Temporary Digs...

Here's a glimpse of our temporary kitchen...


All the banging has set the pictures off kilter just a smidge.
So the dining room has become our eat in kitchen.  We packed up the entire contents of the kitchen. Some shelving was moved into the dining room for a temporary pantry and to store basic cooking utensils and plates etc.  Our trusty Ikea table from the butler's pantry is now our prep station.  Thanks to the kindness of family and friends we have a griddle and a hot plate that has seen a lot of action.  Along with our microwave, slow cooker and grill we're managing to cook meals just fine.

What is the most annoying thing about the temporary kitchen? 
Anything involving water. 
Washing dishes...cooking and draining pasta...making coffee all are more complicated now.  But let's take a moment of gratitude here.  It is merely an annoyance.  We are renovating our kitchen NOT living in a developing country.  I think we'll manage just fine.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Christmas of 2012 we dreamed of a white Christmas.
No traveling hundreds of miles to celebrate with family...(wiping a tear away as she types).
We stayed home because of this... 

 

Our kitchen renovation finally began on December 10th.  That's a whole 'nother blog post or two or five.  Suffice it to say we needed to stay close to home.  Stuff had to be attended to.

But before the renovation started a couple of other great Christmas joys occurred.  I'm sure you are dying to know what those are, right?  Well, of course there was the Clinton Christmas Parade.

 

And this year, Anna was in the parade with Dance South where she takes gymnastic lessons.

 

And the second joy is seeing dear friends.  My and Patrick's college friends gathered for the 25th year in a row to celebrate "Friends' Christmas". Twenty five years does not seem possible.  I am still a Spring Chicken...in some circles.  Here we are posing...we love to pose.

Strike a pose...

 

We rented a cabin in Brown County.  The same one we rented for year 20.  Not much has changed except we are a tad more creakier and a bit wrinkly.  Except for me...I am still a Spring Chicken. 

Sadly, Patrick didn't join us.  Logistics were not on his side and he was gracious to be Daddy to the kids while I got to laugh at the same jokes, dance to the same tunes and kiss on the same people. So I knew that he had to be included.  That's when I remembered Flat Stanley.  I needed a Flat Patrick. He was coming to Friends' Christmas!

Now if you look closely in the pictures above he is in every one of them.  In fact he was all over Nashville.  That guy really gets around.  Baby Jesus never looked better.  If you want to see the "Flat Patrick Series head on over to my Flickr account.

 

When I got back home we decorated the tree.  Just by looking at the beautiful Christmas tree you'd think decorating was a blessed memorable event.  Memorable... yes.  Blessed...no. Nothing says Merry Christmas like fighting kids and a screaming mom.  Next year I'll decorate the tree with a spiked mug of hot cocoa with Ollie gazing at the lights and my favorite Christmas tunes playing in the background...ahhhh.

 

Winter break in Clinton is not complete with trips to Sonic.  Especially when our Pittsburgh friends come to visit.  I'm sure Martha is jealous about right now.

 

The yearly gingerbread house was made and eaten.

 

And then finally Santa arrived...

 

This was Gavin's first year of being in on the magic.  I'm pretty sure there was some grieving going on in that stinky middle school boy's heart.  But he didn't let the "cat out of the bag" for Anna.  That was our little Christmas miracle.

Christmas morning was full of joy...

 

There was Christmas Ball Frenzy thanks to Gramma Cece.

 

And how do you ring in 2013 when you have no kitchen to cook in?  Fondue, of course.

 

It was a sweet quiet holiday season.  Next year you all are invited to come spend Christmas with us.

Spring has Sprung

Our whirlwind Spring Break trip to Indiana consisted of two egg hunts in two days. The kids were beside themselves in Easter Candy joy.

The Gallagher Cousin Chaos was a sight to behold. Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny even made an appearance



An impromptu egg hunt ensued with the Kiley Cousins. Small, intimate but challenging, the hunt seemed to scratch their egg hunt itch.



Or so we thought...

...Presbyterian College has a community Easter Egg Hunt the Sunday before Easter. I thought it was the perfect opportunity for a yummy Spring Brunch before the hunt. After all, we live right across the street from the college and if the kids get to fill their baskets with candy shouldn't we parents get something out of it too. I have to say, I went a little overboard on the whole brunch thing. Plus, I was scarily organized...just ask the Professor. Those of you who know me know that isn't one of my strong suits.

The table setting was being guarded by two lovely lime green gnomes. Know that I am strongly resisting the urge to use the word "tablescape". That word is like nails on a chalkboard for me but thanks to Sandra Lee on "Semi-homemade" it has become THE word in my head to describe how I decorated. But I won't use it...I am remaining strong.



Every plate had an adorable chocolate chick...from Aldi's, no less.


And the menu was yummy too. It had some healthy options for those watching their weight. And some not so healthy options for those who wanted to indulge. A veggie fritata and a spinach quiche didn't make it in the picture.



The Pineapple Bliss Cupcakes were a hit! Who knew that healthy and delicious can co-exist? Check out the blog, Skinny Taste. It won't disappoint...I promise.



