Welcome, Fall!

     I've noticed over the past couple of weeks I've had a lot for which I'm so very grateful.  I got into the Nursing program at my school.  My husband got home early from his training exercise.  I got to spend two weeks with my sweet baby girl, and now I find myself sitting next to an open window, enjoying the crisp fall breezes!  That's right; we finally got a taste of Fall here in the south, and of course that means it's the perfect running weather.  And it's not just because I can now run without feeling like my lungs are caving in; I also no longer have to worry about what types of wildlife I'll run into.  Thankfully, since it's been cooler, the most "wild" form of creature I've seen has been a sweet little turtle crossing my path.  I love this weather!

     Of course this type of weather calls for a certain type of food.  The possibilities are endless during sweater weather:  warm soups, savory stews, hearty breads, and filling casseroles are just a few that come to mind this time of year.  And of course, I have just the thing to share to fit the bill.  Here's a recipe for an awesome Shrimp and Rice Casserole from a lovely lady I went to church with as a child:

Shrimp and Rice Casserole
1 stick butter
1 bell pepper
1 stalk celery
1 onion
1 can French onion soup
1 can cream of celery
1 can Rotel
2 lbs shrimp, peeled  *Can substitute crawfish*
2 cups rice, uncooked

Finely chop vegetables.  Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat; and in vegetables and sauté.  Add the soups and rotel.  Mix well.  Add uncooked rice and shrimp.  Pour into 3 quart casserole dish.  Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
   

This is one of those "throw it in the oven a forget it" recipes so that you have more time to go outside and enjoy this beautiful weather :-)

New Year's Trivia

     I have a friend who, bless her heart, is a Yankee.  Over the past couple of years we have found that there are several differences between the North and South.  We have laughed over the way she and I both said, "Pecan St" as if we we're naming two different roads entirely.  She was thrilled by the fact that parades here in the South entail beads and candy being thrown.  I was recently baffled by the fact that they don't do black-eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's Day.  When she asked me why we do that, I was able to tell her that, according to tradition, cabbage stands for wealth and black-eyed peas stand for luck, and if you don't eat these on New Year's Day, you won't have good luck or wealth in the ensuing year.  That's about all I knew, so, being the nerd that I am, I took to Google to figure out the rest.

    Apparently this tradition is attributed to Sherman's march through Georgia during the Civil War.  He went through the state, carving a path to Atlanta, burning and pillaging as he went.  One of the few things he left untouched were the rows of black-eye pea fields.  These were harvested by the surviving Confederates, and they quickly became a major food source for the starving south.  Of course, the tradition has evolved and varies from home to home.  Some believe that one must eat exactly 365 peas in order to have sufficient luck for the year.  Others place a (hopefully clean) penny or dime in the pot, and the one who has the coin in their bowl is said to have the best luck that year.  In our house, it was always stated that as long as you eat a little of each, you should have sufficient luck and wealth for the year, but the more you eat, the better your chances.  Today, I'd like to share my version of Black-Eyed Peas and my step-daddy's cabbage.

Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas
1 lb Black-eyed peas (I use Camellia brand)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS onion powder
Tony's to taste
cooked rice

Soak beans over night (about 8 hours), drain and rinse.  Stir peas, onion, celery, garlic, and seasonings in crock pot.  Fill with water until about 3/4 full.  Cook on low 8-9 hours.  Adjust seasonings as desired.  Serve over cooked rice.


New Year's Cabbage 
1 stick butter (not margarine)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 head cabbage, sliced and core pieces removed
6 slices bacon (I use maple bacon)
Tony's
Salt
Pepper

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.  Add onions and saute until translucent.  Meanwhile, fry bacon until it's cooked, but not crispy.  (It will finish cooking in the pot.)  Add cabbage and bacon to the pot, stir, cover and cook down until cabbage is tender, about an hour.  Season as desired with Tony's, salt and pepper.



Happy New Year y'all!

I've Got This

    I have one final class at 1:00, and then I am home free for two whole days!!!  This week was like running a mental marathon.  With four tests to study for, two stinky dogs that needed baths, a three-year-old with all her needs and wants, and a house that doesn't clean itself, I found myself passing out each night exhausted.  I began wishing my husband were here to help, but then I remembered the amount of dishes and laundry that come with him, and I began to be grateful that he's not around, so that I have one less person to take care of and pick up after (horrible, right?).  Oh, well.  I survived this week, and I've managed to do so without completely losing my sanity.  I only cried myself to sleep one night this week, but that was totally justified because I had just found out that I had sewn the collar on a shirt wrong for the 3rd time in a row!  Needless to say I'm ready for the weekend.
 
