MrsMamaHen.com

"Print Friendly"

2012-01-27T12:34:00.000-09:00

I just discovered a website, that I wish I had found A LONG time ago!!! And I can definitely see myself using it quite a bit.
It is called PrintFriendly.com

It takes any web page, and makes it a printable version. You can remove the pictures, or some of the pictures, or any of the content you don't want to print, and only print the parts you want to!

I now have the widget for my site. In the box under the posts, where you would leave comments, you will see the "PrintFriendly" button.

It looks like this:

If you click that, it will bring up the printing app and allow you to customize how you would like to print the post. Any post! So even if it is an older recipe that doesn't have a printable version, you can still have a printable version at the click of the button.

Sorry...I'm a little excitable....but isn't this exciting!? I love making things easier for my readers!

"Color"

2012-01-26T13:57:00.000-09:00

One of my paintings.

My daughter's hair.

Can you guess?

#WordlessWednesday

2012-01-25T07:00:00.005-09:00

Guest Post: Overcoming the "Scariness" of Deployment

2012-01-24T07:26:00.000-09:00

All you need to know about me is that I have absolutely zero coordination and I have more stubborn pride than anyone on the face of the Earth. Talk about a winning combination. Just picture me as the person who is constantly tripping over her own feet and playing it off as if it was exactly what I was trying to do and it didn’t hurt a bit.

Now that we have introductions out of the way, let’s talk about what’s on everyone’s mind this time of year, haunted houses. OK, I know, no one really thinks about haunted houses outside the month of October, but in my life this story comes up…a lot.

During my husband’s first deployment to Iraq, a few close friends and I built up the courage to attend a haunted house. This place gets a lot of hype. Every year there are billboards and radio ads. It even has its own spot in a mini-mall that is vacant for 11 months out of the year with the sole purpose of scaring the pants off of people who pay for it 31 days of the year.

For days leading up to this bad decision, I, of course, talked a big game about the one (that’s right, one) other haunted house I’d been to back in high school. I like scary movies, I was a veteran haunted house goer, and I was nominating myself to be the brave rock for our little group as we faced the terrors in this haunted house. I warned you I had a disgusting amount of pride.

We stood in line longer than I’d like to admit; yes, I paid and stood in line to have the living daylights scared out of me.

Anyone who’s ever set foot in a haunted house knows the feeling that rushes over you when you walk into the first scene and realize that you’ve made a huge mistake. It’s dark and crowded, and the only clear sounds are screams. It’s at this moment when we question just what in the world we’ve managed to get ourselves into that we realize there’s no turning back. We have to step into the darkness without fully knowing if there is floor underneath us, a step to fall down, a block to trip over, or a shady figure waiting to lunge at us.

Much later, after my pulse returned to that of a normal human, I realized that this haunted house was quite the parallel to the deployment that I was smack dab in the middle of. Like most military spouses facing their first deployments, I had no idea what to expect. I knew there was 99.9% chance that something was hiding behind the next corner waiting to catch me off guard, and there was an even better chance that my clumsy self would stumble over everything even remotely close to my path.

I think, though, that deployments and haunted houses are supposed to be scary. The horror reminds us of how good we have it in the real (aka non-deployed) world. If you’ve never faced a deployment, don’t worry, “horror” is a strong word. Deployments are what you make them, sort of like that haunted house; the more you build it up and feed into it, the worse it is. If you just remind yourself that it’s only temporary, then you’ll be fine.

So, since it’s now several years later and I’m writing this blog post, I’m sure you’ve put two and two together and predicted my survival from that scary situation (both the haunted house and the deployment). But, I will say that I didn’t make it out without a painful reminder that I should never again let my foolish pride talk me into a walking into another haunted house.

After 10 minutes of screaming my head off, sweating profusely, believing two or three times that I was actually in grave danger, my brave little gang and I entered a long hallway complete with a flashing black light. This made it incredibly hard to see, but what is the number one rule of haunted houses? You must, under no circumstances, stop moving. So, we ran. I mean we sprinted like there is a gold Olympic medal on the line.

