Tag Archives: food

‘merica!

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americaThe prodigal teen-almost-grown-ass-man and his friend have returned to the house. Just passing through, I’m sure. They have too many video games to play elsewhere to stick around too long.

I’ve heard from Rader and he’s have a grand ol’ time. He’s gonna be plum worn out when he gets home on Sunday. He better send me some pictures!

My grumpy bear is still down with the lurgy, so we are just having a very chill day at the house. I will do the John Deere thing (a girl should always have a back up date for a holiday, just in case her #1 choice catches the plague) John Deere always treats me right.

Since the big boy is home, I’m going to send him out to buy me some fireworks because we are not under a burn ban for the first time in years, and I’m gonna light some shit on fire. blow shit up. make things go boom.

Also, there will be sparklers, because I’m a girl and I love them.

Hope you guys are getting your 4th on in style. Let the gluttony and explosions begin!

Team America! Fuck. Yeah.

Independence Day…

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Tomorrow is Independence Day in the US. And many of us will celebrate by eating too much, drinking too much, and blowing stuff up. Very American!

My kiddo is traveling with his friend to the lake where I hope he’ll have a great time. This is our first year sans lakehouse, since my parents sold their place in the winter. It sucks because I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at the lake celebrating the holiday.

Maybe I’ll buy a kiddie pool and just hang out in the sun. I could also jump on the trampoline. And then blow stuff up.

I was chatting with the mom of Rader’s friend this morning and she was giving me all the details of the trip, where they’re gonna be, and that there will be 2 pediatric doctors with them so I don’t have to worry. And I laughed and replied that I’m not a big worrier.

It’s funny, because you would think I would be a worrier, given the fact that child has broken his nose 6 times since he was 18 months old…And because he doesn’t seem to have any real fear. He’ll try just about anything– once.

But I don’t worry. He’s really a good kid. He’s one of the most respectful and smart boys his age and I’m so happy to know that I’ve done my job right. I get constant compliments on him. His manners, his charm, his sincerity. He is kind. (He is smart. He is important.) I don’t have to lecture him to feel like I’m parenting. I don’t have to demand things from him, and rarely do I have to yell at him. El Jefe and I were talking about it the other day, how awesome it is that both of the boys rarely need a lecture. We figure we have to “get on to them” about twice a year. And that’s usually because they slack off on their chores around the house.

Twice a year. heh.

It’s so nice not to have to yell about everything or threaten them. I love a drama-free life.

I have great kids.

School's OUT FOR SUMMER

It’s obvious I am being rewarded for being even more awesome in another life.

Now…who has a pool and wants to invite Jefe and I over tomorrow? We’ll bring things to blow up! And beer. We’ll definitely bring beer.

Happy 4th! Celebrate your freedoms. Even if you’re a woman, and your freedoms are slowly being taken away from you. Celebrate what you have while you have it!

flaggirl

whew! what a weekend.

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photo(122) See how tired Ruby is? Poor girl, she just can’t keep her head up.

(You should have heard her heavy sighs and puggly growly noises…)

So Friday I got to take Rader Tater to Oxford! Which means I got to see some dear friends and have a low-key dinner at a new-to-me place: The Bar on North Lamar…which is officially The Lamar Lounge.

The food was great and the atmosphere was chill and a good time was had by all.

Saturday morning, Drea and I walked to another of my favorite places, The Honeybee Bakery. Excellent brunch…but one of the weirdest experiences ever. For some reason, they thought it was appropriate to ask us to remove our hats! Um, no. This is not some ‘chi-chi’ swank place in New York. This is a bakery.  So we told them, yes we minded (OMG, we had just walked over a mile to get there, it was hot! And our hair was a mess under our hats) and we asked if we could sit outside to eat our brunch. They approved our request and we enjoyed our quiche and our hats.

The boys had decided to get their dad another frog item or a goat item for Father’s Day. (He has a thing about frogs and goats) We talked about a wind chime or something to hang up in the yard. I was given permission to do the frog hunting for them, since they weren’t able to get together and go themselves like they did for me. There is a new garden store on the west side of Oxford called The Barn and I found a really cool wrought iron and stone frog and the boys approved.

While we were out shopping, I finally got to try on a pair of MONKEY SHOES! I’ve wanted a pair since forever, and finally spoke to someone who was able to help me find the right oneW3333s to suit my needs. I really want to use them for my run/walks…I’ve always been a barefoot girl at heart, so I figure these shoes will be perfect for me.  (btw, the ‘real’ name of these shoes is Five Fingers, but whatever. They’re MONKEY SHOES!)  I can’t wait to order me a pair.  Probably next month! YAY ME!

