I will stop in my tracks if I see anything rusty.
Squat down and get my nose and camera all up in it just to get a good shot.
The metallic smell is familiar and let’s me know it is good and rusty!
I admit my problem and I really want no help with a solution so you will just have to bare with my rusty pictures!
So yesterday, I made my Grandmama’s Ham Casserole. I always buy a bigger ham so I can make some Ham Salad the next day.
Egg Salad, Crab Salad, Chicken Salad, Ham Salad…I love them all!
It doesn’t get any more simple than these ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
Whip out your food processor and finely chop the ham. Boil your eggs and allow them to cool.
Mix all your ingredients together and bam, pow, boom.. awesome ham salad.
I can eat mine on anything but this day I had a plate of dinner rolls handy and ate more than my share.
Enjoy! T
Another classic from my Grandmama.
This is a recipe that she makes anytime we come for a visit and there is not a scrap of food left at the end of the meal.
SUPER SIMPLE INGREDIENTS:
Dice up ham and then slice, dice and chop up your onion and garlic.
Melt butter in a skillet and add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is wilted looking.
In a large bowl, mix together all your ingredients.
Spread this out in a large 9×13 baking dish. Place it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.
This is another recipe that my 4 children dig into and ask for seconds every time.
I took a photography class back in January and learned a ton of things to help my picture-taking improve. But the one thing that stands out in my mind today is something my teacher told us over and over again. She said that you never know when a picture of a loved one will be the last one you take.
A few weeks ago I posted a tribute to my grandmama and the impact she has had on my life in so many ways but mostly that of a wife. Each time I took a trip to Tennessee to visit with my “Grands” I always told myself it might be the last time I will see them.
Last Friday after eating their lunch together, Grandmama told Granddaddy to go lay down while she cleaned the kitchen. He laid down and went to sleep and didn’t wake back up.
Now, while I loved my Granddaddy very much and will miss him in my life, that is not where my sorrow is focused. He was 91 years old and lived a GREAT life. He used his talents and abilities for those he loved and never asked anything in return. He was truly a good and Godly man.
No, the grief that I feel is for my Grandmama alone. You see, my Grands were married for 71 years. A friend who spoke at the funeral said it best when he said that when you are married to someone for that long, you don’t know anymore where one ends and the other begins. You are one.
There are many times in my life when I have felt helpless and this was one time. I stood by my Grandmama during the funeral and burial praying with all my heart that I could take away a piece of her grief. Just some of it so that she wouldn’t seem so alone and lost.
She wrapped her life around his until his wishes and desires were hers and hers were his. Everyday was spent together as one. She told me later that she doesn’t really know what to do without him. My heart breaks for her and my prayer each moment is that joy and peace and hope will fill her up again.
After being off my ankle for almost 2 weeks, I got back to running this past week.
That first day running was a little nerve racking. My ankle was stiff and hurting for the first quarter mile but once it loosened up, I was good to go.
This is my favorite place to run and I was a little nervous that Luke wouldn’t let me go back. =)
So after only 3 runs last week, I felt ready for my first race. My sister-in-law, Amy and her sister Julie and I ran in the Great 8 where proceeds benefitted the Boys and Girls Club of Rock Hill. It was a 5 mile race around Winthrop Lake and the surrounding neighborhoods and gardens.
My mantra that I continued to chant to myself was, “I will not be last. I will not be last.” I really only had the goal of finishing and showing myself that my ankle was better. I wanted to finish around 1 hour and came in at 1 hour and 2 minutes.
So that was the first race in my list of races that I am signed up for over the next 2 months.
This is my countdown.
So I was pretty much off my feet for over a week… well as off my feet as a mama of 4 can be…. in order to give my ankle a chance to heal. My fall happened 2 weeks ago today and I am pretty much back to my old self besides a dull ache in my foot when I have been off it for too long.
Anyway, the first morning after my fall, I stayed in bed and iced down my ankle and kept it elevated and compressed.. doing all I could to get it back as fast as I could. So my youngest son, having such compassion for my miserable state decided to keep me company in bed.
What we woke to that Saturday morning was another snowfall for our area. Big, fat snowflakes slowly drifted to the ground. We were despairing because nothing was sticking and the temperature wasn’t low enough to keep them around.
Within the hour, the temperature dropped and the snow started piling up. Living in the south, this is a sight that will keep anyone between the ages of 2 and 99 glued to the scene. Knowing that the afternoon would force this scene to disappear, I got out my camera and made my way very slowly downstairs to get as many pictures as I could.
So those of you who live with this scene throughout your winters, please disregard this post because this is not something we get but once or twice a year if we are lucky and it will literally only last hours.
I hobbled and crawled my way back upstairs and snuggled back under my blankets to get warm again. By that afternoon, the sun was out, the snow was melted and there was not a trace of the beautiful white storm that had passed through.
I love soup. I love cheese. I love bacon. This soup was made for me.
INGREDIENTS:
Slice, dice and chop up your onion and bell peppers.
Dice up your garlic. In a large pot over medium- high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.
Once butter is melted, add your onions. Cook these for 3-5 minutes until they are wilted down.
Add in your garlic and bell peppers as well as a sprinkling of salt and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon each).
Cook these vegetables for about 5-6 minutes.
While this is cooking, cut up your bacon. Brown until nice and crisp and drain on paper towels. Set aside for later.
Add the bag of frozen corn to the pot and stir. Cook this for 2 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup flour to the pot. Stir the flour into the vegetables. This will become a thick, gooey mixture.
Stir in your broth and allow this to thicken for 3-4 minutes.
Reduce your heat to low and add half & half. Cover your pot and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Grate your cheeses and stir them into the soup. Continue to stir while cheese melts. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
Add in your bacon.
Serve with some fresh tomatoes thrown on top and crusty bread to dip and take a bite. The Pepper Jack cheese gives this creamy soup just a slight kick.
Enjoy! T
This recipe was adapted from my fav The Pioneer Woman.
