Happy Birthday Mom

Wishing a beautiful lady a very happy birthday today. We are blessed to have you and love you very much! Could there be a sweet potato pie in your future???

Bravo!

Jenny McCarthy is a funny lady...that's no surprise. She is also a strong woman who will fight fiercely and without fail for her child. I learned this about her after reading her book, Louder Than Words, A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism. The book is well written and an easy read although the story itself will bring tears to your eyes.
Jenny makes it clear that she is not after our pity, however. She bravely puts the details of this heart breaking and inspirational journey out there in an effort to help others by sharing. She states that a "what to do pamphlet" after the diagnosis would have been a god-send and attempts to point others in the right direction by creating her own. Numerous web-sites are listed for further education and research on autism. A portion of the book's proceeds go to the "UCLA Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization Program. The funds will help build additional classrooms so that more autistic children can get the help they deserve." Bravo Jenny, you did good...

Amateur Smoker

One of the best gifts we've ever gotten was an electric smoker. I asked Santa for one after a visit to my aunt's house where they served smoked porkloin. An electric smoker sounded so much easier to use than charcoal that I was intrigued! A couple of years have passed now, the directions have been lost, and my husband has nearly worn the tail end off of the thing. I never did learn to use it. However, today is a new day!
I will be smoking, with virtually no help or advice from himself, one of my very favorite foods...CHEESE! Many folks know that I consider cheese to be it's own food group and eat it as a side dish often! I have eaten this wonderful smoked cheese, though never actually smoked it myself. We shall see how this goes! I know that you should let the cheese of your choice set out for an hour. I know that you should let the wood chips (I am using hickory) soak for at least an hour as well. I placed a large block of sharp cheddar in an aluminum pie plate (no need to grease) and plugged that smoker in.
Two other things I know about doing this are that the cheese will melt into a "pie" and turn a little brown on top. Secondly, you must let it cool completely or it won't come out of the pan. I'm guessing the time frame is 2-3 hours. Wish me luck! Update coming soon...

Apple Dumplings

*This recipe is from "Smilemakers...In the Kitchen," which benefits Arkansas Baptist Children's Homes*

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 med apples, peeled and cored
• 2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 (12 oz) can Mountain Dew soda
• Whipped topping, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter with sugar and cinnamon in small saucepan, stir until melted and mixed then set aside. Cut each apple into 8 slices and wrap each slice with a crescent roll, starting with the wide end. Place seam-side down in a 9x13 pan and pour butter mixture over crescents. Pour the Mountain Dew in one end of the pan (so you don't wash off the butter mixture). Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped topping if desired.

Great for breakfast or dessert!

Love for Loca Luna!

Wanted to share my thoughts on Loca Luna, located at 3519 Old Cantrell Road in Little Rock, and yes, even Rachel Ray gave her "thumbs up" to brilliant owner, Mark Abernathy. If it is my birthday, Loca Luna. If you want to get on my good side, Loca Luna. If it is my last meal, Loca Luna (or we can take a rather long drive to Joe's Crabshack, your choice). You may have tried them for lunch or even supper. The question is... have you been for Sunday brunch???
Now this brunch menu is something else! Go to their homepage and check it out. The specials are not listed however, and that's what I go for. The very, extra special "Crab and Lobster Cake Benedict," priced around $13.95 and served with roasted potatoes and fresh fruit cannot be beat! This is an ingenius variation of the classic "Eggs Benedict," created with (you guessed it) crab and lobster cakes instead of canadian bacon. I smile just thinking of it. Another special is the "Chicken-fried Steak and Gravy," priced similarly and served with eggs (anyway you like 'em), roasted potatoes, and fresh fruit. These people will happily make substitutions if needed as well.
The white cheese dip is awesome and priced at $5.95 alone. Served as a combo with the yummy hot sauce, add $2.00 extra. Their famous brick-oven pizza is a family favorite and can be ordered with anything from pepperoni to shrimp, starting at $12.95. They also offer a sausage and cheese breakfast casserole that is sure to please at $8.95, served with roasted potatoes and home-made biscuits.
Servers are friendly and ready to answer any questions, refill your tea glass five times, and seem geniunely happy to help. The atmosphere is one of a kind and all are welcome, including the kiddos. Wear your suit or your sweats and choose from indoor or outdoor dining from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.! Sunday brunch at Loca Luna is always 5 stars!

