Cowgirl Breakfast Casserole

Westbrook Family Night at the rodeo!
Carly, Slate, me, Greyson, and Andy

Last year, I wrote an entry about my lifetime love for the Fort Worth Stockshow and Rodeo when I shared my recipe for Green Chili Fudge.  Each year, as a member of the Junior League of Fort Worth, I commit 50 hours to a volunteer placement.  The JLFW places our volunteers at numerous locations, including the American Diabetes Association's Camp Aurora, the Amon Carter Museum, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth, Cook Children's Medical Center, and many more- click here to read more about our community involvement. 

Nicole, me, Jenna, Amanda, Kelly, Meredeth, and Anna
in the Rodeo Program Sales Committee Office

From my sponsor to my Co-Chair- and what a great one she's been as both!
Melissa and me

As a provisional, or your first year in the league, your placement is automatically the Junior League's upscale resale shop, the Double Exposure.  Beginning with your second year in the league, your first year as an active, you get to chose what placement you want.  After having so much fun yelling and selling at the rodeo last year, I immediately knew I wanted to be on the Rodeo Program Sales Committee for my placement.

Shanelle and me

As a member of this committee, we organize the girls who "yell and sell" programs at each of the performances, put the day sheets (the papers that tell which cowboy is riding which bull/horse/etc) into the programs, supervise the sellers, and yell and sell when we can.  We are supposed to attend as many performances as possible, including the Saturdays of the rodeo time that have three performances each.  That means that on Saturdays during rodeo time, we are at the grounds from about 8:00am until 9:30pm- and that makes for one long day!

Hook 'em ITB!
Pam and me

Since we are up at the colliseum so much during these three weeks, we have a meal sign up sheet for girls to bring breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to the committee.  I signed up for numerous meals since I like to cook so much, and my first meal was a Saturday breakfast.  I had made a yummy and easy breakfast casserole for my family on Christmas morning, so I thought I'd let the Rodeo Committee girls try it, too.  I wasn't sure how to adjust my recipe for 25 girls, but the final measurements turned out just right- with a little extra, too!  I bought tortillas to put it in and make breakfast tacos, but the recipe didn't originally call for that.  It can be served in bowls, as a regular casserole would, or in tortillas with hot sauce and shredded cheese on top- however you cowgirls like it!

The firemen hosted a shrimp boil for us one day- thank you!

Cowgirl Breakfast Casserole (Crockpot)
Servings: 30; Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 6

• 1 doz eggs
• 1/2 doz egg whites
• 1 1/2 (32 oz/e) bags frozen hashbrowns
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked
• 1 lb sausage, browned
• 1/2 c green onions, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3/4 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 c skim milk

Cowgirl Breakfast Casserole ready to cook overnight in the crockpot

1. Layer potatoes, bacon, sausage, onions, green pepper, and cheese in the crockpot in two or three layers
2. Add cheese on top
3. Beat the eggs, milk, and mustard together
4. Pour egg mixture over the whole crockpot full of ingredients
5. Cook in crock pot on low for 10-12 hours or until eggs are set.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Candied Almond Salad

My whole life, we have had a sailboat named Cracker Jack that we keep at the Fort Worth Boat Club.  In May of 2005, I was leaving dinner at the Boat Club with my parents when they suggested that we drive down to the waterfront where the cabanas are.  We had always admired the cabanas from afar- right on the water, on club grounds, and only a thirty minute hiatus from town.  We pulled up to the blue and white a-frame that we had talked about before, and my parents stopped the car.  Thinking we were just going to walk around, I hopped out of the car and heard the jingle of keys in my dad's hand.  "Surprise!" they both said together.  They had bought the a-frame lakehouse from Jim Sundberg, former catcher for the Texas Rangers.  I. was. stoked.

The lakehouse/cabana has changed in so many ways over the past 6 years.  We put up white wooden blinds, built a tough shed, replaced the couches (twice), moved the twin beds to make room for futons, replaced said twin beds with white bunk beds, put in all new master bedroom furniture, pulled up the carpet and installed hardwood floors, replaced the remaining carpet with new carpet, white washed the front wall, replaced the dock, built a kayak rack, replaced both the downstairs and upstairs air conditioners, put in new cabinets, pulled out the stove, put on a new side door and screen door, installed an alarm system (unfortunately due to a break-in), replaced the fridge (twice), AND installed new counter tops.  Phew! That was a mouth full.  Needless to say, our little gem has come a LONG way.

