Seven Years Ago

Seven years ago today my first grandchild Carter Wayne was born. I'll be honest here and tell you that when I first heard I was going to be a grandmaw I was a little upset. I wasn't even 40 yet and was going to be a grandmaw. I think in my mind all grandmaws were old, with blue hair. I was far from that. As time went on and Carter's birth was getting closer I started getting really excited about being a grandmaw. A good friend kept telling me that I would love being a grandmaw and they were right! I love being a grandmaw. It is a wonderful experience and I learn something new almost everyday from these precious children.

When Tina brought Carter home from the hospital they lived next door to us. When it came time for Tina to go back to work I got to be his babysitter, YAY I got to not only spend time with him I also got to spoil him, then send him home at the end of the day. ;) Here are some pictures of Carter through out the years (a lot of Carter's baby pics are on floppy's and I don't have a floppy drive on this computer so I cant post those pics):

Me and Carter, this was his first Christmas

I think he was about 6 months old here

Carter and his uncle Eric

Carter's second birthday

Carter wearing his uncle Matt's helmet and shoes

Carter at 6 years old

I'd Like You All To Meet Wanda

I have a friend who has a blog. Her name is Julieann. She posted about her scarecrow Fred. Here is her post about Fred juliean-mylife I thought he was the cutest thing and we think that Wanda may be Fred's long lost sister. ;) She got him at Wamlart. I was in Walmart Friday and I got me one! I got a girl scarecrow and I named her Wanda. She is now on our front porch. I don't normally decorate for the fall, but now I have Wanda, I may check out the clearance sales when everything goes on sale after Halloween. Eric's girl friend Linda put the little pumpkin out there to keep Wanda company. :)
Do you decorate inside your house or outside for fall or Halloween?

Friday And A Recipe

It's another cool, windy rainy day here in VA. Last night we had some thunderstorms roll through. They started around 12:00AM and continued through out the night. I don't have any big plans for today. I have a few chores to do around the house and I think we will probably do take out for dinner, but I've also been thinking about my Mama's Chicken and Dumpling's so I might just have to break tradition and cook today. Since it is such a cool rainy day chicken and dumplings would taste mighty good tonight. It has taken me a long time to get my Mama's chicken and dumplings to taste like hers, but the last few times I made it I got it prefect! Here is her recipe:

Shirla's Mama's Chicken And Dumplings

Boneless chicken breast

(can use bone in, but boneless is easier, no picking out the bones)

Boil chicken until tender.

In a dutch oven add, 1 can cream of celery soup, salt, pepper, parsley flakes and celery flakes. Stir well and cook over low heat while chicken is boiling.

Once the chicken is done remove and cut into big chunks, place chicken into dutch oven along with the chicken stock. Stir well and let simmer over low heat.

To make the dumplings; Mix Bisquick with milk. Drop by spoon fulls into chicken mixture. Uncovered slowly boil about 10 minutes. Cover and slowly boil until dumplings are done.

***My Mama didn't say the measurements for anything, she just dumped everything into the pot.

Thursday And Sweet Potatoes

It's a cool, yucky rainy day here today. All I want to do is sleep, but I cant because Wesley and Mallory are here today. I've just been puttering around the house, not really cleaning, but picking up "stuff" and putting it all back where it belongs or throwing it out. I have no clue what dinner will be. It's almost 3:30pm so I really should start thinking about it. Tina has to stop off at the grocery store before she comes to pick up the kids, so I asked her pick me up some milk and bread so I don't have to go out later.



My neighbor gave me some GIANT sweet potatoes the other evening, I guess they will cook up, I think I'll have to cut them in half for them to cook in this century. lol They sure are BIG! The two in the back dont look that big in the picture. Here are some pictures of the them:

Middle Of The Week ChitChat

I haven't been blogging lately. We have been having really cool nights here and we have/had been sleeping with a fan in the window, well it has reek havoc with my sinuses or allergies, I'm not really sure what it is. All I know is I've been miserable the last 2 days. I had to call in sick the last few days from watching my grandchildren. They are back today. I haven't been cooking dinner, it's been YOYO (Your On Your Own). Yesterday I did manage to fold most of my laundry that had piled up, I sat on my bed and folded until it was all folded. Then I put everything away. I hope to attempt to make dinner tonight. I'm thinking my Aunt Lucille's Chicken and Rice Crockpot Dish. Here is the recipe, it is very yummy and she used to fix it for me all the time when I would visit because I loved it so much.