We ran despite the creepy moaning and clanking chains from the sound machine, the synthetic fog, and the creeper chasing us. We were finally reaching the end of the hallway, and I started to let my guard down just a bit, but I maintained speed.

This is a direct quote, “AAAAAHHHH—Whap!”

I ran full force into the door jamb at the end of this horrifying hallway. It was perhaps the worst pain I’d felt in my life (this was before childbirth, mind you), but what did I say after we all successfully walked through the doorway and out of the haunted house?

“Oh, I’m fine. It’s not that bad.”

I lied.

After the 15 minute drive home my eye had nearly swollen shut and was already dark purple. It was going to take more than pride to mask this one. I was going to need some concealer, stat. Cancel that; I need sunglasses…big sunglasses.

This shiner lasted almost three weeks. It accompanied me all the way back home to Texas for a long weekend where I celebrated my first wedding anniversary without my husband, but with my family, and where I stood as a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding.

My black eye and my first year anniversary piece of wedding cake.

My eye hurt, but I couldn’t help but be a little proud of that clumsy stamp on my face. Sure I was taking a beating, literally, during this deployment, but I was still surviving and still laughing at myself. Not even my stubborn pride could keep me from admitting that this was quite possibly the funniest injury I’d ever had in my life. So, deployment, thank you for what continues to be a great story of the last haunted house I ever attended.

Kristi and her family.

Kristi's family is currently stationed in North Carolina, but she's still a Texan at heart. They're expecting orders soon, and then it's on to the next adventure! Kristi currently writes a weekly column about her experiences as a military spouse in their local paper, the Sun Journal and blogs for Military OneSource's Blog Brigade. You can find more of her writings included in the blog section of Military OneSource HERE.

"Guilty Pleasure" - A Chocolate Martini

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-09:00

Today's photo assignment is "Guilty Pleasure." What better to post than a cocktail recipe. And not any cocktail recipe....a Chocolate Martini.

Pop some ice cubes into a mason jar (or a shaker if you have one.)

You'll take 1 part Creme de Cacao, 1 part Coffee Liqueur, 2 parts Vanilla Vodka and 2 parts Half & Half.

Pour it all into your jar. Put the lid on, and shake it into oblivion.

Pour it into a glass.

And sprinkle with some chocolate shavings.

Enjoy......Responsibly.

Rustic Apple Galette

2012-01-23T19:34:00.000-09:00

In honor of "National Pie Day" I decided to make my family an Apple Galette this evening. A galette is basically a pie without a pan. You simply pile the filling in the center, and fold the crust over. It is very easy, and very good.

Prepare the dough for a single pie crust. You can use whatever recipe you like best.

Here's how I make mine:

1c + 2 Tb Flour
1 stick cold, unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
about 1/4 cup cold water.

I pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor, just to combine. Then cut the cold butter into cubes. Add to the flour and pulse in the processor until the bits are smaller than peas. Then turn on the processor, and slowly pour the water into it. As it mixes, the dough will start to stick together. Done.

I love my food processor.

Whatever recipe you use, form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge. Let it chill while you prepare the filling.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 c Brown Sugar, 1/4 c regular Sugar, 1/8 tsp Salt, 1 Tb flour and 1/4 tsp Cinnamon.

Zest about 2/3 of a lemon.

Then squeeze 1 Tb juice into a dish.

Core and slice 2 apples. There is no need to peel them. I like apple peel, and think it adds to the "rustic-ness" of this recipe. (Not to mention it has nutritional value.)
Put the apple slices in a bowl, add the lemon juice and give it a stir.

Add the dry mixture and stir to coat.

Then add in the lemon zest, and another quick stir.

Set it aside for a moment, and roll out your pie crust.

This is the way I roll pie crusts....I think it is the easiest way ever!

Lay out 2 sheets of plastic wrap on your table/counter, slightly overlapping the edges. Sprinkle a little flour in the middle. Lay your dough disk in the middle, sprinkle with a little more flour. Then add 2 more sheets of overlapping plastic wrap.

Start rolling. The crust rolls out nicely, and doesn't stick. Just make sure the plastic wrap layers don't stick to each other, or the dough won't move. If it starts to, just give it a lift to separate, and keep going.