Easter Eve 2011

My Granny Poirot, from who I inherited many of my cooking abilities, absolutely loved the lakehouse.  Specifically, she loved the sunsets at the lakehouse.  No matter what we were in the middle of doing, when the sun started to set, Granny called everyone out onto the porch or down by the water.  For 15-20 minutes, we stopped.  We stopped cooking, renovating, replacing, worrying, and stressing.  We stopped planning, organizing, cleaning, texting, talking, and we watched.  "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" Granny asked me once.  "God is good, Katherine, He knows we're making memories."

Easter Sunday 2011

When Granny's heart started to give out for the final time in November of 2008, I curled up in her hospital bed with her, squeezing her hand as tight as I could.  Even in as much pain as she was, Granny turned and looked out the window of the Cardiac ICU.  "Wow, Katherine, look at that sunset," she said, "God is good sweet girl.  I love you."  My eyes welled up with tears as I told her that I loved her more than anything in the world.  My Aunt Rhonda's text to let loved ones know read, "Gertie left with the sunset this evening."  Her obituary read "Gertie Poirot went home to be with her heavenly Father at sunset."  What a perfect ending to her wonderful story, and not a sun sets without our family thinking of our amazing, funny, loving, optimistic, selfless, faithful Granny.

Granny watching the sunset

This past Easter weekend, my parents, their friends, Mike and Sondra Cochran, and Andy and I all had dinner out at the lakehouse.  It was fun being together, but no holiday at the lakehouse is the same without Granny.  We had her/my mom's Candied Almond Salad, ham, and chili rice casserole.  Although Granny wasn't there to remind us on Easter night, we all still gathered on the porch, like we do every night when we are at the lakehouse, and stopped.  For 15 minutes, we stopped doing, and we made another memory and watched the sunset, just like Granny would have wanted.

Granny and me watching the sunset, July 4, 2008

Candied Almond Salad
Granny Poirot & Carolyn Poirot

• 1 c sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 little green onions, thinly sliced (yes, they're really called "little green onions")
• Honey mustard dressing (available in light)
• 15 oz mandarin oranges, drained
• 6 c lettuce, washed

1. Melt butter in a pan on the stove
2. Mix in sugar and almonds
3. Stir frequently until browned (careful not to burn them)
4. Combine lettuce, onions, oranges, and candied almonds in a large salad bowl
5. Add dressing as desired, or leave dressing off for each person to put on his/her own- this can always help avoid soggy salad

Green Chili Fudge

The rodeo can be summed up in the words of Mr. Brooks:
Well it's bulls and blood, It's dust and mud, It's the roar of a Sunday crowd
It's the white in his knuckles, The gold in the buckle he'll win the next go 'round
It's boots and chaps, It's cowboy hats, It's spurs and latigo
It's the ropes and the reins, And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo.

Every January/February off Lancaster and University in Fort Worth, you will find my favorite event of the year.  The Fort Worth Stockshow and Rodeo.  And yes, this thing really is legendary.

I have gone to the rodeo every single year that I can remember.  The rodeo kicks off every year with the annual rodeo parade.  When I was reallllly little (before kindergarten), my dad's law office was across from the Chisolm Trail Mural downtown.  We would sit in the windows and watch the annual rodeo parade in our flannel shirts and take in the sweet smell of horse manure, and we knew that the rodeo was finally back in town.

My dad and I watching the rodeo parade 1990

Brief History:
I usually go to the rodeo with my friends or family.  For a couple of years, my friend, JK, and her mom, Mama Sheila, took me and some of our other friends to sit in their box.  We would get a day sheet (found in a $3 program!) and each placed bets on who we thought would rope the fastest or get the highest score on the wildest bull.  Usually, I just picked the guys with the cool names like "Denver" or the bulls with the meanest names like "Hot Damn" or "Loco."

