The "Thomas" Obsession

I'm the first to admit that Brodee has many vices: his thumb, his blankie, his love of "yo-yo" (oatmeal for those of you who don't speak Brodee-ese). However he has, in the last few months, developed another vice: Thomas the Train. Don't get me wrong, I love Thomas! It's wholesome, family oriented and teaches good values. Plus, the way they get those little engines to move around the Island of Sodor is a pretty amazing feat of television technology. Kai'le loved Thomas - and still does, although she doesn't admit it as much as she used to - she is a big seven year old you know. We have hundreds of feet of track and damn near every engine they make, so it's logical that Brodee would develop an affinity for the cute little blue engine.

This though, is bordering on the ridiculous! If I hear choo-choo, choo-choo train, train or any derivative thereof one more time, I think I'm going to pull out the hair that I have left (half of it's already gone from the craziness of having two children). When we get home, the first thing Brodee wants to do is put on a Thomas movie. We've watched these friggin' movies so many time I know them by heart. I can sing all the songs too, which is really annoying. What kind of a grown woman walks around work humming, "Their two, their four, their six, their eight. Shunting trucks and haulin' freight..." It's humiliating.

We have Thomas movies, blankets, trains, track - I'm pretty much keeping the Chinese company, that painted all the little darlings with lead based paint, afloat. Do I sound bitter? I am! Here's a perfect example...as I'm writing this post, Brodee is banging on the door hollering, "Mommy choo-choo". Why you ask? Because when I was downloading the picture for this post he was in the room. He freaked out when he saw Thomas on the screen. So, being the periodically nice mommy that I am, I printed him a picture so that he would play with it while I tried unsuccessfully to write. When that didn't work, I printed him a picture of the roundhouse so that he could color it. All of this to no avail. Ryker finally relieved me of my little conductor so I could finish this. So presently (since - thank God for small favors - Brodee can't open doors yet) he is pounding on the door in hopes to see his hero once again magically appear on my computer screen.

Maybe instead of the Island of Sodor the creators should've called it the Island of Sodom - because once you have a kid that becomes obsessed with Thomas, as mine has, you want to take everything that is associated with that useful little tank engine and shove it up someones ass...

I hope that made you laugh and didn't offend anyone too much - I know I certainly feel a lot better :-) "Their two, their four, their six, their eight...

Recipe of the Week

Hopefully Everyone had a very Merry Christmas. My folks made it safely and are currently headed back to California, Santa also arrived bearing many gifts for my spoiled children and the evil Christmas fairy delivered a good 10 pounds to all of our waistlines. All in all it was a great day and it was fun sharing it with the folks. We were minus Auntie Erica this year as her job and an incredibly large doctor bill kept her from visiting this year - what the hell kind of a doctor sends you a ginormous bill 2 weeks before Christmas - they are all sadists I tell ya!!! She was sorely missed but her stocking hung with ours over the fireplace - so she was here in spirit!

Here's my recipe for the week - a healthy one that will hopefully help shed those dreaded holiday inches...

Japanese Cucumber and Crab Salad

1 medium cucumber
2 tbsp. Mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. olive oil

Peel and seed the cucumber. Shred finely with a cheese grater or do it the hard way and slice it paper thin with a knife. Place cucumber in a bowl and add remaining ingredients. Toss thoroughly to coat. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

3 cans Chicken of the Sea lump crab meat
***
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. grated ginger root

Combine soy sauce, Mirin, vinegar and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a full boil and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

On small serving plates place about a 1/4 cup of the cucumber mixture on one side. On the opposite side place about a 1/3 cup of the lump crab meat. Dress the crab meat with a tablespoon or two of the soy sauce mixture and enjoy.

I have to tell you I'm not a fan of cucumbers at all! However, mixing them with the crab meat gives a really nice crunch and the flavors lend themselves to one another really well. Enjoy!!!

GO BIG BLUE...

A post from the Bronco Alumni as well as the Bronco faithful. This posting will be short and sweet...Boise State Broncos vs. TCU Horned Frogs in the Poinsettia Bowl, Tues. December 23rd, 6pm MST on ESPN. Come join the Bronco Nation and become a believer all over again.

GO BSU...GO BRONCOS...GO BIG BLUE...

Trying to Get to Idaho...

Palm trees, sunshine, beaches, endless summer...that's what everyone thinks of when they think of California. The picture on the left is Fall River Mills, CA. I lived there for a time when I was little and it was beautiful - and snowy. California can and does get lots of snow, even Southern California.

