“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
― Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
Woah! How did we ever make it home with all those crazy drivers on the road? Do you know how many miles are between here and Orlando? Too many! And do you know how many scary things happen while driving between Orlando and home!? An infinite amount! Can you guess what today's topic is? That's right. Scary things that happen while driving! Scary Things About Driving1. Being behind a log truck… because those logs just don’t look safe. My overactive imagination envisions one of those logs getting loose and coming right through my windshield! 2. Being behind a gasoline truck...because there are too many idiots on the road and I don't want to be anywhere near that truck when one of those idiots collides with that truck! 3. FREAKING DEER!! and every other animal! Can't states just build a fence along all roads high enough to keep animals off the road? Two deer and a couple of raccoons have cost me way too much money in the last couple of years! 4. Driving in a construction zone...especially with those concrete barriers. I get extremely nervous when those things are around...don't even get me started when you have to drive between 2 concrete barriers! 5. How about driving behind an eighteen wheeler when going through a traffic light? I never go through unless I can tell the light is green...or I could end up like a dropped cupcake...all messed up. 6. I find it to be very scary when I am boxed in by eighteen wheelers. It's bad enough when you are stuck in traffic but how about when you are driving 70 mph and they are all around you?? All of a sudden I become super claustrophobic. 7. How about all those people on the road who are just asking for trouble- sleepy drivers, drivers in a hurry, drivers under the influence, distracted drivers, drivers who are texting, etc. I am trying to take care of my business but I can't take care of yours for you! Just pay attention to what you are doing, PLEASE!! 8. How about driving in the rain? Too many drivers don't slow down in the rain! They act like driving conditions haven't changed and keep on speeding along at 70 mph and weaving in and out of traffic in order to avoid those of us who did slow down. 9. When drivers are impatient and tailgate you...ugh...that's only makes me want to go slower, not change lanes, or change lanes super slow! The amount of times that happened to me on our trip is unreal!!
And that, my friends, are some scary things about driving. Remember to be safe when driving. Your car can be replaced but you cannot. It's not worth getting crushed over. If you're going to be traveling this Fourth of July weekend, be safe and have fun!! If you run across any crazy drivers keep calm and let us know and we will feature your crazy experience here!! Safe Travels XOXO, The Gearles
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We're back in the kitchen!! This is my favorite place to be. With today's recipe comes a fun fact...my mom's favorite type of food is...can anyone guess!?!? It's Mexican!! And to be more specific...her favorite food is...can you guess...it's...NACHOS!! Now this recipe takes all of about thirty minutes! This includes prep and cooking time. So let's get down and dirty in nacholand!
So what do you need for these delicious nachos?
Servings- 4 Total time- 30 minutes Ingredients: - bag of tortilla chips - 15.5 oz. can of black beans - 15.5 oz. can of corn - 10 oz. can of diced Rotel tomatoes - 2 c. bag of cheese (your favorite kind we choose Mexican style) - a bag of grilled chicken strips - sour cream - guacamole - jalapeños - cilantro (your personal preference on how much you would like to add) - anything else you want to throw on your nachos!
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Step 2 - Cover a cookie tray with foil and spread your chips all over. For some pizzazz add lemon or lime juice over them.
Step 3 - Mix your beans, corn, cilantro and tomatoes in a collander.
Step 4 - Warm your grilled chicken strips in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until thawed out. Take them out of microwave and cut into bite size pieces.
Step 5 - Sprinkle a layer of the bean, corn, and tomato concoction over the chips and follow with a layer of cheese. Repeat with another layer of bean, corn, and tomato concoction followed by another layer of cheese.
Step 6 - Add your chicken bites over the nachos.
Step 7 - Add a last layer of cheese. Step 8 - Cook in over for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Step 9 - Top with your choice of toppings. We love guacamole, sour cream, onions, and jalapeños! And we're terribly sorry but we forgot to take a picture of our masterpiece. They came out of the oven and we just dug right in!! There's was no time to take a photo or update social media about them.