I drove back to LR on Saturday, and watched The Dark Knight Rises with El Jefe and Ian. Then Sunday we had a cookout at the Compound with Lynne and Stacey Jay and her fam. Burgers, dogs, watermelon, guacamole, wine! It was an awesome day.

The weekend ended with the return of TRAINWRECK TV…also known as True Blood.

Oh, and Jefe is so damn sweet. He bought me some plant food for my maters and black out curtains for the boys’ rooms because he is so full of awesome.

Stay tuned for a letter to Walgreens…because after last Friday…we are NEVER, EVER, EVER getting back together.

the sungoddess enjoyed her weekend. and a recipe! also a little Game of Thrones talk. #GoT

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The ex used to call me a sungoddess and this weekend, I finally rediscovered her. (Boy I miss the lakehouse…)

The sun is worshiping the goddess. Or is the goddess worshiping the sun? Tomato/ToMAHto.

The sun is worshiping the goddess. Or is the goddess worshiping the sun? Tomato/ToMAHto.

So basically, Saturday the girls and I had a fabulous brunch where I cooked the most amazing quiche (recipe to follow) and Lynne fixed the most amazing biscuits and gravy and Robyn made the most amazing mimosas. And then we went to the pool and lounged about.

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Muy delicioso!

MELF’S “SURPRISE MUTHAFUCKA” QUICHE

Pie crust
1 8 oz bar Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese
Cholula
5 eggs
5(or more) cooked slices of bacon
1/4-1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
baby spinach (about 3/4 of a cup)
1 cup cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon basil

Preheat oven to 425

Put the pie crust in the pie plate. (Duh) Soften the cream cheese then spread evenly on the pie crust. Cover the cream cheese with Cholula sauce. (to taste. I use a lot.) Break up all the bacon and layer it on top of the cream cheese. Layer 3/4 of the cheddar cheese next.

Whip the eggs, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and basil til well blended. Remove the stems from the baby spinach and add to the egg mixture. Pour into the pie. Cover with remaining cheese.

Cover the edges of your crust with foil or a pie crust protector. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then turn the heat to 350 and bake another 20-30 minutes.

SUPRISE MUTHAFUCKA! This is some good shit! And it’s very high in protein, especially if you use the Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese.

Now…Let’s talk about the let down that was the Game of Thrones finale…

I mean, yes, I’m glad Arya and the Hound had a moment. And that Dani had a moment. And that Sansa and Tyrion and a moment. But when you offer up a foreshadowing smack to the head with a skillet when Bran discusses the unforgivable sin of killing a guest in your home…and then the next scene is that hideous Walder Frey bragging about having done just that…and then you DON’T KILL ANYONE THAT DESERVES TO DIE in the season finale…well, it’s just anticlimactic.

The episode was just Okay. I guess I have grown to have huge expectations from this show because this season has just flown by and each episode has really been fast and fulfilling…so I expected something more from the season ender.  I am soooo looking forward to the next season. I am really gonna miss Hodor. LOL

hodorWell, at least I have Newsroom to look forward to. Oh, and that trainwreck True Blood that I can’t seem to stop watching. I blame it on the Viking Vampire.

Rader returned safely from his tournament in Decatur. They were not champions, but they finished with a win in their final game. He reported that he played well and is glad to be back in AR. I’m gonna be glad to see him tonight. The prodigal son of mine returned home last night. It was nice to see his face again. I like having my big babies all under the same roof.

Alright gang. That’s about it for this Monday report. Except I’m crying all the cries because my arms are hurting all the hurts thanks to the weed-eater. WHY MUST IT WEIGH 20BILLION POUNDS? #ouch.

Hey USA! Happy Holiday Weekend!

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Memorial-Day

Don’t forget to thank a veteran for the freedoms he or she fought for us to have.

 

 

 

 

Also. Happy Freaking Friday! Yay for the three-day weekend!

Last night at the Compound, we fired up Big Bertha for the first time since fall. Not because we don’t  grill year ’round usually, but because we had to use our porch as a storage shed, and poor Big Bertha was inaccessible until we finally got the boxes moved to the actual storage unit. Which we did a few weeks ago, and now, not only can we enjoy our Screened-in-Porch again, but we can enjoy grilled meat again as well.

Mmmmm. Meat.

Mmmmm. Meat.

