Hot Corn Dip

So… April 5-7th is when you should plant your corn-based off of the 2012 Farmer’s Almanac.  In fact, if you read it more specifically it says the first day for planting corn.  So April 5th… you should be planting your corn.  I’m just saying :).  And be sure to plant a few extra ears for this recipe.  It’s a super good one!

This was my guest post over on Stef’s Blog, Too Much To Do So Little Time, in February in case you missed it. 🙂

Hot Corn Dip
Recipe by Emeril Lagasse

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears fresh white or yellow corn, or frozen fresh corn)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers – I used roasted red bell peppers from a jar.
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise – 1/2 C was plenty for mine
  • 4 ounces Monterrey jack or cheddar, shredded- I used Monterey jack
  • 4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Tortilla chips, for dipping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

 

Add the corn, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Note that if you’re using frozen corn it probably won’t get golden brown.  Just cook for about 5 minutes as the recipe states.

(more…)

What happens when…..

Over the weekend hubby and my dad worked on the tractor and then drove it to my MIL’s house so they could knock down some annoying trees and actually get the field ready for bailing.

Do you know what keeps you from being able to brush hog?
This isn’t a trick question…
Answer: Flat Tire.

And I got tickled because the brushhog has enough dirt (I’m sorry Dr. Fuqua, I know that’s a dirty four letter word) errrr Soil on it to grow grass.

You can sure tell it’s spring around here.  Although it really didn’t spring early… We usually start looking like this in March anyway, although we have had above normal temps this month.  I just hope we don’t get an April or May freeze that kills my Cherries again this year.  Maybe I should invest in an electric blanket for my tree, what do you think?

And look at the widdle baby calves.  {and widdle is little :)}

Marlie was excited because she got to go for a ride.

She sure loves her rides.

And when she stands like this her lips flap in the wind.  It’s cute!  She’s doing ok since Audrey went missing, but the first few days she was a pretty upset gal.

Don’t worry, we weren’t breaking any rules.  But it was caused due to the week of rain.  But where did the rain go?  People really shouldn’t have complained because they chased it away!

There is a pond on either side of the road.  When it rains a lot the ditches are shallow and the ponds meet up across the road.

I’ve never seen it completely over the road, but when I know it has flooded, well we don’t go this way….

At least one side of the truck go cleaned 🙂

And don’t worry about Marlie.  She went to the other side of the truck and stayed dry.

Although I bet she wondered if she would for a few minutes….

Once we got home I went to look at my pretty flowers.  Aren’t they gorgeous!

These photos are all straight out of the camera.  I haven’t had time this week to tweak any of them…

My flower garden smelled pretty sweet too!

I’m actually surprised these guys are still hanging around.  They usually disappear before the others start blooming.

Marlie had to come help of course 🙂

And look at this dude!  I love spring!

Then Marlie decided to leave me and go get some lovins.

She sure loves her lovins.

And you’ll notice Tbug’s arm/hand.  Yeah she broke the growth plate doing a back hand spring in Cheer.  She can’t lift, push or pull for 4-6 weeks.  If I remember right we’re like on week 2 or 3 now.  But her last Cheer competition which is this weekend, she can only dance. 

Calling One Calling All & I'm Accident Prone

So I decided I might do a little give away here on the ole blog today.

Maybe It’s the weather.

Maybe it’s the fact that I have a screw loose after the accident the other day.  {ok probably not}

Maybe it’s because I decided to try and cut the tip of my finger off… {More on that later}

Whatever the case is, One of you will be the lucky winner.

The prize can be for you or your kid or your grandkid or your neighbor or  your neighbors kid or your neighbors grandkid or, well you get the picture :).  Only thing is, I wouldn’t recommend this for a boy.  Just saying.

Here is what you could be the lucky winner of:

Although not that particular one because that’s my {step}daughters.  But one like that.

Now you can also choose your color.  I have 3 options.  The pink like you see above or:

A purple or yellow like the ones on my necklace.  And please don’t knock this picture too bad, I was tired apparently!

Now if you choose to spread the word, that’d be awesome, let me know and I’ll give you an added point, otherwise, leave me a comment to enter and also let me know which color you’d like, oh and please be a follower at least if you want in!  I’ll leave this open through Saturday March 31st at Midnight Central Time 🙂

Now skip down here if you want to see my poor finger!

This is what happens when you’re trying to make these things….

But only if you are clumsy like me!

