Professional Combine

There's a phenomenon coming soon known as the NFL Scouting Combine.  Very roughly, it's the days in February when players form college who are hoping to get drafter get together and show off for scouts of professional teams in an arena and it's televised and I have to confess that the PaperGirl family has watched parts of it on many occasions.

We're football fans.

I thought that knowing this, you might find it funny that this morning, the Peep was giving an running commentary while I was drying her flowing locks of a combine- mostly of 100 yard dashes- she was calling them 100 yard touchdown runs- but that she was calling out current and past professional players names as the participants.  And using my Ironman watch to time them.
It was FREAKING adorable.

Congratulations to "Brees," "Johnston," "Romo," and TCU's "Pachall."

Fancy Chicken

We're having FANCY CHICKEN tonight and there's not a dang thing fancy about it.

Fancy is what the Peep named it several years ago when I first spotted the recipe on the side of the Bisquick box and started making it- and for lack of a nicer name- Fancy Chicken was born.

It was an actual request by my sweet daughter earlier this week when we were wandering the Von's on Sunday after a trip to my favorite breakfast burrito spot, El Burrito, Jr.

The Peeper spied a bottle of our regular BBQ sauce in the meat section while Slick was checking out bacon and asked then if I could make her "very favorite Fancy Chicken?"  Being such a wonderful momma up for Mother of the Year in so many categories, I let the daddy cook dinner on Sunday night, but here I am waiting for chicken to thaw so I can slice it up and toss it through the mix.

I thought I'd share the recipe with you since you may not have a box of Bisquick in your refrigerator in the garage like I do.  I mean, you should, but just in case you don't, the recipe is sometimes on it.

Here's what the Betty Crocker Website has to say about the recipe.  They're the makers of Bisquick and they know what they're doing.

2/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt or Garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 450ºF. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag. Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.

Here's what I do a little differently:

I definitely use garlic salt instead of regular salt.  Why not get all of the yummy garlickyness to go with!?  And I never use margarine.  I don't know if I have purchased it in the 14 years Slick and I have been married.  So there now you know.  I am a butter fiend.

Remember to spray your foil with Pam or get the no stick foil- but be sure to put the foil on the pan slicky side up.

I don't like the messiness of the zip top bag, though - I know it is supposed to contain the mess.  I use two plates and dip in egg and then dip in mix.  Also- I can't get the hang of the pancake turner spatula to turn the chicken, so I use tongs.

There you have it.  Years and Years of trial and error summed up and ready for you to take and use.  You'll be an expert from the get go.

Oh- and while my chicken is Fancy, it doesn't really look like that chicken in the picture.

Though I will snap it's picture tonight.

EDIT:  I lied.  I didn't get a picture . We ate it too quickly.  I thought about getting a pic of the empty platter but that seemed cruel, even for me.

Note- If you're waiting on... say a husband to get home from work and you think you live in the 1950's and like to have dinner ready at just about the time he walks in the door... do NOT pre bread the chicken.  It will get gummy and soggy on the breading and that's NOT at all what you are going for.  You want crisp golden brown outside and smoking hot inside.   Just thought you'd want to learn form my experience.

Bon Appetit

Every since the Peep watched Julie and Julia the Sony Pictures Movie based on the book of the same name about Julie a lovely woman cooking all of the recipes in the Julia Child's  Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she has been a fan of Beef Bourguignonne.  Before she ate it the first time and definitely after.   

We have talked several times about opening the copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking we some how managed to liberate from my sweet mother in law's house and making Julia's version at home but we just never got around to it.

Last week we got a William-Sonoma catalog in the mail and it had a lovely picture and recipe for Beef Bourguignonne in it that I decided it was time to make it.  So TODAY was the day.

I really wish for your sake that my computer was enabled with smellovision.  The house smells wonderful.

I admit that I didn't follow Julia's recipe, but the WS version which follows is just as complex, and probably just as lovely, and if we end up liking it I will make Julia's next time and let you know if there's a difference.