And friends that's how you make some tasty and maybe not too unhealthy nachos!! Keep following us to find out what other fun recipes we share with y'all!!
XOXO, The Gearles Our Favorite Rides Well we're winding to our last few days in the park. We've been here in Disney for two weeks and it's seemed like maybe four days. possibly five! Where has the time gone?? Friday will be our last day in the park. But enough about the sad times...on to the fun things! Next time you go to Disney or whenever you visit for the first time, the following rides should definitely be on your bucket list!! P.S. this photo is taken in front of our ride! Who can guess what and where it is? ![]() It's A Small World - It's a classic so you have to ride it! It's a nice little boat in the nice cool air and you don't get wet or go fast and you get to play a little guessing game of all the countries. For me it shows me how big our world really is. ![]() The Haunted Mansion - MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!! I have no idea why. I just love the going up and down and watching all the ghost and songs. I love the ending...what's the ending? Go see for yourself...you may leave with an extra "friend". ![]() Splash Mountain - Who doesn't love a good log ride? It's long and cool and keeps teasing you but you get a nice story to go along with it and ultimately, it's called Splash Mountain for a reason so be forewarned!! ![]() Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - The game before there was Toy Story. You and your partner get to compete against each other while hoping your laser goes where you want it to go and shoots the targets. ![]() The People Mover - Another nice leisurely ride that takes you around Magic Kingdom (or at least Tomorrowland) where you can rest and cool off while also being able to see different sides of the park. ![]() Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Now Playing - Okay so I lied!! Can I have a lot of favorites?? Cheesy jokes that will just make you laugh and you can send your own jokes in. ![]() It's Tough To Be A Bug - Such a childish show but who doesn't love a good "4-D" show! There's all sorts of creepy crawly surprises. ![]() Expedition Everest - The ride that just might make you curse in your head, at least I know I did. It's quite the expedition! ![]() Festival of the Lion King - LOVE LOVE LOVE this show! The music, the culture, the costumes. It's a must see! ![]() Soarin' - It's worth the wait and such an experience. This ride will make you want to travel the 50 states! ![]() Spaceship Earth - The crazy long ride inside the big ball at Epcot. You get to take a selfie and design your own utopia. But be careful because if the previous rider changed the language and you aren't paying attention, you might have to go through the entire ride without understanding a word of it! ![]() The World Showcase at Epcot - A place where you can visit 11 countries all in one day! You can meet, talk, eat, and learn all about different cultures. This is why Epcot is my favorite park! ![]() Toy Story Mania - THE BEST RIDE THAT EXISTS! Just like Buzz Lightyear BUT SO MUCH BETTER!!! ![]() Hollywood Tower of Terror - THE SECOND BEST RIDE THAT EXSIST! I can't explain why I like being dropped over and over but it sure is fun!! ![]() Rockin' Rollercoaster - Best roller coaster in all four parks. It starts off fast and turns you upside down and inside out with only neon lights showing the way! And that's our favorite rides! What are yours?
