News flash #1: It's Halloween! Yay!! We get to see all the little neighbor kidlets running around in costume. We always sit out front with our giant tub o'candy and make them walk the steps up to our front door to get said candy. I know, it seems mean to make little kids go the extra mile but hey, it's either them or us. And they are young and floating on a sugar high. We are old and need our strength.
News flash #2: Wednesday we have tickets to go see David Sedaris! Yay again!! But even more yay!!! I just adore him and I am thrilled to get to see him live.
News flash #3: If seeing David Sedaris isn't enough goodness and excitement, guess who else I get to see next Monday?
Here's a hint: it's another author.
Here's another hint: he's world famous and fabulous.
One more hint: he has written one of the Top Five Books Ever Written.
Ok, last hint: He is the only author out there with a fatwa issued against him by the Ayatollah of Iran.
Yes, indeedy, I will be in the presence of Salman Rushdie one week from today.
In honor of that I am now re-reading The Satanic Verses. This book is just so damn amazing I find it hard to believe it was created by a mere human being. Mr. Rushdie must be on a whole 'nother level of creativity and genius than the humble plane I live on.
It's really easy to be humble when you are going to be face to face with both these creative, clever geniuses.
News flash #4: Sparky has auditioned for and gotten a role in a new play, kind of a one-act show, at his school. Yay for Sparky!!! Which means in addition to all the school work, work study work, other work, meetings, etc. he gets to add daily rehearsals to his way too busy schedule. He's young. He can do this. It's only for 6 - 8 more weeks till the semester ends.
News flash #5: My sister and her very best life-long friend and the friend's sisters and nieces are all going to do the Susan G. Komen 3-day walk, sleep in pink tents, and raise money event this coming week in Dallas. She and the very best friend have been working all year long to build up and be ready for walking 20 something miles each day. They have been so dedicated to this. I am really proud of what they have done. The actual walk will just be icing on the cake.
News flash #6: Today is laundry day. Today is take down the noisy, crappy, old, metal mini-blinds in the bedroom that Angus MacPhee rattles and I hate with a white hot passion. Today is wash those windows behind the blinds and then hang the new and lovely and even better . . . quiet shades. Hurray for quiet shades and clean windows!
News flash #7: The planning for the Thanksgiving feast has begun! We are making lists of the contents of both freezers and going to plan the next month's menus around those items to get rid of them and make room for the turkey. Turkey dinner, it's a beautiful thing.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Enchiladas, Rice and Beans
You're hungry now, aren't you? Enchiladas, Rice and Beans sounds good, doesn't it?
But I am not here today to talk to you about food. Not food for your body, anyway. You could consider this food for your soul.
This is a book that I have on my shelf. It is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. I bought this book years and years ago, but just last week I pulled it down and am now re-reading it.
As a person who was born to be a lover of all things Mexican, and as a person who has lived either in Mexico or on the border for most of my life this book is truly one that speaks to me. I just adore this book.
Sr. Daniel Reveles has written what I consider to be a piece of art. Actually, each chapter could stand alone as a little vignette, a snapshot of life in a Mexican border town. You will fall in love with each and every person you encounter in your travels through his stories of Tecate.
You know how Northern Exposure made you want to go find the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska and listen to Chris in the morning on the radio? And go to Hollings place to eat and have a beer? That's what this book does for Tecate.
Go to Amazon.com and get yourself a copy. I promise that whenever you find yourself in need of a great book to read to warm your heart and make you roll around laughing and then alternately weep, this book will do that for you. Because when you want to feel warm, cozy and comforted what's better than Enchiladas, Rice and Beans?
But I am not here today to talk to you about food. Not food for your body, anyway. You could consider this food for your soul.
This is a book that I have on my shelf. It is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. I bought this book years and years ago, but just last week I pulled it down and am now re-reading it.
As a person who was born to be a lover of all things Mexican, and as a person who has lived either in Mexico or on the border for most of my life this book is truly one that speaks to me. I just adore this book.
Sr. Daniel Reveles has written what I consider to be a piece of art. Actually, each chapter could stand alone as a little vignette, a snapshot of life in a Mexican border town. You will fall in love with each and every person you encounter in your travels through his stories of Tecate.
You know how Northern Exposure made you want to go find the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska and listen to Chris in the morning on the radio? And go to Hollings place to eat and have a beer? That's what this book does for Tecate.
Go to Amazon.com and get yourself a copy. I promise that whenever you find yourself in need of a great book to read to warm your heart and make you roll around laughing and then alternately weep, this book will do that for you. Because when you want to feel warm, cozy and comforted what's better than Enchiladas, Rice and Beans?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Exciting News from Broadway
You know how every one who has ever recorded more than 3 songs now has a musical production being made with a storyline of their music?
Jersey Boys.
Rain.
Billy Joel. (what was the name of that one?)
Mamma Mia
etc., etc., ad nauseum.
I just read in the news that there's another one coming down the pike. Yay! It's gonna be a good one.
Any guesses as to whom?
Well, his name starts with John and ends with Denver!!
JOHN DENVER!
Here is what the article had to say: "A Moment in Time" follows the story of a mortally wounded marine in Afghanistan who recalls a happier time with his family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The project was developed by five-time Tony Award winner Stewart F. Lane, who was recently honored with the 2011 John Denver Spirit Award."
John Denver.
Has there ever been a more universally-loved performer than John Denver? Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, in the 1970s had someone sing "Annie's Song" at their weddings. That is one of my all time favorite songs. I could listen to it on repeat for hours and hours. (And I have. And I still do!) The emotion always overwhelms me and I end in joyous tears.
The only redeeming thing about that shitty Pauly Shore movie "Son-in-law" was John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy".
And as far as I am concerned there is nothing that says "Hey, it's Christmas time!" like John Denver and the Muppets singing the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Jersey Boys.