My parents knew that already, but they wanted to be in Idaho for Christmas. They've made the trek for the last 15 years and have only had what my Dad would consider "white knuckle" conditions on one or two occasions. ***My Dad always says he's a race car driver so nothing bothers him while he's in a vehicle - it may not bother him but it scares the hell out of the rest of us*** So yesterday, with vehicle packed, they left to make part one of their journey which is about a 7 hour (5.5 if you are riding with my Dad) trip from Camarillo to Hawthorne, NV. Less than 2 hours into their fateful first leg - in the Santa Clarita Valley, which for those of you who don't know is high desert (and I do mean desert!) - they ran into snow, lots of snow. So much snow in fact that the road, Hwy 14, was closed. Along with Hwy 14, every other northerly route out of California was closed due to heavy snowfall and CalTrans lack of substantial equipment to clear the roads in a timely manner.

Needless to say, they had to turn around and go home - which should've taken about an hour and 45 minutes. It ended up taking about 3 times that long due to the bumper to bumper traffic of the other holiday travelers who were turned away.

I spoke to them this morning and they were going to try the trip again. They had spent most of the early morning hours looking at traffic and weather reports online and on TV and decided it was time to go. Fortunately, I spoke to them a few hours ago and they had made it to Hawthorne. We are receiving intermittent snow showers here currently, so I hope that doesn't hinder the second part of their trip tomorrow.

Moral of this story: California can be a winter wonderland just like anywhere else that receives snowfall. However, if you are looking to escape the white stuff - you'd better bring your own snowplow or you won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Recipe of the Week

Here's the recipe of the week. To keep things consistent I'll post these every Wednesday unless I happen to be kept from blogging by an act of God, natural disaster, etc.

Sausage Pasta with Spinach

1 lb. Italian sausage (hot or sweet), casing removed and crumbled
seasonings - garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (use in moderation)
4 c. of fresh spinach, washed and drained
1 bottle of red pasta sauce (your choice) - just don't use Prego - it sucks!
1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained
1 c. bagged shredded Italian cheese blend

Serve with Ceasar Salad and toasted Garlic Bread (Note to Amanda: buy the already bagged Ceasar Salad and the frozen Texas Toast Garlic Bread - it will save lots of time)

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet (olive oil is good). Add crumbled sausage and seasonings and fry until cooked through. If pan gets too dry before the sausage is fully cooked, add a couple of tablespoons of water and continue cooking. Once sausage is cooked though add spinach leaves and saute until wilted. Add pasta sauce (Ryker doesn't like chunks so I have to puree mine in the blender before I add it to the pan - but you don't have to do that) and heat through.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Pour sausage and spinach sauce over the top and toss to combine. Add cheese and toss again. Top with more cheese if you like.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF COWBOY CHRISTMAS

On the first day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me a shopping spree at D & B

On the second day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the third day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the forth day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the fifth day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at

D & B

On the sixth day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me six stallions dancing, five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the seventh day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me seven colts a prancing, six stallions dancing, five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the eighth day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me eight roping gloves, seven colts a prancing, six stallions dancing, five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the ninth day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me nine green panels, eight roping gloves, seven colts a prancing, six stallions dancing, five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the tenth day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me ten Ivamectrin, nine green panels, eight roping gloves, seven colts a prancing, six stallions dancing, five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the eleventh day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me eleven Western Horseman, ten Ivamectrin, nine green panels, eight roping gloves, seven colts a prancing, six stallions dancing, five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

On the twelfth day of Christmas my cowboy gave to me twelve steers for roping, eleven Western Horseman, ten Ivamectrin, nine green panels, eight roping gloves, seven colts a prancing, six stallions dancing, five gold buckles...four horseshoes, three latigos, two rowels for my spurs and a shopping spree at D & B

OK so I'm not the best poet/song writer in the world, but this came to me when I was trying to sleep last night and I couldn't help but write it down. Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Winter Has Arrived

It's really cold outside. No...let me rephrase that...IT'S FRICKIN' FREEZING. We got somewhat spoiled this winter. Up until a couple of days ago it had only snowed once, way back in the beginning of October and it had been fairly mild ever since. I only had to scrape ice off my windshield once and you could easily run outside in shirt sleeves for a few minutes if you needed to do something quickly.

However, winter arrived with a vengeance this weekend! Snow I can handle. Cold temperatures...so so. Wind chill...not so much. We got snow Saturday and most of yesterday but that wasn't the problem. On Saturday the wind was blowing and it felt like it was coming straight off of an iceberg. Ryker had to pull shoes from a couple of the horses and give them a trim so I went out to assist. BAD IDEA!!! I came outside layered - tank top, sweatshirt, goose down vest, gloves, jeans and boots. Within 5 minutes my ears felt like they were going to fall off. I went back in the house and added a jacket/windbreaker with a hood and a stocking cap. This time was a bit better. I could feel my ears again and this time we were in the barn so the wind was blocked - sort of. The wind happened to be blowing the same direction as the two open stall doors in the barn. This time I made it about 20 minutes before I couldn't feel my fingers. After going back into the house and removing my gloves I noticed that the tips of my fingers were purple - AWESOME!

