Tastes Like Chicken?

CAUTION: There is a gross factor going on here....


Last weekend we were invited to go with some friends ( Bob & Gayla) out to their family’s farm for a fish/calf fry. We gladly accepted. Growing up in the rural environment and in the south… I have tasted my fair share of calf fries, also known as mountain oysters or prairie oysters. Let me give you a better picture, these are bull testicles that are peeled, sliced, coated in flour, seasoned, then deep-fried. YUM! Well sometimes YUM, sometimes not so YUM. Just knowing what they are, I have a hard time eating the fries unless they are thinly sliced and seasoned good, they then truly taste like pieces of popcorn chicken. (Yes they do taste like chicken)

To help you get a better picture:
THIS:


MINUS THIS:


MAKES THESE - THAT CAN BE YUMMY:


Kobi was not really wanting to “go spend time with her family” on a Saturday night. (What teenage girl REALLY wants to do that) She came to me about 20 times trying to get me to let her stay home. She kept asking what we were going to eat, I just told her fish, French fries and other stuff. (I didn’t think she would eat the calf fries, so I failed to mention they were cooking those too) I will admit, before leaving, I made a couple peanut butter sandwiches that I threw in the truck, along with a bag of chips…just in case we needed them on the way home. (I feel guilty, but HEY you never know)

We get to our friends house and then we follow them out into the middle of nowhere…. Land of the pure fresh country air. (Well it wasn’t ALL pure, you did get an occasional whiff of cow poop) We got out of the truck and followed our friends into the barn (yes that is where dinner was being served) All of their family welcomed us and made us feel at home. Because my husband and I are still those nasty type of people that smoke, we joined a few other smokers outside, while our friends took Kobi in so they could get started on the grub. We got lost in conversation and spent about 15 minutes outside, then decided to go in and get something to eat.

When I finally walk into the barn, Kobi is setting there with this look on her face (almost a panicked look). I walked over to see what was wrong. She looked at me and then exclaimed(with this pathetic look) “I ATE BALLS!” I just couldn’t stop myself…I started laughing and laughing and then I laughed some more. My poor child was traumatized . I then heard this is how the whole thing went down. (I can’t believe I missed it)

Bob, Gayla & Kobi get food and set down to eat. A few minutes into the meal, this is how it happened….

Bob: Hey Gayla, did you try the fries, they seasoned them differently and they are SO good!

Gayla: I have tried the French fries and they are good. Different from last year, but no, I have not tried the calf fries yet.

Kobi: Gulp – CALF FRIES? Is this CALF FRIES? I AM EATING BALLS? I thought it was chicken….

She didn’t eat much more until the desserts came out. Poor child…. She vows that revenge will follow.

PS - Those were actually THE BEST calf fries I have ever eaten. My husband even liked them! (his first time to eat them)

Kitty Litter? - A Great Treat?

I made this a few years ago for work and thought it was cute! It is YUMMY too!! Decided to make it again this year :)

This year I had to make it a little more realistic... I melted some of the tootsie rolls TOO much and made a runny mess too....

I love watching half the office picking up "turds" and eating them... then watching the other half gag... I know, I am wierd!

If you want to make the cake:


What you need:
1 chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 ( package vanilla sandwich cookies
blue or green food coloring
1 package tootsie rolls
Then you:

1.Prepare cake mixes and bake according to package directions (any size pan).

2.Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble.

3.Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but 1/4 cup.
To the 1/4 cup add a few drops of green food coloring and mix.

4.When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs, and the chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding, you want the cake to be just moist, not soggy.

5.Line kitty litter box with the kitty litter liner. Put cake mixture into box.

6.Put half of the unwrapped tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends so that they are no longer blunt, and curve the tootsie rolls slightly. Bury tootsie rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle with half of the remaining cookie crumbs. Sprinkle a small amount of the green colored cookie crumbs lightly over the top.

7.Heat 3 or 4 of the tootsie rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle lightly with some of the green cookie crumbs. Heat the remaining tootsie rolls until pliable and shape as before. Spread all but one randomly over top of cake mixture. Sprinkle with any remaining cookie crumbs. Hang the remaining tootsie roll over side of litter box and sprinkle with a few green cookie crumbs. Serve with the pooper scooper for a gross Halloween dessert.

AND WE WONDER WHY THERE IS ROAD RAGE...

Seriously folks, it is rush hour. People are rushing to work. Why must you 3 cars go side by side at 15 mph BELOW the speed limit? Do you not realize the world is revolving around you? If you would stop putting on your make up or texting, you might would see the traffic backing up behind you for two miles! What happened to slower traffic keep right?

