Surgery

Just wanted to give a quick update to my blogger buddies...

Dr. Cain called me Tuesday afternoon and told me that he wanted to do surgery on Whit's shoulder tomorrow. So, after recovering from the shock of it being done that quickly, I spoke with his nurse yesterday and she told us to be there Thursday morning, 7:30 a.m.

So please, say a special prayer for my Whit in the morning, and her Momma too :)

We are hoping to get to come home tomorrow afternoon, if the surgery goes well.

Love you guys and thanks for the prayers!!!!

Happy Halloween Ya'll

Last night, Dudu, Pamela, EmmaRae, Kayla, me and Whit...had a ball! A big, orange, PUMPKIN, ball! We carved pumpkins! Great fun was had by all...well, at least by the two littlest ones...

It started off a little "spooky" at first...Whit...17...a darkened night...and a KNIFE!! She managed to get the top off of her pumpkin without too much bloodshed...

EmmaRae scooping out her "punkin snot"...

And for those you who don't know what "punkin snot" looks like...just take a gander...

By the time the pumpkins were carved, I had "punkin snot" all over me and to my surprise, even found some in my shoe! I wonder if Cinderella ever had to put up with such!!! The pumpkins turned out great! Just a little proof that kids still enjoy good family fun!!!

Happy Halloween Ya'll!!!

Recipe Thursday!!

It's that time again...Over the weekend, I had a house full! Robin was here getting Whit ready for Miss Berry and most of the family was in and out all day on Saturday. Mom gave me a new recipe a few weeks back that she had gotten from Mrs. Gloria at church. I was a little skeptical because it looked "too easy". And, once again, I was right...it was too easy...but boy was it GOOD! Whit loved it...and once again...we did it the Jean gals way, except, I had to clean the kitchen. But, since all I had to do was throw the cans away, I didn't complain too much! :) This is another "soup" recipe, but as cool as the temps have been the last few days, I didn't think ya'll would mind...let me introduce you to..."Chicken Corn Chowder"...







Chicken Corn Chowder







1 - 12.5 oz. can of white chicken chunks (drained)



16 oz. of chicken broth



1 - can of cream of chicken soup



1 - can of potato soup



2 - cans of Mexicorn (do not drain)



8 oz. of Mexican Velvetta



1 - bunch of green onions, chopped



1 - small can of mushrooms, chopped



1 - small jar of jalapenos, chopped







Combine all ingredients in crock pot and heat thoroughly.







It is sooooo good...you'll be dying to find out what I come up with for next week!!! Enjoy!! :)

What makes a "winner"?

Although we didn't come home with the crown, I am EXTREMELY proud of Whit! She did a great job and was absolutely STUNNING! Well, I'll let you be the judge of that...

This photo is of Whit and a dear friend, Abbey. This was her last pageant at Berry High School and although we didn't win, she did GREAT! As to the title of my post, "What makes a winner", I believe that, hands down, Whit is a winner. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, she has a heart of gold.

During her interview, she was asked, "What television show most represents your life?" Her response? "Gilmore Girls". For any of you who haven't watched Gilmore Girls, it is about a single mother and her daughter, their trials and triumphs. That melted my heart!! I know we don't have the traditional family, but we have all we need...we have each other and most importantly, we LOVE each other...to the moon and back! I love you Whit!!

Prayers Needed!

Today we go to Birmingham for a 3D Cat Scan of Whit's shoulder. Please pray that a scope type surgery will be all that is required to fix her shoulder. We will hear from Dr. Cain on Monday and expect a fast-paced track for her surgery and speedy recovery. I thank you, in advance, my blogger friends, for your prayers!

Recipe Thursday!! Today's feature...Brunswick Stew

When the leaves start to fall, the air cools to a crisp temperature and flip flops start to be out the question...I start craving soups, stews and hearty meals! My all time favorite is Brunswick Stew. My Granny Kuykendall used to make homemade Brunswick stew...but as I have previously stated...us Jean gals don't roll that way. We like simple, quick and delicious! It's made in our home, so I guess it could be considered as "homemade". :) So, here on Recipe Thursday, I give you..."Brunswick Stew"...the Jean gal's way!





