The Old Woman in the Shoe
The Owl
The cool owl
We go exploring a lot and take pictures of all the cool things we find.
This day was certainly not lacking anything cool. After having breakfast out, feeding the ducks and geese at the park we were driving down a back road and saw this guy standing in the middle of the road. He was so beautiful and did not appear to be hurt or scared of us for that matter. When Scott went to try to pick him he rotated his head all the way to his back following Scott’s progress. That could intimidate anyone.
So with the owl distracted, I got a thick, quilted baby blanket from the far and put it over the owl and moved him to the side of the road after two attempts. I did not want to hold him to tightly in case something was injured.
He must not have been too badly hurt because after we got him to the side of the road he flew away.
I think getting to be so close to him made everyone’s day.
Canadian Goose
Drew at hunter Park Feeding the Geese
Drew Feeding the Geese
Ana Feeding the Geese
Feeding the Geese
Chris and Drew
Drew Feeding the Geese
Having fun feeding the Geese!
Canadain Goose
He Has His bread Ready
Hell Raisers
The Taste of Chicago-In Georgia
I have been living in Georgia now for almost fifteen years but still yearn for tastes from my childhood. Being an army brat could make that confusing but the place I spent the most time was the Chicago area. I remember th food fondly, right down to browns chicken where I would get an order fried mushrooms and chicken livers. You could not ask for a better meal.
I know it seems silly that I should remember fondly Brown’s chicken but it as a place my dad used to take me to before the divorce and one of the very last times I saw him. While my mom might think it was not very sentimental of him to take me there during our visits and maybe she is right, I will never knock it because I loved going there with both her and him.
Today my home-schooled son had CRCT testing in Douglasville so Scott, Ana and I stopped in this little place that adversed Vienna Sausages, We took him to get something to eat prior to going and knew he probably would not like this place because he is not a meat eater which is why we waited. Well now I want to take the whole family.
The place in run by a lady from Chicago who, like me seriously missed all the good food they had there and you could not drive a mile in the burbs with out seeing a little hole in the wall advertising Vienna sausages. She not only brought sausages but Italian beef , hot dogs pizza puffs, Chicago style fried mushroom and so much more here to Georgia!
Not only that but they have family night, ladies night, comedy night as well as jazz and soul food night.
The little place is called The Taste and is located on the main drag in downtown Douglasville. If you want authentic Chicago style food it is the place to be!
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Starting Our Container Garden-Photos
My Boys Gardening
Getting the Pots Ready
Gardening is Dirty Work
Top Soil Can Be A Pain
It's the thought that counts
Ana's Contribution
Cheering Squad
Essence of Emeril is Fantasic
I absolutely love Essence of Emeril and the great thing about that is all my picky kids love it too. Right now as I type I have three chicken breasts baking in the oven coated with essence and this time like all the times before, the chicken will be fabulous.
I have been thinking of adding a little vinegar oil and water to make an essence marinade but have yet to try it. I think it would be wonderful.
If you have not tried this wonderful spice concoction you are seriously missing out!
A Quilting Epiphany
My mother bought me a sewing machine for Christmas and it has been sitting in the box for sometime because sometimes it seems I do not have a creative idea in me, yet, before I got a sewing machine all I could think of were the quilts I was going to make. Now however, because of some strange surfing I found inspiration. Well actually I would not call it that so much but something I want to do. A template of sorts only I am going to take it to the next level. Not only am I going to make a Donkey Kong Quilt but I am gonna move on up and make a pac-man quilt too!
Donkey Kong Quilt Idea
It looks to me like I could do the Donkey Kong quilt on graph paper and each square will represent a square of quilt as a guide. I am not really good at this but it seemed a good first try because it is not only something that interests me but it is all patchwork, sewing together squares and I do nto think I am at all ready for anything fancier than that.
If I succeed in the donkey Kong I will move on to my own pac-man quilt and then I think I will make a Tetris one for my mother. So mom if you are not reading this like you are supposed to! Oops! Shame on you! You will get to think until Christmas I forgot about you!nt to make one for each person in my family including my mother in law who is much forgotten living all the way up there in Pennsylvania! I only wish they visited more!
