Hello Tuesday! It took me awhile to get going today, but here I am, fully functioning at 1:39 pm. My peak times of production are between 11 am and 3 pm. That's when I am my most productive and make my best decisions. My tattoos have been done in the afternoon....my marriages and procreation decisions have been made in the evenings....hahahaha. Just kidding...really. Well, maybe not about the tattoos, cause they are pretty bad ass, if I do say so myself!
So, the countdown to Paige's Annual Halloween Bash has begun. She's so excited and can't wait to dress up as the Queen of Hearts. I've got my food planned and my mom is finishing up on last minute party items. Bubba and his friends are responsible for the spooky hayride at the back of the property. We hang up skulls and ghouls from the tree limbs and have a fog machine. The boys wear masks and run around with chainsaws....just like good little rednecks. I'm also going to let the kids bob for apples, beat a Skull Pinata and have a mummy making contest. They also get to decorate their own pumpkins and make a Halloween necklace. The weather is supposed to be great Saturday, so it looks like this may go off without a hitch. Say it ain't so!
I've got my TICC grocery menu ready. I'm making breakfast casseroles and chorizo and egg breakfast tacos while we're there. I'm also going to make Jalapeno Ranch Sour Cream Dip (Courtesy of Mild Bills!) and pastrami cheese ball...which is freakin delicious. I think I'm going to marinate and freeze two steaks and take two potatoes in the event Gary and I tire of chicken and shrimp on a stick while there. I know, I know...this is not going to be a very Jenny Craig friendly week, but I'm going to try very hard to not veer too far off of my plan. I've got a perfect spot in the toy hauler for my wine...it's like a mini wine and liquor cabinet. The boxes fit perfectly! We're really good to go for the most part...now it's the old hurry up and wait game!
I knocked Paige upside the head yesterday - on accident. The wind was blowing like a son of a bitch and it blew the back door out of my hand and knocked her down. Poor baby...she has a bruise on her forehead. The knot is gone, but it's still purple. I can't wait to find out what she tells the people at school. I hope I don't get a surprise visit from CPS in the near future. My little half bat/half girl gets her 1st quarter report card on Friday. I'm excited to see her grades. She's been doing really well in school and loves her teacher. She's such a smart little girl! (And a smart ass, too!!!)
I guess I'll get back to work. I've still got an hour left in my window of productivity. It's amazing how much I can get done in four hours when I really want to :0)
Keep it real, folks!
Kelly
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables, I'm The Mommy of a Bat, and Other Fascinating Tales......
Greetings and Salutations!
How was everyone's weekend? Ours was nice and relaxing with a nice shot of rain Saturday. We went to Central Market and actually contained ourselves! We did, however, find The Prisoner, a wine from Orin Swift Cellars in California. Gary and I first had this wine at Ruth's Chris a few months ago and loved it. We were so excited to see it at Central Market. Even better - they were giving samples of another Orin Swift wine, Abstract. OMG - freaking unbelievable!!!! We bought three bottles of it, a bottle of The Prisoner and a bottle of Brachetto. We stole one of Courtney's bottles to put in our six pack and get a 10% discount, too. We're smart like that :)
Lots of yummy, yummy stuff at Central Market. It was packed; they were having a cheese event and it was a madhouse. We tried quite a few goat, cheddar and blue cheeses. Latte Da Dairy was there and they always produce a fantastic goat cheese. There was another vendor there with a goat cheese and I just didn't care for it; neither did Courtney. We thought it was too sharp. Goat cheese should be mild and creamy and this had a really strong aftertaste. Besides, the woman with the yucky cheese was rude to my child, so she immediately lost favor with me :)!! Gary was his typical uncontrollable self in there and I had to reign him in over the wine and these pretty bad ass chocolate cookies that he somehow snuck in the basket. Anyways, we ended up with a great selection of cheese and wine for our pre dinner snack yesterday prior to the main event: Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Veggies!! I also bought Kale for the first time, but ended up not using it since there were so many veggies with the chicken. I'm going to saute it tonight with garlic.
I also planted my mums. I've been waiting for it to cool off and it sort of did, until today, so I went ahead and got them put out. The house is clean, laundry done, toyhauler packed and we are getting everything ready for Terlingua. Maybe this year won't be such a cluster you know what! It's just such a long ass trip...that's what I hate about it.
"Mommy, did you know that I'm half bat and half girl? That's why I'm so tired during the day. I fly around all night when I'm a bat."
That was a one liner from Paige last night. Instead of leaving it alone, I pursued the conversation. And you're wondering...who's the adult here, right? Me, too....
So I asked her if she watches TV at night as a bat or a girl. That question threw her for a loop, but it didn't stop her from rambling on about being a bat....how she flies around listening for an echo to tell her if she can keep going that direction, and that she turns back into a girl when she's hungry so that she doesn't have to eat bugs, rats and "mices" and that she has half breed friends as well. I don't know if we're at the point where I should seek psychological help for her or if I should just chalk it up to a very creative mind. She hasn't tried to bite anyone, shown signs or rabies or tried to sleep hanging upside down. I guess we'll just play it by ear.
Moments after that conversation she asked me if I knew how lucky I was to have her as a kid. Right?! She also told me that she considered a lot of different potential mommies, but that I seemed like the best one at the time. Not just the "best one", but the "best one at the time". WTF?????
Alright, here is the chicken recipe:
Cadillac Cowgirl Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
1 Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry; giblets removed
2 Oranges, quartered
2 Lemons, quartered
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
1 lb Turnips, diced
1 lb Baby Carrots, left whole
1 Red Onion, quartered
1 1/2 lbs New Potatoes, quartered
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and left whole
1 Tbsp Each Fresh Rosemary, Thyme and Sage, chopped
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter, softened, but not melted
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large roasting pan, drizzle the olive oil and swirl it around the pan to coat it. Add the squash, turnips, baby carrots, red onion, new potatoes and garlic cloves. Stir them around in the pan to distribute the oil over them - this will help keep them from sticking and help them roast evenly. Squeeze one of the quartered lemons and oranges over the veggies. Place the used lemon and orange quarters inside the chicken and nestle it among the veggies. (Doesn't that sound cozy...LMAO!) Take the two tablespoons of softened butter and rub it all over the chicken. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon and orange quarters over the buttered chicken. It will probably run off, but enough of it will stick to the chicken. Place the used quarters in the pan with the veggies. Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped herbs and any leftover amount over the veggies. Sprinkle a good amount of salt and ground black pepper over the chicken and veggies as well. Roast on the middle rack in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 400 and continue to cook until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through - about another hour. You can always use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Let the chicken rest for about five minutes before you slice it up. Serve it with warm rolls for a one pan meal. You can always add another vegetable and/or salad as a side dish depending on how many you are feeding. Enjoy!!
I just have one more thing to add and I hope I properly convey my meaning. Sponsors are vitally important to CASI - no if, ands, or buts about it. The sponsors that have chosen CASI as their "charity" so to speak and the sponsors Jim Ezell has been able to procure on CASI's behalf absolutely make it easier for all of us to cook chili at a pretty affordable rate. What gets under my skin, though, is to see an ad in the Trails that declares without the sponsors, there would be no cook offs. Really? I thought you had to have cooks to have a cook off and that comes across as arrogant to me. I am a sponsor of CASI, both as a "Sponsor" and as a cook and I am proud to be able to help out CASI from a sponsorship level and help out charities as a cook. I would hope that the ad placed in the Trails for that particular cook off was just worded wrong and not meant as a slap in the face to all of the cooks and promoters who bust their butts to get out there and run cook offs, sanction cook offs, and cook chili for charity without a sponsor in sight. I am grateful to the sponsors that generously give to CASI so that I can drive 10 hours to the desert every November and have a great time with my friends. I don't think any of us would be able to have as good of a time as we do if it weren't for the sponsors who have given to CASI so that they may make the Ranch that much more fun for all of us. Still, it's the COOKS who make sure there are cook offs. Just ask anyone who's ever been one of four cooks at 11 am at a cook off with a 2 pm turn in. I seriously doubt those four were jumping up and down if a sponsor drove up; but you know they'd probably hump the legs of everyone who showed up to cook and made sure that cook off was sanctioned. Just my humble opinion.........
Have a wonderful afternoon. I've got lots of kindness and joy to spread this week.
Keepin it real in Ellis Co.
Kelly
How was everyone's weekend? Ours was nice and relaxing with a nice shot of rain Saturday. We went to Central Market and actually contained ourselves! We did, however, find The Prisoner, a wine from Orin Swift Cellars in California. Gary and I first had this wine at Ruth's Chris a few months ago and loved it. We were so excited to see it at Central Market. Even better - they were giving samples of another Orin Swift wine, Abstract. OMG - freaking unbelievable!!!! We bought three bottles of it, a bottle of The Prisoner and a bottle of Brachetto. We stole one of Courtney's bottles to put in our six pack and get a 10% discount, too. We're smart like that :)
Lots of yummy, yummy stuff at Central Market. It was packed; they were having a cheese event and it was a madhouse. We tried quite a few goat, cheddar and blue cheeses. Latte Da Dairy was there and they always produce a fantastic goat cheese. There was another vendor there with a goat cheese and I just didn't care for it; neither did Courtney. We thought it was too sharp. Goat cheese should be mild and creamy and this had a really strong aftertaste. Besides, the woman with the yucky cheese was rude to my child, so she immediately lost favor with me :)!! Gary was his typical uncontrollable self in there and I had to reign him in over the wine and these pretty bad ass chocolate cookies that he somehow snuck in the basket. Anyways, we ended up with a great selection of cheese and wine for our pre dinner snack yesterday prior to the main event: Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Veggies!! I also bought Kale for the first time, but ended up not using it since there were so many veggies with the chicken. I'm going to saute it tonight with garlic.
I also planted my mums. I've been waiting for it to cool off and it sort of did, until today, so I went ahead and got them put out. The house is clean, laundry done, toyhauler packed and we are getting everything ready for Terlingua. Maybe this year won't be such a cluster you know what! It's just such a long ass trip...that's what I hate about it.
"Mommy, did you know that I'm half bat and half girl? That's why I'm so tired during the day. I fly around all night when I'm a bat."
That was a one liner from Paige last night. Instead of leaving it alone, I pursued the conversation. And you're wondering...who's the adult here, right? Me, too....
So I asked her if she watches TV at night as a bat or a girl. That question threw her for a loop, but it didn't stop her from rambling on about being a bat....how she flies around listening for an echo to tell her if she can keep going that direction, and that she turns back into a girl when she's hungry so that she doesn't have to eat bugs, rats and "mices" and that she has half breed friends as well. I don't know if we're at the point where I should seek psychological help for her or if I should just chalk it up to a very creative mind. She hasn't tried to bite anyone, shown signs or rabies or tried to sleep hanging upside down. I guess we'll just play it by ear.
