As I was sitting around with my friend Amanda, waiting on an appointment, we flipped through the Stockyards City Cookbook. I decided to let her pick the recipe for the week.
I usually steer more towards deserts because April usually has the main course planned ahead for girls night. Amanda loves banana pudding and we decided that Banana Pudding Pie was a nice twist on the recipe!
I have to say it’s not the healthiest desert ever…the girls on Weight Watchers about booted me out of the house after I told them it had heavy whipping cream in it ;)… but it sure did taste good! This is a very rich recipe and some of my girlfriends shared a piece. The whipped topping definitely helped balance out the heaviness of the pie. I also bought the pre-made crust, the one that is slightly bigger and offers 2 extra servings.
Australian drama, “Mortified,” starring Marny Kennedy as Taylor Fry, an 11-year-old constantly embarrassed by her unpredictable family…a good example of the “Uncool Parenting Road” metaphor.
I could fill many pages with the profound truths of the parenting experience. The second I held my newborn daughter in my arms on August 23, 2004, I felt both empowered and daunted by the task at hand. Most of us would agree that we are not adequately prepared for the role of Klonopin For Sale Online PARENT and we sometimes question our decisions along the way. The first lesson the new parent learns is that few issues are of the clear-cut, black or white variety and raising a child is not as easy as expected. However, children are precious gifts from God and we pour into them our love, time, resources and occasionally a little wisdom. In turn, they love us unconditionally and embrace us as both Superman and Mother Teresa. More young adults are accessing therapy and its helping, creating a positive ripple effect in how future generations are supported emotionally and mentally.
And then they turn on us. Regardless of the relationship we have with our children, at some point they will become utterly and wholly embarrassed by us and we will begin a dreaded free-fall from our esteemed perch. We will be relegated to a category of “uncool” which will encompass our words, appearance, music choices, wardrobe, the way we walk, the way we breathe….you get the picture.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s crimes against humanity involved her use of odd or slightly “off” words for common items or acts. For example, instead of “throw up” she would use the not-so-easy-on-the-ears term “urp.” There was nothing that made me red in the face more than hearing this word roll off her tongue in all its onomatopoeia glory. As I write this, I’m struck by the question of why my mother would ever need to refer to the act of regurgitation in front of others outside our family but c’est la vie.
I also remember the devastation of seeing her in a bright yellow blazer which taunted me with its humiliating, well, yellowness. I remember getting reprimanded by my father for criticizing my mother’s clothing choices (although I secretly think he hated that blazer as much as I did). I, however, thought I was advancing her fashion aptitude by picking her apart each morning.
Of course, I blame my temporary rudeness on a not-yet-developed frontal lobe. I wouldn’t change a thing about my childhood and have long since pardoned my mom and dad for offenses that existed largely in my own insecure head. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, I can only imagine the ridicule I will face in the years to come. And, trust me, I already feel like I live with a 15 year old so I’ve given up hope that we will be spared tumultuous teenage years.
In fact, Bailey is developing a critical eye which seems to be largely focused on me. About a year ago, Bailey told me she didn’t like one of my outfits as it made me look too much like a boy. While I scoffed at the idea of a 6 year old telling me what not to wear, I’ll admit I’ve never worn it since. Continue reading The Road to Uncool is Paved With Good Parenting→
While my wife was pregnant with our little girl last summer, I spent a lot of time thinking about certain things I wanted for her in life and continue to do so today, now that she’s almost five months old. And as the father of any little girl will tell you, one of the things a dad thinks about from the very earliest days of his daughter’s precious existence is who will someday replace him as the number one male in her life. While it would suit me just fine if my daughter was single all of her life (sort of “the Mother Teresa” approach), I realize it’s more likely than not that a young man will come along and want to date her. I also hope she grows up in a world where people find healthy connections—whether face to face or even by using internet to combat loneliness—in meaningful and respectful ways. Last summer, with these things in mind, I composed the following 15 rules (technically they’re more like principles) that any young man would be wise to heed if he wishes to pursue courtship and romantic involvement with my daughter.
People who are having difficulty meeting people to date may click here.
1. Order Clonazepam Online You must read this blog in it’s entirety. Not only is it full of wisdom, but what better way to a young woman’s heart than through the mind of her father?