     If nothing else, this week  this month this deployment has taught me that I am stronger than I ever thought possible.  Not just all the running and working out I've been doing, but all the schooling, all the studying, all the "but Mommy, I want you to play with me"s, all the "Mommy, I need"s,  and even the emergency room visit have taught me that I can do this.  I can take on this crazy, hectic, beautiful life that doesn't make sense, and I can make it my own.  I can mold it into something that reflects who I am and what I want, and I can do it without anyone's help.  I am capable.  I am strong.  I am me; I am the best me I can be, and I am getting better every day.

    This weekend I look forward to sleeping past 6:00 am, cooking breakfast for my daughter, and taking her to see Finding Nemo in 3D.  Tonight her two friends are coming for a visit, and I know she'll be thrilled to see them again.  You know, the more I find myself and strive to make myself better, the more I see her in a new light.  It might just be her age, but her little personality has grown so much, and I love it!  She's sassy, smart, clever, strong-willed, happy, and funny.  I really think she's a redhead masquerading as a brunette.  She has a quick temper, and a loud mouth.  She's sweet and loving.  She's tough, tougher than I ever was.  She doesn't let anyone or anything slow her down, and she knows what she wants, and she demands it.  She's a whole lot of personality stuffed into that little body, so it's no wonder that she's always bursting with energy.  Words can't even describe how proud I am that she is my child.

   You know, I don't even know where I was going with this post.  I don't know how this ties in with my recipe, but here it is anyway.  This recipe has been floating around Pinterest for a while now, and I had to try it.  I'm so glad I did, because it was as yummy as it looked.  Here is it:

Sweet and Sour Chicken 

Chicken:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

       Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water; cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat  1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of the sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes.

Ta-da!

Seriously, the original poster is a genius!  This stuff is amazing, and she even posted a Fried Rice recipe to go with it.

You'll need:

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)

3 tbs sesame oil

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup soy sauce

      On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour eggs on the other side of the skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Add the rice and soy sauce and blend well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated.

Yum!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

   I know what you're thinking, What is she doing typing up a blog on a beautiful day like this? Well my answer to that is, I don't know!  It's a beautiful day, but I have no where to go and nothing to do, and it's all J's fault!  He called me this morning to say that he'd be headed home sometime today and that he'd call me back at noon to tell me when.  I haven't heard from him since. :-/  So, being the good wife that I am, I'm sitting around here, waiting, in case he calls to say he needs me to come get him.  That and I spent all morning baking; so now I'm tired and don't feel like doing anything.  So I'll hop on here and ramble a bit.

   Today I'm going to share one of my step-daddy's recipes: Stuffed Bell Peppers.  As I'm typing, I'm finding it a bit odd that this is the first recipe of his I've shared, especially considering that most of my love of cooking comes from years of helping him chop onions, garlic and bell pepper in the kitchen.  I guess the reason is that he's not really one to write down recipes.  He usually just throws a whole bunch of stuff into a pot and it comes out gold.  Anyone who has known me for more than a day has heard me talk about his cooking.  When asked if I like catfish, my response is always, "No; only my step-daddy's."  If I'm out enjoying a steak at a restaurant I may comment that "My step-daddy makes an awesome shrimp topping for his steaks."  And if asked about bar-b-que, the answer has never been anything short of, "Nobody does it like my step-daddy."

    What can I say?  Growing up when it came to food, we were spoiled rotten.  Jude (my step-daddy) never bought groceries in advance, he'd just grab whatever he was in the mood for from the local store and come home and invent something wonderful.  The only problem with this method is that I can't recreate any of his concoctions.  There's no method to his madness that I can see; so I'll just delight myself in these yummy bell peppers and leave it at that.

Here's what you'll need:

6-8 medium bell peppers
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box Stove Top Cornbread Dressing
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Clean peppers and place them in a large pot filled with about 1-2 inches of water.  (The water should come about halfway up the sides of the peppers.) Bring the water to a boil, and cover with a lid.  Allow to steam until the peppers are tender.  Set in a 9x13" casserole dish.  Prepare the dressing according to directions on package; set aside.  Brown meat and onions, season to taste (I use Tony's).  Drain off excess fat.  Add soup, dressing and rice.  Mix well on low heat.  Stuff peppers with mixture and top with grated cheese. (I usually add a squirt of Ketchup on top, but that's optional.)  Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Pepper sans ketchup.

   Well my baby girl is tired of entertaining herself inside and wants to go swing, so I'm going to oblige her.  Y'all enjoy your Saturday!