Moments after that conversation she asked me if I knew how lucky I was to have her as a kid. Right?! She also told me that she considered a lot of different potential mommies, but that I seemed like the best one at the time. Not just the "best one", but the "best one at the time". WTF?????
Alright, here is the chicken recipe:
Cadillac Cowgirl Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
1 Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry; giblets removed
2 Oranges, quartered
2 Lemons, quartered
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
1 lb Turnips, diced
1 lb Baby Carrots, left whole
1 Red Onion, quartered
1 1/2 lbs New Potatoes, quartered
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and left whole
1 Tbsp Each Fresh Rosemary, Thyme and Sage, chopped
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter, softened, but not melted
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large roasting pan, drizzle the olive oil and swirl it around the pan to coat it. Add the squash, turnips, baby carrots, red onion, new potatoes and garlic cloves. Stir them around in the pan to distribute the oil over them - this will help keep them from sticking and help them roast evenly. Squeeze one of the quartered lemons and oranges over the veggies. Place the used lemon and orange quarters inside the chicken and nestle it among the veggies. (Doesn't that sound cozy...LMAO!) Take the two tablespoons of softened butter and rub it all over the chicken. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon and orange quarters over the buttered chicken. It will probably run off, but enough of it will stick to the chicken. Place the used quarters in the pan with the veggies. Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped herbs and any leftover amount over the veggies. Sprinkle a good amount of salt and ground black pepper over the chicken and veggies as well. Roast on the middle rack in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 400 and continue to cook until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through - about another hour. You can always use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Let the chicken rest for about five minutes before you slice it up. Serve it with warm rolls for a one pan meal. You can always add another vegetable and/or salad as a side dish depending on how many you are feeding. Enjoy!!
I just have one more thing to add and I hope I properly convey my meaning. Sponsors are vitally important to CASI - no if, ands, or buts about it. The sponsors that have chosen CASI as their "charity" so to speak and the sponsors Jim Ezell has been able to procure on CASI's behalf absolutely make it easier for all of us to cook chili at a pretty affordable rate. What gets under my skin, though, is to see an ad in the Trails that declares without the sponsors, there would be no cook offs. Really? I thought you had to have cooks to have a cook off and that comes across as arrogant to me. I am a sponsor of CASI, both as a "Sponsor" and as a cook and I am proud to be able to help out CASI from a sponsorship level and help out charities as a cook. I would hope that the ad placed in the Trails for that particular cook off was just worded wrong and not meant as a slap in the face to all of the cooks and promoters who bust their butts to get out there and run cook offs, sanction cook offs, and cook chili for charity without a sponsor in sight. I am grateful to the sponsors that generously give to CASI so that I can drive 10 hours to the desert every November and have a great time with my friends. I don't think any of us would be able to have as good of a time as we do if it weren't for the sponsors who have given to CASI so that they may make the Ranch that much more fun for all of us. Still, it's the COOKS who make sure there are cook offs. Just ask anyone who's ever been one of four cooks at 11 am at a cook off with a 2 pm turn in. I seriously doubt those four were jumping up and down if a sponsor drove up; but you know they'd probably hump the legs of everyone who showed up to cook and made sure that cook off was sanctioned. Just my humble opinion.........
Have a wonderful afternoon. I've got lots of kindness and joy to spread this week.
Keepin it real in Ellis Co.
Kelly
Quick Post from Mikie......
From Mikie McGarity:
Not going to TICC this year? Want to know the winners on Saturday evening? Email Mikie McGarity with your email address or phone number.
Mikie’s email is mikie@mcgarity.org and phone is 817-975-2200.
Not going to TICC this year? Want to know the winners on Saturday evening? Email Mikie McGarity with your email address or phone number.
Mikie’s email is mikie@mcgarity.org and phone is 817-975-2200.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Adventures In Food
Let me start off today by saying this:
"Hey mommy, my little puppy is showing off his muff."
Paige is playing one of her DS games and she's created her own puppy. Apparently, he too likes to roll on his back and expose himself like Waylon. I love my child.
Okay, back to the topic...adventures in food. I hate, hate, hate the word "diet". I think that no matter how wonderful your intentions may be, or how strong willed you may be, you incorporate that word into your daily vocabulary and you are doomed to fail. I am, at least. The minute I say I'm "dieting", I begin craving bad foods that I normally don't even eat. I know it's a mind game, but still, I have yet to succeed on any diet I've ever been on. South Beach - I love it, I can go without pasta, but all of the meat kills my pancreas. Weight Watchers is a really great plan, but I'm lazy and if I have to count and think for myself, I'm doomed. Nutrisytem is just about the nastiest food I've ever had and MediFast really isn't that healthy considering the rapid weight loss that comes with it.
So what did I go and do? I joined Jenny Craig. Yep, I'm typing it for the blogosphere to read - I've joined 1-800-Jenny20....LOL!! You want to know the shocking thing? The food is actually really good. I'm not shy about my love for the turkey burger. JC has one. Before I ate it today, I wondered aloud what type of assault Jenny Craig had committed against my normally delicious turkey burger. There was no cheese...or mayo. I opened it up, followed the heating instructions, added the BBQ sauce and some lettuce from my salad and bit into it. It was delicious! I swear to God! Would I lie about food...especially my beloved turkey burger? It was on a whole wheat bun and even after nuking it, it wasn't soggy, rubbery or gross. I was impressed. I'm not eating my dinner selection tonight because I have fish fry tickets....priorities, of course. But, I'm looking forward to this week's food and staying on track. Nothing is forbidden, I can still drink (can't do that on South Beach) and the food is good. That's all I can ask for, right? Jenny Craig obviously focuses on portion controlled, low fat and low calorie meals. When you take the "thinking" aspect out of it for me, I tend to succeed. I've committed myself to dropping 72 pounds. Think I can do it? Watch me!!!!!!
That's my exciting (for me at least) news for the week. Staying home and doing nothing this weekend has never sounded so good. I need to get ready for TICC and get my breakfast casseroles put together and in the freezer. Speaking of TICC:
VEGGIE CUTTERS NEEDED - 9 AM IN THE JUDGING PAVILION - BRING YOUR KNIVES AND CUTTING BOARDS!!
BREAKFAST AND BLOODY MARYS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!
The more we have, the faster it goes!! Come have fun with chili cooks, booze and sharp knives :0) A winning combination, no doubt!
Good luck to the Rangers tonight! I'd love to see them win the series at home in front of their fans! We'll be taking our fish to go and heading to the KJT to watch the game. We had an opportunity to go to the game, but that just didn't sound very appealing to me. Crowds, noise, traffic...uh NO!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy.....
Kelly
"Hey mommy, my little puppy is showing off his muff."
Paige is playing one of her DS games and she's created her own puppy. Apparently, he too likes to roll on his back and expose himself like Waylon. I love my child.
Okay, back to the topic...adventures in food. I hate, hate, hate the word "diet". I think that no matter how wonderful your intentions may be, or how strong willed you may be, you incorporate that word into your daily vocabulary and you are doomed to fail. I am, at least. The minute I say I'm "dieting", I begin craving bad foods that I normally don't even eat. I know it's a mind game, but still, I have yet to succeed on any diet I've ever been on. South Beach - I love it, I can go without pasta, but all of the meat kills my pancreas. Weight Watchers is a really great plan, but I'm lazy and if I have to count and think for myself, I'm doomed. Nutrisytem is just about the nastiest food I've ever had and MediFast really isn't that healthy considering the rapid weight loss that comes with it.
So what did I go and do? I joined Jenny Craig. Yep, I'm typing it for the blogosphere to read - I've joined 1-800-Jenny20....LOL!! You want to know the shocking thing? The food is actually really good. I'm not shy about my love for the turkey burger. JC has one. Before I ate it today, I wondered aloud what type of assault Jenny Craig had committed against my normally delicious turkey burger. There was no cheese...or mayo. I opened it up, followed the heating instructions, added the BBQ sauce and some lettuce from my salad and bit into it. It was delicious! I swear to God! Would I lie about food...especially my beloved turkey burger? It was on a whole wheat bun and even after nuking it, it wasn't soggy, rubbery or gross. I was impressed. I'm not eating my dinner selection tonight because I have fish fry tickets....priorities, of course. But, I'm looking forward to this week's food and staying on track. Nothing is forbidden, I can still drink (can't do that on South Beach) and the food is good. That's all I can ask for, right? Jenny Craig obviously focuses on portion controlled, low fat and low calorie meals. When you take the "thinking" aspect out of it for me, I tend to succeed. I've committed myself to dropping 72 pounds. Think I can do it? Watch me!!!!!!
That's my exciting (for me at least) news for the week. Staying home and doing nothing this weekend has never sounded so good. I need to get ready for TICC and get my breakfast casseroles put together and in the freezer. Speaking of TICC:
VEGGIE CUTTERS NEEDED - 9 AM IN THE JUDGING PAVILION - BRING YOUR KNIVES AND CUTTING BOARDS!!
BREAKFAST AND BLOODY MARYS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!
The more we have, the faster it goes!! Come have fun with chili cooks, booze and sharp knives :0) A winning combination, no doubt!
Good luck to the Rangers tonight! I'd love to see them win the series at home in front of their fans! We'll be taking our fish to go and heading to the KJT to watch the game. We had an opportunity to go to the game, but that just didn't sound very appealing to me. Crowds, noise, traffic...uh NO!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy.....
Kelly
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Random Thoughts.....
Good Thursday morning! I'm so glad to see the backside of this week :) Just when I think things are getting more manageable, life reminds me why IT is in control of me and not the other way around! I know that everyone is buzzing about and getting ready for TICC. The screen door for the toy hauler made it in and Gary just needs to install it. I need to figure out the food situation for the week and do my grocery shopping, board some of the dogs, and get all of our chili stuff together and mix spices. That long ass, 10 hour trip will be here before we know it....FUN TIMES!!
I want to give a public shout out to my husband this morning. Yes, he drives me crazy. And yes, I like to keep him medicated :). I have to give him kudos, though. He makes and brings me my coffee every morning. He also loads up all of our chili stuff, and sets up and breaks down all of our stoves, etc. Last night, he cleaned out the pantry, refrigerator, and the freezer. In a shocking development, I discovered that I had shelves and a light in my freezer. Who knew?? Gary also cleaned the house while I cooked chili last weekend and had someone come clean it for me a few weekends before while I was cooking. So, even those these admissions make me sound like a spoiled, lazy wife, I'm willing to take the hit in order to thank my hubby for all to see. Thank you baby....I love you!
I am constantly amazed at the entitlement of others. I was actually bitched out by some of our employees last week for not paying more of their health insurance. These are also the same people who decline coverage, go to Parkland for free health care, and tell Parkland that we don't OFFER health care. Fortunately, these hospitals are wising up and contacting employers. Nothing gives me more pleasure than sending over the forms in which these jackasses have signed DECLINING the coverage offered to them. I know health care is expensive. It's not that I don't understand the financial burden of carrying it and trying to pay for it - I do. But I don't have to offer it first of all. And second of all, I don't have to pay for any of it. So, it really, really pisses me off when I pay $36,000 a year, yes you read that correctly, for our employees health care and they are bitching at me because they have to pay $28 a week. Do the math....I'm thinking they are coming out a hell of a lot better than I am in this deal. Assholes.
