I'm not Limping, That's Just Food: Fly on the Wall

Welcome to a monthly Fly on the Wall group post. Today 5 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house. At the end of my post you’ll find links to this month’s other participants’ posts.

College Boy and I were out at about 10:00 pm and stopped by a store to pick something up quickly on the way home. It was a hot night and we had the windows down. As I was driving out of the parking lot, I could see that where I am about to stop at a stop sign, the sprinklers on the lawn there had turned on. There were a whole row of them and would be on the passenger side of the car as I approached and then stopped at the corner.

I turned to College Boy and told him to quickly put his window up so he didn't get wet. 

Did he? Of course not. As I drove through the gauntlet of cold water, he ducked. Since he was now blocked by the door, he was completely dry. I, on the other hand . . . yup, soaked.

Thanks, kid.

We had to have a lot of work done to our sprinkler system last year and I was happy to know that turning it on this year wouldn't be an issue.

Not so fast.

Hubs, who is the least handy person I know, went to turn the system on for the season.

Hubs: Well, the sprinklers work but water is bubbling out of the top of the thing on the side of the house.
Me: That doesn't sound good.
Hubs: Yeah I'm not sure what's wrong.
Me: Google it. 
Hubs: You can't google "water bubbling out of the top of the sprinkler thing on the side of the house".

Actually you probably can, but he grabbed the manual and went down to the man cave.

He comes upstairs with the manual and a pair of pliers. Yeah, this isn't going to end well. 

He comes inside soaking wet with the manual dripping. 

I didn't ask a thing, just headed straight for the liquor cabinet, where I intend to stay until the Fall. Or until he calls the sprinkler repair people. Whichever comes first.

There's been a lot going on around here in the last few months so some things got away from me, like editing our pics from our Marco Island vacation in March.

I was just in my 2018 picture file looking at the pictures from PurDude's graduation and saw the vacation pics. Most of them were great, which is unusual since I suck at photography. Some of the pics made me smile, a few made me laugh, like this one I called "plowing the field, Marco Island style"

And then there's this one I called "pelicans on the gulf"

Or not.

Yeah, there's the old picture taking skills everyone's come to expect from me. {{sigh}}.

My entire family suffers from seasonal allergies. I'm sure they're made worse by the fact that our house backs up to woods that are lined with Cottonwood Trees. The cottonwood flies all over the lawn and the deck and we sneeze until it stops.

Now I love my lilac shrubs. I have them over on the side of the house where, sadly, they bloom for such a short time each spring. 

I always go out and snip some to put in a vase on the counter. We all suffer, but sometimes you have to suffer for beauty. 

Apparently not this year. My family put their collective feet down and made it clear I was to enjoy the lilacs in their natural habitat. In an effort to wear them down, I brought it up again at dinner and to my surprise, Hubs gave in. Not only that, he offered to create the display himself.

The next afternoon I came home to find my vase on the kitchen counter. And propped up against the vase was this picture from years ago.

I need a less conniving family. And new password for the picture file on my laptop.

You'd think that after all this time nothing I would do could surprise my husband, but, well:

Hubs (walking into the kitchen): Are you OK?
Me: I'm fine, why?
Hubs: You're limping.
Me: No I'm not.
Hubs: It looks like you're limping. What are you doing?
Me: Trying to get over to the sink without the blob of food I dropped on my foot slipping off onto the floor.
Hubs: You're doing what?
Me: Do you really want me to explain it?

Hubs (walking away shaking his head): No. I guess I really don't.

Mixed Berry Oreo Whipped Dessert

I love having my youngest son home. This time between graduation and when he starts his new job is really precious to me and I'm loving every minute.

Many of you who follow this blog know that PurDude took the car on the left away from me the day he got his license. It's 14 years old but he won't give it up, he just loves it. It took him through high school and all 4 years of college.

The other day I opened the garage door.

For the first time since I'd gotten my new car, his car was back home and I couldn't help but smile. This picture just says it all.

Only me.

I know better than to, when I ask Hubs to pick something up for me, be anywhere other than beside the phone. But last week I did make a request of him and while he was gone jumped in the shower.

Realizing my mistake as soon as I stepped out, I ran and grabbed my cell phone to find his missed call. 

