National Cupcake Day...go ahead and CELEBRATE

I don't know that very many people knew this, but Monday, August 20 was

NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY!!

If you know me at all, you know we had to

CELEBRATE!!

 

It was Payton's first day of First Grade, and I was babysitting little Adleigh, so when he got home from school we made cupcakes to celebrate the day!!

We used plain white cake mix and put it into about five different bowls so that the kids could add gel food coloring to make the colors they wanted.

This went pretty well actually until Payton actually put a few too many drops of different colors into his beautiful orange and it turned brown.  You have never seen such a pitiful look come across a childs face.  :(

Thankfully MiMi was able to save the day by reminding him that you can always make something good out of what you think is going to be a disaster....we took another bowl and turned it green and made

CAMO CUPCAKES!!

Now just getting the batter in the cupcake wrappers and "swirled" nearly turned into a brawl because both of the kiddos wanted to be the "swirlers" of the batter.....

We ended up with pink cupcakes, purple cupcakes, green cupcakes, and the camo!!  We had three different flavors of frosting, Strawberry Shortcake, White Chocolate Raspberry, and VANILLA.

We all had a great time and boy did we ever have a good time sampling our hard work!!  If you didn't get to celebrate Monday, go buy a cupcake today and just go ahead and celebrate!!  You have my permission LOL :)

We're Going to the State Fair of Texas

Big Tex
STATE FAIR OF TEXAS
2012

 

 

Every year as a teenager I would always look forward to the fall, it meant one big thing...THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS!!  It' such a fun place to go, so many things to see and do.  I remember one year I even went and met my then "boyfriend" there when he came up with his FFA Chapter to spend the day at the fair.   That same young fellow later became my husband and we have been married this week for 26 years!!  :) 

State Fairs are pretty romantic !!

 

I thought now that the grandbabies are old enough, we would try and make it a family event this year to attend the State Fair of Texas together. 

 

It begins on September 28th and ends on October 21st!!

 

My daughter and I were reading their webpage yesterday and came across "some" of the food items that will be offered at the fair this year.  She told me we would have to bring $200 just for food because it all sounds so good!! 

 

I had to share their "tempting" food offerings with my readers...as a preview.....

The complete info and food list can be found on their website!!

THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

 

New Foods & First Time Vendors

NEW FOODS & FIRST TIME VENDORS

Deep Fried Biscuits and Gravy: Breakfast of champions! A flaky biscuit filled with gravy is dipped in a light batter and deep fried. Belgian Waffle stand on Grand Ave.

 

Texas Steak Cone: A giant flour tortilla cone is stuffed with mixed beans, juicy steak, chicken, pico, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Squeeze on some lime juice and add red, white or green sauce to complete this tasty medley. Ole! Benz Foods on Cotton Bowl Plaza.  (THIS SOUNDS SOOO GOOD TO ME...I AM DEFINITELY TRYING ONE)

 

Heavenly Deep Fried Brownie: A bite-sized brownie battered and deep fried to perfection! Dusted with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and served with chocolate-cherry syrup ambrosia. Tower Building and on Grand Avenue at the Ranchero Fajitas stand.

 

Fried Naked Tamales: New twist on a Mexican food favorite! Fresh tamales are dipped in an egg wash and rolled in masa harina para tamales. Deep fried and delicious! Ruth’s Tamales on Cotton Bowl Plaza and MLK Blvd. across from the Coliseum.

 

Deep Fried Southern Hospitality: An intriguing combination of seasoned pork, fresh collard greens, and hot water cornbread. Shaped in a cone and deep fried to perfection. Served on a stick. Ruth’s Tamales on Cotton Bowl Plaza and MLK Blvd. across from the Coliseum.

 

Double Fried Chicken Breast Taco: Gently hand-breaded home-style chicken breast wrapped and refried in a flour tortilla. Served hot with your choice of cream gravy or jalapeno ranch dressing. Viva el taco! Grand Place Building and on MLK Blvd. beside the Texas Star.

