Good Afternoon!!
How is everyone doing this fine day? I can't believe the work week is almost over....I'm ready for the weekend! How many of you are cooking chili this weekend? We have two cook offs in the DFW area this weekend - Irving VFW and Lewisville. Hallsville is also having it's annual cook off. I've never been to the Hallsville CCO but I hear it's a really fun one. Stephanie Brockman and I are already planning our snacks for Saturday. We've been busy all week making sure we're going to have enough :). Next weekend is Lake Whitney and that is always a great time! Ellis Co. goes down there and parties in style! We'll be taking the Toy Hauler out (Gary is going on a ride Saturday) for only the 2nd time. Before we know it, we will be packing it up for TICC.
Speaking of TICC, Gary is taking his Harley. I've never been on it with him and I'm starting to think it wouldn't be too bad to take a ride with him through Big Bend. I've never been to Big Bend and I think it would be worth the trip. Maybe we can find me a leopard or pink skull helmet before we go? I think that would be hot....LOL! (I sound like Paige!)
Oh Paige.....girlfriend got the golf cart stuck last night. She and her sissy were out riding around in it and it was P's turn to drive. She drove it all right...straight up a hill and got the damn thing stuck. Daddy had to get the 4 wheeler and drag it off the hill. She was still trying to blame it on Zoe this morning...she won't admit she did it even though we all know she was driving it! She has a belt test tomorrow evening - she'll be going for her orange stripe belt! Paige has done such a great job in Karate and she loves it. We're so proud of her!
I am a candle/Scentsy/tart burning freak! I went a little crazy with the Scentsy bars and bricks, so I'm okay in that department. I have tart burners, too (the ones you use a tealight inside of) and the best tarts are either Yankee Candle or Tyler Candle brands. I think Yankee Candles are overrated and overpriced, but their tarts are well worth it! Tyler makes great candles and tarts - even if they're a little pricey. But, my favorite candles by far are Root Candles. They are made in Medina, OH. You can buy them at Bella Misty in Waxahachie (only place I personally know of - there may be others) or online. Bella Misty has a pretty good selection, but I tend to order online so that I have more options in the sizes. I must warn you - they are expensive by most candle standards, but they are so worth it! They're soy candles and they smell unbelievable and last for months! The Ginger Patchouli is my absolute favorite....I LOVE it! They also have a great Apple candle as well. Like I said, they do cost more, but they last a long time and you totally get your money out of them! If you want to peruse their website, the address is http://www.rootcandles.com. Happy shopping!!
I'm loving the fall weather that finally decided to make an appearance! I made a pot of soup for my in laws last night and turkey burgers are on the menu for this evening! Yay!!! I finally get my turkey burger! I'm making shrimp dip for snack time Saturday, so I'll share that recipe after I make it again...I don't make it very often and will have to dig out my recipe. We'll be home Sunday so I'm going to have something delicious on the menu to also share with everyone Monday. I'm thinking about doing either a pork loin with rosemary, garlic, lemon and horseradish...or braising a pork butt roast in beer with lots of root vegetables and herbs. Maybe I'll make both!
Spreading my own brand of joy and kindness.....
Kelly
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Just an Observation.....
Why don't more restaurants offer Turkey burgers? What's up with that? Why no love for the Turkey burger? Turkey is delicious and healthy and makes a hell of a burger. I've been craving a Turkey burger for a few weeks....that's what I'm making for dinner tonight. Problem solved...I will be my own supplier of Turkey burgers. Glad I got that squared away.
I am on my third large cup of coffee and I cannot wake up or get motivated. I have a lot of work to do and I'm just not feeling it. I should probably produce some work today. My life change plan is going along very well. The land at the back of our property has been cleared and we're about to put up fencing for the goats. I'm going to wait until after TICC to purchase the goats so that I don't have to ask my mom or sister to feed them. Although Paige would be all over it. We are also very close to Paige's bunny purchase. There were some really cute ones at Tractor Supply yesterday. She's got her money saved and they have a great started kit for $40. She's pretty excited.
Rather than ramble on and bore everyone, I'm going to sign off and get some work done. Have a great day....I hope all of you have Air Supply songs stuck in your head, too :o)
Kelly
I am on my third large cup of coffee and I cannot wake up or get motivated. I have a lot of work to do and I'm just not feeling it. I should probably produce some work today. My life change plan is going along very well. The land at the back of our property has been cleared and we're about to put up fencing for the goats. I'm going to wait until after TICC to purchase the goats so that I don't have to ask my mom or sister to feed them. Although Paige would be all over it. We are also very close to Paige's bunny purchase. There were some really cute ones at Tractor Supply yesterday. She's got her money saved and they have a great started kit for $40. She's pretty excited.
Rather than ramble on and bore everyone, I'm going to sign off and get some work done. Have a great day....I hope all of you have Air Supply songs stuck in your head, too :o)
Kelly
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Life...Unexpected......
I'm sitting here drinking a glass of wine while Paige sits by me and does her homework. I've been helping her on a few things and it's led me to ponder a few of (my) life's great mysteries:
First of all, I was not going to get married - ever. Then, I turned 24 and figured I'd better marry my boyfriend at the time because if I didn't marry him, then NO ONE would ever marry me. We all (well, not all of us) know how wonderful that turned out. Two years later, I was divorced and back at my parents. A risque divorcee at the ripe of age of twenty six....hahahaha! About that time, I met Gary and I've been with him ever since. We got married after dating for about 2 1/2 years. Looking back, I have no idea why we were in such a big hurry to get married. He and I both had craptastic first marriages (he's still got a bad first marriage - that crazy bitch won't go away) and I really don't know why we were in such a rush to potentially screw up another one! But, we got married and eight years later we have a happy home, a business, a great group of family and friends, Tyler and Zoe (from his first marriage) and of course, The Juicy. I guess you could say it's worked out for the best.
The second reason life is so weird is because I never, ever thought I would have a child. I had no desire to procreate. Health wise it wasn't a good idea and just common sense wise, it probably wasn't a really bright idea, either. I wanted it to be just me and Gary (well, me and Gary every other week we didn't have Tyler and Zoe) going out to dinner, traveling, staying out all night, you know - fun stuff! I never had a burning need to have kids. Don't get me wrong - I like kids - other people's kids. The kind that go home at the end of the night. The kind that throw up and poo on other people, not me. One night at a club that shall remain nameless changed all of that. Well, that, The Martini Ranch, and my husband having the shit scared out of him in a tornado a few days earlier. I guess he came home and figured he needed to spread his seed after his near death experience. Sooo....6 1/2 months later, out came The Juicy. The Juicy was obviously premature. She was born with brain bleeds, a hole in her heart (PDA) and under developed lungs. Weeks later, upon reading one of her very expensive bills, I discovered she had to be revived at birth - twice. That made me sick to my stomach. A few weeks after that, our phone rang in the middle of the night. I remember thinking, "This is it; she's died. This is why I never wanted to have kids." It was the hospital, but they were calling to get permission to insert a pic line because they were running out of places for her IV's. Nothing like a midnight phone call to scare the shit out of you. Paige came through, obviously. The hole in heart finally closed; her lungs eventually developed, and her brain bleeds disappeared without any long lasting side effects. I mean - how many of you have met Paige? Would you know her life had started out 10 weeks too soon? She's a little bad ass, I tell you.
So, I'm sitting here saying things to her I never thought I'd say in my life:
"It doesn't matter if you are the first one finished. Take your time and get it right." Or, "Use your finger math and add up the numbers to get the right answer." Oh, and "If you don't eat all your dinner, then no dessert." (God, that sounds like Pink Floyd..."How can you have any pudding? How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat") Sorry, I got off track. And my personal favorite, "Because I said so."
I realize how life, no matter your intentions, rarely goes according to plan.
Maybe that's the best part about life. Regardless of how you script it, life works out the way it was supposed to, whether you knew it was supposed to be that way or not. And personally, I can't imagine my life any different than it is now. I said good bye to singing along to the Supersuckers and The Reverend Horton Heat while hauling ass in my hot rod car six years ago, and started singing Barney in my SUV with Paige. Who knew?? At least now I have a cool little doppelganger to sing Hank songs with me. Deep down, I think that's probably how it was supposed to be all along. I'm living the life I was meant to live :o)
Have a good evening!
Kelly
First of all, I was not going to get married - ever. Then, I turned 24 and figured I'd better marry my boyfriend at the time because if I didn't marry him, then NO ONE would ever marry me. We all (well, not all of us) know how wonderful that turned out. Two years later, I was divorced and back at my parents. A risque divorcee at the ripe of age of twenty six....hahahaha! About that time, I met Gary and I've been with him ever since. We got married after dating for about 2 1/2 years. Looking back, I have no idea why we were in such a big hurry to get married. He and I both had craptastic first marriages (he's still got a bad first marriage - that crazy bitch won't go away) and I really don't know why we were in such a rush to potentially screw up another one! But, we got married and eight years later we have a happy home, a business, a great group of family and friends, Tyler and Zoe (from his first marriage) and of course, The Juicy. I guess you could say it's worked out for the best.
The second reason life is so weird is because I never, ever thought I would have a child. I had no desire to procreate. Health wise it wasn't a good idea and just common sense wise, it probably wasn't a really bright idea, either. I wanted it to be just me and Gary (well, me and Gary every other week we didn't have Tyler and Zoe) going out to dinner, traveling, staying out all night, you know - fun stuff! I never had a burning need to have kids. Don't get me wrong - I like kids - other people's kids. The kind that go home at the end of the night. The kind that throw up and poo on other people, not me. One night at a club that shall remain nameless changed all of that. Well, that, The Martini Ranch, and my husband having the shit scared out of him in a tornado a few days earlier. I guess he came home and figured he needed to spread his seed after his near death experience. Sooo....6 1/2 months later, out came The Juicy. The Juicy was obviously premature. She was born with brain bleeds, a hole in her heart (PDA) and under developed lungs. Weeks later, upon reading one of her very expensive bills, I discovered she had to be revived at birth - twice. That made me sick to my stomach. A few weeks after that, our phone rang in the middle of the night. I remember thinking, "This is it; she's died. This is why I never wanted to have kids." It was the hospital, but they were calling to get permission to insert a pic line because they were running out of places for her IV's. Nothing like a midnight phone call to scare the shit out of you. Paige came through, obviously. The hole in heart finally closed; her lungs eventually developed, and her brain bleeds disappeared without any long lasting side effects. I mean - how many of you have met Paige? Would you know her life had started out 10 weeks too soon? She's a little bad ass, I tell you.
So, I'm sitting here saying things to her I never thought I'd say in my life:
"It doesn't matter if you are the first one finished. Take your time and get it right." Or, "Use your finger math and add up the numbers to get the right answer." Oh, and "If you don't eat all your dinner, then no dessert." (God, that sounds like Pink Floyd..."How can you have any pudding? How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat") Sorry, I got off track. And my personal favorite, "Because I said so."
I realize how life, no matter your intentions, rarely goes according to plan.
Maybe that's the best part about life. Regardless of how you script it, life works out the way it was supposed to, whether you knew it was supposed to be that way or not. And personally, I can't imagine my life any different than it is now. I said good bye to singing along to the Supersuckers and The Reverend Horton Heat while hauling ass in my hot rod car six years ago, and started singing Barney in my SUV with Paige. Who knew?? At least now I have a cool little doppelganger to sing Hank songs with me. Deep down, I think that's probably how it was supposed to be all along. I'm living the life I was meant to live :o)
Have a good evening!
Kelly
I Heart Fall, My Puppies, Goats, My Purse, My Bracelet and Other Musings.....
Ah!!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this weather! I know it's supposed to warm up some, but these nice, cool temps are wonderful! This is my most favorite time of year. Last night someone was actually burning a fire. Gary came in the house and told me and I said, "Of course! It's 68 degrees outside - people are FREEZING!!" For the record, I wait until we have temps in the high 50's before I start burning a fire...I'm a little less dramatic....LOL!!
I'm looking forward to Canton with my Mom this Friday. I'm going to be looking for outdoor Halloween and Christmas stuff as well as a few more pics to hang in my kitchen. OMG!!! Gary and I ordered a picture of Hank III sitting at a bar with a bottle of Jack Daniels. I need to get a frame for it and hang it up somewhere in my house where it will be in a place of prominence :)!!! I'm good on Scentsy candles, so I think I can steer clear of them for awhile. I love how the house has come together since we redecorated. It looks really good!
After scouring thousands of bracelets, and wasting hours and hours of my life trying to locate a replacement for my green turquoise bracelet, I actually found a few that were pretty damn close and would have been suitable replacements. The problem with shopping for something to replace an item that's sentimental is that you don't really get a feel for it...does that make sense? So even though I found a few that would do the trick, nothing really grabbed me....until Friday. We went to the Fair and lo and behold, there was a Native American jewelry dealer set up. They had some BEAUTIFUL pieces! I looked, I tried on....I browsed and I walked off. I walked around a little bit longer and then went back. I went back to a White Buffalo Turquoise bracelet with three stones. It had caught my eye when I saw it the first time, but I wanted to walk around and think about it. I went back and tried it on and of course it fit perfectly! I LOVE it! Gary also bought me a ring with Crazy Horse Turquoise that is absolutely beautiful. Even though it's not green turquoise, the bracelet is perfect and I'm so glad I bought it. I went on the company's website and read about the couple who own it. They have rescue dogs and make charitable contributions to different animal rescue/welfare groups and non profits. That made me even more happy that I purchased my bracelet and ring from them!
Prior to going to the Fair, I was reunited with another love of mine, my Gucci Satchel. It had been at the purse doctor for a strap repair. I picked it up Thursday afternoon and promptly crammed all of my stuff back in it. I love that purse. I've never loved a purse as much as this one. I was so excited to get it back. Isn't that sad? I need help.
Speaking of needing help....MY DOGS!!! OH MY GOD! They are both batshit crazy. We had coyotes prowling around last night and they were hitting the back door trying to get out. Of course, Gary didn't let them go outside - they would have been a delicious snack for the coyotes. I guess the cooler temps sent them looking for food closer to human and canine life earlier in the fall than usual. The boys were worn out from their guard duty and they passed out in Daddy's lap. After a quick power nap, Eddie started cleaning Waylon's left ear (his favorite ear, for some reason), then his face, then his eyes. Then he started cooing at Waylon. Eddie needs to get some action - STAT!!! Waylon basically slept through the entire ordeal. Waylon isn't innocent, not by any means. He tries to get busy with Eddie, too. They're sick, sick little dogs. And they're all mine!!!!!
I spent an hour or so online last night researching goat breeds and feed. I've decided on Nubians and Alpines. I think Nubians are just adorable, for one thing; and two, they're very tolerant of our climate. Alpines are heat tolerant (I sound like I'm talking about plants and trees) as well and also good for milk and cheese. I don't plan to start milking the goats for a few years and will hold off on getting a buck until them. Does do not produce milk until they've reproduced. I did not know that until last night! Gary's working on cleaning up and clearing out the back of our property so that we can get our fence put up and get a few outbuildings for them. We're also going to need to have either a Donkey or Llama for protection. I figure that since I'm already surrounded by so many jackasses, a Llama would be better :) Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have my goats and I can start working with them and learning more about them. Paige wants to enroll in 4H, so this can be a project for her as well. She's been saving her "bunny money" so that she can buy a rabbit. She's named a few of them at Tractor Supply...Gilbert and Flower!
I've got a lot to do this week...mix spices for Saturday, cook a few meals to freeze and have on hand and get to work on some recipes to share! I love this weather because there are so many soups, stews and casseroles to make. I've also got to start planning the 2nd Annual Paige Brignon Halloween Bash! Her Queen of Hearts costume came last week and it is so over the top and perfect! I cannot wait for Halloween!!!
My minions are not taking direction very well today......LMFAO!!!!!
Jeannie states that she is happy with her status on the minion food chain....LOL!!!!
Would I be obnoxious if I walked around with my Red State Fair Ribbon attached to my shirt? I meant to wear it to the Fair on Friday, but I forgot......
Oh! If you go to the Fair, you must try the chicken fried bacon...it is out of this world!!! They also had jalapeno cheese corny dogs...those were pretty good, too.
