Sunday, August 28, 2011

Tough Guys Are The Sweetest Guys!

Mr Erik Matthew, you are a cute little charmer with big brown eyes and a great big heart. You're always bursting with energy and zest for life! You're a tough guy with a sweet heart and that makes you so easy to love!
Erik, when you were born we were all so amazed by you. You made so many little sounds and noises and you were such a handsome big boy. So Big! I had never held such a big and strong newborn. When you got even bigger we got to know how patient and persistent and tough you really are. You are a fighter! You are an over comer, Erik. You can stand your ground against the toughest odds and I am so proud of you! I am so happy you are mine. I love you awesome dude!
Happy 8th Birthday!

Love, Aunt Amy

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Fried Eggplant

My dear friend came to visit the other day and arrived bearing gifts from her garden, and from the produce department as it turns out. Gifts of jalepenos, limes, grapefruit, and ... eggplant! I love eggplant yet I rarely purchase the stuff. So it sat, looking like treasure, in my fruit basket for a day or two until today, when I was inspired to fry it.







I wanted to try this without getting my hopes up. I wanted to see what would happen if I wasn't shooting for spectacular. So I tossed together some whole wheat flour, some italian seasonings, garlic, and salt. I sliced the eggplant very thin, splashed it into some egg and dipped it in the flour mixture. Once it was in the skillet I left it just long enough to cook the breading and to crisp up, then I piled it on a plate and sampled the results. After that I sang the Hallelujah chorus and called in my resident taste tester who agreed that it was delicious.


1 Eggplant, sliced thin - approx 1/8 inch slices
1 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c pizza or Itallian seasoning
1 t garlic - more if you love it
Pink Himalayan salt, use your best guess here since I didn't measure the salt.
2 eggs, beaten
Coconut Oil for frying - I didn't deep fry it, just enough to pan fry.

Now then, put your eggs in a bowl and beat them, next to that put your flour mixture on a plate or in a bowl, use about 2 teaspoons of oil for a med skillet. Between batches I wipe my skillet out with a folded paper towel to keep the burned crumbs from making the next batch gross.



Happy chomping!


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Happy Birthday Jimmie!

The first memory that I know I know of my little brother is from when he was around 9 or 10 months, I think. I know there are others, I remember knowing he was around but this memory plays like a movie in my mind, my sister and I must have been right at 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 and we were feeding him baby food. We must have had some practice on our dolls but I remember how much fun it was to feed a real baby real food! He was sitting in his highchair and we'd take turns getting something fruity into his baby mouth. I am sure we only had a chance to give him a bite or two in the short time Mom had her back turned because I also remember that we took a bite or two, too! I kept thinking he'd start to cry or yell at us but he didn't seem to mind, he must have thought it was ours and we were sharing with him! Silly baby!
Now that blond haired, blue eyed, cute little boy is 28 years old. Though he's still got that blond hair and those blue eyes, and still as cute as can be, he's not such a little guy! He's got his own little set of three to make his family of five, just like we were. He and his beautiful wife have two precious princesses and their own little prince charming.
My brother, with whom I spent hours playing cars, Lego's, and Lincoln Logs, as well as a few good high speed (foot) chase occasions over a stolen book or maybe a game lost on Nintendo, is the best brother anyone could have. I love to watch him be a husband to his wife and dad his children and to love his family more than himself. I am so proud of him and I love to be his sister.

Happy Birthday Jimmie, and in case you ever read this, thanks for not beating me up once you realized you were big enough, love ya.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

123 Days!

Until.... Christmas! Whooo hooo!

Christmas Countdown 2011 - Find out how many days until Christmas 2011

Comment and tell me if you've already started your Christmas shopping... or at least your shopping list?

One of Those Days

The light drizzle of rain outside, the coziness of watching the drops race down my window, the perfect temperature to venture out and sit under the dry protection of the porch, and the joy of watching the green grass get a much needed soak.

I love the rain. I love the sharp look of the rain drops as they slice through the air from cloud to ground and the ping sound they sing as they land on my roof or windows.


Saturday, August 20, 2011

You Need To Try This at Home

This post is about Coconut Chicken, broccoli, cooked (or fried or sauteed) apples, and Ezekiel bread. All cooked in coconut oil, and all delicious!

Make some today.

The post is from my other blog called Café de Santé, enjoy.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Getting Ready


.
My husband and I have planned to be foster parents for quite sometime. We began our training about a year and a half ago but put it on hold due to his active duty military status, not because he was active duty but because he was away from home during the time we needed to finish our training. Now that he's home, cross your fingers, we'll be able to begin our training again. We have learned that we need to get some things taken care of first though.

Item #1
Neuter the d.o.g. - don't tell him. He's a wild man and he's a high jumper. Not so much fun for the little ones who come to visit. So, we've been told that he could be mellowed out this way. Poor little brat.

Item #2
Register the d.o.g. - I know, I know.

Item(s)#3
Household check-ups
Make sure all the smoke detectors work.
Child proof cabinets that have cleaning supplies (or get rid of all chemical cleaning supplies).
Child proof outlets.

Item #4
Re-start foster parent course!

Easy stuff huh?

Could anyone help me decide where to take the poor pitiful doggie woggie?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Mmmmm, coffee!

I mentioned this on facebook today but it didn't satisfy me. So I will mention it here. It might help.

I am drinking the first of many cups of Starbucks coffee, given to me by my dear sweet husband in the form of a delicious gift card. Even better than the espresso machine he wanted to get.

Have I ever told you about my thing for espresso machines? Well, they don't work when I buy them. I can use my brother's, I could use my mother's (if she had one), I can whip up a cuppa from any one's machine, but the machines I buy for myself never, ever, work.

They don't brew, they don't steam, they blow up (might be my fault), they fall apart.


I need one.

Friday, August 12, 2011

To The World's Greatest Husband, Captain America!

I love you.

I have loved you from the first time we kissed, right after I schooled you in basketball in my driveway, On December 28, 1996.

I love those crinkly crinkles you have at the corners of your eyes.

I love the sparkly silver hair that you let the barber buzz off twice a month.

I love your broken collarbone bump.

I love that scar on your head, the one I always have to ask about because it happened when you were young and I can never remember how.

I love your skin.

I love your lips.

I love your son and that freckle on his top lip.

I love you, your patience and your impatience, your smile and your frown, your scalding hot shower and freezing cold house and the combination of the two that steams up the bathroom and frizzes up my hair.

You're the answer to years of prayers and I'll love you forever.

Happy Anniversary.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Harvest Skillet

Oh man. Dinner tonight was stinkin' awesome.

I thought we were going out for HOT WINGS but I guess that was supposed to be last night and I blew it because I thought it was tonight! Both nights were early anyway since our anniversary isn't until Friday (yes, we're eating hot wings for our anniversary, I can't help it, it's the only thing I want).

So, Captain America calls on his way home talking about how starving he is and I'm like "uhhh, no hot wings?" and he's like "you blew me off last night I thought you didn't want to go out to eat with me". Dang it!

So, I pulled out some chicken and a sweet potato that I baked earlier today while something else was in the oven. I sat the two items next to one another on the counter and said "hmmmm". Then I poured some slurpalicious coconut oil in my pan, tossed in the chicken, chopped it up right in the pan, tossed in the potato, chopped it up right in the pan, and voila!It needed something.

Salt.

Still needed something.

Something SPICY! Powdered red pepper, the cayenne kind.

Bingo!

Delish.

For good measure I threw in about 1/4 of an apple, diced small. At the very end we agreed that corn sounded really good and I had some of that already heating. Perfect addition. It was great!

Sweet and spicy.

Happy Ending.