So you drive this way every day to work… You know the lane is ending, you know you will need over. Why do you feel the urge to hurry and speed to get in front of me, THEN SLOW DOWN? Seriously, look behind my car, there is plenty of room back there!

Oh, you think that’s funny, well let’s offer another piece of advice… you see those two white lines? That’s where you keep your car. Between those two lines. These two lines over here are mine. Your car is not that big… Plus, I don’t feel like sharing my space.

Another thing, just because you have your blinker on, it does NOT mean you can just change lanes at will. You still have to wait for an opening, AND THEN change lanes. There is no magic blinker that just gives you the right to make people slam on their brakes, just to let you in the lane they are traveling in.

Last but not least, I have watched you. YES YOU…. I see you at least 2 times a week in the same spot. You are in the far left lane, when you need to exit right. Please, I beg you, for my sanity… will you stop cutting across FOUR lanes of traffic, just so you can exit. That exit has not moved. It is in the same place as it was yesterday and last week for that matter. Guess what? It will be in the same place tomorrow and next week. You know you are turning there…. Get over sooner. Today you caused an accident, made other people late for work. YOU DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE! So whoever you are in the raised up suburban, with fancy chrome wheels and exits onto the parkway every morning at 6:55am—GET OVER SOONER & STOP CUTTING PEOPLE OFF!

Not Me!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


This weekend was some what crazy. I did not spend all day Saturday rushing around to get all the chores done so Sunday could be a lazy pj day. I would never stay in my pj's all day... I then did not complain that my mother was making a surprise visit to go shopping on Sunday and we were not gone all day. I also did not spend any money because Christmas is coming and I must also pay for a CPA test. Nope Not Me!

I finally got into see the oral surgeon today. I called my mom to give her the results... I did not tell her I had to go back to work, to rush her off the phone. I was not really getting ready to order fast food to take back to work. I don't spend money eating lunch out and of course I would never fib to my mom. Nope Not Me!

This will be a whole post later... But, I did not forget to tell my daughter she was eating calf fries. I did not let her over hear it from someone else. I also did not laugh when she found out what she was eating. Guess that goes to show... they taste like chicken.... Nope Not Me!

Last Trip of the Year

During Fall Break, we loaded up in this thing....

We camped out at one of our favorite spots, lots of this....

Yes there are deer in the camp ground. The kids had fun and made this on their own...

The dog did alot of this...

It was pretty chilly and rainy so we kept this going for five days straight...

Of course there was marshmallows and smores...


Yes we string old Christmas lights around in trees to decorate our campsites and to see at night...
For most of the trip, around the fire was this...





Yes it was warm enough ONE day for shorts, but only for a few hours.

Yes we call this camping. It is about as "roughing it" as I am going to get these days. I want in indoor, free from bugs kitchen. I LOVE having my own toilet that I don't have to check for spiders and I LOVE having my own shower that I really don't need to worry about who has used it previously. The whole public shower/bathroom thing grosses me out. We have accumulated enough stuff over the years that it all stays in the trailer. It is easy to load and go. I load up clothes and food. To unload, it is towels, bedding, dirty clothes and what ever food may be left over. Best of all, I love to be able to crawl into a bed at night with air conditioning when it is hot and a heater for trips like this last one. It is roughing it because we sleep in a queen size bed, and not a king that we are used too....

HASH BROWN POTATO CASSEROLE

What you need:

1 (2 lb.) bag frozen hash brown potatoes
2 (8 oz.) cartons sour cream
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
2 c. shredded cheese, cheddar, sharp or other
2 c. corn flake crumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted


What to do:

Thaw potatoes, combine soup, sour cream, onion and cheese; mix in potatoes.
Spray 3 quart casserole with Pam, put in mixture.
Mix melted butter and crumbs and sprinkle on top.
Have oven preheated to 350°F. and bake 1 hour.

New

It's all new...

The look that is... and the button. I just can't seem to get "the right look" for my blog to match my personality. I think I may stick with this one. I kind of like it the best. PLUS I don't have time to keep doing it all over.

I also got a new award from ANNIE today, or maybe yesterday... I am SO loosing track of my days. Her blog is pretty awsome... you should check it out.

I also recieved this award from Rayli and you seriously need to go check out her blog also!

