Hodge's Ladies!

Last Tuesday and Wednesday Matt's mother, grandmother and aunt came to visit us. We knew that Debbie and Sue were coming but we did not know that Matt's grandmother would be visiting us as well. We were excited when we realized Meme had come with them. This was Meme's first time to see our house in San Angelo. Hodge loved having all three of them at our home. They came on Tuesday evening and Matt made steaks for dinner. On Wednesday Hodge had the best time playing all day with his Yaya. We loved having them come and stay with us. Hodge was very sad when they had to leave and is ready for another visit from the ladies in his life! Hodge loves his Yaya, Meme and Aunt Sue and he loves all the attention they give him!

Meme, Hodge and Yaya

Aunt Sue, Yaya, Meme and Hodge

Barney Live in Concert!

Today I saw that Barney was going to be in town so I went to the coliseum to get tickets for the 3 p.m. show. I had heard about the show coming to town back in December but I did not think Hodge would be interested. He never watched Barney. But just a week ago I bought him a Thomas and Friends video that also had a Barney show on the DVD. Hodge liked it and has watched several times this past week. So around 1:00 p.m. I decided to go get the tickets. I picked Hodge up from school at 2:30 p.m. and we were off to go see Barney. I could not have planned this any better. We even got good seats! Hodge had no idea what was going on. Matt and I told him he was going to see Barney but he did not get it. When we walked into the coliseum the show had just started and his eyes got so big. He was a little nervous but enjoyed the songs and show. During intermission he was ready to go home but we told him that Barney was coming back so he wanted to stay. Hodge did not last to long after that, we listened to about two more songs and he told us, "I ready, go home." So we started to walk out and he got sad. I started to walk back to our seats and he said, "No go home?" He did this about 5 times until we got in the car and drove off. Matt said that Hodge is just like him. Matt does this all the time about different things. Matt will want to go somewhere then change his mind about 4 or 5 times. Barney was fun but I don't think Hodge was that impressed. He enjoyed it but was just ready to go home. While I was at the coliseum box office today I went ahead and purchased our Rodeo tickets. Maybe Hodge will be more impressed with the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo then he was with Barney Live in Concert.

Barney and Friends!

Considering I purchased my tickets two hours before the show we ended up with good seats!

Our attempt at a family photo!

This is when we left because Hodge wanted to leave the show but then he was sad and wanted to stay.

One last look before we left. Hodge said that he was ready to go home. 

Back Home and Ready to Play!

Our dog, Pete, is back home from dog training school. He has been doing much better but we still have to be very strict with him. The dog trainer told us that if Pete tries to dominate Hodge to make Pete lay down and let Hodge sit on Pete's back. Pete love to play with us and just wants our attention. He is a good dog with a lot of energy! 

Ms. Pac-Man time!

Guess who we caught playing Ms. Pac-Man. Hodge went upstairs all by himself and figured out how he could reach the joystick. Matt's parents got us the Ms. Pac-Mac game for Christmas. It had been in the garage and Hodge has asked several times if he could turn it on and play. The other day we finally got it upstairs and turned on. We were all downstairs that evening and Matt and I noticed Hodge was gone all the sudden. This is where we found him. His rocking horse makes a great step stool! He just moves the joystick around a few times and then he will say, "Mommy's turn!" He does not know how to play but I think in a few years he will be really good at Ms. Pac-Man!

One more time before bedtime!

Where in the World is Pete?

Our dog Pete has been gone for about a month. We took him to a dog training center on December 10 in Christoval, Texas. This was the same day Hodge's new play system was installed. Pete is such a loving dog but he has destroyed several things in our back yard and I did not want to see him start chewing on Hodge's new playground equipment. If we leave anything on the back porch it is chewed up within minutes. He has even destroyed the two palm trees by our pool. He was nipping at Hodge and did not listen to me at all. Pete would listen to Matt but he definitely was trying to be the pack leader of our family. Several of Matt's friends have taken their dogs to the T & T Kennels and Dog Training Center in Christoval and they all had great success. On Monday, January 3 we visited Pete for the first time. He has learned some much and is like a new dog. I felt like I was on the Dog Whisperer show. Tina, the dog trainer, is truly a miracle worker. She told us that Pete was very sharp and that she enjoyed working with him. Pete was so happy to see Matt and I but he was excited to see Hodge. He could not keep his eyes off of Hodge. Hodge was timid at first because all he remembers is Pete knocking him down or nipping at his ears and hands. Tina even worked with Matt and I and taught us how to give commands and keep Pete on the right track. We will pick him up at the end of the week. I cannot wait to get our sweet dog home. I never thought I would love another dog like I did Jack but I am sure falling for this sweet dog. We missed having Pete around and we will look forward to having him back home. I cannot wait to go on walks with our smart dog!

Hodge's First Hunting Experience!

