MEXICAN FOOD

The other day, I was looking through some recipe books of mine and found this sheet of paper with recipes on it, in one of my books. As you can tell by how yellowed the paper is, it is old. I remember exactly how old it is. In the late seventies when we lived in Little Rock for the first time, M's department at his office had a pot luck and a lady brought this Hot Texas Cheese Dip.

M had never eaten it before and thought it was great tasting. So, the person printed these recipes off and gave them to him. No, we had never even eaten queso.

In case you can't read them I will type them out.

HOT TEXAS CHEESE DIP

1. melt 2 pounds Velveeta cheese
and 1/3 C. milk slowly. (stir)
2. add 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can tomatoes with green chilies(wonder why they just didn't say Rotel)
1/2 pound hot pork sausage that has been fried and drained
3. serve with Doritos


CHEESE BALL

Mix all these ingredients together and form into a ball.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 1/2) oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 C. chopped pecans
!/4 C. chopped green onions
1/4 C. chopped green peppers
Dash of salt

Roll the cheese ball in 1 more cup of chopped pecans, cover and chill
Serve with crackers.

FRIED CHEESE

Cut hard cheese into 1 inch cubes. (hard cheese like cheddar, American, mozzarella, etc. - Not soft cheese like Velveeta)
Put toothpick in cheese
1. Dip in flour.
2. Dip in beaten egg.
3. Dip in dry fine bread crumbs
4. Dip in egg again
5. Dip in crumbs again, then fry in hot fat till golden brown.

The office already knew we were moving to Oklahoma and they told him that he would probably eat lots of this once he got to Oklahoma. We had never even eaten Mexican food. In case you think we led a sheltered life, you have to remember we had only lived in the deep South. I can only remember one Mexican restaurant in Little Rock in the late seventies and that was Chi Chi's.

I can remember all of our friends on birthdays and anniversaries going there and of course we always went to a steak restaurant. We couldn't understand why they would go there. We had no idea it really tasted good.

I remember telling this story to the kids. Not long after we moved to OKC, we were given tickets to a hockey game. We kept seeing people going to the concession stand and coming back with a food. I told M whatever that is, sure looks good. So, he said he would go and see if he could find out what it was. Well, he came back with it and I asked him what it was and he said nachos.

Of course we have now eaten our share of Mexican food and have learned to love it. It might even be my favorite food. K and I went to On the Border last night to eat.



Of course I have to post some pictures of A.

She has learned how to catch herself when she is sitting and not fall and bump her head. She is also starting to pull up on everything which seems a little young for her to be doing that.
She is so good with her little sippy cup. K said that she knew how to use it the first time she gave it to her.

A MOUNTAIN AND OTHER THINGS

Well I haven't had any showings since Saturday. I needed to get some birthday cards in the mail, so I took them to the post office to mail. I decided to drive around for a little while. It has been raining all morning and has stopped for a little while but looks like it will start again anytime. I noticed the mountain. This is Pinnacle mountain that can be seen from our town.

Since it had rained you could see the steam coming off it and it looked really neat. I am sure there is a scientific name for it other than steam but I don't know what it is.

It kind of looks like a volcano.

I also took some pictures of my hydrangea. T sent me this plant for Mothers' Day three years ago. I meant to every year set it in the ground but never did. I cannot believe it is still living and growing in the pot. It has long outgrown the pot. But I plan on now taking it to our new home in Oklahoma and setting it in the ground.

A BUSY DAY

I woke up this morning thinking I heard someone in the house. I ask M if he heard something and he said, it sounds like A. Well, it was A. K and A were here before we even got up. I got up and got dressed and K got A to sleep and we went to garage sales.

The best deals was on the street behind us. K got some clothes and toys for A and found a cute little sweater for the new baby. They haven't decided on a name for her yet so we call her the new baby.

I was the designated driver, while K did the looking and buying. I love when this neighborhood has garage sales, but they don't have many. I took some pictures of the pretty houses and views of the mountain while waiting on K.

When we got back home A was awake and she would not even look at her mom. She would not smile at either K or me. She would smile big at Pap-pa though. I guess she was upset that we left her. I think this is a cute picture of them both smiling.

We then grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. After we finished eating, K took a nap while we took care of A.

The phone rang and they were wanting to show our house. They said the realtor was in our drive way. The door bell then rang and M went to the door and told them we could not show it now because we were babysitting and that we might be able to show it later. They left and then we got a call about ten minutes later asking if they could show it in forty-five minutes.

