Missing in Action

I should probably update my blog this weekend. I've been slacking. Well, I've been working a lot, spring cleaning, playing tennis, and am committed to 2 bible studies per week. So I'm not being lazy...I'm just not blogging.

How 'bout this? How 'bout I make some cupcakes this weekend to test them for my SIL's baby shower and I blog about it? Sounds like a plan.

Here's the invite I designed. I plan on pairing it with green envelopes. Its A7 size.

Do you think it coordinates with the nursery? That was my goal.

Birthdays and cupcakes

On Saturday, my family celebrated my sweet nephew’s 4th birthday. I can’t believe how fast he is growing up!!! In celebration of his birth, we had a friend party on “The Compound” complete with a bounce house and slide. Yes, I did jump before AND after the party. It was pretty awesome!

The sweets for the party were a community effort. My sister made the cupcakes, my mom made the icing, I piped the icing, and Will put sprinkles on the cupcakes. We like to work together as a team! : ) They turned out to be quite delicious, so I thought I would share.

I was so stressed out last week, and going home to see my family just made everything better. I was only home for one night, but I got to do a little cooking at my mom’s, play outside on the farm in the beautiful sunshine, go to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law, and have lunch with both siblings and their families. It was such a wonderful two days!

I am pretty blessed to have such a great family. My grandparents were married for 62 years, and my parents have been married for nearly 37. I have a great sister and brother, who at times I don’t get along with…but hey, we are siblings after all! I have a brother-in-law who is the smartest person I know, and a sister-in-law who has become one of my best friends. I also have the cutest niece and nephew who I adore, and another one who is on the way. (We find out if it’s a boy or girl today!!!!) You folks should be jealous…because I think my family is pretty darn great!

Anyway…happy cooking! For yellow cupcakes with chocolate icing, this simple recipe is super yummy!

Yellow Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 box of yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
Amount of oil on box

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Mix together cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and oil. Beat with an electric mixer until combined.

To fill your cupcake liners either:
1. Spoon batter into a zip-top bag. Snip a ¼ inch corner from the bag and fill paper liners 2/3 full.
2. Use an ice cream scoop. One scoop = one cupcake.

Bake about 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Place on wire rack to cool. Yields approximately 24 cupcakes.

Chocolate Icing

Ingredients
3 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons evaporated milk

Directions
Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl. With a stand or hand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Gradually add in the sugar mixture, alternating with a tablespoon of evaporated milk at a time. Once all ingredients are combined, beat until light and fluffy.

Take a spatula, and test the stiffness of the icing by seeing if a peak forms when you flop it over. (This is very technical.) If too thick, add a tiny bit of more milk. If not thick enough, add more powdered sugar. Most likely it will not be thick enough!

Spoon icing in a piping bag and pipe on top of cupcakes.

To Decorate
For these cupcakes, I used a 1M star tip. I started from the outside of the cupcake, and circled in squeezing the bag lightly, but continuous. It took two full recipes of the icing to ice all 24 cupcakes.

We also added sprinkles to the top of the cupcakes for decoration. We filled a toothpick dispenser with the sprinkles, and let Will shake them over the cupcakes.

On Sugar Cookies and Lessons Learned

I have loved to cook ever since I was a small child. I guess it's just part of that Southern heritage ingrained in my DNA. From a fairly young age I was allowed to cook certain things on my own. I was allowed to bake a cake (from a box), make cookies (from a tube), or things easy like that.

One day I had the idea to make some homemade, from scratch sugar cookies. I have no idea where my mom was at the time, but I don't remember her being home. So, I asked my dad's permission, and he was cool with it. I mean...I think he just wanted a cookie. The man doesn't turn down sweets very often!

So, I found a recipe and got to work. I was so proud of myself. I can't quite remember exactly how old I was at the time, but it was between the ages of 10-12. And I

was making cookies all by myself from scratch! So proud! I even found these heart cookies and L-O-V-E cookies cutters. I knew my dad was going to love it!

