It is Time.....for surgery

well peeps...I'm frankly dying of thirst more particularly dying for a diet coke. Yes dying dying dying for one!!!    This NPO after midnight stuff stinks.  I'm off for my surgery....see you on the other side brutha!!
(no worries...just a quote by Desmond from my fave show LOST).

Have a snack and a nice diet coke for me today and always remember never forget.....

Peace, Love & Yummies!!!

Grilled Chicken, Baked Noodles and Cheese, and Party Baked Beans....my mama's best!

First things first...I need to apologize for the lateness of this post. I mean I sorta promised you on Thursday that I'd have two of my mama's best recipes up on the blog but unfortunately my Internet connection had other ideas.  Got up Friday morning to no Internet and no home phone.  Seems the whole neighborhood was down and it took most of the day to get back up and running. By that time it was time to head to Springer and watch the Mere bear cheer at her game.  Saturday was a blur of activities of which the highlight was our dear friends Chuck and Sue Poo taking us to dinner at Brio's in Southlake.  YUUUUUMMMMOOOO it was super good and we had a great evening. After dinner we popped back to our house and watched the movie The Wrestler.  I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, actually a great movie and sad at the same time.  Made me think about how many people are out there doing the only thing they really know how to do and love doing it so much that they lose almost everything else in their life.   I highly recommend this one but please don't let the kiddos watch, it's one for the grownups.

Now back to food because I probably won't be posting many dinners this week. The hubby had to go to San Diego for work and it's just me and the animals until he gets back Wed. evening and then my surgery is on Thursday.  My blog will be "dark" for those days.   Then I am going to feel much better and back to my old self....yep, just keep saying it and hopefully it'll happen!!

Let's eat!!!
First up Grilled Chicken.....OH MY WORD... this has seriously got to be one of the best chicken marinades evah!!!  It's super duper easy too!

Here are your ingredients

I just poured a little of the dressing out of the bottle and added the packet of zesty Italian mix and a tablespoon of Spike seasoning.  Shake really well and pour over the chicken. 

I covered with plastic wrap and left in the fridge for about 6 hours.  I think the longer you marinate the better the flavor.  If you look really close you can see that I put some slits across the chicken breasts

I read a little tip that this would help the marinade penetrate the chicken better and I also pounded the chicken breasts to about the same thickness and trimmed off the thinner edges that tend to burn.  

I don't have grilling pics because the Abogg did the grilling for us while we were at the gym.

I premade the Party Baked Beans earlier in the day and just popped in the oven when it was time.

You'll need

28 oz can of Baked Beans

1 small can pineapple chunks-drained

2 Tbsp molasses

2 tsp ground mustard

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

pinch ground cloves

about 4 hot dogs

and melted butter

Combine the backed beans, pineapple, molasses and mustard in a casserole dish

Then mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a separate bowl and sprinkle over the top

top the mixture with scored hot dog and then brush with melted butter

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  super yummo

Now for the Baked Noodles and Cheese. 

My hubby isn't a big fan of mac&cheese but he actually liked this one. It was always one of mine and my sisters fave things for mom to make.

1 package Egg Noodles

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 pound grated white American cheese

bread crumbs

Let's stop for a second and talk about the cheese. White American cheese is usually found in the deli.  I don't grate mine, I just have the deli slice it thin then I cut into smaller pieces.  Grate if you want, but small pieces melt just as easily and it's a whole lot less work!!

Just boil those noodle according to package directions.

While the noodles are boiling we are going to make a cream sauce from the butter, flour, salt and milk.

It gets thicker...not thick but thicker than just the liquids you start with.  Just whisk while you warm and it'll thicken nicely.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.

The bread crumbs should be a little "old". I just bought some day old bread from the bakery and chopped it up and then left it sitting on the counter all day uncovered.  I like a LOT of bread crumbs. 

When your noodles are done drain those off and then mix together with the cream sauce and pour into a baking dish.  Top with the bread crumbs...go craaaaazy with bread crumbs!!

Now just pop that in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes and it is done.  Isn't that so convenient how the cheesy noodles and beans cook for the same length of time at the same temp??? 

Fresh out of the oven and now it's time to eat!