Rain.
Billy Joel. (what was the name of that one?)
Mamma Mia
etc., etc., ad nauseum.
I just read in the news that there's another one coming down the pike. Yay! It's gonna be a good one.
Any guesses as to whom?
Well, his name starts with John and ends with Denver!!
JOHN DENVER!
Here is what the article had to say: "A Moment in Time" follows the story of a mortally wounded marine in Afghanistan who recalls a happier time with his family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The project was developed by five-time Tony Award winner Stewart F. Lane, who was recently honored with the 2011 John Denver Spirit Award."
John Denver.
Has there ever been a more universally-loved performer than John Denver? Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, in the 1970s had someone sing "Annie's Song" at their weddings. That is one of my all time favorite songs. I could listen to it on repeat for hours and hours. (And I have. And I still do!) The emotion always overwhelms me and I end in joyous tears.
The only redeeming thing about that shitty Pauly Shore movie "Son-in-law" was John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy".
And as far as I am concerned there is nothing that says "Hey, it's Christmas time!" like John Denver and the Muppets singing the Twelve Days of Christmas.
John Denver took us to the tops of the Rocky Mountains. He took us all under the sea with Jacques Cousteau. And it was his dream to go into space. If he could imagine it, he could sing about it and take us there.
I will leave you with an absolutely gorgeous live version of "Annie's Song" to make your heart swell and send you on your day with joy.
Monday, October 24, 2011
It's been one of those mornings
You know the kind I mean. The kind where you wake up in a bad mood and it goes down hill from there? That kind.
Lately morning has been starting about 5 o'dark thirty, with that no good sorry ass Angus MacPhee deciding it is time for e v e r y o n e to wake up. And wake up the hard way.
What is the hard way, you might ask?
It starts with that little bastard Angus meowing. Then he gets louder "MEEEOOOOW!"
Then he gets this really deep down, open up his throat meow going that gets so loud it's unbelievable!
"Rrrr, rrrrr, mrrrr-ooooowwwwwww!"
We have large industrial-sized squirt bottles filled with watered-down vinegar to blast any pet who gets out of line. And Mr. Big Ed keeps one on his side of the bed at night for just such displays of douchiness. So the morning has started. Angus is yowling and acting like a dick. Mr. Big Ed is squirting the bottle without aiming or opening his eyes and all the other pets are trying to get out of the line of vinegar fire.
Then Angus decides that it is time to move on to Phase Two of his "Kill the Morning Campaign". Phase Two looks like this:
On each side of our bed are night stands. Each with lamps, alarm clocks, various reading materials, glasses of water, eyeglasses, cell phones, house phones. You know, the usual night stand clutter. And right behind those night stands? Long skinny windows with those crappy metal mini-blinds in them.
So Angus bats at the metal blinds (making loads of noise in the process) until he gets them to flip forward enough that he can get in the window behind them and start the yowling process all over again. That way he is up much closer to our heads so we can hear him all the better. And he has his eye on you the whole time so that the minute you raise your head up to try and start throwing the other 4 cats off of the top of the covers so you can get out from underneath them and grab him, he has rattled out of the blinds and headed for the hills.
Sometimes he even goes for Phase Three.
Phase Three looks like Phase Two except for one thing. Instead of going around the back side of the night stands to get into the blinds and make a ruckus?
HE GOES ON TOP OF THE NIGHT STANDS AND KNOCKS ALL THAT SHIT OFF OF THEM!!
If that weren't bad enough, he does it first on one side and then when we get all cleaned up and settled back down,
HE DOES IT TO THE OTHER NIGHT STAND!!
Angus is quickly using up all of his nine lives.
That's how the morning started today. Then I had to get up and take Nikita Babushka (the Husky Princess) outside to pee. While she is out peeing and sniffing the air, I go get Maxwell Banks (the Schnauzer with Alzheimer's) and wake him up to go pee and what do I find? He has woken up early and just peed and shit in the kitchen floor. And then he had stepped in it. And kept walking.
I didn't lose it yet. I was calm and said to myself, "Self, you can just clean this up in just a bit. Get all the dogs out to pee, give the cats their treats and then worry about it." Then I herded Max outside and went to wake up Ernest T. Bass to go outside. (I always sing to him "Ernest T. Bass goes pee pee on the grass")
During the 2 - 3 minutes it took me to go get Ernest T. and walk back towards the back door, Nikita had taken a big shit right in the family room. She had just been outside and walked back inside and shit on my floor. Bitch.
Ernest T. and I stepped around it and I took him outside and brought Max in and was starting to cuss all these damn animals under my breath.
Then I got the paper towels, spray bottle of cleaner, the swiffer and those wet swiffer sheet things and the trash can and was getting ready to clean up all the floors when my phone rang.
I almost didn't answer it, but I saw on the caller i.d. thing that it was my neighbor, The Colonel. Since he turned 90 on Easter this year, I wouldn't feel right ducking his call. What if he or the lovely Miss Betty had fallen or something?
So I answered it. And he started in telling me this story of how their across the street neighbor had called them to tell them that she had seen a strange looking vehicle pull up in their driveway (The Colonel's driveway) and that a black man had gotten out of the car!! Then TC & MB dog, Fifi had set up barking and raising cain so the black man had run back to his car and high-tailed it out of there, taking a section of their retaining wall with him.
So far this is a pretty good story since we do tend to keep the neighborhood in the loop of potential burglaries and such. But then I guess The Col. got comfortable with his story and he started referring to the black man as the n-word. We all know the word. I use a lot of words. I use a lot of really good swear words. Never do I use that word. Never. And it took my poor brain a few seconds to digest the fact that he had in fact, actually said that word. Out loud. And assumed that it was okay to use that word with me.
So I hung up and then looked at all the dog shit and piss I had to clean. And I cleaned it all up and then mopped the floor.
