I get things running around in my head sometimes... I call them many things like wonderings, idiot attacks and/or brilliant revelations so I decided to jot down one or two... or seven. Who knows?
Do you know how to fold a fitted sheet? I do know how to do that because my momma taught me how many, many years ago when fitted sheets were first introduced to the market. The second part of this mind wandering is if you know how to fold them do you care whether or not you do?
Am I the only person who wonders why the advertising people pay people to trash a place and put leftover food out on the counters and blindfold people to see if their air freshener covers up the smell... when all they would have to do is go to most any college kids apartments without giving them notice and film it for probably a 6-pack and a twenty dollar bill and then lower the prices on the air freshener?
And, following along this line, has anyone besides me ever thought about giving someone a snow shovel to make it easier to clean their house? I didn't, but I sure thought about it...
Is there a gene that makes some people inventive and others (like myself) the ones without the gene that are saying, "Why didn't I think of that?"
What about that person this past week that won 14.3 million playing the wrong lottery game?... I keep telling our good Lord that winning the lottery wouldn't spoil me or change me and I keep getting the reminders that you have to buy the tickets before you can win... no matter which lottery you play.
No matter how much closer I move to where my sibs live, the older I get the harder it is to make myself drive to visit them... or even go to the grocery. Or maybe that is my state of mind right now. Just sayin'.
Do you ever feel like your doc is just experimenting on you?
Does anyone else have brilliant thoughts while out and about and then when you get home and go to write them down don't remember what they were? And how hard would it be for me to get it through my thick skull to carry a little tape recorder around so I could save these thoughts for posterity with just a click of a button...
There were a bunch more things running around in my brain but evidently they fell between the lobes while I was trying to document the wonderment of my thought processes... Next time maybe I will have more that I've written down or recorded to share with you but for now...
That's all, folks!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Grits Aren't Just For Deep Southerners...
Any more, anyway... I told you all about the Chili Cheese Grits that Carol whipped up for Christmas. Neither she nor I have ever been a fan of grits but she ran across this recipe in a magazine and thought it sounded good... I thought she was nuts trying it out on a Christmas lunch but we were having company and she figured it would be more likely to be eaten, I guess. Not wanting to rain on her parade and since it had green chiles in it which gave the dish a southwest or Mexican nod I thought, "what the heck... give it a try". Dang, it was good. Almost like a spoon bread in texture. So I had to eat 'crow' along with everything else for lunch on Christmas. Here you go... enjoy.
CHILI CHEESE GRITS
3 Cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Cup quick-cooking grits
1/4 Cup butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 Cups Longhorn cheese, grated (about 6 ounces)
4-1/2 ounce can chopped green chiles
2 eggs
1/2 Cup milk
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bring water to a boil and add the salt and garlic. Slowly stir in the grits and continue stirring for 4 or 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.
Add the butter, 1 Cup of the cheese and the green chiles, stirring until butter is completely melted. Beat the eggs with the milk, add to the mixture and mix well.
Pour into a greased 2 quart baking dish and bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.
Whomever wrote the original recipe should have added that the recipe might make a non-grits person into one who would request this dish. Obviously if I talked about it and took the time to copy the recipe for you all it is something that I would eat again.
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks... or new foods to eat and like. I think Carol just wants to see if she can make something that neither of us has cared to eat into something good and yes, ma'am, she can!
CHILI CHEESE GRITS
3 Cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Cup quick-cooking grits
1/4 Cup butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 Cups Longhorn cheese, grated (about 6 ounces)
4-1/2 ounce can chopped green chiles
2 eggs
1/2 Cup milk
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bring water to a boil and add the salt and garlic. Slowly stir in the grits and continue stirring for 4 or 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.
Add the butter, 1 Cup of the cheese and the green chiles, stirring until butter is completely melted. Beat the eggs with the milk, add to the mixture and mix well.
Pour into a greased 2 quart baking dish and bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.
Whomever wrote the original recipe should have added that the recipe might make a non-grits person into one who would request this dish. Obviously if I talked about it and took the time to copy the recipe for you all it is something that I would eat again.
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks... or new foods to eat and like. I think Carol just wants to see if she can make something that neither of us has cared to eat into something good and yes, ma'am, she can!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Texas Trash And Other Tidbits...
First off let me say that Chloe (and mom) made it through her health crisis. She's eating and cleaning the floor for any little tidbit that may have been dropped, she's barking at anyone who dares to darken her door or the little kids that she can see playing when she's in the yard. I'm so glad to have her back to her old self that I don't even threaten to beat her for her barking... I just pet her and tell her to hush her mouth.
