Category Archives: Miscellaneous Thoughts

Sometimes I just have random thoughts to share. Topics may vary, depending on my ever-changing mood. The views of this blogger may not reflect your own, so please be tolerant or exercise your sense of humor while reading. I have been known to use sarcasm enthusiastically.

October 3, 2012 · 12:41 PM

Good News / Bad News

It’s been one of those days. You know, the kind where you start something with the best of intentions and something else gets in the way; or you get distracted. In my case, it was less of the first and more of the latter. I’ll give you examples.

Good News – I decided to tackle my freezer; it needed to be reorganized.

Yes, that’s vodka in the top drawer. For penne. Don’t judge.


Bad New – I got distracted by what I found.

Good News – I am now infusing old frozen vanilla beans in the vodka for the win AND I found a bag of frozen dinner rolls that make the perfect winter coat for the Pumpkin Spice Kisses Megan sent me.

Kisses in frozen rolls = dessert in a pinch, literally.

Once the dough rises around the kisses, I’ll pinch them shut, bake them off, and smother them in a caramel glaze. Yes way!

Bad News – If The Complete Package doesn’t pitch in to help eat these, I’m going to be in trouble. Serious trouble. Which brings me to the…

Good News – It’s sweat pants season! Wahoo!

Cheer Sweats by Nike; love the ‘Hook ‘Em Horns’ orange

Bad News – I never finished organizing the freezer because I found the end of a bag of frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes way in the back.

Good News – I decided hashbrowns with soft-fried eggs smothered in Texas Brew Salsa was absolutely essential for today’s lunch. It was a good call.

Bad News – It was gone way too quickly, just like our Texas Brew Salsa Giveaway this week.

Good News – You still have time to enter! Comments close at 9:00pm CST Friday, October 5th so click here and leave a comment. You could win a big box of Texas Brew Salsa of your very own. And that’s always good news.

Texas Brew Salsa – it’s *that* good!

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September 27, 2012 · 6:55 AM

I don’t know what to call this post.

It’s a mishmash of random photos from this week. Not that it’s particularly fascinating or anything, but I’ll share them anyway. Thanks for humoring me.

1. A Pineapple Update – our miniature ‘plantation’ is up to 10 plants now. Ten. None of which fruited this year. Either this has been a bad year for pineapple mating, or next year is going to bring a bumper crop. I’m personally hoping for bumper crop.

This is only half of them; the one on the left is at least 4 ft tall.

Some are growing 2 to a pot; they’ll have to be transplanted later.

For a while, we had a tenant; can you see the little frog?

2. Oh, yes. We have da’ bananas – This is actually our second bunch of the summer. Last year = zero. This year = over 100 bananas. Just goes to show… you never can tell what kind of year we’ll have around here.

What do you do with 100+ bananas? You freeze most of them.

3. Speaking of Fruits & Veggies – I went by Froberg Farm to pick up apples for my apple butter. I love this place. You can see your veggies being grown and harvested right there by the farm stand. I don’t think they grew the apples (they’re not really in season here) but they were exceptionally crisp and fresh.

Honey Crisp, Gala & Granny Smith apples from Froberg Farm

Fresh Texas Cream Peas – kind of like black-eye peas or crowders

Greak’s Jalapeno Cheese Sausage from ‘The Sausage Man’

This sausage is world-class. It’s made by the Greak family, and they sell it from a small cabin adjacent to the Froberg Farm stand. They torment shoppers with the scent of smoky meat and samples of their sausage. And you know what? It works every time. It’s not a trip to Froberg without a few links of Greak’s sausage.

4. Turkish Delight Fail – I tried making Turkish Delight. It’s a little like making gummi candies. Unfortunately, it never got thick enough. You’re supposed to be able to slice it into squares & roll them in powdered sugar. Mine was too soft, so I spread it onto a silpat mat and I’m re-categorizing it as fruit leather. Or jellies I can roll in granulated sugar. I’ll get back to you on this one.

