Please and Thank You

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My husband said something to me the other day that really surprised me.  Apparently, I've never noticed that I say 'thank you' when someone tells me they love me...nearly every time.
Now that he has pointed this out, I've noticed he is absolutely correct.  "Why do you think that is?" I asked him.  And I wonder why it was so subconscious that I never realized I do it.  And it happens no matter who it is that says it, and whether or not I say it first - if someone says it to me first I apparently say, "Thank you.  I love you, too."  Or I can say, "I love you", get an "I love you" in return, and I close with, "Thank you."   I've even gone as far as to say, "...and thank you for that."  It can be my husband, my children, a good friend, family member, and even (and most especially), God.
 

So I started to ponder why this could be.  I've had some pretty cruddy relationships of all kinds in my life - and I've been taken advantage of - and I've been hurt.  I realize that when there is someone I love that loves me, too, I'M GRATEFUL...really, really grateful.
I don't know when this started. I don't even have a memory of ever doing it before, so I have no idea how long I've been doing it.  But I can say I'm glad he brought it to my attention, because I like being very aware of how grateful I am that I'm loved.
 

I know I'm not the easiest person in the world (or even the same house!) to love.  I am obnoxious, talkative, sometimes a little insecure, and somewhat of a control freak.  I have obsessive compulsive disorder, I'm a germaphobe, and I cry about the silliest things.  There are so many more reasons why I'm hard to love, but I ask that you please try...and if you're one of the people that already do......thank you.  I love you, too.
 

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged-Cupid painted blind" ~A Midsummer Night's Dream
 

"Yo, Adrian!!  I loves ya!" ~Rocky Balboa, Sheila Garcia
 

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love." ~Jesus

My Funny Valentine

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Chelsea and I were told to wait upstairs as the preparation began.  We were in our loungy clothes and relaxing as we had been told to do, but we still heard banging and clanking and had no idea what was going on; however, we knew at the end of it a surprise awaited us.  Finally, Cameron came up the stairs dressed in black slacks, a crisp black button-down, and a tie, with a towel draped over his arm.  He said (very formally) "Ladies, I am here to accompany you both to your Valentine."  Chelsea and I looked at each other like he was crazy, and obliged.  He steered us down the stairs and we never could have imagined what our Valentine truly was.

The furniture had been moved out of the living room.  In the center of the room was a bistro table that was set beautifully, with two chairs and candles everywhere.  There was soft music playing and a maroon-sheet-turned-curtain put up to add to the ambiance and make the kitchen separate and a secret to us as to what was going on in there.

Cameron sat us down, welcomed us to Café Adriano, and informed us he was our waiter - the head waiter at that -  for the evening.  He handed us each a menu and told us he would return in a moment with our beverages, one of which (for me, in particular) was wine labeled 'Adriano'.  Uh!!  He was SO STINKIN' CUTE!  We looked at our "menus".  Are you kidding?!?  There are no words to do it justice...the only thing I can do to describe it is show it to you:

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used. 

So in and out of the kitchen came Cameron, bringing us our drinks, appetizers, one of the most delicious and thoughtful menu items we've ever had, and beautiful dessert.

Just a few weeks before, Adrian and I had been at a garage sale and saw a chef's coat for 50 cents.  We both thought it would be a cute idea to get it and figure out something to do with it later.  I washed and dried it and hung it in the Laundry Room, thinking we would make that some sort of project later.  The reason I tell you this is because at the end of this wonderful dinner, our "waiter" informed us that we were the meet the master chef who had prepared this amazing meal for us.

Out walks my husband - beautiful man he is with a matching heart -  wearing the chef's coat we had purchased at the garage sale.  He held a white tulip in each hand, and presented one to each of us, telling both Chelsea and I all the reasons he loved us as he gave us each a tulip.  Needless to say, we were bawling our faces off, all in the name of love.

