Special Visitor and Pink Lemonade Pie!

This is such a special week...Joshua's sitter is on vacation so we took off a couple of days to help out and we are loving every moment! Its a win-win for us! He is so good and amazes me with the things he does and how he remembers things! He loves to just stand at the front door and watch whatever is going on out there....

today it just so happened to be Poppa's work truck!

 

He stood there for 10 minutes and loved it!  Now he is sitting on the couch with Poppa watching Toy Story 3 for the 100th time. He never tires of it and can sit and watch the entire movie! Definitely no ADHD there!

Looking forward to another day with him...we are so blessed!

Here is a light cool tasty treat.

Simple to make and refreshing!

Pink Lemonade Icebox Pie

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

¾ cup thawed pink lemonade concentrate

8 ounces frozen whipped topping

1 graham cracker crust

Whip the cream cheese and condensed milk together in a large bowl until completely smooth. Stir in the concentrate and whipped topping and pour it into the prepared crust. Pour the filling into the pie crust and place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or until it is solid. To serve, cut it with a sharp knife and eat cold!

KNEE UPDATE AND A YUMMY SWEET PIZZA

OK..I did not chicken out (no pun intended). Last Tuesday I saw my orthopedist and had the Synvisc injection in my knee. Those close to me knows how much I was deathly afraid dreading it, but I knew I had to give it a shot (ha another pun) if I wanted to get some relief! My hubby came with me for moral support (actually he came with me to make sure I went). As I sat on the table waiting for the handsome young Dr to come in, I started to sweat and felt like I was going to barf. Luckily I didn't!  He came in and assured me it wasn't going to hurt one bit, that I may just feel a little pressure. Because he is so good looking, I decided to trust him!!! And guess what? It didn't hurt at all! A little pressure yes, but no pain at all!!! Now I just have to wait up to 4 weeks to see if its going to work. I pray it does! The next morning I had a small bruise and some soreness but nothing to complain about. I did have this urge to do the chicken dance tho! HA HA! OK for those of you who think I am crazy...let me explain that. This injection is made  from a chicken's comb...among a few other things. I am serious! 

Hence, the chicken dance!! If it works, I don't care if it comes from the chickens rear end!!!! AND if it works, I will be having it done to my other knee in about 6 weeks! 

 Now for a delicious recipe....

Rocky Road Cookie Pizza! Yep, I said pizza...super easy and so good!

ROCKY ROAD COOKIE PIZZA

INGREDIENTS:

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup caramel topping

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-inch pizza pan with shortening or cooking spray. In pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown
• Sprinkle marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate chips evenly over crust. Drizzle with caramel topping.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until topping is melted. Cool completely, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.

FOR MY SON -

 I read this today on a fellow bloggers page and just HAD to share it. Although my son is a man now, I hope he reads this and follows it with his son. And I hope that I was this kind of Mom when he was growing up...if I accomplished half of these, then I think I am okay! He has grown into a fine young man and an amazing Dad...

so I must have done something right!

 I love you Jordan!

25 Rules for Moms with Sons




1. Teach him the words for how he feels.
Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment.  He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement.  Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference.  Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion.  Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.



2. Be a cheerleader for his life
There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games.  There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics.  There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts.  There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade.  He will tell you to stop.  He will say he's embarrassed.  But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.

3. Teach him how to do laundry
..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt.  He may not always choose to do it.  He may not ever have to do it.  But someday his wife will thank you.


4. Read to him and read with him.
Emilie Buchwald said, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents."  Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books.  Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles.  Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever.  Writers are the transcribers of history and memories.  They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important.  And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.


5. Encourage him to dance.
Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals.  No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three.  It doesn't have to be good.  Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.



6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth.  But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).


7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth.  But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).


8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things.  If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this:  If you have done any of the following:  a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero.  do not doubt yourself for one second.  Seriously.


9. Teach him to have manners
because its nice.  and it will make the world a little better of a place.


10. Give him something to believe in
Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won't be able to be there.  Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.


11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle
like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people's feelings.


12. Let him ruin his clothes
Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes.  You'll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don't waste your energy being angry about something inevitable.  Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes.  Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.



13. Learn how to throw a football
or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song.  Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.


14. Go outside with him
turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away.  Just go outside and follow him around.  Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions.  It's like magic.