Beautiful color! I just wish it was thicker. Live & learn.

5. The Great Jelly Swap – It’s a thing. My friend Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic and I started this last fall. Each year, we make a variety of jams, jellies and preserves and then ship a box to each other. She gets to try what I made, and I get to try what she made. The beauty of this plan is that we both have access to different regional ingredients – I’m on the southern coast of Texas; she’s on the northern edge of Michigan. Here’s what I’ve made so far.

Blueberry Pomegranate Jelly – sweet & tart, just like I like it.

The clear, colorful beauty of a good jelly can’t be beat.

Made with Turkish apricots, this one is thick and luscious and tart.

Mom’s recipe for molasses apple butter – made with those oven-roasted apples.

These two are all dressed up and ready to go to Kirsten’s house.

She’s also getting another jar of my peach cherry & orange marmalade. She said her boys really enjoyed that one last year. Note to Kirsten: If that was you being polite, now is the time to speak up. Opt out now, or face choking down another jar of that marmalade. :)

6. Ziggy – Our 13 1/2 year-old Boston Terrier is mostly blind, mostly deaf, and sometimes smells like a sewer line break, but he’s hanging in there and we love him like crazy. It’s been a while since I’ve posted a photo, so here you go.

He hates being photographed & got a mani/pedi right after this was snapped.

So… what have you been up to this week? Are you following Beer Week and getting excited for fall yet? Hoarding pumpkin or bacon yet? Have you heard about the looming pork shortage? Do you care? As for me, I’m pricing chest freezers. I’m going to stockpile bacon the same way doomsday disciples hoard canned goods. When the baconpocalypse rolls around next year, you’ll find me in the garage – sleeping on that freezer with a shotgun. Kidding (not kidding).

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September 20, 2012 · 8:14 AM

OKMH – The September Edition

OKMH – One Kitchen, Many Hearts

That’s what we call our little group of blogging buddies and the goody boxes we send every other month. Who are these ladies? Let me show you.

OKMH Bloggers – Mads, Kirsten & Megan; Bottom: Me, Allison & Kat


Top Left: Madelyn (Mads) of La Petite Pancake
Top Center: Kirsten of Comfortably Domestic
Top Right: Megan of Country Cleaver
Bottom Center: Allison of Decadent Philistines
Bottom Right: Kat of Tenaciously Yours

That’s our official OKMH photo collage, but it’s this informal photo that really makes me giggle. Kirsten is responsible for this treasure:

The ‘unofficial’ group photo – this is how we picture us.
Megan waving to someone on the beach cracks me up every single time.

I don’t remember how we all met, but we’ve been as thick as thieves for a few years now, and I love them more every day. We may be from every corner of the U.S., but we are one kitchen with many hearts.

This month I received a box of love from Megan, the effervescent chef behind Country Cleaver. She’s amazing. She lives in Seattle. She’s a newlywed who loves her big hunk o’ burning love Ben, her sweet yellow lab Huck, enjoys long walks on the beach, craft brewing, bread baking, salmon, and pumpkin spice Hershey’s kisses (she hoards them). If there was such an award, she would surely be named “Blogger I’d Most Like to Drink A Beer With” or even “Blogger Whose Kitchen Pantry I’d Most Like to Secretly Live In”. Or both.

Here’s what Megan sent:


For the record, we love Halloween in this house. So she nailed it. Jonah Bear & Lilly Bug are going to love this. Spiders and witches and pumpkins – oh my!

Speaking of the grandkids, Jonah is going to lose it when he sees these:

He’ll be six in December and he L-O-V-E-S all things gummy. The fact that these are kind of creepy will only enhance their attraction. Well played, Megan.

Lilly Bug, who turned three this month, will love this rubber ducky (as do I). Who needs sparkly vampires with this little cutie around? #TeamJacob

When it comes to sharing, the only person in my immediate family that loves coffee like I do is my daughter. It goes without saying that she and I will be savoring these together. Look, honey! Maple Pecan & Caramel Pumpkin!

