Rice and Beans and Other Fine Things

Black Friday: One Woman's Heart Warming Story

This post won't be as fun as a live blog post would have been, but I'm going to recap the day anyway.  It's the least I should do. 

After I watched Richard neutralize his body odor, de-scent himself, or whatever the proper hunting terminology is, I drank some coffee and then Amber pulled up.

And she was only ten minutes late! 

Only ten minutes late?!  Let. Me. Repeat.  

ONLY ten minutes late! 

Only TEN minutes late! 

Only ten MINUTES late! 

We were at Stein Mart at ten minutes to six o'clock in the AM with only one nursing session on the way. 

HOLY MAMMARY GLANDS!!!  That's a record or something!

I knew it was going to be a great day when I heard Do They Know Its Christmas? (Feed the World) on the radio on the way to Hattiesburg.  Big, ginormous flashback to 1984, the decade of big hair, black eyeliner, and uber cool English bands like Duran Duran. 

I.  Loved.  Duran Duran.  Mom, Lisa, no snarky comments, please. 

Now, I've already read an article that said sales across the country were a little better than expected, but to me, it just wasn't that crowded anywhere.  I mean really crowded.  I've been in after-Thanksgiving sales that required a snorkel tube for air because the crowds were just so darn thick.  Not today.  We pretty much had the whole store to ourselves. 

We had some fun up in there, let me tell you.
  
This is not a big crowd.  I'm sure it was more crowded at Wal-Mart and the mall, but still, Stein Mart deserves better than this.

The buggy overfloweth with pretties.

Speaking of pretties, do you want to know what my husband said to me at 4:00 this morning when he was walking out the door?

He said, "Lorie Darling, I hope you get you some perty things today."  He has a pretty thick Alabama accent.

Isn't that sweet?  Except he didn't actually call me Lorie Darling this time, but he does sometimes. I really enjoy it when he calls me that. 

I forgot to tell him to kill a big buck because I'm a terrible wife.  But I did watch the last ten minutes of the Alabama-Auburn game that he recorded when I got home.  I asked questions, too.  I feel obligated to say Roll Tide.

I mean, ROLL TIDE!

For him.  Not for me.

Anyway, we scored big, and I mean big, in housewares and Christmas decorations.  I never even made it to clothing or shoes.  We felt pressured to go to other sales elsewhere in the city. 

And who would have ever guessed that the little suckling likes shopping, too?  He really, really does.  And everyone loved him.  Everywhere we went, people were like "Awww, look at the baby!" 

And they would ask me if I was his mother, and I would be all, "Oh, no, I'm his grandmother."

And they would be like, "NO WAY!!!  You look WAY, I MEAN WAY TOO YOUNG to be his grandmother!"

Just kidding.  That did not happen at all.

 

We were at the mall by 10:00 AM at the latest.  See, not tons of  people.  Some, yes.  Tons, no.

Oh, and by the way, Amber and I will probably be on the ten o'clock news.  There was a camera man there filming people walking towards him.  And guess who was walking directly towards him, staring blankly at his camera, without realizing it was a camera?  Me.

I'll be the one in the leopard print jacket  with the bloodshot eyes.

"There is nary a more precious sight than a wee slumbering babe in a buggy in the middle of TJ Maxx."  I'm pretty sure Shakespeare said that once.

Way to end the day. 

We were soooooo tired when it was time to go home.  I knew Brayden was fully rested from that TJ Maxx nap, so I asked him if he wanted to drive.

 

"I don't know, Lolli, let me think about it."

"Okay, Lolli, I'll do it.  But...are you gonna fit in my car seat?"

Brayden really, really helped us out.

There is a baby somewhere in this picture.

This concludes live blogging from my couch.  The end.

Please Accept This...

Please forgive me.  I baked this for you.  It's Italian Cream.

Don't You Hate It When Someone Says They're Going To Do Something And Then They Don't?

I hate it when people say they'll do something and then they don't follow through.

"Yeah, the check's in the mail."

"I'll get back to you tomorrow."

"Hey, I'll live blog on Black Friday, so check back!"

Losers.  All of them. 

I had everyintention of blogging from Hattiesburg today.  I had it all planned out and I took my computer and everything.  The thing that got me, though, was my connection.  I could never connect at the places I knew had free wireless and the places I thought had free wireless, didn't.  Even though it said I was connected, I wasn't.  I've had success before from hotels and different places, but it didn't happen today.  I started to take my big computer into the mall where they said there was free WiFi, but it was just too much.

