Rice and Beans and Other Fine Things

Bloggable Moment Here.

 

If this isn't blog worthy, I don't know what is.

Insert Snappy Title Here.

It's freezing cold in Mississippi right now.  Bitter cold.  Bone chilling cold.  It's like 42 degrees cold and I may just get to wear a sweater and a scarf if it stays like this.  I love it because I like December to actually feel like December and not like June, which happens so often here in the South.  Just a few days ago I was running the air conditioner and we were under a tornado watch.  A couple of days before that there was snow.  Crazy southern weather. 

I'm finally feeling like myself again after the most violent, malicious stomach virus I have ever experienced moved through our church at the speed of sound earlier this week.  It would be easier to name the ones who were not infected than those who were.  Out of the sixty or seventy people in attendance at our Christmas dinner on Sunday night where this nasty little germ silently attacked the congregation, I can only count about seven or eight who escaped it's wrath.  (Isaac and Brayden were two.  Thank you, Lord!)  I initially thought food poisoning but I ruled that out.  (I like pretending that I am a doctor and I like ruling out things.  I also like diagnosing, but ruling out is easier.) 

Anyway, I really think that it is impossible to know who the carrier really was, and it's pointless to try to figure it out.  We all lost weight this week, and isn't that the important thing?  But from now on, anyone who is sick, please stay home and I promise to do the same.  Can I get an Amen?

I've got a list of random linky things I want to share. 

Coconut Cream Pie Update

Over Thanksgiving, I made two coconut pie recipes, both of which were disappointing.  Both recipes were by Emeril, not that I don't think Emeril is great.  The first one, Best Ever Coconut Cream Pie, caught my eye because of the coconut milk in it.  When I printed it out, I quickly glanced over the reviews without really reading them.  I saw that it had five stars which was good enough for me.  I wish I had taken time to really read the comments.  Many of the commentors had trouble with their pies setting up.  I did, too; in fact, my pie was soup. 

I followed the instructions as written, but I knew it should have cooked longer.  I even baked it in the oven in an attempt to salvage it, but it remained liquid.  I will say that the custard was very tasty and I really want to try it again with some adjustments.

The other pie was Coconut Cream Pie and although I was able to cut it, it was still slightly runny.  Not a disaster, but not perfect either.  I put the blame on myself for that one, although I'm not really sure what I did wrong.  I don't think the flavor was as rich as the Best Ever pie, but it did have a lot more coconut in it, which I liked.  I made an extra one for my mom and stepfather and topped both of them with meringue. 

So, I'm thinking about combining the two recipes by adding some coconut milk to the second pie to make the filling a little more rich and coconutty.  I'll also need to adjust something--I'm not sure what yet--to make it thicken a little more.  I'm looking for the perfect coconut pie recipe and for some reason, I feel it should have real coconut milk in it.

Anna from Cookie Madness posted this pie a few days ago and it definitely caught my eye.  It looks nice and thick.  I like the filling of a coconut cream pie to be really thick.  I may try it soon.  It looks delicious.

The Best Granola. Ever.

Julie from Peanut Butter and Julie is marketing her wonderful granola now.  I placed an order last week and let me tell you, this granola melts in your mouth.  I know you may find that hard to believe, but it does.  The stuff  is addictive and I am trying to ration out what I have left, which is not much.  It's one of the few things I was able to nibble on post-virus.   She has two flavors, Sweet Citrus and Maple Blueberry and I can't decide which one I like the best.  They both are the perfect blend of crunchy and chewy.  Take it from me.  I am not a die hard granola girl, but there is something different about hers. 

Excellent Deli Style Roast Beef Recipe

I love the roast beef in the deli case that you can have sliced for sandwiches.  It is very expensive, though, so it's not something I buy often.  I came across this post by Jesse at The Hungry Mouse.  She has a detailed picture tutorial of how to roast your own in the oven at a fraction of the price.  I did this a few weeks ago and I had beautiful medium rare sandwich meat with very little effort.  I didn't even have a meat thermometer at the time and it still turned out perfect because of her well written instructions.

This would be great to make over the holidays and store in the refrigerator for some toasty warm sandwiches in a pinch.  That's what I did.  I layered my roast beef with some caramelized onions, some muenster cheese, and a little horseradish mayo on sourdough bread, then I grilled it until it was golden brown.  Heaven.

Great Sale on Toys

My good friends at Out of The Toy Box are having a fantastic sale on all their Melissa and Doug Toys.  They also have free shipping for orders over $99 and $6.95 shipping for orders under that.  I've done my shopping for my little cutie there, and I am really impressed with my purchases.  I hope he likes them as much as I do.  Oh, the joys of online shopping.  I love it.

