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

approaching Lent

One of my favorite church services is the Jazz Mardi Gras celebration. Southern Komfort band plays for us. The flowers were especially beautiful too.

 

 

We always end up on the porch of the church for a few songs.

 

The kids (and a few old folks) dance.

 

Went out to pick the last of the jonquils and found them frozen.

 

That is literally ice on the petals.  After a little while in the warmth inside, they thawed out and opened up.

 

Tuesday happened to be our Circle meeting. Here I am with Helen the queen of Broadmeadow. I said "let's take a selfie!" and she leaned right in like a pro.

 

You can see we did it with style...and tiaras.

 

Got a little dose of Dupree too.

Bedding down

So...we went mattress shopping...survived to tell the tale. It was actually pretty easy. Went to the new mattress store right here in Madison (Mattress Firm), and picked one out. With a 10  year warranty, we can sail into retirement on this baby. They delivered it within hours! Put all the new bedding on it. Jokingly put my new teddy bear on it and look what happened.

 

 

Someone had to try it out.

 

After I took this picture, I left the room and came back to find her mauling my bear! Ed said when he bought it he knew she would get it somehow.

 

Better keep an eye out buddy.

Valentine's Day

Book Club was right between anniversary and Valentine's Day. Pam hosted and as always the table was beautiful.

 

 

It was all so beautiful and we love to sit around her big ole round table. The book The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo was great but decidedly very unromantic. It was a murder mystery by a Norwegian. Kathy knows an exchange student from there, so we had fun learning some of their pronunciations.

 

The menu was great - chicken and homemade dressing with salad and butterbeans.

 

But hang on, the best was kept for last.

 

What else can I say except don't take my blood sugar anytime soon.

 

I woke up to find this.

 

I was ridiculously pleased with that little bear. He has never done anything like that before. He said he wanted to get the huge squishy one but was embarrassed to carry it to checkout.

 

Next we were off to buy a new mattress. Ours had become to resemble a hammock for two.

 

 

I even got Ed in Homegoods. I think he liked it. At least we didn't make a surgical strike to the linens. We actually wandered around a bit. I sneaked this pic of him. Shhhhh!

32 years and counting

 

 Woke up to a sweet card on our 32nd anniversary. I think it is going to last don't y'all? I put a card in his lunch. He has started taking his lunch every day. The food at his work cafeteria used to be great but has deteriorated. I should probably start a series on Ed lunch. Today he had a chicken salad wrap.

 

 

This is one of my favorite pictures from the wedding.

 

 

We are in the get away car about to drive away into our new life, after a trip to Mexico. So much fun. Don't I look like I am about to grab him and eat him up? Poor guy, he didn't know what he was getting into.

 

So for our anniversary dinner I made one of both of our favorites...hot  wings.

 

These were lemon pepper. I added in some whole mushrooms for me. I forgot to take a picture once they were crispy and delicious looking. Trust me they were.

 

So a new problem (obsession) I have is checking labels. I've been trying to eat whole foods for a long time, so I got a shock when I started noticing some condiments I use to cook with. Check out this terrifying label on something I use often.

 



 

This is chicken bouillon cubes,  or as I will from here on out refer to as little cubes of death. The only reference to chicken is way down on the list as chicken fat. See it right near tricalcium phosphate? So I decided to take matters into my own hands, or pots as it were.

 

The chicken wing tips from tonight's wings ( I buy them whole and cut them myself), went into a pot. Put in onion, celery tops, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper, then simmered it.

 

Strained it.

 

It looked great. Oh  and it was free too.

 

Put  it in the freezer for later use. Aren't I virtuous?