Good morning! Ohmugoodness can I tell you how COLD it is here this morning?? My tootsies are freezing. I think I’m going to have to find some warmer socks.  Temps are at zero with windchill around -9F. Burrrrr!!! Spring can’t get here fast enough!

I am so glad it’s the weekend.  Well, it’s the weekend for me because my last class was yesterday. I’m sitting here watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay. He’s doing omelets today. I am totally going to buy an omelet pan… when it warms up that is;)  I think my favorite omelet is the Mitchell at Louie’s Cafe in Baton Rouge.  It’s this dive that is right off LSU campus. They have the BEST food. YuUuMMmM! So I need to venture into making the perfect omelet – when it gets warmer!;)

Well the other night, when I was doing the Thousand Island Dressing, I also made a French dressing. I’m so happy with it. It’s a bit oniony but after it sits overnight, the onion is still there, but the flavors meld together so it’s not so prominent. If you aren’t crazy about onions, just half ‘em:) My friend Marcy sent me her recipes for Greek dressing and Sensational Salad. I can’t wait to give them a try:) Enjoy!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt

HERE’S What You Do:

Just blend it all together in a blender or food processor and store it in the fridge:) I’d let it sit over night before you use it though. Let those flavors get to know each other;)

Good morning yall!! Welcome to the new year:)  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday:)  We spent Christmas up here in the cold barren north but for New Years, we went looking for warmer weather in Miami/Fort Lauderdale.  We got one really nice beach day out at Key Biscayne. The rest of the time we explored:)  I think my FAVORITE place that we went this time was a place called Gumbo Limbo in Boca Raton.  It’s a nature center that also has a sea turtle rehab:)  It’s not an all day thing but it was a great morning trip for us;)  After we left there, we found the BEST pizza place called Authentic Brooklyn Pizza on Palmetto Park Road – also in Boca.  The pizza was great. Not to saucy (just the way my kids like it:) The prices were really good and very friendly service to boot:) Anyway, just thought I’d mention those two because if you’re visiting the area, you may not know about them. We can’t wait to go back to both places:)

School for the kids and me started back up.  I am taking a Stats and Psych class this semester. I am no good in math or with numbers.  Just hope I can pull it off this semester and get it out of the way.  Oh! And I also started fiddling with my sewing machine. I began making an apron about 2 weeks ago. I’m still making that same apron:(  So, Paul signed me up for a sewing class at Joann fabrics I am so excited! Sarah and I both are signing up for crocheting classes as well:) MyMatthew wants to do it too, but I don’t think he and Sarah need to do it at the same time though… that would not go well. She is WAY to bossy and she can crush him like fly with one word. Bless his heart.  So I think two separate times would work best here;) There are so many great classes they offer there, I can’t wait to do them all:)

SO! I got a new camera:) Well, WE (Paul and I) got a new camera. It was our anniversary gift to each other (our anniversary is Jan 25th – 14 yrs!!)  I’m so excited about cooking with a new camera now:)  All of my other pictures were taken either with my cell phone *yuck!* or with my little point and shoot underwater camera.  The one we have has lots of buttons and a big lens. I have no idea what to do with it so bare with me as I send Paul to a camera class so he can show me  LOL!:)

Last night, I was experimenting with salad dressings. Paul is a plain guy and he only likes a couple. One of them being Thousand Island or basically for him, ketchup, mayo and a little seasoning. He’s such a plain guy.  So 2 versions I came up with last night:)  I LOVE the second version I made:) I could just put that on some white bread and eat it (Ok, so I actually did that last night. YuuuUUuUuuuuUmm:)  Yall enjoy! (btw, I missed yall:) *hugs*

Paul’s Thousand Island

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch garlic powder

HERE is What You Do:

Mix it all together and stick it in the fridge:) Easy peasy:) It doesn’t make a lot but he doesn’t really eat it a lot. It’d be perfect for 2 salads.  He loves Thousand Island on baked potatoes (with pepperoni. Odd combo, I know).

Kathryn’s FAVORITE Thousand Island

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

1 cup Mayo – I use Hellman’s

1/4 cup Chili Sauce

2 hard boiled eggs – chopped

1T sweet pickle relish

a good dash (or two) of paprika

HERE Is What You Do:

Mix it all up and pour it into your container for the fridge. Take a good soft piece of white bread and clean your mixing bowl of the remaining dressing and enjoy!!! Yum!!