Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Jeans
I've been sorting through my clothes and took a quick look at Sam's. There was a pair of new looking jeans on the far end of his jeans. Generally the newer jeans are on the other end...not on the end with the faded out jeans. I pulled them out and realized that they were a pair of Wranglers that were hand-me-downs from one of my brothers. They were too small and not Levis...which is all Sam wears. I just dropped them in the floor while I quickly sorted through the rest of his jeans...all Levis. The Wranglers were headed to the giveaway box.
Then...Hmmm...I wondered if they fit me and also wondered how big the waist would be. I tried Wranglers before, pre-meno. They were women's jeans...tight in the thighs and big in the waist...haven't tried them since. But...these are men's jeans. THEY FIT! I was so excited and took the lint brush to brush off the dust line where they've been folded over the hanger (and Sam does not always shut the closet door so I have a dust battle in there constantly)...and wore them this evening after work. Now I know what brand to buy and what size to get! I am EXCITED!! Yep. I know. Sometimes it doesn't take much to excite me. ;-)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Enlargement? ME???
Ummmm...
NO!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Vacation
If you haven't been to Mt. View...and you like Mountain, Country, and Blue Grass music...you really need to go there. The season is winding down now but the area has been preserving and promoting their music for 45 years or so. My family has been going there for that length of time.
We took several day trips driving the winding roads and enjoying the scenery.
On a cooking forum, several mentioned their favorite cookware. Mine is Farberware Millennium. I have been very satisfied with it, but did a search of many of the more popular brands. Farberware is no longer made in America. All-Clads "bonded" products are. Calphalon is. Many others are made overseas. Some brands have different product lines made in different countries.
I'm trying to be more conscientious about the country of origin on the products and food that I buy. I mean...with a country like ours with Washington state (and other locales) apples...and our grocery stores are stocking Chilean apples?! Not in my house!
Anyway...here's the bulk of my pots and pans. I have more - less frequently used - in another cabinet. I love my cast iron which is all Made in America!
See that wood handled thick aluminum pan? It was my grandmother's. I use it exclusively to make candy!!
OATMEAL CAKE
with BROILER ICING
1½ cup quick-cooking rolled oats (see note below)
1¼ cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cups butter, softened (NOT margarine!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 whole eggs
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ - 1 teaspoon cinnamon
BROILER ICING
⅔ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cups butter, melted
¼ cups cream or Half-and-Half
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
In a small bowl, combine rolled oats and boiling water; let stand 20 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine the sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add oatmeal and all the remaining cake ingredients; mix well. Pour into the 9x13-inch pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the broiler icing: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, and cream or half-and-half. Beat at high speed until smooth. Stir in coconut and nuts. Spread over still hot cake to cover.
Broil 4–6 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbly and light golden brown. (Watch carefully...do not burn. Cool completely.
The recipe calls for quick cooking oats...NOT INSTANT. I don't keep quick cooking oats so always use regular old-fashioned oatmeal. Thinking back on my mother's cake, in my memory it was gummier than my cake...perhaps the difference is the type of oatmeal I use.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Reunion and Stuff
Sam visiting with one of his cousins.
Last year I took squares of white fabric and some fabric marking pens. I asked every family to sign a square. There's not but 20 blocks in this quilt...and three have no signatures...as I stated above...small turnout.
The quilt was on the raffle table...chances go for $1 each or 6 for $5. Money goes for a donation to the church for the use of their fellowship hall (a church where none of us are members, but they let us use their facilities and we give a donation for the use - the turnout was so low last year that the preacher told me he did not want to take the donation...I told him how much we took in...how much I was told was needed for the cemetery fund...and that I was told to give him that...this year we were back on target). The balance of the money goes as I just mentioned...to the cemetery fund for mowing.Red is one of my favorite colors. I finished the crocheted vest earlier this week and the hat last night.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Cooking Cajun Style!
3. Dredge the chicken in flour and quickly brown in bacon grease. Remove and toss in the vegetables, cooking until onion is translucent.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Driver's Ed 101 Revisited and Edited
2. If you have a handicapped placard hanging from your rear-view mirror in the center of your windshield - especially if you are in Texas - take it down and read it. There will be mention not to drive with the placard dangling from your rear-view mirror! Depending on several different factors, you could pretty much hide a Mack truck behind that sucker.
3. Slower traffic keep right. Doesn't matter if there are signs posted to do so or not. It's common courtesy. If you are slower than the flow of traffic, ESPECIALLY if you are driving 10-20 mph below the posted speed...or lower...arrggghhhh...please get in the right hand lane.
