Hey, Y'all!

Why you will all be getting pre-packaged Easter cards from me

Soooooo, yeah.  I decided last year that THIS year, I was going to buy Dean some bunny ears for Easter.  Then it dawned on me, wouldn't it be cute to put them on him and take a picture so we could do an Easter card!!?!?!?  Well, sure it would!  I trapped him  buckled him into his booster seat and tried to put the ears on him.  What happened next reminded me of this LOST A SOCK post that Molly did just before Christmas.  Poor lady could NOT get her three kids to pull it together for a Christmas photo.  I should have known this would never work.

 

Mooooooooooooooooooooom, I'm trying to drink my milk!  Quit puttin' ears on me!

 

Sadly, I think that's the best picture I took, milk goatee and all. Just leave the ears on for a minute, Dean, so Mommy can get a picture.

 

You mean theeeeeeeeeeeeese ears? 

I then realize that maybe I should give him Stu, his favorite monkey/constant companion, to hold.  Perhaps having a handfull of Stu will keep him from ripping the ears off his head.

 

Not so much.

Then I think, Hey! How cute would it be if we spelled out an Easter message on the fridge with letter magnets?

 

Extremely cute! Now let's see if we can get one with the baby actually IN the picture.  Look at Mommy Dean!

 

No, Dean, look at MOMMY.  Over here.

Yep. That's mommy over there.  Nope, she doesn't want to wear your ears. YOU wear the ears.

 

Uh, dude.  Could you get Stu out of your mouth so I can take the picture, please?

 

Wait! Come back! I said NO ESCAPING!

Maybe a change of venue is what we need.  Let's go downstairs.

 

Yay! Now I can rip my ears off in the family room, too!  Here, Mom.

 

Thanks.  Maybe if I hold them on your head...

 

Please...just...one...picture...

 

Uh, except it would be nice if you were FACING THE  CAMERA.

Wait, Dean, what are you doing?  Don't...

 

Very good, but I don't think people will want an Easter card with Jonathan the monkey on it.

One more try...

 

Oh, forget it.

 

Happy Ea ter, y'all.

Comfort Food Saturday: Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

I know what some of you are thinking:  GROSS.  I thought the same thing until I tasted this recipe. Oh. My. Word. GOOD.  Using smoked cheese really makes a difference. I've had it with smoked gouda (the best) and smoked cheddar.  This is a great brunch or dinner recipe.  When I lived in upstate New York, once a year I would host a big Southerner's Brunch for all my students and co-workers from below the Mason-Dixon Line. Of course, all were welcome, and many of my yankee friends became huge fans of this recipe.  If you've never had grits, they're hard to explain.  They're made from corn, so they have a sweet, corny flavor and a cous cous-like texture, only creamier.  Give it a shot...you might find a new favorite brunch food!

CHEESY SHRIMP AND GRITS

3 tablespoons olive oil

20 shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 cup diced red bell pepper

2 cups heavy cream, and 1 cup heavy cream (divided)

4 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup quick-cooking grits

1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoon minced garlic

Cajun seasoning (optional)

SHRIMP:  In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add shrimp, tossing to coat.  Add onion and bell pepper.  Cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add 2 cups heavy cream, salt, pepper, chives and garlic, sitrring to combine.

GRITS:  In a large saucepan, combine water and 1 cup heavy cream.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Add grits, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Cook grits until creamy, approximately 10 minuts, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.  Add cheese and butter, folding to combine. 

When shrimp and grits are done, put grits in bowl (or on plate) and top with shrimp.  Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning if desired and serve immediately.

Shrimp grits not your cup of tea?  Check out Dean's favorite lasagna recipe over at Foodie Mama!

Say it Forward

 

The lovely ladies over at 5 Minutes For Mom (hostesses of the ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY!) host a weekly feature called "Say it Forward."It gives you an opportunity to feature one of your loyal commenters. I, like all other bloggers, LOVE hearing from my readers, especially when you share your ideas, funny commentary or personal experiences.  I'm hoping to generate some more blog traffice through UBP.  So today I thought I'd feature one of my very favorite commenters:  My cousin Heather.

Heather blogs over at ...and now I'm a grownup.  I love reading her blog.  It reminds me of the struggles and triumphs of being in your early to mid-twenties.  It chronicles her journey to independence and adulthood, a transition she has handled beautifully, if you ask me.  I was about 6 when Heather was born and I loved that she was my own little baby girl cousin. She was a precious baby, a sweet little girl, and has grown into a smart, funny, talented young woman. Take a look at her blog.  You will not want to miss out on stories of Toby, her hyper-active dog, or life in the tiny town of Andalusia, Alabama.  :)  Mostly, though, you will enjoy her great writing style, funny stories and sparkling personality.

