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

13 weeks now...

 This is Ralphie.
Ralphie is a Basset Hound.

He's our newest baby.
We wuv him.

We got him on Mother's Day... or rather, I did.

He was only 9 weeks old when he joined our family.
We've had him for about 4 1/2 weeks.  He's 13 1/2 weeks now.

Ain't I good at math?

 Ralphie has made himself right at home.

This happens all day long... every day.
Every day for the past 4 1/2 weeks.
Did I mention that it happens all day long?

 But we all still wuv him.

 These two items have become my newest best friends...
as well as, the diapers and the wipes for the toddler.

It's non-stop and it's everywhere, man.

Much Love from Poop and Peeville...
just send more paper towels and air fresheners.
Thanks,
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

pure and simple veggie soup...

I'm off The Cleanse!  Whew!
That was a challenge.  But I did it, and I felt (and still feel) GREAT!
Today, I'm on day 4 of the MAX Phase (go here to see my previous
post if you haven't a clue as to what I'm talking about),
and day 14 of the 24-Day Challenge.  I've never felt better!

I ended the 10-Day Cleanse with a loss of: 1-inch in my bust, 3 1/2-inches
in my waist, 2-inches in my hips, and 1-inch in my thighs.
I immediately ran to the mall and bought a new pair of size 8's!
I couldn't contain myself.  If I lose more, I'll just have them taken in.
But in all actuality, I'm ok with a size 8... now, if only I could tone up the flab.  ;)

As promised, here is a (not so good) photo of me on day 1 of The Challenge.

I'll try to remember to get another photo this week.

Also, as promised, here is a run down of a typical
day of eating while on the Cleanse... this was my 3rd day.
I was craving something hot and comforting for dinner, so I came up
with this veggie soup.  It's not so different from any other veggie soup,
I suppose, but to me, that night, it was the BEST THING EVER.  ;)

Day 3
Upon rising I would (and still do) drink a tall glass of chilled water.
Then, I would drink the (yummy... NOT) Fiber drink that comes with the Cleanse.
After about 30-minutes I would have a SPARK drink.  I love this stuff!

Then, it went like this...
A banana.
A glass of ice water.
About 1 cup of Low-Sodium V-8 Juice.  I guess this was my
lunch that day.  Starting on Day 4 I would have a hearty green salad
with half of a tomato and half of an avacado.  I would add about 1/2 a can
of tuna (or some days, grilled salmon) with fresh lemon juice and lots of pepper.
As an afternoon snack, I had a handful of almonds with another SPARK drink.
About an hour and a half later I had a handful of fresh baby carrots.
Ice water.
For dinner I had a 1/2 cup of hot Veggie Soup with the salad I just described above.
More ice water.
And finally, a handfull of red seedless grapes right before bed.
I found the grapes were helpful with night time sweet cravings.

Whew!  Am I glad that Cleanse is over with!

However, this Veggie Soup recipe is one that I will most definitely make again.

~Pure & Simple Veggie Soup~4 small to medium size Yukon Gold Potatoes, chopped
10 to 12 baby carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 giant (49oz) can of Swanson Chicken Broth
1 (14oz) can of Swanson Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste... I like a LOT!A few dashes of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper... or more to taste.

Place the chopped potatoes, carrots, celery and onions in a soup pot or dutch oven.
Add the chicken broth, chicken stock, olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper,
garlic powder and seasoned salt.
Place over medium-high heat, stir well and bring to a boil.
Boil for about 30-minutes, or until the potatoes are softened.
Add in the green beans, squash, zucchini and Cayenne Pepper.
Stir until blended.
Simmer over medium-low heat for about 15-minutes more.
Serve with hot fresh French bread, whole wheat bread or over whole wheat spiral pasta.

Make it a great week and enjoy this soup!
xo

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

fat witch...

I received something fun in the mail this past Saturday.

I just love getting fun stuff in the mail, don't you?
Whether you order it for yourself or a friend sends you a card...
there is just something special, something that makes you
smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside when opening something other than bills.


Isn't this the cutest thing?!


And the bag is adorable.
I'm a full-fledged bag lady. hee hee


Lets see what's inside...




Oooooooh... I love the packaging.

How clever.


Baby brownies! Awwww...
Aren't they adorable?!

Perfect for snacking.

Look, there's more...

Mmmmmm... bigger brownies!

Big fat brownies
This one is the "Blonde Witch".
Yum!

More?

Ahhhh... this one is MINE!
I must eat it now.

But first...

Let me share with you where I found
these lil' witches.
Over the holiday's I picked the
premiere issue of Where Women Cook.

I fell instantly in love.
And no, it doesn't have anything to do with
the fact that PW is on the cover...
Well, sort of.

This magazine is beautiful.
It was created by a woman.
It showcases women.
It's lovely.

Best thing is, it's full of information, ideas and inspiration.
I know that each time I pick it up I'll find something new.

Here is the section where I discovered
the famous Fat Witch Bakery, located
in Chelsea Market in New York.

I quickly looked up the link online and placed my order.

Had to have some of this goodness. Stat!

Now, lets eat one...

Again, I love the packaging.

I think I'll try this one first... it's the original.

Ooooh, I can't wait.

Huh?

Seems my homegirl was hiding behind me and couldn't wait either...


Back for seconds and I haven't even tasted yet...

She shows no remorse.

She pretty much grabbed, chewed and bolted...
but in her wake she proclaimed, "YUM"!

Fine... I'll go ahead and have the Java Witch.
Each one has their own little saying on the back.
Adorable.

Oh. My.
Pure deliciousness.
Simple satisfaction.

Give 'em a try. Order yourself a Fat Witch...
it'll make you smile.

xo
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*