Side Dishes

There have been quite a few random posts from me lately! I've ranged from talking about Halloween, to election coverage, and now to recipes. I will blame today's topic on Kelly over this site.  It's another issue of "Show Us Your Life" and this is one where I can definitely bring something to the table.

Pun intended.

I like to cook, but I always feel like we have the same things over and over again. I know we aren't the only household that goes through this, and I'm always looking for something a little different to throw in the mix. Although I must admit the appetizer course is my real forte, my side dishes ain't too shabby either. My goal is to stay somewhat healthy, but keep it simple and quick with fresh ingredients. Of course we do have canned veggies and the occasional box of mac'n cheese, but I try my best to keep it fresh. Here are a couple of my go-to faves that are quick, easy, and delicious.

Steamed Artichokes

Ingredients:
Whole Artichokes
Water
Salt
Drawn Butter for dipping

This is the easiest recipe of all time. Put about 3 inches of lightly salted water in a pot. Get one whole artichoke per person and slice off the bottom stem so it will sit flat. Put the artichokes in the pot of  water, cover, and boil/steam for about 30 minutes. Once they are done, you simply pull the leaves off one-by-one and eat them kind of like a crab claw (bite, drag, and pull method). I like to dip each leaf in the drawn butter, which I spice up with a little seasoning. Yummy and very pretty-youre friends will be impressed cause they look so fancy! These go really well with grilled meats-especially steaks!

Sauteed Green Beans

Ingredients:
Whole, fresh green beans
Olive Oil & Butter
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Cloves

I buy the whole, fresh green beans instead of canned ones. (Farmers Plug - Buy fresh and local!) Rinse and then snap the ends off each bean. I get some chopped garlic cloves going in some olive oil and little bit of butter, then I throw in my green beans. I let them cook on low for probably 20-30 minutes or until they are al dente. You can of course cook them until they are soft, but I like mine with a little bit of crunch. Right at the end I like to sprinkle some parmesan cheese lightly over the top of the beans. They are still warm and when the parmesan mixes with the garlice and oil....well let's just say angels have been heard singing the Heavenly chorus.

(Although that might also be the whir from the flourescent light I still have in my kitchen. I drink wine while I cook sometimes and it's hard to tell the difference.)

Last but not least on my list of side dishes....Cajun Taters!

There is no picture because these look different every time I cook them. And the recipe also changes, too, if that helps you at all. Basically this is one of those go-to side dishes that can be as fancy or as plain as you want it to be. Which is part of the beauty of the dish!

Cajun Taters
Diced raw potatoes (I prefer Russet because they hold up well and don't mush up)
Salt & pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
Slap Yo Momma or Tony Chachere's (cajun-esque spices for ya'll Yankees)

Drizzle some olive oil on a flat baking sheet. In a bowl, drizzle some olive oil on the diced potatoes and then season with salt, pepper, and SYM. You can also add any other type of seasonings you have on hand. Trust me, it only makes them better. I have added sauteed onions, garlic and bell peppers to the mix as well. Spread the taters on the baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 400 for approximately 20-30 minutes. I like to stir them around a few times during the cooking process so they bake evenly. Sometimes I add more spices or small bits of butter. These potatoes go really well with hamburgers, and it's a nice, somewhat healthier option than the typical deep-fried french fry.

Hope ya'll enjoy!

Politics As Usual

I have somehow managed to keep my political rants and tirades off The Facebooks. I'm somewhat amazed at that little fact. I guess seeing everyone else's rants and tirades makes me want to slit my wrists with a rusty butterknife, so I've spared everyone the chore of having to scroll past my opinions.

But, this is MY blog, and I feel like most of you (hopefully) check in here occasionally to see if I have some sort of funny revelation, story, or happenings pertaining to absolutely nothing of much importance. And since most of you are here by choice, I don't feel quite so badly about ranting and tirading.

No, I'm not happy with the main outcome of the election. But, at the same time, I don't believe ONE LITTLE BIT that the country is now going to hell in a handbasket. This country is what we make it, and as long as there are people out there willing to work hard and help a neighbor, I think we're gonna be alright. And honestly, I don't really know if my candidate could have done any better. These are difficult, complicated times we are in and everybody can play Monday Morning Quarterback all they want, but the bottom line is that there is no way to know what will and won't work until we try it.

