Happy Happy New Year!!

Happy Happy New Year! 

I'll keep it brief... I found a great recipe for Black-eyed Peas! I am NOT a fan of Black-eyed Peas - NO not the band - YES the food. The taste  kind of  reminds me of DIRT - YES dirt!!!  Anyway, Emeril LaGasse's Smoked Sausage and Black-eyed pea recipe is delicious, super easy and full of flavor. Add some cornbread as a side and BOOM you have a great combination of savory plus sweet with a hint heat. YUMMINESS!!

Smoked Sausage and Black-eyed Peas

Happy Happy New Year!

I can't believe 2014 is OVER - where did it go?

I rolled out of this morning feeling pretty refreshed.  New Beginnings - New Beginnings!!! E-X-C-I-T-I-N-G!

  Our New Year's Eve was pretty low key compared to years of the past.  Typically, we adults celebrate the arrival of the New Year by excessive drinking, excessive eating, and excessive dancing.  It's the one day a year that people are  allowed to "Act a Fool" and it's okay or at least we THINK it's okay.  It's excusable right,  because it's New Years Eve, duh? Hehehehe!!!

 In the past New Year's Eve for myself  was that one night I could get ALL Hoochied Up(I use this word lightly, HA) I let my hair down, have some drinks, and dance my A$$ off!  But, as I have matured I have realized this adult holiday should be celebrated by kids too! What a concept? A light bulb moment for myself!!!






Or maybe it's the realization that I can't party my A$$ off, wake up the next morning and feel well enough to care for my children. Hahahaha!  Who knows??

What I do know is that for the past two New Year's Eves, we have celebrated with our kids and they have thoroughly ENJOYED the New Year Eve festivities.  This year I followed my dear friend Kristin's lead and a bunch of  our families got together, and  took our kids to Mel's Bowling Alley in Georgetown.  This is a tradition that Kristin's family does each year.  I thought it was a GREAT idea. So the Auditore Crew, the Conley Crew, the Haynes Crew and the Kimball Crew ALL went to Mels!!!   Mel's New Years Eve Celebration included  Bowling,  an All You Can Eat Buffet, Karaoke, Raffle Prizes, and a New Year's Eve Champagne Toast for adults - Apple Cider Toast for the kiddos!  All this FUN between the hours of 5:30pm - 8pm. It was a GREAT time.   And, guess what?  We adults still had time afterwards to go out and PARTY like Rock Stars!!!  Well, I'm sure some people PARTIED, but this girl took herself home!  Hope everyone had a Great New Year's Eve!!



Here are a few pictures from our 2014 New Year's Eve!

Here are a few pics of  New Years Eve of 2013.

October's Menu

Boo!!! 

Yep, it's that month 

- October !!!!

September Menu Plan 2014

I guess it's better late then never, huh? Presenting my menu plan for the month of September.   Sometime between the girls first day of school and my first day back to school  my life caught up with me, causing me to fall behind. 

But needless to say, it's posted and I feel pretty good about it(insert fist pumping)!!!

 Yea me!

Click Menu to view!

Sisters!

Siblings always amaze me... Particularly sisters...   They fight, squabble, pull hair, claw - some of  us punch.  They cry, scream, lie for each other,  borrow each others clothes and even  try to mother.  But in a blink of an eye, they will put their differences aside and come to the aid of one another when someone out of the family circle intrudes or over steps boundaries.  Well, at least that's how we rolled in my family.  We could be beating the crap out of each other, but when an outsider(non-blood related person) popped off , we'd puff up and be like, "what did you say to/about my sister, or even brother".  Hehehehehe!!  There was this loyalty that was ingrained in us.  Ahhh, the good ole days.