I'm going to have the Seafood Cobb Salad from Pappadeaux today for lunch. If you haven't had one, you should. It's delicious and has lots of yummy avocados, bacon (not chicken fried), blue cheese, boiled eggs, crab meat and shrimp. I get it with the Creamy Creole dressing. It's sooooo gooood :0)
Still haven't gotten a response.....and just to clarify, I have sent emails to the person I'm referencing in my previous blog postings. I don't just call people out on my blog and not attempt to speak to them directly. That would be childish and passive aggressive and I work very hard at 37 years old to be neither!!
Have a WONDERFUL day! Don't forget that there are a few 1st chance for points cook offs in the DFW area this Saturday. We've got one in Lewisville that's a first time cook off and the VFW cook off in Irving. We'll be at the one in Irving; snacks and bloody marys are on the menu for our group. That's the best part about cooking, right?!?!?! The adult beverages and yummy food we all share!
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do.......
Kelly
I'm looking forward to Canton with my Mom this Friday. I'm going to be looking for outdoor Halloween and Christmas stuff as well as a few more pics to hang in my kitchen. OMG!!! Gary and I ordered a picture of Hank III sitting at a bar with a bottle of Jack Daniels. I need to get a frame for it and hang it up somewhere in my house where it will be in a place of prominence :)!!! I'm good on Scentsy candles, so I think I can steer clear of them for awhile. I love how the house has come together since we redecorated. It looks really good!
After scouring thousands of bracelets, and wasting hours and hours of my life trying to locate a replacement for my green turquoise bracelet, I actually found a few that were pretty damn close and would have been suitable replacements. The problem with shopping for something to replace an item that's sentimental is that you don't really get a feel for it...does that make sense? So even though I found a few that would do the trick, nothing really grabbed me....until Friday. We went to the Fair and lo and behold, there was a Native American jewelry dealer set up. They had some BEAUTIFUL pieces! I looked, I tried on....I browsed and I walked off. I walked around a little bit longer and then went back. I went back to a White Buffalo Turquoise bracelet with three stones. It had caught my eye when I saw it the first time, but I wanted to walk around and think about it. I went back and tried it on and of course it fit perfectly! I LOVE it! Gary also bought me a ring with Crazy Horse Turquoise that is absolutely beautiful. Even though it's not green turquoise, the bracelet is perfect and I'm so glad I bought it. I went on the company's website and read about the couple who own it. They have rescue dogs and make charitable contributions to different animal rescue/welfare groups and non profits. That made me even more happy that I purchased my bracelet and ring from them!
Prior to going to the Fair, I was reunited with another love of mine, my Gucci Satchel. It had been at the purse doctor for a strap repair. I picked it up Thursday afternoon and promptly crammed all of my stuff back in it. I love that purse. I've never loved a purse as much as this one. I was so excited to get it back. Isn't that sad? I need help.
Speaking of needing help....MY DOGS!!! OH MY GOD! They are both batshit crazy. We had coyotes prowling around last night and they were hitting the back door trying to get out. Of course, Gary didn't let them go outside - they would have been a delicious snack for the coyotes. I guess the cooler temps sent them looking for food closer to human and canine life earlier in the fall than usual. The boys were worn out from their guard duty and they passed out in Daddy's lap. After a quick power nap, Eddie started cleaning Waylon's left ear (his favorite ear, for some reason), then his face, then his eyes. Then he started cooing at Waylon. Eddie needs to get some action - STAT!!! Waylon basically slept through the entire ordeal. Waylon isn't innocent, not by any means. He tries to get busy with Eddie, too. They're sick, sick little dogs. And they're all mine!!!!!
I spent an hour or so online last night researching goat breeds and feed. I've decided on Nubians and Alpines. I think Nubians are just adorable, for one thing; and two, they're very tolerant of our climate. Alpines are heat tolerant (I sound like I'm talking about plants and trees) as well and also good for milk and cheese. I don't plan to start milking the goats for a few years and will hold off on getting a buck until them. Does do not produce milk until they've reproduced. I did not know that until last night! Gary's working on cleaning up and clearing out the back of our property so that we can get our fence put up and get a few outbuildings for them. We're also going to need to have either a Donkey or Llama for protection. I figure that since I'm already surrounded by so many jackasses, a Llama would be better :) Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have my goats and I can start working with them and learning more about them. Paige wants to enroll in 4H, so this can be a project for her as well. She's been saving her "bunny money" so that she can buy a rabbit. She's named a few of them at Tractor Supply...Gilbert and Flower!
I've got a lot to do this week...mix spices for Saturday, cook a few meals to freeze and have on hand and get to work on some recipes to share! I love this weather because there are so many soups, stews and casseroles to make. I've also got to start planning the 2nd Annual Paige Brignon Halloween Bash! Her Queen of Hearts costume came last week and it is so over the top and perfect! I cannot wait for Halloween!!!
My minions are not taking direction very well today......LMFAO!!!!!
Jeannie states that she is happy with her status on the minion food chain....LOL!!!!
Would I be obnoxious if I walked around with my Red State Fair Ribbon attached to my shirt? I meant to wear it to the Fair on Friday, but I forgot......
Oh! If you go to the Fair, you must try the chicken fried bacon...it is out of this world!!! They also had jalapeno cheese corny dogs...those were pretty good, too.
I'm going to have the Seafood Cobb Salad from Pappadeaux today for lunch. If you haven't had one, you should. It's delicious and has lots of yummy avocados, bacon (not chicken fried), blue cheese, boiled eggs, crab meat and shrimp. I get it with the Creamy Creole dressing. It's sooooo gooood :0)
Still haven't gotten a response.....and just to clarify, I have sent emails to the person I'm referencing in my previous blog postings. I don't just call people out on my blog and not attempt to speak to them directly. That would be childish and passive aggressive and I work very hard at 37 years old to be neither!!
Have a WONDERFUL day! Don't forget that there are a few 1st chance for points cook offs in the DFW area this Saturday. We've got one in Lewisville that's a first time cook off and the VFW cook off in Irving. We'll be at the one in Irving; snacks and bloody marys are on the menu for our group. That's the best part about cooking, right?!?!?! The adult beverages and yummy food we all share!
Spreading joy and kindness in all that I do.......
Kelly
Monday, September 27, 2010
Definitions
Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
Innocent Bystander: Someone caught in the middle of a disagreement who had no prior knowledge of the aforementioned disagreement.
Unwise: Forwarding an email at the behest of someone without knowing their true intentions.
Passive Aggressive: Letting someone else do your dirty work or not communicating directly with the individual you have a conflict with.
Power Hungry: Someone who is obsessed with power. Someone who does not want to let go of any control to others. Often associated with micromanaging. This results in the following:
Ignorance
Bickering
Loss of support
Apathy from those tired of all the crap!
Now, on to a less passive aggressive tone for this posting.
I learned a few months ago that reactionary posts on my blog are not always a good idea. When I went off about the Dr. Ray issue, and I still feel justified in doing so, I hurt some people's feelings and that was not my intention whatsoever. I've also made it a point not to post anything downright derogatory or hateful as a means to support any argument I have or point that I am trying to make. I also do not post any email conversations between myself and CASI Board Members. I have been given permission to post letters and I have done so. With that said, I feel like this Regional Referee issue has gotten completely out of hand because CASI's current Executive Director is a control freak who does not like to be challenged in any way shape or form. The ED has decided to involve others in an argument between the two of us. You might say I am doing the same thing by airing my dirty laundry via my blog. I would have to agree with that opinion - to a point. I am not being untruthful; I am not asking people to write an email full of support for my position that is an inaccurate version of the events so that I can prove my point. What I write on my blog is the truth. There are too many people who read my blog in order for me to lie - not that I would anyways. I find it unfortunate that the ED does not feel like she should respond to me directly, but have another cook forward an email in which she's taken a smart ass tone when referencing me. I am also amused that I was called a "raving two year old" for calling her out on it. It seems to me that someone feels threatened, and is looking for a way to discredit those who stand up to her and call her out on her bullshit. Sounds childish, doesn't it? It is!!! It's a friggin bowl of chili and for some reason, there are people in CASI who have made this their life and they aren't about to give up any control they've managed to wrap their fingers around.
In all honesty, some of the above definitions describe me as well...insane and unwise to name a few. Passive aggressive - never. Power hungry - I don't think so, I'm the Queen of Delegating! Innocent Bystander - probably not. I've opened myself up for all kinds of criticism by having this blog, but hey, that's my choice. I know that I'm honest and that my methods might be a little unorthodox, but I mean well. I believe in CASI. I support the people that I cook with and the charities I raise money for. But I DO NOT and WILL NOT support someone who is more interested in being right than doing what is right for the 1500 or so members of CASI. Love me, hate me, roll your eyes at me...do what you want. But you can't say my intentions are anything but good and in the interest of being fair to everyone for the sake of doing what's right! I also know that in the grand scheme of my life, this is a passing thing that will fade away quicker than Paige can strap on her shoes. Still, I do not understand why someone would go out of their way to alienate the person or persons who want to give, who want to help. I don't have to dig my heels in and fight about this petty issue; I could take the high road and move on with my life. I'm still debating if there really is a need to continue arguing with a brick wall. I'm stubborn, but I'm not stupid. My time, and my money, are more valuable than this. The CASI leadership, whether that includes all of them or one of them, still have not figured out why they are here - and it's not because people like to see them in their hot pink shirts. The Board is elected by the members to lead CASI in a manner that is fit for everyone - including the cooks. In this frenzy to obtain more sponsors and fund more scholarships, the cooks and local charities seem to be getting the short end of the stick. CASI is here because of the cooks who spend their time and money every weekend promoting CASI - not because of Mexene, or Woodbridge, or any of the countless other sponsors who support CASI. Yes, they make TICC more fun and they help finance our hobby, but they are not responsible for what CASI has become - that's you and me, folks. Maybe the ED hasn't looked around lately, but she's on the older side of most of the chili cooking population in CASI. There aren't a whole bunch of us young people clamoring to cook chili and put up with this crap. If she keeps running off all of the young blood, and if the Board continues to let it happen, CASI will die off with every member that passes away each year.
Have a good afternoon....spread some joy and kindness while you're at it :)
Kelly
Innocent Bystander: Someone caught in the middle of a disagreement who had no prior knowledge of the aforementioned disagreement.
Unwise: Forwarding an email at the behest of someone without knowing their true intentions.
Passive Aggressive: Letting someone else do your dirty work or not communicating directly with the individual you have a conflict with.
Power Hungry: Someone who is obsessed with power. Someone who does not want to let go of any control to others. Often associated with micromanaging. This results in the following:
Ignorance
Bickering
Loss of support
Apathy from those tired of all the crap!
Now, on to a less passive aggressive tone for this posting.
I learned a few months ago that reactionary posts on my blog are not always a good idea. When I went off about the Dr. Ray issue, and I still feel justified in doing so, I hurt some people's feelings and that was not my intention whatsoever. I've also made it a point not to post anything downright derogatory or hateful as a means to support any argument I have or point that I am trying to make. I also do not post any email conversations between myself and CASI Board Members. I have been given permission to post letters and I have done so. With that said, I feel like this Regional Referee issue has gotten completely out of hand because CASI's current Executive Director is a control freak who does not like to be challenged in any way shape or form. The ED has decided to involve others in an argument between the two of us. You might say I am doing the same thing by airing my dirty laundry via my blog. I would have to agree with that opinion - to a point. I am not being untruthful; I am not asking people to write an email full of support for my position that is an inaccurate version of the events so that I can prove my point. What I write on my blog is the truth. There are too many people who read my blog in order for me to lie - not that I would anyways. I find it unfortunate that the ED does not feel like she should respond to me directly, but have another cook forward an email in which she's taken a smart ass tone when referencing me. I am also amused that I was called a "raving two year old" for calling her out on it. It seems to me that someone feels threatened, and is looking for a way to discredit those who stand up to her and call her out on her bullshit. Sounds childish, doesn't it? It is!!! It's a friggin bowl of chili and for some reason, there are people in CASI who have made this their life and they aren't about to give up any control they've managed to wrap their fingers around.
In all honesty, some of the above definitions describe me as well...insane and unwise to name a few. Passive aggressive - never. Power hungry - I don't think so, I'm the Queen of Delegating! Innocent Bystander - probably not. I've opened myself up for all kinds of criticism by having this blog, but hey, that's my choice. I know that I'm honest and that my methods might be a little unorthodox, but I mean well. I believe in CASI. I support the people that I cook with and the charities I raise money for. But I DO NOT and WILL NOT support someone who is more interested in being right than doing what is right for the 1500 or so members of CASI. Love me, hate me, roll your eyes at me...do what you want. But you can't say my intentions are anything but good and in the interest of being fair to everyone for the sake of doing what's right! I also know that in the grand scheme of my life, this is a passing thing that will fade away quicker than Paige can strap on her shoes. Still, I do not understand why someone would go out of their way to alienate the person or persons who want to give, who want to help. I don't have to dig my heels in and fight about this petty issue; I could take the high road and move on with my life. I'm still debating if there really is a need to continue arguing with a brick wall. I'm stubborn, but I'm not stupid. My time, and my money, are more valuable than this. The CASI leadership, whether that includes all of them or one of them, still have not figured out why they are here - and it's not because people like to see them in their hot pink shirts. The Board is elected by the members to lead CASI in a manner that is fit for everyone - including the cooks. In this frenzy to obtain more sponsors and fund more scholarships, the cooks and local charities seem to be getting the short end of the stick. CASI is here because of the cooks who spend their time and money every weekend promoting CASI - not because of Mexene, or Woodbridge, or any of the countless other sponsors who support CASI. Yes, they make TICC more fun and they help finance our hobby, but they are not responsible for what CASI has become - that's you and me, folks. Maybe the ED hasn't looked around lately, but she's on the older side of most of the chili cooking population in CASI. There aren't a whole bunch of us young people clamoring to cook chili and put up with this crap. If she keeps running off all of the young blood, and if the Board continues to let it happen, CASI will die off with every member that passes away each year.
Have a good afternoon....spread some joy and kindness while you're at it :)
Kelly
Friday, September 24, 2010
Fair Day!!!!
Woo Hoo!! Soooo excited to go to the Fair today! Paige, Gammy, Courtney, Mommy and Daddy are all going to go look at the goats, eat corny dogs, ride some rides and just have a damn good time!
Dinner at Pappas last night was amazing - as usual. Tried a new Cabernet with dinner - Paradigm. Really delicious and not heavy like a lot of Cabs. They also had flourless chocolate cakes for us and they were DIVINE!! I took two bites of mine and then gave it to Gary. I did not consume any bread last night (besides the two bites of cake) and I was really proud of myself. I also did not partake of the au gratin potatoes or the crab mac and cheese. I had a filet, lobster tail and asparagus. It was DELISH! We had such a fun time - lots of laughs and snorting...from me, of course. I also dropped my CrackBerry in the ice cream on the plate with my cake. THAT was pretty damn amusing. I'm glad my mom had such a great birthday dinner. The bar made Hazelnut Martinis for her all night....I didn't try one, but they must have been good - she had more than a few :)
Good luck to anyone cooking this weekend trying to get those last points for TICC. It'll be here before we know it. Gary and I are staying home this weekend and recharging our batteries :) I feel like we've been going and going non stop for the last month. It will be nice to do nothing!
I'm off to do a few billings and then get the hell out of here. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Spread some joy and kindness this weekend!!
Kelly
Dinner at Pappas last night was amazing - as usual. Tried a new Cabernet with dinner - Paradigm. Really delicious and not heavy like a lot of Cabs. They also had flourless chocolate cakes for us and they were DIVINE!! I took two bites of mine and then gave it to Gary. I did not consume any bread last night (besides the two bites of cake) and I was really proud of myself. I also did not partake of the au gratin potatoes or the crab mac and cheese. I had a filet, lobster tail and asparagus. It was DELISH! We had such a fun time - lots of laughs and snorting...from me, of course. I also dropped my CrackBerry in the ice cream on the plate with my cake. THAT was pretty damn amusing. I'm glad my mom had such a great birthday dinner. The bar made Hazelnut Martinis for her all night....I didn't try one, but they must have been good - she had more than a few :)
Good luck to anyone cooking this weekend trying to get those last points for TICC. It'll be here before we know it. Gary and I are staying home this weekend and recharging our batteries :) I feel like we've been going and going non stop for the last month. It will be nice to do nothing!
I'm off to do a few billings and then get the hell out of here. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Spread some joy and kindness this weekend!!