There is a sign that says,"Anyone who thinks natural childbirth is over-rated never owned their own business." I couldn't agree more. Yes, it has it's perks and it has been wonderful to me and Gary. Still, the headaches that come with it are pretty constant. You never know when stupidity is going to strike!
That's my bitch session (I think) for the day. I can't really think of anything else I'm pissy about...I think I addressed that on Tuesday!
I'm worried about my little Juicy. She's still so upset over Sister Lucy. She told me last night that she didn't get to hug her and tell her goodbye. Paige is real big on goodbyes and closure. I keep reminding her that she told her goodbye when she was still at school and that she can talk to Sister Lucy anytime she wants. I'm kind of at a loss with this one. Suggestions?
Starbucks has a bacon, Gouda and egg breakfast sandwich. It's pretty damn tasty! So is the reduced fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich.
I haven't really cooked this week....I've been a total slacker. I made breakfast for dinner last night and Paige was all over that. I'm sure I'll cook this weekend and have a recipe to share.
Have a great day! Keep it real!
Kelly
I want to give a public shout out to my husband this morning. Yes, he drives me crazy. And yes, I like to keep him medicated :). I have to give him kudos, though. He makes and brings me my coffee every morning. He also loads up all of our chili stuff, and sets up and breaks down all of our stoves, etc. Last night, he cleaned out the pantry, refrigerator, and the freezer. In a shocking development, I discovered that I had shelves and a light in my freezer. Who knew?? Gary also cleaned the house while I cooked chili last weekend and had someone come clean it for me a few weekends before while I was cooking. So, even those these admissions make me sound like a spoiled, lazy wife, I'm willing to take the hit in order to thank my hubby for all to see. Thank you baby....I love you!
I am constantly amazed at the entitlement of others. I was actually bitched out by some of our employees last week for not paying more of their health insurance. These are also the same people who decline coverage, go to Parkland for free health care, and tell Parkland that we don't OFFER health care. Fortunately, these hospitals are wising up and contacting employers. Nothing gives me more pleasure than sending over the forms in which these jackasses have signed DECLINING the coverage offered to them. I know health care is expensive. It's not that I don't understand the financial burden of carrying it and trying to pay for it - I do. But I don't have to offer it first of all. And second of all, I don't have to pay for any of it. So, it really, really pisses me off when I pay $36,000 a year, yes you read that correctly, for our employees health care and they are bitching at me because they have to pay $28 a week. Do the math....I'm thinking they are coming out a hell of a lot better than I am in this deal. Assholes.
There is a sign that says,"Anyone who thinks natural childbirth is over-rated never owned their own business." I couldn't agree more. Yes, it has it's perks and it has been wonderful to me and Gary. Still, the headaches that come with it are pretty constant. You never know when stupidity is going to strike!
That's my bitch session (I think) for the day. I can't really think of anything else I'm pissy about...I think I addressed that on Tuesday!
I'm worried about my little Juicy. She's still so upset over Sister Lucy. She told me last night that she didn't get to hug her and tell her goodbye. Paige is real big on goodbyes and closure. I keep reminding her that she told her goodbye when she was still at school and that she can talk to Sister Lucy anytime she wants. I'm kind of at a loss with this one. Suggestions?
Starbucks has a bacon, Gouda and egg breakfast sandwich. It's pretty damn tasty! So is the reduced fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich.
I haven't really cooked this week....I've been a total slacker. I made breakfast for dinner last night and Paige was all over that. I'm sure I'll cook this weekend and have a recipe to share.
Have a great day! Keep it real!
Kelly
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Catching Up....
Good Morning!!! How was everyone's weekend? How many of you managed to steal some points cooking chili Saturday and Sunday? I have lots to talk about, including results from Cleburne this weekend. I'll start with that!
Cleburne Elks Lodge Saturday CCO
16 Chilis
1. Kay Lefler
2. Babs Johnson
3. Delores Sanders
4. Frances Sullivan
5. David Lefler
6. David Manske
7. Kelly Brignon
8. Jim Trietsch
9. Chris Sneeringer
10. Clint Wallace
Cleburne Elks Lodge Sunday CCO
28 Chilis
1. Sam Roberts
2. Ron Barnes
3. Glenda Vrba
4. Nancy Hewlett
5. Clint Porter
6. Dee Palmer
7. Bill Lester
8. Bob Pulliam
9. Kay Lefler
10. Susan Spencer
We had a GREAT cook off both days. Our cook count was down on Saturday, obviously, due to all of the cook offs in the area. We bounced back on Sunday and had a great turn out. The Cleburne Elks Lodge always puts on a fantastic cook off (and always the same weekend in October, EVERY YEAR) and they love CASI cooks. It was unfortunate that the attendance was down on Saturday, but we all had a great time and everyone pitched in. The Elks always have a dinner Friday night and breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings. Their next cook off will be May 14th and I'm looking forward to it!
Gary went to Kerens Saturday and ran their cook off. They had 26 cooks and he won 1st....LMAO!! He said he was embarrassed and he couldn't get out of there fast enough! Kerens always puts on a great cook off (and ALWAYS the same weekend, EVERY YEAR) and the entire community comes out for it. The Kerens cook off benefits the Kerens Public Library and they have a festival downtown with vendors, food, children's activities and a band. He and Zoe had a great time and he had lots of help as well.
Do ya'll like my passive aggressive way of mentioning when these cook offs occur every year??? Kerens obviously wasn't affected by another one nearby; and Cleburne had enough for a sanctioned cook off even with the Mansfield cook off so close. It would be nice if Stop, Drop and Roll would settle on a date and stop flip flopping because I feel that was what affected Cleburne the most. But, telling the Cleburne Elks that THEY need to move THEIR cook off, when they've kept the same date for the past several years, is really unnecessary. Those Elks are going to do whatever they can to make sure they have the best cook off that they can. What they didn't like was someone they didn't know coming in and telling them how they needed to do things. After talking to them and making sure they weren't too upset, we agreed to watch the calendar for the Stop, Drop and Roll cook off date next year. If it's a conflict, then we want to do what's best for the Elks Lodge cook off. But to have someone make a knee-jerk statement based on cook offs that may or may not even take place next year, that really isn't the best way to approach a situation, especially when it's made by someone they don't even know. When you start moving your cook off to avoid another one, you inevitably come in conflict with something else - thankfully they realize that and I was able to smooth everything over with the ones who were a little put off by the whole thing. But, they were definitely worked up a little...especially those Lady Elks....they took a little longer to calm down!!! But they're so fun and so good to all of us CASI cooks - I definitely made sure there were no hard feelings when I left Sunday afternoon. They knew that their cook off wouldn't be as large on Saturday because of Stop, Drop and Roll....and, no pun intended, they rolled with it and are already looking forward to next year!
Other than that, Paige and I had the most wonderful time on our MommyBaby Private Time Camping Trip. We watched Nightmare Before Christmas, P drank hot chocolate and we slept like babies Saturday night! I dressed up my trailer for Show on Saturday and won 1st Place!!! Paige was so funny...she held Babs' ticket on Saturday and wouldn't tell Babs if her number had been called or not! I told her that messing with a chili cook's number is a good way to get in trouble and that I may not be able to save her :) She had so much fun and was such a good girl. She was excited to see Sam on Sunday and terrorized him for awhile. He walked over to our trailer with his iPod playing Charlie Robison and Paige told him that she loved Charlie. She then said this to me:
Paige: Mommy, I love Charlie.
Me: Yes, I do too.
Paige: I want to marry him.
Me: (laughing) okay....
Paige: Do you think he likes little girls?
Me: God, I hope not!!!
Paige: Mommy!!! What's wrong with him liking little girls???
I just changed the subject :) LOL!!!
I've got a lot to do in the next few weeks. I've got most of the Halloween party stuff bought. I need to buy food and beverages for the party, as well as start getting my menu together for TICC. It'll be here before we know it. The weather looks to be perfect while we're there.....highs in the 80's and lows in the 40's at night. I'm also excited because the weekend after TICC is one of my FAVORITE cook offs - The Denton Elks Lodge Foxey Ladies CCO!!! I get to take my trailer to that one, too!!! I love that cook off because I get to terrorize Delora for an entire weekend!!! Yay!!! That is another great Elks Lodge that goes out of their way for the CASI cooks. It's always a fun cook off.
Gary and I also need to take P to pick out Halloween pumpkins. Hopefully we can do that this week or weekend. Wyatt is also doing wonderful....we're very thankful that he's recovered so quickly. He's happy to be back in GP with his peeps. He's still on antibiotics, but he's moving around really well and all of the swelling is gone. Yay Wyatt!!
Now that my trailer is finished (complete with serial killer writing on the outside), I'm ready to start on my Scotty. This one has panelling on the inside, so I'm going to need to sand it and rough it up a little in order to paint it. The outside is in fabulous shape, with only the white paint needing to be re-done. The turquoise looks great. I'm going to pull out the kitchen and put a dinette in. I can put a sink in my closet along with a porta potty and I'll be good to go. I'm looking forward to starting on this one!
Have a great day everyone!!!
Spreading Joy and Kindness in ALL that I do and say :o)
Kelly
Cleburne Elks Lodge Saturday CCO
16 Chilis
1. Kay Lefler
2. Babs Johnson
3. Delores Sanders
4. Frances Sullivan
5. David Lefler
6. David Manske
7. Kelly Brignon
8. Jim Trietsch
9. Chris Sneeringer
10. Clint Wallace
Cleburne Elks Lodge Sunday CCO
28 Chilis
1. Sam Roberts
2. Ron Barnes
3. Glenda Vrba
4. Nancy Hewlett
5. Clint Porter
6. Dee Palmer
7. Bill Lester
8. Bob Pulliam
9. Kay Lefler
10. Susan Spencer
We had a GREAT cook off both days. Our cook count was down on Saturday, obviously, due to all of the cook offs in the area. We bounced back on Sunday and had a great turn out. The Cleburne Elks Lodge always puts on a fantastic cook off (and always the same weekend in October, EVERY YEAR) and they love CASI cooks. It was unfortunate that the attendance was down on Saturday, but we all had a great time and everyone pitched in. The Elks always have a dinner Friday night and breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings. Their next cook off will be May 14th and I'm looking forward to it!
Gary went to Kerens Saturday and ran their cook off. They had 26 cooks and he won 1st....LMAO!! He said he was embarrassed and he couldn't get out of there fast enough! Kerens always puts on a great cook off (and ALWAYS the same weekend, EVERY YEAR) and the entire community comes out for it. The Kerens cook off benefits the Kerens Public Library and they have a festival downtown with vendors, food, children's activities and a band. He and Zoe had a great time and he had lots of help as well.
