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October 20 Are you a Democrat, a Republican, or a Redneck?
May 08 Harley's Bunny MassacreHarley killed two baby bunnies this week and brought them in the house one at a time to show us. Harley has such a killer instinct and Pee Wee is such a pacifist.
If Harley and PeeWee had been cast in the movie “The Edge”, originally starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin…….it would’ve gone something like this…….
Harley: We’ll have to distract him and trap him, but it can be done. November 24 Harley's StoryOn Sunday, September 9, 2001, two days before 9/11, we found a puppy on our street. We were coming home from church that Sunday morning and when we turned the corner and entered our street, there he was, standing in the middle of the street. I asked Carl to stop the car, but he only slowed down. I said, "Stop the car, all the way, stop the car!". Finally Carl stopped. I got out and scooped up the puppy. He was about 3 months old, and he was sick and covered in fleas. I suspected that someone had dumped him off in our neighborhood. He was too small to have wandered far. But we searched our neighborhood to try to find his owner. No one claimed him. I thought he was adorable. His ears and tail seemed out of proportion for his body and head, but there was no mistaking his terrier-blood. I bathed him a couple of times to get rid of the fleas. The next day I took him to the vet. He had a bad cold and several places on his tail that were infected from flea bites. When we got home that day I snapped these puppy photos. We kept looking for his owners but no one claimed him. I decided to name him Harley. About a month later, he demolished our sofa and I deduced that he was a terrier-ist. So we started calling him Harley bin Laden. The name stuck.
The last photo shows Harley all grown up.
November 21 Crunchy Corn SaladCrunchy Corn Salad
This is best when eaten right away
Combine in bowl: 3-11oz cans (drained) Niblets corn (or Mexican) 2/3 c. chopped bell pepper (green or red) 1/3 c. chopped red onion 1-1/3 c. grated cheddar cheese
Add dressing: ½ c. Hidden Valley Ranch prepared dressing 2T. Hellman’s mayonnaise 2T. milk 1 to 2 tsp. dill weed Black pepper to taste
Mix together and chill.
Before serving: Stir in one 9.75 oz bag Chili Cheese Fritos, crushed
Dressing variation: 1/8 c. sugar plus 1 cup Miracle Whip
May 30 We're moving to OklahomaToday was my last day at Drummond. I've taken a job with Constellation Energy Partners and we will be moving to Oklahoma. Click on the link to view the listing of our home in Jasper, AL.
April 02 Pee Wee, 2-yr old male JRT, available for AdoptionMy name is PeeWee, and I am a 2 year old male JRT in need of a great home. My mom recently died, and my dad works too much so he wants me to find a good home where I can spend time with my humans. A nice couple has taken me into their home until I find a forever home. I like other dogs, kids, and cats. I am very sweet and affectionate and love to play or just snooze on your lap, and I am housetrained. I weigh 10 pounds and am 12 inches tall. I'm also listed on the Russell Rescue website http://www.creativewebdesignsinc.com/russellrescue/proddetail.asp?prod=TN155&cat=29 If you think you could be my new forever home, please email JRTLover27@comcast.net or nda60@yahoo.com
January 13 Cheese GritsCheese Grits
8 to 10 servings
Ingredients· 1-1/2 cups grits (regular or quick) · 6 cups boiling water · 6T margarine (may omit or substitute with butter) · 1 pound Velveeta (cut into small cubes) · 3 eggs (beaten) · Dash of Tobasco
Optional Ingredients· 4 small cans of chopped Green Chiles (my favorite) (drained, remove remaining liquid with paper towels) Or· Substitute half the Velveeta with Monterey Jack Velveeta And/Or· Add 3/4 cup of diced ham
Preheat oven to 250F. In a medium saucepan, add grits slowly to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When grits have thickened, remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.
Transfer to a shallow baking dish and bake for 1 hour. If Cheese Grits have been refrigerated prior to baking, be sure to allow for extra baking time. December 19 They Eat Cats, Don't They?
I realized I forgot to load this picture in my Equatorial Guinea photo album. I shot this while I was riding in a van on the mainland in Bata going to Hess' compound just outside the town. We were driving through town and I was snapping photos, not really knowing what I was capturing on my camera until later. If you look closely you will see several cats hanging in this vendor's stall. Ready for cooking I suppose. This was a very interesting trip. I will have to write more about it soon. November 21 Spinach Mushroom BakeSpinach and Mushroom Bake
2 pounds frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed to remove liquid 1 pound mushrooms, sliced, any variety or combination 8 tablespoons butter ¼ cup flour 2 cups milk ½ cup toasted nuts (walnuts or pine nuts work well) ½ cup dry plain breadcrumbs Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 and spray PAM on a shallow 6-cup baking dish.
Thaw and drain the spinach then squeeze all liquid out of the spinach. Place in large bowl and set aside.
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 10-15 minutes, tossing frequently, until tender. If the mushrooms exude their moisture, boil them rapidly over high heat, tossing frequently, until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper and add to the spinach.
