Amy turned 13 on Saturday so there are two teens in the house now! She had two friends spend the night, two others were unable to make it. They had a pizza pajama party and stayed up well past 1am. We took them all to the mall then next morning to run around. Amy ended up with a pair of teal jeans and two shirts, Ryan and Sarah, who have half-birthdays now, got a shirt apiece. It ended up being a great celebration, everyone had a great time!!
Mark's dad celebrated his 81st birthday on Wednesday so this morning I cooked a big pot of red beans and rice** and baked a chocolate raspberry pie* for his birthday. Mark and I took his parents to see his new office. It happens to be right across the street from their old neighborhood. Now, when I say old, I mean OLD! They moved from there when Mark was a baby. We had a nice visit with them, as nice as you can with someone who has dementia(his mom).
Now I believe I am due a nap!
Next week will be hectic but hopefully I'll be more posty!
* recipe here with modifications of an extra egg yolk and 2 extra tbsps flour, a tiny bit more sugar, dash of cinnamon and a 1/2 tsp raspberry extract. Oh, and I used Special Dark cocoa powder.
** Red Beans and Rice
1.5 pounds dried red beans
3 medium sized ham hocks
3 ribs celery
2 onions
1 green pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground savory
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne(or so)
1 pound smoked kielbasa or sausage of your choice, sliced.
6 cups cooked white rice.
Soak beans overnight. Drain and keep in colander. Cook chopped veggies(except garlic) in oil for 5-6 minutes. Add ham hocks, garlic, bay leaves and seasonings, cook for another 5-6 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add beans and about 10 cups of water, or to cover. Simmer, partially covered, over med-low heat for 2-3 hours. Remove ham hocks and add sliced sausage. Simmer over medium heat for another 1-2 hours, uncovered, stirring often to prevent burning. Fish out bay leaves, let stand 10-15 minutes to thicken and cool a bit. Serve over rice with tabasco and salt at the table.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The goings on...
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9 comments:
They sure grow fast don't they?
Happy Birthday to Amy! Looks like she had a great time.
Be advised: it's all downhill from here. LOL! Congrats to Amy on becoming a teenager. Prayers for Mom and Dad to make it through the next few years.
Teenagers! I don't even want to think about it... all those raging hormones. Run for cover!
Did you call Mark OLD?
Sounds like a busy weekend but in a good way.
Kel
Kel, yep I called him old! Well, actually I was meaning that they'd been away from that neighborhood for a loooong time. Like since before I was born!!LOL That would be "old".
Kel, yep I called him old! Well, actually I was meaning that they'd been away from that neighborhood for a loooong time. Like since before I was born!!LOL That would be "old".
Molly, you have had your hands full. Teenagers are a challenge but fun too.
Happy birthday to Amy. Also to your father-in-law. the cake and the red beans sound so yummy. Thanks for the recipe. Good for a crowd!
I tagged you with a book tag. Come over and check it out. If you don't care to do it please don't. I had fun with it but it does take time!!!
Hugs...Jeanne
Happy Birthday!!
(wow...2 teenagers?!)
I am shaking my head a bit because I seem to have missed 2 posts...how does this happen?
Hapde burfday to Amy!
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