Post game

Well, I survived the super bowl and although I wasn't glued to the tv the whole time, I managed to see a couple of the funny ads and the half time extravaganza. The only thing I have to say about the ads is that I couldn't help but think of Uncle Bill every time the screaming chickens came on. Must have been his worst nightmare! The half time show was pretty fun and as expected, I was almost ex-communicated from the family. Here's some comments that streamed while I watched:
"My head is dizzy. Is this almost over"?
Loose translation of one- "Just lay the egg already and finish"! You can guess who said that one!
"Aren't they old enough to be grandfathers"?
"They're gonna need some chi by the time this is over"
"Doesn't R0ger Daltry look like he could be Hugh Grant's father"?
"Mama, your obsession with Hugh Grant has got to stop"
"Do you wish you were there"? "No, not at all. Oh, wait, how hot is it in Miami tonight"?
Super bowl snacks were tasty. Thanks to Z the assembly of fiesta triangles was a breeze and we were done in no time.
Back to school, work and exercise today.

Just got back from the beautiful Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. J and I had a great time seeing the Little House on The Prairie play and tooling around ann arbor for a short time. We managed to find great parking and little frigid walking to the theater and also stopped at the candy factory for a quick bite of chocolate. I found a sugar free peanut butter cup that tasted very sugar free but it was a treat none the less. Not so much like the Reese's Cups of my past, but what the heck. Now we're ready to hunker down for the evening and watch the Super Bowl. Yep, I said it. I am NOT a football fan but feel compelled to watch the game anyway. Looking forward to the half time show for the most part. Last year was Bruce Springsteen and the kids thought it was HILARIOUS that I actually liked the guy. This year should have them rolling on the floor with The Who, but I don't care. It'll be a fight to not have the tv muted for the only worthwhile portion of the evening. Hey, I'm making the snacks. I should at least get my few minutes of entertainment! I'm making fiesta triangles with wonton wrappers and refried beans, cheese and olives inside. Dip them in salsa and they sound pretty good. Veggies and dip, chips and salsa, popcorn, and cheesy bread are on the agenda. I still don't have the sweets lined up so I better go get busy. Yesterday I made a triple layer brownie but somehow it disappeared. I may get by with no bake oatmeal or rice krispy treats. I'm cooked out for the weekend. I did double duty yesterday and last night and even cooked dinner to send to a friends' house since she had surgery Friday. Tomorrow's Monday!! Sometimes I look forward to the start of the new week, so shoot me!

My baby boy turned 16 and a day in the life....

Last Saturday my kid turned 16. The third one to turn 16 by the way. How could that be? I'm still trying to figure it all out, cuz I'm just not old enough! Well, we had a great little party with Uncle Bill, Aunt Nicole, the 7 of us, and 3 friends of Ali and Yousef who spent the night. I made 2 pans of lasagna, one plain and one spinach and ricotta. Also had chicken and salad. The cake was a masterpiece of chocolate called Triple Fudge Brownie Cake. 3 boxes of semi sweet and unsweetened baking chocolate, heavy cream, and a hershey bar shaved over the frosting which was made of cream and semi sweet chocolate. Wow! A little rich to say the least but it was magnificant if I say so myself. Lots of fun to make too. The first half of the day Jenna and I were home alone and decided to use the time to take on jobs we have no business doing. Not only did we cook everything, clean the house and do the laundry.............we also moved an antique player piano completely across our excessively large living room. Yes, the two of us did it. We laughed, we cried, we slid on the carpet, we were left in the middle of the room with no leverage but the piano was moved! The living room has so much more space now. I'm very happy with the result and our backs are recuping nicely.
And a day in the life.....
Sunday was company and lots of it. Haven't done that for a while so it was fun. Mazin decided that it was also the perfect day to slaughter a goat. Of course we were in the midst of a deep freeze too. I made a turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, 3 loaves of bread, yogurt, salad, and a pumpkin spice cake. Someone else brought a pot of timen bagilla which was really nice. So we ate, talked, played Uno Flash, processed goat meat, and one family stayed long enough to eat again! Just a normal day around here I guess. Oh and of course an extra kid stayed for one more day. She just left last night at 9:30! Finally we're back to a perfectly normal life. :)

When the day turns crappy..cook

Yes, my day stinks. For several reasons which I won't bore anyone with, my day is really crappy. There's only so much hot chocolate one can drink in a day, even if it is sugar free. So, what to do? I might as well cook. I've made a big pot of okra soup with lamb chunks. This may sound disgusting to non-okra eaters, but it's actually really delicious. Nice thick tomato base with a little garlic and dry lemon. Over rice it's a tasty thing. I'm also baking massive amounts of cinnamon rolls. At least I can enjoy the aroma. Some are being frosted with a cream cheese frosting and the rest with a carmel frosting.

I'm also making some good old rice krispy treats, a couple loaves of whole wheat bread, a pot of brown rice, arabic salad, and some homemade applesauce.