Somehow, don't ask me how 'cause I couldn't do it if I tried, I realized as he was answering my call back that I'd enabled "video call". And yikes, as I said, I'd just stepped out of the shower.

Hubs: Hello.
Me: Don't look.
Hubs: Huh?
Me: Don't look at your phone.
Hubs: Well you know that's just gonna make me look.
Me: It was a mistake. I don't know how I did it.
Hubs: What are you talking about? Are you having a stroke or something?
Me: {{sigh}} Did you call me?
Hubs: Yeah I had a question.
Me: What is it?
Hubs: Forget it, I already checked out.
Me: I think I'll go have that stroke now.

I don't mind mowing the lawn, but it was really long and had to be bagged, so I opted out. Hubs was going to come home early from work to mow but PurDude was home, noticed the lawn needed mowing and went out to do it. I called Hubs to let him know.

But my husband and my brother-in-law (my sister's husband, they live in Boston 1500 miles from us) have the same first name and I was shocked when I pressed the wrong one in my cell phone and realized I was talking to my brother-in-law:

Me: Oh.
Him: You pressed the wrong number on your cell phone, didn't you?
Me: Yes, OMG. I guess you don't really need to know that PurDude is mowing the lawn.
Him: No, can't say as I do.

Not only did I call the wrong person, but I bothered him at work. And even worse, when he saw my number come up on his phone at work I scared the crap out of him, thinking something was wrong.

We chatted for a while, but let me tell you I felt like the biggest idiot. 

 

PurDude was looking for a snack after a tough morning (and half the afternoon, truth be told) of sleeping in.
Me: I'll make some cookies.
PurDude: What kind?
Me: How about whatever you want. Tell me what your favorite mix-ins would be and I'll add them. Candies, cookies, flavoring whatever you want.
PurDude proceeds to name all of his favorites.
Me: Hmm, there's gonna be a whole lot of junk food in these cookies.
PurDude: They'll be delicious. You should put them on your blog.
Me: I'll have to think of something to call them. Like "PurDude's Junk".

He didn't even have to roll his eyes and shake his head while he walked away, I heard it myself the minute it came out of my mouth.

My older son loves Chipotle Ranch Salad Dressing. He has it on pretty much everything. I've even used it in a few recipes with him in mind like Grilled Sriracha Chipotle Ranch Chicken and Sriracha Chipotle Ranch Chicken Nachos and Spicy Broccoli Slaw and Chicken Salad.

I tried a new recipe the other night. I wanted to make Chicken Parmesan, but I didn't want to have to pan fry the chicken breasts so I was trying to make them in the oven but still be crispy.

I served it with my Homemade Marinara.

Me: Do you like the Chicken Parmesan made in the oven?
College Boy: Yes, but you know what would be really good?
Me: What?
College Boy: If instead of marinara, you served it with Chipotle Ranch Dressing.
Me: I tell you what, I'll slather those things in Chipotle Ranch dressing if you can name one food you actually don't think would taste good smothered in Chipotle Ranch dressing.
College Boy: Ice cream. 

Well, he got me there.

Now click on the links below for a peek into some other homes:

Menopausal Mother 
Never Ever Give Up Hope  
Spatulas on Parade
My Brand of Crazy
 

Mixed Berry Oreo Whipped Dessert        

                                    ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1/3 cup blueberries

1/3 cup chopped raspberries

2/3 cup chopped strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

12 oreos, crushed

3 oz box blue or red jello flavor or your choice

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

*Mix the blueberries, raspberries and strawberries with sugar in a bowl. Place on the counter for an hour, stirring now and then.

*Into a small strainer placed over a bowl, strain the fruit saving both the fruit and the juice.

*Boil 1 cup of water. Add the jello and mix until the crystals dissolve. Mix in 1/2 cup of the berry juice. If you don't quite have 1/2 cup, add water to make 1/2 cup. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

*Beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks hold. Beat in the jello. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

*Strain the fruit again, reserving any additional juice for drizzling over the top when serving. Mix in the crushed oreos and reserved fruit into the jello mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour to thicken.

*To serve, either scoop into a bowl or scoop onto a slice of angel food or pound cake or marbled brioche. Drizzle with any remaining juice.