Sticky Chins Day, 2008

This year we celebrated Sticky Chins Day (February 8th) at Coldstone and Double Dave's Pizza.

What is Sticky Chins Day, you may ask? It's our own holiday where we have ice cream for dinner. It commemorates the first date Larry and I had at a place called Sticky Chins. Last year, I wrote a post about it, so you can go there to read it.






Here are the kids and Larry eating their creations. I was th only one who got a chocolate ice cream base.











After Coldstone, we walked across the parking lot to the pizza place and got the pizza rolls which we love. Larry won the 6 pizza rolls by calling into a radio station.



Jamie had to be goofy in the only picture of me that night! serves him right---I told him it was going on the internet!


Here was my experimental shot of the evening. Darkness has fallen, and I am looking out the windows of the pizza place back over to the ice cream place.

Larry and I have been "together" now for 17 years. And I was only 18 when we went on the first date! Larry would have been 19. We were very young when we got together! ;-)

Sticky Chins Day

I have to write about Sticky Chins Day before it becomes a memory I can't remember!!

First, the history. Larry and I set up our first date for Saturday, Feb. 10, 1990. We were going on the dinner and a movie date---Los Nortenos in downtown Bryan and then onto the dollar movie at the Schulman Movie theater. We saw Parenthood! But, on the Thursday before, Larry had a test on campus at night. After his test he called me and asked if I'd like to walk over to Northgate and get an ice cream. I said yes! So this was our first date---to a place called Sticky Chins. Seems like I drank a Dr. Pepper from a glass bottle. I don't know why I would remember that.

Ever since then, we have acknowledged this date---1991, when we were engaged to be married; 1992 as newlyweds in our first apartment; 1996, when J was only a baby; 1998, when we had moved back to Bryan and I was pregnant with B. One year, I would guess 1999 or 2000, J was on antibiotic and threw up right in Swenson's.

The one thing we do is eat ice cream for dinner. The optional ending is dinner food for dessert. Sticky Chins the eatery is no longer, and even Swenson's has left our town as well. We've recently been to Coldstone Creamery and The Marble Slab.

This year, Thursday, J came home from school sick with the fever --- this fever that seems to be going around that lasts and lasts. Larry ended up picking him up and staying home with him. I wasn't even reached at my school, but it all worked out for the best, as we had 4 teachers out at my workplace, and I was needed. Larry had been at work long enough that day that it wasn't even counted as a missed day of work for him, which is good.

After school, Larry and I had to make a decision about whether to go on out to eat. J was feeling good, and his fever was gone when medicated, so Larry said, "It's Sticky Chin's day. Let's go ahead and take him out." Sorry all you out there who followed us! He might have left his germs there.

The new cool spot in College Station is this place on University with a big fountain out front. (Cool to my kids, maybe!) And surrounding the fountain are places to eat (so far). Ben and Jerry's had come here for their first shop in town, so it seemed right to try it out today.

None of the pictures inside looked very good. But the ice cream was really good!! I think I hit the perfect ice cream on my first try----New York Double Chocolate Chunk. It has both chocolate and white chocolate chunks in it (yum), plus walnuts and chocolate covered almonds (yum), in a chocolate ice cream that really did taste like the best chocolate ice cream. Yum! Larry got a cookie sundae (with Cherry Garcia ice cream), and both kids picked out the Lemon Sorbet---J in a waffle cone, B in a cup.

Another good reason for this locale was the Boston's gourmet pizza place in the same place. We got a pizza to go home with---that was our dessert we ate while watching the first Survivor episode.

I enjoyed my Sticky Chins Day! I love that we have our own made-up holiday and that a delicious fun tradition has developed out of our first date.

Mostly about my Menu Plan

When did J get to be a big kid? It's all relative, I know.

We got info today about 6th grade orientation. 6th is in with the Jr. High here, so here we go. I am really excited actually! But didn't we just throw him in with the older kids and make him have to step up and be an even bigger kid before his time?

I have been wanting to write about my food fiasco! Saturday I picked up the AngelFood Minstries boxes (the last one in line---late!). I had to really work to get my frozen stuff into my freezer. I had paid for the AngelFood at the beginning of the month, and went big shopping last week. I planned 12 meals---12!---and then bought what I needed. I will have to go get fresh veggies and bread and milk, but the basic stuff is in my bulging pantry. And then I realize it is time for the AngelFood---enough food to feed a family of four for a week. I got a "special" box of 10 lbs. of popcorn chicken! And another additional box of 4 meals. This is a problem I am not complaining about---but I am pointing out my silliness. So, I basically now have 20 or so meals at the ready. Crazy!!

Here is my Menu list. I usually create the menu list and don't plan exactly which days I want to do stuff. I leave it up to the "feeling" of the day, allowing for thawing of meats and such. Or I thaw in the microwave, but that's a tricky prospect. Anyway---the list. May it inspire you as I am inspired by other bloggers' menus! ;-)

Chicken In a Crock Pot---salad, fruit, potatoes X made this one already
Chicken Tortilla Soup----made from leftover chicken from above----fruit, corn chips X
Salmon Fillets----macaroni and cheese, fruit, vegetable X
Chicken Parmesan----fettuccini, veggies, fruit X
Meat Rolls (family ground beef recipe)----veggie, fruit X
Pork Chops l"Orange----wild rice, steamed veggies; a crock pot meal first time recipe
Shake and Bake Chicken---mashed potatoes, veggie
Chili-----cornbread, fruit
Steak Soup----bread, fruit
Tacos---lettuce and tomatoes, cheese, refried beans (no fat), rice, fruit
Sesame Chicken (first time recipe)----rice, fruit, green beans with garlic

Those were the ones I planned out myself. The next list is what I'll make from the angelfood basic box. Side dishes are not bought for this yet.
Spaghetti and meatballs
Bacon-wrapped beef fillets
Pork roast---probably will Memphis-style BBQ it in the crock pot
Frying chicken---probably will roast
Salisbury Steak---yummy fast meal for a day I've been working
Bean Soup
Special Box #1 Popcorn chicken---several meals from this (probably for a night Larry works late)
Special Box #2 4 meals for 4---1 side included in the pack
Beef Stew
Chicken fajitas
Pork Chops and Rice
Chicken Alfredo

See how crazy? I am thanking my God I have so much to eat and to choose from!!

Coming up this weekend---the Family sees Willy Wonka at MSC OPAS. Free Blue Bell ice cream before the show! Yea! A basketball game Saturday evening---breast cancer benefit game, so I think it is the Aggie women's team. TROUPE lock-in for February Friday night---will Lar and I see a movie?? Sunday evening after church "favorite finger food" fellowship. Do we skip it and go watch the super bowl? Do we get a TV in there and make it a super bowl fingerfood night?

And why are things piling up on my special Family Holiday? Sticky Chins Day is February 8th. This is the anniversary of Lar's and my first date, way back in 1990. We went on an impromptu date on a Thursday night (it's Thursday again! More specialness!), to an ice cream place on Northgate called "Sticky Chins." If you know Northgate at TX A&M, it's a small thin building next to bottlecap alley. I don't know what is there now. Anyway, now we as a family celebrate the day by having ice cream for dinner---and regular food for dessert if we want. That night, I also have a Creative Memories thing I could go to, and Survivor starts that evening. Survivor!! I'm so excited. It'll be Heart Snack day at school. The 9th is the annual "Not-So-Newlywed Game" at church. All these things I will elaborate on when I get to them, but does it seem crazy busy already? Is it just me? Don't they all sound fun, though?