THROWBACK THURSDAY

A REPEAT...
"he ain't heavy, he's my brother..."
FLASHBACK october 9, 1967
i am a happy toddler. i live with my mama and daddy in a nice house. we have a dog. life is good.
FLASH FORWARD october 10, 1967
the nightmare begins. mama and daddy bring HIM home. a little brother. "aren't you excited to be a big sister?" ummmmmm. no. no i'm not.
FLASH FORWARD 1970 something
i can't get rid of him. queenie and i are at the park? he is there. queenie and i are at the pool? he is there. queenie spends the night? he is there. he. never. goes. away. he tries to kill me...on multiple occasions. thank you whoever invented locks on doors. and there are times he needs my protection. yeah, exorcist demon, you will not possess my little brother because i'm letting him sleep in my room. 

             

FLASH FORWARD 1980 something
he's in high school now. and is kind of gigantic. no one realizes he's just a freshman. my friends become his friends. he's at all the same parties. the same homecomings. the same proms. he makes getting a date tough, however.  it's hard to get a date when every guy at school has seen you first thing in the morning. with your hair standing on end and no make~up. but, all in all, he's not so bad. 

       

 

FLASH FORWARD today

he's kind of a d~bag.  but he's my d~bag. he's given me a sister. he's given my 2 beautiful nieces. he's my dearest friend AND the bane of my existence.

today is national sibling day. celebrate your brothers and/or sisters...they are the ones that taught you "fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring" (pamela dugdale).

a gallery of siblings:

                         

FLASHBACK october 2011

"call any vegetable...call it by name...call one today when you get off the train..."
the bk says he wants to lose weight. he signs up for weight watchers and we do this together. the challenge? he has 50 points per day and i only have 29! *for readers unfamiliar with weight watchers's points plus system: weight watcher's took the guessing game of determining how many calories, fat, and carbs are in a food and how much of those things someone should have per day...they gave each food a points value...based on your weight and activity level, you are given a daily points allowance plus a weekly 35 point bonus (bonus points can be divided up throughout the week or banked for the weekend)* the bk can eat a normal dinner and still have room for a snack...or a beer or two...after supper. me? i am reaching my points limit and dipping into my bonus points for my treat. "well...you're eating the same amount as me at dinner...of course your going over!" but...but...i'm starving!!! i need to find meal choices that are satisfying for the bk, but leave room for my ice cream treat (click here to learn my trick to eating ice cream on a diet). the answer? preparing veggies (most at 0 points) that are both delicious and low in points. 2 of my absolute faves?

ROASTED ASPARAGUS (2 pts per serving)

1 1/2 pounds asparagus
2 tbs extra~virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tbs shredded parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 425 degrees. lay asparagus on foil lined cookie sheet. mix together garlic and olive oil. brush on asparagus, coating evenly. sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. sprinkle with shredded parmesan. roast in oven for 15 minutes. serves 4.

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS (1 pt per serving)

1 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts
2 tbs extra~virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

preheat oven to 425 degrees. lay brussel sprouts on foil lined baking pan. brush with olive oil. sprinkle with seasonings. roast in oven  30 minutes. serves 6.

roasting your veggies in a small amount of olive oil is a great way to add flavor without piling on extra fat and calories (which mean more points!!). and, bonus!!, any left overs make a great snack. i always make more brussel sprouts than we need...and snack on them while watching tv or reading my book. so delicious i end up skipping the ice cream! 

want to try weight watchers yourself? click here to sign up. 

FLASHBACK july 2009

"i make the best darn waffles the world has ever seen...i'm the waffle king, yeah"
our first vacation together began with jamie making the 12 hour trip, to myrtle beach, with his mama (moniebird) and her friend glenna in tow. driving half~way, moniebird wants pancakes for breakfast. they stop at waffle house, the home of cheese grits (?). yes. cheese grits. does anyone ever really order waffles at the waffle house? thus begins the conversation: why can't you get pancakes at the waffle house? a waffle house has griddles. they have batter. they have spatulas. they could easily make a customer a pancake. they won't. jamie's argument? "duh doy! it's a WAFFLE house!". he tells me about the conversation at lunch. "can you believe them?" me "ummmmm...why can't you get pancakes at a waffle house?" j "again...it's a WAFFLE house! if you want pancakes, go to a pancake house!" me "but...you can get waffles at a pancake house?". jamie rolls his eyes. 
FLASH FORWARD march 2011
although this argument is one we have fun with on a regular basis, we never test the theory out: can you get waffles at a pancake house? i'm certain you can. as a matter of fact, i'm almost 45000% positive i've done it. the discussion comes up again on a househunting trip to charlotte. we see a sign for the international house of pancakes. jamie thinks he'll end one debate right here. he does. they serve waffles at ihop.
one mystery still remains. WHY DON'T THEY SELL PANCAKES AT THE WAFFLE HOUSE?
it's national waffle day. why not try one? from a pancake house.