Kelly
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Boiling vs. Simmering
When you boil water, it can spew and overflow and make a really big mess.
When you simmer water, it maintains a nice, even bubble and rarely spews over the top of the saucepan, thus not creating a mess.
This morning, I'm still boiling, but I choose not to spew over the sides. In a day or two, when my temperature has returned to simmering, I'll lift the lid and we'll all take a look inside :0)
Spreading my own special brand of joy and kindness.....
Kelly
When you simmer water, it maintains a nice, even bubble and rarely spews over the top of the saucepan, thus not creating a mess.
This morning, I'm still boiling, but I choose not to spew over the sides. In a day or two, when my temperature has returned to simmering, I'll lift the lid and we'll all take a look inside :0)
Spreading my own special brand of joy and kindness.....
Kelly
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Conversations with Paige, Letting Employees Take Vacations, and Other Random Thoughts.......
Many of you who read my blog know Paige. She is, without a doubt, the most amazing, precious, intelligent and all around weird kid that I have ever met! With that said, I'm her Mommy....so of course I think she is genetically superior to all other children and humans! Some of the things that come out of her mouth completely floor me. I had no idea how big of a smart ass she is. I know, I know...where does she get it?? :) Still, the kid is spot on sometimes and I wonder if she's a mini Kelly Bowden trapped in a Paige Brignon body. Hhhhmmm......
So anyways, I don't post EVERYTHING she says simply because I don't want all of you questioning my skills as a parent! I've really had to watch what I say around her the past few months because she is SO observant - and I don't mean F-bombs. Did I blog about the comment made by the new Priest at St. Joseph....the one about touching the children? Well, she heard me say that and has asked me, in public, "Why does Faudder like to touch the small children?" No matter how many times I tell her that what he meant was that he loves all of the kids (and they really love him - he's awesome for the school) and loves to give them hugs. I still can't break her of saying it. I am VERY, VERY AFRAID that she is just going to ask Father Martin one day and that will be the day I just don't ever go up to that school again. She's also obsessed with "inappropriate kissing". Don't freak out...it's not bad...this coming from the mom who freaked out over the Priest saying he liked to touch small children. But anyways! Inappropriate kissing came from Paige seeing me and her daddy kiss. She would kiss us with her eyes open and move her head! I said to her, "Paige, you can't kiss mommy and daddy like that. It's inappropriate. That's how mommies and daddies kiss, but not mommies, daddies and their kids." Hence the birth (or birfalize) of "inappropriate kissing." So what does she do now? She'll look at us and ask, "Do you know what I'm about to do? I'm about to inappropriately kiss you!" And she does this in public. I tell you....I am days away from a CPS visit! Paige is also having a hard time learning to tie her shoes and requested a pair of velcro tennis shoes.
Paige: Mommy, I'm going to call these shoes "Strappers" because you strap them on.
Me: Okay.
Paige: I'm not going to call them "Strippers" because that's what you do when you take your clothes off and dance.
Me: Paige...oh my God. How do you know that?
Paige: Well, you tell me to strip off my clothes and get in the shower. Then, when I'm naked and waiting to get in, sometimes I dance. And you've told me to quit dancing around naked like a stripper.
Me: Oh.
Paige: Yeah, I know what you're talking about. You need to remember that I know everything.
Me: Okay....
This leads me to last night's adventure. I got stuck in really bad traffic and didn't pick her up in time for Karate. I explained to her that we were going to go pick up a prescription and then go eat before going to the Hall for our Pod meeting. This is the conversation that followed:
Paige: Mommy, I'd really like some evening wear.
Me: Excuse me?
Paige: Yes, evening wear. It's what ladies wear in the evening when they go out.
Me: Well, you aren't a lady, you're a kid and you have your uniform on which is fine for the Hall.
Paige: But I really want to go home and change into my evening wear.
Me: Paige, we are not driving all the way home just for you to change into your "evening wear." You'll be fine.
Paige: But Mommy, I really like to wear evening clothes. I look good in them and they are better than my uniform.
Me: Fine, we'll run into Family Dollar after I get my RX and we'll see what we can find for you.
Paige: Thank you. You're the best mommy in the world.
Me: Thank you Paige. By the way, where did you come up with the term "evening wear" for clothes that you wear after school?
Paige: I saw the ladies in the night wearing them?
Me: The ladies in the night?? (I immediately start thinking of hookers.)
Paige: Yeah, like you.
Me: Oh???? Now I'm really curious.
Paige: Like what you wear when we go out to eat at night sometimes.
Me: Oh...okay. I got it.
So we go into the Family Dollar and Paige picks out her evening wear:
FIERCE!!
This morning, Paige woke up with a "scratchy froat" again and a little cough. I'm pretty sure it's just allergies, so I give her some Mucinex and tell her to go get in the shower - the steam will make her feel better. The entire time she's making her case for staying home. She gets a little pissed when I get her uniform out so that she can get dressed. She tells me she'd really like to have some house clothes and a house dress like Gammy. I don't know where she gets this shit! I asked her if she could find her robe and she answers: "that would be a no." WTH????? She put on her uniform, got ready and off we went to school. I forgot to fix her lunch so we stopped at the gas station in Garrett for a little Lunchable action and some Bug Juice. Thank God I have options - even if they are 15 minutes from the house!
Jeannie is on vacation this week. It's been okay so far, but I just don't know if I'll ever let her leave again. Jeannie is my guiding light; my life jacket in the sea of stupidity I swim in daily at T & B Demolition, LLC. I have no idea if payroll will get done this week. It's looking more and more likely that the guys are going to get handwritten checks! Ever since our software update/upgrade, I can't find a damn thing in American Contractor. I can write out checks faster than I can enter all of the info in the computer and print them out. I may give her a raise when she comes back :)
Meeting with three GP's/RR's two years ago at TICC when one of them wants to start their own Pod does not constitute talking to people about the realignment of regions two years later. Another answer I get to call "bullshit" on.
The 10th Annual Gingerbread House CCO is on the schedule! Make plans for February 5th-7th to come out to the Ellis Co. Expo Center and cook all weekend. This is a great cook off for a great charity (The Gingerbread House) and we are already planning to make this one our biggest and best! I'll be posting updates and reminders over the next few months.
I've decided on more ink! My husband has been after me for awhile to get a "tramp stamp", but I'm just not a fan of some weird tribal design on my lower back so that my husband gets turned on. I've come up with a design of sugar skulls and flowers to put across my lower back. I can't wait! I'm going to call Chris and set up a time to go see him and get started. I came up with this while floating peacefully down the Guadalupe River a few weeks ago :)
Charlie will be at The Granada Friday night. I don't think we're going. I believe we are going to take Paige to the Fair Friday and make an all day event out of it. I'll be too tired to go flirt with Charlie that evening :)
Pappas tomorrow night for Gammy's birthday. I'm looking forward to it. Even when I'm no carbing it, I can enjoy the divine deliciousness of Pappas. No, I won't be able to eat my beloved Skillet Potatoes...but I can still have the bacon wrapped scallops, the filet, and asparagus. I'm all over it.....
Oh! We got a Seghesio shipment yesterday and a bottle of Pinot Noir was in it. Yay!!!! I see a trip to Central Market in my future....gotta find something great to fix with the Pinot. We haven't had Sea Bass in a while or Rainbow Trout. I don't subscribe to the White wine w/ fish, Red wine w/ meat school of thought. I say drink what you like and then it will all come together! I drink red wine with almost everything. Most fish, in my opinion, can stand up to red wines - especially Sea Bass, Salmon and Steelhead Trout. Red wine also goes great with BBQ Chicken and Ribs....especially Zinfandels. They have a a lot of fruit in them and they complement the spiciness of the BBQ sauce.
I hope everyone has a great day! I'm looking forward to staying home this weekend. The landscapers came out yesterday and our flowerbeds look AWESOME! Thank you for pulling all of those weeds!!! The weather is supposed to be mild this weekend and that will give Gary and I a good opportunity to do some yard work. I'm also excited about our gate and fence that we are going to install. I've been meaning to cook, but I have been so busy that by the time I get home, I feed Paige and then I consume a liquid dinner. Hopefully I'll have some recipes to post after the weekend.
Spreading joy and kindness in ALL that I do....(and say!!)
Kelly
The Cadillac Cowgirl
So anyways, I don't post EVERYTHING she says simply because I don't want all of you questioning my skills as a parent! I've really had to watch what I say around her the past few months because she is SO observant - and I don't mean F-bombs. Did I blog about the comment made by the new Priest at St. Joseph....the one about touching the children? Well, she heard me say that and has asked me, in public, "Why does Faudder like to touch the small children?" No matter how many times I tell her that what he meant was that he loves all of the kids (and they really love him - he's awesome for the school) and loves to give them hugs. I still can't break her of saying it. I am VERY, VERY AFRAID that she is just going to ask Father Martin one day and that will be the day I just don't ever go up to that school again. She's also obsessed with "inappropriate kissing". Don't freak out...it's not bad...this coming from the mom who freaked out over the Priest saying he liked to touch small children. But anyways! Inappropriate kissing came from Paige seeing me and her daddy kiss. She would kiss us with her eyes open and move her head! I said to her, "Paige, you can't kiss mommy and daddy like that. It's inappropriate. That's how mommies and daddies kiss, but not mommies, daddies and their kids." Hence the birth (or birfalize) of "inappropriate kissing." So what does she do now? She'll look at us and ask, "Do you know what I'm about to do? I'm about to inappropriately kiss you!" And she does this in public. I tell you....I am days away from a CPS visit! Paige is also having a hard time learning to tie her shoes and requested a pair of velcro tennis shoes.
Paige: Mommy, I'm going to call these shoes "Strappers" because you strap them on.
Me: Okay.
Paige: I'm not going to call them "Strippers" because that's what you do when you take your clothes off and dance.
Me: Paige...oh my God. How do you know that?
Paige: Well, you tell me to strip off my clothes and get in the shower. Then, when I'm naked and waiting to get in, sometimes I dance. And you've told me to quit dancing around naked like a stripper.
Me: Oh.
Paige: Yeah, I know what you're talking about. You need to remember that I know everything.
Me: Okay....
This leads me to last night's adventure. I got stuck in really bad traffic and didn't pick her up in time for Karate. I explained to her that we were going to go pick up a prescription and then go eat before going to the Hall for our Pod meeting. This is the conversation that followed:
Paige: Mommy, I'd really like some evening wear.
Me: Excuse me?
Paige: Yes, evening wear. It's what ladies wear in the evening when they go out.
Me: Well, you aren't a lady, you're a kid and you have your uniform on which is fine for the Hall.
Paige: But I really want to go home and change into my evening wear.
Me: Paige, we are not driving all the way home just for you to change into your "evening wear." You'll be fine.
Paige: But Mommy, I really like to wear evening clothes. I look good in them and they are better than my uniform.
Me: Fine, we'll run into Family Dollar after I get my RX and we'll see what we can find for you.
Paige: Thank you. You're the best mommy in the world.
Me: Thank you Paige. By the way, where did you come up with the term "evening wear" for clothes that you wear after school?
Paige: I saw the ladies in the night wearing them?
Me: The ladies in the night?? (I immediately start thinking of hookers.)
Paige: Yeah, like you.
Me: Oh???? Now I'm really curious.
Paige: Like what you wear when we go out to eat at night sometimes.
Me: Oh...okay. I got it.
So we go into the Family Dollar and Paige picks out her evening wear:
FIERCE!!
This morning, Paige woke up with a "scratchy froat" again and a little cough. I'm pretty sure it's just allergies, so I give her some Mucinex and tell her to go get in the shower - the steam will make her feel better. The entire time she's making her case for staying home. She gets a little pissed when I get her uniform out so that she can get dressed. She tells me she'd really like to have some house clothes and a house dress like Gammy. I don't know where she gets this shit! I asked her if she could find her robe and she answers: "that would be a no." WTH????? She put on her uniform, got ready and off we went to school. I forgot to fix her lunch so we stopped at the gas station in Garrett for a little Lunchable action and some Bug Juice. Thank God I have options - even if they are 15 minutes from the house!
Jeannie is on vacation this week. It's been okay so far, but I just don't know if I'll ever let her leave again. Jeannie is my guiding light; my life jacket in the sea of stupidity I swim in daily at T & B Demolition, LLC. I have no idea if payroll will get done this week. It's looking more and more likely that the guys are going to get handwritten checks! Ever since our software update/upgrade, I can't find a damn thing in American Contractor. I can write out checks faster than I can enter all of the info in the computer and print them out. I may give her a raise when she comes back :)
Meeting with three GP's/RR's two years ago at TICC when one of them wants to start their own Pod does not constitute talking to people about the realignment of regions two years later. Another answer I get to call "bullshit" on.
The 10th Annual Gingerbread House CCO is on the schedule! Make plans for February 5th-7th to come out to the Ellis Co. Expo Center and cook all weekend. This is a great cook off for a great charity (The Gingerbread House) and we are already planning to make this one our biggest and best! I'll be posting updates and reminders over the next few months.
I've decided on more ink! My husband has been after me for awhile to get a "tramp stamp", but I'm just not a fan of some weird tribal design on my lower back so that my husband gets turned on. I've come up with a design of sugar skulls and flowers to put across my lower back. I can't wait! I'm going to call Chris and set up a time to go see him and get started. I came up with this while floating peacefully down the Guadalupe River a few weeks ago :)
Charlie will be at The Granada Friday night. I don't think we're going. I believe we are going to take Paige to the Fair Friday and make an all day event out of it. I'll be too tired to go flirt with Charlie that evening :)
Pappas tomorrow night for Gammy's birthday. I'm looking forward to it. Even when I'm no carbing it, I can enjoy the divine deliciousness of Pappas. No, I won't be able to eat my beloved Skillet Potatoes...but I can still have the bacon wrapped scallops, the filet, and asparagus. I'm all over it.....
Oh! We got a Seghesio shipment yesterday and a bottle of Pinot Noir was in it. Yay!!!! I see a trip to Central Market in my future....gotta find something great to fix with the Pinot. We haven't had Sea Bass in a while or Rainbow Trout. I don't subscribe to the White wine w/ fish, Red wine w/ meat school of thought. I say drink what you like and then it will all come together! I drink red wine with almost everything. Most fish, in my opinion, can stand up to red wines - especially Sea Bass, Salmon and Steelhead Trout. Red wine also goes great with BBQ Chicken and Ribs....especially Zinfandels. They have a a lot of fruit in them and they complement the spiciness of the BBQ sauce.
I hope everyone has a great day! I'm looking forward to staying home this weekend. The landscapers came out yesterday and our flowerbeds look AWESOME! Thank you for pulling all of those weeds!!! The weather is supposed to be mild this weekend and that will give Gary and I a good opportunity to do some yard work. I'm also excited about our gate and fence that we are going to install. I've been meaning to cook, but I have been so busy that by the time I get home, I feed Paige and then I consume a liquid dinner. Hopefully I'll have some recipes to post after the weekend.
Spreading joy and kindness in ALL that I do....(and say!!)
Kelly
The Cadillac Cowgirl
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday Ramblings....
Good afternoon! I've survived the Work Comp Policy audit and I'm gearing up for the General Liability audit on Thursday. Between now and then, I have to finish our monthly billings, and do payroll. I HAPPILY gave up payroll three years ago when Jeannie started working for us. I don't think I've done it the entire time she's been here. I wonder if the guys would wait for their checks until she gets back next week???
Sooo....I finally got a response regarding my rant last week. I'm still debating whether or not to even blog any more about it. I've always struggled between writing off some of the Directors as bobbleheads and believing that they really are trying to make a difference and do a good job. Right now, I don't have a whole lot of nice things to say about the individual responsible for maintaining open communication between the Board and the membership. I guess this is where I fight to keep my fingers from getting me in a lot of trouble. I'd love to go off and just start typing everything that is swirling around in my mind. I know I'd feel a lot better; but, I'm not convinced I'd create anything positive by saying what I REALLY think.