Now on to the inquiry about Texas Trash. Originally I believe it was more commonly known as Chex Mix and the recipe you can find on all the Chex cereal boxes. Where we got to calling it Texas Trash was from additions and augmentations to the original recipe by friends in Texas and it just seems easier to remember for me than Chex Mix and more fun to say. The original recipe calls for (this is just guesstimation from me... we don't have any cereal here now for me to be exact) 2 cups of each of the Chex cereals, Cheerios, pretzels and nuts. Carol has also used Bugels (the snack) and usually uses mixed nuts. She also uses a full stick of margarine or butter instead of half a stick. You melt that down and add to it a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and some seasoning salt, a couple of teaspoons I think. I can't remember if there are other ingredients and Carol is in the shower as I write this but if you don't find it on the Chex cereal boxes, give me a shout and I'll find out for sure the recipe. Anyway after you melt your butter or margarine and add the other ingredients, you pour it all over the cereal, pretzels and other treat stuff like Bugles or Goldfish or whatever and stir it up good. I would suggest you put in one of those throw away turkey cooking pans because then it goes in the oven on a low heat, probably like 250F. and every 15 minutes you pull it out and stir it up to get all the seasoning to all of the cereals and stuff. You do that two or three times and then you dare people to not eat it until they are full of it, too.
Really it is one of those snack things that folks will sit and pick at while watching football games or visiting with folks that stop in for a visit. It's fun finger foods for the little ones and everyone figures out what their favorite part is (mine are the rice Chex, for now) and you will catch them picking out their favorites. It is a snack that is easy to add to or change around like our friends that like to add Tabasco for a little kick (mmmm good!) or different types of snack foods like the Bugles or Goldfish crackers.
In a day or two I'll get Carol to print out the recipe for the green chili grits and pass that on to you all. I've never been a grits fan, nor has Carol, but she ran across the recipe and decided to try it. We are both glad she did and will have it again soon.
So that kind of explains about the Texas Trash/Chex Mix. It's fun to eat and easy to make, I could probably make it but don't tell Carol. You can have it going in the oven while you do other things and folks sure don't pass it by...
Enjoy.
Now on to the inquiry about Texas Trash. Originally I believe it was more commonly known as Chex Mix and the recipe you can find on all the Chex cereal boxes. Where we got to calling it Texas Trash was from additions and augmentations to the original recipe by friends in Texas and it just seems easier to remember for me than Chex Mix and more fun to say. The original recipe calls for (this is just guesstimation from me... we don't have any cereal here now for me to be exact) 2 cups of each of the Chex cereals, Cheerios, pretzels and nuts. Carol has also used Bugels (the snack) and usually uses mixed nuts. She also uses a full stick of margarine or butter instead of half a stick. You melt that down and add to it a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and some seasoning salt, a couple of teaspoons I think. I can't remember if there are other ingredients and Carol is in the shower as I write this but if you don't find it on the Chex cereal boxes, give me a shout and I'll find out for sure the recipe. Anyway after you melt your butter or margarine and add the other ingredients, you pour it all over the cereal, pretzels and other treat stuff like Bugles or Goldfish or whatever and stir it up good. I would suggest you put in one of those throw away turkey cooking pans because then it goes in the oven on a low heat, probably like 250F. and every 15 minutes you pull it out and stir it up to get all the seasoning to all of the cereals and stuff. You do that two or three times and then you dare people to not eat it until they are full of it, too.
Really it is one of those snack things that folks will sit and pick at while watching football games or visiting with folks that stop in for a visit. It's fun finger foods for the little ones and everyone figures out what their favorite part is (mine are the rice Chex, for now) and you will catch them picking out their favorites. It is a snack that is easy to add to or change around like our friends that like to add Tabasco for a little kick (mmmm good!) or different types of snack foods like the Bugles or Goldfish crackers.
In a day or two I'll get Carol to print out the recipe for the green chili grits and pass that on to you all. I've never been a grits fan, nor has Carol, but she ran across the recipe and decided to try it. We are both glad she did and will have it again soon.
So that kind of explains about the Texas Trash/Chex Mix. It's fun to eat and easy to make, I could probably make it but don't tell Carol. You can have it going in the oven while you do other things and folks sure don't pass it by...
Enjoy.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Chloe's Home...
She's not feeling real pert but at least she is home and not in a cage. She's in pretty rough shape but is on 2 types of antibiotics, a steroid, an anti- diarrhea med, an anti-nausea med and one for pain if needed. In other words they don't know what went wrong with my girl. They figure if you throw enough meds at it whatever it is, it will go away. I don't know how it will end with this round and expecting it could go either way but it gives mom a chance to get her mind ready for what ever is to come. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Our little family gets together for snacks... Rotel cheese dip, little smokies, and sandwich stuff for snacking and visiting. Then presents are opened. Until my Carol and I started living together Christmas Day was always the gift day but she had traditions she had already started with Jeff and so we do gifts on Christmas Eve. There would be Santa gifts on Christmas Day but since he is 38 now we don't do that anymore.
