Monday, January 12, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
The Add-Ventists!
Today has been great. This morning I woke up with a big smile on my face, because I knew that the sun would be shining sooner than later today. And the sun did come out, just as Tony and I finished doing our morning chores outside and I am not sure who was happier about it—the dogs or me.
Later, while I was inside cooking those delicious vegetarian cutlets and assorted vegetables for our lunch, the outside temperature was slowly climbing, unbeknownst to Little Debbie and Alice, because they were sleeping, in the kitchen. And for the first time ever Little Debbie was sharing her vent with Alice. They looked so cute sleeping together, I decided to take a picture. So, I tip-toed over to the table to fetch my camera, in hopes of not waking them. And right before I snapped this picture they woke up and posed and then they went back to sleep. I've titled this photo, The Add-Ventists.
Later, while I was inside cooking those delicious vegetarian cutlets and assorted vegetables for our lunch, the outside temperature was slowly climbing, unbeknownst to Little Debbie and Alice, because they were sleeping, in the kitchen. And for the first time ever Little Debbie was sharing her vent with Alice. They looked so cute sleeping together, I decided to take a picture. So, I tip-toed over to the table to fetch my camera, in hopes of not waking them. And right before I snapped this picture they woke up and posed and then they went back to sleep. I've titled this photo, The Add-Ventists.
While Tony watched the Dallas Cowboys game, in his man-cave, I did some paperwork, washed and dried two loads of clothes and then let Hazel help me remove the dog hair and dried mud from the wood floors.
After The Cowboys disappointingly lost to Green Bay, I decided to walk four more miles with Leslie Sansone and after that forty-five minute workout, I went into my office to get something. When I got to my office, I immediately stopped, because for a second I could not remember what I had come into my office for. Then I remembered. Then I felt stupid for forgetting. Then I forgot about it.
When I returned to the kitchen I grabbed the kitchen towel and wiped the layers of dust off our pair of Radio Shack walkie talkies. Then I plugged them in to charge, at 4:39, so they would be ready for us to use, tomorrow afternoon, after my package arrives.
Now you may be asking yourself, "Use for what? What's coming in the package tomorrow?" I want this to be a little mystery for you to try to solve, because I like to tease people, but I will tell you that I am so looking forward to tomorrow afternoon. And that's about it for tonight, because I am fixin' to do some more writing.
Y'all have a great evening!
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Cabin Fever!
Today, except for the weather, has been great and so have the past two days. Nothing real exciting has been going on out here, so I have been spending my spare time reading and writing and then watching some favorite old movies.
Tomorrow the weather should be much improved with some possible sunshine and I am hoping that the sun does shine, because I am getting a bad case of cabin fever.
Y'all have a great evening!
Tomorrow the weather should be much improved with some possible sunshine and I am hoping that the sun does shine, because I am getting a bad case of cabin fever.
Y'all have a great evening!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
The Heat Is On!
Today has been great, but it didn't start out great. Early this morning Tony woke me up and said, "We are out of propane and we have no heat. I've called Martin and he told me that he will deliver the propane later this morning....I'm fixin' to go to town to drink coffee...."
After I heard the front door close behind Tony, I pulled the top, torn up blanket, with countless holes in it, over Little Debbie, Alice and me and went back to sleep, while Roy, Belle and Beau continued sleeping on top of the rest of our bed.
By 8:00, I was dressed in two layers of sweats and I was, in the kitchen, starting to cook a big pot of beans, for our lunch. As Roy, Belle and Beau watched me chop celery, onions and carrots, Little Debbie and Alice remained buried underneath their pile of chewed-up blankets, on our bed.
Around 9:30, Tony was on the phone calling Bobby, in Kerrville, our super nice air-conditioning man, because he discovered that we had not run out of propane as he had thought. We still had 40% left.
Fifteen minutes later, Martin showed up and topped off our propane tank for us and then he wished us luck with the central heating unit, before he adios-ed us and drove away.
Ten minutes later, Bobby arrived to check out our heater and ten minutes later he had found the problem. It was a broken ignitor switch. Then Bobby made a phone call. After that he took off for Kerrville to go buy a new, replacement switch.
