Sunday, July 31, 2011
Dove Chocolate Says...
I'm at work for a few hours on this beautiful Sunday and since I fill the glass bowl with goodies I thought I would have my Dove Chocolate for the day and see what my foil wrapper had to say to me :) It says:
Keep believing in yourself and your dreams...Love, Dove
WOW! How appropriate, eh? I think I love you Dove Chocolate...
Keep believing in yourself and your dreams...Love, Dove
WOW! How appropriate, eh? I think I love you Dove Chocolate...
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Majestic Site Every Day
Enjoy the beast!
Recipe of the Day ~ 7/28/11
Paula Deen's Ultimate Coffee Cake (Did I say Ultimate?)
16-18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 (3 oz) pkg regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I used more)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (definitely used more)
1 stick butter, melted
The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Then pour the melted butter over all of it. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap (what I did). Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove and serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.
You can also make a version with sliced almonds and vanilla pudding mix. The one above was my favorite, but both are yummy!
When you turn them out onto your serving plate, it's a beautiful masterpiece! Try it...can't get any easier than this now can it?
16-18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 (3 oz) pkg regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I used more)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (definitely used more)
1 stick butter, melted
The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Then pour the melted butter over all of it. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap (what I did). Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove and serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.
You can also make a version with sliced almonds and vanilla pudding mix. The one above was my favorite, but both are yummy!
When you turn them out onto your serving plate, it's a beautiful masterpiece! Try it...can't get any easier than this now can it?
I Love Dove Chocolates ~
It's not because of the chocolately creaminess either, it's because of the mini quotes that they have inside the foil wrapper :) Yep, Ms Quote Queen here buys them mainly for that purpose! And today's mini quote is perfect!!!!
Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances. Love, Dove
Ahhhh yes, now I need to get me a cup of Joe and open up one more of those blue foil decadent sweets and get this day started!
Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances. Love, Dove
Ahhhh yes, now I need to get me a cup of Joe and open up one more of those blue foil decadent sweets and get this day started!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Phone Call Made My Day!
Whoop! Jon Wolfe actually called little ole' me! For real! Anyhoo, my two nieces, Suzanne and I were at Grist Mill in Gruene last September just chatting and having a drink outside while waiting for the Charlie Robison concert to start at Gruene Dancehall. I had only been back to Texas for a short time and we wanted to hear some country music in Gruene no less, one of my favorite places. So we are all standing there together posing for a stranger to take our pictures when all of a sudden this very happy guy jumps in our picture! We laugh as he introduces himself as "Joey" and he makes his way to the mens room...on his way back he stops and asks if we would do him a favor. This peaks our interest so we say of course, what do you have in mind? He says "you see that guy over there with the camo cap on? He's a new, up and coming country singer. Will you go up to him and say "hey are you Jon Wolfe that new country singer?" Immediately, Suzanne, Tish and Steph start the trek over there with me following behind.
So they ask him if he's that new country singer Jon Wolfe and he cracks up laughing and says "did Joey send you over here?" Um, yep! So that's how we met Mr. Wolfe. We hung out with him and his two friends and a girlfriend of one them until the wee hours in the morning. He sang one of his songs to us at the table in Mozie's and when we all left, he gave us a copy of his CD that was going to be released the following Tuesday. We are driving back to San Antonio and I pop the CD in and lo and behold, this guy can sing! From the first song to the last, we kept looking at each other and giggling and saying is this for real? Did we just meet the guy that is singing these songs, because he is going to be big. Of course I'm partial because he is such a sweet, down to earth, not to mention good looking young man that sings traditional country no less.
So from that time on, we kept up with his progress and kept in touch with him, even going to dinner with him and enjoying a Stoney LaRue concert in SA. He has a great story and has worked at this for quite a few years now. He's opening for different artists and starting to get known, little by little with his debut single reaching #7 on the Texas Chart. His second release is currently #13 on the Texas Chart. Back in December he told us that country artist Joe Nichols was thinking of recording one of the songs that he wrote. Today he told me that Nichols did record it and it will be on his next album, hopefully to be released this Fall. He also told us that George Strait has a couple of his songs on hold to record as well. I hope that George will record them as I'm sure that would be a huge kick starter for Jon.
Here are a couple of pictures from a while ago of me with Jon and my niece Tish. Unfortunately they are a tad blurry as they are from the cell phone...but nevertheless, it was a fun night!
So they ask him if he's that new country singer Jon Wolfe and he cracks up laughing and says "did Joey send you over here?" Um, yep! So that's how we met Mr. Wolfe. We hung out with him and his two friends and a girlfriend of one them until the wee hours in the morning. He sang one of his songs to us at the table in Mozie's and when we all left, he gave us a copy of his CD that was going to be released the following Tuesday. We are driving back to San Antonio and I pop the CD in and lo and behold, this guy can sing! From the first song to the last, we kept looking at each other and giggling and saying is this for real? Did we just meet the guy that is singing these songs, because he is going to be big. Of course I'm partial because he is such a sweet, down to earth, not to mention good looking young man that sings traditional country no less.