Did you know that our Megan is an ambassador for Copper River Salmon? Yup. She just got back from a spectacular weekend in Cordova, Alaska where she saw first hand what it takes to process salmon. And because she knows I share her love of this gorgeous fish, she included this tin of salmon rub. Move over, brisket. There’s a new gill in town. (Sorry. Bad joke. Okay, I’m not sorry.)

Megan also sent two gorgeous green ceramic chili bowls so we could celebrate fall Texas-style. Unfortunately, the postal service beat the crap out of that box and both bowls were shattered. Completely demolished. But that’s bound to happen when you ship stuff as far as we do, and I SO appreciate the gesture and the love behind it. The Complete Package tried his best to glue them back together, but they were beyond repair. I started to include a photo of his “Frankenbowls” but I didn’t want to break Megan’s heart. It wasn’t pretty. Funny, perhaps, with his big gaping seams oozing with hot glue, but not pretty.

UPDATE: After much urging from The Complete Package, I’ve decided to add a photo collage of the broken chili bowls. Not because I want Megan to feel bad that they didn’t make it intact, but because of the hilarity that ensued when TCP tried to step in and save the day. Determined to “make this right”, he grabbed my hot glue gun and spent a good half hour trying to put my chili bowls back together again, Humpty Dumpty style. Reality was more in line with Megan’s Halloween theme, and so (with that in mind)… I give you the Frankenbowls.

Know what takes your mind off broken bowls? I mentioned it before, and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw them. Megan sent a bag of her beloved Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. A vision of Ben prying them out of her hands to put them into the box flashed for a split second, but then I thought, “No, that’s Megan. Always a giver.” She sent an entire bag. It couldn’t have been more significant if it had been a kidney. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but Megan really, really loves these pumpkin spice kisses. Like for realz, yo.

And as soon as they spend some time in the fridge firming back up, Ima dig in. And I’m going to think of her each time I enjoy one. Because (and I know she’ll gasp when she reads this) I have never… ever… had one. Ever. And that will make these even sweeter.

Oh, before I go all pumpkin kiss bliss on you – go to Mads’ website and see what I sent her. You can get there by clicking HERE. You can also click on the all blog links at the top of this post to see what everyone got in their OKMH boxes. It’s always fun to see what the girls are sending and receiving.

Now go. I’ve got candy to eat and I’m not much of a sharer around chocolate. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.

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August 20, 2012 · 7:32 AM

My new favorite walking shoes

OMG. I never ever use that phrase, but O-M-G! I just fell in love with a shoe.

Skechers GO WALK shoes; photo via Amazon.com

Have you ever had that moment in a shoe store when you tried something on and said out loud, “Holy crap! Where have YOU been all my life?!?” This was it for me. I swear, I didn’t take more than 3-4 steps before I threw them back in the box and declared, “Oh, yeah. You’re coming home with me!”

Skechers GO WALK shoes; photo via Amazon.com

They’re not just comfortable, they’re big fuzzy bunny slippers kind of comfy. Walking on baby pillows kind of comfy. Dancing on big puffy marshmallows comfy. I think it’s the bouncy miracle air springs on the soles, although I’m guessing they don’t officially call them that (dibs on that trademarking gem).

Skechers GO WALK shoes; photo via Amazon.com

Another bonus – they’re super lightweight. I’m thinking they’re the perfect travel shoe; easy to slip on & off, supportive enough to run from gate to gate & leap suitcases in a single bound, and smashable enough to cram into a suitcase with almost no added weight. Mine are a soft dove gray, but they come in colors. Here’s the link: http://www.skechers.com/style/13510/skechers-gowalk/

How much do I love them? Enough that I am actively searching nearby stores for a second pair. I am not taking any chances they’ll stop making these puppies soon. I plan to stock up so I don’t have to shave my head, tear my clothes or sell my worldly possessions in protest some day. See this last picture?