So we all enjoyed a lovely brunch and then headed over to Presbyterian College for the hunt. Even the Easter Bunny showed up. Help me understand this because I can't wrap my head around the whole Easter Bunny thing. Now, Santa is a believable holiday character. There could be a jolly old man that leaves presents at your house. But how freaky is it that a giant rabbit leaves Easter baskets for kids and hides eggs? Do kids really fall for that one? Did I? I guess my girl does.



There was face painting, jump houses, and cookies-n-punch at the Egg Hunt. It was quite the affair. Then the scary hunt began...it was an onslaught of screaming children practically clawing each other to get the most eggs. AND...there were 3 golden eggs. You know there were a huge amount of disappointed kids and 3 very happy ones.

Anna's best friend, Rachel was there. They are so cute together.



You can really see the bond they share. Childhood friends...so sweet.


The day was beautiful. The kids were happy. The grown-ups were content. A nearly perfect day. A nearly perfect Spring.

Menu Plan Monday 4-27-09

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Suffice it to say the word "plan" and I are much like oil and water. After getting back from Indiana it literally took me two weeks to get back in any kind of domestic groove. Instead I started sending out my resume...I'm much better at the career I get paid for. But that being said, let's focus on progress not perfection shall we? Here's what I've got planned for this week:

Monday: PB & J crepes
Tuesday: Tuna cakes, some veggie or two, and some fruit (strawberries)
Wednesday: Chicken quesadillas, salad, chips and guacamole
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza Night
Saturday: God help me if I actually make it til then!

The professor's semester ends this week and God willing he may take over this duty for the Summer. In an effort to maintain my dignity though, I really should continue this one homage to domesticity, don't cha' think?

Homage to Bakerella & her amazing Cake Pops

Forget Wilton cake decorating classes. Kiss Martha Stewart goodbye. I've found some Easter goodness that explodes on the cuteness meter. I want to introduce you to the preciousness that is Cake Pops. Cake Pops by Bakerella, I believe, might be the answer to the Middle East Conflict. It could bring down the barriers between Democrats and Republicans. It will at least make you the hit of any holiday or birthday party. The "awwww factor" with these babies is enormous.

Introducing Bakerella's Easter Cake Pops...(drumroll please)

Can you stand it?

Can you say, "Buh-bye Martha!"

And "Hello Bakerella goodness!"?

By now some of you are thinking, 'I must make these!". Well, you are in luck because she gives you a full tutorial on several different posts. I would recommend reading about her Cupcake Pops first to get a really good idea of the process. Hmmm, I wonder if while I'm visiting family there might be an opportunity for us to try our hand at these babies?

Well, what are you waiting for? Click on all these fabulous links and get your butt over to Bakerella's. She's my cuteness muse these days...Anna's birthday is gonna kick birthday butt.

Menu Plan Monday ~ March 30

Image by escapethematrix via Flickr

Well, I can't say I'm ready for June Cleaver training school but I did did manage to prepare three out of four meals this past week. My eyebrows were not quite as perfectly shaped as my model here and no crack was ingested to get it done as it looks like from my example. But what I discovered is the slogan that I've heard for many years in the rooms now works in many a domestic area as well:

"If you fail to plan you plan to fail."

So how did the undomesticated Betty do? I hit three out of four. That, my friends, took a lot of willingness on my part to get out of my pajamas on Monday at a reasonable hour. I could digress right now and begin a little tangent about the term "reasonable hour"...because really, we all know it's totally subjective. But I have a plan to finish this post so no follies into flippant land are allowed at the moment ( Shhh, June is watching). The trick for me was to have a shopping list for the items I needed to prepare the meals for the week and actually go to the grocery store and buy them. What a concept!

And She Saved Money too!

I also found that shopping this way decreased my grocery bill significantly that week. I made fewer small trips to the grocery over the past week than I did before. Blah, blah, blah. We all know this don't we? So I'm going to move on to things more (or less) interesting...depending on your point of view, of course. Self-loathing is a much more entertaining topic than saving money. So let's move on to that shall we?

I discovered I felt better about myself at the end of the week. I had a little more spring in my step and a little more energy with which to waste on more household work. But, it did pay off in self-esteem dividends. Even if it wasn't recognized as stellar by the commander-n-chief, it was stellar in my little world. So I'm here to sign up for this week as well. I didn't get too many comments last week from the ranks...heavy sigh...and I thought I knew yee. Boy, I was expecting such banter and sarcasm from you, like none I have seen here in the south, but you left me dry...parched...I need a drink.

Could someone make Mama a Cosmo?

(Click on the logo above to see all the links of everyone participating)

So here is the plan for the week of March 3oth:

• Monday: Tuna Melts, Veggies & dip, chips (healthy meal of the week!)
• Tuesday: Ravioli & Cheese Bake, Salad, P's homemade bread
  
• Wednesday: Leftovers or cereal
  
• Thursday: Apple meatloaf, whole wheat Couscous with carrots & cauliflower (Thanks to Jolly Mom!)
  