PacMan
I will post pictures when this venture gets closer to completion. For now is is just my plan for those hot summer months! (I guess living in GA I should have picked ice sculpture!)
Written by - Visit WebsiteChicken Paprika with Dumplings (Csirke Paprikas — Hungary)
Below is a recipe I adore that I copied out of my step fathers cook book many years ago and was fortunate enough to find again on the Internet. It is one of my very favorite recipes. I make a few changes in the recipe. Where it says heat to boiling, I bake it instead after adding fresh mushrooms which are not even part of this recipe. I bake it because I do not like slimy chicken skin and boiled chicken skin always is so I put the mushrooms atop the other ingredients which helps to keep the chicken skin out of the juice until the skin is well cooked.
Try it and Enjoy! (make sure you use good quality Paprika!)
Chicken Paprika with Dumplings (Csirke Paprikas — Hungary)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
Dumplings
1 cup dairy sour cream
Heat oil skillet until hot. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken. Cook and stir onions and garlic in oil until onions are tender; drain fat from skillet. Stir in tomato, water, bouillon, paprika, salt and pepper; loosen brown particles from bottom of skillet. Add chicken. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add green pepper; cover and cook until thickest pieces of chicken are done, 10 to 15 minutes Longer. Prepare Dumplings.
Remove chicken to heated platter; keep warm. Skim fat from skillet. Stir sour cream into liquid in skillet; add Dumplings. Heat just until hot. Serve chicken with Dumplings and sour cream sauce. Yields 6 to 8 servings.
Dumplings
8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
Heat 8 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boiling in Dutch oven. Mix eggs, 1/2 cup water, flour and 2 teaspoons salt; drop dough by teaspoonful into boiling water. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes; drain. The dumplings will be chewy.
This recipe is from Betty Crocker international Cookbook. A very good investment for anyone who likes to cook.
Betty Crocker’s International Cookbook
Ana Was Refused Santa at The Lights of Life
12/20/2008
I was disgusted with the Lights of Life this year and will not be returning unless I am assured of a change. I have been going there every year since I moved to Georgia and discovered it. I would say twelve years now.
I always knew the day would come when they charged for it because every year it seemed to expand a little bit and the electric bill had to be outrageous. I was and am all about them charging for it to recoup their prices and perhaps to make a little more money to improve it even more for the nest year. The Lights of life had become a holiday tradition for our flimsy and the five bucks is hardly too much to ask.
There are two problems though. One minor that I would hope would change and return next year the other major and nothing less than an apology and a change of ways would get me to go back.
The first and smallest being that the quality of the lights took a major plummet not only is the route not clearly marked and hard to negotiate but there seem to be more light displays not working and large areas with no lights at all. This certainly needs to be fixed but the unforgivable problem is Santa.
I have four children and had one of my son’s friends with us as well. When we parked at the little petting zoo, puppet display, concessions and Santa area my two year old immediately darted to Santa and wanted to sit on his lap. She was so excited and even at two knew exactly what to do and got in line to sit on his lap. Imagine how upset she was when I was informed she could not sit on Santa’s lap unless I bought a picture. What a horrible money grubbing thing to do to a child.
In my life time I have never encountered such a thing. I have been taking kids to see Santa for twenty five years(my younger sister) I do not care where he was an amusement park, the mall, a church, department store, school, church, celebrations at the square, Wal-Mart the grocery store, nowhere but THE Lights of Life have I ever known, seen or experienced a child being refused Santa.
Refused SAnta
It is one thing to charge admission, that is expected but to refuse a child Santa for the love of money? How pathetic can you be?
I will not be returning to the lights of life and will do what ever I can to get my voice heard so others know what money grubbing scrooges the people who run the lights of life are.
I am sure I will get some excuse about how the dolts who run the Santa stand are independent of Life College or some such nonsense but before you do be rest assured that they are selling their pictures and refusing children the opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap as representatives of Life College by being part of the display. So every child will remember being refused to sit on Santa’s lap at Life College.
Mother of the Child who was refused Santa,
Jennifer
theoldwomanintheshoe@toothfairy.com
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My Boy :On the Issues
Anatastic Wednesday 9/10
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Games
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Spoil Your Pets