Just some King's Hawaiian rolls to go along with the dinner and we chowed down!!

Check out the chicken...the Abogg pronounced it some "dang good chicken". It was moist and very flavorful, I think that marinade is here to stay!

Hope you have a wonderful Monday and always remember

Peace, Love & Yummies!

Oatmeal cookie variation and chicken salad...what???

I know I know....you are saying "Girl, where on this blue blazin earth have you been?"  or maybe you are just saying "who left this mess?"  in any case I can answer both questions. 1) I've been to the beach and then spent the last few days being poked and prodded by every type of medical professional under the sun. Needless to say, cooking and blogging were not on the priority list.  800mg of Motrin every 4 hours and a heating pad were on the list.  2) no one will ever claim the mess except to tell on someone else who probably had nothing to do with the mess.  19 yrs of mothering experience and many many years of blaming my little sister experience gave me that answer!

Now we had a bit of a crisis down in Austin this week. Seems Court ate up all the chili mango's that I sent back with her and she is unable to locate said item.  Lucky girl and good timing because yesterday was Sprout's day!!  It was Wednesday after all.   I grabbed that and some gala apples, her fave, and another couple of interesting items to send her way. Last night her dad sees the stuff on the counter and wants to know what's all that crap?  After I explained, he said why don't you bake her some cookies.  So I did. I'm not really sure if he was serious or being sarcastic but Court is getting some cookies.  Everybody needs cookies!

Here they are...
A couple of weeks ago I made some Monster cookies that I thought were amaaaazing!!   I didn't quite have everything to make those but I scramble around and found some workarounds.  This is the ingredient pile

I started with the basic chocolate chip oatmeal cookie mix (uh, sorry my bag fell over and you can't see it)

I added the egg and a stick of softened butter and mixed those all up per package directions.

Then I added in some pecans, peanut butter chips, heath toffee chips and mixed it all up real good.

Then I added in some rice krispie cereal.  I like the texture it gives the cookies.

This is what it looks like all mixed up

Now I dropped those out by the cookie scooper full onto the baking sheet

Now pop those in the oven on 375 for 11 minutes.  Not 10, not 12, just 11.

he he  Just kidding, just let them get slightly browned

Take those beautiful things out of the oven and let them sit on the counter for about a minute. You know just long enough to dig the cooling racks from the bottom of the cabinet

Move them to the cooling rack and start all over and keep going until all those yummies are baked.

Then you have the breakfast of champions!!

There is oatmeal in the cookies....duh, of course it counts as breakfast!

I also made some chicken salad today....because I boiled 2 eggs to make chicken salad last week to take with us in the car on the way to the beach but I ran out of time and so I really needed to do something with those hard boiled eggs in my cabinet so I made chicken salad.   Makes perfect sense don't you think?

I'm off for the day peeps, I gotta run get a head start on dinner. The Abogg had to come home today for an orthodontist appt.  (good lord cross your fingers that he's getting these braces off sometime soon...he's a sophomore in college for cryin' out loud) and he requested dinner, Grilled Chicken.  I'm also making my mama's party baked beans and noodles and cheese dish.  Be sure and come back tomorrow for all my mama's specialty dishes.   Her birthday was yesterday...Happy Birthday Mamma!!! I love you!!!

Peace, Love and Yummies!!

A bouquet of sunshine

Was waiting for me in the yard. They must have known to bloom just in time for my return from the beach so they could brighten my spirits!!
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Subway lunch on the road out of my lap

Goodbye beach

See you real soon hopefully!
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1 dozen HOT doughnuts

Gone in a flash

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Ummmmm hot doughnuts!

Nothing better than Krispy Kreme
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1st day at the beach

Well peeps, if you look at the previous couple of posts you can get only a slight hint at the fun we are having. Didn't arrive until about 4:30 this morning but we slept until about 8:30 or 9:00 and then made the first grocery run. I say first because we will probably go at least once a day every day we are here. Then we walked over to the Okaloosa Island Pier and had a most yummy-licious lunch at one of my fave places the Crab Trap. I had some pics of the remainder of lunch but we can't seem to locate the camera....uh oh!!!! Spent the day on the beach just lounging around and then had some yum dinner at Fudpuckers. Definitely a great day with great friends! Stay tuned for more "parents gone wild" the fall edition!

