PILLSBURY AND IRENE

One more day, then it's the weekend!
Allergies are kicking my behind!! I guess it could be worse...
I mean I could be living on the east coast waiting for a visitor named IRENE!
As Jim Cantore would say....."hunker down folks".
Looks like Irene is not going to play nice!
The New England coast has not seen a hurricane like Irene in 50 years!
Prayers for safety for everyone.

Here is a really simple recipe from the good folks over @ pillsbury.
If you love PB&J (and who doesn't) then you will love this recipe!
ENJOY !

P B & J BITES

INGREDIENTS:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
8 teaspoons extra-crunchy peanut butter
8 teaspoons jam (any flavor)
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 375°F. On cutting board, unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. From center of 1 longest side to opposite point, cut each triangle in half, making 16 smaller triangles.
Place 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter on center of each triangle; top with 1/2 teaspoon jam. Bring corners to center over filling, overlapping ends; press gently to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush each lightly with cream; sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.

SATURDAY'S AND PINTEREST

I really love Saturday's...they are a kind of do nothing sort of day...well other than the normal catch up on housework, but once that's done...its a laid back kind of day! Just sitting here listening to some awesome Christian music, the sound of the lawn mower outside, sipping on lemonade and deciding what to type on my blog today! I have joined this website called http://pinterest.com/
and I am so addicted to it! It's sort of like saving links on your favorites or bookmarks, but this is so simple and so much easier and visual! If you find something you like on a web page, you simply click PIN IT and it saves it all nice and neat in folders you create to suit your needs. Then when you want to re-visit that site, you simply go to your Pinterest and find that photo, click on it and voila...you are redirected to that web page! You can also browse other peoples Pinterest pages and get some amazing ideas. Try it, I promise you will be hooked really quick! If you do, find me http://pinterest.com/pedsnurse/ and check out some of my pins!

Now a quickie recipe that would make another great after school snack for the kiddies!
It's called

Critter Crunch....

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 cups Crispix
• 1-1/2 cups Cherrios
• 1-1/2 cups animal crackers
• 1-1/2 cups honey bear-shaped crackers
• 1 cup bite-sized Shredded Wheat
• 1 cup miniature pretzels

Directions

• In a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until butter is melted; stir until blended. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add butter mixture and toss to coat.
• Place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 300° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 8 cups.

SAINTS AND MINI CUPCAKES

How about those SAINTS? Great start to a promising season!
And even better, with the game being on a Friday night, we still have 2 days off to enjoy the weekend! Gotta love that! AND if things go as planned, I might even have my new floor installed in my living room tomorrow! Eeeek I am so excited to see it once it's all done! Rene' has been working so hard and his hard work is finally beginning to show! I will post pictures once its done!

Here is a simple recipe that tastes yummy....would be a good after school snack Mom's!

BANANA CHIP MINI CUPCAKES

Ingredients

• 1 package (14 ounces) banana quick bread and muffin mix
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 tablespoon shortening

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the muffin mix, water, sour cream and egg;
• stir just until moistened. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
• 
  
• Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups two-thirds full.
• Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
• near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing
• from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• 
  
• For frosting, in a microwave bowl, melt shortening and remaining
• chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 3-1/2
• dozen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joshua Paul Hernandez 1979-1993

This post is not to make anyone sad. It's to celebrate my son's life. In his short 14 years, he lived life to its fullest and loved with so much emotion. So many days, I wonder who he'd be today. Then there are other days that I know that he is the same today as he was 18 years ago...his dark eyes, curly brown hair and sweet smile...and yes even his temper. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him. Not one single day. I love you Joshua Paul and look forward to the day when you wrap your arms around me and whisper...welcome home Mom!

The mention of my child's name may bring tears to my eyes,
But it never fails to bring music to my ears.
If you are really my friend,
let me hear the music of his name!
It soothes my broken heart and sings to my soul!
~Author Unknown ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE !

I recently found some old family pictures and posted them on Facebook. OH MY how they brought back some wonderful memories! And you know, no matter what happens in your life, no one can ever take your memories from you...they are yours to keep, close to your heart.

Tattered 'round the edges,
And faded now with time;
Memories that linger still,
Are what they left behind.
Like a precious package,
Kept in a secret room,
Each memory a treasure,
A family heirloom.

On rare and quiet occasions
The package opens wide;
revealing then the memories,
That nestle there inside.
Faces etched in memories
Like photos from the past;
each snapshot printed in the heart,
Are memories that last.

Worn and ragged photographs,
So faded now with time;
Yet the lasting love deep in your heart,
Is what they left behind.

Allison Chambers Coxsey

Sharing some of my memories....


My Dad and I on my wedding day...1975

Joshua...our first born...he was 3 in this picture and it is one of my favorites of him.
I miss him so very much
Jordan..he was a year old in this picture and he is now 27 and a father himself...
a wonderful father !
And my baby, Addie! She was about a year old in this picture.
She will be 20 in less than a month.
She does so much for me, I don't know if I could ever repay her.
She is my sunshine!