I received the typical, in my opinion, bullshit response to my questions, concerns and comments. I was told how people were "delighted" to get new areas...yet conspicuously absent from the glowing report were the opinions of those that weren't contacted prior to the realignment. I'm still curious to know if the Rose City Pod was ever asked how they felt about losing the county they're located in. I doubt John and Blu Daniels were "delighted" by that move. Oh, and a policy is being put in place to make sure cook offs are accepted by the RR before being scheduled. Uhhh...HOW LONG have we been asking for this "procedure"? I guess it can only come to fruition when it's a certain someone's idea......another "I" for a future campaign speech, I guess. I also have serious concerns about the power of the ED. Why is someone charged with being a liaison between the Directors and Members in a position to arbitrarily change procedures and shape their own job description? That seems like such a conflict to me. Yes, I know...the GP's voted to re-elect the current ED. Still, it just seems antiquated to give that kind of power to the people (or person) in charge of enforcing the rules.
This bothers me on another level, too....and you all must have known I would eventually "go there". I give money to CASI - not just as a cook but as a sponsor. Why doesn't my opinion matter? Shouldn't the perspective of someone trying to support your organization with their money get a little more than some b.s. response? This is all very frustrating to me. It's even more frustrating when I feel like I'm holding back for the sake of NOT being classified as negative. I mean, isn't that how most of us who run our mouths about CASI are viewed by the Board?
I'm sure I'll eventually find a way to say what I want to say in a not so inflammatory manner. I hope I find it real soon because I'm starting to lose a lot of blood from biting my tongue so hard :)
Oh well, you know the old saying - time flies when you're having fun. Here's hoping that the next two years buzz by.......
Keepin it real......
Kelly
Sooo....I finally got a response regarding my rant last week. I'm still debating whether or not to even blog any more about it. I've always struggled between writing off some of the Directors as bobbleheads and believing that they really are trying to make a difference and do a good job. Right now, I don't have a whole lot of nice things to say about the individual responsible for maintaining open communication between the Board and the membership. I guess this is where I fight to keep my fingers from getting me in a lot of trouble. I'd love to go off and just start typing everything that is swirling around in my mind. I know I'd feel a lot better; but, I'm not convinced I'd create anything positive by saying what I REALLY think.
I received the typical, in my opinion, bullshit response to my questions, concerns and comments. I was told how people were "delighted" to get new areas...yet conspicuously absent from the glowing report were the opinions of those that weren't contacted prior to the realignment. I'm still curious to know if the Rose City Pod was ever asked how they felt about losing the county they're located in. I doubt John and Blu Daniels were "delighted" by that move. Oh, and a policy is being put in place to make sure cook offs are accepted by the RR before being scheduled. Uhhh...HOW LONG have we been asking for this "procedure"? I guess it can only come to fruition when it's a certain someone's idea......another "I" for a future campaign speech, I guess. I also have serious concerns about the power of the ED. Why is someone charged with being a liaison between the Directors and Members in a position to arbitrarily change procedures and shape their own job description? That seems like such a conflict to me. Yes, I know...the GP's voted to re-elect the current ED. Still, it just seems antiquated to give that kind of power to the people (or person) in charge of enforcing the rules.
This bothers me on another level, too....and you all must have known I would eventually "go there". I give money to CASI - not just as a cook but as a sponsor. Why doesn't my opinion matter? Shouldn't the perspective of someone trying to support your organization with their money get a little more than some b.s. response? This is all very frustrating to me. It's even more frustrating when I feel like I'm holding back for the sake of NOT being classified as negative. I mean, isn't that how most of us who run our mouths about CASI are viewed by the Board?
I'm sure I'll eventually find a way to say what I want to say in a not so inflammatory manner. I hope I find it real soon because I'm starting to lose a lot of blood from biting my tongue so hard :)
Oh well, you know the old saying - time flies when you're having fun. Here's hoping that the next two years buzz by.......
Keepin it real......
Kelly
Monday, September 20, 2010
State Fair Results!!
Good Morning! This is going to be a quick post and I'll do my best to post throughout the week. Jeannie is on vacation this week and it's billing week, plus I've got two insurance audits, and a host of other things to do! I'll make it, though....I always do :)
I want to say thank you to everyone who cooked at the Fair yesterday. Yes, I know it's the weekend before the Fair even opens. And yes, I'm fully aware that it's late in the year and not only do people not want to melt in the heat, they don't want to be accused of stealing points from people who need them. To those people, I say, "B.S."!!! Yes, it's hot - this is TEXAS! And get over yourselves on the point stealing - the charities we support suffer when those who are already qualified stay home! This is the State Fair CCO - you could potentially win a BLUE RIBBON! How cool is that?!?!?! I talked to a lot of people yesterday who want to see the cook off held during the Fair; I hope we can all get it worked out so that it will happen next year. Still, all of the cook off entrants received a ticket and parking pass to the Fair when it opens this week! Now for the results:
State Fair CCO
23 Chilis Judged
1. Ron Barnes - Euless, TX
2. Kelly Brignon - ELLIS Co. :)
3. Kelly Killingbeck - Euless, TX
4. Gary Brignon - ELLIS Co.
5. Ray Calhoun - ELLIS Co.
6. Sam Roberts - Arlington, TX
7. Charles Breeden - Alvarado, TX
8. Mike Rogers - ELLIS Co.
9. Roger Foltz - Dallas, TX
10. Tom Dozier - Irving, TX
Show Winners:
1. American Legion - Karen Ducote
2. The Big Texian - Jack Balderson
3. Grand Prize Chili - Ray Calhoun
Have a great day everyone....and no, I still haven't received a response to the email I sent last week.
Spreading kindness and joy in ALL that I do :)
Kelly
I want to say thank you to everyone who cooked at the Fair yesterday. Yes, I know it's the weekend before the Fair even opens. And yes, I'm fully aware that it's late in the year and not only do people not want to melt in the heat, they don't want to be accused of stealing points from people who need them. To those people, I say, "B.S."!!! Yes, it's hot - this is TEXAS! And get over yourselves on the point stealing - the charities we support suffer when those who are already qualified stay home! This is the State Fair CCO - you could potentially win a BLUE RIBBON! How cool is that?!?!?! I talked to a lot of people yesterday who want to see the cook off held during the Fair; I hope we can all get it worked out so that it will happen next year. Still, all of the cook off entrants received a ticket and parking pass to the Fair when it opens this week! Now for the results:
State Fair CCO
23 Chilis Judged
1. Ron Barnes - Euless, TX
2. Kelly Brignon - ELLIS Co. :)
3. Kelly Killingbeck - Euless, TX
4. Gary Brignon - ELLIS Co.
5. Ray Calhoun - ELLIS Co.
6. Sam Roberts - Arlington, TX
7. Charles Breeden - Alvarado, TX
8. Mike Rogers - ELLIS Co.
9. Roger Foltz - Dallas, TX
10. Tom Dozier - Irving, TX
Show Winners:
1. American Legion - Karen Ducote
2. The Big Texian - Jack Balderson
3. Grand Prize Chili - Ray Calhoun
Have a great day everyone....and no, I still haven't received a response to the email I sent last week.
Spreading kindness and joy in ALL that I do :)
Kelly
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Chili Musings
I'm going to post this at the risk of pissing off some people, including my husband, who's asked me to tone it down. See...my own husband tries to censor me. I've gone back and forth in my head about this and whatever I post about the following subject, I also intend to do the adult thing and send an email as well voicing my concerns.
First of all, Gary and I cook chili with so many great people who are ALL trying to do their best to promote CASI, earn points, and help out when and where they can. With that said, there are only so many of us to go around and with CASI's membership problem, it shouldn't be a shock that we sometimes run short of volunteers and cooks to help run cook offs. We had our monthly TOT meeting last night and of course we went over the actions taken by both the GP's and the BOD at the recent GPM in Salado. After we talked about all of the less inflammatory issues, we got around to talking about the realignment of the regions and it's impact on the DFW area and TOT.
This is not a dig at any cook from any other Pod in our area: DAM Pod, TOT, Cowtown, NOW Pod, etc. Let's get that straight from the start. I'm kind of pissed about a few things that have slowly crept up and become an issue for a lot of people in our area. I know that we cannot control every promoter or charity that wants to schedule a cook off on top of another one 15 miles away. I totally get that. In reference to that issue, I'd really like to see CASI come up with a procedure that would be posted on the website to guide people wanting to have a CASI sanctioned cook off. CASI cannot keep talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to being this well run, nationally known charitable organization with a scholarship fund and a solid reputation for being well run if it's not going to put rules in place that will apply to EVERYONE. This is why I feel it's a conflict of interest to have people so closely involved with running cook offs, supporting local charities and being involved with Pods in charge of directing CASI. I think it's hard to be objective when you are right in the middle of everything. I know I mentioned this before, and while I don't want to see CASI run by a group of total strangers, I do believe there should be some distance between those running the business and organizational end of CASI and those running the cook offs, speaking with the promoters and charities and being involved on the local level. I wish I was smart enough to come up with a way to make it happen and make everyone happy in the process.
That is also my reasoning behind why I'm concerned with how the regions have been realigned. I know this is going to sound like I want to have my cake and eat it to; however, I recognize the need for open communication between the BOD and the people in these areas who are running these cook offs. I'm tired of hearing people say that "you can't say the Board doesn't listen because they don't do what you ask." Well, in certain situations, yes you can and this is one of them. The GP's (past and present) and RR's of our area sat down and proposed a very fair and manageable realignment for the DFW area. It was all mapped out and most importantly, the people involved with running the cook offs in this area were all on board and committed to working together to cover all of the cook offs. Instead of going with what was proposed, a completely different realignment was chosen for our area and those around us. Why is this such an issue for me? For one, there are Pods with By-Laws that dictate how their Regional Referee's are appointed. The response to the concerns brought up by some of these Pods - change your By-Laws. Why is it when we ask CASI to change something, it's like an Act of God sometimes? But Pods are just supposed to change immediately. The other reason it bothers me is because no one knows their area better than the people in it. You can work with a tallymaster and go by the number of cook offs in an area all you want to make a decision. But, until you listen to the people working in that area and go by what they're saying, how can you make a decision that "is in the best interests"? We know what our weak points are in the DFW area and we know where we have strength and lots of help. There are other ways to realign the state besides using the counties as boundaries. Why can’t we divide the state and make sure the areas have a fair representation of the Pods and the RR’s in those areas – so many of the Pods appoint their RR’s. Maybe if CASI would use both Pods and Regional Referees as complements to one another, instead of treating them as completely separate entities, then cook offs would be covered more easily and there would be better communication regarding cook offs that are already scheduled and those wanting to be scheduled. Pods (at least in our area) hold meetings; Regional Refs do not. Involving Pods, or at least a GP and the RR, when a promoter wants to schedule a cook off, immediately gives the membership in the area a chance to engage with the promoter, invite them to a meeting, and start a relationship with them. Once they see how we work, then it’s easier to explain how to get the most out of a cook off that isn’t competing against 5 others in the area.
If the ED is supposed to be the "representation of the membership to the Board", (not my words, but the ED's) then how can you justify constantly turning a deaf ear to the voice of the members who are working just as hard as the Board members to make CASI successful? The BOD is not omniscient; none of us are. I have no business telling another area how to run their cook offs or how to keep things straight when I have no firsthand knowledge of what they're dealing with. It's times like this that you DO have to listen to and do what the membership asks because they are the ones that know best. I wasn't the only person at the TOT meeting last night that was worked up over this; nor was I the only one incensed during the GP/RR "meeting" that took place last Saturday. A lot of people are frustrated and rightfully so. Many of them are sick of hearing themselves talk. I would have had better luck talking to a brick wall. That is probably why so many people just stop communicating; what's the point? I'm a little more persistent and I'll keep on and on until I get through to someone. I know it borders on obnoxious and stalker-ish, but when I have something that I feel needs to be addressed, I don't give up.
This isn't about anyone not getting their way, either. If I had gotten the area I was initially told that I was getting, I might be running all over creation for the next nine months running cook offs. But on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have because of the group of people we have in this area who work together.
I hope that something good will come of this issue. Maybe things won't be reworked; maybe they will. I do know that on the two way street of communication between the BOD and the members, it wasn't the membership who didn't go above and beyond to make sure we were heard. And, I might add, it was done in a very respectful and detailed manner. When we are told that our communication and questions for the BOD should go through the ED, then that's what we do. When there is an issue with how that communication is received, reciprocated and ultimately communicated to all involved, how can we be blamed for not letting the Board know how we feel about an issue? Is the membership perfect - of course not! But in this situation, and many others, I don't think you can place the blame on us for not trying to get our message across. When three different people send multiple emails asking questions and they remain unanswered, that is not two way communication. It's called "falling on deaf ears."
Well, I guess I'll go make myself scarce for awhile. I'm sure once Lord Brignon reads this I'll get a talking to :) Maybe I'll just promise him kinky sex to get myself out of trouble.
Keepin it real folks...in Dallas AND Ellis Counties.......
Kelly
First of all, Gary and I cook chili with so many great people who are ALL trying to do their best to promote CASI, earn points, and help out when and where they can. With that said, there are only so many of us to go around and with CASI's membership problem, it shouldn't be a shock that we sometimes run short of volunteers and cooks to help run cook offs. We had our monthly TOT meeting last night and of course we went over the actions taken by both the GP's and the BOD at the recent GPM in Salado. After we talked about all of the less inflammatory issues, we got around to talking about the realignment of the regions and it's impact on the DFW area and TOT.
This is not a dig at any cook from any other Pod in our area: DAM Pod, TOT, Cowtown, NOW Pod, etc. Let's get that straight from the start. I'm kind of pissed about a few things that have slowly crept up and become an issue for a lot of people in our area. I know that we cannot control every promoter or charity that wants to schedule a cook off on top of another one 15 miles away. I totally get that. In reference to that issue, I'd really like to see CASI come up with a procedure that would be posted on the website to guide people wanting to have a CASI sanctioned cook off. CASI cannot keep talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to being this well run, nationally known charitable organization with a scholarship fund and a solid reputation for being well run if it's not going to put rules in place that will apply to EVERYONE. This is why I feel it's a conflict of interest to have people so closely involved with running cook offs, supporting local charities and being involved with Pods in charge of directing CASI. I think it's hard to be objective when you are right in the middle of everything. I know I mentioned this before, and while I don't want to see CASI run by a group of total strangers, I do believe there should be some distance between those running the business and organizational end of CASI and those running the cook offs, speaking with the promoters and charities and being involved on the local level. I wish I was smart enough to come up with a way to make it happen and make everyone happy in the process.
That is also my reasoning behind why I'm concerned with how the regions have been realigned. I know this is going to sound like I want to have my cake and eat it to; however, I recognize the need for open communication between the BOD and the people in these areas who are running these cook offs. I'm tired of hearing people say that "you can't say the Board doesn't listen because they don't do what you ask." Well, in certain situations, yes you can and this is one of them. The GP's (past and present) and RR's of our area sat down and proposed a very fair and manageable realignment for the DFW area. It was all mapped out and most importantly, the people involved with running the cook offs in this area were all on board and committed to working together to cover all of the cook offs. Instead of going with what was proposed, a completely different realignment was chosen for our area and those around us. Why is this such an issue for me? For one, there are Pods with By-Laws that dictate how their Regional Referee's are appointed. The response to the concerns brought up by some of these Pods - change your By-Laws. Why is it when we ask CASI to change something, it's like an Act of God sometimes? But Pods are just supposed to change immediately. The other reason it bothers me is because no one knows their area better than the people in it. You can work with a tallymaster and go by the number of cook offs in an area all you want to make a decision. But, until you listen to the people working in that area and go by what they're saying, how can you make a decision that "is in the best interests"? We know what our weak points are in the DFW area and we know where we have strength and lots of help. There are other ways to realign the state besides using the counties as boundaries. Why can’t we divide the state and make sure the areas have a fair representation of the Pods and the RR’s in those areas – so many of the Pods appoint their RR’s. Maybe if CASI would use both Pods and Regional Referees as complements to one another, instead of treating them as completely separate entities, then cook offs would be covered more easily and there would be better communication regarding cook offs that are already scheduled and those wanting to be scheduled. Pods (at least in our area) hold meetings; Regional Refs do not. Involving Pods, or at least a GP and the RR, when a promoter wants to schedule a cook off, immediately gives the membership in the area a chance to engage with the promoter, invite them to a meeting, and start a relationship with them. Once they see how we work, then it’s easier to explain how to get the most out of a cook off that isn’t competing against 5 others in the area.
