Christian Fifty Shades Grey

NO:

YES:

That weak looking wanna be vampire Ian whatever his last name is, is NOT Christian Grey material. NO NO NO!!!!!  Armie! Armie! Armie!

Congrats to ALL of the ladies and Mild Bill's customers who placed at TLS this past weekend! Way to go!! My girls, Zoe and Paige, placed 3rd and 6th, respectively, in the 1st Annual Little Miss TLS CCO. I am so proud of my girls! We had a great time in Seguin and now we're getting ready for Larry Joe Taylor. I keep telling myself that I've just got to hold on until Polka Fest and then it's smooth sailing after that. I think I'll be able to catch my breath during the summer and get ready for a crazy fall and winter again!

Conversations with Paige.....

Overhead while Paige was getting her hair cut last Thursday....

Paige: Do you know that I speak Guinea and can do a front flip and land on both feet? I can't do a back flip yet, but I can do a front flip.

I have NEVER seen my child even attempt a front flip. Seriously.

Paige: I can train chickens to stand on my finger.

Yes!!! My child really says this stuff!!!


And of course, everyone's favorite..... Sunday when we got home, I let the girls play for a while and then I told them that they needed to go soak all of the black dirt off of themselves. They went in the house and Gary and I were sitting in the garage talking about the weekend. A little while later, here comes Paige with wet hair and the clothes she had been wearing since Saturday night. I asked her why she put those clothes back on and she said she was going to play some more. I told her no and that she needed to get in her pj's. She reluctantly agreed and before she went back into the house, I asked her the million dollar question.
Me: Paige, are you wearing clean underwear?
Paige: I put it on after the shower, so it's clean on me.
Me: No, Paige, that's not what I'm asking. Did you put on clean underwear that has not been worn?
Paige: No. I put on what I've been wearing. If I'm clean, then how come it's not clean? 

And then Daddy got involved.....

Gary: Paige! If you put your dirty two day old underwear on your clean body, it's not clean underwear. Go put on clean panties that have been washed and not worn all weekend while you were sweaty and nasty. Paige: I just don't understand the big deal.

And the more I think about it....maybe she's got a point. Isn't there more to life than clean panties?!?!?!?!?!?! I guess to an 8 year old there is!!!!

Have a great day....and keep it spicy!!

Spreading my own special brand of joy, kindness and ultra fresh spices........

The Cadillac Cowgirl

Apparantly, I Have To Actually Say The Words

I'll be updating the Mild Bill's website with the same language, but I guess I'll start here. Mild Bill's Spice Company, Inc and Kelly Brignon, individually, DOES NOT SHARE CUSTOMER INFORMATION. I don't quite understand the logic behind the misconception, however, I would never, ever share customer information, such as what my customers order, with anyone. For any reason. Period. Business people do not sabotage themselves by blabbing private, customer information to other customers. I can't wrap my head around the reason why anyone would think that; I guess it stems from a very simple explanation. Those people don't know me. And they don't understand my desire to run a reputable, customer-centric business. One that focuses on ALL customers in ALL regions - not just a specific area. My products are designed to reach people all over the state, the country, the world - and they do. I am proud that we have a product list that caters to everyone - not just a specific group of customers. I'm proud that I travel to as many cook offs in as many areas and meet customers I've been talking to on the phone or via email for months. I'm excited when I meet new people who in turn become friends and customers of Mild Bill's. I'm proud that I have a retail store in addition to our mail order business. Nothing gives me greater joy than talking to people about chili and spices. I'm finally doing what I love and if anyone thinks I would screw myself by screwing my customers, they are sadly mistaken. I have too much respect for my customers to do anything to jeopardize their trust in me and their continued support by purchasing Mild Bill's products. When we obtained Mild Bill's from Bill and Tamara Dees, it wasn't to alienate anyone. It was to continue to grow Mild Bill's and make it bigger and better. Period. That is my rant for Monday morning. Anyone stalking my blog in hopes of me badmouthing anyone or talking about the big pink chili pepper in the dining room, you're wasting your time. :) This subject, however, needed to be addressed for some reason by me. To think I'm going to start sharing customer secrets is just BSC! Have a fantabulous Monday! The Spice Mistress

Best. Turkey. Burger. Ever.

