no pun intended.
I'm off to spread joy and kindness....and hopefully very few germs.
Kelly
Monday, November 8, 2010
Time To Recap!!!
How was everyone's TICC trip? I hope you all made it home safe and sound with little trouble. While my husband and chili child brought home trophies, I brought home bronchitis and a sinus infection! The Terlingua Dust kicked my ass this year and I went to the doctor this morning. Fortunately, I got a shot and some good drugs. Hopefully, I'll be feeling better by this weekend....the Denton Elks Foxy Ladies CCO is coming up and I NEVER miss that one! I guess I'm going to rundown the past week in order...with my craptastic memory, that may be the best way to do it!
Tuesday:
We left around 6 am and pulled into the Ranch around 5:30 pm. We got set up, Tom got his tent set up, and we caught up with everyone. Stephanie Brockman won 1st at the SOTOL Pod CCO that day, so we were all gathered around the Bronze Goat Trophy! Went to bed, slept in the most uncomfortable RV bed EVER made and vowed to fix that shizz when I got home :)
Wednesday:
Woke up....made breakfast, had coffee and Gary worked most of the day. We had the Tequila Rose party that night for the ladies, Tarantula in Terlingua tequila party for the men and the Redneck Disco party. By this time, I was feeling like pure d shit from all of the dust, so I ducked out of the TR party early and went to bed. Gary sent me some really great pictures of the costumes. Looks like everyone had a great time. We also went to the Terlingua Ghost Town for the first time and did some shopping. I bought a really cool hoodie, a Dias de Muertas cap and a shirt and magic rocks for Paige. I don't remember what we did for food that evening....LOL!
Thursday:
Veggie Cutting!!!! We had SUCH an awesome group help out Thursday morning. Thank you so much to John and Sue Caffey, Neal and Billy Doss, Bonnie Loxterman, Mike Rogers, Ron Baker, Clint and Brenda Porter, Lucy and Brad Nelson, Ernie Nelson, Mavis Nelson, Jim Trietsch, Tom Dozier, and my hubby. We had breakfast and Vicki Sanders wonderful bloody marys. We also got done in 2 1/2 hours and I couldn't be more grateful to everyone who pitched in and helped. Thank you again! Not too much to report for Thursday besides the veggie cutting. God my memory sucks.
Friday:
National Scholarship Day!! Out of 183 beans, Stephanie Brockman got 1st Place! She was so excited and when they called her number, she turned around to me, handed me her beer, and said, "Hold my beer and watch this shit!" So funny and so happy for her. John Daniels won Salsa, Tom Dozier placed 4th (it was really, really good) and Keith Longabough placed 4th in wings. We all went to Long Draw Pizza that night and had a great time. I ordered a Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza that was delicious. We took leftovers back to camp and nibbled on them for a late night snack! Something else happened on Friday, but I'm going to save that for the end :)
Saturday:
Duh...TICC!!!! Even I couldn't forget that. Congratulations again to Gary for placing 8th and Tom for placing 1st. I really don't think I could be any more excited for the two of them than I am right now. I made it to pre-finals, which is the best I've ever done out there. Soooo close to final table, but not close enough. I knew Gary's number and when it was called, I looked at him and said, "that's you!!" He didn't know his number and the lucky charm holding it for him handed it to him! (Thanks Tamara!) I knew he was going to place...I just had a funny feeling. His chili had the same flavor it did at Texas Open when he got 2nd, and I just knew. Gary is still so excited and I'm excited for him. I have wanted him to get on that stage as long as he has been cooking and I'm so glad he finally made it up there. I love him and I'm so proud for him! As much as I wanted to hear my number called out, I was out of control excited when it was Tom's number. I had him text it to me and as soon as I heard it, I jumped up and started looking for him. 1st Place couldn't have gone to a better person. He loves chili, loves to cook it, loves to talk about it and he's always got a smile on his face. I'm so proud of him and it means a lot that someone (besides my husband) that has trusted me to help him did so unbelievably well at TICC. He beat 326 other chilis and I couldn't be more happier, more excited and more proud that someone like Tom kicked my ass :)
Gary celebrated quite a bit Saturday night, so we got a late start yesterday morning. Tom went down there with us, so I rode in the back with his big pepper trophy and Gary had his in the front seat. Jeez.....LOL!!! We stopped at Hard 8 BBQ in Stephenville and it was pretty good. I'm also happy to report that I didn't gain any weight while I was gone. Hell Yeah! We got home around 10 last night and I was sooooo happy to sleep in my own bed. Thank you baby Jesus lying in your ghost manger for my comfy, comfy bed. The puppies were glad to be home, too. They did NOT like all of that dust. They're getting baths tonight!