I melted some butter and added an equal amount of balsamic vinegar and some garlic and I put the chicken and the marinade into a ziploc. I refrigerated the chicken for about 40 minutes. Then I basted the chicken in the leftover marinade while grilling.

OMG. It was seriously so juicy and tender!  I also grilled some green beans and black-eyed peas in foil with a smidge of bacon fat.  We ate well last night.

Congratulations to the Boy Scouts for kinda sorta not being homophobic. *rolling eyes* So what’s going to happen when your gay boy scout members grow up and want to be boy scout leaders? It’s okay to be a gay member (heheh she said gay member) but not a leader who is gay? Really? So isn’t that kinda like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? (which really didn’t work out very well, yanno). Or is it the modern version of Separate but Equal? No. It’s not that either. I guess I’m proud you tried to take a step forward. It’s more like a half-a-step and you twisted your ankle, but it is slight progress.

Today is a wonderful day. It started out swell, I’m full of sparkle and awesome, I’m having Sushi with my bestie from high school for lunch, and tonight, there will be wine. Tomorrow we may go canoeing. I’m pretty sure I’ll be shaking my bootay at some point this weekend. (When you have a bootay like mine, you need to shake it well, and often.) And I’m thinking there will be a trip to the farmer’s market in our future as well.

YAY SUMMER!

2013: Month of Mel Day 13 (and 12)

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Day 12 was spent in a haze of sparkle. It was a good day, but nothing really to report…other than, YaY for Day 12!

Well, I did make up a new recipe. I was totally gonna make the Chicken Taco Pie recipe that I pinned yesterday, but it kinda morphed into my own recipe. With different ingredients.

And instead of a pie, it was more like a casserole.

And it was very, very good.

I’d give you the recipe, but I’m kinda funny when I cook. I really don’t measure much. However, here’s the gist:

Melf’s made up Chicken Taco Casserole

greased 9×12 pan
3 packs Tyson Fajita Chicken (diced)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pack McCormick Garlic Lime Chicken Fajita seasonings
1 can Mexican Rotel (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)

1 cup shredded cheddar
1.5 cups bisquick
1.5 cups milk
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 400.

In large skillet, add all ingredients in first group. Stir occasionally, until the liquid reduces. Pour into 9×12 pan.

Add half the cheese over the mixture.

Mix bisquick, milk, eggs and whisk until blended. Pour over cheese and chicken mixture. Bake until golden brown. Add remaining cheese to top of casserole during last 5 minutes of baking.

Let cool and serve. We had guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos, shredded lettuce and tortilla chips with it.

It was VERY tasty.

So today is my Birthday Eve…or you can call it Sparkle Eve. Today also happens to be National Jewel Day.

Is this a coincidence? I think not! As my friend Beth said, “Sparkle begets Sparkle!” Here’s hoping there’s a myriad of jewels and sparkle in your future!!

See y’all tomorrow….!

happy pancake day, my ass.

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Dammit, how can you have a happy pancake day when you’re serious about your training. I’m working hard and I can’t be distracted by the flapjack of goodness right now!

LOL Who am I kidding. I freaking love pancakes and I may make my very tasty super secret recipe pancakes tonight. If I make them silver dollar size, then they can be a dessert. And I’ll save the batter and make the boys pancakes for breakfast tomorrow….Mmmmmmm. My mouth just watered.

In other news, last night was my successful return to BootyCamp. My elbow is still hurting and I had to modify some of the exercises to work around the injury, but overall, it felt great. I’ve promoted myself from Beginner BootyCamp to Regular BootyCamp. It was definitely a harder workout, but I enjoyed it (as much as one can enjoy such things.)

This morning didn’t feel so great and I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m sure it was all those endorphins swimming around in my body.  When I did sleep, my dreams were awesome….

Stairs have been a challenge today…heh.

I’ll be hitting the gym at lunch to work out the kinks and soreness. See what a good girl I am? I deserve my pancakes…

Hope you guys have a happy Tuesday. I’ll have my Bachelor Recap posted at HDJM today…you’ll wanna check that out if you’re into milking goats in Montana….

‘sup?

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What’s going on, yo?

Not a lot here. Been enjoying time with my boys, enjoying time with my friends, baking pies…

I got the best compliment in the world Sunday. Da Godfodda told me that my pecan pie was the 2nd best he’s ever tasted…NEXT TO HIS GRANDMOTHER’S. That’s right. I’ll take that #2 slot any time.

