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I'm a tuna kinda girl....

I remember when I was in my forties, and my co-workers and I made fun of this lady who is the age I am now, that ate a tuna fish sandwich every single day for lunch. We thought it was absurd.

Well ya know what, girls, I could happily eat a tuna sandwich, Lays Light Chips and a piece of fruit every single day for the rest of the summer.I've turned into THAT lady!

Law-dee, who woulda thunk it...

Hubby thinks I’m really losing it this time…

I was showering yesterday morning, sitting on my shower bench, using my handheld sprayer, and Mollie, as always, was sitting right in front of me.  I looked at her, she looked pretty scruffy, so I just scooped her up, plopped her in my lap and gave her a bath with me.

She’s so easy going, she could care less that she was in the shower with me, she just laid in my lap and let me drown her.

It wasn’t like I was sitting in bathwater with her, it was actually pretty efficient.  But when you repeat it, it does sound rather strange.  I told Marti about it today, and she got this really odd look on her face and then started laughing.  Hubby just thinks I’m demented, but hey it worked for Mollie, it worked for me, we both got clean.  And Maggie, she was off snoozing in LC'’s chair, or I would have put her in there, too.

Like John always says, “Mom’s the crazy cat woman…. with dogs!!! “

I'm a mustard conisseur

Well, I am a conisseur, of yellow mustard.  Okay, all you mustard snobs, there is nothing wrong with yellow mustard, it's preferably to the fancy schmancy blends on a lot of things... If you're a long time reader, you will know that I'm a huge fan of Plochman's Mustard, and have been since I was a little girl eating mustard sandwiches with Daddy (two slices of white bread with mustard smeared in the middle, it was awesome).  It's just the best brand of mustard you can buy, and I have defended it many times to my girlfriends who insist that nasty French is the best yellow mustard on the market.  Blecht!

Well they're wrong, and now I have an ally.  Deanna!  Sweet girl loves mustard as much as I do and eats it on her french fries, too!  She's the only person I've ever known besides myself that enjoys it on fries instead of catsup, and she's a Plochman's fan, as well!  Last week when we were visiting her and John, she brought out the Plochman's, and wouldn't you know, after all these years they've managed to improve it.  The bottle, not the mustard, they would be fools to monkey with their recipe, even though Brooks Catsup has change their recipe and ruined their product, something that Hooterville and I lament about frequently.  We both adored Brooks Catsup, it was fiery hot and tangy, and now it's just wrong. 

But I'm getting off track.  I thought they would never change the Plochman's bottle but they have finally made a flip top on that familiar yellow barrel, doing away with that red cap that always got gunked up, causing your mustard to squirt sideways on your clothes.  I can't tell you how many times that has happened to me.

But it's not perfect, the hole is too large, causing you to squirt copious amounts of this wonderful yellow concoction onto your plate, saturating your food in *gasp* too much mustard.  Can there ever be too much mustard?  Of course there can.

So I fired them an email, telling them what a huge fan I was and how they need to make that hole smaller, but I'm sure some silly man in their quality control department probably dreamed up the idea of a larger hole, causing you to use more, thus buy more.  Yep, I'm just sure that's what happened, a woman would never do that.  Men Schmen!!!

Hmmmm, maybe I should email those Brooks Catsup people now, I'm on a roll here...

Here's a blogsite for you...

I was researching hanging baskets this morning, and this site pulled up.  Check it out, she's got a really cute site with a lot of vintage looks...

Decorator To The Stars>>>

I especially liked her Joie de Vivre necklace on a ball and chain with a rusty key.  Kind of fits my mood this morning, ummm, that would be the shabby look, not the Joy of Life, much too gloomy in Heavensville for that.  No sunshine til' Wednesday either, and I'm trying to plant fleurs.  Drats!!!!

Scroll thru the necklaces, really unusual, really cheap>>>

Every movie can't be academy award material...

