banana Laffy Taffy

I went to the local WINCO foods to pick up a few groceries. It was a quick trip because I only needed some produce, coffee, eggs, and raw almonds. The raw almonds are kept in the bulk food section in the back corner of the store.
I had to go through the bulk candy. That is when I saw the bin filled with my latest obsession. Laffy Taffy-- specifically Banana Laffy Taffy.

I do not understand why this confection has caught my attention. It could be that I have baked my brain for too long. in the summer sun.  Perhaps the heat has caused this crazy craving? I will be kind to myself and let this run its course.

Dogs can have food cravings too. No, they are not able to satisfy their urge without human help, but they can enjoy specific foods with an attentive owner.  In our house, it is Lil Blackie who has a favorite food. His interest is more healthy than mine-- he loves WATERMELON. 

Adjusting to the changes in our house without our Kelsey may be the reason why I am having a hard time posting to this blog. I wish that I could write something with substance but it is not in me right now. The world seems quieter without her. The baying of a bloodhound is a sound that I love and that I miss.

Small summer joys are what we will work on at our house for the rest of August. I have got to force myself to laugh each day and search for more ways to make memories with loved ones. Whether we want it to or not- life goes on. Loss and grief sucks.
Hug your dog today. Let the sunshine bake your brain. Why don't you try to find a candy from your childhood that made you happy?     Give your pooch a cube of watermelon   -- he might like it.

green smoothies with flax seeds added

When I was little dessert was a big deal. I am one of the youngest in a large family and money was tight. If my busy Mom had the time to bake we appreciated every home made morsel.

I am the busy Mom today but my immediate family is much smaller. I try to bake for my family but their reaction is different than my siblings in my childhood. The family is kind and appreciative but usually after one piece of homemade dessert, the remainder sits and grows stale. Sugary goodness has become the enemy and tends to be avoided by my adult family members.

Why is there such a difference between my childhood and now? As I watch half a double chocolate cake grow old, I ponder the reason that it lacks our attention.

Are we too busy to make our meals (and dessert) important?  I know that I search for better ways to utilize my time each day to get more work done. My "to do list" is always longer than the time allotted to complete it. I believe that is the norm. Our busyness seem to be multiplying and I question whether it improves our lives. Is more (completion) actually better for life in the big picture?

Faith, Family, Friends, Job searching, Business creation, Classes, and Volunteer work. Toss in some rowdy English Bulldogs and a Bloodhound and I think -- maybe the chocolate cake might help me handle this.  

Maybe it's my age? Am I a grown up because I mix spinach, flax, and protein powder with almond milk, ice and banana for breakfast?

 I hope that we ALL learn to eat dessert first. 

my mom's chicken crepes

Cooking is always more enjoyable if the recipe you are preparing has a family history. Memories can come flooding back while chopping, mixing or baking. I had a memory filled dinner prep time today making my mother's chicken crepes.


When I was a child my mother would let us pick our birthday dinner. For many years, my pick was always the same- her chicken crepes. A couple of times, she would try to talk me into something easier. I always refused to budge from the dinner preference and she would finally agree. Until I started making them years later, I never realized how hard I made her work.

The chicken that is available in the stores today is different than my childhood. Cheap rotisserie chicken to quickly shred was not available. Mom first had to bake or boil the chicken, cool it, then shred and prepare it, as well as make, flip and stuff  the crepes. There were often 8+ people around the dinner table so that equaled a lot of hard work.

I wonder sometimes what my kids will tell their children about my cooking. Will it be the cross country breakfasts on Fridays? Perhaps the greasy eggs and bacon ritual before the high school football games? I really don't know butI hope that whatever they choose will be pleasant. I hope that they try to mimic the favorite dishes and tell their family of when and why it is important to them. 

My dogs study my every move when I work in the kitchen. I swear that I can work on the family evening meal for an hour and they politely watch, but if their ingredients come out of frig (even before the bowls are placed on the counter) then-- it is darn exciting! They are so easy to please. Anyone who thinks that dogs cannot tell time has never been late serving their dinner.

I think that it is because I am feeling old that I share the family history more and more. I hope to pass down history through food, or pictures, or words. This weekend I will get out the deck of cards and tell the boys about Georgetown Lake, hot dogs, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes -and playing gin rummy with my dad.