Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tuesday, Bloody Tuesday

Well, bloody at least for my bank account. The plumber came today to replace the sewage pipe and guess what, the car we bought for our daughter to use at college and has been piece meal fixed finally got fixed and came due $$$$ today as well.......AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH.

Will post more about the wedding, the picnic, the birthdays and everything else in between later.
Ciao.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

The Church Picnic

Today was the day of the church picnic. I am on THE committee. Need I say more? The church provided hamburgers and hot dogs and A-M did dessert and N-Z did side dishes....oh, did I say NO ONE with names ending N-Z showed up? (I lied, there were a few, very few). So we cooked hamburger and hot dogs and invoked the feeding of the five thousand asking Jesus to show us how to make a few side dishes feed 116 people. Forgot the camera, so no pictures, besides I was too busy to take any anyway. So, after eight hours of feeding, cooking, clearing up and generally looking at a bunch of babies that are too cute for words (Hi Miss Lexi and Miss Gwen) I am now home. And to sleep, perchance to dream.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Thursday - the Ordeal is Over

Okay, yesterday I ended with Thursday wasn't looking so good. Well, I came thru the other side of the ordeal this morning and things are looking up again. To those of you not 'in the know', I had a hearing this morning regarding my former employer appealing my unemployment. I knew I did everything I could correctly and my original filing was approved, but they appealled it making statements that were inherently false and I was upset with the possibility that they could and would make similar statements at the hearing. I got there, signed in, said a prayer, and waited to get called in. When I went in, only the mediator was there. NO ONE showed up to represent the company. We waited a few minutes and began. The mediator told me IF they showed up during the hearing, he would take testimony, but if they didn't, mine would be the only one of record. He asked me a few questions then let me go. I do not know WHY they blew it off as they had tried to file a last minute (end of last week) continuance and it was denied so they knew someone had to show up, but I am grateful that I don't have to go thru the waiting again as the appeal was made by their side, not mine, so I fulfilled my end by showing up. The final determination is to be made as soon as possible and hopefully this one will be un-appeallable (is that a word?). Thank you for all of you who said a prayer for me today, and here's a shout out (can you do that on a blog?) to Yvonne, who emailed me at 7 a.m to tell me she was praying for me. Just knowing that made me more confident and calm in an unknown setting. You, dear lady, are a God send and an all around good egg, and like the Proverbs 31 lady, your family is blessed to have you!

Now, on to brighter topics. I NEVER found the original recipe for PIP, but remember this chant people, Google is your friend. I typed in ingredients and came up with 3 or 4 similar recipes. I mishmoshed them together and came out with something, that may not have been recognizable, but was hoovered up by the masses....In the picture of the PIP offerings, it is the bright orangy/yellow rectangle to the left (to those of you whose goodies weren't included, maybe next blog pic will have yours - don't bunch your knickers). Instead of rice crispys, I cut up a watermelon we had that needed to be eaten, so all was good.












Okay, here is the 'recipe' for Creamy Chicken Burrito Bake:

1 1/2 packages of bean and cheese burritos (the cheap ones that come 8 to a package, although you can use the individual ones) - you can substitute chicken burritos.
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup of shredded cheddar
1 small can of chopped chilis (can substitute 3-4 Tbsp salsa verde, or as I did, just add some Jamaca Joe hot sauce)
Layer the burritos in a 13x9 baking dish. If they overlap a little who cares.
Mix soup, sour cream and chilis and pour over burritos
Cover with cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 350.
I think the original recipe called for boiled and diced chicken to be added to the sauce, but there was enough 'chicken taste' to the soup to still maintain the name and it WAS cheesy....so. Besides, although I love to cook, some days the kids at these functions don't want real food, they want as much junk as possible and they only eat it at home, so why make an exotic concoction only to have it end up either on the ground at the park or in the garbage. So, to you purists who say 'I NEVER use canned soup, or I wouldn't be caught dead using prepackaged items (like the burritos), do you like watching your effort and $$$$$ get tossed? I thought not. That and at least I know they are eating something that somehow passes itself off as real food.
Now, off to scrounge the pantry and freezer for dinner. His Majesty has decreed I must feed him tonight, so who knows what the freezer monster may belch forth for me to tame into some semblence of a meal..........
-ginny






Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Life in General

Wednesday. Well today is PIP day, so I must get my act together....I found a recipe for a casserole using premade burritos from the grocery store. Looked interesting, I knew the 'non-gourmets' would love it's prepackaged taste and it was inexpensive. Bought the stuff I needed NOW I can't find the recipe!!!!! Curses. I, at least, located the dessert recipe....Neopolitan rice crispy treats. I'll fix them, then post the recipe dependant upon the 'ooooh yummy' or 'what is this dreck'....responses. Hopefully this time, I will take the camera and get shots of all the goodness that is PIP.




Also, I can now finally finish the wedding present for Wesley and Rochelle.







Being the uniquely odd person I am, I try to make gifts 'personable' as well as practical. When Wes' sister, Erica, got married four years ago, I made a similar present to represent what their live together should mean.







Before I go much longer, let me explain, Wes is the same age as my eldest son and the first person to show up on our doorstep when we first moved here 12 years ago. Wes, then 12, welcomed us with open arms (and a little thankful I think that he was no longer the youngest kid on the road). He is a delightful human being and cannot at any time be considered an average individual.....not only does he march to the beat of his own drummer, but often is the case he wrote the music for the whole drum section. Wes fell in love with Roshelle at his telling, 8 years ago. He always carried a torch for this darling child, even while he was in college and she was finishing high school and then college. They met at church and I believe that Wes never really 'courted' anyone else. He prayed for a perfect mate and to most of us who have seen them together, believe that God answered his prayers. For this couple, a gift card from Target just isn't what you give them for a wedding present.


Now, back to the present. I crochet, or at least attempt to, so I decided to make them an afghan. Erica, Wes' sister, got one entitled (or at least the pattern was) Christmas Snow....since they are planning to become missionaries I wanted it represent the Birth of Christ, and the newness of His life together with the newness of their union. For Wes, who is more of an evangelist, I saw the perfect pattern.....Dogwood. To those who do not know the story of the dogwood blossom, the flower is supposed to represent the Cross of Christ, with the four points, blood stained on the ends and a crown of thorns in the middle. To this, I add a package I made up using a quote from my favorite movie of all times "It's a Wonderful Life". In the movie, when the Bailey Building and Loan helps the Martini family finally afford their new home, Mary Bailey makes a presentation of three items: bread so they will never know hunger, salt so they will all have spice in their life, and wine so they will always have joy. To this I add mustard seeds to indicate their faith (made all you who haven't looked in your Bible in a while go look up the passage this relates to, didn't I? ) as well as two wine glasses. I have to finish putting it together and ask Wes' mom when does she think I can catch him somewhere (anywhere?) before the big day. I hope he likes it and knows how much love and appreciation for him as a human being went into this.

Maybe they will be at PIP, who knows. Anyway, have a blessed Wednesday. And pray for Thursday. It doesn't look too good from where I sit. More later.

-ginny