Whoa Nelly!!! I just assisted in creating the best turkey burger in the history of mankind!!! I made them, Lord Brignon grilled them and they are AWESOME!! You must make these. You will be so happy that you did and you won't give a hoot that they aren't made out of beef. Cadillac Cowgirl Jalapeño Ranch Turkey Burgers 1 lb Ground Turkey 1 1/2 Tbsp Mild Bill's Budda Burger Seasoning 2 Tbsp Mild Bill's Jalapeño Ranch Dip Mix, prepared according the package directions In a large bowl, combine the above ingredients. Shape into four parties and refrigerate for 30 - 60 minutes. Prepare your grill and cook the patties on foil sprayed with non stick spray over a 350 degree grill for 20-25 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through. Top with cheese and ENJOY!!!! It's Ladies State weekend in Seguin! Woo hoo!!!! The Cadillac Cowgirl

Nightcap, Anyone??

I'm thinking that tomorrow night I'll post some pictures of the delectable Alcide Herveaux.....

And, I think Eric is kissing Jessica in the new True Blood trailer and you know what - I think that's HAWT!!!! I heart both of them.

Alright....back to second grade subtraction with The Juicy of Love and Deliciousness :)

K

When Weenies Attack......

Last night, a shrill, shrieking noise came from the girls' rooms....

We all ran back there like bats out of hell.....

EDDIE...the infamous Hump Brother, had let himself into Lollipop's cage.

He was about to give her some of that infamous Hump Brother love...or something like that!

Fortunately, I was able to grab Lollipop from Eddie's vice grip and she was unharmed. Eddie got his bottom popped and put outside. Then the girls got ANOTHER talking to about leaving their doors open and the guinea crates open. That situation ended a hell of a lot better than it could have. Eddie is seriously mad at his "Diddy" (Gary) since he was the one to pop his bottom and put him outside.

Paige came up to me later and told me that "Eddie isn't interested in Gilbert anymore. He wants Lollipop because she is female." I guess Lollipop is putting off some pretty strong pheromones and they've gotten Eddie's hormones raging. That could have gone either way last night....we could have had a fatality or the beginning of a guinea weenie hybrid mix right there in Crisp, Texas.



Prior to WeenieGate, we had a wonderful weekend. We got up early and drove to Wichita Falls to cook at the Relay for Life CCO. We had the BEST time and I placed 3rd! Hell Yeah!! I also placed in show. I have some show points besides what I got Saturday and I'm actually thinking if I can get qualified in show, I've got a damn good idea for show in Terlingua. Hhhhmm.....

Gary got 5th and Budda won. Champ Dozier was shut out :( That sucks!!!! We decided to day cook since the weather was supposed to be so bad. What a joke! It didn't do anything in North Texas. Oh well....I guess if we had taken our trailer, it would have been really bad and we would have been blown away. I slept in yesterday while Gary and Paige went to Zoe's soccer game. I mopped and cleaned around the house and then made a DELICIOUS pot of Cheeseburger Soup. Allow me to share:

Cadillac Cowgirl Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb lean Ground Beef
1 medium Onion, diced
16 oz Velveeta, cubed
8 oz Cheddar Cheese, cubed
1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
3 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Butter
3/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp Mild Bill's Budda Burger Seasoning, divided
1 Cup Lettuce, shredded
3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and add the chopped onion. Saute on medium heat for about five minutes; add the lean ground beef and 1 Tbsp of the Budda Burger seasoning. Brown the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is cooked through and the onion is tender; drain and set aside. Using the water and flour, make a thickener for the soup. To the pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a slow boil over medium high heat; once boiling, add the flour and water mixture. Whisk it in and as it begins to thicken, turn the heat to medium low and add the milk and cheese. Continue to whisk the mixture over medium low heat until the cheese is melted through. Add the ground beef and onion back to the cheese mixture as well as the remaining tablespoon of Budda Burger seasoning. Mix well, turn to low and cover. Cook for another 20 minutes until heated through. Add the lettuce and tomato, stir to combine. Simmer on low for another 5 minutes and then it's ready to serve. This will go great with hot french bread (I used croissant rolls) that have been lightly buttered - you can dip them into the soup and it's like you've got a little cheeseburger heaven in front of you! Enjoy - it's really good - even Paige ate it....and took some to school today. That's a win!!!

Speaking of Paige.....

Me: Paige, do you have on clean undies?
Paige: Well, they're from yesterday.

There ya go folks, undies you put on Friday are still clean on Saturday. I guess you could look at it as a way to cut down on doing laundry every day :)





Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy......

The Spice Mistress

Your Daily Dose of Deliciousness.....

I'm starting to scare myself. Seriously. I need to check my Pinterest board and see if these pics are on my "Yummy" board. I bet they are. I am focused when it comes to AH.

