Psycho Cat Moves Out

Ok - I posted about Chris' moving adventures but here's how it was for the cat.  Enjoy the poem.

PSYCHO CAT MOVES OUT

Chris and Bandit (Psycho Cat to me)

Are moving out don’t you see.

Chris is excited and rightly so

He worked hard to make this a go.

Psycho Cat not so certain it’s true

She has never tried anything new.

Now there’s something you must know

Outside is someplace that cat never goes.

She has ventured out the door a time or two

But quickly came back inside not liking the view.

And a vehicle is something unknown to her

I’m certain we are going to ruffle her fur.

The van was loaded with table and chairs

Now we have to get Psycho Cat in there.

Chris found the cat and clasped her tight

Then took her out into broad daylight.

He buckled himself in and held Psycho

Gary started the van and away she did go!

Much to Chris’ dismay you see

She climbed his body like climbing a tree

She hurled herself in the back of the van

It was enough to scare any man.

She leapt from chair to chair and then

She saw the window and thought freedom.

While screeching out loud her outrage

She wanted to get out of this cage.

She flung herself at the window hoping to flee

But alas this was not meant to be.

She fell to the floor of the van and then

She started her antics all over again.

From chair to chair still howling her grief

Again to the widow seeking release.

  

Lucky for her it was a short drive

Lucky for Chris – she was still alive.

He caught his sweet kitten up in his arms

And carried inside before she came to harm.

To keep her contained and out of the way

He put her in the closet to stay.

After unloading items was all done

We left Chris and Psycho to have some fun.

Closet door open she remained inside

Until under the bed she decided to hide.

Not wanting to explore her new home

She wouldn’t even come out to roam.

A day or so later Chris sent a message to me

Couldn’t find cat – where could she be?

He had checked the bed and hamper too

But was not able to find even a clue.

Maintenance had come while he was away

And when they left the cat had hidden away.

Work in the kitchen they had done

So Psycho decided to have some fun.

On his dad’s instructions Chris pulled out a drawer

Psycho was crouched there on the floor.

She jumped out of the space and ran to hide

Seems under the bed she will abide.

Stay tuned for adventures of Chris and Psycho

You never know where this cat will go. 

Written by: Kathie Marrs

                     July 30, 2014

Moving Adventures

I know I posted about Chris moving out and Gary and I becoming empty-nesters.  I did not, however, post any of the moving adventures.  So here goes.

Chris was excited about moving out on his own. Remington and Lily were also very excited for him. Lily was discussing Chris moving out with her mother and made the comment, "Chris is really growing up."  Yes, Lily, he is.  

Before Chris knew he had gotten approved to move in, I took Remington by the apartment complex. Remington was very impressed with the location. As we left the complex and drove South on Memorial, Remington pointed out all the places of business that were convenient for Chris. 

There is a Sonic and QuikTrip just up the road, and should he ever get sick, a Walgreens on the corner. Also at that same intersection is a Subway should he become hungry. Nearby is a tattoo place should Chris ever desire to adorn his body with artwork. He can also have Psycho cat groomed nearby.  

Continue on and we pass the nursing home where Chris volunteers and also Whataburger where he works. Remington also noticed the Psychic reader should Chris want his fortune told and in the event he ever gets married and decides it wasn't a wise choice there is a divorce lawyer nearby.  Yep, Remington thinks that Chris has easy access to anything he should need. 

So moving day!  It took a couple of truck loads and van loads to get his stuff over there. It went pretty well. We almost beat the rain - last truckload was all that got wet and not to bad. Now, it had been decided that Chris would take one of our cats with him when he moved. We decided the best choice would be Psycho Cat.  Now, keep in mind this cat has never ever been in a vehicle.  She has ventured outside the door but quickly goes right back in. So getting her to Chris' was very interesting. 