When you have it the size & thickness you want, remove the top layer of the plastic wrap. The bottom layer helps support the dough, so you can turn it into a pie plate or onto the surface you need without it tearing or falling apart.

In this case, turn it out onto a bar pan or cookie sheet with an edge, lined with parchment paper. Discard the plastic wrap.

Pile your apples in the center.

Simply begin folding the edges of the dough over the apples, gently pressing them into place.

Cut up 2 Tablespoons of cold butter into pieces, and dot them all over the apples.

Bake the galette for 35-45 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Allow it to rest and cool for 10 minutes or more before serving. The inside will ooze when you cut it, that's normal.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Printable Version: Rustic Apple Galette

Photo Challenge

2012-01-23T11:58:00.000-09:00

Day 21 - "Reflection"

From the view of the mixing bowl.

Day 22 - "Your Shoes"

My fuzzy Skechers...I wear them a lot in the winter.

Day 23 - "Something Old"

My grandmother's grater. I use it often.

Personal Space

2012-01-22T13:58:00.001-09:00

Living the military life and moving around every few years, you sometimes have to learn to be creative with your home decor, furniture placement and such. We currently live in the smallest house we have lived in, in a LONG time. Trying to find a place for everything is difficult. And trying to find some "personal space" is a challenge as well. Here is my own personal space. It isn't a "Mom-Cave" by any means, but it is certainly Mom's nook in the living room.

This is my desk...a garage sale find. On old army desk, SOLID WOOD that I got for $30. Someone had painted it beige...ewwww! At some point I am going to refinish it. I had hoped to do it this past summer, but never got a chance to. One of these days...

The hutch in the corner is another great "find." A friend was getting rid of the desk, and asked me if I wanted it. I brought it home, and gave it a fresh coat of paint, crackle medium and more paint. It resulted in a great hutch! I originally had it in my kitchen, but quickly discovered that it was becoming a "catch-all" for EVERYTHING!

Need to clear the table? Throw it all on the hutch.
Clear the counter? Throw it on the hutch.
It was gathering mail, school work, school books, and about everything else you can imagine.

So, the other day I decided that I really needed a better "set-up" for my painting area, and yesterday the light bulb came on. Remove the catch-all from the kitchen and use it for my art supplies! Perfect!

I have the desk portion for my palette and water jars, and space underneath for my extra canvases.

Paint storage...

My music, goodies, and Ya-Ya crown...it inspires creativity :)

Inspiring magazines.

And lots of room for my paint brushes.

When I was in high school, I took painting one semester. My teacher drilled proper brush care into us. And one of the things he talked about was allowing the bristles to dry in the correct shape. I was walking through the arts & crafts store one day, trying to think of something that would hold my brushes in a nice way, that I could see what I want, and not have them bunched all together. Here is what I came up with. The rocks hold the brushes in place, allowing freshly-cleaned brushes to dry without the bristles squishing against the other brushes. It is just a simple glass container, and river rocks. You could use the colored glass ones, too. You could use this for lots of things....markers, make-up brushes, anything you need to "stand pretty."

So, it's my little corner of the house. It isn't fancy, but it's mine.

Do you have a "personal space" in your home? Did you have to get creative?

Photo Assignments

2012-01-20T17:38:00.000-09:00

Here are the past 2 Assignments for the PhotoADay Challenge.

Day 19 - "Sweet"

Now THIS is a Cinnamon Roll!!!

From the famous "Cookie Jar" restaurant in Fairbanks, Alaska. Guy Fieri enjoyed one of these on DD&D.

Their size is a little overwhelming!

Day 20 - "Someone You Love"

My daughter was at work when I took the pics. I love her too! :)

Classic Fried Chicken

2012-01-20T11:15:00.000-09:00

Sometimes simple is better. This fried chicken uses just a few ingredients, and is about as good as it gets when it comes to fried chicken. It is juicy and tender on the inside, and crunchy on the outside.

In a shallow dish, combine 1 1/2 cup Flour, 1 1/2 tsp Salt...