All this BEFORE I had my cup of tea. BEFORE.
I am now drinking my tea and typing about the shitty morning I have had. All of which started with that little douchebag Angus MacPhee. Angus, who likes to sleep all day. Angus, who takes really long cat naps during the day. Angus, who will be woken up every chance I get today. Every time I see that little bastard sleeping I am going to wake him up. Gleefully!
No sleep for Angus!
How's your morning?
Lately morning has been starting about 5 o'dark thirty, with that no good sorry ass Angus MacPhee deciding it is time for e v e r y o n e to wake up. And wake up the hard way.
What is the hard way, you might ask?
It starts with that little bastard Angus meowing. Then he gets louder "MEEEOOOOW!"
Then he gets this really deep down, open up his throat meow going that gets so loud it's unbelievable!
"Rrrr, rrrrr, mrrrr-ooooowwwwwww!"
We have large industrial-sized squirt bottles filled with watered-down vinegar to blast any pet who gets out of line. And Mr. Big Ed keeps one on his side of the bed at night for just such displays of douchiness. So the morning has started. Angus is yowling and acting like a dick. Mr. Big Ed is squirting the bottle without aiming or opening his eyes and all the other pets are trying to get out of the line of vinegar fire.
Then Angus decides that it is time to move on to Phase Two of his "Kill the Morning Campaign". Phase Two looks like this:
On each side of our bed are night stands. Each with lamps, alarm clocks, various reading materials, glasses of water, eyeglasses, cell phones, house phones. You know, the usual night stand clutter. And right behind those night stands? Long skinny windows with those crappy metal mini-blinds in them.
So Angus bats at the metal blinds (making loads of noise in the process) until he gets them to flip forward enough that he can get in the window behind them and start the yowling process all over again. That way he is up much closer to our heads so we can hear him all the better. And he has his eye on you the whole time so that the minute you raise your head up to try and start throwing the other 4 cats off of the top of the covers so you can get out from underneath them and grab him, he has rattled out of the blinds and headed for the hills.
Sometimes he even goes for Phase Three.
Phase Three looks like Phase Two except for one thing. Instead of going around the back side of the night stands to get into the blinds and make a ruckus?
HE GOES ON TOP OF THE NIGHT STANDS AND KNOCKS ALL THAT SHIT OFF OF THEM!!
If that weren't bad enough, he does it first on one side and then when we get all cleaned up and settled back down,
HE DOES IT TO THE OTHER NIGHT STAND!!
Angus is quickly using up all of his nine lives.
That's how the morning started today. Then I had to get up and take Nikita Babushka (the Husky Princess) outside to pee. While she is out peeing and sniffing the air, I go get Maxwell Banks (the Schnauzer with Alzheimer's) and wake him up to go pee and what do I find? He has woken up early and just peed and shit in the kitchen floor. And then he had stepped in it. And kept walking.
I didn't lose it yet. I was calm and said to myself, "Self, you can just clean this up in just a bit. Get all the dogs out to pee, give the cats their treats and then worry about it." Then I herded Max outside and went to wake up Ernest T. Bass to go outside. (I always sing to him "Ernest T. Bass goes pee pee on the grass")
During the 2 - 3 minutes it took me to go get Ernest T. and walk back towards the back door, Nikita had taken a big shit right in the family room. She had just been outside and walked back inside and shit on my floor. Bitch.
Ernest T. and I stepped around it and I took him outside and brought Max in and was starting to cuss all these damn animals under my breath.
Then I got the paper towels, spray bottle of cleaner, the swiffer and those wet swiffer sheet things and the trash can and was getting ready to clean up all the floors when my phone rang.
I almost didn't answer it, but I saw on the caller i.d. thing that it was my neighbor, The Colonel. Since he turned 90 on Easter this year, I wouldn't feel right ducking his call. What if he or the lovely Miss Betty had fallen or something?
So I answered it. And he started in telling me this story of how their across the street neighbor had called them to tell them that she had seen a strange looking vehicle pull up in their driveway (The Colonel's driveway) and that a black man had gotten out of the car!! Then TC & MB dog, Fifi had set up barking and raising cain so the black man had run back to his car and high-tailed it out of there, taking a section of their retaining wall with him.
So far this is a pretty good story since we do tend to keep the neighborhood in the loop of potential burglaries and such. But then I guess The Col. got comfortable with his story and he started referring to the black man as the n-word. We all know the word. I use a lot of words. I use a lot of really good swear words. Never do I use that word. Never. And it took my poor brain a few seconds to digest the fact that he had in fact, actually said that word. Out loud. And assumed that it was okay to use that word with me.
So I hung up and then looked at all the dog shit and piss I had to clean. And I cleaned it all up and then mopped the floor.
All this BEFORE I had my cup of tea. BEFORE.
I am now drinking my tea and typing about the shitty morning I have had. All of which started with that little douchebag Angus MacPhee. Angus, who likes to sleep all day. Angus, who takes really long cat naps during the day. Angus, who will be woken up every chance I get today. Every time I see that little bastard sleeping I am going to wake him up. Gleefully!
No sleep for Angus!
How's your morning?
Saturday, October 22, 2011
We're not number 1!
You know how there is always someone compiling lists and statistics about any and every thing you can imagine? Supposedly, my city is the top rated for binge drinking and also for teen pregnancy. You see a connection there? Maybe a little cause and effect?
This morning I was reading news articles online and came across one that lists the top 10 and bottom 10 for the drunkest states in the union. There is a whole lot of numbers that went into this listing, but I am just going to bottom line the 10 Least Drunk states and then the 10 Most Drunk States.