This year Carol is going to cook beef for Christmas Day instead of just repeating the Thanksgiving menu. I'll let you all know what will be cooking for Christmas Day as soon as I know what is on the menu.
In the meantime you all get your preparations for Christmas done so you can be sure to have time for hugs and to tell your families that you love each and every one, including the 4 legged babies because we never know for sure how long we are going to be of this world...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Update...
First off, the liver enzymes are playing wreak havoc again. Not as bad as they were, but they have gone back up somewhat from last month. The good news is, that while the doc didn't take me off the steroids, he did increase the Imuran, the med that I'll be taking from now on I guess. I wasn't surprised that the blood test wasn't as good as last month because of how I'd been feeling. I guess I am learning to listen to my body at least a little bit.
My Chloe, my oldest girl, is at the vet's and has been since Tuesday. I'm very worried about her. She ran fever and refused to eat Monday evening and when she refused her breakfast Tuesday I decided that it was time to take her to the doctor. Her white blood count was up which could be an infection of some sort or it could be cancer. They took x-rays and didn't see any obvious mass anywhere but it could be hiding behind her organs. I talked with them yesterday about ultra sound and when the doc brought it up I asked what it would cost... about $300. Told them no, I couldn't afford that and if they did find anything I couldn't afford to have them do surgery or chemo. She will be 12 on the 1st of January and she has had a good life and what I needed them to do was try and get her re hydrated and feeling better if possible but if not then God needed a good pup in heaven. So needless to say I've been in bad shape about her. I'll let you know the outcome with Chloe.
Thanks for checking up on me. I'm going to close now for this post. Say a little prayer for my girl, if you would.
Thanks.
My Chloe, my oldest girl, is at the vet's and has been since Tuesday. I'm very worried about her. She ran fever and refused to eat Monday evening and when she refused her breakfast Tuesday I decided that it was time to take her to the doctor. Her white blood count was up which could be an infection of some sort or it could be cancer. They took x-rays and didn't see any obvious mass anywhere but it could be hiding behind her organs. I talked with them yesterday about ultra sound and when the doc brought it up I asked what it would cost... about $300. Told them no, I couldn't afford that and if they did find anything I couldn't afford to have them do surgery or chemo. She will be 12 on the 1st of January and she has had a good life and what I needed them to do was try and get her re hydrated and feeling better if possible but if not then God needed a good pup in heaven. So needless to say I've been in bad shape about her. I'll let you know the outcome with Chloe.
Thanks for checking up on me. I'm going to close now for this post. Say a little prayer for my girl, if you would.
Thanks.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
I'm Not Dead...
I'm just aggravated. A couple of days after my last post (back in the dark ages) I sat down to write about whatever had crossed my mind at the time and set my hands over the keyboard to start typing and my hands, especially my left hand, were shaking like I was palsied. It was so bad that I had to grab it with my right hand and slap it around and fuss at it. I went ahead and tried to type with it and the words were coming out like sasalleee[op (sleep) or ggoeoffyy (goofy). Needless to say, I got p.o.'d and said to heck with it and hadn't written anything longer than replies to e-mails and only when necessary at that. I know that the tremblies are medicine related and I also know now that they are worse when I've done stuff with my arms and hands like painting the walls of the kitchen, which I did, and the muscles are tired. To me, at the time however, it was one more sign of "aging" and you all know that I refuse to even think about aging or my body betraying me by getting more "feeble". I'm too young for feeble to even enter the equation.
Other than the above I can't fuss about too much. I did get the kitchen repainted, including the woodwork, in time for Thanksgiving, and after Thanksgiving lunch at our house I drove to Ft. Worth to my brother and s.i.l.'s and visited with them and had Thanksgiving again on Sunday evening and came home on Monday. Last Sunday I drove to my nephew's home, about two hours from where I live, to stay with him for a few days after his knee replacement surgery. His wife just started her new job at a college about 3 months ago and with the jobs and economy the way it has been she didn't want to take a chance with her job because she really loves it so I went on Sunday and helped him out with keeping him supplied with liquids and lunch and whatever else he needed and then came home on Thursday evening. Tuesday and Wednesday we had thunderstorms, yes Virginia, thunderstorms in December, and when you live in the country and have to depend on satellite for your t.v. and internet you know if it rains you are going to be without t.v. and internet. I found I need to load some games to play that don't require me being on the internet. Usually I pack a book or two and a couple of magazines when I go anywhere for overnight but for some reason I failed to do that this trip so I was looking for things to do when I got bored with the games that come on the computer.
