A Snow Day

It was a snow day in the not-so-sunny South.  For all y'all who don't live here, this is what it looked like this morning.

 

 This is the view from my front door. There is a street straight ahead in the picture

  

This is at the street looking right.

 

This is at the street looking left.

The snow began about 5:30 last night, and started sticking immediately even though it was slightly warmer on Thursday (upper 50s).  It appears that we got the bulk of the snow under cover of darkness.  Isn't that the way it goes?  I love to watch it snow, but it seems we get most of ours during the night.  It was sleeting when we got up this morning, and that lasted until after lunch (maybe 2 p.m.).  We bundled up and went for a walk.  Mind you the temperature was about 20 with a wind chill of 6 or 7 degrees.  Our faces were freezing, but hands and feet (at least my hands - I wore gloves, 2 pair actually) were quite warm.  Long johns help a lot, too!

To combat the chilly willies tonight, we had Shrimp Creole & garlic bread, washed down with half a bottle of Manyana Tempranillo.  This is some good wine for a good price.  I got it for $6.99 at Harris Teeter.  Might not be everyone's choice with Creole, but it went down quite well.

As I was getting dinner ready, we had another band of light snow come through.  It looks like everything has moved out for now, although we may get another round later depending on if it shifts a little further south.  I'm not a fan of the cold, windy days of winter, but I do love a good snow.  The temperature is supposed to dip to 14 degrees tonight.  Might be good sledding tomorrow!

Chick-fil-A is Spicing it Up!

Everybody loves Chick-fil-A, right?  Well I just heard about a spicy new addition to their menu [drum roll, please].  Coming this June from the Inventor of the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A presents their new spicy chicken sandwich. 

Here's what they have to say about it straight from the horse's, um, cow's mouth (sorry what was I thinking).

Be sure to try our hand-breaded sandwich seasoned with a fiery blend of peppers, pressure-cooked in peanut oil and served with dill pickle chips on a toasted buttered bun.  This spicy variation of our signature hand-breaded, pressure-cooked Chick-fil-A^® Chicken Sandwich will be coming to your Chick-fil-A this June. 

I know I'm looking forward to it.  I love spicy food!

Coupons in the Comics

Do y'all read Baldo in the daily paper?  Well, yesterday's was great.  Tia Carmen is a woman after my own heart.  Her conversation with Gracie went like this:

Gracie:  Do you have a shopping list, Tia Carmen?

Tia Carmen:  I don't need one Gracie.  My shopping list is very simple.  Things I have a coupon for and things that are on sale.

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole

I have had a hankering for some new dishes for my repertoire.  When I need new recipes, ideas or just good chuckle, I tune in to Christy Jordan from Southern Plate.  She is down home Southern personified.  Not only do you get her yummy food, but you also get a peek into her life, her values, and the love of family that she pours into each and every recipe.  She does it all, from main dishes and casseroles, to sides and sweets, and many recipes go back for generations.

She appears on local TV in Alabama, and is even writing her own cookbook which will be in the book stores this fall.

Perhaps my favorite recipe is her hashbrown casserole. If you've ever been to the Cracker Barrel and tried their hashbrown casserole and thought it was good, try Christy's  It's way better, and everyone I've served it to loved it.

The recipe I tried last night was her Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole.  Now, I'm known to make changes, so I added my own touches here and there.

Here is her original recipe, followed by my tweaks:

Cheesy Chicken And Corn Casserole (this is a single recipe, I usually double it)

1 Box Yellow Rice

1 Stick Margarine

1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup

1-2 Cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 can Whole Kernel Corn (drained)

1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese

Cook rice according to package directions. Add rice and all other ingredients, except for 1/2 C of cheese, into a bowl and stir until well combined. Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for about thirty minutes, or until bubbly.

Notes:  I used 1/2 stick of real butter, a 10-oz. can of chicken, and I made a version of my yellow rice from scratch (rice, onions, garlic, turmeric and some diced zucchini) about 3 cups.

New Pic

Y'all know I can't resist showing off my kitties.  Here are my cuties today all snuggled up together.  They are the greatest buds! 

Rosie is the gray one, and Dood is black & white.