Least Drunk States
10. Ohio with an average of 32.6 gallons per person
9. Alabama with 30.6 total gallons per person
8. West Virginia with 29.3 g.p.p. (shorter to type 20 times)
7. North Carolina also with 29.3 g.p.p.
6. Oklahoma with 28.9 g.p.p.
5. Kansas with 28.7 g.p.p.
4. Tennessee with 28 g.p.p.
3. Arkansas with 26.6 g.p.p. (personally I think having the Dugger clan in ARK skews their numbers)
2. Kentucky with 26.2 g.p.p.
and drumroll, please . . . . . .
1. Utah!!! with 18.9 g.p.p.
That's quite the drop in consumption between number 2 Kentucky and number 1 Utah, wouldn't you say?
Also, I think it bears noting that lots of these non-boozing states are in the south. The south. Where all the good whiskey is made. They make it but they aren't slamming it back. Interesting.
And this brings us to our Top 10 Drunken Booziest States!
10. Colorado with 34.7 g.p.p. (notice this is almost twice what Utah drinks)
9. Alaska with 35.4 g.p.p. (I would have thought it would be higher)
8. Wyoming with 37.6 g.p.p.
7. Delaware with 38.5 g.p.p. (Delaware??? who woulda thunk it?)
6. North Dakota with 39.3 g.p.p.
5. Wisconsin with 39.5 g.p.p. (Hey, it takes a lot of booze to fuel writing The Onion so consistently funny)
4. Montana with 40.1 g.p.p. (another one I am not surprised at. Hell, this state has the Testicle Festival! You pretty much have to be drunk for that one!)
3. District of Columbia with 41.6 g.p.p.
2. Nevada with 46 g.p.p. (Holy Bikinis, Batman! That's a lot of booze!)
and believe it or don't, the number one spot of Drunkest, Booziest State in the Union goes to . . . . . . .
NEW HAMPSHIRE with 48.7 gallons per person.
I will let that sink in for a minute. New Hampshire beat us. One of the teensiest little states beat our big giant drive-for-days-to-get-across Texas. How did your state rank? Did your state rank in the top or bottom 10?
But I bet those NH teens won't beat out our local girls for most teen pregnancies! We'll always (sadly) have that claim to fame.
This morning I was reading news articles online and came across one that lists the top 10 and bottom 10 for the drunkest states in the union. There is a whole lot of numbers that went into this listing, but I am just going to bottom line the 10 Least Drunk states and then the 10 Most Drunk States.
Least Drunk States
10. Ohio with an average of 32.6 gallons per person
9. Alabama with 30.6 total gallons per person
8. West Virginia with 29.3 g.p.p. (shorter to type 20 times)
7. North Carolina also with 29.3 g.p.p.
6. Oklahoma with 28.9 g.p.p.
5. Kansas with 28.7 g.p.p.
4. Tennessee with 28 g.p.p.
3. Arkansas with 26.6 g.p.p. (personally I think having the Dugger clan in ARK skews their numbers)
2. Kentucky with 26.2 g.p.p.
and drumroll, please . . . . . .
1. Utah!!! with 18.9 g.p.p.
That's quite the drop in consumption between number 2 Kentucky and number 1 Utah, wouldn't you say?
Also, I think it bears noting that lots of these non-boozing states are in the south. The south. Where all the good whiskey is made. They make it but they aren't slamming it back. Interesting.
And this brings us to our Top 10 Drunken Booziest States!
10. Colorado with 34.7 g.p.p. (notice this is almost twice what Utah drinks)
9. Alaska with 35.4 g.p.p. (I would have thought it would be higher)
8. Wyoming with 37.6 g.p.p.
7. Delaware with 38.5 g.p.p. (Delaware??? who woulda thunk it?)
6. North Dakota with 39.3 g.p.p.
5. Wisconsin with 39.5 g.p.p. (Hey, it takes a lot of booze to fuel writing The Onion so consistently funny)
4. Montana with 40.1 g.p.p. (another one I am not surprised at. Hell, this state has the Testicle Festival! You pretty much have to be drunk for that one!)
3. District of Columbia with 41.6 g.p.p.
2. Nevada with 46 g.p.p. (Holy Bikinis, Batman! That's a lot of booze!)
and believe it or don't, the number one spot of Drunkest, Booziest State in the Union goes to . . . . . . .
NEW HAMPSHIRE with 48.7 gallons per person.
I will let that sink in for a minute. New Hampshire beat us. One of the teensiest little states beat our big giant drive-for-days-to-get-across Texas. How did your state rank? Did your state rank in the top or bottom 10?
But I bet those NH teens won't beat out our local girls for most teen pregnancies! We'll always (sadly) have that claim to fame.
Friday, October 21, 2011
A few of my favorite things
It's fall, or autumn, whichever you prefer. Do you capitalize your seasons like they do in German? Some do because they think it is correct. It is technically not capitalized in English, but it does look better as Autumn, doesn't it?
Anyhoo! It is time for the fall/autumnal version of regular items. All the breweries are making their winter/fall/holiday versions of their beers and ales. Yay! Does anyone remember Coors Winterfest? o.m.g. that was such a great beer! Can I find it here? Nope. Do I know if Coors still makes it? Nope.
But I do know that Hershey's has brought back the Pumpkin Spice Kisses! Score!
Have you had these? They are like little bits of pumpkin spicey cheesecake goodness. Get some. And be sure you get a second bag to get you through to Thanksgiving.
While I was at the store scanning the Hershey Kisses I saw these:
However good you think these might be, well, they are a million times better.
Those almonds are delicious. I am thinking that as good as they are all by themselves, they might be excellent in some brittle or other candy recipe. Maybe chopped up and put into some fudge? Maybe tossed in a fall/autumnal salad with some roasted squash or beets?
What about sprinkled on top of some ice cream? Or cheese cake? Or ground up and mixed into a graham cracker crust with a pumpkin cheesecake filling? (I am trying it both ways to see if cheese cake looks better as one word or two.)