So, go ahead, the comments are open, tell me what an epic failure I am.  I can take it.  It'll make me feel better.  I gonna be the first to leave a comment. 

Black Friday Check List

It's 3 :00 AM and I am competing for the shower with my hubby who is also up and neutralizing his body scent for his deer hunt today.  Feeling a little bloated this morning and had trouble getting my ring on, probably due to al those mashed potatoes yesterday.  Hair will not be washed.  Too much trouble.

Here's my checklist:

Coupons downloaded and printed.................CHECK

Sales flyers...................................................CHECK

Comfortable walking shoes...........................CHECK

Christmas CDs...............................................CHECK

Good attitudes and lots of happy happy joy joy............I'm good,  CHECK

Money.........................................................uh, not much, but CHECK

Christmas lists................................................CHECK

Official Plan of Attack......................................Will work on that in the car

Extra Strength Tylenol....................................CHECK

BC's.................................................................CHECK

First Aid Kit.....................................................CHECK

Pepper Spray....................................................CHECK

Rope................................................................CHECK

Hand sanitzer...................................................CHECK

I need coffee.  Waiting for those other two to get here.

Why did I agree to do this?

Live From Buckatunna

Can I Be Serious For Just A Minute?

I know I am always joking on this blog and people probably think  I'm a little shallow, but I want to be serious for just a minute.  It's Thanksgiving morning and I truly am thankful for so many things.

This past year has been particularly challenging.  I've had a lot of changes in my life and I've watched a lot of my friends and family members struggle in many different ways.  My heart goes out to so many people right now. 

I am going to keep this short and sweet, but I'm counting my blessings this morning.  It goes without saying how thankful I am for my family and friends, and for things like my husband's stable job and steady income, when so many others are struggling. 

But most of all, I'm thankful for a great big God who knows me personally and has held me in His right hand this last year.  I could not have made it without Him.  Seriously, I would have given up long ago.

I sincerely hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Many, many blessings all!

Lorie

Wild And Crazy Idea Here....

My daughter has been hinting around for the last few weeks about wanting me to go shopping with her on Black Friday.  We usually do this every year, but this year we have this little guy to contend with:

 
I've had my reservations, especially since that horrific Missouri road trip recently, but earlier today Amber twisted my arm and talked me into it, so Friday morning, dark and early, I'll be going to Hattiesburg with her and my 4 month-old grandson, who just loves long car trips, NOT, and we'll be looking to hit some really uber delicious sales. [Rubbing my hands together and smiling wildy.]

I was totally against it at first, but I got sucked in by all the Spam I'm getting from places like Dillard's, Kohl's, and Stein Mart, and, by the way, did you know that Stein Mart has a fan page on Facebook?  I just became a fan.;o)

So, I've got the shopping fever now and everyone knows that the most important day of Thanksgiving week is not Thursday, but FRIDAY.  And it all starts at 4 AM.

And just now, I mean right this very minute, I had this brainstorm-y idea that it would be soooooo much fun to LIVE BLOG on Black Friday from all of my shopping destinations and really capture those special moments of mother and daughter bonding in a totally feminine-like ritual such as shopping. 

With a 4-month old baby who takes the ninny every three hours. 

Isn't that a GREAT idea?!?!

So I'm fixin' to locate all the free Wi Fi in Hatti--that's short for Hattiesburg, you know---and plan my shopping day accordingly. 

And just for the record, I really don't like shopping in Hatti, I prefer Eastern Shore, but it's too far, so Hatti it is. 

So if you wake up really early on Friday, like at an ungodly hour or something, check me out.  And if you don't see any posts, it means I ditched the whole idea after I've had a good nights sleep.

This may turn out to be the blackest Friday of them all.

Just Be Thankful, Okay? Here's A Good Reason.

 
This is a can of tuna that has not been properly drained of its juice, cold baked beans, and cold sardines.  All touching each other.  Not cooked.  On a paper sack.  Scooped up and eaten with soda crackers.  Cold.  Unheated.  In their raw juicy state.

Not that heating  would make this anymore appetizing.

This is what my husband eats when we float the creek and, oh, how I wish I were kidding. 

I am not.  This is very unsettling to me. 

If you can think of nothing else to be thankful for this week, just be glad that you're not going to be eating this for your Thanksgiving meal.