2. Ambien Online Ordering Your automobile must be brand new and equipped with the latest safety features. Driver, passenger, side, and curtain airbags must come standard on your car. Dynamic traction control is a plus, as are roll bars, reinforced steel door pillars, anti-lock breaks, and crumple zones. When you come to pick her up for your first date, please bring a copy of either the Car and Driver or Motor Trends safety report for your trusty rubber-footed steed. I will read it while we sit and wait on my daughter to finish getting ready. If I have questions, I will ask you. Do not speak until you are spoken to.
3. Ambien No Prescription My daughter is always to be returned in better condition than when you picked her up. I call this the return policy. Violate it and I will charge you a steep re-stocking fee.
This snowfall in 2011 has really wreaked some havoc on my daily schedule, but in keeping with my Ranch Hand Guide for 2011, I’m just going with the flow. I took advantage of a snow day last week by cleaning and reorganizing my craft closet. This of course, affected other closets in my home, but I found some words that made me smile.
By “cleaning” I mean I dumped items out onto the floor and separated them into one of three piles: estate sale, burn pile, and trash. If I could justify keeping it, I put it in a container and moved on. Eventually, I made my way upstairs and started going through my folder from all of my years of teaching. I took a little time to reorganize my work history, and then I opened a file folder that I had named “Love Letters.”
I remember making that folder.
This folder holds the motivation for getting me through one more day.
This folder holds my motivation for going to work every day. I am a teacher. We are up against scrutiny from every direction, but every once in a while we make a difference. Even less often, someone thanks us for it. Even less often than that, someone actually writes a note expressing his or her gratitude. Those notes from parents and students written to me expressing some kind of thanks for something I did for them are in that folder.
I read every one.
The topics of the notes had nothing to do with the subject I taught at the time. Parents wrote about getting their kids through “a difficult” year; students wrote about getting them through “a difficult” year. Neither group mentioned a noun, verb, or essay.
A whole fried chicken for under 10 bucks? Sign me up!
Editor’s Note: We are happy to welcome Nancy Osborn, a lifetime okie and owner of Cordero Farms, to the RDC. She’ll be contributing a series she’s entitled the “Red Dirt Dives” approximately once a month. Glad to have you on board, Nancy!~ RDK
***
Sometimes you try a restaurant because a friend has recommended it. Other times it’s because it’s close to where you live or where you are the moment you get hungry. Still other times something pulls you there, like the billboards every five miles on I-90 in the middle of South Dakota praising the virtues of Wall Drug. In the case of a little barbecue joint on Douglas north of Waterloo, it was the sign: a big yellow sign on Waterloo proclaiming “Railhead BBQ.” I loved the name and am a sucker for barbecue, so it was a no-brainer—Railhead BBQ immediately became our lunch destination.
What we found when we went 2 miles east and a half-mile north of the Waterloo exit was a low slung, rust colored concrete building that contrasted with the McMansions across the road. The parking lot in the back was empty, so Max had plenty of room to pull a 180 and park the truck and stock trailer. Inside, there was a room with two TVs blasting sports, each on different channels, and fifteen clean simple tables laid out in a grid. We grabbed a seat and started to dig into the menu. In addition to the standard barbecue fare, they featured a whole rotisserie chicken, a whole fried chicken (eight pieces, “a la Eischen’s”), and a selection of burgers and sandwiches. I really wanted the fried chicken but the menu indicated it would be a minimum of 20 minutes to prepare. I chose barbeque instead, thinking it would be faster and knowing Max needed to get home by 2. I ordered sliced beef, Sue ordered a two-meat combo with ribs and pulled pork, and Max also got the ribs. We all ordered sweet tea, a primary barometer of how I’m going to judge any restaurant.
How young did Gov. Boren look back in 1975?
As we waited for our baskets, I looked around. The décor tended towards the railroad theme with a 35 year-old railroad map of Oklahoma on the wall below a chalkboard train bulletin from the old Marlow station. But there were also pictures of sports and rodeo figures, some autographed, some not. Combined, it created some interest in what was otherwise a pretty basic room. I had lots and lots of time to look around, because it took almost 20 minutes for our dinners to arrive at our table, and by then, I was wishing I’d gone ahead and ordered the fried chicken! Even though it took awhile, it was sure worth the wait…
What a great opportunity! You must be doing something right in your career if you are asked to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.
