Happy Fourth of July!

Whew! It’s been quite a week around here.

Marlboro Man had to work cattle.
The guys had to finish building the new fence.
They had to cut hay.
They had to let the hay cure.
They had to bale hay.
Our homestead had to be weedeated.
Mowed.
Cleaned up.
Hosed off.
Plants had to be planted
Garden had to be weeded and mulched.
Everything had to be watered.
Food had to be planned.
Groceries had to be put away.
Dogs had to be petted.
House had to be cleaned.
And fireworks…

Well, fireworks had to be obtained. I’ll just leave it at that until my Fireworks 2014 post on Monday. Warning: You might need sunglasses in order to read it! My husband and his brother have still not learned the fine art of subtlety when it comes to purchasing legalized explosives.

And actually, you might need a welding mask in order to read it. The photos will burn holes in your retinas!

(July 4, 2006)

I love the Fourth of July. We have our big event every year, and it’s always a good time to see folks from our church, distant relatives, acquaintances, and whoever else happens to show up! One year my dentist came. Another year, my mom’s best friend’s husband’s sister’s daughter came. Another year—you’ll never believe it—my mother-in-law’s youngest son came! I’m married to him, you know.

Folks bring things like Napa cabbage salad, watermelon wedges, peach pie, and potato salad.

I make things like burgers, steaks, twice-baked potatoes, corn casserole, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sangria.

Marlboro Man is manning the grill.

I’m manning the kitchen.

The kids are manning the fun.

Charlie is manning his bed.

(July 4, 2013)

I’ve got my camera battery all charged up and I’ll take photos of all the mayhem. I’ll even try to get a video of the fireworks, as I don’t think I’ve ever been able to truly capture the insanity through still photos.

I hope you all have a fun and safe Fourth!

Love,
P-Dub

Oh! Wanted to tell you that tomorrow morning, brand new episodes of my Food Network show start up again. Tomorrow’s new episode is “16 Minute Meals: All Day Long” where I show my favorite quick recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (Oh…and a snack. Most important meal of the day!) Hope you enjoy it!

I have fun with these 16 Minute Meal shows. I don’t think I’d have quite as much fun as if I did 17 Minute Meal shows…and definitely not if I did 15 Minute Meal shows. Nope, definitely not.

Again: Have a wonderful weekend!

(What’s everyone doing?)