What I am saying about the nuts is . . . . . Get some.
You're welcome!
Anyhoo! It is time for the fall/autumnal version of regular items. All the breweries are making their winter/fall/holiday versions of their beers and ales. Yay! Does anyone remember Coors Winterfest? o.m.g. that was such a great beer! Can I find it here? Nope. Do I know if Coors still makes it? Nope.
But I do know that Hershey's has brought back the Pumpkin Spice Kisses! Score!
Have you had these? They are like little bits of pumpkin spicey cheesecake goodness. Get some. And be sure you get a second bag to get you through to Thanksgiving.
While I was at the store scanning the Hershey Kisses I saw these:
However good you think these might be, well, they are a million times better.
Those almonds are delicious. I am thinking that as good as they are all by themselves, they might be excellent in some brittle or other candy recipe. Maybe chopped up and put into some fudge? Maybe tossed in a fall/autumnal salad with some roasted squash or beets?
What about sprinkled on top of some ice cream? Or cheese cake? Or ground up and mixed into a graham cracker crust with a pumpkin cheesecake filling? (I am trying it both ways to see if cheese cake looks better as one word or two.)
What I am saying about the nuts is . . . . . Get some.
You're welcome!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
It's a photo version of how things go in my head
Believe it or don't there are photos today!!! There will be cute pics and there will be admissions of guilt and stupidity. There will be trips down Memory Lane. And! If that weren't worth the price of admission, you will get to be the first people to see the new table. Yay!!!
So, let's get started, shall we?
Look at my new friend, Scruffy! Isn't he the cutest? Scruffy was on Death Row until my brother-in-law saved his life. Scruffy had just had a bath and I was trying to photograph how his hair just naturally wants to be spikey and mohawk-y.
Next we come to some pictures of the very first house Mr. Big Ed and I bought. Way back in 1983 we bought this little garden home and signed our lives away. I remember clearly hearing the title guy say "Now, you are agreeing to make payments till 2013" and we looked at each other and thought "Whoa! 2013! Damn, that sounds all Space Odyssey in the future!" And all these years later we have moved more times than I care to think about and guess what?
It STILL ISN'T 2013!!! That damn house STILL wouldn't be all ours yet. Good Lord.
But what I want you to notice is the 2 Wild Olive Trees in the front yard. We planted them way back in the day and they were tiny little trees then. They are big, gnarled and gorgeous now. I just adore those olive trees and I would like to have some again. Maybe we should find a place to put them in this yard?
While we were driving around looking at my old house we went by our old church and school. This is where we chose to worship after we were married. This is where my babies were baptized. And also where we chose to start the kids in school. It has also grown and changed over the years.
The first view is from the parking lot looking at the front of the school. It didn't used to be green. To the left of where I was standing is the Parish Hall. And in front and to the right a bit is the actual church.
This one is the church.
And what do we have here? This is the view from my front door waaaaaaay up at the top of the hill looking waaaaaay back down to the street at the delivery truck that brought my new coffee table for the living room.
And here it is!!! Gasp! It took me six years of searching and searching to find this table. Notice anything?
Like maybe it is too f*cking TALL? Like maybe this really isn't a COFFEE TABLE at all????
Like maybe I might have bought the wrong flipping thing? I swear I read that this was a coffee table that the legs could be twisted up to be like a game table and then it opens up to be a spare dining table.
Let me back up to say that I bought this sight unseen. Sort of. I bought it on OneKingsLane where there were pictures and a description page. And that is what I recall about it. That and the fact that I saved $700 for buying it. Whatever.
So I am going to have to go turn this thing over and find out if the legs actually do get shorter and longer or if I am going to have to chalk this up to experience and put it in another place.
I really, really, really don't want to have to tell Mr. Big Ed I could have screwed this up. Cross your fingers for me.
I don't even know what to say about this table business. I mean look at those legs do you see any possible way those things can telescope in on themselves? It's too heavy for me to flip it over all by myself so it will have to wait till Sparky gets home this afternoon before we can start investigating.
You may want to cross more than your fingers on this deal.
So, let's get started, shall we?
Look at my new friend, Scruffy! Isn't he the cutest? Scruffy was on Death Row until my brother-in-law saved his life. Scruffy had just had a bath and I was trying to photograph how his hair just naturally wants to be spikey and mohawk-y.
Next we come to some pictures of the very first house Mr. Big Ed and I bought. Way back in 1983 we bought this little garden home and signed our lives away. I remember clearly hearing the title guy say "Now, you are agreeing to make payments till 2013" and we looked at each other and thought "Whoa! 2013! Damn, that sounds all Space Odyssey in the future!" And all these years later we have moved more times than I care to think about and guess what?
It STILL ISN'T 2013!!! That damn house STILL wouldn't be all ours yet. Good Lord.
But what I want you to notice is the 2 Wild Olive Trees in the front yard. We planted them way back in the day and they were tiny little trees then. They are big, gnarled and gorgeous now. I just adore those olive trees and I would like to have some again. Maybe we should find a place to put them in this yard?
While we were driving around looking at my old house we went by our old church and school. This is where we chose to worship after we were married. This is where my babies were baptized. And also where we chose to start the kids in school. It has also grown and changed over the years.
The first view is from the parking lot looking at the front of the school. It didn't used to be green. To the left of where I was standing is the Parish Hall. And in front and to the right a bit is the actual church.
This one is the church.
And what do we have here? This is the view from my front door waaaaaaay up at the top of the hill looking waaaaaay back down to the street at the delivery truck that brought my new coffee table for the living room.
And here it is!!! Gasp! It took me six years of searching and searching to find this table. Notice anything?
Like maybe it is too f*cking TALL? Like maybe this really isn't a COFFEE TABLE at all????
Like maybe I might have bought the wrong flipping thing? I swear I read that this was a coffee table that the legs could be twisted up to be like a game table and then it opens up to be a spare dining table.
