It started out innocently enough. Our daughters wanted to surprise Honey with a birthday party. It was all set - going to be at my Sistagirl's house. How we kept it a secret is beyond me, cause neither one of us knows how to be discrete.
While planning the food (cause there's always food), Sistagirl told me she was going to make this buffalo chicken dip she had the recipe for. Ok, I thought. I'm not overly crazy about buffalo wings, but hey I'm all about some dip.
Fast forward to the party. Honey was surprised, not overly happy at first, but surprised. Of course, knowing me - first thing I do is dive head first into the dip. Oh. My. Gosh!!! Holy mother of all things fuzzy and fluffy - I was instantly in love. It was so freaking good. I couldn't quit eating it. I growled at someone (might have been one of the twins) when there was just a spoonful left. I brought the spoonful home and ate it the next morning for breakfast muttering something about "my precious".
Sistagirl finally told me that it was super easy to make. It was even a dip mix. All you had to do is mix the stuff together, pop it in the oven, and out comes the cheesy gooey spicy goodness. A mix?? that's it?? How much more wonderful could this dip get??? And then the search began...
This town has more banks, restaurants, and churches than you can shake a stick at. There are five groceries stores and two Supercenters. Did any of these have the mix??? NNNNOOOOO!!!!! I know - cause I visited every single one of them on a rainy dreary Saturday morning. After calling my Sistagirl and giving her a good talking to. I mean, seriously, how can she get me hooked on something I can't purchase for myself??? She finally calms me down and tells me that I can find all kinds of recipes on Pinterest for the dip.
AAARrrrruuuuuppppp???? Pinterest you say??? Pinterest will be the death of me. It sucks me in until the battery dies on whatever device I'm using. So I'm off to Pinterest world, actually searching for something this time. After reading thru 50 gazillon recipes, I settle on one that sounds pretty good.
Gather all of the ingredients, go to take a picture (cause you gotta have pictures on your blog to engage the readers - sorry) the battery is dead. Nevermind, I don't have time to document, I've got to get this recipe pulled together and in the oven!!! First step - melt cream cheese and dressing on stove top. Whhhhaaaaaaatttt????? No, no, no - that just takes too long. Microwave here we come. Recipe said to layer the cream cheese and chicken layer. Nope - just mix it all together and dump it in the baking dish. Trust me, we're not going for looks here. 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. REALLY??? Nope, ain't got time for that - hit the convection button.
20 minutes later - my cheesy gooey spicy goodness is all browned and bubbly. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to talk tomorrow. It's kinda doubtful right now. No, I didn't wait for it to cool. Didn't know the entire roof of my mouth would burn off. But it was all worth the wait and trouble. I officially have a new obsession. Give me a pan of this dip while watching Walking Dead and I'm a happy happy girl!!!
Here's the recipe I found:
3 cans of white chicken (or use your own boiled chicken)
1/4 cup of Frank's hot sauce
1 cup ranch dressing (or Blue Cheese - I used buttermilk ranch)
1 8oz block of cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
In a large bowl, mix dressing and cream together. Microwave on low power and stir often until cream cheese is melted. Add chicken, hot sauce, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well. Spoon into 8x13 baking dish. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. (or less if you have the beloved convection button). Enjoy with fritos, crackers, just about anything I suppose. The recipe even suggested celery. This may be the only way to get me to eat celery....
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Pennies
I've heard a little bit about "Pennies from Heaven", but honestly I hadn't given it much thought. It's not that I don't believe in heaven or an afterlife, I've just never had a situation where I would think about it. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions for me. In the times of sadness, anger, or loneliness - I would find a penny.
The first time, I felt more anger than I've ever felt. Call it the MamaBear effect. If I think someone is hurting my son, I want to fix the problem and hurt the person who is hurting my son. Even if my son is 20. Even if the person who I am made to believe is hurting him is his father. In the midst of this anger and MamaBear righteous rage, I saw a penny. As I picked it up, a calm settled over me. And I was reminded there is always two sides of story and usually the truth is found somewhere in the middle.
