Hosting a Christmas Dance! - Turn your sound down!! :-)

1985

If you read White Spray Paint

and I certainly hope you do...

You will already know that we are

in the throws of planning a

Christmas dance.

Not just any dance...

It's a recreation of a Christmas dance

we hosted in 1985.

Now rarely does anyone like looking back at

old photos where we see ourselves in goofy

hairdos and clothes (mother told us we'd be sorry

and after all these years... I will admit she was RIGHT!)

But this dance was totally the "bomb" so

over a Mexican dinner which included a few margaritas

we decided to host the dance again... same hosts.

Laura has reviewed the refreshments we are each

bringing, but we also have to come up with

a sweet as well as a savory "surprise".

Mine will be muffin paper cups of

bread pudding topped with bourbon sauce

and also I will prepare

shrimp butter served with crackers.

We'll dance to tunes from the '60's, '7o's and '80's.

Our aging joints will scream out in pain.

Our bunions will holler "stop"!

Our ears will be ringing throughout the night...

and possibly the next day.

All I can say is...

Bring it on!!

I know you're wondering... I am fifth from the left, middle row... black sparkly top and dig those false eyelashes! Miss Laura is on the far right. Now don't tell her I spilled the beans!!

I'm linking to

Colorado Lady's

Vintage Thingy Thursday.

http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

After all... the folks in the picture are pretty vintage now!

Chorizo Con Huevos - Buen Provecho!

 

Chorizo con Huevos

at Las Islas Ranch

We spent Thanksgiving at our deer lease in deep south Texas. Breakfast is always delicious and filling as it is

enjoyed after a morning in the brush.

This morning it was chorizo con huevos...

sausage and eggs, Mexican style!

It has long been a family favorite.

I must admit.. I cannot make flour tortillas.

So I do the next best thing..

I buy them!

Exquisita brand is our favorite.

I place them in a hot skillet and cook them until

they are lightly browned and puffy.

I keep them warm nestled in a linen tea towel.

This is the ONLY chorizo I use.

Chorizo de San Manuel...

pork sausage with wonderful spices.

Remove the chorizo from the casing and cook slowly in

a skillet. A conscientious cook would carefully drain off the

juices to cut back on the fat, however, with that you will

lose a great deal of flavor.

Cook for about 15 minutes or so.

Crack a dozen eggs on top of the chorizo.

Let the white form a little and then stir the eggs into

the chorizo.

Add extra cracked pepper.

Now these are the additions that some people

like to add:

1 - pico de gallo or in Mexico - Salsa Mexicana

(chopped onion, tomato, cilantro and serrano chili)

2 - grated cheese

3 - onion

Place about three serving spoons full of

chorizo con huevos in each warm tortilla.

Serve this with fresh fruit and hot coffee or cocoa and

you have the breakfast of champions!

"Buen provecho!!"

I'm linking to Little Red House for

Mosaic Monday

Be sure to visit to see beautiful collages!

http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

I'm also  linking to

Blessed with Grace for

Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays

Check this out for some scrumptious recipes!

Today it's Brown Sugar Fudge...

http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/

Reached My Limit!

This is the tree that I absolutely-had-to-have-or-I-would-never-make-it-through-the-decorating-saga-known-as...

Decorating for the holidays!

Disclaimer:  I resist using the "C" word in decorating as I am very aware that Christmas would not lose it's meaning one bit if for some reason I had no tree at all... nor decorations.

I am in a major dither of frustration...

?How to decorate a pewter-colored tree?

In my mind I thought I had the color scheme figured out, but

that did not mean it WAS.

Notice the Persian rug on the floor of the room?

I figure the colors should at least blend with it.

Am I correct?

I am counting on your opinion...

so here is your chance.

I have reached my limit of imagination.

I'm linking to Little Red House

for Mosaic Monday

http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

P.S.  I should add that I have always had a traditional green tree.. although artificial. Lesson I have learned here... when making a drastic change as I have done.. have a plan! ;-)

Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys & Girls - Republished!!

Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls

The book was published in 1957. My sister and I had already prepared many of the recipes in this book by the time my youngest brother was born.. and that was in 1962. This cookbook was used so often (and still is!) and is now stored in a plastic bag (a no-no for vintage items) because it is in pieces.

I love to look at the page where my mother had made a list of meals and the order of preparation for my sister and me so that when my mother was in the hospital having my brother, our family would still have meals on the table.

Heaven forbid that we have to eat out. In my childhood eating out was a rarity.

I still use the gingerbread recipe in this book and my brothers and even my sons all consider Saucy Hamburger Crumble to be the ultimate in comfort food.

Time passes... and life goes on... Sunday, October 23rd I had my parents on my mind. It had been three years since my father had passed away and my mother just four months before him.

I was with my friend, Sherry, and we were having  so much fun shopping in Wimberly, Texas. We wandered through Kiss the Cook, a fabulous store loaded with cooking all sorts of cooking utensils and cookbooks. So much fun!!

paraphernalia

It had been laying heavy on my heart that I had not received a "sign" from my parents in some time. On that particular day it was actually nagging at me. Some little something that would only be understood by my parents and me.

As I enjoyed looking through the cookbooks I looked up and suddenly saw THE cookbook. It was the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls! One single copy and on a little stand. No way to miss it. It's been republished.. is that a word??

It was the sign!!

My new cookbook!!

I whipped that cookbook off the shelf and there could not be any purchase that I will make for a very long time that will hold a candle to this cookbook.

... and, yes, that is a picture of my parents in my collage.

Gingerbread

"Little girls in hoop skirts and boys in ruffled collars ate gingerbread, too."

Heat oven to 325 degrees

Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.

Mix thoroughly:

1/2 cup soft shortening

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

Blend in:

1 cup dark molasses

1 cup boiling water

Stir in:

2 1/4 cups sifted Gold Medal Flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat until smooth.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Saucy Hamburger Crumble

Melt in frying pan:

1 tablespoon fat

Add and brown lightly:

1 small onion, chopped

Then add and brown:

1 pound ground beef

Break the meat into small pieces.

Stir in:

1/4 cup Gold Medal Flour

Then stir in:

2 cups water or milk (I use milk)

Heat until gravy bubbles. Serve over mashed potatoes.  4 servings

I am linking to:

http://joyofdesserts.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

The Devil and the Ghost! - Wordless Wednesday

This lasted about five minutes!

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Be sure to make a visit to "Wordless Wednesday"!!

Farewell, my children!

Aren't grandchildren just the BEST?

My "grands" live in Mexico.  I don't see them often

so when my son sends pictures... my heart skips a beat.

Carmen is so sweet and gentle. An excellent student she

is top in her second grade class.

David ... named after my husband, well... just look at that

expression on his face. He is just as sweet as his big sister, but has a look of mischief in all of his pictures.

They are preparing to leave for a trip to California to

visit relatives so for them.. it's a day of adventure.

 "Que le vaya bien, mi niños !"