Note- I couldn't find the veal demi-glace at the Pavillions grocery store where the Peep and I stopped on the way home from school to ingredient up for dinner- so I subbed in beef bullion.  Meh.

As I sit here though, thinking Beef Bourguignonne in the distinctly Julia Child voice, I Googled her looking for video and came across this from ABC news.  I couldn't find a date stamp on it so I am not sure when it ran, but it was a lovely seven minute or so piece on Julia.

William Sonoma Beef Bourguignonne

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 4 1/2 lb. boneless chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 lb. slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 1/2 Tbs. veal demi-glace
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 bottle (750ml) Pinot Noir
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 lb. pearl onions, peeled
• 1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 4 thyme sprigs and 6 parsley sprigs, tied with kitchen twine)
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Boiled potatoes with parsley for serving (see related recipe at left)

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

In a 6 3/4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the oil until just smoking. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and the mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes, adding 1 to 2 Tbs. water if the bottom of the pot becomes too dark. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the beef.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the bacon to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to the bowl with the beef and mushrooms.

Discard all but 1/4 cup of the fat from the pot. Add the yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, demi-glace and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Return the beef, mushrooms and bacon to the pot. Add the broth, pearl onions and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with aluminum foil and then with the lid. Transfer to the oven and cook until the meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Skim the excess fat off the sauce, and remove and discard the bouquet garni. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serve the stew immediately over boiled potatoes. Serves 8 to 10.  William Sonoma Kitchens

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/beef-bourguignonne-2012.html

What we're doing for dinner

Like you care, but here's what I'm making for dinner.

It's just the Peep and me for dinner tonight since Slick is at a sales meeting- funny since he's not a salesman- but such is life.

Not because I'm such a great cook- though I'm working on it- but I found it so interesting reading this recipe this afternoon on MommaHensKitchen.blogspot.com

It's a pretty straightforward pork tenderloin- season, sear, roast- it's going to be finished in less than 30 minutes.  Just about enough time for the Brussels sprouts and homemade macaroni and cheese to cook as well.

Here's what I found so intriguing though: in the comment section of the recipe people were so rude.

Apparently they didn't read carefully the recipe and they weren't sure weather to cook the pork in the sauce or not- clearly in- they didn't know where to put the pork while the sauce thickened- on a cutting board tinted under foil- again clearly stated.

Instead of looking at the recipe to see if there was something they missed, they lashed out at the chef poster person who had shared her recipe and were complaining about how long it took their pork to cook, that their sauces burned and that they weren't interested in buying expensive stove to oven cookware.

Why was it people's first inclination not even just to be angry that their pork didn't turn out correctly, but to then take to the "airwaves" so to speak, to complain about it.

 I have certainly had my share of meals that I won't make again- and Slick has made a few bombs over the years- I can't think right now of an instance where we turned to the recipe and said it was it's fault.  It has been my fault if I've talked on the phone instead of taking the meatloaf out of the oven in time, it has been Slick's when he sprinkled a teaspoon of salt on each scallop instead of a teaspoon across eight.  In neither instance would it have occurred to us to blame anyone other than ourselves for the error.

Why then was it this person's fault that someone had their sauce turned up too high; that they were cooking a pork ROAST instead of a tenderloin? I'm all First Amendmented up- I get that they can say whatever- but take some responsibility people.

FYI the recipe in case you feel the need to try it out:

Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin - food.com
4 tbs butter
2 tbs honey
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an ovenproof pot, heat butter and honey over medium heat until melted.  Sprinkle pork tenderloin with Cajun seasoning and black pepper.  Brown each side for 5 minutes in the honey butter.  Lower heat if honey begins to burn.
Place pot in oven and roast for 15 - 20 minutes*.  Remove pot from oven and transfer the pork to a plate. Cover with foil.  Add water to the pot and stir over medium heat.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, until sauce is reduced slightly.  Slice pork on the diagonal and drizzle sauce over top to serve.
*NOTE:  May need to cook longer depending on the size and thickness of the pork tenderloin.