As soon as the cookies were done and cooled I called my dad over to have one. I stood and waited for his praise for my delicious creation. I remember him taking a cookie, taking a bite, and then choking and coughing and running for a glass of water. I was shoc

ked. What happened to my cookies! I tasted one and quickly realized I messed up the proportions.

I think instead of adding 1 teaspoon of salt I must have added a tablespoon...or p

ossibly more. Instead of baking delicious sugar cookies I made disgusting salt coo

kies. Yeah...they tasted like salt. And baking soda. My dad wasn't super happy with me, and I'm pretty sure I was banned from making anything from scratch by myself for a long time.

I have since recovered from my salty....treats. And I have learned how to bake a cookie from scratch! And sometimes there just isn't anything better than a warm, homemade sugar cookie. If my dad were with me today, I'm sure he would be singing my praises instead of spitting out and gagging on my poor little cookies. Oh, the lessons I have learned through the years. But hey...Julia Child wasn't born a super awesome cook! You have to go through trials and

tribulations in the kitchen, and along the way you lear

n from your (sometimes numerous) mistakes.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup fine, white sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 cups All-Purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large cooking sheets with parchment paper. (Not really necessary, but that's typically how I do my cookie pans.) Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg salt, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well. Gradually add in flour while mixing.

Roll dough into 1-inch size balls. Pour a little bit of sugar in a small bowl, and roll cookie dough balls in sugar to coat all sides.

Press ball onto cookie sheet to flatten out a bit. For snickerdoodles, add about 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon to 4 tablespoons of sugar to roll dough balls.

Bake cookies for approximately 11-15 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine were perfecto after 13 minutes! Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or just eat them as soon as they are cool enough to touch! If desired, top with vanilla or buttercream icing and sprinkles. Yields approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Conversations with a 4-year-old

Saturday night I was sitting on the couch at my mother's house, and my nephew came into the living room and crawled in my lap. He had his children's picture Bible with him, and needed to show me something. He opened the Bible to the story about Jesus' crucifixion.

He wanted to know why the men were hanging on the cross and why the Roman soldier "poked them" with his sharp stick. He also asked what the men did to die. I explained that the two men on the sides were bad and that they died because they did bad things. But then I explained that Jesus never ever did a bad thing his whole life. I also explained the Jesus was God, and that he was very good. However, he had to die so we could go to heaven and be with him one day.

We had to discuss this for a few minutes before he fully understood. And then he asked why the Roman soldier was so bad. Being the caring auntie that I am, I tried to soften the story a little and say the soldier was guarding the men. But then Will corrected me and said he was bad and poked the men. My sister said he already knew the story, and he knew the soldier was bad. (Oops!) My nephew then said he wished he could crawl in the book and hit the bad soldier so he didn't poke Jesus or other men. My sweet nephew is such a caring little boy, and he wanted to protect Jesus.

Will is a very smart child, and I was impressed with how much he has retained from going to church and talking to his parents about Jesus. I am always impressed with his sensitive and caring heart. He is a precious little boy.

We went on and discussed other parts of the book, including the resurrection and ascention to heaven. Will does not want to fly in the air and go to heaven like Jesus. He also doesn't want to have holes in his hand. Even though is is young, he really seems to understand who God is and the stories of the Bible.

It was a very precious time sitting with my nephew and discussing our Lord. I pray for him and his sister all the time to grow up in the ways of the Lord, and to love and follow Him from a young age. My job as an aunt will be to pray for them, speak with them, and help their mom and dad and grandparents as we all train them up in the ways of the Lord.

It's cold...so eat some soup!

Saturday afternoon my sister decided she wanted to cook. She wasn't exactly sure what, but knew she wanted a stew or soup. So, she grabbed some old magazines, one of my cookbooks, and the computer. She settled on three different recipes (all from Foodnetwork.com), and left it up to me to choose. I read over, and picked the one below. Turned out to be THE BEST stew I have ever had I think. She did a fantastic job, which...if you know my family...is impressive. My sister does well when she cooks, but she's definitely not know as the family chef! (HEART YOU!)

