some thoughts about some things

• Our move this year puts us in a high traffic area for Halloweeners seeking candy. This is exciting because I've never given out Halloween candy. Growing up, we lived way too far out for anyone to visit, and until now, I've lived in an apartment or moderately unsafe part of town. But this year is our year! I was advised by a few people to purchase candy NOW. Waiting until the week of Halloween limits the candy options.I firmly feel that cheap candy is no way to treat small children--or adults, for that matter. As a trick-or-treater, I resented the houses that gave out pieces of bubble gum or fake chocolate candy. Although I prefer most (real) chocolate candy to non-chocolate candy, I decided that it's unwise to keep 250 bite sized Snickers and 3 Musketeers in our house for over a month. Instead, we have a basket full of Nerds, Laffy Taffy, Sweet Tarts and Pixy Sticks. For years, I thought I only liked banana Laffy Taffy. Well, it turns out that I was wrong. I also like cherry Laffy Taffy. I have a feeling that the option for cherry Laffy Taffy will greatly diminish through the month of October.
• Glory be! After almost two years, I found the cable that connects my camera to my computer. It was in a place that I checked approximately five times because it made sense that I would have put it there. At one point, I pulled everything out of the drawer. Somehow I missed it. My memory card doesn't fit into my computer, so it's just a hassle to download pictures. I hope this makes me better at downloading!
• Husby and I don't have cable. We decided that we could watch our shows via internet connection on the network web sites. So far, we've watched the premier of The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family. We loved Big Bang (if you don't watch it, you should), and Modern Family was hilarious, BUT I don't love the new Lilly. She's a brat! And my brain doesn't get that she went from younger than two and not talking to a talking, mean little girl. I also think the first girl who played Lilly was much cuter.
• I'm really curious to make this pie. I'll let you know how it turns out.
• The East Texas State Fair is in town. We're planning to go this week. Of course, we go for the food. My typical meal includes a corny dog, homemade root beer, and coconut cream pie (made by the Lutheran church). I'm also up for sharing pretty much anything else that's battered and fried, including: pickles, jalapenos, funnel cakes, and Oreos. I draw the line at fried butter and chicken fried bacon, though.

Chicken & Dumplings

A couple of weeks ago when it cooled off to 94 degrees, I decided it was time for a nice, fall meal. You know... something cozy to celebrate the donning of sweaters and boots. Since I was somewhat sickly that day, I decided that chicken and dumplings would make me feel better. Last week, Boo Mama posted her  recipe and also shared the correct pronunciation for said dish. Although our recipes differ, we agree that it is pronounced CHICKEN AND DUMPLINS. The G is silent. Trust me. It is.

I think that my grandmother made the best chicken and dumplings. I also think I make the second best chicken and dumplings. (Mom, don't worry, yours are good, too! You win third place!) Here are qualities that I like in my chicken and dumplings:

1. Creamy, not brothy. This adds to the cozy factor.
2. Slick dumplings, not fluffy dumplings. I guess these technically aren't dumplings, but more like thick, wide noodles.
3. A high ratio of dumplings to chicken. I actually use chicken for the flavor, but I just love the dumplings part of this dish.
4. Lots of fresh black pepper.
5. The option to use frozen dumplings. There are some good ones, y'all. Don't be ashamed. I make them from scratch less than half the time. Here's what I buy in the frozen bread section:

Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I usually boil an entire bag at once, shred it, and then freeze the meat.)
5 quarts chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 packages Mary B's Open Kettle Dumplings or homemade dumplings*
1 can evaporated milk
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
Salt and pepper, to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon of each, I think)

Directions
Bring chicken broth to a boil with thyme, salt and pepper. Break frozen dumplings into fourths and cook according to package directions. (The important part is to keep stirring so that they don't stick!) Once dumplings are tender, add chicken. Add evaporated milk and soup. Add additional salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

*Homemade Dumplings (I double the recipe. These cook for about 15 minutes before adding chicken.)
Mix 2 cups of flour with 1 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl. Begin pouring ice-cold water and mixing with your fingers. (You'll use a little over 3/4 cup water.) Knead the dough into a ball. Sprinkle flour over you work area and roll the dough to about 1/8 inch. Cut dough into 1" x 2" pieces.

