I’ve lived in this house for more than 12 years now. When we moved here, the boys were still children; fourth and sixth grades. I still remember the first week we were here when I had the peephole installed in the front door, they were complaining about it being so high. I, being intelligent mother-like species, knew that within a blink of an eye they’d be leaning down to peep through. And guess what? I was right. Now they ask why I put it so low. I’m only 5′3″ maybe! I can’t win.

Anyway, the whole point of my walk down Memory Lane is that in the length of time I’ve lived here, I’ve literally run like a mad woman between work, school events, chauferring, errands, dinners, breakfasts, lunches, family functions, etc. (you know the drill) and insuring that the life my boys knew BEFORE the divorce was NOT going to change enough for them to feel the pain.

Although I thought myself SEMI-successful in my goal at the time, there were a few things (*note: sarcasm) that I let fall to the wayside. And MY own personal space was what fell. . . My bathroom more specifically. (Hell, I was the only one in it, so who cared) I kept the rest of the house presentable enough that if I had a ten minute notice that someone was coming by that I’d have it in “company” shape. Everything was okay. . . . except my bathroom closet, my bathroom cabinets, and my bathroom drawers. These drawers resembled a preverbial “junk drawer”. Good grief! I should have taken pictures.

With the kids grown and gone now, I’ve slowly been making the whole house my own. I started downstairs painting, putting in new floors, rearranging things, cleaning closets and such. Then I moved to my office in my loft and did the same thing. Finally, I attacked my bathroom - the last room in the house. I thought it was going to be the least of my worries. Good God people!! The stuff I pulled out of that tiny space was absolutely stunning.

It got me to wondering. . . Am I the only one that shoves stuff in their closets, cabinets and drawers thinking “I may need that one day” or “I’ll use that later”? I ask because I was appalled at myself at what all I pulled out of there.

Most every Monday, I go to work with something I’d cooked over the weekend. Usually something in the form of dessert (the main boss, Jerry, has a huge sweet tooth). I’ve been known to carry cakes, cookies, my Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars on a few occasions, but lately I’ve been experimenting with muffins. I got a new little mini-muffin pan and I’ve been having a blast with it. The mini Pecan Pie Muffins are the bomb!! Chris, my oldest, was absolutely crazy about these. He happened to be here when I pulled a batch out of the oven once and 24 mini muffins turned into 12 with a quickness. The Lemon Raspberry Muffins were tasty too. I love fresh raspberries!

Most every Monday, when I bring in said dessert, Jerry oohs and aahs and asks me what all is in them (he’s curious like that), while DeWitte always asks if they contain sausage. Every time. It cracks me up that man’s love of the pig. Ham, sausage, bacon - his favorite foods ever! So when I came across this recipe for Sausage and Cheese Muffins over at Mama, What’s For Dinner?, I HAD to make them. . . just for DeWitte. In the morning rhetoric, I’d be able to say, “Yes, they have sausage in them!” It just tickled me to no end. I know. It doesn’t take much, huh? Here’s what I used:

SAUSAGE AND CHEESE MUFFINS

1 lb. ground pork sausage
3 cups all-purpose baking mix (Bisquick)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cheddar cheese soup
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and cool.
Combine sausage, baking mix and shredded cheese in a large bowl; make a well in the center of mixture.
Whisk together soup and water and add to sausage mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins, filling to the top of the cups.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.**

**For mini muffins, bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

The verdict was great. DeWitte got his sausage in his muffins and Jerry even liked them despite their obvious lack of sugar.

This recipe is just about the same as the classic, back in the day, Sausage Cheese Ball appetizers. I made those for years. But instead of rolling the dough into balls, you just put them in little muffin tins.

Yellow Jeep Blonde is down for the count today. . . in bed sick. So my dear sweet oldest son is stepping in as my Guest Blogger.

Hi there!

