Family, Giggles, and Good times….Part 1…
Well, here it is Monday evening, and I’ve been flying under the radar. To be truthful, my outlaws have been here since Friday, and will be leaving Tuesday morning.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve missed them. Simply for the fact, when we all get together there is so much laughter, my sides hurt. We have outdone ourselves with meals. My MOL (Mother outlaw) and I have cooked together in my tiny little kitchen since Friday night together, and it has been a blast.
I will probably do a couple of episodes to this post, simply because there is just too much to tell in one shot.
Friday, I received a call from the Electrician, while I was at the Farmer’s, it was about 1:15, and I was in the middle of getting Momma up and bathed and dressed. He advised me that his parents were here, and what time would I be home. I told him 2:30. I finished getting Momma up, bathed and dressed, and gave her some meds, double checked everything I had done, and flew down the road.
I got home to see a strange car in my driveway, and came flying in the door to be told “sshhhh, Pa is sleeping”. I came downstairs and gave my Mol a huge hug, got a cup of coffee and sat down for one of those “chat sessions” her and I are famous for.
Time flew by, and we decided to get Dinner started. (Here is the back story for this one.) A couple of weeks ago the Electrician and I were watching Food Network, and a recipe came on (the program was The Best thing I ever Made), for spaghetti and meatballs. Well…we all know the Electrician loves spaghetti and meatballs, and so does my Fol. I printed off the recipe, made sure I had all the ingredients, and away we went.
My Mol and I followed the recipe to a T. After about the 2 hours of cooking time, her and I were laughing, because well…. The sauce, did NOT thicken like it was supposed to, and we had some really good tasting meatball soup going on. So, we strained off some of the liquid, and then made it our own, by adding this, that and everything else. Between the 2 of us, it was pretty darn good.
The Nursing student came over (Fisher dude was at work), and brought Cam-man who REALLY got the party started. The Nursing student had bought the garlic bread, and I threw it in the oven. Hey in my defense, I usually make my own, so I thought I followed the instructions. (Enter flashback of driving to the wedding here).
We put everything on the table, and took the bread out of the oven, who knew I was supposed to take it out of the foil and let it cook? Yea, apparently everyone but me. So, we ended up nuking it and it still came out ok. We scarfed most of it up, and gave the rest to a Tupperware container for the Fisher dude when he came home from work.
The first night was a success, and we all laughed so much (which usually happens when we get together). We went to bed, because we had a big day planned for Saturday….
Domestic Saturday…
Today dawned with the promise of another day, and the promise of it being HOT. I had my agenda all ready. I’m having guests come over for the rest of the weekend, so my plan, was to shape up my house and do all those Domestic Goddess things, that I do at the Farmer’s, to my house.
So, after finishing the grocery list and giving it to the Electrician, he went off down the road. Me? I got busy. Laundry, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, mopping floors, and the regular Domestic Goddess stuff. Of course this was only after having 3 cups of coffee, reading my e-mail, playing on Facebook, and checking my blog.
I did do one thing unusual today. I made my own laundry soap. The Electrician had found a recipe for laundry soap and asked me if I wanted to try it. Well…duh…in case any of you have been to the Grocery store lately (uhm, don’t look at me, because anyone that reads my blog KNOWS I’m not ALLOWED in a grocery store.) ok, I digress AGAIN.
Laundry soap in the grocery store is unreasonably priced in my opinion. The recipe for the laundry soap included 3 ingredients, which the Electrician bought for me. I followed the recipe, and made 10 gallons of laundry soap, for about the cost of $3.25. Now, according to a friend of mine who made this same recipe, the 10 gallons lasted her for about 3 months, she has twins, and her and her husband. I don’t know about you, but I am willing to save a couple of pennies (ok A LOT of pennies), for what took me about 45 minutes to make. I think the reason it took me so long was because I was unsure about if the Fels- Naptha soap had dissolved. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll let y’all know how it works. It sure smells good though.
After all of the domestic duties were done, I decided it was time to hit the pool. I had worked up a sweat, and was ready to relax. I laid in the pool for about 15 minutes, and got out and decided to dry off reading a magazine underneath the deck. The phone rang, it was the Electrician asking me if I was going to help him unload groceries. I came in through the sliding glass door and about had a heart attack. The Electrician was hiding on the other side and totally spooked me. Rotten rat. We put away all of the groceries, and then we both laid in the pool, and giggled and just had an over-all great time.
The Electrician did surprise me though. In those bags of groceries, he splurged, for dinner tonite, we had Ribeye steaks, corn on the cob and baked potato’s. (in honor of my HOT Potato award).
Life is good with me folks, I hope for you too.
Ruh Roh, I’m so far behind….
Wow, color me special, and tickle me with a feather. Ok, It has just dawned on me that a week from tonite will be Christmas Eve. It also dawned on me that while present”s have been bought AND wrapped, I am so far behind in my Holiday cooking that I don’t know what I’m going to do. Get busy I guess.
Usually, by this time, I’ve got cookies made and have started on my candies. Welp, due to a couple of trips to the Hospital a day and not managing my time very well, guess what? Yup, I got nothin’.
So, instead of feeling rushed and whatnot, I goofed off all day, researching recipes, making sure I’ve got the ingredients I need. (PSSTT…to the Farmer, I’m gonna swipe some of your 5 lb bag of chocolate chips when I deliver your dinner tomorrow ok?) (hehehe).
I think I am ready to turn into a baking, candy making fiend in the next week. The Nursing Student is supposed to stop by so we can bake some goodness out of my kitchen. I think I am ready, I swipped borrowed some cookie cutters of Christmas trees, and stockings, and stars from the Farmer’s house. I also swipped borrowed the candy thermometer. I had the Electrician pick up some basic baking stuff, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, brown sugar, and pecans on his weekly trip to the Grocery store, so I’m feeling PUMPED.
I might have to do the ROCKY workout tho, climbing the stairs 50 times and maybe running around the block a couple of times. (OK, who am I kidding?) I will probably do the ROCKY workout AFTER I eat all of the good stuff I have planned to make. (Yea, that statement made the Electrician bust into laughter too).
My Mother-in-laws Raisen Torte (which I ALMOST have down pat, but nobody makes it like her, according to the Electrician) Pecan Tassies, Peanut Brittle, Sugar cookies (iced, if I’m feeling brave), fudge, and I found an old recipe in the Farmer’s recipe box from MY Great-Grandma, that I thought I would try for ice-box cookies. Oh yea, I gotta throw in some no-bake cookies (the Electrician and oldest sons favorite).
(yawn)…I’m making myself tired thinking about all of that stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to cook, I’m a regular Junior Rachael Ray, but when it comes to baking and candy making…..well….not so much. But my family loves me and will suffer through all of my efforts , because it’s the right thing to do. I also make my Neighbors suffer because this is what they get from us for Christmas, special treats I have slaved spent enjoyable time in my kitchen preparing.
Also the Electrician has spent the afternoon making HIS contribution to the festivities, Chex Mix, OUR way….cashews, and all kinds of good stuff (I should know I spent the afternoon munching on it oops….)
So, for tonite I am savoring the last minutes of doing nothing, for tomorrow, I’m getting busy!