Saved by the Dinner Bell

It was another dreary, rainy day here yesterday.  Hubby is working on a huge project at work, which is long, drawn out, very time consuming, and will be the major focus this year.  As such, he had to go into the office after breakfast, so I had the day to myself.  Nothing unusual since most days are that way, but this was SUNDAY!  I just puttered around the house and finished reading a book.  Yes, an actual print on paper book.  I was just finishing up my lunch of a fish stick sandwich.  Don't laugh, fish sticks make a good "fish filet" sandwich.  I always get the Trident brand.  They sell them at Costco in a big bag.  But that's way off topic.  So as I was finishing my sandwich, the phone rang.  It was Ashley inviting us (or me in this case) to dinner.  Now I am falling behind because they had us over last Sunday as well.  I happily accepted, though - as if I would turn them down?  Ha!

While dinner was being prepared, Ashley and I went to play games with the kids (Kevin was doing the cooking).  We played Jenga.  You remember the game where you stack logs by three's, alternating directions each layer and then take turns removing one log at a time until it falls?  I'd never played before, and it was easy to learn but harder to actually "do".  Playing against Michael,  Ashley and I took turns toppling the tower.  Next out came checkers, and I played against Michael.  Mind you he's just six.  Now I haven't played checkers in over 20 years, and then didn't play often, but I know the rules.  However, I misjudged the skill level of my opponent.  Remember, he's just six years old.  I was suffering.  I moved and he countered until I had no moves without risking capture.  I did manage to get one of my men kinged (he had about 3 plus had taken about 5 of mine).  I got a few of his, but I was in trouble, and the call to dinner saved me from complete humiliation.  Kevin offered to take a picture of the board so we could continue later, but I said I need to brush up on my checker playing skills first.

Quote of the Week

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

- Robert Brault

The more time that passes, the truer this statement becomes.  Life is not built on the occasional major events like cruise vacations or the long-awaited promotion, but a composite of the small moments like watching your kids (or cats) play, sunsets or long walks on a beautiful afternoon.  So pay attention to the moments for they are your life.

My Quest for Wheels

Ever need to buy a new car, or a replacement car?  It's easy, right?  Just go down to the nearest car lot, pick one out, haggle with the dealer and drive away $$$ poorer, but at least driving.  Wrong!  For me anyway.  There is so more to consider than just "oooh, pretty car".  Is it good on gas?  How many people will it seat?  Then there's size, and yes size matters.  If it's too large, I can't park it comfortably.  If it's too small, I can't pack enough stuff or haul enough people, etc.  So do I get a minivan, a small  SUV, a crossover, or stick with my comfort zone and get a regular full size 4-door car.  When I got my Cutlass Supreme in 1997 it was classed as a mid-size.  Now cars that size are considrered full size.  Growing or Shrinking?

The Test Drives
 I drove a 2002 Honda Odessey (red)  and a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country (blue).  Both nice minivans, but for comfort and drivability, I preferred the Town & Country.  The downside was the 119" wheelbase which would make parking between two cars in a 90 degree parking space at best a challenge or possibly a nightmare.  I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about the importance of wheelbase and  turning circle in everyday driving.  So even though a minivan can carry 7 people or lots of trip stuff, it doesn't seem practical for my every day use.

Next I drove a 2000 Honda Accord (gold).  Nice car with leather (a must for me).  It drove all right although the acceleration was more sensitive than I'm used to so I pulled away from the traffic lights a bit more aggressively than normal - unintentionally.  I felt rather low to the ground, and it also has visible body damage, so I left that one with the dealer, too.

Yesterday I tried out a 2002 Toyota Highlander 4WD (blue).  It was nice but the steering felt a bit mushy (that is compared to the pickup I've been driving since that fateful day in November).  It also made weird squealing sounds when you turned the steering wheel back and forth.  It also stalled out while my husband was parking it so he was leary of driving it too far.  When I did drive it, I was able to nail the parking in a 90-degree space, granted there were no cars to park between, but I hit the space on the first shot.  The reason being that the wheelbase and turning circle are similar, if not smaller, than my car.