I’m Chris, the oldest son she refers to all the time. Mom is sick today and I wanted to take this time to show you what I’ve learned how to cook out here on my own. I give my mom props for teaching me how not be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. (She’s tried alot of crazy things). I put this together a long time ago while combining some of my favorite things. I like chicken. I like alfredo. (But mom does make the best!) I like tomatoes. And I LOVE pasta. Pasta any way I can get it really. So I put this together and now it is MY signature dish among my friends. It’s what I make for get-togethers with my friends or for their birthdays, etc. They always know I’ll make this and they look forward to it. I’m not sure if it’s because they like it or if it’s because somebody else cooked it and it’s FREE. It doesn’t matter to me because I LIKE IT.

Now, my recipe isn’t really a recipe. It’s just a go-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda deal. When I make it, I’m making it for a crowd. So this is what I use.

GARLIC CHICKEN ALFREDO

4 large chicken breasts
2 can diced tomatoes, Italian style
2 jars Alfredo sauce
1 box pasta (whatever kind you like)

Chop your chicken breasts into bite size pieces and brown in a skillet with some olive oil. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. When done, drain and put back into pot. Add tomatoes, alfredo sauce and chicken. Mix and cook over medium heat until heated through.

And this is what you get:

It doesn’t LOOK like much, but it’s really good. And all my friends really like it. Sometimes I make it for just me. But then my mom has already talked about how much I can eat. Thanks Mom.

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

There have been several questions raised on this site lately that I think I’ll address today. . .as best as I can. They are mostly from people unfamiliar with U.S. Southern culture. It is definitely its own entity. We have certain foods that we live and die by, certain routines we use when we cook, certain ingredients indigenous only in the South, and then there is The Skillet. Every Southern cook who’s worth their weight owns a well seasoned cast iron skillet.

I have to admit though that I didn’t use one myself until I was in my thirties. I had bought one when I left my mama’s house way back in the day when I was 19 years old, but I was not educated enough to understand that it needed to be “seasoned”. All I knew was that my cornbread stuck to the pan like wallpaper paste. I couldn’t get it to come out like my mama’s to save my soul. But I kept trying. Then the skillet started getting all rusty. My mother told me that I needed to season it, but I didn’t know what that meant and it was LONG before the Internet (where I look up EVERYTHING now). So I’m here to give you a few solid tips about the Cast Iron Skillet. Training, of sorts, because with a little bit of understanding, you too will LOVE a cast iron skillet.

First, your skillet will never rust like mine did if it is properly “seasoned” AND if it is “seasoned” well, it will act just like any non-stick skillet you own. The seasoning process serves to fill and smooth the surface of the pan. First, you wash, rinse and dry the skillet very well. Then you grease the inside surface with Crisco or other solid shortening. A medium-light coating like how you’d grease a cake pan is plenty. Put the greased skillet in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour. Remove and let it cool. What nobody told me was that you may have to repeat this process a few times before it becomes as non-stick as my mama’s skillet was that she’s had for 50 years.

The second thing about the cast iron skillet was the most difficult for me to grasp . . . DO NOT use soap or detergent of any kind when cleaning said skillet. A seasoned cast iron skillet can be cleaned very nicely with really hot water and a stiff-bristled brush. And often, like after making cornbread, I just wipe it out with a damp cloth, and dry it with a paper towel and put it away. It is most important to dry the skillet very well; otherwise the rust will appear as it did on mine. And who wants a rusty skillet, right?

But just so everybody knows. . . These days, you can actually BUY pre-seasoned skillets. Mine is so old that I had to season it the old fashioned way, but I’ve heard pre-seasoned pans are on the market now.

Where Can I Find “The Red Hat Society Cookbook”?

This is by no means an advertisement for The Red Hat Society. They don’t even know I’m alive. However, their cookbook IS one of my most favorites (out of the 1,000+ cookbooks that I own). I’ve posted a couple of recipes out of this book and I was asked if it were available for purchase somewhere.

I happened upon mine while shopping at my local grocery store. But Amazon.com has it too. I’ve added a little shopping widget on my sidebar that will take you right to it if you want to buy a copy.

What is Rotel?

