In a way, I feel like Miller is part of an old stomping ground for me. I spent Friday’s of one semester and an entire semester 5-6 days per week in Miller back when I was in college. Why you may ask? Well, my degree is to be a High School Agriculture and Miller has a very nice Agriculture department, and that just so happens to be where I was placed to do my student teaching.
A couple of months ago, hubby and I were out driving around and wound up in Miller and I was telling him what I knew about the school and the town. Now, Miller is not big at all – Population roughly 700. But I would bet that half of the school was involved in the Agriculture program at some point or another in their high school careers.
We wound up driving down one of the main streets that takes you past the Post office when we saw this pizza place. The funny thing was later that weekend at Sunday Night Dinner, Earl & Pokey were mentioning this pizza place in Miller that we all needed to go eat at.
Finally, Friday night worked out that we were able to eat here and Pokey & Early were able to join us. Let me introduce you to a horrible iPhone picture taken at 8:30 at night of the yummy Pizza Place – Marshiano’s Olde Time Pizzeria.
I really wanted to try the Chicken Alfredo Pizza but we decided on trying the Jumpin Jack Pizza instead. (more…)
Back at the beginning of January we tried to go to Longhorn in Joplin for Tbug’s birthday but were unable to get in due to the sheer volume of people and wait time, on a Wednesday no less.
One thing we debated that night was if Tbug had ever been to a Longhorn Steakhouse. We weren’t sure until we got down to Tulsa for Tbug’s cheer competition. After her competition, she went to eat lunch with all of us. We chose to go to Longhorn Steakhouse in Tulsa which reminded us that, Yes, she has been to a Longhorn Steakhouse, the previous year with us.
As with the Longhorn in Joplin, you start with unlimited freshly-baked Honey Wheat bread and butter. YUM! (more…)
Did you know that Friday night conversations could end in someone getting pelted in the head with a Mike & Ike.
via
I might like to mention that I was the one getting pelted, not the one doing the pelting! Just pointing that out, but it was all in good fun.
So what kind of a conversation might lead to someone getting pelted with a Mike & Ike you may ask… A conversation that deals with babies.
Are you scratching your head yet? Ok let me paint you a picture…
My parents are of the frame of mind that if I want a kid, when I’m ready, I’ll have one. Now other people (lots of other people) seem to think that just after I was married was the time to start asking when was the baby coming. But I’m not sure I’m ready. I’ve never felt my biological clock ticking. Ok so truthfully in one sense, seems all my friends that are my age already have kids, but otherwise, my biological clock isn’t ticking.
I know they say that the older you get, the more chances you have for different things to be wrong with a baby… but still, why have a kid if you aren’t ready? I’ll be 30 this year and yes, this is freaking me out for a lot of reasons… but even though I will be 30, I don’t feel 30. Truthfully, I feel about 16-18, you know except when I get up out of bed in the morning and have aches and pains I didn’t have at 16-18 years old.
So Friday night somehow the conversation came up about babies. They haven’t ever asked me about having kids but when it got brought up they were asking for my top reasons I was scared to have a kid. I started throwing them all out there. Yes, some of them are more funny than anything, but still… they are valid points.
Examples but not limited to:
I don’t want to have aneurysm
The whole peeing when you laugh thing… yuck
Lose quality alone time with my sweetheart
I want to be able to see my feet
I want to paint my toenails
Shave my legs
I don’t want my kid embarrassed by me
I’m broke
I’ll have no life
I won’t be able to show horses
I can’t afford new clothes – all mine currently fit
With some women, once a kid comes into their life, the husband just gets totally ignored
I can’t drink
I can’t get my hair cut – although that was supposed to be dyed.
I don’t like mom jeans
I don’t want my kid back talking me
I don’t want my kid hating me
I don’t want my kid to think I’m weird
I don’t want to bring a kid into a family that has a split family effect (remember I have a step-daughter. I don’t want either kid feeling left out)
I don’t want my kid asking me if she/he has another mom because Tbug has a different mom
I don’t want my husband to leave me
I don’t want to be replaced
If I have a boy, I don’t want him peeing in my coffee
I won’t be able to drink coffee for 9 months
And there are so many more because this went on for a little while.
Oh and one of my biggest fears is not being able to have a kid. That bugs the crap out of me, especially because someone else had a kid with my husband…(before he was mine, but still, he’s MY husband!)
So we started out at dinner and eventually headed to our friend’s house. We started playing rummy and we were 3-4 hands in, I was still having to come up with reasons and the next thing I knew something pelted me in the head.
Turns out, they threw a Mike & Ike at me, it was green, because I wouldn’t answer some question I was asked. I think getting hit in the head made me forget the question because I couldn’t tell you now what she asked me. Eventually I was told what the correct answer was because I got threatened to be hit with another one. (just so you know, I was laughing my butt off at the fact they were throwing things at me.)
Hours later and a new bruise (j/k) to go with last week’s camera bruise, I’m still not convinced to have a kid… yet. They weren’t really trying to convince me to have a kid but rather ease my fears.