On to the next vehicle - a Ford Escape (silver?).  This is a relatively small SUV as well, but unlike the Highlander, it drove more like a truck (built on a truck platform).  The Highlander was built on a Camry platform.  The Escape was comfortable enough and had good acceleration (bigger engine), but I really want something with a more car-like ride.  I'm spoiled - I've driven Oldsmobiles for 20 years! 

When we arrived at the dealership, a salesman asked if he could help us.  They always ask that.  We'd been working with Tim, so they paged him.  He came out, we told him what we came to look at, and he went back for a tag so we could take it out.  When he came back he said they'd asked him if he ran us off.  He said "no - they adopted me".  He's been nice and helpful and not pushy, and we (I) have been upfront that I'm trying out a lot of different types of vehicles and am not to the "buying" point yet.  With that understanding out in the open, I feel comfortable driving first one then another to see what fits. 

I have noted the color of the test cars for a reason.  Yet one more thing to consider when stepping into the car shopping arena - Color!  I don't want white, black, silver, or most reds.  White and black show dirt, and I just don't care for silver.  Red, eh...some are all right, but no fire engine red, please.

When you only have a few hours one day a week to get out there and look, and drive and then dissect the couple of cars you lined up, it tends to become a long, drawn out experience.  I'll be glad when I actually find something "acceptable". To make this saga more interesting, my hubby is also looking for a replacement car.  Stay tuned for the latest adventures in my Quest for Wheels.

Quote of the Week

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.  

- Dr. Seuss

Not to be taken extremely literally, because you could hurt someone's feelings.  That said, there is a measure of truth to this statement.  Those who truly matter, will accept you exactly as you are.

Quote of the Week

Pay attention to your dreams - God's angels often speak directly to our hearts when we are asleep.  

- Eileen Elias Freeman

Although I can't say that this has happened with me, I would suspect that it happens far more often than we realize.  We just don't know how to "listen" to our dreams.  Mine are often a reflection on what I've been focusing on that day.  I do know, though, that dreams can provide insight or give us a sign, but usually only if we understand and act on what we've been "told".

The Long and Short of it.

I caught this really cute pose, and just couldn't resist posting yet another picture of my "babies".  Actually, Rosie is my baby, and Sophie is her "Daddy's Girl".  They both have their quirks.  Rosie is the old timer around here.  He will be 13 in June, whereas Sopie is truly the baby of the household at about 3 1/2.  We believe she'll be 4 sometime in May.

Sophie (back) and Rosie

This is a shot of Rosie with his other bud, Doodle (or Dood for short).  Not to be confused with Dude, although he is that sometimes, too.  The reason for the title of this post is that when Doodle was a baby, we think he had an accident involving the under-the-hood area of car (possibly one of ours), that injured his tail, and we had to have it amputated.  It is a cute little black stub about 2 inches long, and yes, the hair did grow back, thank goodness.  It was quite vulgar looking for a while.  He was born in the summer of 2000 and lived outside until Christmas of 2007, about a month after we got Sophie.  Now the three of them are friends, and Dood idolizes Rosie.  There are more kitty cat stories and pictures where these came from.

Doodle is the black and white one.

Recycle your Christmas Tree

Christmas has passed, the decorations are packed away, and the tree is bare.  Do you put your tree out by the curb for recycling, toss it in the woods, or take to a drop-off point, or does it get picked up by the trash collector and wind up decaying in the landfill?  The latter is of no benefit to anyone, and the tree is wasted.  Let's all put our trees to good use.  Recycled, they become mulch to beautify the landscape and enrich the soil.  Even those who recycle their trees in the woods are benefiting the environment by returning the tree to nature, and even creating a winter sanctuary for birds and animals.

The cats especially enjoy having a live tree of their very own (or so they think anyway).  Sophie and Dood like drinking the water from the stand.  I'd rather they didn't, but it hasn't seemed to do them any harm, and it's not like they don't have fresh water in their bowl every day.  I guess it's the Eau du Frasier Fir that's so appealing.