 

Praline Sweet Potato Poppers: Sweet potatoes are mashed and blended with a mixture of butter, brown sugar, brandy, orange zest, chopped pecans, ginger, and marshmallows. Dipped in sweet batter. Fried and dusted with cinnamon sugar. Cotton Bowl Plaza at the Pizza and Nacho stand. (I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THESE AT HOME...SOUNDS SCRUMPTIOUS)

 

Fernie’s Deep Fried Whole Lotta Chocolatta: Fernie’s special recipe consisting of two slices of Italian bread stuffed with dark chocolate, dipped in egg wash, coated with crunchy bread crumbs, and deep fried. Served with a side of Russet potato chips, sprinkled with sea salt AND drizzled with a hard white and milk chocolate shell. Perfected with a dollop of milk chocolate whipped cream. (If 21, served with a glass of chocolate wine.) The Dock inside the Embarcadero Building on Admiral Nimitz Cir.

 

Fried Pecan Caramel Candy: A one of a kind confection consisting of flattened caramel candy squares deliciously dipped in pecan chocolate batter and deep fried. This trio of flavors is topped off with a buttery caramel sauce. Barrera’s on Fun Way in front of Lost Children’s Shelter.

 

NEW VENDORS

 

CRISPIES located on the Midway at the intersection of MLK and Midway

 

Deep Fried Chicken Skin – Why bother with all of that meat? The skin has been separated from the chicken to deliver the best part of fried chicken in every mouthful. Available in MILD or HOT & SPICY. This tasty treat is lightly seasoned, battered, and then deep fried until crisp. (I LOVE CHICKEN SKIN LOL...ADMIT IT....MOST OF Y'ALL DO TOO...)

 

Deep Fried Cake Balls – A bite size morsel of moist crumbled cake blend with rich, chocolate or vanilla frosting. Dipped in a homemade batter and fried to a golden brown perfection, topped with a dollop of whipped cream powdered sugar and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Fried Loaded Mashed Potato – Twist on a Southern Classic. A Texas version of the loaded mashed potatoes in one crunchy bite! All the fixin’s are added to mashed potatoes-bacon, cheese, green onions, sour cream and butter. Rolled to perfection, then dipped in batter and deep fried. Served drizzled with brown gravy!

 

CASSIE’S FROZEN YOGURT located at the intersection of Pike and Fun Way on Fun Way St.
Frozen Yogurt – Frozen yogurt that will vary in flavor weekly (Red Velvet Cake, Birthday Cake, Peanut Butter Cup, and Old Classics).

French Dog – A grilled, all beef hot dog inserted into one half of a crispy French baguette. Condiments may be added before the dog is placed in the bread. This original doggy also comes deep fried.

 

COWBOY’S STYLE PHILLYS is located in the Food Court inside the Tower Building

 

Sirloin steak or seasoned chicken, sautéed with bell pepper, red onions, mushrooms, and cheese and served on a fresh soft, French roll.

 

Cowboy Style Philly sandwiches come in many different flavors: lemon, pepper, blue cheese crumble, zesty BBQ, hot-hot-hot!. Served with a side of fresh, seasoned waffle fries.

 

BRAIN FREEZE is located on Fun Way in front of the Lost Children’s Shelter

Self-serve frozen slushies in a bevy of flavors to chill your body and your mind, hence the name, Brain Freeze. Half priced refills on all cups to keep your mind in a total freeze. Also serving fresh brewed sweetened and unsweetened iced tea to tickle the fancy of true Southerners!

 

ISLAND SPOT is located on First Ave. on the lawn of the Magnolia Lounge across from the Old Mill Inn.

 

A taste of Jamaica with chicken leg quarters, beef patties, Sausages on a Bun and tofu. All are marinated in jerk seasonings and smoked on a grill to Jamaican jerk perfection! These island treats would not be complete without fried bread pudding!