Movie Night

We all know that quality time with the kids in our lives is so important. Being the border-line control freak that I am, I usually like to plan things to do and sometimes it works out great. Other times, it's just not as much fun as I had pictured in my mind. This week I learned that spontaneity can be the most fun of all and letting someone else run the show is not such a bad thing either.
It all started when my ten year old had a terrible craving for fettuccine. I did not feel like making a trip to the Olive Garden and had nothing on hand to make it from scratch. My husband was at work with the Debit card, I had no cash, and restaurants just don't take checks anymore y'all. I told him he was out of luck. "No Mom, I have my own money! They have a to-go menu! I just can't drive over there to pick it up!" Getting nowhere with me, he calls my mother in law, who just happened to have purchased "Toy Story 3" on this very day. He gives her his money and gets busy!
He has to rehook the DVD player because Sissy's went out and it's in her room. Standing on a stool, he gets down the t.v. trays and sets them with cloth napkins, silverware, and drinks. Anxiously he waits at the window for supper to arrive, and then brings everything upstairs to start "movie night." Let me tell you, we had one great meal!
Sitting on my bed, propped up by nine pillows, enjoying one another's company, our Italian meal (which are lunch prices everyday till 4:00 p.m. by the way), and a wonderful movie. Quality time, it was! The message of the movie was not lost on me either since I've already had one "Andy" grow up at my house. I wondered to myself, "How many more nights like this will there be?" Setting that gut-wrenching thought aside for the time, I kissed my son's cheek, gave him a big squeeze, and thanked him for my very special movie night. Then I caught a glimpse of his old stuffed bear out of the corner of my eye and smiled.

Cheddar Biscuits

• 2 1/2 cups Bisquick
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 Tb COLD butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 heaping cup grated sharp cheddar

Topping:

• 2 Tb melted butter
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pastry cut butter into dry ingredients. Add cheese and milk and mix well. Ice cream scoop onto cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. Brush with topping. Mmm~

Easy Seafood Chowder

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 lbs. shrimp (or whatever seafood you want)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 potatoes
• 1 can corn, drained (optional)
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 can cream of (whatever you have on hand) soup
• 1 Tb dried parsley
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• Sprinkle of Celery salt and Creole seasoning

Cook shrimp, drain, and chop coarsely. Fry bacon until crisp, remove, and crumble. Saute' onion and garlic in bacon grease. Peel and cube potatoes and add to chicken broth, with corn, onions, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Mash the potatoes slightly. Mix the flour into the milk until smooth. Add to the chicken broth mixture with soup and stir constantly until thickened. Add shrimp, bacon, and remaining ingredients. Simmer on low 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with cheddar biscuits or corn muffins. Guaranteed to take the chill off!

Priceless

My garage sale went pretty well and could have generated even more Christmas money if my husband had decided sooner to give up the tools he doesn't use anymore. As it went, he came home at lunch-time and started cleaning out his workbench. I had quite a few gentlemen looking for tools early on in the day, not so many later on. Too bad! Maybe we'll try one more sale before the holidays.
I love meeting all of the different people that come and look around at these sales. Some like to share stories with me which I enjoy tremendously! This past Saturday, I was honored to meet a sweet grandmother who was so excited about getting through her last chemo treatment, bless her heart. She was in her late seventies and was helped up my steep driveway by her daughter. Ms. Gloria was her name, and she cheerfully pulled off the attractive wig she was wearing to show me how much hair was already growing back in. She laughed at the wigs I had for sale from Halloween costumes gone by, and told me that her son put on different ones to make her giggle throughout her treatment. They stayed and visited a short time and as they turned to leave, I took her hand and told her I would certainly pray for her joy and blessings. She looked surprised and grateful. I handed her my Mother Goose wig and said it was my gift, and for her son to keep that laughter going!
A beautiful little princess, complete with crown, begged for the book, "Where the Wild Things Are," and her mother said she didn't really need it. I watched her continue to try and read it until they got ready to leave. She looked sad as she put the book back and I thought that was a shame. I pulled that mother aside and quietly explained that I taught preschool for many years, promoted children reading, and could I give her the book? She smiled and nodded yes. The little princess had a royal smile which shined even brighter when my son handed her some Halloween candy.
One of my last customers bought several things and every one of my "Native" magazines. She had the most gorgeous steel gray and black hair which she attributed to her Cherokee ancestors, though she sadly explained that she didn't know much about her heritage. "Learn all that you can," I said softly as I pulled the magazine money back out of my pocket. She wouldn't take it. I walked her to the car, shoved it into the sack, and told her not to lose it as she was putting the car in drive.
Someone in my family asked, "Are you running a sale or a giveaway?" Listen, I got just as much out of the stuff I gave away as I got Christmas money. Those smiles were priceless.