Let me back up to say that I bought this sight unseen. Sort of. I bought it on OneKingsLane where there were pictures and a description page. And that is what I recall about it. That and the fact that I saved $700 for buying it. Whatever.
So I am going to have to go turn this thing over and find out if the legs actually do get shorter and longer or if I am going to have to chalk this up to experience and put it in another place.
I really, really, really don't want to have to tell Mr. Big Ed I could have screwed this up. Cross your fingers for me.
I don't even know what to say about this table business. I mean look at those legs do you see any possible way those things can telescope in on themselves? It's too heavy for me to flip it over all by myself so it will have to wait till Sparky gets home this afternoon before we can start investigating.
You may want to cross more than your fingers on this deal.
Lockout Schlockout
Dear NBA,
We, your adoring and ardent fans, beseech you to get your shit together. Enough is enough. Everyone knows it's always the fault of the other party when 2 sides can't come together in peace, love, and harmony.
But, who is really paying the price for this dick-measuring debacle? While you are waiting for the other side to flinch, blink and say Uncle, who is losing out? Hmmm?
Would it be us, the fans?
Why yes, it would!
And here's a little heads up for you:
If you keep this shit up you are going to LOSE fans! Left and right, people will quit caring.
Right now, do I know where any of my beloved Spurs are? Nope.
Do I care? Just a little. And a little less than I cared last week. And less than the week before.
So, as a mom I have this to say, "Get back to work. Get back to doing what you signed up to do. Quit being greedy bastards. And if there are less asses in the seats for your games when you do start up again, that is the price you will have to pay. And there will be major sucking up you will have to do to help your fan base remember why they liked you in the first damn place. I will say this one more time, Get. back. to. work. Enough is enough, already."
Most sincerely,
Lisa Pie who finds herself less and less of a fan as time goes by
We, your adoring and ardent fans, beseech you to get your shit together. Enough is enough. Everyone knows it's always the fault of the other party when 2 sides can't come together in peace, love, and harmony.
But, who is really paying the price for this dick-measuring debacle? While you are waiting for the other side to flinch, blink and say Uncle, who is losing out? Hmmm?
Would it be us, the fans?
Why yes, it would!
And here's a little heads up for you:
If you keep this shit up you are going to LOSE fans! Left and right, people will quit caring.
Right now, do I know where any of my beloved Spurs are? Nope.
Do I care? Just a little. And a little less than I cared last week. And less than the week before.
So, as a mom I have this to say, "Get back to work. Get back to doing what you signed up to do. Quit being greedy bastards. And if there are less asses in the seats for your games when you do start up again, that is the price you will have to pay. And there will be major sucking up you will have to do to help your fan base remember why they liked you in the first damn place. I will say this one more time, Get. back. to. work. Enough is enough, already."
Most sincerely,
Lisa Pie who finds herself less and less of a fan as time goes by
Monday, October 17, 2011
It's that time again!
Ok, you know how the name of this here blog is LisaPie's Musings, Ramblings & Rants??
Today is kind of a Ranting day. Aren't you glad you tuned in after I have taken a 2 week long hiatus?
Things on my Rant/Bitch List:
1. Idiots on Jeopardy!, pay attention! Listen closely.
THE WORD IS HUNDRED. hunDRED.
It is NOT Hunnerd. If you say hunnerd, you should be disqualified and be forced to let Alex Trebek talk to you non-stop for 3 full weeks. Quit saying hunnerd, you lower your iq by a hunDRED points every time you do it.
2. When you abbreviate things as we all do, would it kill you to use the correct "Fridge" for refrigerator rather than Frig?? Makes me want to say "What frigging thing are you talking about now?"
3. I read a book this past weekend. It was a small paperback that I found in the bottom of an overnight bag I hadn't used in a couple years. I have no idea where this book came from. Certainly someone passed it on to me because I didn't buy it. It was fair to middling. If I were grading it I would give it a C-. The reason I bring it up at all is the typos!
Did I ever tell you that in a former life I used to work in printing? I did typesetting and proofreading. I loved it. It was a really fun job. It was all creative, fun and yet very precise at the same time. Since everything has gone to the digital age and proofreaders have become as obselete as real corks in real wine bottles, it seems that standards have also fallen by the wayside.
I don't care what you are reading, a blog, a newspaper, an obituary, a crummy paperback, a novel from a very talented author, or a comic book; there will be a typo. Magazines have them. Menus? They are the WORST! Oh Lordy, reading a menu can be excruciating!
What the hell is wrong with people? No one cares?
And saying this I know full well that someone will comment and point out a rather glaring misspelling of my very own. This is my own failing when I get all excited, flustered and on my high horse about something and then just push the button for Publish Post rather than spell check first. So that's okay. I understand that about myself and I hope that you will take this blog with it's grammatical failings for what it is, just my little way of sharing a bit of myself. Warts and all, as they say.
4. The last thing I want to rant/bitch about is people lacking basic kindness for our fellow man. Can we please be kind and considerate with each other? You and I don't know what the person in the next house/office/car are going through. Would it kill us to be nice? Can't we let that person merge into our lane? Can we see that it's not all about us? The world does not revolve around you, or me. Let's just find a way to treat each other with the respect and consideration that we would like our mothers and children to have. I would say "as you would like to be treated", but there are a ton of people out there who don't really care about themselves and get trampled on a daily basis, but they would stand up for their loved ones.
That's it. I am done bitching today. I am sorry that I have taken such a break from this blog and you have probably lost all interest. Things have just not been easy around here and I couldn't come up with anything positive to say. My next post will be much sooner and it will positive. Promise.
Thanks for listening.
Today is kind of a Ranting day. Aren't you glad you tuned in after I have taken a 2 week long hiatus?