My Aunt Lucille's Chicken And Rice Crock Pot Dish
Batter chicken with flour. Layer chicken in crock pot with 2 cans each cream of onion soup and cream of chicken soup (you can use cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup, but I prefer cream of onion and cream of chicken), salt and pepper each layer, start with the chicken, you will end with the soup. Do not add water or milk to the soup! If you find that after it is all done that the soup is to thin you can add a little flour to thicken. Cook in crock pot on low all day. Serve over rice.

***I make my own cream of onion soup. A lady on a board I read posted how to make cream of whatever you like soup, so I use her method:

I use a plain white sauce as often as not. 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp butter or margarine: melt butter, add flour and stir, letting it cook for a minute or two so it doesn't taste floury. Add salt and pepper to taste and add 1 cup milk for medium thick sauce. Stir over heat until it thickens and boils, then add whatever cheese you like and let it melt, or use without cheese. I often add dried chopped onion with the milk if I am going to use this for a casserole base. I do this so I can avoid the salt entirely, but I believe it is cheaper than using soup, although I haven't actually priced it out lately. This white sauce can also serve as a base for cream soups--just add chopped vegetables, mushrooms, for broccoli, cauliflower, etc. soup. Add seasonings that go with your vegetables, and you're done. My family loves broccoli cheese soup made this way. You can thin it a little with stock or milk if you don't like it as thick as this. You can throw in all kinds of leftovers and call it anything you like---it's all edible. Cream of mixed veggie soup (or refrigerator leavings soup, if you prefer.) Throw some grated cheese over the top, maybe a little chopped green onion, and we got ourselves some fancy soup tonight!

Posted by: Marcia

Sunday

Well we didn't go to The Bass Pro Shop yesterday as planned. We are going today, but as of right now I don't think I'll be joining them. My head it starting to hurt so I'm going to take a pill and go lay down before it gets worst. We were supposed to have met up with some friends at Bass Pro Shop, but they decided to go earlier then we can be there, so I guess we will get together with them at another time.

I did make breakfast this morning. I made sausage, scrambled eggs, toast and cinnamon rolls (fridge canned kind, not homemade). Keith and I went out to dinner last night and we stopped off at Save-A-Lot on the way home and they had the cinnamon rolls really cheap. I got A LOT of stuff there and only spent $40.00! I don't go there a lot because its not the best area to be in, but I don't mind going there with my husband with me. We also stopped off at Walgreens and Keith waited in the car while I was in there, he said while I was in there a cop pulled into the parking lot, parked next to his car and the officer ran into the store, he said he was in there a few minutes then came out with a man in hand cuffs. Keith had the windows down in the car and he said he could hear the man saying, "I didn't do it, it wasn't me, I didn't steal nuttin". The cop then said, "Yea Yea Yea, that's what they all say".

Have a good Sunday!

Update From Friday And Some Saturday Happenings

My grandson Carter spent the night with us last night (Friday). He went with me to Petsmart and Walmart. We ate dinner at Chick-fil-A. It was so crowded inside so we drove thru the drive thru and ate our dinner in the truck. Carter thought it was so neat that we got to eat in the truck. lol
After we ate we went to Petsmart and I got the cat's some food, Emma a toy lamb and two pink bows for her hair. She hates when I put bows in her hair, but I wanted some that had a clip instead of a rubber band type thingie and these had the clip or I guess I should say barrette. I think I can get her to wear one on the top of her head long enough to get some pictures of her.
In Walmart they have all their fans on clearance I got a window fan for $11.00. Here is a pic of one, but this pic isn't the model I got, it looks like mine and gives your an idea of what mine looks like. walmart.com

The Bass Pro Shop basspro just opened in Ashland, VA (soft opening, the grand opening is Oct. 2-5) and my husband and sons are so excited, they want to go there this evening so I guess we will be going there later. We drove to the one in Hampton, VA last summer and I have to admit I liked the store, it was neat seeing all the neat stuff they have in there.

I have to go to the grocery store at some point today. Tina has picked up Carter yet, she came by and dropped off Wesley and went to tan. When she gets back and gets the boys after she leaves I'll get my shower and get myself ready and then go to the grocery store. I don't know what the plans are for dinner. I think we will just grab something while we are on the way to The Bass Pro Shop. There is a Chinese place by there that we love and we haven't been there in a long time so we might go there, they have a really good buffet and the price is right.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.