She also asked me not to help out because she was afraid I would take the cooking over, and she really wanted to make something. I was fine by this because last time I was home, I spent a good part of my time on my feet in the kitchen. I did have the idea to add cheddar biscuits to the meal, and was in charge of that while my sis made the main course. Here's what we had:

Sausage-and-Vegetable Stew
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon paprika, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 ounces kielbasa, cut into small chunks (or another link sausage)
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
14 ounces small red-skinned or new potatoes (6 to 8), quartered
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and glistening, about 6 minutes. Add the paprika and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the oil turns deep red, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook until just toasted, 30 more seconds. Immediately whisk in 4 cups water. Add the kielbasa, carrots, parsnips, potatoes and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the broth has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the vinegar and season with pepper.

Combine about half of the parsley with the sour cream in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the stew into bowls; top with the remaining parsley, a dollop of herbed sour cream and a sprinkle of paprika.

Cheddar Biscuits
(Like from Red Lobster)

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
¾ cup cold whole milk
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Brush on Top:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch salt

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.
3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.
5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

Why is holiday baking reserved for the holidays?

The other day I was planning out my treats for Christmas at my parents’, and the following thought occurred to me – “Why do we only prepare special candies, cookies and treats for holidays or special events?” I mean…I typically go home once a month. Why don’t I take treats home most anytime? And why do I reserve them for only Thanksgiving and Christmas?

The truth is that on occasion I do take special treats home to my family. But that is typically when it is leftover from another event. I rarely make a special treat for a trip home unless there is an occasion. Now, at Easter and birthdays, I always try to make a cake. But I do that at my mom’s house in order to involve my nephew in the baking (bowl licking) process.

Maybe in 2011 I will make an effort to make more treats for my family. It can be something as simple as cookies or brownies. It can even be as elaborate as a homemade pie. (Which is my new obsession right now.) I know my father would appreciate this. He likes desserts a lot. Maybe that’s where I get it!

Since I’m going to my parents’ house soon for the holidays, here’s a list of the treats I am taking:

• Martha Washington Balls
• Chex Mix
• Chocolate Fudge
• Royale Cookies
• Pumpkin Cookies (The ones I am taking are actually from a mix, but I made these last year and they are super fantastic.)
  

I also had plans to make buckeye balls, but I think I’m going to stop with the above. I'm thinking we'll have enough. (Remember...I still have to make melted snowman cookies with the kids!)

Come 2011, all of us will be fat and happy I guess! Maybe that's why we only reserve these treats to once or twice a year....Hmmm....

Happy cooking and merry Christmas!

Holiday baking with the kids

If you are a regular blog reader of mine, you’ll know that I love doing special projects with my nephew. I always like to involve him in activities. Something to keep his little boy hands busy. It also provides great bonding opportunities for us.

Now that the niece is getting older, it’s her turn to get involved. Hopefully. I have this baking project I want to do with them over Christmas, and I hope it’s not too much of a disaster with her. I mean…she’s just barely 19 months old. But we are going to attempt this cookie making activity with both of them this year. And yes, I will be sure to call in Mama and Nana for backup.

Last year we made reindeer out of gingerbread cookies, m & m’s and tiny pretzels. It turned out to be a pretty cute project, and Will loved helping. This year, though, my friend Sarah from high school (who has a cute little girl of her own) sent me the link for melted snowman cookies. Immediately I knew this would be our holiday baking project.

So…next week…pray for me. One night I will be making these cookies with two toddlers. I’m sure we will make a mess, and I’m sure we’ll have a blast doing it. And I’ll be sure to clean up the kitchen after so Nana doesn’t have to!

