Random Questions............

Today, because I am feeling just a little random.

1.  What color are your socks right now? 

I'm barefoot. 

2.  What are you listening to right now?
a Bugs Bunny cartoon in the other room

3. What was the last thing you ate?
A piece of cold sausage

4. Can you drive a stick shift?

Yes!
5. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

My oldest daughter, Miss C.G.   (otherwise known as Petunia)

6. How old are you today?
It doesn't matter.....  I shall remain timeless.

7. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Baseball...or anything that my son is playing.

8. What is your favorite drink?
Ice Tea...unsweet from Raising Canes!

9. Have you ever dyed your hair?
No to Dye.......Yes to highlights.

10. What is your favorite food?
Currently, it is the grilled chicken ceasar from Palio's.

11. Do you sing in the shower?
Only if I am in a really good mood and no one else is around.

12. Favorite day of the year?
The first day it is cool enough to open the windows and sleep cool...really cool.

13. What is one place you want to visit?
Anywhere with room service.

14. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My electronic toy called "Merlin".  I still have it and it still works.

15. What is your favorite season?

Fall, I can wear a  sweatshirt with a pair of shorts.

16.  What do you consider your favorite movie ever?

Bridget Jones Diary


Now, friends........leave me some comments about yourself and these insightful questions...

I forgot to pin this one... DANG.

Yes, I am hopelessly addicted to Pinterest.  Who isn't these days?  All the cool people pin things!!!    Don't you think that would make a great t-shirt?  Hello....Mother's Day?  My Birthday???

So, other day while perusing the site, I noticed a lovely little pin about pizza rolls.  It looked cheap and easy.   I am all about those 2 skills and fortunately I took a good look-sy at the picture....because it was gone a minute later.  Yes,  I was saddened, confused & frustrated.  

All you need is a can of crescent rolls, 4 string cheese sticks and a bag of pepperoni.    Sounds easy enough?   I wonder if Lil Miss C.G. could handle these???   Maybe....... I can only cross my fingers and say a prayer  for her.

Roll out the triangles of crescents.  Cut the cheese into halves.  Place 3 pepperoni's on the big end of the triangle and a cheese half on top of them.  Roll up.  I shook some pizza seasoning on top of them.  Bake for about minutes at 375*  (or just bake according to the can directions).  They get all brown and yummo...and smell all pizza-ish.    This makes a great snack for a group of middle-school boys and their adult fathers.

(BTW...  those crescent rolls were generic & maybe a week or 3 out of date.  I am proud to say that no one noticed and all 8 rolls were eaten!)

First Impressions.....

Those of you whom I consider a friend understand that I really don't care what color your  skin is and nor do I care about your political, relationship, & social status.  I just don't want to have that conversation.  It is also none of my business.  BUT,  please don't get me started on the TAN-OR-EXIC types.  I can't be held accountable for saying just how stupid that is.  Leathered Skin?  Nice!  Paying for skin cancer? Now, that was a good idea.  I promise you won't regret that one someday when they cut you open and remove pieces of your skin & whatever else that is cancerous.  You might enjoy some quality time in a hospital hooked up to a few rounds of chemo.

I do have certain ideas which some may consider "old-fashioned".  But,  in the grand scheme of things.......... I am nice to everyone.  I don't openly advertise my beliefs.  I do that because I am a people pleaser.  I want to be the popular girl sitting in at cafeteria table of life.   Who doesn't??  I just want happiness along the way and my job here on earth isn't to judge.  Most likely, that job would be tedious & boring.  I don't need that either.

WELL.......  today.  Someone came into the shop.  I am now thinking she must have been having a really bad day.  Before I could get a complete sentence out of my mouth.......she was telling me I had a really bad attitude and she wanted someone else to help her.   I was stunned speechless and that doesn't happen often!   I couldn't even try to apologize & make it up to her.  She had pre-determined that I was going to take my supposed bad mood out on her.  How is the best way to respond to someone who has pre-judged you & a particular situation?  My best guess is silence......or a big spoonful of peanut butter.

This has happened one other time and in much the same fashion.   This person...well both persons were of color.   Am I judging here?   I choose to think not.  I pray I won't be judging in the future because of this incident.

I choose strength......after the spoon of peanut butter!

Celebrating.............

It was National Smores Day!  We had to celebrate.  What self-respecting-blogging-mom wouldn't celebrate?  Most especially when that particular mom LOVES s'mores and that certain mom had allowed the girls to invite their friends over.  This is the ever-so-lovely C.S.  She is a keeper.  I love it when little Miss C.S. is in the house.  She is the child of the man-who-shall-remain-nameless.  I can't even put his initials up.......This is a Family Blog.  Secretly, we do like the guy.  We just can't let him know this.  He doesn't need any more power or self-esteem.

We made marshmallows.  We toasted them over the gas cooktop and made a really BIG mess!!!!!

We mixed them up with vanilla ice-cream and made the best-est ever S'Mores Ice cream Shakes. 

(Just add a toasted marshmallow or 2, some mini chocolate chips with some vanilla ice-cream and a splash of milk.  Blend it all together.  Add some whipped topping on top and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs!!)  You will thank me later for this ....

This is the recipe I use for the marshmallows.  Don't be intimidated here...it is really easy! 

 I PROMISE!!!!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-marshmallows-recipe/index.html

You pretty much know the drill on the rest....I like to think of my blog reading friends as intelligent...So I won't bore you with details on how to properly burn marshmallow's and how to properly sandwich a s'more.  I will beg you to not purchase inferior chocolate.  Run get some Hershey's, Ghirardelli  or Godiva bars........... something that is good......not generic or low-grade.  

These marshmallows deserve better!

Bran Muffins

These guys are amazing.  These guys make the morning pretty easy too.  How much better can that be?  I have been making these off & on for most of married life.  The kids like to snack on them.  The kids like to put one in a lunchbox.  Realistically, I can't say how healthy they are.  But what I can say is that there is a ton of healthy stuff in them.  Well, that and the recipe makes a ton and I can keep it in the refrigerator for several days.  The recipe I was given said that they would keep in the refrigerator for 6 weeks.  I'm not buying that.  But, I have never had the mix for over 2 weeks either.  I make them about every other day when I have the muffin batter prepared.

2 cups boiling water

2 cups 100% all bran  (The brand is called  "Millers Bran" & is in the baking section.)

1 cup shortening

3 cups granulated sugar

4 beaten eggs

1 quart of buttermilk

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

5 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups of bran flakes (the cereal flakes)

2 cups raisons

Pour the boiling water over the 100% bran & let it cool. 

Cream the sugar & shortening & add the eggs.

Sift together the flours, baking soda & salt.  

Add it to the other stuff.

Stir in the bran flakes & raisons.

Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.

Spoon into lined muffin tins and bake @ 350* for about 25 minutes.

Serve warm and maybe add a little butter if desired.

Enjoy!