This question comes from Kerrie from Le Chat Noir in Austrailia. In my One Skillet Chili Bake that I read about on Southern Plate’s site, it calls for a can of Rotel.

Rotel is the brand name for canned tomato mixtures. They usually have diced tomato and onion, and mild chile pepper, but they have a few “flavors”….Just look for Rotel brand products (probably near the canned tomato, or sauces). If your store doesn’t carry that brand, any type of salsa will do really.

Rotel is best known for mixing a can with Velveeta for making Nacho Cheese Dip which is absolutely delicious. People use it for a great variety of purposes, like salsa would be used; with dips, over eggs, in burritos, etc. It is EXCELLENT in the One Skillet Chili Bake.

Why are there rocks in dried beans?

This came from my friend, Mo, in Seattle. She was deeply disturbed that she’s lived to be as old as she is and she never knew to check her bag of beans for rocks.

I have to say that I’m not really sure WHY. My mama just always told me to sift through them before cooking them. And I’ve FOUND rocks before! I will cook bags and bags of beans never finding a rock, but just when I got complacent. . . BOOM! A rock! So I check.

I think it has something to do with how they’re harvested and dried, that sometimes rocks get mixed in. But basically, it’s just something that my mama always told me to check for. That’s really all I’ve got on that one. If someone out there has any idea why rocks are sometimes in bags of dried beans, please let us know. Otherwise, poor Mo will keep using cans of beans for the rest of her life and she will never get the pleasure to taste good old-fashioned Red Beans and Rice.

To go with the Red Beans and Rice that I posted yesterday, I went back to my old trusty cookbook from The Red Hat Society - page 238. (I know the page number by heart) This cookbook is a compilation of more than 1,000 recipes from the old-fashioned cooks that say they’ve done their time in carpool lanes, completed their duties as personal chefs, domestic engineers, and corporate executives. It’s an awesome collection of recipes. I’ve posted recipes from this cookbook before and will again in the future. It’s a fantastic cookbook.

This cornbread is SO delicious! Words can’t even describe how much I love it. Here’s what you need:

JALAPENO CHEESE CORNBREAD

1 Tbl shortening or bacon drippings*
1 box corn bread mix
1 can cream style corn
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk**
2 eggs
3-4 jalapeno peppers, chopped ***

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon the shortening or bacon drippings into a 9-inch cast iron skillet**** and place in oven to heat while you’re preparing the cornbread mixture. In a large bowl, combine the corn bread mix, corn, cheese, oil, buttermilk, eggs and peppers. Pour mixture into the hot skillet. Bake for 25 - 40 minutes, or until brown.

*Most Southern cooks have a can of leftover bacon drippings that they keep on hand.

**I never have buttermilk on hand, so I combine 3/4 tsp. lemon juice with milk (or half and half) to equal a 1/2 cup of liquid. Let it sit while you’re chopping your peppers and combining your ingredients and add it last.

***Vary the number of peppers according to your own taste.

****Don’t worry if you don’t have a cast iron skillet. You can used a 9-inch cake pan or even muffin tins.

This is the recipe as it reads in the cookbook . . . which is totally DELICIOUS. However, to put my own twist on things, I add 1/3 cup sour cream. It just adds a richness. And I add 1 tsp of onion powder sometimes (if I remember) to give it an extra kick of flavor. I’ve added diced onion before too and it was equally delicious. But that’s just me. The recipe is excellent just the way it is. It’s just my spin and my taste. I’ve made this with a hundred different twists and it’s ALWAYS good. This cornbread is almost unscrewupable. (Like my new word?) So go ahead and give it a shot.

I’ve been known to make a pan JUST for me where I’ll use four or five jalapenos. Apparently my tastebuds have become so DEsensitized that hot isn’t HOT to me unless it burns my own rearend upon exit. . . which isn’t exactly pleasant. But, dang, it’s some yummy eatin’.

I’ve eaten this on several occasions as a meal of its own - when it’s just me here. It’s excellent reheated in a toaster oven or in your oven on Broil. And it’s filling. When you make it with the Red Beans and Rice, crumble a piece of the cornbread in the left over juice and you have Pot Licker and Bread. Heaven, I’m tellin’ ya.