3/4 teaspoon Chipotle Chile Pepper

1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper...and stir it together.

Now you are going to rinse your chicken pieces with cold water. I only made legs and split breasts, because those are our family's favorite pieces. You can use a whole chicken cut up, or whatever pieces you prefer.

Dry them off with paper towels.

Now dredge your chicken in the flour mixture.

As you dredge it, set the chicken on a rack. Allow it to rest for about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour vegetable or peanut oil into a cast iron Dutch oven. You want it to be about 3 inches deep. Begin heating the oil. This takes a while, so you can start the next part of this while it is warming.

Pour a pint of buttermilk into another shallow dish. Then dip the chicken into the buttermilk...

...and then coat it again in the flour mixture.

Do this in batches. You only want to re-coat what will fit into the oil at a time. As you coat it, place the chicken on the rack and allow it to rest 10-15 minutes. This allows the coating to really stick to the chicken, so it doesn't all fall off when you put it in the oil.

Line a pan/platter with several layers of paper towel, and place it on the counter.

Then take an oven-safe dish, and put it in your oven, with your oven set to "warm." This will keep your cooked chicken warm while you cook the rest of it.

When the oil is heated to 360 degrees....

Using tongs, carefully lower the chicken into the hot oil.

Let the chicken cook 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Dark meat cooks longer than white meat. The pieces I cooked here, took right about 15 minutes and were done perfectly. Turn the chicken over a couple times while it is frying, so it doesn't get dark spots where it is laying on the bottom of the pot.

As it finishes, lay the chicken on the paper towels to drain off the excess oil.

After a minute or so, set it into the oven to stay warm.

Repeat the process until all of your chicken is cooked.

Enjoy!

Printable Version: Classic Fried Chicken

Just for Fun Photos

2012-01-20T09:55:00.000-09:00

Furry Paperweight

Sunset

Guest Post: "I Bought Granny Panties"

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-09:00

This is the first guest post on MrsMamaHen. When this post was submitted to me, I laughed.

I laughed a lot.

Ladies...I think we can all relate. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

I bought granny panties today . . .
by Brandye

For all those shy and horrified by all things under clothing, this may not be the post for you. Today, we are talking panties. That's right, panties. Known by a variety of names . . . intimate things, lingerie, underclothes, undergarment, underpants, undies . . . but in my home, we just call them panties.

While perusing my panty drawer the other day, I was overcome with an obsessive need to go panty shopping. I wanted some soft, silky, "goochy goo," slide over your skin and make you smile panties! So....

... off I went to the great panty store that our budget allows for - WalMart (a tear is sliding down my face), where I imagined I would sate my recent obsession with a few lovely little sexy numbers. I searched and looked and dug. Well, options were limited in the luxurious panty side of things. They had cotton. Boy, did they have cotton! Rows of styles, colors and patterns of cotton. Now, obviously, I did not expect to find any truly luxurious silk underthings at WalMart, but I did spy some lovely little pieces in the "not cotton" category and in pretty colors. They even boasted that they were "wedgie free." Score! I grabbed them up and headed home, where I promptly tore into those babies, only to find . . .

. . . I bought granny panties.

I must say, panties look MUCH smaller in briefs or bikinis than in the granny panty version. Seriously, these suckers look huge! I carried them out to the hubs, where he promptly burst into laughter.

Side note here . . . men really do not appreciate granny panties.

Now, we all know that no self-respecting store will take panties back (and no self-respecting me would take them - oh, the embarrassment), so I decided to try them on. Big mistake! They are super comfy, they actually cover my entire backside (don't even try to pretend you don't know what I mean), and (glory be!) they are in fact wedgie-free!! At this point, me and my granny panties did a little happy dance around the bedroom.

So, I guess the point of my little tale is this . . .

I bought granny panties today . . . and I just might do it again!

My name is Brandye, and, like many other women, I am a frazzled, crazy, forgetful, happy mother to three young children – two fun-loving and rambunctious boys and one precocious and sweet little girl. I married my best friend many moons ago, and now, with my husband working from a home office and me home schooling the kids, we have a whole lot of family togetherness (that is 24/7 togetherness), and momma needs an outlet! I often refer to our life as a comedy of errors. I firmly believe in the old saying that "what does not kill us will only make us stronger!" With that in mind, I can tell you we are a strong bunch!