And I’m giving you time to get past this

Although you’ll scroll past it anyway to get to the comments

But there was a small amount of blood involved.

I tried to cut the tip of my finger off.

And it didn’t feel good.

I wouldn’t recommend doing that for anyone!

It hurt!

Good Luck!!

Yesterday

Today I am sore.  I’m not sure if it’s because of what happened yesterday.

Truthfully I guess my yesterday wasn’t terrible, but by the end of the work day I was spent.  And then I had to go to class.

I won’t lie, I was dreading going to class.

So I’m headed down the highway and hubby calls to tell me about his day.  Now my car is pretty cool and spoils me when it comes to phone calls.  It’s all hands free and he plays through the speakers.  Which I get spoiled by that and then have to drive his truck and go nuts, but that’s besides the point.

So I got off the highway on to a road to take me in to town and I was sitting at a stop because there was a car coming when all the sudden someone rear ended me.

I yelled, “Oh Sh*t I’ve just been hit,” threw my car in park, grabbed my phone out of the cupholder and jumped out to check the damage.  This is where my car was being a pain because I was still close enough that the car didn’t release my call back to my phone :(.

So I’m checking out my car and the gal who hits me jumps out.  All I can think at that moment was “Sh*t”.  I know classy right!?!?

So I put my phone up to my ear to try and talk to hubby.  By this time I’m shaking so bad I can barely stand up.  The gal who hits me pulls her car over to the shoulder and I start playing with buttons to get my car to release the call to my phone.

I finally get hubby and tell him I’ve been hit and he’s going where are you?  And at that point in time my brain just jumped ship and all I could tell him is I don’t know, I’m stopped trying to get onto the road.

I know great directions right?

The good thing is I knew he would be passing me because he comes down that road.  I was just hoping I was still ahead of him so he’d pass by me.  Finally I said something about 249.  He asked if I was on it or off.  I said I don’t know, I’m at the stop sign.  So he figured out where I was and came to “rescue” me.  I was shaking so bad, but I did remember to put my 4ways on :).

So he came and checked me out, we asked the other gal if she was ok.  She must not have hit me hard b/c I can’t find anything wrong with my car or hers, but we’re going to have someone professionally look at it, make sure no damage to things we can’t see.

I did get my faith restored in humanity, a lady stopped to make sure we were all ok and that we had cell phones to make calls.  Thank you nice lady!

I finally got calmed down enough and we swapped information and then I headed on to class.  I got there right on time too.

Today, I’m sore.  I’m not sure if it’s from that or what, but my shoulders are killing me.  All I know is God {or one of his Guardian Angels} was with me.  That’s what protected me & the other gal plus our material possession, the cars.  I’m more concerned with us being ok though.  But they wrapped their arms around me and protected me.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Happy Tuesday 🙂

The Newlywed Game

1) What do you think my best quality is?

Me: Your Sense of Humor and the way you can talk me down when I’m upset.
Him: You are caring and that you love me.

2) What would be your ideal date with me?

Me:  You know me, I’m a low key girl.  Spending the evening with you, snuggling and watching a movie and forgetting life’s problems would work just fine for me!
Him: Dinner out then movies at home.
3) What was your first impression of me? 
Me:  If we’re going back to high school…. I’m sure it was wow he’s weird and sleeps a lot… but he’s kinda cute.  If we’re talking about the day of our first date 10 years later…. This surely can’t be the boy I liked in high school, although he still is cute!
Him: Wow she’s more gorgeous than I remember.
4) What is your favorite memory of us?
Me:  flying to Chicago on our Honeymoon, our first trip alone or last December when we found out we won that horse breeding and were jumping up and down screaming in our kitchen. 
Him: You giggling at me through our entire wedding.

5) What do you see for us in the future?

Me:  Right now our future seems so uncertain that it scares me and I’m not sure where I see us.  I do know that wherever we are we’re battling whatever life throws our direction one step at a time hand in hand!
Him: Many years of Love & Happiness.

Well as you can tell {if you didn’t already know} I’m the wordier of the two of us, but he is the socialite compared to me!

Tbug's Spring Break

So Tbug wanted to write you guys a post about her Spring Break with us.  This is a very long & very photo heavy post just so you know :).  Take it away Tbug.  {yes, I helped her write it}

*******************************

Friday:
After cheer practice dad & mom came to pick me up.  I forgot my glasses at cheer so we had to go back and get them.  Then we came home and smoked sausage & grilled cheese sandwiches.

