Snow in Texas!!! No, really!!!

For those who followed the national weather during the end of December, 2009, you noticed that Texas experienced a blizzard right before Christmas. Well, we didn't believe it at all - this was yet another lie by the vast Media-driven Weather Conspiracy...but when we got back, we actually SAW the snow! It was beautiful!!!

Front Yard

Back yard

Of course, it was all melted by the next morning...

Christmas in Ohio

This Christmas, Buzz was a-twitter with anticipation at the thought of driving along snow-encrusted fields on the way to Ohio. Of course, there was absolutely NO SNOW the entire trip up...but Texas got to experience a once-in-a-lifetime blizzard! However, despite the inherent injustice of it all, we had a wonderful time. The trip up was a bit difficult, as the long drive had a negative impact on a pregnant wife, compounding the already present aches and pains. To complicate matters, we had not yet told Buzz's family that we were pregnant, wanting to wait until everyone was together at dinner the day after we arrived to tell them, which meant finding alternate explanations for the subtle moans and the inability to get out of cars and chairs... Finally, though, everyone was told, and everyone was very happy for us.

Christmas was celebrated at Buzz's sister's house around 2:30 pm, which left a lot of time to relax. We started the day with a leisurely breakfast, then picked up Buzz's grandmother for lunch, before finally heading over to celebrate with the whole gang. Highlights included the Rice Krispie Christmas Tree, the game Mouse Trap, the oldest nephew getting enough Christmas cash to buy his own iTouch, Grandma's new cape, and Mom getting a special gift from her daughter - Buzz's Dad's purple heart citation and medal, mounted for display. Following gifts, we had a tasty turkey dinner, and musical accompaniment during clean-up - Buzz's nephew played the piano, while folks in the kitchen sang songs known and unknown. Following church on Sunday, everyone went out to lunch, taking a final opportunity for a well-dressed group picture.

Dad's Purple Heart

Grandma and Mom get matching microwaveable rice bags!

Getting ready for the turkey.

The very popular Rice Krispie Christmas Tree

What a beautiful group!

Believe it or not, there was finally snow! The night before we left, we finally got the long-awaited northern snow! Not enough to cause travel problems, but enough for Buzz's Christmas wish to come true! All in all, it was a very merry Christmas.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Christmas in Texas

We spent our Christmas with HBS’s family the weekend before, as we were traveling up to Ohio to spend the actual day with Buzz’s family. On Saturday, we had a wonderful festive Mexican meal with Mom, including tamales, enchiladas, two “heat levels” of Buzz’s homemade salsa, and individual fruit pizzas for dessert. All in all, the num-nums were very tasty! After the feast, we exchanged gifts per the Secret Santa drawing we had at Thanksgiving. Mom then provided some very special gifts for the family. First, she gave each child a framed outdoor scenery picture she had taken – we are all in agreement that her photography skills are professional! Next, Buzz and HBS received a few baby-oriented gifts – a blanket, and a humorous book about “unwanted advice” we will get during the pregnancy. Finally - and no doubt the most popular gift of the evening – all the boys received Nerf dart guns…which then deteriorated into a Nerf war of epic proportions…until one of the dogs got so excited, he tinkled right in the middle of the action.

The joy of giving and receiving!

Mom's beautiful picture

A Christmas wish fulfilled - she wanted a pink gun...!

The next morning, we shared a special brunch that Melanie prepared, then headed back to our house for further Christmas celebrations with Dad. He brought over barbecue brisket, sausage, and turkey, and all the trimmings. He was rewarded with Cowboys gear! We exchanged more presents, chatted, and watched some football, and soon everyone realized how tired we all were! We said our goodbyes, and HBS and Buzz packed up the car for the trip north!

Kitty lasted quite a while with many people around...

Cowboys gear for the Cowboys #1 Fan!

The whole gang experiencing Christmas joy

End of the Year News

Soon enough, the bunny will be replaced with a real live BABY!!! Due June 19 - we are exceedingly happy and excited! No plans on replacing the bib, though...

Nativity Pageant and Birthday Celebration

In the beginning of December, hours of practice and preparation came together in a glorious cacophony of Christmas joy and celebration - we participated in our church's Nativity Pageant! It is a live action telling of the story of the birth of Jesus that has been going on for over 10 years. HBS thrilled the audience by starring in the role of Mary, while Buzz performed the lesser known role of Head Priest (one of the narrators). It was an enjoyable but exhausting experience, performed in near-freezing weather over the course of two days. HBS even got to ride a real live donkey!

Mary and the High Priest - with several layers for warmth!

Later in the month, we celebrated the birthdays of HBS and her sister. Many wonderful gifts were given, and tasty num-nums were devoured at a nice Italian restaurant. The gift that has gone over the best has to be the Snuggie-type blanket that has helped HBS fight off the unusually low temperatures as we prepare for the Christmas season.

Receiving of the gift...

Such a beautiful model!