Last night Peg and I went to see Jennifer Lopez in The Back-Up Plan.  The critics hated it, they said it was boring, and predictable, but we found it delightful.  It was funny, well acted, she looked adorable, had the cutest clothes and a hunky co-star,  and this little paralyzed Boston Bulldog named Nutz, who wheeled himself around in a cart, and absolutely stole the movie.

I get so tired of criticism.  Everywhere you turn the media is criticizing somebody or something.  Why can't people just enjoy what's unfolding in front of them and quit being so negative!

Great feel good movie, grab a girfriend and go see it.  There is a birthing scene that will just have you rolling in the aisles.  Peg and I were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe.  We laughed through the whole movie, were in a wonderful mood when we left the theater, came home and slept like a baby.  It was a good night...

Hi from Music City

We’re in Nashville for a few days visiting John and Deanna.

You’re looking at a plate of country soul food, catfish, white beans, onions, hush puppies and coleslaw.  Oh yeah, it was my lunch at a place called Uncle Buck’s yesterday.

They have a big landscaping project going, 100+ plants to dig holes for today.  I’m just going to grab a chair and watch.  Works for me…

I made a discovery yesterday...

First of all, just let me say that this week has been the pits, the pits, ladies!!!  This stupid bug just won't let go, I'm still nauseous, tired, cranky, out of sorts and I still haven't got my closet switched over.  And it's been, what, two weeks now?  And at this age I can't handle a mess.  I just can't take it anymore.  Anybody elses messes don't bother me at all, or when the kids come and we have stuff everywhere, that's fine, I guess because I know that when they leave, it will go back to normal again.

But this chaos that has been in my bedroom has been driving me wild, and I haven't had the energy to do anything about it.  It was so bad yesterday morning that I just sat in the middle of the bed and cried.  I told hubby that he had to do help me, I was just overwhelmed.  Most of it is because I don't feel good, but I was just at the end of my rope.  And bless his heart, he picked up, got me organized to the point that I could start to make sense of the mess I had created.  I still don't have everything put away, but I'm moving in that direction, finally.

And what was the discovery I made yesterday?  Well, when I was taking all my summer pants and sorting them into piles, I realized that I hate khaki.  I do, I hate it.  I have a boatload of it, too.  Capris, chinos, dressy slacks, some of it still with tags on it, the rest,  barely worn.  And I not only hate khaki on myself, I hate it on all women.  Well, except for those cute young things with the firm bodies and tan legs that look good in anything.  I think there should be some kind of law that women over forty shouldn't be allowed to wear it.

I know, I know, khaki and white, the perfect summer combo, yeah, yeah.  Every woman I see in khaki just looks dowdy.  It's boring beige, and it just screams old lady.   I love white in the summer, it's cool and clean and crisp, I love army green capris with a bright orange tee, too, but khaki is just downright unflattering.  Now, all of my friends who read this will be thinking, "well, I'm not gonna wear khaki around her anymore."  I'm just sayin....

So am I throwing it all away?  Hell no, I'm just shoving it on the back of the shelf, like I always do, in case I have some kind of revelation and start liking it again.  Um hmmmm, when pigs fly...

Abby is six months old now, just had to share…

 

Hubby had to work last weekend, so Maggie and I went to visit Ryan, Lindsay and Abby.  Lindsay dressed her up in her Easter clothes, and we took photos.  I know I’m her Grammie, so I’m a little bit biased, but she is just the cutest baby!!!!  Click on her pictures for a close up view…

Maggie, you gotta love her…

I’ve had the 24 hour ick.  It was bad, but I’ll spare you the details.  I spent the entire day in bed yesterday with Maggie taking care of me.  Well, she did!

She was either laying on top of me or pressed into my side, often getting up, walking around me, and laying back down again.  At one point, she got up, put her paw on my cheek and rubbed it, then licked my chin and laid beside me just watching me.

Veronica nailed it when she said once that some dogs are more human than dog.  That’s Maggie.  Molly was in bed with me, too, she totally ignored me, but not Maggie.  And people wonder why I love her so much?  It’s not rocket science, people.  She’s pretty precious…

We lost a good one, ladies….