We said yes and we had to hurry and get everything in order. We had all the garage sale stuff all over the house. But, we managed to get everything looking OK and K and A decided to just go back home. So, M and I went to the lake and watched the baby ducks while they were showing it.The realtor left us a card saying thanks for letting her show it and that they really liked it, but still no offer. I know that it hasn't even been two months yet, since we listed the house and the average for being on the market is three months. But, I am so ready for it to sell.

NOT MUCH GOING ON

Well, I haven't posted in a long time, because not much has really been going on lately. I guess that is a good thing. We have had a few more showings, but still no offers.

K and A came over today and we went to eat at Chili's and then to TJ Maxx and bought some baby clothes on clearance. I think K and I are going to go to some garage sales this weekend and maybe let Pap pa and A spend some time together.

A can crawl now, or I call it crawling. K will put something in front of her that she really wants, like her cell phone and A will manage to get it, so I call that crawling.

She gets all the way up, not just on her knees.

Getting closer.

Yea, I got it.

Now thinking what else can I get into.


I tell you she is a hand full. But her mommy was a hand full when she was that age also. I have heard her daddy was too. She tries to sit up and gets half way up and falls and hits her head.

A VISIT FROM MISS A

K and A came over yesterday for a visit. They had just gotten back from A's six month check-up. She is doing fine but she had gotten several shots. Although she was still in a good mood. She is in the 34th percentile for both weight and height, so she is definitely not overweight. She also has two bottom teeth.


K was feeding her cereal and she can take the spoon and feed herself.

A can just almost crawl now. She gets up on her knees and tries to take off.

She scoots backwards and ends up stuck under tables.

She is looking at me because she is getting ready to pull a leaf off the plant and she knows she is not suppose to.

THE LAKE

Well, they did get finished with the room in time for the showing at five. So, I drove to the lake and read my book. As I was driving in, I saw this squirrel sitting in a trash can eating a fry. He sat like this the whole time until he finished eating the fry.

People were also feeding the ducks. One time when we were at the lake, someone gave K a lesson on what we call ducks are really geese and that she doesn't feed the geese because they peck her. So, she brings food for the ducks and won't give any to the geese, which I think is mean.

NEED TO VENT

Exactly a week ago today I walked into the doll room to get something out of the closet and noticed the carpet was wet. It was not only wet, the water was swishing between my toes. So, my first thought was that a pipe burst in the floor or wall, so I call M. He said to call our neighbor and have him turn off the water and he would call a plumber.

He called me back and said that the plumber would be here early the next morning. So, the plumber shows up and said that it is not a pipe in the wall or floor that it is our air conditioner condensation pipe, located on the side of our house. He said that probably the person who mows the yard hit it and broke it and water was being dumped into our wall.

So, then the process begins to call the air conditioning people to fix the pipe and a restoration crew to get the water out of our carpet and out of the walls. We have turned it into our insurance company, because it will probably end up costing close to a thousand dollars before all is said and done.

We also had mold, because this was done on Wednesday before the fourth and I did not did not discover it until the next Tuesday because we were out of town for the fourth.

They had to cut out some of the sheet rock and remove the baseboards. Take up the carpet and dry it and replace some of the padding. In the meantime, we had to stop the showings on the house.

It is now Tuesday and they have not put the room back together and I am suppose to have a showing at five today. They came at nine this morning and replaced the sheet rock and the baseboards and asked me if I had any paint and I said no I didn't know I was suppose to. So, they leave and say they will be back about 12:30 to paint it. They don't get back until 1:30 and they got the wrong color paint. I can hear them talking, I just want to say use it, it is in the closet and it doesn't matter. They are so slow. Have you ever just wanted to go and push people to make them faster.

One guy just went to the bathroom and took the longest crap. He didn't even ask permission. I would have said yes, but I think he should have ask.

It is now after two and another crew has to come and put the room back together and clean the carpet, so I don't think I will be having the showing today, what do you think.

Oh and M called the guy that mows our yard and he came and said that it would have been impossible for his mower to have broken the pipe and he will be back with his mower over the weekend to prove he couldn't have done it. So then who did break it.

MISS A

CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

M is 33 today.