Okay, I do have to blog about some CASI stuff, but never fear, I won't be too harsh :) I actually received a very good education this weekend regarding the Old 320 saga. Janice took the time to answer some of my questions and help me understand the issue a little better. Unfortunately for the CASI board, explaining the issue to someone like me is the least of their problems! I'm a new Old 320 member. I don't have the vested interest in it that so many of the older cooks do and it's not that big of a deal to me, principal wise, as it probably is to a lot of other people. First of all, and really most importantly of all, there are no by-laws to govern the Old 320. I didn't know that and no wonder this has so many people up in arms - there are no guidelines, no parameters. The second thing that I think needs to happen is that if CASI is going to form a committee to handle the by-law issue of the Old 320 as well as the other hot topics among the members, then the committee MUST be made up of people with OPPOSING viewpoints in order for it to be taken seriously and meet the needs of all involved. No, you can't please everyone - that's not what I'm saying. But if you are going to do this so that you can represent the wishes of the Old 320 members as fair as possible, then you have to have an equal mix of people opposed to the motions out there as you do people for it. If the Board assembles a committee full of members that will carry out their wishes only, then it's just a sham, in my opinion.
I've got some other observations, but I figured I'd spread those out over the week so as not to overload anyone's senses. I'm nice like that :)
I know I've been a harsh critic of the CASI BOD, and I can't say I won't stray into criticism from time to time in the future, but when it comes to running TICC, you have to give them lots of kudos. I'm sure that there are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that we don't know about (and probably don't need to know about), but for the Board to organize and run that cook off the way they do is no small feat and they all deserve a pat on the back. There is a lot of planning that goes into TICC and most of the board members do it while holding down full time jobs. Thank you to each of you for making our week of fun, well, fun :)
Now, for the best part of my week!
For those of you who weren't able to make it to Mild Bill's Customer Appreciation Party, you missed the big announcement! Gary and I are the new owners of Mild Bill's Spices!!!! We don't take over actual operations until next September, and Tamara will continue to operate the company until then. Even when I take over, everything will stay the same - both products and awesome service! Gary and I are so excited to share this news (finally!!) and we look forward to serving all of the wonderful Mild Bill's customers just as Tamara has for the last 8 years. Gary will continue to operate T & B Demolition and I will begin operating Mild Bill's full time next October. This is a dream come true - and it was all a matter of things happening for a reason and at the right time. I don't think I can describe how grateful we are to Bill and Tamara Dees for trusting us with Mild Bills. We promise to take as wonderful care of it as you have!
Now, to address the big pink elephant in the room - am I going to continue my blog? ABSOLUTELY!!! CASI is not the only thing I have going on in my life and not the only thing I talk about. Am I going to ease up on CASI? Probably not, but I've got enough sense to keep some of my more scathing opinions to myself. The thing is...this blog has never said anything untruthful and if that is what upsets so many people, then me telling the truth is not my problem, it's theirs. If my tone and sometimes need to eviscerate those I'm being truthful about is the issue, then I respect that and can understand why I probably don't need to be such a bitch sometimes. With that said, I hope that people continue to read my blog for a variety of reasons...my recipes, my cracked out kid and my occasional reality check of CASI. I also hope to use my blog to promote Mild Bills and vice versa. I love to talk about so many things and this has become a creative outlet for me. So, I guess what I'm saying is don't hate the playa, hate the game....LMAO!!!!
That's all for today! I've got to start planning for Thanksgiving. Oh yeah - that will be tomorrow - my rant against retailers who put up Christmas decorations and play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Can't we just enjoy each holiday as it comes along? Think about it...if the Pilgrims hadn't come over to escape religious persecution (and thus persecute the Indians and other cultures they determined to be heathens, but that's for even another day), we might not be in a culture where we COULD celebrate our holidays the way we do. Let's be thankful for Thanksgiving...and give the Turkey Day it's due respect....then we can move on to Christmas and be respectful of that religious holiday. But I digress and I wanted to let you know I've got some killer recipes to share. We are not frying a turkey this year and instead opting for Honey Baked Ham and a Smoked Turkey from The Honey Baked Ham store. What we are going to do is make a few different stuffings/dressings and I've come up with a Mexican inspired dressing that I can't wait to make. I love Thanksgiving...ooohhh...the food!!!
Happy to be back in Ellis County.....craptastic pothole roads and all!!
