Day Two Hundred Seventeen 2013

What’s For Supper?





Sweet and sour chicken with broccoli over rice. It is crazy easy. For just the two of us, I cut two thawed chicken breasts into bite sized chunks and put it in the slow cooker. Salt and pepper it. Stir in two 10 oz.  jars of  La Choy Sweet and Sour Duck Sauce. Add several handfuls of frozen broccoli florets. Stir it all up until well coated with the sauce. Cook on Low heat setting for 5 to 5 1/2 hours, or, if you’re in a hurry, cook on High heat setting for 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours. Serve it over cooked rice [I use one big bag of Success Rice for the two of us]. You can also use the La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce which is red and has a bit of a different flavor than the yellow duck sauce, but Neil and I like the duck sauce better. You can also use a bag of loose pack frozen broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts. I can’t seem to find these anymore. We enjoy it with only broccoli. I found this recipe a long time ago in the Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes and tweaked it to suit myself. That’s what’s for supper. And it sure was good! Happy Monday, y’all!

Day Two Hundred Sixteen 2013

Fly to where your heart takes you. He who waits for the approval of others has clipped his own wings.
~ Almine

Day Two Hundred Fifteen 2013

EVER LOVIN SATURDAY

Neil and I visited grandson Knox, daughter Kelly and son in law Kerry today. We haven’t seen them in a couple of weeks. Neil wanted to spend some time replacing their front porch hand rail. Knox was pretty happy with the new Elmo book we brought him.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Chop House ~ turkey and dressing and broccoli [we all ended up ordering the same thing]. They also serve up awesome bread before the meal. Even Knox enjoyed some broccoli dipped in Ranch sauce. Everything tastes better dipped in Ranch sauce.

Kelly accidently locked us out of the house and didn’t have the key she needed to get us back inside, so we stopped by Kerry’s workplace to pick up his key and to say hi. Kerry was working hard. Knox was thrilled to see his dada.

At the house, we hung out on the back porch and enjoyed the nice weather [well, except for the rain] while Neil worked on the rail. Knox has his own pint sized chair.

Knox could hear Neil’s saw buzzing and had to go check out what Grandpa was up to in the garage. Knox was happy to help out. He kept handing things to Neil that Neil didn’t need, so we took him back inside.

We made tall colorful buildings that reached to the ceiling. Well, almost. Then nap time rolled around.

Neil couldn’t finish the project today and decided to pack it up and bring it home with us to finish building the new rail. Besides, he wanted to spend time with Knox, who was dying to spend time with his ‘pa’. Knox helped carry stuff to the truck.

And he helped Grandpa push the dolly so he could load up the saw.

Then he wanted to drive mom’s car for a while and push all the buttons and turn all the knobs. [Watch out next time you turn on the radio, Kelly. It might be very loud.]

Knox time and Grandpa time is the best time in the world. Grandpa is the man.

Until daddy comes home. While Kerry ate some of the yummy chili Kelly made us for supper, Knox ran in there to him and started pulling on Kerry, saying, “High! High!” Which means throw me up into the air as high as you can. And daddy did. More fun than pint sized human beings should be allowed to have [but not so great for daddy’s back, but daddy did it anyway cause Knox loves it]. Good times! Fun Saturday! Love you guys!!

Day Two Hundred Fourteen 2013

Flora Friday

"Give me the joys of summer,
Of Summer Queen so fair,
With wealth of lovely flowers
And fruits and sun-kissed air!
Talk not to me of winter
With ice and frost and snow,
Nor changing spring and autumn
When howling winds will blow.
No, I will take the joys
Of Summer every time,
So to this Queen of Seasons
I dedicate my rhyme."
~Winifred Sackville Stoner, Midsummer Joys

My Geraniums are finally blooming, and that's one of my joys of Summer. Happy TGIF, everyone!

Day Two Hundred Thirteen 2013

Thrilling Thursday

Neil and I have eaten our lunch in Dogwood Park almost every day this week ~ very enjoyable ~ although the picnic table was pretty soggy today after the rain ~ lots of people in the park with the same idea

We started out gray and finally turned into blue ~ not too shabby

We took a quick stroll around the park after lunch ~ Neil spotted this kite eating tree ~ Charlie Brown must have been around somewhere

I Spy with my little eye ~ a butterfly ~ see it? As I was heading across the back yard on my way to pick up Elijah after school, I saw this large butterfly [flutterby] soaring along from plant to plant ~ I only had my cell phone camera and managed to snap a picture before it was gone ~ it was really beautiful but it’s washed out in the bright sunlight ~ I was thrilled to get this shot ~ so I guess that makes this a thrilling Thursday. It’s the little things. Happy first day of August!