Thanks for being a loyal commenter, Heather.  Love ya, cuz!

 My cousin Heather is totally cool.

How bout a little audience participation?

I haven't done an audience participation post in a while, and it might be a good way to get to know more about the new readers who have stumbled over from UBP. (Come on, don't lurk! Leave a comment!)  I've been in a semi-funk today, so once Dean went to bed, I turned to the one thing that always lifts my spirits:  music.  I have different songs for different occasions, as I'm sure we all do.  There are certain songs I like to listen to only when I'm driving (the entire Bon Jovi Crossroads album), some specifically reserved for roadtrips ("Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Root), some I will only listen to when no one else is around so I can sing them loudly and badly ("We Belong" by Pat Benetar), and some that I like to listen to with my husband ("Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash).  Today, however, I was reminded of a song that is certainly one of my favorites, but that I often forget about.  It appeared in Shrek (the first one), my favorite episode of West Wing (the one where Simon gets shot...CRYYYYY) and a ton of other tv shows and movies.  It gives me chills every time I hear it.  And the Youtube clip I'm posting below features Drew Sarich, one of my favorite Broadway actors, singing it like I've never heard it sung before.  His voice is absolutely perfect.  Marcus and I saw him in Les Miz and I could have easily jumped on stage and hugged him he was so good.  But I digress. 

My song?  Hallelujah

What's your go-to song?

Edited to add:  I forgot to warn you that he sings "Somewhere" from West Side Story first.  It, too, is pretty incredible.

Spring break wrap-up

I'm writing this on the eve of our return to "normal" life.  This week has been nothing short of perfect.  We had no set schedule, no agendas, just each other.  We were able to spend a good, long weekend with my mom and dad, then come home for what turned out to be a great week chock-full of family fun and really good food.  This week solidified the fact that we made the right decision by choosing not to work this summer.  Marcus and I both understand what a privilege that is and we intend to make the best of our time.  If this week was an indicator of the fun to be had, we are in for a very good summer!  These are the times I want Dean to look back on when he grows up.  Obviously, he won't remember this particular week, unless of course, he reads my blog archives.  Then he will probably die of embarassment when he reads my Bass Pro Shop post from yesterday. :)  Someday, I'd like him to look back on lots of family time together with leisurely lunches, trips to the park and lake, fun times on the boat, vacations, homemade dinners and even just fun days hanging around the house.  I hope he will like the fact that he has parents whose jobs allow them the same breaks from school that he will get.  Eventually, he'll get sick of us and want to go his own way more, but for now, it's been nice to live in our little universe of three all week.

 

Spring break is totally rad...

 

Swinging at the park.

 

Fishin'.

 

Playing in the straw.

 

Grilling up some andouille, peppers and onions to put on our pasta. MMMMM!

(Apparently spring break means everything in your kitchen gets to have a vaction right on the countertop.  Look at that! Fryer, crock pot, parchment paper, baby cookies, travel mug, chopper, even bubbles, all out!  GAH.  It's not usually like that, I promise. )

 

Playing with our fun new magnet set.

 

My plant babies!  (Casey, if you're reading this, LOOK AWAY!!!  She kills plants via the internet.)

 

Is it just me, or is this one even better than the other one?

UBP Continues...BOAT PARTY!

Let the party continue!  I thought we'd do something a little different today for two reasons.  First, you all deserve a cool party location.  Second, I want to tell you all about our trip to the Bass Pro Shop this week. (Yes, I am a good wife and actually SUGGESTED we take a day trip to the Bass Pro Shop an hour away.)  Take your seasick meds (that's for me), slather on some sunscreen and climb aboard this little beauty:

 

This picture really doesn't do her justice.  There are speakers.  There are TWO chaise lounges.  There's running water, a shower, a fridge and a cooktop.  She is beautiful.  Anyone wanna guess how much she costs?  Only $52,000.  I should buy two. (HAAAAAAAAAAAA!)

No, that boat's not in my near future.  But I did get to hang out in the captain's chair for a bit.