• Friday: Dad's Amazing Homemade Pizza Night (seriously, he needs to open a Pizzeria here in our little town -drive that crap pizza place outa business)

Gavin starts his baseball games this week so these may get switched around if the level of insanity reaches a critical level. Next week I'll be in the Hoosier state letting other people cook for me...how great is that!

Now, step up your game and leave some freakin' comments on this blog...you know who you are!

Wordless Wednesday 03/25/08

You know you're in Clinton when...

Just a few words in the picture and a few from me too.
Grandma Opal used to make me fried bologna sandwiches in her kitchen. I've never seen a restaurant actually sell them. Come on down ya'll. I'll treat you to lunch.

Menu Plan Monday ~ March 23

Okay, brace yourselves...
Are you ready?
I...am...attempting...(oh God - breathe deeply)...to do something domestic.
There - I said it.
On my quest to gain control of my life (Ha! Just seeing it on the screen makes me laugh.), I have decided to begin to plan, in advance (because that's what planning is right?) ,our evening meals...at least four of them a week. And you, my dear friends and family, are going to help keep me accountable for those four meals a week. How, you may be asking yourself, can I keep Kelly on task with anything let alone something that requires an inkling of domestic skill?! The answer is simple. A meme.

What? You mean you don't know what a meme is? Oh, you non-blog reading people you! Uh, actually, confession time here...I didn't know what one was until about, oh, a couple of months ago. Let's see if our little friend, Wikipedia, can help us out on this one.

The term Internet meme (pronounced /miːm/) is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet, much like an inside joke.^[1] The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although this concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.

So I am jumping on an Internet meme bandwagon called Menu Plan Monday. This meme was started by Laura, the creator of the blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie. Now, dear readers, she freely refers to herself as "the freak". Given I am a bear of very little brain and easily distracted by shiny objects, anyone who successfully has an organized life is close to a demi-god to me...definitely not a freak. She herself wrote,"I truly believe that menu planning is one of the best places to start in your quest to get organized". I am going to take her at her word.

Currently, according to I'm an Organizing Junkie, there are close to 500 women who share what's on their menu for the week each Monday. So every Monday from here on out, God willing, I'm going to be posting my menu for the week's dinners. Your assignment, if you're willing to accept it, is to leave comments each week...how was the "chicken cacciatore"?...why would you serve that?!...mmmm, sounds yummy, I'll be there on Tuesday...those kind of things. And those of you that subscribe by e-mail and e-mail me comments instead of putting them on the blog itself, try commenting on the actual blog...it's kind of addicting. Yeah, ya'll know I'm a junkie of another kind right? I'm working on that one too.

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So here's this week's menu complete with links to recipes if I found them on the Internet:

• Monday: Spinach quiche, roasted green beans, frozen grapes
• Tuesday: Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Tenders, Broccoli, Baked Pomme Frites
• Wednesday: Leftovers
• Thursday: Whole wheat pasta with Vodka Sauce, Green salad with vinaigrette, Garlic bread
• Friday: Zesty Corn Quesadillas, Baby spinach & mandarin orange salad, (and Margaritas if I'm feeling particularly sassy that night!)

So there it is. As I'm typing this at 10p.m. on Sunday evening, I must admit that there is a bit of peace knowing that I don't have to scramble tomorrow. I have a plan. It and I may not be perfect but it is a plan and I am only human. Wish me luck!

Kismet!

Is it a new word for some of you? It's one of my faves and I use it whenever I have the chance (I wish Jonathan were here so I could hear him say his famous quote...sorry, inside joke). We were given the chance when the Miller's of Indianapolis visited their family in Columbia, South Carolina during the holidays. Kismet brought us together, for on their way home they have passed the Clinton exit year after year. This year was different however. Given that their good friends, namely us, were now living in Clinton they mapquested us and took that exit. It was our good fortune to have them hang out with us for the day. The boys got to try out Gav's new Nerf gun set. The safety goggles make the picture don't you think?

We got to see Grace's new fangled buttons. After oooing and ahhing over her artistic creations, we all had a yummy lunch made by the Soup and Bread King himself, Patrick Kiley. On the menu was a fabulous red lentil soup from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. If you don't have this cookbook I highly recommend it. Yummy easy recipes that are actually healthy too! Who knew that could actually be the case?

I got to give my good girlfriend Ellen a quick tour of the town and the houses we haven't bought. We both decided we'd make great neighbors. I have yet ("yet" being the operative word) to convince them that moving down here is the right thing to do for their family.

I pulled out the camera after lunch knowing that I wanted to get them on the blog. Their high schooler, Grace, one of my favorite teenagers, doesn't like the camera. Please accept my humble apology my dear Grace for sneaking a blurry picture of you. A photo of you with your hand in front of your face just wouldn't commemorate your visit here to our little house. Did you know I was a fortune teller too Grace?


Well the afternoon was coming to a close and my camera was acting up. I rarely get in front of the camera but had to get a photo of me and Ellen. She has literally stuck with me through thick and thin. I love her like a sister. In fact, I am officially making her my older sister as of this post! I've always longed for an older sister and never had the chance, uh, given that I was the oldest in my family. So here's to you big sis...lylas!