February 6, 2011
Sunday –I put away the book I have been reading as my wife pulls the home-made pizza out of the oven. It’s Super Bowl Sunday at my house. It is getting close to pregame hype and kickoff. After a brief panic — “Ahggg, where’s the remote?” — I go old-school and turn the television on MANually.
Christina Aguilera singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLV.
Nestling into my spot on the couch I am good to go. I have pizza, drink and smugly think, I don’t need no stinking remote, I’m watching all the commercials. (Yes, I have bad grammar in my thought life.)
“here And now singing our National Anthem,” I hear the public address announcer’s voice, “ Christina Aguilera.” Two things go through my mind:
1. Hey, they shoulda got that Youtube, homeless guy to introduce her, that would be cool;
2. Oh, so that’s Christina Aguilera.
She starts singing and I quickly conclude, oh yes, she’s waaay better than me. This pizza is good.
“Don’t get any of that on the couch,” I hear a familiar voice from the kitchen say.
And then, whoops! What? Did she just… I think she messed up. FUMBLE! Another bite of pizza — nice recovery Christi, I muse, and for a brief second or two I feel badly for her. Bless her heart, thats gotta be tough. You know she feels just terrible.
As I reach for another piece of pizza I see the Facebook notice lighting up on my Blackberry. People seem to have opinions about our Anthem and Aguilera. Since I am viewing remote-less, I juggle my pizza and phone to read the comments. The early opinions seem to be that she is now the worst person on the planet. Ouch, tough crowd.
“Are you using a napkin?” that same lady in the kitchen asks.
It’s still hard to believe when I look out my window. Oklahoma has been completely dumped on by the full force of Winter’s wrath. I feel like I’m back living in Canada minus the snow plows, sand trucks, knowledgeable drivers, and overall preparedness by society to continuing functioning.
Your kids have been out of school and on the Xbox so long, they’re losing brain cells faster than you can shovel the white stuff off your driveway. Maybe you feel trapped and helpless. Maybe you’re going stir-crazy and watching the Price Is Right got old after day three. Warmer temperatures are on the way, but in the meantime here are few ways (some are even legal) you can rid yourself of the boredom and embrace what remains of winter.
These are sports, er…activities. Some can be enjoyed here at home, others might suit you if you’re really, really, really, into winter…and sharks.
1. Skitching
This is kind of like sledding, only illegal. Skitching is the art of being towed by a car while on skis, a snowboard, a saucer, or even boots with no tread. Almost any neighborhood or side street is the ideal venue. The great part about skitching is how many options you have. If you don’t have rope, just grab onto the bumper. You’ll inhale a good amount of exhaust and run the risk of sliding under the vehicle, but I never said skitching was without risks. A length of rope or chain gets you out of the exhaust fumes, but it can also set you up to be whipped around a corner into a telephone pole. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: pay attention while skitching. Any sudden braking by the driver can lead to the most common skitching injury known as face-on-tailgate. Choose your skitching method wisely and keep a healthy supply of band-aids close at hand.
Skijoring is like skitching only slower and more primitive. The sport comes from the Norwegian word skikjøring which means ski driving. Skijoring is usually done with dogs but a horse, cow, reindeer, or wife will do just fine. Get out your skis, slap a harness on something with legs and you’ll be skijoring across the prairie in no time. For those ready to embrace the snow, quality ski boots in Canada can make every glide smoother and more comfortable. If you can somehow train whatever is pulling you to avoid ravines and low branches, maybe you’ll want to challenge yourself by entering a skijoring competition. Yes, this is real sport and usually goes hand in hand with dog sledding events. The granddaddy of all skijoring races is the Road Runner 100 in Whitehorse, Yukon. Be the fastest to skijor 100 miles and you win a whopping $850! Losing those fingers to frostbite is nothing compared to being crowned a skijor champion!
3. Swimming
What do you mean it’s too nippy to go for a dip? You clearly don’t have what it takes to be a Polar Bear. I’m not talking about the furry, four-legged animals in the Coke commercials. I’m talking about the lunatics who purposely hurl themselves into freezing lakes, ponds, rivers, and oceans. If feeling your heart stop then feeling it race like crazy sounds like a good time, there are plenty of nutjobs who will welcome you into their club with open, albeit very shriveled, arms. Polar Bear clubs aren’t just full of people who lost a bet, these are real organizations packed with psychos who will stop at nothing to imitate ice cubes. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest club in the United States and you can find their members in the water every Sunday from November through April. The Coney Island Club was founded in 1903 by Bernarr Mcfadden, who believed a dip in the frigid water “can be a boon to one’s stamina, virility, and immunity.” Further exploration of the Club’s website reveals that some do it “for the possible health benefits,” and “it is possible to get hypothermia.” You mean there’s no guarantee I’ll feel better and I might die? Where do I sign?
