What a great weekend! My former in-laws were in town on business and my almost twenty-three-year-old niece came along. We did some Christmas shopping (finished, I think), wrapped a few presents (no where near done) and had some girlie time for manicures and pedicures. She has grown into such a delightful young lady and is considering graduate school in Nashville. Now, wouldn’t that be cool?
I had a tap dress rehearsal Sunday afternoon, so Hubby got to spend some quality time with her as well. She wanted to go to Build-a-Bear to make a gift for a friend who is in the army. I’m not sure who had more fun. All I know is Hubby came home with THREE bears. One for our not quite hatched Grandson and two for Youngest and his bride-to-be.
There is a reason for dress rehearsals before performances, and I now know first hand what that reason is. I was missing a part of one of my costumes yesterday. Oops! I started getting everything together a couple of hours before the rehearsal and didn’t have a top to for a dance I’ve not performed before. I called my teacher who found another dancer who had it (whew!) but had this been the show, it could have been major trouble. Because of my five-month illness last winter, I’m the least experienced in my group, so I feel like I’m hanging on by a thread. It doesn’t help that the group I started with merged with the advanced group while I was sick. I’ve been taking two extra hours of lessons a week to catch up, but my body will only do so much in a day. All of a sudden, I feel like the problem child of tap—a position I’ve never in my life been in—and one I’m not fond of. The group is taking a one-week break for the holidays, but I’m taking two weeks off because of Youngest’s wedding in Cancun. Maybe the tide will have turned in the New Year.
For the weekend, I made Brunswick Stew, a favorite in my prior life and something I’ve introduced to Hubby’s family with success. If you want something to warm you from the inside out, try this easy recipe:
- 3-5 pounds cooked meat (I use chicken breasts, but you can use pork, turkey, roast)
- 5 cans stewed tomatoes (regular size cans)
- 4 cans creamed corn
- 1 can whole kernel corn
- 1 small bottle ketchup
- ½ cup vinegar
- ½ a stick I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (Original recipe called for a stick of butter, but this works)
- Add Tabasco to taste (I usually don’t cook this in the stew, but let folks add their own)
- Cook overnight in crockpot or for ten to twelve hours in Dutch oven at 200 degrees.
- You’ll know it is ready when it changes from a light pink color to a deep, rich red color.
- Great warmed over and easy to freeze.
I have tap in a couple of hours and need to do some critiques before I leave, so that’s it for today. Stay warm and have a good Monday.
~ Kay