Things on my Rant/Bitch List:
1. Idiots on Jeopardy!, pay attention! Listen closely.
THE WORD IS HUNDRED. hunDRED.
It is NOT Hunnerd. If you say hunnerd, you should be disqualified and be forced to let Alex Trebek talk to you non-stop for 3 full weeks. Quit saying hunnerd, you lower your iq by a hunDRED points every time you do it.
2. When you abbreviate things as we all do, would it kill you to use the correct "Fridge" for refrigerator rather than Frig?? Makes me want to say "What frigging thing are you talking about now?"
3. I read a book this past weekend. It was a small paperback that I found in the bottom of an overnight bag I hadn't used in a couple years. I have no idea where this book came from. Certainly someone passed it on to me because I didn't buy it. It was fair to middling. If I were grading it I would give it a C-. The reason I bring it up at all is the typos!
Did I ever tell you that in a former life I used to work in printing? I did typesetting and proofreading. I loved it. It was a really fun job. It was all creative, fun and yet very precise at the same time. Since everything has gone to the digital age and proofreaders have become as obselete as real corks in real wine bottles, it seems that standards have also fallen by the wayside.
I don't care what you are reading, a blog, a newspaper, an obituary, a crummy paperback, a novel from a very talented author, or a comic book; there will be a typo. Magazines have them. Menus? They are the WORST! Oh Lordy, reading a menu can be excruciating!
What the hell is wrong with people? No one cares?
And saying this I know full well that someone will comment and point out a rather glaring misspelling of my very own. This is my own failing when I get all excited, flustered and on my high horse about something and then just push the button for Publish Post rather than spell check first. So that's okay. I understand that about myself and I hope that you will take this blog with it's grammatical failings for what it is, just my little way of sharing a bit of myself. Warts and all, as they say.
4. The last thing I want to rant/bitch about is people lacking basic kindness for our fellow man. Can we please be kind and considerate with each other? You and I don't know what the person in the next house/office/car are going through. Would it kill us to be nice? Can't we let that person merge into our lane? Can we see that it's not all about us? The world does not revolve around you, or me. Let's just find a way to treat each other with the respect and consideration that we would like our mothers and children to have. I would say "as you would like to be treated", but there are a ton of people out there who don't really care about themselves and get trampled on a daily basis, but they would stand up for their loved ones.
That's it. I am done bitching today. I am sorry that I have taken such a break from this blog and you have probably lost all interest. Things have just not been easy around here and I couldn't come up with anything positive to say. My next post will be much sooner and it will positive. Promise.
Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Recipes!
Recently I mentioned making King Ranch Chicken which is a staple in Texas. Everyone makes it, everyone knows how to make it and as per usual, everyone does it just a wee bit different. And someone asked for the recipe.
So I am here to share the recipe with you. And also I am going to give you one that is even better.
Here is my thinking on this: As I said above, everyone in Texas makes the King Ranch Chicken casserole which gets its name from the King Ranch. Supposedly a cook on the ranch put this together and that's how it came to be known as King Ranch Chicken. *And could I say King Ranch any more times in this paragraph?
But before I go further in my story about these 2 recipes I want to give you the link to the actual King Ranch . Just in case you want to peruse this fine establishment and see what's what on their site. The King Ranch is the largest ranch in the whole wide world. It is bigger than many of the east coast small-ish states.
So with the King Ranch Chicken casserole, it's one of those recipes that evolved over time. I am sure way back in the day when the cook first made this he/she did NOT run right out to the store to get a couple of canned goods to get started. On a property with that many thousands and thousands of acres you don't run right out for anything. So it makes sense that it was probably made with from-scratch items and then when it became popular it was easier to get home cooks to make this using store-bought cans to make a few shortcuts.
I have made this and eaten this my whole life. And when we moved to Guadalajara I took a TON of different cooking classes. One set of which were taught by a neighbor of mine, the late Maria Machuca. She was a very talented cook and a great teacher. She taught me to make a Mexican tradition known as Chilequiles. The first time I tasted it I knew immediately that this is what the King Ranch Chicken was trying to imitate. The cook probably had come from Mexico and had the recipe or the taste memory of the Chilequiles and wanted to recreate it with local ingredients available.
So I am giving you both, the King Ranch Chicken and Maria's recipe for Chilequiles. Try them both and see what you think.
King Ranch Chicken
1 3-lb. chicken, cut up
2 cans cream soup (can be mushroom, chicken, celery. I usually do one mushroom and one chicken)
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with chiles
1 dozen corn tortillas, cut into wedges (much like a pizza or a Trivial Pursuit game piece)
2 cups cheese, grated
Boil the chicken with some celery, parsley, garlic, onion or whatever you like to flavor the meat. You are going to use a bit of the broth in the recipe, as well. After the chicken is cooked and cooled, debone and cut or tear the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Combine the cans of soup with the Ro-Tel and about a cup or so of the broth and mix till smooth.
In a large casserole or a 9x13 pyrex pan, layer up tortillas, chicken, cheese, soup mixture, tortillas, chicken, the rest of the soup and then top with the rest of the cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour. I usually take the foil off the last 15 minutes and let the cheese brown a bit for the last part of the cooking.
Sounds good, right? It is.
Now here is the recipe for the Chilequiles
2 pkg of corn tortillas (I usually go with about 24 - 36), cut into the same wedges
1/2 liter heavy cream or sour cream
1/2 kilo shredded Mexican Manchego cheese or a good Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella (you want the melty stretchiness)
3/4 kilo green tomatillos
6 small green serrano peppers
1 small wedge of onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups cilantro
In a good-sized saucepan cover the tomatillos with water. Add the peppers, onion and garlic. Boil until water darkens, about 10 minutes.
After you have cut the tortillas into wedges, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry them till crispy and golden. Spread on paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt. (try to not eat them all!)