We had put the seats in the van down and was able to load the pub table and three chairs in the van. Last load so the cat has to go too. Chris was able to catch the cat and holding her close he took her to the van. He gets seat-belted in and clutches the cat close to his chest. Then Gary started the van.  This is when Psycho Cat became quite psychotic.  

She clawed her way out of Chris' embrace and made her way to the back of the van where she threw herself from one chair to another until she spotted the window. At this point she let out a loud MEEOOOW and threw herself at the window only to fall on the floor. She started racing around the chairs again only to end up throwing herself at the window again with a loud MEEEOOOW and then again thud to the floor. She finally made it to her new home.  

Chris and Psycho Cat are now settled into their new home and getting along just famously. The first week has had Chris send Gary and I a frantic text one day because he couldn't find the cat. It seems that maintenance people came to work on hot water heater or something and the cat got under the sink and thus under the kitchen drawers. When Chris pulled out the bottom drawer she jumped out!  But all-in-all Chris and Psycho are doing well together.  

Who's in Charge

AUTHORITY:  The power or right to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience.
     A person or organization having power or control in a particular, typically political or administrative, sphere. 

Who doesn't like to be in authority?  Have control over people and make sure that things are done YOUR way. Gary and I both used to be managers at McDonald's.  We were both in authority there.  That meant that we had to make sure things got done in a certain way and at the proper time. Be responsible for the people underneath us.  Then when we got home - neither one of us wanted to be in authority. We had had enough of it at work.

But in all honesty, doesn't everyone like the feeling of power you get when you are in charge? Doesn't matter if it's not a major corporation that you have authority over, it could be your classroom, your home, maybe just your car. Whatever it is - it is your responsibility and people have to adhere to your rules on what goes on. No, you may not smoke in my car. Nor may you eat that candy bar - I don't want any chocolate on my seats.  No you may not let the dog in the house, I don't want dog hair everywhere. Get the idea?  It's your way - no questions asked. You are the one in authority. That's my coloring book and I say you cannot color it. End of discussion

Let me ask you this, though; WHO IS YOUR AUTHORITY?  Who do you answer to? Whose rules do you adhere to? 

Yes, everyone has to answer to someone - so who do you answer to?  Someone has to be in charge. Someone has to be in charge of every situation no matter how big or how small.  Someone has to say 'You need to do this.'  One person has to have control; and inevitably someone will question who is in control.  They may something smart-alecky such as 'Who died and put you in charge?' Usually if that happens it means they question why you think you should have control of that situation. 

In the end we will all answer to the same person -- GOD.  He is the one who has final authority over us.  He is the one who has set the rules and guidelines that we are supposed to follow. He gave us the Bible (our rule book, our guideline). He gave us a boss (person in charge, ruler, supervisor - whatever you want to call him) Jesus.  

And don't try to fool yourself - He takes his authority pretty seriously.  He has set out the rules, He expects us to abide by (follow) those rules - no questions asked. One of His rules is; we must share the rules. This means that we need to be telling others. Maybe they didn't see the Rule book. Maybe they did but they have questioned the rules. This is not uncommon to have authority questioned. But if we are followers of Jesus we MUST follow the rules and do as the One in Authority has told us.  

Appetizers and Lighthouses

Here it is again - Tuesday night - which means New Food Night.  How many of you have spent your day wondering what tantalizing temptations we would be enjoying this evening?  Come on, be honest - you know you were.  We decided that tonight would be Appetizer Night!!!  Now, isn't your mouth watering already just contemplating what we might have had?  

First off, I decided I needed a new centerpiece. We are headed to Corpus in a few weeks and my mind is on the beach so why not do something beachy?  

If my friend Judy is reading this I hope she recognizes that plate in my centerpiece.  It was her mom's.  

Well, typically Gary and Annette do the cooking but tonight I even cooked.  I know that this probably surprises you.  I was on the phone with my brother Wayne and he wanted to know what I was doing. I said, "making some dinner." He promptly asked, "are you making dinner or is Gary?"  LOL  I was just as quick to tell him that I was actually cooking tonight.