XOXO, The Gearles Disney Edition We're back and it's a Monday!! So what drives us crazy this week? Well since we are in Disney World for two weeks we decided to talk about some not so magical moments at the Magical World of Disney. Helping assist us in today's blog is my mom's best friend who happens to be a Disney expert, Mrs. Lisa Pritchett. Not So Magical Moments1. Alright, to start off, it's already not fun to stand in a long line when it's 100 degrees and a humidity of 95% but it's really not fun when the line you are standing in has a 70 minute wait and the people in front of you are obviously having stomach issues! Please people! Must you really keep passing that gas?!? Come on!! Have some consideration for the people behind you!! 2. Unfortunately, on Wednesday, I developed eye issues. This happens to me several time a year when somehow I manage to scratch my eye. Because my eye then becomes overly sensitive to light, I have to try not to expose it to bright light. This is very difficult to do in Orlando, FL and so I had to rent a wheelchair and let Abby push me around because basically, I was blind. Therein lies the problem. Most people at Disney World are kind and considerate and will do everything they can to get out of the way or help you out, but there are some who don't want to be slowed down by anyone or anything and they are the ones who this complaint it directed towards. In Abby's words, "You see me coming so don't try to pass me in a crowd, don't try to cross in front of me and don't suddenly stop in front of me. I can't stop on a dime and you are going to get run over! Don't blame me and give me a dirty look because you chose to be impatient!!" 3. Disney's new fast pass system is kind of cool but some rides need some tweaking. When we went through the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train line, we had to wait much longer because we were a party of four. Others who entered the line after us got on the ride much faster because they were a party of three. Not cool!! 4. We love Disney's transportation system when we stay with our friends at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It saves us the hassle of having to drive to the park each day and deal with trams. However, certain times of the day when many people want to go to the park or leave the park, the busses become way over crowded. The bus drivers keep crowding people on and many passengers are forced to stand up. Many parents allow their children and teenagers to take a seat while older riders are forced to stand up. The bus drivers are not always very smooth drivers and those of us who do not regularly ride a subway or city bus are not very good at balancing on a moving bus with hard stops and rough take-offs. And even when you do know how to balance good because you've had a lot of years dance, some of those bus drivers are horrible drivers! Please parents, your kids are young and agile. Teach them some manners and have them give up their seats to allow older and less agile riders to sit! 5. With great fun comes a great price and Disney loves to show you that. The only free thing you can get at Disney is a cup of water and sometimes they only give you a cup of ice and you have to fill your cup at a water fountain. I love Disney but they are fast becoming a rich man's vacation destination. The price of accommodations, tickets, and food is ridiculously high! I cannot imagine how families with several children can even afford to come here on vacation! $19.99 for one piece of fish and a side order of fries?? Come on Disney, give us working class folks a break!! Once in a lifetime is correct!! 6. This one comes from Lisa. She has two little kids and we all know that little boys like to repeat what they hear so remember your language around little Mickey ears. As her husband posted on Facebook, "To the 2 young men standing behind me while waiting in line for Baymax....thank you for the uncreative language you are using. New vocabulary words that I don't want my two boys to learn! You need your mouths washed out with soap!!" 7. I finally broke down and bought a pair of Chacos, the best shoes I have ever had, but I made a HUGE mistake of buying them and wearing them the day before I started walking 8 miles around Disney. The first three days my feet were miserable...but a week later and my feet love and thank me for them!! Didn't your mother ever tell you, little girl, to never wear new shoes to a theme park?? Duh... 8. Jacking up prices for special events seems to be a typical thing for Disney. We went to Hollywood and Vine and expected to pay $34.99 plus tax because it was a character dinner but because of Star Wars weekend and all the characters were dressed as Star Wars Characters, they jacked the price up to $57.99 without any notice. We didn't know this until we sat down and started eating. After tax and the mandatory 18% gratuity because we were a party of 6, I paid $145.75. I have never in my life paid that much for 2 people to eat and the food was not really all that great! Again, a rich man's vacation...needless to say we stuffed my backpack with goodies to take home. 9. This is another one that comes from Lisa. We paid $100 for the Tables of Wonderland discount which is supposed to give us a 20% discount at the Disney restaurants. Because we were scheduled to eat at several restaurants, we thought it would save us some money but have since learned that you can't always use the discount because of certain blackout dates and special events (events we didn't even know were special events!). I guess this is really just another way of Disney getting all your money! 