And I really don’t drink that often, but I threw it out there, so we shook that if I got pregnant, I wouldn’t be the only sober person for 9 months… lol.
So I must ask, do you deal with any of my concerns? Are you ready to pelt me with a green Mike & Ike? Or any other color really? Any thoughts to share or words of wisdom?
Since cooler weather has made its way back to Missouri Winters, here are a few recipes to surely warm you up!
Homemade Cocoa Mix (found here)
5 1/2 c. powdered milk
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/4 c. baking cocoa
1 c. dry non dairy creamer
Mix and store in an airtight container.
To serve mix 1 c. boiling water with 1/3 c. dry mix.
Chocolate dipped spoons. These are super easy to make. I use the big bars of melting Ghirardelli chocolate that you can get at Sam’s Club. I dip the spoons so that both the front and back are covered, and then dip them again, scooping up the chocolate into the spoon so that the bowl of the spoon is full. Then I lay them on waxed paper, add sprinkles and let dry.
So this is going to be my first time signing up for this Book Club Friday thing… so bare with me 🙂 This week I’m going to share with you: Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School
A deliciously entertaining memoir about one woman’s adventures in the student kitchens of the legendary French Culinary Institute — flavored with celebrity chefs, eccentric characters, and mouthwatering recipes.
Have you heard them talking about a wing shortage on tv? I don’t know if this is a Super Bowl thing or if it is a scare… but either way, they’re reporting that there is a wing shortage. Does that mean we should go and buy up all kinds and hoard them away in our deep freeze and only ration them out for one per person…. ok anyway…
Well last Sunday when Early called me and told me to get my butt to her house because she a blog worthy thing going on, turns out, we were blogging about Wings. I guess the night before they’d been out to dinner and someone mentioned that Sunday Night Dinner should be Chicken Wings, so that’s what she and her sister A set out to accomplish.
First up we have a Ranchy style mix. Simple… dry rub mix. Hot Wing Seasoning Mix all 3 packages together in a large bowl. Add a few wings at a time & shake around until completely covered.
3 pounds chicken wings, cut at joint, washed and dried
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon-pepper seasoning
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup hot sauce (recommend: Texas Pete’s)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Carrot and Celery Sticks, for serving
Directions
Add the wings to a large mixing bowl and season with the lemon-pepper seasoning and toss to coat. Allow to sit for a few minutes, so flavors can permeate into the chicken. Add the wings to the deep-fryer and fry until cooked through and golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. You may need to do this in batches. Meanwhile, while wings are frying, melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat with the garlic. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the hot sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until combined. Remove wings from fryer and drain on a paper towel lined sheet tray. Immediately sprinkle with the seasoning. Add fried wings to the large bowl of sauce and toss until well combined and wings are well coated. Serve immediately after tossing the wings with the sauce. Serve with the blue cheese dipping sauce and celery and carrot sticks.
I have to admit, these were probably my favorite wings of the bunch! Candied Garlic Chicken Wings
Heat honey, soy sauce, and garlic in a saucepan until boiling.
Place the wings in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, and pour the honey mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour; turn the wings after 1/2 hour. Remove the foil cover, and bake for 15 minutes. Take the wings out of the sauce, and bake on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken wings, and cook for another 10 minutes.
And last but not least, a nice slow cooker recipe to enjoy. Although we left out the fruit! 5-Spice Chicken Wings.
Prep 20 mins Cook 4 hrs to 5 hrs (low) or 2 to 2-1/2 hours (high) Bake 375°F 20 mins
3 poundschicken wings (about 16)
1 cupbottled plum sauce
2 tablespoonsbutter, melted
1 teaspoonfive-spice powder
Thin orange wedges and pineapple slices (optional)
Directions
1. If desired, use a sharp knife to carefully cut off tips of the wings; discard wing tips. In a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch shallow baking pan arrange wing pieces in a single layer. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Drain well.
2. For sauce, in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine plum sauce, melted butter, and five-spice powder. Add wing pieces, stirring to coat with sauce.
3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
4. Serve immediately or keep covered on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours. If desired, garnish with orange wedges and pineapple slices. Makes about 32 pieces.
From the Test Kitchen Buffalo-Style Chicken Wings:
Prepare chicken as in Step 1. For sauce, in slow cooker combine 1-1/2 cups hot-style barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 to 2 teaspoons bottled hot pepper sauce. Add wing pieces, stirring to coat with sauce. Continue as in Step 3. Serve with bottled blue cheese or ranch salad dressing. Omit the fruit garnish.
Kentucky Chicken Wings:
Prepare chicken as in Step 1. For sauce, in slow cooker combine 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup whiskey, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add wing pieces, stirring to coat with sauce. Continue as in Step 3.
Nutrition Facts (Five-Spice Chicken Wings) Servings Per Recipe 32, cal. (kcal) 88, Fat, total (g) 6, chol. (mg) 35, sat. fat (g) 2, carb. (g) 3, pro. (g) 6, vit. A (IU) 49, sodium (mg) 41, Potassium (mg) 6, calcium (mg) 10, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
