What did ya'll do on the Fourth Of July?

We had a wonderful 4th of July! We actually started celebrating it on the 3rd, carried it over to the 4th, and paid for it with a major headache on the 5th.

On Tuesday the 3rd, we went to Big Sissy Myrna's for an awesome lasagna dinner. After eating, we were visiting and heard lots of bangs outside like we were in Harlem. Like giddy little kids, we ran outside to see the fireworks...Myrna, Vicky, Michael TOM, Myrna's parents, and me. I do believe we were more entertaining than the fireworks, because we had our own sound effects and were doing the "Swatting-The-50-Billion-Mosquito's" dance. We sure looked cool.

On Wednesday the 4th, we went to a barbeque at our good friends Linda and Sandy's house in Dallas.

We met the coolest male couple while there, named Stacy and Rob. Stacy is a school teacher and Rob is a make-up artist for Trish McEvoy. Michael TOM used to be a make-up artist also for Trish McEvoy, so the two of them talked endlessly about moisturizer, exfoliation, tinted lip-gloss, and other things that make my eyes glaze over and my mind wander to thoughts of decomposing cats and petrified wood.

Stacy and I talked about teaching (I went to college as far as student-teaching, than decided to change my major because child abuse is illegal in this state...go figure!) and also about cooking. We both love to cook and threw out different ideas on dessert recipe's. About the time we got to talking about chicken marinades, Michael TOM's eyes were glazed and his mind wandered to thoughts about how life would change if they outlawed doorknobs.

After Linda and Sandy made a delicious barbeque lunch, we played a mean game of croquet. I would have won, but since I was a guest, I decided to let myself lag behind the others. Didn't want to show off my wonderful croquet skills I mastered while skipping classes in college...

We suckered one of the neighbors into taking a picture of us all:

Sandy, Linda, Michael TOM, Shiny-Greasy-Headed Me

Stacy, Rob

Yea, it's about time for me to touch-up my gray goatee roots...such is life. After I let some of them win, we went inside for my dessert. I made Baked Bananas with Vanilla Ice Cream! So good, it'll make you slap your momma! May even cause you to curse at your momma, so try not to eat it at family functions. I'll close this post with the recipe, but consider yourself warned. If your mom calls me from the emergency room, you are in so much trouble.

It was so great hanging out with friends, family, and meeting new friends! Even though I had to pretend to be a sucky croquet player...hope none of them realized I was playing bad on purpose


M.S.B.B.M.E.C.C. (Momma Slapping Baked Bananas, May Even Cause Cursing)

4 Bananas (firm, not black and all nasty)

2 Lemons

1/4 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed (as opposed to sloppily packed)

1/4 cup Butter melted (sure, you can use the low-fat crap, but it won't taste good)

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cut bananas in half lengthwise; place cut side down in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with grated lemon rind (remove the skin from thumb and index finger that you accidentally scraped off while grating the lemon) and squeeze lemon juice over bananass (you are allowed to say 3 curse words when the lemon juice gets into the fresh wound on your fingers from grating) Add brown sugar, sprinkle some cinnamon and nutmeg over bananas. (Don't ask how much cinnamon or nutmeg...sprinkle until you are happy) Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Moan loudly, hit a pillow, and refrain from talking to your mother until finished with your second helping. Smile big and forget that today was the day you were going to start your new diet.