My Bassakward Group

My Bassakward Group

Monday, December 29, 2008

menu monday - 1st edition

ok, after posting the menu blog i realized it was pretty long...so i am trying to shorten it...
just for the record, i have cooked two nights - now this may not sound like alot, but i follow the time line...i got my cookbook on christmas...cooked my first meal friday night after working all day...left for south alabama on saturday...got back sunday...and cooked tonight after working all day....so i have kept to my resolution...i made impossible taco pie which by the way rocks!!!!

the next menus may seem a repeat of what i posted originally, but i have rearranged the meals...so here goes

Monday - taco pie
Tuesday - corn dogs and fries
Wednesday - meat loaf and yellow rice casserole
Thursday - ranch pork chops, black eyed peans and greens (New Year's Day)
Friday - take out - it is payday

Recipes
taco pie - scramble hamburger meat with taco seasoning, put in square pyrex greased, mix 3/4 cup bisquick, 3 eggs and 1 1/4 cup milk together and pour over the meat - bake at 400 for 25 min, take out and put your regular taco toppings on it - delicious

yellow rice casserole - 1 box zatarins yellow rice, cooked, 1 can mexicorn and 1 cup cheese, mix cooked rice and corn together, dump in casserole dish, put cheese on top and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted

ranch pork chops - 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 soup can milk
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until it's well browned on both sides. Stir the soup, milk and 1/2 package salad dressing mix in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.

sounds yummy to me....

i am hoping that some of my "stalkers" may leave me comments now that i am on this food kick!!!!!

Friday, December 26, 2008

random thoughts from the past week.....

i will warn you that this post may be a little lengthy, but i hope it will be read, make others think about some things in a different way and possibly make you laugh...if nothing else it gives you a little glimpse into what goes through my head, goes on in my life and what i long for....

as many of you know i work as the director of social services at a nursing home - that is what most people call it anyway - let me give you the newest politically correct name - living center - at first i thought this was odd...but i thought about it - it really is a living center - most people view "nursing homes" as a place to go and die...in some instances it is but more often than not it is a place that people have found themselves only because life has dealt them a bad hand...i have several residents who are under 55 and some over 100- many of them are pretty independent but just need some serious medical care...we had a christmas party for the residents on tuesday - santa and mrs clause came - thanks ralph and monta faye - those residents absolutely loved it - it brought back the magic of christmas - something they had long forgotten - it helped of course that santa played the accordion too...some of the other things we do are go out to lunch at cracker barrel, that is their favorite, a group of them like mexican so we go out to eat mexican sometimes, we have spa days - manicures and pedicures, aroma therapy, crafts - not coloring books - actually make stuff, movie days - old black and whites and modern movies...we have two weenie dogs, bubba joe and sissy lynn that live there...i say all this to say, i hope that people will begin to look at nursing homes, extended care facilities, skilled nursing facilities or whatever you call them as "LIVING CENTERS" not the death dorms...i am not about to say that we don't have some sad things that go on...yes we have hospice patients, we have some psych patients and we have some very young patients who are completely helpless...but that is not totally what we are all about...so if you find yourself looking for something to do in the new year either as a volunteer project, expanding your knowledge or teaching your children how to serve others...a LIVING CENTER is a great place to start.....

jacob is in boy scouts...this has been a wonderful experience for him and he has learned so much...we were at his pack christmas party and they had a visitor...santa...well on the way home jacob and i have this conversation:

jacob: momma, i don't know about this santa clause thing
me: what do you mean
jacob: well i am just a little confused
me: why
jacob: you mean to tell me we are nine days from christmas and santa stopped what he was doing at the north pole and came all the way to lincoln, alabama, to see some boy scouts
me: well jacob, i know that is hard to believe, but santa has helpers because i just don't think he could do it all by himself

it breaks my heart that the magic of christmas may soon be leaving my youngest...but i hope that when he does figure out the truth that he does not lose the excitement of christmas morning

jacob and aubie were watching a movie the other day and a little boy was making his christmas list on a sheet of paper...he ran out of room so he got another sheet of paper and stapled it to the first sheet and when he ran out of room on that sheet of paper he got another one and repeated the process...jacob said to aubie...you know that is a good idea...i think i will get me a scroll for my christmas list next year....