 Mom painted my toenails so dad couldn’t pinch me when I woke up.

 We all took showers and went to bed.

Saturday:
We woke up and had bacon & egg burrito’s.

 Then we went for a walk to the end of the road and back.  About the time we got to our driveway grandpa called and said he was 2 miles away and was going to the buffalo sale.

We wanted to go too so we all ran down the driveway and came and changed into jeans {from shorts} and of course green.  After the buffalo sale we went to lunch.  We had Mexican.  Then we came home and went to a horse show.

Then we went to Memaw’s to look at her field for grandpa.  Then went to dinner at the Japanese steak house for dinner with Memaw.

After dinner we went to Atwoods with her.

 Then came home and walked the driveway a couple laps, We also made Rock Candy,

 took showers and went to bed.

Sunday:
We woke up and had egg in a basket, bacon sandwiches

 and then walked down the road and back.  Dad left.  Mom and I cleaned on my room and went through my closet {getting rid of clothes that don’t fit anymore.}  Earl called mom and asked if I could come play with T & M so mom took me to Earl’s and I played all afternoon with them.

 Mom & dad came over in time for Sunday night dinner with dad’s friend Robert & Memaw.  We had smoked pork, smoked cabbage {which I didn’t like}, rolls with butter, potato casserole, cream cheese corn, chocolate chip cookies and mom made Robert a birthday cake.  {Robert’s 30th birthday is Wednesday}.

 Then I went and stayed the night with Memaw.

Monday:
I woke up at Memaw’s and she took me to Casey’s to get an Icee & donuts for breakfast.  Then we went to Aunt Liss’s to play with Dill Pickle for a bit and get my Christmas/Birthday present they still had for me.  For lunch Memaw and I had our Japanese steakhouse leftovers.  Then on Memaw’s way to work she dropped me off at great grandma’s house. It was raining so we spent the afternoon baking cookies & bread.

 Then surprised grandpa with dinner of Chicken fried steak, homemade gravy, carrots & broccoli & mashed potatoes.  Then I went to grandpa’s.

 We were supposed to go pick grandma up at the airport later in the evening but she didn’t make it back home.  Her flight got cancelled.  I stayed the night at grandpa’s and he gave me a flashlight in case I needed anything.  It was storming and I woke up once.  Morelli {the dog} came to check on me and then went back to his bed.

Tuesday:
Woke up at grandma & grandpa’s.  Went out with grandpa to feed the horses, sheep and petted the kittens.  Memaw came and picked me up from grandpa.  {Grandma didn’t make it back from Indianapolis so Memaw came to get me for the day.}  We went to her house and played for a bit.  Went into town and paid bills.  Stopped at Casey’s and got an Icee & donuts for breakfast.  Then we went to Wal-Mart where she bought me a Jason Aldean CD and a polka dot umbrella {so I didn’t have to get wet} and then went back to Memaw’s house and played.  I had Spaghetti-o’s for lunch.  Then my daddy came to pick me up and take you home.  Mom stopped at the store to get stuff for Chicken Quesadilla’s.

Then we watched movies.  Then we took showers and went to bed.

Wednesday:
I didn’t want to get out of bed but mom & dad made me get up around 6:30.  We had Honey Nut Cheerio’s & chocolate milk for breakfast.  Then I got dressed and rode to work with daddy where grandma came to pick me up.  I was bored at daddy’s office because I had to be quiet.  Once grandma had me we went to the bank and then to Hobby Lobby to get stuff for her table.  She also bought me wood cut outs and markers.  Then we went to the mall to return some things for grandma.  As we were walking from one store to another grandma saw some clothes I should try on.  I wound up with a green shirt.  Then we went to another store and found 2 pair of shorts & a new swimsuit.  Then grandma took me to another store and bought me some lotion, body wash & spray.  Then we had lunch at Chick-fil-a.

Then we went back to grandma’s and I colored my things from Hobby Lobby & watched tv.  Dad came to pick me up.  When we got home Audrey went missing.  So mom & I walked around the property looking for her.  Dad’s friend Robert came out and helped too and so did grandma & grandpa.  We didn’t find her.  Then we went inside and I showed off my new clothes and we ate dinner. {Cream Cheese Chicken}.  Then we went to bed.

Thursday:
Dad got me up early {6:45} and we had breakfast.  We had banana bread but I didn’t like it.  Then I rode to work with {step}mom to meet up with my mom and go home with her.