After Bobby drove away, Tony went outside to get our little floor heater, from the barn, because the temperature inside The Cabin was 60 degrees. And ten minutes later, I took this picture of Little Debbie sleeping near the heater to keep warm, because her floor vent was no longer putting out any heat.
After I heard the front door close behind Tony, I pulled the top, torn up blanket, with countless holes in it, over Little Debbie, Alice and me and went back to sleep, while Roy, Belle and Beau continued sleeping on top of the rest of our bed.
By 8:00, I was dressed in two layers of sweats and I was, in the kitchen, starting to cook a big pot of beans, for our lunch. As Roy, Belle and Beau watched me chop celery, onions and carrots, Little Debbie and Alice remained buried underneath their pile of chewed-up blankets, on our bed.
Around 9:30, Tony was on the phone calling Bobby, in Kerrville, our super nice air-conditioning man, because he discovered that we had not run out of propane as he had thought. We still had 40% left.
Fifteen minutes later, Martin showed up and topped off our propane tank for us and then he wished us luck with the central heating unit, before he adios-ed us and drove away.
Ten minutes later, Bobby arrived to check out our heater and ten minutes later he had found the problem. It was a broken ignitor switch. Then Bobby made a phone call. After that he took off for Kerrville to go buy a new, replacement switch.
After Bobby drove away, Tony went outside to get our little floor heater, from the barn, because the temperature inside The Cabin was 60 degrees. And ten minutes later, I took this picture of Little Debbie sleeping near the heater to keep warm, because her floor vent was no longer putting out any heat.
By 12:45, Bobby had repaired our heating unit and had gone and Tony and I were eating lunch. To say the least, "Our dogs and us were in much better moods, because the heat was finally back on."
This afternoon my dear friend Jay Pennington sent me an e-mail. Jay is the man who has single-handedly designed a software program that has helped save and get thousands of lost pets back to their owners. And I am one of the proud Board Members of Pet Search And Rescue, his 501(c)(3) non profit organization. Jay is also the one who put together the www.KerrvillePets.com. Anyway Jay's e-mail was about another lost dog with a happy ending—thanks to his BulverdePets.com site. Jay wrote:
Nancy, this is one of our sites. Thought you’d enjoy seeing it. J
I want to wish
BulverdePets.com
and Linda our dog rescuer for finding and returning Scout to us right before
Christmas! Scout was lost for a month and I had almost given up hope that
we would find him.
Thanks to
Linda who looked for lost pets online and found our posting on bulverdepets.com,
Scout was returned to our family. Scout had a fractured front leg and
grass stains on his light fur trying to get help- he followed
Linda’s son and husband home from a park. I cannot begin to thank enough,
everyone involved in helping us find our Scout!
Reading about Scout getting back to his family, because of Jay's www.BulverdePets.com is what has made my day great. "Congrats Jay Pennington! Thank you for all you have done and do for our pets."
As I finish writing this tonight, I am so happy that the heat is on, but not as happy as Little Debbie is to have her vent back. She's been sleeping on top of it for nearly two hours. I guess you could say she is venting."
Y'all have a great evening!
Monday, January 5, 2015
3,6,8—3,6,9,8—3,6,8—6,3!
Today has been great, even though I fell off "The Juice Wagon" big time, because this afternoon Tony and I met our dear "Once-a-month-lunch-friends, at The Rails, in Kerrville.
When Trigger delivered Tony and me safely to, The Rails, Les & Denise and Jim were standing outside waving at us. After howdies and hugs we asked Jim where Kris was. "She'll be here any minute. She and I..."
A few minutes later, Jim's prediction about Kris came true. When Kris joined us, on the patio, she told me that she had something to give to me. Then she handed me the cutest, tiny outfit for Little Debbie to prance around in and an adorable, little teddy bear to give to Alice, so she wouldn't feel slighted. Then we went inside The Rails, to be seated, next to the bar, that showcased their delicious dessert tray right, behind Denise's and my chairs.
Lunch with our good friends was a lot of fun as always and the food was beyond delicious! Tony ordered their fish tacos and I ordered their Shrimp Alfredo. While I was busy, eating everything that was on my plate, we got to talking about the 60's and 70's great music. When I told them about B.B., my new, electric, Telecaster guitar and adding to my bucket list how to play The Thrill Is Gone, just like B.B. King plays it, Denise suggested that I also learn to play Smoke On The Water. The song didn't ring a bell with me, so she made the sounds of the first seven notes. And I instantly remembered that song. "Les, who sang Smoke On The Water?"