Another time, I was sitting in the recliner feeling really lonely. This is my Honey's busy time of year and he's only been home for a few days at a time since June. I'm an only child and I've never done alone very well. Most days I can keep myself busy and not think about it too much. Some days, yes - during those dreaded PMS days - I can't shake it. This also happened to be a very busy day for my Honey. He was exhausted from working a 12 hour day in 100 degree heat. He fell asleep almost as soon as he got back to his hotel room for the night. And didn't call me. By 9:00 that night, I was literally a blubbering mass of tears. And then my phone dinged. It was a text message from one of my closest friends. When I picked my phone up, there was a penny on the table under my phone. I know it wasn't there when I sat down earlier that evening. Once again, a calm settled over me and I was reminded I am truly blessed and loved.
Once more, I was upset because after a wonderful weekend with my Honey, he was about to leave to go finish another job. I didn't know if he would be gone for a week or a month. I was trying not to show how upset I was, but I'm no poker player. Every emotion I feel shows on my face. There in the grass beside the driveway, a penny shined in the sunshine.
Are these pennies from heaven? My grandparents are there. I have several uncles and aunts that I was very close to in heaven. My Honey's Mom passed away about six years ago. I didn't get to meet her, but from what I've been told about her, there's no doubt she's in heaven as well. I honestly don't know if these pennies are just there by happy coincidence or if they are placed there to remind me how blessed and loved I am. I'm just glad they keep popping up when I least expect them and need them the most.
The first time, I felt more anger than I've ever felt. Call it the MamaBear effect. If I think someone is hurting my son, I want to fix the problem and hurt the person who is hurting my son. Even if my son is 20. Even if the person who I am made to believe is hurting him is his father. In the midst of this anger and MamaBear righteous rage, I saw a penny. As I picked it up, a calm settled over me. And I was reminded there is always two sides of story and usually the truth is found somewhere in the middle.
Another time, I was sitting in the recliner feeling really lonely. This is my Honey's busy time of year and he's only been home for a few days at a time since June. I'm an only child and I've never done alone very well. Most days I can keep myself busy and not think about it too much. Some days, yes - during those dreaded PMS days - I can't shake it. This also happened to be a very busy day for my Honey. He was exhausted from working a 12 hour day in 100 degree heat. He fell asleep almost as soon as he got back to his hotel room for the night. And didn't call me. By 9:00 that night, I was literally a blubbering mass of tears. And then my phone dinged. It was a text message from one of my closest friends. When I picked my phone up, there was a penny on the table under my phone. I know it wasn't there when I sat down earlier that evening. Once again, a calm settled over me and I was reminded I am truly blessed and loved.
Once more, I was upset because after a wonderful weekend with my Honey, he was about to leave to go finish another job. I didn't know if he would be gone for a week or a month. I was trying not to show how upset I was, but I'm no poker player. Every emotion I feel shows on my face. There in the grass beside the driveway, a penny shined in the sunshine.
Are these pennies from heaven? My grandparents are there. I have several uncles and aunts that I was very close to in heaven. My Honey's Mom passed away about six years ago. I didn't get to meet her, but from what I've been told about her, there's no doubt she's in heaven as well. I honestly don't know if these pennies are just there by happy coincidence or if they are placed there to remind me how blessed and loved I am. I'm just glad they keep popping up when I least expect them and need them the most.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Happily Boring
I know, it's been a while since I enlightened everyone with my whit and knowledge. Actually, I had a blog all typed out. And in true Hemmingway fashion - I wrote angry and deleted when I calmed down. Lesson learned and time to move on.
I turned 42 on the 23rd. For the first time in my life, I spent my birthday pretty much all by myself. Honestly, it wasn't so bad. I ended the work day with a mani and a pedi. Let me tell you, whatever you think is wrong or how bad a day you've had - all of that washes down the drain with the other funk they scrape off your feet.
