Debbie Delozier :: A Casual Affair

It is the last day of January, 2008 and as a tribute the mischievous weather pixies have set aside the day for a snow storm (although to look at the way it is coming down some might call it a blizzard). I have a feeling (maybe) our nephew and his family who are visiting from Boston brought the snow with them so as not to get too homesick (hmmm).

Kati is home today, thrilled because it is a snow day, although when she is making it up in June it won‘t be so thrilling. I’m just happy that she is not out on the roads.

Because of the weather we are not planning on getting out of the house, unless it would be to get a sled out and play a bit. My sweet, always-thinking-about-me Jim, called and offered to bring lunch home for Kati and I. We have lunch fixins here at the house, but hey, if he wants to bring me a Sonic cheeseburger I’m all for it. I have never (in my whole wide life) been able to resist a Sonic cheeseburger.

Sonic used to have a fish sandwich that I absolutely loved. My sister Betty, who has lived out of state for the last 28 years (give or take a year) also loved the fish sandwich with an order of onion rings. Each and every time she visited home (Sonic was only in the southern states then) she made her very first stop once she was in the Nowata area and ordered Sonic’s fish sandwich. Man, I miss those fish sandwiches.

As we’re on the subject of food; for dinner last night we enjoyed chicken nachos

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I made some fresh pico de gallo and guacamole to go with the nachos. They were yumm-ee. Of course, we finished off the last of the Kicked up banana cream pie too.

I guess I will get on about my day.

Love and snowflakes

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The wind yesterday (and today) did turn biting cold and you didn’t want to stay out in it for very long. Actually it even spit some snow flurries around early afternoon. Which is exactly what you would expect for January weather, but not with a 65 degree temperature the day before. Just like our Okie ancestors would say, “If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, stay a minute”.

Yesterday, was Rotary lunch day as is usual here for Tuesday. There are times I can prepare the whole Rotary lunch here at the house and then deliver into town; as I did yesterday. Then there are the times (depending what the meal is) that I need to prepare the whole meal (or at least most of it) on site. As this week’s menu was BBQ beef on a toasted bun, A Casual Affair’s coleslaw and a brand new version of what I’m calling “kicked up banana cream pie”. The cream is more of a toffee/caramel cream than the traditional version. It received wholehearted enthusiastic reviews from everyone.

While the Rotary members were enjoying (from what I hear) their lunch, Jim and I had our weekly lunch date at The Depot. As Jim and Randy were heading north after our lunch date, Jim asked Randy to join us.

Randy was taking Jim up to Independence, KS to pick up his new company issued vehicle. The lease was up on his old company vehicle in November 2007 and was supposed to get a new one then. But as luck and paperwork goes sometimes he is just now getting it. Being a red Toyota Highlander it was (truthfully) on a slow boat from China. He picked it up yesterday afternoon and we all took a short drive into town last evening to check it out.

My cell phone rang yesterday, I dug it out of my purse and said “hello” into the receiver end (as most people will do when their phone rings). The gentleman on the other end said “Hello, who is this”, which always bothers me a bit; I mean, after all they called me.
I said “Debbie, who is this?”, and he answered “Tom” and asked if I had called him. And I’m thinking to myself “no, moron, you just called me”, but I politely say “no, I don’t think so”. So he apologizes for bothering me and we hang up.

Then, last night as I am getting ready for bed my cell phone rings again. Kati digs it out of my purse this time, but by now it has quit ringing but she says it has a voice mail. I call my voice mail and there is nothing there. I look at the last number called and it is the same number as when “Tom” called me. I’m discussing this with Jim and relate the call earlier in the day. He recalls the number and gets a voice mail “This is Tom S, I can’t come to the phone right now, please leave a message”. So my Jim leaves a message “why are you calling my wife’s phone”, actually it wasn’t that direct, if you know my Jim he is never (almost) forceful in the least.

As we’re laying in bed, my Jim is thinking that the number (and name Tom S) sound so familiar to him. He starts going through all the numbers on his cell phone and sure enough, he has it listed on his cell phone. Tom happens to be a new driver at the warehouse, but we’re still wondering why he would be calling my cell phone.