 

So, the Bass Pro Shop.  Marcus had a gift card he got for Christmas and I figured our spring break week was as good a time as any to make the trek over to look around and see what all the hype was about.  If anticipation counts for anything, this place has got it going on.  You have to wind up this crazy-long trail to get from the highway to the store.  Then, once you reach the parking lot, it's like a theme park. A theme park of outdoor stuff.  Marcus was happy, but I was actually more excited than he was!  Dean was just happy to be out of the car.  As you can see in the picture, the sky was clear and blue and the weather couldn't have been better.  Outside, there were a few boats and some awesome vehicles painted with a camo pattern. (Oh, yes, they were.)  It was like I'd died and gone to redneck heaven. I have not yet decided whether or not that is a good thing.  You walk into the giant wood doors, complete with deer antlers for handles, and are greeted by a sweet old lady.  She went nuts over Dean and told us where to find everything we were looking for.  I couldn't stop giggling.  It was mostly funny that we were actually in this place, but even funnier that I was having such a good time.  We visited the boat showroom first, where I found the lovely lady you see me "driving" in the photos above.  Marcus got all logical on me and gave a 5 minute speech about how our money would be better spent on a pontoon boat.  Uh, dude, we don't have $20,000 to spend on a boat.  And...YOU JUST GOT A BOAT, so you're not getting another one. Especially not for $20,000.  Unless we win the lottery.  Then it's a whole other story.

We wandered around, looked at the t-shirts, showed Dean the big aquarium, which is NOT as impressive as they make it out to be, and got a few things for our boat, like life jackets and bait.

I think my favorite thing we saw in the shop was this:

 

That there is a CAMO CROCKPOT!  You know, so the deer won't see you while you're making your chili?

They also had a wide variety of toy firearms for the little ones:

 

You do understand that this is one of THREE four-sided display cases, right?  Just makin' sure.  There's also a shootin' gallery on the second floor.  And stuffed animals (the kind who have had a visit to the taxidermist) EVERYWHERE.

 

Wow, a wild boar!  I feel just like one of the castaways on LOST!

The shop also has a general store where you can get a sandwich, some ice cream or homemade fudge. I sampled several different flavors of fudge, caramel praline being my favorite.  Overall, it was a really fun time.  I feel like I should add that I am in no way making fun of the shop or anyone who patronizes it.  We were obviously there shopping and we are outdoorsy geeks.  But this place? WAS A RIOT!  Maybe because I'm me and sort of prissy sometimes. But if Marcus wanted to go back, I would probably not argue much.  It would give me another chance to test drive my next car:

 

Moooooooooom, you're embarassing me!  Do they have macaroni and cheese here?

Comfort Food Saturday: Shrimp Creole (And UBP Continued!)

 

The party continues!  If you're just joining us, welcome!  Read yesterday's postto learn a bit more about me.  Today is my weekly feature, Comfort Food Saturday.  I will admit, I've been sitting on this recipe for a while, waiting for the perfect opportunity to share it.  Growing up in Louisiana, I ate a LOT of shrimp creole.  It's my favorite Cajun dish.  Oddly, the best batch of it I've ever made was actually in Alaska!  The seafood there is amazing, so it's not surprising.  My host family loooved it and has continued to make the recipe for their kids when they come home from college to visit.  You can adjust the spice level to suit your tastes.  I usually add a good bit of Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper, then put hot sauce on it when I get it to the table.  (She likes it spicy!)  You can also substitute chicken for the shrimp if you have an allergy or if you just don't care for shrimp.  Also, if you ever order this from a restaurant and it comes to you containing mushrooms, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! (That happened to me once.)

A note about Cajun seasoning: There are a lot of them on the market.  My heart belongs to Tony Chachere's.  It's just got the perfect Cajun flavor, and it comes in a salt-free version, perfect for those of us who are watching our sodium.  Luzianne also makes a nice one, but it has a bit more lemon pepper in it than I usually like in my food.  Emeril also has a whole line of seasonings and you can find his recipe here if you'd like to make your own batch. It may also be found under the name "Creole Seasoning."

SHRIMP CREOLE

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp (about 48), peeled, deveined, and tails removed

2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 of a 6 oz. can of tomato paste

1 onion, chopped

1 rib celery, thinly chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Creole or Cajun seasoning to taste (Think of using it like you'd use chili powder when making chili)

Dash (more or less) Tobasco sauce

Extra Dash (more or less or omit) Cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.  Sautee onion, garlic, pepper and celery until tender.  Add tomatoes with juice, cajun seasoning and tomato paste (add a pinch of sugar later if it tastes too tart).  Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat approximately 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.  Meanwhile, sprinkle shrimp with Cajun seasoning and sautee in olive oil until cooked through.  Add shrimp to tomato sauce and simmer about 2 minutes.  Serve over cooked white rice. Garnish with chopped green onion.