"Deep Purple," Les replied.
When the nice, friendly waiter removed our dinner plates he asked if any of us wanted dessert, "I do," Kris and Denise said, in two part harmony. Not wanting to be a stick-in-the-mud, even though I had already eaten so much food, I would have immediately sunk to the bottom of the mud pit, I held up my hand and said, "Me, too."
I ordered their delicious Carrot Cake, because "carrots are a healthy vegetable and good for us," was my logic and excuse for my over indulgence and I must confess that I'd do it all over again, because it was the best carrot cake that I have ever eaten. And, from the looks of their empty dessert plates, Denise and Kris loved their desserts, too.
When Tony and I got back home, I immediately unbuttoned the top two buttons, on my 501 Levis, so I could breath and then I went into our bedroom and put on some old, navy blue, sweat pants, to help take the pressure off the seams of my blue jeans. And I'm sure if my pair of jeans could have talked, my jeans would have said, "Thank goodness it's over! Nancy, next time, please go buy and wear a pair of our Levis' Relaxed Fit. And get a size bigger, too."
After I tossed my tighter-than-tight jeans into the washer, I looked, at the kitchen table and then half-hollered, "Tony!"
"What?" he asked, from his office.
"Will you please come help me dress Little Debbie?" And a minute later, I took this picture of Little Debbie, my little, darling, diamond-studded debutante. (Or a Subject for The Empire.)
When Trigger delivered Tony and me safely to, The Rails, Les & Denise and Jim were standing outside waving at us. After howdies and hugs we asked Jim where Kris was. "She'll be here any minute. She and I..."
A few minutes later, Jim's prediction about Kris came true. When Kris joined us, on the patio, she told me that she had something to give to me. Then she handed me the cutest, tiny outfit for Little Debbie to prance around in and an adorable, little teddy bear to give to Alice, so she wouldn't feel slighted. Then we went inside The Rails, to be seated, next to the bar, that showcased their delicious dessert tray right, behind Denise's and my chairs.
Lunch with our good friends was a lot of fun as always and the food was beyond delicious! Tony ordered their fish tacos and I ordered their Shrimp Alfredo. While I was busy, eating everything that was on my plate, we got to talking about the 60's and 70's great music. When I told them about B.B., my new, electric, Telecaster guitar and adding to my bucket list how to play The Thrill Is Gone, just like B.B. King plays it, Denise suggested that I also learn to play Smoke On The Water. The song didn't ring a bell with me, so she made the sounds of the first seven notes. And I instantly remembered that song. "Les, who sang Smoke On The Water?"
"Deep Purple," Les replied.
When the nice, friendly waiter removed our dinner plates he asked if any of us wanted dessert, "I do," Kris and Denise said, in two part harmony. Not wanting to be a stick-in-the-mud, even though I had already eaten so much food, I would have immediately sunk to the bottom of the mud pit, I held up my hand and said, "Me, too."
I ordered their delicious Carrot Cake, because "carrots are a healthy vegetable and good for us," was my logic and excuse for my over indulgence and I must confess that I'd do it all over again, because it was the best carrot cake that I have ever eaten. And, from the looks of their empty dessert plates, Denise and Kris loved their desserts, too.
When Tony and I got back home, I immediately unbuttoned the top two buttons, on my 501 Levis, so I could breath and then I went into our bedroom and put on some old, navy blue, sweat pants, to help take the pressure off the seams of my blue jeans. And I'm sure if my pair of jeans could have talked, my jeans would have said, "Thank goodness it's over! Nancy, next time, please go buy and wear a pair of our Levis' Relaxed Fit. And get a size bigger, too."
After I tossed my tighter-than-tight jeans into the washer, I looked, at the kitchen table and then half-hollered, "Tony!"
"Will you please come help me dress Little Debbie?" And a minute later, I took this picture of Little Debbie, my little, darling, diamond-studded debutante. (Or a Subject for The Empire.)
