is my life a metaphor for chili

told ya i would probably be blogging more after the wedding----

is chili a metaphor for my life--

it sounds good when i get up and am planning to make it----i think hey, this is gonna be spicy and different---
but alas, it is pretty edible, but does not live up to my hopes for it

did i do wrong, by omitting the orange juice or soda----would it have been a total loss without my last minute brilliance of sage-

and there it sits, left-over---how did that happen---there is never enough----does frank's unruly digestive system, explain this mind blowing occurrence--

is this all my life has become---just a big bowl of brown stuff---full of beans

i wonder

chili mania

okay, so i am making chili today--not too bad so far--not experimenting too much and not feeling too stressed---thinking mine always needs something though
do i add too many tomatoes, is it too runny--i don't like it too thick----hmmm why isn't it spicy enough---should i use my own spices and not a package---i mean it's pretty much the same thing, isn't it

and how am i going to serve it without cornbread-----

why does it never seem to make enough---frank thinks he should be able to eat on it for the rest of the week---gotta get smaller bowls, maybe

do i add coffee, chocolate--i don't know----
one time, i added orange soda---not awful----not great either
so how do you make it--are you able to share your chili secrets---shhhhh i won't tell anyone

i have been accused of being martha stewart, but julia, i am not

haha you guys might get a kick out of this--sometimes, i wanna write about cooking and how i have tried this or that---so here we go

well over the weekend i was watching a cooking show---i think it is called something like "the pioneer lady"---anyway she made a shrimp stir-fry--that really interested me---even though i tell everyone, i am sorta allergic to shrimp--just sometimes, it's weird--

i altered her recipe a bit and to be honest--i don't actually remember her exact recipe--

i started with frozen, already cooked, de-veined and de-tailed small shrimp---first of all, i will tell you if i were to make this again, i would thaw the shrimp out under cold water, at the last minute and stir them in at the end of cook time----i browned them a bit and they were very very rubbery--

i added frozen zucchini, yellow squash, corn, and fresh grape tomatoes----she used fresh, corn off the cob and fresh zucchini and red and yellow tomatoes----i got the same color with the yellow squash and the yellow grape tomatoes, were quite a bit more expensive

i used lots of pepper, salt, lemon pepper, sage and lots of margarine and some veg. oil---

we enjoyed it, but it needs a lot of tweaks

i added a salad, that had been bogging my brain up for a couple of days--you know, one of my creations!

not such a big hit---but good

canned pears---would be better with fresh or at least a good brand---mine were too mushy

i browned with margarine and white sugar, some walnuts---tried to save money there too--but i think pecans would have been much better----i threw in the pears with the nuts, just long enough to coat them ---

added about half a small pack of feta cheese---i love feta, but this brand was not very good or something--

then i added balsamic vinaigrette---no taste--so went with a lime dressing---was better

just sharing a little cooking fun today--let me know if you try this!

the breeze of remembrance

i touched it's corners---the emotions of it's softness entered me and i was once again over-whelmed--
the silence of that familiar fragrance hung in the dense air, like a spirit, calling to me

oh it wasn't that i minded, in fact, it could be said, it was a comfort--like an old record, one finds in a dusty old second hand store----i knew i would play it's story over and again in my heart

such blissfulness, remembered that way at least---probably wasn't as idyllic as the filters of time, allowed it to be---but i embraced it

 pondering if time were perhaps a circle---existing, waiting for us to notice ---to recognize, it's voice--it's cadence--it's perfection-

Wedding pictures and video

Hey y'all! This is Robyn, I'm posting some pictures and video from the wedding! :)

(our bridal dance)

wedding memories

hey there blogging friends--i have missed you----well it is all over but the crying----seriously, i didn't cry too much except once------

also i feel i must ad a disclaimer of sorts----as all writers know, sometimes it is extremely difficult to write well and honestly at the same time---a constant balancing act for me---as i have shared before, i tend to gravitate towards real life writing, or at least based on it----so often, i just have to let go, that scrumptious thing i would so love to tell----in preference of others feelings----small price to pay---

i must tell you, i do plan to post pics---seeing as robyn and dillon are still away---that will have to wait---technology challenged here---i am raising my hand-

the wedding was beautiful as was robyn---i am allowed to say that right-----she glowed and sparkled and shined like a bride should do---and the groom, looked every bit the part of her prince charming----

everyone played their part to a "t" and some even more----don't ever let anyone tell you the bridal group dance is to be passed----it was a huge hit----i will share that later too----

the music happens to be a most important part of the wedding for me----we had two dear friends playing the piano and organ----two of my nieces singing and three of my nephews----

during the "virgin cocktail" hour, we had a wonderful young man play the saxophone and one of our "coffee house" finds, shared his talents---his rendition of "the times they are a changing" made you look around for dylan, i tell you--

i leave you with a few thoughts on weddings-

1.never think it is too early to plan ---everything takes a lot longer than you think
2.it never hurts to know a caterer or hey, even better if the brides mom or grooms mom is one-
3.never think you can't have just as many attendents as you want---you will never (mostly never) regret having someone in your wedding but can regret not
4.always instruct the groomsmen lighting the unity candle, not to light the big one in the middle
5.and this is for guests--if you see the groomsmen have lit the middle one, do not hesitate to bring it to someones attention and go blow it out---nice catch zack
6.you can never have enough food---and hey don't hold back--put it all out--go for it---and along those lines--hire more servers than you think you will need
7.don't worry that your 3year old granddaughter who is one of the three flower girls, decides to enter first with the two granddaughters that are jr. bridesmaids--just be glad she came down the aisle at all
8.don't worry too much when someone leans over during the ceremony and asks where that said flower girl is---someone in the back has caught her
9.remember things will happen that you do not expect or could anticipate----
10.don't be surprised to see your hostesses and chairwoman of the deacons and her husband mopping the a fore mentioned unexpected toilet flood
11.don't be surprised to find your pastor has wings and the patience of Job
12.and don't be surprised when your daughter no longer comes into the room, with arms full of bridal magazines to go over with you
13.and don't be surprised when you miss it all