Laundry

Today has been a red letter day!  I have actually caught up on all my laundry.  This is the first time in two years that I have washed, folded, AND put it all away all caught up!  I really don't like doing laundry but this has almost become a mission for me.  I just have had to push myself to do it all weekend long.  Why do two people have so much laundry?  I think it is because we put it off so long.  However, I am committed to keeping up and not ever getting this behind on laundry again. 

Stay tuned.............I'll keep you posted!

Grilling

I came home Thursday evening to discover that one of my freezers went out that day.  In the freezer was a brisket, huge pork tenderloin, 12 racks of ribs, 2 chickens and some quail.  So.........today we are smoking meat.  I can't stand the thought of all this meat going to waste so we are cooking it up.  If you are not doing anything, come on by around 6:30 and eat some meat.  What is left goes to neighbors to enjoy on Sunday!

Great Recipe for Football

Saturday will be a great day.  I have scheduled my day around all the football games.  But you always need a great snack food for game day.  Here is a recipe I wanted to share.  It's easy and tastes great!  Enjoy while you cheer on your favorite college team!

Pecan Bacon Cheese Wafers


1 ½ c. of butter softened 1 lb bacon (cooked and crumbled

16 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 c finely chopped tasted pecans ½ tsp ground red pepper

½ c finely chopped green onions 4 ½ c all purpose flour



In a large bowl, combine butter, cheese, bacon, pecans, green onions and red pepper. Beat with a mixer until combined . Gradually add flour, beating until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Lightly spray baking sheet with Pam and flour pan. Flatten each dough into ¼-inch thickness. Bake at 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks.

Fireplace

Today was an exciting day for us.  We put in a wood burning stove in our den that has glass doors and can be opened for a mini fireplace.  Many people have said - wow, why not pellets or gas logs.  Why would you want a real wood burning stove? 

The answer is it makes for a cozy den with a warm and inviting atmostphere.  The winter months are dark and lonely.  They are cold and damp.  A warm cozy fire makes the room inviting.  It makes it feel like home.

I can hardly wait for a day where the temp never gets above sixty so I can build a tiny fire in my newly installed wood burning stove.  Ya'll come on over.  I'll have a hot toddy for you to sip while you watch the flames dance!

Dinner on Sunday

On the way home from New Orleans, our plane was delayed, there was traffic on the freeway and I was pretty tired.  It was so nice to be able to pull something from the freezer, heat it up and have a great home cooked meal.  I love to vacuum seal left overs.  If you use good seal bags, food tastes just like it is freshly prepared.  Two great tricks for recycling leftovers are great precut bags from the The Vak Shack and Pampered Chef stoneware.  You can take just about any kind of meat (roast, burgers, meatloaf, brisket, ribs, sausage) and after storing it in Vak Shack Bags put it in a Pampered Chef stoneware bowl and lid with about 1/2 inch of water in the base to reheat, and make it taste just like it was freshly prepared. 

As a busy working lawyer, I have found that when I cook, it is just as easy to cook a commercial can of beans, peas or whatever vegetable and freeze it in portions for two rather than just try to cook for two.  It makes for cooking during the week easier and beats going to a fast food joint when pressed for time.  Entertaining and managing a household is pretty easy when you have the right equipment.  A vacuum sealer and good bake ware are essentials in the equipment division.

The South

You just have to love the South.  They say "please", "thank you", and "Yes Mam and No Sir".  They know how to host a party and how to make you feel right at home.  Complete strangers speak to you like you are long lost kin.  I love how much fun it is to travel in the south.  My good friends, The Hortons, invited us to go to the LSU game with them.   What a treat.  No where else in the south do they know how to party with such hospitality.  I love living in the South and SEC games on Saturdays!

Real Mail

I love to get REAL mail.  Not bills.  Not circulars.  Not credit card offers.  Not politician ads.  I love to get handwritten notes.  I love to get cards.  I love to gifts.   Society is so electronically connected that we forget that the United States Postal Service actually delivers mail to us curbside on a daily basis.   So I recommend that you take the time each day to write at least one handwritten note to someone.  You can brighten their day and remind yourself how much fun it is to reconnect with someone in a way other day email, text, facebook, my space or twitter.  Give it a try - you have no idea how much fun it is to hand write personal notes!

Weddings

Watching Kim and Zachary exchange wedding vows last night was so sweet. It is a reminder of how wonderful it is to be married to such a great guy!


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My Birthday

This photo was taken in 1983.  My Daddy looks so you.  It was only 17 years ago.  This past Saturday I turned 48.  I am fortunate that my Daddy was there to celebrate with me.  Many changes have taken place in my life over the last 17 years.  I've had different jobs and am now an owner in a statewide law practice.  I moved 200 miles from the only hometown I ever knew (and it was scary).  I divorced the father of my child, fell in love, had my heart broken, realized I could survive as a single mother and then wound up marrying my best friend and the greatest man on earth.  I have watched my son grow into an amazing young man whose talents never cease to amaze me.   I realized that God really is in control and i don't have to help HIM (although I struggle and still try usually on a daily basis).  Finally, I have learned that getting older means life just gets sweeter. 

I think birthdays are meant to be celebrated and done so with gusto.  Birthdays are a celebration of life - not a day that marks getting closer to the end of your time on earth.  This year I was so blessed to celebrate my birthday with family and friends in a beautiful country setting with great food and perfect weather.  As I reflect on the past birthdays I have celebrated - I am truly blessed each year and especially so on this year.



Good friends

Enjoying a night with good friends is the best medicine in the world.



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