The Year of Loss continues.........

Today I am feeling somewhat saddened.  My Aunt Fern passed away yesterday following a long bout with cancer.  That stuff is mean and I don't like it.  Actually, I don't like chemo either.  The chemo didn't set well with her and it did some really mean things too.
Aunt Fern was the goofy type of aunt who loved to spend time with us girls and made us giggle.  She liked to disappear when it was time to do the dishes.  (I gotta respect that in her.)  She spoke to me and listened.  She always tried to say something to make me think..or just laugh.
When I think of my husband being her pallbearer...I will grin knowing that Aunt Fern's words of advice to the pall bearers would be "please don't drop me!"  And I know that if it did happen ...she would just laugh and go on with life.  I want to add something silly to her casket.....or give her clown makeup.   I want to give her "Aunt Jemima Pigtails".  She would just laugh and give me her "Lucy" face.  She could make the silliest faces sometimes.

Fern is in the middle.  Doesn't she look pretty?

I remember one Thanksgiving she made this yummy cornbread/corn dish.  I loved it.  I make it yearly in honor of her.  I don't have her recipe...but I know she would like mine.  She loved my sweet potato casserole too.  She also made excellent pancakes.  (thus...the Aunt Jemima hair-do)  I love having specific memories of my Aunts.  I once harbored dreams that my children would love growing up knowing their cousins and have good childhood memories of relatives.  I have failed somewhere along the way.  Is distance a good excuse?  I know I am not alone here.  I believe
that my sister-in-laws have failed too.  This also saddens me very much.


I have specific memories of the Aunt's in my lives......

Aunt Tiny......snapped purple hull peas & made fabulous fried pies.  New Years Eve at her house is the best.
Aunt Oda.....fried chicken & heavenly hash cake.
Aunt Marilyn.....Taco Tuesday and Sunday Night Ice Cream.
Aunt Margie...Chicken Chow Mein casserole  (and she lives in Arizona!)
Aunt Fern.....We just terrorized her and she loved it!  She went to Sonic daily for happy hour.
Aunt Laverne.......Her dinner rolls!!!   She was scary but that was ok. Well, that and my mom hated her.  She watched "Days of our Lives" daily.
Aunt Christene....They fried catfish at their house.
Aunt Beverly...She made pies.

I wish my nephews knew good things about me.  They need to know that I make the best hot chocolate and marshmallows in the nation.   We need to make s'mores together.  They need to try the new-toasted-marshmallow-shake we made this summer.  It is delish!  They need to know that they can come over & make a request for my home-made calzones for dinner.  They need to spend the night and make sonic runs with us.  They need to know their cousins.

Another Day.  Another Year.  Until me meet again......Aunt Fern.

I wish I knew what she was doing here.....

Tiger

He was almost 3 here.

I feel the need to post about my cat, Tiger.  He lived a good life.  He was almost 17 last week when he passed away.  He lived a good life on the edge.  He was a cat with a big attitude and was always ready to give out his angry eyes to anyone he could intimidate.

As a cat, he was born in a barn during a vicious ice storm in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  We aren't sure about his father.......

He was the neighborhood bunny killer until the very end.  He eventually grew to tolerate our dog, Tramp.  Their relationship was similar to Garfield & Odie.  He passed away last week due to complications of old age & diabetes.

BFF"S...  I think not.

This was taken just a few weeks before he died.

Diet Sabotage.....with oatmeal raisin cookies!

To those of you that know my husband.......he has a weakness for oatmeal cookies.  These are his drug of choice.   I can't admit to making them for the purpose of diet sabotage.   But, in the event that he is/was trying to watch his sugar/carb/crap intake and in the event that he was being annoying today......  I can't publicly admit to making these cookies for that purpose.  That would make me the bad guy.  I can't have that title swinging above my head.

What I will admit is that our lovely daughter, C.G. is coming home tonight with her current boyfriend who happens to be allergic to chocolate.   We really like this particular boy, R.S.   So, I made the cookies for him?  Yes, that is what I will say.  Yes, I will run with that.  Yes, that sounds good.  Well, that and I made them for the cute little boy sneaking one off of the plate.   He needs to beef up for football.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 small drizzle of molasses....(optional)

Mix all that together.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oatmeal, old fashioned & uncooked

Mix all that together & slowly add to the other stuff.

1 cup raisins.

Add the raisins.

Bake at 350* for about 10-12 minutes.

I took this recipe from a box of quaker oatmeal several years ago.  Why re-invent the wheel?

Now, tomorrow I might make him his second favorite cookie, snickerdoodles.   The guy was really annoying this afternoon.   I wonder if he is doing this on purpose to get cookies?  Could he be that twisted?  

FYI.........  these are great for breakfast too!!!

A most amazing Chocolate protein smoothie!

ok...  so I know most of you that read this post will immediately gag on the thought of this.  I am challenging you to put on your big girl panties now.   Yes, I mean you, R.B.  We are going to make the most delicious creamy chocolate shake ever.  Well, maybe not quite as yummy as one made with a gallon of Blue Bell.  But, it will have all kinds of rich & healthy chocolate goodness and with the added hint of peanut butter or banana.  I have been drinking this for breakfast lately.  I think I have lost a couple of pounds or so.  It is super easy and fills me up for the entire morning or evening.  It gives a healthy-needed chocolate fix too!!

Here is what you need............

1/2 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup egg beaters
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons splenda or more if you need it sweeter  (do not forget to add this!!!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup crushed ice
a tiny pinch of cinnamon (optional)
optional ......... 1/2 of a frozen banana and/or  a tablespoon of peanut butter/PB2.

Yes, you read that right........cottage cheese & egg beaters.  Stop gagging R.B.  Don't let the children see what you are getting this out!!!  Trust me here.  2 of my 3 children won't get close to this now that they know about the cottage cheese & fake eggs.  The 3rd child......she loves it.  Well, she'll eat anything.......a prune is one of her favorite snacks.  Go figure that one!

I like to layer all the stuff in there and get it all blended well together before I add the ice at the end.  It just works out better that way.  If you don't have a really good ice crusher with your refrigerator.....I think that a bag of sonic ice would be an easy alternative to keep in the freezer.  (Well, and it would be a good reason to run to Happy Hour too!)

This is also a very good reason to run over to Williams Sonoma or Costco and buy yourself a vitamixer.    I can't get enough of mine.....  It will liquify anything into a smoothie.

Yes, she needs to wash it.....