Aug 25, 2011

Funeral Food

So I just returned from North Carolina after a death in Hubs' family.  There were many stories told, tears shed, and of course, food consumed.  I wanted to share two recipes with y'all that were just too good.

First of all, Mrs. Beall's beef tenderloin, which was the best beef tenderloin I have ever had (I'm sorry Mama).  She told me to simply rub the tenderloin with salt, then roast it for 15 minutes at 500 degrees.  Then turn your oven down to 375 degrees, and bake it five minutes per pound.  It was perfect!

Now, on my way out of town, I rooted around my fridge, and came up with sausage, cheddar, and crescent rolls, which are all the makings of a tasty comfort food bite.  For Sausage Twirls, preheat the oven to 375.  Take a pound of bulk sausage (I'm partial to Wampler's special blend, myself), and mix it with a heaping cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese.  I'm even amenable to using pre-shredded in the bag for this recipe, since the preservatives aren't an taste or consistency issue here, and you might be running late for Sunday school, with wet hair and an unpacked bag, an oversleeping husband, and a furry dog demanding your attention.  Ahem. 

Take two cans of crescent rolls, and unroll them.  Divide each into four rectangles (each will consist of 2 triangles). Pinch the perforations together.  Take about an eighth of the sausage mixture and spread it onto the crescent roll rectangle evenly. Roll up the dough, longways, so that you have a tube.  Repeat with your other triangles, and stick the whole shebang into the fridge to chill for about 30-45 minutes.

Slice the tubes in about 1/2 inch pieces, and lay them on an ungreased cookie sheet (I like to lay down a piece of parchment paper for ease of cleaning, but I really hate to clean a cookie sheet.  Seriously, I dread that job).  Bake for about 20 minutes, till they are golden and the sausage is all cooked.

Now, I would use the reduced fat crescent rolls, and sausage (and cheese if you want).  These boogers are greasy and delicious, and withstand the reduction of fat quite well.  As you can imagine, they are really tasty.  I ate practically my own weight in sausage twirls and ham biscuits.  Now my fingers resemble little sausages themselves, due to all that country ham.  It was worth it though!

Sorry for the lack of photos, but circumstances disallowed blogging tendencies.  Hubs and his family are doing well, and we appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.

Aug 16, 2011

Preggo Posting

I'll add the lovely requested side profile shot later today, I swear.

Anyway, if you are one of my three male readers, or someone who has no interest in the details of my pregnancy (much like I would have been four months ago), please skip this post.  It will bore the living daylights out of you, I promise.

Warnings out of the way, here we go!

How I'm Feeling:
  • I will be 16 weeks pregnant by the end of this week.  No more nausea!!  Whoohoo!! I'm still tired as all get out, and feel like I have mono.  I think it is time to either get my iron tested, or get on some sort of sleeping medication so I actually rest at night instead of my current ungainly rolling from side to side all night.  So, if 16 weeks is not my magic number for feeling better and entering this alleged honeymoon period, I'll be calling the doctor ASAP.
  • My appetite is super strong, and I like everything but chicken.  Which is weird, but whatever.
How I'm Looking:
  • I'm not in maternity clothes yet, but their time is creeping closer.  I had to pack 2/3rds of my closet away since they no longer fit.
  • I've gained about eight pounds, I guess?  I've got a belly for sure! Male readers please avert your eyes.  My boobs are absolutely enormous.  Just huge.
The Complications:
  • I discovered before I got pregnant that I have a heart-shaped uterus, which I thought sounded downright adorable.  It's not.  However, I was lucky to know going into pregnancy that this would be an issue.  Therefore, I have not run, or jazzercised, or bounced, etc. since right before I discovered I was knocked up.  I miss it dearly, but know it is all worth it!
  • Walking and swimming (and water aerobics, hee) are my primary forms of exercise.  I am supposed to shy away from hills, which really limits your options in East Tennessee.
  • Originally, I was going to have to have cerclage, which is basically a stitch in your cervix to keep the baby from falling out (or you know, to prevent incompetent cervix issues, a.k.a. to keep the baby from falling out). 
  • After a consult with the high risk doctor (oh law, that deserves its own post- it was CRAZY in there), it was determined that I don't have to have the surgery! Well, at least not yet.  I get an ultrasound every 2 weeks, instead of 4 weeks for the next few months to monitor the length of my cervix.  I am just thrilled to pieces about this plan!
  • My due date is February 3rd, but I have to have a Cesarean because of the whole heart shaped uterus thing, so we're looking at January 26th.
Hmmm, I think that wraps it up.  Feel free to ask any questions!  Thanks so much for all of your words of love, encouragement, and congratulation!

Aug 12, 2011

Thankful (and old!)

Thank y'all so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes on all these various forms of social media we use- I feel so loved!  I am now in my third decade of life, and feeling pretty good about it.  We had a lovely ladies lunch at the Orangery, which will definitely make you feel young, as the lunch crowd primarily consists of dowagers playing bridge in the solarium.  Basically my dream for my dotage, except I don't play bridge.  We'll have to sub in gin rummy when the time comes.

