Sunday, December 11, 2011

I am my family's fainting goat!

I did it again. Passed out when laughing. I know what your thinking. I can almost see the look on your face.

I didn't always do this it's something that started about eight years ago. It has gotten a little worse but nothing I can't deal with. My family knows about it my close friends know also. I wish I knew if it had a name or am I the only one?
Now the world will know also. Ok my world  will know  Allrecipes and Facebook. I have noticed lately that if I turn too fast I get a slight buzz like one too many wine coolers. I might have this looked into after the holidays.
My kids think it's funny to see who can make Mom pass out the fastest. My loving husband, "He who never gets his way" just puts a sleeper hold on me and gone in a wink. 
This blog is a copy of one I posted a long time ago back when Yahoo did blogs. Since I do recyle here you are. I hope you enjoy it.


The more time I spend with my family
, the more I wonder if I will survive.

I have spoken before of making myself small
And hugging the walls in this house of

He who never gets his way.

  
RK. the computer wiz

Testosterone. (Husband chases boys, boys chase each other)

We have a good time at home, but… (There

David the marine befor usmc

Is always a but) From time to time things go a little too far.

There are some things you need to know
Before I tell the tail.

1.             Husband is retired navy cop & plays ruff.
2.             My brothers were cops and I play ruff too. So don’t think its anything more then joking around gone bad.
3.             At some time I will get bling for what happened. So it’s a win for me.
4.             The last time it was “poor hubby” that got hurt. (But that’s another story).

Last night was just such a night. I’m laughing now, but… <~~See there’s another one).

We were sort of watching “M*A*S*H” and
I was cooking dinner and boys and hubby
Were being the hairless apes that I know
And love.

This behavior always includes at least one
“Hay Dad! Watch this!” or “oh shit, sorry Mom” and two or three “oh now you’re mine jerk” and my favorite “ Now boys calm down
don’t make your mother mad” (that is a laugh) Now
that they are almost 20 they answer back with “Oh it’s too late for that dad, you started it!”

David the “Hi Mom” kid, sails past me at the
Stove. Stops and returns with a hug for me and is gone again, over his shoulder he gives me the international sign for shush don’t tell. I know why as soon as I hear the
Loud “Son of a”… I’m so proud of my husband
He has learned to censor himself, this often
Makes him sound like he can not complete a
Coherent thought but it cuts out a lot of cussing.

My husband is now wandering the house looking for who ever did what ever to cause the outburst. As he wanders by me in the kitchen he stops for a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Have you see our youngest?” is the question “I can’t say” is my answerer.

Now this is a challenge in our house. I know the rules “dish it, take it.” I play the game as well as the next family member.

“Oh really, you can’t say or won’t say?” laughing and in his best Col Klink voice
“I have ways of making you talk mine cookie”
“No, no you don’t not when I’m trying to cook” I warn (what was I thinking) I was thinking it would work is what I was thinking. It didn’t and the tickling begins.

Now some how I thought I was going to stop
This action by smacking my husband playfully
With the wooden spoon I was stirring the mashed potatoes with (yes I really do cook with them).

He said something smart and I got smart back and he “as we like to say in this part of the world” came untrained, and put me in a sleeper hold.

This is no big deal with our kids but I pass out if I laugh to hard (there is a name for this but that’s another story) so what should take 10 seconds
And give the person time to say uncle only takes about 4 and I really thought I said something. They tell me I didn’t only a funny “snurgel” kind of sound. The last thing I remember hearing was M*A*S*H on the TV. Sidney Freedman was telling some kid it would be ok. Now I am wondering how I’m going to get back to the house from Korea.

This makes me chuckle and think your not really in Korea, you’re, well shit where the hell are you.

I do not know if all people feel this way on passing out and coming to, but I did.

Now on the outside looking in. I am now in a ball on the floor. Bob is feeling really bad about the sleeper hold decision & wondering why it is I’m smiling. I’ll tell him later.
David hears his father calling my name louder and louder , waits till he says he heard my knee pop to come running (did I mention I have arthritis). As I come around and wake to the moans I realize it’s not on the TV. My knee is screaming at me and its not “you can do it” it’s more like “why did you do it”.

My hubby bless his heart is on his knees holding me. As he should be, no reason I should be down here alone. My son is saying
Oh shit Dad do you hear that?? Mom’s knee is popping every time she moves it. Ok good just what I need to hear someone say.


I’m all back now. thats then I realize that it’s not my knee popping its Dads I’m laying on his bad knee. Oh this is tooo funny now.
My knee is killing me but its not as bad as my son thinks. However his dad is much happier when I roll off his knee.

The three of us are all laughing on the floor by this time. My knee is never going to be the same but it’s easing up some. Dad asks are you ok honey? “I know he was looking for a oh sure baby or yea I’m good”
BUT… all he got was “are you kidding? Right now I’d kill you for a Klondike Bar” This is a running joke in our house. To see the joke go here.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go) the joke your looking for is at 4:48 .
My loving son rolls to his side laughing. Poor husband frowns and tries to hide a smile. He’s in on the joke too. Now is when son number one comes out from his room. “What’s up you guys?” almost angry “Why didn’t you Call me?” now into mister pissy  “I miss all the fun!” and with out missing a beat “Oh, is dinner ready?” and finely holding out his hand  “Here Mom you want some help up?” I can see father and David plotting a way to get him for that last one.