jamie has grown up into a young lady that i am so proud to say is my daughter...she is beautiful, thoughtful, tender hearted, caring and on and on i could go...both she and jacob have been around elderly people all of their lives because of the kind of work i do...jacob is okay with it in small amounts but jamie is the best about it...she went to work with me the day of the christmas party...she worked all day...she helped on the alzheimer's unit by ironing table cloths, setting the tables, making bows for the tables, coloring happy birthday signs for resident's doors, helped a resident wrap christmas presents for her grandchildren, fed the puppies, took pictures, handed out christmas gifts and cards, helped decorate the dining room to get ready for the party and so much more...at the end of the day she said, "momma, i won't ever fuss at you again when you say you are too tired to go to walmart"...i thought this was precious because she saw first hand that even on the very best days when things are fun...it is alot of work....jamie wants to be a nurse...i think she will be a great nurse...she has the background to know what it is like to be sick...she has had cancer, lost her hair, has only one kidney, has to follow a special diet, etc....i think she will find her niche of people to work with and they will be blessed to have her taking care of them...

if you let satan, he will steal your joy...i have never been really good at buying my family gifts...i can't ever seem to ever really find that "perfect" gift...or if i do they figure it out before they open it...well this year was no different as far as presents go...we will discuss the rest later...my mom had been talking that she wanted an electric stand alone mixer...well i knew momma would never buy one for herself...so i found one and was so excited...i had found the perfect gift for momma - besides this meant she could whip out those chocolate cakes faster...anyway i get it home and wrapped...well my sister comes out to my house and says, "what is that big box", and i tell her...she says, "daddy bought that for momma friday." i about fell out...first of all...those of you who know my dad know that he does not listen nor remember anything...or so we thought...he had heard momma say that and well the rest is history...i was so mad...well i ended up getting momma an outfit and the kids got her a gown...later on i told momma about what happened...she laughed and told me "it is better that it turned out this way...cause you know what kind of clothes i like...you buy them in the right size and you always get me the perfect gown" that made me feel better, but i thought, what are the odds that my dad would listen to somebody, would remember and then buy the very same thing....i guess miracles have not ceased....

speaking of telling people stuff...i had told my family that my new year's resolution was going to be to cook better for my family - not necessarily cook better as in healthy but being better about cooking supper - well they took me seriously...i got a 5 qt tfal skillet, a bagel / bread toaster and a new cookbook...i was real excited about the cookbook because it is one i have been wanting....

finally, i told a friend of mine that somewhere in my mind i have a norman rockwell nostalgic idea of what christmas should be like or what i want it to be like...it has never been this way and i doubt it ever will be...but there are little pieces of it that i can pull out and make happen...one part of that is sending christmas cards...i sent out many cards, but there were so many more i wanted to send...i did not send them because i did not have addresses..so if you are reading this and i don't have your address please send it to me...even if you are a cyber friend i would love to be able to drop you a card in the mail throughout the year - this is something small that i really like to do...

i guess that is enough for now - aside from the fact it is 230 in the AM...just had some quiet time and wanted to blog...it is therapeutic...love to all and blessings for the new year

yummy yummmy to my family's tummy...

i got an awesome cookbook for christmas so tonight i made a recipe from it...chicken pie...the cookbook is called georgia cooking from an oklahoma kitchen - trisha yearwood's family cookbook - it was soooooooooo good and soooooooooooo easy...

2 cups of shredded chicken
2 cups of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of celery soup
1 cup of self rising flour
1 stick butter - melted
1 cup of buttermilk

cook the chicken and set aside

in a boiler mix the liquids and bring to a boil

pour mixture over chicken in 2 qt casserole dish

mix flour butter and buttermilk together and pour over chicken mixture - even it out but do not stir

bake at 425 for 45 minutes


mmmmmmmmm good....even jacob ate it...

i hope everyone had a merry christmas...my new year's resolution is to cook better for my family...by this i mean to simply cook...usually it is throwing something together...i usually end up cooking the same things over and again...tacos, spaghetti, hot dogs, etc...

so in an effort to "get organized" -becky don't faint - i am putting together monthly menus with recipes and grocery lists - let's see how this works...if it works i may post a weeks menu and grocery list...maybe it will help some other poor momma who is trying to keep everything going that we have to....

Friday, December 19, 2008

why is it?

why is it that when you make a concerted effort to do what is right...you mess up even worse? i have never been a big fan of the holidays until i had children...i do not get excited about christmas except for the meaning behind it and watching my children open their presents...i don't really enjoy christmas shopping for my family...for my friends i love it but fam no...i guess i have this nostalgic view of what i want christmas to be like in my family...well it never has been that way and i guess it never will be...case in point...i thought that when i got older my mom, sister and myself would go shopping for my dad's presents and my dad, my sister and myself would go shopping for my mom's gifts...well i guess i don't count because my mom and my sister went and my dad and my sister went...all the while i am working...i feel like the only person on this plot of land out here who actually has any responsibility...to top it all off i found the perfect present for my mom which is not easy...only to find out that my dad had already bought it for her...i seriously think i am going to spend next christmas in the soup kitchen serving those people who truly appreciate the meaning of the season...i know i sound bah humbugish right now, but that flew all over me...let's not mention the fact that on their shopping trip today they told me they were not going to get lunch...this is after i have asked them to come eat lunch with me...you know the one who is working...well they call to tell me they are on their way home and ARE STUFFED...they had just eaten at chili's!!!!!!!!!!!! why is it that this makes me mad? i just feel like i do not fit into anyone's schedule and no one wants to do anything with me...call it a pity party if you want but i am having it!!!!!!!!!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Jamie's 17th Birthday