Do ya'll like my passive aggressive way of mentioning when these cook offs occur every year??? Kerens obviously wasn't affected by another one nearby; and Cleburne had enough for a sanctioned cook off even with the Mansfield cook off so close. It would be nice if Stop, Drop and Roll would settle on a date and stop flip flopping because I feel that was what affected Cleburne the most. But, telling the Cleburne Elks that THEY need to move THEIR cook off, when they've kept the same date for the past several years, is really unnecessary. Those Elks are going to do whatever they can to make sure they have the best cook off that they can. What they didn't like was someone they didn't know coming in and telling them how they needed to do things. After talking to them and making sure they weren't too upset, we agreed to watch the calendar for the Stop, Drop and Roll cook off date next year. If it's a conflict, then we want to do what's best for the Elks Lodge cook off. But to have someone make a knee-jerk statement based on cook offs that may or may not even take place next year, that really isn't the best way to approach a situation, especially when it's made by someone they don't even know. When you start moving your cook off to avoid another one, you inevitably come in conflict with something else - thankfully they realize that and I was able to smooth everything over with the ones who were a little put off by the whole thing. But, they were definitely worked up a little...especially those Lady Elks....they took a little longer to calm down!!! But they're so fun and so good to all of us CASI cooks - I definitely made sure there were no hard feelings when I left Sunday afternoon. They knew that their cook off wouldn't be as large on Saturday because of Stop, Drop and Roll....and, no pun intended, they rolled with it and are already looking forward to next year!
Other than that, Paige and I had the most wonderful time on our MommyBaby Private Time Camping Trip. We watched Nightmare Before Christmas, P drank hot chocolate and we slept like babies Saturday night! I dressed up my trailer for Show on Saturday and won 1st Place!!! Paige was so funny...she held Babs' ticket on Saturday and wouldn't tell Babs if her number had been called or not! I told her that messing with a chili cook's number is a good way to get in trouble and that I may not be able to save her :) She had so much fun and was such a good girl. She was excited to see Sam on Sunday and terrorized him for awhile. He walked over to our trailer with his iPod playing Charlie Robison and Paige told him that she loved Charlie. She then said this to me:
Paige: Mommy, I love Charlie.
Me: Yes, I do too.
Paige: I want to marry him.
Me: (laughing) okay....
Paige: Do you think he likes little girls?
Me: God, I hope not!!!
Paige: Mommy!!! What's wrong with him liking little girls???
I just changed the subject :) LOL!!!
I've got a lot to do in the next few weeks. I've got most of the Halloween party stuff bought. I need to buy food and beverages for the party, as well as start getting my menu together for TICC. It'll be here before we know it. The weather looks to be perfect while we're there.....highs in the 80's and lows in the 40's at night. I'm also excited because the weekend after TICC is one of my FAVORITE cook offs - The Denton Elks Lodge Foxey Ladies CCO!!! I get to take my trailer to that one, too!!! I love that cook off because I get to terrorize Delora for an entire weekend!!! Yay!!! That is another great Elks Lodge that goes out of their way for the CASI cooks. It's always a fun cook off.
Gary and I also need to take P to pick out Halloween pumpkins. Hopefully we can do that this week or weekend. Wyatt is also doing wonderful....we're very thankful that he's recovered so quickly. He's happy to be back in GP with his peeps. He's still on antibiotics, but he's moving around really well and all of the swelling is gone. Yay Wyatt!!
Now that my trailer is finished (complete with serial killer writing on the outside), I'm ready to start on my Scotty. This one has panelling on the inside, so I'm going to need to sand it and rough it up a little in order to paint it. The outside is in fabulous shape, with only the white paint needing to be re-done. The turquoise looks great. I'm going to pull out the kitchen and put a dinette in. I can put a sink in my closet along with a porta potty and I'll be good to go. I'm looking forward to starting on this one!
Have a great day everyone!!!
Spreading Joy and Kindness in ALL that I do and say :o)
Kelly
Friday, October 15, 2010
Conversations with Paige, Part II
This morning, Eddie and Waylon were playing in the bathroom after Paige took her shower. I know I've been forthcoming about Eddie and Waylon's "relationship"! They are both in need of a girlfriend and they aren't shy about practicing their moves on each other. The following conversation took place:
Paige: Mommy, look at Eddie and Waylon.
Me: Yep, they're crazy.
Paige: Why are they doing that?
Me: Because they love each other and they're silly.
Paige: Are they doing a love dance?
Me: Sure...they're doing the tango.
Paige: If you ask me, they don't like like lovers; they look one giraffe on the back of another giraffe.
I didn't have anything to say in response. All I could do was witness the madness and laugh with her!
I was proud of me and The P this morning. We got up early, got dressed and ready in a timely manner and were able to go through McDonalds for a biscuit. She was even EARLY to school!! How's that for a great start to the day?
The Cowgirl Cadillac had some paint work done yesterday and all I can say is thank God I'm not trying to establish a career that requires any type of artistic talent. I can't decide whether my handwriting looks like a serial killer or a 5 year old's. It's not horrible....but it sure isn't great! I'm thinking about painting over it this afternoon and covering up my embarrassing artwork. Maybe if I paint some flowers around some of it, people will be distracted by the pretty flowers and won't focus on the scary writing. Just a thought.
I've got a few meal ideas for Sunday. I'm either going to roast a chicken with root veggies (I think that will turn out better than the pork roast) or make chicken and dumplings. I'll be in Cleburne all weekend, so I won't get home Sunday till around 4 pm. I'll need to make up my mind quickly so that I can go to the store tonight and already have everything available to me when I get home Sunday afternoon.
Have a great weekend wherever you are and whatever you're doing! The weather is going to be beautiful and there are a lot of great cookoffs going on this weekend. I hope to see some of you in Cleburne Saturday and Sunday....always a great cook off!
Spreading joy and kindness no matter what.......
Kelly
Paige: Mommy, look at Eddie and Waylon.
Me: Yep, they're crazy.
Paige: Why are they doing that?
Me: Because they love each other and they're silly.
Paige: Are they doing a love dance?
Me: Sure...they're doing the tango.
Paige: If you ask me, they don't like like lovers; they look one giraffe on the back of another giraffe.
I didn't have anything to say in response. All I could do was witness the madness and laugh with her!
I was proud of me and The P this morning. We got up early, got dressed and ready in a timely manner and were able to go through McDonalds for a biscuit. She was even EARLY to school!! How's that for a great start to the day?
The Cowgirl Cadillac had some paint work done yesterday and all I can say is thank God I'm not trying to establish a career that requires any type of artistic talent. I can't decide whether my handwriting looks like a serial killer or a 5 year old's. It's not horrible....but it sure isn't great! I'm thinking about painting over it this afternoon and covering up my embarrassing artwork. Maybe if I paint some flowers around some of it, people will be distracted by the pretty flowers and won't focus on the scary writing. Just a thought.
I've got a few meal ideas for Sunday. I'm either going to roast a chicken with root veggies (I think that will turn out better than the pork roast) or make chicken and dumplings. I'll be in Cleburne all weekend, so I won't get home Sunday till around 4 pm. I'll need to make up my mind quickly so that I can go to the store tonight and already have everything available to me when I get home Sunday afternoon.
Have a great weekend wherever you are and whatever you're doing! The weather is going to be beautiful and there are a lot of great cookoffs going on this weekend. I hope to see some of you in Cleburne Saturday and Sunday....always a great cook off!
Spreading joy and kindness no matter what.......
Kelly
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Conversations with Paige....
Paige loves Dancing With The Stars. She is obsessed with the Tango; she thinks it's the "best dance" and tries to dance it at the house. So we're watching it the other night and I tell her it's bath time and she says this:
Paige: I can't take a bath yet; they're about to dance the Tango.
Me: Okay; but after the Tango, you have to bathe yourself.
The Tango begins......
Paige: Look Mommy, they're dancing the Tango. Look at the flames; they're dancing for the devil.
Me: What? Where the hell did you get that idea?
Paige: Because it's the dance of love. And love dances can be for the devil. Just look at those flames.
Me: Paige - who told you that? The Tango is not a bad dance.
Paige: No one told me that; it's one of my ideas that I have to get out before my head explodes. I know it's not a bad dance; but it's a love dance and sometimes, love dancing can get you in trouble.
Me: Good point.
She proceeded to do a version of her "Funder and Lightening" dance afterwards. I tried to record it but my battery was low. I'll be sure and record it next time and post it on here. We'll vote and see if she's conjuring the devil with her bad love dancing....LOL!!!
There's lots of great cook offs this weekend!! Cleburne Elks Lodge Saturday and Sunday; Stop, Drop and Roll at Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine on Saturday, and Mansfield Music Fest on Saturday. The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, so get out and support those charities and steal some points! I'm taking the Cowgirl Cadillac to Cleburne this weekend for a MommyBaby camping trip with The Juicy. I put decals on my trailer and I think I'm going to put a real mattress in there instead of the blow up one I've had. I've also got to hang up my toilet paper holder and towel rack in my bathroom. It looks so good and I can't wait to take pictures of it! Now I can start on my Scotty and get it in tip top shape :)
Have a great day everyone!! It's almost Friday!
Kelly
Paige: I can't take a bath yet; they're about to dance the Tango.
Me: Okay; but after the Tango, you have to bathe yourself.
The Tango begins......
Paige: Look Mommy, they're dancing the Tango. Look at the flames; they're dancing for the devil.
Me: What? Where the hell did you get that idea?
Paige: Because it's the dance of love. And love dances can be for the devil. Just look at those flames.
Me: Paige - who told you that? The Tango is not a bad dance.
Paige: No one told me that; it's one of my ideas that I have to get out before my head explodes. I know it's not a bad dance; but it's a love dance and sometimes, love dancing can get you in trouble.
Me: Good point.
She proceeded to do a version of her "Funder and Lightening" dance afterwards. I tried to record it but my battery was low. I'll be sure and record it next time and post it on here. We'll vote and see if she's conjuring the devil with her bad love dancing....LOL!!!
There's lots of great cook offs this weekend!! Cleburne Elks Lodge Saturday and Sunday; Stop, Drop and Roll at Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine on Saturday, and Mansfield Music Fest on Saturday. The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, so get out and support those charities and steal some points! I'm taking the Cowgirl Cadillac to Cleburne this weekend for a MommyBaby camping trip with The Juicy. I put decals on my trailer and I think I'm going to put a real mattress in there instead of the blow up one I've had. I've also got to hang up my toilet paper holder and towel rack in my bathroom. It looks so good and I can't wait to take pictures of it! Now I can start on my Scotty and get it in tip top shape :)
Have a great day everyone!! It's almost Friday!
Kelly
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday Repeat, Spaghetti, The Pasta Boat and Testes.....