And now onto a recipe....

SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE




3 cans Pillsbury butter crescent rolls
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon & sugar

Instructions:
Unroll and spread 1 & 1/2 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan.
Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
Spread mixture over crescent rolls.
Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture.
Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

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You Know You Are From New Orleans if.....

Sometimes you don’t realize how unique the city of New Orleans is until you meet a newcomer.

Then you really appreciate the little things that make it special and unique.
Lets try to keep the traditions going for another generation.

• You cringe when you hear it pronounced New OrLEENS. It’s New OrLINS and we don’t really say N’Awlins.
• When you travel, everyone asks if you’re from New York, except a New Yorker, they’re just stumped.
• Even as a kid, you knew the address of Rosenbergs. “Rosenberg’s, Rosenberg’s, 1825 Tulane!”
• You know the opening date of your favorite snowball stand.
• When asked the highest point in the city, you reply, “Monkey Hill.”
• You remember when Monkey Hill was just a hill.
• You know that a nutria is an overgrown rat, but you still choose it for the baseball team’s mascot. Then name them Boudreaux and Clotile.
• You actually know what a zephyr is and might have ridden it a time or two at Pontchartrain Beach.
• Your sense of direction revolves around Uptown, Downtown, towards the lake, or towards the river.
• You travel East to go to the West Bank and West to the East Bank.
• You had more faith in a man named Nash with a sharpie than any Supper Doppler or Viper System.
• Your property can turn waterfront at any time.
• After every thunderstorm you have to reset your clocks.
• You never want to see another blue roof, duct taped refrigerator, or hear the name FEMA as long as you live!
• You refer to your grandparents as Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw and godparents as Nanny and Parran.
• You refer to a specific shade of purple as K&B purple.
• You get sad when thinking of all the things that “ain’t dere no more”. Especially, McKenzie’s Bakery and Mr. Bingle.
• You got excited when you found out you could get a traditional McKenzie’s king cake at Tastee’s.
• To you, an extensive art collection consists of the best Jazz Fest Posters.
• You turn your radio down, take a deep breath, and concentrate before crossing the Huey P. Long Bridge.
• When you are out of town, you think someone is joking when they say everything closes by 8pm. But they’re not!
• When traveling and you see “Authentic New Orleans or Cajun Food” you giggle and reach for the hot sauce you brought with you.
• You know you got ‘dem shoes on your feet and standing on Bourbon, Decatur St., or any street you happen to be standing on.

Food

• There are four seasons: crawfish, shrimp, crab, and oyster.
• You call winter in Louisiana the perfect gumbo weather.
• You think of a lobster as an overgrown crawfish.
• Your momma told ya ‘dey shrunk on ‘der journey to New Orleans and became crawfish.
• When sitting at a table of boiled crawfish you explain to a rookie how, “not to eat the dead ones,” and that makes total sense.
• Newspaper makes the perfect table cloth for a boil.
• You order your po-boy dressed.
• When going out for oysters you have to figure out what months have R’s.
• When eating red beans and rice you assume it’s Monday and if it’s not you’re a little “thrown off.”

Mardi Gras

• You collect Mardi Gras beads in your attic because one day you might ride.
  
• You have to reinforce the attic for Mardi Gras beads.
  
• You were [insert age here] before you realized that Mardi Gras was not a National Holiday.
  
• If you go to Disney World for Mardi Gras, you will run into lots of fellow New Orleanians.
  
• You wear purple, green, and gold together and consider yourself stylish.
  
• You can find anyone on a float by the terms sidewalk side or neutral ground side.
  
• Your family has a traditional spot on the parade route and you know the family next to you that you only see at Mardi Gras.
• Popeye’s chicken is the perfect food for the parades and you order your chicken ahead of time.
  
• You have a ladder for working around the house and a special one for parades.
  
• You stay up every Mardi Gras to watch the meeting of the Rex and Comus courts.
  
• You really stay up to watch the police horses clear Bourbon Street at midnight.
  
• Mardi Gras is judged by the amount of trash left behind. More trash equals more fun.
  
• You hate it when people associate Mardi Gras with Bourbon St. and you spend 20 min. explaining otherwise.

Saints Football

• You remember when paper bags had more uses than carrying groceries.
• When watching a game you turn down the sound on your t.v. to listen to Jim Henderson and Hokie.
• Except when playing the Saints, you have a special place in your heart for the Manning boys.
• Tradition stated that when a game was over you had to hear what Buddy D would say and who he would call a squirrel.
• You completely understand the Saints – Falcons rivalry, and it makes you smile that only the Saints have rings.
• A man in your life wore a dress when the Saints were in the Super Bowl.
• You remember lots of people selling tickets outside the Dome, now everyone is trying to buy tickets.
• Most importantly, you believe that fairy tales do come true. They start in a Dome and end with a Lombardi Trophy. Geaux Saints!