Spelling Bee

I thought I was finished with Spelling Bees after elementary school. Da Judge asked me to get a 3-person team together from the Friends of the Library and the salon she owns (and her sister manages for her) would pay the entrance fee.

The Bee was tonight. One of our team, the most stable person I've known in a long time, called at noon and said she wasn't going to show up. I made no comment - just hung up the phone. She called back and fussed at me pretty royally for hanging up on her. LOL She was actually having a bad case of nerves! I would've never ever guessed that of her. 

We could appoint a "speller" - the third team member said she'd do it. The way it works...the word was called out, we each wrote it down, compared our spellings, then the speller stood and spelled it...she did great! 

We were NOT the first ones out! YEAH!!!! We came in fourth out of eight teams. And we are all happy about it! 

Absentee

 It's not that there's nothing going on..it's just that...there's nothing going on. ;-)

From the living room, it looked as though my Rhipsalis (just found out what's it's called after posting a photo on HGTV garden forum - smart people there)...anyway, it looked as though it had a fungus. Upon closer inspection I realized that it was blooming! Either that's the first time it has ever bloomed, or I just forgot. :-D Sometimes I'm like a baby goose - wake up in a different world every day.

I just had to brag once again on my delicious cornbread from scratch AND my cast iron. I have four cornstick pans and the divided pan which I use for scones as well. 

Christmas rolled around and I didn't know what to give the four commissioners. I take phone messages for them, distribute their mail, etc. I finally hit upon the idea of giving them a coupon for a "Sweet Thing" - a cake, a pie, one batch of cookies, or one batch of candy. The lone bachelor in the group cashed his coupon in last week for a buttermilk pie.  

Because my boss is actually the judge and she's is a very good boss, I gave her four coupons. She cashed in one this week for a batch of oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips instead of raisins. 

The post with the buttermilk pie recipe also has a crust recipe. While that is a good crust, sometimes I had trouble getting it moist enough. Too much water is one of those things that toughens pie pastry. When I got my KitchenAid food processor, I did some sleuthing for a recipe. I found a delicious recipe! 

I've been doing some sewing and other sewing related stuff, but can't post until after Isabel's second birthday party on Sunday just in case her parents visit here. :)

All recipe links can be find in the right sidebar.

New Sweet Potato Recipe

I'm trying to get away from ooey gooey sweet potato casseroles no matter how good they are.

 

This is what I did:

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/4" thick

Layer in a buttered baking dish

Drizzle with maple syrup. 

Spread several really thin slivers of real butter around

Sprinkle with a dash of salt and some ground cinnamon

Toss on a handful of dried cranberries (Craisin) and

about 1/4 cup of slivered almonds

Cover with foil

Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes.    

Jonathan's baked mac 'n' cheese. He boiled a box of macaroni. Made a bechamel sauce using whatever I had left in a pint of cream and some milk then added about 3/4 pound of grated cheese. (He used an 8 ounce bag of preshredded 3-cheese Mexican mix and some shredded cheddar.) He stirred in the macaroni. Poured it in a buttered casserole. Topped with a mixture of bread crumbs and 1/4 pound grated cheddar, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes I think. Not that he was territorial about his recipe, but I was busy prepping something else.

My niece, Stacey, and her Ty.

...and her daughter, Brianna.

   

Colt playing with Uncle Jonathan's toys.

Rosy cheeked Cain.

The Rays...John, Sam, and Elton.

Can't remember what my own plant is, but I saw this stuff frm across the room and thought it had a fungus amongus. It's flowers! First time it's ever bloomed that I noticed...

 

Let It Snow...Let It Snow...Let It Snow!

December 24 evening

December 25 - Christmas morning

December 27 - Still on the ground, but the roads are clear.

Jonathan's new partner, Kirk. He said he wanted to be able to say, "Dammit Jim," whenever he messed up. LOL Jonathan bought the machine embroidered emblem. We raided my stash for the appropriate green. I made Kirk a green bandana fitting of his rank so that when he beams to the surface the aliens know at a glance that he is not a red shirt...and will be returning to the Enterprise.