TAAA DAAAAA and here it is



The rules are as follows:
* Each Superior Scribbler must pass on this award to the most deserving 5 bloggy friends.
*Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom she/he has received the award.
*Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog and link to THIS POST, which explains The Award.
*Each blogger who wins the Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add her/his name to the Mr. Linky list. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honor.
*Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

I am so addicted to many blogs... YES I am a "blog stalker" I do admit it. They really should make a group so all the other addicts, like myself, can get some help :)

The five blogs I am about to list, I visit all the time and totally enjoy reading. I may not "talk" to them often or comment often, but I really like reading them. You should check them out sometime too.

Profoundly Seth
A Journey Through Loss
This Is My World...
Those Funny Little Girls
Ladybugs, Butterflies and Boxing


Alright now...
I think I am out of here, I don't know how much longer I can keep my eyes open...
I promise to have a post of our camping trip that took place last weekend...

Thanks again Annie - I really do appreciate the award!

My First Award

I am excited and extremely happy to say that I have gotten my first blog award. YEAH! It came from Samantha over at Apple Juice and Milk and you should really go check out her blog! It is one that I have stumbled upon by accident, but I have been reading ever since!

Like any other award, there are some rules to follow and they are as follows:
1) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
2) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.
3) Share "10 Honest Things" about myself.

So, here are the lucky ones that I stalk I read and find interesting. Honestly, I follow so many blogs, but these are a few that I feel the need to read on a daily basis for their humor, their photography, and well even just because they make me smile.
Megan at Just Another Day in Paradise
Annie at A Stone's Throw Away from Insanity
Danielle at Our Happy Life
Brandy at You Don’t Know
Rayli at 4 Kids & A Large Coffee
The Butler Family
Nikki at The Chocolate Mousse

To you seven.... I give to you... the HONEST SCRAP AWARD




NOW, drum roll please the top 10 Honest Things about ME:
1. I am a blog / facebook addict
2. I LOVE to cook for large groups of friends or family
3. I enjoy scrap booking both with paper & with digital
4. I love to decorate cakes, even though they never turn out just perfect
5. I really need to acquire more patience for my teenage daughter’s habits & attitude (if not she will not make it to her 20’s)
6. I am totally OCD
7. I am a list maker - Sometimes I make lists of lists that I need
8. I once was a pre – k / kindergarten teacher, then I wigged out and became an accountant
9. I totally believe in setting down as a family every night and eating a home-cooked meal together
10. I am a candle Scentsy freak and I now sell it too AND I even made a blog for it!


Anyhow, thanks again Samantha!

Good Morning?

Just a bunch of really random scattered thoughts:

This picture so describes how I feel this morning....


I just do not understand how Mon- Fri can drag on and on, but yet, Sat & Sun go so fast!

Well we are back! I am trying to wade through and read all the blogs I so enjoy to read. I think it is going to take me a week's worth of lunch hours to catch up!

Well, the final camping trip of the year is over. They will resume after tax season is over next year. I did take pictures this time, but not to many. ( I will post later) It was to chilly, most of the time was spent hovering over the campfire with hot chocolate in the hands to keep warm! I really so think that I can still smell the campfire smoke in my hair. (Yes it has been washed(several times))

I finally found Jasper's halloween costume for this year. I plan on taking pictures this evening. Kobi actually picked out the costume. She did good.

I can not believe what I am seeing this morning! SUNSHINE! SUNSHINE! SUNSHINE!

Go Away!

Day # 9,347,398 of this stuff. Wet, misty, hair frizzin’ stuff.

If you haven’t noticed, I have to take this photo facing straight out. I can not look down long enough to take the picture. I am 10 stories up in my office building…

The weather forecast says it will clear up after today. I really hope so. After all I am leaving with my hubs and my darling, wonderful, always sweet without a hateful attitude, non-hormonal teenage daughter. (insert sarcastic laugh) OH, and this little guy is going with us also.



Jasper. Yes he is a dog – all 3.5 lbs of him. I call him my little old man, but really he is my baby. Back in the day, he used to LOVE to dress up for Halloween. No, I am not crazy, he really did like it. He would even go find his costume and bring it to you to put it on.


Crazy yes I know. My little guy is going to be 12 in December. I can always remember his birthday, he shares the day with my niece. He has also gone blind. Been that way for almost two years now, that’s a whole other post at a later date.


OH, where was I? YES! (see I am loosing my mind from lack of sleep)Leaving on a mini vacation! WOOHOO! Loaded up the travel trailer last night. Actually, the hubs is already there.He left this morning. I will meet him when Kobi gets out of school. Four cold glorious nights of hovering over sitting by the campfire. Four hellish glorious days of no computer. Four glorious days of NO work. We are going to have our neighbors joining us. YEAH! They will be pulling their rig in tomorrow night. WOOT WOOT Camping is always much better when shared with good friends! Well, most of the time anyhow.