 

THE ORIGINAL BERRIE KABOB is located in the Food Court inside the Tower Building

Fresh strawberries and bananas on a kabob drizzled with Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate. These beautiful kabobs are almost too pretty to eat! We also serve frozen cheesecake on a stick drizzled in Milk Chocolate.  (MMMM YUM SOUNDS GOOD)

 

CHIP’S OLD FASHIONED HAMBURGERS is located on Pike Street inside the Kids Way Area

 

A concession location that caters to our pint size visitors with a Kid Menu featuring kid size helpings of chicken tenders or steak fingers w/cream gravy, burgers and cheeseburgers, mini corny dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and hot dogs. All are served with French fries and a juice box or small soda. Also featured the adult size of burgers and beverages.

 

WILLIAMS CHICKEN TENDERS is located in Cotton Bowl Plaza

Fresh Chicken Tenderloins are marinated for more than 21 hours in a specially blended marinade. Dipped in flour and deep fried to golden, crunchy perfection outside and juicy tenderness inside. Served with fries and your choice of dipping sauces.

 

 

So these are just a few of the yummy items offered in the "food" category of the fair....so many other neat things to do and see....I'm sure I will be sharing more!! 

 

 

 

Homesteading Monday

I thought I should devote a whole day to

COUNTRY LIFE!!  I am linking up with the
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/

Monday Barn Hop!!

Come on over and join us!!

My grandson decided a few months ago that he wanted to have some chickens.   :)  His mother had raised chickens during high school, so we are no stranger to what chicken raising entails!!

He and my husband went out and worked on building a neat little chicken pen in what used to be our "round pen".  There were some local folks that had some hens and a rooster for sale so we went and picked them up once the pen was built.  We now have six hens and one rooster. 

It was so funny once we got them home and settled, my grandson would ask..."why isn't the rooster crowing??" and when we didn't have an answer he came up with his own...he said it was because "our place does not look like a farm...there are no cows, and there aren't any sheep and he just doesn't know he's supposed to crow"...then he insisted that we need to buy all of the above to motivate that poor little rooster.  THANKFULLY the rooster has now started crowing...it's a poor pitiful crow if I've ever heard one....but he crows.  :)  He was also overheard standing in the chicken coop lecturing the hens on why weren't they all laying eggs....it was HILARIOUS!!

My grandson INSISTS that his hens should walk up and down this board to get to their roost.  We are in progress of putting in individual nesting boxes, but for now they just like to get up there and lay their eggs and roost at night.....

Since purchasing the hens, five of them have started laying eggs. (the lecture must have worked)  This will mean 35 eggs a week.  I hope our friends and family are ready for all of the free eggs they could ever want!!   They are beautiful eggs, some are a dark brown and some are a very light tan color and now one has started laying those beautiful green eggs!!  I still have to work on the "ewwww" factor, because while I love eggs, it's just a little different when you pick one up and it's still warm...eeeeee....I just try to forget about it haha and wash them and put them up in the fridge.  One of our hens is even laying double yolk eggs!!  Chickens are just fun!!

Every single one of those chickens is a pet to my grandson.  He likes to go in there and catch them one at a time, take them out and set them on his lap and talk to them and pet them.  It has got to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen :)  Those chickens have no idea how lucky they are!! 

  Hope you enjoy your "mini visit" into our little corner of the world!!

Tackle It Tuesday!!

Just in case you haven't noticed I've started changing up my blog to have "daily themes"!!  I love this one, this way I can share my DIY projects, which there never seems to be an endless supply of!!

Recently I saw a pin on Pinterest that I just LOVED....but didn't want to spend the money on to order and of course said "I could do that myself"!! 

Here is the "pin" that motivated me!!

I realize that not everyone has a board this size laying around, but this time I actually had one out at our farm from our old barn being torn down.  If you want to make one I would suggest just heading to your local lumber store and buying a 1 x 12 board!!

I had picked up this board about two months ago and it has been hidden behind one of our couches ever since I went and picked it up, just waiting for me to find the time to work on it!!