Considering that I usually pick the chicken out of my bowl and give it to Husby, my carbohydrates for the day are usually met in one serving of Chicken and Dumplings. But I love making Red Lobster cheddar biscuits to go with them. I don't particularly like Red Lobster. In fact, I got food poisoning from scallops at RL when I was 4, so I have a general aversion to the restaurant and scallops. But the two times I've been since, I've eaten as many cheddar biscuits as possible. Lucky for me, someone figured out the recipe, and it's super easy. I usually get them in the oven while stirring the pot o' dumplings. Also, I love garlic, so I add it to the biscuits, not just the butter to brush on top. I also dislike parsley, so I leave it out.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients
2 C Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 C milk
1/4 C butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix Bisquick with garlic powder. Mix in cheese. Pour in milk and mix until well incorporated, for 30 seconds. Using an ice cream scoop, place onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix butter and garlic powder; brush over biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

A Little Hope

For you, this picture might mean nothing. Except that it's the beginning of September, and I'm one of those crazies who is ready to decorate for fall on September 1.

(I actually have an unwritten rule that I can decorate that early. And I have new fall decor, so I'm aching to put it out. This weekend friends, this weekend. I have to decorate that early so that I can fully enjoy it since Christmas goes up the Monday before Thanksgiving.)

I digress. For me, this picture is hope. Hope that it will eventually stop soaring into triple digit temperatures. And although it's forecast to cool over the next week, I have my doubts. After all, the meteorologists in our area have predicted rain almost every week since June. That hasn't really happened, except on the days when they claim that there is ZERO CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION.

Since I love summer (and I love summer in Texas), I've tried not to complain at length about the heat, but it's been rough! Even worse is the lack of rain. As I'm sure you know, we're in extreme drought conditions. Now that we live outside of the city limits, we have private water. Our water company sent a notice a couple of weeks ago that we can only water our lawns twice a week. Honestly, that was difficult. Although new to home ownership, we want to be proud of our lawn. A certain amount of vanity comes with wanting a green lawn, and when a water shortage prevents that, it sort of stinks.

Even more than wanting a green lawn is wanting a non-dry, non-crispy yard for safety reasons. Because everything is so dry, fires pop up quickly. A few nights we've walked outside to smell acreage burning. Where our house is located is pretty wooded. To be honest, there've been times that I've had to come to terms with the fact that we have a house, filled with stuff. As long as we're okay (and our pets are okay), then we can make it if something happens. That's a tough reality for me. Of course, we've gathered all of our legal documents; if only we could remember to buy a fireproof safe to store them!

Even though this weekend won't show signs of fall, other than the acorns dotting the front yard, I expect that it will be wonderful, restful and productive.

the most important meal

Lately, I've been on an oatmeal kick. I've eaten it almost everyday for the past four weeks. Twice, I've had it for dinner. Just for the record, I'm not preggo. I tend to find something I love, eat it daily, and then never want to eat it again once I'm burned out. Moderation? Not for me. A couple of summers ago, all I wanted for breakfast was Cascadian Farms Granola with Dannon Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt. I ate it all summer. And I don't eat it anymore. But I'm thinking the oatmeal thing might have better luck.

When I was younger, I thought oatmeal only came in little packets warmed in the microwave, in flavors like Peaches-n-Creme or Apple Cinnamon. I enjoyed it enough, but never attempted real oatmeal until recent years. I have a friend who eats it daily. Since she's much more healthy than me, I decided to give it a go. I bought me a canister of quick cooking oats, followed the directions, and then ate it just as it was cooked: water, oats, a pinch of salt. Ummm...it was awful and pasty. I decided that my Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Instant Oats would be the only oatmeal for me.