You aren't going to eat this for your meal, are you?

My Thanksgiving Menu

For Thanksgiving this year, my husband and I are going to his brother's house, which means I won't be hosting the dinner, I'll just be supplementing. 

I am 39 years-old and I have never actually hosted a Thanksgiving meal myself.  Next year, it's my year.   Mark it down.  Put out the flyers.  Lorie's hosting dinner even if she is the only person who shows up.

But for this year, I have a list of things to bring and here they are:

Two smoked turkey breasts.  My hubby will do these.  And I say that very loosely.  I bought them, thawed them, will remove the wrapper, inject them, season them, clean up all the raw turkey blood/juice that will get on my counter and then he will put them on the grill and smoke them.   Then I'll insert the thermometer and let him know when they're done.  Then he'll remove them to a pan that I've handed him and he'll bring them into me and I'll cover them with foil.   Later on, I'll wash the pan.  I'll probably clean up the grill, too.  And he'll get all the credit.

Two coconut pies.  I've never made a coconut pie before.  I have a zillion recipes, but my hubby said he wanted an old- fashioned coconut cream pie with meringue.  I am a whipped cream girl, so after much searching, the two recipes I've settled on are both from Emeril Lagasse.  Best Ever Coconut Cream Pie for me because it has coconut milk in it and Coconut Cream Pie for hubby because it has meringue and seems old-fashioned.  I'll let you know how they turn out.  I have already made six Perfect Pie Crusts and they are waiting for me in the fridge and freezer.

Italian Cream Cake.  My brother-in-law Larry just has to have this at Thanksgiving, or so says my sister-in-law, Tamara.  My mother-in-law usually makes this but the torch has been passed to me.

Mashed Potatoes.  I would reeeeaaallly like to make these mashed potatoes, but my in-laws and hubby are really into traditional Thanksgiving food, so roasted corn in the mashed potatoes would probably not be a good idea.  I'll just make the regular ones.  You really should try them sometime, though.  I don't mean to brag, but they are really, really delicious.  You could leave out the cilantro and chipotle and they would be awesome covered in gravy.

Brown Gravy.  For my hubby.  He doesn't do giblet gravy.  My mom makes some killer giblet gravy and I love it.  But I won't be with my mom. :o(  I've already bought my McCormick brown gravy packets.  [Foodies shudder everywhere.] ;o)

Italian Salad.  Just wanted something fresh and raw.  I know it's not Thanksgiving-y, but oh well.

Here are a couple of other recipes I wanted to link you up to.  For the last three or four years, I have been eyeing this recipe in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks, but have never gotten around to making it.  Last night at our Thanksgiving supper at church, the fabulous Tonya Bedwell brought one that she had made.  I seriously had to hold my self back from eating a second piece.  Total yumminess.

Also, my own sweet Amber made this Turtle Pumpkin Pie and even though I am temperamental about pumpkin, it was really, really good.   She's turning all domestic-y and the transformation brings me happiness, joy, and lots of snickering behind her back. 

So that's what I'm bringing.  I don't know if I'll be blogging this week or not.  Sugar Plum said she will be live pie blogging on Wednesday, so I'll be checking in with her as well as all of my other foodie friends.  If I was a decent blogger, I would live blog, too.  I'll have to think about it.

And for your viewing pleasure...

From The Kitchen Of Zoe Grace...

My recent trip to Missouri was centered around a very special event.  My niece, Zoe, turned four-years old.  

When Aunt Lorie comes to visit, we always bake or cook something, so when I saw this adorable chef's dress-up costume, I just had to get it for her birthday. 

She loved it and immediately got her kid's cookbook off the shelf so we could pick out something to make together.  We wound up making these ice cream mice.

 

The important thing to remember when you're working with a four-year old in the kitchen is to just allow them to dive in and use their little hands. 

Give a kid a Tootsie Roll and they'll roll it into a rat's tail.  That's what I always say.

She had fun and Aunt Lorie had LOTS of fun. 

At the end of the stay, she asked me "Do you want to come back at criss-uh-mus?  You could help us put lights up."

I melted into a puddle of sticky sweet goo right then and there.  

Then she added that  "flying on a plane is much quicker."  She must have heard about our driving woes and wanted to give us a little tip.  Four-year olds have all the answers sometimes.