While I was at Lowe's I noticed they had those super little "sampler" bottles of paint and realized it would be the perfect amount for my board!!  I found a lovely "beachy" shade of blue (it was actually called SUMMER 2012 by Valspar)  and started painting!!  Even after the first coat I had only used about 1/4 of the jar. 

I thought it looked pretty fabulous even after just one coat!!

(let me apologize for the quality of pics...these were taken with my cell phone as my camera is "on vacation with my daughter but should be home in time to take pics of the final product!!)

Ok, so it's Tuesday and I started this project on Sunday, and this is still as far as I've gotten!!  I have a feeling a lot of you are like me, running in 15 different directions!!  I will try and finish the project this week and post the final pics on next Tuesday's blog!!  :) 

In the meantime, have a great week and go tackle a project you've been putting off!!

 Come follow me on Pinterest!!

http://www.pinterest.com/texasmimi

~*~MAD MAKEUP~*~ MONDAY

I've decided to change things up a little on my blog, and actually start writing about the things that interest me....after all, there are bound to be some of my followers who are interested in or want to learn about some of the things that inerest  me!!  Every Monday I will write about makeup products, tips and tricks, how tos and reviews!!

For my birthday this year, my oldest daughter bought me an Ulta Gift Card.  If you do not have an Ulta store near you, they sell cosmetics, perfumes, shampoos and such.  It's a really neat store!!

Since she and my grandson have been out of town and on vacation for five days, I had time to go shopping BY MYSELF LOL....:)  I actually don't mind shopping with them, I really don't,  but it's somewhat interesting to shop with a six year old boy, especially when shopping for fun stuff like MAKEUP!!

I walked all over the makeup section and finally decided that I wanted to get one of the little brand makeup sample boxes.  Pretty much every main brand of makeup line has them, Cargo, Sheer Mineral, Lorac, Smashbox to name a few.  I have one by Cargo that I love and that both of my grown girls borrow every time they are at the house!! 

I decided to go with the SMASHBOX brand and got the one titled

SMASHBOX TRY IT KIT

It came with

 Limitless Eyeliner

 Hyperlash Mascara

Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Photo Finish Lid Primer

Lip Enhancing Gloss

It was kind of funny, earlier in the day I had been in CVS and they were having a 50% off sale on some of their cosmetics, so I had already purchased a nifty new Mascara and Lip Gloss......but hey, a girl can never have too much makeup to play with!! 

Let me also say that I am learning and experimenting along with the rest of you.  I am 47 and I still have trouble putting eyeliner on and am alway fascinated by the pretty eyeshadow pins on Pinterest and want to learn how to do them!!  So hang with me, and we will learn together!!  :) :)

I tried the Photo
Finish Foundation Primer out last night, it's super thin and spreads very easily, I thought it was great!!  Even though it's a little sampler bottle, it should last for a while. 

I also tried out the Photo Finish Eyelid Primer and loved it as well!!  Smashbox has a great reputation for carrying a great line of cosmetics!!

I can't wait to try out the rest of my "samples"...I may have to take a "before" and "after" pic!!

My gift card was for $20, and this product was $19.00 so I came out pretty good. I also bought a bottle of fancy shmancy conditioner that is supposed to reduce hair breakage by 92% after the first use , that may have to be my next blog!! 

Do I recommend this product?  Yes, it's great to put in your purse to have ready for when you need to get your makeup on quickly and it's high quality product!!

Angel Flight

 I have always loved the song by Radney Foster called ANGEL FLIGHT.  Coming from a military family, and a having a dad who was a Navy Pilot, it just tugs at my heart strings every single time I hear it.  It wasn't until recently, as in just a few weeks ago, when it was playing on the Cd player in my bedroom, that I had a different view of the song. 

