Ollie-Wally Update

Ollie and I just got back from the vet…

He got his splint off today.

All looks great on the x-rays!

He is not using that leg at all though.  He tries to put it down every now and then, but he jerks it back up like it hurts.  That is exactly what the vet said he would do.  He should start using it a little at a time, and his muscles will build up again and help support it.  He has to stay in his pen another 10 days.  If anything should happen such as a fall or another dog accidentally jumps on that leg while playing, it will most likely snap again.  It is still very delicate and we have to be very careful.  I am so thankful that it healed so perfectly and all is well so far.

Nothing else is news.

Bye!

Freakin’ Cute!

I love it!

I’ve been seeing a lot of this watermelon crochet stuff for months now, but I hadn’t tried any myself.  I bought a couple of patterns yesterday, and this was one of them.  Yes, the Cheap-Ass bought some patterns!  LOL.  I’m so glad I did.  This one turned out super-cute.  I can’t wait to see my grand daughter in it.  Thank you, Petunia Pill, for inspiring me.  And thanks to Ellen at WiLDaBoUtCoLoR for the pattern.  See her sidebar for the pattern purchase link.  The only thing I changed was the straps.

Oh, Lordie…I just realized I forgot the seeds on the yoke!  Well, crap!  I’ll just have to show you more pictures when I get those put on.  I was so excited when I finished the straps, I forgot that part.  I still get so excited every time I finish something.  You’d think I’d never made anything in my life.  Ha-ha.  I get emotionally attached to everything too.  I think I have a brain defect.  The part of my brain that controls emotion is WAY too sensitive.  Someone needs to invent a pill for that.

ANYWAY, I digress…

Let me share another recipe with you now.

Here it is, and it’s WAY better than it sounds.

Click on the recipe title to get the recipe:

Mexican-Style Brown Rice Casserole

Can you see the layers?

Yum-yum!

Note:  I added a lot less cheese because of the diet thing.  I used MAYBE 1/4 cup on top of the refried bean layer.  I used mozzarella and it was all melty and stringy…Mmm!

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Gotta Run.

See ya!

The 2012 Oscar Review

Hello, and welcome to my First Annual Oscars Review!

Ready?

Okay, here we go…

 

ANGELINA IS SUCH A SKANK!

 

Thanks for joining me this year.  Please join me next year for…

The 2013 Oscar Review!

 

Bye!

Carnival Glass

Teresa posted some pictures of a carnival glass dish today, so I wanted to show her (and y’all) a few pieces that I have.  I have several more pieces, but they’ve been put away.  I’m pretty sure they’re in a box in the attic.  Go check out Teresa’s bowl after you’re done here if you haven’t all ready.  I wish I had a fun family memory to connect with these, but I got them all on eBay.  Maybe my boys will have a memory of me and these dishes one of these days.  I need to remember to use them!

This light green one is my favorite, although I’m not even sure that it’s “real” carnival glass.  I love the color and the legs and the design in it.

See the roses inside the bowl?

I’ve always thought the blueish-purple ones are kind of gaudy, but I still like them for some reason.  This is a candy dish sitting inside a separate dish.  They don’t really go together, but I think they look perfect like this.

Here is the bottom of the bigger dish…

And the glossy insides.

I couldn’t find my favorite big bowl.  I know I didn’t pack it away because it’s the one piece that I use the most.  Maybe The Captain will know where it is when he gets home.  We recently moved a bunch of this stuff out of the china hutch because we moved it and I plan to give the hutch to my son when they move to a bigger place that can accommodate it. 

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Today is the start of the NASCAR season with the Daytona 500.  My arse will be planted in my chair watching it.  And then the Academy Awards will be on.  I may have to switch back and forth towards the end of the race to see some of the arrivals if the race goes long.  Those are my plans for the day.

I have been fighting the SUGAR DEMONS the last couple of days.  I hope they don’t show up today!  I really hate it when all I can think about is getting my hands on something sweet.  There is nothing sweet here (except some baking stuff), thank goodness.  Otherwise, I would have eaten it in a BIG OLD SUGAR FRENZY and then felt guilty and horrible when it was over and I regained consciousness.   I’ve lost 17 lbs as of today, and I don’t plan on blowing it now!