Shred the cheese.
Let the tomatillos and peppers cool a bit. Then put the tomatillos, and 3 of the peppers and the onion and garlic into the blender or food processor. Add a bit of salt and the cilantro. Blend with 1 1/2 cups of the water they were boiled in. *This is going to make way more green salsa than you will need for this dish. Don't try to use it all or your Chilequiles will be swimming and soggy.
In a 9x13 pyrex layer tortillas, green sauce and cream. Repeat layers and top with the shredded cheese.
Bake until bubbly and heated through.
***Now here is the deal with Chilequiles. This is a dish made to use up the leftover tortillas from yesterday that are not all soft and pliable. This dish is often made with shredded leftover chicken in the layers. I also put half the cheese in the middle and half on top.
We like to make this with leftover smoked chicken too. It's very good.
This dish is served all over Mexico with refried beans and sliced avocado. You can order it for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Some places ask you if you want yours made with green or red sauce. I prefer the green.
And by the way, that green sauce in the recipe up there? That is killer! It is so darn good you will want to keep dipping those fresh hot tortilla chips in it. So, if you want to be really traditional when you serve this sauce at your table, dice up a couple of really firm and ripe Haas avocados and mix them in. Now, THAT is a beautiful thing right there.
Please, try both of these dishes and let me know how it goes for you and if you have a preference.
¡Buen Provecho!
So I am here to share the recipe with you. And also I am going to give you one that is even better.
Here is my thinking on this: As I said above, everyone in Texas makes the King Ranch Chicken casserole which gets its name from the King Ranch. Supposedly a cook on the ranch put this together and that's how it came to be known as King Ranch Chicken. *And could I say King Ranch any more times in this paragraph?
But before I go further in my story about these 2 recipes I want to give you the link to the actual King Ranch . Just in case you want to peruse this fine establishment and see what's what on their site. The King Ranch is the largest ranch in the whole wide world. It is bigger than many of the east coast small-ish states.
So with the King Ranch Chicken casserole, it's one of those recipes that evolved over time. I am sure way back in the day when the cook first made this he/she did NOT run right out to the store to get a couple of canned goods to get started. On a property with that many thousands and thousands of acres you don't run right out for anything. So it makes sense that it was probably made with from-scratch items and then when it became popular it was easier to get home cooks to make this using store-bought cans to make a few shortcuts.
I have made this and eaten this my whole life. And when we moved to Guadalajara I took a TON of different cooking classes. One set of which were taught by a neighbor of mine, the late Maria Machuca. She was a very talented cook and a great teacher. She taught me to make a Mexican tradition known as Chilequiles. The first time I tasted it I knew immediately that this is what the King Ranch Chicken was trying to imitate. The cook probably had come from Mexico and had the recipe or the taste memory of the Chilequiles and wanted to recreate it with local ingredients available.
So I am giving you both, the King Ranch Chicken and Maria's recipe for Chilequiles. Try them both and see what you think.
King Ranch Chicken
1 3-lb. chicken, cut up
2 cans cream soup (can be mushroom, chicken, celery. I usually do one mushroom and one chicken)
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with chiles
1 dozen corn tortillas, cut into wedges (much like a pizza or a Trivial Pursuit game piece)
2 cups cheese, grated
Boil the chicken with some celery, parsley, garlic, onion or whatever you like to flavor the meat. You are going to use a bit of the broth in the recipe, as well. After the chicken is cooked and cooled, debone and cut or tear the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Combine the cans of soup with the Ro-Tel and about a cup or so of the broth and mix till smooth.
In a large casserole or a 9x13 pyrex pan, layer up tortillas, chicken, cheese, soup mixture, tortillas, chicken, the rest of the soup and then top with the rest of the cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour. I usually take the foil off the last 15 minutes and let the cheese brown a bit for the last part of the cooking.
Sounds good, right? It is.
Now here is the recipe for the Chilequiles
2 pkg of corn tortillas (I usually go with about 24 - 36), cut into the same wedges
1/2 liter heavy cream or sour cream
1/2 kilo shredded Mexican Manchego cheese or a good Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella (you want the melty stretchiness)
3/4 kilo green tomatillos
6 small green serrano peppers
1 small wedge of onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups cilantro
In a good-sized saucepan cover the tomatillos with water. Add the peppers, onion and garlic. Boil until water darkens, about 10 minutes.
After you have cut the tortillas into wedges, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry them till crispy and golden. Spread on paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt. (try to not eat them all!)
Shred the cheese.
Let the tomatillos and peppers cool a bit. Then put the tomatillos, and 3 of the peppers and the onion and garlic into the blender or food processor. Add a bit of salt and the cilantro. Blend with 1 1/2 cups of the water they were boiled in. *This is going to make way more green salsa than you will need for this dish. Don't try to use it all or your Chilequiles will be swimming and soggy.
In a 9x13 pyrex layer tortillas, green sauce and cream. Repeat layers and top with the shredded cheese.
Bake until bubbly and heated through.
***Now here is the deal with Chilequiles. This is a dish made to use up the leftover tortillas from yesterday that are not all soft and pliable. This dish is often made with shredded leftover chicken in the layers. I also put half the cheese in the middle and half on top.
We like to make this with leftover smoked chicken too. It's very good.
This dish is served all over Mexico with refried beans and sliced avocado. You can order it for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Some places ask you if you want yours made with green or red sauce. I prefer the green.
And by the way, that green sauce in the recipe up there? That is killer! It is so darn good you will want to keep dipping those fresh hot tortilla chips in it. So, if you want to be really traditional when you serve this sauce at your table, dice up a couple of really firm and ripe Haas avocados and mix them in. Now, THAT is a beautiful thing right there.
Please, try both of these dishes and let me know how it goes for you and if you have a preference.
¡Buen Provecho!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)