Christmas with my 2½- year-old granddaughter was such a delight! When visiting with Santa, she told him she wanted cupcakes and dinosaurs for Christmas. What a versatile little thing she can be.
My son loved dinosaurs as a little boy, so the names of the different types are coming back to me. His kindergarten graduation play was about dinosaurs, and Leila Rose loves to see the pictures of her daddy dressed up like a Stegasaurus.
When you read this today, we will have started back to school and played two basketball games — back in the swing of things. I remember the day we got out for Christmas holidays thinking about two weeks off and what in the world would I do with all that free time. Several household projects came to mind. I literally went to bed that night, rolled over and now the weeks have disappeared. The projects didn’t get completed either.
One thing Steve and I wanted to do was take our Leila Rose for the day and spend some one-on-one time with her. I read in the paper that the Mississippi Science Museum had a special exhibit of dinosaurs on display. We decided that would be the perfect outing considering her new love of dinosaurs.
When we arrived at the museum, I was a little apprehensive when I saw the lifelike robotics of the dinosaurs. Then I heard the loud roars and heard some children screaming and running away. The lady asked me at the ticket booth how old Leila was. When I told her 2½, she said that was a little young, but she would probably be OK — not very reassuring to grandparents who had planned a special day out.
At first, Leila was a little taken back by the size and especially the noise, but she quickly warmed up and introduced herself to all the dinosaurs. “Hi, Mr. T. Rex. My name is Leila Rose Flemming, and this is my Pop and Lovey,” was her first response. We breathed a sigh of relief as we traveled into the world of her much-loved dinosaurs.
We really enjoyed the rest of the museum. Leila has a love for all animals and especially enjoyed the alligators, fish and turtles. Being fascinated by snakes as she is, seeing the 2-headed rattlesnake really piqued her interest. I’m not a big snake lover, but that was a very interesting thing to see.
A trip to the gift shop on our way out ended up with a purchase of a stuffed Tyrannosaurus Rex that has not left her side.
After our trip to the museum, we headed to Build-A- Bear Workshop so Leila Rose could make her own bear.
She had absolutely no interest whatsoever and told us she didn’t like bears. She had her dinosaur and that was all she cared about. There was no changing her mind, so we left and headed for an early supper.
As we were eating, Leila looked at us and said, “I love you Pop and Lovey.” It doesn’t get any better than that.
Hope your new year is starting off well. Enjoy today’s recipes and thanks for reading.
HOT CHICKEN SALAD
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1½ cup diced celery
½ cup slivered or sliced almonds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon grated onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed potato chips
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except potato chips.
Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
Spread the potato chips on top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
SWEET BABY RAY’S CROCK-POT
BBQ CHICKEN
4 – 6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce
¼ cup vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup brown sugar
1teaspoon garlic powder
Mix barbecue sauce, with vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and garlic powder.
Place chicken in Crock - Pot.
Pour sauce over chicken.
Cook on Low for 4 – 6 hours.
BROILED PARMESAN TOMATOES
3 (15 ounces) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Salt and pepper
1 stick butter
1½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
Place the drained tomatoes in a 9-x-13-inch casserole dish.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and top each with a pat of butter.
Generously sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes and broil for 10 – 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are heated through and the cheese is bubbly.
*This is a great side dish for any meal at any time of the year.
nContact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes-.net.