After all of our dogs had checked her outfit out, she went over to her floor vent and laid down and went to sleep, which was good, because I needed to go to YouTube to learn how to play Smoke On The Water, before the kids, from the Medina Children's Home, came over to walk our dogs for us.
After checking out four different versions of how to play Smoke On The Water, on YouTube, it was nearly 4:00. I had just about run out of time, so to speak. So I grabbed B.B., slipped the sparkling pink guitar strap over my neck and plugged him into my amp. Then I restarted the last video and wrote down the fret order for the beginning of that classic rock song. Then I flipped on the On switch, on my amp and began playing with the video, as the dogs started barking outside. "Nance, the kids are here," Tony said, as he walked out the front door.
"I'll be outside in just a minute, Tone." Then I started playing the lead notes, as this young, male instructor, on YouTube said, "Okay let's play it. Ready. 3,6,8—3,6,9,8—3,6,8—6,3. Okay, let's do it again...." I played it over and over again for about seven times and I thought I sounded pretty good, until I noticed that all of our dogs had left the room and were hiding in our bedroom.
This evening, I received another hilarious e-mail from our dear friend Eileen, The Obsessive One. Eileen wrote:
Does
this look like BBQ sauce? No? You're correct! Since I've been accused of
BBQ sauce obsession, I have decided to give up figuring out that secret
sauce. I made myself a healthy smoothie for the first time, and I
challenge anyone to figure out what's in it! Har, har!!!
After carefully
studying Eileen's delicious-looking, healthy smoothie for several
minutes, I am pretty sure
that I know what the ingredients are—BBQ sauce with ice chips! And I bet that it would be even tastier with Jim's and my secret BBQ sauce, too!
P.S. Please check out the comments made on the last post. : )
Y'all have a great evening!
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Pretty Potholders!
Today has been great, mainly because it has been a beautiful, sunshiny day! Thank goodness the sun was out in full force, because if today
had been another gloomy, gray day, like the others, I think I might have had to jump into Trigger, with Roy and Little Debbie and drive until we found sunshine.
Y'all have a great evening!
New Year's Day Eileen sent me two e-mails. She wrote:
It's
driving me crazy! It's got pieces of something in it. Onions????
Peppers????? Healthy you said. Dr. Pepper??? Apples????
Pineapple?????
I didn't respond, because I wanted to tease her. Then later
in the afternoon Eileen sent me another e-mail and she was sounding sort of
desperate. This time she wrote:
I
want you to tell me if I hit on one ingredient! Cherries? Ginger?
Peaches? Mango? All healthy! Honey? Apple cider
vinegar? Surely tomatoes - purée, paste, sauce, petit diced!!!!
Just tell me, is it Texas style, Carolina style, Memphis style? Or
is it unique?
I
did read your blog & I do appreciate getting a batch of BBQ sauce for my
birthday! But my mouth is watering for BBQ sauce this very minute!
Once again I didn't respond. So yesterday morning Eileen wrote me again and she asked:
Nancy,
is one of these healthy BBQ sauce recipes similar to The Secret One? If
so, which one???
As I was checking out the above site, I was still chuckling about
Eileen's obsession with Jim's executive chef friend's secret BBQ sauce, when Jim called
me. He told me that he and Kris weren't going to make it out, because of the
lousy weather. "Jim thanks for calling me. I don't blame y'all for not
wanting to come out in this kind of sorry weather. But listen, we need to talk
about Eileen. She's frantic and trying to figure out the late, great Chef Claude's BBQ sauce
recipe." Then Jim and I started laughing about Eileen's preoccupation with the BBQ sauce recipe. Then we had a long
discussion about it and made a plan. And that's for us to know and for no one
else—especially Eileen.
Before Jim and I adios-ed each other, I laughed and said, "Oh my goodness, Jim. I just realized that Eileen is really going to wind up, at the Funny Farm, making pretty potholders, when she finds out that we use Chef Claude's Secret BBQ Dry Rub recipe, before we even cook the meat!"
After we had stopped laughing, Jim quickly quipped, "I don't think we should rub that in..."
That's about it for tonight, because I am fixin' to go play my guitar and then once again watch Fried Green Tomatoes, which is one of my favorite movies and my favorite part is when they serve up the BBQ evidence.