Okay - for those who do not know what Pot Licker is. It is truly Southern slang that means the juice that remains after the beans are gone is so good, you want to lick the pot. Soak up the bean juice with your corn bread. Try it! You’ll like it!!

This is the first Sunday that CJ (oldest) has had the day off since football season started (and his team, Dallas, didn’t even play). His new job has put a real cramp in my typical Football Sunday afternoons. We still play the football pool though. And I still cook stuff, but it’s usually what I plan to take to work for lunches or eat during the week for dinner. (I have a hard time cooking for just one. I only know how to feed two growing boys. . . which translates into mountains of food. Anything that can be made in large volumes.) But I miss getting together with them. This Sunday was fun!

They both came over. My mom came over. I cooked. We all watched football. And they ATE. To see my boys eat, you’d think they hadn’t eaten in a week, but I know better. They can just simply put away some good old home cooking.

Side story: CJ was making some suggestions for my website here telling me that I needed to make videos of me cooking (I don’t think anybody really wants to see me burn my arm pulling the cornbread out of the oven and the colorful slew of adjectives that followed, OR to see the MASSIVE MESS that only I can create in a kitchen). While I was hemming and hawing at this suggestion, my mom piped in and suggested that for entertainment purposes that I should videotape CJ while he was EATING. Hahahahaha! Grandma got one in on him! It really is a sight to behold. Not one that makes a mother proud, but it is AMAZING to see my boy eat.

Okay, that’s over. Now on to my boys putting some food away. Since I was going to have the whole crew over and since it’s been cold and rainy ALL WEEK long and since that makes me whine alot AND crave comfort food, I broke out a family favorite. Red beans and rice and cornbread. It’s a Southern classic and it warms my soul. It’s one of those dishes that will guarantee a visit from my boys. It’s easy! And it’s delicious! Here’s all you need:

1 bag dried red beans
2 lbs smoked sausage, sliced (I use one spicy and one regular)
1 onion, diced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

Sift through beans to make sure there are no rocks and pour into slow cooker. Add sliced sausage, onion, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Fill slow cooker 3/4 full with water. Cook on high for 4 - 5 hours or on low for 8 - 9 hours.
Make rice per package directions.

Most normal families can easily get by using only one pound of sausage, but like I said. . . two grown boys that have vacuums in their bellies. That requires a lot of meat. I add the rice and the cornbread as a filler. They LOVE rice! And I LOVE my jalapeno cornbread. I’m editing my pictures of that tonight and will post my recipe for Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread tomorrow. I can eat that all by itself.

Ya’ll have a great week!!

Jamie did this with her nine year old son and I thought it was something that every mother should do with their child/children periodically throughout their lives to see their perception of you. YOU through THEIR eyes. I’m sure it changes as the years go by. I know that my babies are grown, but I was still very interested. So I think I’m going to give this a shot.

To be honest though, I’m afraid of Oldest’s answers since he tends to tease me mercilessly with his sarcastic sense of humor. I’ve always had a whacked sense of humor and now I’m reaping what I’ve sown. Youngest, I’m betting will be more sensitive with his answers. That’s how he rolls. That’s just my prediction. Now, I’m calling each of them and quizzing them right now. These are their on-the-spot answers. CJ is my oldest and AJ is my youngest. And MY snide comments are in parentheses.

What is something I always say to you?
CJ - Drive safe. (And I mean it, dammit!)
AJ - I Love you. (Yes, I DO!)

What makes me happy?
CJ - People to leave you alone. (What does he mean by this?)
AJ - When CJ leaves you alone. (Now that’s just mean.)

What makes me sad?
CJ - When me or AJ leave you alone. (Yeah, I’m pretty sad when they’re not around)
AJ - When your children don’t talk to you or leave you for a long period of time. (Wow! They BOTH know this one!)

How do I make you laugh?
CJ - Your goofy expressions. (Me?)
AJ - Any time I talk to you, you make me laugh. (I agree.)