My husband, daughter, grandson and I were all in my bedroom.  They were all talking to me as I was trying to get clothes folded, and I had put this CD in to listen  to.  When Angel Flight came on, the tears started falling out of my husbands eyes.  Let me tell you something, my husband is a Cowboy and is about 6'2.  It breaks my heart to see him cry and like most men you just don't see those tears fall very often.  Seeing his heart break all over again hearing this song just broke my heart into a thousand more pieces.  During the time of right after we had learned of Jake's passing , he had come down to be with us and wait for Jake to arrive, and that night when we checked into our hotel the front desk clerk asked us if we were there because we had a new baby in the family...my husband just broke down and bawled right there in the lobby at 2 a.m.   I could do nothing but stand there and hold my husband.   This song now takes on a whole new meaning.  I thought I would share the lyrics below with you...

ANGEL FLIGHT

Artist: Radney Foster Song: Angel Flight Album: Revival

All I ever wanted to do was fly

Leave this world and live in the sky

I left the C130 out of Fort Worth town

I go up some days I don't wanna come down

Well I fly that plane called the Angel Flight

Come on brother you're with me tonight

Between Heaven and earth you're never alone

On the Angel Flight

Come on brother I'm taking you home

I love my family and I love this land

But tonight this flight's for another man

We do what we do because we heard the call

Some gave a little, but he gave it all

I fly that plane called the Angel Flight

Come on brother you're with me tonight

(Come on brother you're with me tonight)

Between Heaven and earth you're never alone

On the Angel Flight

Come on brother I'm taking you home

Come on brother I'm taking you home

Well the cockpit's quiet and the stars are bright.

Feels kinda like church in here tonight

It don't matter where we touch down

On the Angel Flight its sacred ground

I fly that plane called the Angel Flight

Gotta hero riding with us tonight

Between Heaven and earth you're never alone

On the Angel Flight

Come on brother I'm taking you home

Come on brother I'm taking you home

Come on brother I'm taking you home

Come on brother I'm taking you home

There is so much about this song that reminds me of a moment in time of  Jake and my daughters heroic quest to save his little life.   

When it talks about leaving this earth and living in the sky, we know that Jake is happy in Heaven....even though we would much rather have him here.  We know that when it was his time to go the Angels came down and got him and took him to be with Jesus and all of our family that has gone on before.  When it says "Come on brother I'm taking you home" my eyes start tearing up and I think of Jake's big brother Payton who loved him without ever seeing him.  He was so looking forward to having him join their little family.  I love how it talks about "you're never alone"...we know Jake is always with us.  His "Angel Flight' was sacred ground. 

This song also brings me back to the day the helicopter came to the hospital to pick up my daughter to fly her to a  hospital that really wasn't that far away, that was NOT our first choice, but one that because she and Jake were so medically fragile at the time her attending physician chose to have her sent to.  You can't imagine what it's like to wonder this many months later if only they would have sent her to the hospital where we wanted her to go to,  that we had experience with, if Jake would have lived and  if they might have tried a little harder. 

I was here at home, on February 7th, about 3 hours north of where she was, approximately 160 miles away, taking care of her oldest son.  We knew the helicopter would be coming that morning, and we had decided that Payton and I would drive down that afternoon to come see her at her new hospital.  She called me early that morning and told me that there had been a change of plans and that they were sending her to yet another hospital that we didn't know about at all.  She started texting me and telling me the flight nurse was in her hospital room getting her ready to go. 

 She took pictures of herself as they took her down the hall and texted me. 

 She took a picture of herself outside of the helicopter and texted it to me. Somehow she accidentally hit the "solarize" thing on her phone...I couldn't help but laugh and text her back and ask her why she was green!!

 Let me tell you something, to be a mother and know that your child is about to be flown on a medical helicopter far far away from you is one of the most loneliest heart wrenching feelings in the world. When she texted me and said the helicopter was about to take off I couldn't help but stare into the sky knowing that my baby girl was up there somewhere and sent a million prayers her and Jake's way.  She had many many people praying for her that day. It's a day that I that will be emblazoned in my memory forever.  We are still incredibly thankful for that flight crew, they did everything in their power to make my daughter comfortable, and to make sure Jake stayed stable during the 30 minute flight.


