Little Old Men Make the Best Coffee...

I've always had a little old man or two in my life.  They just flock to me for some reason. 

I think it is my fabulous bouffant hair - it reminds them of the beehive'd women of the 1960's.

Older men always bear gifts.  God bless 'em!

Whether it is a compliment such as "I just like to see you smile" or "you're always so pretty" or the gift of three daily double-expressos made my favorite way with French vanilla creamer, along with a cup of ice for my Tervis Tumbler - always delivered to my desk with a hopeful smile... older men just appreciate women and want to impress.  Older men never come empty handed.

Comparing older men to men around my age has given me insight into appreciating the past:

Older men are like antique furniture - prized and appreciated for their character.
Older men are more cultured, classy.
Older men open doors, practicing the lost art of chivalry.
Older men are well traveled and know the finest places to stay, to eat, to visit.

Whether these older men were born into a different era, taught to appreciate and protect women - or perhaps these men have been fastidiously whipped into shape over time by their mothers and later their wives - whatever the reason, women my age everywhere are benefitting from their kindness and grace, their class and charm - and their thrice-daily-delivered expressos with French vanilla creamer!  

Take note you selfish twenty-somethings, boring thirty-somethings, you tired forty-somethings!

Men in their sixties and seventies are showing you up!

Taking away your thunder! 

Now who's looking OLD?  

Live on, little old men!  You are making us neglected ladies feel FABULOUS!

Easy Peasy Chicken Pot Pie

Boxes and boxes of pie crusts are what's left in my refrigerator after last week's Valentine's Day fortune cookie baking.  What does one do with leftover boxes of pie crusts?  Make lots of chicken pot pies, of course! 

Here is an easy one that I made today.

Keep in mind that my children's repertoire of vegetables is quite limited.  Carrots, butter beans and green beans are about the extent of their refined palates.

Easy Peasy Chicken Pie

1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup of flour
3/4 can of chicken broth (which is about 1 3/4 cups)
2/3 cup 2% milk
4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
Vegetables: sauteed onions, peas, butter beans, carrots, potatoes, etc.
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/4 tsp tarragon
1 box (containing two 9 inch) refrigerated pie crusts
Extra flour for rolling
Egg for glazing

On medium heat, melt butter in skillet.  Sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the melted butter and  whisk until roux forms.  Add in chicken broth and tarragon, whisk for about 2 minutes until the flour taste is gone and the sauce has thickened.  Add in milk and continue to whisk for a few minutes.  Pull off heat and add in cooked chicken and sauteed vegetables. I had some butter beans in the frig from last night - so I tossed those in with my chicken, along with some carrots and crossed my fingers. 

Roll out one of the crusts and carefully lay into the bottom of your pre-greased pie dish.

Pour your filling over bottom crust.

Roll out remaining pie crust, lay on top of filling and begin tucking and pinching edges.  Make sure that all of the edges have been pinched closed so that the luscious filling stays inside. 

 

 

Crack open 1 egg and mix with a tablespoon of water - brush over top of pie and edges to make a shiny glaze.  (You will have some egg leftover.) Vent the top of the pie - this prevents explosion and necessary oven cleaning - which we do not want to tackle today. 

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes on 425 degrees. 

Revel in that Martha-esq feeling.

 

Today's simplistic beauty in my kitchen ...

Taking a break ...

I read a post tonight from http://www.handsfreemama.com/?p=3942 that struck a chord so deafening that I have decided to take a break from my blog for awhile. 

I want to be in this picture instead of behind the camera.  I want to be a part of the fun, instead of chronicling it. 

That makes sense, right? 

So, too-da-loo everyone!

But remember to check back every now and again. 

I will put up a good fight, but I may find a recipe here or there that I must simply share!

Grandma Louise's Strawberry Pie

Isn't she lovely?

Grandma Louise made these pies over and over for us when I was a little girl.  There is nothing like it.  This pie, along with her fried fish - my love bucket is still very full from these happy memories.

Any other recipe, and I would happily share the play-by-play instructions and ingredients, but for this, I cannot share.

Please forgive me.

Here are a few more luscious photos to help you along the path, but other than that, you are on your own, cowboy.

Put the SEAT DOWN!

We have a great team of cleaners at work. The bathrooms are cleaned at least twice a day.  With that being said, the seat up ...

is Ms. Cleaning Lady's signature sign that this toilet has been completely disinfected... even in the ladies restroom!  Am I the only one that has a problem with this picture? 

Now, I am sure you men out there see nothing wrong (and everything right) with this, correct?  The seat is already up, in perfect position for you to do your "business" and you don't even have to bend down.  The hard work is already done for you. 

You like to be spoon fed, don't ya? 