Today I had a chance to see something that happens, but doesn't happen as often as I would like.  So when my girls, Parker and Dru play - they play hard together.  They get along well,  there's camaraderie, they help each other out, they're kind, - there's a special sisterly bond.  Granted this behavior is not apparent to either one of them at this age, but as a mother, I see it.  It's such a great feeling for this momma's heart. I don't get to see this too often, but when I do,  I do my a victory dance inside my head!! I scream SCORE I did do something right!!! I did do something RIGHT!!! Hahahah!!!  Maybe they'll be best friends one day, or even just good friends.  Hey, I'm being realistic!   It was such a great feeling, because as hard as they play and get along, OH my GOD  when these girls don't get along, it's like watching two female pit bulls going for each other's throats in a fight club match to the death!!! No lie!!!  So today I am feeling VICTORY!!  Ask me in a few hours, hahahha, but for now I am savoring the VICTORY!!!  Sisters will be Sisters. 

Music Interpretation of a 9 year old.

Today after piano lessons we're driving home and a song comes on the radio.  One of the many, many favorites of mine,  a classic I would say - Let's Just Kiss and Say Goodbye.  So the singer is talking through the first portion of it, and I start singing.  I look in the rear view mirror and see that Parker has this perplexed look on her face.

Me:  Parker what's the funny look on your face for?

Parker:  I'm a little confused... this is such a sad song.

Me:  Oh yeah???

Parker:  How can you sing this song?  Momma, his wife died?

Me:  (laughing to myself/talking to myself)  Boy, She would be dead if her husband finds out what she's been doing!! LMAO... OMG...

I thought it was the funniest conversation I've had with my 9 year old in a while.

Innocence you gotta love it!!

Art is in the eye of the beholder, Right???

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?  So in the literal sense this means that the perception of beauty is subjective.  Therefore,  it's safe to assume that Art too, is in the eye of the beholder, right?? I am not Artsy Fartsy, and   I know nothing about Classic Artists, or Art History:  Neoclassical, Romanticism, Realism or Impressionism periods, etc. Actually, I know nothing that pertains to Art - I know Naaaaaaa-sing!!  And,  I am also HORRIBLE at Art interpretation, unfortunately I lack this skill. I think my eyes would go crossed,  if I attempted to try and figure out the meaning of an Artist's work.  These are just skills I do not have, nor do I have any desire to try and learn them!  Sorry just not me! Don't get me wrong, I'll go to an Art Gallery and admire artwork, but all the other stuffy, stuff - Not remotely interested in, LoL!!!  This does not mean I dislike Art.   I like Art, well some forms of it anyway - I do I do!!  But I am a simple woman, and I know what I like when I see it. 

For me it's such things as a mural painted in a seedy alley on the back of your local liquor store wall(if we were in California), a  graffitied, train car slowly moving along rusty railroad tracks, or a freshly, vibrant inked tattoo on virgin skin. These forms of Art just mesmerize me, I don't know or what it is, but I really enjoy it.  Maybe, it's because to me it represents a certain type of freedom.  Freedom of expression through an alternative means of display, maybe?? Sounds kinda silly, I know.  Maybe underneath it all,  I see rebellion or just plain going against the grain. People using  an unconventional method to display their art work. Or maybe, it's  Art work that most people would frown down on or see it as just "trashy".  Who knows?? For me, I just like it, which brings me to the purpose of this post.  I know, I can be long winded.   

One thing I like to do is  watch trains. I can watch them  pass by for hours. Just sit there, and like I said above, be  mesmerized by the graffiti.  So last weekend (I actually should have posted this last weekend), anyway Brian and I were driving home and saw some train cars that had been sitting on the railroad tracks for a few days.  On one of the cars a Santa Claus was painted on it,  so of course I had to stop and go check it out.  It was pretty cool, or at least I think so.  Anyway,  I just wanted to share some pics of the train cars I took this Summer here in Hutto, and some murals  I took pics of last Summer in Austin.  So if you ever get stopped on some railroad tracks, check out some of the graffiti. Some of these "taggers" if you want to call them that,  are quite talented Artists!