This morning Jim goes into the office and is asking Tom, why he keeps calling my cell phone. Tom says “Is your wife Debbie?”. So they have a short laugh about it and he tells Jim that every time he calls his voice mail he ends up getting me. Jim is looking at the phone and realizes it is my old phone and it still has my number programmed in for the voice mail account. We all had a good laugh about that. And Tom has promised not to call me anymore, haha.

Now I best be getting on about today’s business.

Love and looking forward to a bit warmer weather

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No, it has nothing to do with energy levels or starry-eyed love; although I am still completely starry-eyed over my first and only love. I feel like a teenager again because my face is so broken out you’d think I was 16 years old and it was prom night. So much for growing older gracefully, folks.

No, I didn’t eat a bucket load of chocolate or drink a case of cola. It started the morning after. That would be the morning after I fried those white corn tortillas for the tostadas. Yeah, they looked nice and crispy and tasted wonderful but I don’t think they were worth the price I’m paying in blemish cover-up.

Most of the Monday morning was spent at the grocery store getting fresh produce and pantry items for our meals and the catering lunches.

Kati came home from school announcing that Tuesday was “Decade Day” . This is a day all the kids in high school choose a decade from the past and dress up as the people did in that decade. She decided to go way back into history (you’re gonna love this Cass) and decided to dress up in the 80’s fashion. That isn’t the 1880’s it’s the 1980’s. hahaha So she decided she needed a big t-shirt she could rip up a bit and let hang off her shoulder, tights, leg warmers, bangles, scarves (all the stuff we gave to Goodwill many, many years ago). She wanted a pair of jelly shoes (remember those Cass, Lacey and Kim) so bad she could taste them, but alas we couldn’t find any.

As we don’t have many of these items any longer we needed to run to town and find what we could. Boy, was I surprised to see they still make legwarmers. I had no idea people still wore them. As they say though, “everything old is new again”.

Plus, this meant (as I predicted) my weekly menu was muddled up right off the bat. Yes, I could have fixed dinner at home and then we could have all went to town. But, by the time Jim usually gets home it is already 6 to 6:30 then if I had dinner ready already we’d eat, do the dishes and rush the 25-30 miles to town and try to find everything we need before stores closed. Therefore, we find it easier to grab a bite while we’re out shopping most times. We enjoyed a quick bite at IHOP before our successful shopping expedition.

This morning (Tuesday) started off not so bright, but very early. I was awakened about 5:30 by an odd dream and decided to go ahead and get up rather than fight myself back to sleep and perhaps continue the odd dream.

I needed to make 2 pies, coleslaw and finish the bbq beef for Rotary today anyway. Not to mention the stack of tickets ready for cylinder posting that Jami sent home last evening; thus, I tumbled out of bed and began my day.

The wind is atrocious here in NE Oklahoma this morning. My wind chimes are clamoring like you couldn’t imagine. At least the wind isn’t icy and bitterly cold; it isn’t “warm” mind you, but fortunately it isn’t stinging and raw. It also worries me a bit as I need to get out in it here in a while to deliver lunch to town for the Rotary and I’m hoping it doesn’t blow me right off the road.

Love and a windy day

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As you can tell by the photo it has been very foggy around here the last few mornings. I was able to snap a few ‘eerie’ pictures.

Friday night’s dinner of pecan/parmesan tilapia with saffron rice received mixed reviews, which I thought it would, the teenager (Kati) not being much of a fish groupie.

Oh, she would love to have some fish in a tank to watch and care for, (until it came time to clean the tank) but when it comes to eating fish she prefers the kind that comes in a can that can be tossed with mac and cheese for a casserole (the flavor of cheese will cover up anything).

Preparations started with the Saffron Rice. We all know that Saffron is a pretty pricey spice and we don’t want to use too much on one dish, so I began by steeping a few strands in a bit of chicken broth to develop the flavor.

Step 1: Steep saffron in chicken broth see the little strands of saffron

Step 2: Brown rice in a skillet with a bit of butter
Step 3: Pour hot chicken broth (not the saffron/chicken broth) over the rice; then strain the saffron broth into the skillet also (throw away the used strands of saffron).
Step 4: Cover, lower heat and cook for approximately 20 minutes.