Friday:
I went to Cheer practice and then dad & {step}mom picked me up.  We went to mom’s work to get dad’s truck and then headed for the house.  On the way to the house dad called and told mom and said something about the sky so we made a detour up to the square to take pictures.

Then we came home and had dinner.  After dinner we watched the finale of Sweet Home Alabama and mom cut her finger open with her roller blade.  She made me a headband.

 Then we took showers and went to bed.

Saturday:
We got up at 9, got dressed and went to the Amish store.  We got sandwiches for lunch and cookies for breakfast and then headed back home.  Then we went outside and started working in the yard.  Came in for lunch and mom finished working on a project.

Then we went to Memaw’s to try and take grandpa’s tractor tire off.  Then came back home and jumped in the hottub.  After that we watched a movie we met up with grandma & grandpa for dinner for hotwings.  I stayed the night with grandma & grandpa.

Sunday:
I  got up in the morning and helped grandpa do chores.  Then watched him ride Mini Me for a few minutes and then went into the house to watch cartoons.  Later when grandpa put the horses out I went and helped by opening the stall doors so they could go outside.  Dad & mom came and picked me up after they got done at church and we went back to the house to eat lunch.  We all ate left over sandwiches and this yummy cheeseball.  Then I helped fold laundry and we picked up my room.  We also cleaned the spare room and then dad and I went out and decided where the bee boxes would be set up.

 Dad had to take me home a little early because I was going to a birthday party with my mom.

**********************************

And that ladies and gentlemen was her spring break.

Her dad had her write you guys a story describing her Spring break.  I took pictures of it and then typed it word for word the way she wrote/spelled it 🙂

My Spring Brake
Hi my name is Tbug.  And this is my story.  This spring Brake I drew pictures, cooked.  This spring Brake I played, and watched TV.  And I also colored.
AND I Wroet this story

Audrey

I don’t know how to even begin to write this post.  It’s not a post I want to write or even a post I thought I’d ever have to write.

Someone stole Audrey.

Wednesday morning I left for work and she was here.  Wednesday night I got home from work and she was gone.  Sometime during the day someone came and took her.  I’m not real sure why they didn’t take Marley although my mother-in-law proves a valid point.  If Marlie thought Audrey was in trouble, she could have high tailed it outta there because she didn’t want to get in trouble too.

In fact when I got home Marlie was acting very weird and very clingy.  It’s so hard to describe.

Hubby, Tbug, Robert & my parents scoured our property and our neighborhood looking for her.  We never found her.  I’ve called the humane society, the dog catcher, the sheriff and the police.  I know if I contact a vets office they can’t help me because of “privacy” laws.  I only know this b/c a few years ago I had an Aussie stolen but that’s another story for another day.

I know most of you who read this aren’t from around here, but if by chance someone from around here stumbles onto my post and sees this… If you’ve seen my dog, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know!  We want her home!

Chicken Quesadillas

Wow, I swear this week is just flying by!  And I really don’t want it to truthfully.  I’m enjoying Spring Break.  Not having to go to class.  Not getting home after 9pm 2 nights a week.  Not HAVING to study, although I will do that one a bit.  It’s just so dadgum nice!  And it’s rained every day this week so far.  I’m not complaining and you won’t hear me complain about that either.

I grew up on a farm.  Rain & water is what makes a farm grow and thrive.  No water=no grass/grain/water for livestock and for people.  Plain and simple.  Flooding isn’t the best either, but… I like rain.  I like hot, sunny days too, but I love a good rain storm as long as there’s no bad weather associated with it (ie tornadoes).  Those scare me!

My {step}daughter has been with us since last Friday night until this morning when her mom will pick her up, but she’ll be back with us again tomorrow night.  She {and I} has been cooking up a blog post for you all about her spring break week with us.  This is the first time she’s spent more than a couple days with us since her daddy and I have been married.  And I really think she’s excited for you guys to read her blog post.  I’ll probably get that up on Monday so we can include this coming weekend in the post as well.

I decided it had been a while since I’ve posted a recipe so here’s a real quick and simple recipe.

Chicken Quesadillas
1 Can Chicken (yes I said canned, it’s in the same place you get tuna)
1 Can Cream of “something” soup (don’t go looking for “something” like hubs does, celery, chicken, mushroom, etc)
Chili Powder
Garlic Salt
Shredded Cheese
Soft Taco shells

Mix everything but the shells together.  Spread on one shell.  Cover with a second shell.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.
When they come out of the oven, butter the tortillas.

