Well, it's gone now

On a hot sunny day, Firstborn came to unload the GT engine that was sitting in the van, back into the GT in order to get all of it's parts together for the tow truck.  The City of Austin and it's dead vehicle law won.

 

Though there are still random car parts in the back of the van, he might one day be able to fit the seats back in.  But for now, they sit in my garage.

 Firstborn wasn't in the mood for photos.

He was hot, sweaty, tired, and mildly angry.

There you have it: a car engine in it's own backseat.  You saw it here first.

Oh, and an extra bumper.

The tow truck driver handed him a check for $250 and drove off with a prized possession. A hard lesson learned.  Death of a dream.

And on a rainy day not too long afterwards, Bubbie had room in the driveway to do some bike repairs. 

Gina

5 thing Friday - eggs, martini, cat, rainbow, ladies

My mother has some super laying chickens.  Some of the eggs are so big you have to worry about the chickie - OUCH.

 Remember that Bluebell slogan?  The cows think Brenham is heaven?

 Maybe chickens do, too! Or maybe they're just super spoiled and well fed.

 Jack Allens' Kitchen makes a fine Mexican Martini. We had some delish chorizo stuffed tenderloin and some barbacoa enchiladas, too.

 My kitty seems to be losing weight.  Plus, she regularly roams the kitchen looking for food bits on the floor.  She's gotten quite bold about hopping up in your face when she smells you eating something good.  And when she hears a pull tab being opened she thinks it's canned food even though I stopped serving her that over a year ago. I need to move her nap pad out of the kitchen.

On Sunday we were treated to a rainbow that went from one end of the hospital

to the other.

When we looked out of the stairwell, there it was!  looked even bigger and so vibrant.  

Mini-reunion with ladies I worked with 25 years ago.  All still beautiful and lively and fun.  How can it have been that long ago?

Gina 

Happy hours in Mabel

Lately I fantasize about Hubby and I emptying our savings and running away from the children in Mabel. but for now, she's a perfect place for date night when we can't leave home.

So here's a mini tour of Mabel, our home away from home when we finally escape from Camp Rustown, with a mini fridge stocked with wine and some cool jazz on the iTunes.  She's tiny, but mighty.

  She has lots of seating and a table to eat at.  Or whatever. The table folds down, the cushions fold in,  and she makes a queen size bed.  Just behind and under the back cushions there is more storage - we keep pillows and blankets there. 

There are a lot of windows, and a skylight.  A/C and heating, too.

The mini fridge we will stock her with wine, some steaks or salmon to grill, and some fancy stinky cheese.  Hubby added these tiny tension rods in there to keep things from moving around while Mabel is in transit. 

There's a large pantry with our cooking utensils and other stuff.  All over the inside of her there are nooks and crannies to store things.  Plastic wine glasses, cards and dominoes, WiFi router, Texas flag. 

The kitchen is plenty big for cooking for two.  There is a cooktop and a sink above the fridge, and also more storage below.  We added some battery operated candles here and there.

Hubby installed a motion light near the step, in case we need to get up during the night.  There is also a port-a-potty so I won't have to leave the camper in the middle of the night to pee. We I have yet to take Mabel on her maiden voyage, but that doesn't mean we can't practice hanging out in her. I am looking forward to hitting the road with she and Hubby!

Gina

Pasta and Meatball Pie

 A couple of times recently I've made this baked pasta dish, knowing that since it's about to be full blown summer here, I will not be heating up my oven to make it for a while.  But it's so good!

Cream cheesy pasta in the middle of sauce and meatballs, with a sprinkling of colby jack, or mozzarella, or whatever I have on hand.

What I did:
Boiled enough pasta for six (this time was fettucine) til al dente.  Drained pasta and added 1/2 a brick of softened cream cheese to it, tossed until creamy.  Seasoned that with a little garlic, and added parsley.  Layered in a dish: marinara sauce, precooked meatballs cut in half, grated cheese, all of the pasta, more sauce and meatballs, then more grated cheese.  I baked it for about 35 minutes.

Served with a green salad, which is our summertime side dish of choice.

The leftovers for lunch are just as delish!  I will miss baking up this dish over the summer, but the kitchen will be too hot for that.  

Gina

5 thing Friday - happy hour, summer job, figs, a napping spot, patio

I am in favor of happy hour.  We get to leave the house and be sociable with other adults.  Plus, a good martini is not to be underrated.

 Blurry selfies notwithstanding.

Scout has a job interview with a local photography studio.  Though his forte is not portraits, he does have a working knowledge of photography as art, and that can only help him along.  I would like for him to work more hours this summer and spend less time on his computer.  Either that, or sign up for summer school.

 

The fig tree is loaded.

Apparently all it needed was monsoon-like conditions.  Hopefully I can get enough figs to make jam.  I dream of fig jam.  Every summer. This might be my lucky summer!

I gave up trying to move the futon out to the garage and Sugar was not going to stop planting herself on it.  Compromise:  lay a quilt over it and let her go for it.  Sweet dreams kitty.

The back patio is in a terrible state.  I have a list as long as my arm of things I need to get done in the inside of the house, so the outside is only going to get cleaned and spiffed.  But this patchwork of deck, concrete, and pavers is making me sad.  I envision a wraparound stone patio with no deck rail!  It would also be great to get the fence replaced, more topsoil and grass added and some general landscaping, especially under the windows and on the side of the house.  It's going to take time and money.  Not to mention getting Hubby enthused...
Bring on summer!

This is not a homemade meal

I'd never make it as a food blogger.  For one thing, I take so many shortcuts. 

 Bubbie asked for chicken fried steak one night recently.  I know you can buy the pre-breaded patties and cook them up, so that's what I did.

 

 I put some frozen green beans from my mother's garden in a little saucepan with a smidge of bacon fat, some salt, and a little water.  

The patties fried up all professional looking, no?

I strained the oil, added the bits and pieces of fried stuff back to the pan, mixed up a packet of cream gravy and added it into the hot pan to thicken up while I nuked a package of mashed potatoes.  The patties stayed warm in the oven as I baked a tube of cresent rolls.

All of it was so good!

My point is this:  I can feed people here a hot dinner at the end of their day and it doesn't have to be fancy, creative, or even homemade to bless them.  Their tummies will be full.  Dinner shortcuts never hurt anyone.

Gina

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 Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday