Monday Monday

Shari, sorry about your loss.

Paige, see if there is a dental school that takes patients, the costs are cheaper.

What in the name of doG is a recipe?

Just kidding, like Glenda I use a recipe for guidence, but I switch it up for myself. I have measuring cups and spoons but I hardly use them for more than a vessel to get what I want where I want.

Jackie, you home yet? How is the boy?

YES!!!  I guess I'm not the ONLY one who measures a teaspoon of salt in the palm of my hand.  hehehe!!

Ladies, you're all invited to a potluck dinner at my house.

Our plants are being delivered this week!!!!  I cannot WAIT!  We had some landscapers out a couple weeks ago to do the prepwork (clearing planting beds along the fence, putting down edging).  A friend of ours got a great deal on the plants.  Here's what we're getting:

Dwarf gardenias (for the bed alongside the house, outside the fence)
Tea olives & knockout roses will be planted together in the sunny parts inside the fence
Azaleas & hydrangeas for the shady parts inside the fence
2 maple trees for the very back so we can get back in compliance with that stupid buffer zone rule
A crapemyrtle for the corner of the yard by the house where there's no gate (I've ALWAYS wanted a crapemyrtle!!)

What I can't get over are the prices our friend got for us.  All shrubs are 3-gallon plants.  $9 each for the hydrangeas.  Tea olives, roses, azaleas, and gardenias are only $6 each, and the trees are only $85 each!!!!!!!!!

Once they're all in, we'll get a pallet of mulch, and I'll finally get to put in my little solar lights.  Then I'll take lots of pictures for everyone!

Yes, I'm home with the terror.  He has no parasites or other nasties in his stool.  Normal temp.  She gave him a shot of Centrine which she said will slow down his gut.  I'm assuming and the vet concurs that he ate something that's making it's way through.  She asked me if he scarfs up things outside that might make him sick.  I started to answer and then we both just laughed.  Duh, he's a dog! lol   She suggested fasting him for a day and I'll do that. 

As far as recipes and cooking. I think most of us who have done a lot of cooking learn how to eyeball measurements and to modify recipes based on what we have on hand or personal tastes.  Most of the things I make regularly, I have no recipe.  DH always asks me to write down how I make certain dishes. :)   He's a very appreciative hubs and knows the best way to keep me cooking is to compliment shamelessly.  My nieces never learned to cook and it amazes me how little they know concerning cooking.  I've been cooking since I was 8 years old or at least "helping". lol   I think it's a good skill for everyone to learn young.  It can save a ton of money to eat at home and it's usually much healthier.

I never cease to be amazed Jackie, at the younger women who never learned to cook.  Shoot, my sons learned to cook at a fairly young age, and they always had some kitchen duties in getting meals ready, even when all they could do was set the table, they were still involved.  Perhaps part of my passion for cooking was growing up in a household with 3 older sisters and literally having to fight my way into the kitchen.

Tina, I'm so sorry to hear about Grandpa Green.  Rest in Peace.  ((TINA))

Thanks for asking about Maghee, Tina.  She's doing o-kay.  Not great but she's holding her own.  My pet sitter loves her almost as much as I do & will do anything for her.  I have it set up with my vet that he can take anyone of my dogs to them if need be & I'll take care of the bill when I get home.  I alsway hope & pray that that's not necessary but it's all I can do if I want to go away.  Anyway, DH & I are heading to NOLA tomorrow & I really don't want to go because of Maghs.  Glad ya asked? ~L~  Anyway, I'm taking 4 Paws, 5 Directions to study on the plane.  Hopefully I can come up with a diet that's suitable for her by the time I come back.

It sounds like Agnes is coming into her own & is quite the little comedian.  Gotta love that in a girl.  :)

Barb, feel better girl!  Being sick on a holiday bites the big one.

Karen, you totally rock!

Jackie, I'm so happy that Twister is okay.  Give him some lovins from me.

Okay, time to finish packing.  We're off to NOLA for Thanksgiving.  We're meeting SIL & her hubby & BIL.  We haven't been to NOLA since just before Katrina.  We've been dying to go back but just haven't had the chance until now.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  See you when I get back.

Karen, I'm glad that you got unstuck. How stressful.

Paige, I hope that the tooth isn't a bad as you suspect.

Tina, Brutus is doing ok. We rechecked him with our normal vet this morning, & he saw the holistic today as well. His PCV is up a little more, & he's eating like a champ, so I have my fingers crossed that the worst is behind us.

I am a good cook even though I've only been cooking for very long. (3 years ago, I could barely boil water. Thank god for cooking lessons.) I don't particularly enjoy cooking though. DH, otoh, loves to cook, & is a great cook, so he does most of the cooking here. I'm an improv kinda gal, while DH is a follow the recipe kinda guy. We are hilarious in the kitchen together.

Today has been a cluster$%*&. I thought that it was going to be an easy day, but instead I ended up spending the day at one of our branches. Now, I have a ton of stuff to try to accomplish tomorrow.

On the way home tonight, I hit a hog. It just shot accross the road in front of me, & I had nowhere to go. Thank goodness for DH's "bubba" bumper on the jeep. The jeep appears to have made it out without a scratch.

 I love to cook and so does DH - he is much more a recipe follower.  I just make what I like - recipes even the first time tend to be a guideline, we have a fairly well stocked kitchen but there always seems to be something I am missing so I substitute LOL. My mom is wonderful in that to this day her house is where everyone gets involved from an early age.  She loves to let the little ones dig in regardless of the mess.  I love that about her as not everyone can do that.  We had a house of 7 growing up and my mom cooked or I cooked.  I loved it even back then, basic stuff and we were pretty poor so not much meat but we are all good eaters haha

Ah well I'm pooped - trying to extricate your large station wagon from clay mud for a couple of hours will do that to you 

Glad Twister is doing well - no change in B's poop today.  Vet seemed unconcerned. I however am.

Amanda, to tell you the truth, I laughed at the thought of hitting a hog.  It shouldn't be funny, but I guess since I've never actually seen a hog?  I know deer are way scary, and definitely not good for the car.  How big are hogs?  Glad you and the jeep are OK!

I wish wish wish I knew how to cook.  My mom never could cook well, so I didn't have anyone to learn from.  Where does one inquire about lessons?  I totally wish I was better at cooking, sigh.

Jackie, hope Twister gets better soon.  Sorry there were no answers, but hopefully it's nothing major.  Good thoughts as well for Maghee, Bugsy, Brutus and Agnes!

The two coworkers I work closest to, are out for the week.  As much as I love them, I can actually get something done without hearing "Nicole can you help me?" every 5 minutes.  Being a "manager" (at least in title) means no matter what happens, everyone under the sun comes to you. Bah.  Can't wait for a 4-day weekend!!!!

I've never taken cooking classes, but maybe the local Extension Service?  Community Colleges?

The only wild hog I've ever seen chased me up a tree MANY years ago.  And then the bugger sat there and waited for over an hour before he got bored and meandered off.  I had NEVER in my life climbed a tree before that day, or since!  To me he looked about 15 feet tall, 40 feet long and meaner than a fire breathing dragon!

And glenda, where were you that one chased you up a tree? I heard the wild ones are mean little buggers!

A couple of weeks ago I had a pork roast, and I wanted to flavor it up so I went thought the pantry and the fridge. I found, left over apple wood bacon, onions, sage and apples and sage and onion stuffing cubes.

Shrug...I improvised, I peeled and cored the apple, cut the bacon up, chopped the onion and threw it all in a pan with some olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, I let it cook until the apples were soft. I threw that in the bowl with the sage and onion cubes, added a bit of fresh sage and then had to decide what to use to bind it....I chose a can of chicken stock. It was yummy!

Now for those that do not know, if your making pork and want gravy but it needs a bit of flavor add chicken boulion...trust me it works.

And Glenda I too do the pour it in the hand to measure. I eye fluids and 80% of my herbs and spices are in grinders.

marty_ga

I was talking to my 87 yr Mom this morn...she is another good cook....and she mentioned that she just made a couple loaves of cheese bread, which comes from a very old recipe handed down.  I just vaguely remember it...my brother, not at all.  She said it is so good toasted for breakfast.  Mmm, I hope she remembers to send me the recipe!

Yum! If you get the recipe, can you post it please? 

What Jan said, I would love that.

Nicole, this particular hog was only about 90 pounds or so.  (She hung in the bumper, so the dogs have more free food.  Yippee!)  We have a huge feral hog problem here.  We have been thinning them out since May, when they decided to start tearing the yard fence down so that they could root up the yard.  The population has decreased, but it's still not low enough that we feel comfortable letting the dogs out in the yard on their own.  When we hike the dogs on our property, I carry a rifle in case we run into one.  They are all over our neighborhood.

I took cooking classes at a local community college.  It was one of the best classes that I've ever taken!