Ice Cream Mice

6 miniature graham cracker crusts

6 large scoops of vanilla ice cream

Round chocolate covered cookies, such as Reese’s cookies, or Keebler grasshopper cookies, for the ears

Chocolate covered peanuts for the eyes

Malted milk balls for the nose

Chocolate sprinkles for the whiskers

Regular sized Tootsie Rolls for the tails

1.   Place a scoop of ice cream in a graham cracker crust.

2.   Press in the cookies, chocolate covered peanuts, and the malted milk balls for the ears, eyes, and nose.

3.   Add three chocolate candy sprinkles on each side for the whiskers.

4.   Roll out a Tootsie roll on a cutting board until it’s long and thin like a mouse’s tail.  Press into the ice cream.  Refreezing at this point will cause the tail to break off, so you may want to add the tail right before serving.

Car Seat=Bad. That's What He Said.

I just got back from a road trip to my sister's house in Missouri, along with several other family members including my daughter and my grandson.  We had the best time and I hated to see it come to an end.

I was a little concerned, however, about the 11-hour trip home, especially when I found this note on my pillow the night before we left.

Dear Lolli,

I've had a really wonderful time at Aunt Lisa's.  Everyone has been so nice to hold me constantly and not put me down for three whole days.  I like being held a lot.  I like it more than bath time, Lolli, and I really, really like bath time.  Being held is way better than my bouncy chair, my swing, or my car seat.

And speaking of my car seat, Lolli, I heard a rumor that we'll be traveling home tomorrow.  I know from past experience that my mother will strap me in and I won't be able to move around.  I won't have the warm, cuddly, body to body contact that I love so much.  Let me reiterate, Lolli;  I like being held. 

So, I feel I need to remind you that I am prone to meltdowns of epic proportions if I have to get strapped into my car seat for more than thirty minutes.   You do remember the trip here and how small the cabin of an SUV can feel when there is a lot of noise, don't you?  I know I'm only four-months old, but I can assure you that my larynx has been developing quite nicely.

To recapitulate, Lolli:  Car seat=Bad.  Holding=Good.

I trust that you'll do the right thing and save me from the misery that lies ahead.  You'll figure out something, Lolli.  I've got to go cuddle with my mommy now.  See you in the morning.

Love,

Brayden:o)   

 

Brayden made good on his promise.  And his larynx really has developed quite nicely.

Live From Webb City

 
I'm in Missouri visiting my sweet little niece, Zoe.   We've been having lots of fun in the kitchen.

 
Our 11 hour road trip  took 19 hours the other day.  Can you guess why?  And we have to do it again tomorrow.  Yay.

I'll be back soon, but for now, you should visit this link and enter the toy giveaway sponsored by Out of the Toy Box.  Really, you should.

Eating The Bread Of Ida-ness.

 
Ida blew in this morning and I'm kind of bonding with her.  It couldn't be more dreary outside, but I am just loving it for some reason.  Hubby's school was canceled and it's been one of those lazy days where I lie on the couch and watch old movies, except I'm watching Lifetime.  Nevermind that my house is a mess and I leave for Missouri on Friday and I have a list of things to do.  I'll think about that later.

Thanks, Ida.  You're like my new BFF.  

Mini Pumpkin Cakes With Caramel-Rum Glaze

The last few weeks I have seen no less that 12, 357 food blogs with pumpkin posts.  Even though I personally have never been a huge fan of pumpkin, I convinced myself it was time to try it again because it is, after all, the quintessential autumn fruit, and I always keep a can of pure pumpkin in my pantry because I want my pantry to be well-rounded and prepared, regardless of my taste bud issues.  I decided to make a pumpkin smoothie because that just seemed so righteous and healthy, but halfway down, my throat started spasming and some gurgling noises came out and I ended up with dry heaves. 

No.  Never again. 

I don't do pumpkin pie either.

But still,  I reeeeallllllly wanted to have a pumpkin post, too, and I did have this cute pan from Williams Sonoma that I have never used:

And there were all of these posts from the foodie blogs like this one.  And this one.  And this one.  This one.  This one.  This one.  And this one here.  And this one there.  And this one.  And that one.  Here.  Here.  Here.  

And I had the October issue of Southern Living lying around for inspirational purposes:

So I wound up making the little cakes that were on the cover and I am so glad I did.  They were delicious, not too pumpkin-y and very moist, probably due to the cream cheese in the batter.

They were so easy, even I didn't have any trouble making them pretty.  I just love the fact that they molded plain wrapped caramels into leaves and vines and stems.  Brilliant.

