1. USE WHAT YOU HAVE ON HAND. THERE IS A LIST IN THE BACK OF THE LEAFLET THAT YOU HAVE THAT HAS A GREAT LIST OF MULTI USEFUL ITEMS, WHICH WILL HELP YOU BE ABLE TO COOK UP SOMETHING ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.
2. TO MAKE STORE BOUGHT HOMEMADE, USE BUTTER AND WHIPPING CREAM INSTEAD OF MARGARINE OR MILK
3. KEEP A NOTEPAD AND PEN BY YOUR CHAIR WHERE YOU WATCH TV OR LOOK THROUGH MAGAZINES. THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO WRITE DOWN NEEDED ITEMS TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT.
4. PLAN THEME NIGHTS…….CHOCOLATE NIGHTS, PICTURE NITES, WHERE EVERYONE BRINGS A PICTURE TO THE TABLE AND TELLS SOMETHING ABOUT THE PICTURE, (LIKE WHAT THERE WERE DOING AT THE TIME AND WHY THEY LIKE IT OR WHY THEY DON’T., CD’S AS COASTER NIGHT
5. MAKE MEATLOAF/POTPIES IN SMALL INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS
6. MAKE HOMEMADE TEA WITH SUGAR/SWEET & LOW (MOST MEN DO NOT LIKE CHRYSTAL LIGHT OR FRUIT FLAVORED TEA, SO GIVE THEM THE STRAIGHT THING)
7. ***PUT COMFORTABLE CHAIRS AROUND THE TABLE WHERE YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO SIT WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS. WE BOUGHT WICKER CHAIRS ON SALE AND PUT PADS IN THERE AROUND OUR BREAKFAST TABLE. WE SPEND SOMETIMES 2 AND 3 HOURS SITTING THERE TALKING AFTER DINNER. THE CHAIRS ARE SO EASY TO LEAN BACK IN AND YOU ARE NOT SITTING THERE THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU CANNOT WAIT TO GET OUT OF THE CHAIR.
8. BAG UP DRY INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIES & CAKES AND FREEZE FOR LATER, THAT WAY ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD THE LIQUIDS AND BAKE, SHORT ON TIME, MAKE THE COOKIES INTO BARS. MOST COOKIE RECIPES GIVE YOU THE AMOUNT OF DOUGH THAT WOULD BAKE UP NICELY IN A 9X13 PAN. UNLIKE THE INSTRUCTIONS ON MOST COOKIES, YOU WILL NEED TO SPRAY THE PAN WITH PAM……
9. MAKE HOSTESS GIFTS FROM MEMORIES (LIKE TAKE A PICTURE RT WHEN THEY COME IN THE DOOR OR A GIANT COOKIE OR BROWNIE TO PACKAGE AND SEND HOME WITH THEM IN A ATTRACTIVE CONTAINER. ANOTHER HOSTESS IDEA IS TO HAVE WRITTEN ON A RECIPE CARD THE RECIPE OF A DISH THAT YOU ARE SERVING THEM THAT NIGHT.

1. SIT DOWN WITH YOUR COMPANY AND DO NOT BE CONSTANTLY GETTING UP AND DOWN AND STAYING IN THE KITCHEN, PREPARE SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE COOKING SO YOU ARE ABLE TO VISIT WITH THE COMPANY, NOT BEING WORRIED ABOUT THE PREPARATIONS AND DISHES.

       I’VE SAVED THE MOST IMPORTANT UNTIL LAST. BEFORE YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO THE FIRST TO                         ARRIVE, GIVE YOURSELF 5 MIN TO JUST SIT DOWN AND INVITE THE LORD TO BE PRESENT. INVITE  THE LORD INTO YOUR HOME AS A SPECIAL GUEST. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES TO KNOW THAT HE IS RIGHT THERE IN YOUR PRESENCE, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU A DIFFFERENT PROSPECTIVE ON HOW YOU TREAT YOUR FAMILY AND GUESTS.

Well, I am going to be away from being able to write on the blog until Sunday. It is time to head to Corpus to see my parents. As soon as I leave the airport, am headed to my favorite Mexican food restaurant, Kiko’s. It is just the best. Their deep friend mushrooms with chile con queso is just undescribable and the enchiladas just do not compare to any other place. They are simply the best tex-mex enchiladas their is……will arrive tonight and take my parents out for their 59th anniversary dinner. I hope that upon my return, I bring back a new memory of them. Something that allows me to see them for who they are as individuals, not just my parents, who are hard of hearing, argue with each other, dwell on the negative sometimes and listen to the television so loudly, that the neighbors don’t even have to have their volume on……..so maybe I will be able to focus on who they are, what they like and really listen to their hearts, their likes as well as their dislikes. In the future, I want to know that I really tried to see them for Hope and Carl, not just my parents, but for their purpose and the way they lived their lives, which was truly outpoured to so many others…maybe I will be bringing home, not just heartburn from all the mexican food, but a new, fresh memory of my parents, a precious one that honors them. Will write again on Sunday when I get back. Think of me this week, as I will be sitting there watching “Antique Roadshow” for the 10th time every night (yes, they record it, so they don’t have to miss it)

Just a heads up. Today I am creating a new recipe for a French Pot Pie to take to a dinner tonight. It will have  chicken, artichoke hearts, capers, lemon juice, onions, mushrooms and puff pastry. Will be writing down what I use and share the recipe tomorrow. Want to make it first to be sure it turns out like I want. Check back tomorrow to see the results….and wish me luck!

