A Slice of Ranch

We headed southwest this past weekend to the The Ranch.

Near the Oklahoma border, The Ranch is a place we go to relax, get away, enjoy quiet time and great company. We also dabble in a little fishing and shooting; reminds me of when I was little. My grandparents live on farms and shooting targets is something we did every holiday.

I might have experienced some of the best home cooking ever. Fillet steaks, cheesy potatoes, corn with bacon tidbits, biscuits and gravy, Mexican wedding cake...you know, all the savory, melt in your mouth but straight to your ass foods we all love to indulge.

It was a great weekend spent with family. I even had time to drive to Ark City and visit my grandma M for a few hours. Grandma M is the greatest.

I also had the unusual chance to play around with my camera. Ever since we purchased this somewhat "professional" camera, I have really wanted to spend some time with it. Well, life hasn't really allowed me to dedicate much time lately, but me and my camera happened to be on bonding terms this weekend. It was great. I still have a lot to learn though.

Enjoy. Here's a little slice of The Ranch.

Beautiful blooms in front of Grandma's house

Grandma M

What a cute brother I have!

Handsome hubby

Ron

Brothers

Lori

Eric and Lauren

Jakey

Eric and his pups

My Boys

Lauren and cuddly Cooper

Nice catch!

Ace

Ace (the horse) and Jake (the runt). Jake is 4 years older than Ace!

burgers + bottles bucks

Anyone like blanc burgers + bottles?

Because, the Kansas City Groupon deal today is awesome!

Pay $10 for $20 worth at Blanc Burgers + Bottles.

I have received the daily Groupon emails for quite some time now and have contemplated numerous deals. However, this was my first official purchase! If you don't receive the Groupon emails, I suggest you look into it for your city. You never know when a great deal will come your way.

You just pay online through Groupon, and then they send you an email where you can print off the voucher. I have until March to use it. Pretty sweet deal!

They also have two great locations. Plaza and Mission Farms.

Here's the link if you are interested. It can be purchased through the next two days. There have already been 7,298 purchased! Groupon is great for businesses!

Groupon Deal - Blanc Burgers

Happy Friday!

Thumb Master

As previously mentioned, we spent Sunday night of our Labor Day weekend grilling out with friends and taking part in the drinking games we all played in high school and college.

We enjoyed some spectacular grilled goodies.

Check out these bad boys. Stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. I didn't get a photo once they came off the grill, but I assure you they were very yummy.

Pico de Gallo. Full of flavor and oh so yummy (Recipe is here).

Kabobs. Mmm, mmm, good.

Using the glasses I won at Smack's holiday party/white elephant gift last year.

Goof balls.

Pico De Gallo

This recipe was given to me by a very good friend. It's very tasty and a nice alternative to just serving salsa.

Just so you know, this makes A LOT of pico. However, I'm sure the recipe can be easily minimized if preferred. The nice thing about it is you can use it for multiple meals. I served with tortilla chips for our bbq, then we topped over omelets Monday morning, and then used for tacos.

8-9 medium-large tomatoes
2 yellow onions (smaller)
1/2 bunch cilantro
2-3 jalapenos (small)
Juice from 2 lemons
1/2 tsp. Garlic salt or powder
1 tsp. sugar

Chop up tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and enjoy!

Checks and Balances

Does anyone out there still balance their checkbook? And I mean the old fashioned way, not checking and balancing online. You know, when you write down every purchase and transaction you make, then calculate consistently to know what you have in your account? Then, you utilize your monthly statement to ensure everything is accurate?

I'd be willing to bet there aren't too many people who do this.

Well, guess what? I do!

Are you shocked? Probably not. But maybe.

I question myself too, but it's just the uber organized, must-know-it-all nature in me. You can poke fun all you want, call me ancient, but I do it out of pure habit. And because of the way my mother raised me. I owe her for making me the frugal, money conscious woman that I am today.

Anyways, I have greatly contemplated throwing in the towel. I'm not sure it is necessary anymore with everything being online.

It's quite possible, that by next month, I will have graduated and joined the 21st century as it relates to balancing your checkbook.

So enlighten me, anybody else out there still as crazy as I am and balance your checkbook by hand?

Driver or Camera????

Sorry to keep you all waiting, I was in Columbia, MO for work all day.

Here's the outcome from our little bet. Drum roll please...

