Step Into My Kitchen

As you know, Pioneer Woman had a contest, inviting four bloggers to her ranch to cook with the infamous Barbarella Bakerella. I missed the cut.

I've been following Ree since October of 2006, and I can remember getting so excited when she'd have a name that photo contest for a $25 gift card out of her junk drawer. And then over the years she became so dang popular, and her blog blossomed into cooking, and remodeling, and castrations, and birthing of calves. Her blog is so big....like world reknown, and her contest prizes are now over the moon! Ser.i.ous.ly. But I don't go gaga over Mixmasters and Porsches.

Cooking with Ree on the ranch was a contest I wanted to win. But I didn't, so I decided to be there in a virtual sense.


Wanna join me?





We made cupcake ball things...These are the ones I made...in my humble not so upscale kitchen.

Let me give you a few step by step photos. I know you want actual lessons but it would be less that tactful for me to cut and paste the whole thing from The Pioneer Woman's blog. Ummm, yeah, I could do that for you, but really? You can get a much better tutorial from P-Dub herself. Let's just pretend we were at the big bash at the ranch.



These are my balls.....you know, the end result of crumbling up cake and mixing it with frosting. Then you make little balls by rolling dough with your hands...and refrigerate while you go wash your car, but then if it rains you take a nap.


I wanted to make some special treats for St. Patrick's Day, so I used green and white melt away chocolate. This is what they look like after you drop them in melted green chocolate. Mine are a bit messy and crooked because I spiced up the process by pretending I was playing beer pong.

After the green stuff hardens up, you take the little cupcake papers off and dip the top part in melted white chocolate.

I then make little shamrocks out of fondant. I have never used fondant, and could have easily made shamrocks with plain old green icing using a decorating bag. But....I bought the fondant so I could pretend I won the "come to the ranch contest follow along with Ree and the winners.



First I rolled little bitty balls with my fingers and spaced them like this.



Then I smashed them ever so gently with the new fondant smasher I bought in case I won the contest.




This is what the ended up looking like when finished. A bit on the sloppy side, but hey......





I wrapped them with love, and I will deliver them to my daughter tomorrow. She will probably bring them to work and tell her boss she made them....or not.

Afternoons In The Fast Lane

Since retiring, my afternoons are just a tad bit laid back.

When I worked, I spend my lunch hour doing stuff like paying bills, running errands, and sometimes I actually ate lunch. Once a week I did important stuff like getting pedicures mentoring little children, or donating blood. Every so often I would actually sleep work at my desk.

Since retiring, things have changed ever so slightly. Now, I try to go out to lunch at least once a week. I do my Friday Matinee Reviews.....hey wait, where did this week go? OK, so sometimes I do my Friday Matinee on Mondays.

JJ gets so lonely during the day and misses his Mommy and sister and brother, so I try to swing by and take him for a ride, and then play for a while....which always involves plenty of kisses and treats. If his sister is home, I'll let her do the driving around the immediate neighborhood. Hi State Farm Agent!

I take up the slack for my daughter on chauffeuring the kids home or to work, or maybe even a play date with Grandma J a dinner at Chili's or Cheddars.

This week I've done some afternoon baking because Ree, over at Pioneer Woman, invited some bloggers to come to her ranch and bake with Barbarella Bakerella. I was snubbed decided to virtually play along and bake with them...sort of. Besides, today we had plenty of rain, which gives me a good excuse to stay in and get creative.

Besides my daughter and grandkids, I have some other human contact here in Texas. Yes, I do...and I'm not just talking about Gary at ATT, Dr. Bob or the cable guy.

I have a few semi friends here at the Compound, we might do something once a month or just visit. But really most people here are old. I have two friends outside the Compound and get this! All four of them are named Michelle!!

Michelle #1 is my daughter's neighbor across the street. She's an RN and works long hours. Her husband is deployed so I help out when needed, picking her daughter up at the high school.

Michelle #2 is a baseball mom, and her son is on my grandson's team. She is a new friend and might be reading this...."hi Michelle". I'm not sure she knows she's my friend.

Michelle #3 is another baseball Mom who I' have known for almost two years now. She and her husband own a T-Shirt printing shop and she also moonlights at Starbucks. What I really love about Michelle #3 is the fact that she calls me to come get her free pound of coffee every so often because she doesn't drink coffee. She's also a fun person who likes to go to bingo every six months.....a real plus? She's not old. Hi Michelle.


Michelle #4 is this gal. She has been doing my pedicures and manicures since before I moved to Texas! I used to get my nails done on my visits to Texas, and it's possible Michelle is the reason I moved here. Not likely, but possible. If you can't tell, Michelle doesn't want her picture taken because she's in a witness protection program very shy. Hi Michelle!

Yesterday, I went to see Michelle #4 at the nail salon for my bi-weekly pedicure.


She likes me to soak for two hours because I won't let her use the cheese grater on my heals. So, I soak until the blue stuff melts away the callouses.

See? Being retired is exhausting! And just so you know....I don't watch Oprah, Ellen or Dr. Phil.

NOTE: Just so you know....commenter loxandlo is my old boss...not that she's old, because she's not.....it's just that I have to clarify, any goofing off or slacking was never, ever done while I worked in Geomatics. I waited until she retired, and I went to Administration...we all know that's where the gravy train is. And now we are both retired and good friends.

FRIDAY MATINEE ON MONDAY

Well, only two of you offered me a movie suggestion. I can only assume that my other two readers are either busy entering a contest at Pioneer Woman for a Kitchenaid mixer, or they slept in late.


Here are the suggestions.....Rebeckah @ Life With Kaishon suggested The Boy In The Striped Pajamas. That movie isn't playing within 40 miles of me. I do hope to see it when it gets closer to home.


Cortney @ The Cortney Chronicles suggested Australia. Another movie I want to see, but I may be disappointed because it will remind me of my Aussie heartthrob Hula Hank who is way cuter than Hugh Jackman. What's even more depressing is they are both spoken for.


So, I'm going with a retro "memories are made of this" type movie...

Cadillac Records! I heard the soundtrack is fantastic, and Beyonce is fabulous as Etta James. I can't wait to get back to you all later this evening.

Don't wait up because after the movies I have other social stuff to do.

Object in Mirror is Cuter in Person



Enough about the World Series and Name that Bear contests....

A popular blogger posted about her beloved dog Charlie....again. He's a fine speciment of a dog, a Bassett Hound, and just as cute as can be. Recently she posted some pictures of Charlie in her side mirror of her car.....and said it was more fun that a barrel of monkeys, and suggested that her readers try it.

Did I just win something for the longest run-on sentence?

Well, not to be outdone, I thought I'd take some side mirror shots of JJ today.

Yeah, it wasn't easy...he likes to look out the drivers window because the ones in the back only go down halfway.

But he's always on a mission, no matter...even from the back seat.

"JJ, lookie here, Grandma J sees you!.....smile for Grandma J"

Once we get to the High School parking lot....his focus changes...he's on a bigger mission.

Looking right........

Then he hears a familiar voice.....

....it's his big sister

NAME THAT BEAR....please!

I'm having a contest!

Wouldn't you like to win something like this?

Or how about one of these?

Well, the answer is yes you could, if you were entering one of Pioneer Woman's contests The Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

But I love you too, and I want to give you this.....

a WalMart Gift Card valued at $25. I can hear you saying, it's about time yeah!

I have been very fortunate ever since I won two football pools started my blog back in March. I've met so many bloggers over the Internet and some in person...like Her, and Her...on my Major Road Trip to Phlugerville Tx.....and Him, and Him and Her in Los Angeles CA. So, this is my way of saying thank you, and let you know how much I enjoy all of your blogs.

Now, for the contest. Here's what you do. See the slide show in the column on the right? See that pitiful cute little "astronaut" bear? Well, I've been featuring my little astronaut bear in my posts for quite some time, and he's never had a real name....and a reader recently reminded me that he needs one. So, please submit a name in the comment section.

Since I don't have more that six a zillion readers, I won't be using a random computer generated winner picker. No, it will be a random grandchild's grubby little hand picking the winner out of a hat.

So, rack your brain, and shuffle your feet....then come up with a perfect name for my little bear.

Please! Just one entry per person!

Contest ends Friday, October 31st at noon PDT.

That's right, get your entry in before you go trick or treating. I will announce the winner at 6 PM on Friday....unless I can't find a grandchild with grubby hands.

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WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE

Game 1: at Rays, PHILLIES TAKE IT 3 -2

Game 2: at Rays, RAYS TAKE IT 4-2

Game 3: at Phillies, PHILLIES TAKE IT 5-4p

Game 4: at PHILLIES TAKE IT 10-2

Game 5: at Phillies (if nec.), Mon., Oct. 27, 8 p.m. ET
Game 6: at Rays (if nec.), Wed., Oct. 29, 8 p.m. ET
Game 7: at Rays (if nec.), Thurs., Oct. 30, 8 p.m. ET

I'VE HAD IT UP TO HERE.....
....Here being my eyeballs, and beyond

My first Saturday back in Texas, my laundry is done, I haven't vacuumed yet, but I have the wrong size bags, and I haven't won a new Oreck XL or Dyson Animal from The Pioneer Woman....so, my day was pretty much free.

Free enough to spend some time with my granddaughter, coloring her hair. Nothing drastic, just a tad shade darker for vibrancy. Yeah, that's what I'm calling it.

We took JJ with us in the car to buy the products, and of course being the worlds best grandma, I let my granddaughter drive. She's only 14, but I told her not to tell me.

My Saturday sounds pretty laid back and fun, right? You know better...I can't fool my readers...this can only get better or worse.

I was out of coffee, so I wanted to stop at Starbucks. There were three cars lined up to turn right into the driveway ahead of me. The driveway that leads to Taco Bueno and Starbucks...one way in, same way out. It's a wide driveway, so cars can pass each other in opposite directions. Follow me? Good.

Whoa! This lady cop decided to block the whole friggin driveway, parking diagonal. Now, for all we knew, she had stopped a hardened criminal, but she could have pulled up directly behind him to prevent him from exiting....but no.

After about ten minutes it was apparent that this person wasn't a dangerous criminal, or the officer would have called for back-up. The man in the first car in line, got out and asked the officer if she could pull forward so we could access the two restaurants. She told him, no, we would have to wait.....wait we did. And I took pictures, and really wanted to take one or two of the Taco Bueno and Starbucks employees who were standing outside watching....because they didn't have any customers, but my memory card was full.

The criminal was given a ticket, and the officer left. Are you wondering why I'm telling you all this? Because I emailed the pictures to the local paper, Police Department, Starbucks and Taco Bueno. Guess where you can find me come Monday?

Here's a tiny bit of good news.....