Just One More Thing...

My friend Michaela is in an online voting contest and she needs her recipe to be rated.  If you wouldn't mind taking a peek and giving her five stars if you like it, that would be really, really sweet.

I have a serious shopping weekend ahead.  Just heard a news report that there was going to be big, big sales which made my heart jump and my tummy tingle.  I'm bringing my hubby and the rest of my crew, so I imagine at some point we will end up at Bass Pro Shop where I will rock the baby in front of that big, old fireplace in the lobby while everyone else shops.

I'm just an old grandma, I am.;o)

Saturday Morning Post

I cannot believe how fast this week has flown by.  I did manage to get all my Christmas decorations up and my grocery shopping done.  Another highlight of the week was getting my SUV worked on, to the happy little tune of $523.00.  Right here at Christmas.  Ugh.

There is some joy on the ground outside, though. 

About half an inch or so, but it's already melting.  Very unusual for Southeast Mississippi for this time of year.  Or any time of the year for that matter.  Still, it puts me in the Christmas mood and I may even cook and bake today. 

In other news, my hubby will be watching the Alabama-Florida game later on.  Something about a championship?  I wasn't listening.  CSE?  CES?  SCE?  But I did hear him say that although he really, really wants Alabama to win, it's going to be tough because God is on Florida's side. 

Why I asked him?  Why would God be on Florida's side? 

Because of  Tim Tebow.  That's what he said.

And I told him that God does not take sides in football, but I don't really know that.  I was just trying to make him feel better.  God may indeed take sides.  I just don't know.

Before I go, I want to give all you creative bakers a link to the cutest little website ever.  It's called Fancy Flours.  They sell baking supplies and I had ordered some cookie cutters from them this past week.  When they came about three days later, they were wrapped like a gift which made me really excited even though I already knew what it was.

Their website is full of beautiful cookie and cake ideas, not just retail merchandise.

I'll be back soon.

Oh.  And ROLL TIDE!

For my hubby.   Not for me.

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.

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.

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...

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.  

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.

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.

I Heart Melissa & Doug Toys. So Does Brayden.

 
It has been a long time since I have had the need for toys in my life, but suddenly (well, not suddenly suddenly, more like nine months suddenly) out popped Brayden from my daughter's belly (well, not exactly from her belly, but I'll just leave it at that) and now our lives are full of diapers and baby wipes and Boudreaux's butt cream and toys. 

 

And speaking of toys, I miss the era of simple baby toys because a lot of them now are just kind of complicated with all of the bells and the whistles and the lights and the sounds and the blinky things, and not that any of that is bad, but just where in the holy heavens did the little wooden blocks go? 

 

I am pleased to report that I have found a line of toys that I'm very impressed with and I just have to give a shout-out and a trumpet blow and whoop 'n' holler and a cock-a-doodle-doo to Melissa & Doug Toys.

 

And when my good friends from Out of the Toy Box gave me a couple of toys to review a few weeks ago for my sweet little grandson, I was totally like YES, because I was going to do that anyway with the toys he already had and, as I've already said before,  it's all about babies and cuteness from here on out at Rice and Beans and what is cuter that baby toys?  (The answer is my Brayden playing with them.) 

So with the toys that they gave him and the ones that he had already received as gifts, he has quite a collection.  Nevermind that he is only a wee little baby and doesn't really play with anything yet except his fist.   The important thing is that he has them for future use. 

 
These monkey and crab teething rings they gave me to review are bright and cheery and soft.  To be honest, I thought the little ridges on the plastic rings were going to be a little too hard for his gums, but they weren't.   He dug right in with all the ferocity of a wolf pup.

See?  He's kickin' his legs up which in baby body language means "Dude, this hard plastic thing feels like totally awestupenterrifabtastic on my gums."

Don't look at me like that.  It's a real word.

 The best part about them is that they are MACHINE WASHABLE.  That means you can wash the cockanoonies right off of them!   (FYI...Cockanoonies=Germs and other microbes which may or may not include slobber.)

 
So is this cute sports ball set.  Completely machine washable. 

 
His daddy just threw him a 20-yard pass across the living room and even though it knocked him down, he was able to keep it from touching the floor.  We're so proud of our three month-old.

But I think my favorite toys are the wooden toys.   Melissa & Doug have wonderful wooden toys.  This little wiggle worm twists and bends.  Good for hand-eye coordination.

 
This froggy rattle is the prettiest shade of green ever.  I want a chair in that same color.  And a new blouse.  Oh, and some Le Creuset cookware. 

I think I got one of the last froggies, though.  But they still have the bright red monkey which is redonkulously adorable, too.