If the ED is supposed to be the "representation of the membership to the Board", (not my words, but the ED's) then how can you justify constantly turning a deaf ear to the voice of the members who are working just as hard as the Board members to make CASI successful? The BOD is not omniscient; none of us are. I have no business telling another area how to run their cook offs or how to keep things straight when I have no firsthand knowledge of what they're dealing with. It's times like this that you DO have to listen to and do what the membership asks because they are the ones that know best. I wasn't the only person at the TOT meeting last night that was worked up over this; nor was I the only one incensed during the GP/RR "meeting" that took place last Saturday. A lot of people are frustrated and rightfully so. Many of them are sick of hearing themselves talk. I would have had better luck talking to a brick wall. That is probably why so many people just stop communicating; what's the point? I'm a little more persistent and I'll keep on and on until I get through to someone. I know it borders on obnoxious and stalker-ish, but when I have something that I feel needs to be addressed, I don't give up.
This isn't about anyone not getting their way, either. If I had gotten the area I was initially told that I was getting, I might be running all over creation for the next nine months running cook offs. But on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have because of the group of people we have in this area who work together.
I hope that something good will come of this issue. Maybe things won't be reworked; maybe they will. I do know that on the two way street of communication between the BOD and the members, it wasn't the membership who didn't go above and beyond to make sure we were heard. And, I might add, it was done in a very respectful and detailed manner. When we are told that our communication and questions for the BOD should go through the ED, then that's what we do. When there is an issue with how that communication is received, reciprocated and ultimately communicated to all involved, how can we be blamed for not letting the Board know how we feel about an issue? Is the membership perfect - of course not! But in this situation, and many others, I don't think you can place the blame on us for not trying to get our message across. When three different people send multiple emails asking questions and they remain unanswered, that is not two way communication. It's called "falling on deaf ears."
Well, I guess I'll go make myself scarce for awhile. I'm sure once Lord Brignon reads this I'll get a talking to :) Maybe I'll just promise him kinky sex to get myself out of trouble.
Keepin it real folks...in Dallas AND Ellis Counties.......
Kelly
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Hump Day!!!!
Good Wednesday Morning!!!
Somehow, my Tuesday has turned into a Thursday from a self-medicating standpoint. Gary and I enjoyed two delicious bottles of wine last night. That's normally what I do on Thursdays to celebrate Friday's impending arrival. Gary is moving a little slow this morning. I got up at 5:40 am and had Paige to school with minutes to spare. Impressive.....
If you are in Ellis Co. this weekend, come out to the Ellis Co. Expo Center in Waxahachie on Saturday for St. Joseph's annual Oktoberfest. This is our school's main fundraiser and it will be going on from 10 am -8 pm. There are tons of things for the kids to do, a biergarten, live and silent auctions and lots of food. It's a great way to support not only St. Joseph, but the community as well. And...you'll help keep Paige's tuition low :)
Sunday is the State Fair Chili Cook Off held, where else, but at the State Fair in Fair Park. It's being held the weekend before the Fair officially opens, but all entrants will receive a ticket to the Fair and a parking pass. I hope that I can sit down with someone Sunday and talk to them about moving the cook off back to the opening weekend. It makes such a difference in attendance and it would be a win-win situation. More cooks would come out and the Fair would make more money from the chili cooks going into the Fair. This cook off is very dear to Dr. Ray, so if you want to support Dr. Ray, cook chili and get some points, come out and join us!
My goat farm is slowly taking shape. Gary is going to put up a fence next week. We are also putting up a gate at the front of our drive. We've had some nosy people and unwanted visitors up at our house recently and I'd like to nip that in the bud. We will need to get some really good brush control goats and a few that are good for cheese - namely Nubians. We also need to finish our covered area for the additional slab Gary had poured when the house was built. I eventually want to put an outdoor fireplace at the edge of the slab. This is also going to be a good spot for the kids to do their Halloween crafts at the shindig next month.
Below is information for Dennis Jackson's funeral:
The address for the service on 9/16 at 10 am:
Texoma Cowboy Church
919 US Highway 281
Wichita Falls, TX 76310-0547
(940) 687-2237
You can also view his obituary and leave a message for the family at www.lunnscolonial.com
Visitation is at Lunn's this evening from 7pm-8pm. I do not have the address of the funeral home, but you can get it from their website.
Visitation and Funeral information for Lisa Duggan's mom:
Stephenville Funeral Home, 120 South Loop.
Visitation is on Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 2 p.m.
Both of these families are in our prayers.
Have a fantastic day.........
Kelly
Somehow, my Tuesday has turned into a Thursday from a self-medicating standpoint. Gary and I enjoyed two delicious bottles of wine last night. That's normally what I do on Thursdays to celebrate Friday's impending arrival. Gary is moving a little slow this morning. I got up at 5:40 am and had Paige to school with minutes to spare. Impressive.....
If you are in Ellis Co. this weekend, come out to the Ellis Co. Expo Center in Waxahachie on Saturday for St. Joseph's annual Oktoberfest. This is our school's main fundraiser and it will be going on from 10 am -8 pm. There are tons of things for the kids to do, a biergarten, live and silent auctions and lots of food. It's a great way to support not only St. Joseph, but the community as well. And...you'll help keep Paige's tuition low :)
Sunday is the State Fair Chili Cook Off held, where else, but at the State Fair in Fair Park. It's being held the weekend before the Fair officially opens, but all entrants will receive a ticket to the Fair and a parking pass. I hope that I can sit down with someone Sunday and talk to them about moving the cook off back to the opening weekend. It makes such a difference in attendance and it would be a win-win situation. More cooks would come out and the Fair would make more money from the chili cooks going into the Fair. This cook off is very dear to Dr. Ray, so if you want to support Dr. Ray, cook chili and get some points, come out and join us!
My goat farm is slowly taking shape. Gary is going to put up a fence next week. We are also putting up a gate at the front of our drive. We've had some nosy people and unwanted visitors up at our house recently and I'd like to nip that in the bud. We will need to get some really good brush control goats and a few that are good for cheese - namely Nubians. We also need to finish our covered area for the additional slab Gary had poured when the house was built. I eventually want to put an outdoor fireplace at the edge of the slab. This is also going to be a good spot for the kids to do their Halloween crafts at the shindig next month.
Below is information for Dennis Jackson's funeral:
The address for the service on 9/16 at 10 am:
Texoma Cowboy Church
919 US Highway 281
Wichita Falls, TX 76310-0547
(940) 687-2237
You can also view his obituary and leave a message for the family at www.lunnscolonial.com
Visitation is at Lunn's this evening from 7pm-8pm. I do not have the address of the funeral home, but you can get it from their website.
Visitation and Funeral information for Lisa Duggan's mom:
Stephenville Funeral Home, 120 South Loop.
Visitation is on Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 2 p.m.
Both of these families are in our prayers.
Have a fantastic day.........
Kelly
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Nirvana In a Skillet....
Okay, that may be sort of an exaggeration...but dinner tonight was pretty damn good! Here's my recipe for Chicken Breasts in Roasted Pepper Sauce. Enjoy!!
Cadillac Cowgirl Chicken in Roasted Pepper Sauce
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
10 oz Jar Red Pepper Tapanade
12 oz Jar Roasted Red or Piquillo Peppers
6 oz Jar Artichoke Hearts
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Chopped Sweet Onions
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 T Butter
1 T Olive Oil
In a food processor or blender, combine the red pepper tapanade, the roasted peppers and the salt. Set aside. In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides and remove; set aside. Add the chopped onion and saute it over low heat until tender. Once the onions are tender, add the chicken breasts back to the skillet and pour the red pepper sauce over the chicken breasts. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the cream and artichokes. Stir to combine, recover and simmer for 15 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!
You can serve this over rice if you aren't no-carbing it...or with roasted veggies and a salad if you are no-carbing it...like me :0)!!
Do you ever not correct someone's pronunciation of something because it's so much fun to listen to them try and pronounce it??? Well, even if you don't want to admit that you do, I'll take one for the team and say that I do! And, so does my sister. We've been laughing at Gary for the past five minutes while he tries to pronounce a word....I know, I know...we're going to hell. But at least we're having fun on the way there!!!
Flat Creek Super Texan Sangiovese. Try it. Like it. Buy more of it!!! It's very good. It starts out dry and spicy and mellows a bit as it sits. We bought this at the Salado Wine Seller and I'm really glad we tried it. Flat Creek is located in Marble Falls. We also bought Cap Rock's Blush Royale...which tastes like a cranberry spritzer. I'm glad the weather is getting cooler - I can drink more of my beloved red wines that sometimes sit a little too heavy in the Texas heat. We've also been on a Dry Comal Creek kick for the past few months. They have great wines and they're easy to find and affordable. I also enjoy Becker Vineyard's Malbec - it is very, very good. I wish more restaurants would feature Texas wines, but until then, I'll just drink at home...alone...in the dark....Kidding, Kidding!!! LOL
Paige, in her mind, had a bad day. She got in the car and the following conversation took place:
Me: Paige, how was your day?
Paige: I didn't have a very good day.
Me: What happened?
Paige: Well, we were playing kickball and they kept kicking the ball to me, but I'd miss it. And if you miss it, then you're out and you have to stand at the fence.
Me: Well, baby, sometimes that happens. Sometimes you lose.
Paige: But I don't want to, it's no fun. My class has plenty of kids that can be losers. I don't need to be the loser. Someone else can do it.
Me: Oh Paige....you can't be a winner all the time.
Paige: Yes, yes, I can. I can be the winner and they can be losers.
Me: Okay Paige.
Well, I just fed my sister dinner and she's balking at helping me clean the kitchen. I'm going to have to sign off now so that I can kick her ass into submission and help me do dishes :)
Spreading kindness and joy in ALL that I do..............
Kelly
Cadillac Cowgirl Chicken in Roasted Pepper Sauce
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
10 oz Jar Red Pepper Tapanade
12 oz Jar Roasted Red or Piquillo Peppers
6 oz Jar Artichoke Hearts
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Chopped Sweet Onions
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 T Butter
1 T Olive Oil
In a food processor or blender, combine the red pepper tapanade, the roasted peppers and the salt. Set aside. In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides and remove; set aside. Add the chopped onion and saute it over low heat until tender. Once the onions are tender, add the chicken breasts back to the skillet and pour the red pepper sauce over the chicken breasts. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the cream and artichokes. Stir to combine, recover and simmer for 15 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!
You can serve this over rice if you aren't no-carbing it...or with roasted veggies and a salad if you are no-carbing it...like me :0)!!
Do you ever not correct someone's pronunciation of something because it's so much fun to listen to them try and pronounce it??? Well, even if you don't want to admit that you do, I'll take one for the team and say that I do! And, so does my sister. We've been laughing at Gary for the past five minutes while he tries to pronounce a word....I know, I know...we're going to hell. But at least we're having fun on the way there!!!
Flat Creek Super Texan Sangiovese. Try it. Like it. Buy more of it!!! It's very good. It starts out dry and spicy and mellows a bit as it sits. We bought this at the Salado Wine Seller and I'm really glad we tried it. Flat Creek is located in Marble Falls. We also bought Cap Rock's Blush Royale...which tastes like a cranberry spritzer. I'm glad the weather is getting cooler - I can drink more of my beloved red wines that sometimes sit a little too heavy in the Texas heat. We've also been on a Dry Comal Creek kick for the past few months. They have great wines and they're easy to find and affordable. I also enjoy Becker Vineyard's Malbec - it is very, very good. I wish more restaurants would feature Texas wines, but until then, I'll just drink at home...alone...in the dark....Kidding, Kidding!!! LOL
Paige, in her mind, had a bad day. She got in the car and the following conversation took place:
Me: Paige, how was your day?
Paige: I didn't have a very good day.
Me: What happened?
Paige: Well, we were playing kickball and they kept kicking the ball to me, but I'd miss it. And if you miss it, then you're out and you have to stand at the fence.
Me: Well, baby, sometimes that happens. Sometimes you lose.
Paige: But I don't want to, it's no fun. My class has plenty of kids that can be losers. I don't need to be the loser. Someone else can do it.
Me: Oh Paige....you can't be a winner all the time.
Paige: Yes, yes, I can. I can be the winner and they can be losers.
Me: Okay Paige.
Well, I just fed my sister dinner and she's balking at helping me clean the kitchen. I'm going to have to sign off now so that I can kick her ass into submission and help me do dishes :)
Spreading kindness and joy in ALL that I do..............
Kelly
Sister Lucy
Sister Lucy is still with us and I came across this in Paige's backpack from last year. This is "God's Mudder" as Paige calls the Virgin Mary. Sister gave this to Paige when she was in PK and she's carried it with her ever since. I don't think she even realizes it's not in her 1st grade backpack. I thought I'd share this as a reminder that there is always someone looking out after us and there's nothing wrong with carrying around a little something special to make us feel safe - whether we're 6 or 60! I'll need to get this in her backpack ASAP :)
I Love Food
Maybe I should have named my blog "Food Addict" or something like that. I am a fan of food. I love to eat, read about it, cook it, you name it. However, I don't want to weigh 500 lbs....so I have to watch what I eat. I also have a pancreas that does not share my love of food and gets cranky from time to time and shuts down. I knew I had gained some weight back, and I promised my doctor I would take care of it. So here it is...time to take care of it. Ugh :)
I'm utilizing the South Beach diet to lose weight. I gave up carbs for Lent last Easter and it really did make a difference. I don't adhere to every rule, but I do cut out every starch. No pasta, bread, rice, potatoes or corn. I'm not hardcore enough to cut out sugar, because that would eliminate most coffee creamers. I don't have a sweet tooth, so I'm not missing ice cream and cake. I know that there is sugar in ketchup, but I'm not a big fan of it, and I know it's in salad dressings and BBQ sauces. I found a yogurt based dressing at the store and I'm going to try it. It is low in carbs and sugar. I'll deal with the BBQ sauce issue when I have to. I'm not going to give up onions because they're higher on the glycemic index than other veggies. I love onions and need them to make up for what I'm NOT getting to eat that's really, really bad! No need in getting stressed out about it if I don't have to!
So, last night I made Italian sausages with onions and peppers outside in my dutch oven. They came out great and I'd like to share the recipe. The only thing I'm not great about is counting and keeping up with the amount of charcoal bricks I'm using. I basically just wing it and go by how much of the bag I used. If I don't have a recipe to follow that tells me exactly how many bricks to use, I'm left to my own devices and I make do the best I can.
Cadillac Cowgirl Italian Sausages and Peppers
1 package Italian Sausages (I used Johnsonville and there are 5 in a package)
2 large sweet onions, sliced
3 bell peppers, any color, sliced
16 oz dark beer
Salt, pepper and garlic powder
1/2 bag of instant light charcoal bricks
Get the charcoal going; they're ready when they turn grayish white, but you don't want them to be complete ash. Meanwhile, prick holes in the sausages and combine them, along with the onions, peppers and beer, in a large baking dish. Sprinkle a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder over the mixture, stir and allow to sit while the charcoal heats up. Once the charcoal is ready, move about half of them underneath the dutch oven and allow it to heat up. (I think I use a 12 or 14 inch dutch oven. It has the three legs on it. Not real legs, you know what I mean!) Once it's hot, take the sausages out of the mixture and brown them on both sides for about 5 minutes. Once they are brown, add the beer and veggie mix, stir and put the lid on. Cover the lid with about 15 bricks and put any extra ones underneath if you have some room. You basically want to make sure you've got enough under the dutch oven to keep a good simmer. Check every 15 minutes to make sure you've still got a simmer and adjust if necessary. Cook the sausages and peppers for an hour and fifteen minutes or until the sausages are cooked through. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.
I know that my directions are not by the book, but this method always works for me and I have yet to give anyone food poisoning!!! I'm making seared chicken breasts with a roasted red pepper sauce this evening and serving them with asparagus and a salad. I'll share that adventure tomorrow. At least I'm cooking them inside on the stove!
I hope everyone has made it home from the Great Pepper's Meeting and is decompressing from that shindig. We've got the State Fair cook off coming up this Sunday as well as Oktoberfest for Paige's school on Saturday. I don't think there are any cook offs on our radar for the following weekend, but we'll be at the Irving VFW October 2nd to kick off the chili year. Have a fantastic day!