Y'all have a great evening!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
A Good Sign! or Not So Fast!
Today has been great even though it has been a gray, chilly and damp day—not my kind of weather. Early this morning, I fixed Tony and me big servings of the Mean Green juice. Then I reluctantly, because of the weather, went outside with him to do our morning chores.
Around noon, I juiced all kinds of fresh fruit for my lunch, while I defrosted an Cutlet and fixed it for Tony's lunch, along with the last of the leftover sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. The Cutlet is a delicious, easy to make, meatless burger and it is a real winner, at our trailer. We both love it, so I fix it often. And today for Tony's lunch, I spread that secret BBQ sauce on top of it and Tony said it was the best ever.
For those of you who keep asking me for some of my healthy, delicious recipes, here's the Cutlet recipe.
Y'all have a great evening!
Around noon, I juiced all kinds of fresh fruit for my lunch, while I defrosted an Cutlet and fixed it for Tony's lunch, along with the last of the leftover sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. The Cutlet is a delicious, easy to make, meatless burger and it is a real winner, at our trailer. We both love it, so I fix it often. And today for Tony's lunch, I spread that secret BBQ sauce on top of it and Tony said it was the best ever.
For those of you who keep asking me for some of my healthy, delicious recipes, here's the Cutlet recipe.
Cutlets
Entrees
Prep
10 mins ∙ Cook 45 mins ∙ Makes 4 serving ∙ Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
•
1/2
cup chopped walnuts
•
I
cup cottage cheese
•
1/4
cup minced onion
•
2
eggs, beaten
•
1/2
cup fine bread crumbs (I used zesty seasoned fine bread crumbs)
•
1/2
tsp salt
•
around
6-8 leaves minced fresh sage
•
1
tbsp flour
Directions
Mix
all ingredients together. I use the food processor. I chop the onions and
walnuts separately in the processor, then put all the ingredients in and pulse
them until mixed. The mixture is very sticky. Drop about 1/2 cup of mixture
into an oiled skillet, forming patties. Daniel uses butter. Cook slowly over
medium low heat, browning on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a
300 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
This recipe suggests serving it with mushroom gravy, but Tony strongly suggest BBQ sauce since today. (And we've never served it with mushroom gravy.)
After lunch, we bundled up and took off for Kerrville, because I was running low on my supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, for my 3 - 5 day fast. When we were going over the pass the temperature dropped five degrees down to 30 degrees and there was some ice on the trees. So Tony stopped Trigger so he could take a few pictures. While he was snapping away, I rolled down the window and took this picture of a road sign that had ice on it. When I told Tony about the ice being on the sign, he said, "I know but it is melting."
I looked back at the ice melting off the sign and said, "Well, that's a good sign." Here's my picture of a good sign. You can see the ice on the left corner of the sign.
When Tony and I got back home I made a blackberry cobbler for Tony. It looked so tasty, covered in whipping cream, I confess that I ended up eating a bowl of it, too—breaking my fast. But not so fast before you judge me, because I mainly ate the blackberries (covered in whipping cream).
This afternoon Eileen sent me another e-mail concerning the secret BBQ sauce. Eileen wrote:
I
read the blog! Drats!
You
know my birthday is February 10th, and all I want for my birthday is a bowl of
that BBQ sauce! Better yet, I think Kris's is in January, so I think you
should make her a bowl of that BBQ sauce so we can have it with our Koyote Grill
birthday lunches!
I
am a BBQ sauce aficionado! I have been known to drive miles out of my way
to buy BBQ sauce! I can eat it like soup!
Okay,
one last guess in 2014. Does it have any kind of chopped nuts in it? And one more - does it have V8 juice in it? Would you even tell me
if I'm right???!!!
Sadly Eileen's latest two guesses are not in Jim's friend's, Jim's or my secret BBQ sauce recipe and I wish that I could tell her the recipe, but I am sworn to secrecy. There is one cool thing about Eileen's obsession with the ingredients in our secret BBQ sauce recipe—I already know that I am going to make her a big batch of the secret BBQ sauce for her birthday! And before I do, I am going to talk to Jim about throwing in one or two an extra ingredients, just in case she takes it to a lab and gets it analyzed.
Y'all have a great evening!
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