puddin'

I've discovered the art of cooking instant pudding. Uh huh - I said, "cooking instant pudding".  Because cooking in MY book means that I own a whisk and know how to use it. And there is no need for the fire department to come share dinner with me. I need a pink chef's hat. And I'd also like to know how a whisk got in my kitchen...

2 cups of cold milk
a whisk (I really just like saying "whisk")
a box of magical pudding powder stuff.
I'm chefboyarredneck!

One time I had two boxes of pudding...

turns out - you cooked one and you did the whole 2 cups of cold milk magic/instant thing with the other.
Well........ I cooked the 2 cups of cold milk one and added 2 cups of cold milk to the cookonthestove one...
then stood in front of the refrigerator staring at the bowls while in tears 'cause neither one of them were setting like the boxes said they would.
Very traumatic event... verrrrrrrrry traumatic. I went on pudding strike for years.





Where was I going with this?

Oh yeah - I'm the queen chefette with my boxes of instant pudding!  I'm going to try this Saturday:

1 package (3.9 oz) Jell-O Instant Pudding, any flavor
1 cup cold half and half
1 cup cold milk
1 graham cracker crust
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 pkg. (4 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Popsicle mold, or 5 or 6 oz paper cups

Beat the pudding mix, milk, and half and half with a wire whisk for 2 minutes by hand. Break graham cracker crust into small chunks (I only used about half the crust), and stir pieces into the pudding.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a medium sized bowl with a mixer until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip.

Fill mold/paper cup with pudding about 1/3 of the way. Add a layer of the Cool Whip filling, and top with more pudding. Insert a Popsicle stick and place cups in the freezer.

Freeze for 5 hours or until firm. Peel off paper cup before serving. Makes about 6 popsicles. (recipe here)

I can't decide if I like pudding because it is so DELICIOUS or if I like it because I feel like I belong behind the counter of a 5 star restaurant... specializing in 2 cups of cold milk, a whisk and a box of magical pudding powder stuff. Can you imagine how "chef-like" i'm going to feel while eating a pudding pop? I think I have a mixer thingy somewhere... and if you ever come to dinner don't be surprised if the entree' is instant pudding. 

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where I'm wondering what flavor of instant pudding is your favorite? I'm partial to the sugar-free white chocolate - but the lemon is running a close second - oh and then there is the chocolate... and the pistachio... and the tapioca... hee-hee

chair hoarder.

I am apparently a chair hoarder. Sunday I rolled my duct tape in to an estate sale...

and wheeled these babies OUT of the estate sale!

As of today - this moment - I can't decide if I want to start change my bedroom decor ideas to include these two inyourface vibrant beauties - or if they need to move to your house.

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide that could potentially be overrun with chairs... I have another set in the back of my car.  Do you know how to strip paint off of metal and leave that blackish/silvery finish? hee-hee

public service announcement

This past Saturday the resident teen and his friends went to a birthday party. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the country.

Now - the resident teen is 16 and driving (we're going for our official license this week) and... all of his friends are driving too.

During the party - one of the little girls decided since they were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the country, she wanted to see how fast her parent's truck would go.  Down a gravel road. Despite other kids (including my son (This is where I thank God he has some common sense...)) telling her what a stupid idea that was.

She fish-tailed and hit a tree - bounced off and hit another tree...
She had two other girls with her.

As God would have it - all 3 girls are going to be physically fine - some bruises, cuts and a concussion. There was no alcohol involved.  Just... "joy" riding.

I have always had the rule with the teen-age man/child that he is not to ride with teenagers - and that when he starts driving, they are not to ride with him.  They pay more attention to each other than they do the road, they mess with radios and cell phones... there are even laws about teenage driving and the number of kids allowed in a car.

A couple of weeks ago I backtracked on myself. One of his friends that I love and adore had his parent's car and was driving to school - I let my son ride with him thinking the whole time, "he's a good kid and I know mine will be safe" (yes - I did call the school 15 minutes later to make sure they made it okay).  So, I'm guilty of not following my own rules when faced with pleading brown eyes. Sunday morning I confessed to the resident teen that I broke my own rule and that was wrong on my part - that that is not going to happen again and I'm going to be actively enforcing the "no driving/riding with teens" law.  After Saturday night, I believe he's all for it.

However, later on Sunday he brought up the fact that he's going to want to go on dates without me dropping them off.