A Little Bit of Everything

     I know I've been MIA again, and I'm sorry, but it's not my fault.  The blame can be equally attributed to JK Rowling and Stephen King.  I read The Stand this past week, and it has found its way into my top ten favorite books off all time.  I have found myself truly enjoying King's way of spinning a yarn.  Before I read any of his novels, I expected gore and violence and scary themes that would keep me up all hours of the night.  What I got was much better, and much more thrilling.  I think the best parts of King's novels are the ones that deal with the human mind, and the moral struggles that go on there.  He has a way of scaring you, not with the boogyman, but with the guy next door.   The Stand was no different.  For me, especially, the idea of a military-made weapon being the catalyst that sparked the whole end-of-the-world battle was quite frightening.


     Of course, once I finished the novel, I just had to watch the movie.  That ended up being a three-night affair.  Having a job really puts an end to all that late-night partying.  When I finally did see the movie in it's entirety, I was rather impressed (even in spite of the 80s graphics).


    Last night I got on this computer fully intending to write a new blog, but first I checked my email.....and then I forgot all about my blog.  I got in to the early stages of Pottermore, so last night I was reliving another book from my top ten list, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  They haven't opened up any of the other books for exploration yet, but I'm waiting patiently.  I like this testing-out phase because I can put in my two-cents in the hopes that it will make the experience better for the ones that are allowed in when October rolls around.  I'm also enjoying the extra tid-bits Rowling is including in the site.  These are bits that didn't make it into the book or back story on certain characters.  So far my favorite part of the whole experience has been reading Professor McGonagall's back-story.  She was my favorite professor in the books, so it's nice to learn a bit more about her.


   So enough with the excuses, let's get down to it.  I may not have been blogging, but I have been cooking.  I have two cheap and quick meals that I want to share with y'all tonight.  The first one is a bit different, and it may not sound that great, but it was really yummy.  The second is a bit of a staple in the south, but I've never used such a quick version.


  First, I made Tomato and Egg Stir-fry.

  I found this on foodgawker, but to be honest I didn't even read the guy's blog about it.  I simply watched this video and followed her instructions.  It was pretty tasty.  J ate a bunch, and Monkey approved.


What you need:
3 eggs
3 tomatoes
2 TBS oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Cooked white rice


   Crack eggs into a bowl and beat.  Cut tomatoes into quarter pieces. Heat oil in skillet/wok, add egg first.  (Do not scramble)  Let sit until eggs are about half cooked, then cut up into small pieces.  Push the eggs to one side, then add tomatoes.  Add salt to tomatoes.  Add sugar to tomatoes.  Cover with lid.  Simmer for about 1 minute over med-high.  Stir eggs and tomatoes together.  Serve over cooked white rice.


   Next up I made something called Hoppin' John.  

   I've cooked beans on several occasions, usually soaking them over night, then using my slow cooker all day.  This was a nice change.


What you need:


1 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 15-oz. cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper
2 TBS chopped parsley
2 green onions, chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
cooked white rice


  Heat olive oil in skillet over med-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.  Cook until veggies are tender and onions are translucent.  Add black-eyed peas, stock, salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Add parsley.  Serve over rice.  Top with tomato and green onions. 

   Both Monkey and J had seconds on this one.  J even asked when I was going to make it again.  I think I'll add it to my shopping list for next week's groceries.  


   On a completely unrelated note, those of you who are my Facebook friend already know that my darling J has been quite the over-acheiver lately.  He made breakfast for Monkey and I both Saturday and Sunday.  He's been doing the laundry, washing the dishes, and over all making me wonder who this impostor is.  Monday he even stayed home with Monkey while I was at work.  


   Monkey had been sick and running fever on Sunday, so Monday morning J called to make an appointment with her pediatrician.  By this point she was no longer running fever, but mommy said we'd better play it safe, and daddy agreed.    My darling J brought her to her appointment at 10:50, and he found out that it was indeed, nothing.  Then he gets ready to bring her to daycare only to remember that the daycare's policy states that no child can be dropped off between 10:30 and 1:00 because that's lunch and nap time.  He has a muster to get to, so what does he do?  Bring Monkey with him.  At muster, he's informed that everyone is required to go to medical to get a flu mist.  So he and Monkey end up back in the waiting room.  For anyone who has a toddler or has ever watched a toddler for more than ten minutes, you know that their tolerance for waiting patiently is slim to none.  Finally around 12:45 someone, either feeling sorry for my husband or getting sick of my kid, suggests that he try to call the daycare to see if they'll make an exception.  Come to find out, that 10:30-1:00 rule doesn't apply if you had a doctor's appointment that day.  My husband is so relieved he rushes Monkey right over there.  When they walk in her classroom most of the kids are already laying down for their naps.  J explains to Monkey that she needs to be as quiet as she can, so she won't wake them up.  After that and a kiss, J leaves.  