On Sunday, January 2 Matt took Hodge hunting for the first time. Matt is an avid hunter and he has talked about taking Hodge but we thought he might be to young. Well, Hodge did great and I guess he is not to young because they had a wonderful time. Matt ended up shooting a 10 point. Matt said that he wanted to shoot something because this was Hodge's first hunting experience. I sent Matt at text message to see how Hodge was doing and he sent me a text back telling me that Hodge was doing great! Then I got a text a few minutes later from Matt telling me he had shot a 10 point. Granted this is not the kind of buck Matt would normally shoot, he only goes for the big bucks but it will make for good memories. I texted him back and said that I would meet them out at the ranch to get some good photos. Matt took a few photos in the deer blind but I wanted to get some photos of them together. Matt called me and asked if I thought he should field dress (gut) the deer in front of Hodge. I told him that I thought it would be OK and to go ahead and do it. Matt said that all Hodge said during the gutting process was, "YUCK Daddy!" Matt said that Hodge was just busy eating his sucker and was not to interested in the gutting part of the hunting experience. When I got there I asked Hodge what did his daddy do and he said really loud, "Daddy shooting deer!' I have a feeling Hodge will not let Matt go hunting without him next deer season. I think Hodge will be joining Matt more and more in the deer blind in the years to come. Here are some photos from Hodge's first hunting experience.

New Year's Day 2011

On New Year's Day I cooked a meal that should bring us luck in 2011. I did a little research and found some other foods besides black-eyed peas that are believed to bring good fortune in the New Year. I read that fish is lucky and to stay away from chicken. I have always had black-eyed peas on New Year's Day but I did not know about all the other foods and traditions from around the world. I decided to make a black-eyed pea salad and bake some Orange Roughy for lunch. This is all new for me considering I don't cook very often. Matt has always been the better cook in our household. I can cook simple things but I think I will enjoy cooking more and teaching myself to cook different things besides my usual menu. I was an overachiever New Year's Day and made two meals. That is a first for me. I ended up making venison chili that evening for dinner because it was so cold outside. Here are some photos from New Year's Day and the food I made. I hope I can keep this up in 2011.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad, Orange Roughy, and Mimosas

• Black-Eyed Pea Salad Recipe
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• In a medium bowl, toss together black-eyed peas, tomato, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, celery, and parsley. In a small bowl, mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss into the vegetables. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.

Easy to Bake Fish Fillets

3/4 c. chopped celery
6 tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 c. fresh parsley
4 tsp. butter, melted
1 lb. fish fillets
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix celery, onion, parsley and butter together. Place fish fillets in shallow baking dish. Place vegetable mixture over top. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and paprika. Cover with foil and bake in 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Serves 4.

 

I hoped that Hodge would eat the New Year's Day meal but he preferred having a corn dog.  

Texas Venison Chili

2 lbs. coarsely ground venison
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg. green pepper, cut in strips
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/2 c. whole tomatoes
1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. kidney beans

Brown venison in vegetable oil. Add onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chili powder, sugar, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and salt. Simmer 1 1/2 hours. Just before serving, add kidney beans. Serves 6-8.

The chili was great with corn bread and slices of  avocado.

New Year's Eve

 I decided I was going to cook a meal for us on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. I want to make this a tradition for my family if we are home for this holiday and not traveling.  So I headed to HEB with the rest of the town knowing it was going to be a crazy trip to the grocery store. Matt and Hodge headed out to the ranch to visit some of Matt's friends who had come into town to hunt at our place, I headed to the store to enter the New Year's Eve grocery store madness. It always seems like I go to the grocery store on New Year's Eve and it's a wild experience. I went into HEB with a good attitude so it was not that bad. I took my time and bought everything I would need. I don't cook very often but this is something I would like to change in the new year. The first thing I made right after I got home was a sparking punch. It was yummy and it was kid friendly. We sipped on it all afternoon. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com. The dinner I made was pretty simple, I made a venison meatloaf. I had never been a meatloaf fan but back in my days as a pharmaceutical representative I would travel to Alpine, Texas to call on physicians. I always enjoyed my trips to Alpine. I would eat lunch at the Reata Restaurant if I did not have a lunch scheduled with one of the offices. On day Reata had a lunch special that was venison meatloaf. Everything is good at that place so I tried the meatloaf and liked it! This was probably back in 2004. I did not eat venison meatloaf again until Feb. 26, 2009. I remember exactly when this was because I made it for Matt, Matt's dad and myself and that was the same night Hodge ate banana baby food. He was almost 7 months old and he was still nursing majority of the time. He was not interested in baby food at all until that night. He ended up nursing for thirteen and a half months but he started eating more baby food and table food after that night. So back to the venison meatloft. I have not made it since that Feburay night back in 2009 so I decided I would make it for us this New Year's Eve. We have several freezers full of deer meat so I better start cooking it. We had a simple meal of meatloaf and rice. We had a relaxing New Year's Eve at our house. I enjoyed cooking our little meal and I hope I can keep it up in 2011. 

Sparkling Punch Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 3 large oranges
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 liter club soda
• 2 (750 milliliter) bottles sparkling apple cider
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 trays ice cubes

Thinly slice the lemons and the oranges and place in a large punch bowl. Pour in the thawed lemonade. Gently stir in the club soda and the sparkling apple cider. Add sugar to taste. Add ice.

 

My glass, Matt's plactic glass, and Hodge's little glass of sparkling punch.

I know the venison meatloaf does not look to appetizing in this photo but I promise it is good!

Venison Meatloaf Recipe

1 lb. ground venison

1 egg

2 T. parsley, chopped

1 T. butter, softened

1 T. bread crumbs

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 T. dried onion flakes

1 cup water

1/2 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Combine all ingredients except the onion soup mix and water; shape into a loaf. Place in a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake at 350º for 1 hour, basting about every 10 minutes with a combination of 1 cup water and 1/2 packet dried onion soup mix.