Kelly
I'm utilizing the South Beach diet to lose weight. I gave up carbs for Lent last Easter and it really did make a difference. I don't adhere to every rule, but I do cut out every starch. No pasta, bread, rice, potatoes or corn. I'm not hardcore enough to cut out sugar, because that would eliminate most coffee creamers. I don't have a sweet tooth, so I'm not missing ice cream and cake. I know that there is sugar in ketchup, but I'm not a big fan of it, and I know it's in salad dressings and BBQ sauces. I found a yogurt based dressing at the store and I'm going to try it. It is low in carbs and sugar. I'll deal with the BBQ sauce issue when I have to. I'm not going to give up onions because they're higher on the glycemic index than other veggies. I love onions and need them to make up for what I'm NOT getting to eat that's really, really bad! No need in getting stressed out about it if I don't have to!
So, last night I made Italian sausages with onions and peppers outside in my dutch oven. They came out great and I'd like to share the recipe. The only thing I'm not great about is counting and keeping up with the amount of charcoal bricks I'm using. I basically just wing it and go by how much of the bag I used. If I don't have a recipe to follow that tells me exactly how many bricks to use, I'm left to my own devices and I make do the best I can.
Cadillac Cowgirl Italian Sausages and Peppers
1 package Italian Sausages (I used Johnsonville and there are 5 in a package)
2 large sweet onions, sliced
3 bell peppers, any color, sliced
16 oz dark beer
Salt, pepper and garlic powder
1/2 bag of instant light charcoal bricks
Get the charcoal going; they're ready when they turn grayish white, but you don't want them to be complete ash. Meanwhile, prick holes in the sausages and combine them, along with the onions, peppers and beer, in a large baking dish. Sprinkle a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder over the mixture, stir and allow to sit while the charcoal heats up. Once the charcoal is ready, move about half of them underneath the dutch oven and allow it to heat up. (I think I use a 12 or 14 inch dutch oven. It has the three legs on it. Not real legs, you know what I mean!) Once it's hot, take the sausages out of the mixture and brown them on both sides for about 5 minutes. Once they are brown, add the beer and veggie mix, stir and put the lid on. Cover the lid with about 15 bricks and put any extra ones underneath if you have some room. You basically want to make sure you've got enough under the dutch oven to keep a good simmer. Check every 15 minutes to make sure you've still got a simmer and adjust if necessary. Cook the sausages and peppers for an hour and fifteen minutes or until the sausages are cooked through. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.
I know that my directions are not by the book, but this method always works for me and I have yet to give anyone food poisoning!!! I'm making seared chicken breasts with a roasted red pepper sauce this evening and serving them with asparagus and a salad. I'll share that adventure tomorrow. At least I'm cooking them inside on the stove!
I hope everyone has made it home from the Great Pepper's Meeting and is decompressing from that shindig. We've got the State Fair cook off coming up this Sunday as well as Oktoberfest for Paige's school on Saturday. I don't think there are any cook offs on our radar for the following weekend, but we'll be at the Irving VFW October 2nd to kick off the chili year. Have a fantastic day!
Kelly
Monday, September 13, 2010
Dennis Jackson
Dennis Jackson passed away unexpectedly today. Please keep Carol and his family in your thoughts and prayers. I'll pass along funeral information as I receive it.
Random Thoughts.....
Every time I write that I think of the "Deep Thoughts" skit that was on Saturday Night Live a long time ago. Anyways...it's Monday and I survived the weekend! Paige had an emotional breakdown at 6:17 am over her school shoes, but other than that, it's been an uneventful Monday....so far!
So let's talk about the GP Meeting, shall we? While I don't want to offend anyone, or piss anyone off, I just have to talk about a few things that really stood out over the weekend. There are some people out there that will tell you the sky is purple if they hear you say it's blue. That kind of crap just goes all over me. Here's an example:
We, the DFW area, have a really serious problem with cook offs being stacked on top of one another. Part of the problem is, in my opinion, CASI's lack of a real procedure that also benefits those volunteering to run cook offs, ie the COOKS! The other issue is something that you can't necessarily control, and that is promoters/charities who are dead set on having a CASI cook off regardless of whether or not the cook off will have enough cooks and thus make enough money. The other side of this situation is people who know better and continue to schedule cook offs that are on the same weekend as established cook offs, or cook offs 15 miles away. It's been a problem and it doesn't seem like it's getting any better. I guess this is why I want CASI, as an organization, to put some hard and fast procedures in place to help curb this problem. This would help us from the beginning not look like the "bad guy" and it would save CASI from the over the top black eye they might suffer by saying no to someone. Furthermore, if we want CASI to run like a business, then you have to have rules and procedures and guess what - that involves requiring people to follow them if they want to have a cook off. I'm sure Easter Seals, the Shriners, Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Komen and a lot of other charitable organizations have to tell people no from time to time. I have yet to see any of them photographed with a black eye.
As usual, there is always someone out there who is going to dispute what you say no matter what. First of all, these individuals RARELY ever cook in our area or any surrounding area. In fact, I've never seen a few of them at any cook off in the DFW area since I've been cooking. Second of all, we are not all the same and what one area is experiencing may be completely different than what another area is dealing with. Hence my call for more consistent policies and procedures. Third, instead of touting how YOU get all the support you need from the board, why not work with us and tell us some of the things you are saying and doing to help these promoters move their cook offs. Obviously, this isn't difficult for you to do and instead of being condescending, why don't you try and help us out. I guess that's asking too much.
Fortunately, we really do have a good group of people in the North Texas area who try their best to work together and get all of the cook offs covered. So many times over the weekend I heard people (and rightfully so) talk about how the BOD are all volunteers, too and that we have to remember they have jobs and families that come first - I 100% agree with that. It has to work both ways, though. Many of us running cook offs, supporting Pods and traveling to support cook offs and charities have lives as well. It would be nice if we weren't expected to be in two places at once, or run all over creation in order to sanction a cook off because someone was hell bent on having one the same weekend as five others within a 20 minute drive. If CASI could come up with guidelines for promoters and charities, it would allow everyone to play by the same set of rules and make it easier for ALL of the volunteers in our organization to get out and promote Chili, Charity and Fun. (Which according to one candidate should be more than just a slogan.)
I'm also very, very pleased that the membership did not vote to award money to the TICC winners. I think that is quite possibly the worst thing we could ever to do CASI. I really don't give a rat's ass about competing with ICS. We are, and should always be, a charitable organization that does not award money to it's winners. Like I said on Saturday, we have people who can't even agree on what constitutes an ink signature on a ticket. Am I the ONLY one out there that thinks putting money in the mix when you have that kind of tension is a BAD idea? The fact that we don't have cash prizes is what makes us unique; it's what makes us, in my opinion, better than ICS. We are doing it because it's fun. As soon as you start involving money, the bickering, resentment and distrust will grow even louder among the membership. I didn't, nor did probably all of the people cooking today, get into CASI to make money. We all knew what it was when we started. Yes, I know that I am a very strong advocate for change and innovation. This just doesn't seem to be the best way to improve ourselves. Why not spend that money to advertise and promote CASI? The motion on the floor to award cash prizes was amended to reimburse the TICC winner up to $5000 for travel expenses should they choose to travel and promote CASI after they win TICC. I think that is a good idea. Still, I believe most of us want to get up on that stage to get that huge Chili Pepper trophy - not to win a hunk of money. I was really happy to see a past winner, Dana Plocheck, speak to the membership about keeping money out of CASI and continuing to allow that 20 pound trophy to remain the carrot at the end of the stick :0) What did amaze me, though, were the individuals who voted not to add another dollar to the scholarship fund because it would take money out of their pockets as well as the charities. But they were gung ho about awarding money to the TICC winners. Just an observation.
And a big HELL YEAH to the GP's for voting YES to start having the meeting in the same place each year. Thank you, thank you!!!
I thought many of the board members did an excellent job stressing how important communication between the BOD and the membership needs to be. I was also excited to hear how many of them recognize the need for better advertising and it seems that they will all work to improve how we get our name and message out to the masses. Congratulations again to David Sexton and Roger Foltz. I told Roger I got nervous when they didn't call out his name very quickly. I'm happy that both of them will be on the BOD and I think that they will both do a great job for CASI.
I also want to say thank you to everyone who told me they read my blog. I had no idea so many people read it. That's kind of scary!!! Sammie Plant - you crack me up woman!!! It was good to see you :)
It was good to see people that we don't see too often. I'm sure everyone is getting geared up for TICC in a few months. Gary has put the toyhauler in the shop for some maintenance work. I'm looking forward to the Halloween party we'll be having for the kids again this year. I've already put my mom in charge of decorations and Tyler in charge of the scaring of the little children :) I'm going to cover the food and I'm sure Lord Brignon will handle the pinata and candy. I've got to come up with a few good activities for the kiddos...maybe a scarecrow contest?
Speaking of food, Gammy has brought something to my attention regarding the Shoepeg Corn Casserole. She says that there should only be ONE can of green chiles. I say that's too bland and that you should use two! Since she doesn't want to set anyone's mouth and butt afire, I will correct the recipe, but with a disclaimer :)
Paige did AWESOME at her Karate tournament Saturday. She won the first sparring contest, and lost the second one. She also received a trophy for her "Cada" which is some other term for "form". I'm so proud of her and most importantly, she's proud of herself. Over the weekend she watched iCarly (which I no longer allow), so she was quite mouthy yesterday afternoon. She said things like, "you're kidding me, right?" when I showed her a shirt I bought for her - it was a cute little Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head shirt! She then informed me that was a kid's shirt and that she was a grown up. I quickly set her straight on that misconception. Anyways...I missed my Juicy of Love and Deliciousness!!
Have a great Monday everyone! I'll be back tomorrow!!!
Spreading kindness and joy in everything I do.....
Kelly
So let's talk about the GP Meeting, shall we? While I don't want to offend anyone, or piss anyone off, I just have to talk about a few things that really stood out over the weekend. There are some people out there that will tell you the sky is purple if they hear you say it's blue. That kind of crap just goes all over me. Here's an example:
We, the DFW area, have a really serious problem with cook offs being stacked on top of one another. Part of the problem is, in my opinion, CASI's lack of a real procedure that also benefits those volunteering to run cook offs, ie the COOKS! The other issue is something that you can't necessarily control, and that is promoters/charities who are dead set on having a CASI cook off regardless of whether or not the cook off will have enough cooks and thus make enough money. The other side of this situation is people who know better and continue to schedule cook offs that are on the same weekend as established cook offs, or cook offs 15 miles away. It's been a problem and it doesn't seem like it's getting any better. I guess this is why I want CASI, as an organization, to put some hard and fast procedures in place to help curb this problem. This would help us from the beginning not look like the "bad guy" and it would save CASI from the over the top black eye they might suffer by saying no to someone. Furthermore, if we want CASI to run like a business, then you have to have rules and procedures and guess what - that involves requiring people to follow them if they want to have a cook off. I'm sure Easter Seals, the Shriners, Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Komen and a lot of other charitable organizations have to tell people no from time to time. I have yet to see any of them photographed with a black eye.
As usual, there is always someone out there who is going to dispute what you say no matter what. First of all, these individuals RARELY ever cook in our area or any surrounding area. In fact, I've never seen a few of them at any cook off in the DFW area since I've been cooking. Second of all, we are not all the same and what one area is experiencing may be completely different than what another area is dealing with. Hence my call for more consistent policies and procedures. Third, instead of touting how YOU get all the support you need from the board, why not work with us and tell us some of the things you are saying and doing to help these promoters move their cook offs. Obviously, this isn't difficult for you to do and instead of being condescending, why don't you try and help us out. I guess that's asking too much.
Fortunately, we really do have a good group of people in the North Texas area who try their best to work together and get all of the cook offs covered. So many times over the weekend I heard people (and rightfully so) talk about how the BOD are all volunteers, too and that we have to remember they have jobs and families that come first - I 100% agree with that. It has to work both ways, though. Many of us running cook offs, supporting Pods and traveling to support cook offs and charities have lives as well. It would be nice if we weren't expected to be in two places at once, or run all over creation in order to sanction a cook off because someone was hell bent on having one the same weekend as five others within a 20 minute drive. If CASI could come up with guidelines for promoters and charities, it would allow everyone to play by the same set of rules and make it easier for ALL of the volunteers in our organization to get out and promote Chili, Charity and Fun. (Which according to one candidate should be more than just a slogan.)
I'm also very, very pleased that the membership did not vote to award money to the TICC winners. I think that is quite possibly the worst thing we could ever to do CASI. I really don't give a rat's ass about competing with ICS. We are, and should always be, a charitable organization that does not award money to it's winners. Like I said on Saturday, we have people who can't even agree on what constitutes an ink signature on a ticket. Am I the ONLY one out there that thinks putting money in the mix when you have that kind of tension is a BAD idea? The fact that we don't have cash prizes is what makes us unique; it's what makes us, in my opinion, better than ICS. We are doing it because it's fun. As soon as you start involving money, the bickering, resentment and distrust will grow even louder among the membership. I didn't, nor did probably all of the people cooking today, get into CASI to make money. We all knew what it was when we started. Yes, I know that I am a very strong advocate for change and innovation. This just doesn't seem to be the best way to improve ourselves. Why not spend that money to advertise and promote CASI? The motion on the floor to award cash prizes was amended to reimburse the TICC winner up to $5000 for travel expenses should they choose to travel and promote CASI after they win TICC. I think that is a good idea. Still, I believe most of us want to get up on that stage to get that huge Chili Pepper trophy - not to win a hunk of money. I was really happy to see a past winner, Dana Plocheck, speak to the membership about keeping money out of CASI and continuing to allow that 20 pound trophy to remain the carrot at the end of the stick :0) What did amaze me, though, were the individuals who voted not to add another dollar to the scholarship fund because it would take money out of their pockets as well as the charities. But they were gung ho about awarding money to the TICC winners. Just an observation.
And a big HELL YEAH to the GP's for voting YES to start having the meeting in the same place each year. Thank you, thank you!!!
I thought many of the board members did an excellent job stressing how important communication between the BOD and the membership needs to be. I was also excited to hear how many of them recognize the need for better advertising and it seems that they will all work to improve how we get our name and message out to the masses. Congratulations again to David Sexton and Roger Foltz. I told Roger I got nervous when they didn't call out his name very quickly. I'm happy that both of them will be on the BOD and I think that they will both do a great job for CASI.
I also want to say thank you to everyone who told me they read my blog. I had no idea so many people read it. That's kind of scary!!! Sammie Plant - you crack me up woman!!! It was good to see you :)
It was good to see people that we don't see too often. I'm sure everyone is getting geared up for TICC in a few months. Gary has put the toyhauler in the shop for some maintenance work. I'm looking forward to the Halloween party we'll be having for the kids again this year. I've already put my mom in charge of decorations and Tyler in charge of the scaring of the little children :) I'm going to cover the food and I'm sure Lord Brignon will handle the pinata and candy. I've got to come up with a few good activities for the kiddos...maybe a scarecrow contest?
Speaking of food, Gammy has brought something to my attention regarding the Shoepeg Corn Casserole. She says that there should only be ONE can of green chiles. I say that's too bland and that you should use two! Since she doesn't want to set anyone's mouth and butt afire, I will correct the recipe, but with a disclaimer :)
Paige did AWESOME at her Karate tournament Saturday. She won the first sparring contest, and lost the second one. She also received a trophy for her "Cada" which is some other term for "form". I'm so proud of her and most importantly, she's proud of herself. Over the weekend she watched iCarly (which I no longer allow), so she was quite mouthy yesterday afternoon. She said things like, "you're kidding me, right?" when I showed her a shirt I bought for her - it was a cute little Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head shirt! She then informed me that was a kid's shirt and that she was a grown up. I quickly set her straight on that misconception. Anyways...I missed my Juicy of Love and Deliciousness!!
Have a great Monday everyone! I'll be back tomorrow!!!
Spreading kindness and joy in everything I do.....
Kelly
Friday, September 10, 2010
GPM, Day One, Part Deaux
Well....hmmmm...uhhhhh...yeah. This has been an interesting day of chili politics. Here's a rundown of what occurred after we went back for the round table discussions, the Texas GP Caucus and the lively GP/RR meeting:
Okay, we have seven people running for the BOD. Of the seven, six agreed that CASI needs to work on it's image, it's advertising, and it's communication. There was one lone candidate who really doesn't see what the problem is and I quote, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Nice.