Quick Calzones

Told y'all I'd let you know about this calzone recipe. I fooled around with it a little and it turned out pretty good, we thought. What do you know? The Razorbacks also sent Houston back to Mississippi with a loss, even better!

• Frozen bread dough loaf, thawed
• Thinly sliced ham
• Pepperoni, (I used large size)
• 1 cup pizza cheese
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 2 tsp. parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. parsley
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Marinara sauce for dipping

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out bread dough into a rectangle, 8x12 or close enough. Mix the garlic powder, parmesan, and parsley into the melted butter. Brush onto the dough. Layer the ham, pepperoni, and cheese. Roll the dough so that you have a 12 inch calzone. Cut in half and pinch the ends closed. Bake seam side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes. Brush with leftover butter mix when done.

*Can be easily doubled for a crowd.

I got overruled on the caramel apples. Had a request for "Graveyard Brownies" instead. One of the kiddos did rake up 7 bags of leaves for me, woohoo! Happy weekend everyone!

The Food Police

In case you hadn't noticed, I love food! I enjoy the planning, shopping, cooking, and of course, the EATING part! Trying out new recipes on my family is always fun. They love food too. My super picky husband is quite a challenge at times, but he can always have pizza or a burger if he wants. I have worked extremely hard to encourage the children to eat a variety of foods and to teach them about nutrition. I used to make them count the food groups they ate everyday. Yep, I know...kind of sad. My daughter thinks of me as the "food police." I also absolutely refuse to let them order chicken strips in an Italian restaurant. If the specialty is Italian, then order it! Get your chicken strips from the Colonel's!
My daughter would always eat almost anything, including lima beans. What a blessing! She is not particularly fond of seafood which makes this momma sad. On the other hand, my son struggled for years with a dislike of fruits and vegetables. Hmm, one guess where that came from. Joy, oh joy, in the last two years he has become more open-minded. Love it! The future wife can thank me later.
I learned a few tricks during the years of practically begging and bribing that boy to eat broccoli! The first one is to get them to take a bite. I read somewhere that in order for a child to "like" something new, they have to try it seven to ten times. I found that some foods immediately became favorites while others we are STILL working on. My son fell in love with Spaghetti Carbonara, decided that squash was pretty good after several attempts, but still only eats broccoli chopped finely with cheese in soup. I can live with that. Another way I got him to try a new food was to involve him in the prep and cooking. Children seem to always want to try what they had a hand in making. Luckily, my little buddy loves kitchen patrol. Several times we went from "yuck," to "huh, that smells good," in the midst of adding spices to a simmering pot. Finally, desperate times can call for desperate measures. At this point, break out the ketchup, ranch dressing, caramel, or chocolate sauce. These dippers work well for foods such as fried okra, carrots, apples, and strawberries. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Don't forget, there are always gummi vitamins and V-8 juices. Hopefully these suggestions will help some discouraged parent...hang in there!
Tomorrow's menu is football food. Boy, do I love to cook for the games! It gives me a good excuse to make fun foods. We will be trying out a new calzone recipe! I am thawing the bread dough as I type and will let you all know if they are good. Spinach/artichoke dip, Sissy's (favorite) stuffed mushrooms, and a few caramel apples ought to keep them cheering on those Hogs. Maybe it will even inspire someone to bag up all of those leaves during half-time. Well, a girl can dream anyway.

