Daily Thoughts

Post Mothers Day Blues

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The cards are all lined up on the mantel, the flowers still adorn the table and the “all about me” day is behind for yet another year. This weekend was almost as good as my birthday or Christmas except that I didn’t have to cook or wrap presents…it was all about me. Now, I know that by my age, it shouldn’t always be about me, but it was just so much fun to have Randy declare that the whole weekend could be “junk food” weekend, just for me. We began Saturday morning at the Donut Man shop, where we loaded up on fresh strawberry donuts and proceeded to Steinmart where I found a couple of clothing items I just couldn’t live without. Then we headed to Costco where we sampled our way through the store, ending up sharing a hotdog and coke. We were so tired from all the carbs that we went home and took a nap and was so excited to see a couple of packages on the doorstep. This is just a great weekend. After we slept long enough to be hungry again, he asked where I would want to go eat and I quickly said, Sahara’s…my fav place for lebanese food. Going to bed totally stuffed, we woke up and went to church, then I had my choice of where to go for lunch. We ended up going to have mexican food as I will be in Phoenix the rest of the week where I will be lucky to have frozen pizza or boxed macaroni and cheese. Eric, my son-in-law, tells me that he doesn’t feel sorry for me having to eat what he gets every day, he just always tells me, “welcome to my world.”

The afternoon brought laughter and joy as we FaceTimed with our kids in Orlando, texted back and forth with kids that told me, I called you yesterday so do I have to call you today? Are they not just the most precious children…we are so proud.

That night, the sadness of “my day” almost being over, Randy told me that to end the celebration, I could have my choice, one more time this weekend of how I wanted to end the day. If you have ever had Houston’s Key Lime Pie, you will know why I choose that as my last Mothers Day present. That pie is just the most delicious pie in the world. So we went and got two pieces, brought them back home, turned on the television and ate while we watched the season finale  (recorded from Fri night) of Red Widow. If you were like us and thrived on watching Jack every week on 24, you would love this show. We both had to swallow a bottle of tums before we could lie down to sleep. But it was so worth the heartburn.

Today, as I crawled out of bed, knowing that the scales would certainly not be my friend today, I didn’t even glance at them, instead I walked over to Randy and told him that I was a little down because “my day” wouldn’t come again for another year. He looked at me and just shook his head.

Because we didn’t have enough tummy room or time to get in all the junk food places that I wanted to go over the weekend, he pulled out the Baskin Robbins coupon, buy one sundae/get one free and told me that tonight, if I would promise to not pout Tues morning, he would take me tonight to get my “last MD present”…a hot fudge sundae….and you ask yourself, does pouting really work? Either it does, or it his secret celebration that I am leaving home for a week…I wonder….

Starches · Vegetables

Pecan-Parsley Rice

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If I think about what I would love to have on Mothers Day, Rice is right up there along with ham, fried chicken or roast, of which this recipe would compliment.

The recipes I have posted this week were recipes that I thought would be great to have this Sunday when we celebrate memories and Mom’s.

Hoping each of you a most blessed and wonderful Mothers Day……

1 tables butter

1/4 cup minced onion

2 (6 oz) packages long grain and wild rice blend*seasoning packets discarded or save for another time.

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas black pepper

1/2 teas lemon zest

2 tables fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add onion, cooking until onion is transparent and soft.

Add rice, stirring constantly for about 1 min. Stir in broth and 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 min or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Remove from heat and add pecans and next 5 ingredients, fluffing with fork.

*Using Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Blend if possible

Daily Thoughts

Mothers Day Memories

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Mothers Day almost conjures up more emotions regarding family than Christmas or Thanksgiving. When I received a phone call this morning from one of our children wondering if we were going to be home in the morning for a delivery, my ears and my heart perked up. Remembering through the years of some of the Mothers days are bringing back some sweet, some funny and some not so sweet or funny memories.

When Jason was about 6, he and his older cousin walked to a store about a block from our house. They had taken their money to go find the perfect gift for their moms. Upon opening the present on Sunday, my eyes fell on one of the gaudiest and largest necklaces that I had ever seen, yet, being the “great mom” I was, I oohed and ahh’d over it like it was a strand of pearls. Wore it to church and tried to wear it when I went places that I figured I would hopefully not run into anyone I knew. The cousin’s mom had a different reaction. She told her son that it was just the most awful thing she had seen and made him take it back to the store. That broke my heart for my nephew. Then there were the years that Jodi, in her sweet little gesture, would hunt around the house for something and put it in a box and give to me. It was those times that the acting of being surprised and pleased would have qualified me for an academy award. Jamin seemed to not be into presents and felt that if he went through Mothers Day without me having to spank or yell at him, that was his gift to me. Truly it was.