Brunswick Stew



1 lb. of ground beef, browned

1 small onion chopped

2 - 16 oz. cans of cream style corn

2 - 10 oz. cans of BBQ pork

2 - 10 oz. cans of white chicken chunks (drained)

1 - 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 - 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 cup of ketchup



Brown hamburger meat and onion together in skillet and drain well.



Place in 5 quart dutch oven (or crock pot). Stir in remaining ingredients. Blend well. Add water to make stew thinner, if you like a more "soupy" texture. Cover and cook over "VERY" low heat for 45 minutes until flavors are blended and heated thoroughly. Stir very often, because it scorches very easily.


Mom gave me this recipe and I was a little leery, but one bite was all it took! Literally, one bite is all it will take to bring you guys over to my and Whit's way of thinking! This soup/stew is divine!!! I like my Brunswick stew a little thinner than some people do, so just add water or not! It's totally up to you! I like to add crushed red pepper to my bowl of Brunswick Stew, Whit likes to eat hers on bread, like a sandwich, Dudu like to line her bowl with bread and put her stew on top, Colby likes to put his in the freezer until it's cool (he's a wuss...lol)....NO MATTER how you eat it...YOU WILL LIKE IT TOO!!

And you thought Mrs. Bowling was the only Chef to graduate from Berry High School in 1991!

First of all, let me make one thing clear...we're not House of Bowling and we don't host "Cooking Camp"...we're just Mom and Daughter trying to nourish our way through life!!! :) KTB has WWAAYY too much energy to last one day at our house! :) She would die of boredom...would strangle me and Whit for the lack of "creativity" when preparing meals! I cook it, Whit cleans it. That's just how we roll. :) Anyway...

I have been struggling for about a week now, for something to blog about. I have:

• thought long and hard about it
• Googled "blog topics"
• snapped random pics to the point that Whit and Honeybun hide when I get the camera (what's up with that??? It's not like I post embarrassing pictures of them!! Gosh!)
• the dogs fear me and my camera too

So, I have just been stumped! And I know it's just writer's block...all of us famous writer's have this problem and I know that it will pass. :)

So I was in bed this morning, tossing and turning, couldn't sleep...with a gazillion thoughts going through my mind....when "BAM"...it came to me...I need to blog, at least once a week, about recipes!

Whit is always calling me or texting me with:

Whit: "Mom, what are we having for supper? I'm S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G!!! I'm hungry as a hostage!"

What better way to share recipes and stories about the person I got them from, than to blog about it! Technology...gotta love it!

So from this day forward, I have designated Thursdays as...(drum roll, please)...

Recipe Thursday!

HA! You thought I was going to come up with some really snazzy name, didn't you?? Remember, us Jean gals are simple...I cook it, Whit cleans it!

Please let me know what you think. I promise not to post anything that I haven't cooked and tried. Enjoy!!!

Homecoming 2009

Congrats to all the Seniors of 2010!! Even though we came in 2nd, ya'll did an AWESOME job!!!

When school is just too much to handle!

I often wonder what they are giving our kids at Berry High School! Some days, it's all they can do to get home without falling asleep! Some days they do manage to make it to the couch...

If anyone knows what they do to "put them to sleep" like this...let me know so I can stock up on it for the weekends!!!

Prom 2009

Since I got a late start on my blogging career, I missed a few important blogs in Whit's high school years. Just wanted to share a few pics from her Junior Prom.

Honeybun and Whit at Capitol Park in Tuscaloosa

Whit sporting Honeybuns jacket! She's mine, but she sure is a cutie!!

Probably my favorite pic of the night...aren't they sweet??

And last, but definitely not least, EmmaRae and Honeybun! If you think Whit loves Honeybun...she ain't got nothing on EmmaRae!

What do fullbacks do during their down time?

I know, I know...all of you have wondered at some point in life, just exactly what it is that fullbacks do during downtime?

• Do they power lift?
• Do they run marathons?
• Do they sit at the mirror and practice their game face?
• Do they endlessly watch the game film?

Well, I have the answer to one of the most sought after questions. Want to know what the answer is???

Although it may look like he is practicing "protecting the ball", that is NOT what is going on here...

And the answer is...

THEY CROSS STITCH!!!

That's right...they cross stitch! Now you know!!

Next time you see this strapping, young man come barrelling down the football field, either carrying the ball or taking out an opponent, just remember this post...those precious hands aren't just made to tackle, kill and destroy...they were made to "stitch" also!!