So from that time on, we kept up with his progress and kept in touch with him, even going to dinner with him and enjoying a Stoney LaRue concert in SA. He has a great story and has worked at this for quite a few years now. He's opening for different artists and starting to get known, little by little with his debut single reaching #7 on the Texas Chart. His second release is currently #13 on the Texas Chart. Back in December he told us that country artist Joe Nichols was thinking of recording one of the songs that he wrote. Today he told me that Nichols did record it and it will be on his next album, hopefully to be released this Fall. He also told us that George Strait has a couple of his songs on hold to record as well. I hope that George will record them as I'm sure that would be a huge kick starter for Jon.
Here are a couple of pictures from a while ago of me with Jon and my niece Tish. Unfortunately they are a tad blurry as they are from the cell phone...but nevertheless, it was a fun night!
Quote of the Day ~ 7/27/11
The wings of angels are often found on the backs of the least likely people ~ Eric Honeycutt
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Someday I'ma Have Me a Pool...Someday
Yes, one day I will have one! Gotta be positive, right? We had a great weekend in Laredo this past weekend. Visited with classmates on Friday night until the wee hours of the morning, then went back to David and Patsy Webb's house and visited some more. David graduated in 80' with us and his wife Patsy graduated in 81'. They have a beautiful home with a pool that I'm envious of...can't help it. I've always wanted one and with the heat here in Texas, I think it should be on the priority list when you look for a home :) We laid by the pool Saturday and Sunday just chillaxin...David makes the best Clamatos too! He and Tim have been great friends ever since high school and have kept in touch over the years. It was fun to visit and learn about each other's lives since I hadn't kept in touch with him.
Sooo, Ima, Ima, Ima gonna have me one of these one day...just you wait and see :)
Shall it be a Runkeeper Day or Snickerdoodle Day?
I keep seeing people posting their runs/walks on Runkeeper and boy it's making me dream about it! I keep complaining I need to get off my rear and lose a few pounds and there are a few people on Facebook that post Runkeeper after they exercise and it shows the details of miles, minutes, calories burned, etc.
I even downloaded it yesterday on my Ipad and Iphone AND even set my alarm this morning earlier to get up and go walk at 6am. Well, guess what happened? I hit the snooze button LOL...part of it is laziness, yes, but another part is I don't like doing things that like by myself and I don't know the area well enough. I know these are lame excuses so I'm going to try this afternoon (although it's going to be 104 again, yet another excuse albeit a good one), or wait until the morning and set the alarm again for 6am when it's only 82 degrees. Would be nice to fit myself into a size smaller pair of jeans for the Jon Wolfe concert on August 13th but it will probably be to dang hot for jeans then anyways :)
And then there's the snickerdoodle recipe staring me in the face...I could make them and bring some to work for the office...and only eat one :) bahahahahaha! That's a big word, could.
To be continued....
I even downloaded it yesterday on my Ipad and Iphone AND even set my alarm this morning earlier to get up and go walk at 6am. Well, guess what happened? I hit the snooze button LOL...part of it is laziness, yes, but another part is I don't like doing things that like by myself and I don't know the area well enough. I know these are lame excuses so I'm going to try this afternoon (although it's going to be 104 again, yet another excuse albeit a good one), or wait until the morning and set the alarm again for 6am when it's only 82 degrees. Would be nice to fit myself into a size smaller pair of jeans for the Jon Wolfe concert on August 13th but it will probably be to dang hot for jeans then anyways :)
And then there's the snickerdoodle recipe staring me in the face...I could make them and bring some to work for the office...and only eat one :) bahahahahaha! That's a big word, could.
To be continued....
Quote of the Day ~ 7/26/11
You'll never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart ~ George Michael
Monday, July 25, 2011
Go The Fok to Sleep! OMG this is funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeKxIaG_f_c
I hope you can get to this link...this is a book read by Samuel L. Jackson and cracks me up! Maybe not very appropriate but have we not all thought this before? Had an exhausting day and just trying to get your little one to sleep...and they just will not cooperate?
Hope it makes you chuckle, cuz it did me, several times :) I think I'll listen to it again!!! Going to make Tim listen to it too LOL
I hope you can get to this link...this is a book read by Samuel L. Jackson and cracks me up! Maybe not very appropriate but have we not all thought this before? Had an exhausting day and just trying to get your little one to sleep...and they just will not cooperate?
Hope it makes you chuckle, cuz it did me, several times :) I think I'll listen to it again!!! Going to make Tim listen to it too LOL
Recipe of the Day ~ 7/25/11
Dump Cake - Yes, that's what it says...Dump Cake :) and it is very yummy and super easy...I get compliments on this cake everytime I make it!
1 box of yellow or butter cake mix
1 stick of butter
1 can of crushed pineapple, do not drain!
1 can of pie filling, cherry or blueberry are my favorites
1 cup of chopped walnuts
Dump the can of crushed pineapple (with juices) in the bottom of your 9x13 cake pan. Then sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the pineapple. Spoon the pie filling evenly over the cake mix. Cut butter in slices and place randomly over everything. Then sprinkle chopped walnuts all over as well. Bake in 350 oven for about 45-60 minutes until bubbly....Serve with a scoop of blue bell or whip cream...
Told you it was easy! This is one of my favorites so enjoy! I think I'm gonna make it tonight even...although I'm supposed to go on a diet starting today...hmmm, what to do, what to do....dammit
1 box of yellow or butter cake mix
1 stick of butter
1 can of crushed pineapple, do not drain!