So now it is January 6th, the day of the Epiphany, and the day many people take down their Christmas trees and decorations.  The date varies for me, depending on how our tree is holding up.  This one is great, still takes up water and smells nice.  We had a tree one year that was so great we kept it up (lights only) until mid-January - I just couldn't throw it out.  They're not all like that, and some shed so bad that right after Christmas you want to get them out of the house. 

Anyway, I took all the ornaments off this morning, and all that remains are the lights.  It is still beautiful, but I need to let it go.  I'll be vacuuming up needles for weeks to come.  The cats carry them all over the house since they like to sleep under the tree.

So when do you take down your tree?  Are you motivated to get your house back to normal, or do you carry out the tradition of the 12 Days of Christmas, culminating in the Epiphany?  Whenever, I hope you remember to recycle.  It's good for all of us.

It's time to meet the family...

I think it's time I introduce you to our very good friends.  I've mentioned them anonymously many times, and we do hang out a lot.  Ashley has been my best friend since way back, and in today's speak she would be my "BFF".  She is the mother of two boys, Scott 10, and Michael 6.  She was a stay-at-home mom for a while, but is back teaching again, and it's second grade this year.  About 15 years ago she married Kevin.  He is an airline pilot, but due to economic times, is currently doing gardening and landscaping.  This is something he loves and for which he has a great talent.  Ashley's talent lies in painting, crafts and decorating.  Together they do amazing things with whatever they have at hand.

We shared New Year's Eve with them and Kevin's family, and I figured what better time to introduce them than with the beginning of the new year.  I am so glad they are back in town.  They had lived in Florida and Georgia since the late 90s, and when  life brought them back home a little less than two years ago I was thrilled.  They are wonderful friends, and an absolute joy in my life.  I am so happy for you to finally meet the "family I chose for myself".

Quote of the Week

"Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow." 
-   Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

This is a beautiful passage, and there is much beauty in the silence of snow falling in the woods. 

There are remnants of last's month's snow still clinging to banks too shaded from the sun to have melted away.

Welcome to 2010!

I hope everyone had wonderful New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations with friends and family.  I know we did.  We dined out with our best buds on NYE at Macaroni Grill.  This is a place we used to love and going there was a treat.  However, the last several time we went, we were disappointed in the food.  Things have changed, as they have in many restaurants, and the cutbacks are clearly visible.  The big round loaf of foccacia is not nearly as big as in years past, and not as flavorful.  It seems that herbs are in short supply.  However, we went and ordered things we'd not had before.  I had the mushroom ravioli and it was very good, as was the house chardonnay I chose to go with.  Hubby had the chicken and capellini pomodoro. The chicken was a little over done, but  the pomodoro sauce was fine, just not to his liking.  Our friends had chicken parmigiana and a cannelloni dish.  According to our dining companions, the cannelloni was good, but they seemed to have changed the recipe on the chicken parm, or at least it didn't taste like he remembered it.  All in all, it was a wonderful dinner, and the most important part was sharing the time with good friends.

After dinner, we regrouped and went to our friend's parents' house to participate in the NYE tradition of making lefses.  His Mom is of Swedish/English heritage.  In a nutshell, lefses are made from flour and potatoes, and look like tortillas when cooked.  It was an assembly line process:  Rolling, cooking, buttering and sugaring (brown sugar of course).  I was the sugarer.  This was my first experience both making and eating.  They asked what I thought, and I said they're fine, but I like mine with more butter and less sugar.  The others wanted the sugar piled on.  His Mom said "MORE SUGAR".  OK, I used MORE SUGAR!  The one I got had too much, so I made one my way for me, but after the first one, I could only eat a small part of the second one.  You can read about lefses and how to make them here. Before the lefses were made, however, we "opened" our Christmas Crackers (click to read about the crackers).

We had some fireworks on the deck.  It was cold, the smoke was thick and the bottle rockets were killer on the ears, but that's another family tradition.  Later there was a rousing game of "Round Robin" ping pong downstairs.  Yes, this is a real game with a number of players lined up around the table.  One person serves to the person opposite him, then places his paddle on the table and moves down the line while the other person returns his serve to the next person in line.  I found this video that shows better than I can explain.

Needless to say, this was a New Year's Eve of "firsts" for us, and It was an honor to be part of these traditions.