Melt the remaining butter and add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened. Stir the sauce into the spinach and mushroom mixture, add the nuts and spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and bake for about 20 minutes until bubbling. October 04 Human KindnessThis will warm your heart, just when you have lost faith in human kindness. Someone who teaches at a middle school in Safety Harbor, Florida , forwarded the following letter. The letter was sent to the principal's office after the school had sponsored a luncheon for the elderly. An older lady received a new radio at the lunch as a door prize and was writing to say thank you. This story is a credit to all humankind.
Dear Safety Harbor Middle School : God bless you for the beautiful radio I won at your recent senior citizens luncheon. I am 84 years old and live at the Safety Harbor Assisted Home for the Aged. All of my family has passed away. I am all alone now and it's nice to know that someone is thinking of me. God bless you for your kindness to an old forgotten lady.
My roommate is 95 and has always had her own radio, but before I received one, she would never let me listen to hers, even when she was napping. The other day her radio fell off the nightstand and broke into a lot of pieces. It was awful and she was in tears. She asked if she could listen to mine; I told her to kiss my a**. Thank you for that opportunity. Sincerely, Edna July 24 Scooter the ScalawagI wrote this story several years ago. Scooter is 13 years old now, and still a scalawag. My Jack Russell Story: SCALAWAG: scamp; rascal. My sister and I still laugh when recalling the day I brought home my new 7-week old female JRT (my first JRT). I stopped by to show-off my new pride and joy, Scooter Michelle, to her Aunt Mary Fran, Uncle Stan, and cousins Abby and Bogey (two West Highland White Terriers). On that first encounter with her two cousins, I was the cautious mother and was afraid Bogey and Abby might hurt Scooter, so she didn't get the chance to play that first day. This decision, of course, was the source of our laughter in the time to follow. As Scooter grew in size, so did her reputation as a scalawag. At Scooter's first introduction to her "cousins", she was running circles around them. Bogey and Scooter are best buddies, while Abby (the matriarch) must maintain her dignity. The sliding glass door in my family room has a doggie-door which leads out to a large fenced yard. Coming home from work usually leads to a scavenger hunt in the backyard, trying to find the books, tissues, pillows, and articles of clothing Scooter has spent the day with in the backyard. Sometimes the scavenger hunt ends very quickly, like the time I found the dead snake (heavily chewed) in the family room or the time I came home to find Scooter had created her own "snow" in the yard ripping up a brand new box of personal feminine hygiene products. On Scooter's first Thanksgiving, Scooter and I were invited to my sister's house for a lovely family dinner. We enjoyed visiting and snacking on crab dip in the family room before supper. When dinner began we all moved into the dining room. As the dinner progressed, I started hearing a strange "clinking" sound, and asked my sister what she thought it might be. Getting up from the table and looking into the family room we were stunned (and amused) to see Scooter up on the coffee table helping herself to the leftover crab dip, licking the bowl fervently while her collar tag clinked against the bowl. One day when I was drawing a bath for myself, I left the bathroom to get a new bar of soap. While I was out of the room I heard a soft splash and rushed in to see Scooter in the almost full bath, relieving herself in the water. I guessed the feel of that warm soothing water was too much for her. Needless to say, I started my bath over (after much tub scrubbing). Not long after the tub incident, summer arrived. My sister had just taken the cover off of their pool and invited Scooter and I over for a swim. I knew Scooter loved water (at least tub water) and was anxious to see how she would take to the pool. That strange deja vu feeling came over me when Scooter jumped down to the first step in the pool, then squatted to relieve herself. I guess it doesn't matter if it's warm tub water. I've even seen Scooter relieving herself in puddles at the park. This last Christmas I was dog-sitting Abby and Bogey, so along with Scooter and Trixie, my mother and I were wrangling four dogs at the "Doggie Dude Ranch". One wet afternoon I had the task of drying-off 16 paws after the dogs' romp in the yard. When I got to Scooter I noticed that it looked like her rear-end was greasy and commented to Mom. "Uh-oh" was my mother's reply. "What?", I asked. "Remember I gave myself a cuticle treatmeat last night, and alittle while ago I saw the jar of Vaseline on the floor on my bedroom". "Was it empty?", I said. Mother and I headed for her bedroom and found the virtually empty Vaseline jar. "Well," I said, "The name Scooter certainly fits her now!". I called the vet and he assured me there was nothing toxic in the Vaseline, but did verify it would produce a laxative effect....it did, for about 8 hours. So many stories, so little time. Thank goodness my family are dog-lovers, and can still laugh about how I was so worried about Scooter being overwhelmed around other dogs. July 14 Ultimate Female JokeA woman was sitting at a bar enjoying an after work cocktail with her girlfriends when an exceptionally tall, handsome, extremely sexy middle-aged man entered. He was so striking that the woman could not take her eyes off him. The young-at-heart man noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly toward her. (As all men will.)
Before she could offer her apologies for so rudely staring, he leaned over and whispered to her, "I'll do anything, absolutely anything, that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20.00 only on one condition..." Flabbergasted, the woman asked what the condition was. The man replied, "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words."
