FYI

Cook with caution when using a gas stove (real flames) and wearing a robe with big sleeves!

Ty and Sissy do an experiment!

I'm sure to many of you the pictured toy above looks fun and easy!  It's a McFlurry machine where kids can make their own ice cream!  My cute nephew was given one for Christmas by some family friends.  After church today we got to looking at it and I knew I was in trouble when it took 30 minutes just to put it together.  Then it was nap time so he laid down and I had to run to the store to pick up some half and half for it.  

His sister was trying to nap in the living room so we go back to my mom's bathroom to make us some ice cream.  I've learned how to do this over the past few years thanks to some smart friends of mine.  How hard can it be?  I thought...  

We gathered all needed materials.  47 parts to the hand crank ice cream machine.  Ice, salt, warm water, half and half, measuring cups.  I get the machine reassembled from it's washing only taking about 15 minutes this time.  This will be a piece of cake!  We have all our stuff spread out on mom's bathroom counter.  We measure 1/2 cup half and half and pour it in.  

Next thing I remember is Ty hollering, "SISSY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"  I look down to see the counter top is now white from 1/2 of half and half being poured on it.  The half and half is now dropping onto mom's chair and onto the floor.  We grab wash clothes and start cleaning up our mess.  What the heck just happened?  I thought I put it together correctly.  I pulled a drawer out that was underneath our spill to realize that's what caught most of the half and half, gross.  Hopefully, that won't leave too foul of a smell.  

While I'm trying to take a part and reassemble the machine I send Ty into the kitchen to try and find us some help.  I heard him in the kitchen telling his mom and my mom exactly what I said.  "Hey, we need a clean up on aisle 12!"  He comes back with no help though!  By now I'm sitting by the bathtub with this machine in the tub with it still dripping milk.  

FINALLY, I figured it out.  The piece that's suppose to stop the half and half from free flowing out...  I had put it in upside down.  Oops.  If only the picture in the instructions were more clear!  

Just to be on the safe side I take all our ice cream stuff and put it on the floor by the shower.  Ty says, "Sissy, what are you doing?"  I said, "Come on and get in the shower."  He looks at me very puzzled then gets in.  To avoid another possible half and half explosion we're going to finish our "experiment" as Ty is calling it at this point where it doesn't matter if it leaks b/c there is a drain!  

We get all the ice put around the metal cylinder and only dropped a little salt into our actual ice cream mixture.  Finally we start turning to make ice cream.  Taking turns we finally produced some ice cream, after Ty making several more trips to get us some more ice!  

It filled approximately 1/4 of the cup that is shown in the picture.  BUT we did it!  Took about another 25 minutes to clean up our mess too!  

Unfortunately, later on in the evening Ty had a little belly bubbles explosion and his mom thinks it came from the homemade ice cream.  I'm not totally convinced.  But who knows...  I'm pretty sure by tomorrow morning the ice cream maker will probably not be in the house any longer.  

All in all it was fun spending that time with him.  I love making stuff! It was fun to make some with my Ty Ty!  

Yes, I took pictures and will have those up soon.  

Please don't waste your money on one of these machines.  Instead check out something like 

Cool Craft for kids

That was a great portion of my day today. If i had the chance to do it all over again tomorrow I would in a heart beat!  Only we'd just use a baggie, not the machine!  

This is how you know.

Before I came to Texas this time a friend called and said we were going to spend an evening out. Which for her is a big night away from her 18 month old.  She adores that kiddo and her husband but she just wanted to hang out.  

It's 6:05 and she comes over to the house.  My parents had just left to go out to dinner with friends.  She comes in I said we could go anywhere she'd like.  Making decisions isn't real high on her list.  I asked if she'd rather just go get a pizza and watch a movie here at my parents house.  She said that sounded great.  This is how you know you're not as young as you once were.  We laughed all the way to Pizza Plus about how times have changed.  We both agreed that going to dinner is nice but we would be just as happy staying in town and at home.  So that's what we did on our girls night out.  We stayed in!  There were 2 movies we were debating and the store and we couldn't decide so we just rented both.  We ate our pizza and talked at the characters throughout the movie like normal.  

Life really is about the simple things.   A pizza and movie, you just can't hardly beat that! 

I have arrived...

Back in Texas for the Christmas celebration!

The plane ride was lovely as always...  After an hour delay we finally left Knoxville.  Was seated next to some Asian lovebirds who all but made love there next to me.  Then as we get off the plane I realized it must have been father/son work day or something because that kid coming out of the cockpit was not old enough to fly a remote control plane let alone one with real people on it!  