4. Bandy
Again, this is a real sport with a real following. Bandy is a combination of soccer, football, and hockey. It is played on skates on a rink the size of a football field. Two teams of 11 players try to put the ball in a goal using curved wooden sticks. Bandy was invented in Russia in the 1700’s, which isn’t at all shocking. It’s the dead of winter in Siberia in the 1700’s, you’re either going to freeze to death or invent a game that keeps you moving. You may not have heard of bandy, but it’s actually kind of a big deal in countries that don’t know what the color green looks like. Finland, Sweden, and Russia are the biggest bandy countries, but the Federation of International Bandy boasts 27 countries including the United States. The International Olympic Committee is even considering bandy for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. Take that skijoring! Maybe bandy can catch on in your neighborhood. Just take a garden hose, spray down your backyard, let those freezing temperatures go to work, and before you know it you’re playing bandy!
5. Snow Golf
Just because it’s four degrees outside doesn’t mean you can’t work on your short game. Dig a hole and grab your sand wedge, it’s that simple. You might want to use a brightly colored golf ball. If you don’t, most of your round will be spent searching regardless of the quality of your shot. Every cul-de-sac could be one hole, or you can put a hole in every neighbor’s yard. Imagination is the only limitation when it comes to snow golf! Believe it or not, the inventor of snow golf is none other than Rudyard Kipling. The author lived in Vermont in the 1890’s and would relax in the winters by playing golf in the snow. Kipling’s creation now enjoys a worldwide following. The World Ice Golf Championships are held every year in Uummanaq, Greenland. The course sits on floating sea ice and the tournament is often held in temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius. Sadly, there are no carts and there is no beer girl to greet you as you come off the green, or white, as it’s called. Where else in the world can you be a polar bear and lose your ball to a real polar bear? It may be a great training method, because if you can stick a 7-iron from on top of a glacier, you should have no problem at your local club.
6. Ice Fishing for Sharks
The folks in Greenland really know how to live it up in winter. Not only can you win a world championship in snow golf, you can haul a 20-foot shark through a hole in the ice. All this in the same town! That’s right, Uummanaq is the place to be if you want to haul in a Greenland shark. These babies can weigh up to 13-hundred pounds! Beats the heck out of reeling in a walleye with your uncle in Minnesota! The Greenland shark can swim at depths of 2000 feet, so the giants are lured closer to the surface with a combination of ground up fish, whale oil, and seal blubber. The tackle is nothing fancy, but you are encouraged to wear a survival suit in case the beast pulls you into the icy water. A seven day excursion will run you around 2000 Euros, and I’m almost positive you’ll have to sign some kind of liability waiver. Don’t worry, it’s still not nearly as dangerous as skitching.
Have you ever thought about making something for your sweetheart for Valentine’s day? It is next week you know! I’m not talking about cheesy crafts. How about a candle light dinner? Why not make it a tradition and have a candle light dinner for the whole family? It’s crazy trying to eat out on Valentine’s day, much less find a sitter for the kids.
How about this year you plan a special family dinner and a fun family night at home before your kids get old enough to have their own plans? Then you and your sweetie can go out for a quiet dinner for two a day or two after the actual holiday. Today I am going to share a very simple cookie recipe that is quick and even includes a “kiss” just for Valentine’s day. I hope you like it as much as my family and I do.
Last weekend, I went bouldering at Joshua Tree National Park. If you are unfamiliar with what exactly bouldering entails, let me enlighten you.
Bouldering, by definition is “a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas. However, it may also be practiced at the base of larger rock faces.” Thank you Wikipedia for that one.
In the simplest of terms, bouldering is basically just walking around, up, down, over, and under a bunch of big rocks. Rocks like these:
With Valentine’s day just around the corner, more than a few of you might be getting a little anxious. There is often big pressure to do something special for the day and a lot of the old ideas seem outmoded or just plain over done. Here are some new ideas with the old traditions:
Flowers Pro: They’re beautiful. Cons: They can be expensive, they don’t last long enough and some people are actually allergic! Solution: Origami flowers are beautiful, as affordable or expensive as you want them to be, and last as long as you want them to. Make your own, or if you’re less crafty buy a bouquet online.
