Football Season is HERE!

How do you know high school football season has arrived?

This little guy lets you know.

How?

Like this...

Nothing says 'We accept you' like 'I made a big mess in your yard for you to clean up'.

This is how the band and color guard drop off the yard signs.  My now sophomore got to clean it up last year and now my new freshman gets the pleasure.  And it is a pleasure.  It truly does make them feel accepted.  It's a weird phenomenon.  I remember it from my high school days. 

Funny how something that seems like it would be a mean prank is anticipated with a lot of excitement from the person that will spend their Saturday picking up tiny torn bits of toilet tissue out of the slightly damp grass.  Forget about scaling the tree, which they did a great job of hoisting rolls of TP high up.  Kudos...

Now to go 'encourage' the clean up...

:)

Back to School

The buses are on the loose again.  The AM traffic is back to horrible and the blinking school zone lights are on once more.  Ah, back to school time.  I love this time of year.  It means fall is around the corner.  Friday night high school football games are gearing up.  And better day time sleep for the night time worker! 

This back to school year also means my baby is in high school. 

And my last year freshman is what she calls, a squash-more.

Let's not even get into my second year college student...
              - She asked me the other day what I'll think when she turns 20.  I told her that in this case, thank goodness for teen pregnancy, lol.  Even though they all know what a hard road it was when they were younger.

But as everyone goes through the anxiety filled, yet exciting back to school days - I wish the best to all!

First Day of Clinicals!

My husband has always wanted to have a job where he felt like he was making a difference.  He has recently made the decision to go back to school and become a Paramedic.  I couldn't be more proud.

He completed the Basic EMT portion and today is his first day of clinicals!  And, as an L&D nurse, I love that his first clinical is in labor and delivery.  He is doing a 12 hour shift at a county hospital.  I can't wait to hear how his day went.  Way to go, Mr. H2!  Just watch out for the fluids ;)  Amniotic baths are completely disgusting!

Casual Cos - Tenth Doctor

 

Doctor Who fan folks say that the first Doctor you watch becomes "your" Doctor.  I remember seeing Doctor Who on PBS when I was a kid, but this is America where Star Trek and Star Wars reigned SciFi supreme. 

 

Enter Netflix and a night on call a year or two ago...

 

I was searching for something to watch and saw the Doctor Who logo pop up on what was recommended for me.  I vaguely remembered the show from childhood so I gave it a try.  Starting from the beginning made Christopher Eccleston my first Doctor.  And he was 'fantastic'. 

 

But then he regenerated and in came David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.  My Doctor.  The Proper Doctor. 

The pin striped, Converse wearing Ten made me smile.  Ten and Rose made me cry like a baby.  I can't watch it without bawling and I have seen it so many times now.  And the Doctor Donna, don't get me started...

I can't wait to see how they bring him back, hopefully with Rose, in the 50th special!

Irish Soda Bread

 

I want to be a bread baker, but I'm a complete novice and a bit yeast challenged.  So I tried my hand at yeast free Irish Soda Bread to go with some Irish stew.  It turned out fabulous!  I brushed on buttermilk before I put it in the oven and got the best, crunchiest crust.  Just perfect for dipping in a hot bowl of stew.

 

This will totally become a regular, especially for the fall and winter.  It's considered a quick bread since it lacks yeast and depends on the baking soda to make it rise.  I am totally going to look for more quick bread recipes.  I'm a bit impatient, which is probably why I have a problem with yeast breads...Either way, this is a great bread!

 

 

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add buttermilk.  Mix.  If necessary add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft dough forms.  Turn onto lightly floured surface.  Knead 5 or 6 times.  Form into a ball.  Place on baking pan.  Cut an "X" into the top of the bread.  Brush with buttermilk.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.  Bread will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Serve with a delicious slathering of butter.  :)

Casual Cos - Sherlock

There seems to be a bit of a BBC craze in America.  Doctor Who, Downton Abbey and, of course, Sherlock.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric mystery solving sleuth has made a few recent appearances.  I enjoyed the movie version with Robert Downey Jr, but I have not yet watched the new series with Lucy Lu as Watson.  A girl Watson just doesn't seem right. 

I had this discussion with my brother-in-law just the other day.  I mentioned wanting to have a Sherlock themed party for my birthday this year.  He assumed it was the Lucy Lu one.  I informed him that it was the BBC version.  He rolled his eyes a bit.  That's okay, he had the same reaction to Doctor Who and now he and his daughters are hooked.  There is just something perfect about Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.  My BiL replied that they brought back his drug addiction in the American series.  Shocker.  Hollywood using drugs in a production is not something I get excited about.  I wonder if they address the fact that the drugs Holmes used in Doyle's time were legal.  It would be like smoking now - it's not good for you, it's addictive, but it's legal.  Which is why I like the way Cumberbatch's Holmes wears a nicotine patch (or a few).  It's the same concept, but current to today's society.  Anyway, I digress...

I am very pleased to hear a third 'season' is coming.  So pleased that I have a casual cos in honor of the show today!

 

 

P.S. My birthday is around the corner so I'll post some photos from that.  We don't do big bashes in our house.  Just a family birthday dinner with some games and cake.  But the birthday boy or girl gets to pick a theme.  We decorate according to the chosen theme and people dress up with stuff they find around the house that goes with it as well.  Good inexpensive, creative fun!

Parsley Potatoes

I love french fries.  And I love tater tots.  They don't love me, however.  So here is my make it yourself alternative.  The secret is heating the oil in the oven while getting the potatoes ready.

They are the size of tots with the crispy crunch of a fry.  Satisfaction in a major way.

 

Parsley Potatoes

 

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (washed and chopped into about 1 inch chunks)

1/4 cup olive oil

kosher salt

1/4 chopped fresh parsley

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour olive oil into a baking pan, like the kind you would make a sheet cake in.  Place pan in heated oven.  Wash and chop the potatoes.  I don't peel mine.  I just cut them into approximately 1 inch chunks.  Place potato chunks in a large bowl.  Using a rubber spatula, toss while adding salt and parsley.  Remove hot oil from oven.  Carefully add potatoes, the oil should sizzle.  Toss to coat the potatoes in the hot oil.  Return to oven.  Bake until browned and fork tender.

 

They are simple enough to eat with a burger and visually appealing, so you can serve them with something a bit more gourmet.

 

You can also change up the herbs to fit the rest of the meal.  Easy peasy.

 

Homey, comfort food that makes me smile.