7-21-2015
TACO
TUESDAY!
Soft Shell
Tacos (Meat and Beans)
Diced
Canteloupe
Extra big
batch cooking:
Biscuits
and Sausage Gravy
Shelly’s
No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
When I first got married, my mom gave me a little 19th
century handbook filled with all kinds of “grin and bear it” advise on how to
be a good wife. She didn’t give it to me because she thought in any way that I
would be a good Victorian-era wife – oh HELL NO sister! She gave it to me because
she thought I was just the opposite (and most likely could use a little
advise). Being a good daughter, and avid controversial reader, I read that
book, front and back, and amazingly, after spitting wine through my nose at
many a suggestion, I actually did apply a few of those little tidbits to my
home life and marriage. (Granted I was divorced once, so hey, I guess there was
a bit of a learning curve for me)
The first suggestion: Always have the house clean and tidy
for your tired husband when he arrives home from his long day at the office.
Ummm, yeah, okay, I do that, and frankly I do it damn well! However, when two
farmers – my hubby and my son – come stomping in the door in their grease
smeared boots and chaff-packed jean pockets and strip it all down in the bathroom –
or better yet, they wash their hands in my clean sink – I must say that I have
to question the sanity of suggestion #1. Which brings us right into suggestion
#2.
The second suggestion: Never – no matter how busy of a day
you have had cooking and cleaning, or how trying of a time you have had with
the children, ever let on that you might have been doing anything in your day
other than readying yourself for his arrival. Oh me oh my…me keep my mouth
shut? Do ya know me?
According to the book – which had to be written by a man
posing as a women - it is your job to provide a quiet, stress-free environment
for him. Make sure to have his dinner ready, any messes that YOU, or YOUR
children made, cleaned up, and of course, have a drink ready – in-hand –when he
walks in the door. Remember, your problems can wait. They are minimal to the
stress that he has had to endure during his long day in the office.
(And yes ladies… You may now take a moment now to wipe your
own wine off of your computer screen.)
And, finally, and this is the one that sent me directly from
my empty wine bottle right into his liquor cabinet for a straight shot of
whisky: Always, always make sure that the kids are bathed, and in their clean
clothes, sitting on the couch waiting patiently to greet Daddy the moment that
he walks in the door. (My question on this: Is this before or after he slugs
his burbon and water down his parched throat?) And then, after he is done
saying “good evening” to the children, quietly, but effectively, shoo them up
to bed so that your time and energy can now be focused on him. (Shoo them? I’m
going to try that on all of my kids tonight. Go on now. Shoo. I’ll
report back on how that little gem worked out for me tomorrow!)
Oh yes, and lest us ladies forget, be sure to always, always
light a scented candle to make him feel relaxed and at home. (This one I
actually have done; and frankly this one does work magically!)
Oh my! Well, here is how my day went. First, I woke at 430
so that my friend Kris and I could sneak in our run. Before I left though, I
made sure to have breakfast cooked for The Boss and our daughter who was
heading off to work.
After our run,
and a nice visit in the cool morning air, I came home to clean the kitchen up
from breakfast, and begin to cook for the week. Today was a major cooking day
as you can see from the list above. First I cooked 3 pounds of taco meat for
dinner, (because I’ve agreed that Tuesday is and always will be in harvest Taco
Tuesday!) and I diced up all of vegetables. Next, I cleaned said kitchen again
and started in on making a monster batch of sausage gravy and homemade
biscuits. I’m just hoping it last the week so I don’t have to make breakfasts “pre-run”
anymore. After cleaning that up, Jack and I fed the pigs, I did some laundry,
took Jack to the pool, and went to pick up the kiddos from work. When I came
home, I started in making a huge (thank you Shelly!!!!) and I mean huge batch
of No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal cookies. I think I ended up with
like 5 dozen yummy little morsels and it took everything in my power not to
shove an entire cookie tray full right in my maw. As it was I ate 3, but I did
followed suggestion #2 and not share that weakness and guilt with my husband.
However, as I was cleaning up and putting dishes away again, my first thought was, “Damn, I
would really like to pat a little flour on my face just like that lady in the Rice
Krispies Treat commercial did so that everyone sees all that I have done today
– after all, I already cleaned it all up!_ but these suckers don’t have any
flour in them and, as the advise book stated anyway, this is not about my day,
this is about his. But, I still thought about it anyway, and since the boss is
still out this evening, I might just consider it before he gets home.
After all of that, and getting a glorious visit in with my
grandparents whom I haven’t seen in way too long, I came home to help Jack with
his first pig walk. Sorry to disappoint people, but Jack has really come a long
way since last year. We – and for the most part he – actually walked those pigs
almost all of the way out to the pond and back to their pen. It was super fun and
relatively uneventful. It is sure quite a sight to see a young lad walking two
pigs out in the grass.
Well, that is all for today. Pretty uneventful, and even if
it was eventful, I already have my candle lit, the boss' sweats folded neatly
on the counter in the bathroom so he doesn’t have to walk to his own closet to
get them, the kitchen cleaned, and my smile plastered on my face. Who knew that
I would ever turn out to be such a good Victorian Era wife?
Now, if you all only knew what that book said about sex!
WoWzErS!
(Full disclosure here; my hubby had never, ever needed these
tactics applied to him to make him happy. He is absolutely the best, sweetest
guy around and a super unbelievable husband…but that being said we are only one
day into harvest)
SHELLY'S NO BAKE COOKIES
JACK's FIRST PIG WALK WITH PORKY PIG