1 can of pie filling, cherry or blueberry are my favorites
1 cup of chopped walnuts
Dump the can of crushed pineapple (with juices) in the bottom of your 9x13 cake pan. Then sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the pineapple. Spoon the pie filling evenly over the cake mix. Cut butter in slices and place randomly over everything. Then sprinkle chopped walnuts all over as well. Bake in 350 oven for about 45-60 minutes until bubbly....Serve with a scoop of blue bell or whip cream...
Told you it was easy! This is one of my favorites so enjoy! I think I'm gonna make it tonight even...although I'm supposed to go on a diet starting today...hmmm, what to do, what to do....dammit
Friday, July 22, 2011
Laredo Bound
Suzanne, Tim and I are all heading down to Laredo for the weekend...get to see her beautiful mom Delia and siblings. We are staying with another classmate and his wife who graduated a year behind us and it also happens to be there Class Reunion this weekend . Tim was invited in his little sister Kelly's place as she graduated with the Class of 81 and passed away at the very young age of 22 from complications with the disease Lupus.
We will see friends and hoping to see my brother and his family if he is in town. His schedule is so crazy he doesn't know when he will be in town until a day or two before. Golfing tournament on Saturday morning (I'm driving the cart and taking pictures so they better watch out), and Reunion dinner Saturday evening. Regardless of what we do and where we end up, it should be a fun time to visit family and old friends...and hoping to buy a couple of those big clay pots while we are down there! Hopefully we can fit at least one in the car....
So may not be posting much this weekend, but watch out on Monday! I'm pretty sure I'll have some good pictures to share :) Have a great weekend everyone!
We will see friends and hoping to see my brother and his family if he is in town. His schedule is so crazy he doesn't know when he will be in town until a day or two before. Golfing tournament on Saturday morning (I'm driving the cart and taking pictures so they better watch out), and Reunion dinner Saturday evening. Regardless of what we do and where we end up, it should be a fun time to visit family and old friends...and hoping to buy a couple of those big clay pots while we are down there! Hopefully we can fit at least one in the car....
So may not be posting much this weekend, but watch out on Monday! I'm pretty sure I'll have some good pictures to share :) Have a great weekend everyone!
Makes Ya Think
I know I already posted a Quote for today, but this one kind of hits home with regard to how I used to feel for many, many years. And I did say "used" to feel!
"By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower." ~ Rabindrath Tagore
Without going into detail, this just reminds me of how I felt near the end of my marriage. Over the years, all of my colorful petals just disappeared one by one until there were no more....even the roots were dry and rotting with no hope of resurrection. Please do not pick and pick at those petals, because they will fall off and you are left with nothing. That beautiful, flourishing flower you fell in love with will slowly and surely wilt away...Even a flower won't flourish and grow under gloomy, dark and negative conditions, so how do we expect each other to? And this isn't directed to just one person in any relationship, it does take two people to make it work. I just came to the realization that the cloud over my head was never going to move on so I surrendered and came looking for the sunshine...well I found that sunshine and it has done me very well I might add :)
My buds are starting to bloom again with lots of different, bright colors and emotions...wonder what will happen when they are in full bloom? I plan on using lots of fertilizer to keep them healthy so keep a lookout for what's growing in this glorious little garden of mine...
Recipe of the Day ~ 7/22/11
Fiesta Ranch Dip
1 pkg. dry Fiesta Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
1 cup salsa (your favorite)
16 oz. sour cream
Yes, it's that simple! Another dip recipe but simple and great for entertaining or just sitting in front of the tv watching your favorite show. Make sure you get the Fiesta ranch dip though...it makes a big difference! The girls from the volleyball team used to love this dip :) Miss those beautiful girls and all the fun times...
1 pkg. dry Fiesta Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
1 cup salsa (your favorite)
16 oz. sour cream
Yes, it's that simple! Another dip recipe but simple and great for entertaining or just sitting in front of the tv watching your favorite show. Make sure you get the Fiesta ranch dip though...it makes a big difference! The girls from the volleyball team used to love this dip :) Miss those beautiful girls and all the fun times...
Quote of the Day ~ 7/22/11
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face ~ Victor Hugo
This Texas sun sure kicked winter's ass from my Minnesota face :)
This Texas sun sure kicked winter's ass from my Minnesota face :)
Today's Horoscopes for Meh
Just ready my horoscope in the paper and it says: (I'm Sagittarius by the way)
Newspaper:
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There will be a beautiful continuity to this day, as though things are picking up where they left off and progressing to interesting places....hmmmm....I likey ALOT!
Newspaper:
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There will be a beautiful continuity to this day, as though things are picking up where they left off and progressing to interesting places....hmmmm....I likey ALOT!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
He Made Me Chuckle!
I had to share this picture from a magazine because it made me chuckle out loud. If it makes me chuckle out loud when I'm by myself, then by God, I'm gonna share it with you guys! Enjoy this cutie with the green tongue!
Fudgie Wudgies!!!
Just read this in a magazine so thought I would share how to make homemade Fudgesicles! It "says" they are amazing so I will let you guys with kiddos try them out! I don't have the little plastic thingamajiggies to make popsicles anymore.
Homemade Fudgesicles
Mix together 1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Pour into ice-pop molds (oh, I guess that is what the thingamajiggies are called) and freeze until solid; at least 4 hours (holy that's a long time to wait so make a bunch in case their good) Unmold and serve. Makes 6 pops....yeah, I'm thinkin' you better make about 24 of these suckers!
