The BIg Curd

Hi All!

Lately I have been trying to lower the amount of carbs I eat so I have been eating cottage cheese for breakfast.  I prefer the large curd variety because it is fun to squish the curd while eating.  Yes, I know that is a bit strange but consider the source!

Anyway - I was making my way through this week's container of cottage cheese when I found this.

One giant curd!

Talk about committment to living up to the label on the package!

Trisha



Visions of Sugarplums

Hi All!

Generally speaking, I enjoy baking and cooking but don't have the time to do it as much as I would like.  Sure, I cook dinner pretty much every night but what I really like is that holiday baking.

Sugar cookies with frosting.  Spritz cookies with colored sugar sprinkles.  Pies.

Then there is the holiday candy.  My specialty is the iconic Ohio Buckeye candy.  This is basically a ball of sweet peanut butter coated in chocolate with just a bit of the peanut butter showing to look like the Buckey nut.

Everyone LOVES my buckeyes.

They are delicious but take a lot of time to make and the end result is not only the candy but also a backache for me from all of the hand rolling of the candy.

After finishing the buckeyes there is always left-over melted chocolate to have fun with.  I coat pretzel bites, almonds, raisins, and anything else that might be handy.  I give the buckeyes away but the miscellaneous stuff I dip is all mine!

This year I have had a particularly strong urge to bake and make candy.  In fact, as I type this, I am contemplating making carmel because my Great-grandmother used to make it and it was always a wonderful treat.

True.  She made it for Easter but . . . that is just splitting hairs!

In addition to my yen to make caramels, I want to make cake balls to send to my sister-in-law and spritz cookies for my Hubby (they are his favorite!).

There is a strong possibility that a trip to the store is in my near future.

Trisha

Gadgets

Hi All!

It seems like, over the years, our lives have become cluttered with gadgets.  Things to make our lives "easier."  Cell phones.  E-readers.  IPods and MP3 players.  Laptops.  Tablets. 

Well, I hate to admit this but, I am a gadget addict.

I LOVE gadgets.

Anything electronic can keep me occupied for a while.

First it was the computer.  Yes, I am of the generation where computers weren't part of my formative years and so they were fascinating (and still are).

Then it was the iPod.  This got me into podcasts which are another addiction of mine.

The whole cell phone/smart phone thing has gone by me, however.  Hubby and I don't call each other a whole lot and so have never really seen the need for a cell phone.  After all, if we go on trips, it is normally together so why would we need a cell phone to call each other?

Yes, I am aware of the safety perspective of having a cell phone - especially since they have systematically taken out the pay phones across the country.  I DO have a cell phone - prepaid and VERY basic - that I take with me for safety.  Hubby has the same set up himself but . . . he never takes his phone with him so I suppose it isn't worth too much.

Lately, Hubby and I have been talking smart phones.  With my future career pretty much requiring smart phone accessibility, a smart phone is certainly in my future.  We just aren't sure WHEN in my future.

AND.

We are so far out of the "loop" in terms of cell phones, we have absolutely no idea where to start.

Luckily, Consumer Reports' most recent edition is about smart phones and service providers.

I guess it is time to read up!

Trisha

Festive

Hi All!

Surprisingly, yesterday I felt festive.  I actually got out my Christmas decorations.

Okay - I didn't get them ALL out. The would involve the Christmas tree and garlands and lots of ornaments.

I got out the Christmas decorations I put out when I don't get the tree out.

The wreath got put up on the front door.  Red ribbons were hung on the porch lights.  Fake candles were placed in the front windows.  I even crafted a pseudo ball of ornaments with a nice bow to hang on my banner hanger.

Then, I went a bit wild - for me!

I actually added stuff to the wreath!  New red berries (the old ones were showing their age by splitting and showing the lovely white foam they are made of) and read and green ornaments were wired into the wreath to give it "new life."

That is wild for me!

To top all this "hoopla" off, our Christmas cards are actually in the mail.

I know - amazing!

You see.  I don't get too excited about decorating for the holidays.  Somehow, it always just makes me sad.

So much time is spent "decking the halls" and preparing for the season and then it is gone in an instant.  On December 26th, the decorations already look a bit tired.

Then you have to take everything down.

That is such a bummer.

Nothing ever goes back in the box quite right and then fitting everything back into the closets . . . what a chore.

I love the look of decorations and lights.

I just get sad when I think about having to take them down.


Trisha

Maybe

Hi All!

This is the season of remembering.

Do you remember your childhood?

The other day I got a message via Facebook from a boy I knew in elementary school.  Of course, he is a man now but, he will always be a boy in my memory.  It was a strange experience for me.  This boy was someone I had a crush on and he remembers having a crush on me.  In fact, he remembers so well that he even mentioned it to a person he met before heading out to the Navy.  Another man who said he was from the same hometown.  Another man who just turned out to be my brother!

Imagine!  A boy who had a crush on me in elementary school remembering my name (and the street I lived on) long enough to mention it to someone he met after finishing high school.

Imagine that.

Someone remembering ME!

The messages on Facebook got me thinking about a lot of stuff.

Would my life have turned out so differently if I hadn't moved the summer after discovering my crush for this boy?  Would we have "gone out" if I had stayed?  Would that have led to more relationships?

Before moving I think - I THINK - I had friends.  After moving, making friends was difficult.

After moving - which is the period of time I remember the most from my childhood - I was unsure of myself.  I remember thinking that I would never have friends again - let alone boyfriends.  I didn't have boyfriends in middle schol (they all called me Grimace from McDonald's!!).  I didn't really have boyfriends in high school (partly because of the whole Grimace thing and partly because my Dad was my high school principal for the last two years!).  I had lots of boyfriends in college and didn't really know how to handle them.

Of course, my life has ended up pretty darn well in that area - I have a wonderful husband who I love more than anything.  If I hadn't moved - I probably would have never met him.

But - I still have to wonder what it would be like if I hadn't moved.

Maybe I would have been the popular girl.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

Trisha