Good Morning! What is today? My calendar says Tuesday but I could swear it was a Monday. My Expedition wouldn't start after I took Paige into school this morning. I need a new battery. I also believe that I was out of gas. I don't remember being low on gas, though. I guess my low fuel warning came on and I just didn't pay attention to it. How mortifying is that? Now my husband is only focusing on the fact that I ran out of gas and not that I had a legitimate car crisis. Men.
Anyhow, I didn't have any coffee while I was waiting on Gary to come to my aid. I dozed off and now I can't wake up. I've had coffee and nothing is helping. I don't like energy drinks so I think that I should just go home and go back to bed. Wyatt is doing amazingly well and has returned to General Population. Every time I look out there, Molly and/or Tucker are servicing him and loving him in an effort to show that he was missed....sort of :) They tried to go on a hunger strike the other day to show their displeasure, but I think it was a farce. They love their grumpy, finicky baby brother and lover...especially Molly...the porn star of all basset hounds!
I don't know if all this alleged sexual crap with Brett Favre is true, but let me say this: If I was his wife and had endured his drug/alcohol addiction, my own breast cancer, his flip flopping over retirement and that big ego of his, I'd string him up and he wouldn't have to worry about giving me half - I'd be the only one left to get anything. :) And no, that is not a direct threat towards Brett Favre....but it IS a warning to my husband....LOL!!!!!
I bought The Pasta Boat at Wal Mart last week and oh my God...it works!!! I used it for my spaghetti last night and the only small problem I had was getting the lid back to stay on securely when I drained the water. I was quite impressed! I made spaghetti with sauce for Paige and Spaghetti Pomodoro for me and Gary. I'll share the recipe, too. It was really good!!
Paige made it through her "testes" yesterday. She was telling my mom that they send the grades all the way to Austin. There was awe in her voice when she was telling her. We got to school this morning and she wouldn't stop long enough for me to button up her shirt. That child sees her buddies and she's off!! I guess that's a good thing. She could be one of those kids (my sister) who got physically ill at the thought of going to school. Paige loves it and I love that she enjoys school so much. She told me she'd just like to stay away from public school.....
Paige informed me last night that Dancing With The Stars is her favorite show. In fact, she performed a dance for us last night titled "Funder and Lightening". I hope to record an encore performance of "Funder and Lightening" this evening so that I can share it with the masses. For those of you who have never seen Paige dance, it is an experience you don't want to miss! For those of you who have....you know what's in store :)
Okay, last weekend we had five cook offs in a fairly close proximity to one another. HandleyFest didn't make fifteen; Tommy Alverson/Joe Pool Lake barely made fifteen. Tawakoni had 17, Ponder had 20 and Whitney had 31. See where I'm headed with this??? What is the point in having so many cook offs on the same weekend so close together? One of them had two cooks at 10 am. The other one barely made it. Can someone please tell me what the advantage is to having cook offs on top of cook offs for the sake of having them? No one really wins, if you ask me. Here's an example of the financial breakdown for a cook off with only 15 cooks:
15 cooks x $20 per cook - $300.00
15 cooks x $3 per cook to CASI - ($45.00)
$25 to CASI for Registration - ($25.00)
Proceeds to Charity - $230.00
If there wasn't any type of raffle or auction, $230.00 is as good as it gets. If the promoter chooses to deduct their expenses from the proceeds, then it's even less to the charity. I know every little bit counts and every dollar is appreciated. Still, I run a business and you have to look at what it's costing you to make money. It just doesn't make sense to me to hold a cook off, incur all of the potential expenses, and then not really give a lot of money to the charity. Now, I know that you could be the only cook off on any given weekend and still only have 15 cooks. But to put yourself up against multiple cook offs nearby and lower your chances at a healthy turn out just continue to baffle me. Oh well...as long as we don't have a real system in place, and anyone and everyone can schedule a cook off...and yada yada yada....my usual bitch session....then I guess nothing is going to change, right?? And as long as we have people who KNOWINGLY schedule cook offs against other established cook offs (that should know better), then I'm just pissing in the wind, right?
That leads me to this weekend. Here's the lineup:
Stop Drop and Roll - Grapevine
Cleburne Elks Lodge - Cleburne
Mansfield Music Fest - Mansfield
Kerens Fall Festival - Kerens
Quinlan VFD - Quinlan
Let's talk about this....remember my definitions? Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I aim to please.....
Cleburne Elks is always the 3rd weekend in October; so is Kerens. They are also a good 75 miles from one another. Stop, Drop and Roll tends to flip flop it's dates, Mansfield is a first time cook off, and what can I say, Quinlan was added at the last minute. Again, what good is it going to do to have a cook off in Mansfield when an established one is at the Cleburne Elks Lodge 30 miles away? And why would you schedule a cook off in Quinlan when you have a cook off in Kerens that's been going on for at least five years? I know the answer to that, but I'll keep my mouth shut. Stop, Drop and Roll is a great cook off and it is going to be a big success. Kerens always draws a crowd; and so does Cleburne. I just wish people would think shit through before they just start scheduling cook offs. Okay, I'm done...for now.
Let's talk about FOOD!!! My poor pancreas cannot handle all of the meat, butter, cheese and eggs on the South Beach Diet. If I plan and make sure I always have lean food available, I do okay. But when I'm running around like a headless chicken and I don't have "healfy" food with me, I end up eating shit and then feel like shit. I don't really eat shit, but you know what I mean. Unfortunately, carbs, soups and soft foods are my pancreas' best friend. Jeezz...I sound like a gomer when I say that. But it's true! I guess I could exercise and then it wouldn't really matter what food approach I take to weight loss. It's just a never ending battle with me because the rest of my digestive system doesn't care for carbs, and I just get pissed and frustrated and end up eating a plate of enchiladas, drinking excessively and not giving a rat's ass until I'm doubled over in the throes of a pancreatic meltdown. Whew!
That wasn't the kind of food talk I intended to have. I wanted to talk about the spaghetti I made for dinner last night. I sauteed shallots and garlic in olive oil and then tossed that mixture with fresh parsley, Roma tomatoes, shaved parm and spaghetti. This week is all about quick and "healfy" meals for me and this was super easy to prepare. I served it with some really delish Focaccia bread and a bottle of Rockpile Ridge Jack's Cabin Zinfandel. Try it!
Cadillac Cowgirl Spaghetti Pomodoro
12 oz Spaghetti, cooked to al dente (Hey!! Use the Pasta Boat and cook it in the microwave!!)
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Large Shallots, chopped
2 Tablespoons Garlic, chopped (use the jarred stuff!!)
4 Roma Tomatoes, Chopped
Juice of One Lemon
Handful of Parsley, Chopped
Salt, Pepper, and LOTS of Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Cook your spaghetti; drain and set aside in a large bowl. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil and cook the shallots and garlic over medium low heat until tender. Be careful not to burn it! Once the shallots and garlic are cooked through, pour the olive oil mixture over the spaghetti. Add the lemon juice, chopped tomatoes and the parsley. Toss it all together, add salt and pepper to taste and then top it off with as much Parmesan as you like! Serve it with hot bread and a salad and you've got a meal in 20 minutes!!! If you don't want to go meatless, but want to keep it light, add some cooked shrimp to it. Yum!!! And always, always, always, have a glass of wine with dinner. It just makes the day so much better!
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy...........
Kelly
Anyhow, I didn't have any coffee while I was waiting on Gary to come to my aid. I dozed off and now I can't wake up. I've had coffee and nothing is helping. I don't like energy drinks so I think that I should just go home and go back to bed. Wyatt is doing amazingly well and has returned to General Population. Every time I look out there, Molly and/or Tucker are servicing him and loving him in an effort to show that he was missed....sort of :) They tried to go on a hunger strike the other day to show their displeasure, but I think it was a farce. They love their grumpy, finicky baby brother and lover...especially Molly...the porn star of all basset hounds!
I don't know if all this alleged sexual crap with Brett Favre is true, but let me say this: If I was his wife and had endured his drug/alcohol addiction, my own breast cancer, his flip flopping over retirement and that big ego of his, I'd string him up and he wouldn't have to worry about giving me half - I'd be the only one left to get anything. :) And no, that is not a direct threat towards Brett Favre....but it IS a warning to my husband....LOL!!!!!
I bought The Pasta Boat at Wal Mart last week and oh my God...it works!!! I used it for my spaghetti last night and the only small problem I had was getting the lid back to stay on securely when I drained the water. I was quite impressed! I made spaghetti with sauce for Paige and Spaghetti Pomodoro for me and Gary. I'll share the recipe, too. It was really good!!
Paige made it through her "testes" yesterday. She was telling my mom that they send the grades all the way to Austin. There was awe in her voice when she was telling her. We got to school this morning and she wouldn't stop long enough for me to button up her shirt. That child sees her buddies and she's off!! I guess that's a good thing. She could be one of those kids (my sister) who got physically ill at the thought of going to school. Paige loves it and I love that she enjoys school so much. She told me she'd just like to stay away from public school.....
Paige informed me last night that Dancing With The Stars is her favorite show. In fact, she performed a dance for us last night titled "Funder and Lightening". I hope to record an encore performance of "Funder and Lightening" this evening so that I can share it with the masses. For those of you who have never seen Paige dance, it is an experience you don't want to miss! For those of you who have....you know what's in store :)
Okay, last weekend we had five cook offs in a fairly close proximity to one another. HandleyFest didn't make fifteen; Tommy Alverson/Joe Pool Lake barely made fifteen. Tawakoni had 17, Ponder had 20 and Whitney had 31. See where I'm headed with this??? What is the point in having so many cook offs on the same weekend so close together? One of them had two cooks at 10 am. The other one barely made it. Can someone please tell me what the advantage is to having cook offs on top of cook offs for the sake of having them? No one really wins, if you ask me. Here's an example of the financial breakdown for a cook off with only 15 cooks:
15 cooks x $20 per cook - $300.00
15 cooks x $3 per cook to CASI - ($45.00)
$25 to CASI for Registration - ($25.00)
Proceeds to Charity - $230.00
If there wasn't any type of raffle or auction, $230.00 is as good as it gets. If the promoter chooses to deduct their expenses from the proceeds, then it's even less to the charity. I know every little bit counts and every dollar is appreciated. Still, I run a business and you have to look at what it's costing you to make money. It just doesn't make sense to me to hold a cook off, incur all of the potential expenses, and then not really give a lot of money to the charity. Now, I know that you could be the only cook off on any given weekend and still only have 15 cooks. But to put yourself up against multiple cook offs nearby and lower your chances at a healthy turn out just continue to baffle me. Oh well...as long as we don't have a real system in place, and anyone and everyone can schedule a cook off...and yada yada yada....my usual bitch session....then I guess nothing is going to change, right?? And as long as we have people who KNOWINGLY schedule cook offs against other established cook offs (that should know better), then I'm just pissing in the wind, right?
That leads me to this weekend. Here's the lineup:
Stop Drop and Roll - Grapevine
Cleburne Elks Lodge - Cleburne
Mansfield Music Fest - Mansfield
Kerens Fall Festival - Kerens
Quinlan VFD - Quinlan
Let's talk about this....remember my definitions? Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I aim to please.....