15. Let him lose
Losing sucks.  Everybody isn't always a winner.  Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't.  He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed.  And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids.  This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....)  Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose.  But that doesn't mean you ever give up.


16. Give him opportunities to help others
There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help.  Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities.  Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together.



17. Remind him that practice makes perfect.
This doesn't just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life.  You become a better writer by writing.  You become a better listener by listening.  You become better speaker by speaking.  Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing.  Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip.  Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier.  Practice, practice, practice.


18. Answer him when he asks, "Why?"
Answer him, or search for the answer together.  Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches).  Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself.  Someday, when he needs to ask questions he's too embarrassed to ask you - he'll know where to go to find the right answers.


19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you.
especially the wipes.


20. Let his dad teach him how to do things
...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.'  If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything.  You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers.  And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom,  you will stay connected to what is happening in his life.  Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.


21. Give him something to release his energy
drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog.  Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff.  and then you'll be sorry.


22. Build him forts
Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic.  Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can transform your living room into the cave of wonders.  For the rest of his life, he'll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.


23. Take him to new places
Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas 

and questions and memories will rush in.


24. Kiss him
Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet.  They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day.  But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender.  So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?'  Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild.  Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old.  You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it.   p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too).


25. Be home base
You are home to him.  When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back.  When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile.  When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times.  When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands.  When he is sick, he will call you.  When he really messes up, he will call you.  When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious.  Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun.  Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.

source: studerteam.blogspot.com

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS AND PINEAPPLE COBBLER

One of my fellow bloggers issued a challenge...to write a blog post listing 10 things that most people don't know about you. So I figured...why not...this could be fun. SO here goes...

10 THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME:

1. I have a fear of movie theaters...silly I know. And the sad fact is that I am not even sure WHY!!

2. When I was 18 I joined the La National Guards. One of the first female guardsman in Louisiana!

     I just wanted to get away from home and spread my wings.....

3. 2 weeks into boot camp, I was crying to come back home!!!!

4. I always write with a gel-pen.....always! And the finer the point, the happier I am!

5. When I was 2 years old, I had polio and was in the hospital for 9 weeks...most of those weeks were spent 

     in quarantined. Maybe that's why I have separation anxiety!

6. See above - I think sometimes I have separation anxiety.

7. I love pineapple...LOVE it!

8. I sang and played guitar for my high school graduation! Still can't believe I did that!

9. I have to fall asleep on my left side.

10. I am absolutely crazy about my grandson, Joshua! But of course anyone that knows me, already knows

      that!! What some of you may not know is that he was named after our son, Joshua, who passed away 

      in 1993. He has brought such joy into our lives and has helped to fill in that part of our circle that has 

      been missing for 19 years.

Now, don't you feel like you know me a little better? HA! Pretty exciting life I lead huh?

And now for a yummy recipe for you.Since I mentioned how much I LOVE pineapple, here is a simple little 

Pineapple Cobbler...ENJOY!

PINEAPPLE COBBLER

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick (1/4 lb.) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk and vanilla extract; stir until mixture forms a smooth batter. Gently stir in butter.
Spread batter evenly in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (it will be a very thin layer) and scatter pineapple chunks evenly over batter.
Bake until pineapple has fallen to bottom of pan and top is puffed and golden brown and springs back slightly when touched in middle, 25 minutes. Cool cobbler slightly and then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

KNEE PAIN AND BREAD PUDDING

I really don't like to complain but I am "fixin to". I have been having this terrible knee pain for 9 days now. I have been out of work for the last 3 days resting it as much as I can, the whole R.I.C.E. routine and it is still painful. I cannot put full weight on it and I am hobbling around using either a cane or a walker. And I HATE it. Hate is not even a strong enough word. Disgusted...mad...sad...upset...and yes even a little bit of a pity party going on. I am determined to go to work on Monday and I also have an appointment with the Ortho on Thursday. I have been praying up a storm and hoping it gets better on its own. So if you have a few extra prayers to offer, please send them my way okay? Thanks : ) My nurse, Addie, has been wonderful and I don't know what I would do without her. 

The weather has been gorgeous here (altho I haven't been outside to enjoy it). Its that time of year in South Louisiana for festivals....this weekend and next is Jazz Fest. I am sure there are huge crowds enjoying the music, food and beverages! Wish I could have gone....one year I will go...it's on my Bucket List.