As they say in Louisiana, Laissez les bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)

ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY:

I totally forgot to list my most-desired prizes yesterday. I was so excited that I got distracted!The ladies over at 5 Minutes for Mom have arranged for some great prizes for Ultimate Blog Party participants.  Here are my favorites:

#19:  $50 gift card to Target, Courtesy of Shoot Me Now

#50:  $50 gift certificate to Paperlicious, Courtesy of Paperlicious

#58:  KITCHENAID ARTISAN STAND MIXER!!!  (Oh, my gosh, I want it baaaaad!), Courtesy of Moms Who Think

Ultimate Blog Party 09!!

Hey, y'all!  I'm participating in the Ultimate Blog Party, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom.  The party is a great way to meet new blog friends and discover new blogs to read.  This is my official party post, so if you're a long-time reader or know me in real-life, pardon me as I introduce myself to the new folks.  (But keep reading--you might learn something!)  Party on, everybody!

I'm Jen.

Here in the south, people tend to pronounce it "Jin." If I try to pronounce it correctly, people tend to panic and call me "Jan." So I go with it. I like coffee.  A lot.  I'm having some now. Join me, won't you?  I also like to bake.  I made a monkey cake for my son's first birthday.   My husband, baby and I live in Montevallo, Alabama. We moved here in August from New York City, where we'd lived for four years.  Both my husband and I work in the theatre, so NYC was the logical place to be for a while.  I am a stage manager, which means I make sure everything runs smoothly both on and offstage.  While in NYC, I had the amazing opportunity to work on 2 Broadway shows, among lots of other projects.  Now that we have a little one, we're back home in the south and loving it.  Montevallo's a charming little place. We have one coffee shop that doubles as a bookstore, a brand new Jack's, the requisite McDonald's, and even a new art gallery.  I teach arts administration and stage management at the University of Montevallo two days a week and spend the rest of my time chasing this little ball of fire:

 

That's Dean, AKA Deano the Bambino.  He's 14 months old and is the absolute light of my life.  He likes monkeys, Imagination Movers and yogurt.  He just dumped an entire container of Cheerios on the living room carpet.  He has learned to take off his own pants and does so often.

Here's my husband, Marcus:
 

Cute, huh?  He gets thirsty.  He is an assistant professor at U of Montevallo, where he teaches movement for the stage (including stage combat--we can both swordfight!), acting and directing.  We work in the same department. We share an office.  Isn't that precious?  If there's such a thing as soul mates, he's mine.  We compliment each other perfectly and have a very happy life together.  We like to spend time outdoors and watch SEC football.  We're both alumni of the University of Alabama, so ROOOOOLLLL TIIIIDE!

So, my blog. I recently moved here to typepad from blogger.  I'm happy here.  I like my masthead and I'm enjoying the features typepad has to offer.  If you want to read my deep, dark archives or look at pictures of me being large and pregnant, go here.  Here on Hey Y'all, I talk about my life.  I guess I could be considered a "Mommy Blogger" because I am a mom and I do talk about Dean a lot, mostly because he is HILARIOUS!  I also talk about work, theatre, life in general and my very favorite thing:  FOOD!!  I have a feature called Comfort Food Saturday where I share recipes for comfort foods.  I am also an editor for Foodie Mama, where I write articles about feeding toddlers.  I know blogging experts say to find one subject and only talk about that, but I have a lot of interests, so I feel like I need to talk about all of them to really give my blog the full-flavor that is Jen. (Jin)  I love to post pictures, especially if they're goofy.

 

I hope you'll leave me a comment and visit again! Tomorrow is Comfort Food Saturday, so there's no telling what we'll be cooking up!  I'm looking forward to meeting some new bloggers and finding some new additions for my blogroll.

Happy Blogging!

Lanes gone wild!

I mean, it's Spring Break...what'd you expect?

I will have you know that I have broken Typepad several times while writing this post. Every time I added a new picture, the cursor would start to blink and I'd have to get all "Ctrl-Alt-Del" and re-start my browser.  Fortunately, Typepad lets you recover a post if you have to force-quit.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a limit on how many times you can recover because that post?  IS GONE. (pronounced "Gawn") Angry Jen.

SO, forgive me if my captions to these pictures are not as witty as they should  be.

We spent this weekend at my mom and dad's, where Dean got a big ol' dose of grandparental love, Marcus and I got a couple of nights out and we all got our bellies full of food.  On Sunday, they served three meats at dinner.  THREE!

Wanna see pictures?  Of course you do!

 

Mooooooooooooooom, I spit out my lunch!  Can I have blueberries!?!?!?? :)

 

Dean got to spend a lot of time with his Papa, AKA his favorite toy.