To prepare the tilapia I mixed finely chopped and toasted pecans with finely grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice and oil. This I piled on top of the 4 tilapia filets I had placed in a baking dish. I baked the tilapia for 15 minutes at 375. As I said, Kati didn’t care for it at all, Jim and I each thought the thicker part of the filet was tasty and held up under the pecan/parmesan topping, but the thinner part of the filet wasn’t able to hold it’s own under the flavor. So, if I could just find some fat tilapia swimming around I’ll fix this again. I guess I could just put less topping on the thinner end, duh.

Saturday the teenager (Kati) had plans so we left her in bed where she was carrying out the first part of her weekend plans; sleeping late. Jim and I donned our work clothes and headed for the young married couple’s (Cass & Travis) house (stopping at McDonalds for a sausage egg mcmuffin breakfast on the way). As both of them were under the weather, Cass mostly under the covers and Travis working on one of his free-lance projects, Jim thought we’d go help out with the finishing painting chores.

The young married couple have been planning an open house for the longest time; the first one being cancelled because of the ice storm and power outages. They decided to go ahead and paint 2 more of the rooms and then schedule the date for the open house again. Once they scheduled the date and got the invitations done they came down sick again and the painter they had scheduled had ’something’ else come up; so they were left with 1 unpainted room and on top of that forgot to mail the invitations until Saturday. Those of you wondering where your invitation is, it literally is ‘in the mail’. I know the young married couple hopes you can make it even with this late notice. So aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins please try to keep Saturday night open, I know they can’t wait to show off their new home (even if they are still working on this and that).

So, Jim and I were up and down on chairs, ladders and countertops painting the kitchen and nook a deep red. When I saw the color I didn’t know what to think, this girl always picks colors I would be so afraid of. They always turn out beautifully. She is just able to see things in her mind’s eye; I have never (ever) been able to do that. It turned out gorgeous even if I did donate a sweatshirt and old pair of jeans to the project.

Once we were home and had rested for a bit I ran a nice tub full of perfumed hot water to relax my aching muscles in. After the nice long soak I put on a pair of soft, warm jammies and sat down to watch some tv before Jim and I headed for bed.

Sunday morning came way to early for my still tired body. I was just to tired this morning and ended up not getting ready to go to Sunday School. With the weather being the way it has been lately I haven’t had any little ones the last few Sundays, so I didn’t think it would be a problem to just lay around a bit longer. I did get around in time for church service, and I really am glad I did. Sunday services prepare me for the week ahead. What is the old joke “7 days without church makes one weak” or something like that.

After church we came home for a lunch of sandwiches and decided just to take it easy the rest of the day (this is my way of saying “we just laid around all day long”). I finished up the laundry I started on Friday, and worked on next week’s menu (I won’t even bother to post it, you know we won’t stick to it), grocery list and schedule. And I did all this (well, except for the laundry) while resting in my easy chair with my feet propped up on the ottoman.

This evening Jim and Kati ran in to get some pizza for our supper and I ate it while sitting in my easy chair too.

So that is our weekend all wrapped up for you. Hope you enjoyed yours.

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Once you become a mom (actually it happens even before you’re really a mom; it seems to happen as soon as you find out you’re going to be a mom for some of us) you are above and beyond everything else, forever more, a mom. No matter what. You are automatically thrown into protector and caretaker mode.

And if that isn’t bad enough; your children, no matter what their age, are still your babies. Oh, yes, they may be able to move away, have a great job, get married, buy a house and maybe at some point even have children of their own (making you a grandmother). But they are still (forever and always) your baby. They may think they are full grown adults, but we Moms know differently.

I spoke to Cass today (my 25 year old, married, living in her own house, baby) via computer ims. She has been sick, for what I’m sure seems to her, forever (okay, not forever but truthfully all year). She started out sick with a sore throat, fever, the whole gambit just prior to New Years Eve. She finally (finally) began to get well and went back to work (in reality before she was well). Just as she thought all was going to be back to normal she started feeling bad again only to find out she had a UTI (she is fine Grandmas, it isn’t the old stuff she used to get). So she has had to recover from that. Now, after having been sick (and sick again) her immune system has just had a workout and has retaliated by sending her 2 huge fever blisters, 1 for each lip.