FUNNY how we are conditioned to think Valentine's Day always has to be  about romantic love...it's an opportunity to express true love in any fashion to those around you when we may sometimes forget to during the busyness of our lives.  Knowing Valentine's Day is tomorrow, the first thing that came to my mind for my post today was the selfless way both Adrian and Cameron shared their love for Chelsea and I - as  husband and wife, brother and sister, mother and son, father and daughter.  

Be sure to celebrate all of those you truly love EVERY day of the year - but take Valentine's Day just as a simple reminder of who those people are.

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used. 

Super Bowl(s)

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used. 

Last weekend, we had the privilege of hanging out with friends and family for one reason or another the entire weekend.  My mother-in-law's birthday party, friends reaching out to us, and a certain famous annually-held football game.  Each place we went, I was pleasantly surprised at the food that was offered to us.  Each one literally had a bowl of wonderful, deliciousness that I HAD to share.  It's no secret I love to cook, but I also love to EAT!  I asked each owner of each super bowl of food I was impressed with to provide me with the recipe so I could pass them along, and here they are (you're welcome!):

To start, our friends Cook and Kim Glover had us over for dinner as a 'thank you' for them staying at our place while some work was done on their house.  No thanks necessary, but if food is the gift of thanks, I'LL TAKE IT!  It was lovely as always to spend time with them and dinner was truly fantastic - you could tell that there was much thought and love put into their stuffed chicken pinwheels, seasoned roasted potatoes, and green beans; but as an appetizer, we had an amazing spinach artichoke dip, which stood out to me for the remainder of the evening.  Remember, this is not meant to be fat-free or incredibly healthy...this was a bowl of gooey, rich, yumminess, and here is the recipe Cook gave me to pass along to you:

BAKED ARTICHOKE SPINACH DIP

Ingredients

2 cups canned artichokes; chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach; thawed & drained
16 oz cream cheese; softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Parmesan cheese; grated
3 tablespoons garlic; minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; crushed
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 baguettes; sliced
olive oil; for drizzling
salt & pepper; to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large mixing bowl combine the softened cream cheese with the mayonnaise.  Mix in the artichokes, spinach and Parmesan.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the mixture.  Spread into a shallow baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until top is browned slightly and dip is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
While the dip is baking, slice the baguettes into 1/2 inch slices.  Place them, single layered on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Once the dip is out of the oven, bake the bread at 400 for 7-10 minutes or until slightly toasted.  Enjoy.

Next, we visited my sister-in-law Tricia's house for my mother-in-law's birthday celebration.  There was barbecue and LOTS of dips and chips.  But one bowl full of goodness in particular stood out to me.  My sister-in-law's friend, Pauline, made potato salad that melted my face off it was so good.  So of course, I asked her for the recipe!  There were two "secret ingredients" she was selfless enough to point out and I will make sure to tag those in the recipe so you're aware of the importance in the recipe itself.  Now this recipe is truly down-home, because there was no measurements she could provide for me...just add the ingredients to the potatoes to taste...and it WAS to taste!! 

PAULINE'S POTATO SALAD

Boiled Potatoes

Finely GRATED (not chopped) onions (SECRET INGREDIENT!)

Yellow Mustard

Hellman's Mayo

Evaporated Milk (SECRET INGREDIENT!)

About 2 Hard-Boiled Eggs, finely diced

Salt & Pepper to taste

Add all ingredients together and enjoy!

I brought an awesome bowl of love to this party in the form of a dip that Chelsea calls Slap-Yo-Mamma Dip.  I call it Ex-Wife Dip (for reasons I'll save for another post!) and it was given to Adrian a long time ago by our friend, Caren, and I make different variations of it to take ownership of it.  I couldn't blog an entire post of recipes and not share one of my own!  This dip is a HUGE hit everywhere we go so be certain to take note of this SUPER bowl:

EX-WIFE SLAP-YO-MAMMA DIP

Ingredients:

1 small pkg ground breakfast or Italian sausage (I use ground turkey and just season it with Italian seasoning and lots of sage, and it tastes just like sausage!), browned

2 -8 oz pkgs cream cheese (I use Neufchatel - it's just as rich, but way lower in fat)

2 cans extra spicy Ro-Tel

Place all ingredients into crock pot until melted...serve with tortilla chips (I use organic multi-grain).  For this last weekend's dip, I blended a can of organic black beans until creamy and added it to the dip...HO-LEE MO-LEE, it was good!!