Fortunately, the people I feel will be elected to the BOD really do see a lot of opportunities for CASI to improve in the areas that have caused so much friction and internal bickering for a while, like the lack of communication, the disregard for what much of the membership have to say, the complete lack of promotion and dedicated funds to advertise CASI. Thank God there are individuals who want to make CASI a better organization run by a group of people dedicated to working hard and trying to mend a lot of the broken lines of communication between the Board and the membership. To those people, I say thank you for wanting to do a good job. To the individuals who think nothing needs to change and really don't know why you have to be bothered with questions about issues the membership feels are important, thanks, but no thanks.
Something else that I feel matters a lot to CASI's success is the position of the Executive Director. The ED is charged with keeping the lines of communication open between the Board and the membership. To sum up what the current ED said to our table today, "the ED represents the membership to the BOD." Really? When? How? I cannot stress how important it is that the person in the position of communicating to and for the Board and membership, then this person MUST be someone who can pass the communication along REGARDLESS of their personal opinion about the issue at hand. If the person in the ED position cannot be objective, then they don't need to be in that position. We need someone in that position who is going to listen to all of the feedback and pass it along; not just the feedback they think is worth sharing. Most of us are told that issues they want brought before the BOD are to be sent to the ED to be distributed to the rest of the Directors. Tell me, what kind of person do you want determining what gets brought to the BOD's attention and what doesn't? And, how long do we put up with being shut out and ignored when we keep pushing an issue to get some sort of resolution? There are a lot of great people working on the Board, and I believe they want to bridge the gap between the BOD and the membership. We need every tool and person available to make it work, right? That includes the ED as well.
I'm tired...so I may sound like I'm rambling or not making a lot of sense. It wouldn't be the first time, right? We don't have wine glasses, so Gary and I are drinking wine out of plastic cups :) There are so many other things I want to just completely rant and rave about (saying no gives CASI a black eye..ugh..please), but aside from that small slip, I'm going to take the high road. Now more than ever I realize how much I love to cook chili and how little I enjoy the politics of CASI. And yes, I realize that I qualify as a Chili Politic-er, Enabler, and Contributor by writing about CASI on this blog. Still, I'm only human and I have to have some sort of an outlet for all of the crap that I observe...and also participate in! I can only put my pancreas through so much abuse before I have to stop drinking away my problems and start bitching them away! Thankfully there are a whole bunch of great people out there and Gary and I get to cook with them! And...a lot of them are here this weekend so I get to visit with them as well. Speaking of which...the lovely Delora Goin, my Charlie Robison stalking partner, has just shown up. Gotta go, peeps!!!
Kelly
Okay, we have seven people running for the BOD. Of the seven, six agreed that CASI needs to work on it's image, it's advertising, and it's communication. There was one lone candidate who really doesn't see what the problem is and I quote, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Nice.
Fortunately, the people I feel will be elected to the BOD really do see a lot of opportunities for CASI to improve in the areas that have caused so much friction and internal bickering for a while, like the lack of communication, the disregard for what much of the membership have to say, the complete lack of promotion and dedicated funds to advertise CASI. Thank God there are individuals who want to make CASI a better organization run by a group of people dedicated to working hard and trying to mend a lot of the broken lines of communication between the Board and the membership. To those people, I say thank you for wanting to do a good job. To the individuals who think nothing needs to change and really don't know why you have to be bothered with questions about issues the membership feels are important, thanks, but no thanks.
Something else that I feel matters a lot to CASI's success is the position of the Executive Director. The ED is charged with keeping the lines of communication open between the Board and the membership. To sum up what the current ED said to our table today, "the ED represents the membership to the BOD." Really? When? How? I cannot stress how important it is that the person in the position of communicating to and for the Board and membership, then this person MUST be someone who can pass the communication along REGARDLESS of their personal opinion about the issue at hand. If the person in the ED position cannot be objective, then they don't need to be in that position. We need someone in that position who is going to listen to all of the feedback and pass it along; not just the feedback they think is worth sharing. Most of us are told that issues they want brought before the BOD are to be sent to the ED to be distributed to the rest of the Directors. Tell me, what kind of person do you want determining what gets brought to the BOD's attention and what doesn't? And, how long do we put up with being shut out and ignored when we keep pushing an issue to get some sort of resolution? There are a lot of great people working on the Board, and I believe they want to bridge the gap between the BOD and the membership. We need every tool and person available to make it work, right? That includes the ED as well.
I'm tired...so I may sound like I'm rambling or not making a lot of sense. It wouldn't be the first time, right? We don't have wine glasses, so Gary and I are drinking wine out of plastic cups :) There are so many other things I want to just completely rant and rave about (saying no gives CASI a black eye..ugh..please), but aside from that small slip, I'm going to take the high road. Now more than ever I realize how much I love to cook chili and how little I enjoy the politics of CASI. And yes, I realize that I qualify as a Chili Politic-er, Enabler, and Contributor by writing about CASI on this blog. Still, I'm only human and I have to have some sort of an outlet for all of the crap that I observe...and also participate in! I can only put my pancreas through so much abuse before I have to stop drinking away my problems and start bitching them away! Thankfully there are a whole bunch of great people out there and Gary and I get to cook with them! And...a lot of them are here this weekend so I get to visit with them as well. Speaking of which...the lovely Delora Goin, my Charlie Robison stalking partner, has just shown up. Gotta go, peeps!!!
Kelly
We Made It....
We have arrived in the big town of Salado, Texas! We've checked in, registered for the meeting, were greeted by Connie Collier's smiling face (always a plus!), settled in our room and I think we're about to hit the wine store. I can't wait to do some shopping! Hopefully I'll find an Old Pawn style turquoise cuff bracelet...a great picture to hang on the wall in my living room...some Christmas goodies for Oktoberfest, etc.
I'll be blogging periodically with updates and I'm sure I'll have to FB a few things. Today we grill those poor, unsuspecting people running for the BOD. After that, a caucus of the Texas GP's will meet. Have a great afternoon everyone.
Keepin it real in Salado....
Kelly
I'll be blogging periodically with updates and I'm sure I'll have to FB a few things. Today we grill those poor, unsuspecting people running for the BOD. After that, a caucus of the Texas GP's will meet. Have a great afternoon everyone.
Keepin it real in Salado....
Kelly
Thursday, September 9, 2010
This and That....
Good Morning! How about those twisters yesterday afternoon?? My husband was beside himself...pulled over on the side of the road, taking pictures, calling everyone he knows! We love this kind of weather and he was OUT OF CONTROL! It wasn't too bad at our house since Fred never tried to break in. That's how we know the weather is bad or is about to get bad - Fred tries to bust in through the back door and windows. Our tube shoot was running good, too....we could have grabbed our tubes and floated in the Brignon River yesterday!
I think I'm going to return my new CrackBerry. I kept my Bold, so I'm just going to go back to it. I was so excited about the new Torch, but it just isn't that great. It's like BlackBerry wanted to compete with iPhone and they just kind of made this hybrid BlackBerry/iPhone without really making sure it would mesh. I'm not a big fan of the keyboard on the screen and I could care less about most of the apps. I also hate how I have to send my pictures to Facebook now and they always post sideways. If you're a BlackBerry fan and want something like an iPhone, then this would be the ideal phone for you. If you love your BlackBerry because it's a BlackBerry, then stick with what you've got and pass on the Torch (OMG check out that totally unintended pun!!!). I'm a CrackBerry girl...so I think I'm just going to stay with the Bold...it's a CrackBerry through and through....
Is everyone ready for football??? I'm so excited!! Minnesota at New Orleans tonight. I hope the Saints kick the Vikings ASSES!!!! And then it's on for Sunday...all day baby!!! This is my favorite time of year. I can get up on Sunday mornings, put dinner on to cook all day and then watch football and putter around the house. It's almost time to start cooking chili again, too. I guess everyone's getting pumped up about TICC. I am looking forward to Whitney because that's kind of an Ellis Co. weekend party, and then Cleburne the following weekend. It'll be nice once the weather cools down and it's fun to be out in it again.
The Cowgirl Cadillac will be finished today. The paint job is complete, now my mom is finishing the cushions. It looks so good inside and out and I can't wait to take her out for a trip. I think I'll take her to Cleburne since I'll be there all weekend. Next up is PussyWillow Rose. She just needs a new coat of white paint on the exterior; the turquoise looks great. I think I'm going to pull out the front kitchen and remodel the inside. I need to pull the trailer to the office and start working on it. I've pretty much given up on the other Scotty that needs so much work. If you or anyone you know wants a serious project, let me know :)
So I bought Gary an Cajun Injector Smoker for Father's Day. I also bought him an electric turkey fryer because I did not remember that he had bought and USED one Thanksgiving to fry our turkeys. I have no recollection of the events that occurred between November 20th-mid December as a result of my concussion. But anyways, I bought this smoker and we've been using it a lot. Gary is a fan of rubbing his meat...LOL!!! Sorry, I just had to say it like that. But yeah, he's into rubs and sometimes they work (ribs) and sometimes they don't (pork loin - too much). So we smoked the rubbed too much pork loin on Monday and it came out very tender, but the rub was just a little overpowering. I also made potato salad, baked beans and shoepeg corn casserole. I'm going to share the baked beans and corn recipes. This was the first time I made baked beans from scratch (sort of) and they turned out great. Enjoy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Baked Beans
4 Cans Pork and Beans, drained
1/2 Small Red Onion, diced
1 Small Bell Pepper, diced
6 Slices of Bacon, diced, lightly browned and drained
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Ketchup
3 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
4-5 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Combine all of the ingredients in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, cover and bake for 1 1/2 in a 400 degree oven.
Gammy's Shoepeg Corn Casserole
2 Cans Shoepeg Corn, drained
1 Small Can Diced Green Chiles, drained (drain off as much liquid as you can without losing a lot of the chiles) Use two cans for a little more oomph :)
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Stick of Butter, softened
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the corn and green chiles in a greased 2 quart casserole dish. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream cheese and butter until smooth and heated through. Pour the mixture over the corn and green chiles, stir to combine and cover with foil. Bake the casserole for 35 minutes covered; uncover and bake an additional 5-8 minutes.
We'll be heading to Salado in the morning. From what I understand, there has been a lot of flooding down there. I'm not really surprised. Salado is in a pretty low lying area and tends to flood. Safe travels to everyone heading that way.
I'll be blogging from the meeting...unless I'm asked not to. Then I'll just turn on my recorder and blog when I get home :) Haha!!
Also - please keep Lisa Duggan and her family in your prayers. Her mother suffered a stroke earlier in the week.
Keep it real, folks!
Kelly
I think I'm going to return my new CrackBerry. I kept my Bold, so I'm just going to go back to it. I was so excited about the new Torch, but it just isn't that great. It's like BlackBerry wanted to compete with iPhone and they just kind of made this hybrid BlackBerry/iPhone without really making sure it would mesh. I'm not a big fan of the keyboard on the screen and I could care less about most of the apps. I also hate how I have to send my pictures to Facebook now and they always post sideways. If you're a BlackBerry fan and want something like an iPhone, then this would be the ideal phone for you. If you love your BlackBerry because it's a BlackBerry, then stick with what you've got and pass on the Torch (OMG check out that totally unintended pun!!!). I'm a CrackBerry girl...so I think I'm just going to stay with the Bold...it's a CrackBerry through and through....
Is everyone ready for football??? I'm so excited!! Minnesota at New Orleans tonight. I hope the Saints kick the Vikings ASSES!!!! And then it's on for Sunday...all day baby!!! This is my favorite time of year. I can get up on Sunday mornings, put dinner on to cook all day and then watch football and putter around the house. It's almost time to start cooking chili again, too. I guess everyone's getting pumped up about TICC. I am looking forward to Whitney because that's kind of an Ellis Co. weekend party, and then Cleburne the following weekend. It'll be nice once the weather cools down and it's fun to be out in it again.
The Cowgirl Cadillac will be finished today. The paint job is complete, now my mom is finishing the cushions. It looks so good inside and out and I can't wait to take her out for a trip. I think I'll take her to Cleburne since I'll be there all weekend. Next up is PussyWillow Rose. She just needs a new coat of white paint on the exterior; the turquoise looks great. I think I'm going to pull out the front kitchen and remodel the inside. I need to pull the trailer to the office and start working on it. I've pretty much given up on the other Scotty that needs so much work. If you or anyone you know wants a serious project, let me know :)
So I bought Gary an Cajun Injector Smoker for Father's Day. I also bought him an electric turkey fryer because I did not remember that he had bought and USED one Thanksgiving to fry our turkeys. I have no recollection of the events that occurred between November 20th-mid December as a result of my concussion. But anyways, I bought this smoker and we've been using it a lot. Gary is a fan of rubbing his meat...LOL!!! Sorry, I just had to say it like that. But yeah, he's into rubs and sometimes they work (ribs) and sometimes they don't (pork loin - too much). So we smoked the rubbed too much pork loin on Monday and it came out very tender, but the rub was just a little overpowering. I also made potato salad, baked beans and shoepeg corn casserole. I'm going to share the baked beans and corn recipes. This was the first time I made baked beans from scratch (sort of) and they turned out great. Enjoy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Baked Beans
4 Cans Pork and Beans, drained
1/2 Small Red Onion, diced
1 Small Bell Pepper, diced
6 Slices of Bacon, diced, lightly browned and drained
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Ketchup
3 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
4-5 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Combine all of the ingredients in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, cover and bake for 1 1/2 in a 400 degree oven.
Gammy's Shoepeg Corn Casserole
2 Cans Shoepeg Corn, drained
1 Small Can Diced Green Chiles, drained (drain off as much liquid as you can without losing a lot of the chiles) Use two cans for a little more oomph :)
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Stick of Butter, softened
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the corn and green chiles in a greased 2 quart casserole dish. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream cheese and butter until smooth and heated through. Pour the mixture over the corn and green chiles, stir to combine and cover with foil. Bake the casserole for 35 minutes covered; uncover and bake an additional 5-8 minutes.
We'll be heading to Salado in the morning. From what I understand, there has been a lot of flooding down there. I'm not really surprised. Salado is in a pretty low lying area and tends to flood. Safe travels to everyone heading that way.
I'll be blogging from the meeting...unless I'm asked not to. Then I'll just turn on my recorder and blog when I get home :) Haha!!
Also - please keep Lisa Duggan and her family in your prayers. Her mother suffered a stroke earlier in the week.
Keep it real, folks!
Kelly
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Back to the Real World.....
Well, my weekend birthday bash is over. We came, we conquered, we SURVIVED! We had the best time and I'm so glad my parents' maiden voyage on the Guadalupe was such a pleasant one! My sister even had a good time. She and Kary rented a raft on Sunday and loved it. I hung on to their rope and drifted back about 10 feet. I had the beer cooler, so I was good :) Gary didn't lose his glasses, so that was a plus. We had dinner at the Gristmill Saturday night and it was delicious! So were the Sangrias I knocked back all evening!! They were GOOD! The Fieseler/Bowden/Brignon/Perdue River Trip 2010 was such a blast!!! Paige had the best time on the ribber with her BFF Mackenzie and she loved floating with Gammy. Charlie was fantastic and the best part was seeing him with my girls. They had soooo much fun. The weather was great, the food was yummy and I loved spending my birthday with all of my friends and family :)
The Great Pepper's Meeting is almost upon us. We'll be leaving for Salado Friday morning after we drop off The Juicy at school. I'm looking forward to the meeting and to seeing what type of change can be facilitated between the election of officers and the open discussions during the meeting. A really good point was made this weekend about CASI..."it's "organization" isn't very organized." I agree with that statement, but maybe not as it would seem. I do believe that CASI's structure is very well organized; we have a BOD, a group of GP's and various pods who work to make CASI better. I think where CASI is fledgling is in it's vision for itself. If CASI wants to continue on as a group of great people who get together and cook chili for charity, then I think it's current structure is perfect. If CASI wants to be something more, and be more of a contributor to the Scholarship Fund, for example, then I believe the current structure will not allow CASI to grow. Maybe the ones charged with running CASI are too deeply entrenched in the daily grind and weekend chili cook offs to be impartial. Perhaps we have too many people who are still so closely tied to "how it's always been done" to see that it can be run differently, and maybe even better. I have always maintained that we should either have an outside CPA or an outside audit of the books. That's one area that I feel would benefit from a non cook's participation. Do I believe that we should have a Board made up of all non chili cooks? Absolutely not. We have to have a fair balance of unbiased eyes and seasoned chili cooks to keep CASI's best interests in focus. It's hard to be objective when you are in the big middle of everything - and I don't mean that in a negative way. Sometimes you have to be completely outside of the hoopla to see what works and what doesn't. I sometimes think that we've gotten away from the real reason why CASI was started in the first place. Is that a bad thing? Probably not. It just seems like we can't get enough people to agree on which direction we want to go as an organization. If you want to grow and expand and be nationally known, then you have to be willing to think outside the box, change how you run your organization, and allow yourselves to take chances. It will also involve opening yourself up to the public and membership as a whole to be scrutinized. I just don't think CASI is there yet. I feel like we've got one foot in the future and one foot in the past and that's why we're so stagnant. I think that CASI has to decide what it's identity is before it determines how to obtain it. There are so many great ideas and opportunities out there for CASI if they want to take the steps necessary to be a larger charitable organization. We've got someone (Jim Ezell) who works his butt off for CASI and the sponsorships. If we're going to grow, then get someone willing to work their tail off to advertise, promote and market us. On the other hand, if CASI is going to stay more of a charitable organization that is committed to helping out locally through Pods and the assorted cook offs, then let's embrace that and stop trying to be something that we're not...or at least not ready to be. Either way, CASI is a great organization with wonderful people who are doing a good thing by raising money (any money!) for charities.
