Rabbit Gumbo and other ramblings...........

Well, I must finish my Christmas shopping this week! I don't know how I always do this to myself because I really hate fighting the crowds. It never fails...... I'm in hell a.k.a. Walmart and I really want to look at something and some bozo won't move their buggy so I can get to it. So, I stand patiently while they ignore me. I'm not looking forward to that. Actually, I've pretty much avoided Walmart this Christmas season. That's a plus!

Nanny has taken to falling lately and this is not good at all. Yesterday she fell and scraped her arm. It looks horrible, and of course she doesn't remember how she did it. Also, she likes to get everyone confused with me. She has confused mama, Leslie, and my cousin Angela who has red hair as being me. Either I am a wonderful grandchild and she always has me on her mind, or I am the opposite, and she keeps me on her mind because she aims to tell me what she thinks of me. I guess I shouldn't complain though. At least she hasn't confused me with being a black nurse like she did several years ago. I still don't know how she could have confused me as being black and a nurse, but anyway...... maybe she needs her eyes checked and is possibly colorblind.

Basketball is in full swing........... wish I could say that Savell gets to play a whole lot, but she doesn't. I know she is not supposed to because she is a 7th grader and all, but last week when we were being annihilated 30 something to 5 in the first quarter, I really wondered why she didn't get to play until a few minutes were left in the 4th quarter. But, like I've said before... maybe I'm just ignorant and don't understand these things as well as others. It didn't help though that I had driven what seemed like a million hours to West Point to get to watch her play 4 minutes or maybe it was 2 minutes, but whose counting?

We've had some chilly temperatures here lately. I, being the wonderful pet mommy that I am, filled the doghouse with wood shavings to help keep them warm. However, every day that rolls, I have to sweep up a million shavings that they have scratched out of their house onto the carport. This is really starting to get on my nerves. I mean don't they know this is stupid? On the days that I tend to be a little lazy, we track wood shavings into the house. So, now I have wood shavings in the bedroom, the bathroom, and just about every other room in the house. I'm starting to really love my broom! Not!

Brookie's surgery to remove the tumor went well. He is back working much to his delight. It is still hard to chew and turn his neck though. And, we found out he definitely has sleep apnea. You think? If you've ever watched him sleep, you know this...... But, after surgery I got to watch the monitor and was amazed at how much his oxygen dropped each time he quit breathing. I doubt we'll ever get him to go have a sleep study even though he needs to.

Dwayne has been rabbit hunting lately. But, he hasn't been slaughtering them because he usually only kills one a day. I made some rabbit gumbo the other night and it was so good! The recipe is below...... For those of you who hate the thought of eating Thumper, I can assure you that it tastes like chicken. Doesn't everything taste like chicken? Well, maybe not hotdogs........

Rabbit Gumbo (Linda Duett's recipe)
2 large rabbits, boiled and deboned (We use a pressure cooker to cook the rabbits)
3 quarts of water (I use chicken broth)
1 small celery stalk, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 medium onions, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 T. Accent
1 t. oregano
2 T. salt
2 T. gumbo file
2 T. dry parsley
1 T. thyme
1 T. pepper
1 t. red pepper

Strain broth through cheesecloth. Add enough water to make 2 quarts.

Roux:
1 c. flour
1 c. oil

Mix until smooth. Cook over medium heat until copper color. Add roux to broth. Add other ingredients, except gumbo file. Simmer 3 hours. Add gumbo file the last 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Note: I know gumbo should usually have okra, but this recipe doesn't. Add it if you want to!