We had Jamie's 17th birthday party Friday night. I cannot believe she is that old - this time next year I will be getting ready for her to graduate. For those of you who don't know our story - here is the Readers Digest condensed version. I met her dad on January 2, 1997, at a mutual friend's apartment. I was working 3rd shift at the local ER and just wanted to go get something to eat before I went to work. Well everybody started backing out. I was irritated and said, "Look, I am going to get something to eat, if anybody wants to go come on!" Well the only person that showed up was Stephen, my hubby. I have often told people that I fell in love with Jamie before I fell in love with Stephen - and that is the honest truth. We got married in August of that year. I became a wife, a parent and preacher's wife all in a matter of 8 months! I would not change anything! Jamie is my daughter that I always wanted. I was told many times that I would not have children, and so I was okay with that. God blessed me with this beautiful daughter. I have watched her grow up into a beautiful young lady that has a heart of gold. Jamie had finished her last round of chemotherapy right before Stephen and I met. She had lost all of her hair, but she had not lost that gorgeous smile! I remember she would take my afghan and wrap around her head and tie it back with a ponytail holder. This was her hair. I remember Stephen sitting on the side of the bed sewing up her Barbie gown with matching pink thread - I was impressed! I remember the first night I met her at McDonald's in Troy. She was wearing a 101 Dalmations sweatsuit. Becky and I had gone to WalMart to buy her some 101 Dalmations coloring books and wrapped it in matching paper. I remember we were playing in the ball pit and I got out to get one. When I bent over she kicked me square in the rear end. I remember the first day of Kindergarden at W.O. Parmer - or as Jamie said, "W.O. Farmer." She wore this outifit that was pink, white and mint green check with little ducks on it. She walked down the sidewalk with her lunchbox, turned around, waved and said, "You can go Momma." Then there was the time she had gotten in trouble at school for trading penicls - oh my isn't that the cardinal sin" anyway the principal asked her where her mom worked because she was going to "call her and tell her what you have done." Jamie said, "The Princess House." The principal got real mad. The funny thing is I was selling Princess House crystal at the time. I remember the first time she let me fix a "boo boo". That had always been Daddy's job. We have had so many "I remembers" and I hope there are many more to come. Jamie if you read this I hope you know how much I love you! You are my sweet angel!




Jamie, Austin & Katie with her presents and cake! Katie & Jamie Thanks Aubie & Poppa Jamie's Birthday Cake - homemade red velvet - it fell over in the car - thanks aubie! Jamie & Jacob with Foxxy

Saturday, December 13, 2008

my 8

8 TV shows I watch:
1. Intervention
2. Clean House
3. CSI
4. Law & Order: SVU
5. Biography
6. Sanford & Son
7. The Andy Griffin show
8. The Comedy Channel

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. PF Changs
2. Superior Grill
3. The Great Wall
4. chic-fil-a
5. steak out
6. logans
7. El Cazadore
8. O'Carr's

8 Things that happened this week:
1. went to the doc
2. had a mri
3. found out my s1 is fractured - yes that is a result of me flying out the front door
4. had a nerve block - thank God for modern medicine and pain meds
5. did some christmas shopping
6. played one of santa's elves to some unsuspecting people
7. cleaned house - a little
8. most importantly - rededicated myself to Jesus

8 Things I look forward to:
1. Christmas day - seeing my kids open presents
2. seeing my niece Hannah
3. sleep precious sleep
4. when my house is clean
5. getting the rest of the floors down
6. jamie getting her permit
7. kids christmas break - no getting them up early
8. each new day

8 Things I wish for/pray for:
1. to be a good momma, wife, friend - much better than i have been
2. for my children to become Christians
3. a cure for cancer
4. peace in my extended family
5. my sister to get clean
6. that no parent should ever lose a child. i just don't get it. it tears me up inside even for people i have never met. - i am copying becky on this one and the last two
7. for my children to be healthy
8. to have a home in Heaven

8 people I tag:
i don't really have 8 bloggers to tag but here goes...
1. amy
2. allison
3. anyone else who wants to

Thursday, December 11, 2008

thankful thursday...

ok so as i have always said, "failure is never final unless it is the last time you try"..so one day i will be consistent with doing a weekly thankful thursday post...here goes

1. i am thankful for modern technology...after a long day in many offices at various medical wonderlands called hospitals...i do have ANOTHER kidney stone.