Kelly
Tuesday:
We left around 6 am and pulled into the Ranch around 5:30 pm. We got set up, Tom got his tent set up, and we caught up with everyone. Stephanie Brockman won 1st at the SOTOL Pod CCO that day, so we were all gathered around the Bronze Goat Trophy! Went to bed, slept in the most uncomfortable RV bed EVER made and vowed to fix that shizz when I got home :)
Wednesday:
Woke up....made breakfast, had coffee and Gary worked most of the day. We had the Tequila Rose party that night for the ladies, Tarantula in Terlingua tequila party for the men and the Redneck Disco party. By this time, I was feeling like pure d shit from all of the dust, so I ducked out of the TR party early and went to bed. Gary sent me some really great pictures of the costumes. Looks like everyone had a great time. We also went to the Terlingua Ghost Town for the first time and did some shopping. I bought a really cool hoodie, a Dias de Muertas cap and a shirt and magic rocks for Paige. I don't remember what we did for food that evening....LOL!
Thursday:
Veggie Cutting!!!! We had SUCH an awesome group help out Thursday morning. Thank you so much to John and Sue Caffey, Neal and Billy Doss, Bonnie Loxterman, Mike Rogers, Ron Baker, Clint and Brenda Porter, Lucy and Brad Nelson, Ernie Nelson, Mavis Nelson, Jim Trietsch, Tom Dozier, and my hubby. We had breakfast and Vicki Sanders wonderful bloody marys. We also got done in 2 1/2 hours and I couldn't be more grateful to everyone who pitched in and helped. Thank you again! Not too much to report for Thursday besides the veggie cutting. God my memory sucks.
Friday:
National Scholarship Day!! Out of 183 beans, Stephanie Brockman got 1st Place! She was so excited and when they called her number, she turned around to me, handed me her beer, and said, "Hold my beer and watch this shit!" So funny and so happy for her. John Daniels won Salsa, Tom Dozier placed 4th (it was really, really good) and Keith Longabough placed 4th in wings. We all went to Long Draw Pizza that night and had a great time. I ordered a Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza that was delicious. We took leftovers back to camp and nibbled on them for a late night snack! Something else happened on Friday, but I'm going to save that for the end :)
Saturday:
Duh...TICC!!!! Even I couldn't forget that. Congratulations again to Gary for placing 8th and Tom for placing 1st. I really don't think I could be any more excited for the two of them than I am right now. I made it to pre-finals, which is the best I've ever done out there. Soooo close to final table, but not close enough. I knew Gary's number and when it was called, I looked at him and said, "that's you!!" He didn't know his number and the lucky charm holding it for him handed it to him! (Thanks Tamara!) I knew he was going to place...I just had a funny feeling. His chili had the same flavor it did at Texas Open when he got 2nd, and I just knew. Gary is still so excited and I'm excited for him. I have wanted him to get on that stage as long as he has been cooking and I'm so glad he finally made it up there. I love him and I'm so proud for him! As much as I wanted to hear my number called out, I was out of control excited when it was Tom's number. I had him text it to me and as soon as I heard it, I jumped up and started looking for him. 1st Place couldn't have gone to a better person. He loves chili, loves to cook it, loves to talk about it and he's always got a smile on his face. I'm so proud of him and it means a lot that someone (besides my husband) that has trusted me to help him did so unbelievably well at TICC. He beat 326 other chilis and I couldn't be more happier, more excited and more proud that someone like Tom kicked my ass :)
Gary celebrated quite a bit Saturday night, so we got a late start yesterday morning. Tom went down there with us, so I rode in the back with his big pepper trophy and Gary had his in the front seat. Jeez.....LOL!!! We stopped at Hard 8 BBQ in Stephenville and it was pretty good. I'm also happy to report that I didn't gain any weight while I was gone. Hell Yeah! We got home around 10 last night and I was sooooo happy to sleep in my own bed. Thank you baby Jesus lying in your ghost manger for my comfy, comfy bed. The puppies were glad to be home, too. They did NOT like all of that dust. They're getting baths tonight!
Okay, I do have to blog about some CASI stuff, but never fear, I won't be too harsh :) I actually received a very good education this weekend regarding the Old 320 saga. Janice took the time to answer some of my questions and help me understand the issue a little better. Unfortunately for the CASI board, explaining the issue to someone like me is the least of their problems! I'm a new Old 320 member. I don't have the vested interest in it that so many of the older cooks do and it's not that big of a deal to me, principal wise, as it probably is to a lot of other people. First of all, and really most importantly of all, there are no by-laws to govern the Old 320. I didn't know that and no wonder this has so many people up in arms - there are no guidelines, no parameters. The second thing that I think needs to happen is that if CASI is going to form a committee to handle the by-law issue of the Old 320 as well as the other hot topics among the members, then the committee MUST be made up of people with OPPOSING viewpoints in order for it to be taken seriously and meet the needs of all involved. No, you can't please everyone - that's not what I'm saying. But if you are going to do this so that you can represent the wishes of the Old 320 members as fair as possible, then you have to have an equal mix of people opposed to the motions out there as you do people for it. If the Board assembles a committee full of members that will carry out their wishes only, then it's just a sham, in my opinion.