Melted Snowman Cookies

Ingredients:
1 batch of sugar cookie (either store-bought dough or the packets of mix)
1 pack of large marshmallows
Vanilla icing
Cake Decorating Gels (Colors for eyes, nose, mouth, etc.)
Mini M&M’s (Optional for buttons)
Pretzel sticks (Optional for arms)

Directions:
1. Bake cookies according to package and let cool.
2. Warm icing in microwave and spread across cooled cookies to make it look like is runny or melted.
3. Microwave marshmallows on a plate for about 15-30 seconds. (You don’t want them too, too melty.)
4. Let a grown-up place the hot marshmallows on top of the cookies for the head. Let cool to the touch.
5. Decorate snowmen with cake gels or optional food items.
6. Eat and enjoy!

I also want to make a chocolate frosty recipe I saw on Sandra Lee Semi Homemade. It looks like a Wendy’s Frosty! Sandra calls it a “moon and stars mocha,” and she makes it with her nieces and nephews. They named it that because she says she loves them to the moon and stars. That’s sweet! I love Will and Maggie that much (and more) too! Here’s the very simple recipe (that even grown-ups will love):

Moon and Stars Mocha
From Sandra Lee

Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
2 cups ice

Directions: Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on high for 1 minute or until smooth.

______________________________________

Will you be baking anything with kids during the holidays? If so, share links to your projects in the comments section!

Thanksgiving Recap (It's About Time)

So, returning to the office from Thanksgiving is not the easiest thing to do. Especially when your office/university is anticipating the announcement of a bowl game. And then gets a bowl bid. Allz I know is that working for a university alumni association and foundation who is going to a New Year's Day bowl game can be quite busy. But I'm super excited about spending New Year's in Jacksonville!

Thanksgiving was just as busy as work is right now. Thanksgiving Day I made a trip to south Mississippi to visit my dad's family. Then headed back up north/central to the family compound. Friday was grocery shopped, cooked, and I visited with my long-time friends to see their new baby. Saturday we hosted my mom's family at my parents' house, and an Egg Bowl party at my brother's new (and gorgeous) home. (I spent a lot of time bonding with J&L's dog that weekend.) Sunday was back north to my house for the outdoor Christmas decorating. And Monday back to the grind...Whew...it was a doozy!

Thanksgiving brought some new and old favorites to the table. Wednesday night I made the largest and most beautiful apple pie ever! It was amazing! And it tasted good too! Friday night I made a chocolate chip pecan pie, per the brother's request. I also made tamale dressing with cranberry salsa, three loaves of homemade bread and jalepeno popper dip on Saturday. (I told you it was busy!)

All in all, it was a very good Thanksgiving. I spent lots of time with my family, and enjoy way too much food. Can't wait for our Mexican Christmas to roll around!

Here are recipes from my Thanksgiving table:

For both pies, here's a link to The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pie Crust. (I recommend using regular or butter flavored shortening. Tried both. Both taste great!)

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
1/2 pie dough from above recipe, rolled out thin and laid in pie plate
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 to 2 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup (I only had light, and it was fine.)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle chocolate chips over bottom of pie crust lined pan; top with pecan halves. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, and vanilla; beat well. Pour over pecans. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream. Store in refrigerator.

Dulce de Leche Apple Pie
From closetcooking.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
6 cups of apples (cored, peeled and sliced)
1/2 cup dulce de leche
2 tablespoons apple cider
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 pie crusts (One full recipe from Pioneer Woman's link above)
1 egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon of water

Directions:
1. Toss the apples in the dulce de leche, cider and vanilla,
2. Mix the sugars, cornstarch, spices and salt in a large bowl.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients.
4. Fit one of the pie crusts into a 9 inch pie plate and pour the apples in.
5. Fit the remaining pie crust on top and brush with the egg white mixture.
6. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 40 minutes.
7. Reduce to 375F, remove the foil and bake until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.
8. Let cool completely before serving. (Alton Brown suggests at least 4 hours so all the apple juices and sugars can meld together.)

Jalapeño Popper Dip

From annies-eats.com

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) packages fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup light or fat free mayonnaise
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapeño peppers, drained
½ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapeños, and shredded cheeses. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined. Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approximately 9 x 9-inches).