Ali's 16th birthday is Saturday! That's kind of bizarre to me. Hoping to have a little gathering for dinner and maybe go swimming at the rec center, then back home for cake. He's all about Tap Out so I may break down and buy him something from "The Fight Store". Can't imagine I'm even going to walk in the place, but I'll try. J's invited to a birthday party the same day and I'm hoping I can figure out how to bow out of that one without making her feel too bad. Not thrilled with a couple of her friend choices from school these days. Way too much drama. I think I'd like to return to the good old days about 6 or 7 yrs. ago.

Well, I'm getting back to my cooking. The one thing I can depend on. A little effort and you can't go wrong! God help the first person that complains about the okra!

Todays Ramblings

I used to have this friend who would always say, "What to do". It seemed to fit into any situation. Like if we had a problem she would say, "What to do". Or if we didn't have anything to talk about she might say it. Or if we were cooking together (which we did all the time) and ran out of an ingredient she would say it. Seems like it was a part of every conversation we ever had. She moved out of the country a long time ago and we lost touch. If Bill goes to Lebanon to work next year, I'm definitely going for a visit and looking up Rabab. Last I heard she lived there and was teaching elementary school. I imagine she's still saying "What to do" to her class every day. I was thinking of her today because Jenna was eating scrambled eggs this morning and remembered the time Rabab made her eggs and they were runny. She came home and threw up in her long curly hair. Good times.
The girls are watching Titanic on television. I've never seen that movie except for parts here and there. I absolutely hate it. I know.....everyone else in the world loves it. I'm not sure why I hate it so much but I do.
I baked Blondies today. I was inspired by throwdown with Bobby Flay yesterday and I had to try them. I guess they were a hit cuz the pan is about gone. They're like brownies except made with brown sugar and butter instead of chocolate. I added white chocolate chips and chocolate chip swirls. The smell was fabulous. I also cooked a big pot of timen bagilla (rice with fava beans, a big bunch of fresh dill and lamb).
Another old friend of mine that moved to Houston years ago is trying to move her family back to Michigan. For the life of me I can't figure out why but it would be great to have her back around here. Her plans thus far are to open a yoga shop in Dearborn but live out of the city. Her husband has promised their children a cow so I guess she'll need a little land. She plans to make cheese and yogurt on the side. She's also a licensed doula/midwife and may get back into the business. I hope she moves to my neighborhood!
Currently waiting for sunset and then heading out to the gym for an evening workout. Fun Fun.

Diaper Man and Fish Boy can't communicate

This was a conversation at the fish market this morning. They do have a small line of groceries and other things in the store.
OK- a guy comes in off the street and asks the guy behind the counter how much the huggies are on sale for. Of course, the guy doesn't understand him cuz his command of the english language is not so good. (the fish guy, not the diaper guy)
So, the fish guys son comes out to help. Again the guy wants to know how much the huggies are on sale for. There's a sign outside that says they're on sale but no price is listed.
Mazin intercedes and tells the fish boy what the diaper guy needs. Fish boy doesn't even know what huggies are so he decides to check out the sign on the window. The sign reads.......................are you ready for this ? Huge Sale inside!

Looking Towards Spring

All of the holiday hoopla is over and it's back to school and routine for the long haul to spring. I've got to focus on spring to survive the next couple of months so this morning I'm daydreaming of warm sun and green grass and blue skies. I always have great spring plans around this time of year so here are this years' thoughts so far.
I'm finally going to dig up all the stupid lilies in the front of the house and move them somewhere behind the house. I never really liked them and would rather have just about anything growing there. Even herbs which actually might be nice. I'm investing in a nice butterfly bush to put in my side yard. I'm planting more daisies this year. Lots of varieties and colors would be nice.
I'm going to perfect the art of goat cheese. I'd like to spend a summer living on goat cheese and yogurt, homemade bread and summer produce.
I'm applying for the job of official beekeepers apprentice here. I got a little freaked out at the end of the season last year when we messed up and the bees were mad. I tried to send them love but they weren't buying it. This year I'm coming at it from a new angle. They won't get the best of me. You know, women make the best beekeepers. We've got the ability to love those who sting us. We deal with husbands and children!! I learned a lot from the Secret Life of Bees and I'm gonna use it. We've already got our first swarm lined up for collection. They live in Ann Ar bor in a former honey house and they're well established in there. I'll take plenty of pictures when we go for it.
Before spring gets going I'd like to paint 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms. It's long overdue. I hate to paint but I can get some help I'm sure. I've got a few kitchen updates I'd like to work on too.
So there, it's a start. My feet are holding up pretty well for the most part. It's a full time job some days to keep them warm but I'm working on it. I'll just keep spring thoughts!
I've been hibernating enough and I have to go grocery shopping today. My list takes up a whole page so I've got to stop at the bank too. Dropping off some bags at thrifty so I'll have to go in and check them out as well. Then home to cook and wait for the troops. We're having subs for dinner tonight so just some chopping to do.
My highlight of the weekend was a trip up to Bill and Nicole's Saturday afternoon. We had a great time playing games and hanging out and also ate a delicious meal of vegetarian chili, mac and cheese, salad and plenty of snacks. Also finalized plans for a Degenaro Family Iron Chef event this summer. The secret ingredient is listed on our facebook page..........I keep no secrets. It's milk. We also chose which family makes which meal course. All the kids were entered as a group and got main dish! Should be interesting. I'm already looking forward to that trip and planning some major relaxation and fun!