Needless to say, Ryker was on his own. I didn't return to the barn and just stayed inside to finish baking. About 3 hours later I finally got back to an acceptable temperature. It's kind of hard to bake cookies with 5 layers of clothing on.

This morning my truck looked like It'd been locked in a deep freeze for a few centuries and I had to yank on my door to get it open. The roads were decent but the walk in from my parking spot - usually 5 minutes max - took almost 15. It was like walking on a skating rink. Plus I was carrying in plates of cookies and candies so I had nothing to balance myself with. These days I don't worry about falling and making an ass of myself - I worry about getting a head injury because I'm not agile enough to catch myself.

Oh well, winter sucks - and the forecast for the week: tons of snow and a low of 0. Whoptie frickin' do

Mouse Update...

I am happy to report that our kitties caught their first mouse! Percy caught a fat little guy in the hall just a few minutes ago. We are soooooooooooo happy. Plus the cats have finally stopped crapping in my plants are a using their litter box. Oh the simple joys in life :-)

Not that their was any doubt we were going to keep the cute little critters, but their was debate on whether or not we were going to allow them to stay in the house. I guess that has just been decided.

I've spent the last 13 hours in the kitchen cooking away. We need to make approximately 30 gift baskets for friends and family. I love doing this, but every year I wonder what on God's green earth made me decide to show off and make so much crap. Oh well, I have a reputation to live up to I guess. Ryker says everything tastes really good and I managed to make my first actually "candy". They are orange cream centers surrounded in dark chocolate and they actually look like something you might get in a box of candy. BONUS!!! They actually taste good.

Tomorrow I have about the same amount of work to do, but since most of them need to be delivered tomorrow - I'd better get the lead out and work a bit faster. The kids already hate me because I don't have time to play with them and then they get yelled at for being in the kitchen. I'm just a barrel of fun! Oh well, they'll thank me later when their little tummies are fat with cookies and candy - and I'll hate myself because they won't sleep for 4 days.

Anywho - the kitties are staying, the sweets are yummy and I'm taking my tired ass to bed...more to come later.

Recipe of the Week

My sister-in-law, Amanda, told me she wants recipes that are quick and easy. She said it takes her two hours to make anything. Considering she has two babies under the age of two, I'm surprised she can finish a sentence let alone dinner. So I'm posting a weekly recipe to help her out...



Chili Mac



1lb. ground beef

1 can chili with no beans (Nally's Thick works good)

1 can corn, drained

1/4 cup milk

1 medium pkg. Valveeta, cut into cubes

1/2 jar salsa (optional) - if you use the salsa reduce milk to 2 tbsp.

1 pkg of pasta noodles, cooked and drained



Brown ground beef with your choice of spices - I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and cumin. Add corn and heat through. Add milk, Valveeta and salsa if using. Cook and stir until the cheese melts. Pour over cooked pasta and toss thoroughly to coat. Serve with salad.

The Trouble With County Living

Mice...lots and lots of mice. They seem like cute little creatures, all furry and cute. However, there is a darkside to these little fellows. When they invade your house, you're basically screwed. They eat everything!!! Food, papers, clothes, wires and, if they were bigger, they might eat the kids. They also crap on everything. My canned goods, my sweaters, pot and pans - you name it, they crap on it. It's disgusting. I feel like a terrible housekeeper. We've tried everything - Decon, traps (safe traps and the nasty ones that will take off a finger), feeding them to the dog - nothing works. Sooooooooooo...while in Utah this past weekend, we accepted an invitation from Aunt Stephanie to give the kids an early Christmas present - two kitties.

The kitties are too cute! Their names are Percy and Snowflake. Their only drawback is that they like to use my plants for a litter box - oh, and they aren't very friendly which really pisses the kids off. I've just recently fixed the peat moss (aka litterbox) by putting a very decorative piece of aluminum foil around the top. I personally think it's very festive and goes with the Christmas decorations. Kai'le told Grandma that it looked ??? (I'm thinking "white trash") - but hey, whatever works. Anyway, in the two days that we've had our cute new additions, we have yet to hear a mouse in the walls or seen one running around the baseboards. All in all (cat poop in my plants not withstanding), I think the cats are keepers. As for the mice - I hope they die a horrible death. OK, that's a tad on the morbid side but they ate two pounds of chocolate out of my pantry. I'm the only one allowed to eat two pounds of chocolate in this house and actually get away with it.

Enough blogging for now...I'll keep you posted on the mouse situation. If I thought I wouldn't take out a kid - I blast every last one of the little buggers with the shotgun - I'd pay the money to fix the holes :-)