The Case of the Baby Hog

Emmaline is my adorable 5-month-old niece. I can't get enough of her. She's irresistible. Just look at her striking a pose here:

Emmaline gets passed around quite a bit when my whole family gets together. There's no telling when your turn will come, so it's essential to bring along a little bit of patience when visiting with Emma. Actually, bring along a lot of patience if my sister Roxanne is nearby. Aunt RoRo is a Baby Hog.

Aunt Roxanne - BABY HOG

I've got proof from our recent family vacation.

Delicious Homemade Banana Bread

I love banana bread. I love homemade banana bread. I love my homemade banana bread. There's just something amazing about turning a brown ripe banana, which has just about lost its appeal, into a delicious loaf of goodness. Good for breakfast (warmed with a spread of butter, yum!), good as a snack, good as dessert (warmed with a scoop of melting chocolate ice cream? yes, please!). It's so good!

Crescent Roll Casserole Thing

I made this for dinner the other night. I call it my "Crescent Roll Casserole Thing" because I don't know it's proper name, if this meal has one at all. (I think the recipe called it Sloppy Joe Squares, but I don't use sloppy joe sauce so Crescent Roll Casserole Thing it is).

This meal reminds me of a few people, but mostly of my brother Basil. When we lived together I'd make this pretty often since it's so simple and delicious. Basil would even cook this himself, but it never turned out as well. How do you screw up Crescent Roll Casserole Thing? Well, one day I discovered that Basil was, unknowingly, leaving out a major ingredient, the tomato sauce. No wonder his version was always dry and not as delicious. Hmm, makes you wonder...did he not know any better, or did he know I wouldn't ask him to cook, preferring to do it myself, so it's done right?

Crescent Roll Casserole Thing Recipe

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup water
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 2 (8-oz.) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425. Brown ground beef until no longer pink and drain. Stir in water, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Unroll 1 can crescent rolls into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spread beef mixture over dough, sprinkle with cheese. Unroll remaining can of rolls over cheese. 
3. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes until golden brown. 

My brother likes to eat this with a heap of salsa. I'm not a fan. To each his own...

Enjoy!

Things that remind me...

I live pretty far away from everyone I love. That sounds sad, but it's not my intention. This post isn't about distance or living alone (I'll save those for another day), it's about things that remind me of those people I live pretty far away from. At least once a day I find myself doing, or saying, or hearing, or eating, or reading something that reminds me of someone. I thought I'd keep track of those things, and those people, here. Stay tuned, you might find yourself the subject of a "Things That Remind Me" post. Meantime, what things remind you of me? (Or don't I want to know?)