In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir with a fork until combined. Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture in the baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden. Serve warm with Fritos Scoops, baguette slices, vegetables, etc. as desired.

For the love of pumpkin...Part 2

This could turn into a 14 part post if I'm not careful! : )

We had our bi-monthly staff birthday celebration at the beginning of October, and one of our secretaries made the most delicious pumpkin dip! It's cold, creamy, sweet and all around fantastic! This is a great tailgating treat during football season or appetizer for a family gathering! Definitely something you should add to your to-do list! : )

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients
2 pkgs. Fat free cream cheese, softened
1 can pumpkin
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions
Whip cream cheese and pumpkin in large bowl until smooth. Stir in sugar and spices, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 at least hour. Serve with sliced apples, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, etc.

Happy birthday to all my girls!

May 20th is a very important and special day to me. Last year on May 20th, this chick entered my life:
I love her a lot. She's pretty cute!

This weekend we are celebrating her first year of life with cupcakes and kabobs. I also bought her a tutu.

May 20th is also special because 10 years ago I became a mommy! Not a REAL mommy...but a pet-owner mommy! Our family cat, PC, had a litter of kittens, and I kept two of them...Josephine and Juliet.
They are my little cuddle munchkins. My family loves their pets a lot, and these girls have hung with me through two houses, three apartments, two states, two diplomas, around 10 jobs (only 3 professional), and countless milestones over the last 10 years. I love them lots!

To all my girls, happy birthday! I'm glad they are all in my life!

Today I'm mourning the loss of our sweet family cat, Ginger. We adopted her in 1991, which I was only 10 years old. We don't know exactly how old she was, but Ging was around 20-21 in human years. She lived a long and happy life with our family, and we are sad to see her go. She was beautiful, and sweet, and my family loved her very much. She was the best cat a little girl could ever ask for!


Rest in peace, my sweet Gigi! We love you!

(The picture is of Will and Ginger at Easter a year ago. He was very proud of his eggs he found and had to show them to her.)

The Big Easy

As my readers know, recently I traveled down to New Orleans with my family for a mini break. We were joined by several people who work in the same field as my dad, and representatives from a supply company they purchase material from. These sponsored trips are always well planned out, and full of lots of fun activities. Here’s a recap:

Friday afternoon we arrived in New Orleans, checked into the hotel, and went with the group the World War II museum. I was told by the tour guide that it was going to change my life forever. Maybe it would have if I hadn’t already visited the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. Now THAT place will change your life. This museum was good, don’t get me wrong. But to me it had too much information/pictures/memorabilia crammed into too small of a space. All of the info on display ended up being a little overwhelming for me. And this is coming from someone who LOVES museums and history.

Now, one good part about the museum was the movie, Beyond All Boundaries, produced by Steven Spielberg and narrated by Tom Hanks. The museum has an amazing theater, super comfortable seats, and the movie was fantastic. It also has quite an array of special effects that I won’t tell you about. If you aren’t interested in the museum, go see the movie at least. It rocked! (Literally and figuratively!)

Friday evening was one of the highlights of the trip. We met for early cocktails in one of the hotel lobbies, and were outfitted in special “Mardi Gras gear.” Then after cocktails we were escorted by police and several dressed revelers down the streets of NOLA in a Second Line Parade. It was so much fun! We marched about 10 blocks through the Bourbon Street area led by a brass band, wearing masks and boas, and throwing beads to onlookers. The craziest thing was that people were lined on the streets, hundreds of people, taking our picture, clapping for us, and enjoying our show. It was a unique and unforgettable experience!

Following the parade we enjoyed drinks, hors d oeuvres (including sushi rolls, in which I ate A LOT of), and music from a jazz band. I enjoyed spending time with my brother, sister-in-law, some of their colleagues and neighbors, and some friends I have made on these trips. It was a great way to end the evening!



The next day we woke up early and took a bus tour of the areas of New Orleans still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. We saw some of the historic homes and unique architecture, as well as many neighborhoods that are still in the process of rebuilding. It’s hard to believe how much they have left to do. However, the tour guide says it typically takes about 20-25 years to rebuild from the amount of destruction they experienced. The city is looking good, but they still have a long way to go.