I've got some other observations, but I figured I'd spread those out over the week so as not to overload anyone's senses. I'm nice like that :)
I know I've been a harsh critic of the CASI BOD, and I can't say I won't stray into criticism from time to time in the future, but when it comes to running TICC, you have to give them lots of kudos. I'm sure that there are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that we don't know about (and probably don't need to know about), but for the Board to organize and run that cook off the way they do is no small feat and they all deserve a pat on the back. There is a lot of planning that goes into TICC and most of the board members do it while holding down full time jobs. Thank you to each of you for making our week of fun, well, fun :)
Now, for the best part of my week!
For those of you who weren't able to make it to Mild Bill's Customer Appreciation Party, you missed the big announcement! Gary and I are the new owners of Mild Bill's Spices!!!! We don't take over actual operations until next September, and Tamara will continue to operate the company until then. Even when I take over, everything will stay the same - both products and awesome service! Gary and I are so excited to share this news (finally!!) and we look forward to serving all of the wonderful Mild Bill's customers just as Tamara has for the last 8 years. Gary will continue to operate T & B Demolition and I will begin operating Mild Bill's full time next October. This is a dream come true - and it was all a matter of things happening for a reason and at the right time. I don't think I can describe how grateful we are to Bill and Tamara Dees for trusting us with Mild Bills. We promise to take as wonderful care of it as you have!
Now, to address the big pink elephant in the room - am I going to continue my blog? ABSOLUTELY!!! CASI is not the only thing I have going on in my life and not the only thing I talk about. Am I going to ease up on CASI? Probably not, but I've got enough sense to keep some of my more scathing opinions to myself. The thing is...this blog has never said anything untruthful and if that is what upsets so many people, then me telling the truth is not my problem, it's theirs. If my tone and sometimes need to eviscerate those I'm being truthful about is the issue, then I respect that and can understand why I probably don't need to be such a bitch sometimes. With that said, I hope that people continue to read my blog for a variety of reasons...my recipes, my cracked out kid and my occasional reality check of CASI. I also hope to use my blog to promote Mild Bills and vice versa. I love to talk about so many things and this has become a creative outlet for me. So, I guess what I'm saying is don't hate the playa, hate the game....LMAO!!!!
That's all for today! I've got to start planning for Thanksgiving. Oh yeah - that will be tomorrow - my rant against retailers who put up Christmas decorations and play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Can't we just enjoy each holiday as it comes along? Think about it...if the Pilgrims hadn't come over to escape religious persecution (and thus persecute the Indians and other cultures they determined to be heathens, but that's for even another day), we might not be in a culture where we COULD celebrate our holidays the way we do. Let's be thankful for Thanksgiving...and give the Turkey Day it's due respect....then we can move on to Christmas and be respectful of that religious holiday. But I digress and I wanted to let you know I've got some killer recipes to share. We are not frying a turkey this year and instead opting for Honey Baked Ham and a Smoked Turkey from The Honey Baked Ham store. What we are going to do is make a few different stuffings/dressings and I've come up with a Mexican inspired dressing that I can't wait to make. I love Thanksgiving...ooohhh...the food!!!
Happy to be back in Ellis County.....craptastic pothole roads and all!!
Kelly
Monday, November 1, 2010
Off to Terlingua!
Good Morning! We are leaving for Terlingua either this evening or very early tomorrow morning. Gary has us packed and ready to go. I dropped the Molly and Wyatt off at the puppy hotel and my mom is staying with The Juicy all week. Eddie and Waylon are going with us (of course!).
I think I survived the weekend. Paige had her Halloween party Saturday and all of her friends came to celebrate with her. They had SUCH a great time! The kids decorated pumpkins, busted the Pinata and had a spooky hayride. The weather was perfect and the wind finally stopped blowing around the time everyone got there. Lots of wine was consumed, the adults seemed to have a great time and we're already planning an adults only party in the near future. I think after an evening with 25 kids earns us the right to have a mommies and daddies only kind of evening!
Paige was the most adorable Queen of Hearts! We painted her face and she wore a red wig, so she looked just like her! All of the kids were dressed up so cute - we even had two bumblebees and two Batmen. I don't think I got a picture of all the kiddos...it was hard to keep them still for any length of time.
I plan on taking my laptop to the desert so that I can work some this week. I hate being gone from the office for such a long time - and to be so far from it on top of everything else. I tend to have panic attacks when I'm away and it's so stupid, but I can't help it. T & B Demolition and I have a love hate relationship, I guess.
