Country roads

Being raised in the desert I love the heat. Even the too hot days of summer in Vegas are worth the mild winters. I have shied away from going to my parent’s place in Mt. Pleasant, Utah during the winters because I’m okay with never seeing another snowflake in my life again. I guess if I go to Hell, I’ll be quite comfortable.

I decided to take the kids up for Thanksgiving since they hardly remember every going there. It’s a small little farm out in the country.  My siblings that live there argue that it’s not in the country it’s in town.  They say the country is on the outer edges of the community. I say if you can see a cow from your porch, then you’re in the country.

Of course, being the story teller I am, I worked up their anticipation for the trip. Including how there would be dogs, cats, goats, horses, and chickens. They were excited—even about the cold, heartless snow that might possible greet us. The one bit of information they clung to was the possibility of being to roam around outside without any adult supervision. They were in the country! My poor little city babes cannot go anywhere without an adult and there’s not much land to wander around on anyway. Of course, we go to the park but it’s usually quite populated. 

Somehow, this idea got stretched into they could roam the neighborhood freely—“like mom used to do when she was a kid.” I’ve told them the stories of being able to go play in nature whether it was the mountains behind us in Flagstaff, the wheat fields and almond orchids in California, or the desert in Page. We could leave for the day and be home before dark. No one worried about us. We didn’t have cellphones and our imaginations ran rampant. I had no idea how stifled children are today. They can’t go anywhere. It’s not safe. It’s sad.

I thought for sure they would forget about it once they were entertained with all of the things to do on the property. They didn’t forget and came and asked me for the dog collar. I knew that would take them a bit and went downstairs to check on them. Dona had given it to them and they didn’t waste time to begin their freedom journey on the country roads.  I had intended to have their older cousin go with them—he would be the undercover chaperone and they would be none the wiser. I couldn’t go with them because that would ruin the fantasy of no adult supervision.

When I discovered they had left already, I grabbed Taylor and told him we had to go find them. We drove around and found them lollygagging a couple of blocks away. Pure heaven. They reprimanded me when they thought I was following them. “Mom! You can’t watch us. You said we could walk by ourselves.” I lied and told them Taylor was disappointed that he didn’t get to go with him. Taylor got out and down the road they continued.

I remember when our parents cringed at boys wearing long hair and having earrings. The music we listened to was disgusting, and fads were just making us all a bunch of followers. I used to tell my parents, “Oh every generation changes and the old people are always appalled. Your parents didn’t think Elvis was a good influence.” His gyrating hips were going to be the downfall of society. As a teenager, I thought how much worse could things get? In the 80s we had peaked in pop culture. I realize now that the “getting worse” is not JUST pop culture but having a talk with your two six year olds about what they should do if a gunman came to their school. Unreal.

How sad is life that kids long for a walk down a street? Things aren’t the same. It seems like loss is what triggers gratitude. I wrote this soon after I returned home from Utah. Since then, the Connecticut tragedy has occurred. It makes me even sadder. It makes this whole reflection even more sobering. What happened to childhood? I wish had an answer; even a suggestion. But, there’s nothing.  I’d like to leave my comments with a feel-good, but I’m scared, disgusted, saddened, and emotional.  I cried so much this weekend. What must those parents be going through?  I want to lock my kids up and never let them leave my sight, but I know that’s not the answer.  Elvis, and everything he represented, really has left the building.

Butter Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie

Butter Biscuit Topping:
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (regular or butter)
1-1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1-1/2 cups milk with 1 tbls white vinegar)
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling: 
1   (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 bacon cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 cup cooked and shredded chicken breast
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix together in a bowl all of the ingredients listed under filling. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Stir together the biscuit mix and buttermilk. The consistency of the batter should be like a cake mix--not dry or crumbly like biscuit mix.  Pour this over the casserole. Drizzle butter over the topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Delicious White Bread Recipe--Easy!

I enjoy cooking and baking. I usually find a recipe I like and then play around with it to improve. I'm no Paula Deen, but I do have a few goodies that are keepers. This bread recipe is amazing. It's easy, just a lot of waiting time for cooling, rising, rising, and rising. My kids love it. It comes out of the oven like fresh homemade bread and stays fresh for days. It's also easy to slice and makes the most delicious sandwiches. You can slice it thin or thick. I still have the Frybread, Cinnamon Rolls, and Pizza Sauce to add. I just have to wait till I make it again and actually write down what I put it in it.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon salt
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
   (Or just 4-1/2 tsps of yeast)
1/2 cup warm water (110 degreesf/45 degrees C)
2 eggs
7 cups bread flour (flour works too)

Directions

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the shortening, sugar and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the cooled milk mixture, 2 eggs, and two cups of flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Deflate dough and let rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes.
4. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.