Cleburne Elks is always the 3rd weekend in October; so is Kerens. They are also a good 75 miles from one another. Stop, Drop and Roll tends to flip flop it's dates, Mansfield is a first time cook off, and what can I say, Quinlan was added at the last minute. Again, what good is it going to do to have a cook off in Mansfield when an established one is at the Cleburne Elks Lodge 30 miles away? And why would you schedule a cook off in Quinlan when you have a cook off in Kerens that's been going on for at least five years? I know the answer to that, but I'll keep my mouth shut. Stop, Drop and Roll is a great cook off and it is going to be a big success. Kerens always draws a crowd; and so does Cleburne. I just wish people would think shit through before they just start scheduling cook offs. Okay, I'm done...for now.
Let's talk about FOOD!!! My poor pancreas cannot handle all of the meat, butter, cheese and eggs on the South Beach Diet. If I plan and make sure I always have lean food available, I do okay. But when I'm running around like a headless chicken and I don't have "healfy" food with me, I end up eating shit and then feel like shit. I don't really eat shit, but you know what I mean. Unfortunately, carbs, soups and soft foods are my pancreas' best friend. Jeezz...I sound like a gomer when I say that. But it's true! I guess I could exercise and then it wouldn't really matter what food approach I take to weight loss. It's just a never ending battle with me because the rest of my digestive system doesn't care for carbs, and I just get pissed and frustrated and end up eating a plate of enchiladas, drinking excessively and not giving a rat's ass until I'm doubled over in the throes of a pancreatic meltdown. Whew!
That wasn't the kind of food talk I intended to have. I wanted to talk about the spaghetti I made for dinner last night. I sauteed shallots and garlic in olive oil and then tossed that mixture with fresh parsley, Roma tomatoes, shaved parm and spaghetti. This week is all about quick and "healfy" meals for me and this was super easy to prepare. I served it with some really delish Focaccia bread and a bottle of Rockpile Ridge Jack's Cabin Zinfandel. Try it!
Cadillac Cowgirl Spaghetti Pomodoro
12 oz Spaghetti, cooked to al dente (Hey!! Use the Pasta Boat and cook it in the microwave!!)
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Large Shallots, chopped
2 Tablespoons Garlic, chopped (use the jarred stuff!!)
4 Roma Tomatoes, Chopped
Juice of One Lemon
Handful of Parsley, Chopped
Salt, Pepper, and LOTS of Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Cook your spaghetti; drain and set aside in a large bowl. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil and cook the shallots and garlic over medium low heat until tender. Be careful not to burn it! Once the shallots and garlic are cooked through, pour the olive oil mixture over the spaghetti. Add the lemon juice, chopped tomatoes and the parsley. Toss it all together, add salt and pepper to taste and then top it off with as much Parmesan as you like! Serve it with hot bread and a salad and you've got a meal in 20 minutes!!! If you don't want to go meatless, but want to keep it light, add some cooked shrimp to it. Yum!!! And always, always, always, have a glass of wine with dinner. It just makes the day so much better!
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy...........
Kelly
Monday, October 11, 2010
Roasted Garlic Tilapia with Mustard Glaze
Easy, easy, easy!!!! And healthy (or "healfy" if you're toothless like Paige!), too!!! You can actually use any fish; the Tilapia works well because it's cooks quicker as it's not a very meaty fish. Serve this with roasted potatoes or couscous and a salad for a very easy and quick meal!
Cadillac Cowgirl Roasted Tilapia with Mustard Glaze
4 Tilapia Filets
4 Tablespoons Stone Ground Mustard, divided
1 Teaspoon each Salt, Pepper, and Chopped Fresh Thyme, divided
1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic, divided (I used the jarred kind for this)
Olive Oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a large baking dish so that the Tilapia doesn't stick. Place the Tilapia in the baking dish and using a basting brush (or the back of a spoon or spatula), brush each filet with 1 Tablespoon of mustard. Top each filet with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and chopped Thyme. Sprinkle the Tablespoon of chopped garlic evenly over the filets. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork. I served this last night with Couscous (the easiest side dish ever - takes 5 minutes) and a salad. Easy, healthy and delicious!!!
Speaking of toothless Paige, she has standardized testing this week. When I talked to her about it last night and explained that she would be going to bed early this week so that she could get plenty of rest, she said to me:
"But I'm not good at testes."
Yes, she pronounced it just like you think she did. My mom and I had to turn our heads so that she wouldn't see us giggling. She also told her dad this morning that she wasn't good at taking testes. He looked at me and told me to "do something about that." Aahhh...little girls and the inevitable hell they will put their daddies through.....
So, Ellis Co. had a great time at the Thousand Trails Whitney CCO this past weekend. Vicki and I got into Mark's Tanqueray and had a jolly good time. Saturday night, though, I wussed out and went to bed at 9:30. I was beat. My delicious chili didn't even make final table Saturday!!! That's okay, my even more delicious chili tied for 1st on Sunday and I got 2nd. Yeah!! I finally nabbed some points. I was pretty excited! Gary and my dad went on a Harley ride Saturday and had a great time. My dad stayed the night and had dinner with all of us. As usual, it was a feast of delicious food...steaks, potatoes, salad...and lots of cocktails! Congrats to everyone who placed this weekend...Ellis Co. cleaned up once again. Hell Yeah!!
Paige and I will be taking a MommyBaby trip in the tee tiny trailer this weekend. I'm running the Cleburne CCO and she and I are going to camp out in my trailer. She's excited and I think we'll have a good time. I'll buy some hot chocolate for her and maybe bring a few Halloween books to read to her! The Tickle Monster, aka Babs, will be there, too. She loves Babs...last year, she hung out in her motorhome with Doodie and watched TV. She's such a hoot. This will be the first time I've taken it out since it's remodel and I really can't wait. I think I'm going to replace the air mattress with a real mattress and put my feather topper on it. I've got enough wood flooring left over from the house and I plan to put it down in there. The carpet in my trailer is fine, so I'm not in a big hurry to do it. I've also decided, again, to use the parts from one of my Scotty trailers to redo the one in really good shape. I'd like to start on that soon. I already have 3 chili points...if I can qualify in the next month, then I can take the winter off to refurb the Scotty. I'll keep my fingers crossed :)
Have a great Monday!! I'll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, spread some kindness and joy, will ya??
Kelly
Cadillac Cowgirl Roasted Tilapia with Mustard Glaze
4 Tilapia Filets
4 Tablespoons Stone Ground Mustard, divided
1 Teaspoon each Salt, Pepper, and Chopped Fresh Thyme, divided
1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic, divided (I used the jarred kind for this)
Olive Oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a large baking dish so that the Tilapia doesn't stick. Place the Tilapia in the baking dish and using a basting brush (or the back of a spoon or spatula), brush each filet with 1 Tablespoon of mustard. Top each filet with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and chopped Thyme. Sprinkle the Tablespoon of chopped garlic evenly over the filets. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork. I served this last night with Couscous (the easiest side dish ever - takes 5 minutes) and a salad. Easy, healthy and delicious!!!
Speaking of toothless Paige, she has standardized testing this week. When I talked to her about it last night and explained that she would be going to bed early this week so that she could get plenty of rest, she said to me:
"But I'm not good at testes."
Yes, she pronounced it just like you think she did. My mom and I had to turn our heads so that she wouldn't see us giggling. She also told her dad this morning that she wasn't good at taking testes. He looked at me and told me to "do something about that." Aahhh...little girls and the inevitable hell they will put their daddies through.....
So, Ellis Co. had a great time at the Thousand Trails Whitney CCO this past weekend. Vicki and I got into Mark's Tanqueray and had a jolly good time. Saturday night, though, I wussed out and went to bed at 9:30. I was beat. My delicious chili didn't even make final table Saturday!!! That's okay, my even more delicious chili tied for 1st on Sunday and I got 2nd. Yeah!! I finally nabbed some points. I was pretty excited! Gary and my dad went on a Harley ride Saturday and had a great time. My dad stayed the night and had dinner with all of us. As usual, it was a feast of delicious food...steaks, potatoes, salad...and lots of cocktails! Congrats to everyone who placed this weekend...Ellis Co. cleaned up once again. Hell Yeah!!
Paige and I will be taking a MommyBaby trip in the tee tiny trailer this weekend. I'm running the Cleburne CCO and she and I are going to camp out in my trailer. She's excited and I think we'll have a good time. I'll buy some hot chocolate for her and maybe bring a few Halloween books to read to her! The Tickle Monster, aka Babs, will be there, too. She loves Babs...last year, she hung out in her motorhome with Doodie and watched TV. She's such a hoot. This will be the first time I've taken it out since it's remodel and I really can't wait. I think I'm going to replace the air mattress with a real mattress and put my feather topper on it. I've got enough wood flooring left over from the house and I plan to put it down in there. The carpet in my trailer is fine, so I'm not in a big hurry to do it. I've also decided, again, to use the parts from one of my Scotty trailers to redo the one in really good shape. I'd like to start on that soon. I already have 3 chili points...if I can qualify in the next month, then I can take the winter off to refurb the Scotty. I'll keep my fingers crossed :)
Have a great Monday!! I'll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, spread some kindness and joy, will ya??
Kelly
First of Many Posts.....
Good Monday Morning! How was everyone's weekend? As usual, Ellis Co. did not disappoint at Lake Whitney...in chili or good times :) Here are the results from Saturday and Sunday:
Saturday Thousand Trails Lake Whitney
32 Chilis
1. Budda Manske - Arlington
2. Larry Haskovec - Waxahachie
3. Frances Sullivan - Waxahachie
4. Ernie Nelson - McGregor
5. Delores Sanders - Arlington
6. Randy Duke - Valley Mills
7. Debbie Kriska - Bardwell
8. Dru Stewart - Hurst
9. TJ Cannon - Corinth
10. Mark Sanders - Ennis
Beans
1. Vicki Sanders - Ennis
(Only 1st was announced - 9 beans total)
Sunday Thousand Trails Lake Whitney CCO
34 Chilis
1. Ramonda Casey - Arlington
2. Kelly Brignon - Ennis
3. Clint Porter - Mansfield
4. Vicki Sanders - Ennis
5. Randy Duke - Valley Mills
6. Budda Manske - Arlington
7. Frances Sullivan - Waxahachie
8. Larry Haskovec - Waxahachie
9. Blue Kriska - Bardwell
10. Debbie Kriska - Bardwell
I'll be back later today!