     He returns to medical to wait in line for his flu mist.  When he gets inside medical he sees his buddy and falls in line with him to chit-chat.  Next thing he knows he's at the front of the line, has his mist finished, and is free to leave all in the record time of five minutes.  Most people would probably have just given up and gone off to enjoy a bit of free time.  After all, we are paying this daycare whether she goes or not, so he might as well get his money's worth right?  Nope.  Not my husband.  He marches himself right back over there and picks up our baby girl and brings her home.  When he got in the room, she was laying on her pallet.  He walks over to her and taps her on the shoulder and says, "Hey baby girl, you want to go home?"  She rolls over, puts her finger to her lips, and says "Shh, Daddy.  The kids are sleeping.  Have to be quiet."  At least he knows she listens to him.


    That day I got home from work to the most stressed out husband, the messiest house, and the happiest Monkey I've ever seen.  I think it's so cute to watch him fumble along, learning everything in a few weeks that I've had two and a half years to figure out.  He's doing a pretty darn good job of it too, if you ask me.

   Best quote of the week:
   J:  "I feel like I'm living in that song 'and it's only Monday Mr. Mom....'

Never Wrestle with Two Dogs in a Parking Lot

   Well today was quite eventful.  I had a job interview this morning at a credit union, and although I feel it went well, I won't have a definite answer for about 2-3 weeks.  So breathe easy people!  There will be nothing standing in between me and my daily posts about yummy recipes and the randomness that is my life ;-)  Not until my husband comes home, at any rate, but then again I may need this blog to get away from him after the initial "honeymoon" period is over.  That should last all of......the car ride home o.O

   In the mean time, I do have a yummy recipe for y'all tonight, but first let me fill you in on a few more fun facts about my day.  After the job interview, I picked Monkey up from the daycare, and we headed off in search of groceries.  I don't quite know what had me so frazzled, but I swear I went up and down each isle twice because I passed up what I needed the first time.  Then I finally get to the check-out line, and I can't find my coupons.  They were in my wallet.   Of course, I couldn't find them!!!  I mean, who puts their coupons in their wallet???  I usually have them pinned to my list.  Well then, I forgot to get cash back whenever I paid, so I was scrambling to gather up all of my quarters so that I had a tip for the sweet old gentleman who followed me out into the crazy heat to load up my groceries.  Then I couldn't find my keys.  They were in my purse!  That is NOT where they belong!!!  They are supposed to be hooked onto the side of my purse.  (And, yes, there is a difference.)

   I finally made it home, fed the monkey, and put the groceries away.  Then it was time to take Roux to the vet.  I don't think I've mentioned this before but my aptly nick-named "mangy mutt", does in fact have mange.  It's not the contagious kind, but she's looking all too scraggly with those two dozen furless patches all down her back.  She's been on the medicine for two weeks now, and my instructions were to bring her back today.  Since Tessua started her new job yesterday (yay!) she asked if I could bring her newest addition (remember when we vowed not to let each other get a pet?) to the vet for a booster.  Figuring that two dogs couldn't be that much harder than one, I agreed.

   So off we went, Monkey, Roux and I, to pick up Athena.  After collecting her we headed to the vet, and halfway there someone started stinking up my car!  "Athena!!!!" I yelled, as I hurried to roll down her window.  The rest of the trip there was a fun game of "roll the window down before I gag, and roll the window up before we all break out into a sweat".  Finally we get to the vet's office (the one in PetSmart), and I load Roux and Ryleigh into a buggy like always.  Then I toss Athena's stinky self in there too, and we head off.  Well Athena, being the ringleader that she is, decided she did not like the buggy.  Out she hopped while I was pushing the buggy past a truck who obviously was not paying attention to where he was backing up!  I had to hurry up and catch her leash, all while maneuvering my child and mutt out of the way of the idiot driver.  Then my darling Roux, who never has an original thought, and is always behind the times, finally realizes that "Hey, I can jump out of here too".  Out she hops too.  Thankfully I still had her leash in my hand.