As the years have gone by, there have been times when Mothers day was just perfect. Most of the kids would be with us, (some living out of town) and we would sit outside watching grandkids play and receiving cards that sounded like they were written by Martha Stewart herself. You knew that the kids were just there for the free meal they didn’t have to cook and they were getting free babysitting. Kids are smart. They know that if they come over to eat, Nana and Pops would insist that the precious little ones remain behind for awhile. So before the last of the dessert is off the plate, they are out the door and now I was left to clean up the dishes, entertain grandkids and try to figure out what to do with all the leftovers. I would spend the rest of the day thinking to myself, “wow, am I a great Mom or what?”

A few years ago, when I was really missing our kids not all living in the same town, there was a knock at the front door on Friday before Mothers Day, Jamin and Tina had bought me a beautiful bracelet and was having it delivered. One of Jamin’s friends’ mom had died and I guesst that made him think about that time in the future of loss of someone dear to him. Because of him experiencing his friends sorrow, he wrote a sweet card to tell me his feelings along with a beautiful bracelet that I cherish to this day.

Isn’t it interesting that when we are young, the thought of just receiving a photo as a gift didn’t mean that much, but as the years go by, that has become one of my most treasured gifts from family. Pictures are the belongings that we never mind dusting. I remember the first year that I received cards from Christi and Cameron. That meant the world to me, as I had just married their dad and to think that they were sending me such a sweet thoughts made me so thankful of the blessing that they had become to me in such a short time.

Today, because we are such a far distance from our children/grandchildren, we would love to have the gift of being able to have them all in one place. One of our favorite memories came a couple of years ago when we were all in Dallas because of a funeral. All the kids were present. The church was about an hour away from Dallas so we were in a couple of cars, following each other. Since we arrived a little early to our destination, we decided to stop for a coke before proceeding to the church. One of our children, (I won’t mention his name, but he is only related to us by marriage, and oh yes, by love) gave his order to the “box” at the drive through window in a voice that had a rather strange accent. Let’s just say that he would have qualified for being on Duck Dynesty. We all got so tickled that we were doubled over. We swore that we wouldn’t tell anyone that we had laughed like that, after all, we were headed to a funeral. But it is times like that that seem to linger in our minds of the sweetness, the friendship and love that builds among your adult children. Those are the memories that outshine any gift. Yes, sometimes I admit I do have visions of what I would consider the perfect meal, if it were just being cooked for me, or thoughts of gifts I would receive that show me how much my children “love me”, but…the memories of being with them top all those expectations. Well, guess I should wait until after tomorrow to see what is being delivered before I really decide on that last  statement….hum….memories; or a giant box of chocolates or cupcakes or fruit, or a trip, oh my, maybe it is a trip, or……

Uncategorized

Jalapeño Corn Casserole

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Delicious and from a lady in Huntsville, Texas comes this great recipe for corn. Include it in your Mothers Day buffet. There won’t be any left.

4 (15.25 oz) cans whole kernel corn, drained

1/2 cup butter

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup canned evaporated milk

4 tables flour

4 jalapeños, seeded and chopped (now, if you are so inclined and do not like jalapeños, use a small can of chopped green chiles.  Still “kicks” it up a notch.

Preheat oven to 400

Place corn evenly in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, which you have spayed with Pam.

In small saucepan, combine butter and cream cheese, stirring until butter and CC is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in milk and flour and continue coming until mixture is smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Stir in jalapeños or green chiles. Pour butter mixture over corn; mix well. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and edges begin to brown lightly. 

Uncategorized

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

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Celebrity Resturant in Dallas drew in hundreds of ladies each day with this salad, which was served alongside chicken salad sandwiches.  With Mothers Day in 4 days, what better way to celebrate Mom, ( oh my, that’s me, I think I will make me a strawberry pretzel salad) with a delicious salad that is good enough to have for dessert. 

2 cups thin pretzel sticks, coarsely crushed

3/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 plus 2 tables sugar, divided

1 (8 0z) package cream cheese, softened

1 (8 oz) tub of Cool Whip, thawed

2 1/2 cups cold water, divided

1 (6 oz) package strawberry jello (not sugar free)

2 cups frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and drained well

Preheat oven to 350.

Spread pretzels evenly in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. In a small bowl, combine butter and 2 tables sugar and pour evenly over pretzels; bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow pretzels to cool to room temp.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, whipped topping and remaining 3/4 cup sugar at medium speed with mixer until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over pretzels.

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups cold water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add strawberry gelatin, stirring until completely dissolved. Remove from heat; add remaining 1/2 cup cold water and sliced strawberries. Let cool. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Chill overnight, covered. Cut into squares to serve and garnish with whipping cream and fresh strawberries. 