A PIGS LIFE

Jul 1st 2009
Runaway Pig Found Lounging in Swimming Pool
Weird News
Animals
Last week, as reported on these very pages, a truck carrying 90 pigs overturned on an Arkansas interstate, closing the road for most of the morning. After the accident only 50 of the hogs were accounted for, and we've been breathlessly awaiting word on what kind of trouble the other 40 could get themselves into.Well, it looks like at least one of the fugitive swine has been captured. And it should come as no surprise to anyone who has endured an Arkansas summer that this "ham on the lam" was found in the swimming pool of a local couple.The 800-lb. porker had been marked for the slaughterhouse before the accident, but because no one knows what kinds of terrible things he ate during his week on the run he will now live out the rest of his natural life on a farm -- no doubt reflecting on his glorious glimmer of freedom.

(I love the way the pig is looking at the camera. This happened close to where we live. Only in Arkansas)

C'S FOURTH

C spent the Fourth of July in Missouri with his other grand parents. He enjoyed lots of festivities and even watched the fireworks this year without getting scared. He told M that he is a big boy now and not afraid of fireworks any more.

OUR FOURTH

K, A and I left for Oklahoma City on Thursday. What should have been a five hour drive turned into around 61/2 to 7 hours. A was not a happy traveler on the way there. We stopped several times and our first stop was in Knoxville, Ar. for K to nurse her. This truck was parked across from the gas station. So, we had to take a picture of it for C. I know he will enjoy seeing it.

When we finally arrived, we met up with M and T and we all went to eat at Teds, the best Mexican restaurant in OKC and anywhere. A friend of K's also joined us.
The food was really good and A thought the table tasted really good. The waitress even commented on she must think the table taste good.

After we ate, we all went back to hubby's apartment, he and I stayed in his apartment and K, A and T all stayed in a hotel. After it got late K wanted to take A back to the hotel and get her ready for bed. M said he would just lead them out because the apartment was kind of difficult getting in and out and he would go and pick up some food for our breakfast the next morning. Stay with me this gets interesting.

About five minutes after they all left, the power went off. It follows me where ever I go. So, I call M and tell him the power is off and he says yes he knows he is trying to get back in the apartment and since it is gated and the power is off he can't get back in.

He tells me he will go buy a flashlight and come back. Well after about five minutes I hear someone banging on the front door then they jiggle the doorknob and then put a key in the door. I don't think it can be M because he hasn't had time to get back, so I call him and ask him where he is. He said at Walgreens and I tell him someone is trying to break in.

I ask him if I should call the police and he says he doesn't know what I should do but he locked one deadbolt and there is another one and for me to go and lock it. So, the only light I have is my cell phone, it was so dark in the apartment I couldn't see my hand in front of my eyes. I finally get to the front door and lock the other dead bolt while the person is still trying to get in the apartment. I then take a chair and put it in front of the door and sit in it. So, if they got the door open, they were going to have to push me out of the way which might have been hard to do. I then take out my cell phone and call K and T and tell them someone is trying to break in and should I call the police. K says yes and T is always trying to see good in people and tells me she thinks because there is no power anywhere in the complex, the person has the wrong apartment.

In the meantime the person leaves and maybe T was right that they did have the wrong apartment, because they were nice gated apartments, but I have never been so afraid in all my life. We will never know if someone was trying to break in or if they did have the wrong apartment. About five minutes after M came back with the flashlight, the power came back on.

The next day M and I looked at some neighborhoods and found some that we really liked. We found some houses also that we liked. We then met up with T, K and A and we all went to the Hide -A -Way for lunch. The best pizza in OKC or anywhere for that matter.

The fourth we went down to Brick Town and went through the Bass Pro Shop. Later, we went to Toby Keith's Bar and Grill to eat. The food there was delicious also.

K and A. A in one of her cute little patriotic outfits.

Aunt T and A in another one of her cute little patriotic outfits.We got up this morning and K, A and I headed back to Arkansas. A was so good on the way home. She slept and when she wasn't sleeping she just played. Of course we had to stop at Braums coming and going to eat.

A eating her cereal at Braums. A can sit in a high chair now but not without sliding down.

Aunt T and Pap-paw keeping A happy.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

FOURTH CELEBRATIONS

We will be celebrating the fourth this year in Oklahoma City. T is driving down from Kansas City and K, A and I will join T and M in Oklahoma City for the fourth. We plan on going back to our favorite eating places, and doing some shopping. For some reason it always seemed easier to shop in OKC than Little Rock.

We plan on going to a parade on Saturday and then down to Brick town later on and maybe watch the fireworks that night, not sure if A will go for that or not. Also we plan on driving through neighborhoods and looking at houses. Not sure if we are going to look in any houses but want to get an idea of the neighborhoods we might like to buy a house in. Our house has been on the market four weeks today and we have had twelve showings but no offers. One couple looked twice. I will have lots of pictures to share when we get back.