Wednesday, May 5, 2010

RANDOM 'BAKERS' DOZEN...added one!

Joining Liddie @ 2nd Cup of Coffee...

My last procrastinated thing: getting ALL the addresses ready for the upcoming high school graduation. You'd think it would be easy to locate the latest/greatest address information with today's digital, online information...but, it took longer than I thought it would take. And truth be known, we're still holding a few announcements waiting on feedback from emails I had to send to be sure (now that stamps cost and arm & a leg...) DD sat last night assembling envelopes with all the contents...signature card, senior picture, open house invitation, formal announcement, internal envelope.


Falling asleep is a rather easy thing for me...in the chair, on the couch, driving down the highway sitting in the car at a red light...however, sleeping through the night is somewhere buried in my past...sometimes, I'm fortunate to get five hours in a row...(sorry, I was yawning)...but, usually only four.


The classic 50's/60's decade exemplifies my favorite fashion styles. DISCLAIMER: One MUST realize One LOVEs these; BUT, ONE DOESN'T have a body for these. Dreaming is a lavish theatre in ONE's mind !! :)


2010-05-04


4. Skoots1Mom's personal best dish to feed a crowd is from SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE's 2005 lineup. Her small group asks for it each year before the NEW YEARS' gathering...YUMM to the O! Traditional Southern food is a must at this house, and in reality, I started making these when hubs and I first married. The best recipe found throughout these 22 years IS Southern Living's recipe below...it is laminated and under lock and key in my kitchen, in fear of loss.







Garlic Shrimp and Grits
Prep: 20 min., Cook: 15 min. (for buffet dining: serve in crock pot, set on low)


1 pound peeled, medium-size fresh shrimp(size 26-30)
3 cups water
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking grits, uncooked
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
Garnishes: chopped fresh chives, peeled and cooked shrimp, freshly ground black pepper


Peel shrimp, and de-vein, if desired.


Bring 3 cups water, cream, butter, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.


Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in grits. Cook, whisking constantly, 7 to 8 minutes or until mixture is smooth.


Stir in 1 pound shrimp, cheese, and garlic, and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.


I garnish the top with 5/6 shrimp and parsley


Yield: Makes 4 servings (multiply all ingredients if serving a crowd)

Southern Living, APRIL 2005



5. Impulse shopping is certainly my bag...and throw in THRIFT on top of all those things in that bag, will ya? Thanks, 'cause I can't survive now without going to the consignment shop at least once a week now. It's like a new love affair, this thing between ONE and ANY thrift store within 10 miles of my house. Can you say hooked? I know that you can...(Did Billy Crystal just flash through your brain, too?) ha


My last purchase while feeding my THRIFTY impulse addiction:



6. One wish I have for my funeral is for it to be a praising-the-Lord celebration of what the 'body' of Christ has meant for my life, my work, my family and my family's legacy...it's ALL about what He did for us.


7. Joy is in found in the simple things in life...and today joy looks like 'chick's honors night ceremony':


100_5562B
8. ONE can't possibly choose a favorite type of bread, I mean, really? OK, I've got it: ALL....yep. ALL. 'nuf said!


9. ONE fears developing negative traits as ONE gets older...especially while dealing with the onset of so many "physically unchangeable" things. Therefore, ONE's vowing NOT to be 'the relative with the hairy upper lip & bright red lipstick'! Yes, ONE's struggling...almost daily struggling, reducing those 'clear and blonde' pricklies ONE's seeing reflecting in the sunshine or in that 10X mirror...yuck.


So, ONE's keeping ONE's "facial Nair" in stock for attacking and conquering each little hair, quickly wiping it away. And don't forget: a fresh tube of Maybelline mauve residing in ONE's purse (instead of the "SANTA CLAUS RED, can't-blast-it-off-with-a-blow-torch" ONE's great, hairy aunt wore when ONE was a child)..so, both are remaining on ONE's shopping list.


10. In that neuroticism hits many in the latter days of their existence, ONE wants to completely avoid all of those nasty traits and develop ROMANTICISM daily(goodness of humans; knowledge gained through intuition rather than deduction; awe of nature/art/language; recognize achievements of the
misunderstood/heroic/outcast)


11. Describing ONE's personality reflecting in one of the house's rooms brings first to mind: THE KITCHEN. The space constantly changing and yet staying the same...rather schizo, huh?


Constantly changing because ONE's always looking for new recipes, ideas, products to use in our meals or for outgoing care packages for friends, family and neighbors. In the kitchen, being FREE to be cooking WHAT someone else wants or needs.


Getting comfort when preparing healthy, tasty meals...making comfort. Receiving comfort by preparing recipes the family takes '2' helpings of during the meals...yep, those go on the 'keeper' list.


Staying the same by: remembering sweet mornings in 'Granny's kitchen, learning to make tea cakes' , putting things in 'their place' as they're coming out of the dishwasher, and ALWAYS have HEINZ ketchup on hand...these things do reflect.


12. Maintaining balance in life regarding family, church and blogging: is it possible? ONE continues balancing/moving the weights on each of these items daily; sliding family to the right-hand scale for a little while during youth activities then sliding it back once done. Blogging has to be put to the side occasionally because ONE will let it grow to penicillin levels, like the science experiments found in my refrigerator last month while purging the 'to go' containers, to remedy ONE's living online. HHHmmmmm, has ONE made it an 'idol'? Keep it real.


13. Have you ever pondered why there's a second envelope inside wedding/graduation invitations? Could it be: There's a conspiracy to cause the envelope to weigh more so the post office will get more income


or you could save money by going ahead and including the next birthday card with the invitation


or it's just another ploy by society to force you to get writer's cramp while teaching your child how to write cursive on the inside envelope ''using the graduate's voice' in writing the names who are invited


or maybe even...your last chance to write what you forgot to write on the first envelope that you sealed by mistake. hahahaha, can you tell ONE's giddy from working on graduation invitations? :)