Homemade Fudgesicles
Mix together 1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Pour into ice-pop molds (oh, I guess that is what the thingamajiggies are called) and freeze until solid; at least 4 hours (holy that's a long time to wait so make a bunch in case their good) Unmold and serve. Makes 6 pops....yeah, I'm thinkin' you better make about 24 of these suckers!
One Big A@# Jug of Apple Pie
I had to make another batch of Apple Pie because they all disappeared...all but one that I'm saving so the flavors with "mature". Soooo, made another batch to bring a Jug to a friend in Laredo this weekend. I'm thinking it might be a crazy weekend...what do you think?
My Oh My, It's Julie's Apple Pie!
You guys better be ready to get down
cuz' we're going to hit this hot Border town!
There will be plenty of hugs and kisses
and even more well wishes.
To old friends of high school past,
This shall be a good ole' BBQ blast.
The joke goin' round is that it's a panty dropper,
So I guess we'll see once we pop it's topper!
Let's just hope everyone behaves,
Hell, if not, we'll just blame it on the heat wave!
Can you say WHOOP!!?? OKAY, I was not going to put the panty dropper line in, but Suzanne dared me, so I found a place for it :) Hope it made you giggle a little!
Quote of the Day ~ 7/21/11
Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth ~ Benjamin Disraeli
Guilty!!! Something I'm still learning....
Guilty!!! Something I'm still learning....
Recipe of the Day #2 ~ 7/21/11
Yet another recipe book from the early 80's. This one was purchased during my stint as a legal secretary in San Antonio. I was a member of the Texas Association of Legal Secretaries so just HAD to have this cookbook! I was about 20 and just starting my "collection". The recipe I'm sharing out of this cookbook, has been used many, many times over the years and is perfect during the summer when you have zucchini coming out of your ears from the garden. So enjoy this one as well!
Pineapple Zucchini Bread
(makes 2 loaves)
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 c. canola oil
2 cups zucchini, peeled, grated and drained
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped nuts
(since I'm a nut freak I use 1 cup, and I use walnuts)
Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil until fluffy; add zucchini. Combine all dry ingredients and add to egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in pineapple and nuts. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 60 minutes or until bread tests done. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely before slicing...YEAH RIGHT! I have to have a warm piece with butter right away!!! But that's just me...
Recipe of the Day #1 ~ 7/21/11
I forgot to post a recipe yesterday so you get two today! A tidbit about me most of you don't know is I collect recipe books and have many...many that are still in Minnesota, but nonetheless, they are mine and I will get them when I move the rest of my "stuff" to Texas. Now that there are so many food shows and magazines and of course, internet, I have a few magazine subscriptions and pick up a few here and there at the store...I just can't help it sometimes while I'm standing in line waiting to check out and all these gorgeous pictures of colorful dishes are staring at me! What is a girl supposed to do? Especially one that likes to cook? And I wonder why I stay the same weight....guess that would be part of the reason! Anyway, here is a recipe that was given to me my by dear friend Patricia "Patti" Ogle. We met while working together at a law firm in Laredo, Texas in the early 80's and have stayed friends ever since. She made me this little cook book of some of her easy favorites for me...here is my favorite of them all and one I still use a few times a year. Always served with wheat buns and green bean casserole!
Beef Curry
1 medium onion chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 TB butter
1 4-6 oz can of mushrooms (I use the pieces and stems cuz I don't like huge pieces)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. white rice (uncooked)
2 cans beef bouillion (I use Campbell's)
2 tsp curry powder (I use 1 tsp)
1 TB Worchestershire sauce
Saute onions in butter, brown meat and add seasonings. Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake 1 hour at 350, uncovered. Serves 6-8.
As you can see, it has been used alot! And Shelby got ahold of it when she was a wee child and scribbled her "poetry" on every page in the entire book! Makes it that much more precious, doesn't it?Think This Sums It Up!
On KVET radio this morning they said that today will be Day 37 of triple digit weather in Austin for this year SO FAR....last year there were 6 days of triple digit weather. Amazing! This cartoon was sent to me this morning from a classmate and it was totally appropriate and made me chuckle so I thought I would share! Thanks Marcy!!!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Quote of the Day ~ 7/20/11
The more side roads you stop to explore, the less likely that life will pass you by ~ Robert Brault
Sidenote: I can't tell ya how many side roads I've stopped to explore in the last few months! Don't pass all those opportunities by people, because those "side roads" are totally worth it!!!
Sidenote: I can't tell ya how many side roads I've stopped to explore in the last few months! Don't pass all those opportunities by people, because those "side roads" are totally worth it!!!
Good Hearted Woman
At work we have the flatscreen set to music all day long which makes me smile all day long...music, and all different genres of music, are intoxicating to me. Being born and raised in Texas, my favorite of course, is country. I love classic, traditional and new country...when I came back to Texas I discovered two more versions of country: "Texas Country" and "Red Dirt Music"....and I can't get enough of either one! There is even a Texas Music Chart for only Texas musicians' hits...I was talking to Shelby one day and she was telling me how much she loved this new song called "Crazy Girl" by the Eli Young Band...of course I immediately had to tell her it was (at that time) currently number one on the Texas Music Chart AND they are from Texas AND they play around here all the time! I had to rub it in a little you know ;) I still need to see them play live. I have a list of Texas Country bands and artists that I still want to see perform live and I'm sure with all the music venues and festivals, etc., I will get to see them all...yeah, got to rub that in too...here are a few on my list:
Randy Rogers Band, Eli Young Band, Cody Canada & the Departed (love their name), Kevin Fowler, Cory Morrow, Brandon Rhyder, Dale Watson, Jeremy Steding, Robert Earl Keen, Reckless Kelly, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Pat Greene, Jack Ingram, Casey Donahue Band, Jon Wolfe (seen a few times and will see again August 13) and WILLIE! You can't be born and raised in Texas and not get to hear and experience Willie live, right?
