You know how they say you should either start "HOT" or finish "HOT"????
I'm laughing because I literally have pretty much nothing. My camera died last summer and I've been using my cute little Samsung phone... and then that's been on and off not working the past few days, so all the fun pics I took of making things over the holidays: GONE.
But maybe not, maybe when we can get it back to working I can save some, but for the moment it's catch as catch can around here, and cold, besides!!!!
We made fajitas for Christmas Eve, a family favorite, and I took some pics of making the fajita style spice mix and grilling the chicken...
Here's the recipe for the fajita seasoning on All Recipes dot com!
And they were SO GOOD!!!!!
And easy, actually. I love them, wrapped up in a warmed, flour shell, and stuffed with meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato and sour cream. I could eat one right now, I'm starving.
Virginia, if you have a better recipe for the seasoning, feel free to share it. This was a good blend for us, I'd cut down the corn starch or not use any at all next time because I don't think it really needs the thickening... but that did help the seasoning to cling to the meat, so maybe that's best????
But I digress!
WICKED COLD here, very Maine-like stuff going on. Snow squalls direct off of Lake Ontario, windchills way below zero, and I have the NERVE to wonder why Tina Russo Radcliffe moved away.
She's the smart one!!!! :)
We celebrated Christmas all together on Saturday, the 27th, so that left us the 26th to visit the animals in the zoo and wish them a merry Christmas! The little kids love it when the bachelor uncles do stuff with them, and Zach and Luke (my Manhattan boys) get a kick out of seeing the kids be kids.
I'd uploaded these before the phone got angry about lack of time off or lousy benefits and rising deductibles....
We love the polar bear exhibit, but usually the big ol' bear is high on the rocks, ignoring the mere humans who operate his feeding cycle... but today, here he was!!!!
And then the bear gets reactionary!!!!
(He does not get his attention seeking antics from his quiet father.... :)
Here's our finance boy (aka: the Bumble) that you saw last week, chattin' it up with little Dave over tigers. Dave likes tigers. And the wolves howled at us, and they've never done that before, so we're pretty sure they were saying "Happy New Year"!
And this cut-out along the African safari trail..... with 'Lijah and Zee Zee.
I broke down and ordered another camera from Amazon, a cute and inexpensive Sony.... It came today and I'm excited to be able to have pics again because I love playing with pictures. Maybe it's because I grew up in the shadow of the great Eastman Kodak when it was a great company... or those commercials "The Times of Your Life" that I loved!!!!
So the camera is in place, we'll see how it rolls this week, and Allie Pleiter came to Seekerville talkin' 'bout Macarons (French macaroon) which is basically the meringue puffs I've always made, but done with a softer batter so the puff cookie forms a nice, flat, gently rounded surface like these:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/macaron-french-macaroon/
I need to ace these because they're so cute and they melt-in-your-mouth and can you imagine it with ganache or a soft, sweet buttercream????
Oh be still my heart!!!!
Beautiful baby. And definitely YOUR granddaughter, Ruthy! We all know exactly what she's going to look like when she grows up!
ReplyDeleteYou had a wonderful Christmas, didn't you? I miss visiting the zoo with my children. It's been years since we've gone, but like in that Kodak commercial - children grow up. They can't help it.
I have to admit, that commercial brought tears to my eyes. We're down to only five of us in the house instead of six, since the youngest is off doing some internship thing for school. It just doesn't seem right. He's only - what - four years old? Maybe three? How did he just drive off (in his Jaguar!) to move across the state?
Sigh. The times of your life :)
Jan, I have loved that commercial for decades. It embodied all that was good about family, friends, raising children to have wings and then changing roots... But it's a tear-jerker!!!! And a good memory, all in one. Honestly, though, with my house so chronically busy, I loved two days of peace and quiet last Saturday and Sunday. It was like God hand-wrapped two work days (around a virus, but it kept me in my seat at home, LOL!) and said, Here... use your time wisely, my friend.
DeleteBut I love having my family around!