Oh, those Designing Women were absolutely delicious.  Dixie Carter was the quintessential southern belle,  I always enjoyed watching her so much…

 

Here’s a clip from an interview she did on Bonnie Hunt’s show in December ‘08.

 

Rest in Peace, classy lady, you left us too soon….

“Dancing With The Stars” judge Bruno Tonioli

I just couldn’t resist showing this to you.  That little devil is sitting on my shoulder this morning…   Actually, I’m doing anything to avoid switching out  my closet.  I have this  huge mess in my bedroom, and it’s just not calling my name right now.  Know what I mean, Vern?

Abby Leigh, your daily dose of cuteness…

source: "Zdjęcia na tablicy" by Małgorzata Kaszowska Em-ka

It’s Easter, I cook, it’s what I do…

I was talking to my friend, Trish, this morning.  She’s a talented lady, but she doesn’t cook a lot and she doesn’t understand why I do what I do.  I’ve always cooked, my mother cooked, my aunts, my grandmothers, it’s totally ingrained into me.  I don’t do as much as I once did, John and Deanna are coming this afternoon, we’ll eat out this evening, and tomorrow, so all I’ll cook is Easter brunch, but I did make dessert.

John’s favorite is Robert Redford, aka Better Than Sex, aka Lemon Lush.  I’ve made it for years, and he always wants it in the spring.  I asked Deanna what she wanted, and she wanted coconut cake.  So I tried Ina Garten’s recipe.  I love the Barefoot Contessa, and this cake turned out great, so I bet it’s a keeper.

When I was frosting this cake this morning, I pulled out my cake spatula, and had another one of those reality checks.  I’ve frosted cakes with this spatula for forty years now.  Forty years!  And  the Cuisinart that I used, I’ve had since 1978!  Those of you who know me, know that I have every kitchen gadget known to man woman.  Some day my family will have a lot of gadgets to sift through, a lot of memories attached to them, also.  But since I come from a family of cooks, I’m sure the traditions will live on.  It’s a warm fuzzy thought on this gorgeous sunny day.

And Sunday brunch?  It’s going to be an adapted recipe of my friend Linda’s recipe from Eating Well, Living Thin, Crustless Asparagus Quiche, Stuffed Banana French Toast from the Neely’s on FoodTV, fresh fruit, strawberries and pineapple, and for John, Orange Julius’s.  Yep, it’s the same recipe that they’ve served at the mall all of these years.

I was also thinking about the younger women who read this blog, and I will give you a few suggestions.  This old cook has been around the block many times, and I’ve picked up a few good tips.

• Clean out your dishwasher before you start cooking.  It’s a lot more fun to cook in a clean kitchen, as soon as you use something put it in the dishwasher.  Keeps you sane.
• Always work in the sink, the counters stay uncluttered and cleanup is a snap.
• Put things away as soon as you use them.  Don’t leave that flour sitting out, put up that vanilla.  When you’re finished and tired, you won’t have a big mess.
• Enjoy what you’re doing, put on some great music, take your time, it’s not a race, set the timer when you’re baking, make notes, double check your ingredients before you start.  Have fun with it.
• Invest in good equipment.  It’s the best advice I could ever give anyone.  If you’re going to cook, it’s worth the money to have nice things to use.  You can pick up great quality pans and bakeware at Marshall’s, TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning.  I shop these stores regularly, you never know what jewel you will find tucked away and for a lot less money than kitchen stores.

And now about those recipes.  Here they are, enjoy   ~ jan

Ina Garten’s Coconut Cake>>>

Robert Redford Dessert/Better than Sex/Lemon Lush>>>
Note:  I make this in a 8x12 pan, because I like a thicker filling.  I also squeeze half of a lemon into the pudding/milk mixture and grate lemon zest on top.  Add extra pecans, too – you can never have too many nuts!