I hope everyone heading to Terlingua has a safe, uneventful trip! I don't know when we will be pulling into the Ranch, but hopefully we will be there by tomorrow evening. Don't forget about veggie cutting Thursday morning at 9 am. We'll be at the judging pavilion and I'll have breakfast and bloody marys for all of the veggie cutters. Remember that Mikie McGarity will be letting everyone know the TICC winners this year, so if you aren't going and want to be "in the know", get in touch with her via email or phone so that she can put you on the list. Her email address is mikie@mcgarity.org and her phone number is 817-975-2200.
Have a wonderful day....I hope to blog from TICC.
Spreading joy and kindness every day, in every way.......
Kelly
I think I survived the weekend. Paige had her Halloween party Saturday and all of her friends came to celebrate with her. They had SUCH a great time! The kids decorated pumpkins, busted the Pinata and had a spooky hayride. The weather was perfect and the wind finally stopped blowing around the time everyone got there. Lots of wine was consumed, the adults seemed to have a great time and we're already planning an adults only party in the near future. I think after an evening with 25 kids earns us the right to have a mommies and daddies only kind of evening!
Paige was the most adorable Queen of Hearts! We painted her face and she wore a red wig, so she looked just like her! All of the kids were dressed up so cute - we even had two bumblebees and two Batmen. I don't think I got a picture of all the kiddos...it was hard to keep them still for any length of time.
I plan on taking my laptop to the desert so that I can work some this week. I hate being gone from the office for such a long time - and to be so far from it on top of everything else. I tend to have panic attacks when I'm away and it's so stupid, but I can't help it. T & B Demolition and I have a love hate relationship, I guess.
I hope everyone heading to Terlingua has a safe, uneventful trip! I don't know when we will be pulling into the Ranch, but hopefully we will be there by tomorrow evening. Don't forget about veggie cutting Thursday morning at 9 am. We'll be at the judging pavilion and I'll have breakfast and bloody marys for all of the veggie cutters. Remember that Mikie McGarity will be letting everyone know the TICC winners this year, so if you aren't going and want to be "in the know", get in touch with her via email or phone so that she can put you on the list. Her email address is mikie@mcgarity.org and her phone number is 817-975-2200.
Have a wonderful day....I hope to blog from TICC.
Spreading joy and kindness every day, in every way.......
Kelly
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ramblings...
Hello Tuesday! It took me awhile to get going today, but here I am, fully functioning at 1:39 pm. My peak times of production are between 11 am and 3 pm. That's when I am my most productive and make my best decisions. My tattoos have been done in the afternoon....my marriages and procreation decisions have been made in the evenings....hahahaha. Just kidding...really. Well, maybe not about the tattoos, cause they are pretty bad ass, if I do say so myself!
So, the countdown to Paige's Annual Halloween Bash has begun. She's so excited and can't wait to dress up as the Queen of Hearts. I've got my food planned and my mom is finishing up on last minute party items. Bubba and his friends are responsible for the spooky hayride at the back of the property. We hang up skulls and ghouls from the tree limbs and have a fog machine. The boys wear masks and run around with chainsaws....just like good little rednecks. I'm also going to let the kids bob for apples, beat a Skull Pinata and have a mummy making contest. They also get to decorate their own pumpkins and make a Halloween necklace. The weather is supposed to be great Saturday, so it looks like this may go off without a hitch. Say it ain't so!
I've got my TICC grocery menu ready. I'm making breakfast casseroles and chorizo and egg breakfast tacos while we're there. I'm also going to make Jalapeno Ranch Sour Cream Dip (Courtesy of Mild Bills!) and pastrami cheese ball...which is freakin delicious. I think I'm going to marinate and freeze two steaks and take two potatoes in the event Gary and I tire of chicken and shrimp on a stick while there. I know, I know...this is not going to be a very Jenny Craig friendly week, but I'm going to try very hard to not veer too far off of my plan. I've got a perfect spot in the toy hauler for my wine...it's like a mini wine and liquor cabinet. The boxes fit perfectly! We're really good to go for the most part...now it's the old hurry up and wait game!
I knocked Paige upside the head yesterday - on accident. The wind was blowing like a son of a bitch and it blew the back door out of my hand and knocked her down. Poor baby...she has a bruise on her forehead. The knot is gone, but it's still purple. I can't wait to find out what she tells the people at school. I hope I don't get a surprise visit from CPS in the near future. My little half bat/half girl gets her 1st quarter report card on Friday. I'm excited to see her grades. She's been doing really well in school and loves her teacher. She's such a smart little girl! (And a smart ass, too!!!)
I guess I'll get back to work. I've still got an hour left in my window of productivity. It's amazing how much I can get done in four hours when I really want to :0)
Keep it real, folks!