Next up is Christmas. Carol has been cooking already. She loves Christmas and loves baking for Christmas. I love Christmas, too, and I love eating most all of what she bakes. So far she has made pumpkin bread, banana nut bread, eggnog bread and apple cake with cinnamon icing. Fudge and baked fudge, butterscotch haystacks, Hidden Valley oyster crackers and Texas Trash or ChexMix to some folks. For her sister's birthday tomorrow she is making cowboy caviar, Christmas layered jello, green chili cheese grits, grilled chicken and talapia, asparagus and mushroom casserole, green chili spoon bread and bread pudding. Later she will be making peanut brittle, peanut butter fudge and chocolate covered pretzels. Dang, I'm gaining weight just typing all this.
So that's what's on the near horizon around here. I imagine there will be some cookies made and anything else that catches Carol's eye as she is going through her recipes. So if I go anywhere between now and Christmas they will probably have to roll me out of the house on a dolly. Just call me Porky.
I go Monday for blood work and then see my GI on Tuesday to find out where we are on my journey with my liver. I'm not even going to speculate on it, just think positive that I can finally get off the damn steroids. I will let you know. I won't leave you all hanging on this... if I can waddle to the computer after eating everything this weekend.
Have a great weekend and get all your Christmas shopping done so you can start on your Christmas cooking. I'll catch you all later.
Other than the above I can't fuss about too much. I did get the kitchen repainted, including the woodwork, in time for Thanksgiving, and after Thanksgiving lunch at our house I drove to Ft. Worth to my brother and s.i.l.'s and visited with them and had Thanksgiving again on Sunday evening and came home on Monday. Last Sunday I drove to my nephew's home, about two hours from where I live, to stay with him for a few days after his knee replacement surgery. His wife just started her new job at a college about 3 months ago and with the jobs and economy the way it has been she didn't want to take a chance with her job because she really loves it so I went on Sunday and helped him out with keeping him supplied with liquids and lunch and whatever else he needed and then came home on Thursday evening. Tuesday and Wednesday we had thunderstorms, yes Virginia, thunderstorms in December, and when you live in the country and have to depend on satellite for your t.v. and internet you know if it rains you are going to be without t.v. and internet. I found I need to load some games to play that don't require me being on the internet. Usually I pack a book or two and a couple of magazines when I go anywhere for overnight but for some reason I failed to do that this trip so I was looking for things to do when I got bored with the games that come on the computer.
Next up is Christmas. Carol has been cooking already. She loves Christmas and loves baking for Christmas. I love Christmas, too, and I love eating most all of what she bakes. So far she has made pumpkin bread, banana nut bread, eggnog bread and apple cake with cinnamon icing. Fudge and baked fudge, butterscotch haystacks, Hidden Valley oyster crackers and Texas Trash or ChexMix to some folks. For her sister's birthday tomorrow she is making cowboy caviar, Christmas layered jello, green chili cheese grits, grilled chicken and talapia, asparagus and mushroom casserole, green chili spoon bread and bread pudding. Later she will be making peanut brittle, peanut butter fudge and chocolate covered pretzels. Dang, I'm gaining weight just typing all this.
So that's what's on the near horizon around here. I imagine there will be some cookies made and anything else that catches Carol's eye as she is going through her recipes. So if I go anywhere between now and Christmas they will probably have to roll me out of the house on a dolly. Just call me Porky.
I go Monday for blood work and then see my GI on Tuesday to find out where we are on my journey with my liver. I'm not even going to speculate on it, just think positive that I can finally get off the damn steroids. I will let you know. I won't leave you all hanging on this... if I can waddle to the computer after eating everything this weekend.
Have a great weekend and get all your Christmas shopping done so you can start on your Christmas cooking. I'll catch you all later.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Whoa! What's Going On???
Two posts in three days? Dang... something has awakened an interest in life at least for the moment. I think I will share it with you all. Some background...Carol and I bought 4 okra plants last spring rather than planting from seed. Three died and one survived. Needless to say I knew I wouldn't get to pick enough for even a mess of okra for Carol and I so I just let it grow and watched it throughout the summer. I kept watching for the blooms because they are really beautiful, creamy white and look like a hibiscus. Okra likes to bloom early... I like to sleep late. I knew there were flowers that had to be making because they close up and that's where the babies start but my timing has just been off this summer because I haven't spent much time outside. Today I got a wild hair and went out to run the weed eater around the dog fence. I got about 2/3rds done before I had to take a break and I got to looking around at what I need to do for fall put away and clean up and happened to check out my okra to decide if I could make myself pull it up yet. I DO like watching things grow... I DON'T like pulling stuff up at the end of the season because things look so barren.
But I digress... not only was there an open flower on the okra plant, there were also buds, a couple of ready to pick okra and okra pods that were starting to break open and showing the b-b sized okra seeds. I got a couple of pictures to share with you all... Enjoy!
But I digress... not only was there an open flower on the okra plant, there were also buds, a couple of ready to pick okra and okra pods that were starting to break open and showing the b-b sized okra seeds. I got a couple of pictures to share with you all... Enjoy!
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