Crustless Asparagus Quiche>>>
Note:  I changed this just a bit.  I cook my bacon, then saute green onions, mushrooms and red peppers in the drippings, drain really well, blot with paper towel.  I don’t use nutmeg or onion powder or veggie bacon, I use real bacon, and I bake this in a large Au Gratin dish.  Oh, I top this with quite a bit of parmesan cheese, maybe 1/3 cup or so,  before it goes into the oven.   It’s a great recipe!  And so easy!

Stuffed Banana French Toast>>>

Orange Julius

* 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, use it right out of the can
* 1 cup milk
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 8-9 ice cubes

1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.
2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.

This really made me sad…

I'm not one to live in the past, I'm pretty upbeat most of the time, and move forward with my life without a lot of hassles.

In the video I posted yesterday, the lady was talking about grieving for what you used to be, and wouldn't you know, something happened just after I watched that video that gave me a total reality check!

I haven't had hair long enough to pull back for years, but it is now, and I was working in the garden and needed a clip to hold it back. I told hubby that I had saved all my hair stuff, it was on the top shelf of my closet. Of course he had to go through every single box, I thought they weren't there, but tucked into the corner were three Victoria Secret boxes stacked on top of each other, I opened them,   and there they were, all the cute hair "thingies" that I used to wear.  Here is one of the boxes, they were all filled with things I had long forgotten.

It was a sudden rush of memories, to those so called glory years that we’ve all had, and will never have again. All the cute hair stuff that I had then, but could never wear now. Well, first of all nobody wears any kind of scrungie anymore, but even if they did, a sixty year old woman would look pretty silly in most of this stuff. Can’t you just see me in a leather barrette or a leopard scrungie?

I think I have a few boxes of my clothes from my past stored away, but you can darn betcha I'm not going to be looking in those boxes any time soon. I could have just sat and cried! Don't know why it hit me like that, I guess it was that woman talking about grieving for the past. I don't care what anybody says, how enriched our lives are now that we're older, how much smarter we are, blah, blah, blah - looking in the mirror and getting older is a real bitch!

From the Today Show this morning….

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What’s cookin’ at Ryan & Lindsay’s house…

Daddy cooked Abby’s first meal today.  Was it a hit?  Ummmmm, not so much.  It will be interesting to see what kind of food he will cook for her. 

Ryan loves to cook, he’s totally passionate about food, so no doubt, when she’s old enough, bebe Abby will be introduced to all kinds of food flavored wih herbs and spices. 

Wonder how that will work out?

I found a recipe for him today, salmon (Lindsay’s favorite, by the way) steamed in the Babycook with new potatoes and asparagus, then pureed.  She’s not old enough for this yet, but it won’t be long…

It will be an adventure, feeding this child.  I’ll keep you posted…

It’s finally getting green in Heavensville

I’ve harvested a couple of crops of chives, perennials are poking their heads through the ground, Mollie basked in the sun on the patio this afternoon, and then I caught her eating something gawdawful, who knows what it was.  She always eats bugs and dirt, Maggie never does that, but Mollie doesn’t have a discriminating palate.

I feel like I’m emerging from a cocoon, I was at Burdette this morning, watching the ducks, visited with Trisher and baby Hayden.  Even new babes remind me of springtime.

I have clusters of finches on my feeders, saw my first red winged blackbird of the season, life is good here…

Hooterville sent me the best critter cam, you need to check this out.  We saw a groundhog on here yesterday, he fell in the water, climbed out and kept right on eating. Keep a window open, check it thru the day, you will be surprised at what you see.  Sometimes the guy that set it up will be on here live, responding to people asking questions, it’s really interesting if you’re a nature lover.

Here’s the cam>>> 

Ang and I have so far resisted making Pioneer Woman’s Murphy’s Hot Hamburgers.  Oh my, this is white trash food at it’s finest, and both of us just think it sounds diner perfect.  I ran it past Ry, he wasn’t a fan, but his momma sure would like this.

How bad for you can this be – oh, just horrendous, so I haven’t made it, but I will, you know I will.

You want the recipe, sure you do.  If anybody gives this a try, would you please fess up and tell me about it.

Here’s the recipe with step-by-step how to, enjoy ladies…>>>

~ jan

let the good times roll…