What was I like as a child?
CJ - Shy. (I may have mentioned that a time or two)
AJ - Me. (Yeah, he WAS a lot like me as a kid - sweet and bashful)

How old am I?
CJ - 47. (He cheated. We just talked about this the other day cuz he NEVER can remember.)
AJ - 47. You’ll be 48 in December. (My boy is ON it! He knows!)

How tall am I?
CJ - 5′3″ (Close enough)
AJ - 5′3″ (How do they know this?)

What’s my favorite thing to do?
CJ - Watch your soaps or cook. (Well, he does know my priorities)
AJ - Cook. Oh no no no, Shit! Laying out in the sun! I think you like that better than cooking. (It makes a mother proud when their child knows them so well!)

What do I do when you’re not around?
CJ - Watch TV, blog and cook. (Pretty much)
AJ - Probably the same thing I do. Watch TV and eat. (What are you trying to say? I eat alot?)

If I became famous, what would it be for?
CJ - Winning the lottery. (Yeah, that’ll be about the only way)
AJ - Wheel of Fortune. To this day, I’m going to figure out a way to get you on that show cuz you’re awesome. (I had no idea he felt so strongly. But I do ROCK at this game.)

What am I really good at doing?
CJ - Cooking. (I was surprised)
AJ - Making it happen. . . no matter what it is, you make it happen. (My boy said this with conviction too! But I told him, “It’s what mom’s DO.”)

What am I not very good at doing?
CJ - Push-ups. (I gotta go with him on this one)
AJ - Walking stilts. (He walks stilts for a living. But I think you can tell that my children don’t think I’m very physically fit. Yes, they would be right.)

What is my job?
CJ - SQL Administrator (Wow! Amazingly accurate)
AJ - Computer programmer. (Close enough.)

What’s my favorite food?
CJ - Mexican. (Because I’m always begging him to go)
AJ - I have to say it’s between Mexican and french fries. Hmmmm. French fries - My final answer. (He answered this exactly how I would have answered it. Was he in MY head?)

What makes you proud of me?
CJ - You raised both me and AJ by yourself making nothing for money. (Aaawwhhh)
AJ - That despite being held down by the man, you were able to raise two HANDSOME children. (Again, I had an “Aaawwhhh” moment. They’re BOTH proud of me for the same reason. Who knew?)

If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?
CJ - Tweety Bird (Because that’s my character I put on our Football pool spreadsheet trying to be a goofus. He’s the Tazmanian Devil. And it fits.)
AJ - There’s a lot to choose from. Hmmm. Jessica Rabbit. (I can work with THAT! Hey! It’s a fantasy, okay?)

What do you and I do together?
CJ - Go eat Mexican. (Honestly, we really do DO other things together.)
AJ - Whatever the Hell we want to do. (Yes)

How are we the same?
CJ - Our people skills. . . or lack of. (Yeah, we both have no tolerance for bullshit.)
AJ - Good God, this could be a big page. We THINK alike. (I think that sums it up pretty well.)

How are we different?
CJ - You’re a girl. (Duh!)
AJ - You like the sun and I DON’T. (Bingo! And the prize is YOURS!)

How do you know I love you?
CJ - Because you put up with me. (I gotta go with him on that one too. heehee)
AJ - Because you help me with everything I need help with and you give me great advice. Hell, I KNOW you and I know you love me. Oh! and how you were driving when you drove me to the doctor when I had that hook in my eye. (Okay, that’s another story for another day. Every mother’s worst nightmare! I’m just sayin’.)

What fun this turned out to be! Honestly, the reactions of my two boys totally surprised me. CJ was not NEARLY as sarcastic as I thought he’d be. And I expected AJ to be much more reserved with his answers, but dang, he let it all hang out!