Also, thanks again for all the congrats on the Bean!  I'm now 15 weeks, due February 3rd.  However, due to some complications (a heart-shaped uterus), I'll most likely have a Cesarean on January 26th.  I'm feeling great now, just sleepy and longing for some gooey cheese!

Hop you all have marvelous weekends!

Aug 8, 2011

The End of Summer

Although it will be hot down here until October at least, the official summer season is coming to an end.  Now, I know everyone has had a real tough time with this ungodly heat, with good reason.  However, every time I catch myself on the verge of complaint, I imagine February and a life lived indoors.
So I am celebrating instead!  Celebrating the lush, verdant overgrowth of August and the cicada lullaby.

I am celebrating the humidity which makes my skin supple and peachy, and the strong sun which dries my chlorinated hair and makes my zinnias bloom.  Burgers on the grill, okra and tomatoes on my plate, heat lightning and lightning bugs, feet in the lake.  Once that crispness in the air hits, all become a memory.

I am celebrating with pimento cheese on saltines, and ice cold cokes in glass bottles, eaten in the shade after stripping off my worn gardening gloves with a mountainous pile of weeds beside me.


And by going inside to a cool bath, fans, and deliciously cold AC, of course. . .

Aug 7, 2011

Catching Up

First of all, before I unload a random bunch of pictures on y'all, Buddy wants everyone to know he is doing well.  I've had several conversations with him about the responsibilities of being a big brother. 

So far, all he has done is up his counter surfing and obsession with watching bunnies.  I'm sure when the baby gets here, he will rapidly mature into a wonderful babysitter.


So I finally found a camera cord, and was reminded of the wonderful way I started off this sultry season.  Hubs and I celebrated our second anniversary with a wonderful surprise.  I came home from work, and a work out to this-



The table was set!  With place-mats and CLOTH NAPKINS!  Well, I would have have been blown away by that, just plump with pride for my husband.  Then I about fell out, as the man opened the fridge to reveal a huge platter of chilled shellfish.

We feasted on steaks, green beans, mussel, crab claws, and shrimp.

Coupled with a glass of extra cold white wine, I was in seventh heaven (I'm getting really sad over here, knowing the only part of this meal I could truly partake in presently is the green beans, but that is a temporary setback for the greater good and a happy ending).

So what else do I have for you?

A lovely baby shower we threw for this mama-to-be a few weeks ago.  I definitely paid a bit more attention to all the gear than I have before.  Or at least tried to before becoming completely overwhelmed and hitting up the mini-quiches.




So that's all the excitement off the camera for now. Thanks to all of you for your lovely thoughts and well-wishes!  I will do a post this week to answer all your questions, although I am not sure about a photo yet.  Mama and I agreed while performing a visual survey of people in checkout line this weekend at Sam's Club (during tax-free weekend, shudder), that currently I look more porky than pregnant.  However, once I get over my vanity about my new emerging tummy (I believe my issues are due to the fact that this tummy closely resembles my party all the time I love college tummy that I worked quite diligently to get rid of in subsequent years) I will provide you with plenty of side profile shots, i swear!



Aug 4, 2011

Forgotten Pleasures

I have been just too boring for words lately. The usual mix of baby showers, hanging by the pool and cruising a little on the new boat (an unsinkable pontoon, thank you insurance).

Libby's lovely baby shower Sunday.

The most exciting thing that I've done recently is sign up for a library card, and bring home a fresh stack of unread books. Just waiting to be devoured.  Such promise!

When I was a child, once a week before Wednesday night supper at church, we would stop first at the neighborhood library.  I would load up with my maximum amount of books each week, and simply throb with the thrill of anticipation  knowing that I could read them that night.  My thoughts while playing with my friends and eating Miss Eloise's pork chops would wander to which book would be the lucky one I cracked upon first.

This week my first choice was Nanci Kincaid's Balls- very timely with football season just around the corner.  I also have read Eat, Drink and Be from Mississippi, as well as As Hot as It Was, You Ought to Thank Me- great reads!

So this weekend might consist of poolside reading at my parents' house, interrupted by shady porch reading and puppy petting.

Now this picture brings me to another facet of my life, that is has been,well, burgeoning in recent months.  You might look at the above photo and think "Goodness!  She has really let herself go!"  And the truth is, I have been eating far more french fries than I normally allow myself.  However, it's not because I'm chunking up (although I am), but because I'm 14 weeks pregnant!

I get so awkward everytime I tell someone that.

Luckily you cannot see me over the interwebs, because I am likely blushing furiously or tearing up.  That's what happens every time I inform someone of my condition.  Hormones have taken over my mind and body, ya'll!

So now I give the truth for my lack of cooking (smells are just now allowed back in our home), lack of party-attending, and lack of much of anything.  However, I am getting back in my normal swing of things, or should be, like, yesterday. So glad to get this off my (absolutely ginormous) chest, readers.  Please forgive my boring-ness and get ready for a storm of cooking and decorating, I swear.