10. If you are going to deny people the ability to sit down and rest their poor aching feet by saving your friends and family a seat on a bench, please make sure your friends and family actually show up because otherwise that is just rude!! Also, I don't really think your bag needs a seat and it sure would be nice if you would set it on the ground so that someone who is tired can sit in that spot for just a few minutes and regain the energy they need to travel on to the next fun adventure waiting for them just around the next corner! Have you noticed Disney didn't really think about people wanting to sit down after walking all day? How many benches do you really see around Disney World? 11. We all know that you have to pay sales tax on food and we have come to accept that. We also all know that restaurant owners in the United States are too cheap to actually pay their employees a decent wage and expect their customers to do it for them by paying a tip on their tab. However, I would like to decide myself if the person waiting on me deserves a tip and how much they deserve. Because we were a party of six (but only 5 paying because one of our party had a very small appetite and usually ate off his parents plate), Disney always charged us a mandatory 18% gratuity. Thanks for taking away my ability to choose for myself how much tip I pay!! To be honest our waitress at Hollywood and Vine wasn't very enthusiastic and did not deserve an 18% tip but I'm just saying. 12. Poor communication. I am sure that Disney is such a large operation that it is hard to fully train all their employees on all the dos and don'ts but it would be nice if were weren't told one thing by one person and then something totally different by someone else. Animal Kingdom Lodge has a nice campfire that you can sit around and that is lit all day. We thought it would be fun to make some s'mores and so we called the front desk and ask if that was okay. They said sure...go ahead. So we gather all of our supplies and head down to the campfire and start making s'mores. We are having a good time enjoying our s'mores when another lady comes up to us and tells us that we are not allowed to do that!! Really?? We just asked someone and were told it was okay so now who do we believe?? Get your stories straight please!! Do you know how sad I was when I heard this? I just stuck my marshmallow on the stick and they decided me my s'more. Now don't ask me how many I had before that, that's irrelevant. 13. Dear Animal Kingdom Lodge Housekeeper: Checkout time is 11:00 and I promise that we will be out of here by 11:00. Please stop coming by and bothering us while we are trying to pack up all our stuff!! We have until 11:00!! Go find another room to clean and come back after 11:00!! Don't come at 9:45 and then again at 10:20!! 14. Let's be honest...the temperatures during the summer are NOT so magical at all!! We have been during November and it is quite pleasant! So remember if you go during the summer, pack lots of water and go to the dollar store and buy lots of those little personal battery-operated fans. You will be glad you did! 15. Lastly the not so magical lines. Who hates them? They're everywhere... at the grocery store, at the mall, at the bathrooms and so of course you have them AND LOTS OF THEM at Disney. Be prepared to stand in lines...even if you have fast passes.
And that my friends are some not so magical moments at the magical world of Disney World but don't worry we don't only have bad things to say about Disney. There's a reason that we've been five times and will continue to come...as long as we can somewhat afford it. We're just giving y'a'll a little but of a warning. Best Wishes, The Gearles
Hey y'all! Do you remember us? We remember y'all. Sorry it's been such a long time since we posted but you know when you go to Disney you're just so tired when you come back to the room. Or in Abby's case she has to text or FaceTime or Skype her little boyfriend until she falls asleep. Any who mother they don't need to know that. So what have we brought for you to try and make today?? IT'S A MEXICALI MEAT PIE!!! By golly the best thing I've ever made that's not a sweet.
This recipe comes from an old Pillsbury bake off magazine that my mom bought sometime during the sixties. She would make this for us to eat quite often . She also took it to our church's annual homecoming and it became a hit there too! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have over the years! Mexicali Meat Pie
Servings: 8
Time: 1 hr 25 min. Ingredients For Pie Crust: 1 c. flour 2 tbs. cornmeal 1/2 c. bacon drippings or shortening 3-4 tbs. ice water Ingredients For Filling: 6 slices of bacon 1 lb ground beef 1 (8 oz) can of whole kernel corn, drained 1/2 c finely chopped green bell peppers or red bell pepper 1/2 c finely chopped onion 1/4 c cornmeal 1/2 tsp. oregano 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce 1 egg 1/4 c milk 1/2 tsp. dry mustard 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese 8 stuffed green olives, sliced As usual we were lazy and just used a store bought Pillsbury pie crust but we will give the pie crust recipe for all you youngin's out there who want to be brave and take the time to make one. Pie Crust Directions: 1. Combine flour and cornmeal. 2. Cut in bacon drippings or shortening until the mixture is the size of small peas. 3. Add the ice water a little at a time while stirring with a fork until the dough holds together. 4. Roll out on a floured surface and place in a 9 inch pie plate. 5. Flute the edge. Directions 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Fry bacon until crisp and then break into little pieces.