That was a fun time to spend with my children on the phone on a Friday night. You really should go do this with your kids. It’s a blast! But now with all this Mexican talk, I’m thinking it’s Margarita time. Being Friday night, I think I’ll try something different. I saw this recipe for a Cranberry Margarita and thought it sounded fantastic. I love margaritas and I really like cranberry juice. So let’s see:

CRANBERRY MARGARITAS

3/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh frozen cranberries, rinsed
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Ice

Mix all the ingredients in the blender and fill the rest of the blender with ice and blend.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

This week has really taken the wind out of my sails. Between the time change last weekend and it getting dark by the time you get home from work and the fact that it’s been cold and drizzling rain all week plus the energy zapped Presidential election. . . all on top of it being the first week of the month (my extra busy time at work) . . . I’m wiped. I realize that it’s only Thursday, but it SOOOOOO feels like it should be Friday.

I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work because Monkey was out of cat food and I didn’t stretch it out till my normal shopping day on Saturday. I didn’t mind the stop too bad because it gave me a chance to see my oldest boy. He’s the grocery manager there. Well, while I’m walking through the store keeping my eye out for my boy, I saw him coming out of the stockroom with a pallet of stuff (which happened to be loaded with catfood). He went and put it where it needed to be and then came back and found me and said, “Isle 4. Go to isle 4.” Hmmmmm - I was curious, so I followed. What a sweet surprise. My boy knows me SO well.

He showed me this. Lobster Bisque! Lobster Bisque, folks! He remembered that it is my MOST favorite food ever. . . well, besides the potato. It’s my favorite “dish”. There - that’s better. He said that they just started stocking it and he knew I’d want to try it. Bless his heart. And what a perfect way to end a cold and rainy Thursday. . . with a bowl of Lobster Bisque. It warmed my bones and touched my soul.

This reminded me of one of those emails I got one time where you list five things about yourself in this sorta survey thingy (because it asks your favorite food). So I thought I’d throw that in here too so ya’ll could get to know a little more about me. Since I’m sorta new on the block and all.

SURVEY SAYS!!

5 Jobs I’ve ever had:
Donut shop – Gained 50 lbs. in three months – Had to quit.
Mechanical Draftsman – Lone female in the Engineering group among 90 redneck machinists – It was the equivalent of sending a young girl into a male prison. 4 years of that and had to quit.
Administrative Assistant (Glorified Secretary) – This just means that I’ve already been to Hell, thank you very much.
Owned a Screen Printing company – Those years are all a blur from lack of sleep.
Computer Programmer – I finally embraced my inner geek.

5 Words to Describe Myself:
Short and Blonde
Goofy sense of humor
Independent as hell
Intensely determined
Devoted and loyal friend/employee

5 Things I Say Most:
Dammit! (Top of the list)
For cryin’ out loud!
It CAN’T be morning already. (self-explanatory)
Get your head outta your a**, you moron! (road rage at its finest)
I love my babies!!! (even though they’re grown - I still say it)

5 Comedy Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Joe Dirt (I don’t know why really)
Multiplicity (”Did you bring me a monkey?”)
Night Shift (”Barnie Rebble – what an actor!”)
Mr. Deeds (”Vedy Vedy Sneaky Sir”)
Christmas Vacation (This one speaks for itself - a classic)

5 Places I’ve Lived:
Texas (Born there)
Mississippi (Raised there)
Japan (Had one of my children there – wouldn’t suggest that one)
San Diego (Loved Loved Loved it there!)
Virginia (Cried the first year I was here, but will probably never leave now. It’s home.)

5 TV Shows I Love to Watch:
Boston Legal (What a fabulously smart and entertaining show!)
House (What an ass! But you gotta love him)
Desperate Housewives (Could I trade bodies with Eva Longoria?)
The Young and the Restless (I’m a hopeless addict)
Dancing With The Stars (I mean – I’m not alone here)

5 Places I’ve Been:
This is a hard one because I’ve been to a bunch of places. Lets see. . .
Los Angeles – Won a car on the Price is Right there.
Las Vegas – I met a group of blogger friends there and had a BLAST.
Phillipines – Interesting place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.
Bahamas – Gained 5 lbs on Bahama Mama’s alone.
DisneyWorld in Florida – Huge family vacation where my ex and I discussed who was going to get what in our divorce while drinking MaiTais by the pool. You can’t get any friendlier than that! (My mother-in-law thought we were insane)

5 Favorite Foods:
Lobster Bisque (See. I meant it.)
Seafood - any way I can get it
French fries
Macaroni and cheese
My mama’s creamed corn

5 Foods I Don’t Like:
Licorice - Eewww
Celery - Too stringy
Root Beer - Real beer is MUCH better
Hummus - Gross me out!
Fat-free anything – I don’t care if I don’t get to live five minutes longer – I want to TASTE my food.

