Fajita/Nacho Chicken

Okay, so last night we made fajitas/nachos, and that means fabulous chicken. I had someone ask for the recipe, so here it is.

1 pack chicken tenderloins, cut into small pieces

Toss in:
Paprika
A little Season-All
Worcestershire (a lot of this, it's my favorite)
A dash of mild Picante sauce
If you like, you can add some cajun seasoning, garlic, extra pepper, whatever. We just like our chicken on the mild yet flavorful side.
The chicken should be wet, but not runny.

In a roomy non-stick skillet, heat some oil. I use olive oil, but regular veg oil would be fine. Toss your chicken around until it's all cooked through. That part's really cool, cause with the small pieces it's really quick and you can actually see it turning.

We serve it either nacho style over chips covered in melted cheese and paprika, or fajita style with sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and salsa.

Chivalry is dying...slowly and painfully!

     You know guys, as a species I think that all those video games or something is seriously sucking away your manners when it comes to the fairer sex. Yep, I consider myself as part of the FAIRER sex. After all, the Lord made Maybelline and nail polish for us, right? :) And that's as far as that argument goes....
     I'm smack in the middle of the age where on the one hand my friends are settling down and getting married, starting a family, and buying a minivan, while on the other hand they seem to be settling down into a date-date-date-date-date-die pattern. A few in the middle, like me, are stuck in that 'date' mode, or lack therof, trying to get to higher ground.  
     I will admit I'm picky. When you're looking for Mr. Right, you get that priviledge. I probably have read too many Victorian romance novels with too many perfectly charming princes. But I'm not heartless. I don't have a checklist of qualities one must have to buy me dinner. I don't make you sit in the living room while my dad cleans his guns and tells prison stories (Mike has never been to prison yall, he just does that for effect). I'm as cheap a date as they come, 'cause you'll never catch me eating a steak, ever.
     But geez guys! I'm 22, and I've had my share of 'talking' and casual dates, and legit ones too. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to ask a guy, 'Would you say/do that in front of your mama?' So far I'm getting a pretty long list of things to teach my future sons NOT to do.
     Now where I come from, respect is number one. If you put that first, most other things will fall into place. You respect the gal's parents, you respect her, you respect yourself. That doesn't leave much room for bad dating. So that leaves me to infer from experience that somewhere along the way respect got shoved into the backseat.
     Take today's example. 'Lancelot' here decided to start up something. Sometimes I'm all for the mass technology our society depends on. It sure makes cases like this easier (i.e. I didn't have to get ugly in public). Lancelot decides to get my number off Facebook and text me hello. Naturally I require a name, but once an acquaintainceship has been proven, I'm cool with proceeding. Lancelot fails to make it three texts into a conversation before becoming a totally rude jerk.
     Listen gents, freaking be nice. How hard is that? We, or at least I and the girls I know, try to. Here's a tip. When a lady tells you she's seeing someone, take the hint. Whether we are or not isn't your business, because for all intents and purposes we're currently unavailable, and that's the best way we females have found for saying no nicely without hurting feelings.
     Lancelot misses the cue. He asks me if I'm serious about the other person. Well sir, I wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't. Strike one. I respond that yes, we are. End of story right? Nope. Lancelot has the gall to ask if I'm really serious about him. Strike two. You just called me a liar, and no girl likes that. I respond, as icily as one can be in a text, that yes, we are seeing each other exclusively, I just don't like to mix Facebook and dating. Lancelot keeps going, bull in china shop style. He responds with 'Well, I guess that means it isn't really serious sweetie'. Strike three, four, and five. You don't call me a liar, again. You don't get an attitute with me. You do not call me sweetie when you're clearly either drunk off your skull or a top of the line cad. Final straw: he clearly misses the point of 'Yes, it is, and please quit texting me now.' and keeps right on going.
     Now boys, if a girl said that to you, hopefully you'd have the sense to drop the phone and back away. That's the problem with texts though. You miss out on the whole 'go away and die' look.
     Let me save you fellas some trouble in the future. When a lady says no, stop, go away, etc., just freaking do it. If a southern belle has moved past nice into point blank, you've clearly offended. We were raised to say no as nicely as possible, but sometimes it takes all we have not to wallop you with our purses.


