January 3, 2013

Day started at work celebrating Bridget's birthday then to my great niece Chelsea fixing my hair to the hockey game to end with stopping by Bridget's 50th birthday party at Wild Wings for a quick minute to wish her happy birthday.

Bridget's work birthday in office. 

Love Chelsea's messy buns!

Colton made the cupcakes for him mom.

Me and birthday girl.

Chris and sis 

Dave and Tonya. Chris and Bridget's cousins.

Dessert for the Night by Chris

Chris made dessert after we had the meatloaf and mashed (whipped) potatoes.  No Bake Cookies-that is what he calls them.  They are peanut butter chocolate oatmeal cookies.  Not my cup of tea.  After tonight he has had plenty of oats!

Chris's ingredients for his No Bake Cookies

All cooked up and ready to cool on paper

Licking the bowl

Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Kinda Night

I don't cook meatloaf and mashed potatoes very often.  I eat toooo much when I do.  Yummmmm, mashed potatoes.  The one food I could live on.  Besides cheeseburgers.

Meatloaf ingredients. Onion and ground chuck in the bowl.

I don't use a lot of different ingredients.  Kinda like my cornbread.

Momma never used a lot.  I guess it's how she grew up?  I'd say, more

than likely there weren't a lot of ingredients to use.

All mixed up and in the pan!

Add some good ole ketchup to the top!

Time for the potatoes

This is mom's knife.  Not sure how old it is.  It's older than I and 

I'm....over 40.  This knife has almost had it.  Time to learn to use another.  

And when I mean learn to use I really mean learn to use.  I've never

been able to peel potatoes well without this knife.

Mashed potato ingredients

Well, what I make aren't really mashed potatoes in my book.  This is

what mashed potatoes are made with.  I use a mixer now.  So make

whipped potatoes in reality.  I never knew you could make mashed potatoes

with a mixer until I met Chris.  And never started making them with a mixer until

about 3 years or so ago.  When mom's mashed potato masher broke.  

The one above just doesn't quite cut it.  So, I went to the mixer.  

The key to good mashed potatoes with no lumps?  Mixer or mashed by hand?

Mash the potatoes well before ever adding any of the cold stuff.  

Works almost every time.

Never ate gravy on our potatoes growing up.  So I never really learned to 

make good gravy.  I buy a can for Chris.

Yum, finished meatloaf!

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes (whipped potatoes).

One of my favorite meals.

Seasoning Skillets

I have mom's iron skillets.  I've no idea how old they are.  Definitely older than I and I'm.......over 40.  For years they had the worn black char of years and years of cooking.  However for the past ten that has slowly chipped away.  Chris has just now learned how to clean an iron skillet - no soap!

I'm seasoning and seasoning weekly and finely the char is coming back.  Slowly.

January Birthdays

Lots of family and friend birthdays in January.   On tap tomorrow is Chris's sister Bridget's 50th!!!   She is so beautiful inside and out.  Can't wait to celebrate the big 5 0 with her tomorrow night.

On tap for Saturday.  Chris's birthday!

Winter Classic 2014

Today........

darling....

One of my Favorite Things

A favorite thing: Ice hockey

 Nashville Predators sweatshirt at 

Knoxville Ice Bears game. LOL

Jessie's Birthday

Today is my beautiful niece Jessie's birthday.   What a wonderful woman she has become.  Jessie has built a wonderful career as a pharmacist,  is raising two amazing kids and is a loving wife.  Jessie is much loved by so very many.  What a blessing God granted me to be called Jessie's aunt.

Today's Fortune Cookie

Hopefully this good news will consist of the words: you'll not have to have the necrosis cut out of your breasts at the surgery sites......

UFC 168 Fight Night

Was feeling up to having some friends and family over to rent the pay per view of UFC 168.  Well, actually I'd had a very rough day in my recovering.  But I put on a good face and had a GREAT time.  Just being around people helped lift my spirits since I've been alone so much since the surgery.

Niece Amber, Peanut, me and Kelley

Kelley's step girls

Futures nephew Bryce sharing music

Chris helping Amber and Amber helping Chris on his Christmas gift Ripstix.

(I have no idea how to spell that.)

Bryce didn't need help. He picked up how it's done super fast.  I didn't attempt.  I've had enough trips to the doctor the past couple weeks.

Me and Christopher

Ouch!!!! UFC 168

Silva broke his leg during a kick to Weidman. Wow.

We're Weidman fans and wanted a good long fight for his win.  His detractors will probably say Silva would've won but......  Even though Weidman was handling him impressively to the broke leg.  

(Course it's not the kinda loss you want for a fighter.   That was awful. )

Rummy 3

Wow.  Three nights this week.
Tonight: Five hands played.
Ended: Three hands to two.  

Wonder who had the three.....

Horrible hand but ended in six or seven spreads.

UT Vols Ice Hockey

Team taking orders.  How do I hint to Chris I want......hmmmmm....

Rummy 2

Two hands played:

Marnie 2

Chris 0

Horrible hand but ended in six spreads.