 
And these blocks.  I bought these blocks for him before he was born and let me tell you, I am SO pleased with them.  I just think every baby should have a set of wooden blocks.  They're so nostalgic.  And simple.  He'll be playing with these for a long time.  His brothers and sisters will, too, because my daughter informed me the other day that she wants four children. (!)

I told her she needed to run that by her husband first.

And since Melissa & Doug have six children themselves, they are very serious about safety.  This makes me feel especially good.

You can go to this link and get a code for 15% off of orders from Out of the Toy Box, but you'll have to hurry because the offer ends October 31.  They have tons and tons of toys for all ages and needs and not just Melissa & Doug toys, but lots of other uber cool stuff.

Wise Wisdom From Lorie

Last weekend, my husband and I made a canoe trip on Buckatunna Creek to fish for bass.  This is one of my favorite things to do  in the whole wide world, but if the fish aren't biting, it makes for a long day and a sore hiney-butt from sitting in a canoe.  About an hour into an eight hour float, we knew that the fish weren't going to be jumping out of the water.  We had the option of turning around and paddling back upstream.  

 
Something made us press on, though, and so we floated.  It was nice.  We discussed what we could be doing if we weren't floating, but we came to the conclusion that those things would still be there when we got home.  

We talked about how we needed to slow our lives down and make more time for each other.

 
I spread a sheet out on a sandbar and we took a nap.  We watched the clouds.   And my camera lens was very dirty, I found out. 

 
I took a picture of us that turned out not to be us, but only me.

 
Then I took another of me, even though I meant it to be us.

 
Then I finally got the shot, even though we are scruffy, dirty, sunburned people with five o'clock shadows (he on his face, I on my legs).

I watched an ant crawl on the sheet for the longest time.  Believe me, I tried to take a picture of that, too, but it didn't turn out.

 
I caught the big fish of the day. 

I also saw a huge tree fall in front of us and now I can add that to my top ten list of things to be afraid of on Buckatunna Creek.  Having a tree fall on our canoe and smashing us to smithereens will come right after alligator attack but before being caught in a lightning storm while in a metal canoe.  Or maybe it should come after having a snake fall into my lap while we float under a tree branch?  That's always caused me anxiety.  I'll have to really ponder this some time.

 
No more than ten minutes after we pulled the canoe out of the water, the sky burst open and there was a torrential downpour.  We got trapped under the Highway 84 bridge because we had left our other vehicle in another location, thinking that we were not going to float quite as far as we did.  I fell in the mud which always makes for a good laugh. 

 
It was red clay mud.  The worst kind. 

But even though we didn't catch many fish and we got trapped under a bridge and I now have another new fear to add to my list, we still pretty much had a great day.  Being trapped under a bridge in a thunderstorm wasn't so bad now that I think about it and my husband told me not to worry about a tree falling on us when we are in the creek, because "the chances of that happening are just so slim, Lorie.  Why would you even think about that?"  That's what he said. 

And we might not have these memories if we had paddled back upstream.

So I said all that to say this.  Nothing is wrong with working or surfing the internet or watching football or blogging or hunting or reading magazines or watching cheesy Lifetime movies, but the most important things in life are relationships.  They must be nurtured.  And sometimes you should put all that other stuff on the backburner and spend some quality time with the one you love.

So make sure you do some nurturing soon, okay?  It's really, really important.

Lolli's Here. In Yo Face!

Last week I got my first real opportunity to babysit my grandson for a couple of hours while my daughter and son-in-law went to do something--I'm not exactly sure what-- with a deer stand.

My darling daughter called me that morning and told me that she would be texting me within the next thirty minutes and when I received the text could I please come straight there.  

Sure.   Lolli will come straight there.  (And by the way, I have chosen Lolli as my grandmotherly-type name.  My husband is Pop.)

The text came before I expected, but I was very obedient and hopped into my SUV and traveled the six miles down the road to my daughter's house.

Let me tell you, it was hard for her to contain her excitement about getting out of the house without the little one for a couple of hours with her hubby, even if it was to do something--I'm not exactly sure what--with a deer stand.  She is the best little mama ever, but sometimes mommies need a little breather space.   That's what Lollies are for. 

 

When I got there, he was asleep in his swing and as much as I wanted to hold him, I knew that it was better that he stay asleep as long as possible while his mommy was gone.  He's a breast boy and he takes the ninny about forty to fifty times a day.  If he wakes up and decides he wants a snack, I can't deliver.  And then he'll get mad and cry. 

It is SO  darn cute when he does that!

But it wouldn't be cute for long if there was no ninny.  No working ninny, that is.

So I waited and waited...