5 Things I Don’t Like:
Rude People - There’s no need to be rude.
Those BOOM-BOOM radios next to me in traffic - I cringe!
Wrinkles - Who needs ‘em?
Monday Mornings - Who wants ‘em?
Bad Attitudes - There’s nothing worse than a bad attitude!

How many people are excited that the Presidential Election is OVER? For crying outloud, it seems like this race has dominated the media for the last two years. What in the world will they talk about now? What are the ladies on The View going to rant about everyday?

They were in hog heaven when they had guests like these. . . especially that little Elizabeth Hasselback. What is she going to screach about now? And what will Tina Fey do now that she doesn’t have Sarah Palin to poke fun at? (She really did do an awesome Sarah Palin)

Speaking of The View. . . they want to know If You Can Lend Sherri Shepherd A Hand In The Kitchen. If you think you can show Sherri around the kitchen, email them or send them a DVD showing off your signature dish and tell them why YOU are the secret ingredient! You could be featured on The View!

While I do watch the show, I would never want to go ON the show. I’m more of a quiet, behind-the-scenes kind of girl. (My stint on The Price Is Right was enough for me - thanks) But I do think that even Sherri could easily make my Hawaiian Melts. It’s a fantastic sandwich that you bake in the oven and is a snap to throw together. You know how much I like easy. And since a snap is easy, I’m all over it. BOTH of my boys like these sandwiches. It’s so rare that they BOTH actually like the same thing that it makes me want to do a hula dance. And you can’t beat it for a quick Go-To lunch or dinner for one or four. Here’s what you need:

HAWAIIAN MELTS

Sub Rolls
Deli Ham
Sliced Pineapple
BBQ Sauce
Sliced Swiss or Provolone Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Each sandwich will need one square foot of aluminum foil. Place bun on foil and assemble. Spread BBQ sauce onto both slices of bread. Then layer ham, pineapple and cheese on one side and fold. Wrap foil tightly around sandwich. Bake for 15 minutes.

So easy. So yummy. And different than your ordinary ham sandwich. Kick it up a notch with the Hawaiian Melt and go do the hula.

I don’t do this often, but TODAY especially, it’s in America’s spirit that I copy something from a fellow blogger. Ralph on MSN Spaces where my blog used to reside and where I still remain in touch, posted this below. It will tear at your heartstrings. I’m totally blubbering after reading it. I think we all lose touch of the reality that’s going on with this war if we don’t know someone directly affected. But THIS will bring it home to you. To your heart. Grab a tissue. Or four. I wouldn’t lie to you. And PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS!

PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, ‘We have an H.R. on this flight.’ H.R. stands for human remains.

‘Are they military’ I asked.

‘Yes,’ she said.

‘Is there an escort’ I asked.

‘Yes, I already assigned him a seat.’

‘Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early,’ I said.

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

‘My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,’ he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words on his own. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen Soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. ‘I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board,’ he said.

He then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2 year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia. The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear.

He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when he asked me if there was anything I could do.

‘I’m on it,’ I said. I told him that I would get back to him.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of email like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had onboard with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and this following is the text, ‘Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp.

It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.’

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, ‘You have no idea how much this will mean to them.’ Things started getting busy for the descent, approach, and landing.

After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

‘There is a team in place to meet the aircraft,’ we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, ‘Take your time.’

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, ‘Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.’

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see.

I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft. When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping.

Words of ‘God Bless You,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘be proud,’ and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of America.

Remember our troops in prayers, daily.