big helper...

Hello Friends!

Yes, it's been a while.

I sincerely apologize.

But, this one little blog post doesn't

mean I'm back at blogging full time again either.

It's just that recently my blog has come up

in a few conversations.  Which made me realize how much
I miss it and that some really do stop by to read it and keep up with me.

Again, I sincerely apologize for my absence.

It's just that blogging takes TIME... a lot of time.

And there just are not enough hours in the day for me to get it ALL done.

So, since my last post, which by the way, was back on June 9th,

my baby boy grew up and went off to college.

No, not really, he just turned 3...

But he will one day... and that day will probably be tomorrow.  *sniff*

But, as of yesterday... he was such a big helper!

He helped his dad put out our inflatable snowman...

Here he is reluctantly wearing his hat...

The stakes were a tangled mess.

Oops, he saw me with the camera... typical of him.
Hey Jude, cute hat!

Patience is a virtue.
One glance up and I got it!

He's working so hard...

Ha!  Yes, he's such a good helper!

I hope you all are well and enjoying this holiday season.
We are all well and oh so very blessed.

Thanks for stopping by.
xo
rolo

salisbury steak...

Ha!  This time yesterday I actually started this blog post...
I'm just now getting back to it.  But, well, you know how that goes.

Whew!  We had some crazy weather last night (actually
it was two nights ago... I wanted to keep this post original)...

Heavy rain, hail, wind and rotation clouds all over the DFW area.

Everything is lovely and sunny today... but for a few hours

last night I was in a state of panic and freaked out mode.

It's pretty darn scary when the warning sirens are going

off, you lose your satellite connection, and your second-born

homegirl is on the phone with you, telling

you that a tornado has been reported right down the street from

your house, and then she starts crying and asking,

"what are y'all going to do?".

I'll tell you what I did...

I broke out in hives, that's what I did... and then I did this...

I ran to my youngest homegirl's bedroom (because that is where

the largest interior closet is located in mi casa) and began clearing it out.

I hung up with second-born homegirl... told youngest homegirl to

call her back on her phone, so I could call oldest homegirl and check on them.
(Did you get all that?)

They live just four miles from me in the direction the rotation was heading.

She was in freak-out mode too, but they were ok.

Meanwhile, JB was cool as a cucumber, as he stepped out onto the

front porch to keep watch, and got his brother (who lives out in an

Eastern suburb) on the phone to get the latest reports.

All the while I was darting from front door, to back door,
to laptop, to tv, to homegirls room... with a toddler on my hip.
Freak-out mode I tell you. 

And before we knew it, it had blown over and all was still again.

And that's when my youngest homegirl began teasing me about

how I went into "psycho hulk mom mode" while clearing out her closet.
She started putting sound effects to my earlier actions...
and before I knew it, I was cracking up.
God bless the teenagers.

So, unfortunately, I only got this one shot of my
ridiculously yummy salisbury steak.

*Salisbury Steak*

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs... I used seasoned.
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt... I used a big pinch of Kosher.
1 8oz pkg baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can cream of onion soup... the recipe actually
called for French Onion Soup, but I forgot by the time
I got to the grocery and grabbed the wrong one.  But it works great too!
1 can beef consomme

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs,
egg, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic, pepper and salt.
Form mixture into about 6 patties.
Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Add patties to skillet, in batches if necessary,
and cook for  7 to 8 minutes per side or until browned.
Remove patties from pan and set aside.
Toss your sliced mushrooms into skillet, and saute
for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender.
Add flour and cream onion soup and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Stir in consomme.
Return patties to skillet; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer
uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until patties are cooked through and
sauce is thickened.
Serve immediately with your favorite mashed potatoes!

Make it for the people you love tonight.
They will love you forever!

xo

sweet memories...

Isn't it funny how your senses can trigger a flood of memories?

One bite of this amazing pie and I was back in my Grandmommy's kitchen circa 1981.

Growing up in the Midwest town of Muncie, Indiana, being raised by my grandparents.

Life was pretty simple back then.

I was in the 7th grade at Wilson Middle School and my best
friend in the entire world was Alicia.  She and I were inseparable.
We sang Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n' Roll" at the top of our lungs as
we experimented with black eyeliner, and rode our bikes all over town.
Her mom, "Bombie", made THE. BEST. mac n' cheese and had the
tannest, longest legs I had ever seen... Daisy Duke had nothing on Bombie.

Most Friday nights were skating night at Gibsons...
until the Disco opened, then they were dancin' nights.