Saturday we had a birthday party for my favorite twins, my nieces Torri and Bella. It was HOT, but that's to be expected for August in Arkansas. Of course there was the required catastrophe, but again, that's to be expected when twins turn 3 and there's 12 other kids at the party too. All in all, it was a success. The girls got their bikes which was the highlight of the day. These two are just too cute:
I turned 42 on the 23rd. For the first time in my life, I spent my birthday pretty much all by myself. Honestly, it wasn't so bad. I ended the work day with a mani and a pedi. Let me tell you, whatever you think is wrong or how bad a day you've had - all of that washes down the drain with the other funk they scrape off your feet.
Saturday we had a birthday party for my favorite twins, my nieces Torri and Bella. It was HOT, but that's to be expected for August in Arkansas. Of course there was the required catastrophe, but again, that's to be expected when twins turn 3 and there's 12 other kids at the party too. All in all, it was a success. The girls got their bikes which was the highlight of the day. These two are just too cute:
My life is happily boring. I like it this way. Some like having things going on all of the time. Some like stirring up "stuff" just to see what will stink. Not me. I'm just checking off the days until October when my Honey will hopefully be home.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Ooo! Look - a squirrel...
Today I conquered The Big Green Monster (aka: my yard). But I gotta tell you how my day started first.
I get up at 8:00, my bladder screaming cause I slept an hour late. What I would give to be able to sleep until noon again... sigh. So I'm up. Coffee and a little Hay Day to start my day. I didn't want to start on the yard too early. Just in case one of the neighbors was actually getting to sleep in. And to be honest, it had gotten so tall that it needed time to dry out from the over night dew. I know, I should be ashamed. I'll work on that... Ok, back to my coffee and game, I think - hey I need to clean up the kitchen. But then I'm still in my pj's. So I should really get dressed first. Since I'm getting dressed, I should put a load of laundry in the wash. Coffee kicks in, guess I should clean up the bathroom while I'm in here. Ooo! The trash can's full. Gotta dump that. Well, crap, the trash compactor's full too. Pull out the bag that weighs as much as I do, better fill it up more cause the mail basket needs to be cleaned out, there's crap in the living room that needs to be thrown away, the fridge needs to be cleaned out. And close to 2 hours later, I finally get to cleaning up the kitchen. Seriously, how do I get off task so bad. I need that tshirt that says ADHD - ooo! Look a Squirrel.
When you think about it, 2 acres isn't that much. Even with a half acre fenced, it still doesn't scream that it's a daunting task. So, I don't think about it. Cause the Big Green has kicked my butt more than once. Granted before the snazzy new lawn mower that Honey bought this year, mowing was more about man handling the belt back on the mower than it was riding and feeling the breeze on your face. Here's my thing - when Honey mows, the yard looks perfect. Not a blade of grass out of place. Not a pile of clippings anywhere - and we don't have a bagger. When I mow, there's lines. There's piles. What the crap?? Same mower - 2 different results??? I don't get it. So I just do the best I can and apologize to the neighborhood.
But today, today I am woman - hear me roar. I not only figured out how to operate the weedeater, but I also figured out how to add new line to it. Yeah, that's right, today I am queen of the Big Green. Remember that half acre that's fenced? You have to weedeat ALL THE WAY around it when the roundup wears off. Needless to say, my arms are limp as noodles right now. Somehow I managed to wash my hair in the shower. No way these arms were going over my head for any length of time. My sweet sistagirl (sister-in-law) came over to blow dry my hair for me. But I convinced her that it's ok for it to air dry and we had some much needed girl time.