I made Bacon Potato Bites.  Don't they look good?  Two of my favorite foods - bacon and potatoes. 

I boiled the potatoes till not quite done. I then drained them, added some salt, fresh rosemary, a little olive oil and pepper and wrapped them in bacon. And just a note for future reference. If using toothpicks to secure the bacon it is best not to use colored toothpicks. The color bakes into the bacon and the potatoes.  Did not affect the flavor though.  

I didn't stop there. I have been wanting to try Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread.

What is better than bread and cheese?  Round Italian loaf cut not quite all the way through. Cut some mozzarella cheese in thin slices and poke into the the loaf.  Melt a stick of butter, chop up a fourth cup of onion, add some minced garlic (about a tablespoon). Add the onion and garlic to the melted butter and pour over the loaf. Wrap in foil and bake.  

Now Gary also contributed to the meal.  He made Risotto balls.  

Nothing beats fried cheese. Now this is a variation of one of my best friends favorite dishes of Gary's - Fried Rice Balls.  He made risotto rice with chicken broth, Parmesan cheese and butter. After letting this cool he then wrapped some risotto around mozzarella cheese and then deep fried it.  Yum! Yum!

Next up is Annette.  She made Crustinni Rolls. How yummy does this look?

Crustinni bread, topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, cherry tomato and basil - bake until the cheese starts to melt.  Do you see the theme of cheese here for the night?  

Put it all together and we are ready to dig in.  It was so good!  I wish you could have joined us. We had enough for a couple of more people to share - which was lucky as we sent some leftovers home with Chris. Yes, he may have moved out only a few days ago but he came back for food! 

Our Empty Nest

If you follow me at all you know that exciting things are happening in our life. Gary and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary this year. We are now, as Gary says, 'officially empty-nesters.' We started out 20 years with my three oldest daughters (and another friend of daughter who lived with us for three years). A few years later we added two more children to the mix. So for the last twenty years we have had anywhere from one to five children living with us at one time.  

The girls have all moved out and it has been Chris at home with us for the last few years.  He graduated from high school three years ago. Chris is a unique individual. He has some limited learning abilities but we have always encouraged him to be the best he can and do the best he can. We could all take lessons from him.  He has grown into a very caring, giving, serving young man. Going out and about with him always teaches Gary and I a lesson. He is so courteous to the people who should be courteous to him as he is their customer. He never fails to tell the person waiting on him to 'have a good day' or 'nice to meet you'.  

Chris has worked hard and was very persistent in getting the job he currently has. He has worked at Whataburger for a little over a year. He turned in his application and then was persistent in going in every few days to check and see if the manager had had a chance to look at his application. The manager quickly realized that this was one persistent person and she might as well interview him. Long story short - they hired him and gave him a shot and here it is more than a year later and he is still working there!

I have helped Chris in managing his money and he was delighted when a year ago he was able to go buy himself a bedroom set. I continued to help him and we started discussing with him the possibility of moving out and getting his own apartment. In preparation for this, we started helping him get ready. This included charging him a monthly 'rent' to be certain that he would be able to afford an apartment on his salary. We also had him prepare one family meal a week. He has accumulated a small collection of recipes and if he's not sure what to fix he always turns to scrambled eggs. When we went on vacation earlier this year for a week we left Chris at home. Gary sat down with him and prepared a menu for the week and Chris worked out his grocery list and then we took him shopping to buy his groceries for the week.  

So about two months ago we started seriously looking at apartments for Chris. We didn't want to get him to excited so just more or less checked these on our own. We needed a place that he could afford, easy for him to get to work on his bicycle, and in an area he was familiar with. We found the place and filled out the application and turned it in. Then began the wait. We told him it might be a long shot because the apartment complex required income three times the amount of the rent!  He was very concerned about what would happen if he didn't get the apartment. We told him, 'we just look for another place'. 