Boo hoo, it’s over for another whole year. The second most favored day of the year. We celebrated our anniversary yesterday and had a great day. Randy loved the book of memories I had made him and I am now the proud owner of my very own Nook…….I don’t know if he is really being nice or trying to slow me down to where he is able to take more naps. As many of you know, I am pretty hyper and love to go, go, go. So now, with my new Nook, I am wanting to spend more down time, reading my favorite new books, such as the new one out by Francine Rivers. So am still trying to figure out the motive of my new electronic gadget. You see, Randy is one of those people who never buys anything the first time to go research a new gadget. But……on Saturday, his idea was, “let’s go see if you would like to have a Nook, so I am taking you to Barnes and Noble to let you look at them”. Before you know it, I am walking out of B&N, holding my Nook, trying to figure out what I will call it (yes, you are suppose to name them, and my Nook is now called, “Nonnie’sNook”). So this was totally out of character for Mr. Go To The Store Three Times Before Making A Decision. I think I am going with the thought of, “he loves me so much, he wanted me to be totally surprised at his purchase” instead of “if I buy her this, maybe, just maybe we can stay home more because she will want to be reading”. Whatever his reasoning, I love my new present and am so thankful that we truly are so content to be at home with each other and sitting side by side, reading, watching television, cooking together, just going over our days. It is such a gift that my husband is not one of the men who have to sit and watch sports, thus, taking him to another room to watch what he wants, and me in the other watching what I want. We watch together. We go to bed at the same time each night. We go over the day and talk of things that are important to each other. We have been blessed in that, there is nothing I cannot talk to him about. When I think back of the years which we have been together, we truly are grateful to God for growing us to Him, thus growing us closer together. Our prayer is that fhe next 14 years will find us, still healthy, still excited to see each other at the end of the day, and still enjoying shopping, reading and celebrating each day together……Happy Anniversary Randy and thank you for my Nook! It is awesome, just like you.

Ok, I admit it, I am torn between going toinght to the airport to see our son, who we have not seen since Christmas, and going to see Paula Dean. She is in town and signing books and it is driving me crazy not to go out and see the famous lady, who I hold right up there alongside “curling irons” and “Dr Pepper” But, think I will take the high road and go see our son. BUT……….do not think for one minute that he won’t hear about how much he is loved and what a sacrifice I have made to come see him, when he is passing through the airport for a couple of hours. I’m thinking that this surely will be good for a really great present come birthday, Mother’s Day or Christmas. Not only will I tell him what I could be doing at the time I am with him (oh, yes, and taking him homemade chocolate chip cookies), but this is good enough to carry on throughout the year, don’t you think? So it is important to let him know that not only did I choose to come see him, BUT…I am also giving up getting my PD cookbooks signed by her tonight. Boy, I would have made such a great Jewish mother, don’t you think? This guilt stuff I will be putting on him should be enought to maybe have his first child named after me, should it be a girl, if not, a boy would be kinda cute named, “T K” after Trudy Karren. Will have to drop that bombshell on him tonight, just to get the idea planted. So, Mr. Cameron, if you see a tear in my eye tonight when you get off the plane, know that it is because I am so glad to see you, and it will not be because of any thoughts of missing Paula, really!

This week, we will celebrate 14 years of marriage. I began to wonder what I could do to let Randy know just what an adventure life had been these past 14 years and so I asked the Lord to show me what to do. The photo albums were full of pictures that conjured up memories each time I would glance through them, so……..I choose 14 of the most memorable places which we had visited and am posting each one on a single page with the thoughts of what come to mind with each photo. Am going to make this into a booklet and present it to him Sunday night when we head out to one of our favorite restaurants. Am so excited to see his face light up as we look at each one and pause to remember the “adventure” of each town or place we have visited. There is Chicago, Santa Fe, Rome, Albequrque, San Francisco, Disney World (yes, I love that place) Colorado, Hot Springs, Greece, New Orleans, Key West, our first convention as man and wife in OK City, Washington DC and Boston, which are just a few, but some of my favorites. So say a prayer for me that maybe, in some small way, I can convey to this precious husband, some of my heart, as we walk down memory lane and think of how wonderful and blessed we have been to have had each other to share these most awesome memories together. Thanks be to God, for His abundant blessings!

Do not let the recipe I just posted scare you if you saw the word “crepe”. You do not have to make them. This recipe is just as good using the Pepperidge Farm Pastry shells you buy in the frozen food section of your grocery store. Just follow the directions on the back of the package and fill as needed with the chicken mushroom recipe I wrote under “meats”…….it is just such a great and easy way to entertain..

This just hit me, I never told you about the two restaurants which I got to tour the kitchen during our California trip. Because we were with friends who knew the owners of the restaurants, I was priviledged to meet the chefs and have them take me to the kitchen and show me a few secrets and how the workings went for a “normal” night of serving. What an experience. It was just the greatest for someone like myself who truly loves to watch people cook and bring it altogether. First night we went to the Palette, there in Glendale where each course was just served so beautifully and they are known for their selections of cheeses. Each course had a different cheese dish served alongside. The next night we were so honored to be taken to Bouchon, there in Beverly Hills which is adjacent to the  Montage (that is probably not spelled right, but close)  Hotel…WOW, is all I can say. When our friend went to the kitchen to say hello to the chef, he brought him back and introduced him to Randy and myself and then we were taken back to the kitchen. They had a closed circuit televison which showed the kitchen which they have in the Napa Valley, so if any questions re: food prep is needed, they can go back and forth between the kitchen’s and relay information as needed. We also say Ryan Seacrest there that night and Michael Simon, from Iron Chef on the food network….it was truly such a wonderful memory for someone that loves to see how different elegant foods are cooked and being among the hustle and bustle of a “famous restaurant” such as Bouchon’s…….it was awesome! Thank you Mathew and Franco for the memories.