We then spent the day of football with our friends Derick and Jennifer Thompson, in order to get some work done AND celebrate the game and our friendship all at the same time.  I typically do not eat pork, as it is the hardest meat for your body to digest, but once in awhile I make an exception in moderation - especially when there are all-natural and organic ingredients being used!  Well...I can honestly say I had the best carnitas ever...it was a bowl full of juicy pulled pork, and I'm drooling right now thinking about it.  We also had delicious turkey chili, and I brought twice-baked potatoes and macaroni salad, but this pork recipe is the one that was so good it almost made me cry, so here is the recipe Derek passed along to me to pass along to you:

PULLED PORK CARNITAS

Archer Farms Carnitas Seasoning pack - this is specifically a Target (pronounced 'tar-jhay') brand and it has variations of all-natural and organic ingredients for all of the products.

Place pork roast in crock pot for about eight hours- he put his in at midnight and it was ready at 8am...add seasoning packet and follow directions for amount of water to add (he used lime juice in place of the water for a mighty-tender roast)  Shred pork and put on corn tortilla with a little cheddar cheese on top - Derick nearly blackened the corn tortillas on the stove-top and it really added something special to the carnita...I'm salivating again!

So there you have it, Ladies and Gentlemen!  I hope you get to enjoy this post-full-o-recipes beyond just reading them...more than anything, I simply wanted to convey to you that it doesn't have to be a once-a-year football game for you to be able to celebrate and enjoy some sort of Super Bowl.  (TOUCHDOWN!!)

Flat Biscuits

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When you cook, do you do it with love?  Do you do it with tender, mindful, care?  Or are you aimlessly going through the motions?  Or maybe you're just task-minded? Maybe you've had a bad day and your attitude reflects that in the kitchen? Watch out if that's you!  ...or your biscuits won't rise.

When Chelsea first started dating Sam (and long before she became the amazing cook she is today) she came to me and said, "I would like to make Sam your home-made Big Daddy Biscuits."  (These biscuits are flaky, the size of your face, and ridiculously DELICIOUS) I was thrilled and quickly agreed.

We made our way into the kitchen, I got the recipe out and I started pulling all the ingredients out of the pantry and the bowls we would need from the cupboard.  She stood there with a blank look on her face, her lips in a bit of an Elvis-curl, and asked what I was doing.  After I informed her that the biscuits don't magically make themselves and there was a little work involved, her face changed.  She was not happy.

I had her read the recipe as I watched (managed), and making sure she did the work since she wanted to make them for Sam.  She begrudgingly added ingredients, fulfilling the recipe with each step.  As she progressed, I kept reminding her why she was doing this...that she originally wanted to make them to show her love for Sam, and to be careful as she was making them because with the attitude she had, the love was lost in the recipe and those biscuits wouldn't rise.  She rolled her eyes and hastily finished, ready to put the biscuits in the oven and be done with it.  As she opened the oven door, I reminded her once again, "Chelsea, stop and remember why you're doing this.  If you put these biscuits in the oven with your attitude, THEY WON'T RISE."  She looked at me like I was nuts (not the first time OR the last time I've gotten that look) and placed the biscuit pan into the oven.  She looked once more at the recipe to make certain she pulled them from the oven in the right amount of time, and smugly looked at me before leaving the kitchen.

DING!  (That was my impersonation of the oven timer going off).  We both head back into the kitchen...she turns off the timer...opens the oven door, pulls out the pan...and...FLAT BISCUITS. 

Boom.

She looked at me and without hesitation said, "Let's do this again."  So we did.  This time, she remembered why she wanted to make the biscuits in the first place, had a smile on her face at the notion of Sam being grateful for her gesture, telling me it was amazing that I knew those biscuits wouldn't rise.  The exact same recipe, a different attitude.  DING! (I'm jumping to the second batch being ready.) Chelsea opened the oven door to the most amazing biscuits that ever existed.  They were gargantuan.  She didn't even bat an eyelash before she smiled, hugged me, and thanked me from the bottom of her heart, knowing Sam would LOVE the biscuits she had made with LOVE.