 
I used the caramel-rum glaze.  Yum.  I think it was the perfect compliment to the cake.  It sets up to a candy-like texture, kind of praline-ish.  The first time I made it, I substituted heavy cream for the evaporated milk and I didn't whisk it for as long as I should have.  That's why there are some spots in the glaze in the first picture.  The second time I made the glaze, I used evaporated milk like the recipe calls for and whisked it for the full time.  I had a much smoother glaze with no spots.

 

The mini cakes turned out so well, I decided to make a big pumpkin cake using this pan:

It's really two bundt pans, but when you put one on the other, you have a pumpkin shape.  I divided the batter between the two and it worked beautifully.  Baking time will increase, but I forgot to note exactly how long.  Stick a toothpick in it to make sure it's done.

 
The only issue I had was that, unlike the mini cakes,  there was a hole in the middle, but I poured a good amount of the glaze down the sides of the center of the hole to kind of close it in, and then I made a stem using six or seven caramels.  I sat the stem in the hole and it worked out really well.

If you don't have a pumpkin pan, I think this cake would still be adorable in a regular bundt pan, with a ring of the caramel vines and leaves around the top. 

How cute would this be on a Thanksgiving table?

Saturday Evening Post

I sometimes forget that this is my personal blog and I am not under any obligation to talk about anything that is important, intelligent, relevant, insightful, interesting, or clever.  So here is a recap of my week:

-Still working up the courage to call about my Kitchen Aid.  Still hormonal.  It's just better I wait.

-I went shopping with my daughter, grandson, and my daughter's best friend on Thursday.  I bought some really comfortable shoes that I wore to a wedding today.  Comfort triumphed over fashion for this round.

-It was my daughter's twentieth birthday yesterday.  I baked her a cake and we roasted hot dogs.  Ball Park Angus Beef franks are so worth the money.

 -I am in my flannel pajama bottoms at 7:38 PM on Saturday night, watching The Godfather sagas and blog surfing.   I love my laptop.

-My husband just said to me "hello, my love, my life" when he walked in the door.  Somebody hand me a tissue.

-Then he told me that Alabama "pulled it off" and I am wondering what, exactly, is that supposed to mean to me?

-Now we're watching Braveheart.  And I've got some chips to eat and some blogs to read.

Blog Issues

I just had someone email me about an issue they have been having for a couple of weeks with my blog not completely loading and then getting a "not responding" message and having to close out.  Has anyone else had issues?  Come on, don't be shy.  Please let me know by comment or email, then I can get right on it and fix it.  Yeah, right.  But I'll try, I really, really will.

I haven't even started the process of moving to Wordpress, so this is not related to that.

I'd sure appreciate your help!

Kitchen Aid Woes and Some Linky Goodness

I am still having problems with my Kitchen Aid and I am trying to muster up some courage to call them and explain the whole situation.  Maybe later on today.  I know it will probably be one of those exasperating phone calls that will keep me on the phone for over an hour and then I'll end up angry and I'll cry, especially because this is so NOT a good time of the month for me to have confrontation.

Or maybe I should say that it is so NOT a good time of the month for them to have confrontation with me? 

Before I go, I want to link you up with a really great recipe I tried over the weekend.  I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was.  Really.  It was delicious.  The recipe is Tortilla Soup from The Mansion (I know that doesn't make your heart jump, but it has GREAT flavor, I promise) and you can find it here.

These are my notes:

-I used a whole large onion instead of 1 cup and I pureed in a food processor.  I can't tell you how much flavor this added.  That's why this recipe caught my eye in the first place-that pureed onion.

-For the tomato puree, I processed two 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes in my food processor.

-I added two grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced and coarsely chopped.

-I didn't add cayenne because I'm a wimp.

-I added 8 cups of water with 8 chicken bouillon cubes instead of the chicken stock.

-Take the time to fry up some crispy tortilla strips!!  It completes the soup to me.

-I topped with avocado, fresh squeezed lime juice, shredded cheese, and sour cream.  And more cilantro because I'm a lover, not a hater.

I didn't take a picture of the soup, but here, please enjoy this random sampling of pictures!

This is a picture of Brayden and me back in September.

 
This is a picture of a really cute snake print blouse that I bought at Steinmart this weekend on clearance.

 These are some brownies that I made myself sick on this weekend.

And here is our cat, Bella, and a large field rat that she just killed.