Skechers GO WALK shoes; photo via Amazon.com

That’s all you’ll see of me until I find another pair (or four) – my backside. And God help you if I get to said store and you’ve got the last pair of size 10s in your hand. God. Help. You. You’d better run, girlfriend. :)

Note: This is not a paid advertisement for Skechers GO WALK shoes. They have no idea who I am other than some crazy nut-job fan of their delicious walking shoe, if they happen to read this. I was not compensated one iota for this post, but trust me when I say this – if they want to offer me some free ones? You can bet your sweet a$$ I’m taking them up on it. -NanaBread

UPDATE (Oct 2012): Several readers asked if these slip-ons started to take on that sweaty-foot stink after time. I’m here to admit that yes, after wearing them on hot summer days in Houston when my feet got sweaty, they did start to take on that weird vinegar smell those of us with stinky feet are familiar with. However, because these shoes are highly washable, it’s really not an issue. I’ve now thrown mine into the washing machine with a load of clothes three times without experiencing any shrinkage or change in the shape or color of the shoe. After washing, I let them air dry which happens quickly since the body of the shoe is a neoprene-type material. Final vote: A+. They’re still just as comfortable and look just as good as the day I bought them, and I’m still in love.

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July 2, 2012 · 9:00 AM

One Kitchen, Many Hearts – June

I love our blogger boxes. There’s no other way to say it. It’s like Christmas morning, every other month. For June OKMH Boxes, I received a carton of love from the 45th parallel from Kirsten of Comfortably Domestic. We’ve never met, but we are twins separated at birth (never mind the pesky age difference). She is my sister from another mister. My doppelgänger. And because of that, her box was an exercise in perfection. It started with this card.

This is us in 30 years, and my vote goes to “buck naked”


Fuel for my soul, that’s what this box is.

The first goodie out of the box was this can of chipotle peppers (which we love), a jar of lemons preserved in salt (which I have never in my life tried), and a recipe for BBQ sauce that combines the two. Kirsten nailed this one. I love lemons, we both love barbecue, and TCP loves to grill. I can’t wait to try this recipe and those gorgeous salt-preserved lemons.

Smokey, zingy, tasty goodness – all in one recipe. Very cool.

Next up, a little something for the girly girl in me. Hello summer!

Lips & nails – throw in some mascara & it’s a girly emergency kit.

Then my heart stopped beating when I found these…

Dried cherries from the Upper Peninsula region of the 45th parallel.

If you’re thinking “big deal… dried cherries” then I question how we can be friends (except for my dear friend Kaki – she gets a cherry pass). Seriously, as a cherry lover there are few things as glorious as a gift of Michigan cherries. Canned, fresh or dried – I’ll take them any way I can get them. I’m not exaggerating when I say that a little tear of joy came to my eye when I pulled these out of the box. They are the perfect blend of tart & sweet, dried & plump. I covet these the way some girls covet diamonds. Have mercy, they’re delicious.

This next little gadget blew my mind.

The Cuppow – it turns any wide-mouth canning jar into a travel mug.

As a lover of canning jars AND my morning coffee, my jaw dropped when I saw this. The Cuppow fits onto any wide-mouth canning jar, which I just happen to have a love affair with. In the list of things I hoard, canning jars rank near the top. When I saw this, I did the head slap/why didn’t I think of this thing. It’s so simple it’s brilliant. And Kirsten kicked it up another notch by including my first ‘to go’ beverage AND a handmade travel jar koozie. Seriously. She raises 4 boys, homeschools them all, runs a household, trains a dog and bakes every single day. And she still found time to knit a cover for my travel jar. UH.MAZE.ING.

This simple rigid plastic lid will change you life.