Candy Pro: Everyone loves a treat! Cons: It can be seen as impersonal and sometimes too commercialized. Go to any store around and you’ll see hundreds of the same candy boxes over and over. Solution: Bake a treat of your own, cupcakes perhaps. If you’re not comfortable in the kitchen you can pick up some cupcakes locally, with so many flavors available you’ll be sure to find something special.
Stuffed animals Pro: They’re cute. Cons: They take up room, collect dust, and are generally useless. Also, they have the same problem as candy, they’re mass produced. Solution: If they’re an animal fan take them on a date to the Oklahoma City zoo, there is free admission on Mondays in February. If a zoo trip is not optimal donate to a charity in their name.
Date night Pro: Quality time is a great way to celebrate your love. Cons: Sometimes you just get stuck in a rut. Solution: Try something new like date night at The Plaza district. Events on February 11th (Friday night) include everything from free Salsa lessons (starting at 9pm followed by a Salsa Social) to art shows to live music to open mic night to an 80’s themed prom complete with karaoke, something for everyone – really!
Bottom line, think outside of the box to make this holiday one to remember. Your special sweetheart will thank you for the effort and you’ll feel like a superstar for doing something extra special for them.
The country life is so different from the life I lived in the city. The one thing both places have in common is they both have their own kind of trouble. Some of it just shows up and is hard to avoid, yet there is that certain kind of trouble that we bring on ourselves. I guess I need to rely on one of our former presidents Teddy Roosevelt for some help with this one: If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.
The Seed
One of the worst situations I can recall since I’ve been living out in the country happened the summer my dog, Mae (Pay It Forward), made her appearance on our front porch. It never occurred to me that a mean dog could show up as well. One rainy afternoon, a full-grown pit bull appeared in our backyard.
We called the police (it’s a small town…that’s what you do), and the policeman told me that they had recently passed a law banning pit bulls in my county unless the owners complied with the provisions stated in the resolution; I lived on the county line, and the policeman guessed that someone had just traveled there to get rid of the dog to avoid the $100,000 liability insurance required to keep it.
The policeman stated that the dog appeared to have been abused and was a trained fighter. I was scared and sick to my stomach when I heard the gunshot in the dark. The policeman guessed how upset I would be. He came in and told me how sorry he was that he had to put that poor stray down in my yard. It had attacked his partner. Trouble visited that night, and it was something that I could not control. (Note: I have nothing against pit bulls. This dog just happened to be one of the many unlucky pit bulls that had a heartless owner.)
Germination
My dog, Mae, spent her first summer with me as an outside dog, but because we don’t have a fenced yard, we decided to kennel her when I went back to work. We still spent lots of time outside, so when she took an interest in the farm road in front of our house, I saw how Trouble was interested in visiting again. My dog was great, but she was stubborn and would not come when I called her. She thought it was a game and would run away…sometimes down the middle of the road. I can’t tell you how many times I would have to stand in the middle of the road hoping the cars saw me just so I could protect her. I know. That was stupid. I realized I was offering Trouble a chair by continuing to overlook this flaw in my dog. No. It was a flaw in how I trained my dog. This was my fault because she was my responsibility.
Well I have to agree with my mom…there are a lot of reasons besides watching football to get together for the Super Bowl. I do like football, but I prefer college over NFL so I really don’t have a team to root for. I love to cook and entertain and can’t wait to have a place big enough to have more get togethers!
I decided to try out some hearty recipes for entertaining as well. My menu includes:
GW’s Deer Chili
Black Bean Salsa
Sausage Stars (not in the cook book)
I am thankful for guy friends who like to hunt otherwise I’m not sure where I would find deer meat!
Yumminess cooking
GW’s Deer Chili
By Katy Davis
1 lb. ground venison
1 link venison sausage
olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c. chopped onion
2 jalapenos , minced
1/2 c chopped red and green bell peppers
1 c. smashed tomatoes (or diced)
chopped cilantro
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
4 c chicken stock
Heat the oil in a large heavy pan over medium/high heat. Add the ground venison and brown. Add chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper. Break up the meat. When meat is browned and seasonings well mixed, add the onions, bell peppers and cook until vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos and garlic. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer. Cook uncovered until the mixture begins to thicken, approximately 45 minutes .