OU-Texas is this weekend. Yes we will have the big screen tv pulled out watching the game, by the campfire. 20 inch flat screen is considered a big screen when you are camping! Right?

Time to pull together everything the hubs left behind – see you all in about 5 days! *waves bye*

PS: I REALLY REALLY do promise to try to take some pictures this time! I kind of suck in that department.

Day 1,547,845

It seems like this weather is never going to end. COME ON PEOPLE! This is OKLAHOMA, the weather changes every 10 minutes. Did the weather dial get stuck on rainy & dreary??? Someone kick the dial and get some different weather here.



OK, I am done complaining. Back to finishing tax returns that procrastinating people bring into the office. Nothing like bringing in information 2 days before it is due!

What is THAT?

What is THAT? I seriously sat straight up in bed this morning when my alarm went off at 5:30am. I glared at the alarm and the "mean momma" look did NO good. It kept making that horrid meeep meeeep mmeeeep noise and the time would not roll back... Another wonderful Monday. I got so much, but yet so little done this weekend. So busy, went nonstop. Here we are again, just a few days before our final camping trip of the year and hhmmpphhh I HAVE NOTHING READY! The Hubs is leaving Wednesday morning. I don't have all the time in the world left to take off at work, SO I am actually having to gather stuff up in the house tonight and then I will load it tomorrow night. THEN I get to work part of the day on Wednesday ( I think ) and I will leave that afternoon when Kobi gets out of school.



This is what we have AGAIN today. I just do not know what the heck is up with the weather here. BUT They are forecasting no rain and mid 60's for our trip. PERFECT camping weather! If the weather forecast changes... I am going to be upset.

Here Comes the Rain Again....

Here comes the rain again.... falling on my head like... wait got to get that song out of my head!


This is my view from my office window. It seems that there has been more rain and clouds lately, than sunshine. I really hope that doesn't mean that it is going to be a moist winter. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE RAIN & SNOW.... when I can stay home and snuggle into a blanket and eat soup and watch tv all day in front of the fire place.

This week has flown by, but yet it has drug on and on and on and on... okay well you get the point. This week one of my friends that is living far - far away, due to a military hubby, delivered their twins at 27 weeks. One is 2 lbs, the other was 2 lbs 1 oz. Both are doing EXCELLENT. Major thankfulness to the big guy upstairs! Mom had been in the hospital a few days prior to delivery, so they knew this was coming and they gave all three of them many meds to help them out. The girlies didn't even need to be put on a respirator, just a CPAP. Now they are even off of that.

My niece is still missing. This makes me feel terrible. She has so much potential and so many people that are willing to help her get through this. Yes she is deemed a "runaway" but it has been over two months...it is hard not knowing where she is at or how she is... it is breaking my heart.

I have decided to take on a new adventure in life. Those that know me... know that I can't sit still and do nothing, even for a minute... SO I decided to put my spare time (eyeroll) to good use. I have become a consultant for scentsy. I don't want this to become a "sales" blog... but I am throwing it out there, you know, just in case anyone needs anything. I will ship it to you :) Did I mention I am really excited about this? I hope to earn a little extra to help absorb the cost of the CPA exams and maybe a little Christmas fundage too. PLUS the products are something I LOVE and use everyday :)

Pumpkins...

And the pumpkins were placed in the flower beds with care...






I really do have to laugh at this one.... this pumpkin has a special name. It is called the "lunch lady" I just had to chuckle... along with thinking eewww... LOL

HAPPY!

See this?....

This makes me HAPPY! There are other ice cream places, but none like baskin robbins. For the last hhmmm maybe 11 years, I have not had baskin robbins BECAUSE THEY CLOSED ALL OF THEM IN MY AREA! I have been so heart broken. Then, last Wednesday, on my way to a friends house...not to far from my office building... I spot it! WOOHOOOO YIPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Yesterday was all sorts of messed up, so I didn't get to stop in. But today, yes today me and a few co-workers had to go try it out. OH YEAH! I am HAPPY! and all because of this...

Friday Photo Flashback

Today I stumbled upon a blog that was having "Friday Photo Flashback" I thought that is such a cute idea and decided to join in.



Today I am flashing back to a photo of Kobi... This was taken on one of our first camping trips with our neighbors down the street. This picture was actually taken by one of my BFFs daughter (who does amazing photography).

Anyhow, as fall is here, I thought it was a great time to flash back to the warm sunny days of summer and fun times....