And one of my favorites right now is from Oklahoma, hence the Red Dirt Music mention, and that is Stoney LaRue. I have seen him perform 2 or 3 times now and have tried to make a few more (this weekend even), but other plans have gotten in the way! I bought one of his CD's when I first came back and still listen to it all the time and also download an acoustic CD from ITunes. He has such a unique and distinctive voice, very down to earth guy and plays local venues all the time around here...I enjoy listening to him with his band and just with his guitar. He is quite addicting, and not bad to look at either...I've got an album with quite a few pictures of him on Facebook.
If you are wondering what "Red Dirt Music" is, this is Wikipedia's definition: "rising genre of music based in and around Stillwater, Oklahoma. Critics say that Red Dirt can best be likened to the indie genre of rock n roll as there is no definitive sound that can be attributed to all the bands in the movement. It can be described as a mix of Southern rock, country rock, alt-country, outlaw country, folk and Texas honky-tonk with even a few Mexican influences." Soooo, there you go!
There are four CD's that I constantly play and they are Jon Wolfe's "It Happened In A Honky Tonk" (signed and given to me personally, no less), Randy Roger's Band "Burning the Day", Stoney LaRue's "Live at Billy Bobs" and Stoney LaRue's "Acoustic CD"...It makes me happy when you buy a CD and you love the whole CD! Seriously, if you love country music, google these guys and take a listen...I haven't stopped!
Oh yeah, the reason I put Good Hearted Woman on my Title is because it was playing in the office and I love that song too! Waylon and Willie remind me of my senior year in high school....
I didn't know I could be so winded...geez!
Randy Rogers Band, Eli Young Band, Cody Canada & the Departed (love their name), Kevin Fowler, Cory Morrow, Brandon Rhyder, Dale Watson, Jeremy Steding, Robert Earl Keen, Reckless Kelly, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Pat Greene, Jack Ingram, Casey Donahue Band, Jon Wolfe (seen a few times and will see again August 13) and WILLIE! You can't be born and raised in Texas and not get to hear and experience Willie live, right?
And one of my favorites right now is from Oklahoma, hence the Red Dirt Music mention, and that is Stoney LaRue. I have seen him perform 2 or 3 times now and have tried to make a few more (this weekend even), but other plans have gotten in the way! I bought one of his CD's when I first came back and still listen to it all the time and also download an acoustic CD from ITunes. He has such a unique and distinctive voice, very down to earth guy and plays local venues all the time around here...I enjoy listening to him with his band and just with his guitar. He is quite addicting, and not bad to look at either...I've got an album with quite a few pictures of him on Facebook.
If you are wondering what "Red Dirt Music" is, this is Wikipedia's definition: "rising genre of music based in and around Stillwater, Oklahoma. Critics say that Red Dirt can best be likened to the indie genre of rock n roll as there is no definitive sound that can be attributed to all the bands in the movement. It can be described as a mix of Southern rock, country rock, alt-country, outlaw country, folk and Texas honky-tonk with even a few Mexican influences." Soooo, there you go!
There are four CD's that I constantly play and they are Jon Wolfe's "It Happened In A Honky Tonk" (signed and given to me personally, no less), Randy Roger's Band "Burning the Day", Stoney LaRue's "Live at Billy Bobs" and Stoney LaRue's "Acoustic CD"...It makes me happy when you buy a CD and you love the whole CD! Seriously, if you love country music, google these guys and take a listen...I haven't stopped!
Oh yeah, the reason I put Good Hearted Woman on my Title is because it was playing in the office and I love that song too! Waylon and Willie remind me of my senior year in high school....
I didn't know I could be so winded...geez!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Wonder of It All
These pictures should go below with my post about Children and Crayons!!! Just caught this little girl playing in the water fountain and couldn't resist taking a few pictures...the colors in her swimsuit are as bright as her soul and her happiness simply overflows...love, love, love capturing these moments!My Little Green Buddy is Back!
This little guy 's vibrant chartruese color just brightens my day! I think I need to find a name for him since I'm starting to talk to him now when he appears...hmmmm. And why do I think he's a guy? I guess cuz the lizard on the Geico commercial is a guy, I figure mine should be a guy too. The older I get, the stranger I get...what's up with that?
Names....Arty, Buddy (when I see him I immediately call him Buddy so maybe that should be it?) That's too boring though....kinda like when we had the pet beaver in Minnesota...we just named him Beaver. I don't know why we didn't think to actually give him a name as we had him from a tiny baby until he grew to be about 20 pounds. Now THAT is a story for another day. I need to get some of the video of him when I go back to Minnesota...it's adorable. Shelby is about 6 years old and standing in the pond in her swimsuit and he is swimming circles around her...
Yep, after much consideration, (all of 3 minutes) I think it's going to be Buddy....I'm going to go back outside and see if he is still around...it's freezing at my desk and the warm air feels so good! Well, in bursts of about 2 minutes at a time....
