Good Lord. This Is A Lot

 So. Did you know that Duncan Hines is marketing Dolly Parton cake mixes? Rachel alerted us to this fact a few weeks ago. She spied them in the store and I saw them today. 

Now I love Dolly with all my heart and I think she is an angel sent straight from heaven to this earth and as such, she can do whatever the hell she wants but still, this is a tiny bit shocking to me. The package art is so retro, isn't it? And one does wonder when Dolly Parton last made a coconut cake. Could have been last night for all I know. 

I was searching the cake mix section but I did not buy a Dolly Parton mix because I was looking for an angel food cake mix to make my famous (hahaha!) pineapple angel food cake to top with strawberries and mangos and peaches. I never buy cake mixes except for this one dessert. I was making my own angel food cakes from scratch in Jr. High but sometimes, you just gotta let go and let Duncan Hines. 

So here's how you make it: 

You empty a box of angel food cake mix (brand does not really matter) in a bowl and add one can of crushed pineapple in its own juice. You mix all that up and put it in a pan and you bake it according to directions. I just use a 9 by 12 pan. This is not fancy. And then, when it's cool, you serve it with fruit over it, whatever you got, and if you're really feeling it, some Reddi-Whip whipped cream. 

You know you want some, right? 

I swear to y'all- I have about run out of ideas for dinners. I think I have made everything I know how to make and then a whole bunch more things that I didn't know how to make but got recipes for online, mostly from the New York Time's cooking app which I very much recommend. In the last week I have made a most amazing fish dish from a recipe I found there involving coconut milk, garlic, honey, ginger, turmeric, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. And fish. It is so easy and so damn good that I made it twice in one week, mainly because the recipe didn't use up all the coconut milk the first time and I did not want it to go waste, plus it was beyond delicious. 

I served it over rice with asparagus sautéed with mushrooms and sliced almonds. 

The second time I made it I also served it over rice, but this time brown rice, and a salad with cucumber and a Tahini and soy sauce dressing. 

Jump back, Jack. 

Let's see. I've also made white bean chili with chicken and corn, last night's chicken soup/stew, and now I can't even remember. Oh. A sort of beef Lo Mein was in there somewhere. 

I think I'm burned out on meal planning. 

Tonight we are going to have junk-food tacos made with grass fed beef and El Paso crunchy taco shells! Hoo boy. Also the cake. Which just came out of the oven and smells delicious. 

All right. What else is there to discuss today? I met up with Jessie for some Costco shopping and lunch. We just chat, chat, chat, chat. I told her a story today from my rather reckless youth and it made me laugh so hard. It was something I'd almost forgotten and suddenly, there it was right on top of the memory drawer for no apparent reason. Memory is the strangest thing, isn't it? 

Sue used to say that our minds are like a table top and you just keep throwing things on it and they keep piling up and eventually, some of those memories are going to have to fall off because there is no more room for them. But oh, those memories on the bottom of the pile! They are there forever. 

And here's one more thing- I ran into Lauren at Publix. She wasn't working, just in there for some reason. She's like a celebrity at Publix. Everyone greeted her with big smiles. 

And one of the first things she said to me was to comment on my eye-make-up. Now y'all know I never wear make-up anymore but a darling friend gave me some extremely fancy and beautiful golden eye-shadow for Christmas and I feel compelled to use it. So I had done my old eyes today and Lauren noticed and she told me that with my gold earrings and black dress I was making a statement. 
Oh my heart. That girl is so sweet. Her back is better although she is still in some pain. As we parted, I turned around to tell her, "I love you, Lauren!" and she said, "I love you too!" 

I love our family. 

I better get in that kitchen and start chopping up lettuce and tomatoes and avocados and black olives and cooking some yellow rice and grating some cheese. 

Now. Here's my big tip of the day that I learned from Jessie- 

You can buy that bag of six avocados at Costco which cost less than two avocados at the grocery store and let them get just the slightest bit soft. You know- where when you give them a gentle squeeze they give just a little? As soon as they reach that point, put them in the refrigerator and they will be good to use for WEEKS! 

This factoid has changed my life. 

You are welcome. 

Oh! One more thing. 

If you are so inclined, you can watch a live-stream video with Jimmy Fallon, Keith, Mick, and Ronnie on Youtube tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. EST in the US. Adjust for your own personal time zone. 
I am honestly somewhat excited about this. I just want to see what the old boys look like. 

Thank you for your attention.

Love...Ms. Moon