Knowing my love of canning jars, Kirsten capped my June box with yet another of my obsessions – buttons. Or in this case, buttons in an antique canning jar she found in an antique shop. My mother and I went through these like kids in a candy shop, ‘ooooing’ and ‘ahhhhing’ over each new find. We laughed our butts off when we found a small denture charm in the jar. It looks ancient, it’s a little disturbing, and it’s absolutely hysterical. I loved them all. Here’s a collage tribute to our button fun because every crafty girl loves buttons.

Antique buttons in an antique jar; she just gets me

Saying that I enjoyed this month’s box would be a gross understatement. I loved it all. Kirsten’s picks could not have been more perfect. Seriously, these boxes are too much fun. I have a feeling we’re going to need to expand this next year to include more friends. Because everyone loves friends and presents.

To see what the other girls in our group got, drop in on:
Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic (who received a box from me)
Megan of Wanna Be A Country Cleaver
Kat of Tenaciously Yours
Madelyn of La Petite Pancake
Allison of Decadent Philistines Save the World

OKMH Bloggers (top) – Mads, Kirsten & Megan; (bottom) Jeanne, Allison & Kat

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May 22, 2012 · 7:17 AM

Postcards from Small Town Texas

The Complete Package and I have been enjoying scenic drives to small towns throughout Texas. This is the second in a series of photos documenting our lazy day adventures and highlighting these small town Texas treasures.

Second Stop: Yoakum, Texas

Yoakum, Texas is located between Houston & San Antonio on Highway 95 So., 35 miles south of I-10 and 11 miles south of Shiner. To learn more, visit www.texasescapes.com.

To see the first story in the series – Hallettsville, Texas – click HERE.

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May 17, 2012 · 7:25 AM

Moody Haiku

Ever had one of those days? One of those funky, moody, blue days when you just feel out of sorts? A day when even a counter full of homemade fried pies can’t seem to snap you out of it (so you KNOW you’re really in a funk)? I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling funky. And when I feel funky, my mind goes to weird places. Like haiku. Don’t judge. I don’t shake my head or wag my finger when you eat peanut butter from the jar with your fingers. Do I.

In the tradition of 5-syllables then 7-syllables then 5-syllables, here’s where my mind went yesterday. And don’t even think about stealing these little pearls. Some day, they’ll be published (on a bathroom stall somewhere).

Oh lovely bacon,
you beguile me as you lay
on my BLT.

Grey hair – yes, down there;
the drapes and now the carpet.
{sigh} Growing old sucks.

"The Complete Package"
He says that's his wrestling name.
He does not wrestle.

"Someone shrunk my pants!"
she declared as she ate pie.
Oh snap. That was me.

Boston Terriers:
I love their smushy faces
And sweet, warm snuggles.

I have a new bike.
It takes me on adventures.
And makes my butt numb.

"What's for dinner, babe?"
“Go make yourself a sandwich.”
“Wow. I feel the love.”

I love barbecue
and ice-cold Dr Pepper.
I’m a Texas girl.

Hey, tailgate driver:
if you’re gonna hug my butt,
introduce yourself.

Okay, guys – it’s your turn. Throw your best or worst haiku at me. I could really use a chuckle. But couldn’t we all?
-NanaBread

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May 14, 2012 · 4:23 PM

Houston 2012 Art Car Parade

The Complete Package and I attended our first Houston Art Car Parade this weekend. What a hoot! Over 300 cars entered this year’s parade; each one of them unique and entertaining. Here’s a look at this year’s event, starting with Houston’s mayor. Note: You can click on any photo to see it in a larger format, then simply hit the ‘back arrow’ on your computer to return to the blog.

And to prove that it’s not just about the cars, here’s a tribute to my favorite “accessory” of the day. Caution – you may not be able to handle all this sexy.

