Tuesday's Treasures and Wednesday's Texas Trash!!

I had thought I would skip seeking treasures on Tuesday this week.......
but I needed sour cream to bake a cake.
So.....if I must get dressed and go to the store - I might as well hit up a couple of thrift shops!
Am I right??

I love this framed print!

It was brand new and still had a tag on it.

Can you believe I bought another small tree?

It was - and still is - in an orange woven basket which I simply plopped down into my red tub.

I was finally able to hang up the last of my memory ornaments.....including Big Bird from 1986.

Most of these are painted on glass balls and Big Bird has a hole in the side but you can't really see it.

I got other things, too. Mostly tops for Mother and Lillian and even a few for myself.

Then I came home and prepared for a Ladies Dinner Party.

The table was set for six but there were only five of us.

Val works at Baylor Hospital downtown Dallas and she often has to work late - which she did.

Since she can't count on being available, I invite her to just about everything I do in case she can make something! Val, we will keep trying!

I lit the candles and even vacuumed the house.

Vacuuming is the one thing I absolutely do NOT like to do!

It's wonderful to enjoy the late December days when the house is all decorated and the cards have all been sent. The gifts have been purchased and wrapped and all you have to do is bake and then sit back and enjoy yourself.

The house was ready and the guests would arrive soon.

I had baked a cake and something different than the Crack Cake I have made over and over again.

This recipe came up in my Memories on Facebook that morning so I went with it.

It was shared by another friend on Facebook, so Thank You, Ginny S!!

I also baked up the last of my Fruitcake cookie dough.

There was enough to serve and send home with everyone.

Just look at these lovely ladies!!

Maria is in front on left with Lynn beside her and Candie across from Lynn. 

These three ladies and I are synchro moms and share a special bond just as all our daughters do.

We were talking last night that we have never seen a synchro swimmer from the Pirouettes of Texas that did not grow up well and be a success. No troubled swimmers that we know of and the most precious thing is how they all have stayed such good friends through the years.

As have the moms.

My sister, Luann, is on the front right.

She and I get together every December and we are running out of time.

She missed the Christmas Tea so I was happy she could join us last night.

Lynn brought the main dish - a delicious chicken salad, bread, crackers, humus, dressings and even eggnog!

My sister brought these amazing roasted sweet potatoes with a yogurt dipping sauce.

I just remembered she left the rest here so I may go in there and raid the refrigerator in a few minutes.

Maria brought these cookies!

AROMAS de MEDINA

ROSCO DE VINO

Delicious!!!!

And I opened a bottle of really good wine.

Thank you, Joni! We enjoyed every last drop!

Ah, I love a good party and this one was small enough that we were all able to really visit together!

For whatever reason, Louis Dean and I both slept like babies last night.

I think it's partly because most of the Christmas rush is over.

I woke up first so I tip toed out of the bedroom and turned the coffee on.

Only 5 days until Christmas!

I took my prayer journal and that first cup of coffee out to the gazebo.

Sitting by that real tree smelling the fragrance of pine and seeing the pretty lights was a magical moment for me. I loved my morning out there.

Today I met Brenda for lunch!

We try to get together every month but that hasn't worked out well for us lately.

Today it did!

I met her at her office and we went to Fuzzy Tacos - which always makes me feel like we're at a party! The hour flew by as we caught up with each other and really visited.

I truly needed this.

It's good to have a friend you can truly share your heart with and she share hers back.

I guess when you think about it, Brenda and I have been through a lot together.

We went to church together over 30 years ago.

I worked with Brenda at a State Farm office.

She was supportive as I went through a divorce and she I admired her as she became a grandma in what could have been a complicated situation but she made sure it wasn't.

I've learned a lot from Brenda.

She was there for me when I married Louis Dean and we were there for her and Billy when their son was accidentally electrocuted. I'm happy to say he made a wonderful and miraculous recovery.

She was encouraging as I became a MeeMaw to quadruplets and lived in Katy for 7 months.

We never missed a monthly lunch back then.

I would have never taken Louis Dean on that Alaskan cruise if they had not been with us.

Just talking to Brenda makes me feel better.

I came home and started my Texas Trash!!

It's a big deal around here!

And I make a lot!

This huge trash can was three quarters full!

It's not hard to make but it is time consuming.

I started at 3:00 this afternoon and am still at it.

I mixed it all up in the trash can.

Then I take out 16 cups at a time and make the 'juice' to coat the mix.

Butter, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic salt, Lawry's Seasoned salt and Slap Yo Mama Cajun seasoning. I bake it at 250 Convection setting for 15 minutes. Take it out and salt it down and turn it over. Switch racks. Bake another 15 minutes. Turn out on an old tablecloth and let cool. 

Pour into yet another trash sack.

I like to bake it all and put it all back together and toss it good before filling the tins.

That mixes all the flavors from the different batches so it tastes the same - or pretty much the same.

My kids always like the crunchy bits where the seasonings have caked up the best.

It's going on 10:00 and I have one batch in the oven and another one after that.

Will still have two batches to bake tomorrow.

And then make sugarplums.

This is the part of Christmas I like best!!