Some readers have wondered about Fat Tom since I haven’t mentioned him lately. Go read this post to get the back story.
Today is the community picnic here in RayRay’s hometown. One man told me it’s the only time the Methodists and Baptists socialize. I’m quite interested in seeing the dynamics of a small community when we’re gathered around the potluck table.
I’m bringing a casserole I really like, but haven’t been able to eat for several years. Central Asia is missing all but one of the ingredients. Ok, two, if you count the butter. So, substituting all of the other ingredients doesn’t really work. Anyway, when you first look at the casserole, you think: “What is that?” It’s a bit of a strange concoction. But, it’s very, very tasty. I got the recipe from my buddy LDL when we worked together. (Yay, LDL! Another shout-out for you!) Here’s the thing: The name for this recipe is super long. And unimaginative. So, help me come up with a new one. Here’s the recipe as I make it. (LDL adds water chestnuts. I hate water chestnuts. Yech.)
Black-eyed Pea/Shoepeg Corn Casserole
1 can Black-eyed peas
1 can shoepeg corn (it’s smaller and whiter than normal)
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 big ol’ handful of shredded cheddar cheese (about a cup-ish)
* Mix all of this in the casserole pan you’re going to bake it in. Then, mix the following and pour it on top:
1 sleeve of Ritz or Town House crackers, crushed and smooshed
1/2 stick of butter, melted
* Cook this at 350 degrees until bubbly, which is about 20 minutes.
Go make this tasty casserole tonight and then tell me what you think we should call it. Saying “Hey, let’s have Black-Eyed Pea/Shoepeg Corn Casserole tonight!” is quite a mouthful. (Even more so if you, like Britty and Papa Steve, insist on saying “slash” wherever a / is written. That makes it Black-Eyed Pea Slash Shoepeg Corn Casserole. I’m tired from even saying that. Yo.)
In other news, we stayed over at my in-laws last night so I could watch Top Chef. I really like that show. It wasn’t until about 8:30 (after Bean went to sleep in her crib over there) that I realized that it was Tuesday and not Wednesday. I would have to wait 24 1/2 hours until my show came on. Sigh. We gathered up our sleeping child and left.
Now, off to put my casserole in the oven so it will be hot and bubbly for the picnic! Don’t worry, my father’s side of the family is Methodist and my mama’s side is Baptist. I should be able to mix with both crowds without causing too much trouble.
Apparently my belly remembered pregnancy and has slipped quite easily back into it’s old form. By 8 weeks, I was already in maternity pants. Now the only non-maternity tops I can wear are the big empire waist ones that are in style right now.
(Off topic tangent: I watch What Not to Wear on TLC because it makes me laugh. However, there is one thing that bugs me. They call it an ahm-PEER waist instead of an empire waist. Uh, ok. That’s about like saying that you shop at tahr-ZHGEY instead of Target. Every time they say it snooty, I shout out the correct word at them. I’m sure they’re grateful for my help.)
So, I look pregnant already. Really really pregnant. I’ll try to find the camera in the heaps of our junk & take pictures for you to see. Or, you can just go back to this post and see what I looked like when I was twice as pregnant with Bean. That’s what I look like now.
And no, it’s not twins. We already had one ultrasound and clearly only saw one peanut. I suppose that another peanut could be cleverly hiding, but I really don’t think that God would play that kind of joke on me. I mean, having a 9 month old and getting pregnant again while we’re homeless and unemployed — this can be considered humorous in a cosmic, heavenly way. But pregnant with twins? If that’s the case, then y’all will all hear me scream. And then I’ll move into a 4 bedroom apartment: one for me, one for the kids, one for my mom, and one for my mother-in-law. I’ll need major backup!
By the way, I must have been really crazy and busy all through April. I didn’t notice that The Blab has turned 2. Thanks for reading all of my crap for the past two years. (Hmm. I wonder what could have made April so crazy? Could it be that I was moving across the ocean, changing jobs, changing cities, and finding out I was pregnant? Nah. I guess it’s just forgetfulness.)
