Whew! What a day! Here's the Breakdown:

1 - Woke up in the hotel and realized the only thing I forgot was a hairbrush.

2 - Ate IHOP for breakfast and was excited when they had peanut butter for my pancakes.

3 - Met up with some of my favorite people at Raider Ally and got ready for the game...bought me a hat to hide hair.

4 - Witnessed my first Military Flyover...then witnessed a public spanking!

5 - soothed my hurt feelers with Italian Food and Frozen Custard.

6 - Saw some of my favorite Hobbson's, Brandon McClintick & Crew, at "Dave's Toy Store" (aka Best Buy).

7 - spent a stupid amount of money on PET CLOTHS of all things.

8 - passed out in car on the way home and was thankful for Dave for about the 100th time during the day.

9 - Got home & saw that the new neighbors are moved in across the street and look forward to seeing if they have kids I get to nick-name tomorrow!

Tupperware Party

All of my life my cooking has been an integral part of my upbringing. I waited anxiously for the day I could help out in creating the happiness that was prepared in the kitchens of not only my Mother but my Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers. My Mother had a rule as her mother before her: you had to be tall enough to reach the bottom of her arm when she stretched out her arms to her sides. Why? I don't know, maybe because a taller person won't spill things on the counter. Dishes were prepared lovingly, carefully with much love and humor. Each dish with a long history or a new challenge filled with trepidation when there was a new recipe. There are family favorites that for some reason are prepared and served in certain bowls or dishes. There's the guacamole bowl, the dish the cranberry sauce is served in each Thanksgiving, many more and then there is the green Tupperware bowl.

This bowl has been in the family for well, longer than me. My Grandmother, Momma Kay, made popcorn balls in it for her children. Upon my parents wedding, it was gifted to my Mother. As a child, I watched my own Mother mix and knead bread and place the dough in the green bowl to raise, waiting for it to be big enough to pop the now long lost lid, because that's when you knew it was ready. Mom bought another Tupperware bowl that was the same size and the green bowl faded over the years, got stuffed into the back of the cabinet and was almost thrown out a time or two, but Mom just couldn't do it, it had history.

This year when I bought a bushel of green chilies, I asked my Mom if she wanted to split it with me, of course she was glad to and we were thrilled to receive them and split the bushel. We opened the bag and smelled the amazing aroma of the chilies, and Mom began placing my half in the green bowl. I should have brought it right back.

I peeled my peppers and froze them. Time passed and I kept forgetting to take the bowl back. I cleaned it and had it sitting out to take on the next trip to Mom's. Then Dave made popcorn in it, then it was washed and cleaned again, then I made popcorn in it and set it on the stove. The next day we were getting ready to cook supper and I asked David to preheat the oven. I then smelled the unmistakable smell of burnt plastic! I forgot to tell him to take off the bowl, Dave being a guy, didn't know to remove it...didn't know that without that type of oven would get hot on the top too. He didn't know the history of the green bowl. He didn't know that it has a special place in our family kitchen. It was just a bowl. It was an accident! It was both our faults!Mom was going to be upset..I was upset!

How was I going to tell her? She was gonna KILL ME/US! It took a minute but Dave thought about e-bay. So we looked, and don't you know we found an exact replica of the bowl! So we joked about buying it and not telling Mom, but our bowl was special, Mom would know. We bought the bowl and decided we would fess up when it came in. (then found it for cheaper like 10 seconds later!) Well, it came in today. So, we told the kids to load up in the truck because "it's time to eat crow", which they thought was gross until we explained what it meant. Ha! As we drove to her house we hummed the Funeral March...fearing the worst.

Mom, started calling David, "Dynamite Dave" a while back, because well, he's pretty stinking awesome! So, he handed her the box with both bowls in it and told her "I'm afraid I'm about to lose my Dynamite status". Mom gave him a blank look, because of course she didn't have a CLUE what he was talking about. She opened the box to see the new bowl on top and then lifted it, it seemed to take forever and Dave and I were anxiously waiting! She sees the old bowl, and looks through the hole in the bottom...and laughingly asked what happened. So, we explained the demise of the old bowl, and she opened and closed the lid to the new one. Dave joked that he had to have a Tupperware Party to get the new 'old' bowl. Mom spoke about how the old bowl had it's memories too and now it's got an even better history behind it! She's a great sport, and I know it still probably hurt a bit inside, but she told Dave he still kept his "Dynamite" status.

Here's to happy cooking in the new green bowl, and the history of the green bowl that is now legend!