Peace, love and yummies!!!


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Location:Waterscape Resort

Bushwackers!!!

The best drink ever!
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Swamp people

Alligator dude
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Location:Fudpuckers Ft. Walton Beach, FL

Luggage cart racing

Dads gone wild
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Location:Waterscape Resort. Ft. Walton Beach, Fl

Road trippin'

PEEEEEEPS!!!  I cannot tell you how excited I am.  I'm getting ready for a road trip.  6 of us in a rented suburban headed to the beach!!!  wooo wooo woooo    We're going to stay at our new condo for the weekend.  I'm soooo excited I might bust...actually I might bust, I have to go to the bathroom A LOT!! 
I apologize in advance to all my co-riders in the car.  I took my medicine but there's only so much a girl can do.  well, that spun off into a wealth of TMI (too much information).

Anyway one of the best things about road trips is "scooby snacks" .   My son and I have always packed the scooby snack basket. Wanna peek at ours for this trip???

we have some dried fruits such as dates, craisins and tart cherries

bananas

golden oreos, chicken in a biscuit crackers, ritz crackerfuls cheddar, peanut m&m's, mixed bag of chocolate to include mini reese cups, rolo's and kisses.  A yummo candy mixture that sweet Missy got me hooked on.  The lifesavers are ostracized from the basket 'cuz they are wintergreen and they will stink up the other food

That's a scooby snack basket!!!

Now let's talk about that yummo homemade bag of goodness that Missy has me soooo totally addicted to. As if I didn't have enough of a candy corn addiction now it's even worse!!!

Buy a bag of candy corn and a can of peanuts (you want the regular salted kind)

Mix them together and ooooh lala

Tastes like a payday candy bar....no kidding!!!!

You'll love candy corn season as much as me!!!

Posts the rest of the weekend will be short and sweet and filled with laughter but remember...

Peace, Love and Yummies

Good Luck Soup and Cornbread

well peeps I just thought you should see my clean oven.  try to control yourselves, it took 4 hours to get it that clean.  Of course all I had to do was push the button on the oven.  In any case, it was still exhausting.

Let's get dinner started because gosh knows it's gonna be 9 o'clock before we eat!  It's one of my biggest complaints of being drug to the gym every night by my hubby.  I KNOW it's good for us and I KNOW that I need to lose some weight and I KNOW that he has the bones of an 80 yr old woman and he must do weight bearing exercise but geez....it's inconvenient as heck that they close the hot tub at 8 pm. because if I'm going to exercise then I'm getting in the hot tub!  grrrrrr

Moving on, let's make soup because it's so yummy and so easy and I had to put in no effort.

First you need to go to First Monday's at Canton (Texas not Ohio) and find this booth and buy some mix!

or you can go to their website and order some.  It's not nearly as fun as going to Canton but it will work in a pinch or if you live like really far away.   Or you could just come visit me and go to Canton with me since I went for the first time and have found a new hobby.  sorry hubby....it's true plus they have corny dogs.

Now get the water to boiling per package directions and then dig around in the freezer and find the last remaining ham bone and plunk it in that water. 

Note to self...bake a ham, you have none left in freezer

Now while that water and hambone are coming up to a good rolling boil get the package stuff ready and open you a can of tomatoes.  I used stewed because for some reason I had MANY cans of them in the pantry. Don't know why either.

When you are boiling (the water not you) just dump in the soup mix

Now dump in the seasoning packet

and add those tomatoes

give a good stir and bring back to a boil

turn the heat down to simmer and cover and go do something else.  I think the package tells you what time to cook it for but who am I to listen to printed directions.  I let mine simmer for several hours.

Case in point to not following directions.  I got out the ingredients for cornbread. I left something out but I don't really know which one it was.

In any event it sure was purty!  And if you dumped it in the soup you couldn't even tell something just wasn't quite right about it.  We ate it and hubby saved the rest because he loves him some cornbread!  Even if you forget an ingredient.

Wah La   dinner is served and yes, it was darn near nine o'clock.

