Water, Water Everywhere! by Gail Hovland….

Good morning to you!

As I am still not totally up to blogging and typing (although I am most certainly healing from my latest visit to Klutzville, praise the Lord!), I wanted to say how incredibly thankful I am for the diverse, and dedicated men and women who have stepped forward in offer to guest post for me while I am recuperating.

So many of them have such fun and unique,  or heart-moving posts that really make me sit back and think, and I am blessed to be able to share this wonderful experience with my readers!

Today my guest poster is a real life friend that has so much in common with me that it is sometimes scary to contemplate. A fun-loving spirit, a love to laugh personality, and one of those people you can just sit a share a cup of coffee with and never miss the hours as they tick by….Gail is the real deal when it comes to love in an awesome and fun package! I hope you will warmly welcome her to the Welcoming House Blog, and be sure to try the recipes that she shares, because this lady has NO ONE who can hold a candle to her in the kitchen!

See you tomorrow as we gear up for holiday recipes and ideas for your Thanksgiving celebration straight from my home to yours!

Blessings To you and Yours, 

Water, Water, Everywhere

        I’ve been married for twenty years, and you’d think I would know better by now, wouldn’t you?

Over the years, I have been the target of innumerous practical jokes from my husband John, and after so long, you’d think I would be able to spot the signs a mile away…

Yet, it seems not.

        Last Saturday, we were enjoying a leisurely afternoon/evening of holding down the family room couch while watching mindless television.

What a great afternoon.

Just what we needed.

John suggested running to pick up some of our favorite non-healthy, artery-clogging, Gail-doesn’t-have-to-cook, junk food in the form of take-out chicken (even though it was Pizza Night) to which we all agreed- sounded good.

That’s when it all started.  (O.K., I started it…)

As he got up to leave, I flicked a bit of water at John from my glass jokingly as he walked past.

Not to be outdone, he tossed the rest of what was in his glass down my back.

        Of course, I, being somewhat competitive, retaliated…

He ran up the stairs giggling as he got away, although just a bit wetter than he had been only a moment ago, as I splashed my remaining water at his sprinting legs bounding up the steps.

Aha!

I won.

Good enough for me.

        (This is the part where I forget who I am married to…)

        As I returned to my lounging position, watching some Mel Gibson movie, I really didn’t give our little water party another thought.  I had won.

What was to think about further? 

A little while later, I went upstairs to bake a loaf of bread.

        Reading the recipe, I carefully measured the ingredients into my bread machine.

        In went the flour, yeast, butter, potato flakes, a bit of sugar and then the recipe called for…wait for it…. water.

What happened next has happened so many times, I cannot count.

I should have seen it coming.

        Turning on the faucet, I didn’t quite get the response from the tap that I expected.

Instead of water gently cascading down into the sink, it came out full force directly at me from our hand sprayer on the right side of the sink! (Curiously aimed directly in my current standing position, I might add…)

Ugh.

        How did he know where I would stand??!!

        It was the old “Tape-Around-the-Sprayer-Handle” trick, which over the years has taken the form of “Rubber-Band-Around-the-Sprayer-Handle”, “Duct-Tape-Around-the-Sprayer-Handle” and the ever-popular “Packing-Tape-Around-the-Sprayer-Handle.”

        The shock of being soaked and not comprehending how or why it was happening, slowed my response time immensely.

By the time it dawned on me to just shut the silly faucet off, I was soaked, the floor was wet and John’s personal little prank had reached all the way over to the stove across the kitchen.

        He had won after all.

Ugh.

I should have known….

Drowned French Toast

12 slices of Italian bread, sliced 1 inch thick

8 eggs

1-1/2 C. milk

1/2 heavy cream

1 T. vanilla

Nutmeg

1 C. crushed corn flakes

Assortment of fruits – strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas, raspberries, or peaches.

Preheat griddle to 375 degrees. In a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and heavy cream until well combined- about 3-4 minutes. This allows the heavy cream to almost “whip” for a light batter. Add vanilla. Pour through a strainer to remove egg excess. Add nutmeg to strained egg mixture.  Dip bread into mixture but do not over soak, then dip only one side of bread into the corn flakes. Repeat with all 12 slices. Prepared French toast can sit until guests are ready to eat. Grease griddle and cook French toast with the corn flake side down first. Flip after golden brown and finish cooking.  Place two slices on plate and top with fruit slices and maple syrup. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Drenched Eggs

8 eggs

8 slices bacon

½ t. salt

½ t. lemon juice

¾ pint cream

Pepper

English muffins

Poach eggs and fry bacon.  While they are both cooking, mix remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook until slightly thick.  To assemble, place English muffins on plate, add bacon and eggs, and then cover generously with sauce.

Soaked Fruit

Cantaloupe

Honeydew

Cherries

Pineapple

Blueberries

Raspberries

2 C. Orange juice

In a large bowl, combine all fruit and pour orange juice over top.  Chill.  Serve in individual dishes as a compliment to breakfast entrees.

        O.K., I have to admit, I stood there for a few minutes dripping and giggling.

It was brilliant.  I honestly didn’t see it coming.

Genius.

        I, of course, could not let this be….

        As John was on his way home, I told our daughter McKenna the whole story and recruited her in my latest retaliation to which she giggled with glee at the thought of “getting Daddy back.”

I gave her the job of sentry- posted to tell me when Daddy arrived home.  She took her job seriously.

        “Mom!  I think I see dust coming down the road!  Yup, It’s Dad!”

        I stood ready at the door.

        As he came in, he didn’t know what hit him.

(The sprayer works just as well with the tape off….)

Gail Hovland is a Stay-at Home Mom who Home Schools their 2 daughters in Lake Benton, MN.

She has been happily married to her best friend and practical joker husband, John, for 20 years.