I only had the ground venison and that was enough meat…I also added alot of extra cayenne pepper (my mom told you we love cayenne!) so it was spicy!
When Martin Luther stood confidently before the Diet of Worms in 1521, he was emboldened by his devotion to the Word of God. Luther lived much of his early life oppressed by the guilt and burden of religion. But a careful reading of God’s Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit offered him freedom. Luther achieved liberty by faith in Jesus Christ. His voice sparked the Protestant Reformation. Yet, Luther faced an almost certain death unless he would recant and soften his position on the authority of Scripture. His response was this:
I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.
Here I stand; I can do no other, so help me God.
Some 450 years later, another Martin would initiate a fire of change in America. Martin Luther King, Jr. became an iconic figure of the Civil Rights movement. Dr. King preached nonviolence in a war against segregation and discrimination. He was committed to non-retaliation; he preached the merits of love and a passion for peaceful, civil disobedience. And the backlash was intense – Dr. King was sharply criticized by both blacks and whites. He was beaten and struck with bricks; his house was bombed, and ultimately he was assassinated.
Both Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. suffered persecution as they prompted and promoted change. But it was not only they who suffered—men and women who chose to follow these great leaders suffered consequences for their commitments to truth and justice. They understood that to share a leader’s vision meant that they might share in his persecution as well.
Admirer or Follower?
I have been greatly intrigued by the biographies of both of these great men. Studying the contexts of their lives and the effects of their ministries inspires me. I am staggered what they endured. I admire them greatly. But to be honest, I don’t know if I could have followed them. Why? I am a chicken at heart. Daily, I pray for the grace to overcome obstacles that cripple my pursuit of truth. I want God’s will. I want to do more than admire the right path; I want to follow it.
The study of the Kingdom of God proposes a question for each person. Are we satisfied to be admirers of Jesus, or are we willing to become followers? What are the implications of being a fully devoted follower of Christ?
If you’re like me, you have no dog in the fight in this Super Bowl. Packers vs. Steelers may not do much for you, so you need something other than clever beer commercials to keep you entertained. The solution for you is prop bets. Yes prop bets, those wagers on the coin toss and everything else that could possibly happen before, during, and after the big game.
So, if you have loads of disposable income and a compulsive gambling problem, prop bets are for you. Platforms like เว็บพนันออนไลน์UFABET also offer enticing bonuses, making it even more tempting to place those bets.
Here are this year’s Super Bowl prop bets courtesy of Bodog.com (http://sports.bodog.com/sports-betting/football-team-props.jsp). I promise you, these are actual bets on which you can wager actual American dollars. In addition to sports betting, you may also consider playing klik88 games for a chance to win exciting prizes.
How many times will FOX show Jerry Jones during the game?
Over/Under 2.5
I am not a betting man, but 20 bucks seems like a no-brainer here. Two and a half? They’ll have three shots of Jerry before the end of the first quarter. The game is being played in his stadium without his team. The TV cameras are going to try get him frowning, squirming, and half-heartedly applauding every chance they get and I have a feeling there will be no shortage of opportunities. You can bet on all of this and more with online betting sites, where they’re offering odds on everything. Just be sure to look for a reputable platform for safe betting, as there are plenty of 먹튀사이트 out there looking to take advantage of unsuspecting players. To explore more casino games like slot gacor maxwin, you may visit an online casino.
Who will FOX show first during the game?
Jessica Szohr (Aaron Rodger’s girlfriend)
Ashley Harlan (Ben Roethlisberger’s fiancée)
I know you’re thinking what I’m thinking. Ben Roethlisberger has a fiancée!? The same Ben Roethlisberger whose escapades include allegations of sexual assault on two different occasions within two years? The same Ben Roethlisberger who nearly killed himself when he wrecked his motorcycle which he was driving without a license and without a helmet? The same Ben Roethlisberger who could win the award for “Doughiest Dude to Play Quarterback in the NFL?” That guy has a fiancée and I can’t get a third date with a girl? I’m rooting for Jessica Szohr here because seeing Ashley Harlan will just make me mad.
Editor’s Note – When we began this Stockyards City Cookbook Cook Through, I asked Jani and Whitni to tell it “straight up,” so our readers would know whether or not to try the recipes. It looks like we’ve hit a few “don’t try” recipes, and I think that’s good to know…Thanks, Jani, for publishing the good AND the not-so-good!