The above picture is of the 17th street canal wall. The beige part to the left is the original wall. The gray part is where the barge crashed and destroyed the wall. The neighborhood surrounding this canal expereienced a lot of damage during Katrina, but didn't get as much news coverage as the poorer areas (like the 9th Ward) of New Orleans. You can still see empty homes, some with marks still on there notifying authorites a victim was found in the home. It was moving to see this firsthand.

Following the bus tour we had another very unique experience…an airboat tour through the Louisiana swamps. I have to say the tour guide completely freaked me out on the way to the bayou. She kept describing these really aggressive alligators and snakes, and I was sure I would either lose a limb or die from a poisonous bite. However, once we got on the water, it was so awesome! And not scary at all!

Lucky for me, I didn’t see any snakes. And believe it or not, my father, who I suggested sit as far from me as possible, did not make any snake jokes. (For those that know us, you know he is always teasing me about my fear of snakes. But I think he’s just as scared as me.) We did see lots and lots of alligators though, including a 50-60 year old 9 footer that weighted anywhere from 400-500 lbs. He didn’t even blink at us though, so he was not intimidating.

The swamp tour allowed us to see part of the country that I had never seen before. I don’t know about you, but I had always imaged the swamp lands to be dirty, smelly, and overrun with dangerous creatures. But it wasn’t like that at all. It was quite beautiful and serene. Not what I expected!

Following the swamp tour I met up with my brother and sister-in-law for a stroll around the city. We walked to the French Quarter, snacked on a Central Grocery muffuletta, checked out the street art, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. The entire weekend was sunny, warm (but not hot), and perfect!

(Muffuletta from Central Grocery = Yum-O! Find the recipe at SMSA's!)

Sunday morning my parents had a special treat for us planned apart from the rest of the group. Apparently there’s a restaurant in Nola famous for its breakfast/brunch. My parents love this place, and always eat there when they visit. So Sunday morning we got up and had “Breakfast at Brennan’s.” Why had I not heard of this place before? I mean, you get to eat things like soup and cake for breakfast! Seriously!


Brennan’s is probably best known for the creation of bananas foster. Again, why have I not been here before? Typically guests order the three course breakfast meal, and you choose your courses from a list provided to you. My choices were turtle soup for an appetizer (tasted like gumbo), creamed spinach topped with fried trout and poached eggs for my main course, and bananas foster (they they cooked in front of us) for dessert. It was amazing! Truly, truly amazing!

I do have to admit there was one little bump in the road for my Brennan’s experience. About halfway through the bananas foster I dug my spoon in the ice cream and came back with a long brown hair. Don’t let it gross you out….It could have been my hair, except mine was curled that day and the hair was under the ice cream. I immediately lost my appetite and couldn’t finish the yummy dessert. So…the waiter (to please the guest) brought me the biggest piece of chocolate cake that was completely divine! It was AMAZING!

I don’t want the hair in my food to give you the wrong impression about this place. The food was really good, and my family had eaten there before…so this was just a fluke. Too bad it happened to me on my first experience at the restaurant. It didn’t totally ruin my perspective, but it definitely didn’t help.

The total Nola experience was a lot of fun. I haven’t always liked the city, but this trip brought a new appreciation for the culture and way of life. I think I just had to be a little older and a little more well traveled to appreciate it for what it is. It was fun, and I look forward to going back again soon!

Our Teacher of the Year

Yesterday a team of camera crews and media types stormed by brother-in-law's classroom and named him the 2010 teacher of the year for his school district! Dan teaches at me and my sister's high school alma mater. We are very proud of him!

Happy birthday, nephew

Today is my nephew's 3rd birthday, and in honor of him, here are some of my most favorite pictures....in no particular order.