Green Monster

I've done it again. I tried something I read on the interweb.

It wasn't half bad either. I've done it twicest already. :)

I tried the green monster. I first saw it on the uber addictive website Pintrest a few weeks ago and read all about it but wasn't quite ready. Then this week I got a new pair of shoes in the mail from Nordstrom thank you very much and I decided I needed to be a little healthier for them to look their best so here I am back. 

Check it out for yourself, http://greenmonstermovement.com/

Me, well, I kinda jacked the first one up as evidenced by the disgusting color of the green-brown monster. But I tried it anyway after reading all about how much people love them and it wasn't too bad, in fact it was good. I decided I had just put too much blueberry for the green to shine. So being the smart woman I am today no blueberry at all and what a lovely shade of green I had.

So since I know you too are dying to try things you read on the internet, here are the recipes for the brown and green green monsters. That name is probably trade marked. If so, please know I use it with the most reverence, if not, I probably need to check into that.

Brown Green Monster:

Handful of frozen blueberries from the bag in the freezer from Costco that you keep on hand for emergency pies

1/2 a frozen banana that you keep on hand for baking muffins for Saturday breakfast

3 strawberries left over form the Peep's breakfast lying on the counter

1/2 cupish orange juice

1/2 cupish pineapple juice

fill the rest of the blender loosely with fresh clean spinach. Right from the Trader Joe's bag.

Flip on the blender and watch it get gross. If you need a little more liquid add water or juice to loosen it up so the blades can move easily.

Pour into glass and enjoy drinking a super healthy snack!

We didn't take a picture, but I know you're smart and can figure out that with those blueberries and red grapes in there that it was more brown than green...

The Peeper's Monster

Her size handful of blueberries from the freezer, a handful of grapes, 4 or 5 strawberries, 2 slices of apple, slug of pineapple juice, 2 little fist fulls of spinach. I didn't love it but she did and she drank the whole 4 cups in the blender jar. I will say I was impressed.

Green Green Monster:

1 frozen banana

2 slices from a jar of peaches in the fridge

about a 1/2 cup each pineapple juice and orange juice

the rest of the blender jar filled with spinach. I was almost out of spinach so mine was only about 1/2 filled.

Blend away.

I'll let you know if it makes a difference in the shoes.

What's in a name??

It occurred to me today as I was re-reading the wedding ceremony program from my BFF Duke's wedding this summer in an effort to clean up some of the clutter in the nest this afternoon that names are a really cool lot that we draw that we have little or no control over but which have much influence over us.

I have a two name family name- named as the legend goes after my mom's two favorite uncles.  The Peep is named for her paternal great grandmother and is the fifth of her middle name on my mothers side.  My sister HillDog  is named for our great grandmother and for our mom's favorite grandfather...

Do we become our name I wonder?  My sister is a little wacky- but her name has a wacky spelling- I am calm and demure- but my name is too- the Peep is movie star dramatic- and so is her name...

And what about nicknames?  Duke has been with us for 20 years but we are the ONLY ones in her family to bestow Dukeness on her- Somehow in 20 years it never caught on anywhere else.

And there are Juniors.  Some parents have no intention of calling their kids by their names- just calling them Bob or Rob or Jr.  That's cool too.  Those kids get to start out cool from the get go.

Now my preggers sister is settling on names with my BIL Bruder and Hallie-Jackon aka Shanequia is growing like a weed.  Will she be a hell raising red haired pale faced little thing or a little spit fire they call Jack??  What if she were called Jack?  What is in a name?  What's in yours??  Please do share...

xoxoxo

Six or Sixteen

Slick is back at work and just called to check in. 

The Peep just asked him, "So what'ch doin' with your bad self?"

Six or Sixteen?  I'm not always sure.

Kicking it Up!

Since the Peep will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, I have started revving up business for the Paper Girl's Paper... Announce, Invite & Delight, LLC.

A little background: Founded shortly after the Peep was born and the Paper Girl realized that although she needed to stay home to take care of the Peep, the Paper Girl could not just sit around all day.