And of course, thank you for kudos on baby! :)
Love baby photos!! And kid photos--even when the kids are grown up. :)
ReplyDeleteMissy, I get such a kick out of watching how all my kids interact now. With each other, with the littles, and then back. It's so much fun!
Deletedid you squeeze lime on your fajitas? saw that tip on a blog once and it was good...but I usually eat fajitas at a restaurant..shame on me! should make them again myself
ReplyDeletesigh I'm always in the minority but I hate those thingies people put on baby girl heads- how you supposed to snuggle in their hair and kiss and rub their heads with that business in the way?! or is that why they put them on there LOL?! my cousins' kids' kids all wear them..now one needed it 'cause she was practically bald for 2 yrs and couldnt tell she was a girl otherwise! they're cute but if I manage to get my hands on one (and it ain't often) I wanna rub on the head
Susanna
It's cold here, Susanna! Wicked cold! So our head coverings aren't just a fashion statement, they're a necessity!
DeleteAw, I can just see you rubbing your cheek to a baby's head. So sweet!!!!
No lime here, but I've heard that, too. And for our bald girl babies I dress them in the cutest, frilliest pink and ruffled clothes I can get because a lot of them won't keep things on their head, but it's hard to mistake a dress or ruffled scooter skirt for a boy!
but the head won't be cold with me snuggling it! sigh...so once they're inside the hat comes off?! she's a cutie - I like the socks that have shoes printed on them - my friend had a boy though so couldnt get them for him (his dad would've freaked if I put socks that look like patent leather shoes on him!) this is actually the first time I've seen the bows combined with a hat - my cousins had ribbons or something holding them on - HUGE bows like the mums Mindy posted pics of a while back LOL! it's cold here too but at least we're still in the double digits and positive - and probably still in the 30s
DeleteSusanna
We do take our hats off inside!!! :)
DeleteAnd I like little boys to look like little boys, too. Although they've all had a spurt of dressing up in their time!
And then they tackle each other and rip the clothing.
I love boys!!!!
Oh, my. One of my sons was a beautiful baby. I mean, really beautiful. I ALWAYS dressed him in blue and definitely BOY outfits. I had to. But even so, people would always tell me what a beautiful little girl he was.
DeleteSigh.
Oh, he's outgrown that, by the way ;)
Hahahahahahaha!
DeleteWait -- I though macaroons were made with coconuts and looked like porcupines? Have I lost my mind? I'd call those meringues...love the bright colour. And yum with whipped cream filling. drool.
ReplyDeleteAdorable baby -- and the hat! Her expression? Is she thinking she's royalty?
I won't even tell you how many years it's been since I've been to a zoo. No zoos around here. :-( So thanks for the virtual trip!
Kav, this is a case of you and me being on the same page. I make meringues all the time and they're a fave with a bunch of my kids, but when Allie was on Seekerville and used "macaron" I thought it was a typo.... well, duh on me! But whatever they're called, don't they look fun???? AND WE USED TO THROW OUT THE FLAT ONES! Oh my stars, I'm laughing at that because they're a little denser and not as light and airy and pretty! And I make them with crushed peppermint stick candy canes and those are delicious! So yes, I agree, it's not in the name it's the application, but these are becoming hot commodities so let's learn how to make 'em!!!
DeleteDidn't Virginia do a post on macarons once? I couldn't find it, but I'm sure she did. Didn't she?
DeleteJan, maybe! I think I do remember something.... We'll ask her when she comes by this weekend!
DeleteI'm here now! haha! I missed the baby picture and the polar bear fighting and the cut out faces... And condolences on your phone. :P I'm about ready to order a new one so I feel your pain. I keep looking at them on Amazon and realizing that I KNOW NOTHING.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I did do, macarons. Are they not in the list? I'll have to hunt them down and tag them again.
Well, I did this one, which is macaroooooooons. http://yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com/2014/04/macaroons-not-macarons-great-for-easter.html
ReplyDeleteAnd then this one on macarons.... full stop.
ReplyDeletehttp://yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com/2013/05/ooh-la-la-macarons-and-french-obsession.html