3. Put 1/2 cup of bacon drippings in freezer and chill until firm.
4. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet until it's brown. Drain off any grease.
5. Add corn, bell pepper, onion, cornmeal, oregano, chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and the tomato sauce.
6. Allow meat mixture to cool and prepare the pie crust.
7. Pour the meat mixture into the prepared pie crust and bake in oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.
8. While your pie is baking prepare the topping. Combine egg, milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cheese.
9. After you've baked your pie mixture for 25 minutes take out of oven and pour the cheese mixture onto pie. 10. Top with crumbled bacon and sliced olives and put back into oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
11. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
12. Put your fat pants on and refrain from eating the whole pie at one sitting.
Now go to the store, buy the ingredients, and come home and cook! You won't regret it!! Trust me you won't. I'm a VERY picky eater and I even ate my whole piece. Had it not been for us saving the rest for when my granddaddy then I would have eaten a second piece!! Enjoy cooking!!
XOXO, The Gearles Unruly Heathens Mommy I have a question. Sorry about the absence of last week. We know y'all missed us and we missed y'all too but let me tell you what we really missed was electricity and air conditioning! We went four days -FOUR DAYS - four days with no electricity or AC or internet...it was like we were cave women. We'll get to that story another day. Today we want to talk...ummm mom I think you mean complain...this is true. We want to complain about LOUSY parkers. Hahaha...momma do you remember that one time I made a new definition of lousy? You see I was really tired and this big truck went by when we were driving and I said, "Why does that truck have to be so lousy?" I meant loud and/or noisy but it came out as lousy...haha...oops. Lousy Parkers1. IF YOU CAN'T PARK IT, DON'T DRIVE IT!!!!! 'Nuf said! 2. If your vehicle is too big to park comfortably between two lines then park it further away where you won’t interfere with people getting in and out of vehicles. I have literally had to crawl in my car from the passenger side because someone parked so close…and I’m little. And if it’s not an easy task for you, little girl, it certainly isn’t an easy task for us big girls! 3. If you don’t have a handicap license plate or a handicap placard then don’t park in a handicap space. That’s just rude! 4. Don’t straddle two parking spaces right up front just because you don’t want car door dings. If you want to straddle two parking spaces then park far away from the entrance. Because that’s beyond rude…especially when it’s raining. This happened to my daddy and me just the other day. We went to Wing-Stop for lunch one Sunday after church. The rain was coming down in buckets. Some jerk had parked her precious fancy sports car right in front of the entrance straddling 2 parking spaces!! I was furious because my 80 year old daddy doesn't move very fast to begin with and to have to walk that much further was senseless! Talk about wanting to actually ding someone's car!! 5. If the parking spaces are vertical then park vertically not horizontally or diagonally!! 6. Also there are these lines that indicate when a parking spot has come to a stop. Don’t go over them because when you do it causes my bumper to stick out because I can't pull up far enough causing people to think I can’t park! That’s not my fault! That is on you because you went over the line. 7. Did you also know there are these white lines that indicate where your car should be parked. It's really nice when you follow those lines and not go over them. 😒 8. Dear little vehicles, I just want you to know how disheartened we get when we think that there’s an empty spot between those two big pickups only to find out when we get there that you have already taken the spot. 😭 9. Park your dang buggy (shopping cart) in the shopping cart holder not the parking space next to you…and drive the electric buggies back to the store. 10. And if the parking spot is meant for compacts cars, electric cars, expecting mothers, or something else you better make sure you are what that parking spot says or you'll end up on our blog! Those are just a few of the parking issues we have! If you have anything to add, feel free to comment!! Until next time... XOXO The Gearle's |
Abby & AndreaA college student trying to figure out the world with her mom by herside. Life through my lens (Abby). We all have different stories and these are only some of mine. Some funny, some adventurous, some hard. Sit back and relax. Enjoy. Archives
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