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Fruit Cocktail Cake (aka Fruit of the Month Club)

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I have finally figured out how to get my hubby to eat fruit. All it takes is a stick of butter, 2 cups sugar, pecans and whipping cream. He has never really liked fruit except cherry pie or homemade peach ice cream, but I hid fruit in this cake and he is just healthy as a horse after eating all the fruit that is hidden in it. After he had eaten a piece of cherry pie Randy  use to proudly sit back in his chair, leaning away from the table and announce that he had just had his fruit for the month.

Picking up a old Paula Deen Magazine yesterday, I came across this recipe which I haven’t seen since the 70’s. I use to make it because it was easy and a way to get the kids to eat a little fruit. It really is a great cake and topped with ice cream even makes it better. Of course, what doesn’t taste better with ice cream or whipping cream? I could probably eat liver if it had enough whipping cream on it. But on to the recipe:

Makes 12-15 Servings

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup veggie oil

2 large eggs

2 cups flour

2 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

1 (15.25 oz) can fruit cocktail, undrained

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Coconut Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 13×9 in baking dish. In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs at medium speed with mixer until fluffy.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating well. Batter will be thick. Stir in fruit cocktail and pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with coconut and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until middle checks out done. Pour the coconut frosting over cake while cake is hot. Cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

Frosting:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup whipping cream or evaporated milk (not condensed)

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1 teas vanilla

2/3 cup chopped pecans

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla, coconut and nuts. Spread over cake evenly. Cool cake to serve. securedownload-4

Daily Thoughts

Mother May I?

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Remember playing this as a child? As a game, the rules were that we had to ask permission before we did what the leader wanted us to do.

Now, as a mom, when we hear those sweet little words, “Mother may I”, our hearts grow so tender as we stare down at the precious child that is so thoughtful that he/she is actually asking permission before they write on the walls or stuff a unwanted toy down the toilet. I remember my sons running in one day and asking, “mother, may we play in the water” assuming that they meant outside. I went on about my business of laundry and cooking and in a minute i heard Jamin tell Jason, “oh no, let’s get out of here”. I went to where the patter of little feet were running and looked down the hallway to see water filling up the floor as water was running out of the bathroom and down the hall. The sweet little 3 and 5 year olds had stuffed towels in the sink so water would stay in the sink for them to float their little plastic boats. But becoming bored, they ran off to play with something else, forgetting that the water was still running in the sink.

Then one day after I had come home from the hospital after having a miscarriage, I was still having to be in bed for a couple of days when my cousin, from Florida, called to cheer me up. Had not talked to Marion in quite a while so when the boys came in to ask me, “mother, may we play outside on the driveway and porch” I, being the wonderful, loving mother that I was, said, “of course sweeties, just don’t go out into the street and stay on the driveway and porch.” “of course, mother dear”. Well, I went back to telling Marion all about the hospital stay and how all the emotions that we were dealing with of losing the baby. After hanging up the phone, I decided to go see what the little darlings were doing on the porch as they had been outside for quite awhile. They met me right inside the front door yelling, “mom, come and see the footprints we made”! Well, how cute is this going to be, using their little imaginations to make footprints. Oh these boys just make me so proud. When I opened the front door, (and you can imagine what I looked like, having been in bed for a couple of days, after being in the hospital) I immediately saw several neighbors standing outside looking, laughing and pointing and a couple even had cameras and were snapping pictures. All down the front porch, down the sidewalk and down the drive way were the contents of a huge box of Kotex that they had peeled off the strip of adhesive and pressed them to the concrete making “footprints” all down the driveway and down the sidewalk. In those days the hospital would send you home with boxes of 48 count Kotex after babies or miscarriages. These precious little angels had got both boxes and used the entire contents to mark a path, “in case they got lost and needed to find their way home.” That was their story and they were sticking to it. After this, I would be taking them way to far for them to ever find their way home, no matter how many footprints they had left.

These days, when the grandchildren ask “grandma, may I…..?” I shut them off in mid sentence and tell them to just turn on the television or play video games. I would rather deal with the guilt of them being on the computer for hours than with me cleaning up their little innocent messes.  Age and experience has taught me that when they are sweet enough to ask permission for something, it is usually going to be something that will make me have to clean up something. Guess that is why God gave them such adorable little faces, we just cannot possibly stay mad at them when we glance down at those innocent eyes, no matter the mess we have to clean.

Remember when Mother’s day arrives this Sunday and the bedroom door opens with little Oliver or Penelope standing there with a tray of breakfast that they are bringing you, there is a huge mess waiting for you in the kitchen. But….you will be able to rest when they are in college in a few years. it is then that you will forget all about the messes and the arguments; it is then that you love seeing them walk through the door, holding a huge bag of dirty clothes and say, “mother may I… get you to wash these?” The circle of life, laundry and love…it makes a mom so happy to be a mom.