Check off the weedeater on my to do list. Although right now I'm thinking that I should have left that job for Honey when he comes home again. :-)
I get up at 8:00, my bladder screaming cause I slept an hour late. What I would give to be able to sleep until noon again... sigh. So I'm up. Coffee and a little Hay Day to start my day. I didn't want to start on the yard too early. Just in case one of the neighbors was actually getting to sleep in. And to be honest, it had gotten so tall that it needed time to dry out from the over night dew. I know, I should be ashamed. I'll work on that... Ok, back to my coffee and game, I think - hey I need to clean up the kitchen. But then I'm still in my pj's. So I should really get dressed first. Since I'm getting dressed, I should put a load of laundry in the wash. Coffee kicks in, guess I should clean up the bathroom while I'm in here. Ooo! The trash can's full. Gotta dump that. Well, crap, the trash compactor's full too. Pull out the bag that weighs as much as I do, better fill it up more cause the mail basket needs to be cleaned out, there's crap in the living room that needs to be thrown away, the fridge needs to be cleaned out. And close to 2 hours later, I finally get to cleaning up the kitchen. Seriously, how do I get off task so bad. I need that tshirt that says ADHD - ooo! Look a Squirrel.
When you think about it, 2 acres isn't that much. Even with a half acre fenced, it still doesn't scream that it's a daunting task. So, I don't think about it. Cause the Big Green has kicked my butt more than once. Granted before the snazzy new lawn mower that Honey bought this year, mowing was more about man handling the belt back on the mower than it was riding and feeling the breeze on your face. Here's my thing - when Honey mows, the yard looks perfect. Not a blade of grass out of place. Not a pile of clippings anywhere - and we don't have a bagger. When I mow, there's lines. There's piles. What the crap?? Same mower - 2 different results??? I don't get it. So I just do the best I can and apologize to the neighborhood.
But today, today I am woman - hear me roar. I not only figured out how to operate the weedeater, but I also figured out how to add new line to it. Yeah, that's right, today I am queen of the Big Green. Remember that half acre that's fenced? You have to weedeat ALL THE WAY around it when the roundup wears off. Needless to say, my arms are limp as noodles right now. Somehow I managed to wash my hair in the shower. No way these arms were going over my head for any length of time. My sweet sistagirl (sister-in-law) came over to blow dry my hair for me. But I convinced her that it's ok for it to air dry and we had some much needed girl time.
Check off the weedeater on my to do list. Although right now I'm thinking that I should have left that job for Honey when he comes home again. :-)
Monday, July 22, 2013
Monday, Monday
Considering the weekend I had, Monday should have been a piece of cake. Not so much. It was like banging my head against a brick wall. Hurts like all get out and you still get nothing accomplished. Sometimes you just have to chuck it all and create something pretty. So I sat my unhappy butt down in the floor and made a burlap wreath. Making and selling wreaths just happens to be on my little list. I made this one for my boss. What do you think?
Should I admit that I tried another at home pedicure and it didn't go so well??? I don't know what it's going to take. Other than a professional pedicure and then actually putting lotion on my feet every freaking night before I go to bed. Who's got time for that? So no pictures of that nightmare. Trust me, you do not want to see the dry crackedness that are my feet. Really, I'm doing you a favor.
Next item that I need to conquer on my list is to learn how to weedeat. Without cutting my leg off like Daddy has always told me I would. See, I've got about 2 acres that I affectionately call the Big Green Monster. Me and Big Green don't really get along. Now I've got a kick ass new mower, excuse me Honey has a kickass riding mower. So having to man handle the belt back on is no longer and issue. What makes it more fun is the miles of privacy fence that now need to be weedeated. The round up has worn off and the grass next to the fence is getting gross. Personally, I think this is Honey's little way of getting back at me for bending the deck on his brand new mower by hitting the brick on the house. He told me to mow close... But anyway, something tells me this project won't wait until this weekend. It rained last night and I swear the grass grew 6 inches over night. Hmmm, I wonder if Honey left his waterproof / snakeproof boots in the garage.
Should I admit that I tried another at home pedicure and it didn't go so well??? I don't know what it's going to take. Other than a professional pedicure and then actually putting lotion on my feet every freaking night before I go to bed. Who's got time for that? So no pictures of that nightmare. Trust me, you do not want to see the dry crackedness that are my feet. Really, I'm doing you a favor.