Christmas Eve

Colt liked Granny's boots too!

He did have a bit of trouble getting them lined out in the same direction. ;-) BTW, he calls me Genie. It won't take long before he gets the hang of "granny."

I was shocked! No pictures of Isabel! She spent a tremendous amount of time in Colt's room playing with all those "new" to her toys. During the gift unwrapping, she was across the room from me with bigger kids in the middle.

The Kids

My grand-niece, Brianna (Bri for short), at her kindergarten Christmas party.

Colt and his BFF

Cain can sleep in any position imaginable! Oh to be able to sleep like this!

Um...normally aren't the Pygmies supposed to be on the outside of the pot?

Colt's favorite place to chill out.

 

Isabel and Pawpaw sharing special time on his 77th birthday.

This granny enjoys her special moments too!

My new boots! I've been wearing my old navy ropers, but they are in pretty bad shape. So... :D ...Justin boots made in the USA! I bought them at Country Outfitters - got a great buy and free shipping AND received them in just a couple of days! www.countryoutfitters.com

Colt's Second Birthday!

Baby brother Cain trying to decide which end of the toy to eat first.

Ah-ha! Success! :D

John and Erin decided to purchase a bounce house instead of renting one. They said that the cost was the same a renting twice. It was used on Colt's birthday, then inflated again on Thanksgiving. Sounds like a good buy to me!

Colt checking out his new jungle gym - er, I mean, picnic table.

What do you mean "Don't touch it?!"

I'm only TWO! I HAVE to touch it!

Isabel and Colt just pretending to be asleep. So cute!

Gorgeous early evening view.

My soap was gummy. I asked Sam if he could take a piece of wood and cut lengthwise grooves on one side and widthwise grooves on the other creating holes for drainage.

It works!

Just Stuff...and a New Pie Recipe!

This hawk is sitting on a high-line pole nearly every evening. One day I'm going to be prepared and catch him on that pole!

I made one placemat at the COF 2012 retreat in Branson - well I started it there. I finally completed all eight and made the tablerunner to match from a PJ party on the HGTV quilting forum. :D I'm happy!

A couple of weeks ago we spent Sunday with Isabel and her parents. She was starved for barbeque at lunch...

Ah...sated!

This is what 15 mph looks like at 7:40 a.m on the way to work via a country road. He got up to 20 and hit his breaks to slow down. LOL I leave early enough that I don't always go straight to work, sometimes I take an alternate route. This guy may have thought he was "getting to" me...but I was behind him laughing. neener neener He turned right at the farm-to-market road and looked over his shoulder - I guess to judge my degree of frustration. He was a young guy. Go figure...

Remember that Ozark Mountain Pie I had at the Rainbow Cafe in Mt. View Arkansas?

Here's my version.

I sorta held a naming contest with some quilter friends: To Die for Pie, Sherry's Sinful Indulgence, Sherry is a Big Tease (LOL), No Name Pie...but the winner is ...

Big Butt Pie

1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup light Karo
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add Karo and vanilla, mix in. Then add eggs and beat until all is blended in. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts. Pour into a prepared pie shell. Bake 40-45 minutes.

Note: I used dark chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
 

This is my "Does this hat make my butt look big?" gift from Sue - aka Florida Farm Girl. Yes...there's a story. ;)

My new crust recipe. 
When I got my new KitchenAide food processor last year I searched for a pastry crust recipe. So flaky it melts in your mouth!

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pulse a couple of times to mix.

8 tablespoons of lard (I weigh it - 4 ounces)
Cut into chunks and spread on top of flour. Pulse 3 times counting to 3 each time.

Run and sprinkle in three tablespoons of ice cold water. This comes together real quick. Turn off. Gather up into a bundle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour.

Note:
You can use shortening instead of lard. Some of the fat can be butter, but butter tends to toughen the crust.