antiques

i treated myself to a shopping trip to the Greensboro Antiques Mall yesterday.  Our weekend travel plans had to be cancelled because Michael has been sick.  That's really not a big deal in the long run as it's just something that happens in life.  So, i decided that i'd spend the money i was going to spend in Asheville on myself at the antiques mall.  Had a blast there by myself and found some things i'd been wanting.  i didn't find some of the things i'd hoped i'd find, but none the less it was a nice outing for me.

i've loved antiques for as long as i can remember.  i grew up around them.  i love them because they have a history to them.  Almost everything i own is an antique or vintage in one way or another.  And because many things i have are family pieces, i know the history behind them.  It just makes me happy.

my passion for them started when i was about 12.  My Great Aunt Sara passed away that year and we had to clean out the family home in Wingate.  i'd been in that house many times as a child, but that experience of dealing with all of those pieces with their family history really got me motivated and passionate about them.  There was an antiques store in Wingate.  It was actually located in another family home of ours, my Great Uncle Bruce's boyhood home, which is now the Jesse Helms Museum, but we'll save that for another time.  Anyway, the proprietor of that shop came and did an appraisal on the pieces at Aunt Sara's and that's how i got to know her.  Now, all i can remember is her first name is Bonnie  lol

Everytime we'd go to Wingate to work on the house, i'd beg to stop by the store.  Usually, Mom would relent and we'd kill an hour or so there.  i remember that the first time i went into the shop, i fell in love with a green and white checkered tea set.  i just thought it was beautiful but at $50, it was out of my price range as a 12 year old.  Everytime we went there i would go back and stare at the set.  i wanted it badly lol  i was saving every penny i could get my hands on, even though i knew it would take months for me to save enough.  This was a risk because someone could've bought it before i'd saved enough, but i was willing to take that chance.

Finally, in October, Bonnie relented and reduced the price to $20, just for me.  And i had saved more than that but gladly handed it over to her and packed up my tea set.  i was beyond thrilled.  We took it home and Mom found a silver tray that we put it on and set it out in the living room.  i was so proud of my purchase.  It stayed in our living room for years and years until Dad remarried.  i still have it, i don't ever plan on getting rid of it as it was the first purchase of my love for antiques.  i still display it from time to time.  Maybe i need to pull it back out and show it off.

mmmmm Tang

i'm not much of a breakfast eater.  Never have been.  Mostly it's because i'm lazy haha.  Now, if someone else was up to preparing breakfast everyday, i'd definitely be up for that.  So, it's something that i need to work on because, as it has been said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day :)  And the thing is that i love breakfast food.  Almost anything served for breakfast, with the exception of grits (which i know is unsouthern of me), i'll eat!

Anyway, in my goal to eat breakfast everyday, i was looking for easy breakfast items at the grocery store the other day.  And in the juice aisle, i came across some Tang.  i LOVE Tang.  Always have.  Everytime we went to visit my Grandma Fornes, she always had Tang for breakfast.  Honestly, i prefer it over real orange juice haha.  i'd forgotten that last year i went so far as to find a Tang pitcher on ebay that was just like hers because i had so many great memories of breakfast around her kitchen table.  She was a great country cook, btw.  So, remembering that i had the pitcher up in the cabinet and it was going unused, i treated myself to buying some Tang.

This morning i made myself a pitcher and enjoyed several glasses.  It goes quickly apparently lol  And it was good with my bagel and apple.  There really isn't a point to this blog, but i'm hoping that knowing that i have Tang in the fridge, it will help me to get each day off to a good start.  We shall see.

recipe of the week - hash brown casserole

Mom found this recipe in Southern living either in the early 80's or the late 70's.  Either way, it was a staple at our house, especially for family gatherings.  It's another quick, easy and delicious side dish that we now enjoy at our house.  Hope you do too!

1 stick melted butter
1 pt. sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 2lb bag of hashbrowns
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix 8 ingredients and put into a buttered casserole.  Cover with a topping of 2 cups of cornflakes and 1 stick of melted butter.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes

The great thing about this is that you can use low fat dairy and soups in this recipe and it tastes the same!  I like to use as mild an onion as i can so that it doesn't overpower the flavor.  Also, if interested, chunks of ham tossed in work well too!

recipe of the week

Easy Heart Smart White Chili

2 chicken breasts, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp oil
1 can Northern beans
1 can Navy beans
1 can white corn
1 can green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Cook chicken and onions in oil until chicken is done.  Add remaining ingrediants.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Serves 6

This is an easy recipe that we've enjoyed many times!

rambling

for me, trying to figure out who i am is  a tough one.  And sometimes, trying to figure out who i am in the settings of my relationship is even tougher.  Don't get me wrong, i love Michael and i love being in this relationship.  We're going on 6 years now...woohoo!  But sometimes i feel forced to examine aspects of my character because of us and that can be a difficult thing.  i just get jealous of him sometimes because he's the fun one and i'm not.  And by fun, since there are so many definitions of it, i mean he's the popular one.  People are drawn to him.  i don't blame them, i was and still am.

i just don't know if i need to change myself to fit into the mold of what i think a popular person is.  Like my dad, i can be very much a loner at times and usually you'll find me at home.  I use to think that this was ok, but now i'm not sure.  i'm just not the kind of person that people think of to call or get ahold of when they wanna do something fun.  Or if they're coming thru town, i'm last on the list.  And that's all ok because someone has to be last.  I've been last before and sure I will be again.  But all the time?  damn lol

i do have one friend that i see a few times a week, and several that check in with me via text everyday, but that's the extent of my social life LOL  Maybe i need to join a club, or go slumming somewhere.   Who knows!

Or do i just need to accept my role of not being the fun one and go with it? I guess someone's got to be dark horse, or gift with purchase, as i sometimes call myself lol  Michael hates that one.  I don't know.  I just don't know.  And it's not Michael's fault everyone's drawn to him and wants to see him.  Lucky LOL

Maybe i should just take up needlepoint again and suck it up.  Oh well.

2013

This is going to be a good year, i'm determined!  it's funny online as i haven't seen many people posting any kind of resolution this year.  I suppose everyone knows they'll make them then not follow thru.  I've opted out of resolutions and going for goals.  I do tend to think that resolutions have a time limit and are more pass/fail.  But a goal is something i can at least work towards if nothing else.  I don't need another reason to put myself under pressure haha  i've got enough of that already.  now, i need to sit down and come up with my goals.  Hopefully i can find some good ones and some fun ones.  They don't all have to be about getting healthy and quitting smoking i suppose :)  more later

recipe of the week

Burrito Bake

1 Cup Bisquick
1/4 Cup water
1 16oz can of refried beans
1 Cup Salsa
1 1/2 Cups Shredded cheese
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained

Mix Bisquick, water and beans.  Spread in the bottom of a pyrex or pie pan (I use a round pyrex).  Layer the remaining ingrediants on bean mixture.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  I like to serve this with tortilla chips and sour cream and green chilies on the side.