Next item that I need to conquer on my list is to learn how to weedeat. Without cutting my leg off like Daddy has always told me I would. See, I've got about 2 acres that I affectionately call the Big Green Monster. Me and Big Green don't really get along. Now I've got a kick ass new mower, excuse me Honey has a kickass riding mower. So having to man handle the belt back on is no longer and issue. What makes it more fun is the miles of privacy fence that now need to be weedeated. The round up has worn off and the grass next to the fence is getting gross. Personally, I think this is Honey's little way of getting back at me for bending the deck on his brand new mower by hitting the brick on the house. He told me to mow close... But anyway, something tells me this project won't wait until this weekend. It rained last night and I swear the grass grew 6 inches over night. Hmmm, I wonder if Honey left his waterproof / snakeproof boots in the garage.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Woo-Hoo!!!
O M G!!! I've been thinking about starting a blog for a little while. Little did I know starting a blog requires tech skills I don't have. Times like those, I'm glad I don't have a problem asking for directions. In swoops my good friend from high school, Janelle, and saves the day. Now I don't feel quiet as dumb as I did before. Still not 100% sure what I'm doing, but hey - it's personal growth - right???
Which brings me to my "list". My little list of personal growth items that I want to do while my Honey is off conquering the grain bin world. Item #10 - start a blog. Check! I probably shouldn't admit that I started my list with 2 things I had already finished. I'm CDO like that. CDO? You know, OCD but the letters are in alphabetical order like they should be.
#1 was order the pictures from my wedding. I got married (again) on January1st. It's July and I still didn't have a photo in the beautiful silver frame Honey gave me as a wedding present. Now I do! Plus a whole load of pictures that have been sitting idle in my laptop forever. Doing something with those pictures just made item #11. Oh! And the pics in my phone. Gotta save those. Something tells me this list is going to be the death of me...
#2 was do the Listerine Foot Soak. I freely admit I am totally addicted to Pinterest. It's like the best thing EVER! Anyway, I've got the gross cracked heel thing going on and I thought this particular pin looked promising. 1/2 cup of Listerine, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of hot water. How can you go wrong with that? By using the blue Listerine. Unless you really want smurf feet. Seriously. Blue. Feet. In the summer, in Arkansas where the temperature hovers somewhere around "Oh holy hell it's hot" and "I'm melting". Blue feet and flip flops don't mix. So I ended up running my errands in my Chucks. Without socks, cause like it's hot. Now I have blue still around my toe nails, blisters on my heels, and the gross cracked heels ... yeah, still got 'em. But I'm ever hopeful. I found another pin that sounds even more promising!!! This time there will be pictures. :-)
Which brings me to my "list". My little list of personal growth items that I want to do while my Honey is off conquering the grain bin world. Item #10 - start a blog. Check! I probably shouldn't admit that I started my list with 2 things I had already finished. I'm CDO like that. CDO? You know, OCD but the letters are in alphabetical order like they should be.
#1 was order the pictures from my wedding. I got married (again) on January1st. It's July and I still didn't have a photo in the beautiful silver frame Honey gave me as a wedding present. Now I do! Plus a whole load of pictures that have been sitting idle in my laptop forever. Doing something with those pictures just made item #11. Oh! And the pics in my phone. Gotta save those. Something tells me this list is going to be the death of me...
#2 was do the Listerine Foot Soak. I freely admit I am totally addicted to Pinterest. It's like the best thing EVER! Anyway, I've got the gross cracked heel thing going on and I thought this particular pin looked promising. 1/2 cup of Listerine, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of hot water. How can you go wrong with that? By using the blue Listerine. Unless you really want smurf feet. Seriously. Blue. Feet. In the summer, in Arkansas where the temperature hovers somewhere around "Oh holy hell it's hot" and "I'm melting". Blue feet and flip flops don't mix. So I ended up running my errands in my Chucks. Without socks, cause like it's hot. Now I have blue still around my toe nails, blisters on my heels, and the gross cracked heels ... yeah, still got 'em. But I'm ever hopeful. I found another pin that sounds even more promising!!! This time there will be pictures. :-)
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