Without letting him know, we went and checked on his application and HE WAS APPROVED! We got his deposits all paid, arranged for the electricity to be turned on. We were so excited for him and planned a surprise party with friends to give him the news that he was going to have his own place.  He was very excited about this as you can see from the picture. 

So he had a week to get everything ready to move. This weekend was scheduled for moving day. Gary took the weekend off work, we made arrangements to sign the lease papers on Friday and had friends lined up to help move furniture on Saturday. Remington was so excited for Chris getting his own apartment that he wanted to get balloons and put in the house to surprise him on moving day. So while Chris was at work Saturday morning we went and bought some helium balloons. We also blew up a bunch of regular balloons. We head over to Chris' apartment only to open the door and find water running out, the carpet soaked and the kitchen floor flooded!!

It seems that the maintenance guy who put the kitchen faucet in did not do it properly and the faucet had been running for more than 12 hours. Gary went to the office to let them know. They said the apartment next door had called that morning to say they had a leak.  Guess it wasn't their leak after all. They made arrangements for a restoration team to come clean up the water and put fans on the carpet to dry it out. Moving day postponed.  We called our friends to explain the situation and then went home to wait and break the news to Chris. He took it very well.

We spent the time Friday and Saturday purchasing a few items he would need, shower curtain, dish soap, a few utensils, etc. He had been given a sofa, table/chairs, some towels, etc. K.C and Michael are moving themselves in a few weeks and had told him that he could have a bunch of their stuff. 

Today we finally got him moved with the help of our son-in-law Michael and the loan of a truck from our friend Rick. Two truckloads and two van loads today had his furniture and other paraphernalia moved in. He even took one of the cats with him!!  That was an adventure getting the cat over there as she had never been inside a vehicle before. Wish I could have seen her throw herself against the window trying to get out. LOL

So begins our Empty Nest Life.  We are proud of the accomplishment Chris has made and while we are worried for him being on his own we know he will be fine. We look forward to the next phase of our life.  

Afternoon with Friends

I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon than with friends.  And I had that privilege this afternoon.  A group of ladies who became my friends at church. We have all moved on to other churches but still I treasure the friendship of these ladies. 

But what to do? Schedules, conflicts, families, jobs, commitments - to many things occupying to much of our time. So one of my friends decided to have a Ladies Tea. What fun!!  A chance to get together, snack on some snacking good cookies, enjoy some tea but best of all --  Be Together and catch up.

So my good friend Diana hosted the get-together and did a fantastic job as always.  

Isn't this just gorgeous?  Just look at all the yummies we had to choose from!  And since we haven't been together for a while it was determined that trying one of everything was perfectly acceptable.  

Don't you love the dishes she had?  The detail isn't real clear here but we were all amused by the rectangle plates. There are little indentations on the corner edges where ladies could rest their cigarettes.  Certainly would not find that now but I can remember my mother and aunt sitting around drinking coffee and smoking their cigarettes.  

Don't you love the teapot and daisies?  So simple but yet - just right!  Perfect a Ladies Tea

Just a small sample of the goodies we had to sample.  Don't they look just scrumptious? And remember, I said this was a small sample.  We had more.  

And not just good eats. We also had a sampling of hot teas to choose from, sweet tea, unsweet tea, Mexican Punch and infused water. 

Now add to this already winning combination a group of eight ladies. We had a great time catching up with each other and what is going on in our lives, our kids lives, work, etc. We left with plans to 'do it again'.And as Diana and Darlene's mom said, "it's nice to get together and not have to bring a gift." (We have had several weddings in this group this past year and several bridal showers). 

Let me assure you - I already have plans for getting together in August. So, keep an eye on your Facebook page. And for those who are not close enough to join us, I'm sorry. But keep an eye on my blog and you can read about it.  