Kelly
Saturday Thousand Trails Lake Whitney
32 Chilis
1. Budda Manske - Arlington
2. Larry Haskovec - Waxahachie
3. Frances Sullivan - Waxahachie
4. Ernie Nelson - McGregor
5. Delores Sanders - Arlington
6. Randy Duke - Valley Mills
7. Debbie Kriska - Bardwell
8. Dru Stewart - Hurst
9. TJ Cannon - Corinth
10. Mark Sanders - Ennis
Beans
1. Vicki Sanders - Ennis
(Only 1st was announced - 9 beans total)
Sunday Thousand Trails Lake Whitney CCO
34 Chilis
1. Ramonda Casey - Arlington
2. Kelly Brignon - Ennis
3. Clint Porter - Mansfield
4. Vicki Sanders - Ennis
5. Randy Duke - Valley Mills
6. Budda Manske - Arlington
7. Frances Sullivan - Waxahachie
8. Larry Haskovec - Waxahachie
9. Blue Kriska - Bardwell
10. Debbie Kriska - Bardwell
I'll be back later today!
Kelly
Info From Mikie McGarity
From Mikie McGarity:
Once again, Roger Foltz has been kind of enough to agree to call me from the stage at TICC and tell me the winners.
If you are not going to be able to go to Terlingua this year and would like to know the winners in a very timely manner, please let me know.
Either:
Call me at 817-975-2200.
Or
Email me at mikie@mcgarity.org
I’ll be happy to let you know right away.
Mikie McGarity
Once again, Roger Foltz has been kind of enough to agree to call me from the stage at TICC and tell me the winners.
If you are not going to be able to go to Terlingua this year and would like to know the winners in a very timely manner, please let me know.
Either:
Call me at 817-975-2200.
Or
Email me at mikie@mcgarity.org
I’ll be happy to let you know right away.
Mikie McGarity
Friday, October 8, 2010
Ugh.....
Thank you Baby Jesus...I didn't think Friday would ever get here :) I don't know about all of you, but I need a serious break from my life. I feel like a hamster running on one of those circle things that just keep going and going, but never go anywhere. I'm suffering from a SEVERE case of burnout...from work, home, not sleeping, always being gone, you name it. I wish I could hook up my little trailer and just GO! I need a week of nothing. I would even be happy with staying at my house for a week. I just can't seem to separate myself from work. I'm always working in some shape or form. I'm always on my CrackBerry with work emails. I feel like I'm in this rut of getting up (late, of course) after not sleeping worth a shit, rushing P to school, driving in craptastic traffic to the office, dealing with the insanity of T & B Demolition, picking up P, going to Karate, going home, cooking dinner, bathing P, homework with P, and then repeat. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about my life - I know I have a great one. I just need some sort of reprieve...a chance to recharge my batteries that doesn't include going to a chili cook off for the weekend and then back home to unload, do dishes and wash clothes all on Sunday before the week starts over again. I'm sorry...I must sound like a whiny bitch this morning.
I guess I'm just feeling stressed out since the past week has been so depressing, expensive and stressful. Between Wyatt's injuries and hospital stay and Sr. Lucy's funeral, I'm worn out. Maybe hanging with the Ellis Co. crew this weekend will do the trick. If I can get through this weekend and next in Cleburne, then I have a two week window where I don't have to go anywhere or do anything. Here's hoping time flies!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Good luck to all of you cooking chili...I hope you kick ass and steal some points. I'm looking forward to coming back Monday in a better frame of mind :)
Spreading my own special brand of Joy and Kindness (even when I don't feel like it)........
Kelly
The (Temporarily) Bitchy Cadillac Cowgirl
I guess I'm just feeling stressed out since the past week has been so depressing, expensive and stressful. Between Wyatt's injuries and hospital stay and Sr. Lucy's funeral, I'm worn out. Maybe hanging with the Ellis Co. crew this weekend will do the trick. If I can get through this weekend and next in Cleburne, then I have a two week window where I don't have to go anywhere or do anything. Here's hoping time flies!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Good luck to all of you cooking chili...I hope you kick ass and steal some points. I'm looking forward to coming back Monday in a better frame of mind :)
Spreading my own special brand of Joy and Kindness (even when I don't feel like it)........
Kelly
The (Temporarily) Bitchy Cadillac Cowgirl
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Catching Up....
Good morning! How is everyone doing today...ready for the weekend?? I know I am! I feel like I've been running in circles for the past few weeks. I am in need of a break!! Wyatt is doing great - the swelling has gone down in his legs, he's eating and drinking and moving around really well. He's been staying on the back porch the past few days so that he can at least see his peeps over in General Population while he's still in Solitary :) I'm so glad that we brought him home when we did. As wonderful as the hospital was, it just wasn't for him. I don't think he would have gotten better staying there simply because he's not into being a "patient". We don't want to rush him back into being with the other dogs because there is no need for him to overdo it and hurt himself. Hopefully he can go back to his posse next week. I think he is accompanying us to Whitney this weekend. Keep all those little dogs tied up, chiliheads...LOL!!
Paige and I went to Houston Tuesday evening so that Paige could attend Sister Lucy's vigil. Paige was concerned that she would not get to see her and tell her goodbye (Catholics have closed casket services), so it was important for her to get there and see her while she could. Paige is such a sweet baby and she talked to Sr. Lucy and told her good bye. It was really so precious and I'm glad that she was able to do that. The funeral service was held at the Dominican Sisters Mother house in Houston and it was very beautiful. I didn't expect Paige to want to go to the graveside service, but she did and so off we went. She was able to place a rose on her casket and tell her good bye one last time. She did okay while we were there, but she was pretty sad on the way home and still had lots of questions. There were a lot of kids at the service and I felt so bad for all of them. Sister Lucy was so special to all of us, especially all of the kids that she taught. I know she will be missed; but I also know that she's watching over all of us and her "darlings". Rest in peace Sister Lucy.
Paige, however, is in need of Appropriate Funeral and Graveside Etiquette 101. She's never been to a funeral before and God bless her, she just doesn't know how to be serious sometimes. At one point she (along with other kids...she wasn't the only crazy) was running around the cemetery and weaving in and out of headstones. I was soooo mortified and I couldn't flat out yell at her, so it was hard to get her attention and get her to stop. Plus, she runs faster than I do and I certainly wasn't going to look like complete white trash by chasing my crackhead kid all over a cemetery after a Nun's funeral :) I hope she doesn't have to learn manners from just going to enough of them, but she does need to learn that there are times to be silly and times to be quiet. She wasn't bad, but there were a few tense moments when I thought I was going to have to bust her butt. Alls well that ends well. She is a great travelling companion and she is all about hotels and room service. I feel bad for her future spouse. She's being prepped for the good life and whoever gets her for better or worse better know how to keep her in the life to which she feels she should be accustomed to!
There are a ton of cook offs to choose from this weekend!
HandleyFest in Ft. Worth
West Tawakoni
Tommy Alverson Family Gathering - Joe Pool Lake
Lake Whitney
Chandler Pow Wow
Ponder Riding Unlimited
Marshall
Lots of places for all of us to invade and steal some points, right??? Gary and I will be in Whitney this weekend and will be the referee(s) for this cook off. I don't normally do anything in Whitney, and since my chili SUCKED last weekend, I'm looking at a potential cold streak!!! I'm more excited about hanging out with the Ellis County crew all weekend than anything else! As always, we have lots of food, beverages and fun planned. It's impossible for all of us to get together and not have a good time. I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Maybe I'll place in beans to ease the pain of crappy chili....LOL!!
I made my pork roast with root veggies and I'm going to make it one more time before I share the recipe. It was delicious...but I need to tweak a few things and probably use a smaller roast. This was the first time Gary ever had butternut squash and he loved it. The flavors were really well blended; it just took a little longer than I think is feasible - even if you are making it at home on a day when you have time to put it in the oven and let it braise all day. I didn't make anything else with it, so I need to spend a Sunday making the whole meal so that I can share all of it with you!
Have a great day everyone. I've got real work to do, Halloween party work to do, chili cook off work to do. I don't know how I'm going to get a damn thing done :)
Keepin it real......
Kelly
Paige and I went to Houston Tuesday evening so that Paige could attend Sister Lucy's vigil. Paige was concerned that she would not get to see her and tell her goodbye (Catholics have closed casket services), so it was important for her to get there and see her while she could. Paige is such a sweet baby and she talked to Sr. Lucy and told her good bye. It was really so precious and I'm glad that she was able to do that. The funeral service was held at the Dominican Sisters Mother house in Houston and it was very beautiful. I didn't expect Paige to want to go to the graveside service, but she did and so off we went. She was able to place a rose on her casket and tell her good bye one last time. She did okay while we were there, but she was pretty sad on the way home and still had lots of questions. There were a lot of kids at the service and I felt so bad for all of them. Sister Lucy was so special to all of us, especially all of the kids that she taught. I know she will be missed; but I also know that she's watching over all of us and her "darlings". Rest in peace Sister Lucy.
Paige, however, is in need of Appropriate Funeral and Graveside Etiquette 101. She's never been to a funeral before and God bless her, she just doesn't know how to be serious sometimes. At one point she (along with other kids...she wasn't the only crazy) was running around the cemetery and weaving in and out of headstones. I was soooo mortified and I couldn't flat out yell at her, so it was hard to get her attention and get her to stop. Plus, she runs faster than I do and I certainly wasn't going to look like complete white trash by chasing my crackhead kid all over a cemetery after a Nun's funeral :) I hope she doesn't have to learn manners from just going to enough of them, but she does need to learn that there are times to be silly and times to be quiet. She wasn't bad, but there were a few tense moments when I thought I was going to have to bust her butt. Alls well that ends well. She is a great travelling companion and she is all about hotels and room service. I feel bad for her future spouse. She's being prepped for the good life and whoever gets her for better or worse better know how to keep her in the life to which she feels she should be accustomed to!
There are a ton of cook offs to choose from this weekend!
HandleyFest in Ft. Worth
West Tawakoni
Tommy Alverson Family Gathering - Joe Pool Lake
Lake Whitney
Chandler Pow Wow
Ponder Riding Unlimited
Marshall
Lots of places for all of us to invade and steal some points, right??? Gary and I will be in Whitney this weekend and will be the referee(s) for this cook off. I don't normally do anything in Whitney, and since my chili SUCKED last weekend, I'm looking at a potential cold streak!!! I'm more excited about hanging out with the Ellis County crew all weekend than anything else! As always, we have lots of food, beverages and fun planned. It's impossible for all of us to get together and not have a good time. I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Maybe I'll place in beans to ease the pain of crappy chili....LOL!!
I made my pork roast with root veggies and I'm going to make it one more time before I share the recipe. It was delicious...but I need to tweak a few things and probably use a smaller roast. This was the first time Gary ever had butternut squash and he loved it. The flavors were really well blended; it just took a little longer than I think is feasible - even if you are making it at home on a day when you have time to put it in the oven and let it braise all day. I didn't make anything else with it, so I need to spend a Sunday making the whole meal so that I can share all of it with you!
Have a great day everyone. I've got real work to do, Halloween party work to do, chili cook off work to do. I don't know how I'm going to get a damn thing done :)
Keepin it real......
Kelly
Monday, October 4, 2010
When It Rains, It Pours.....