Bean is now walking/running/falling behind her walking toy. She scoots it across the floor while she’s doing a half-dive, half-walk behind it. It’s so adorable and also scary — mobility is just around the corner! My precious girl is growing so big. Her favorite thing is to be outside playing. She especially likes grass, dirt, dogs, and sticks. I think we can safely say that she may look like the hub, but she is taking after me: 100% tomboy!
We don’t have internet at The Cottage where we’re staying. So, I’ve had fewer chances to write. Since I only have a few moments now, I’ll just tell you the highlights of what’s been going on.
* Down the road, two towns over, there’s not only a Drive-through Daiquiri place, but also a BBQ place whose sign boasts “You don’t need teeth to eat my beef.” I’m hoping they’re referring to tender brisket, not pureed beef.
* I’ve been to the hot dog stand so often that they are getting to know me.
* Today I drove by the stand, but didn’t stop. They were busy anyway…. there was a guy on a horse that was at the window. I so wish I had my camera. He didn’t even dismount to order.
* We’re slowly going through all of the boxes that contain my crap. I packed it before we moved to Central Asia. It’s been almost 4 years since I’ve seen this stuff. Some things I don’t even remember. Some stuff I look at, wonder why I ever liked it, and am putting it in the pile earmarked for our garage sale.
* Bean is standing up. She can even stand straight up from a sitting position. She knows that we think this is great, so she stands and then claps for herself. I’m not sure she knows how to stand without clapping for herself.
* I now have over 525 e-mails in my inbox. I haven’t read e-mail in over 2 weeks. This, combined with my overall e-mail slackerness from the past year = 525 e-mails to attend to. I’m considering declaring e-mail bankruptcy, deleting it all, and just starting over. If you wrote me an e-mail, I’m not ignoring you. I’m ignoring e-mail.
* In case you haven’t heard, there’s another reason I’ve been slacking at the computer. Morning sickness will really keep you from doing stuff. Yup. Pregnant again. Due in December. We’ve named it Peanut.
* Bean will be 18 months old when Peanut is born.
* Since you’re wondering – Yes, Peanut is a blessed surprise.
* The other day I was driving in between two corn fields. Above me, I heard a noise. I looked up to see a crop duster barely scrape over the power lines, swoop down over my car, and head out over the field. I think if I had reached out the car window, I could have touched the plane’s tires.
* That’s all the time I’ve got for now. I would like to take a nap. Zzzzzzzz!
I have been watching the local news with Aunt Cat. We’re waiting for Wheel of Fortune to come on. First story: Could an Earthquake Hit Monroe? This story was prompted by the catastrophic earthquake that happened in China. But, did they cover the earthquake in China where actual people are hurt and homeless? No, they talked about the possibility that an earthquake could ever hit this city. The verdict: Not likely.
Next, they showed a story about some employees who were caught spitting in the Happy Hour Specials at Sonic. They also put bugs in the drinks if they didn’t like the people. Obviously this is a huge deal and could affect Sonic on a massive scale. They fired the offenders and had pr people on to talk about it, blah, blah, blah. Then, they cut to a commercial. A Sonic commercial. For Happy Hour. Can we all say “Bad Timing?”
Ooh! The tacos are ready and Wheel of Fortune is on! Gotta go….
Well, I’m now no longer a Texas resident. This is hard for me to swallow. (Oh, stop rolling your eyes, you Louisianans!) Even though we lived in Central Asia, I still had the Texas drivers’ license & still felt like a Texan in Central Asia. This is different for some reason.
So, we’re here in the hub’s home town. Population:153. It was 150 until yesterday when we drove in. Of course, there’s some wonderful things about this place. We are enjoying all of the greenery, the trees, the quiet, and the close proximity to chili dogs and hot fudge sundaes. There’s also a new cupcake bakery a few miles from here. It’s called Curl’s. Not “Curls” or “Curls’.” So, we can infer that the owner is named Curl. (Beth, I just finished the chapter on apostrophes. It was enlightening. I’m going to get this book for all of the punctually-challenged out there.)
My hub is now talking about packing our stuff in a horse trailer. He did say he’d wash it out first. I gotta go.
The mab Blab 