Okay, I'm warm enough and Buddy moved closer to the front door....I'm thinkin' he likes me...LOL
Names....Arty, Buddy (when I see him I immediately call him Buddy so maybe that should be it?) That's too boring though....kinda like when we had the pet beaver in Minnesota...we just named him Beaver. I don't know why we didn't think to actually give him a name as we had him from a tiny baby until he grew to be about 20 pounds. Now THAT is a story for another day. I need to get some of the video of him when I go back to Minnesota...it's adorable. Shelby is about 6 years old and standing in the pond in her swimsuit and he is swimming circles around her...
Yep, after much consideration, (all of 3 minutes) I think it's going to be Buddy....I'm going to go back outside and see if he is still around...it's freezing at my desk and the warm air feels so good! Well, in bursts of about 2 minutes at a time....
Okay, I'm warm enough and Buddy moved closer to the front door....I'm thinkin' he likes me...LOL
Childhood and Crayons
I don't know what it is about the smell of a box of brand new crayons, but they are intoxicating to me and bring me back to those first days of school and going to buy school supplies. The big box of 64, of course, was the prized possession in my desk.
I was looking at quotes again this morning and found some I would like to share about crayons, children and imagination...I KNOW you all love crayons, precious children and the wonder of imagination, right? If you have forgotten, go buy a new box of crayons, open them up, take a whiff and then share them with your child or grandchild drawing pictures or coloring in a color book...I used to love buying coloring books too :)
But first, here's a little story that I think is something everyone should do because it put alot of smiles on the faces of many adults that were siblings and cousins in their 40's-50's. My ex-husband's late grandmother used to keep scrapbooks with news articles and pictures of all the grandchildren and families, etc. She had albums and albums of them put away. These are now family gems as they are pulled out often at family gatherings and reunions.
One of her daughter-in-laws found them and a bunch of pages from coloring books that almost every single grandchild had colored on...Grandma Olina had each grandchild write their name on each page that they colored. Auntie Terry was able to find one page from each grandchild, had them framed and presented it to them at one of the reunions. Needless to say it was very special to all of them and brought back precious memories of their grandmother besides the feeling of childhood nostalgia. Maybe we should all make a box specifically for all of those priceless, colored pages and throw them in...hopefully someday an Auntie will find that box of artwork and decide to put them to good use again.
So with children, crayons and imagination in mind, here are a few quotes I found today that I enjoyed. I will pass them onto you!
Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up. ~ Allen Klein
A rose can say "I love you", orchids can enthrall, but a weed bouquet in a chubby fist, yes, that says it all ~unknown
The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child ~ Joe Houldsworth
There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million ~ Walt Streightiff
It's never too late to have a happy childhood ~ Tom Robbins
If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older ~ Tom Stoppard
Life is about using the whole box of crayons ~ RuPaul
If you want an interesting party sometime, combine cocktails and a fresh box of crayons for everyone ~ Robert Fulghum
Give crayons. Adults are disturbingly impoverished of these magical dream sticks ~ Dr. SunWolf
My childhood smells like a box of Crayola crayons ~ Terri Guillemets
We could learn alot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others are bright, some have weird names, but they have all learned to live together in the same box. ~ Robert Fulghum
A grownup is a child with layers on ~ Woody Harrelson
My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is ~ Ron Olson
And my favorite of them all today:
Trust that little voice in your head that says "Wouldn't it be interesting if..." And then DO IT ~ Duane Michals
I was looking at quotes again this morning and found some I would like to share about crayons, children and imagination...I KNOW you all love crayons, precious children and the wonder of imagination, right? If you have forgotten, go buy a new box of crayons, open them up, take a whiff and then share them with your child or grandchild drawing pictures or coloring in a color book...I used to love buying coloring books too :)
But first, here's a little story that I think is something everyone should do because it put alot of smiles on the faces of many adults that were siblings and cousins in their 40's-50's. My ex-husband's late grandmother used to keep scrapbooks with news articles and pictures of all the grandchildren and families, etc. She had albums and albums of them put away. These are now family gems as they are pulled out often at family gatherings and reunions.
One of her daughter-in-laws found them and a bunch of pages from coloring books that almost every single grandchild had colored on...Grandma Olina had each grandchild write their name on each page that they colored. Auntie Terry was able to find one page from each grandchild, had them framed and presented it to them at one of the reunions. Needless to say it was very special to all of them and brought back precious memories of their grandmother besides the feeling of childhood nostalgia. Maybe we should all make a box specifically for all of those priceless, colored pages and throw them in...hopefully someday an Auntie will find that box of artwork and decide to put them to good use again.
So with children, crayons and imagination in mind, here are a few quotes I found today that I enjoyed. I will pass them onto you!
Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up. ~ Allen Klein
A rose can say "I love you", orchids can enthrall, but a weed bouquet in a chubby fist, yes, that says it all ~unknown
The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child ~ Joe Houldsworth
There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million ~ Walt Streightiff
It's never too late to have a happy childhood ~ Tom Robbins
If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older ~ Tom Stoppard
Life is about using the whole box of crayons ~ RuPaul
If you want an interesting party sometime, combine cocktails and a fresh box of crayons for everyone ~ Robert Fulghum
Give crayons. Adults are disturbingly impoverished of these magical dream sticks ~ Dr. SunWolf
My childhood smells like a box of Crayola crayons ~ Terri Guillemets
We could learn alot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others are bright, some have weird names, but they have all learned to live together in the same box. ~ Robert Fulghum
A grownup is a child with layers on ~ Woody Harrelson
My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is ~ Ron Olson
And my favorite of them all today:
Trust that little voice in your head that says "Wouldn't it be interesting if..." And then DO IT ~ Duane Michals
Recipe of the Day ~ Creamy Cilantro Dip ~ 7/19/11
Creamy Cilantro Dip ~ Another yummy dip courtesy of Tim's sister Michelle
Most Texans have been to Chuy's and probably love their white dip :) Here is a version VERY similar and VERY easy as well
16 oz sour cream
1 bunch of cilantro
Pkg. of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dip or Dressing
2-3 jalepenos
Pull the tops (leaves) off of the whole bunch of cilantro and put them in food processor (or blender) with the sour cream, pkg of ranch dip and the jalepenos (seeded of course) and blend! Depending on the spicyness of your palate, use more or less of the jalepenos. Just how daring are you? When it comes to hot peppers, me, not so much :)
This is great with chips but also good on sandwiches and if you add a little milk, a great dressing for your salad.
Could it be any easier? It will be one of your new favorites and since most of my Minnesota friends have not been to Chuy's, please try it at your next gathering...you will be the hit of the party! Enjoy!
Most Texans have been to Chuy's and probably love their white dip :) Here is a version VERY similar and VERY easy as well
16 oz sour cream
1 bunch of cilantro
Pkg. of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dip or Dressing
2-3 jalepenos
Pull the tops (leaves) off of the whole bunch of cilantro and put them in food processor (or blender) with the sour cream, pkg of ranch dip and the jalepenos (seeded of course) and blend! Depending on the spicyness of your palate, use more or less of the jalepenos. Just how daring are you? When it comes to hot peppers, me, not so much :)
This is great with chips but also good on sandwiches and if you add a little milk, a great dressing for your salad.
Could it be any easier? It will be one of your new favorites and since most of my Minnesota friends have not been to Chuy's, please try it at your next gathering...you will be the hit of the party! Enjoy!
Monday, July 18, 2011
It Really Doesn't Hurt to SMILE!
I found these cute quotes this morning about smiling :)))) and wanted to share them! Enjoy, but most importantly, I hope they make you smile!
A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks ~ Charles Gordy
A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home ~ Unknown
And my favorite ~
I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful ~ Unknown
Are you smiling yet?
A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks ~ Charles Gordy
A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home ~ Unknown
And my favorite ~
I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful ~ Unknown
Are you smiling yet?
Recipe of the Day - Hot Cheese Dip
Hot Cheese Dip - Courtesy of Tim's sister Michelle
2 bricks of Cream Cheese
1 cup mayo
7 oz. shredded parmesan
1/2 cup chopped white or yellow onion
Heat in skillet just until it mixes well (do not get too hot), pour everything into 8x12 casserole dish (no need to spray), bake in oven at 375-400 for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown around edges. Is super delicious and addicting! Best when warm out of the oven with Tostitos...
Enjoy!
2 bricks of Cream Cheese
1 cup mayo
7 oz. shredded parmesan
1/2 cup chopped white or yellow onion
Heat in skillet just until it mixes well (do not get too hot), pour everything into 8x12 casserole dish (no need to spray), bake in oven at 375-400 for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown around edges. Is super delicious and addicting! Best when warm out of the oven with Tostitos...
Enjoy!
Quote of the Day ~ 7/18/11
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~ e.e. cummings
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Today's Vintage Finds
Austin in a Bubble
This is our paper weight to hold down info when people come by to look at properties and the office is closed. The UT tower, 6th Street, the 360 bridge, Capital and not sure what the building on the left is! When you shake there are little bats as well but they sank before I could get the picture! Austin is well known for the millions of bats that come out at dusk under one of the bridges downtown. Crowds of people come to watch every night...still haven't done that yet. But it's on my "bucket list".
Entertaining Myself
Very slow today at the office so I was trying to find things to take pictures of....a train of rolos...really, Julie?Say Hello to My Little Friend!
This little guy was hanging out at the office today so I thought I'd take his picture...I love the bright green on him and the leaves!And I had to rescue one of his buddies as he was stuck in a big clay pot...he had been in there for 3 days! I mentioned it to Shelby on the phone and she said "well catch him and help him get out!" So I did...I love lizards
Great One by Erma Bombeck
"I got to thinking one day about all those women on the TITANTIC who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back"
Well, I didn't pass up on dessert last night! Gotta, gotta, GOTTA live life and enjoy all those little things peeps!
Well, I didn't pass up on dessert last night! Gotta, gotta, GOTTA live life and enjoy all those little things peeps!
Funnyness
Yea I know that is not a word! But anyhoo, just read this and have to share it too ~
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon ~ Doug Larson
Well Doug, that is pretty easy to fix....JUST ADD BACON TO THE GREEN VEGETABLES! Everything is better with bacon :)
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon ~ Doug Larson
Well Doug, that is pretty easy to fix....JUST ADD BACON TO THE GREEN VEGETABLES! Everything is better with bacon :)
Dreamin'
I was reading an interesting article about our dreams and what they mean and of course, they did not have my recurring dream. I suppose curious minds want to know what dream I've had since I was a child? The dream isn't exactly the same every time but it always consists of a tornado tearing through a town or near my home, etc. Needless to say, I've always been obsessed with tornadoes when they are on the news and hate to say it but the movie Twister is one of my favorites. You know, one of those movies where you are channel surfing and you come to a screeching halt because Bill Paxton is staring at you from the screen with that really cute boyish face? Or the cows are flying in the air? I know the movie is not deep but dammit I enjoy it.