Stand

There has been a lot of press lately about 10 young people being singled out, harassed, and bullied to the point of suicide. I find this sad and sickening. How hopeless must one feel to take their own life? Sexuality seems to have been the major factor in these recent tragedies. Is another person's private life really anyone's business? Moreover, who gave one the right to judge another? The answer is simple...we do not have that right. We are each entitled to our opinions but obviously, we all live in glass houses. That is why there is one judge, and one judge alone. We should not use our opinions as weapons to hurt others.
Some folks do not care for that answer. Some folks will use whatever means necessary to force their opinions on others, especially if they believe that they stand with a majority. Just as we learned on the playground, a bully picks on those who they feel are different, those who they believe stand alone.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a bully is defined as one who will "browbeat [or] intimidate..." another. It is my belief that "bullies" are fueled by fear and are cowards at heart. They manipulate others and instigate situations to satisfy their own selfish needs or desires, to make themselves feel large in a world where they feel small.
We can make a positive change if we start by teaching children to value themselves and others, to embrace the differences of those around them, and a zero tolerance for bullying. Sometimes, all you need to face down a bully is one friend's hand.
It takes great courage to stand up for what you believe, certainly when you are standing in front of a crowd with opinions that may differ from your own. Stand anyway. May it encourage and empower others to stand with you. Everyone is special and every life is valuable. That, my friends, is my opinion. Peace.


National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

Confessions of a "Hoarder Mom"

I have slowly but surely been cleaning out stuff for a garage sale with some of my neighbor friends and wow! Where does all of this unnecessary junk come from anyway? One of my oldest and dearest friends moved back to town last weekend and we were discussing this fact and the television show, "Hoarders," shown on A & E. He expressed his love for collecting kitchenware and it made me think. Although there is certainly no comparison between us and what you see on the show, it can be rather surprising to examine your own accumulation. Keep, sell, donate, or toss? On the other hand, I can understand how people become attached to "things."
I could easily be charged with hoarding when it comes to my children's artwork. Yes, darling college daughter of mine, we still have your preschool handprints! How could I ever part with those? Irreplaceable! In fact, I could actually be (charged and) convicted of hoarding many things from their younger days. Pageant dresses and christening gowns hang in plastic in closets. Tiny baby clothes and caps remain packed in plastic boxes...only the special ones! Softball and baseball gloves, helmets, and bats hang inside bags in the garage. Ballet slippers are in the dresser drawer. Precious, snuggly blankets are still folded in the linen closet. Shamefully, I have to admit that many of my daughter's childhood dolls also made the cut. Each one did have a name, you know...baby Christy and baby Lisa, oh well. You get the picture. If I didn't hoard these things, there would be no purpose for the attic anyway.
I have given up the perfume bottles that I collected just because they were pretty. I got rid of the baskets that were once everywhere in my house! I even put away the old metal tins from my step-mom's kitchen that I found so charming. I draw the line at the children's things, however. These things equal memories of babies who grew up much faster than I could have ever imagined, thank you. It would be hard to part with them, especially for a stranger's nickels and dimes or even as a donation to an unknown someone. So I just keep them. Looking through them every once in awhile seems to rewind time, if just for that moment and makes me smile.
Cleaning out twice a year and choosing the sell, donate, or toss options really help me to de-clutter and simplify. I even found the camera charger which had been lost since last Spring this time as well. As for those blue softball cleats over there...no way! Don't you know they belonged to my daughter when she played ball? Let me tell you about the time she nearly pitched a no-hitter...

Spooky Cookies~BOO!

• Nutter Butter or Vienna Finger Cookies
• White candy coating (store brand is fine)
• Mini chocolate chips
• Parchment paper

Melt the candy coating according to package directions. Dip the cookies until coated and add the chocolate chips for eyes and mouth. Allow to harden on paper. Presto...a fun and easy treat!

Honoring the Alabama Scotsman

I lost a friend on October 31st, 2009. Worse, a community lost a mentor. Even worse, a family lost a husband, father, and son. Our loss was surely Heaven's gain. I have no doubt that there are more smiles, laughter, and debates going on now behind those Pearly Gates. I hope that there are bagpipes playing.
The statement "God places angels in our path just when we need them," comes to mind. These "angels" convince us to believe in ourselves when we are uncertain. They offer a hand without being asked. These angels help us to grow and become more than we were before. They teach us to fly.
I honor you today, my one of a kind friend. I offer up prayers for you and your family to have peace. I thank you for being an angel in my life, just when I needed one. I would not be the same without your encouragement and faith. You live on in many hearts.
Until we meet again...