Down Home Southern Cooking

You all know what tonight is - New Food Night.  So for all you people who sat around eating a boring hum-drum Tuesday night meal wondering what we having tonight - wait no more.  

Tonight's new recipe was Creamy Cheesy Grits - a recipe from the Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond. I had never had grits before. Nor had Chris or Gary.  Annette, however was happy to have them as she grew up with grits.  Don't they look yummy?  Bits of bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno made with chicken broth and half and half - simmer and simmer. Looks like soup here but it thickens up. 

What do you have with grits?  Well, ham of course. Annette fixed this with brown sugar Karo sauce. I love ham.   

And to keep it simple - biscuits. (We cheated and just popped a can open for this), 

Doesn't this look good?  How many of you are wishing that you had made a reservation at our house for new food night?  

And for dessert, you ask? Pudding - chocolate of course. As you can see, Chris could not wait to dig into his dessert.

Grits were very filling and here I am two hours later thinking - 'man, I don't know if I can move'. That's how you know it's a good meal. 

After discussing how the dishes were all prepared (well not my pudding.  Not much to say about that - pudding mix, milk and top with whipped cream  LOL) we discussed next week theme.  We know what it is but you will have to wait until next week to find out.  

Happy Fathers Day

What makes a dad?  It's not just the fact that you made a baby. No - that doesn't make you a dad. It's taking responsibility for that child (or children) that you created. There are many fathers out there who aren't really dads.  In the same vein there are many men out there who are great dads even though they never fathered a child.  

To the men who take on the task of raising someone else's child - Thank you!  I was raised with three brothers.  My mom had two boys before she and my dad married. I can honestly say that my dad never made a difference in the way he treated any of us and I never thought anything of it.  We were a family.  It wasn't until I moved out and away to another town that I realized not every father treated step-children as their own.  What an eye-opener that was for me. So I want to say Thanks, Dad!  Thanks for teaching me that we are all the same and for not making a difference in any of us.  We were all yours.  

To my husband, Gary.  Thank you!  You unquestioningly took on three teen-age daughters who gave you a lot of grief.  You showed them love and have supported them in every endeavor they have chosen.  You have guided them, counseled them and loved them unconditionally. You then took on the task with me of raising two more children whom we adopted. You have shown all five of our children what it means to be a dad and a father. You have given of yourself and your influence is seen in our children. Thank you for showing them what a Godly man is like and for being there for each and every one of them.

For my sons-in-law Perry and Michael - Thank you!  Thank you for stepping up and being a father to my grandchildren. Thank you for investing time in them and teaching them, guiding them and loving them.  I know the role of a step-parent is not easy but you willingly took on the task without any hesitation. 

To my father-in-law Red - Thank you! Thank you for raising your son to be Godly man and showing him what it is to be a father. To be supportive, loving, giving, honest, respectable (and respected). Without your love and guidance as a child himself he would not be the man he is today.  

Happy Father's Day to the father's in my live!  

Don't Be Oblivious Of Your Audience

Audience - the group of spectators at a public event; listeners or viewers collectively, as in attendance at a theater or concert

Oblivious - unmindful, unconscious, unaware

Difference - a significant change in or effect on a situation

Opportunities - an appropriate or favorable time or occasion

We have been discussing at Redemption Tulsa the difference we can make in other people's lives.  Again, I am not theologically trained or a very astute speaker.  However, I like to share my thoughts and I do that better through written communication. So here goes.....

We all have audiences that we are in contact with.  We just don't look at them that way. The people you come in contact with are your audience. This may be a work audience with whom you spend at least 40 hours a week if you work full-time. This might also include peripheral people that you come in contact with besides co-workers. Your audience might be your neighbors, your family. What are you sharing with this audience? Were you even aware you had this audience?  Bet you had never thought of them as an audience had you?  

