Get this....

My new Pomegranate Chicken!!!

I was actually contacte by POM to create this recipe and enter their contest......... So here it is:

3C POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

1/2 C sugar

1 whole chicken

Salt and Pepper

1.  Remove innards from whole chicken, leave skin on.  

2.  Rub skin with 1T EVOO and cover with salt and plenty of coarse grated pepper.

3.  Bake in oven at 450 for 20 minutes.  Make glaze while waiting.

4.  In skillet, add 3C POM Wonderful, any pomegranate flavor you like, and 1/2 C sugar over medium heat.  Cook, stirring,  until juice reduces to a syrup, appx 20-30 minutes.

5.  Reduce to 350, and bake 1-1  1/2 hours or until juices run clear when poked.  (I use my George Foreman Roaster for 1 hour)

6.  15 minutes before done, remove chicken and cover with glaze.  Baste once in the last 15 minutes if deisred.

7.  Remove to counter and let rest 1o minutes to allow the juices to settle.  

*For even more flavor, try removing and coating chicken with glaze UNDER the skin after reducing heat to 350.

Brinner

Last night we had the infamous Pine Valley Eggs for dinner... That's the recipe that throws healthy measures out the window!  Well, sort of.

First, I fried the bacon in a little EVOO to render the fat, then I drained the bacon on paper towels an wiped a little of the grease out of the pan.  A little.  I like to think that I was making some good-ol' souther cookin' last night, that's why I threw health out the window!  Anyway, I scrambled the eggs in the same skillet and it was soooo tasty!  I served those Pine Valley eggs with pancakes and OJ.... We called it Brinner.... Breakfast for dinner!

But tonight I made Chili 'n cornbread!  It was so good and so filling I think I will be heading to bed soon.......

FINALLY done!!!

My 'new' kitchen!
3 months?


Took long enough, huh?


And there's Vanna Tink again, showing off our handy work. Credit for the redesign goes to Nana and cooperation, thanks to the Doc!


I know, still more work to do!
....Now we need some color on those walls!

A Fool's Ball Day

Yesterday, a friend gave us tickets (great tickets) to see a college football game! The Dragons won, of course, swaying our opinion of this team! We traveled to a small town outside of Syracuse, dressed in warm Fall weather clothing, ready for the cold (and it wasn't! We were sweating instead!) and snacked on chocolate covered pretzels and apple cider while we cheered for this unknown team.

But I love football!

I retract that statement. I love offense and defense!

I was a basketball player, but I still love the elements of the game. Any game. Hockey, basketball, football, soccer, you name it! It was exhilerating, watching the intense discipline, know-how, and foresight that the players displayed on the field.

I miss it.

(Nicole's favorite part was when the cheerleaders did their dances and the mascot [someone in a dragon costume] danced along with them.... And the free donuts, cookies, and apple cider!)

It wasn't that long ago... I CAN'T think of myself as old, yet, right? But as we were watching the game, these girls were sitting behind us and gossiping. (They were loud and made it hard to pay attention to the game!) Gossiping about judging boys they see at school for obscure traits (being a good kisser is a rait) and other 'cheerleader' talk. An interesting encounter, for sure!

On the way home we saw the most beautiful fall colors! Doc cringed as I whipped the camera out of the moon roof to snap a pic (don't worry, I put the band around my wrist!)... I saw a Jewish cemetary on the steep side of the hill... Never seen one of those before! And an exit for a mall in some place called 'Shoppingtown.' Fitting, I'm sure!

But the most comical element was the ride home. On the radio we switched over (or the the lack of reception switched us over) to a 'story hour' kind of station. He told a story about a cult-ish group of people in the US that travel North to Canada at the end of summer, then slowly travel all the way to Argentina by the end of the Fall just to see the leaves change. They named themselves the Autumnal Devil Trees Association (And I found nothing on the web!). Still, it was interesting to hear of such a common-interest group! I admit, Missouri is gorgeous in the Fall, even WV... But I doubt I will be making such a trek!

A recent dinner

Sorry, no pics, but it was delicious!

Thanksgiving Pot Pie

1. Line pie pan or muffin tins with pie crust.
2. Layer with shredded turkey breast, stuffing, and top with gravy.
3. Top with pie crust and pinch edges to seal.
4. Bake according to pie crust directions.
5. Serve with cranberry sauce, or better yet, add cranberry sauce in filling!!!

It was the 5th day in the 3rd grade...

...And the 4th grade... "You could buy a zoo with all the doctor's bills he paid"  Just kidding, that's a Veggie Tales song.

I am working in the YMCA SACC program and this year I have the 3rd AND 4th graders... All 18 of them!  It's quite a mixed group.  I have half intellectuals who want to do homework and creative writing, and half hyperactive linebackers who want to run around and don't know how to sit still!  But I LOVE being with kids!  I am so happy to be connecting with them n a personal level, impacting their lives and education.  I feel a constant struggle between being where God wants me and being in a comfort zone.  And Nicole being in her comfort zone, too!  Poor girl comes to work with me SO early in the morning, goes to her school, goes to her SACC, then comes home for dinner, a bath, and bed... 

But today was a rough day.  I had to battle the 3rd graders who wanted to go outside and play and the 4th graders who wanted to finishe their homework before they went home.  I really can't stand those opposite-type struggles.  So many times I have considered leaving this job, then something pops up that I love and adore (and that's mainly the kids!).  

So for now, I'm paying my dues and hitting the daily grind.  Some days I enjoy it more than others... 

Firsts

1st day in the 1st grade