See simple!

Simple Additions/Substitutions:
We used Taco seasoning in place of the chili powder/garlic salt this time.
Mushrooms
Bell pepper
Onions
Beans
The sky really is the limit {almost}!

We used our Awesome Quesadilla maker instead of the oven though.  This one time my really cool mom took me shopping and bought that for me.  Should I tell you I was like 18 at the time.  I didn’t have a hope chest, I had hope boxes & tubs & cat walk.  Yes it piled out on the catwalk in my parents house between my bedroom and the stairs so if I wasn’t careful I would stub my toe at night in the dark.  More than once I had a cussing fit at 2am.  And it wasn’t a hope of getting married, but more like a hope of my own kitchen to stock some day!

And I’ll leave you with this…



*Yes, she calls me mom.  No, we didn’t tell her to.

Birthday Cake Fail

Life is about making memories.  Boy do I have memories sometimes!

Last week my hubby told me that one of his friends who has moved back to the area was having his 30th birthday today actually.  He asked if we could have him over at some point to celebrate his birthday.  I said ok.  Then he decided we’d just have him come to Sunday Night Dinner after Early had invited him a few weeks before.

So then hubby asked if I would make Robert a birthday cake.  I said sure.  Saturday night I was busy helping Tbug with making Rock Candy so hubby said he’d bake the cake for me.

Usually people start getting fits about “Over the Hill” once you hit 40, but since Robert is older than both of us, I thought I would be ornery and make him an “Over the Hill” cake.  I had it all planned out.  I was going to make a hill.  One side was going to be green “grass” and the other side black “dirt”.

Pampered Chef has a glass batter bowl that you can bake in.  Most people use them for the Barbie Doll cakes.

Now I usually only bake cakes in metal pans so I don’t have experience in glass pans/bowls.

I told him to bake it at 350 like the package said and we did it for 30 minutes and then decided we needed additional time.

So when we thought it was finally cooked all the way through we pulled it out, cooled it and covered it.

Jump ahead to Sunday afternoon.  I spent the day rearranging my house and cleaning my floors.  About 3:30 I went to start decorating my cake for 5pm Sunday Dinner.  I opened the lid on the bowl and the cake had collapsed in the middle.  So hubby asked me what I was going to do.  I was like, well…… I guess bake another one.  So I jumped in and got another one in the oven in my trusty 9″ round metal pans.

Now if you know anything about cakes, they have to cool before you ice them or you have problems.  Well I didn’t have that time…….

So instead of making my trusty icing, I remembered Pioneer Woman made her hubby a chocolate cake with chocolate icing so I thought well change of plans, I’ll get this baked, ice it in her icing and be good to go.

Yeah Right! We all know better!

So while the cake was baking I looked up her icing recipe.  3 cups heavy cream… check.  24 ounces of chocolate…. oh crap I only have 14ish.  and Vanilla…. check.

So I decided to half the icing recipe.  A little over a cup and a half of heavy cream, a little over 12 oz chocolate and viola….. right?  Think again apparently……

So you heat the heavy cream to very hot, dump it on the chocolate to melt the chocolate and mix thoroughly and then put in the fridge to cool completely.  OMG you’ve got to be kidding me!  So I put it in the deep freezer for 15 minutes.  Why not, right?  So then the cakes came out of the oven and I got them out of the pans so they could be cooling.  Got the icing out of the Deep Freezer and put the whisk attachment on my mixer and set it to town making it light and airy… although it wasn’t becoming light and airy at all.

Finally after 15 minutes of trying I was pushing 5pm so I just started icing the cake with it.  Ha!  It was so runny it was falling off the cake.  I finally got fed up and decided I needed to go change my clothes (put on jeans, get out of my grubby shorts I was in) so hubby jumped in watching the icing.

10 minutes later hubby had added powdered sugar trying to get it to set up, it didn’t.  It didn’t get light and airy.  It was after 5.  Hubby and Robert left so Robert wouldn’t completely see what I was doing.  I called it good, slabbed the icing on the cake and went to Pokey & Early’s.  Boy I was mad at this point.  I took cake decorating classes.  I’m good at this.  And this cake looked like crap in my opinion.

I got there and Early’s fridge was empty so I threw it in there and stormed out of the house.

I would like to report that the cake was awesome, the icing was great even though it didn’t do what it was supposed to, and not much cake was left.  Oy!

And then my lighting was bad.  Whatever I give up… lol
Happy Birthday Robert.