Fried Happiness!

Some days just suck. You wake up hard, have too much to do, and in my case, have too many little hand trying to help you do things you had no motivation to get done in the first place. After one of these rough afternoons, I crave comfort food, and for me that is fried potatoes. It's pretty simple to make, and I start feeling better the moment that bacon hits a hot pan. Did I just say bacon? Why, yes, yes I did!

Fried Potatoes (Also known as Happiness in a Pan, and Heart Attack Skillet)

Diced potatoes, not peeled
Bacon, diced
Onion, diced
Salt and Pepper
Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Fry the bacon up till it is glorious, in an oven proof skillet (need I say cast iron?). Remove it. Saute the onion a bit in the renderings, then add the taters. Stir it all up until the potatoes have a nice little coating of grease on them, add more if you need it. Season. Clamp a lid on the pan and pop it in a 400* oven till the taters are done. Stir them every 15 mins or so, and they should be done in roughly 1/2 hr, maybe 45 mins. When you take it out, sprinkle it with the bacon and cheese and put the lid back on till everything is melty and delicious.

I will often make this with hush puppies (deep fried cornbread batter dropped by spoonfuls, nom nom nom!). Add bell pepper, garlic, green chiles, whenever suits your fancy. I didn't add measurements because it really should be made to suit. Mom made this for breakfast, but for us it is dinner. It reminds me of my childhood, and make me feel all warm and snug. Perfect pick me up!

Let the Hunt Begin!

It's hard for us to say good-bye to Papa Bear for 5 days, but we do it gladly. This is his thing, his annual outing, his commune time with nature. He gets a quiet couple of days to bond with his father, and I get a couple of days with him out of my hair to get some major work done on the house. This year the cubs are old enough to be put to work as well, so with any luck by the end middle of next week the den will sparkle and the freezer will be full again.

In the meantime, we are keeping our fingers crossed for Grandpa Bear. His health has not been its best, and past afternoon trips have been difficult for him. I am hoping Papa can keep him safe and prevent him from overdoing things, like he has a tendency to. I am planning on keeping myself extra busy during this trip to keep from worrying overmuch. Worrying never has done me any good, and I have to make room in the cupboards and freezer in case Papa brings home a catch. Happy Hunting, Menfolk!

Going with the Flow

I do a lot of planning. It's kinda my thing. I have big plans for the Den when we get there, BIG plans. But for now, my planning consists of how to squeeze as much gardening into a 10x5 patio as I can, and how to just plain get by with three cubs and one income. But even the best laid plans are useless when the Norns get a hair up their collective butt and decide to throw a wrench in the works. Sometimes the hands of Fate decide that in all your planning, you missed something, and they are going to remind you of it, dammit! Sometimes you have to stop and re-plan, and bend, and move with the current of Fate. Well, by now I am pretty damn good at that, so bring it on and let the ride begin!

Howdy, World!

I have a tendency to get carried away with these blog things. I will start one up, and a few months later it disappears, usually due to a major move. Yeah, those suck. For some reason I have always felt like they needed to have some sort of theme, and be semi-professional looking. Screw that. Basically all I am looking for is a place to be me. To journal when I am pissy, brag when I feel accomplished, and have a record of the progress of my goals. I am not going to pressure myself to post daily, or weekly, or even monthly if I don't need to. I get to just be me :)

That being said: Hi! We are the Bears. Mama and Papa Bear, Sister, Brother, and Bitty Bear. And Kodiak, the dog. This is a look into our den. Over the next few years we plan on moving to bigger, grander dens, with more yard space and fewer neighbors. Cross your fingers, and for heaven's sake don't hold your breath, that has been the plan for a while now. But everyday we get a little closer to the Big Den, and a little less comfortable in the little Rental Den. Economy be damned, the cubs deserve it, we deserve it, and Kodiak deserves it, and Mama Bear is part mule and will MAKE IT HAPPEN!