I'm going to go into the Spice Vault (Where all of our spices are kept. Fresh.) and cool down. :0)

Spreading some kindness and joy...and visions of Armie Hammer dancing in my head.

K

Spicy Is As Spicy Does......

How is everyone this fine Thursday? I'm spectacular! I've got a big pot of chili going in the back right now as I gear up for Free Chili Thursday and Friday. It smells delicious in here.

Paige did a great job yesterday presenting her Tiger project for the St. Joseph Science Fair. She was "a little nerbous", but she did a really wonderful job. All of the kids did. I'm so proud of my Juicy of Love and Deliciousness. She's so sweet and wonderful and I love her so much.

Mild Bill's would like to thank Bob Coats for so generously allowing Mild Bill's to market, package and sell his TICC winning recipe from 1999. It will be on the website in the next few days - I'll have his recipe on there as well. It's such a good recipe and we are both proud and excited to add it to our list of products. Larry Walton's 2011 TICC Recipe is also now featured on the Mild Bill's website. Hell Yeah!!!

Be sure and check out the website for our new blends as well - Mild Bill's Original, Mild Bill's Light and Lone Star Light Chili Powder...an homage to well, you know......

Gary's love of Lone Star Beer....duh!!! It is the official beer of Texas. I think it's only fitting I have a chili powder named for his favorite beer - two of his pastimes - beer and chili.....chili and beer....aahhh.....

We'll be heading up to Jim Ezell's house this weekend for the Relay for Life CCO that raises money for Team Greg's Plumbing and their efforts to raise money and wipe out breast cancer. It's a great cook off. We went the year before last and had a really good time. We are looking forward to cooking there Saturday. Ladies State will be here before we know it! We'll be in Seguin early Thursday afternoon and we'll have spices with us. Feel free to let me know if you'd like an order brought to you as well.

I hope everyone has a fantabulous day. If you're cooking chili this weekend, good luck and steal some points!

Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy....among other things not suitable for my blog :0)

The Spice Mistress

P.S.

This is a picture of Armie Hammer. He is delicious and beautiful. That is all.

Conversations with Paige

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and Paige accompanied me as she was out of school. She was great - she minded her manners, sat quietly while I visited with the doctor and didn't share any goofy stories with her. That is until the doctor told me I needed to get an MRI.

Paige: Mommy, what's an MRI.
Me: It's like an x-ray.
Paige: Like the x-ray I had when I broke my leg.
Me: Yes, just like that.
My Doctor: That's a great way to explain it to a kid if they've had an x-ray.

My doctor turns to Paige and asks her how she broke her leg....

Paige: Well, I was in the bouncy house at my school's Oktoberfest and I jumped to the bottom and broke my leg.
Doctor: Oh! That sounds painful!
Paige: It was. And you know what else? My daddy had to come over and pick me up because my mommy didn't want to put her beer down. She was more worried about her beer than she was about my leg. And you know what else? She didn't believe me. She yelled at me after I had been to the hospital and told me I was just fine and could walk.

My doctor just looked at me. I was so pissed. I told Paige that I did too put my beer down, it's just that her daddy was closer to her and got to her first. I told my doctor that Baylor Waxahachie was/is incapable of reading an x-ray and told us her leg wasn't broken. And, for the record, I NEVER yelled at that child. She just kind of smiled at me...you know that smile...yep...that's what I got from her. We sat in uncomfortable silence while she finished up my paperwork which I'm sure included her amending the part in there where they ask how much you drink :)

Really, it wasn't that terrible...but it was pretty funny. My doctor isn't too bad; she's got a sense of humor thank God.

Paige was standing by me while I was printing out a few tiger pics for her project. She asked if I would print out the one of the tigers "mating"....so people can see that they....wait for it......

BIRFALIZE THEIR BABIES!!!!!


YES!!!! I haven't gotten a "birfalize" out of her in God knows how long. I think she said it for my benefit. She knows I love it.

I think we may be making some headway with her food issues. She ate an apple at Farmer's Market Sunday and a piece of chicken fried steak last night. She's having fish sticks tonight. Maybe she's finally coming around to eating real food. She picked out her apples and bananas Sunday - and she tried cantaloupe and liked it. Hallelujah!

When I typed hallelujah it reminded me of Those Poor Bastards. They haven't been to Texas in a while. I love them in concert.

We had a fantastic Easter - Paige and I went to Mass and then we met Gary, my sister and parents, my in laws and sister in law at Babe's in Cedar Hill. It was so delicious. I love that place.