How do you know if you've done your "drive safely - and I mean it" job correctly?

Where the heck is the driver's ed book for parenting?  geesh.

Please, remind your kids to not only be aware of how they drive - but to be aware of how their friends drive.  And, everyone else on the road.  Speed limits are for a reason - don't get in a car with their friends if their friends are trying to be a lil' crazy - gravel roads are sometimes dangerous - and if they are driving and their friends are with them that THAT is big responsibility... and there is no reason to see how fast a car/truck will go unless you're driving in the Nascar race.  I know you have probably already talked to them about all of this - but please, do it again.  I've just kinda babbled on over the past year or so - just here and there - but now I'm going to make a point of looking straight into the brown eyes of my teenager and repeating myself - over and over and over again.

It's important.

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide...

Dear Diary,

Sunday: brought "the Mama" and my step-Dad...

and this GORGEOUS little lamp! Can you imagine how long it took the artist to piece all of the china pieces together once crushed?  My-oh-my... I need to have a tea so I can call this my "tea light".

Monday: An award banquet for the resident teen and the arrival of a very tiny big headed kitty.
Fatty-cat doesn't like tiny big head, so...

Tuesday: the resident teen gets really really sick with a cold/flu/ickyness - yikes!

Later that evening the air conditioner at the single-wide decided to take a permanent vacation.

Wednesday: Wonderful WONDERFUL rain comes!!!

And, the air guy won't take the resident teen (or tiny big headed kitty) as payment for a new unit - I didn't know what to do with myself - so I decided to make a doily bowl since I have never done that before!

Thursday:  Little tiny big headed kitty finds a new and loving home and heads South to Austin...

all in the middle of MORE wonderful BEAUTIFUL rain drops! Annnnnnnnnd since blogger decided to go with my air conditioner - I needed some retail therapy. I hit the local thrift store and found THESE lil' darlin's:



Future photo holders?  hmmm.... bud vases? Chandelier crystals?  Endless possibilities...

It's now Friday. Friday the 13th...
The air is fixed.

The resident teen is on the mend - my little light is shining bright ("the mama" spoils me rotten!!!) - I have a lace bowl for absolutely no reason - I'm down a tiny kitty (who's name is officially "Nova") - I'll never run short of salt and pepper shakers...
and blogger is back up!

Whew - it's like Christmas on Friday the 13th in May!

How has your week been treating you?  Are you ready for the week-end? You wouldn't believe how much I've missed you while blogger decided to take a spring break... 

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide that is now energy efficient-er! hee-hee

yee HAW!

This past Saturday found me with "the Mama" at her annual Mother's Day gathering...

donkey gets around, doesn't he?

this year her theme was: "A Country Girls' Afternoon".  The invite said: "Please meet us at the "barn" for lunch and lots of fun"...

my Grandfather made the horse - and the tractor belongs to the Sr. red.neck (aka: my Uncle) - and the dalmatian is "the step-daddy's"!

so I did!

And... this year - just like the previous years (here ) - each table had a different theme/color combo; some cowgirl/farm-like action goin' on... Wanna see?

vintage toys spread out ALL across this table - FUN!

why are these not in my size?  *geesh*

my cousin made this candle holder... cool, huh?

these are my other cousin's boots... they aren't in my size either...

how awesome is this sifter? i think i need to go shopping at "the mama's" when she's not looking...

this was my Grandmother's stove when she was little - she kept forgetting to turn it off so my Great-Grandfather took the heater out... that could be where i get my oven skills from....

does a rooster lay eggs?

There are TONS more photos here on my flickr page... things like the wreath at the entrance - more table shots - a few people shots... a lot of tractor shots....

because I really WAS playing with a tractor on Mother's Day!!! Poor "the Mama"... she worked so hard to make everything gorgeous and fun - and I played with the tractors....

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide...hee-hee

oh yeah.

I'm ABSOLUTELY bragging with this post.

Last night.
Awards banquet.
The Resident teen.
10 of his friends plus the girlfriend.

I'm the only parent that got to sit at the kid's table.

Yeah - I'm SO cool like that!!!  And I learnt myself things about all these kids that think they are mine that I could have gone without knowing.

Oh - and I now have a set of 17 year old twins....

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where I'm a "not entirely lame" Mom. hee-hee