Brandye's Blog: Mom Follies

To All of My Readers...

2012-01-18T20:13:00.001-09:00

To all of my readers who use the "Google Friend Connect" to follow my blog: All (currently) 253 of you. Google is making changes to their services, and is doing away with "Friend Connect" for most platforms.

According to PCWorld, Blogs are not to be effected, and you should still be able to follow my blog that way.

JUST IN CASE, I have several other ways for you to follow me.

You can follow MrsMamaHen via Facebook

You can follow MrsMamaHen via Twitter

You can also follow MrsMamaHen via FeedBurner - the links are on the side column. You can follow the RS feed or get updates via e-mail.

I am also setting up a "Google+" page. The link will be added on the sidebar when it is ready.

If you love MrsMamaHen.com and all of the content I share, please keep me bookmarked. I never go more than a couple days without posting. So if you start missing me...I know I'll miss you.....please stop by and double-check your update choice.

Thank you.

MMH

Photo Challenge

2012-01-18T13:08:00.000-09:00

I didn't get a chance to do the Photo Challenge yesterday, it was a busy day. Today I am playing catch-up on lots of things, including e-mails.

Here is yesterday and today's photo assignments:

Day 17 - Water.

The water frozen inside my windows.

Day 19 - "Something I bought"

These are some wonderful perfumes made by "Temple Essence" that I bought at a nearby health food store. They are basically little jars of coconut oil and beeswax infused with essential oils. Very subtle, and pretty.

This is something else that I have bought. A sterling silver ring that looks like birch bark. My wedding ring set was stolen during the deployment (long story) and my finger felt naked. I bought this to wear with my original wedding band, that is never off my finger. It was made by a local artist.

Personalizing Military Housing: A "Tween" Room

2012-01-18T10:25:00.000-09:00

I have a friend named Kim, who is incredibly talented and incredibly creative. (She's the one who inspired me to start painting again.) I wanted to share with you what she did for her daughter's "Tween" bedroom.

Living in military housing, we often don't have the ability to decorate it in a way that is personal and ours, because everything has to be temporary, so you can "un-do" it when you leave.

If you look very closely, that is not wallpaper, it is fabric!

She headed to the craft store, and bought fabrics that complimented each other. She covered walls, and windows, and used similiarly colored artwork to add to the feel of the room.

How did she attach the fabric?

"We used clear push pins or thumbtacks. They don't show on the busy pattern, but you could get coordinating pins. They might be more costly, but might work well with your overall design plan. Tack at the corners and along the ceiling about 18 to 24 inches apart. Smoothe the fabric and tack at the bottom just above the top of baseboards. If you plan where your vertical seams will be you can place furniture or artwork over these areas to make them less noticeable. ;-)"

Isn't she creative? You should see some of her other creations. She has a page on Facebook: KH Kellum

You can use more than one kind of fabric on the walls, too.

In most rooms, an "accent" wall is the colored one. In this case, the accent wall was the one they left white, but continued the color in the art.

The fantastic part of this, is not only is it beautiful, but can be taken down in minutes when it is time to go!

This is applicable not only for military families, but for families that rent, families that move often, or maybe even just to do a temporary theme that the kids will out grow, without having to completely repaint walls.

How do you personalize military/rental housing?

If you have a creative idea for "temporary" personalizations, I'd love to hear about it! We could even share it with everyone here on MMH!

Homestyle Coleslaw

2012-01-18T09:48:00.001-09:00

The other day, I made my husband Fried Chicken. Not something I make very often. I'm not a fan of deep-frying, but every so often I break down and make it for him. To go with it, I made my coleslaw.

It is very simple to make.

Slice up 1/2 of a head of cabbage, a whole head if it is a small one. You can use a combination of white and red cabbage if you like. You will also shred/grate 3 carrots.

Place those in a large mixing bowl, and set aside.