But for married women everywhere, especially those with small boys at home, this is the ultimate vestige of the neverending war  - one that should not have to be fought at the office and in the ladies room of all places!

Ms. Cleaning Lady is so nice, I don't have the heart to tell her that she is jabbing that knife a little bit deeper with each upturned seat. 

Ms. Cleaning Lady, surely you know our pain ...

Surely you have a Mr. Cleaning Lady at home, right? 

And he leaves the seat up, for you to fall into with your tail feather in the middle of the night ...

So, Ms. Cleaning Lady ... nice Ms. Cleaning Lady ... for women everywhere, put that seat down! 

Blueberry & Blackberry Pancakes

I am currently devouring my most recent cookbook purchase...

Shhhhh...don't tell Jim! 

Just so you know, if I pass through the pearly gates anytime soon, you will want to get your hands on my cookbook collection - it is quite expansive ... and of course you'll want my pearls too. 

Back to the cookbook - doing this type of heavy research - and salivating over my findings was enough to convince me that I needed to make my very own (speedy) version to fill my blueberry pancake love bucket. 

Here is what you need to make my speedy version...

First, preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Cover a baking pan with foil and set inside the oven, ready to accept stacks of pancakes until the very last one is cooked.

Mix blueberry wheat pancakes according to the directions on the box and add in a teaspoon or two of vanilla. 

Cook pancakes to golden on a griddle set to 375ish, smearing butter all over the surface. 

Once the griddle is hot and covered in butter, make nice round pancakes using a 1/4 cup measure.  Add in some thawed berries, one by one, in all of the best spots. 

While the pancakes are cooking, mix a few tablespoons of blueberry preserves and some maple syrup together in a bowl.  Warm in the microwave for ease and convenience - and one less pot to wash. 

Make sure to turn your pancakes when large bubbles appear and then pop.  This is the perfect time to flip them for golden perfection.  Let the cooked pancakes rest in a preheated oven set at a warmish/200 degree oven.

Enjoy the fruits (and berries) of your labor.

A Busty Girls BFF...

I've been blessed (cursed?) with both my grandmother's curves.  Had I been born in the Victorian era, I may have been famous, however, in this era of stick straight little-boy-bodied models, clothes do not always hang like they should.

Meet the enemy (a.k.a. my very favorite shirt...)

Button downs tend to gape open at the third and fourth button for a girl like me.  For years, I pined over shirts that I couldn't wear because I refused REFUSED to go up a size and sport the boxy look.  Now, I have a tool for all of us out there struggling with our "girls." 

You can find your own packet of velcro dots in the craft department at your local Wal-mart.

Just open the pack, attach the velcro in places where your shirt would typically bulge open and voila!  Enjoy the brand new straight and narrow of a buttoned down shirt!

Unlikely BFF of the week...

Meet my new and very unlikey BFF - Body by Vi shake.  Today's version was Berry Cobbler (2 scoops of mix, 1/4 cup of berries, 8 oz. skim milk, 1 tsp vanilla, few tablespoons crushed graham crackers.)  Much like the addiction that Diet Coke has among women, I have become addicted to this.  Around 11am the craving hits - and I have never, repeat never wanted to drink my lunch - ever.  So this is something new - and so healthy.

I am in love!

Easter Eggs

This year I was ready.  I set the table in advance, with two separate dying stations - covering the entire table with kraft paper and paper towels.  I labeled the mugs at each station so that everyone knew which color was which, and set out two separate drying crates.  Martha herself would have been impressed. 

The boys quickly got to work, making the typical (read: acceptable) colored eggs at first ...

This eventually became a contest of who could create the GROSSEST egg ever - which translates into who can make the darkest brown or black egg...

And then the excitement really begins ...  See those glinty, mischievious eyes?

And in these moments, I quietly wonder to myself what little girls decorating eggs might be doing right about now ... Would they be dying pink and purple eggs? Maybe a pretty shade of robin's egg blue? Hmmmm..... 

But then at some point the squealing and screaching would begin, and so I will take brown and black eggs any day.  Who needs pink and purple eggs?  Not me!







Only in the South ...

I pass this sign every time I go to my mom's and it is always, always there. 

Does that mean they always have rabbits and bunnies for sale?  Now that I think about it, the bunnies become rabbits - and those 2nd generation rabbits make new bunnies - and man, if they don't sell some of these rabbits and bunnies - they are going to be eaten out of house and home. 

By the way - they also have a snarling dog chained up somewhere in their yard.  He is not for sale.  I didn't know about him until I snuck onto their property, camera in hand. 

It's a dangerous world out there, in the land of rabbits and bunnies. 