Ducky aka my son commented: In your response to #3: In the state of Texas, if driving on a State Highway or Farm to Market (FM for those who don't know), it is against the law to impede the flow of traffic in the inside lane. Furthermore, if the road/hwy is only one lane each direction and you are moving slower than the flow of traffic, irregardless (sp) of speed limit, it is your legal obligation to move over to the shoulder/side of the rode to allow faster moving traffic to pass. Thought I'd share a tidbit I learned while working at DCSO.
4. If you come to a crossroad and do not have a Stop sign but they do...YOU DO NOT STOP! Coming up to a Yield sign? Start looking before you get there. They are generally located a Y's where the visibility is good. If nothing is coming, you do not have to stop.
5. If driving scares you, then by all means puleeze park your vehicle in the driveway/carport/garage and ask someone else to drive you. I remember driving my elderly neighbors around whenever they needed to go to town...two different households! I especially enjoyed driving "Aunt" Lena to run her errands...because I got to drive her 1951 Chevrolet 2-door coupe with the factory visor! The 1951 Chevrolet 2-door coupe I learned to drive on did not have the visor...so I felt like I was "uptown" driving hers. :-D
For those of you fully capable of driving, if you have a neighbor who has no business driving any more and their family is to chicken to do anything about it, offer your services as their chauffeur for free. Believe me...you will be blessed from their knowledge and wisdom.
6. Also from Ducky: My previous comment is classified as part of the "Texas Highway Courtesy" laws. Another part of that law is when ANY emergency vehicle is approaching behind you running full code (lights and sirens) you HAVE to pull over, stop, and let them pass before continuing down the corridor. This law applies to ALL roads, streets, highways, etc in the state of Texas.
7. More from me!! If you are passing one of those big trucks, aka 18-wheelers, NOT pickup - get around it! Don't dawdle along beside it. You see those big wheels and tires? When...not IF because eventually every truck out there is going to shed a tire!...GET AROUND IT! Did the driver speed up? You either speed up or drop back behind the truck. (Refer back to #1 please.) Listen to me! Daddy's occupation on my birth certificate is listed as "Truckdriver."
8. If you're on a 4-lane yard and there's a vehicle on the shoulder of the road...if you in the outside lane...if you can, move to the center lane. If you can't move over or are on a 2-lane road, slow down a bit.
9. I forgot about motorcycles!!!
Riders...Wear a helmet and proper riding gear!
Don't get stoopid
Remember - if you collide with anything bigger, YOU are most likely going to be the loser!!
Everybody else...DO NOT RUN OVER A MOTORCYCLE!!!
Do not pull out in front of a motorcycle.
Do not stop quickly in front of a motorcycle.
Don't get stoopid!
Remember - if you collide with a motorcycle, you may kill someone!
10. Funeral processions in Texas - Generally the hearse has its headlights on as does every vehicle in the procession on their way from the services to the cemetery. In rural areas especially, if you see them coming toward you...pull over out of respect for their loss. Two-lane...head to the shoulder and stop. Four-lane...same thing. Probably the only time you do not do this is on an interstate...and of course in cities.
Cranky
Old
Woman
signing off!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Fog and Family
This evening, I drove Mama to her youngest grandchild's wedding rehearsal. I went back out to her mini-van for my camera when these four sat down beside each other. Mama, my sweet sister-in-law Marilyn holding my baby brother's grand daughter Addi, and baby brother Joey - remember "the Brat" who put rocks in my gas tank all those years ago? ;-)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Texas on Fire
About 4:30 September 7, I woke to the smell of smoke in my house. I unplugged my cell phone and slipped on my slippers then stepped outside. After walking around my home I saw no fire, so called the dispatcher at the sheriff's office. The wind had shifted and we were smelling smoke from the Bear Creek Fire. There was no danger of it heading our way, so I went back to bed. I left the house at 8 headed south.
So...I'm in San Marcos...you know...the town with the outlet malls?! And I take a photo of FOOD!
Wind came up here Sunday evening. We lost a tree.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
One Thing After Another
Another beautiful sunset!
I made English muffins over Labor Day weekend.
Big man in a big chair. LOL
I'll be back later with the recipe for the English muffins. Oh...wait! As I was typing in the labels for this post...English muffins popped in. Perhaps the recipe is already here. Yes! The recipe has already been posted: http://keepyouinstitches.blogspot.com/2010/01/english-muffins.html
Monday, September 5, 2011
How Did Your Weekend Go?
This was so funny! I was just snapping pictures and didn't notice the "story" that was going on at the same time until we were looking at the photos today.
Needless to say...I had a wonderful weekend! Just perfect for a Granny and Grandpa!!