Ta-da!! Yes-sir-eeeeeeee...that's a photo of a pretty new point-and-shoot camera!

Okay, I have some major explaining to do because my husband deserves A LOT of credit for taking on this project. Although, it's not complete yet (he finished all but caulking and painting), he did a fantastic job! Not to mention the crazy wind on Sunday and Monday that highly affected his progress. Large pieces of wood + extremely tall ladder high in the sky = NOT SAFE.

 Mark helped out for a bit on Sunday.

There was also one other thing that slightly held him back. A couple games called Golf, Waterfalls and P&A. Thanks to friends that came over Sunday night for a bbq, where it turned into a college reenactment of drinking games, he had a late start on Monday. He said he was "sabotaged." LOL :)

To reward his hard work (he was out there almost all day, every day the entire weekend), he will most likely end up with the driver anyways:) He definitely deserves it!

But a bet is a bet, and for the sake of saying who won, I win!!

Game On

I had to work a little later than the hubs yesterday, so I came home to a little surprise.

This is what greeted me when I pulled into the driveway:

Brian on a very tall ladder and the entire chimney pretty much ripped to pieces. What do I call this? Oh, only another project he has gotten himself in to.

Just so you know, this is typical behavior for my husband. It doesn't really surprise me anymore. He will find something that needs repaired, or just something he thinks needs a change, and just go at it right away. No need to think about how he will put it back together or if he even has the time to complete it. Hence, the tons of other projects he has started that are not finished in our home.

He thinks it's really funny to start these projects when I am out of town so I can't talk him out of them.

Seriously. He is up to his ears with home improvement projects.

This one just happens to be on the exterior, where it is entirely visible to everyone that goes by our house, including our neighbors. So this little project has to be completed in a timely manner.

He is convinced it will be done by the end of the Labor Day weekend, which means end of day Monday. We have initiated a little bet.

If he completes the project by Monday (paint included), he gets a new driver (golf club). He has wanted one for a really long time.

If he doesn't complete it, I get a new point and shoot digital camera (a smaller one that is more than 5 pixels). Yes, my old one is 5 pixels. Does that give you any idea as to when I purchased this? A LONG time ago. Luckily, I have my big camera as my main source of documentation.

We'll just have to see who wins the bet. I think he's absolutely nuts. Our neighbors do as well. One of them asked, "Are you doing this all by yourself?" Brian responded, "Yep." Next, they asked, "Do you know what you're doing?"

I'm confident in the hubs, but only time will tell. I have a feeling I might be impressed with his skills.

 Demolition. Taking out all the wood-rotted pieces.

 Installing new pieces.

Bystanders Beware

Taking advantage of the cooler weather, Brian and I took Jake for a long walk last night. It was perfect walking/jogging weather.

Of course Brian decided to let dumb dog off the leash. Remember, he's a transformed City Dog. He always lets him do what he wants. And I think Jake secretly knows that he can get away with more with Brian. However, when discipline time comes, he is strict. Brian is definitely the disciplinary in the house. I don't like the discipline part of the job.

So, Jake was taking full advantage of his off-leash time. He loves it. I think he gets to relive his good 'ole days when he could run through fields of nothingness at Brian's dad's ranch house.

Now, he gets to scurry in and out of bushes, up and down driveways, dodge in between houses, run along fences and dip into the occasional flower bed. A little different than the countryside, but he'll take it.

And he did just that. Found himself a nice flower bed to scamper through and then wouldn't listen as his dad called for him to come. "Jake, come here!" his dad yelled. But he decided to ignore him for as long as possible. Typical behavior for Jake.

The next action that took place was Brian smacking him on the head and grabbing him by the mouth to tell him "NO! You better listen to me!", just as several neighborhood kids watched in horror. Of course Brian had to make a show out of it, both of them stopped dead in the street as Brian made sure to make eye contact with his dog, letting him know who's master.

I was the mortified mother that kept walking.

When we were away from the kids, I said, "Babe, you can't discipline him in public like that. What are you going to do when we have children soon? That's how child services get called."

He responds with, "Oh you better believe I will be the parent that smacks his kid in Wal-Mart if they are giving me the Biddle-tude."

Oh geez...the boy has so much to learn.

(Note: the Biddle-tude is Brian's word for when I am moody or giving him attitude. He has used this expression for years.)