Spring Time

Spring is obviously here in Kentucky. Our trees are blooming like mad and the smell makes me want to close my eyes and inhale deeply. (oh and sneeze and take some more allergy meds too) Boo is going crazy with all the birds that have been flocking to our yard to feast at the bird feeder. I even had to bust out the mower already just so that the little dog wasn't lost in all the crazy grass in the back yard.

With all this spring growth, I am getting the planting itch in the worst way. This year I plan to stuff my little garden full of goodness. Oh and some completely worthless pumpkins. Pumpkins are just the cutest little things. I can't help myself. Maybe I will plant ones that we can actually eat this time.

With all the planting dreams rolling through my mind and a dog that will eat anything she can, I thought that maybe I should check out which plants I should avoid. Just in case Jessie decides to augment her strict bunny poo diet and gets the plant eating itch or something crazy like that.

I knew alot of these toxic items but I was unaware of mushrooms?? Come on. Seriously? Lantana? How can that even begin to look like something a dog would eat? Chocolate I can totally understand but lantana?

Yes, I was once blond.

Try not to be shocked but I was blond as a child. Very blond. I would post a picture here but my mother hordes pictures like the ITEOTWAWKI folks horde ammo and #10 cans. But that is another story and I will cast no stones from my glass house.

Chuck recently got an iphone. I have to admit that I am a bit jealous but atleast he was nice enough to give me his ipod to distract me. Now I can dance around like a fool while I vacuum or groove while I use the elyptical. Yeehaw. Pretty picture, no? I have wanted an ipod since they were bigger than an iphone so I'm happy. Today, vacuum in hand, I thought I heard a new Sheryl Crow song. Step it up Sheryl! I was impressed with her flair. New twist on an old favorite song. Then the next song came on. Wow. Even OCMS has a new twist on a song. Third song rolls around and I realize that there is no way the Velvet Underground is stepping it up. My brain is quick like fox when it comes to the painfully obvious.

The message here people is to always make sure your earbuds are plugged in all the way or else you too might here a new twist on an old song. Unless you are into that kinda thing.

teeheehee

A few days back, a friend made her husband a target for the gun range. Tonight, we watched as he loaded it into the back of his truck for his trip to the gun range tomorrow morning. As we watched, we hatched an evil plan like the freaks the we are. Muwahahaha. Poor guy. I really hope he doesn't find our handy work until he arrives and has an audience.

Disney or Bust

We recently joined some of our friends on a down with February trip to Disney. I was terrified of the 13+hrs in the car but the time flew by. Kaileigh rocked out in the backseat like a traveling pro!
As a bonus, we escaped the remains of the icestorm. Awww the sweet sweet sunshine. Does wonders to the winter blahs.

Going as a group was simply the icing on the cake. Kaileigh loved seeing her friends so far from home. Plus plenty of daddies to carry small children on their shoulders ruled! Did I mention that February is an off season so the crowds are small?

Fort Wilderness did not let me down either. Super clean. Kaileigh got to ride a Shetland pony named Snow. The daily boat rides were fun as well.

Even though we have not been to Disney since the 80's it was still so much the same.

Oh and yup still love the tea cups!

Dam Pets!

The following is the conversation Kaileigh and i had as we were getting ready for bed tonight:

Momma, I want a dam pet. *waves hands*
You already have THREE of them.
No I don't. I want a dam pet. *more waving of hands*
(keep in mind that I am really tired and taking meds so I am not all that quick on the up take)
Kaileigh, you have one big dog, one dog that thinks its a cat and one kitten. We can't handle anymore pets.
a DAAAAAMMM PEEEEET! You know, one that MAKES DAAAAMMSSSS.
ohhhh. A beaver!?!
God, yes woman.
Don't talk to me like your Daddy.

All that was missing was a slap on the hiney and that would have sealed it.

I also just realized that I let the dam get by as if it was nothing. Hooray! I'm so close to that mommy of the year award I always dreamed of! So close.

Clean out your fridge manicotti

I love vacations but the return home can be a real downer. Especially if you are like me and concentrate on packing and getting ready and not what is in your fridge. I have been making it a top priority on my vacation prep to do list to eat all the goodies before they turn nasty and taunt me when I return.

Last night I opened my fridge and grabbed an armful of items that need to be eaten before we leave. Some ground turkey, carrots, mozzarella, some eggs and a small bit of cream cheese. A quick look through the pantry and I had a plan, manicotti.

Manicotti
1lb ground turkey
3 carrots, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Italian seasonings* to taste
s/p to taste

2 eggs beaten
1/3 block cream cheese, softened
1 jar sauce of choice
manicotti shells, cooked per instructions

Brown your turkey, set aside
Saute carrots, onion and garlic (I think zucchini or spinach would work as well)
Combine half jar sauce with turkey, onions, and other veggies.
Stuff your precooked shells and place in casserole dish
Drop blobs of cream cheese onto shells
Pour beaten eggs over shells
Back for 30 min
top with cheeses of choice and set back in to brown.

Whew was that good. I had enough of the mixture to stuff 2 boxes of shells so I reserved half and froze it. I love make ahead meals. Even if they are only part way. I used cream cheese but you don't have to. I'm sure whatever cheese you have would work. Manicotti is very forgiving.

*The Italian Herbs that I use is the McCormick Italian Herb Seasoning GRINDER. I am not big on buying blends** but I really do like this one. I am not sure I will buy another one when this one is gone because I can do the same in my spice grinder. It is good though.

**Please note that I do buy Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning like it is going out of style. I will use that in just about any recipe that I can. I even used it in the manicotti :)

Its a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake

Five years ago today we were welcoming a tiny baby into our family. For four and half of those years I enjoyed her still being my baby. Over the last six months it has been all to obvious that she has been busy turning into a big girl. She is no longer hesitant to run right in the middle of a pack of bigger kids in our court. She nolonger sits on the sidelines waiting to jump in. She dives right on in head first. She is still learning how to deal with a bully though. grrrr

For four long years she loved blue. We had to search for blue everything. Do you know how hard it is to find blue girly shoes? Not navy blue either. That would have been too easy. A light blue close to periwinkle purple was her fav. Now it is pink. Pink everything. The icing on the five year old cake was the sudden interest in dresses. Zoinks! My baby wants dresses and not overalls.
Recently she decided that she wants tons of new dresses for when she starts school this fall and she wants to go shopping for them.

Last Friday, she had her party at a local bouncey place and we all had tons of fun. Tonight she has requested that we go out to eat and get chicken shwarma. I think I can handle that.

For now I must go and make a cake with pink layers and pink icing. *sigh*