Snow day (not)

Got up really early the other morning and saw this view from the bathroom window. Sometimes it pays to be old and have to get up to pee.

 

 

Ok...just a question...if all I use a cutlery tray for is clean silverware, then why does it always get dirty?

 

See? makes no sense.

 

Had a little snow and sleet so of course everything is closed. Ed is home for a snow day.

 

Truff was not impressed. Made Mamaw soup out of another chunk of Christmas turkey. Mom taught me to freeze the little leftovers of veggies after every meal and use those to make the soup. I even cut up some cabbage in this pot. It was good.

 

Hoping all ice  will be gone by morning. It is that time of year again. Ellis girl trip. We are headed for the swamp! We are headed to Carville to see the leper colony described in the great book In the Sanctuary of Outcasts. Then we will head to New Iberia, LA. I have always wanted to see the Tabasco plant on Avery Island. Stay tuned for hopefully lots of pics.

Catching up

So...my new pool shoes look like baby shoes. I guess they make sense because I bought them in the little boys' department. They worked just fine.

 

 

Had an opportunity to catch up with Bev today. She was cleaning out her garage (yuck) and would not allow photos. So, here is one of her beautiful tulip display.

 

Just took over some leftovers.

 

She was so excited to get home cooking that she fell on it like she had just gotten out of prison. I love to cook for an appreciative audience.

 

It was warm enough to sit outside. Her yard is even beautiful in winter. Should have taken a pic.

Wearing o' the green

 

Well alrighty then. When I rounded the corner to Mom's apartment I caught these guys. They apparently got started early on their partying. Mom said they look like they have had too much Irish coffee. I suspect green beer.

 

 

Here is one of my favorite green things.

 

Industrial size jalapeno jar. It makes me so happy. A half gallon of happiness. Oh, and as I write this I see another nice green in the background...chardonnay green.

the gambler

Here is our latest weather condition...fog. Very strange. Temperatures are supposed to be in the 70's today and back down to the 20's on Thursday. I guess March came in like a lamb.

 

 

Post workout meal, Candy made tuna patties with ridiculously good garlic ginger sauce. I can remember when I was a kid and took swimming lessons at the YWCA downtown. Y'all may know the building as the Old Capital Inn. The pool was in the basement. After a lesson I was always starving and Mom would let me get a candy bar out of the vending machine. For some reason I had a bit of an obsession with things obtained from a machine, just ask Mom. The huge bank of gumball machines in the A&P drove me (and consequently her) crazy. It wasn't just gum in those machines, oh no. There were toys and rings and bouncy balls and little fake moustaches that clipped in your nostrils...I could go on. Remember? All were encased in little plastic globes of joy.  I really  think that Mom worried about me becoming a gambler because of it. You see you never knew what you would get. The front showed all the great things you could possibly get, but you could end up with a piece of gum.

 

 

As a result, I almost always let my girls put money in the machine. And it is  possible that I have not fully recovered from this problem...because look what is on my dashboard currently.

 

Oops , I was trying for a pug but the machine gave me a sharpei. 

 

Just a funny for Candy (and all parents of teenagers).

 

 

Great dinner. Hot and sweet pork chops with Cuban black beans and yellow rice.

 

 

 

Battlefields

On these ridiculously cold, drippy, dark and cloudy days, everybody craves a bowl of chili (which is a dumb name for hot, steamy dish if you think about it). This pot turned out really well considering I accidentally bought taco seasoning instead. I added a little chili  powder and it was great.

 

 

One of my favorite ways to eat it is with Fritos on the bottom. We used to get Frito chili pies at

Sonic while at Mississippi State.

 

Anyway, did my label check expecting the worst.

 

What? 3 ingredients?

 

Much lower sodium than most snacks and no sugar. So I did a little research and found some interesting facts. Fritos were invented by a man who was a vegetarian and a health nut. He intended his chips to be used as a topping or a small snack. His daughter (who took fruit and nuts to school in her lunch!) said  he would be horrified to see the turn his snack company has taken and the volume of snacks we consume now.

 

Then this epic fight for territory happened. They all want the chair closest to the fire.

 

Pepper makes a bid.

 

Punches are thrown.

 

Junior remains.

 

The chili became WLB this  morning on cornbread, which I'm sure had more sugar in it than Fritos.

 

Talk about epic battles...while schools and businesses were closed, the mall remained open. Mary Grace needed new work pants. I'm sure finding pants is not much fun for anyone, but for short curvy girls it is a real battle. We bravely entered the Belk petite department.

 

 

This is our SECOND round of try ons. I was so proud of her. She didn't give up. We found the perfect size and style and bought them in 4 colors. Ha ha take that you wardrobe foes.

Ice, ice baby

The yard was so pretty this morning.

 

 

a little ashamed to make a big deal out of this when Ashley and Bryan have had so much awful cold.

 

May have snow tomorrow

 

It was warm at the gym. Thank goodness for that membership this winter!

 

The hood look magical.

 

Candy made Mary Grace and I ate a healthy lunch.

 

all veggies.

 

 

Ok , y'all know I've been trying to make whole foods. This night was good.

 

Used our new grill. It was great.

 

Next night, not so good.

 

A little more rushed for time, I bought deli chicken, made instant potatoes and canned green beans. Not too bad , right?

 

Wrong. Look at the label on these favorites. I keep them in the pantry for times like these. Yikes.

 

Even the deli chicken had issues.

 

Guess who was the hero with 3 ingredients...lowly canned green beans. This is hard.

 

another sign of spring

Asparagus for $1.99 a pound.

 

 

So here is the story...we were out of dog food and happened to be in Walmart instead of Kroger, where I usually buy their food. I bought Kibbles and Bits because it was always Spike's favorite. When I got it home neither Toby or Truffles would eat it. I folded it shut and put it under the kitchen work table and resolved to try and give it away to someone. Well ever since I did that, Toby has been begging for bites out of it like it was treats.

 

Just goes to show when you tell someone that they can't have something, it makes them want it even more.

 

The chunks are way  too big for him, but noooo.

 

I guess you have to be older to appreciate liver and onions at Piccadilly.

 

Candy's birthday. Virginia made homemade cupcakes. They were so good...slightly mint in the chocolate icing.

 

Wonder what she wished.

 

Check out her new Moroccan coffee table. It fits perfectly in the sectional. 

 

Lucy surprised her and came home early. You should have seen
Candy's face when she saw her. I don't know how I kept a secret.

 

Candy and Virginia