Kelly
So, the countdown to Paige's Annual Halloween Bash has begun. She's so excited and can't wait to dress up as the Queen of Hearts. I've got my food planned and my mom is finishing up on last minute party items. Bubba and his friends are responsible for the spooky hayride at the back of the property. We hang up skulls and ghouls from the tree limbs and have a fog machine. The boys wear masks and run around with chainsaws....just like good little rednecks. I'm also going to let the kids bob for apples, beat a Skull Pinata and have a mummy making contest. They also get to decorate their own pumpkins and make a Halloween necklace. The weather is supposed to be great Saturday, so it looks like this may go off without a hitch. Say it ain't so!
I've got my TICC grocery menu ready. I'm making breakfast casseroles and chorizo and egg breakfast tacos while we're there. I'm also going to make Jalapeno Ranch Sour Cream Dip (Courtesy of Mild Bills!) and pastrami cheese ball...which is freakin delicious. I think I'm going to marinate and freeze two steaks and take two potatoes in the event Gary and I tire of chicken and shrimp on a stick while there. I know, I know...this is not going to be a very Jenny Craig friendly week, but I'm going to try very hard to not veer too far off of my plan. I've got a perfect spot in the toy hauler for my wine...it's like a mini wine and liquor cabinet. The boxes fit perfectly! We're really good to go for the most part...now it's the old hurry up and wait game!
I knocked Paige upside the head yesterday - on accident. The wind was blowing like a son of a bitch and it blew the back door out of my hand and knocked her down. Poor baby...she has a bruise on her forehead. The knot is gone, but it's still purple. I can't wait to find out what she tells the people at school. I hope I don't get a surprise visit from CPS in the near future. My little half bat/half girl gets her 1st quarter report card on Friday. I'm excited to see her grades. She's been doing really well in school and loves her teacher. She's such a smart little girl! (And a smart ass, too!!!)
I guess I'll get back to work. I've still got an hour left in my window of productivity. It's amazing how much I can get done in four hours when I really want to :0)
Keep it real, folks!
Kelly
Monday, October 25, 2010
Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables, I'm The Mommy of a Bat, and Other Fascinating Tales......
Greetings and Salutations!
How was everyone's weekend? Ours was nice and relaxing with a nice shot of rain Saturday. We went to Central Market and actually contained ourselves! We did, however, find The Prisoner, a wine from Orin Swift Cellars in California. Gary and I first had this wine at Ruth's Chris a few months ago and loved it. We were so excited to see it at Central Market. Even better - they were giving samples of another Orin Swift wine, Abstract. OMG - freaking unbelievable!!!! We bought three bottles of it, a bottle of The Prisoner and a bottle of Brachetto. We stole one of Courtney's bottles to put in our six pack and get a 10% discount, too. We're smart like that :)
Lots of yummy, yummy stuff at Central Market. It was packed; they were having a cheese event and it was a madhouse. We tried quite a few goat, cheddar and blue cheeses. Latte Da Dairy was there and they always produce a fantastic goat cheese. There was another vendor there with a goat cheese and I just didn't care for it; neither did Courtney. We thought it was too sharp. Goat cheese should be mild and creamy and this had a really strong aftertaste. Besides, the woman with the yucky cheese was rude to my child, so she immediately lost favor with me :)!! Gary was his typical uncontrollable self in there and I had to reign him in over the wine and these pretty bad ass chocolate cookies that he somehow snuck in the basket. Anyways, we ended up with a great selection of cheese and wine for our pre dinner snack yesterday prior to the main event: Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Veggies!! I also bought Kale for the first time, but ended up not using it since there were so many veggies with the chicken. I'm going to saute it tonight with garlic.
I also planted my mums. I've been waiting for it to cool off and it sort of did, until today, so I went ahead and got them put out. The house is clean, laundry done, toyhauler packed and we are getting everything ready for Terlingua. Maybe this year won't be such a cluster you know what! It's just such a long ass trip...that's what I hate about it.
"Mommy, did you know that I'm half bat and half girl? That's why I'm so tired during the day. I fly around all night when I'm a bat."
That was a one liner from Paige last night. Instead of leaving it alone, I pursued the conversation. And you're wondering...who's the adult here, right? Me, too....
So I asked her if she watches TV at night as a bat or a girl. That question threw her for a loop, but it didn't stop her from rambling on about being a bat....how she flies around listening for an echo to tell her if she can keep going that direction, and that she turns back into a girl when she's hungry so that she doesn't have to eat bugs, rats and "mices" and that she has half breed friends as well. I don't know if we're at the point where I should seek psychological help for her or if I should just chalk it up to a very creative mind. She hasn't tried to bite anyone, shown signs or rabies or tried to sleep hanging upside down. I guess we'll just play it by ear.