And of course the scene I love the most from Wizard of Oz is when the tornado comes and takes Dorothy away in the house....I'm thinking Dorothy and Mr. Oz made quite the impression on my young mind or scared the hell out of me...either way, it left me with a recurring dream of Tornadoes! And I still have yet to see one in real life. I would love to capture one with my camera somehow. Like, in a field far enough away, and it drops down, lets me get the perfect shot, doesn't hurt anyone or anything, and then is sucked back into the ominous cloud it came from...think that will ever happen? I do :)
Anyway, my whole point was to write about some of the points the story talked about. Just got a little side-tracked. It says that every night when you dream you are subconsciously assessing what is going on in your life. Hmmmm. And it appears that dreams are where memories meet emotion...now that sounds romantic to me for some reason (there I go again getting side-tracked)...so on one hand our dreams can help us tap into the emotional issues we face in our waking life, and on the other they are a way for our brains to catalog the events of the day. Here is how to "dream your problems away":
1. Choose the issue you want to dream about, like the arguments you've been having with your husband lately...
2. Now turn it into a question: Why have I been fighting with "Dick" so much? Write it down and keep it by your bed.
3. Repeat the question silently as you fall asleep and if your mind wanders (whose doesn't), force it to return to the question. (How the hell do you force your brain?)
4. When you wake up, write down as much of your dream as you can remember.
5. Once you have the dream on paper, ask yourself if it sheds any light on your question.
Hmmmm again. I seriously don't think this will work! You? Shall we try? I will if you will :)
And of course the scene I love the most from Wizard of Oz is when the tornado comes and takes Dorothy away in the house....I'm thinking Dorothy and Mr. Oz made quite the impression on my young mind or scared the hell out of me...either way, it left me with a recurring dream of Tornadoes! And I still have yet to see one in real life. I would love to capture one with my camera somehow. Like, in a field far enough away, and it drops down, lets me get the perfect shot, doesn't hurt anyone or anything, and then is sucked back into the ominous cloud it came from...think that will ever happen? I do :)
Anyway, my whole point was to write about some of the points the story talked about. Just got a little side-tracked. It says that every night when you dream you are subconsciously assessing what is going on in your life. Hmmmm. And it appears that dreams are where memories meet emotion...now that sounds romantic to me for some reason (there I go again getting side-tracked)...so on one hand our dreams can help us tap into the emotional issues we face in our waking life, and on the other they are a way for our brains to catalog the events of the day. Here is how to "dream your problems away":
1. Choose the issue you want to dream about, like the arguments you've been having with your husband lately...
2. Now turn it into a question: Why have I been fighting with "Dick" so much? Write it down and keep it by your bed.
3. Repeat the question silently as you fall asleep and if your mind wanders (whose doesn't), force it to return to the question. (How the hell do you force your brain?)
4. When you wake up, write down as much of your dream as you can remember.
5. Once you have the dream on paper, ask yourself if it sheds any light on your question.
Hmmmm again. I seriously don't think this will work! You? Shall we try? I will if you will :)
I Found It!
I did a little searching for the Green Chile Mac and Cheese recipe and found the recipe from the Chef/Co-Owner of Roaring Fork...here it is:
Green Chile Macaroni courtesy of Robert McGrath
1 Tablespoon corn oil
1/4 cup diced poblano chile
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels (they stopped putting corn in the recipe, ours did not have it)
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni, al dente
1/2 cup roasted, peeled and pureed poblano chile
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated hot pepper Jack cheese
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
They have a toasted breadcrumb like topping that is not included in this recipe :(
Heat corn oil in a heavy pan over high heat and saute the diced poblano chile, red bell pepper, red onion, and garlic until just tender. Add the macaroni, poblano puree, cream and cheese. Stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Season to taste and serve.
Don'tcha just love the internet?
Green Chile Macaroni courtesy of Robert McGrath
1 Tablespoon corn oil
1/4 cup diced poblano chile
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels (they stopped putting corn in the recipe, ours did not have it)
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni, al dente
1/2 cup roasted, peeled and pureed poblano chile
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated hot pepper Jack cheese
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
They have a toasted breadcrumb like topping that is not included in this recipe :(
Heat corn oil in a heavy pan over high heat and saute the diced poblano chile, red bell pepper, red onion, and garlic until just tender. Add the macaroni, poblano puree, cream and cheese. Stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Season to taste and serve.
Don'tcha just love the internet?
Quote of the Day - 7/17/11
Begin doing what you want to do now. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake. ~Marie Ray
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Quote of the Day
Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum
New Blog!!!
I decided I needed to start blogging again with pictures! Now I can at least have something to put on my business cards until I can afford a website :) Can't wait to post my first picture on here and we are going out to eat at a new restaurant tonight called Roaring Forks so I will definately being doing that tomorrow...after reading the reviews of the restaurant I'm very excited as they have "homemade" fries and a green chili mac and cheese that is supposed to be to die for...some friends know, some don't, but my number one favorite food is the starchy, carby, nonetheless fatty POTATO!
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