Today: Paper Girl was awarded a distinguished Dealer Award from one of the country's oldest and largest wedding invitation supplier, Carlson Craft.

A little information on the Paper Girl's Company:

How do we meet with you?

All of our meeting are by appointment- either at your office, at my office, or at a mutually agreeable location, like a Starbucks! I have many wedding albums and you flip through them to your heart's content and make a selection that will be perfect for your wedding.

What if I don’t want to meet, I just want to order from the website?

It is totally possible that we will never meet you. All of our invitations are offered through our website and you can place your order directly through it. We will contact you for payment, and other than that, you can do everything from the comfort of your home or office or wherever you have Internet access!

If you find that the ordering process is too daunting after you have made a selection, simply e-mail us all of the details- and we will gladly place the order for you!

Your tag line says Wedding invitations should be the easiest part of planning my wedding... What do you mean that invitations should be easy?

We have a successful proven wedding paper timeline available on our website. Brides who take advantage of our suggested time frames for their wedding paper have been the happiest. We know all of the questions to ask and what to have you consider before we meet to ensure you know what you are looking for before we get together.

Are there hidden charges for things like envelopes?
WHAT??!! Definitely not! All of our printed products come with envelopes free of charge- many of the wedding invitations actually include double envelopes. Black ink is included in the price for everything and it is clearly shown on the website what charge might be incurred with things like ink color changes. The website shows the shipping charge estimate for your product.

If you are in Texas, we are required by the state to charge sales tax.

Does that mean I have to be from Texas to place an order from you?

We ship out of Minnesota, though our offices are in Fort Worth, Texas. We can ship anywhere in North America with ease, and to other destinations with a little planning!

Sad Sad Day

Mayfset 2009 has been canceled by the Tarrant County Department of Health due to concerns of the Swine Flu.

Yuck.

Dang them.

Eddie V

There is a new restaurant in the Big City called Eddie V's... it has quickly become a favorite of many of our friends... and the Peep. It is a growing chain that owns the Roaring Fork from Scottsdale where Slick and I enjoyed the Flinstone Rib...


We had a lovely friend in a couple of weeks ago and decided to take him there for a steak while Slick and I were having fish... you know Lent and all of that... but the Peep and Mr. Patrick wanted steak. Rib eye to be specific- medium, thank you. Mr. Patrick was such a trooper sharing his meat with the Peep- even when she wanted seconds.


Now her favorite thing to ask for is to go out to Eddie V's or to have steak on the grill at home. What have we created???!!!

Duck... Duck... Yuck...!

One of Slick's favorite things to get when we go out to dinner is DUCK. Almost regardless of where we go, if there is duck on the menu, he orders it. If it is a special for the night- look out- he is definitely getting it. I know this about him. I was served duck at his parents house on one of our early dates. I thought it was super cool. Made a big mess but was really cool with the sour cherry sauce and wild rice... I mean, my mother in law is a masterful cook and if she can serve Uncle Ben's Wild Rice then dang it I can to!

Over the vacation last week Slick had duck at dinner one night and the Peep was super curious. This curiosity was partly fueled, I think, by Mr. and Mrs. Mallard who have recently flown in and are vacationing at my parents pool, but who am I to speculate on the thoughts of a 5 year old...

So over dinner I mentioned that we had a duck in the freezer at home and Slick- who is really the one in charge of our larder- was genuinely surprised. I decided then that when we returned home I would thaw and prepare the duck with cherry sauce that Slick so likes.

Thursday was the big day.

I checked in with Slick early in the day to see when I could expect him home for dinner and put the duck into the K2 sink with cool water to thaw.

Then I went looking for my duck and cherry sauce recipe. It is really Slick’s mom’s recipe. According to the recipe card, she shared this information with me in June 1999. For those of you keeping score at home, that was Slick’s first birthday after we were married. I went all out, duck, champagne, strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. And Slick was sick and ate and went directly to bed. That was the last time I remember making duck.