Now, if you have ever had fever blisters (aka cold sores) you know that just having them can make you sick. So she has been back in bed, lips swollen and hurting, feverish and achy once again. This evening she was just beginning to feel better when Travis walks in with a sore throat. Isn’t that the way it goes sometimes.

Thus, she is telling me how sick she has been (because, not wanting to worry me, she doesn’t tell me most of it until she is feeling mostly better) and wondering if her life will ever get back to normal, and that Mom (caretaker/protector) mode kicks in. I guess she probably thought I was pretty silly because I’m asking her if I can bring her something for dinner, wondering to myself if I can get her some juice or make her some tea or something, like she is just next door and I can run over and do this for her. When in reality, I live just about 45 miles from her. But you Moms know, if she said she wanted it I would take it to her, just as if she were down the hall in her old bedroom. She has talked me out of driving to Tulsa this evening, but don’t you know I’m going to find a reason to go to Tulsa tomorrow to check on her.

After all, I’m her Mom and she’s my baby.

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I started the beef tostadas by making pico de gallo and guacamole. You will need

4 or 5 Roma tomatoes

chopped onions

jalapenos

lots of fresh cilantro

fresh lime juice

Once all of these are mixed together, then in a seperate bowl, chop 3-4 avocado

Put a couple big (as in heaping) spoonfuls of the pico de gallo mixture into the chopped avocado and;

TA-DA pico de gallo and guacamole

Then fry some tortillas, I used white corn (because I like them), put on paper towel to drain the oil, then put on a baking sheet.

then spread the fried tortillas with refried beans

top with cheese

put under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.

At the table I added lettuce, shredded beef (from the leftover roast) sour cream, fresh pico de gallo

I topped the whole thing off with a big spoonful of the fresh guacamole. TA-DA Beef Tostada

We all thought these were yumm-ee.

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By 12:30 I was plumb tired of gleaming. I decided to reward my hardworking body and warm up the last bowl of corn chowder, have a handful of saltines and a nice big glass of strong iced tea for my lunch. Yumm-ee, what a great reward.

I needed to make a few calls to confirm upcoming catering jobs and make final menu decisions. Next week’s schedule is slow, only the Rotary lunch which I still need to decide on the menu and dessert. But starting Saturday, February 2, hold on to your aprons cause it’s gonna get busy round here. Saturday is Cass’ re-open house, previously postponed because the end of the year ice storm. I haven’t checked with her yet but I know last time she had asked me to make a batch of baklava and so I may still need to schedule that.

Sunday, the 3rd, we are scheduled to have a potluck lunch at church after the service. I need to figure out what I am going to fix, fix it and also schedule some time to go set up tables, chairs, dishes, etc for the potluck. Tuesday, the 5th will be the regular Rotary Club lunch (need to decide on the menu still) and then on Wed the 6th I have a lunch scheduled for a workshop for the school board.

Now I’ve made those phone calls, menu plans and grocery lists during the afternoon before starting on the preparations for dinner’s beef tostadas, ie making pico de gallo and guacamole. I will cover those preparations in a blog titled Beef Tostadas (duh).

When Kati got home from school we fried a white corn tortilla to test taste the pico de gallo and guacamole. She gave it a thumbs up. She has a bit of make up homework to do this evening as yesterday she left school about 1 o’clock so that she could come and take care of the nursery at church during the funeral. You can’t see it but I’m smiling the proud mom smile. She is such a fantastic young woman, she volunteers quite a bit of her time to help out at church (there is that smile again).

Now I’m off to finish a few things up before my Jim gets home. I’d like to visit with him a bit before I finish making supper.

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I’ve decided to quit calling the day I finally (finally) get down to cleaning up around here “cleaning day” and begin calling it Gleaming Day. Calling the whole day “cleaning day” just makes it sound like an uninteresting, monotonous, hum-drum, down-right dirty sort of day. Unless, of course, you’ve got something perplexing or aggravating on your mind, then (and only then) do I find cleaning to be a useful tool. Gleaming Day adds color, shine and sparkle (don’t you think?).