     List of things I'd love for Mr. Right to do:
     (Not requirements, but I can dream right?)
~Kill and remove spiders, mice, bugs, and general vermin.
~Weedeat - My skills......ain't there.
~Wear matching socks, which I'll gladly fold - it's a pet peeve of mine, my sister drives me crazy with one pink and one blue.
~Not snore. Please God, not snore.
~Remove anything that vomits (pets, kids, yourself) from my sight before I join in.
~Have normal pets -  snakes, tarantulas, and indoor pigs are not normal.
~Not bathe in cologne - strong cologne gives me an instant migraine. (I actually went on a date once where the guy asked beforehand if I minded him wearing cologne. Instant brownie points!)
~Read actual books, Sports Illustrated doesn't count.
~Program the DVR/satellite tv - I am more inept here than weedeating. At least I know how the weedeater is supposed to work...
~Be original with presents - Flowers, candy, it's been done. Be creative, use your mind.
~Not be a total packrat - 'That shirt from 2001 with the seven holes, it goes. And the shaggy sweater you hide under the bed, that too.' I'm an avid donater of stuff I don't need.


     List of things I will not require Mr. Right to do:
     (However, he's welcome to participate if he wishes)
~Shop - I prefer to shop alone, or with other females.
~Join me on some insane lettuce-ricecake-wheatgrass diet.
~Join me in yoga, taebo, or any other exercise thing. I prefer to look the fool alone.
~Fix everything that breaks in the house or put everything together - I'm actually good with tools.
~My clothes - I'm OCD about my clothes being neat, but I don't expect everyone else to be.
~Watch chick flicks, the Golden Girls, etc.
~Overly decorate for every holiday - I'm a minimalist when it comes to cutesy holiday decor. One Christmas tree, a few decorations, that's fine.
~Buy feminine hygiene products. Not eyeshadow, not Tampax, nada. - Habit. My dad stays well away from the world of girl beauty products, so we fend for ourself. Plus, how many guys know the difference in lipstick and lip gloss?

Growing Up and Moving On

     This is my last spring break ever...from a student perspective anyway. I'm more excited about this than I should be, and more apprehensive. As much as some of my friends want to be in college forever (some will be I think, haha) and as much as some of them still want too be footloose and fancy-free, I've always been ready to grow up and be an adult. Like this once when I was little, my Papa was kissing me goodbye and being silly, kissing me from my hand all the way up my arm. I looked at him and said, "Behave Papa!" Haha that's what my parents got for never treating me like a baby.
     As long as I can remember, I've always been ready to move on to the next step in life. I'm definitely a planner, and kind of an OCD one at that. I'm always researching my next step, or the next five steps rather. But, like most kids my age, I've spent the last ten years of my life preparing for and being in college. Now that the end is nigh, I really am kind of lost looking for what to do next.
     Sure, I have a ton of options. I am somewhat of a modern day 'Renaissance-woman'; that is, I have a ton of skills, but I'm just not sure any of them are what I'm supposed to be doing. God still has me 'Waiting' for that answer. Dad sent me a cool link about looking for a 'calling' as opposed to a 'job' (here), but I think I'm still kind of looking for both.
     This is what I'm sure of: I don't want to go back to school, at least not for a good while. I have had such a sore experience altogether, I'm about as burned out as you can be. Once I get that degree in June, I'm moving on to something else.
     I'm someone who needs to be busy. Sitting at home isn't fun for me. When I'm stressed, I want to go do something and work out my tension, not take a vacation or relax. The more free time I have, the more I obsess over and think about the problems I need to leave to God. If I sit at home much longer, I'm going to need several new hobbies. I have a dobro I'm about to learn to play, but I need something more mentally time consuming :) Maybe I'll start quilting or something...
  

    I've started paperwork to be a short term missionary with Global Outreach this fall. I love doing mission work, and I've always been mildly envious of my friends who got to go off for summer missions during college. I thought about doing one of those, but it never was the right time or place in my life or God's plan. Now is perfect though: I won't have school or a job to work around, I'm old enough and responsible enough to go and do pretty much anything they need, and I'm fully ready to be useful to someone, someway.
     I don't have a particular place I want to go or a particular job I want to do. I'm leaning towards something in Central or South America because of my Spanish and my familiarity with the people and cultures, but Europe interests me too. I put down for my skills: youth/children work and teaching; music; office, cleaning and organizing work; and first aid/medical work, so that pretty much leaves my options open to anything short of construction and digging ditches. I just want to go be useful somewhere that needs me and my talents especially, and I'm sure Global and God have just that place.
     I finish school in June, and have a short mission trip planned already for July, so I'm planning to tell them I'll be ready to leave in August. That gives me plenty of time to settle my school stuff and enjoy summer with my sister before she starts school, and August is when most of the summer missions people leave the field and come home. I plan to stay until Christmas, around four months total.
     Don't get me wrong - this isn't set in stone yet. Everything depends on God and his plan; I'm just putting the steps in motion so I'll be as prepared as possible.
    