Man....the past four days have been HELLACIOUS! Our bloodhound, Wyatt, got into an altercation with Fred, our resident A/C sucker. Fred was let out of the house while Wyatt was eating Thursday night and a fight ensued. Fred has about 30 pounds on Wyatt and got the best of him. We still don't know exactly what happened (other than Wyatt got his ass kicked), but we think Fred got a little too close, Wyatt got a little pissed and it was on. Gary took Wyatt to the emergency vet Thursday night and they sent him to the Dallas Surgery Center early Friday morning. At the time, it looked like Wyatt had a fractured hip, broken leg and a punctured abdomen. By Friday afternoon, it was determined that the breaks and fractures were air pockets (dogs form them when injured, similar to how humans bruise) that can cause shadows on x-rays. Dogs' internal organs are also all in one area, surrounded by a sack, so it's hard to determine if the sack has been punctured or one of the organs. Fortunately, the puncture was more like a bruise and did not pierce the abdominal sack and injure any of his organs. His kidneys were injured and a blood clot formed over them. Again, dogs are so different from humans and they can form clots outside of their veins which they process through their bodies in order to get rid of them. You can't give dogs blood thinners to remove these types of clots. It's like Wyatt was in a hell of a car wreck with no airbag. He also has arthritis, so he's in a lot of pain.
Soo....they put him on an IV, gave him antibiotics and pain meds and put in a catheter so he could pee without getting up. The surgeons didn't feel like his injuries required surgery, so they wanted to manage his pain and keep him on antibiotics to help keep away infection. I went to see him Saturday afternoon and he really wasn't interested in me. They told me it was normal since he was on pain medication, but they were concerned about the undigested food in his stomach. So, we went back up there yesterday and didn't get a lot of good news. His proteins were dropping, he was losing muscle mass, he hadn't gone to the bathroom and he wouldn't get up. The vet said we needed to "make a decision"...ugh...you know what that means. The techs brought him in to see us and within minutes he was awake and trying to get up. Gary and the vet techs were able to get him to stand up and walk him around. We took him outside and then he finally used the bathroom! More like dropped a bomb in the middle of the room, but I didn't want to be so graphic. He didn't eat a whole lot, but he was moving around and that's what mattered. We did this for a few hours...walking him, sitting outside with him, letting him eat and drink and just come out of his dope coma. We talked to the vet and all agreed that Wyatt probably wasn't the best hospital patient (ya think?? muzzled, "will bite" stickers all over his file) and that maybe he needed to be in his own environment to feel better. Sooo...we got his drugs, loaded him up and took him home. He was so happy to be at the house and see his girlfriend Molly. He saw Fred and gave him a go to hell look. Booby, Tuck, Eddie and Waylon all barked and greeted him and he wagged his tail, so we felt encouraged. He still won't eat...so Gary is fixing him a special breakfast of eggs, chicken and rice this morning. He slept in the utility room (with a night light, of course) on his John Deere blankets and bed and got up okay this morning. Gary is going to let him hang out on the back porch today and see if being outside is what he needs. I guess you could say that we are cautiously optimistic at this point.
Before anyone gets it in their mind that we don't take our dog's domestic disputes seriously, DON'T! Wyatt is a special needs kind of dog. We adopted him from the Plano Animal Shelter six years ago. He was an owner surrender because of food issues. In the time we've had him, he's spent lots of time with a trainer and he is fed separately from the other dogs. We've been able to establish a routine and an environment for him that keeps him happy. He gets into arguments with Booby (real name: Blue; he's a blue tick coonhound. He's also a dirty agitator, so we call him Booby.) from time to time, but nothing out of control. Fred has never, ever done anything like this. It would easy to blame Wyatt, but Gary and I don't know what exactly happened, aside from Fred being let out by one of our children who shall remain nameless even though it has been a rule in our house since the beginning of time: Do not let the dogs out while Wyatt is eating. I know some people will want to know (and at the same time, not understand) why we didn't put either of our dogs down for being aggressive. I get that, most of the time if a dog is aggressive, he always will be. This isn't one of those situations where they just decided to go after each other...it's centered around food and we've always been able to manage this aspect of his personality. I can't believe Fred just went out there and attacked Wyatt for no reason, either. So, it's not a black and white situation and you just can't make a decision that will end a dog's life when you aren't sure what happened. Most of our dogs are rescues; they either came from the pound or wandered up to the house. As long as Gary and I can give them good homes, that's what we're going to do...warts and all. I just want Wyatt to get better so that he can get back outside with his posse and continue being happy. He's not a perfect dog, but he's a good dog and we love him. As for Fred, I think he feels a little guilty about what happened and he's been somewhat subdued the past few days. Maybe he went nuts since he's been on a diet...who knows. We're keeping our fingers crossed and saying lots of prayers.
On top of the dog crisis, Sister Lucy passed away Friday afternoon. Paige was pretty upset, which I expected, and wants to go to her funeral. We are all so sad and will miss her so much; but, we're also happy that she is not in pain anymore. She was such a wonderful woman and loved all of our kids so much. I know that she will live on in all of our hearts and I'm so fortunate she was a part of Paige's life. Her funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Houston.
I have chili results from Saturday's VFW CCO in Irving...but I left them at home...LOL!! Tom Dozier won chili and beans...and I think these are the people that placed (probably out of order): Babs Johnson, Dan Campbell, Budda Manske, Steph Brockman, Charles Breeden, Beth Moon, Dru Stewart.....Ray Medlin...and that's all I can remember. I went in the first trash can on the right, but I got 2nd place beans! Woo Hoo!!! I had weird chili....funky peppers, weird tomato paste....I dunno. Maybe I shouldn't take off from cooking all summer long - I think I forgot how to cook chili!!! Oh well...we had a great time and it was good to see everyone. The snacks were delicious, too!
I've got a pork roast and veggies that I meant to cook yesterday, but didn't get around to it. I'll be making it this week and I'll be sure and post the recipe. I'm going to experiment with braising it in beer, cider and Dijon mustard with some root vegetables. I also want to thank my hubby for having the house cleaned Saturday while I was out cooking chili and visiting with friends - I love you :)
Have a great day everyone.....spread some joy and kindness...and kiss your dog(s)!!
Kelly
Soo....they put him on an IV, gave him antibiotics and pain meds and put in a catheter so he could pee without getting up. The surgeons didn't feel like his injuries required surgery, so they wanted to manage his pain and keep him on antibiotics to help keep away infection. I went to see him Saturday afternoon and he really wasn't interested in me. They told me it was normal since he was on pain medication, but they were concerned about the undigested food in his stomach. So, we went back up there yesterday and didn't get a lot of good news. His proteins were dropping, he was losing muscle mass, he hadn't gone to the bathroom and he wouldn't get up. The vet said we needed to "make a decision"...ugh...you know what that means. The techs brought him in to see us and within minutes he was awake and trying to get up. Gary and the vet techs were able to get him to stand up and walk him around. We took him outside and then he finally used the bathroom! More like dropped a bomb in the middle of the room, but I didn't want to be so graphic. He didn't eat a whole lot, but he was moving around and that's what mattered. We did this for a few hours...walking him, sitting outside with him, letting him eat and drink and just come out of his dope coma. We talked to the vet and all agreed that Wyatt probably wasn't the best hospital patient (ya think?? muzzled, "will bite" stickers all over his file) and that maybe he needed to be in his own environment to feel better. Sooo...we got his drugs, loaded him up and took him home. He was so happy to be at the house and see his girlfriend Molly. He saw Fred and gave him a go to hell look. Booby, Tuck, Eddie and Waylon all barked and greeted him and he wagged his tail, so we felt encouraged. He still won't eat...so Gary is fixing him a special breakfast of eggs, chicken and rice this morning. He slept in the utility room (with a night light, of course) on his John Deere blankets and bed and got up okay this morning. Gary is going to let him hang out on the back porch today and see if being outside is what he needs. I guess you could say that we are cautiously optimistic at this point.
Before anyone gets it in their mind that we don't take our dog's domestic disputes seriously, DON'T! Wyatt is a special needs kind of dog. We adopted him from the Plano Animal Shelter six years ago. He was an owner surrender because of food issues. In the time we've had him, he's spent lots of time with a trainer and he is fed separately from the other dogs. We've been able to establish a routine and an environment for him that keeps him happy. He gets into arguments with Booby (real name: Blue; he's a blue tick coonhound. He's also a dirty agitator, so we call him Booby.) from time to time, but nothing out of control. Fred has never, ever done anything like this. It would easy to blame Wyatt, but Gary and I don't know what exactly happened, aside from Fred being let out by one of our children who shall remain nameless even though it has been a rule in our house since the beginning of time: Do not let the dogs out while Wyatt is eating. I know some people will want to know (and at the same time, not understand) why we didn't put either of our dogs down for being aggressive. I get that, most of the time if a dog is aggressive, he always will be. This isn't one of those situations where they just decided to go after each other...it's centered around food and we've always been able to manage this aspect of his personality. I can't believe Fred just went out there and attacked Wyatt for no reason, either. So, it's not a black and white situation and you just can't make a decision that will end a dog's life when you aren't sure what happened. Most of our dogs are rescues; they either came from the pound or wandered up to the house. As long as Gary and I can give them good homes, that's what we're going to do...warts and all. I just want Wyatt to get better so that he can get back outside with his posse and continue being happy. He's not a perfect dog, but he's a good dog and we love him. As for Fred, I think he feels a little guilty about what happened and he's been somewhat subdued the past few days. Maybe he went nuts since he's been on a diet...who knows. We're keeping our fingers crossed and saying lots of prayers.
On top of the dog crisis, Sister Lucy passed away Friday afternoon. Paige was pretty upset, which I expected, and wants to go to her funeral. We are all so sad and will miss her so much; but, we're also happy that she is not in pain anymore. She was such a wonderful woman and loved all of our kids so much. I know that she will live on in all of our hearts and I'm so fortunate she was a part of Paige's life. Her funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Houston.
I have chili results from Saturday's VFW CCO in Irving...but I left them at home...LOL!! Tom Dozier won chili and beans...and I think these are the people that placed (probably out of order): Babs Johnson, Dan Campbell, Budda Manske, Steph Brockman, Charles Breeden, Beth Moon, Dru Stewart.....Ray Medlin...and that's all I can remember. I went in the first trash can on the right, but I got 2nd place beans! Woo Hoo!!! I had weird chili....funky peppers, weird tomato paste....I dunno. Maybe I shouldn't take off from cooking all summer long - I think I forgot how to cook chili!!! Oh well...we had a great time and it was good to see everyone. The snacks were delicious, too!
I've got a pork roast and veggies that I meant to cook yesterday, but didn't get around to it. I'll be making it this week and I'll be sure and post the recipe. I'm going to experiment with braising it in beer, cider and Dijon mustard with some root vegetables. I also want to thank my hubby for having the house cleaned Saturday while I was out cooking chili and visiting with friends - I love you :)
Have a great day everyone.....spread some joy and kindness...and kiss your dog(s)!!
Kelly
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