Ty and Mom picked me up so that was an eventful ride home.  We stopped by to visit my Aunt in Carrolton.  Beau and Sara came over for dinner with cute Ainsley!  I watched a couple of comedy shows with Dad then went a visited with a friend for way too long.  Supposedly we're getting up "early" not sure by who's definition of early we're talking about...  But we've got to get food for Christmas eve and Christmas day.  Dad did inform us that we're suppose to get some precipitation from 3-9pm which means we might not go anywhere.  I'm sure it'll be fine though. 

Farewell for now.  I did not get my usual plane ride nap because I was way too into a book I'm reading.  As tired as I am right now I think I'm going to pick it up once more.  Just for a chapter.  :)  

This is great!

Today's post is compliments of one of the most amazing 11 yr. old little boys that I know.  If my mom were around him much I think she would probably say his actions and words are much the same as mine were as a child.  Oh wait.  Maybe some of mine now but that's beside the point.  

For Christmas his family is doing a recipe book of their favorite recipes for their grandmother.  Each child picked their own and wrote a short little blurb for Grandma to read.  Laughter to the point of tears and gasping of breath occurred yesterday as I was shown Christopher's recipe.  

Seriously...  I love this kid.  

I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  His mom said she typed it word for word what he was saying.  

Christopher’s Pickled Okra

I really like pickled okra. One day I decided I was gonna have me some pickled okra. So, I went to the fridge and grabbed the pickled okra jar. I had a pickled okra. Then about five minutes later, I was like, I gotta have another one. I went back to the fridge and got the pickled okra jar again. Then Jonathan walked up and I asked him if he wanted a pickled okra. He said, “Sure”. So, I got him one and I got me one. He ate his and I ate mine. I thought mine tasted odd. Then a few days later I told Mom that she needed to open up a new pickled okra jar because the other jar was empty. She asked if I ate the pepper out of the old jar. I said, “So, that’s why it tasted funny”. So, now I will make sure that the okra doesn’t have a long stem.

Christopher

1⁄2 c pickling salt

1 pint of white vinegar

1 pod of hot pepper

1 garlic bulb

1 sprig of dill weed, fresh

1 1⁄2 quarts of water

Fill clean pint jars with okra, pepper, garlic, and dill. Set aside. 

In large pot on stovetop, mix water, salt, and vinegar. Bring to boil. Pour into jars over okra and other stuff. Seal. Process the okra in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let them sit for about a 1 week for best taste.

Did you know this?

1) If you own a 69 VW and the hood is popped up for better ventilation, it creates a huge gap for leaves to fall down where the engine is.

2) When enough leaves accumulate and enough oil leaks onto those leaves...  it will make an awful smell followed by smoke billowing forth from the engine compartment!  :)  

Just in case you did not know those 2 things...  

Now you do!  As do I as of tonight.  Smelled the funny smell and when I got out at the church noticed the trail of smoke floating from my car.  So what do I do.  Take my wallet from the car and go inside!  

Told my friends to follow me home because the smoke did concern me a bit.  Actually I was more concerned about getting stranded because it's cold outside.  Then I realize I have absolutely NO clue how much gas is in the car so I stopped by to put some gas in.  My helpful friend gets out to check the engine as to possible causes of the smoke, which is coming out again...  That's when we find the tree inside!  I said, "How could there be that many leaves I've only had it out of the garage the past 2 days?"  My friend says, "Yes, but you've had it parked under the big tree for 2 days with leaves falling."  Oh yeah.  

Leaves were removed.  

Smoking stopped.

Problem solved.

It's always a smart thing to surround yourself with smart people.  Didn't actually occur to me when I first saw the smoke to check the engine.  I just walked off and went to church.  Praise the Lord my car didn't catch on fire!  Oh well.  I was smart enough to at least take my wallet inside just in case it did go up in flames.  

Oh yes...  As to my other smart moment earlier this week with the paper towel thing...  Another smart friend offered a wonderful suggestion to avoid those flames in the future.  Wax paper or parchment paper.  Of course this help was offered several minutes after she stopped laughing at my less than fortunate moment!  

Live and learn. 

I'm going to be a little more careful this week.  

Did you know?

That a paper towel will scorch and burn if you put it in a toaster oven?  I did not know that...  Until today!  :)  Left my camera in Texas or I would willing share a picture.