     I have a few prayer requests for yall:
-Pray that Global comes back to me with a position so perfect, I know it was designed by God. I'm definitely leaving the choosing up to Him, so that I won't pick something wrong for me and for Him.
-Pray that what nervousness I have about his goes away. This is a big step for me, four months a long long way from home, doing Lord only knows what. The devil knows this, and I keep picturing myself being stuck in a hut with a family who speaks no English...and other such nonsense.
 

Fifi

     Ashley Grant, you wriing that post about Mr. Junior got me all stirred up in my head. I sat here remembering all the people I've got to look forward to meeting again in heaven, like my greatgrandparents, and my Granny, and Tiffany. This March 4th would have been my aunt Tiffany's birthday. Sometimes it doesn't seem like she's been gone all these years, but then again it always seems like she's been gone too too long. If you never got to meet her, you missed out meeting one of the most amazing people God's ever made.
     Tiff died six years ago, from ovarian cancer. She had been fighting for years, back and forth between amazing times and pretty bad ones. But I don't think I ever saw her defeated, or depressed, or discouraged, or anything less than hopeful for God to do something great. She even tried to keep all of us laughing, in spite of the battle she was fighting. If I could have just a spoonful of her faith, I'd be an infinitely better woman.
     Me and Fifi were so close. That was my special name for her, Fifi. Maybe because I was the first baby to come along, and the only one for years; maybe because we spent so much time together as I grew up. She was just like another mother, except she'd let me do stuff Mama never would and she'd tell off on stuff Mama and her used to do as kids. She taught me my first real song - Chattahoochie by Alan Jackson -and I think I wore out three tapes singing it with her. She loved playing with my hair, even when I was a teenager. Sorry Caleb, you never could quite fit the bill on that one haha. She'd spend hours playing with me, whatever game I came up with, just having a ball together. I loved going up to Family Time Video when she used to work there. That was the coolest place on earth to me.
As I got older, she'd take me to her house and let me just hang out with her, not just like aunt and niece but like girlfriends. She taught me how to drive when I was thirteen, without Mama and Daddy knowing it, driving down Hurricane bottom in her little red Grand Prix. She helped me through those awful middle school growing up years, through bad hair styles, through shopping woes, even eating the caramel part of the Snickers bars when I had braces so I could still get the taste. We'd act purely retarded together in public, and drive Mama and Grandmama crazy. She even helped me go out for the only beauty pageant I ever did, and even though I didn't win she still made me feel as beautiful as if I'd won a crown. I have no doubt if she'd lived into my older high school and college years, we'd have spent way more money than necessary on clothes and makeup, talking about boyfriends and college, and if she were here today, I'd spend a lot of time asking her for advice on where to turn when life goes crazy.
     I remember just before she died, her sitting down with me and us planning out my wedding, as much as a fifteen year old girl can dream about. She knew she wouldn't make it until then, but she was determined to be as much of a part as she could. We talked about everything, the dress, the flowers, the ceremony, anything that could be imagined. I didn't like cake back then (crazy huh?) so we even planned for me to have a cookie tower wedding cake. I'm still doing that, even though I make wedding cakes for a living, and I'm dedicating it to her. She even gave me a set of jewelry to wear. I had always loved this jewelry of hers, always begged to wear it, and now it's in my room in a box with all the other jewelry of hers I have and the notes she wrote me, waiting on that special day. I hope when it gets here God lets her have a one day pass, just to come watch.
     When she died, I didn't think I'd ever be able to stop crying again. I cried for days, and still as I write this I'm crying. If you know me any at all, you know how rare that it. I never cry, never get emotional. But losing Fifi hit me hard for a long long time. I did get in a laugh the week I went back to school though. I sat at lunch every day with the same kids; Ashley McGee, you were one of them. One of the more airheaded ones just hadn't been paying attention I guess, and he asks me, trying to be nice, 'So how's your aunt?' Before I can even get upset, I see Ashley beating the snot out of this poor boy yelling 'You IDIOT! She DIED! Didn't you know she's been out all week at a FUNERAL?! Oh my God, I can't believe you!' And before I knew it I was laughing at my erstwhile bodyguard and her poor victim.
     My uncle Gable is now remarried, to an awesome lady named Barbara. I swear Fifi just leaned over to God and said 'Yep, that's her' cause nobody could be a better wife for him and a better mama for Caleb than she is, and a better aunt, daughter, and sister to my family. Her and her daughter Lauren fit in like they were made for our family. Caleb is going to be 14 this summer, and is bigger than me, and he looks and acts just like Tiff sometimes. He's never forgot anything about her, and won't. Tiffany spent years making him scrapbooks and videos about them together, and even though he may call Barbara 'mama' sometimes now, she makes sure she reminds him every day about his real one.
     I can't wait until I get to heaven and see her jumping up and down to see me. I bet she's even done something funny with her angelic robe, just for me. Probably found a big ol golden bow for her head! Haha
     Here are some of my favorite pics through the years. Excuse the photo quality. Our scanner decided it didn't like me, so I just took pictures of pictures :)