   Somehow I manage to wrestle the two mutts into PetSmart, not without a few giggles from passersby, and I explain to the lady that I have my dog, and a friend's dog, and she's looking extremely confused. "Is your friend going to be here for the exam?"  "Um, no; that's why I just single-handedly wrestled two dogs in the middle of your parking lot!" (Okay, I didn't really say that, but my snarky side wanted to.)  Still looking a little put out, the lady finally weighed them both, and then we waited.  And waited.   And waited.   Meanwhile I'm getting dirty looks every time Athena lets one rip, because apparently the smell is invading everyone's nostrils, and they all think it's me.  Finally, it's our turn.  We get into the room and away from the staring people who are judging me for my non-exsistent gas, and the nurse can't seem to figure out why I've brought in my dog who's only been on the mange medicine for two weeks.  Go figure, the vet we saw last time was not in today, and evidently this other vet had no clue why the original vet told me to come in, and I'm just standing there going "WTH did I just drag two dogs here for?"  So then they take Athena and give her her shot and get her heartworm meds.  Then they come back to explain to me that they typically don't re-check for mange until the medicine has been administered for a month.  So basically, I need to keep up with the exact same crap I've been doing.  So then we get out, and it's time to pay. Then we leave, and I'm told to bring them both back in two-three weeks, and I'm thinking "yeah, cause that's gonna happen".

   We get back to Tessua's house, I put Athena and the meds up, and get back into my car to head home. I'm halfway home when Roux lets one out, and I just glare at her.  So I'm sorry Tessua, for judging your dog for her non-exsistent gas.  Lesson learned....

  So I hope you've all had a good laugh at my expense.  If not, would it help to tell you that the whole time I was wrestling the two mutts I was in a frieakin' dress???  I thought it might.

  So on to better things.  Like food.

  Tonight I attempted to make Beef and Broccoli, and let me just say that it was a total success.  I got the recipe from here. I really like this blog, and I plan to try a few more of her recipes soon.

Beef and Broccoli


1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak
4 T cornstarch
28 oz beef broth
5 t soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 c fresh broccoli florets
Cooked white rice


  Slice beef into small strips.  In a medium bowl mix cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic.  In large skillet, brown beef over medium heat.  Add broccoli and broth mixture.  Stirring frequently, bring to a boil, and boil until it thickens.  


  Simple yet delicious.  Monkey even asked for seconds (not a rare occurrence, but note-worthy).  If I would change anything, it *might* be to add more soy sauce, but I'm a bit of a soy addict.  (And for those of you worrying about my sodium levels, need I remind you about my theory on what women eat???)  


   Oh, and here's a few drool-worthy pictures that I'm rather proud of.

Rainy Day Recipes

    At the moment I am attempting to type one-handed, because my monkey has wedged herself between me and my lap top.  I would enjoy the rare moment of snuggling, but she is much more interested in The Little Mermaid than in me.  She just doesn't want me to be more interested in my laptop than in her. She's a lot like her father in that aspect.

   We've had a good day so far.  Monkey had a play date at Monkey Joe's.  She loves that place, and who could blame her?  It's basically an enormous warehouse filled with bouncy houses and inflatable slides.  She and her two friends had a blast, and usually she has a good nap afterwards.  Unfortunately, the nap only lasted until we walked through the door.  Oh well.

   Today is feeling like one of those days where all I want to do is sit on the couch and blog.  It's also raining here....again.  I love the rain, but it's rained here almost daily for the past week and a half.  And I'm out of books to read.  (Any suggestions?)  So what do I do for dinner on days like today?  I'm soooooo glad you asked.

   I actually have quite a few "go-to" recipes just for occasions like this.  I'm going to share my two favorites with y'all.  The first is a casserole that my mom found.  I think it's a Campbell's recipe, but I'm not 100% sure.  I love it, because I usually have everything you'd need right in my pantry.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked white rice (I've used brown rice before and had to lengthen the cook time, but it's not as yummy)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

  Stir soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper, and vegetables in a two-quart baking dish.  Top with chicken.  Season as desired (this means "add Tony's" in my house).  Cover and bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until chicken and rice are done.  Top with cheese.

   I love casseroles, because they're perfect for those days when you want to turn the oven on and forget about it.

   Here is my newer favorite "go-to" meal.  We actually had this for dinner last night.

Panko-Breaded Chicken Breasts
   I originally found this recipe here, but I've never been able to find the sauce they mention.  So I've made my own.  I also double everything, because we love leftovers in this house.

   Here is my sauce:
(I'm sorry. I don't use actual measurements in this; just taste and tell.)
Teriyaki Sauce- half of a cereal bowl full
Brown Sugar- about 3 spoonfuls
Garlic- about one big spoonful
Stir it all up and pour over your warm chicken.  I love it :-D

Eureka!  I had a picture on my computer!!!

  So there you go, you now have two yummy, simple recipes to add to your cookbook ;-)

   And, I apologize for not having a spread of beautiful pictures with my lovely Willow Tree models.

Oh, a for anyone looking for a good laugh, this made me giggle uncontrollably the other day.