This bring up the next word: oblivious.  How many of us are oblivious of the people around us? Oh sure, we know who sits in the cubicle next to us at work. We know the couple next door to us. We know the guy who waits on us at Quik Trip - we see him every day. But are we truly conscious of them? Do we pay attention to subtle words or phrases they might be using that could convey to us that they are hurting? 

And now for difference.  Can we be a change on a situation? In someones life? I know I have been guilty of thinking, "what can I do?" Or, 'oh no one really cares."  Wrong!  People do care! You can do something! People are hurting and oftentimes they don't even know why they are hurting. 

Next up is opportunities. The opportunities are there now and in the future.  We just need to take advantage of them when they occur. Don't be caught later thinking, "Man!! Why didn't I catch that?'" 

 Do we have the ability to make a difference on someone in our audience?  Yes, if we are not oblivious of our opportunities.  

We can share our story to our audiences. Be aware of people around you and the needs they may have. Let them know what God has done for you. Let them know what He can do for them. Be aware of your current audience and your future audience. As you start to look at the audience you have now you will be more aware of people. This will make you aware of your future audience. You are not responsible for any decisions they do or do not make but - you are responsible for sharing God's word.  

Refreshing End of the Day

Are you ready for this weeks New Food Night?  I had to work late tonight so we did not have a meal.  How disappointed are you over that announcement? Well, we didn't have a meal but we did have dessert.  Now don't you feel better already?  I had to work till 7:30 so we decided to have dessert and a refreshing beverage for tonight's New Food Night.  

Our beverage for the evening was Mexican Punch.  It was very refreshing. I think I could end every evening with a glass of this.  Simple syrup, grenadine, fresh orange juice, frozen limeade concentrate, and Sprite -- add some lime wedges.  Good stuff. Only thing that could improve this was if I was sipping it on the beach.

And of course with Gary involved Miss Annette included chocolate. We had two types of brownies - cherries jubilee brownies and s'mores brownies. 

Don't these look good?  They were.  The cherries jubilee brownies were very, very rich - we all agreed on this - even Gary.  

Are you wishing you had put in a reservation to join us tonight? Chris joined us even though he doesn't look real happy about it he did enjoy it.  

Yummers is all I can say.  And if you want a good punch recipe - we have one.  

Let's All Go To The Movie

Remington heard that his Uncle Brian had gone to the drive-in movies and so Remington decided that he wanted to go.  Last Thursday evening when he came over for Family Game Night he planned on spending the night. While playing poker he asked if we would take him to the drive-in. I told him that we certainly weren't going to go that night but we could possibly go Friday night. This however, would mean that he would have to spend Friday night with us also.  He was okay with that.  

So Grampa checked out the movies that were playing and we decided to go to the drive-in. We told Remington that we wouldn't be going until 8:30 or so and it would be really late when we got home. He thought he was up for it. So Friday night we packed a blanket and some lawn chairs and bug spray and headed to the drive-in. 

Remington was full of questions as he had never been to the drive-in. Was it a giant screen TV that we would be watching? How many chairs would it hold? How could we listen to the movie? We finally told him that he would just have to wait and see.  

We watched Malificent and Blended.  Both these movies were very good. And what a cheap price for two movies.  We need to go more often I think (and next time maybe take our own snacks). We backed into our parking spot, opened up the tail gate and reversed the back seats. Sprayed ourselves down with bug spray and set our lawn chairs up.  After what seemed like forever, the first movie started.  We had our pop and giant popcorn. The movie was very good.  Intermission, bathroom break for all then ready for the second feature.  It was very funny.  Remington was getting cold so I got the blanket for him.  He ended up moving up into the back seat of the van to get out of the wind.

This brought back memories of going to the drive-in when I was a kid. My brother Wayne would take a carload of his friends and he always let Bub and I go along.  Wednesday nights were usually buck night - a whole carload could get in for a dollar. We went to the drive-in almost every week during the summer - sometimes twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday). We saw a lot of John Wayne movies at the drive-in.