The woman considered his proposition for a moment, and then slowly removed a $20.00 bill from her purse, which she pressed into the man's hand along with her address. She looked deeply into his eyes, and slowly and meaningfully said.... "Clean my house."
June 29 Grilled Chicken MarinadeGrilled Chicken Marinade
This is a great marinade for skinless chicken thighs on the grill.
½ cup olive oil ½ cup chopped onions 1 cup water ½ cup wine vinegar 3 tablespoons Worchester sauce 1½ cups lemon juice 4 tablespoons brown sugar 2 cups ketchup Chili powder, black pepper and salt to taste 1 tablespoon paprika
Sauté onions, add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes. Cool before adding to chicken. Marinate for 24 to 48 hours. June 22 The nun and mother superiorSister Mary Margaret walked into the Mtoher Superior's office and said, "Oh Mother Superior, I am so grieved, I must confessed that I blasphemed". "Oh no" replied Mother Superior, "I thought you were just on holiday with your family". "I was" said Sister Mary Margaret. "And we were having the most wonderful time, as you know before I joined the sisterhood I was a professional golfer. My family and I were out on the course having so much fun".
"Well surely that wouldn't have caused you to blaspheme" replied Mother Superior. "Oh no" said Sister Mary Margaret, "I was teeing off on the 5th hole and was in the middle of the most wonderful round of golf in my life. The 5th hole is a monster par-5 with a dogleg and I hit the most beautiful swing ever. The ball went sailing straight and true right down the middle of the fairway, but in mid-flight only 100 yards off the tee a bird flew into the path of my ball striking it and my ball fell to the ground".
"Well that couldn't have made you blaspheme" said Mother Superior. "Oh no" said Sister Mary Margaret, "but when the ball landed a squirrel was running right toward it and picked up my ball and ran off with it".
"Ohhhh, so that's what caused you to blaspheme" said Mother Superior. "My goodness no" said Sister Mary Margaret. "But unbelievably, just as the squirrel was running off with my ball a hawk swooped down from the sky and plucked the squirrel and my ball off the fairway and flew off with it".
"Well, then, I suppose that is when you blasphemed" said Mother Superior. "Certainly not" replied Sister Mary Margaret. "Would you believe that as the hawk flew away, he flew across the green and dropped the squirrel and the ball. The squirrel let go of the ball and ran off and my ball rolled to the hole and stopped just two inches from the cup".
Mother Superior said "Don't tell me.....you missed the f***ing putt".
March 17 The Great Global Warming SwindleIf you have questions about global warming, this video is a must-see
December 15 Rum BallsRum Balls
2 1/2 c. vanilla wafers, crushed Mix thoroughly and form into small balls. Roll in powdered sugar, wrap in wax paper, and store in a sealed container. December 13 Pecan RecipesBourbon Candy Pecans
Juice of 1/2 lemon Peppered Pecans
Peppered pecans, made with pecans, hot pepper sauce, butter, garlic, and salt. INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION:Preheat oven to 250°. Melt butter in a small skillet; add hot sauce, garlic and salt. Sauté for 1 minute. Toss pecans with butter mixture; spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake pecans for about 1 hour or until pecans are crisp, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.
Rum-Glazed Spiced Pecans
This classic combination of rum and pecans is a winner. Although they taste as if they have taken hours to prepare, they only require a few minutes. Serve these with orange slices. Spice Mix 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Rum Glaze 2 tablespoons dark rum 2 cups lightly toasted pecan halves
Makes 2 cups
Southwest Pecans
1 cup pecans, toasted
November 14 Fruit ballFruit Ball
This is a cold and refreshing hor d’oeuvre that’s easy to make and always a big hit with a crowd. Best to make the night before and refrigerate overnight before rolling in the chopped nuts.
2 – 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (softened) 1 large can of crushed pineapple (drain well and blot with paper towels to remove all liquid) 1 cup coconut 1 cup raisins ½ package chopped dates 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (roll ball in nuts just before serving)
Mix ingredients together. Roll into one large ball or two small balls. Refrigerate (overnight). Roll in chopped nuts just before serving. Serve with crackers. May 12 Green Wonder SaladGreen Wonder Salad
This is best made the day before.
· 1 bunch of fresh green asparagus, blanched (steam for 2-3 minutes, then immediately immerse in ice water to cool) and chopped into1-2” pieces · 1 bunch of fresh white asparagus, blanched and chopped into 1-2” pieces · 2 or 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped · 1 red bell pepper, seeded, de-veined and sliced into thin strips · 1 can of quartered artichoke hearts in brine (not oil) drained · 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly · ½ red onion, sliced into thin strips · 1 can of baby corn, drained and chopped in halves · 1 can of whole (or French sliced) green beans, drained · Calamata olives (pitted and drained), if desired
Dressing: (Mix together in a small bowl) ¾ cup apple cider vinegar ¾ cup sugar Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Assemble all the ingredients in a large serving bowl and pour dressing over all. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. March 08 Beer, Fishing, Golf and SexBEER, FISHING, SEX & GOLF: |
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