Craft time - Touch and feel wall

My sister had a great idea to duplicate one of the features in the Children's Museum in New Orleans. Lynn, who is not always so crafty, recruited me to help turn her idea into a reality. So, this weekend I drove down to the compound and helped assemble a touch and feel wall for my niece's room.

Step 1: Have a cute and adorable subject to build a touch and feel wall.

Step 2: By my retired, first grade teacher mother's suggestion, we drew and cut out patterns for the petals. And when I say we, I mean me.


Step 3: Lay out patterns on styrofoam board to make sure they all fit, and then trace. Lynn started at one end, I started at the other. Took all of 5 minutes.





Step 4: Cut out petals with an exacto knife or, like me, a large bread knife. I recommend doing this outside. It makes a mess. I did think of this before cutting, and didn't leave a snowy mess in my mother's living room.

Step 5: Cut pieces of textured fabric and glue onto petals. We purchased different kinds of felt, cheneille, and linen fabric. Lynn also had some fabric scraps that we used. Also, we used a spray adhesive for the flat part of the petal, and hot glued the edges. Note to self, be careful with the hot glue gun. The sister burned her fingers a few times. Oh, and if you are not careful, the hot glue will melt the styrofoam.

Steps 6-9 (which I didn't take pictures of) - We glued then taped 2 yards of fabric on a 3 foot tall by 4 foot wide piece of plywood. Next, we hot glued the petals in a flower shape. For the center, we used plastic furniture sliders. (Another great idea by my mother.) We purchased two 8 1/2 x 11 peel and stick felt sheets for the stems and leaves.

Below is the end product. Pretty cute, huh? They are going to drill this into a wall in Maggie's room for her to...touch and feel. (Go figure?) Seriously, though, its a great "toy" to have in a baby's room as she is learning to use her sense of touch. And, it is something that will hopefully last as she grows into a toddler. All, in all, I believe the materials cost around $30. Though, we did find some items (like the plywood) around the house, which made it a cheaper project. I think it turned out pretty cute, and it was one of the neatest kid ideas the sister has ever had!!!

Family. Fun. Football

This weekend we celebrated my mom's birthday and opening weekend of college football. Since I've returned to our little college town, my family decided to get season tickets they did when Joey and I were in college. And since the opening weekend happened to fall during my mom's birthday, the whole clan (including my dog-niece) came up for the event. (Mabel may look like a cocker spaniel, but she's really a Bulldog!)

Another milestone besides opening day and the birthday took place this weekend. We took Will to his first MSU event. I've been developing a scheme to brainwash him since birth, and it helps that Nana, two aunts and an uncle are all Bulldog alum. (His mom and dad went to MC.)

Everyone made it in time for lunch on Saturday, and about an hour prior to kickoff we headed out. Will was running around like a wild man, but since we were leaving during his normal naptime, we weren't sure how long he would last at the game. About 30 minutes into our 7 mile drive (lots of traffic), the sky started to turn black. Not a good sign.

We finally made it to our parking spot about 10 minutes before the scheduled kick-off. Not 5 minutes later the bottom dropped out of the sky. There was no hiding from it till we made it to the stadium, and we all ended up soaked to the bone. Kick-off was delayed about 30 minutes, and the storm ended up passing. We were able to make it the rest of the day with just a few light sprinkles, so it wasn't a complete disaster.

Like we assumed, Will fell asleep shortly after kick-off. Poor kid. I have no idea how he slept with all the shouting, cowbells, band music and general football noise. But he did, but was up in time to watch the end of the 2nd and the half-time shows.

When he finally woke up, he didn't know what to think. He was watching the biggest tv he had ever seen in his live, and with over 54,000 people in attendance, he had never seen anything like this before. It was a bit much for a 2-year-old to take in. However, by the time the Sonic Boom of the South took the field for their half-time performance, he was really getting into the football groove!

We went on to win the game 45-7 against fellow Mississippi school, Jackson State. It was the great start to our season, and to our new head coaches tenure as a Bulldog. I have to say that I, like Will, was almost too distracted to watch the game. There was so much excitement and energy in the air that I couldn't quite focus on the field. Its much easier for me to pay attention to a game on tv than live and in person. But, to me, going to a game is less about watching it, and more about the experience and social atmosphere.