I've finished the 50 Shades of Grey books. I read all three of them in three days. Have you heard about them? They're not going to win any Pulitzer prizes for the writing, but who gives a shit?? All I can do is think of Armie Hammer as Christian Grey while I'm reading them and that's all fine and dandy with me. The books are hot. Read them. And don't be shy about it. Read them in PUBLIC :)

I'm going to sign off. We need to finish P's project. I'll post pictures. Its going to be amazing!

Kelly

Good Friday Indeed!!!

Good Afternoon!!

The rain we got earlier in the week has encouraged even more bluebonnets to come up. It's beautiful along 879 and 660 going back into Crisp. Gary and I are going to go to Bristol for sushi this evening. Hopefully we can get a bottle of wine, too....maybe ride the backroads :) We used to do that when we lived in Ferris. We would ride around out through Bristol and Crisp and look at the land for sale (and the land not for sale) and promise this is where we would move to and build. We made a detour to Waxahachie for a few years, but I'm so glad we stuck to our guns and kept looking for land where we are now. Yes, it takes me 15 minutes to get out of the Czech maze of roads I live within, but this time of year, it is so worth it.

Uuumm.....anyone else have freaky animals the past few nights??? The damn full moon - OMG!!! Waylon and Eddie were OUT. OF. CONTROL. I'm not exaggerating. And Waylon, that little turd, he found a new place to dig and came in this morning with the muddiest feet and of course, hopped back into the bed. Even Eddie has been frisker than usual. They certainly live up to their name, Jim Ezell :) He didn't name them "The Hump Brothers" for nothing!!

I got my hair straightened this morning, thank you baby Jesus. It was so wavy and unruly and horrific. This time I had Jeff do the Brazilian Blowout instead of the Keratese treatment he's done the past few times. My hair needs all of the poisonous chemicals in the Brazilian Blowout. It doesn't respond to the "greener" Keratese version.

I think I've left my pillow in the toyhauler. I hope it's in there because I cannot keep sleeping on the neck killer pillow I've slept on the past few nights. I have done something to my neck and it is so unbelievably stiff and sore. I took a hydrocodone in hopes that it will help. It's given me the worst headache, too....and I DON'T do headaches!

Paige is with Gammy today and tomorrow dying Easter Eggs and making Easter cupcakes. She told my mom on the phone the other night that she never has nightmares when she stays with her. Really? Seriously? Oh Paige.... But, yeah...she and Gammy...reunited until tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to pick her up and we'll go to Mass at St Joseph tomorrow evening. I wanted to go to Mass at St Thomas Sunday, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Paige has been stellar during Lent. She gave up steak and sweet tea and hasn't had either one. I'm so proud of her. She's such a sweet baby. I gave her my old Crackberry Monday and put her on my wireless plan. She knows how to use it better than her little Go Phone, so she's in heaven. Now she and Gammy can talk uninterrupted for hours and hours :)

I know I sound like a broken record, but I've GOT to start canning!!! I'm going to can two new items - red onion relish and candied jalapenos. I'm still on track to get the three new chili blends out - Mild Bill's Light, Mild Bill's Original and Lone Star Light....I can't wait. I've also got three new seasonings as well. I want to get everything on the website soon, especially with summer and the grilling season getting into full swing. At least it is here, you know, on the south side of Hell. God, it is going to be so hot this summer. I can just feel it already. I had big plans for a garden, but forget it. If it's going to be as hot and dry as last summer, what's the use? I'm going to just plant a bunch of lettuce like I usually do and some herbs. I may grow some cherry or grape tomatoes, but I'm out of the heirloom tomato business for awhile. Paige wants a garden...so maybe I'll dig up a small plot for her to plant in. She also wants her goats....me, too! I'm sure Daddy does too with all the mowing he's been doing lately!

Back to work - I thought I'd take a quick break before I go make chili. I'm feeding the Postmaster today. We've come a long way, me and the Ennis Post Office. It's fun sometimes...imposing my will upon others. Maybe not my will, but at least my multitude of boxes every day!!!

Have a blessed Good Friday and Easter. I'm looking forward to Sunday with my family....I hope you all spend it with your loved ones as well.





Spreading my own special brand of joy and kindness.....

K

This One Has Become My Favorite......

Easiest. Dinner. Ever.

Greetings and Salutations!!!!