 Next weekend my local hometown will be having their annual Volunteer Fireman's Fair and Parade. Its a big ta-do in Thibodaux! If you find yourself passing thru, take a couple of hours to enjoy some wonderful food and help to support our local firefighters!
http://thibfiredept.org/fair/main.asp 

And now for one of my all time favorite desserts - Bread Pudding! Not just ANY bread pudding but bread pudding with rum sauce!!! ENJOY!

NOLA STYLE BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients

• FOR THE BREAD PUDDING:
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 cups stale French bread , cut into 1” cubes
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
•  
• FOR THE RUM SAUCE:
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup rum (may substitute Bourbon or Whiskey)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Using a medium size, heavy-bottom sauce pan, heat milk, stirring frequently, until it begins to steam and form small bubbles (being careful not to boil). Melt the butter in the hot milk and stir in the sugar. Pour over bread and raisins in a large bowl and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together beaten eggs, salt, nutmeg and vanilla. Add to the bread mixture and gently combine. Pour into a well-greased 1 ½ quart dish and bake for 35-45 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, start your rum sauce. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, then gradually pour in the rum until well blended.
5. Serve on the side or drizzle over warm bread pudding. Enjoy while still warm.

Legends and Banana Upside Down Cake!

A legend...RIP Dick Clark

Sitting here watching American Idol and I have one question...
who the heck is LMFAO? And do they honestly think that is singing????
I'm sorry, but THAT was not singing...call me old, I don't care.
They just don't make music like they used to....agree?
Anyway, I am just glad that Joshua Ledet was saved!
Regardless, he will be very famous one day soon!

I am so looking forward to my 3 day weekend. No big plans, relaxing as much as possible
and spending some special time with family.
Doesn't get much better than that does it?
Last weekend we took a ride to Cabela's and the best part
of it was that we got to take our lil man with us!
Oh be still my heart!
He is such a joy and is so good. He is learning so many things, he imitates
everything you do...especially everything his Poppa does! Rene' was SO proud to
push him around @ Cabela's and show him the huge fish and
see the look in his face when he saw the fish swim by him.


Couldn't you just squeeze him?
Look at this picture...he actually placed his hand over his mouth
and said Ohhhhhhhh LOL

I wish we could keep him little forever!!
::::sigh::::

Now to share a yummy recipe with you.
This is super simple and true comfort food!!

Banana Upside Down Cake



Ingredients


1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 medium firm bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 package (9 ounces) yellow cake mix
Whipped cream

Directions


Place butter in a round cast iron skillet.
Heat at 350° for 4-5 minutes or until melted;
sprinkle with brown sugar.
Arrange bananas in skillet; set aside.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions; pour over bananas.
Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Immediately invert cake onto a serving platter.
Let stand for 5 minutes; remove pan.
Serve warm with whipped cream.

Hippity Hoppity.......

Didn't we JUST celebrate Christmas??? Yep that's what I thought. Wow how time flies. Tomorrow we celebrate the Resurrection...the most solemn Christian holiday.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

"He is not here. He has risen." Luke 24.6

Amen? Amen !!

Since strawberries are so abundant right now, I decided to share this Strawberry Cake
recipe with y'all. This is an original Paula Deen recipe so you know it's sweet and
rich! I hope you enjoy it!

Savannah Strawberry Tall Cake

Cook Time: 20 min

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
1 box of white cake mix, baked in three 8” cake pans
3 quarts strawberries, stems removed and cut in half
1/3 cup sugar
Whipped Cream:
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups heavy cream

Place cut strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir together and place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble cake.

Mix cake mix as directed and pour into three 8” prepared cake pans. Bake just until set and slightly golden (approximately 15-20 minutes).

When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow stream. When almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks.

To assemble cake: Place one cake layer in a large bowl or on a pedestal. Line the outer edges with a decorative row of strawberry halves. Fill the middle with some of the strawberry mixture. Top with a layer of the whipped cream mixture. Repeat one more layer. For the third and final layer place last cake on the other two layers. Arrange strawberry halves decoratively around the edge. Top with the remaining strawberry mixture. Serve with any left over whipped cream you may have. Have your guests just dig in!

This recipe was specially prepared and created by Paula Deen for Smithfield. Recipe and photo courtesy of Smithfield. Find this and other delicious recipes from Paula at Smithfield.com.

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen for Smithfield