Monday, November 9, 2009

from the kitchen...

i have a lot more going on in my kitchen this week than is my usual. don't get me wrong, i cook mostly 5 nights a week plus sunday lunch. and that is enough to make me a little nutty. not the cooking part...the cleaning up part, if i'm honest. and my husband is a huge help. but dishes are like clothes and as soon as they are all washed, there are more waiting on you. (and while i'm at it, i think that is part of the rut i have been in. the continuous monotony of cooking, cleaning, wiping, washing, etc.)

anyway, like i was saying...more cooking this week. i'm not good at taking pictures while i'm doing something, so you'll have to be patient and visit the links. there are a few favorites i've done plenty of times before and then there are a few i haven't tried before.

yesterday, i made Harriette's chicken spaghetti for lunch. i made a double batch because i have a friend i'm taking supper to on friday. this double batch filled up a disposable 13x9x2 pan for the freezer, and 2 pie plates (one for us yesterday and one for the freezer that will probably go to another friend when she has her baby next week.) kids, that's economical. all of that with 3 chicken breasts, 2 boxes thin spaghetti noodles, 1 lb velveeta, 2 cans rotel, 1 can cream of chick, 1 can cream of mush, 2 pkgs dry ranch dressing mix. you can't beat that.

then i moved on to trying out the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon roll recipe. my intent being to make them and freeze them to take some to the afore mentioned friends and to have some for the holidays. let's just say that i have never made any kind of dough from scratch. i have been scared silly of yeast. always afraid that i'd have my liquid too hot and ruin the yeast. i stepped out of my comfort box and embraced the yeast. let me say that if you don't have a lot of counter space, you may want to start with 1/4-1/3 of the dough instead of 1/2. trust me. oh, and refrigerate that dough first. you'll never get it to roll tight enough to keep your rolls in shape otherwise (coughnot like i would know anything about thatcough.) so with the 2nd half of the dough, i had success and still it made about 50 rolls. no LIE!!

this saturday is the fall festival at luke's school. and let me just say, i'm the mom that will always sign up to send food to something. with 2 kids still at home and no babysitters, i may not be able to volunteer for much, but i can cook and take stuff to the school. no problem. they have a cake walk and i'm making red velvet cake balls that i found over at Kelly's Korner Recipes. i really want to see how they turn out. don't know about yall, but with the holidays coming (and me trying my darndest to lose and not gain weight) i'm more likely to commit to a cake ball and not the whole thing.

we'll also be having meatloaf, mexican lasagna (i think i'll have to owe you that recipe), granola and a few other various things that we (micah and i) love around here. i wish yall could come over!!

oh, and we are making progress on the picky eating front. sort of. the rule is that you have to try one bite of whatever i fix for supper. the daddy has not always upheld this rule. but here's how i abide by it...i fix supper. i fix a plate for me and ally claire. i sit down and eat. if they want something else, it was up to micah to do it b/c i stand firm. i now have the daddy on board. seth has always been pretty good to try most things. not luke. i have had an hour stand off with him over biting a chicken nugget (he doesn't eat meat as a general rule.) he has now tried 3 different things and i couldn't be more proud. so proud i may not should mention the insta-gag reflex. but he does it. and that is progress. soon we'll move to 2 bites and so on. i mean, he's only 6.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

thankful thursday

well, while we are still in the throws of "the 16 (going on 17) months" around here...




she is still an angel. see that halo??

she doesn't fight fair at all. how am i supposed to resist that face??

i knew it...

i have pictures on my camera from the last 2 months that i haven't even stinkin looked at. and do you know that i think i can make 2-3 blogs about those? finally, writers block...unblocked. stay tuned. cause i'm pretty sure it will also a way for you to give back in this season of giving!!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

as i sit here...

there are 68 things in my google reader waiting on me. i think that's only 2 days worth. and i have actually skimmed through, picking out my actual friend blogs to read, leaving the folks i stalk for later. that used to never happen. but right now, i don't know that i have anything interesting to say. or maybe i have writers block. i'm not sure. would yall like to help me? is there anything you would like to know about me or my family that you may not know? i have done those 101 things about me surveys before. i'd have to go back and see if it needs revision. it's under the "about me" section over there on the right. but things change, ya know?? i'm in a bit of a rut these days, feeling like i'm spinning my wheels a bit...or a lot. do yall get that way? i'm also working on a "35 things i'd like to do by the time i turn 35" list. i think i got that from meg. i can't even remember now. do yall check her out? i've said it before. you totally should. anyway, give me some ideas. i'm fresh out. the cool news is that i get to go "home" in a few weeks for thanksgiving. i'm so ready. we haven't been to dothan since the first week of june and that was just overnight. i think that is the longest we have been not going. this school thing really throws a kink in the ole traveling schedule.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

miss me yet?

no? shoot. oh well, i'm up to my eyeballs in sick kids and have been for about 2 weeks now. i'm a tired mama cause the daddy has been a little sick too. so hopefully, i'll be back soon.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

thankful thursday::southern style

a few thoughts have come to me over the last few weeks about why i am thankful i live in the south. i figured i'd post 'em.

i'm thankful i can use yall's as a possessive. as in "it that yall's truck?" and it doesn't sound weird. well, at least not to me.

i'm thankful i live in an area of the country where people still pull off on the side of the road when there is a funeral procession. it's just respectful and it gives you an opportunity to say a quick prayer for people you don't even know.

speaking of respect, i'm thankful that around here, people don't think it's crazy to teach your kids to say "ma'am" and "sir". it's actually kind of expected. again, it's just respectful (even if your own kids can't seem to get a grasp on it.)

as much as i love some restaurants, i'm thankful that there are some that are closed on sunday...ON PURPOSE.

i took this picture outside of Lawler's BBQ where i live. you all know Chick-fil-a is also closed on sundays so that their employees can have a chance to worship with their families. i love it.

i'm thankful that when i go to someone's house and say you'd like tea to drink, it's gonna be sweet. i do not understand unsweetened tea (except for diabetics)...or hot tea. i like mine sweet and on the rocks please.

i'm thankful to live somewhere people will still tell you "have blessed (read bless-ed) day.

and something that i'm missing right now...my precious boiled peanuts. (by the way, the ones in this picture are the best. they are small and a little bit purple and a little sweet. soooo good.)

i endured a cold ball game this past weekend and called my brother to "give him a blessing" of my own. see, my SILs family is able to grow their own. they have no shortage. if you live above montgomery, you ain't gettin' any REAL boiled peanuts. infact, most people probably haven't even heard that you could do such a thing to a peanut. (it's strange to live in alabama and still sometimes feel like you are a yankee. no offense to my northern readers.) see, we have red clay up here...and that doesn't seem to be conducive to peanut growing nor white field pea growing for that matter. but that's a sadness to be shared in the summertime. ANYWAY, all that so say, i'm thankful i have access...even if i have to wait until thanksgiving to collect.



Tuesday, October 20, 2009

twilight tuesday

we are at T minus 30 days peeps. confession about new moon...it KILLS me to read this book. it took me 3 times to read it straight through. i can't stand a break up. and the one with bella and edward is so angsty...yeah. i don't normally spend time with the fan videos, but i thought this one kind of captured the new moon break up. well done.