My French Friend Janou sent me this link to a you tube video about our days on earth in jellybeans. Each year, a jelly bean. I didn’t think I was going to like –I don’t know what I expected, but the video was a hundred times better than what I thought it would be.
Now I feel like hoarding jelly beans.
He’s out of Afghanistan and back in Alaska!!!!!
Son #3 in Idaho
This made me get all choked up this morning. I do tend to weep often while in Deadline Hell, but…I loved reading this. And I wanted to share. I would rather read this article than read what is going on in Washington D.C. any day.
I know I said I wasn’t blogging–writing 14 hours a day doesn’t leave a lot of time for the fun stuff–but I came across this article from the Daily Mail (UK) this morning while waiting for the caffeine to hit my bloodstream, and wanted to share it with you.
This woman has ovarian cancer, a bucket list and a fabulous attitude. Truthfully, I’ve never liked the term “bucket list” all that much, but that’s another blog post for another time.
Enjoy.
I won’t be blogging for a week or so, due to finishing book 3 in the trilogy! Heading to Texas next week and then will have lots of photos of musicians, food and all things that Keep Austin Weird. There is a fried avocado taco with my name on it. And a 3 year old’s birthday party. And a 36 year old’s birthday party. And a Texas quilt museum. And fiddlers. Maybe some boots. Oh, and RIBS.
Banjo Man is staying in Rhode Island to monitor the stock market and all things financial, so this Grandma is going to finish her book and party with the Handsome Grandson.
See you in Texas….
Love,
More Pie, who hates hates hates book deadlines and can’t wait to get a good night’s sleep and not set the alarm for five o’clock and make coffee in the dark.
My sister-in-law in North Platte made this casserole last week while we were visiting. She is such a good cook! And she shares recipes, too, which is why I can share it with you. I didn’t take a picture because I was too hungry (I’d worked up an appetite shopping for cowboy boots, you see)! But here she is making our breakfast the next morning, even though we told her not to make our breakfast.
NORTH PLATTE OCTOBER CASSEROLE:
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash (approx. 2), peeled and cut into 2″ chunks
1 TBS olive oil
6 sprigs of fresh thyme (I’ll use dried thyme when I make this, because I don’t have sprigs of anything growing in the vicinity)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, either in a lump or removed from its casings
1 tsp fennel seeds (I love fennel!!)
1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped (I can’t eat kale so my SIL used fresh spinach instead–wasn’t that nice?)
6 garlic cloves, chopped up
8 0z uncooked rigatoni or similar pasta
2 cups of half-and-half
1 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Start boiling the water for pasta.
Toss together: squash, olive oil, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and a shake or two of black pepper on a large baking sheet. Bake 20-25 min until squash is cooked but not mushy. Toss out the thyme sprigs.
Put sausage and fennel seeds in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to break up sausage, until meat is cooked and no longer pink. Remove sausage and drain most of the oil. Return pan to stove, turn heat to medium and add kale/spinach and garlic. Saute until spinach wilts, about 4 min. Add 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Turn off heat and put sausage back in the pan.
Cook pasta in boiling water, but cook it for 2 minutes less than the directions on the package. Drain well, toss with sausage mixture. Add half-and-half, chicken broth and 1/2 the cheese and toss. Transfer to baking pan, top with breadcrumbs and remaining cheese. Bake 25 minutes. Serves 8.
****If you’re making this ahead of time, don’t add the liquids (cream, broth and cheese) until you are ready to bake.
I bought a really gorgeous scarf in Sandpoint, Idaho. The shop was lovely and, amidst the clothes and scarves and hats and belts and jewelry, was a display of soaps and lotions.
Or something smelly.
I’m allergic to a lot of perfumes. They make my nose run, they make me sneeze, they give me migraines. There are few floral scents that I can tolerate. My world is filled with products labeled “Unscented”.
I should have sniffed the scarf before I bought it. I wore it once and realized hours later that the sudden constant need for Kleenex was due to the scarf smelling of perfume or perfumed soap or perfumed lotion…
I aired it out. For days.
I should have returned it, but I thought it just needed a little air. Wrong.
I put it inside a ziplock bag filled with baking soda. For weeks.
It is now outside again. It was expensive. And my favorite faded green color. The lace is lovely. I don’t know what it’s made of.
And I can’t wear it. Not yet. Maybe never.
Suggestions, anyone??????
A Man And His Television
A Man and His Flying Cornhusker Hat
Fourth of July
Glen the Banjo Man
LIVE at the Dump