This transcends into everything you do in life.  It's what you choose to make of it.  The biscuits that didn't rise were still edible, but the second batch were much more than that - they were incredible and delicious.  Make sure you make much of what's given to you to make life incredible and delicious...and do what you do in life with love...or you, too, will end up with flat biscuits.

BIG DADDY BISCUITS

2 cups flour (I use organic unbleached but any all purpose will do)

1 (heaping) tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbs white sugar (I use organic. NOTE: agave will work, but they won't have the same texture as with regular sugar)

1/3 cup shortening (I keep old-school Crisco in my fridge...it lasts for years because I hardly ever use it, but it makes for great sustenance in this recipe)

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) Cut in the shortening (I actually use my fingers) until the mixture is course and mealy. Gradually stir in the milk until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 20 - 25 times, about five minutes.  Pat or roll dough to about 1 inch thick.  Cut biscuits with large cutter (I use a juice glass, and just flour the rim so it doesn't stick)  Repeat this until all the dough is used. (I take the remnants and put them together, pat it out to an inch and use it, too!)  Brush off any excess flour (gently!) and place biscuits on an UN-greased baking sheet.  Bake for 13 - 15 minutes.  I have my oven down to a science and know that 14 minutes works perfect for me.   These are great with white peppered gravy, or butter, or just on their own!! 

Make sure you add the main ingredient throughout the cooking process - LOVE!

Just Like Camping!

© N.l | Dreamstime.com - Summer Family & Camping Car Photo

It was a few years ago that we decided as a family to go camping for Easter.  We go camping as often as we can, and it had been awhile so we seized the opportunity to go, knowing it would be one of the rare occasions when we would all be together.  (We're a blended family, and not being together often is one of the downfalls.)

We're pretty professional when it comes to camping, and not in a pansy sort of way.  Now I'm not judging all you pop-up campers, or those of you who like to bring along mini-televisions for the electrical outlets that some campsites provide.  To each his own, really.  And we've even gone both of those routes once or twice before.  But we like to CAMP.  C.A.M.P.   Find a spot in the woods, throw up a tent, find another spot close by to your tent, throw up a tarp in front of the hole you dig for a potty for privacy, and don't forget to pile up the leaves high next to the hole so you're not caught without something to clean your bottom with.  Now THAT'S camping.

So we packed up Friday afternoon, sang songs the whole way there, got there by dusk, and made our campsite.  It was a great night.  It was a little cool out, but clear and wonderful.  We sent the kids on the traditional kindlin' hunt to help get our rip-roaring fire going in the fire pit we built from rocks found around the campsite and then ate hot dogs cooked on a stick cooked over that fire.  We sang more songs, told the same old ghost stories, then huddled up in our sleeping bags, hunkered down, and went to sleep.  What a cheesy, awesome night, eh?

I suppose it was around 4am when we heard the first hit of hail.  As I sat up to listen intently and lose the hazy sleep ora, I noticed I could see my breath when I yawned from how cold it had become...what was going on??  What happened to the beautiful clear weather we were counting on??  The hail progressively got worse.  We bundled up the kids in their winter's best (we live in Texas, so winter's best consists of a wind jacket and skull cap) and started to tear down the tent before the hail could.  We watched the hail beat off of poor Jordan's skull cap (which was on his head) and threw the kids in the truck to wait while we gathered everything up as fast as we could and haul it and the family outta there.

Oh, how disappointed the kids were.  They sat in the back of the truck, cheeks red with cold and despair, no more songs in their hearts to sing.  I could hardly stand it.  There is just something about sharing your kids' disappointment, though, that throws you into go-mode.