Moments after that conversation she asked me if I knew how lucky I was to have her as a kid. Right?! She also told me that she considered a lot of different potential mommies, but that I seemed like the best one at the time. Not just the "best one", but the "best one at the time". WTF?????
Alright, here is the chicken recipe:
Cadillac Cowgirl Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
1 Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry; giblets removed
2 Oranges, quartered
2 Lemons, quartered
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
1 lb Turnips, diced
1 lb Baby Carrots, left whole
1 Red Onion, quartered
1 1/2 lbs New Potatoes, quartered
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and left whole
1 Tbsp Each Fresh Rosemary, Thyme and Sage, chopped
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter, softened, but not melted
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large roasting pan, drizzle the olive oil and swirl it around the pan to coat it. Add the squash, turnips, baby carrots, red onion, new potatoes and garlic cloves. Stir them around in the pan to distribute the oil over them - this will help keep them from sticking and help them roast evenly. Squeeze one of the quartered lemons and oranges over the veggies. Place the used lemon and orange quarters inside the chicken and nestle it among the veggies. (Doesn't that sound cozy...LMAO!) Take the two tablespoons of softened butter and rub it all over the chicken. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon and orange quarters over the buttered chicken. It will probably run off, but enough of it will stick to the chicken. Place the used quarters in the pan with the veggies. Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped herbs and any leftover amount over the veggies. Sprinkle a good amount of salt and ground black pepper over the chicken and veggies as well. Roast on the middle rack in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 400 and continue to cook until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through - about another hour. You can always use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Let the chicken rest for about five minutes before you slice it up. Serve it with warm rolls for a one pan meal. You can always add another vegetable and/or salad as a side dish depending on how many you are feeding. Enjoy!!
I just have one more thing to add and I hope I properly convey my meaning. Sponsors are vitally important to CASI - no if, ands, or buts about it. The sponsors that have chosen CASI as their "charity" so to speak and the sponsors Jim Ezell has been able to procure on CASI's behalf absolutely make it easier for all of us to cook chili at a pretty affordable rate. What gets under my skin, though, is to see an ad in the Trails that declares without the sponsors, there would be no cook offs. Really? I thought you had to have cooks to have a cook off and that comes across as arrogant to me. I am a sponsor of CASI, both as a "Sponsor" and as a cook and I am proud to be able to help out CASI from a sponsorship level and help out charities as a cook. I would hope that the ad placed in the Trails for that particular cook off was just worded wrong and not meant as a slap in the face to all of the cooks and promoters who bust their butts to get out there and run cook offs, sanction cook offs, and cook chili for charity without a sponsor in sight. I am grateful to the sponsors that generously give to CASI so that I can drive 10 hours to the desert every November and have a great time with my friends. I don't think any of us would be able to have as good of a time as we do if it weren't for the sponsors who have given to CASI so that they may make the Ranch that much more fun for all of us. Still, it's the COOKS who make sure there are cook offs. Just ask anyone who's ever been one of four cooks at 11 am at a cook off with a 2 pm turn in. I seriously doubt those four were jumping up and down if a sponsor drove up; but you know they'd probably hump the legs of everyone who showed up to cook and made sure that cook off was sanctioned. Just my humble opinion.........
Have a wonderful afternoon. I've got lots of kindness and joy to spread this week.
Keepin it real in Ellis Co.
Kelly
How was everyone's weekend? Ours was nice and relaxing with a nice shot of rain Saturday. We went to Central Market and actually contained ourselves! We did, however, find The Prisoner, a wine from Orin Swift Cellars in California. Gary and I first had this wine at Ruth's Chris a few months ago and loved it. We were so excited to see it at Central Market. Even better - they were giving samples of another Orin Swift wine, Abstract. OMG - freaking unbelievable!!!! We bought three bottles of it, a bottle of The Prisoner and a bottle of Brachetto. We stole one of Courtney's bottles to put in our six pack and get a 10% discount, too. We're smart like that :)
Lots of yummy, yummy stuff at Central Market. It was packed; they were having a cheese event and it was a madhouse. We tried quite a few goat, cheddar and blue cheeses. Latte Da Dairy was there and they always produce a fantastic goat cheese. There was another vendor there with a goat cheese and I just didn't care for it; neither did Courtney. We thought it was too sharp. Goat cheese should be mild and creamy and this had a really strong aftertaste. Besides, the woman with the yucky cheese was rude to my child, so she immediately lost favor with me :)!! Gary was his typical uncontrollable self in there and I had to reign him in over the wine and these pretty bad ass chocolate cookies that he somehow snuck in the basket. Anyways, we ended up with a great selection of cheese and wine for our pre dinner snack yesterday prior to the main event: Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Veggies!! I also bought Kale for the first time, but ended up not using it since there were so many veggies with the chicken. I'm going to saute it tonight with garlic.