No Smoking, Please

Stepped out onto my deck before sunrise this morning, anticipating the smell of smoke, and...there was none! Oh happy day! That haze of smoke had become a constant in Central Arkansas lately, smelling much like a neighbor burning leaves. I first noticed the smoke Sunday morning, when it was so heavy I found myself scanning the horizon to determine which  neighbor's house was on fire. The small amount of rain we had at the first of the week seemed to do some good, although the haze returned and was quite noticable even yesterday. I am certainly thankful that there were no injuries or homes lost during the blaze at Camp Robinson and appreciate all who had a hand in fighting the fire.
There are still 47 counties under burn bans in Arkansas and prayers for rain are graciously accepted. It has been year of surprises here from good ole Mother Nature. Soaking rains, snow, ice, record heat, and drought seem to have plagued our little state. Now we have wildfires and earthquakes, who'd thought? On the bright side, the #12 Hogs play # 7 Auburn at 2:30 Saturday on CBS. WOO PIG SOOIE!

A Kiss for Cregeen's!

I recently had the opportunity to visit Cregeen's Irish Pub, located in NLR at 301 Main Street. The wait staff were attentive and friendly and the atmosphere was fun, as long as you don't mind the pub scene. We ordered the Cheese Dip to start off with ($5.75) and it was okay, though I've had better. I also ordered a Caesar Salad ($3.95) and while the dressing was pretty great, the romaine was somewhat lacking.
When our Irish Dip ($7.75)  and Gardai Steak Wrap (a favorite I'm told of the NLRPD and a real bargain at $8.25) were brought with potatoes (chips) and onion rings to boot, look out! It was feasting time, oh my.
The Irish Dip is sliced corned beef with Havarti cheese on a hoagie bun and (normally) served with a dijonaise horseradish dipping sauce. They were happy to bring my son au jus, however. It was really good, although the Gardai Steak Wrap was so fabulous that it nearly brought tears to our eyes! Grilled philly steak, two kinds of melty cheese, a "tangy Chef's Sauce," all together in an herb wrap. We understand what keeps the city's Police Force on top of their game, for sure! The chips and onion rings ($1.00 extra) were yummy too, but nothing compared to that wrap...mmmm.

THE BEST PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE EVER!

I was given this recipe a couple of years ago from a sweet friend (who has amazing hair, btw) and honestly believe it is the best I've ever tasted! Makes a bunch for sharing~

-3 1/2 cups flour
-2 tsp soda
-1 tsp cinnamon
-3 cups sugar
-4 eggs, beaten
-15 oz can pumpkin
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp nutmeg
-1 cup vegetable oil
-2/3 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Pour into loaf pans or muffin tins and bake.
*Note:  Timing varies greatly depending on the pan used!
-3 large loaves: 50-60 minutes
-Medium and Mini loaves: 40 minutes
-Muffins: 20 minutes

WELCOME FRIENDS AND FALL!

Hi there friend and welcome to my newest adventure! The weather is finally cooling off after one of the hottest summers ever here in Arkansas. Three cheers for Fall!!!
The season's first loaves of pumpkin bread have been baked and delivered to neighbors. The mums and pansies are out on the porch, looking gorgeous! There's a scarecrow in the backyard and some spooky looking spider-web on the bushes, thanks to my son. The Arkansas State Fair is in full swing and offering all kinds of entertainment, games, rides, and treats. Where else can you find a fried oreo? Gotta love what the change of season brings!
If you're looking for something else to do in Central Arkansas this weekend, check out the Pinnacle Mountain Rendezvous, going on Saturday and Sunday. This annual event is fun for the whole family and will transport you back in time with the soap-making, knife-throwing, storytelling, Native dancing, horseback and canoe rides. Of course, there are many handmade crafts and goodies to choose from, not to mention (my fav) the roasted corn!
Let's pull the jackets out of the closet and enjoy, shall we?  Coming up next...the BEST PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE EVER!