But then I ran across a blog or website (I cannot for the life of me remember which one) that heralded peanut butter oatmeal. You should know that my other obsession for the summer is peanut butter. So I decided to give it a go. I put some steel cut oats, water, cinnamon and salt in my tiny slow cooker, and cooked it overnight. The next morning, I added peanut butter and honey. Guess what? LOVE AT FIRST BITE! I was hooked on oatmeal, especially because it sustained me until lunchtime! I expanded the options (from just steel cut oats) to include old fashioned oats and quick cooking oats.

I have three toppings that rotate. In addition to peanut butter with a bit of honey, I also love steel cut oats with blueberries, walnuts and honey. I eat either of these every morning for breakfast. But on the weekends, I have a sugary-cereal version of oatmeal. I stir a spoonful of Nutella into my oats. Oh my goodness! It is heavenly and such a good treat. And hazelnuts and chocolate are healthy, right?

As soon as the weather begins to cool off, I plan to add pumpkin and spices. It sounds like the perfect fall breakfast! Until then, I'm sure I'll be content with my peanut butter oatmeal.

so it begins

Oh, how I would like to say that summer is over! But that isn't the case (for a few more weeks, at least). However, summer break came to a close on Thursday as students flooded the hallway of our school, and a few brave ones--or maybe just those desiring a schedule change--made their way into our office.

This is always an exciting time for my job. Soon, seniors will spend an hour a day camped out on the computers next to my desk, typing away on college applications and essays. They'll wonder how-in-the-world-should-I-answer-this-question-to-get-into-the-college-of-my-dreams and ask me questions, such as, "What's your favorite (fill in the blank)?" or "Would you rather be raised by robots, aliens or dinosaurs? And why?" I'll try to escape dozens of questions, hoping they'll answer creatively--and well. And really hoping that they'll spell correctly and avoid using UR for "your." But ultimately I'll answer a multitude of questions every hour.

I love the season of college applications. Call me crazy (seriously, you can), but it's such an exciting time for seniors. Last year, I ran the show while my boss was on maternity leave. This year, I'm able to step back and let her take the reins. Although it was a good--and successful--year, I'm happy to be back at my desk, the smaller desk. I'm happy for less stress and not working 11 hour days. I'm excited that I can cook dinner and have people over on school nights (as long as they leave by 9ish, of course!). Technically, my days run from 7:30a-4p. In previous years, when I wasn't in charge, I would stay until 5:30. This year, I've made the commitment to leave no later than 4:30. Of course there will be exceptions, but I really want to do this.

Husby's school year starts next week. That's right, he's going back. He works as a financial analyst and decided to get his CPA. (I really don't know how to reference that. Is it: become a CPA / get a CPA / be an accountant? Whichever, he's doing it.) He took one class over the summer. We hope that he'll have everything wrapped up by the end of next summer! Since he'll have one class each week until 9ish, that gives me a free night to spend with girlfriends, and I already have several activities lined up!

Although the lazy days of summer will be missed, I'm glad to be back to the routine I thrive. Here's to a fabulous school year!

The Mockingbirds

One of my top five books is To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is one of my favorite characters of all time. He warns Scout never to kill a mockingbird, and I love the line spoken by Miss Maudie, agreeing with Atticus:

Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Based on this, I thought mockingbirds were sweet little songbirds. After all, the lullaby offers to buy a child a mockingbird before a diamond ring. They must be little songsters. Right? Well, if you haven't encountered a mockingbird as an adult, I have a harsh truth. It's all a lie. Mockingbirds don't tweet beautiful songs. They're territorial and loud and mean. Which is probably how they keep birds of prey away.