Well dinner is done and I’m enjoying some TV. As look at my loving family doing the dishes and think… it was almost worth it.
I call to my hubby “honey, could you bring me some more ice for my knee?” yes your right I am going to milk this for the rest of the night and as long as I can tomorrow.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

How making pepper Jelly got started.

This is 10 Ghost Peppers in a jar of vinegar.
Run that first line past your brain one more time. I'll give you a "mo". Yes it's starting to sink in now,isn't it.

Do you know what I do with this?
No I don't put it on greens. I use it in my Christmas Jelly. This jelly has become a tradition in my house in just 3 years. The first time I made it "As written" and reviewed it. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/red-and-green-christmas-jalapeno-jelly/detail.aspx



Then I tweaked it. Then I made it super low sugar and submitted it for publication.


I make the full sugar version for gifts and save the low sugar one for MIL and me. The first year I made it for extra gifts and little happies for teachers and bus drivers. The people you didn't think would get you a gift but did. My mother and grandmother taught me to keep some little something under the tree wrapped and tagged with  messages like "Just for you","Because you made me smile","Thank You" and "From our house to Yours, Happy Holidays." The charm of southern grace is not looking like it was planed. This was a lesson I learned by watching my Mom make people feel welcomed in our home with just a smile. She had a way with people.

So I Started making the Jelly to keep  for those unexpected visitors that bring gifts. The next year some of them sent the jars back with notes. Others just showed up again with a little better "surprise gift". My sons were caught rutting around under the tree for the jelly gifts for teachers and just to keep in the house. Because " Mom you give away the best stuff!" I got the hint. 
I had to change the "Wise Men Gifts" ,what my Mom called the extra gifts under the tree. I guessing because they were the first ones to show up with unexpected gifts.  That year the "wise men" that showed up got  Banana
                 Nut Bread or Cranberry Orange bread. Still a nice gift but you could tell it was a disappointment. So, I just channeled my mother. Smiled and said "I so hope you like it, I used some of our pecans from the tree out front."

This lesson I learned from my High School physiology teacher. Most people will try to please a gift giver if the giver makes them feel like their approval is important to them. 
I credit my high school physiology teacher but my grandmother could also have taught me this . She was good at the guilt trip also.

So most went away happy with their bread.  Next year I didn't get as many last minute visits.  He who never gets his way remarked no this and I smiled and said "Well you know how hectic things get this time of year." He smiled and said " Right,I'm sure it didn't have anything to do with the gift switch from Jelly to Bread."  I was caught. We had a good laugh and a wonderful chat.



This year I started early. He who never gets his way was in a canning mood. Why pass that up and I have got sooo much extra to do this year.               
 I make the Jelly and he helps can. I love having the help, and he seems to like being needed. This years Jelly making went like this. I used half regular vinegar and half ghost pepper vinegar. 1/4cup Red Jalapeno peppers. 1cup green bells,1/2 cup red bells, and some orange sweet peppers, for color.   I chopped the peppers using my left hand to hold them and my right to hold the knife. Washed my hands very carefully and was sure I had gotten all the pepper juice off my hands. I didn't spill and of the vinegar so I was quite happy with myself.

 Imagine my surprise when my face right under my right eye started to itch and burn. Well I could not stop now the jelly was in the second stage of cooking and I could not take time to fix the problem that would surly get worse if I mucked around with it now, and I'm wearing contacts oh goodie. 

My mind said "Umm Robin baking soda and water paste on that will get you through the cooking and canning." So I said thank you keeper of my jumbled filling system and made a paste of baking soda and water and smeared it on. It looks so stylish don't it yuk yuk yuk. I Soldier on with the jelly making.     
 
He who never gets his way ,came in from his shop just in time to help with the canning and tell me I had something under my eye . I explained it to him and he said "Hummm thats why I always were gloves." I remember to turn away befor rolling my eyes. I do tell him that next time I will, and ask him to help me finish up the Jingel Bell Jelly.
Lids...check





Jars at the ready. I moved the hammer before we started.  What don't you have a kitchen hammer? I had used it to wack some frozen hash browns for breakfast. So sue me I was trying to save time and clean up so we could do jelly before lunch.




I have no picture of the jelly filling, it's a two person operation at our house and no one was left to take the picture.







 The watched pot was boilling befor I put the jars in so does that rule still apply? 
My cousin one time asked if a tree fell in the forest making no noise how would you know? I'm still not sure if he was that zin or just lexdiscik like me.
I some times wonder "If a tree falls in the forest dose it have to hit a man on the head before he knows."  All the women will get that and the men who do are keepers.

.                                                                                                                                                                     The jelly came out wonderfull I had about 1/2 a jar leftover so I put it in the frig. Want not; waste not. not to mention the jelly is sooooo good on cream cheese and crackers or grilled chicken. Oh now I'm hungry better go get lunch.


Tune in next time for.....
OMG my eye ,or I'm blind ;son of  &$%(*&#@!
The story of a girl her contacts and hot pepper in the eye!