"V" is for Victory part 4

Not really so much of a victory, more like a small skirmish won at this point... well even that's a stretch, thank god we're not sending food out to the troops or they'd all be getting a benefit concert about now...




in the foreground to the right is th box with the giant pumpkin, the spaghetti squash, the luffa squash and the bush beans.





Tomato cages? What are those?



I have no idea what happened here. I came back after my surgery, having had someone else watering for me and it looked like this. Plus, the broccoli is wasted, it's actually getting flowers on it now. I think it had something to do with the big temperature changes we've been having here, I don't really know though. The squash should be okay but it's obviously not. The eggplant is still looking good though. I'm going to take out a lot of the wasted plants and start something else in there.

I had a pic of me in front of the garden wearing one of the tumbleweed enticing dresses but when I saw it, this was the first thing I thought:

"I don't remember holding a side of beef when that photo was taken... oh wait those are MY ARMS!"

followed by:

Wow, I guess that built in shelf bra really doesn't do squat!

followed by:

Crap I go out in public ALL THE TIME looking like this!

followed very closely by:

I really need to get my husband his glasses because he LETS me out in in public looking like this!

So excuse me while I dash off to do a gazillion pushups.....

Maxi Dresses: long on style...long on ways to make yourself look stupid..

Case in point: yesterday I wore one of my oh!so!comfortableI'llneverwearanythingelsereallyIswear new maxi (by the way MAXI really makes me think of something other than *dresses*. Why can't we call them "long" like we used to?) dresses to the bank and on the way out, I swear to you, I got a tumbleweed stuck up underneath the skirt. No, seriously, an honest to God tumbleweed. Hey I live in the desert and the wind blows hard here ok? After doing a very complicated jig in an attempt to dislodge it, I actually had to lift the damn skirt and pull it out to get rid of it. Which was vastly entertaining to the non-fashion savvy/caring public (which is basically everyone who lives here).

Case in point two: after leaving the bank yesterday I had to get a new spare tire for my husband's Blazer. I didn't have anywhere to park at the used tire place so I had to take it out of the back of my SUV and roll it down the sidewalk. (and yes I can totally validate owning an Expedition. I have seven kids remember? And now that one is out of the house and has his own car, all the kids fit legally again.). As I was rolling the blown-out spare down the sidewalk (while trying to keep my purse on my opposite shoulder. I'm graceful y'all) the steel tread blown-out part kept catching on the hem of my skirt and rolling it up in the rubber, again vastly amusing the viewing audience.

Case in point three: today, leaving the bank in yet another maxi dress (I told you I won't wear anything else), Connor caught his foot in the hem and it wrapped around his little leg like a jellyfish in heat. Poor little punkin screamed for two minutes while I hacked the crap out of the skirt trying to get it to let go. For a moment I swore the thing slapped back.

Case in point four: this evening, walking across the kitchen floor, the dog was actually able to sit on the hem thus knocking me backward as I attempted to move.

Now don't get me too wrong, I love these dresses so much that I will willingly endure the humilation. I have three, thanks to Whoorl's recommendation and assurance that I would be tall enough to pull them off. But I seriously think a disclaimer should be attached to the price tag: "Warning, potential America's Funniest Home Videos contender"

Watch it or he'll cut 'ya

So for a few days now, Connor (age 2) has taken to stealing food from Ian (nearly 4)'s plate whenever Ian gets up during mealtime (to use the bathroom generally). This morning when Ian did that, Connor ate the entire waffle off of Ian's plate and left his own untouched. My husband didn't believe that sweet little guy would do that but when he asked him, Connor gave this smug little grin, nodded his head and said "That's funny isn't it!"

This is the face he makes:


However, tonight, he topped even that. Whilst Ian was up (oh and don't even ask why Ian has to use the bathroom every time he sits down to eat. He.just.does.) Connor not only switched plates he switched the food too! And then laughed when caught! And then roared like a dinosaur! And then held up his plastic zoo pals spoon in a gesture that clearly begged someone to try and stop his fiendish plans! He's a toughie that Connor.

In other news Ian has become slightly OCD about cleaning. He insists on a new sponge (probably because we use cool pop up sponges that open up under water) and has to spray and wipe down everything in sight. Twice. And while I know I should nip this in the bud while I can, my floors have never been shinier.

Dinner for 8

This is really not a food blog, hodge-podge of posts though it may be, but I have been considering posting our dinners occasionally as a testament to eating well cheaply, something everyone enjoys in these times. (and lets see... just *how* long was that run-on sentence?). Considering the extreme cheapness of tonight's dinner and how tasty it was, I thought, why not bore... er enlighten my readers with the details?

Chicken Enchilada Casserole



2 packages fresh boneless, skinless chicken thighs $4.55 each $9.10
1 lb monterey jack cheese $1.90
1 lb cheddar cheese $1.90
1 20oz jar salsa verde $2.04
1 32oz jar salsa verde $3.29
1 15oz can black beans $0.70
1/2 bunch cilantro $0.50
1 package corn tortillas $1.39

$20.82

This made enough for 8 people to have 2 meals out of it, which works out to:
$1.30 a person!

All I did was simmer the chicken thighs in chicken broth (already had), with red pepper powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder sprinkled on top. Once cooked, I shredded it and mixed with with about half of each of the cheeses (shredded), the beans and the cilantro.

Then I poured a layer of the salsa verde in a large baking pan (approx. 12x18? a big one!) then layered the tortillas on the bottom (overlapping each by about 2 inches). Then I covered the tortillas completely with the chicken mixture, did another layer of tortillas and then covered that with the remaining salsa verde and cheese. Popped it (covered with tin foil) in the oven for 45 minutes at 375, then uncovered it and let the cheese melt.

Really yummy, very filling and enough left for another meal. Score!

R.I.P. Michael, Farrah and Ed

I heard someone say today that Ed McMahon passed away first so that he would be in Heaven to announce his guest Farrah Fawcett and special musical guest Michael Jackson. Quaint, but a pleasant thought.

I've never been a fan of Michael Jackson, personally or musically, but anyone who dies and leaves behind basically parentless kids, that's sad to me. I'm watching Martin Bashir's big documentary/interview with him, and he actually is coming across almost human LOL Still, very sad for his kids because I really feel, no matter what allegations that have come up in the past, or general weirdness on his behalf, that he was a good parent, that he loved his kids very much and now the only parent they've known is gone. And they are young young kids. Very sad, and I hope the future for them can be filled with people who truly love them, whether they have money or not.

As for Farrah, I never got to play her when my friends and I played "Charlie's Angels" I always got stuck being Sabrina. My biggest sadness for Farrah is that while she had to suffer such pain for a long time, not only the incredible physical pain that cancer brings but the emotional pain of dying knowing that her only son was in jail due to heroin addiction. How incredibly sad. I hope that losing his mother will be the catalyst for Redmond O'Neal to finally get and stay clean.

And really I know zilch about Ed McMahon, but I know he left behind people who love him and that is sad for anyone.

offline for a bit...

I know that there are thousands (ok, 20) of lovely readers riveted to my every word here but I have to say that I will be gone from June 19 to probably June 28.

Not a vacation as such, I'm having minor surgery and plan to linger a long time so that my husband can pamper the hell out of me and see what it's like to be me for a bit LOL. And as he's taking this entire week off, I won't be on here.

The actual surgery is Tuesday the 23rd.

See ya in a week!

(and to keep you interested, I'm planning on posting about the WAY COOL new dresses I just got and I'll have PHOTOS and of course I know you're all interested in new garden developments so... come back!)