I feel a little like a parent (well, technically I am - to Paige) when I read over what I've written. It's like when a parent says, "I don't care what you do when you grow up, I just want you to be happy." Well, that's how I feel about CASI. I don't care what CASI decides to be, I just want CASI to be happy doing it! I also want to see our organization take legitimate steps to becoming what it is that they want to be. In all fairness, that has to start with all of us, not just the BOD. We have to continue to effectively communicate with the Board. The membership has to make sure that their voices are heard. Over the past few weeks, I've had two very different experiences communicating with the Board. One went well; the other one was what I would call "non-responsive". That's okay, you can't win them all. Still, it doesn't deter me in the least - I'm stubborn like that! I don't, nor should any of us, expect to get our way every time we have a beef with CASI or the BOD. I think what most of us expect is to be heard, to be given the opportunity to discuss the issues and come to either an agreement, or an agreement to disagree on a matter. Once that becomes the rule, rather than the exception, then I think that CASI will have an easier time with growing it's brand if that's what they choose to do. Until we get the "organization" organized, then I worry that our efforts will be all for naught.
I want to wish everyone running for the BOD lots of luck. I hope that all of those running are treated with respect for putting themselves out there. Talking chili politics with a bunch of chili cooks isn't always easy. I find that those quickest to criticize are usually the first ones to say "Hell No" when it's suggested that they run for a Director's position. Whether you agree with any or all of the Directors, they are are volunteering their time and talents so that we can cook chili and not be bothered with a lot of the business stuff that still has to be handled.
For those of you who want to see how CASI is run, the GP Meeting is an excellent place to observe us "in action". It's even being held in a town with great antique shops in case you get tired of all of our posturing and arguing over really mundane stuff. I mean, it really is just a pot of chili, right? (This after a page of pontificating by yours truly!!)
Have a wonderful day....I've got recipes to post later!
Spreading joy and kindness in everything I do............
Kelly
The Great Pepper's Meeting is almost upon us. We'll be leaving for Salado Friday morning after we drop off The Juicy at school. I'm looking forward to the meeting and to seeing what type of change can be facilitated between the election of officers and the open discussions during the meeting. A really good point was made this weekend about CASI..."it's "organization" isn't very organized." I agree with that statement, but maybe not as it would seem. I do believe that CASI's structure is very well organized; we have a BOD, a group of GP's and various pods who work to make CASI better. I think where CASI is fledgling is in it's vision for itself. If CASI wants to continue on as a group of great people who get together and cook chili for charity, then I think it's current structure is perfect. If CASI wants to be something more, and be more of a contributor to the Scholarship Fund, for example, then I believe the current structure will not allow CASI to grow. Maybe the ones charged with running CASI are too deeply entrenched in the daily grind and weekend chili cook offs to be impartial. Perhaps we have too many people who are still so closely tied to "how it's always been done" to see that it can be run differently, and maybe even better. I have always maintained that we should either have an outside CPA or an outside audit of the books. That's one area that I feel would benefit from a non cook's participation. Do I believe that we should have a Board made up of all non chili cooks? Absolutely not. We have to have a fair balance of unbiased eyes and seasoned chili cooks to keep CASI's best interests in focus. It's hard to be objective when you are in the big middle of everything - and I don't mean that in a negative way. Sometimes you have to be completely outside of the hoopla to see what works and what doesn't. I sometimes think that we've gotten away from the real reason why CASI was started in the first place. Is that a bad thing? Probably not. It just seems like we can't get enough people to agree on which direction we want to go as an organization. If you want to grow and expand and be nationally known, then you have to be willing to think outside the box, change how you run your organization, and allow yourselves to take chances. It will also involve opening yourself up to the public and membership as a whole to be scrutinized. I just don't think CASI is there yet. I feel like we've got one foot in the future and one foot in the past and that's why we're so stagnant. I think that CASI has to decide what it's identity is before it determines how to obtain it. There are so many great ideas and opportunities out there for CASI if they want to take the steps necessary to be a larger charitable organization. We've got someone (Jim Ezell) who works his butt off for CASI and the sponsorships. If we're going to grow, then get someone willing to work their tail off to advertise, promote and market us. On the other hand, if CASI is going to stay more of a charitable organization that is committed to helping out locally through Pods and the assorted cook offs, then let's embrace that and stop trying to be something that we're not...or at least not ready to be. Either way, CASI is a great organization with wonderful people who are doing a good thing by raising money (any money!) for charities.
I feel a little like a parent (well, technically I am - to Paige) when I read over what I've written. It's like when a parent says, "I don't care what you do when you grow up, I just want you to be happy." Well, that's how I feel about CASI. I don't care what CASI decides to be, I just want CASI to be happy doing it! I also want to see our organization take legitimate steps to becoming what it is that they want to be. In all fairness, that has to start with all of us, not just the BOD. We have to continue to effectively communicate with the Board. The membership has to make sure that their voices are heard. Over the past few weeks, I've had two very different experiences communicating with the Board. One went well; the other one was what I would call "non-responsive". That's okay, you can't win them all. Still, it doesn't deter me in the least - I'm stubborn like that! I don't, nor should any of us, expect to get our way every time we have a beef with CASI or the BOD. I think what most of us expect is to be heard, to be given the opportunity to discuss the issues and come to either an agreement, or an agreement to disagree on a matter. Once that becomes the rule, rather than the exception, then I think that CASI will have an easier time with growing it's brand if that's what they choose to do. Until we get the "organization" organized, then I worry that our efforts will be all for naught.
I want to wish everyone running for the BOD lots of luck. I hope that all of those running are treated with respect for putting themselves out there. Talking chili politics with a bunch of chili cooks isn't always easy. I find that those quickest to criticize are usually the first ones to say "Hell No" when it's suggested that they run for a Director's position. Whether you agree with any or all of the Directors, they are are volunteering their time and talents so that we can cook chili and not be bothered with a lot of the business stuff that still has to be handled.
For those of you who want to see how CASI is run, the GP Meeting is an excellent place to observe us "in action". It's even being held in a town with great antique shops in case you get tired of all of our posturing and arguing over really mundane stuff. I mean, it really is just a pot of chili, right? (This after a page of pontificating by yours truly!!)
Have a wonderful day....I've got recipes to post later!
Spreading joy and kindness in everything I do............
Kelly
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Karma, Guns, Jewelry, Funnel Clouds, and Cupcakes
Some random thoughts for today:
I'm reaching certifiable status regarding the turquoise cuff I lost. I think I've found a few options for a replacement. I even tried to locate the person I purchased it from (no, I'm not a stalker) and that was sort of fruitless.
If you threaten to get a gun and shoot people at your office, some places will let you come back to work after you've been escorted from the building. NICE.
If a job bids at 2 pm, and we've accepted the invite on isqft AND it's only 11 am, expect a smart ass answer when you call and ask us where our bid is. Jesus, people.
I am a big fan of Karma. I want to build a Karma altar at my house and make offerings to it on a daily basis. No matter who you are or what you do, the Karma Police will find and arrest you. That's all I'm going to say, even though I could spend hours, no DAYS, going off. I have a healthy fear of the above mentioned Karma and do not want to upset her in any way, shape or form.
I am ready for it to cool off and stay cooled off. I am in need of nesting. I need to build a fire in my fireplace, have a big pot of soup on the stove, a good book and blanket. I am also in need of no more going and going and going. I have one more weekend away from home and then that is it for a while. I am turning into some sort of weird recluse, hermit-like person. My need to be at home cooking, cleaning, taking care of my children, husband and dogs is at an all time high.
I turn 37 on Saturday. I don't know how I feel about this. While I'm figuring out how I feel about it, I'm going to drink a lot, float a lot, and listen to a lot of Charlie Robison Saturday night at Gruene Hall :) The girls are so excited that they get to see him play and I'm excited that they're going to be there!!
Speaking of my girls. If your daddy and I are outside with our cocktails watching the storm and funnel clouds, and you come outside, you better not be some little pantywaist about it! I'm not about to have my storm watching ruined by scared children. If it's too much for you, go back in the house and get into turtle position!!!!! There I am again, lobbying for Redneck Mother of the Year.....LOL!! I told Paige repeatedly to go back into the house, but the "Mosaic Expert" told me she would be brave :o)
It's called The Cupcakery and I was introduced to it today. It's on the corner of McKinney and Pearl. Go there...fast...today if possible. Gary, because he loves me, brought me delicious cupcakes from this place. I ate a lemon one with lemon icing and I moaned with pleasure. That's right - I just said, out loud, that I moaned with pleasure while eating a cupcake. I'm not ashamed to admit it and I will be doing it again here shortly when I eat the Oh, My Gosh-Ganache cupcake. Huzzah!
Have a great day and a great holiday weekend! Good luck to everyone cooking chili this weekend!
Keep it real, folks...and spread some joy and kindness. Karma will be pleased :)
Kelly
I'm reaching certifiable status regarding the turquoise cuff I lost. I think I've found a few options for a replacement. I even tried to locate the person I purchased it from (no, I'm not a stalker) and that was sort of fruitless.
If you threaten to get a gun and shoot people at your office, some places will let you come back to work after you've been escorted from the building. NICE.
If a job bids at 2 pm, and we've accepted the invite on isqft AND it's only 11 am, expect a smart ass answer when you call and ask us where our bid is. Jesus, people.
I am a big fan of Karma. I want to build a Karma altar at my house and make offerings to it on a daily basis. No matter who you are or what you do, the Karma Police will find and arrest you. That's all I'm going to say, even though I could spend hours, no DAYS, going off. I have a healthy fear of the above mentioned Karma and do not want to upset her in any way, shape or form.
I am ready for it to cool off and stay cooled off. I am in need of nesting. I need to build a fire in my fireplace, have a big pot of soup on the stove, a good book and blanket. I am also in need of no more going and going and going. I have one more weekend away from home and then that is it for a while. I am turning into some sort of weird recluse, hermit-like person. My need to be at home cooking, cleaning, taking care of my children, husband and dogs is at an all time high.
I turn 37 on Saturday. I don't know how I feel about this. While I'm figuring out how I feel about it, I'm going to drink a lot, float a lot, and listen to a lot of Charlie Robison Saturday night at Gruene Hall :) The girls are so excited that they get to see him play and I'm excited that they're going to be there!!
Speaking of my girls. If your daddy and I are outside with our cocktails watching the storm and funnel clouds, and you come outside, you better not be some little pantywaist about it! I'm not about to have my storm watching ruined by scared children. If it's too much for you, go back in the house and get into turtle position!!!!! There I am again, lobbying for Redneck Mother of the Year.....LOL!! I told Paige repeatedly to go back into the house, but the "Mosaic Expert" told me she would be brave :o)
It's called The Cupcakery and I was introduced to it today. It's on the corner of McKinney and Pearl. Go there...fast...today if possible. Gary, because he loves me, brought me delicious cupcakes from this place. I ate a lemon one with lemon icing and I moaned with pleasure. That's right - I just said, out loud, that I moaned with pleasure while eating a cupcake. I'm not ashamed to admit it and I will be doing it again here shortly when I eat the Oh, My Gosh-Ganache cupcake. Huzzah!
Have a great day and a great holiday weekend! Good luck to everyone cooking chili this weekend!
Keep it real, folks...and spread some joy and kindness. Karma will be pleased :)
Kelly
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Smoked Salmon Frittata and Slow Cooker Roast
Good Morning!
Last night I made Ina Garten's Smoked Salmon Frittata. I made a few changes and it was still delicious. This is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it's also great if you are low carbing or no carbing it :). I also got a roast ready to cook in the slow cooker today while I'm at work! Recipes below:
Smoked Salmon Frittata
1/2 of medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
12 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb smoked salmon, chopped
3 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
3/4 Tbsp dried dill weed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the red onion and butter in a 10 inch oven proof skillet over medium low heat until tender. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cream, goat cheese, salmon, green onions, dill, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the skillet in the oven. Bake the frittata for 50-55 minutes until puffy and golden brown. You also want to make sure a knife inserted in the middle of it comes out clean, too. (That way you know it's done!) Serve warm with fruit, soup and/or salad. If you don't like dill, omit it and use parsley! I served this with roasted new potatoes. They are the easiest side dish to make. Quarter 3-4 large new potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven along with the frittata. Super easy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Slow Cooker Roast
1 2 1/2-3 lb chuck roast
2 large russet potatoes, quartered
1 16 oz bag of baby carrots
1 large onion, quartered
2 1.25 oz packages of onion soup mix (they come two to a box)
1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder
1/4 cup water
In a 5-6 qt slow cooker (with a slow cooker liner because they rock!), layer the potatoes, onions and carrots; sprinkle the contents of ONE bag of onion soup mix over the veggies. Lay the roast on top and sprinkle the other bag of onion soup mix over the top of it along with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Pour the water around the veggies, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Come home and dinner is ready except for a few side dishes! (If you're me, that consists of instant mashed potatoes, corn and green beans!!)
Have a great day! I am wavering on whether or not I want to delve into the Regional Referee issue that is quickly becoming a RR problem in the N Texas area. I'm torn between flipping out now or at the GP Meeting. If any of you who read this have an opinion either way regarding how the areas are being split up and the response (that has been iffy at times)from the individual re-zoning the areas, let me know what you think about how it's being handled.
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy in everything I do........
Kelly
Last night I made Ina Garten's Smoked Salmon Frittata. I made a few changes and it was still delicious. This is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it's also great if you are low carbing or no carbing it :). I also got a roast ready to cook in the slow cooker today while I'm at work! Recipes below:
Smoked Salmon Frittata
1/2 of medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
12 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb smoked salmon, chopped
3 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
3/4 Tbsp dried dill weed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the red onion and butter in a 10 inch oven proof skillet over medium low heat until tender. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cream, goat cheese, salmon, green onions, dill, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the skillet in the oven. Bake the frittata for 50-55 minutes until puffy and golden brown. You also want to make sure a knife inserted in the middle of it comes out clean, too. (That way you know it's done!) Serve warm with fruit, soup and/or salad. If you don't like dill, omit it and use parsley! I served this with roasted new potatoes. They are the easiest side dish to make. Quarter 3-4 large new potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven along with the frittata. Super easy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Slow Cooker Roast
1 2 1/2-3 lb chuck roast
2 large russet potatoes, quartered
1 16 oz bag of baby carrots
1 large onion, quartered
2 1.25 oz packages of onion soup mix (they come two to a box)
1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder
1/4 cup water
In a 5-6 qt slow cooker (with a slow cooker liner because they rock!), layer the potatoes, onions and carrots; sprinkle the contents of ONE bag of onion soup mix over the veggies. Lay the roast on top and sprinkle the other bag of onion soup mix over the top of it along with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Pour the water around the veggies, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Come home and dinner is ready except for a few side dishes! (If you're me, that consists of instant mashed potatoes, corn and green beans!!)
Have a great day! I am wavering on whether or not I want to delve into the Regional Referee issue that is quickly becoming a RR problem in the N Texas area. I'm torn between flipping out now or at the GP Meeting. If any of you who read this have an opinion either way regarding how the areas are being split up and the response (that has been iffy at times)from the individual re-zoning the areas, let me know what you think about how it's being handled.
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy in everything I do........
Kelly
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