My Grandaddy was a handsome Sailor man, who after
serving his country, settled down and worked at Warner Gear.
He had a passion for fishing, gardening, country music
and cooking a big Sunday morning breakfast.

My Grandmommy was a beautiful, kind, nurturing, lady
and would give her last dime to anyone in need.
She had a passion for canning and baking.

And even though Grandaddy was the Sailor,
it was my Grandmother who could cuss like one. ;)
I miss that about her.

Every May, when strawberries and rhubarb grew hearty
in his garden, he'd selectively pick and bring them
in for my Grandmommy to make her pie.

She made her entire pie from scratch, crust and all.

My Grandmommy passed away suddenly in the Summer of 1997
and I had failed to get the recipe for her Strawberry
Rhubarb Pie, among many others.
I have regretted it since.

My Grandaddy lived for 10 more years after her.
He finally took his brides hand once again in the late Fall of 2007.

I loved them both dearly and miss them desperately every day.

Every May when I see rhubarb is in season, my heart aches.
Not only for them, but for "their" pie.  And because I never
got her recipe, I always pass up the rhubarb and just try
to remember the taste and smell of it.

This year, I bought some.
I brought it home and searched the web for a recipe.
I found one that I sounded yummy, made it,
(slightly different than she used too), put it in the oven and waited.
About an hour later I pulled it out of the oven, and got excited.
The aroma of this pie brought back memories.

*Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Streusel Topping*

FOR THE FILLING~
2-3/4 cup sliced fresh rhubarb... about 5-6 medium stalks
2 cups sliced strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoon cornstarch

FOR THE TOPPING~
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into pieces
1 unbaked deep dish pie crust... either store bought
or your favorite recipe

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries,
 sugar and cornstarch.  Mix well.  The mixture should be
thick and syrupy after sitting for several minutes.

While the filling mixture plays nices for a few minutes,
grab a small bowl.  Toss in the flour and brown sugar.
Cut in the butter until it resembles course crumbles.

Pour the filling mixture into your unbaked pie crust
and sprinkle the streusel topping over the entire pie.

Place onto a shallow rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for about 50 minutes... you more than likely will
need to put foil around the edges about half way through baking.
Keep an eye on it!

Cool completely before slicing.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy!
I truly meant to take more photos as I cut into it...

but I got caught up in the tidal wave of sweet memories with each bite.

In loving memory for Clyde and Margaret...  You'll always be a part of me.

transforming...

We're at it again. A transformation is taking place. Messes being made.

Homegirl using power tools. Homegirl is so excited...

an old favorite...

My oldest homegirl is in the hood!
She brought her little family down from
my old home town of, Muncie, Indiana for
some warmth and sunshine.

Pretty much as soon as they arrived and all the family and
extended family got together, someone got the bug.
*Cuss* at the bug. The bug is from the devil.
One by one it has infected and brought them to their knees...
even my poor little baby boy. It seemed to strike at the babies first.
*Cuss* at the bug. The bug is from the devil.

In between rotating in and out of the bathroom, we have
managed to have a little fun. Here's my granddaughter, Avah
at the Fort Worth Stockyards. She's a lil' miss sassy pants.
But that's ok... just look at that face.


Here's baby Gavin. He's only 3 months old.
He's the sweetest, most laid back little man
I've ever met... except when you mess with feeding time.

I have a point here... I was going to tell you something other
than about my family. However, I could talk about them all day.
They make me happy.

Oh, I know... "an old favorite".
Although my homegirl, Megan is an old favorite, she's not
what I wanted to tell you about.
No, my second favorite thing to talk about is... FOOD!

With the bug still lingering about, and since we're full blown
into the winter season (even though it's 50 degrees and sunny
here in big D... sorry to my Hoosier friends and family), I thought
I'd make an old favorite for dinner tonight
and wanted to remind you how easy and yummy it is.


*Chicken Tortilla Soup*

1 rotisserie chicken, chicken removed
3 to 4 cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken
1 can of Original Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Tortilla chips
Mexican blend shredded cheese
Sour cream... optional

~Combine the first six ingredients in a medium-large pot,
over medium-high heat. Stir to combine.
~Bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
~Serve with the tortilla chips and cheese (and sour cream) sprinkled on top.

Enjoy friends.
Stay warm and stay away from the bug.
It's the devil.
rolo

they grow up...

They grow up... they do.

This is my P Pie... my second born granddaughter.
She turned 1 yesterday.
Happy Birthday PJ!

A year ago my second born homegirl was
busy bringing her into the world.

I remember this exact moment... she, "Big D"
and the Doc had just made the decision to go with
a c-section. I told her give me thumbs up.
She was so brave.