This is where the golden bow comment comes from. Its my favorite picture of Fifi ever. I think this was her last Christmas with us, but she still felt good enough to act crazy, as you can see. I have this pic framed on my bookcase, 'cause it's as close to a true picture of Fifi's attitude and spirit as you can get.

This is me and Fifi in Disneyworld. Some amazing friends of my grandparents paid for Tiff, Caleb, and my family to go right after Tiff found out she had cancer. It was a great trip, all of our first times in Disney, and I think we'd have stayed forever if we could have. This pic was when Tiff and me went and got matching necklaces. I still have mine, in my box.

Tiffany in high school. She loved basketball. Funny enough, even though Gable pushes football and baseball, Caleb does too.

Prom, the year I was born

Mama and Tiffany

Tiffany and me when I was little.

Tiffany and me again, at my grandmama's family Christmas

This is my favorite picture of Tiffany and Caleb. This was taken at the resort we stayed at in Disney.

This was our last family picture, fall 2003 I think.

March showers, trees with flowers

     I'm never one to take my camera and get snap happy...actually, I don't even own a camera...but today I felt like getting out and exploring, so I grabbed Dad's cool photographer-y camera and went out to see what I could find. Sidenote - only minor trespassing was committed in acquiring these pics, but in Thaxton that's simple to solve. 'Hey, can I take a picture of your tree? Thank you much.'
     Not much is blooming in my yard. We just moved in last spring, so we only have one quick summer's worth of landscaping to show off. Our biggest accomplishment was the grass :) and a few bushes in the flowerbeds. But our laurel petlams have pinked up really nice. They actually showed up bright in contrast to the overcast day today.

That's my front porch. See the little cherub fountain hiding out in all the pink?

Tree by our mailbox, with our house in the background.

These are the Bradford pear trees at the entrance to our subdivision. I had to snap quick because it started raining on me and I had to run to the car before the camera died!

Background focus

Same pic, foreground focus

Closeup...see the pink in there? Love it.

This was on the side of the road. I did a sort of double-take in my car once I saw it because it was so pretty! Again, legality isn't an issure. U-turns in people's driveways are perfectly acceptable here haha.

Same roadside, just a few yards over, was a big spread of daffodils.

I love how they're all kind of mixed in with the tall dry grass, all rustic like.

They were all kind of drooping from the rain. I'll have to go back Thursday when it's sunny and catch them when they're standing up pretty.

Another roadside (where I live, it's perfectly fine to pull off on the side of a one lane country road just to take a picture of flowers...chances are nobody's going to drive by anyway)

I love how the white is growing right up through the old leaves.

The way the white tree leans, it kind of looks like the old brown one is chasing it :)

I moseyed along the same country road and stopped by one of my uncle's pastures to take a few shots.

This is one of my favorites of the day, with the pink, white, and yellow-green all growing in layers.

 The pink was growing around this old barbed-wire fence, kinda made for an interesting shot.

I don't know how I did it, but I love how I focused on the white in the background instead of the pink in the foreground.

These are the old fashioned kind of daffodils, white separated petals and yellow centers.

I love how the raindrops showed up so good on the stems.

I also had a little friend watching me...he wasn't quite sure what I was up to. I probably should have brought something to make friends with...like the apples in my fridge nobody has eaten.

Then I drove down another one of our many one lane country roads for some more stuff.

I drove past this field, and it wasn't particularly springy looking, but it was pretty all grassed over orange.

