Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows

Since I had Thanksgiving dinner early and all, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes--a recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows!

This recipe is easy to make, and to help you crappy cookers out there, I am adding pictures to help you see the process. If you have never tried this dish before and like sweet potatoes (or you are just trying to impress out...in-laws), then you need to make this delicious side dish.

Gather up these ingredients for the most scrumptious Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows.

Ingredients:

6 large sweet potatoes or yams. This is what they look like:

5 TBSP brown sugar (you could probably substitute Splenda)

1 TBSP butter or margarine

1/2 tsp salt (YES, salt)

1/4 cup milk or butter milk

1 cup miniature marshmallows or several large marshmallows for topping

Method:

Boil or bake potatoes until softened.

Peel potatoes while warm and remove any strings. Transfer sweet potatoes to med bowl and add brown sugar, butter or margarine, salt, and milk or butter milk. Mash with fork or potato masher until creamy texture is achieved, generally three minutes.

Pour sweet potato mixture into oven-proof serving dish such as my vintage Pyrex serving dish.

Bake at 375 degree F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until set. Take out of oven and top with marshmallows. Return to oven and remove when marshmallows have puffed and are golden brown on top. Watch carefully during the marshmallow-puffing stage.

Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Buns of Steel: Part Two

Okay, this is the second installment of my husband's buns. I know some of y'all got a kick out of last week's post, and you should have--my husband's hiney is just plain ole sexy. So, for those of you that called and/or emailed me to tell me how hot my man's butt is, here's some more eye-candy for you. Don't be afraid to leave your nice comments this time around.

Thanksgiving Is Tomorrow

Well, not really, BUT......

Well, we're having Thanksgiving a little early here...matter of fact, we are having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. The reason is because my twin brother and his family are in town this week for medical testing on their oldest son and probably won't be back in Texas again for awhile.

So, today I am keeping in the spirit of Thanksgiving by listing some things I am grateful for.

1.) I am thankful to live in the United States and therefor enjoy many freedoms that others do not get to experience.

2.) I am thankful to those that have and are serving our country in the military.

3.) I am also thankful to those that serve and protect us in our communities such as firefighters, border control agents, and police officers.

4.) I am thankful for the undervalued and underpaid that go unnoticed such as teachers, principals, city workers, and park personnel.

5.) I am thankful for those that volunteer in various good causes.

6.) I am thankful for my dear husband and that he puts up with my crap.

7.) I am thankful for my three little creatures: Scientist, Elvis and Little Prince.

8.) I am thankful for my home, for food on my table, for good health, and reliable transportation.

9.) I am thankful for my husband's job and that he goes to work willingly everyday to support this family.

10.) I am thankful for good friends and extended family.

Remembering Our Veterans

This last Tuesday was Veteran's Day--a day set aside to reflect upon our freedoms in the United States and remember those that have served us and our country in the military. It was a day to honor those that died fighting for the freedoms that we often take for granted.

Now, I am not going to lie and act like I remembered Veteran's Day and just decided to post today to be different. Darned honesty. Actually, I completely forgot. Somewhere between chatting with my fossil junkies and enjoying the "joys" of motherhood I totally neglected to remember Veteran's Day. So, today I will take the time to remember those that have gone before us and those that are currently serving our country.

God bless our current, retired, and deceased military persons.

Meet some of my family that served in the military:

My grandfather on my father's side, Woodrow Wilson Stevens, army:

My grandfather on my mother's side, Ezekial Sosa, army and one of a few Hispanics serving at the time:

This grandfather passed away last year after a long struggle with cancer. He was given a military funeral.

My brother-in-law, currently serving in Iraq:

Thank you to all and may we remember you at all times of the year.

Taken Straight From A Fashion Magazine

Oh Laudy! Y'all are gonna wanna smack me after this post. You see, I just so happen to think my husband has one nice pair of buns. It's like they've been chiseled out of stone.

Recently, I took some pictures of my Cowboy (I can fantasize, can't I) outside in his Wranglers.

Mostly, I was taking butt-shots. Then I got on my computer and photoshopped his hiney for hours. Yes, hours.

Cowboy teased me.

Just thought I would share.

Of course, a long shot just will not do. I must crop until...


It looks like the photograph comes straight from a men's fashion magazine.


Oh yah, you work it man!


The Screwed Up Texan has finally lost it!

A Moment I Will Always Treasure

I love my Little Prince so much! Little Prince loves walking with the crosswalk guard, Bobby. It is so adoreable!

Just something I want to share. What a special moment I will never forget and I will always treasure.

And Little Prince is actually on his best behaviour...not a moment seen very often!

Low Gas Prices, Dinosaurs and the Creation Evidence Museum: OH MY!

A couple weekends ago, Cowboy, me and the kids all went down to Glen Rose, Texas for Fossilmania (a fossil related show). It was a fun family experience. And what the heck, gas was only $1.93 in Granbury!

That is right, I said $1.93!!!!

That means our trip cost less than $50 total including going out to eat. Glen Rose is a two hour drive for us in a Ford van. You bet I picture messaged all my family on my cell phone the incredible deal at the gas pump.

So what else did we do in Glen Rose besides go look at a bunch of fossils? Well, we also went down to Dinosaur Valley State Park and walked in the Paluxy River among the dinosaur tracks. Well, the kids actually jumped in the water. I know, I know...it is November and what the heck are my kids doing in the water? Well, actually I havnt the slightest, because I too thought the water was a little too cold. But they liked it. And it was hot outside, so whatever.

And...

We went to the Creation Evidence Museum-The FREAKIEST Place I Have EVER Been! Now, I believe in the creation and Bible and God and everything, but these folks were fanatics of a different kind. A really different kind!

When we all walked in, the operators of the "museum" were all giving us crazy looks like they wanted to convert us to their Alvis Delk Rock (a rock with a fake human footprint and dino footprint next to eachother).

You think that's wierd? Try the "fossilized" human finger:

If that isn't enough to think these people belong in Crazy Town, how about the world's first hypobaric chamber? A missile-looking thing that is supposed to mimic the atmospheric conditions of Earth before The Flood. They claim it causes flies to grow larger (why in the world would we want that) and live longer (again, WHY) and (this is where you should start laughing) takes the poision right out of copperhead snakes.

Oh my word!

To each his own.

Personally, we walked in, and after about ten minutes walked right out....LAUGHING.

My Day At the Firing Range and Popguts

A few weeks ago with my Citizen's Police Academy class, I got to practice shooting at the firing range. I was actually quite proud of myself because I think I did pretty good for not getting to go shooting very often. For instance, when Cowboy and I lived in Wyoming, we used to go north of town all the time and shoot popguts...little prariedog-like creatures that when they get shot, their guts "pop". You had a never-ending supply of the little critters, because each time you shot one another popgut soon was at the dead one's carcass eating it. That's right, they're cannibals too.

Anyways, here is how I did:

Nice....

How Not To Get Your Butt Kicked: Chris Rock Style

Okay, this last weekend someone sent me an email with this YouTube video and it was just too funny not to pass along!

I Voted!

Well, I did it: I voted for the next United States President for 2009-2012.

I got up at 5:45 AM to vote. I was at my voting location by 6:20 AM and I was first in line. By 7 AM there were already 30 voters waiting in line. I was out by 7:10 AM. Whew! I was up early. And y'all know I don't get up early unless there is a really good reason!

This is my first time voting and those of you that have voted before understand the elation that comes after exercising your right to vote. I felt great! I felt empowered! Voting was the best thing I have done civically for a while.

I voted unconventionally. I feel I made the right choice for president.

May the Lord be with the next President of the United States of America!