So armed with my 10 year old recipe, I gathered the ingredients- all of which were in stock in the house. I must have purchased the cherries when I got the duck knowing they went together. Man am I a planner or what?

So duck thawed, rinsed, dried, cleaned, quacking at the Peep who was not as amused I thought she would be, the duck went into the oven. Look at those orange slices. Look into the cavity of the bird to see it is stuffed with onion and oranges. Notice the scoring of the fat laden skin. I was on a roll!

Then to the cherry sauce. Pretty easy. Look at the full plump cherries! I am a natural! The Peep tried the sauce. Again fairly unimpressed but I assure her that it will be tasty on the duck at dinner. She is such a trooper that she agrees and starts playing computer games at the kitchen counter to keep me company while the duck roasts.

The recipe says cook for 30 minutes then 20 minutes per pound and the last 20 minutes apply a little of the glaze to the duck. I follow al of these directions. Then I check my favorite yellow cookbook and it says cool 45 minutes then 30 minutes… so apparently I need to cook the bird somewhere between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes… After 2 hours in the oven, it still is not reaching the needed 180 degrees! We decide to take it out anyway. Man it is lovely. Brown and sparkly in the way that only food cooked in animal fat can be. Gross, I know, but seriously.

I plate the quarters and Slick and I head into the dining room to eat… the Peep had given up a while before and eaten cheerios…

We sit down. We say a blessing. It went something like “Dear Lord, please don’t let the duck kill us.” But I can’t remember it word for word.

Then Slick begins a lovely dinner of duck, wild rice spiked with cherry sauce, sautéed zucchini with garlic and steamed broccoli. I have one bite of the duck and remember why it must have been that I never made it again.

I can't stand duck. One bite. I had one bite.

The wild rice was right on. Thanks Uncle Ben.

It may be funny today

It may be funny today. I thought it was funny yesterday. And Sunday. Slick not so much. but it might be funny today.

Last week Slick got his new crackberry for work. The Blackberry 8830 or something. It is pretty cool.

While on vacation last week in sunny Florida we turned on the navigator and went all around the Tampa/ St. Pete area and had a great time. Until we tried to go to the Tampa Children's Museum. Apparently whoever posted all of the exciting reviews on line that we looked at Sunday morning neglected to mention that it was closed. And demolished.

We arrived there just in time to see the dump truck out front and it was lovely. New plan. Let's go to the Dali museum and then the pool at the hotel. Great. Change the location on the navigationized fancy phone. Uh-o. Phone slipped into Slick's vat of diet Pepsi from the bagel shop. I immediately started laughing. I couldn't help it. It was funny. Slick was NOT amused. So neither was the Peep. Then I was in trouble. Jeez.

Back to the hotel to try to dry out the fancy phone. Turns out it eventually worked, but the guy at the Verizon Wireless store told Slick it would not last long- that since we were already there- on a Sunday afternoon- go ahead and get the new one for a small fee.

Check. Slick needs to sync to the computer system at the broadband company before meetings the following morning. USB cord into the bag.

We get back to the hotel with a couple of hours of sun left and hit the pool.

It is really funny how the Peep is just as happy in the pool of the hotel as she was on the beach the day earlier. I am thinking we should just go to a hotel next year and stay there the whole time...

Any way. We head into the hotel to sync the phone and computer... to discover that the Verizon Wireless guy put the wrong USB cord into the bag!! It is now 6:00 on a Sunday night.

We head out and find wal-mart across the street form a Target. The Peep vetoes wal-mart and we head for Target. The guy in the electronics department says they don't sell USB cables. They just don't have any demand for them. Really?

Slick and I look around and find a nice Wii accessory that plugs into the computer with the right connectors. $10.83 and we are in business, we hope.

By this time the Peep is pretty tired- and she is not the only one. We grab a nice Italian dinner and head back to the hotel- I think for the fifth time that day- by now it is after 9. Slick and the Peep work on the computer while I packed and at 10:00 I heard him tell the Peep to cross her fingers... Happily it worked- but not before we lost the whole day to a Clark Griswold inspired day of antics.