Congrats to Lord Brignon - 10th Place out of 150 chilis this past Saturday at Texas Mens State! And Tom Dozier, my chili child/Mild Bill's poster child got 8th....hell yeah!!! Mark Sanders got 14th and Dave Lefler placed 5th....that rounded out the Ellis County Crew. I believe Mike Rider from Garland placed 9th - not bad for North Texas, huh?? A BIG congrats to Bucky Seelig (and Mild Bill's customer) for his 1st Place Coup. I think it's so cool - his wife Caroline won Ladies State in 2011 and he's the 2012 Men's State Champ. Pretty awesome :)

I really enjoyed my weekend. Paige went to Gammy's Friday after school since her BFF was over at her Yi-Y's next door to my mom's house. I picked her up Sunday for Bluebonnet pictures. Friday, Courtney and I went to Sugar Ridge Winery and then to Bristol to get sushi. The winery was closing as we got there, so I ran in and bought two bottles of wine. The Green Apple White Wine is really good. The Tempranillo....not my favorite. It seemed a little too heavy and sweet. I almost think I got the wrong bottle of wine, so I want to go back and try it again. They also had a great Blackberry Merlot and the winery also offers a pretty decent Sangria. Like I said, I'd like to go back; especially when I've got some time to really taste the wines and ask questions. After sushi, we came back to the house and chilled. We're kind of boring. I got up Saturday morning and drove to Star Nails in Waxahachie for the most wonderful pedicure! It was sooooo relaxing. Then I came home and cleaned my house, scrubbed the floors and did laundry :) I didn't mind though....I have turned into such a homebody and I liked getting some laundry done as it has begun to reproduce. Gary got home late Sunday, so his celebration dinner waited until last night. I seared scallops with a lemon butter caper sauce. It was good...but a little too salty...those capers add some serious salt. It's a Rachel Ray recipe out of her latest magazine and it's really delicious. I'm going to make them again, but I'm going to really dial back on the capers. It was almost too salty. And that's a lot coming from saltaholic moi!!

Fred is going to have to go back to the vet. His Cushings disease is really flaring up again. Last night he ate a roll of paper towels and assaulted a bottle of wine. Poor thing...I guess he'll have to go back on his chemo pills. Waylon just loves him...he's always cleaning his ears :)

DWTS is on. William Levy is next. That is one hot m*therf*cker. Seriously. HAWT.

I've got to get jars ordered so I can start canning in anticipation of Polka Fest. We are going to be open and I'm running low on a lot of of stuff...and I'm out of a few things as well. I guess I'll be canning Friday and Saturday. I'm getting my hair straightened Friday morning. It's been since November and I've had enough of this thick wavy mess. Plus, with the humidity already getting high, I have GOT to do something with this crap. I think I'm going to get a few more highlights, too. I'd also like to get a facial or massage....something to help me RELAX!!!!

Okay, let's talk about the easiest dinner ever. I bought a 5 pack of HEB Green Chile Tamales. I used them for dinner tonight and it was easy, delicious and quick. Here's what you do:

1 Package HEB (or other brand) Green Chile Tamales (I bought the 5 pack, but a 1/2 dozen or dozen pack will work just fine)
1 15 oz Can Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1 Package Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend (I used the Philadelphia Mexican Blend and loved it!!)
Sour Cream, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish large enough for the amount of tamales you have, place the tamales seam side down and pour the enchilada sauce over the them. Top with 1/2 of the grated cheese, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the remaining grated cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Garnish with sour cream and serve with refried beans. I had a can of Central Market Refried Black Beans and they were delicious. Dinner was ready in 30 minutes and it was super, super easy! There is enough sauce to cover a dozen tamales, so you don't need to buy an extra can unless you buy a couple of packages of tamales. Enjoy!

Paige gets out early Thursday and is out Friday and Monday for Easter. We've got a science project to work on, too. Paige's project is about tigers. Fabulous.

Paige sat in the backseat eating a cheeseburger and taking pictures of wall clouds on our way home this afternoon. She's such a redneck in training.

Paige: Mommy, can we get something to eat from Whataburger before we go back to Ennis? There might be a twister later when I'm hungry and maybe I won't be able to eat.

Me: Sure.

So there we are, leaving Whataburger and snapping pics on our phones. Then, while we are driving AWAY from the scary clouds, Paige was turned around in her seat, cheeseburger in one hand, chewing and telling me she's getting some really good pictures out of the back window. I love it.

I guess I better sign off for now. I hope everyone stays safe and dry and that no one suffers from any tornadic damage. Have a great evening!

Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy....and the unmistakable aroma of cumin (fresh from the walk in cooler kind, of course).......

The Spice Mistress