STAY STRONG, PAMMY SUE!

BYE!

DAMMIT All Day

Cuteness!

I was at my desk working this morning when I looked up and saw this.  I had to grab my camera and capture it.  They looked so sweet sitting there looking out the front door.  Sammi was there too, but just when I grabbed my camera, of course, she got up and left.  DAMMIT!

I was inspired by Petunia Pill and her pretty little dresses and booties that she’s been making lately.  I started this last night, but I hate it in this yarn so I’m frogging it.  Hmphf!  I’m pissed.  I know better than to use variegated yarn or whatever you call it for something like this.  It’s always much prettier in a solid color so you can see the pattern better.  This just looks all lopsided and splotchy and YUCK.  And I’m too cheap to pay $5.99 for that silly little bootie pattern.  I think $5.99 for a single pattern is totally ridiculous!  TOTALLY!  So I’m just being pissy and a cheap-ass. I admit it!  I’ll freely spend $4.95 on a coffee at Starbucks though.  DUH.  DAMMIT!

I had a lot of work to get done today and I needed a little help in the energy department so I decided to try one of these.  I have never tried one.  Have y’all tried it?  I had all ready had two cups of coffee and then I chugged this.  I feel nothing.  Nadda.  Zilch.  Absolutely nothing.  DAMMIT!

So I only worked about an hour and then I got up and went and took my shower.  Then I put together these kabobs because The Captain is home today and he can grill them up for us.  The last ones I made were just chicken, and they were delish even as leftovers.  He wanted some red meat this time so I made a couple of those for him too.  When I was just about finished, I realized I was forgetting to put the mushrooms on that I had bought especially for these.  DAMMIT!  I didn’t want to unthread them all and start over, so I just added some where I could at the ends and on the last kabob.  Then I doused them all in Zesty Italian salad dressing.

And then The Captain went outside to light the grill and promptly came back in and said, “We’re out of gas!”  DAMMIT!!  So he went to the store to get some.

While he was gone, I was sitting at my desk and something caught my eye out the front door.  I looked up and saw a black person running by across the street.  (Not that the color of the person has anything to do with it…I’m just describing the situation to you.)  It was nobody I recognized, but they were older, like late 50s or 60s.  I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.  Then less than a minute later, they caught my eye again coming back the other way and crossing over to my side of the street, again, sort of half-running.  They ran towards our side yard.  I got up and went out the front door to see what they were doing, and they were GONE.  I went around to the back through our side yard and looked in the alley…GONE.  What the hell?  How did they disappear so fast?  It was probably a burglar pillaging our entire neighborhood.  Yes, I’m paranoid.  Last time something like that happened, I sat right here staring out my front window at my neighbor’s house at the exact moment they were being cleaned out by burglars!  DAMMIT.  So, yes, I’m paranoid.

And now I have to get back to work and I don’t wanna.  DAMMIT!

JUST DAMMIT ALL DAY!

I know I am spelling DAMMIT wrong.

I just like writing it that way.

Get off my back, DAMMIT!

(That energy thing may be making me irritable.  Ya think?)

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Our local morning news show is making a crock pot recipe each day this week.  This was yesterday’s recipe.  I made it yesterday and they turned out great.  I had one for lunch today too.  Since we’re being healthy, we’re having ours on whole wheat tortillas with no cheese or sour cream, but we didn’t miss those things.  I just used three large breasts and one can of everything else, and we have plenty for leftovers for the next few days for just us two.

CROCK POT CHICKEN TACOS

LAYER IN CROCK POT
1-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes
1/2-1 cup diced medium onion

Sprinkle with garlic powder, cumin, salt & pepper to taste.

Cook 4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.

Shred chicken with fork.

Mix into chicken:
1 can drained & rinsed black beans
1 can drained yellow corn

Heat through and serve on corn or flour tortillas with shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and shredded cheese.
Can be frozen for later use.  HERE is the online video if you want to watch it.