Which may explain why I’m always asked to bring pie to Thanksgiving Dinner.

This is going to be a low-key Thanksgiving, and I’m actually grateful. I don’t have to be up at the crack of dawn, taking my turkey out of the brine and spending all day in the kitchen. Although, truth be told, I will miss the hustle and bustle of the orphan Thanksgiving we used to host. But it will be nice not to be completely exhausted by 3:00.

Now, if I can just keep my mouth closed when my daddy starts trying to talk politics and religion. He loves to push my buttons. Maybe this year, I’ll hide my buttons better. (or start partaking in the Cardboardeaux earlier)

Um. This.

I will tell you that this weekend, we will be putting the Pimp Tree and the Flamingo Tree up…and I might be plotting to add another one to our Holiday Forest… Hmmmm, what themed tree should we go for? Pterydactyls and T-Rexes? Science Tree? Lost in Space Tree? Fairy Tale Tree? Sparkle Tree? Oh the possibilities are endless….

weekend wrap up…

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New movies watched:

DARK SHADOWS
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

I absolutely adored both movies. They were each very funny and The Cabin in the Woods was absolutely fantastic! Well written (duh…it’s Joss Whedon), hysterical, campy and a little creepy.

Saturday, I spent the morning with my BFF from high school and her family, then we had lunch. Afterward, I made another VERY SUCCESSFUL Pinterest recipe It was melt-in-your-mouth fabulous.

This is what it looks like before it is done. Sorry I forgot to snap a pic of after…but trust me, it was pretty and delicious. El Jefe calls the crockpot the Magic Food Bowl. heh You put regular stuff in and a few hours later, magic happens and deliciousness comes out. Yep, that’s pretty much what happens.

Saturday night I delivered half of the roast, potatoes and greenbeans to my friends and hung out with Bit for a while. She dubbed me Princess Pink (even though she assigned yellow to me as my favorite color.) She was Princess Purple and she wore her sparkly shoes. We both had on tiaras and I was instructed that next time I come over, I have to wear my sparkly shoes, too. Terms I am happy to comply with.

Then it was movie time:

Sunday was sunny and beautiful and the perfect day for soccer. The final score was 1-1. There were some not so great calls and some parents who were not so great examples by yelling at the refs and calling for red cards every few minutes. And they wonder why their kids act like assholes on the field? Because their parents act like assholes on the sidelines…

And Sunday night, I enjoyed a trip down memory lane with Ian as I forced him to watch HEE HAW while we waited on Boardwalk Empire to start. Apparently he didn’t find HEE HAW nearly as funny as I did. Neither did El Jefe, who quickly left the scene for the safety of the bedroom. Humph.

There’s just no accounting for some people’s taste…or lack there of, huh?

Hope you guys had a great weekend. Mine was filled with love, laughter and some fantastic food…which means I’m all smiles today.

weekend recap (Friday included)

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I took a vacation day Friday and enjoyed myself tremendously. Robyn and I walked 3.5 miles at the Big Dam(n) Bridge. And look what we saw:

Yes. that’s the remnants of a beautiful proposal on the river bank that you can see from the bridge. It made our walk just that much more awesome. Grand gestures are the most beautiful gestures of them all.

Robyn and I met up with the HoneyBadgers Friday afternoon for happy hour. The HoneyBadgers are a local running group that meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays before the crack of dawn. I may have to join them one day, just to say I did. Unfortunately, I’m not much of a morning person. But we’ll see…

Saturday was filled with a five-mile walk, lunch with El Jefe, Laura and da GodFodda at Cheers, then an awful Razorback game that I’d love to forget. I also made my homemade mac and cheese and stuffed crab shells. I’m not gonna lie, it was divine. As you can see, it was served on the finest of China.

I would love to claim that I made the stuffed crab shells as well, but in truth, Kroger seafood deli. $1.00 each. I put a pat of butter on the top and bake them at 350 til they are golden brown. DELISH.

The Mac and Cheese recipe I have makes a ton, so I volunteered to take a meal to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for my friends who’s daughter was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma earlier this year. (Read about her here) Usually when I go up there, Bit is sound asleep…but this time she was  awake and full of sunshine. Check us out:

Isn’t she the most adorable little thing you’ve ever seen?

There was also soccer and some gumbo at da GodFodda’s house on Sunday. Check Rader P out:

And there ya have it folks. The important parts of my weekend in a nutshell. Did y’all have a good one? I hope it was as full of friendship and sunshine as mine was.