So I Was Just Thinking

While web surfing, James saw a dinner he wanted me to try. He was very persistent, reminding me daily that we had to try it, so today was the day. Pizza dogs. I used Betty Crocker's Pizza Dough Mix....very simple - only requires 1/2 cup water, a little mixing and waiting for 5 minutes to allow the dough to set. I preheated the oven to 450F (230C.) I then divided the dough into 8 balls and then stretched them into long strips. (Put a little flour on your fingers to prevent sticking.) I wrapped each hot dog with a strip of dough and set it on a baking stone. I left some plain and sprinkled some with Salt Free Garlic & Herb seasoning from McCormick's. Although the dough says cook for 12-14 minutes, I only set it for 10 minutes which was the perfect time for my oven. Cooking times will vary based on your oven. We ate them plain, but I suppose you could have some pizza/marina dipping sauce or whatever the kids (you) like. James liked it so much he went back for 3rds.

Time is drawing near. I still don't have my house moved, but I have obligations in my new town and will have to leave the large things behind. (I will be shoving as much into my sedan as possible.) So what does one do while waiting for Godot? You help your mother move. You go to the laundromat because your washer and dryer choose to die at the same time like an old married couple. You read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Mostly, you pull out the sketchbooks and get creative. Here are some scans out of my sketchbooks. I have been playing with water colors a lot while painting a face a day for 30 days a la Julie Fei-Fan Balzer inspiration. You can see I was a little unhappy with some of my first faces. I then tried to draw some girls, but for some reason they don't have arms. This led to painting to one. My son saw me doing this everyday and grabbed a pillow, lay down and said "draw me." And of course it wouldn't be my sketchbook without my doodles. It is now to p...

It's not supposed to be that hot here, but it is. I guess the Texas heat felt lonely without me and decided to stow away in my luggage for my holiday. Regardless, it has been nice seeing where we will be living in a few weeks. (Date still undetermined.) Meanwhile, I will share with you a few pics I was able to snap before the camera battery died. (Left my personal camera at home and DH doesn't believe in fresh batteries, I guess.) Friday, the city held a fun celebration in honor of Fourth of July ( a few days early.) It was a fun, exciting, well planned event with activities for the kids and good traffic control afterward. The stilt walker was a nice guy. Tried to have fun with James but he would have no part of it so here he is with my husband. I always worry when I send Caitlin off to get her face painted. This one wasn't too bad considering she once came back with her entire face painted black because she insisted to the face painter that it was okay to be black cat. Jam...