For the slaw sauce, you will need: 1/4 cup Whole Grain Dijon Mustard (the kind with the seeds in it), 1/4 cup Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Salt, 2 Tb Milk, a pinch of Cayenne Pepper, 3 Tb Apple Cider Vinegar, and 1/2 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper.

In a small mixing bowl, start with 3/4 cup Mayonaise.

Add in all of the rest of the sauce ingredients.

Whisk it all together until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the cabbage and carrots.

Using tongs, stir and turn it all around until completely mixed and well-coated.

Cover the bowl, and set it in your fridge. Allow this to chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight, stirring a couple times. It looks like a lot of slaw, but the volume with reduce a great deal as at "cooks" in the sauce.

That's it!

Enjoy!

Printable Version: Homestyle Coleslaw

Be My Guest

2012-01-16T11:21:00.009-09:00

Are you interested in writing a guest post on MrsMamaHen.com?

I am welcoming guest writers to occasionally post here, but I do have a few guidelines.

I keep my blog family-friendly and encouraging. Any guest post must maintain that tone.

Guest posts must:

Be Family Friendly
Be Encouraging
Contain no offensive language
Can not be promoting a business, company or product. I am not a "PR" or advertisement blogger.***(See Note at Bottom)
Must be your own original content.

The goal of MrsMamaHen is to encourage and inspire others.

Guest posts must fall within one of the following themes:

Homeschooling
Homeschool field trips, organization, ideas, encouragement and tips, support, etc.

Photography
Tips, hints, ideas. How-to's, etc. I'm not looking for a post of photos, or promoting a photography business. More of a way to help and encourage others in their own photography aspirations.

Cooking
Personal recipes with pictures. Guest recipes do not have to have a step by step pictorial. A couple photos with the recipe is acceptable, along with the story behind the recipe. Please avoid mixes or pre-made food. I try to cook from scratch and generally all of my recipes here represent that. Real food, real ingredients.
Cooking tips, ideas, etc.

Homemaking
Organizational ideas, planning ideas, home decorating, cleaning, ways to save money, frugal tips, etc.

Crafts
Grown-Up or Kid crafts. Instructions, ideas, and more. This could include how you recycled or re-purposed something.

Military Family Life
If you are a military family - posts about your life, PCSing, Deployment & Separations, challenges, exciting events, tips and more. How do you personalize military housing? Want to highlight the perks of your duty station? Posts are not about the "business aspect" of military life. I am often approached by business promoting Veterans' organizations. That is now what I'm looking for. I'm looking for Military Family Life. Must maintain OPSEC guidelines.

If you are interested in being a guest on MrsMamaHen, you may contact me at MrsMamaHen@gmail.com

Let me know that you have read and understand my guidelines, and that the content is your own, and then submit your post idea. You can e-mail the post itself to me, with photos attached (JPEG Please!!) Or you can simply suggest the idea, and get feedback first.

Credit for the post will always be given to the writer who submitted it.

Please provide your name, e-mail address, and blog/website address in the e-mail. If you have a "button" for your website, I will include that in the post.

If you submit an e-mail or post, and you do not hear back from me, it means I did not received it. Even if I am not interested in your content, I will let you know.

DISCLAIMERS:

Any post submitted, in not guaranteed to be used. I retain the right to refuse any submission.

Any post that is submitted, will be spell-checked and edited for grammar .....that Homeschool Mom in me never goes away.

Prior to the post being published, I will send you a link to a "Test Site" where you can see how it will look 24 hours before it gets published. PLEASE be sure to check your e-mail and get back to me within that 24 hour period if you want something changed. Otherwise, it will be posted as is.

I retain the privilege to alter these "rules" in a reasonable fashion as needed.

When contacting me, please put the words "guest post" in the subject. It will make it easier to see your e-mail.

Thanks!!

Conni
MrsMamaHen@gmail.com

***The only exception to the "promotion rule," is for military spouses with a home business. I am not talking about Scentsy, Pampered Chef, or anything like that. I am talking about something you personally make. I will highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of military spouses. Further information about this can be found HERE.

See "Be My Guest" tab at top of the page for current guidelines for Guests. That is where you will find any changes that have been made to this.