2. i am thankful for pain medicine - if you have ever had a stone you know what i mean

3. i am thankful for my children - jamie will be 17 years old tomorrow

4. i am thankful for this time of year - it makes me take stock of all of my blessings - especially those that i have not been so mindful of in the past

5. i am thankful that although i have multiple health problems, i am still able to work

7. i am thankful that my children are pretty much old enough to fix their own food in the event mom is otherwise occupied - i.e with a kidney stone

8. i am thankful that one day there will be no more hurt, aches, sadness or illness...we will all be in that promise land of eternal peace and joy

9. i am thankful that i have friends that although they may not hear from me everyday, they are always there for me...i hope they can say the same thing about me

10. i am thankful that i have made it to number 10, this still makes sense and i am under the influence of some major pain medications...i will try again next thursday when i am not intoxicated....

Sunday, December 07, 2008

the past week...

nothing real exciting has happened this past week...really the same routine as usual...however, i did get my christmas tree up, a new floor in my den, one cat given away, my office half way clean...and managed not to kill anyone...that is a joke...my dad is on his way home from one of his many gypsy trips, my kids are ready for christmas break, i have a very dear friend in need of everyone's prayers...you know who you are...i got to spend the afternoon with another good friend by her fireplace and looking at her christmas tree...i did find these great pics of my daughter... i think she is the most awesome girl in the world...have a great week....






Tuesday, December 02, 2008

call me a copycat if you want...

i have a dear friend, becky, who is so funny and creative..she is very talented as well...some of her talents i did not find out about until after she had children..for example sewing and crafts...anyway she did a blog post that listed 101 things about her that some people may or may not know...the cool thing about it is there were some things that i did not know about her and we were college roommates...the other cool thing is that i have met so many people through this virtual cyberspace world we live in and hopefully they may follow the lead of listing 101 things about themselves that will allow me to get to know them better through our blogs...so i have said all of this to say here is my 101...these are in no particular order...they are listed as they come to me...