It was pouring down rain and the hail was coming in droves by the time we got home, so we lit a fire in the fireplace, threw up the pup tent in the living room, got everyone in their pajamas and made s'mores and played cards and board games while the weather ripped and whipped outside, never getting to infiltrate the campsite we had built inside the house.  We stayed the entire rest of the weekend at that campsite, laughing and singing, sleeping in our sleeping bags together, and even went Easter egg hunting on Easter morning.  It was the absolute best camping trip (and Easter!) we had ever had.

Sometimes life can throw a wrench in your gears and mess up all the plans you make.  You can either let it put a chink in your armor, or you can go with the flow and make the best of it.  That weekend, we chose to make the best of it...and it literally became the BEST of it.

Life's a Picnic

Image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if this image is used.

Last night, we had a reason to celebrate.  In honor of my new job, AND it being an amazing opportunity, we decided to do a special dinner.  Rather than go out, I decided to make our dinner - this way, it's less expensive, I control the ingredients going into our food, and we had intimacy in lieu of a crowded, noisy restaurant.  Since we wanted it to be extraordinary and festive, we did a winter picnic!

I made broccoli cheese soup (tastes exactly like Panera), and turkey sandwiches on home-made pretzel rolls.  It was so delicious I couldn't stand it!  We accompanied the dinner with Layer Cake Shiraz that my husband purchased...it was his way of telling me getting the job was a'"piece of cake'.  (I know...he can be so adorable).

We were going to go out back on the patio, but because the wind was whipping pretty hard, we decided to light a fire, turn on some jazz, and have our picnic inside!  It didn't cost a lot, and by just making a few adjustments (lighting, music) we turned our living room into a winter picnic and had a woncderful time.  (Believe me, People, it's worth the effort!)

I have put the recipes for the soup and the pretzel rolls below.  Most of the stuff I already had in my pantry and fridge, and you probably do, too!  Life's been NO PICNIC for us lately, but we are so grateful for the blessings we DO have - and with this recent news we truly felt this was the best way to nourish the celebration for the next step in my career path!

Home-Made Pretzel Rolls

1 pkg dry active yeast

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp sugar

1 cup warm water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbs butter, softened

1/3 cup baking soda

1 egg yolk plus about 1 tbs water

1-2 tbs Kosher or course sea salt

In a small bowl, mix yeast, salt, sugar and warm water and stir to dissolve sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, mix flour and cayenne. Use your fingers to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly pour yeast mixture into flour and stir with a fork to combine. Use your hands to gather dough together and turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until no longer sticky and fairly smooth. Return to bowl, cover with plastic and let rise 30 minutes. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces and lightly form it into a sandwich bun or roll shape. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet (I used organic olive oil spray) and repeat with remaining dough. Let rise 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large pot, combine 10 cups of water with baking soda and bring to a boil. Boil rolls in batches (I did two at a time) until puffy about 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. Transfer to wire rack to drain. Return to baking sheet, brush with egg yolk wash, sprinkle with salt and lightly score lengthwise with a sharp knife about 1/8-inch deep. Bake until golden to dark brown,  about 15 minutes.

I used a couple of slices of Boar's Head Oven Gold Turkey Breast (Boar's Head doesn't have any MSG, no fillers, no hormones, no preservatives, PLUS I had a coupon for $2 off!) and a slice of Swiss for me; for Adrian, a slice of provolone because he is not a cheesy-cheese guy.  I had a $1 off produce coupon at Kroger, so I spent a little extra on some avocado to put on the sandwich as a healthy fat in place of mayo, some lettuce, sliced tomato and red onion, a little Dijon, and that sandwich was frickin'-frackin' AWESOME.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half . Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender - about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

I put a ladleful in cute little bowls next to the sandwich, mixed a little balsamic and extra virgin olive oil in some field greens and put a handful on the side of both the sandwich and bowl of soup.  I sliced up two or three pieces of smoky cheese and put a little garnish (for fancy picnic's sake!) and it made for a BEAUTIFUL plate that filled our bellies!!  I made enough soup for Adrian and Cameron's lunches and froze the rest.

I felt like royalty with a meal like that, and celebrating the blessing of the new job made for a good excuse for a date night in the process!