Besides, who in their right mind enjoys cleaning the house for a whole day, Other than the whole crank up the stereo and run around without clothes on for the whole day part. What!!! You don’t clean the house naked? Am I the only one that does that? Well, I guess that will fall under the heading of “more than you ever wanted to know about Debbie” or as Kati says to me (too often) “too much information, Mom”.

So far I have the bathroom shiny and smelling good, now that I’ve done the spit and shine and decontamination in there. The kitchen is glistening with clean stove-top and counter-tops, shimmering stainless steel sink, and the sun coming through the window and shining on the glossy wood floor. The area rugs are pulled up and laying in the laundry room so that I can sweep and mop the floors of the living/dining areas. That is when I decided to take a break.

As you may have noticed; (because I haven’t been posting any of the ‘this is what we had for dinner tonight’ blogs) I am way off of this week’s menu. We never did have the balsamic glazed pork chops that I had taken out of the freezer on Thursday to be Friday’s main course because we ended up running over to Pryor on business and grabbing a bite at JL’s while we were there. Saturday we did eat dinner out (according to schedule) as Kati was out with friends so Jim and I had Mexican (a favorite of mine). Sunday we didn’t get the pot roast as I had planned and ended up having Red Robin for lunch and picked up pizza for supper.

Monday, we had the pot roast (just a day late). Tuesday of course, we had Rotary Club leftovers, corn chowder/grilled ham & cheese (except that it wasn’t leftovers, I just made a whole nother’ “that’s an Okie term” meal). Wednesday we didn’t order the pizza (we had that on Sunday, remember) and I was soooo tired from being on my feet (in heels none the less) all day long that Jim said “let’s just go grab a bite”. Of course, being rural as we are “just going to grab a bite” means you have to drive 20 some-odd miles to get anywhere that isn’t just hamburgers. But, being the spontaneous, fun-loving woman that I am, I changed my black slacks to jeans, my heels to tennis shoes and we were out the door.

We are not having the balsamic glazed pork chops tonight either, because they’ve been out of the freezer and in the fridge for a week now and they look sort of sad, so they are gone (as in, in the trash), wasteful, I know, but I don’t want my family getting sick, so they’re out.

Remember those beef tostadas I was going to make on Monday using the leftover roast beef? That is what we’re having for tonight’s supper. Along with; fresh, homemade pico de gallo and guacamole (on my to-do list later). Yumm-ee

Well, I guess since the cat isn’t going to finish my job I best be getting back to gleaming so I can get the rugs back down.

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It isn’t the prettiest cake I’ve ever made but it is yumm-ee (if you like pineapple and coconut, which I absolutely am crazy about).

CAKE
1 pineapple cake mix (its that semi-homemade thing again)
1 (4 serv) package coconut cream instant pudding
1 (16 oz) can pineapple chunks or tidbits including juice
4 eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup flaked coconut
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

TOPPING
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter (or margarine)
½ cup evaporated milk
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350, grease and flour 13×9 pan.

CAKE
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, pineapple and juice, eggs and oil in mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup coconut.
Pour into prepared pan.
Combine pecans and brown sugar in a small bowl, stir to mix well. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake 45-50 minutes or until inserted pick comes out clean.

TOPPING
Combine granulated sugar, butter and evaporated milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and stir in coconut.
Pour over warm cake.
This cake is fantastic served either warm or at room temperature.

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When we see those we care about in terrible pain we want to be of some comfort. Today was such a day. A much loved member of our church family lost her battle with cancer and today her husband of 61 years, her 5 children and their spouses, her 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren said goodbye.

Because we know them and love them we want to be able to offer some relief for the pain they are suffering. Sometimes, there just aren’t any words, so you hold their hand, you pat their shoulder, you hug them and let them cry; and you cry. You bring them a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea and you listen. You take care of the little things so they don’t have to think about them.

I was blessed today to be able to hold, to hug, to cry, to give of myself and to take care of the little things for my friend, Marilyn’s family.

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