Desserts · Fruit · Salads

Very Berry Summer Pudding

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Makes 6-8 Servings

This beautiful showstopper is taken from a new Southern Living Magazine. Serve with whipped cream.

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved

2 cups fresh raspberries

2 cups fresh blackberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange liqueur

3 (3 oz) packages of soft ladyfingers

Stir together first 6 ingredients in a large heavy stainless steel saucepan; let stand 30 min, stirring occasionally.

Add 1/2 cup water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 8-10 min or just until berries begin to break down and release their juices.

Remove from heat and stir in orange liqueur; cool 20 min.

Line a 2 qt souffle dish with plastic wrap. Spoon 1 cup berry mixture into prepared dish, spreading to cover the bottom. Arrange  1/3 of ladyfingers in a single layer on berry mixture, pressing together and trimming as needed to fit snugly and cover berry mixture. Repeat layers twice, dividing remaining berry mixture evenly between layers.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place a small plate  (approximately the same diameter as the inside of the dish) directly on top. Place 2 or 3 heavy cans on plate and chill 12 hours. Unmold pudding onto a serving plate and have whipped cream ready to top each serving.

Daily Thoughts

Pillow Talk

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We are getting ready for a friend which is coming in tomorrow evening. As I was cleaning up the guest room and putting fresh clean pillowcases on the pillows, I thought back to different places I have been and the difference it made as to how I slept. The pillows. Some people, like myself, sleep on their tummy, while others sleep on their sides or back. It has been my experience to be sleeping in friends, relatives, or hotels where there is only one kind of pillow. Sometimes they are so flat you don’t even feel like you are on a pillow and other times the pillow is so firm and huge that there is no way that you could ever think about putting it under you to sleep on your stomach. So here is my suggestion for your guest room or pillow closet for times when friends will be coming to stay with you. My sweet precious hubby says not to make people to comfortable because they might stay longer than you want, but he doesn’t care if his name is ever in the book of Fabulous Friends Who Treat You Like Royality, so we won’t listen to him.

1. Buy several types of pillows, some firm, some soft and some a little flatter and some a little fluffier

2. Have several different types of magazines in their room. Because of time changes between parts of the country, their wake up  or go to sleep time is probably different than yours.

3. Place bottled water and tissue on their nightstand.

4. I have a little bowl of packaged peanuts, an assortment of different candy and gum so if they get a craving for sweets after they have gone to their room, they don’t have to roam around the kitchen looking for something.

5. Be sure that you put out a clean bar of soap for the shower.

6. Have hangers in the closet where they are staying so they have them to hang up clothes without having to ask you  for them.

7. If they are early risers and you aren’t, place bowls for cereal out on the cabinet with spoons and place the cereal out the night before so they won’t have to go looking through your cabinets. That would make us have to clean out our cabinets and we don’t want to do that! If you know they drink coffee you might have the coffee pot ready for them to turn on when they get up. That way, they will be in a good mood by the time you stagger in the kitchen around 8.

8. If guests are coming for a few days and they are using your home for just a sleeping place, type up a sheet with the different places around your area that might be of interest to them. Because LA is so large, we have the Points of Interest arranged according to the areas, that way, they know how much time they have and which area they would be able to visit.

9. We now have a list of restaurants close by our house in case they are out and do not want to take the time to come back here, they have the name, address and what type of food it is. Included is our home address and phone number in case they need to put in our address in their GPS or call us for info.

10. Take a couple of pictures of your guests while they are there. It is so much fun to look back and see some of the memories you might have helped them go home with or new memories that made their visit with you special.

These pictures are then easy to use on Postagram to be able to send back to them. (Please don’t tell me you don’t have the Postagram app on your smart phone. I use that app probably more than any other besides Pandora and weather, check it out if you don’t have it already on your phone)

With these tips, you will be assured that you have made your guests feel special and wanted. If you don’t ever want them to come back, ignore points 1-10.

Breads · Salads

Cornbread Salad

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Taken from Food Network Magazine, because I have been cleaning house and am burning up, salad is the only thing that sounds good to me at the moment. This caught my eye. Perfect for those summer nights or luncheons that spring up and you find you are in charge of bringing the salad.

Serves 6

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Kosher salt

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayo

2 scallions, minced (would someone please tell me the difference between chopped and minced?)

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 teas chili powder

2 cups crumbled cornbread

2 15 oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese

Toss the tomatoes, bell pepper, cilantro and 1/2 teas salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the sour cream, mayo, scallions, lime juice, chili powder and 1/2 teas salt in a small bowl.

Assemble the salad:

Sprinkle half of the cornbread in a glass bowl or trifle dish. Top with half each of the black eye peas, corn and the tomato pepper mixture, then half each of the sour cream mixture and cheese.

Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients, ending with cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.