Thankfully the rest o the trip was calm and relaxing!

The Peep goes Country

Here is the Peep a few weeks ago at the Big City Stock Show. Now you Houston/ Woodlands/ Spring Folk- I know it is nothing like the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo and all of the fancy singers and such that you have... but in the big city... it is what we do for fun in January.

Posing so beautifully with the Peep are no doubt two Junior League members- possibly ones I know- but maybe not. The Junior League of the Big City is paid for dressing up as Hoss and Elwood and walking around all year getting kids and parents excited about the Big City Stock Show.

Thanks friends, this is a keeper!

Squirrely

We have a million billion squirrels in our neighborhood in the big city. Partly because we live in an old neighborhood and partly because the neighbors keep their dog indoors... At any rate The Peep and I saw a super funny squirrel activity yesterday!

Putter Rooster is more social than other dogs in the neighborhood and when she has the chance to go outside, she likes NOT to stay in our yard like the well behaved dogs, but to go visiting. Visiting the neighbors. Visiting the neighbors neighbors. Visiting across the street. I think you get the idea.

So when she is outside on purpose, we have her in the harness- her kryptonite- and tie her to the rope that extends to the end of our yard, but not into the street. The rope is a good rope. Cotton and soft. So soft in fact that apparently it is a fine bedding product for squirrels. Ysterday the Peep and I saw a squirrel trying to take the rope, which is tied to a post on our front porch- I know what you are thinking- CLASSY- up the tree to it's squirrel house!

Now I thought it was funny and called the Peep over. Mistake. Last week on Wa Wa Wubsy a couple of beavers ate part of the tree house- one stick of the tree house to be specific and the tree house fell down. The Peep is concerned that the squirrels will pull out the post from the porch and the house will fall down!

I am more worriedthat they might try to adopt a dog...

The Peep loves burgers

There is a hamburger place in the big city known for having the BEST burgers in the world! A few weeks ago the Peep decided she was ready to try one and we called Hill Dog and went. Immediately. Here you see the Peep waiting for the call of her name signaling the burger is ready.

Here you see her chowing down on the cheeseburger, plain and dry. Without pickles.

What an adorable girl!

Makes the parents proud!

From the what is with people file... and a tasty recipe!

What is with people??

Slick, the Peep and I ventured to our neighborhood wing and pizza joint across from the college in the big city tonight for, what else, wings and pizza.

The restaurant is on a busy road with parallel parking so I did the driving. Somehow Slick and I both did our drivers ed classes in Texas, took the driving text at the same DMV and both have valid licenses, but he CAN NOT parallel park.

So I was in Slick's white hot car parallel parking when three people emerged from an academic building and headed for the compact car with a hatchback in front of our space.

They started loading their gear into the hatch-back portion of the car. And then all piled into the 2 door car. All while I had to patiently wait for them to get the @#%$ out of my way so I could finish parking!

I know you know- you pull next to the front car.

You put your car in reverse.

You back into the spot and straighten at the last minute.

Then you PULL FORWARD to center yourself in the area between two cars! I had to sit there while CLUELESS or RUDE, take your pick, finished and vacated their spot.

HELLO!

Let us all become more self aware from this story. Which incidentally is NOT a complaint since I have started leading a NO COMPLAINING life... Thank you Elaine, for the NO Complaining Rule suggestion.

Now for the recipe:

Duke's Soon to be Famous Lemon Squares

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix in a food processor with the plastic dough blade in palace until it is coarse sand's texture: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 sticks of butter cubed.
Press into a 13x9 baking dish with either clean hands or the flat part of a measuring cup. Bake about 22 minutes.

While the delectable crust bakes, combine really well in a glass bowl: 4 eggs beaten, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/3 c fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Let sit while the crust finishes baking.

As soon as the crust is golden brown, stir and pour the filling over the hot crust and return to the over for about 22 minutes longer.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cool before cutting with a plastic knife dipped in hot water.

A trip to the stockshow!