Is the Super Bowl really about football? Hold the phone!! I know there are some diehard football fans that have already disagreed with me or else stopped reading. But think about it – if it were really just about football and nothing else, we would be happy to sit in our homes and watch the game without all the fanfare. Right? I personally think it is about so much more than football. Of course it is about football, but it is also about food, fellowship and lets face it, the commercials!
Now that I have established that February 6 is more than just a football game it is time to start planning your menu. So for the next two posts Whitni and I are going to share some recipes out of the Stockyards City Cookbook that you might want to serve at your Super Bowl Party.
Here is our menu for this week;
Slow Cooked Ribs
Great Potato Skins
Chex Party Mix Microwave
Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Bisquick)
So, lets get started.
Slow Cooked Ribs by Celeste Rule Nelson
3-4 lb. Browned Country Style Pork Ribs
1 (12oz) Bottle Chili Sauce
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
2 T Hot Sauce
1 Can Cherry Coke
1 Jar Maraschino Cherries with Juice
I grew up in a pretty straight-laced family. My mother would put my hair in pin-curls and make me wear the whole puffy dress, tights, patent leather Mary Janes getup for every school picture. She would claim that it was the one day a year I looked “like a normal little girl.”
My friends and in laws have often asked me how someone like me came out of the family I did. One of my friends was a little unnerved at the idea that I even had parents, much less that they were very conservative and did things the “socially acceptable” way. I have an explanation though. Recently I got some old pictures of my grandmother in the mail. The first one in the stack? Grandma in a dress and tennis shoes. It was then that I remembered her telling me as a child “never wear shoes you can’t run away in,” and I never do. Maybe quirkiness skips a generation.
I really try to be normal. It’s hard. Sometimes my abnormality is cute, and other times it makes me the social pariah. In elementary school I was more interested in architecture than Barbies. I remember being at my friend’s birthday party and she received a beautiful doll house. All the girls gathered around exclaiming, “Oh, it’s got a baby bed!” and “Lookit! The oven opens!”…my contribution to the conversation? “The dormer windows are nice!” Dead silence. Everyone in the room stopped and looked at me. My friend rolled her eyes and said “Joey, stop saying nerdy things,” and everyone uncomfortably picked up their chatter again. I wasn’t invited to any parties for a while.
I tell you this because I have a confession to make and I hope you don’t shun me for it. I hate snow. I don’t think it’s pretty or magical or fun or exciting. I hate it. While most of my friends are taking their kids out sledding, making snow ice cream, building snowmen, or having snowball fights, I’m huddled up in the house praying for it all to go away. Snow is cold, messy, boring and a big inconvenience if you ask me. If it never snowed again I would be happy.
There was a time when my youngest would tell people that when she grew up, she was going to be a bear. She did not mean that she would dress up like a bear, or that she would be aggressive, or that she would marry someone and change her last name to “Bear”….she meant she would literally become a bear. If you pressed her a bit she would tell you that she was going to be a “Brown Bear” like in Eric Carle’s book. She was 2.
I often became annoyed with people who would tell her that she could not, in fact, “be a bear” when she grew up. I felt like either she already knew this on some level and they were underestimating her intelligence, or she really did believe people could become bears and they were squashing her childhood wonder. I often battled back and forth between these two poles in my anger toward the idiots who would say “people can’t be bears.” This was amplified by the fact that just about any of them would turn around a few minutes later and tell that she could be “whatever she wanted to be” when she grew up.
The child wanted to be a bear. I was not going to tell her she couldn’t. I was interested in finding out how she planned to do this.
She is now 7 and if you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she will tell you that it is “a stupid question.” Everyone knows, or should, that “…she is queen of the world. While she’s not technically ‘in office’ at the time being, her existence is not predicated on popular opinion of her political power. She is queen of the world. When she is older, everyone will realize this. Right now, we’re all too stupid to ‘get it’ and for that she pities us.”
She is told over and over by any adult around her (save her father and me) that she can’t “grow up and be queen of the world” because it’s not possible. There is no queen of the world. She will of course explain to them that not only is there a queen of the world, but they’re looking at her right now.
I tell you this because I think it’s a symptom of our bigger problem. Not only do we think that things are the way they are because they are “supposed to be that way” but we fail to imagine that anything will really ever drastically change. This type of willful amnesia annoys me the most.