Last year, my friend, Kate, took a group of us girls who have been friends for 19 years to sit in her dad's box.  A few weeks later, Kate sent out a mass text to see if anyone wanted to use the box because it was going to be empty for finals.  Um, yes, duh.  So I asked my cousin, Chris, and his wife, Tiffany, and their daughter, Kameron, to come.  Chris, Tiff, and I were all pretty close in age, but we never really hung out together outside of family stuff.  I'm really glad they said they could come, and I had no idea it would be the first and last time for us all three to hang out.  We lost Chris last March in a motorcycle accident, and it was a blessing that Kate offered up her seats this night. 

Back to 2011:
This year I am completing my provisional year in the Junior League of Fort Worth.  Your provisional year is kind of like a pledge year in a sorority.  You have to go to your own provisional class meetings each month and also the general membership meetings, complete a few shifts at each Junior League event (Mayfest, rodeo, etc), and work 50 hours at the Junior League resale shop, Double Exposure.  I was pretttty excited about the rodeo shifts because, obviously, I love the rodeo.  It is the duty of the Junior League ladies to "yell and sell."  It goes about like this, "Rodeo programs, $3! Get your programs. Ice cold programs.  Special today, only $3 (they're always $3)!  How bout them cowboys? Read all about 'em in your rodeo program!  Help out your local charities! Put your money towards a good cause! The cheapest souvenir you can buy! Half the price of a beer, and it'll last you allllll night!"  I worked 6 shifts- I had it down.

One day, Groupon, a group coupon website which is amazing and everyone should subscribe to, offered half priced tickets to go to the rodeo.  Since I'd been yelling and selling, I hadn't seen much of the actual show, so I thought it'd be fun to go.  I bought four tickets and was super stoked... then I realized I'd purchased 4 10:00am on a SATURDAY tickets.  Oops.  Looks like we were just gonna have to make a day of it!

Next door to and outside of the rodeo is the midway.  No, not the carnival, the midway.  The midway is home to dozens of scary rides, big beers, corn dogs, and FUNNEL CAKES.  I have a weird, crazy love for funnel cakes.  Actually, for almost all fair food (except corn dogs... I hate corn dogs).

In addition to the midway and the rodeo, there is an entire exhibit hall set up with row after row of clothes, agricultural products, and... food.  Score.  I am such a sucker, let it be said.  I sampled everything and definitely fell for the shtick.  The "shtick" went about like this, "Hey pretty lady, salsa- buy 2, get one free. Buy FOUR, get two free... soup mixes? Buy two get one free."  After a while, I became a bobble-head, nodding to every offer and passing over my plastic.  I think we left the rodeo with 4 salsas, 3 dip mixes, and 4 soups from three different companies.  Oh, well, they'll be used eventually.

One salsa I bought, a super spicy green tomatillo salsa, had a recipe for Green Chili Fudge, so I made it this past weekend for the Super Bowl party.  It isn't fudge as in chocolate fudge, but it is called that because of its consistency.  It was just as amazing when I made it as it was when I was suckered into buying it!  I used the green salsa from the rodeo, but you really can use any jar of green salsa- the spicier the better.  Green chili fudge is a great chip topper, and can be semi-healthy if you use fat free cheese.

Green Chili Fudge

• 4 c. grated cheese (I used a mixture of 1 c Four Cheese Mexican Blend & 3 c Fat Free Cheddar)
• 1 jar green tomatillo salsa
• 3 eggs
• 1 pan (smaller pans work best, 9 x 9)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Beat eggs together
3. Spread 2 c grated cheese in pan
4. Combine eggs and 1/2 - 3/4 (you can approximate this) jar of salsa on cheese in pan
5. Spread the second 1/2 of cheese (another 2 c) on top
6. Bake at 350 for 30 mins
7. Slice into squares, serve on tortilla chips

Green Chili Fudge

And now, a look back at some past rodeos...

Brittney and Me 2008

Shannon, JK, Jen, Emily, me 2008

19 Year Friends: Lillian, Frances, Sam; Kate, Whitney, Chaney, me 2010

Tiff, Chris, Kameron, and me 2010

Kami and Me 2010

Andy, me, MaryEllen, Brittany, Michael 2011

Andy, me, Michael, Brittany, MaryEllen, Louis 2011

Brittany and me with funnel cake 2011

One of the super scary rides Andy and I went on 2011