A little while later we had this...


And this.


The next day I got to do this...

And take images of the beginning of her life.


So much love.


I know the feeling.
Even though I was a little younger when I had
my homegirl, (here she is turning 2), I can still
remember the exact moment of bringing her into the world...
and about a billion more moments of her life, and still feel the love.

I'll always feel the love.

Gosh, dang, they grow up too fast.
*sniff sniff*

edit addiction...

This is for my fellow photography enthusiasts...
you will be able to appreciate the natural occurrence
that overcomes you to edit-baby-edit, when you view your
images straight out of the camera. It happens to me always.
I can no longer look at a photo without the thought of
how to make it better, cooler, funkier, softer, textured, or pretty.

Don't get me wrong... I love, love, love capturing the images,
but it's the editing that is the most fun. To me, it's like a "blank
canvas", per se, each time.

Here let me show you how fun it can be...


This is a photo of me and my baby taken a couple
of weeks ago at the Arboretum by my homegirl.
We were out there getting some Fall/pumpkin/family
shots of P Pie, because she's turning one very soon,
and of her Uncle (that's my baby boy... ha ha, confused yet?)
because he's turning two next month.

Oh so sorry, we were talking about photography
and editing, not my family tree. I do that sometimes...
get off track.

Now where was I?

Oh yes... This is the SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) image.
My homegirl did good with centering us in front of the waterfall.
Although, my camera has a tendency to shoot a little on the dark side.

And what the heck? What was that white fuzzy
thing in my hair? Geez... so typical for me.


First thing was first...
I cropped the image, then removed the white fuzzy thing.


Next, I ran "Lighten Brighten" from Flora Bella's Action Sets...
There, that brightened things up a bit.


Then it was time for "Soft Color Pop from the Flora Bella collections...
This is one of my favorites from the collections but it made
this image a little too yellow. But I know how to fix it...


Pioneer Woman's "Cooler" action from Set 2
does wonders for red and yellow tones...
I use this one a lot. Especially on my food photos
when shooting in unnatural light while cooking after dark.


And lastly, I did a little airbrushing...
just to smooth things out and give a softness to us.

All that took only a couple of minutes.

But I couldn't stop there...

It's an addiction I tell ya.

My name is Rolo and I'm a Photoshop addict.

some of my favorite things from the weekend...

My baby homegirl's Homecoming shoe with her date's...


Being silly in formal wear...

Finally getting to wear my new vintage boots...


A sign at the Dallas Zoo... Love this! Love the "details"! ha ha ha...

And finally getting to see Jenny (she's the one on the left
with her trunk up) in her new, well deserved
and long over due, new habitat.
It made my heart happy for her. *sniff*

I'll have more fun details about each one later...
Hey, did you happen to catch which dress my homegirl chose?

Be back tomorrow...

dress shopping...

This is the dress.
This is it people.

ha ha ha... No, just joking.
This isn't the dress my homegirl chose to wear to Homecoming.
But you have to agree, it's a pretty snazzy dress huh?

Remember I said we called in all forces.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 were lots of help.
They picked 'em and homegirl carried.

They'd say, "How 'bout this one homegirl"...
and homegirl would agree to try it on.

Even P Pie had some comments to make.

Really she was saying, "Hey mom, take me to sit in the big fancy chair"...
"YaaaaaaY", she says.

A perfectly poised princess.

Oh look, they saw the camera.

And there they go...

Dress 1.
Cute. Black.

Dress 2.
Colorful. Funky.

While we waited in between try ons
P Pie showed us her standing skills...

Then she went back to gotta-get-somewhere-fast skill.
Hey, she's got places to go and people to see.

Dress four.
Shiny. Pretty.

Dress five.
Cool. Fun. Flirty.

Dress six.
Pretty color. Delicate detail.
The lady who was helping us/her said she
looks like a little dolly in this dress.

Dress seven.
Well, who in tarnation can go shopping
with homegirl legs over there...
What dress?

Ok... dress seven.
Pretty. Champagne in color.

Dress eight.
Pretty color. Pretty detailing.
Super low cut in front and sides. Cool crisscross back.
Homegirl didn't keep it on for very long.

Dress nine.
Pretty blue. Flowy.

There were a few other that weren't even
worthy of a try on.

So, what's your vote?
Which one do you think my baby freshman homegirl chose
to wear to her very first formal dance?

I'll give you a little hint...


It wasn't this one.

Stayed tuned... a couple of weeks is the big day.

Peace out...
rolo