Went by Cane Creek. It's the kind that's graveled over and has no rails, but is still reasonably safe, so long as you aim straight when you drive over it.

This looks like something from the mountains...except it's in a creek bottom in Thaxton, MS :)

I love how this sign kind of got taken over by the vines.

Last but not least, I found one patch of the cane the creek got its name from :)

I hope Thursday turns out as sunny as the weather channel promises. I have some more yards I want to sneak into and take pics in haha. Don't worry, it's all okay if you're in a small town!

Anti-diet food anyone?

     If anyone out there likes sugary goodness, welcome to The Cakery! My menu and pricing can be found here, but I'm never opposed to trying out any requests you have! Everything I make is homemade. I'm all about doing things the old fashioned way as far as ingredients and baking - I make it however it tastes best, using real butter, cream, etc. Yes, that makes it all fattening, but it makes it all tasty too. I make them as close to your order date as possible, not doing things ahead of time and freezing them until I need them. If there's fruit involved, it comes from Sam's or Pontotoc Market Basket, because those two places get choice pick of the fruit market. If you ever want to know what's in anything, I'll be happy to tell you.
     As of right now, I'm not doing this to keep a store running or pay off student loans; I'm just doing it because I enjoy being covered in cake batter and trying out new design ideas. I don't have any formal training in this either; I just started making desserts and kept going.
     PS I want to give a shoutout to www.sweetapolita.com. She's a big help as far as method goes. Everything she does looks like it tastes amazing. I think I want to try making everything this lady has blogged about.
   
     Here are some of my more popular, and most favorite, things I do.

 

Birthday Cakes - This one was for my friend Lauren Patton. Two layers, cuts to around 20 slices. Cake, icing layer, and fondant design. Colors, designs, and patters are unending! I don't do a lot of character cakes though, as I found out I'm reeeeally awful at imitating Dora or whoever's face out of icing.

Layer cakes - 2 or 3 layers, pretty much endless combinations of cake, filling, and icing. These two are Cookies & Cream: chocolate cake, vanilla filling, Oreo icing; and Chocolate Covered Strawberry: vanilla cake, strawberry filling, chocolate fudge icing, and strawberries on top.

Cookies - These two are my favorites to make: 

Jam Cutout Cookies - Any kind of jam or jelly you like can be made into a cookie.

Iced Butter Cookies - These can be iced plainly, or decorated. I actually am eating some right now.

Cupcakes -  About as much fun as cakes, except in mini! If you love love love icing, cupcakes are for you.

Beignets - Oh my, beignets. If you've never tasted these, I'm almost willing to come to your house and make them hot for you for breakfast, just so you can have that life experience.

Chocolate Truffle Strawberries - I love getting creative with strawberries. They can be made to match any occasion, like holidays or weddings.

Wedding Cakes

This is something relatively new to me, but it's been so so fun to play around with. If I get bored, I look up pics of wedding cakes online. Bad habit, because now I want to get a hundred weddings scheduled so I can make all these cake designs! Until then, I guess I'll be making lots of styro cakes :)

These are some of my favorites.

This is so fun! It could even be a cute Valentine's cake or Anniversary cake.

I'd almost have this cake at my wedding. I love that color purple, and this cake looks really elegant while still being simple, and most importantly cost friendly and do-able even for so big a cake.

A mini version of this would be so cute for a little girl birthday cake! But it's also adorable for a fun, girly, whimsical wedding.

I love, love, love this cake design. I almost want to make my wedding cake similar to it. It's so unique! And it satisfies all my wants: pop of color (except mine would be purple), traditional, simple, elegant.

This would be so great for an outdoor wedding and reception. It's so natural. And it's got a great modern flair while staying elegant and wedding-y.

 

I love grooms cakes like this. It looks like it'd be so much fun to just pour chocolate all over a cake!

So tailored and simple, but so pretty. The mod black and white wedding theme is huge right now. Even if a bride wanted to add in a splash of color, it'd be really easy, either with the flowers or ribbon.

 

You know, I've never seen someone use this color combination, and yet it's so pretty for a summer or outdoor country wedding. What makes this cake so cool? Those blue flowers are stenciled directly onto the cake.

This might be the cutest, most fun cake ever. Can't you just see this as some great couple's wedding? And all their wedding party going 'I call the J!' 'Well I call the M!' haha

    If you have a secret obsession with all things sugary, send me pics of your favorites! If I make any of them, you'll get a big shoutout, and I'll get to have big fun!