Me Gotta Go Down The Bayou

Yesterday was good.  I took the kid mini-golfing (glow-in-the-dark) and that was fun.  Then we ran around to some stores and came home and made Jambalaya!  Yum!  She wanted to help, so I let her cut up the sausage, okra, celery, parsley, green onions, and yellow pepper.  This was the first time I entrusted her with a sharp serated knife.  I was a little nervous, but after I showed her and then watched her cut a couple of times I decided she was way better with the knife than I ever am.  She managed to cut all those things without so much as knicking a finger.  Every time I chop up that many things I end up with bandaids on my fingers!  She also stirred the dish, drained and washed the beans and added the rice to the pot.  She was so excited to do all of this.  I guess it must have made her feel like a grown up.  Or if she were to choose the words, a "teenager." 

Anyway, it was really good.  I froze some for my dad and we finished the rest off today for lunch.  I think the spiciness I put in it was just right - at least for her.  It had ajust enough heat to it that it ran down the back of your throat after you swallowed.  Me, I added cayenne and more hot sauce to my bowl.  I like my stuff burnin' hot.

I would say this recipe was a keeper.  I made the linked recipe on the 101 in 1001 days page.  The only thing I did differently was not cook with chicken.  I used turkey kielbasa and shrimp.  I only used 1/2 pound of shrimp and 8 oz. of kielbasa.  Next time I would use an entire pound of shrimp (cuz those babies shrink!) and a full 16 oz package of kielbasa.  I added a can of washed and drained dark red kidney beans too.  You can't have jambalaya without beans!  Hello????

We also dyed Easter Eggs yesterday.  We saw this tie-dye kit at Walmart for $1.88.  The eggs on the packaging looked so cool.  I know, suckers for marketing, right?  I thought we should try it.  OMG!  What a mess it was!  You put the liquid dye in these little saucers and then drop drops of die on the egg with droppers, while holding the egg with a plastic bag.  Then you are supposed to rub the bag over the egg to dye it.  All in all, it was messy, but it was fun!  Both of our fingers are still colored today, despite washing them a zillion times with soap! 

I think the eggs look really cool.  The kid just "had" to have one for breakfast this morning.  God forbid she didn't eat one, I wonder if she could have gone on living?  Ha, it was such a big deal to her...almost like she got a new toy.  She's so funny sometimes.

Today....what could be worse than waking up at 12:35am with a burning sore throat, not being able to breathe and having an Alvin and the Chipmunks song stuck in your head?  Wait!  Let me clarify that - ONE LINE from an Alvin and the Chipmunks song stuck in my head!!!  I'm sick.  Ugh!

We were originally planning to go to the park and bike ride today, but I nixed that.  My throat is on fire.  I can't breathe and I haven't got any energy at all.  But...since it's Spring Break I naturally felt guilty to just sit around and be mopey today, so we went to the movies.  We saw How to Slay a Dragon.  I really didn't want to see it, but since it's the only other kid movie out besides Diary of a Wimpy Kid we went.  (The kid saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid w/her spring break program on Monday).  How to Slay a Dragon actually turned out to be REALLY good!  I actually enjoyed the movie.  It wasn't really scary for kids, which surprised me.  The kid jumped a few times though during the show, but only because of the sound effects that went with the scene.  If the sound weren't so loud, I highly doubt she would have jumped. 

And we're back home just chillin' right now.  The kid was so thrilled with cooking with me last night that she's begging to start dinner now.  She wants to do all the cutting again.  I wonder how long this can possibly last???
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Today I am grateful that my daughter unloaded the dishwasher, that the movie didn't suck and that I get a discount on cell accessories through my work.  (got a new bluetooth!)