My advice to you is to keep your tail tucked in while scampering off of someone's property, way out in the boonies.  A girl always needs a good escape plan - and this one's worked for me every single time.

For kids who won't eat their vegetables ...

This was a super easy kid's snack for the Easter parties at Owen and Miles' school.

This is what you need:
Clear party favor bags (cellophane bags)
Scotch Tape
Green curling ribbon
Family size bag(s)* of Cheetohs (or Pepperidge Farm Goldfish)
Large Bowl and Scoop
Basket for delivering - makes it super cute!
I used 2 entire bags of Family Size Cheetohs to make 42 carrots.

This is what you do:
To make the rectangular cellophane bags into a cone shape, fold only 1 bottom corner to meet up with the opposing edge (about 1 inch up) of the cellophane bag. You should have a right angle.  Tape in a couple of places to hold the cone shape. This will give you the cone look you need to make the "carrots."  I recommend doing this step first, because it takes awhile when you are doing 42 carrots.  I apologize for not having a photo of this - but because of the glare on the cellophane bags, you wouldn't quite be able to see what I was doing anyway - and that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Next, dump your Cheetohs into a huge bowl, find your scoop and get rollin' sister, cause time's a wastin'!

Pour 1 full-size scoop into each bag, tie off with the ribbon and curl.  Keep going until you have all of your carrots finished and then stack into a basket. 

Be ready for ooh's and ahh's when you walk through the front office and halls of the school.  Be prepared for all of the puppy dog eyes and whimpers and cheesy "gimme one!" grins that you will pass along the way to the classroom.  Then prepared to be mauled by the kids in your child's class - cause they know the treats are for them - and they do not want to wait until the party starts.  Basically, prepare to be a hero - or heroine, whatever the case may be. 

(Malachi Brundage, Rees Bendetti and Owen)

This is why it is worth it - see that grin on my oldest youngin' and his pals - this is why mamas do what they do - and this is why ever 6 weeks my miracle worker angel friend, Kristen Kessler, does what she does when she covers up every single grey hair I sprouted from the stress of doing all of this craziness!  Thank goodness for her too!

Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies ...

Recently, we attended a Blue & Gold ceremony for the Boy Scouts.  One of the leaders made this recipe and I raved over how light and buttery the cookies were.  (In fact ... they tasted almost just like my Great Grandma's absent, yet extremely coveted recipe!)  Because they tasted so closely to Great Grandma's (and because I have spent a great deal of my adult life searching for anything resembling her cookies), I promptly hurried home to make my very own batch.

Final verdict ... they aren't Great Grandma's, but they were very yummy!  Light and buttery and gone in a flash!

(The search continues ...)  

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

• 1 box favorite Duncan Hines cake mix
• Optional 1 bag of chocolate chips
• 1 jumbo egg
• 1 stick softened butter or margarine

Baking Instructions:

1. Empty Duncan Hines Cake Mix in a large bowl.
2. Add in jumbo egg.
3. Plus the slightly softened butter.
4. Add chocolate chips.
4. Mix until combined.
5. Place dough by spoonful on greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes, 7 for chewy, 10 for crisp and brown.

Easy Wedge Salad

Sunday nights are good for two things - having the fam over for dinner or for getting together with our chummy lil' church home group. 

Recently, I had my parents over for dinner and served this simple and delish Wedge Salad...

Here's what you need:

1 head of Iceberg Lettuce

1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning

1 cup of mayonaise

1 cup of buttermilk 

1 packet of bacon, fried

Salt/pepper to taste

Mix together the mayonaise and ranch seasoning packet, then add in buttermilk.  Pour into a gravy boat and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Fry up bacon until crispy.  Crumble and set aside.

Remove the core from the lettuce (I whack mine hard on the countertop, core facing downward so that it gets the full impact of the blow.  Learned this little skill from my mama!)  This little step usually loosens the core enough to remove it easily. 

Peel off the wilted outer layers of lettuce, wash the core and let dry. 

Then slice lettuce head in half, then in half again until you have pretty little petite wedges, if you have a large group.  You can slice them larger if this is your main course (for a girl's lunch, of course.)

Arrange wedges on a long platter, drizzle with ranch dressing and sprinkle with bacon crumbles.

Voila!

New love ...

Meet this week's BFF...

I found her at World Market over the weekend.  It is the exact same flavoring as I remember from my favorite Mango Peach Tea that I used to order at B. Matthew's Bakery ... back when it really was a bakery. 

Note the little Sugar Free label?  I never meant to buy Sugar Free, but the helpful salesperson at World Market said they don't even bother with ordering the regular sugared version anymore because the sugar free flies off the shelf. 

Rightly so - it is DIVINE!

Use a shot glass for measuring, 1 per glass of tea.