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I keep forgetting to tell y’all that Ollie’s leg is doing great.  There was clear evidence of healing and fusion on the latest x-rays.  We go back to the vet a week from today to get the hard splint replaced with a soft one.  He will still have to be kept in his pen most of the time though.  So that’s great news!  No 3-legged animals will be living here, at least for now.

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It’s a beautiful, sunny 79 degrees here today!

Hope you’re having a good week.

I’m on the hunt for another quick pattern to make.

Paula, I have NOT made your other glove yet.

I’m bad!

Dory Shawlette

I love the cuteness of this little scarflet!

I used a lighter yarn than the worsted that was called for.  None of these pictures shows the true color of it.  It’s not as grassy-green as the last pictures, nor is it as olive-green as the first picture.  I crocheted the whole thing in two evenings.

Pattern:  Dory Shawlette, by Lisa Gutierrez ($2.50)

Yarn:  Snowflake yarn in Limelight & Simply Soft Off-White

Hook:  I (one size smaller than called for)

Monday Mojo

Something made with my favorite, Snowflake yarn!  I found a pattern I wanted to try late yesterday afternoon and got busy.  Depending on what goes on today (hopefully nothing!), I will probably finish it.  It’s quick and pretty and I can’t wait to share it with you.  You’ll love the edging.  My crochet mojo is back!  Hello, Mr. Mojo!  Where ya been?

I put these chicken skewers together yesterday morning, and the Captain grilled them up for us for lunch.  They were SO GOOD!  It’s just boneless chicken breasts cut into big chunks, onion chunks, and red bell pepper chunks.  Then I mixed up some lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper, and brushed it liberally over all sides.  Delish.  This is something I’ll be making at least once a week or so.  It’s something different to do with chicken.  Next trip to the store I’ll buy some fat mushrooms to stick on there too.

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I’ve gotta go crochet now.

It’s hooky-time for Pammy Sue again!

Yea!

Welcome home, Mr. Mojo.

My New Pinny!

Who even knows what a “pinny” is?

It’s an apron!

Anne, my friend from Scotland knows what it is.

She generously shared her pattern and a very good tutorial on her blog a while back.  When I saw hers, I knew I had to have one.(Or two or three!) Since I don’t sew, I begged my momma to make me one.  I really didn’t have to beg.  She was happy to do it.  So I printed out Anne’s tutorial and took it over to her, and she whipped this sweet thing up in no time.  She said it was easy.  I love the material she chose too.  She said if I found some material and wanted another one, she’d make it for me.

Ain’t it cute???

Thank you, Momma!

You can find Anne’s tutorial HERE.

If you’d like a nice, neat copy of it that I put together in a Word document for my mother, email me at PammySue8(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll send it to you.  Just be sure and give Anne credit and a link if you post a picture of yours on your blog.  She has a tutorial for a Half-Pinny too.  Check out her sidebar labels to find it.

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And for Dorothy in Australia:

This is what Mrs. Dash is.  You can probably find something similar in Australia, or you can just add whatever individual spices and/or herbs you like.  There are at least ten different blends of this stuff at the grocery store here.

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I’m off to work a little bit.

And then we are taking Ollie to the vet for a check-up.

We are hoping for signs of bones fusing together today!

He’d like to thank you for your thoughts and well-wishes.

Here’s a kiss…

Pucker up!

Bye.

Tuna Burgers/Patties

I’m struggling with finding new healthy, clean recipes to keep our diet interesting.  I saw THIS RECIPE yesterday and thought I’d give it a try today for lunch.  I’m eating these two patties now, and they’re really good.  You could have them on a wheat bun like a burger, but I preferred to eat them by themselves with a squirt of lemon.  Here’s how I made these since some of the measurements in that link are in grams:

 

1 can Chunk White Tuna in Water, drained

1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats

1-2 Tbsp finely chopped celery

1-2 Tbsp finely chopped onion

Mrs. Dash Original, to taste

Pinch of Kosher Salt

Black Pepper, to taste

1 egg white

Lemon to squeeze on top.

