Barnmouse Blitherings

The time to start figuring out what I’m going to make for my annual “Family Christmas Eve Dinner”.

It started in ‘99 when I was just trying to help my mom and grandma out by doing whatever I could and my mom said “why don’t you make something for dinner the night before Christmas?”…and so it began.

Every year since then I’ve tried to top myself, which, let’s face it, wasn’t all that hard after the first dinner. I think instead of trying to top myself, I’ve been trying to make up for that first dinner. I thought it was fine…and so did CG. I made a stir fry of sorts that I kind of made up. Anyway. I made mashed potatoes to go along with it. Let me back track a second and say that I was 18 at the time. So…well….yeah….I made my Betty Crocker mashed potatoes in the box.

*pause for gasps*

What?! They’re good!

And EASY!

I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I was actually quite proud of myself for whipping up dinner for 8 and not burning anything or undercooking anything, etc. But……now….when I think back….all I can think of is the look my grandmother (the absolute BEST cook EVER) tried to hold back when she saw my box of mashed potatoes.

So, yeah, I’m trying to make up for the powdered mashed potatoes that I can’t believe I feed to my gourmet chef Granny! (and she ATE them! Oh what grandparents do for their grandchildren….I think it helped that I’m the only granddaughter….hehe).

Let’s see if I can remember back….*thinking*….um…no….I can’t remember what I’ve made all 5 years after that, but I can remember the last few. Here’s what I’ve made:

herb crusted steak with smokey balsamic onions
chicken parmesan
cheesey crock pot chicken (you wouldn’t believe how good this is)
chicken kiev (another really yummy one)

That’s all I can remember. This year I’m thinking of going with this new meatloaf recipe I’ve found. I’ve had a hankerin’ for meatloaf for the past few years….but not just any meatloaf. My MOM’S meatloaf! I tried several different recipes (and, I’m ashamed to say, I tried some frozen ones too…Yick!) and none of them were good. Then I was watching the food network and saw this recipe for meatloaf and said to myself “okay…I’m trying this last one. If it doesn’t turn out right….THAT’S IT for meatloaf for me!”….and wouldn’t you know….it was the best!!!

I’m thinking of making the meatloaf, which is surprisingly simple to make. I’m also considering (if I make the meatloaf) to make this yummy mashed potatoes (Yes, with actual potatoes this time!) that has parmesan and mozzarella cheese and some other stuff and then…..oh then……you crust it with parmesan breadcrumbs. It. Is. So. Yummy.

I don’t know what else would go with that. What do y’all think? About everything. I don’t know. I’ve got to decide soon so I can make whatever a few times without CG and me getting so sick of it we don’t want it when I make it for everyone.

Enough whining from me.

I’ll leave you with this….

It’s a freakin’ Praying Mantis! He (or she…I think it was a “he” though…he looked like a “Louie”)….or “Louie” decided that they wanted to hang out on our lawn mower cover. I thought he was cool. There was a little caterpiller chilling on there with him too (I’m not sure if he’s in the picture….I named him “Stan”).

I can’t believe it’s been since last Friday since I’ve posted!!!

I came up with this really great, hilarious, etc… post last night as I was trying to sleep, but it’s totally evaded me all day! That’s how you know something would have been perfect…when you can’t remember it.

Wow….25 and senile already! That’s got to be some kind of record!

Kristine (of Random and Odd) has come up with (IMHO) the hardest Stuff Portrait Friday yet…at least as long as I’ve been playing! It’s all about “Your World”…

1.)Your Freedom
2.)Your Hope
3.)Your Wish

Now….what the heck am I supposed to do with that? Be serious? ME??? Looks like I have no choice!

On a totally unrelated note, I was at the grocery store today and I don’t know if this every happens to anybody else, but this guy got behind me as I was going down one of the lanes and he seemed to be in a hurry, so I pulled my cart off to the side (like he was the fire truck or something crazy like that). He scooted around me and then disappeared down another lane. I continued shopping. Two minutes later, as I’m about to go down the next aisle, he is somehow right behind me! I’m still in “get out of the way” mode so I speed up a little and just turn down the next lane, even though I don’t wanna. He stays behind me. Now…any sane person would do what? Ignore him! But I am apparently not sane. So I keep moving down the aisle. And he’s very close…and I don’t like people to be that close. I have a space bubble. It’s a bit larger than most people’s. If I can reach out a touch you….that’s waaaay too close! I was just wondering if this was just me? It happens when I’m driving too. If someone’s tailing me, I want them gone! Some crazy part of my brain says they’re following you!!!!! RUN!!! It’s kind of like the feeling you get when a cop car pulls in behind you and won’t get around you. Clearly, they want to go faster than the speed limit, but you’re smart and have cut on the cruise control as soon as you hit 45. So now you’re being tailed by a cop. I haven’t looked, but I’m quite certain that at this point, steam actually comes out of my ears from the poor little hamster in my head running on the little wheel that runs all my thoughts. I’m thinking back to grade school of all the things that I could have done wrong!!! Oh God! Did I use my turn signal back in ‘98?!?! So…yes, I’ll admit it….I turn down some random side street hoping to get away. I’m not sure what I would do if the cop actually pulled in after me. Hopefully I’ll never have to write about that fun little experience on my blog!!!

I’m going to bed now and try to figure out what I was going to write about yesterday that would have been so much more witty and interesting than what I just wrote now.