I also planted my mums. I've been waiting for it to cool off and it sort of did, until today, so I went ahead and got them put out. The house is clean, laundry done, toyhauler packed and we are getting everything ready for Terlingua. Maybe this year won't be such a cluster you know what! It's just such a long ass trip...that's what I hate about it.
"Mommy, did you know that I'm half bat and half girl? That's why I'm so tired during the day. I fly around all night when I'm a bat."
That was a one liner from Paige last night. Instead of leaving it alone, I pursued the conversation. And you're wondering...who's the adult here, right? Me, too....
So I asked her if she watches TV at night as a bat or a girl. That question threw her for a loop, but it didn't stop her from rambling on about being a bat....how she flies around listening for an echo to tell her if she can keep going that direction, and that she turns back into a girl when she's hungry so that she doesn't have to eat bugs, rats and "mices" and that she has half breed friends as well. I don't know if we're at the point where I should seek psychological help for her or if I should just chalk it up to a very creative mind. She hasn't tried to bite anyone, shown signs or rabies or tried to sleep hanging upside down. I guess we'll just play it by ear.
Moments after that conversation she asked me if I knew how lucky I was to have her as a kid. Right?! She also told me that she considered a lot of different potential mommies, but that I seemed like the best one at the time. Not just the "best one", but the "best one at the time". WTF?????
Alright, here is the chicken recipe:
Cadillac Cowgirl Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
1 Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry; giblets removed
2 Oranges, quartered
2 Lemons, quartered
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
1 lb Turnips, diced
1 lb Baby Carrots, left whole
1 Red Onion, quartered
1 1/2 lbs New Potatoes, quartered
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and left whole
1 Tbsp Each Fresh Rosemary, Thyme and Sage, chopped
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter, softened, but not melted
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large roasting pan, drizzle the olive oil and swirl it around the pan to coat it. Add the squash, turnips, baby carrots, red onion, new potatoes and garlic cloves. Stir them around in the pan to distribute the oil over them - this will help keep them from sticking and help them roast evenly. Squeeze one of the quartered lemons and oranges over the veggies. Place the used lemon and orange quarters inside the chicken and nestle it among the veggies. (Doesn't that sound cozy...LMAO!) Take the two tablespoons of softened butter and rub it all over the chicken. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon and orange quarters over the buttered chicken. It will probably run off, but enough of it will stick to the chicken. Place the used quarters in the pan with the veggies. Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped herbs and any leftover amount over the veggies. Sprinkle a good amount of salt and ground black pepper over the chicken and veggies as well. Roast on the middle rack in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 400 and continue to cook until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through - about another hour. You can always use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Let the chicken rest for about five minutes before you slice it up. Serve it with warm rolls for a one pan meal. You can always add another vegetable and/or salad as a side dish depending on how many you are feeding. Enjoy!!
I just have one more thing to add and I hope I properly convey my meaning. Sponsors are vitally important to CASI - no if, ands, or buts about it. The sponsors that have chosen CASI as their "charity" so to speak and the sponsors Jim Ezell has been able to procure on CASI's behalf absolutely make it easier for all of us to cook chili at a pretty affordable rate. What gets under my skin, though, is to see an ad in the Trails that declares without the sponsors, there would be no cook offs. Really? I thought you had to have cooks to have a cook off and that comes across as arrogant to me. I am a sponsor of CASI, both as a "Sponsor" and as a cook and I am proud to be able to help out CASI from a sponsorship level and help out charities as a cook. I would hope that the ad placed in the Trails for that particular cook off was just worded wrong and not meant as a slap in the face to all of the cooks and promoters who bust their butts to get out there and run cook offs, sanction cook offs, and cook chili for charity without a sponsor in sight. I am grateful to the sponsors that generously give to CASI so that I can drive 10 hours to the desert every November and have a great time with my friends. I don't think any of us would be able to have as good of a time as we do if it weren't for the sponsors who have given to CASI so that they may make the Ranch that much more fun for all of us. Still, it's the COOKS who make sure there are cook offs. Just ask anyone who's ever been one of four cooks at 11 am at a cook off with a 2 pm turn in. I seriously doubt those four were jumping up and down if a sponsor drove up; but you know they'd probably hump the legs of everyone who showed up to cook and made sure that cook off was sanctioned. Just my humble opinion.........
Have a wonderful afternoon. I've got lots of kindness and joy to spread this week.
Keepin it real in Ellis Co.
Kelly
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