Brandy ~ jacked

The Dad calls me Ayne Joe [Angel].

Mom got out of bed really early today.  I thought she was crazy.  Even though, she hugged and kissed and patted my head I stayed in bed where it was nice and warm.  Then curiosity got the better of me when I saw her getting ready for the day.

This only means two things.  I'm going to the spa or I'm going to the doctor.

I laid in the hallway shaking with anxiety over the possibilities!  

Mom was just about to leave when the guy who lives in the basement came and gave Mom a piece of paper.  They talked and laughed.

Then Mom got my leash off the shelf of the closet and I couldn't contain myself anymore.  I jumped and leaped all over the place while Mom struggled to get it tied on me.  I couldn't help myself.  *wags tail*

Then when we started off in the car I got all confused.  Mom wasn't driving towards the spa or the doctor.  Where was she taking me?  We drove down a road with lot's of tall buildings and people walking.  Then we went over a bridge and past a building Mom said was the University.  It seemed like maybe we were going on a trip....but I didn't remember any suitcases or food being packed.

To my surprise we did go to the doctor!!!!  And waiting inside was another dog just like me!  Well almost.  It was black and white and had a weird haircut.  The Assistant said their groomer was training for a competition and used their dog for practice.  I thought it looked like it would get very matted and with those long shaggy ears how would you eat or drink water without dragging them through everything?  I'm glad Mom doesn't do that to me.

I was soooo embarrassed!  With all the excitement I did something I never NEVER do.  

I made a squishy on the floor.

We sure had to wait a long time.  *pants*  Another dog came in and sat with us.  She was nice.  She was a big dog and had lot's of spunk.

It's a lot more fun when the waiting room has dogs instead of cats.

Finally Dr. Powell called us in.  He just back from vacation.  I said "RUFF!"  Which of course means....never go away again because all hell broke loose!  The Mom and Dr. Powell talked about all sorts of things and he looked in my ears and at my butt and at the skin on my back.  I didn't understand all of it but what I think Dr. Powell said was that all the pills The Mom sneaks to me in NutraGrain bars are good for me and doing things to make me healthy.

I wished the pills came in bacon flavour.

When we were done The Mom made me sit in the car by myself.  When she came out she had a bag of stuff in orange bottles and bag of something that smelled really yummy and had carrots on it.  I tried licking it but it only tasted like paper.

Before I new it, we were back home!

I ran in the house and drank some water.  Then The Mom got the bag with the carrots on it and opened it and gave me one.  COOKIES!!!!  COOKIES!!!!  

I may have drooled a little.

Afternoon nap time.

3.14

A Cow Pi.  Would that be mince meat?

Today is Pi Day.  A day to think about Pi = 3.14.

I would rather think about PIE.  It's round, golden, crispy, flakey and filled with a mixture of your hearts desire.  Homer would say "Mmmmmmmmm pppppiiiiiiieeeeeee."  My favourite flavours include cherry, pecan, peach, rhubarb, huckleberry, chicken pot, shepherds and pizza. 

Pizza pie.  *giggles*

That's amore.

When I was a little girl, my Mom and I would bake.  I'd watch from my perch on a stool on the other side of the counter while my Mom rolled out pie dough into perfect rounds.  I remember lot's of apple pie in my childhood even though Dad's favourite is banana cream pie.  There was always scraps of pie dough left over.  Mom would moosh them together and roll them into rounds for me.  My pie.  Then we'd spoon jam.....usually strawberry jam.....over the dough.  It would get folded over and pinched and would get baked in the oven as well.  That was great childhood pie.

I don't care for ice cream with my pie.  It melts.  The pie gets soggy.  You can never get all the ice cream out of the dish.  Who wants soggy watery pie?  Not me.  However, if Cool Whip is on hand then pile it on!  I prefer my Cool Whip straight out of container.....not stirred.  Never stirred.  Just straight up.

My preferred method of eating dessert such as pie is with a spoon.  This has become controversial at family gatherings.  Oh, Sandra wants a spoon.  Ugh!  Everyone gets a fork and then I have to pipe up and inquire, "May I please have a spoon."  The nerve!  I think it runs in the family though because my brother likes to eat with plastic forks.  Anyhow, my point is also that if you have no choice how the pie is served and does indeed have ice cream on the top.....how the heck to you eat it with a fork?

Spoon. 

A spoon is indeed the correct eating utensil.

One time I took my nephew out for a treat.  We went to Tim Hortons.  Nephew was maybe 11 at the time.  Those were the days when Tim Hortons had pies and cakes.  Nephew ordered pie.  He told me about an uncle from the other side of the family who had visited.  The uncle was a great cook and by the sounds of it a pie connoisseur.  Nephew rattled off all sorts of concoctions and flavour combinations that his uncle had made.  He ended the story by saying, "Yup, he makes good pie."

I never noticed if Nephew used a spoon or a fork.

Grandma Johnson's Casserole

This recipe is from the Covenant Women cookbook.  The Covenant is the church in Hubby's hometown.  The recipe in the book isn't by Grandma Johnson.  It's actually by Jean Johnson.  That's Larry Johnson's mother.  Larry Johnson was an usher at our wedding.  It was easy for him because he worked as a funeral director.  I doubt it was very much like Six Feet Under.  I know our wedding wasn't.

But I digress.