 

Dump all ingredients except lemon into a small bowl.  Stir with a fork until well combined.  Form into two equal-sized patties.  Heat a skillet and spray with non-stick spray.  Cook patties until browned on both sides (1-2 minutes per side).  Serve on a wheat bun or bagel thin with hamburger fixins, or just eat ‘em with a fork with a squirt of lemon and/or ketchup.

Now that I’ve tried these and like them, I’ll probably make them for the Captain for dinner with a salad and a side or two.  They’re a lot like salmon patties, but they stink way less!

See Ya!

Blockage

My blog slump is turning into full-blown writer’s block.  I have no idea what to do about it other than just take a bunch of pictures, throw them up here, and then just start typing.  Doing nothing does not help a thing.

The Captain in his chair with Eli & Sammi piled on top.

I took this picture a couple of days ago.

The Captain made dinner last night.  He did really well (other than everything being the same color!).  We could have used some green, but oh well.  I’m not complaining!  Everything was great.  The fish is Swai.  Have you seen it at the grocery stores where you live?  It suddenly started showing up here.  It’s supposed to be a type of catfish from Japan (or China or one of those Asian countries…I don’t really remember).  They are generally bigger and softer than the catfish we get here.  Usually catfish tastes kind of “dirty” to me, but this didn’t have that taste or any fishy taste at all, really.  It’s just a mild whitefish.  He just salted and peppered it and put some lemon slices on top before baking it about 25 min. at 400.  It was perfect.  He boiled some Yukon Gold potatoes with some chopped garlic and served them with some soy butter, and he also heated up a can of corn. 

Ollie is doing fine.

There is no crochet going on here.  I’m just not into it right now.  After I dragged my Rainbow Granny out a few days ago, I ended up only doing four rows before I put it aside. 

We all watched the Westminster Dog show the last two nights for six hours.  I loved it…always do!  I was a little disappointed that the Pekinese won Best in Show.  I thought some of the bigger dogs were SO MUCH better!  I was sure it would either be the German Shepherd or the Doberman. 

That’s it!

Hope to be back soon!

Same Old Same Old

I think I’ll stay left if you don’t mind…

I will change my socks and rotate the dogs, however.

Hee-hee.

Saturday-Ness

This is what I’m doing today.

I dragged out my Rainbow Granny Ripple to work on.

It’s a cold weekend in Texas!

This is some Roasted Red Pepper Hummus I buy at the deli at Wal-Mart.  I really love this stuff!  I’ve decided I can’t make hummus that tastes as good as this.  It’s so good.  You should try it, even if you’ve never really been a fan of hummus.  This has great flavor!

The fire pit was going in front of Whole Foods when we were there the other day.

Love that RED Tractor.

I’m desperate for blog material, people.

I’m in a slump.

I take my camera everywhere hoping to find something worth sharing.

This is the best I could do.

B-O-R-I-N-G ! !

At least I’m trying for you!

Hey, I noticed in that picture of my fireplace that my bricks are turning black.  How should I clean that??  Please leave me some love and your suggestions if you know a good trick for getting that black off.  Maybe it’s easy…I don’t even know.

BYE!

All is Well

Everything is well and good.  I’m just really busy with work this week and haven’t had time to post or anything to post about.  I’ll be back when I do!

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Basic Recipe is HERE.  It says it’s 5-minute salsa, but realistically it’s more like 15 with the draining and washing and chopping and measuring.  I made some changes to this recipe.

I added a jar of pimentos and substituted dried oregano for the cumin.  Cumin is not one of our favorite spices.  The Captain says it smells like dirty feet.  Ha.

And we have another favorite Black Bean & Corn Salsa recipe that uses oregano so I decided to ditch the cumin and add a Tablespoon of dried oregano instead.

Serve with baked tortilla chips for dipping or on top of fish or chicken, or even use it as a salad topper instead of dressing.  It’s so colorful and fresh-tasting.

YUMMY!