To the funny & friendly lady who sat behind us at the parade ogling the Viking Skater man (I believe her name was Lynn) – that one was for you. {wink}

If you’d like to learn more about the Houston Art Car Parade, please visit their website at http://www.thehoustonartcarparade.com/

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April 27, 2012 · 9:00 AM

One Kitchen Many Hearts – Round 2

Remember back in February when a group of my blogging friends and I started a box exchange program? Well, it’s that time again and I’m so excited to share what I got from my friend Madelyn of La Petite Pancake blog from the sunny state of California. The great thing about exchanging gift boxes with friends is that we all seem to get each other. There’s no awkward moment of ‘what should I send’ or ‘I wonder if she’ll like this?’ We’ve known each other for over a year now, and it’s starting to show. Perfect case in point:

A box of love from Madelyn in California

It’s a margarita and mojito party in a box. Yup. She totally gets me.

Spring = Cocktails. I like the way she thinks.

This arts & crafts disclaimer cracks me up.

We’ve been tossing around the idea of building a blogger compound with cute cabins for all our families, a huge kitchen, and a dining barn so we can all cook and eat together. Plans also include a fire pit for Peep S’mores, a full bar, activities for the kids, and perhaps a craft room; keeping in mind, of course, that we can’t all be Martha Stewart. We’re just waiting for one of us to hit it big on Power Ball. Remember ladies… you (we) can’t win if you (we) don’t play.

Mads really did think of everything.

Cocktail Book – check. Cute Napkins – check. Recipes – check. Citrus Reamer & Cocktail Stirrer – check. All I need to do now is grab a bottle of hooch from the pantry, and this party is ON! Wanna come over?

The perfect margarita? Only one way to find out!

Mads knows I’m a margarita girl. She also knows I love a challenge. Looks like I’ll need to mix up several glasses of “research” to test this recipe. It’ll be like America’s Test Kitchen – if they were all standing around the kitchen swilling hooch instead of scientifically disecting recipes for the perfect meatloaf. (Between us, Chris Kimball could use a cocktail. I’ll bet Julia Davison parties like a rock star. Anyone who loves bacon like that knows how to have fun.)

101 Mojitos. 365 days in a year. I'd better get busy.

Remember Cake Week? Cookie Week? Salad Week? Well, there’s chatter going around that we might need to host a Cocktail Week, so this book is sure to come in handy. So much research, so little time. As I said, I love a challenge!

So there you have it – another great gift box from our One Kitchen Many Hearts project. Thank you, Madelyn! Thanks for the box of awesome. Thanks for contributing to the delinquency of a grandmother. And thank you most of all for being my friend.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Now, to see what I shipped to Seattle for Megan of Wanna Be A Country Cleaver, click on the link.

To see what others in our blogging circle received, check out:
Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic
Kat at Tenaciously Yours
Madelyn at La Petite Pancake
Allison at Decadent Philistines Save the World

One Kitchen Many Hearts - (top) Madelyn, Kirsten & Megan; (bottom) Jeanne, Allison & Kat

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April 6, 2012 · 6:55 AM

In Search of Bluebonnets

It’s wildflower season in Texas, which means bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush and all of their colorful friends have come out to play. One of the most scenic drives in the Houston area is called the Texas Independence Trail and last weekend, The Complete Package and I grabbed Ziggy and hit the trail. Here’s a glimpse of what we saw along the way. A little piece of Texas, just for you.

I love this fun tractor mailbox. I want to ride it into the sunset and just keep going. It reminds me of ‘Mater from the Cars movies, which just makes it that much more fun. Remember how they’d sneak up on tractors and honk, and the tractors would moo and then fall over backwards? I love that part.

Speaking of fun, we had a fabulous time getting lost on back roads all day just taking in the sights and doing whatever we wanted. It was so relaxing. The Complete Package thinks we were about 2 weeks early for full blooms, so there’s a good chance we’ll be getting lost in the Texas Hill Country again in a few weeks. If we do, I’ll keep you posted. Between last year’s drought and this spring’s rains, it’s expected to be a bumper crop. Stay tuned!

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