 

BEHOLD:  The Big Easy.  Ajax Diner in Oxford created this sandwich as a tribute to Eli Manning, who ate one of these every week before football games.  It contains a country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, lima beans, shredded cabbage and pickles, all served on a toasted bun.  With fries.  Defibrillator served separately.  Marcus enjoyed this for lunch on Monday, and we will be eating cholesterol-free foods for the rest of the week as a result.

 

Not the greatest picture of me and the little guy, but I like it.  Marcus and I got TWO outings alone after Dean was in bed this weekend!  One night, we just went to Walmart, but it was fun to take our time and not have to push a cart.  Of course, we missed Dean, but we welcomed some "alone time" together, even if it was in a mega-store.  We actually went for the purpose of buying Dean the Imagination Movers' new CD, fittingly titled "Juicebox Heroes."  I think we love these guys as much as Dean does, and we actually listened to the CD and sang songs like "Please and Thank You" and "Shakable You" on the way home.  We also bought an 80s New Wave box set because, really, who gets tired of listening to Flock of Seagulls on repeat? (ME)

On our second night out, we went to Tunica to the casino.  The money tree being as it is and us being frugal as we are, we barely spent any money, but we had a fantastic time.   Obviously, we didn't hit any big jackpots or win a car, or else you'd see pictures of us holding a big ol' check instead of pictures of Marcus's lunch.  No matter where we went, it was nice to have some time together.  We get so caught up in day-to-day stuff, especially with Marcus in rehearsal, that we don't get to take a lot of time for the two of us.  We relish every second of our Tuesday/Thursday lunch dates, which have become some of my favorite parts of my week.  I love the fact that we work together.  We can truly understand the challenges and triumphs of the other's job because we're right there in the thick of it, involved with the same personalities, rules and processes.  We're also able to support each other and give each other great advice.  Ok, back to spring break pictures!

We got home yesterday and decided to cook out on our grill.  Dean loved hanging out on the deck in his exersaucer (the only way to keep him contained and away from the hot grill) while we prepared dinner.  He even got to help by shaking the asparagus in the marinade.  We broke out the giant bubble wand to entertain him:

 

 He even got to dine al fresco:

 

He would eat nothing but blueberries for every meal if we'd let him.

Here's what we had:

  

If you've never had grilled asparagus, MAKE SOME. It's soooo good. 

The rest of the week has loose plans, which include getting some professional photos done of Dean, visiting our favorite state park, a day-trip to the Bass Pro Shop, a dinner out, lots of family time and maaaaybeee a spin on this, our newest acquisition:

 

Yep.  We got a boat.  Marcus's dream come true.  She's used, but in great shape and once we get her registered, she'll be ready for action. (notice where she is parked--YARD)  Oh, you should know that our neighbors who have not talked to us since we moved in this past August practically RAN across the street to say HI once they saw a truck and boat parked in our yard. (They park in their yard, too.)  I guess we passed the test.  I will NOT, however, be riding a three-wheeler, or anything attached to one, any time soon.

   

Moooooooooom, if I dump my milk on my shirt, can I get nekkid?

 

Woo hoo!!!!!!  (Will have to remember that trick!) 

Comfort Food Saturday: Lunchtime Burritos

Marcus has a pretty easy-to-please palate, even though I pick on him for being a food snob from time to time.  He does not, however, like all the things i like. For instance, he hates corn. HATES it.  He's also not a fan of guacamole (he told someone at a restaurant yesterday that he was allergic to avocados when he had to send his nachos back because of the green glob they mistakenly put on top). And if he eats Mexican food? There are usually olives and more salt than I'd like involved.  So I take advantage of lunchtime when he's not home and make these fresh-tasting burritos.  You can, of course, put whatever ingredients YOU enjoy inside, but this is my favorite version.  It's low-sodium, packed with protein and veggies, and delicious. I use sodium-free corn and tomatoes. 

 Have I told you that I have major texture issues with fresh tomatoes?  CANNOT eat them fresh. Make me gag. Marcus, too. Bleh. 

2 whole wheat tortillas (burrito size)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small can corn, drained

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (can substitute salsa or fresh tomatoes)

Fat-free sour cream to taste

Sun-dried tomatoes

fresh baby spinach, about 8 leaves

chopped onion

shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

sprinkling of cumin

sprinkling of chili powder

minced garlic to taste

hot sauce to taste

Mix beans, tomatoes, corn, garlic, cumin and chili powder and warm over low heat (or in microwave). When those are warm, microwave your tortillas between two damp paper towels for 15 seconds.  Place all ingredients in tortillas (you'll likely have leftovers of your bean mixture), roll up and enjoy!