1. i am 33 years old
2. married for 11 years to the most wonderful man in the world
3. have two children - jamie is 16 and jacob is 9
4. there is nothing better than being a momma- not a mom, not a mother but a momma
5. my children are as different as night and day - both are dramas but are different
6. i had a very unique childhood..some parts better than others..but i always knew i was loved
7. i know more off the wall songs due to the music i grew up with - peter, paul and mary, arlo guthrie, johnny cash - need i say more - my hubby calls me the human karoke machine
8. i grew up in lincoln, al - very small town in talladega county
9. my momma is a school teacher - so she knew what i had done before i did
10. have the greates momma in the world - she is the forever optimist - pulls the good out of everything but she will tell you when enough is enough
11. had a great and wonderful grandma that i really did not appreciate until i was older
12. have another granny that is insane - in a good way - she wears tennis shoes and blue jeans and before she lost her sight drove sporty cars
13. i have a bachelors degree in social work from uab with a minor in biology and psychology - a combo huh
14. i am the director of social services at a skilled nursing facility
15. i have worked many areas of social services but long term care is where i belong and where God called me to be
16. i work great under pressure - i have often been told i work my best when everything blows up
17. i care to a fault about my job and my residents
18. my hubby is a web server engineer at blue cross blue shield - computer nerd
19. he graduated from troy university with a bs in information systems and criminal justice and minors in accounting and business admin - more degrees than a thermometer
20. miss my father in law more and more each day
21. have the greatest sister in law ever - i love you cathy
22. love to clip coupons and send them to friends in a card - especially those friends with children - at least it is not another bill in the mail
23. love surprises - not like you becky - i guess that is why i loved it when you rearranged our dorm room
24. love to read - i deal with so much sadness, disfunction etc that i escape through my books...go somewhere entirly different
25. am an insulin dependent diabetic with an insulin pump
26. i have coded three times - that means quit breathing - never seen "the light" - don't want to see it but it did change my view on life
27. strange things happen to me - got any questions or want to know email me
28. totally dependent on my cell phone
29. played trumpet, clarinet, french horn and mellophone in band - of course not all at one time
30. my motto is "failure is never final unless it is the last time you try"
31. want to have a clean and organized house...the Lord knows i am trying - miranda can testify to that
32. always striving to be a better Christian and sometimes, more often than not, feel like a complete failure
33. love clearance racks anywhere - home depot, dollar tree, shoe store it does not matter
34. love coffee - anytime
35. very opinonated - if you don't believe it just ask me about something- but if i am wrong i will be the first to admit it and apologize if necessary
36. probably know more about long term care, federal and state regulations and useless stuff than the average joe- but hey i may be on jeopardy one day
37. have the best friends in the entire world
38. love comedy movies
39. live for the show clean house, intervention and extreme home makeover - that is my social work show
40. admire my momma - if you don't know her story - email me
41. am partially ocd - only about some things - my office at work
42. i take great pride in my work and am very maticulous about how it looks, it is written etc...
43. try to be the voice of those who do not have a voice - elderly, disabled, children
44. have strong political views - believe it or not i am a republican and a social worker...usually it is a democrat and a social worker
45. love animals - my dad used to call me ellie mae
46. have hundreds of great ideas in my head they just never get out
47. if i pick up a book and read the first page i have to finish it - just a quirk
48. love mary kay products
49. should own stock in kirklands
50. addicted to blogging and reading others blogs - i think beck calls it "stalking"
51. my momma did not name me - my dad and sister did - momma was not happy with the name - she was knocked out
52. have more than i deserve
53. very goal oriented
54. i am a nerd - i love to learn - i am never satisfied
55. was involved in just about every club you could be involved with in high school and was president of most of them
56. will one day be heard in montgomery on my soapbox about adult services in alabama
57 will send out an email in a heartbeat if i have a bone to pick - ie the newspaper, a company, the governors office, state agencies
58. admire school teachers - i subbed for two months and let's just say that is not my calling
59. my dad is a dreamer and a gypsy
60. love to travel
61. from the time i was 12 years old i wanted to be a flight nurse
62. went to nursing school but my health just did not allow me to finish
63. happy i chose medical social work because i use all that i learned in nursing school everyday
64. love to throw things away - it is refreshing
65. love to mark things off my eternal to do list
66. read the obituaries - morbid huh? - this goes back to my grandmother - also because i have worked in long term care so long - i usually find out about former patients
67. love football - especially ALABAMA football
68. love the fall and the spring - not too hot not too cold
69. loathe coats - they just do not fit me right
70. don't wear heels - my daughter says, "if momma has on hose or heels somebody has died"
71 am not a morning person - never claimed to be
72. usually only watch informational, documentary or medical shows on tv
73 read just about anything in print
74 read the wedding announcements in the sunday paper every sunday - this is comic relief for me because some of these announcements are so sappy - good grief
75. agree with beck - i hate those forwards that say if you don't forward this you don't love jesus
76. love surveys...most of them
77. could eat "thanksgiving ham" everyday of the year
78. just gave my bedroom a facelift - for the first time in my life i have a bedroom that is coordinated - curtains included
79. cannot sleep on my back
80. have no veins - so if anyone ever tells you i am an iv drug user you know they are lying
81 accepting of the fact that i am fat...God made me that way...will not try to gain weight but will not obsess over losing it either
82. am a fan of hot wings with good blue cheese dressing
83. gardenias are my favorite flower
84. have never bought my husband any clothing that i picked out - he is so picky - he will not allow me to buy clothes for him
85. have a horrible fear of having to go on dialysis one day - remember i am diabetic
86. passionate about finding a cure for cancer, particularly childhood cancers, and alzheimer's disease - both have touched my life very closely - my daughter and grandmother
87. love to give hugs
88. love to leave funky stickers on coworkers workspace so that when they come back they will smile
89.must have a tv in my room
90 must read before i go to bed
91. have had more surgeries in my 33 years than carter has liver pills
92. hate to go to the doctor because he usually puts me in the hospital like 5 out of 10 times - then i have to listen to people say, "you're back in the hospital."
93. miss riding to work with my hubby - adult time is precious
94. miss having lunch with my hubby
95. wish for a beautiful yard that people envy
96. wish i had a new pair of socks for every day of the year - yes that means wear them one time and throw them away
97. have dreamed and still dream of writing a book about my life experiences both personally and professionally - it would be called "it's a good thing" - there is a story behind the title
98. elvis is my hero - not for his lifestyle but good grief how could someone sing so beautifully - can you say "blue christmas"
99. have some family that should be in bryce - they may say the same thing about me but hey....
100. cannot eat something hot and drink something hot...it must be something cold to drink
101. that i actually have friends that read this whole list...

bonus - just like beck said that my Jesus loves me even through ALL of my MANY faults and issues

hopefully you know more about me now than you did before...i hope you will still talk to me!!!!!!!!!!!!