Grandma Johnson made this recipe a few times when we visited.  I'm pretty sure she added a few things too.  I've made notes and tried to replicate it the best I can.

Ingredients
1 pound hamburger
1/2 pound low sodium bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup rice
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 can mushroom soup
2 tbsp soya sauce
3 cups boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
Chinese noodles, crushed

Fry the hamburger, bacon and onion in a pan.  Add the mushrooms, soup, soya sauce, water, salt, pepper & rice.  Put in casserole and bake for 1 hour at 375*F.  Stir a couple of times while cooking.  Top with Chinese noodles.  Bake for 15 to 30 minutes longer.

Valentine's Day Cookies

Since I found out I can pretty much make any kind of cookie using a box of cake mix.....I've gone a bit crazy.  I have buyers remorse for the huge bag of flour in the pantry which was supposed to be used up by making sugar cookies.  Alas, there it sits abandoned amid an array of cake mixes galore.

These are Red Velvet Cream Cheese cookies.  Red Velvet is just a new type of thing in these parts.  Strange I know, because it seems to be plenty popular in every other part of the universe.  So far there is only one brand of cake mix that makes a red velvet version and that is Duncan Hines.

These are the Cherry Chip but give you the idea of the size.

Ingredients
1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1 tub Cream Cheese type frosting

In a bowl, combine cake mix, eggs and canola oil.  Mix well.  Using a melon baller.....yes, strange I know, but it makes the perfect size!....scoop out portions of mixture, roll into a ball shape and put onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350*F for 8 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then remove to plate to cool the rest of the way.

Once completely cooled, sandwich together using cream cheese frosting.

OHMYGAWD, THEY ARE DELISH!

*Variation*
Cherry Chip cake mix and add 1 cup chocolate chips.  Do not sandwich together.  They taste like chocolate covered cherries!

I've heard Cherry Chip isn't available everywhere :(

Grandma Larson's Casserole

I never had the pleasure of meeting Grandma Larson.  From what I know of her, she was a loving type of Grandma who liked to impart snippets of Scandinavian wisdom on her family.....and she did love her family deeply.  

I first tasted this casserole back in the early days of dating Hubby.  He'd made it with some left over curry rice,  I believe, and it tasted wonderful.  What's even better is that it is super easy to make and has ingredients that most of us have in our pantry.  Especially if you've stocked up at the 10 for $10 sale at the Co-Op like I have!

Ingredients
Ground beef 1 pound or a bit more
2 onions chopped
1 can of Chicken Noodle soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can water
1/2 cup rice

The brand of soup doesn't really matter but I've come to believe Campbell's is best and brings the most flavour.  Also, you can try with different flavours of cream soup if mushroom isn't your favourite.

In a large frying pan, brown the beef and cook the onions.  When cooked, add the soups, water, and rice.  Mix it well.  Pour into a large casserole dish or loaf pan.  Cook in the oven uncovered at 350*F for 1 1/2 hours.

My Go To Meatloaf Recipe

I got this recipe off the back of a box of Uncle Ben's stuffing mix about 15 years ago.  I never looked at another meatloaf recipe again.

Ingredients
1 container ground beef approx 1lb (it's okay if it's more but not less)
1 box stuffing mix - the brand doesn't matter but I've found the varieties with separate spice packets are more flavourful.
Milk to soften the stuffing mix
1 egg
2 tsp (approx) Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup ketchup (anything tomato-y works...I've used salsa and BBQ sauce too)
Enough mustard to turn the ketchup orange.  Type of mustard doesn't matter...I've used regular, Dijon etc.
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar

In a bowl combine the stuffing mix with enough milk to soften them.  Add the egg and Worcestershire Sauce.  Mix.  Either by hand or with a potato masher [sounds crazy I know, but it works] mix in the ground beef.

Press the mixture into a glass pie plate.

In a separate bowl, mix the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar.  Hubby likes it when I leave brown sugar lumps because it makes the sauce caramel-y.  Spread over the meatloaf.

Cook in a 350*F oven for 35 - 40 minutes. 

I'd post a picture, but there's never enough of it left to snap a picture of!!

In the Still of the Night

During the day there is noise from the tv, noise from Renter Person's tv, and Brandy's collar jingling along with outside sounds and all sorts of other things.  Around midnight a certain stillness comes over the house.

It's quiet.

Electronics are turned off.  People and pets are sleeping while some are snoring.  

Not me.

I sit in bed with a mug of hot chocolate, usually candy cane hot chocolate from the nearest Bulk Barn, and I read.  

Sometimes I just listen.

When it's really really cold like it was last night.....the wind chill was -45 degrees Celsius.....you can hear the crunch of the snow under the tires of an approaching vehicle so clearly you could swear they're coming right into the room.  The furnace pulses on and off.  The house gently creaks.  In the distance of the kitchen, the fridge hums.  It's a midnight symphony.

It's peaceful.

There are no worries after midnight.  The days stresses melt away like a marshmallow in the hot cocoa.  I sink into the story of the book I'm reading.  It isn't Claire and Jamie anymore, but Barnaby and Hooker.  It might be an adventure or romance or mystery and tomorrow it might be a different book entirely.

Brandy stirs on the bed and looks up to see if I'm still there.

I check the clock and yawn.  Time to sleep.  I set the book on the nightstand and turn off the light. 

I sink into the blankets and fall asleep to the still of the night.