Because of the flight crew and Jessica and all of the equipment needed to monitor her and Jake, they were unable to take ANY of her belongings with her on the helicopter.  Payton and I ended up having to drive from here to Beaumont to the hospital she had been at, to pick up all of her things, hug all of the nurses who had taken such good care of her,  and then drive across from Beaumont to Houston.  It was a good five or six hour trip in the end.  I was SO HAPPY to walk into that hospital room and see her sweet smiling face.  Payton was so happy to see his Momma.  We had to return back home that night.  I hated to leave her there, but I had to come home to babysit my granddaughter.    That Thursday morning they were starting the Magnesium treatment/IV to help Jake's neurosystem and brain.  They had told Jessica it might make her feel bad, so once again I hopped in the car and drove down to be with her.  His heart had been beating fine that morning.  It was some time after I arrived there and between that dreadful time the nurses came in to check his little heartbeat that the angels came and took him home.  She and I are forever grateful that I had come down and was there, and that she wasn't alone in the hospital room to learn of Jake's passing.  Just like anyone who has gone through this, you just wish that you could have known that they were going to be called to heaven , that you somehow could have grabbed a hold of them and kept them from going somehow, because we of course want to keep them here with us, even though without a doubt they are happy little clams in heaven and are running and playing and being held and loved on by our mothers and fathers and grandparents who are already there.  I think we are entitled to feel selfish like that. 

I've gotten to where I almost hate to look at pictures that were taken "before"  a loss, before a tragedy, when you are looking into the innocent faces of those people who will find themselves faced with a new reality after those photos were taken.  We had no way to know that Jake's little heart would stop just three short days later and he would be taken from us.  She had just spent 15 days in the previous hospital holding on to Jake for dear life and another three in the new hospital.   There is still a big empty spot in our hearts today, and the tears come to our eyes at random times and random things like this song make them fall when it brings back these memories like they were yesterday.  

The hurt lessens some as time goes by , as my daughter reaches out to other mothers to help them on their journey, to give them a hand to hold.  If you are reading this story and you too have lost a child, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you daily.  :)

If you would like to read my daughters and Jake's story, please go visit her blog at 
http://www.stillloved.blospot.com 


Jacob Austin we Love and Miss you every day!!

<3 MiMi sends her love to you each night on Angels Wings!! <3

My Birthday!!

I had a GREAT Birthday!!  My oldest daughter surprised me with a cake and presents the night before my birthday and my youngest daughter bought me my favorite miniature roses on my Birthday!!

I got to celebrate it with everyone I love, and that is what it's all about!!

This was such a beautiful cake.  It was called a NEAPOLITAN.  It had Strawberry frosting with chocolate ganache drizzle....from my fav cake shop CHEZ BAZAN!!

Who doesn't love gift cards to shop for makeup and then go out to eat at the Outback?!  Not to mention my favorite candle scent ever, ROSE??

YUM is all I can say...this cake was soooo good!!

The beautiful roses my sweet baby girl got me!!

On my actual "Birthday" this is what we did :)

I can't help it...and I will be the first to admit it, I'm a museum nerd....I love all museums so that's what I chose to do for my Birthday!! 

I had seen where the "Magic School Bus" was going to be at the Dallas Museum of Natural Science and have been wanting to take the grandkids for a while, so off we went on Thursday!!

It's such a neat place with so much to offer families!!

My little lovies!!

P, who LOVES all types of snakes now thanks to "Swamp Wars" was explaining to A what kind of snake this was!!

 

You can't tell it here, but I was laughing so hard....P and A were chasing the pigeons and P was "barking" at them!!

I actually see this look a lot :) :)

Love this little man!!

This was soooo funny....P stuck his head in the nose and it "sneezed" at him..it blows air out!!

These are the neatest little paddle boats I have ever seen!!  I want my own ducky paddleboat!!

It just seems so iconic to have the State Fair Ferris Wheel in the background!!

This was such a wonderful way to spend my Birthday!!!