First of all, good thoughts to VWwife. Hope she recovers quickly.
Secondly, Mexican, (specifically tamales,) for New Years sounds great! Mr. Jackal would really love that I think. Do you have a recipe that you use or can you recommend one?
Good vibes and speedy healing thoughts for VWife!
Yay for fresh air, MBG!
CJ (that nick needs work ;)) - I don’t know who you were speaking to about Mexican food, but I bought mine from the place down the street. Tamales are just too much work!
We’re having Cornish Hens for New Year’s. No collards (blech!) but we will have black eyed peas, from a can! Bush’s makes them pretty good, with snaps and everything. Also wild rice, and maybe cornbread stuffing, and asparagus.
I’ve been doing load after load of laundry, and cleaning out the closets a bit. Mr Rebo’s job finally provided him with TEN PAIR of work jeans, right after he bought 4 pair for himself. It seems his old jeans shrunk somehow. 
So I cleared out about 10 pair of old jeans, and made room for the new ones. And I cleaned out all the hangers from the cleaners to recycle them. I’ll drop them off on the way to the gym.
I went yesterday and did about 40 minutes of cardio, and 15 minutes on the weight machines.
Tonight’s dinner will be rib eye steaksn the grill, baked NOT and salad. And sauteed mushrooms. Since it’s a mild day of about 66°F. Neener Neener! 
Sorry, but these are the days I love, when the rest of y’all are having 70° days when it’s 100° here.
Ok - off to the gym! Have a great day!
That was actually in reply to the OP. He mentioned he usually made something Mexican once during the season. I’ve always wanted to try to make them, because we don’t really have anywhere to buy them here in Canada.
Oh I LOVE game hens. My family doesn’t like turkey so much, but they love game hens. So moist and tender and delicious! We had game hens for Christmas just a few days ago.
Glad VWife’s surgery went well and hope she’s all fixed up now.
Also glad you’re coping well, MBG
I was raised Baptist, and then Methodist, (there’s a story right there) so don’t know from all that stuff some of you guys do. Our family traditions when I was growing up were that we would exchange gifts from family on Christmas eve, and open our gifts from Santa on Christmas day. And then was the big Christmas day feast with extended family.
Later on, when I was more or less growed up, and suddenly had ‘women in my life’, I discovered that my traditions didn’t count. What counted were the traditions she believed in. And those traditions were handed down verbatim from her mother.
Anyway, I’m on my second wife now, and her traditions.
We don’t do much of anything special Christmas Eve. All gift giving happens Christmas Day morning, and then there’s the big feast.
Which brings me to the turkey. We had Christmas dinner at the Daughter’s house, and we had turkey and dressing, mashed** N.O.T.**s, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cranberry stuff.
Daughter gifted us with a big baggie of leftover turkey to take home.
We made enchiladas out of much of it.
I’m not at home, but I’ll try to recount the recipe from memory.
Mix up a can of cream of chicken soup with a bunch of sour cream. I think we put in a pint. You can use low fat sour cream here if you want, it’ll be fine.
Mix in about 2 cups, or more, of leftover turkey, or chicken, we’re very democratic here, and about half a medium yellow onion, chopped fine. Put in a can of diced chilis. We put in a 4 oz can, but I personally think it could use a lot more chilis.
Put in some shredded cheese. We used a ‘mexican mix’ (cheddar, mozzerella, 
colby and something else), but you use whatever you want.
Add some salt and pepper. We decided afterwards that we should have put in some dried red chili flakes too. I think some cumin would be welcome here too, but we didn’t do that. We also didn’t put in the chopped olives.
Smear some of the mix on the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
Now you need to heat up some corn tortillas to make them more pliable. The original recipe calls for frying them in oil.
Forget that. Heat up a heavy skillet over medium high heat, cast iron if you have one, and heat the tortillas for a few seconds on each side in the dry(!) skillet. That’s all you need to do.
The best method is for one person to heat the tortillas while the other person rolls the enchiladas. Anyway, smear a bunch of goop on each enchilada and roll it up and put it in the casserole. You’ll get 12 to 15 enchiladas. Save some of the goop to put on top. Put some more minced onions and shredded cheese on top too.
Bake in a 350 oven for about 25 - 30 minutes.
Eat!
These are nummy!
Laters
For those of us who grew up in New York, “the holidays” begin the moment Santa Claus passes by at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
And for me, they’re over the first weekend after New Year’s Day. That’s when all the decorations come down.
It actually feels weird to go the Mass on the Feast of the Epiphany and hear/sing Christmas carols in years when I’ve already put away the decorations and have pretty much put Christmas season out of my mind.
Right. Mr. Lissar and I are all prettied up and waiting for Thomas to puke on us and/or for the babysitters to get here. I am wearing something sleeveless and am going to freeze. 
Happy eighth anniversary to us!
Howdy Y’all! Home and fed. Poke Tenderloin Ala KeithT is a hit!
All of a sudden people are all :eek: I want to look at changin’ my prescription drug plan. Three days before the deadline of course. Thus da bear is on the run at irk. I happen to like real busy when at irk so it’s jake. This is the kind of stuff that should not happen durin’ November and December because it’s a well-known fact that people go brain dead until after Christmas. Thus is my life.
**
HAPPY LISSARVERSARY!!!
**
Happy Lissarversary!
Hope **VWife **gets to feeling better soonest.
That’s all I’ve got.