In the end, I think Obama has done some good things. But I also think he should be doing more. Instead of bashing our leader and joining the arguments that are dividing our nation, I'm choosing to be positive and trusting in my own strengths to carry me through the next four years. And the next fifty, for that matter. I refuse to give up on the greatest country in the world. I refuse to believe life as we know it is over. I refuse to let go of my pride and get in line.

I will say this, and it would no doubt anger quite a few folks:

Since when did EVERYONE I know become so damn interested in politics?!?! I bet the majority of the people I see spewing left- and right-wing agenda crap don't know diddly squat about the political scene in this country. I want to call each of them up and ask the following questions:

1.) Can you name more than two of the articles in the Bill of Rights?
2.) Do you know the names of our VP and Secretary of State?
3.) Can you explain Romney's 5 Point Plan?
4.) Can you explain the electoral college vote?

I don't have to ask. I know the answer. And please don't misunderstand me because I'm not claiming everyone should know everything there is to know about politicals. I sure as heck don't. It's too murky and twisted and devious for any half-way decent person to fully grasp.

I guess I'm just saying please, please, please don't base your thoughts and opinions on what a friend on Facebook says or posts. Go out, do your own research (from multiple sources, I might add) and discover your OWN opinion. Newsflash: Everyone has their own agenda. And not everything you read and see on the internet is real.

Onward and upward (hopefully), free cell phone and all,
TDC

Thankful Version 2.0

Change of plans! I've learned it's physically impossible for me to blog every single day of the month. As much as I wish I could, it just ain't happening.

So I changed up the plan, and I think my NEW plan is even better!

H and I are making a list at home. Every day we are each writing something we are thankful for. I promised him it didn't have to be sappy or corny; he could be totally honest, even if he was only thankful for Bud Light or high-definition TV.

My goal is that at the end of the month we can sit down together and look back at all of the things we are thankful for. You see, sometimes we get angry and say mean things to each other in the heat of an argument. Sometimes I wish he would take out the trash without being reminded. I know he wishes I would never cook spaghetti again. But I'm hoping that when we get frustrated with each other, we can look back at this list and remind ourselves of all the good in our life and in each other.

'Cause sometimes we both need to be reminded.

And in the end, as long as there isn't anything x-rated on H's list, I will post them on my blog. :)  I'm not making any promises, but I'm pretty sure it will be more funny than sappy!

And on another note:

Please vote! Cell phones, healthcare, and name-brand groceries are not a right, but voting is! Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative, or Purple People Eater--exercise your right to vote because a LOT of people before us have sacrificed their lives to ensure we have this freedom. And as one of my besties, Lindsey, said, "You're not allowed to bitch about the outcome if you don't vote!"

Thankful Day 2

This is Day 2 of my vow to blog every single day in November and say one thing I'm thankful for. I really try to be thankful at all times, not just in the month of the November. But, I feel like this is a good time to actually write it down and remind myself of all the blessings in life.

I'm not going to be one of those gals who claim life is rainbows and unicorns all the time. That ain't my style, and despite the status updates I see on Facebook, I'm convinced nobody else's life is perfect 100% of the time. Sometimes my job sucks. Sometimes I can't stand my husband/mother/boss/friend/child for one more second. Sometimes I dream about running away to an island where no one knows my name, no one expects me to do laundry, and everyone knows my favorite drink should be served in a coconut.

Everybody has bad days, and everybody gets a little frustrated sometimes. The point is this: Even in those times, I strive to be thankful. You have to have the bad days to really appreciate those good ones. And the good ones always outnumber the bad ones.

So with that being said, today I am thankful for a healthy family. H, Charlotte, and my parents are the most important people in my life, and they are all chugging along just fine. Except for the occasional runny nose or runny butt, we are in fine form. I don't think I'm a strong enough person to handle a major illness or health crisis, and Lord knows my household couldn't function without me so I HAVE to stay healthy!