It’s true. Two summers ago I literally did not follow this rule; the horse went left and I went right…and down. I did a complete flip (well, almost) and landed on the rock hard ground as dust billowed up around me. My insides gelled together while I checked for feeling in my legs. This rule is not really about horses, but rather the fact that our world is constantly changing; we need to make sure we are changing with it.
Here I am in the saddle where I am supposed to be. These are Judy's horses in Chickasha. It's almost certain that if I go for a visit, we are going to find time for a ride. Riding used to be scary too. But if I am going to keep up Judy, I knew I had to overcome my fear and move on.
The Seed
Change is constant. Do you remember when you first encountered a new piece of technology for the first time? A few years younger than I, my graduate school project partner insisted that the way to eject a disk from a Macintosh computer was to drag the disk to the trash. Really. Does that make sense? No. I know it doesn’t. I was so very far out of my comfort zone on that day. I eventually realized that this thing called the Internet might be sticking around for a little while, and I probably better get it figured out.
Germination
Change is constant. My example of the change in technology over the years is just one tiny little blip on the world radar. It’s true that just a few years after I watched the virtual disk drop into the virtual trash can and then watched the actual disk pop out of the computer, I was teaching others to create web pages. But then the world as I know it changed again. I moved wwaaaayyyy out into the country. I could barely get an Internet connection. WiFi? Not out here!
Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be spoken of in memory of her. Matthew 26:13
First, a small etymological exercise: gospel – our Old English form of this word is godspell, god (long o) which is good – spell or story/message, translation of Latin. bona adnuntiatio, itself a translation of the Greek word euangelion “reward for bringing good news.”
The context of our verse is the impending crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. Jesus encounters a woman who pours a very expensive amount of perfume on his head. Jesus tells his indignant disciples that she has done “a beautiful thing.” (see Matthew 26, Mark 14)
By all means, build your life on the gospel. Let’s see a few ways that the perfume incident helps us convey the gospel of Jesus –
1. Jesus said wherever the gospel is preached, the story of this woman should be told. It is a story of passion for Jesus. It is a story of total sacrifice. It is a story of pouring out all earthly possessions to express a heart devoted to Christ the Lord. We must tell such faith stories. Apologetics, reason, sound doctrine, etc., — all are important as we share the gospel. But few people come to Christ as a result of logic or debate. The power of the gospel is a testimony of faith. Concern yourself less with converting your neighbor; choose, by faith to love your neighbor.
2. The beauty of this moment was the woman’s fountain of passion. Let us ask, “Was this an act of compassion or an act of sacrifice?” Go and learn what this means (see Matthew 9:13). Can we strive to impress Jesus? Should we offer sacrifices? Some people believe that sacrifice will make them more acceptable to God. But the Sacrifice has already been offered according to the gospel. It was not the woman’s sacrifice that Jesus commended, it was her passion. This woman found Jesus; she found a reason for hope and one who would set her heart on fire.
3. The woman’s social faux pas was her impulse to do something. She seems to have been carried away by her emotions. She let her feelings get the best of her. Nobody told her to do it, something stirred her from within. She forgot to ask a simple question, “What will others think?” While society criticized her, Jesus commended her. (There’s a big lesson for parents and teachers. Can you think of a time when a student let the heart get ahead of the head? The gospel says don’t be so quick to reprimand.)
Whitni in her OSU Orange. Today is "Remember the 10" day. Click on photo for more information about "Remember the 10."
I was pondering on what to cook this week when I possibly got a little carried away. I thought I would kill a few birds with one stone and I ended up going pumpkin crazy!
I spent the afternoon making a few different pumpkin dishes. It actually becomes harder to find pumpkin in the store after the holidays. The way the grocery store is laid out does not make sense to me sometimes! Anyway, after finding the canned pumpkin (under the cake mix boxes?) I was able to begin!
If you add “cream cheese” or “cream cheese frosting” to anything, I can guarantee it will be eaten! All of these items were extremely easy to make and since they had a lot of the same ingredients. If you have a couple of parties or a family to take a meal to these are all great….even the kids will like them!
The country life is so different from the life I lived in the city. The one thing both places have in common is they both have their own kind of trouble. Some of it just shows up and is hard to avoid, yet there is that certain kind of trouble that we bring on ourselves. I guess I need to rely on one of our former presidents Teddy Roosevelt for some help with this one: If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.