9 AM

2012-01-16T09:47:00.002-09:00

This morning in Fairbanks - 9 am. The sun is coming up earlier and earlier!

Happiness Is...

2012-01-15T15:42:00.002-09:00

Happiness is....Dirty Dishes in the sink...Because it means you have food to eat.

Happiness is....

...A warm Blondie and Hot Cocoa on a Cold Day.

Happiness is....A kitty whose chin you can scratch, after you were afraid you were going to lose him.

Happiness is....free photo editing programs, so you can enjoy your hobby without feeling guilty.

And happiness is....dirty army socks on your floor...because they aren't in Iraq or Afghanistan.

What makes you Happy?

Seriously Cold

2012-01-15T12:37:00.000-09:00

While the New England states are complaining about the cold...it has gotten cold here, too. Seriously Cold. Imagine temps that look something like this.

Can you even wrap your mind around Negative 54???

Yesterday, I don't think we saw anything above -44. But you can't sit around too long...you just start going stir-crazy. So we ventured out to the bookstore yesterday. This is what it looked like.

This fog isn't the typical fog you see in the rest of the country. It is Ice Fog. Which means those are ice crystals floating in the air.

It isn't fun to breathe in. You tend to breathe very shallow, and cover your face with a scarf.

And inside?

This is ice forming on the wood trim around the back door.

Around the windows...

And when it gets this cold...don't let your laundry basket touch the outer wall in the laundry room. The laundry just might freeze to the wall. I speak from experience.

Those blankets are frozen to the window sills.

There's no looking out this window.

And whatever you do, don't touch this door handle with your bare hand!!!

Have you ever been faced with extreme weather?

Hot or cold?

Cat in a Box

2012-01-14T22:20:00.000-09:00

Painting - "Sailors' Delight"

2012-01-14T17:31:00.000-09:00

I painted this yesterday. I called it "Sailor's Delight."

"Red in the Morning, Sailors' Warning.
Red at night, Sailors' Delight."

Photo Challenge: Day 14

2012-01-14T16:32:00.000-09:00

Day 14 of the PhotoADay Challenge is:

"Something You're Reading"

These are my current and near future books.

And ...

...The Magazines

Uncle Mike's Chicken Fajitas

2012-01-14T14:05:00.000-09:00

Those of you who follow my page on facebook, might have seen where my Uncle Mike shared a couple of his recipes. The other day, I made his Chicken Fajitas...and WOW! My family devoured them. My husband sat there staring at the dish, as though he could will more to appear.

To begin, you will need 1 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice, 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, about 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, and 3 cloves Garlic, minced.

Combine those all in a small bowl, and set aside.

Now, thinly slice about 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They should be about 3/8 inch thick, or as thin as you can slice them. (This made about 9 or 10 fajitas. In the future I will use more chicken for my bottomless pit husband and sons.)

Take the chicken and place it in a large zip-lock bag. Pour in the marinade, and squish it all around. Set it in the fridge and let it get happy for at least an hour. I had a busy day that day, so I did this around 11. This makes a great week night meal, because you can do this ahead of time.

When you are ready for dinner, and the chicken is marinaded...thinly slice an onion and a green bell pepper.

Set your oven on "Warm" or the lowest temperature, and have an oven-safe dish handy.

In a skillet, saute the onion and peppers in butter or olive oil (I prefer butter) until the onions are golden and they are tender.
Place them in the dish, and put them in your oven to stay warm.

Now, heat your skillet up HOT. Add some butter, and then begin cooking your chicken in batches. The chicken will cook fast, and you want it nice and browned/seared. Brown each side, and place it in your dish in the oven. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked, adding butter as needed.

Serve these on tortillas, with salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese (I used a blend of Colby-Jack and Pepper-Jack cheeses) hot sauce, and whatever else you like.

Enjoy!

Printable Version: Uncle Mike's Chicken Fajitas

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2012-01-14T00:00:00.001-09:00

I just thought I would take a moment and share our current temperature with you.

Doesn't it look lovely? Maybe we should go for a swim.