While we were away for a week, it seems that two (or possibly more) mockingbirds decided that they like our house and trees. They don't, however, like our cat, Persephone. Within an hour of returning home, we witnessed Persephone being chased and pecked by a mean ol' mockingbird. All the while, he was screeching something terrible. The cat wasn't phased. We've been home for several days, and every day has been a repeat. Now, the cat runs from the birds. I'm pretty sure this is why Crickett has been so anxious, as well. They have tried to get her a couple of times. And I'm scared to death that they're going to get me! I take a stick with me every time I go outside.

I do not advocate killing animals, especially for sport. And I don't think I could ever kill an animal. Honestly, I could easily become vegetarian over the thought of killing animals. And I reason with the cat not to kill birds, which are generally her prey of choice. But now? I've approved her taking out these birds. I know, it's bad, but they're terrorizing us. They've also chosen to use our back deck as, seemingly, their bathroom of choice. Guh-ross!

As the state bird of Texas, I'm sure it's illegal to shoot them. Since I wouldn't kill them, anyway, I want options. Unfortunately, options don't seem to exist for these birds of terror. I've researched how to deter them, but there's little that works for these birds. I was set to buy an owl decoy on Amazon that moves with the wind to simulate a real owl. Guess what? Those don't work on them. Neither do rubber snakes. I'm thinking that I'm going to get the water hose ready, and the next time they dive bomb me or the pets, I'll spray water at them. A little water never hurts, right?

Until then, I'll be running from the birds, shooing them with a stick. And cleaning off my back deck.

Friday Miscellany

1. I cannot believe how fast the summer has gone. It seems like just a week ago that I switched to summer hours at work, my alarm sounding 1.5 hours later than normal. It's been nice and restful. A good summer. Last summer was tough. We lost our nephew just weeks before his arrival, and Husby's dad took a two-story fall off a ladder that left him in the ICU/hospital/rehab facility for six weeks. I'm happy to share that we have another niece or nephew on the way, and our summer has been relatively uneventful. For that, we are grateful.
2. I'm working through pictures of our vacation to Savannah, Charleston and Atlanta. I can't wait to post those, along with a comprehensive list of wonderful restaurants in each city. Just a little teaser: we ate at one well-known restaurant in Savannah owned by a certain celebrity chef with a pronounced Southern drawl. And...we weren't impressed. We both decided that our mom's are better cooks, and Husby said he likes my chicken pot pie much more than the one he ordered.
3. Our house is coming together. The living room is mostly done, except for hanging an antique mirror--that weights approximately 3423 pound--over the fireplace. I'm on the hunt for two other dining room chairs, or possibly an upholstered bench. Light fixtures are waiting to be hung in the breakfast nook and dining room. A headboard is on it's way in the next 2-4 weeks. And I have a super fun plan for unstained nightstands that I bought. (Said plan will not be completed by me; my brother's girlfriend is much more confident in her abilities to draw straight lines.)
4. I'm ready to beat my dog. (FYI...I threaten to beat her every other day. It's never happened. Most often, she gets tummy kisses.) Ever since her return from a week at my parents, she's been on super-high alert. Like we brought a ghost back from the South. She's driving me crazy. I'm contemplating give her a little Benadryl to relax her. Or I guess I could take the Benadryl. That might be nice. :)
5. While we were away on vacay, we had a neighbor and my brother-in-law let the cat in at night and out in the morning. From the looks of it, she slept on the kitchen counters. She isn't allowed on those, but I guess she showed us! (I also threaten to beat her regularly, but instead give her tummy kisses. She'd probably rather take the beating. Ha!)
6. I ordered several holiday items and got those yesterday. I cannot wait to decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
7. We've had over 30 days of weather over 100 degrees. It's hot. Thankfully, we go from air conditioned building to air conditioned car to air conditioning building. That makes the heat bearable. Spending a week in "walking" cities, we discovered that 100 degrees is awful when cars aren't an option. Mercy, the east coast was hot!

Y'all have a great weekend!