...and waited.  And although I love watching him sleep, it's just not the same as cuddling with him and feeling his soft baby skin and his squishy little thighs. 

 And laying him on my chest.  And making faces at him and trying to make him smile.  And patting his little hiney-butt.   

But  eventually he began to stir from his sweet baby slumber.

And when he finally focused on me, I think scared him.

Probably because I was directly in front of him with no make-up on, my hair in a frizzy ponytail on the very top of my head (which could have possibly looked like an actual head on top of my head since I have SO much hair), a holey t-shirt, and a camera  in his face.

Yep, that would probably startle anyone waking  up from a peaceful nap.  Just ask my husband.  He's been startled on more than one occasion.

I really hope what was running through his little mind was "Yay! Lolli's here." 

Even if he wasn't thinking that then, it is now my mission in life to make him think that in the future. 

 
 

Linky Goodness

I'll be back tomorrow with a cookie recipe, but I want to link up to two great giveaways hosted by blogging friends.

First up, the beautiful and extremely talented Camilla V. Saulsbury has written a new cookie cookbook and Anna at Cookie Madness is hosting a giveaway for three copies.  Oh, how I want this.  One for me and one for my daughter.  And then a few more for Christmas gifts.  You can enter by leaving Anna a comment on her blog.

Secondly, need toys for Christmas?  Umm, I sure do with my cutie-patootie around now.  Erin at Prudence Pennywise is hosting a giveaway on her blog for a $50.00 gift certificate to Out of the Toy Box. 

This is redonkulously cute and I SO have my eye on it for my niece's upcoming birthday.

I've never had a giveaway on my blog.  I guess I'm a total loser.  I might have to change that soon.

Muchas Gracias!

I want to thank everyone who voted for my recipe in the Jose Ole recipe contest.  I was notified today that I am one of the fifteen first place winners and I received a $100.00 gift certificate to www.cooking.com.  Yay!!!!  

I couldn't have done it without your help.  Thank you.   I'm not sure who won the grand prize, but I'm sure they will be posting it on their website soon.

Now, I must shop... 

Reunited

Yesterday evening, my hubby and I made the trip to Mobile to pick up my Kitchen Aid.  My mother-in-law had loaned me hers so I haven't exactly been without one, but I am glad to have mine back because it is quite a bit bigger.  I was happy to find out that the cost to fix it turned out to be much less than the original estimate.  I am, however, a little troubled at what the cause of the problem was.

Mr.  Mixer-Fixer told me that the little board inside (I'm not sure if this is the motherboard he is talking about) was dirty and covered with a white powdery residue, so he took it apart and cleaned it and it worked like new.

Now, let me put on my thinkin' cap for a minute. 

Hmmmm... 

The white powdery residue sounds suspiciously like flour. 

Hmmm... 

I use flour a  lot when I mix.

Hmmmm... 

My biggest concern is how I am going to keep this from happening again or am I going to be destined to make only flourless cakes for the rest of my life?  He did say that my particular problem was very unusual.   I haven't tried it out yet to see if it will work properly, but  I will soon very soon, like possibly today. 

In other news, during our little trip to Mobile yesterday we headed across the bay to Eastern Shore and just guess where we ended up:

Apparently, there are some camo clothes that are taking the hunting world by storm and Richard just had to check them out.  They're called ScentLok  and one pair of pants is $120.00.  He didn't get any, but I saw that the wheels were turning in his head.

We were on a strict time schedule because he had school the next day, or believe you me, I would have spent some quality time at Stein Mart.  We did end up eating at Islamorada and  I really like the restaurant in the Eastern Shore store  better than the one in Jackson, where we usually go.  Richard really, really enjoyed his meal. You should have seen his face light up when they brought him his Bass Pro burger with sauteed onions, mushrooms and cheese.  (For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to get the accent mark over the first E in sauteed.  Or maybe it's the second E?  One of them.) 

 

 He said it was the best burger he had ever eaten and it must have been because the conversation on the way home always went back to " Man, that was a great burger."  I did take a bite and  I don't know about the best ever, but it was very good. 

My House Guest

I made a resolution to myself that I would post more frequently and here I am, six days from my last post, but truly, I have been busy.  I have had a very special house guest.  A house guest that hides little race cars in my entertainment cabinet.  A house guest that has the cutest dinosaur pajamas I have ever seen, and when I find some like them, my little grandson Brayden is SO going to have some, too.  A house guest that calls my name every morning, but pronounces it "Lo-wie" instead of Lorie, cause everybody knows it's hard to pronounce R's when your two years-old.

This was my house guest:

 
  

His name is Jaron and he likes bananas. 

Family is the BEST.