After the game we returned home wet, tired, and ready for some dinner. My sister stayed at home with the baby and helped prepare some of the dishes while we were gone. You can read a full account of the menu on my cooking blog, and try out some of our yummy family recipes.

Needless to say, with my parents, both of my siblings, their spouses, and the niece and nephew, we had a pretty full house. The kids had to take the floor, and I slept on the pull-out sofa, but we made it work for my little 3-bed, 2 bath house. I wouldn't recommend them all visiting for a week, but a short weekend was a lot of fun. This weekend has been a great start to what I hope will be a great fall full of visits with my family, and new Bulldog memories made.

Quickest blog update ever

I haven't posted in a while because:

1. I've been traveling a lot. (I have only spent about 4 or 5 weekends in S-ville since the beginning of May. Been to Jackson, Atlanta, Kansas City, Birmingham & northern Idaho....which brings me to 2.)
2. Went to northern Idaho to visit the Sandersons. We had fun - Pics are here.
3. Work is absolutly insane. Which means...I'm working all the time....but its all good! But, when I get off, the last thing I want to do is sit down and write a blog...because I've been writing all day long.


That's enough excuses for now. This weekend shall be a ton-o-fun. Football opens against JSU. My ENTIRE family (6 adults, 2 kids & a dog-niece) are coming to visit, but just for one night. It shall be a full house folks! And we're taking Will to his first MSU football game, so that's pretty exciting!

More to come...more to come...Just not sure when...

PS - Started the red door transformation this weekend. BUT...it rained on Sunday, so I didn't get to apply the last two coats. Will post pics when I'm done.

PSS - How have I made it three months and not posted a picture of my beautiful, wonderful niece? Here she is "sunbathing" in her little GAP swimsuit I bought her! A full blown Maggie post will come soon!

My first attempt at a homemade video

This is for my nephew, Will.





All that is missing is "OH TOODLES!"

My Weekend Project

What you need to Create a Nursing Bracelet

Strong piece of ribbon, wire or elastic. If you choose ribbon or wire, make sure it's long enough to tie around your wrist. Elastic can be stretched, but also make sure it's comfortable.

Beads you like. You can use number or letter beads of different colors, or create your own design. Some people use animal beads instead of numbers, so the bracelet seems more decorative than functional. Do what works best for you.

A clip-on charm, etc. This should be something you can easily clip on the bracelet. You'll use it as a marker, placing it at the bead representing the time of your last feeding.

How to make a Nursing Bracelet

1. Knot the ribbon, wire, or elastic to keep the beads on.

2. String a starter bead.

3. String your first number bead, or whatever you're using to represent the numbers of a clock. This is 1:00.

4. Put on three other beads. These represent 1:15, 1:30, and 1:45.

5. String the second number bead, for 2:00.

6. String three beads for 2:15, 2:30, and 2:45.

7. Continue until you're strung enough beads to reach
12:45.

8. After your 12:45 bead, string a bead like your starter bead.

9. Knot the end of the bracelet. If you're using elastic, knot the ends together in addition to making an end knot. For ribbon, knot the end, and make sure there's enough room to tie it on your wrist. And for wire, after you make the end knot, twist the ends together, and push them under your last bead, so the ends don't poke you or your baby. (Wire really shouldn't be used for nursing bracelets, but many companies and moms still use it.)

10. Put on your nursing bracelet, clip on the marker, and remember to use it!

Nursing bracelets don't have to be expensive. They're fun to make and can also be a keep-sake item for you or your baby. Some mothers use beads the color of their babies' birth stones, etc. Making a nursing bracelet is also relaxing, and what new mom doesn't need to relax?

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**Disclaimer - No, I am NOT making a nursing bracelet for myself. I am not nursing nor did I have a baby. But my sister did! I will be sure to post videos and pics of the new niece soon!