The Peep, Lulu and I went to the Big City to the Stock Show today. It was fun and a beating all rolled into one!

The peep was up at the crack of 6:00 because she did not want to be late... we got her back into bed to have her reemerge at 7:30 calling for everyone to get up!! We had to get going soon!

After a tasty country breakfast complete with gravy, thank you Lulu, we made it at the early time of about 11:00. On the way inside I laid down the law. We were here to loo and have fun, but we would not be buying any hats, boots, chaps, tractors or horses. Ok by everyone.

We met Lucy 3 in the information booth and we had no more than said hi and given her hugs then she asked the Peep if she wanted to go get a pink cowboy hat...!! At least the Peep had the good sense to look at me before yelling yes and running off with Lucy 3 into the exhibition area...

Ten minutes later she could not have looked cuter in a pink straw hat- which I will say she kept up with by herself for the remainder of the day!

Off to look around and after a couple rows of hats, boots, tractors and salsa makers, the Peep was ready for animals!

We passed through the stage and food area and stumbled upon the Ballet Folklorica and watched for three dances- they were cool and the Peep was fine to leave knowing they traditionally preform at the Big City's Mayfest... We hit the FFA Barnyard to check on the big momma pig and her 16 piglets, the goats, the checks hatching before your very eyes and the guinea foul.

Then a trip to the magic show and a look at cows, longhorns and a few goats.

The Peep wants to know why we don't have a cow. I said because we live in the city... I don't think she's going to take that as a good answer for long!

If you give a kid a camera...

For her birthday the Peep got a couple of the If You Give a ... books. You know the ones- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and the like.

I would now demonstrate what happens if you give a 5 year old your new camera...

She will take pictures of the Jelly Bellys that Slick received from one of his vendors.

She will like the colors so much, she will go around looking for other things colorful to take pictures of.

She will find a bowl of random ornaments and take their picture too.

This will remind her that it is Christmas time and there are many things around the house decorating.

She will go on a spree taking pictures of those as well.

The next thing you know there are 20 or so pictures from all different angels of the downstairs of the house, including several unflattering ones of you and the family which must be deleted immediately!

Whew. Where have I been?

So sorry for the LONG delay in posting. We have been having loads of fun in the Big City and I have not taken the time to let you know all about it.

Let me see... The Peep turned 5 as I mentioned and we have a wonderful party which was recorded for posterity by my wonderful friend Allie Cat after my camera died a horrible death during the first five minutes of the party. Here you see the Peep and a few friends with the stars of the party a couple three of the cheerleaders from the nearby college.

Here you see Allie Cat's two boys enjoying hot dogs.

I love those boys!

The very next week was Thanksgiving and in traditional crazy family style we went to the extended family celebration in Central Texas for an afternoon of delicious food and fun with the family. We returned home that evening to our crazy neighbors pyromania leading to a fire in the back yard for smores, hot chocolate and the telling of lies, jokes and stories. The Peep was in rare form by the fire improvising songs about the day, the fire and Christmas.

The Crazy Cat lady and her super nice husband took the Peep to the movies to see Bolt- which Slick and I understand is super funny. The Peep had a wonderful time being a princess for the day with them and it extended into the next day when the Crazy neighbors gave her their birthday gift make over princess style.

Then we hosted lunch for 20 of our most fun family and friends and Busia made 2 delicious turkeys for Thanksgiving Part 2.

The next week Slick whisked me away to Arizona for a few days of much needed R&R including facials and massages for both of us and new bright red toenails for me.

Here you see Slick enjoying dinner one of the nights Fred Flintstone style with what turned out to be the MOST MOST MOST delicious meat I have ever eaten. I would move to Arizona to eat this meat more often. It was that good. And funny.

Happy Weekend!!

Happy List for the weekend!!!

1. Halloween Candy!

2. Figuring out the eliptical!

3. Creamy tomato soup!

4. Exclaimation points!

5. being too jazzed to sleep

6. Dairy Queen

7. a clean house

8. the lines a vacuum makes on thr carpet

9. fresh sheets

10. friends visiting