More to come once we are through to the new year - until then, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

November Update

Boy, howdy! The month of November seemed to fly by! Buzz was called away for a couple weeks during the month to go work in Florida - again, we aren't sure how much "work" is done... Then it was time to get the house ready for Thanksgiving. We had the back door replaced - the last home improvement project associated with the new siding - and once a new sewing machine was purchased, (Happy Birthday / Merry Christmas to HBS!) curtains were hung on the door window! After a fun- and family-filled Thanksgiving, we got out the Christmas decorations and trimmed the tree. Looks like we are now ready for more rockin' good times in December!

The most beautiful back door EVER!

Tasty Thanksgiving Turkey Treats!

The entire Thanksgiving clan

Such a beautiful tree!

Kitty has reclaimed her hiding place from last year...

October Update

October started with a weekend trip to the town where HBS grew up to celebrate our anniversary. Buzz had never been, and over two days, we saw all the homes, schools, and “stomping grounds” of HBS’s youth. We also went to the local Oil Museum and Rose Garden. The weather was beautiful until the drive home – it rained the whole way! Several small activities kept us busy during the month – we made fish tacos for the first time, bought a new laptop, finished our bedroom curtains, and even went to a musical – “Evil Dead: The Musical”! The last was more Buzz’s thing, but it was actually pretty funny! We ended the month carving pumpkins for Halloween, and handing out candy for Trick-or-Treaters.

HBS learning her "roughneck" skills.

"Ooooh, water come from metal tree! Nifty!"

Quite a breath-taking view...

HBS chatting with a new friend at the Idea Garden

Another new friend at the hometown lake!

Wildcat Pride - CATCH IT!!!

The infamous fish tacos with home-made tortillas and slaw

The bedroom curtains are DONE!!!

The best part - removing pumpkin guts!

A gargantuan gaggle of ghoulish gourds!

September Update

Looking back, it seemed we did a lot more during the month than the list indicates – it sure wore us out! We joined with people at our church to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity. Unfortunately, it has been a very rainy month, so we ended up working in a lot of mud! We also took a walk around the city’s cultural district for the Free Museum Day – we went to the Kimball Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Log Cabin Village, taking a break for some tasty num-nums at Dos Gringos Mexican restaurant. One of our monthly projects was to take the pears from HBS’s grandfather’s pear tree and learn a new skill – canning! We made pear jam, a pear spread, and pear preserves. We got lots of practice, and escaped with very few injuries. Towards the end of the month, we had dinner at Texas De Brazil to celebrate our 3^rd anniversary – my, how time flies! Since the third anniversary is traditionally the “leather” anniversary, we bought each other appropriate gifts…leather-bound Bibles, of course!

Hard at work!

So proud of our handiwork.

I don't think this is a fair division of labor!

Can someone kiss the boo-boo and make it better...?

The finished product! Not bad for canning newbies, eh?

Another Great Recipe

Fantabulous, stupendous, healthy and tasty - here's a phenomenal garlic soup recipe, courtesy of Emerald Green at Going Green in a Pink World:

2 medium onions, chopped
16 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
2 stalks of celery, de-stringed and chopped
4 tbsp butter
6 cups of chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, washed and cut up
3 yellow or zucchini squash, sliced
1 tsp thyme
crushed peppercorns
sea salt

Optional - roast the garlic before mixing with the soup.

Saute onions, celery and garlic in butter until soft. Add chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil and skim. Simmer the soup, covered, until the potatoes are soft. Add the squash and seasonings and simmer uncovered 10 minutes or until squash is tender.

Now comes the fun part - puree soup with a hand-held blender. Add water if it's too thick. If you don't have a hand-held blender, use a regular blender or food processor - just eat it chunky!

Add sour cream and seasonings to your liking!

My Fall Garden

This year will be my first year to plant a fall garden. Since Buzz and I built a wonderful space for our spring and summer garden, I decided to try and continue to use that space through the fall. I am going to plant spinach, kale and cabbage. All are relatively freeze hardy, so I am hoping this fall garden stays around until spring. Spinach is the only plant that I will cover come a hard frost...but how often does that happen here? Both the kale and cabbage will get sweeter tasting with snow.

Two weeks ago I started the seeds indoors and almost all of my seeds have sprouted. I'll let the seedling grow indoors until each plant has at least three leaves. At that point, I'll acclimate the plants to the great outdoors and plant them in the garden. Right now, we still have basil, jalapenos, and tomatoes growing. Before long all of that will be removed to make room for the next round of plants.

So what have we been up to?

Well, this summer has kept Buzz and I pretty busy! This has probably been my busiest summer in quite a while, at least in terms of travel.

Let's start back in June...where my last post left off. Here's the quick run down of the summer:

• The middle of June brought more birthday celebrations. Buzz's Mom and my grandpa celebrated their birthdays on the 11th.
  
• At the end of the month, I headed to NC to visit a friend for two weeks and Buzz headed to Ohio to help his Mom move into a gorgeous new house.
  
• In July, I join Buzz in Ohio (after the big move..Buzz wonders about the timing of above trip). We celebrate Breakfast in the Park, a 4th of July tradition in the family for 64 years now!
• We head back home and Buzz leaves again! This time he heads to CA for almost two weeks. He said he was working, but gorgeous pictures tell a different story.
• Come August, I take another trip to NC and stay one more week with my friend. We have a blast!
  
