Cooking: I covet, therefore I am

I admit it.

I am a coveter. 

I covet like it is my job.

Gollum...I am.

Only, I don't necessarily covet a precious gold ring (more like a gold horseshoe necklace ala Carrie Bradshaw). I covet random things. I covet dishes and boots, milk glass and beads from the 1950's, art and  good blue jeans. I wish for weird things like garden gnome cookie jars and vintage lamps.


I am a sentimental fool, and I have lots of random things to prove it.
My mother-in-law has given me various things of my husband's and their family's over the years and I have kept most of them (his baby moccasins, the pewter sugar and creamer, and of course, her turquoise necklace that pinches like the devil when I wear it to  name just a few) because they are part of his life story. I have cookbooks and recipes from three grandmothers and I have my grandfather's dog tags.

All of these things are historical to me and will be passed down to my daughters as they get older. But the things that are not my own personal story are the things I truly  covet. I am always looking for for shell backed chairs, milk glass, vintage boots (Frye Campus size 7 if you come across a pair), and old levi 501s. Large paintings that grace walls at my favorite art gallery in town are always sighed over when I visit them. Weird owl mugs and Mexican pottery are things I notice when I am out and about. Why? I have no clue. Maybe I just like random things. Or,  more likely, they trigger a nostalgic memory for me. Either way, I like being a little bit off odd.



I have fairly good self control. My house could be shrine to my weird covetousness. However, I live fully in the realization that I would never be satisfied if I indulged my every whim. So, I convince myself that I am waiting for that "perfect" fill in the blank item that will be the thing that makes me truly  happy. And for the most part, I am already happy with the things I do have in addition to the things that actually do make me happy.

Cookies and a goofy kid, what could be better?

In the meantime, I am reading my cookbooks and getting ready for the Mardi Gras season which starts this weekend. I am hoping I can talk my husband into making his famous jambalaya to kick it off right.  We will be dragging out our tacky decorations and beads and readying ourselves for our favorite season.


Almost Mardi Gras menu

• Chicken tacos/veggie tacos with Mexican slaw
• chili (using chicken from Monday's tacos...recipe to follow)
• baked chicken, baked squash, baked sweet potatoes
• Pork Ragu, spaghetti squash with mushrooms, sauteed greens
•  Jambalaya (?)

Whatever: Happy 2013

Happy New Year!

Whew Doggie...this one is gonna be a great one if my New Year's Eve is any indication!

Not really a new year's eve kinda girl...but we had tickets to see Old Crow Medicine Show at the Ryman this year. The evening was one of those that either was going to make or break us.

We had the following go wrong or at least not according to plan:

#1 We left Chattanooga late

#2 The restaurant we planned on eating that DOES NOT take reservations, took them on New Year's Eve ONLY. (They were full, of course).

#3 I bought the wrong tights.

#4 The restaurant we decided last minute to go to was in East Nashville (East Nasty for those of you who are Nashvillians) and there was NO GETTING a cab to leave.

#5 Ticket Master would not sell us two tickets together. We had seats in different sections 6 rows apart.

#6 It rained. Hard.

#7 There were NO CABS.

Steve, Roy, Minni and me

Whatever: The family that plays together...

As I said Monday, I survived the holiday weekend.

My sister, Jennifer and her adorable family was here from Wednesday on.

Middle Sister, as my nephew dubbed her, Karen came up for the day Thursday.

She brought her husband and two youngest kids. Her two oldest had other plans and decided to stay in the Nashville area with their girlfriends dad. We missed them, especially as I look back on the family photo and miss the tallest kid 6"1"! 

With both my sisters in the house AND Steve's brother-in-law and two of his three kids, along with several mother-in-laws, we were a large and loud group. The best part was the fact that the women outnumbered the men for once. Love it!

Thanksgiving dinner was lovely and we all behaved once we sat down to eat. 

After a short "break" to digest our dinner, we dove into a rousing game of Cranium, or more appropriately named... "yell at the top of your lungs". Literally, the windows were rattling. 

 

If you have never played Cranium, it is a game of knowledge, creativity, charade-like performance and words. If you would like the experience that we had I suggest you gather ALL of the most competitive and obnoxious people you know, give them several bottles of wine to drink, have them talk a lot of trash, pair them up with the unlikeliest alliances, then tell them to be quiet because the little kids are in bed. 

Most everyone in my family is very competitive. My baby sister has only recently been able to play games because she hates to lose. I personally have gotten more so the older I get. And, my nephew, who literally is the most competitive person I know, seems to bring it out in me even more. So, it is a bit of an understatement to say that it got ugly. 

Everyone was talking  major trash, beginning with our team names and going all the way to victory dances being pranced rather enthusiastically after each round.

(Although, to my great embarrassment, I am the only one who dropped the F-bomb.

Major fail...especially when my niece busted me for " Saying a curse word REALLY LOUD!")

 

  We were really excited to play, especially since all the "kids" are now actually old enough to play. Our children now range in age from 21 to 6, and all but the two smallest and one teen observer played.

  

We all took turns acting out people, places and things, drawing with our eyes closed and guessing at random trivia. 

 Intense is the not the right word for this experience, especially since we had an unusually high number of  "Club Cranium " cards when everyone had to play at once. Arguments and louder yelling ensued. Also, the 100th Club Cranium of the evening was the last straw for me, hence the now infamous uttering.

 After one spilled drink, many rounds of arguing over who was cheating and who was cheated, lots and lots of talking over each other, and much laughter we finally finished hours later after one major declaration of this being the worst game and biggest group of cry babies. EVER.

It was.The best game. Ever. 

Of course, I can say that because, my team won.

Go Team Cuddly Wolverines!!!!

Gratituesday: Silliness

Silliness will get you through the toughest times. Silliness breaks the tension, builds comradery, keeps the monotony of everyday life at bay.

I am a member of a very silly family.

4th of July called for a supergirl cape

even the dog is not immune

Mom created this silliness

Uhm...no words

reindeer silliness

Grandkid silliness

Uncle silliness

getting cousins in on it

For that I am ever so grateful.

Dirt: My motto

I just pinned this pin on Pinterest. I think it sums me up pretty well. I am silly. I use humor to defuse situations that make me  uncomfortable and just about the rest of the time as well. I make weird faces and I don't mind making a complete and utter fool of myself most of the time. 

I know I am depressed when I lose my silliness.

Luckily, there is plenty to go around my house.

I was looking through photos today trying to find something for my parents. 

I stumbled across this video and I started cracking up.

Silliness, caught in the act.  With no music to be found. In her pajamas.

Awesome.