Halloween 2012

After close to $100 worth of candy, a good 8 1/2 minutes of decorating, and at least one bottle of cheap wine...we survived another Halloween in Midtown Mobile! Yippee!

Halloween is awesome. I've always loved Halloween, even during my pitiful childhood Halloweens, which can be read about here. Halloween in Midtown is really special because there are literally hundreds of kids trick-or-treating up and down the streets. We even put up barricades on either end of our street so no traffic can come through, complete with police officers to keep an eye on things. It's great!

In case you were wondering, Charlotte was a bumble bee. And she was the cutest bee on the block!

And because everyone needs to see the wings...

Since we have so many kids trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, I have a few rules for candy distribution:

1.) No costume, no candy! - If you can't put forth the effot to wear a costume, why should I fork over my candy (that required quite a bit of effort to buy) to you? I realize that some people might not have a lot of extra money to spend on Halloween, which is totally understandable. It's not like I'm checking labels for Pottery Barn costumes! But anyone with a bit of creativity can make a costume out of things just lying around the house so don't come at me with those excuses.

2.) One stop per house! - Don't be a greedy gut, kids (or parents, for that matter)! One stop per house is going to result in plenty of candy to fill that Walmart sack. If I recognize the same kid from earlier in the night, I will straight up deny the goods.

3.) Teens are allowed, but only with a costume! - I turned away quite a few teenagers last night with no costumes. I don't have a problem with teens going trick-or-treating, but only if they suffer through the humiliation of wearing a costume. And I don't buy those "I'm a student!" excuses, either.

4.) Better costumes deserve better candy. - It's never too early for a child to learn that hard work pays off. A better-executed or more creative costume deserves a mini Snickers or Twix. Simply throwing your Winn-Dixie apron on over your jeans and T-shirt and calling yourself a cashier does not warrant the good stuff in my book. Thankfully I had plenty of Smarties and Dum-Dums to go around.

5.) Good manners = Extra Candy! - If a child is super polite and waits their turn, I ALWAYS give them more. Again, it's never too early to learn that good manners and a smile will get you much more in life!

I hope you had a wonderful and safe Halloween in your neighborhood, too! It appears that November is now here, so it's time to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. My goal is to post every day for the month of November and say something I'm thankful for. It's a good reminder to myself, and maybe to someone else, to stay positive and look for the good things in life rather than focus on what we don't have.

Today, I am thankful for Greekfest and Lamar Advertising, without which I would not be eating free Greek food for lunch. Opa!

Loss

I feel as if I should say something about what happened two weeks ago, but for once I don't really have much to say.

If you read this little 'ol blog, then you might have read my post where I talked about us welcoming a new baby next May. Charlotte was going to be a big sis, scared but we were excited....

Notice the past tense?

Sadly, I had a miscarriage and we lost the baby. I hate it when people say they "lost a baby" because 1) I did not misplace a baby and 2) It makes it sound as if it's someone's fault-and the doctors assure me that's not the case. Either way, it just wasn't meant to be right now.

When I found out I was preggers again, I freaked out. We're just now starting to feel like we are getting the hang of this whole parenting thing. Charlotte is almost 16 months old and getting easier by the day. I didn't want to start over with another newborn! I was frightened that I couldn't handle it, or that I would totally fail at work AND motherhood because I was overstressed, overtired, and just plain over it all.

So I prayed. I prayed that God wouldn't give me more than I could handle. Because I know he doesn't. I prayed that His will would be done, and our little growing family would adjust both financially and physically to the upcoming changes. It took a while, but I finally started to trust that God knew we needed this addition and that He would be making our family complete.

And when that's all taken away, it stings. Okay, it more than stings. It sucks. Just when we had gotten accustomed to the fact that a new baby was on the way---and we were actually really excited!-- it is taken away.

I am really and truly okay, because everyone asks. No one quite knows what to say or how to say it. And that's okay, too. Death, even in this situation when no one else has a connection to it, is hard and complicated and sad. I just count my blessings, for which I have many. Really too many to count, but I should try because looking at them makes me realize how lucky I have been thus far in life.