Which is tolerable on Tuesdays since Sons of Anarchy comes on at 9 pm but NOOOOOOOOOOO Dish Network had to get themselves in a little ole' spat with Fox and we are now missing FX (which SOA comes on and our regional sports channel)  Seriously, it's Texas and you took away the regional sports channel in the MIDDLE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON. Are you outta yo freakin minds!!!!!

whew, thanks I feel better getting that off my chest.  Since Dish hath hacked us off greatly we took the liberty of cancelling our Dish service and are switching to Verizon FIOS. They are much nicer people who are gonna upgrade our internet connection AND give me more channels INCLUDING FX where I shall happily watch my Sons of Anarchy and have fantasies of being Jax's "old lady" in my wanna be a bad girl alternate life.   heeeheeee    Don't be shy, we all have that little rebel bad girl living inside us that yearns to come out every now and again and SOA fills that void.  Unless you are on Dish then you are gonna have to watch Hulu.com and get caught up.   Gotta run peeps, much work to do today as it's almost time to head for the beach!!!  whoop whoop whooop!!!

Peace, Love and Yummies!!

Oven Baked Pork Chops....with rice and veggies

It's a lovely brisk fall morning here in Ft Worth peeps!!   I've tossed on my holey yoga pants and a comfy AE sweatshirt and I'm ready to rock n roll today.  Seriously...there is nothing like a good well worn holey pair of yoga pants to bum around the house in AND if you do need to make an emergency wallyworld run then it's a heck of a lot better than your jammie pants!!! 

I'm cleaning my oven and my house smells funny....just thought you should know that.   Besides it's finally not a bazillion degrees outside and I can turn my oven on again without the electric company calling to thank us for being one of their best supporters!

In honor of cooler temps and the ability to use the oven again freely, I made oven baked pork chops last night for dinner.  I even used my delayed timer setting and cook time functions on the oven!!   It was great to come home from the gym and dinner be all smelling good.

Let's roll with this one because hubby declares it's a KEEPER.

 Cast of Characters:
pork chops                                                             optional items added:
1 cup sliced celery                                                  1 zucchini
1 1/2 cups long grain rice                                        baby carrots
1 med sliced onion
3 cups water
4 tsp instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1 med green pepper

Now let's get a little bit of oil going in the skillet for the pork chops

Once the oil gets hot we are just going to brown the pork on each side, we're not cooking all the way through just getting both sides brown.  Brown those on a med high heat.

Now while those pork chops are browning, let's get the celery, rice, carrots and zucchini in a big baking dish.

The recipe I was kinda sorta following stated to put the onions on top of the rice and veggie mixture which I did but next time I'm just going to mix the onions in with the other stuff and I'll probably dice the onions and not use slices.  It's just a personal preference because if you are like my momma and you loooove your onions then slice them and leave them on top for more oniony chunks.

Once those chops get browned slap them on top of the rice and veggies mixture

In a separate pan (or I did mine in the microwave in a big glass measuring cup..see picture of ingredients)

Bring the water, bouillon, herb seasoning and salt to a boil.  Stir to dissolve and then pour over the chops.

Now that you got that brothy mixture all poured over the food

Take some foil and wrap that baby up all nice and snug.

It goes in the oven at 350 degrees for 70 minutes.

See why this is such a great dish to use that timer on?

It should cook until chops are fork tender then take it out of the oven and remove the foil and add the green pepper strips to the top of the pork chops.   Next time I may even mix the green pepper strips into the rice and veggie mixture.  They need to bake uncovered for about 15 more minutes.

As a side note....I think you can see why I am cleaning my oven today!!

Take that bad jamma out of the oven and dinner is ready!

I'm telling you this was surprisingly good and I felt like something the cat drug in, played with, half chewed, spit back out then the dog ate and puked back up.  How's that for gross???  Actually I did feel really horrible yesterday and my surgery later this month cannot get here fast enough.  

Back to dinner....it was good and something different and the only thing hubby asked is that next time we use boneless pork chops.  I'll oblige as long as I don't find anymore with bones hidden in my freezer  :0)

Peace, Love and Yummies!!!