Of course, back then you had to put a speaker on the window to listen to the movie. Now you tune your radio to a specified channel to listen.

 Vehicles have certainly changed too. Vans have replaced station wagons. Snacks are pretty much the same I think - pop, popcorn, candy. Bring your own in saves you money.  

 Yes, we had a good time and I think we probably will be going again. There are so few drive-ins around any more that we need to take advantage of the one that is available.  

Phone Countdowns

So excited for upcoming vacations!  We will be meeting Charlie (and hopefully Adam) in Corpus Christi next month. We love the beach - well I do anyway. This will be the third year that we have gone for a long four day weekend in Corpus. We love for family to join us. Not everyone makes it every year but Charlie, Gary and I do - that's why we are known as The Musketeers. 

Then in September we are cruising again. It's been way to long since our last cruise but this is one will be worth the wait.  We are going to do an Alaska cruise!!  We are so excited for this one. We will be joined by Gary's parents (always a fun time with them), his sister and brother-in-law and some friends locally. Cannot wait for the all the adventures that await us on this cruise.

I have these two vacations on my phone as countdown apps - all I have to do is look at the phone and know how long it is until my next vacation. Love this feature. And I ALWAYS have my birthday as a countdown on my phone. At any given time I can tell you how many days until my birthday. Another countdown I always have is Christmas. One interesting fact here - Christmas is exactly 100 days after my birthday. Now Christmas has it's very own app on my phone. When I open it to see how many days until Christmas (which isn't really necessary because I know it's only 100 days after my birthday) I hear Christmas music being played. Then I can choose to decide if I want to know how many days, hours, minutes or seconds it is until Christmas.  

So tonight when I looked at my phone and saw the countdowns, I came up with a short poem celebrating said countdowns.  Hope you enjoy. 

 

COUNTDOWNS

Look at my phone and what do I see

Four special countdowns looking at me.

First up is Corpus the beach calls my name

Forty-one days jelly fish jump is the game.

A long weekend with views of the sea

I wish a beach bum I could be.

Next countdown is only eighty-seven days away

Cruising Alaska – the Inside Passageway.

The scenery, the food, the excursions too

We cannot wait to see country that is new.

And shortly after that in a mere 103 days

We get to celebrate my birthday.

An exciting time I always enjoy

Hope I keep having birthdays galore.

And then the countdown for Christmas, how fun

Only 203 days and my countdowns are done.

So much excitement so much fun in store

The countdowns on my phone number four.

Written by: Kathie Marrs

                      June 4, 2014

A Tour of the Orient

It's time for New Food Night again.  Well, actually we did it last night but I didn't have time to blog about it.  (And in case your are wondering if you missed a week; yes, you did. We skipped last week due to the holiday and other commitments).  I think you are going to like this weeks meal. 

We are having an Asian meal!


First up is Egg Rolls.  These were very good.  Stuffed with ground pork, cole slaw mix, freshly grated ginger and soy sauce. Yummers!!

We also had Beef Stir Fry - Flank Steak marinated in soy, Sherry, ginger, and garlic. Add some onions and peppers and cook up in the wok. If you remember from a few weeks ago, we had Tequila Lime Chicken.  Gary's liquor supply is expanding. 

When you have stir-fry you gotta have rice to go with it. This was just some rice cooked up in chicken broth. Nothing special.

Doesn't this look good?

And of course you need dessert. We had a 'traditional Southern Asian' dessert - Buttermilk Pie. Now we know that this probably is not the typical dessert but we like to mix things up. Miss Annette did an awesome job on this. She made the crust from scratch and it had butter and shortening and all the good stuff you shouldn't have. If you have never had Buttermilk pie you need to make one.  It was fantastic!

Annette, Chris and I had ours topped with fruit sauce and whipped cream.  Gary of course had his topped with chocolate.  

Now how many of you out there are wanting to join us for New Food Night?  Bet you wish you lived close enough to do so (and that we would invite you).