But it has taught me a lesson, as all hard things should. God did know what I could and could not handle, and he did not give me more than I could bear. But in the beginning, when I looked at the pregnancy as a hinderance and an unwanted strain on the life I thought we were so happily conquering, I realized how foolish I was. It's funny how you don't even realize you wanted something until all of a sudden it is taken from you, quickly and coldly.

So next time, and hopefully there will be a next time, I will be grateful and happy from the get-go. Not disappointed in our timing, stressed, or full of questions to God. I don't want to ask the "whys" and I don't want to know the "hows". And if there isn't a next time, if Charlotte is destined to be the only child, then that's okay, too. I'm still going to trust that God knows the ultimate plan for us. I just want to be content in the blessings.

Take That, Big Bird!

I'm gonna get a little political on ya'll today. If you haven't been watching the presidential debates, you may be a little lost. Basically Romney stated some things needed to be cut from the budget, for example PBS (even though he likes Big Bird, so no offense!), and then panties began to bunch in liberal minds across the country. But First of all, let me give you my disclaimer:

I like Mitt Romney. I think he's a good guy, with good moral fiber and I think he has the brains and economic savviness to run our country. With that being said, I am not an Obama Hater either. I am, however, a HUGE PBS SUPPORTER!!!!!!

I don't really think Romney wants to cut funding for PBS; I think it was of an example he just pulled out of his rear. At least that's what I'm telling myself because I refuse to believe that THIS is what needs to go as long as the woman using her EBT card at my local Winn Dixie drives off in a new Escalade. But I digress.

I did my internship at WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, in beautiful Pensacola, Florida. I loved it, my coworkers, my job, and the whole ideology behind public broadcasting. I learned so much regarding nonprofit business, marketing, public relations, and what educational television brings to a community.

But even before that, many, many, many years ago...PBS was in my heart. Living in very rural South Alabame, we didn't have cable because there were no cable lines that went out that far. Satellite was an option if you wanted to pay about $200 a month. Which basically meant it was not an option for my tight-wad dad who thought all kids needed to play outside. (I totally agree, by the way!) We got four channels, and one of them was PBS. That meant if I wanted to watch cartoons, there was no Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. It was Shining Times Station, Barney, Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?, Wishbone, Sesame Street, and my utmost favorite--Reading Rainbow.

I loved Reading Rainbow. It was all about books, which I also loved. I remember thinking it was so cool when Levar Burton read a book that I had already read and liked. The whole show was educational and it made books just come alive. I truly believe that show played a huge part in my love of reading, and possibly even my love of writing as well.

As I got older, I would sometimes get lucky on a rainy Saturday and catch Anne of Green Gables on Masterpiece Theater Classics. This was one of my absolute favorite books as a young girl, and once again PBS brought it to life for me. And now, Masterpiece Theater and PBS have lured me back in with the phenomenal, critically-acclaimed Downtown Abbey series. This is must-see TV for me, and I'm already on pins and needles waiting to see what happens to Lady Mary and the family estate.

My DVR is full of trash TV. I can't say I've ever learned anything from an episode of Real Housewives of Orange County aside from the pitfalls of plastic surgery and the occasional cocktail recipe. And while those are good lessons to learn, I don't think they've enriched my life in any way. And while Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is entertaining, it's definitely not a show that can be discussed with illectuals over a dinner party.

Likewise, although Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is one of Charlotte's personal faves, it's not really that educational. Let's be honest, when she gets a little older, I doubt she is going to yell "Oh Toodles!" to bring her the appropriate tool for the task at hand. At least I hope not. And unlike Dora, she won't have a magical backpack that makes enchiladas and helps her find her way out of the woods.

But she might have a book. And in Kindergarten she might just remember that her name begins with a "C", and it brought Sesame Street to her the day before.  Or she might even know how to count to twelve because of The Count.

Either way, I pray she doesn't grow up in a world without PBS. I hope I don't grow old in a world without PBS! And like I said, as long as there is money in the system for stupid crap like free cell phones, I refuse to believe the cuts should start with Big Bird.