Home after just over 13 hours on the road. Traffic was mostly tolerable, but a Ford Fiesta isn’t the most comfy for 3 adults and 2 dogs, plus luggage, and 2 boxes of rocks.
Yes, rocks. **FCD **bought live rock for the aquarium straight from the guy who’d dived it up the day before. It was packed in 2 fairly large styrofoam boxes, which made the rest of the packing a challenge, but we got all our crap home, and that’s what matters.
My sweetie is really sick. He got out of the car, into the shower, then into bed. Daughter and I unpacked the car, I tended to the kittehs, she fed the fishies, and we ate some sketties. She and Cozmo have gone downstairs and I’m about to hit the shower myself and watch a little TV till I zonk out. I fear I’m getting FCD’s sick - I’ve been coughing all day, altho not as bad as he has. It’s a Nyquil night for sure.
Happy LiLiVersary!
Welcome all newcomers - just FYI, you are required to send me chocolate love offerings because, well, because I’m nice, dammit! And I’m not above begging for chocolate.
And now, off to clean up and snooze…
Please folks, have your wreaths down by Jan. 7. I’ve managed so far to resist the temptation to set them on fire after that date, but one of these days…
eta: completely SFW
Thanks Swampy for the quick soak method. After all that cooking at Christmas and Thanksgiving I am all for quick. Got gifted a fully cooked spiral sliced ham that will only require heating, collards will go into slow cooker and peas won’t take all day.
Had to call the House call Veterinarian as doggy was crying in pain. Regular vet said wait til morning. I can’t and won’t watch my baby be in pain. So housecall doc came, examined, got history and “drum roll” expressed anal glands. Prescribed antibiotics and gave two shots. I am now $292.00 poorer but doggie is better already. He has an infection in his ass. Such is my life. Loving being here and reading all of you.
Happy New Year. Snowbounded----stay home and safe.
Stuffy
OK…I’ve been going to post since yesterday…but been busy hanging out with nephew and brother.
Good wishes for quick recoveries to both VWife and MBG.
And hugs for those of you who are down during the holidays. I still mostly enjoy the holidays, but I pretty much refuse to make a fuss about them. I decorate when I feel like it (my nativity this year includes animals that are wildly out of proportion, some soldiers that my Mom got in Canada (I think), and Tigger. Also, there were M&Ms on Christmas Day for the Baby Jesus (my nephew’s fault).
Heh…I was going to put in in a doggio-specific disclaimer, but I forgot. 
Raises glass at Johnny.
Happy anniversary! Glad you’re able to have a bit of time alone. Hopefully without having to change clothes before you leave.
CJ: I don’t make tamales either (I’m a girl, by the way), but if you want to make them, you can buy the prepared masa (dough) at most Hispanic groceries; here’s a recipe from Rick Bayless’s web site. And here’s a link with more info. I know **MBG’s ** family makes tamales periodically, so hopefully he’ll chime in with some advice, too. Putting them together is pretty time-consuming, so making them with a group is a popular way to make them. (They freeze well.)
Had the day off today and am off tomorrow as well… Yay!
Off to bed.
GT
[quote=“Dolores_Reborn, post:4, topic:22499”]
Today I caught Dipsey standing on my chair’s side table, eating out of my (already finished, but still had food on it) plate. Arggh!!! No dog in my house is allowed to do that!!!
I snatched him up, after hollering, “No!!! Bad dog!!!” When I set him down he took off for the Place of Safety - Under the Futon.
The little shit. I was pissed! After about 5 minutes, he came sidling up to me. I ignored him, periodically telling him he was a BAD DOG! After 15 minutes he somehow got in my lap, but I DID NOT PET HIM. No matter how cute the little shit was. I withheld my attentions for about 5 more minutes.
But who could resist this face?
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffienatin’. Gonna be another fun day dealin’ with drugs!
Rebo it’s your fault. You left food within reach. Ok, not exactly within reach but in enough reach Dipsey could figure out how to get to it. So, "Bad Rebo!! Plus, you’re right, nobody could resist that face.
Stuffed I’d like to take credit for the quick soak method but, alas, I must confess the directions are on the package of dried peas. The only hitch is one must remember that one has peas soakin’ and must check on ‘em in an hour. I’ve been known to remember the next mornin’. Thus, one word of advice, set a timer.
Time for more caffiene and feedin’ of rumbly tummy followed for irk purtification.
Happy Hump Day Y’all!
Up, caffeinated, off to irk
Rebo, Gordie didn’t eat my food last night, but he did eat half a bar of soap. Wanna trade him for Dipsey?
Happy Belated anniversary, LiLi!
Up, with caffeination in progress. I’m still half-asleep, iow!
Awww Rebo, poor Dipsey! You do have to nip that taking food off the plate/table thing in the bud, though! He does have an irresistable face. 
Thank goodness it’s Wednesday! LOL Happy hump day all - only one more work day this week after today…whew. Oh yes, I’ve got my black eyed peas and collards for NY day–will also have some sort of pork, I think.
I need to hire a rental car for the 31st because neither the trains nor the buses will be running by the time I leave AVE - and the customer blocks Avis because it’s “shopping”. And Avis is not answering the phone. And no, I can’t use other companies, that’s the only one with offices in both the place where I’ll get off AVE and the place where I actually have to go.
BLARGH!
Blurf. Caffeination in progress at irk. 'Tis Clean Out My Desk Day…