• At the end of August, Buzz and I are both back home.
• Right before September, we celebrate my Dad's birthday with everyone at his favorite restaurant with homemade carrot cake.
  

With one or both of us on the road this summer, little has been done around the house! Now, we are finally getting back into a routine and planning our fall projects.

So what do we now have on our plate? Well, we've got a few household projects to do before Thanksgiving (as it is always nice to have the house in good order before the company comes!). Buzz and our neighbor are fixing the fence between our homes. I'm planting a fall/winter garden (it's great to live in the South where the growing season never ends!). Lastly, we are heading on a short weekend trip to celebrate our 3rd anniversary.

And here are a few pictures to tell of all the fun had this summer:

Buzz and our BIL working around his Mom's new place.

Buzz and his Mom.

Mammoth Lake in CA

Minaret Vista in CA

Lemon Strawberry Trifle

Since I've had quite a few people ask for this recipe, I decided to post it on my blog. Now, I found the recipe in a Rachel Ray magazine months ago. Since then, I've changed it up a bit.

½ cup or more of strawberry jam or jelly
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1 completed recipe for Tangy Lemon Curd
1 compelted recipe for Whole Wheat Shortcakes
3 half-pints of strawberries

1. In a small microwaveable bowl, stir together the jam and 1/4 cup water and microwave for 1 minute at full power. Stir until slightly cool.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream at medium-high speed until stiff. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the lemon curd until incorporated.

3. Pull the shortcake apart and lay several pieces even layer in the bottom of a 10-cup trifle bowl (or other straight-sided, clear glass bowl). Drizzle 1/4 cup of the melted jam mixture onto the cake. Spoon one-third of the lemon cream on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle a half-pint of berries on top. Repeat the layering twice, mounding the last batch of berries in the center of the trifle.

Tangy Lemon Curd from The Nourishing Gormet

3 large eggs
1/4 -1/3 cup of honey
Grated zest of one lemon (I used about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or you could use ghee or butter).

1. In a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan, whisk together the first three ingredients until light colored.
   
   
2. Add the the coconut oil, breaking it into small clumps as you drop it into the pot for even melting. Then add the lemon juice.
   
   
3. Cook, whisking over medium heat until the coconut oil is melted. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and you start to see a few bubbles popping at the surface.
   
   
4. Remove from heat, and scrape into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Strain the curd, gently stirring if needed.
   
   
5. Refrigerate for several hours to thicken. Will keep about one week in the refrigerator.

Deluxe Whole Wheat Shortcake from Tammy's Recipes

4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar, divided*
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl with electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Continue beating at high speed and add 1/4 cup sugar, about 2 tablespoonfuls at a time. Beat well after each addition, until sugar is completely dissolved and egg whites stand in stiff peaks.
   
   
2. In another mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the egg yolks, flour, water, oil, baking powder, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the beaten egg whites until completely blended. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan or two smaller round cake pans.
   
   
3. Bake cake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched with finger and cake tests done. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pan. The cake will sink slightly as it cools.

May in Review

The vegetable garden is really taking off now. And to top it off, we now have a compost bin! I had contemplated the idea of a compost heap for a while now, but just didn't know where to put it. Then I came across the idea of creating a compost in a giant trash can. That is exactly what we did! Buzz drilled holes on the bottom and around the sides of a 20 gallon trash can. Weekly, we add kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, and paper products such as our shredded paper or newspaper. When I need to 'turn' the pile, I just roll the trash can! When I start my garden next year, I will have tons of compost to use in my garden. I can't wait!

We also did some work around the house. This month's project was to build more shelves. We built shelves above the television in the main room, in a closet, and in the pantry. Now all of the DVDs are being moved from the master bedroom into the main room. Yeah! And I finally have some space in the kitchen. Since I have taking on couponing, I've started stockpiling. I was beginning to run out of space, not any more!

The extra shelf in my pantry!

My stockpile of cereal!
When it's on sale for under a buck a box, I buy up!

This month Buzz spent a few weeks in Florida for work. Though he said he was working, I'm not sure if this picture on the beach supports that statement.


For Mother's Day, we headed over to my Mom's with homemade pizza dough and a few toppings. For most of the family, it was the first time to eat our homemade pizzas. It was a hit!


For dessert we ate Lemon-Berry Trifle (for the dessert lovers out there, I promise to post the recipe!). And for our entertainment, my brother tried to catch the microwave on fire!

At the end of the month, celebrated Mom's birthday. Her birthday is June 1, however we celebrated a day early so that everyone could join in the celebration. Mom had wanted to buy a grill. So for her birthday, we pitched in and bought one. We thought we'd be able to get it put together in under an hour. How naive! I think we finally at lunch at 2!

Hard at work!

Finally the food is on the grill!

And we also have a new backyard kitty. For those of you who don't know, we have a rather large family of cats that roam the neighborhood. We saw this little kitty in our backyard just the other day. Isn't she pretty?