TreasuresInTerraCotta

A couple weeks ago I got caught in a storm.  Not while I was out driving around. Not stuck in the grocery store while the rain passed But stuck out in the storm.  While on a walk. Over a half mile from home. With Andrew in the stroller. Earlier in the morning I could hear thunder.  I could see the dark clouds in the South. But it was 7:30am. And it never rains in Tucson in the morning.  And storms are fickle; they quickly dissipate, they "rain everywhere but here," they thunder but don't rain.  Not to mention that my brother-in-law's house is at the half-way point along my route; a safe refuge.  But none of that mattered. When I passed Ted's house it was still calm.  When I got back to the main road it was sprinkling. I started jogging a little, hoping to get home. Pretty soon the rain and wind was coming at us hard.  Soon Andrew was wet and crying and cold....

Do you ever shop like this:  it was on sale and I had a coupon. Because corn tortillas were on sale last week...and I had a coupon...I bought the package of 80.  Eighty corn tortillas!!  But really, how could I not, when the package of 80 was $2.99 (and don't forget that I had a coupon), and the package of 40 was something like $2.69.  So I've been cooking new things...with corn tortillas!!  I quizzed a few Cooking Friends for their enchilada recipes.  Finally, I decided to make The Pioneer Woman's White Chicken Enchiladas .  Super yummy.  Not good for you!  But worth it. Give them a try some time, if you're in the mood for a non-traditional chicken enchilada. Then I made an attempt at the humble Tostada.  Note: to cook corn tortillas to a nice wonderful crispyness the oil must be hot, but not too hot.  Right!  The mystery evaded me, too. Last night, spur of the moment, I went to the The Pio...

September in Southern Arizona is still swimming weather! But it's finally not so hot...the baby won't melt and I won't roast.  So we drove across town to the Splash Park last week! Calvin wasted no time!  Andrew was a little more skeptical. Note how he's holding his shorts so they don't get wet.  I don't know why that strikes me as so funny an adorable. He ventured under the water bucket canopy... and then he got wet...  Fortunately, he finally discovered that he could soak Brother with the water cannons. Everyone's having fun now.   

Snapping homegrown beans, fresh from the garden, with my grandma and my sister. Well, Hello Mr. Toad... I wish every week was as great as this week has been!  Make it so!

I hope I secured the Coolest Mom in the World title, at least for a couple hours, by getting my first-born MarioKart for the Wii for his sixth birthday! Daddy was pretty cool in his SuperMario shirt...and he even wore it to an interview, which might have secured his Coolest Dad status as well.  So I took full advantage of the new MarioKart game (it's a driving game) and entertained the birthday party crowd with a little tournament. A mother-son face-off!  What Jen might not tell you is that she was in the lead until the very end.  And she didn't even need any Dramamine.  Grandma Baxter and (Honorary) Uncle Scott.  Maybe the steering wheel helped him win.  Calvin and Grandpa.  Calvin knocked me out in the first round!  Two cousins.  Annie looks like she's out for a Sunday drive! Cool as usual.  Who was the brilliant organizer who pitted my husband against my dad??  I cant watch too long or I'll be the one ...

It's Labor Day weekend and we celebrated in the usual way...a Progressive Dinner.  For five years now we've been choosing a theme, searching for recipes, comparing notes and then traveling to three houses, one for each course of the meal.   This year's theme: Cowboy Grub Oh, it was a fun theme!  I was in charge of appetizers and I served: Corn salad/salsa with chips and quesadillas Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos Henry Weinhard's Root Beer  Corn Salad: In Progress Sometimes our themes lend themselves to dress-up!  Cowboys and Cowgirls playing Wii   Main Course: Cowboy Meatloaf Cowboy Beans served in a Mashed Potato Texas Star Dessert:  Peach Cobbler in a cast iron skillet Served with ice cream Two cow pokes all tuckered out!  The proposed theme for next year is Food On A Stick!  Want to join us?  The more the merrier.