Happy New Year ~ Okay...Yes..I know I Am Posting This Early ~

Happy New Year Dear Hearts.
Yes, I know that I am posting this early, but for some reason blogspot on the home pc is spotty so I haven't been able to post ...hence the early post here.

I hope every one will have or had a safe New Years Eve and Day.
I was surprised and a bit dismayed to see that the burn ban is no longer in place for our area as I hoped it was . The fireworks road side stands are present and accounted for so of course the fireworks show will begin the 24 hour launch sequence....probably tonight.
Hello yard debris, goodbye sleep.

It's been a good year overall , so I really have no complaints .
I don't make resolutions because :

1. They are crap.
2. The person making can almost guarantee failure by the simple act of making the bloody list in the first place.
3. See # 1.

We all know the areas in our lives that we would like to improve. We don't need a list to remember them .I know the things that I need to work on and more importantly , I know what I need to let go of.
I also know that in all honesty, it is for me, ( and I suspect for the rest of us ) a case of being a work in progress.

It is what it is.

Twenty Twelve.

Shudder..the weirdness of that is kinda creeping me out a little bit here...lmao.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

More Cheesy Goodness....aka " Why The Hell Not ?"

http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/other_side_dishes/macaroni_and_cheese.html

Ok..the insanity continues.

I went to the original site from the recipe on Zesty Bites and found all of these variations, add ins, and trivia on all things Mac and cheese.

Seriously both good and funny stuff Maynard.

You know what to do..so get to slappin Mr. Linky.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

A Zesty Bite: Crack-n-Cheese

A Zesty Bite: Crack-n-Cheese: WARNING! If you were coming to the site today to find a healthy recipe turn back to the baked pecan chicken. On this page you will find a...

You all know that there is no f'g way that I am not going to post a recipe for Mac and Cheese or as it's listed here.." Crack and Cheese."

You know the drill.

Slap Mr. Linky for all the cheesey goodness.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Belated Merry Christmas

Christmas 2011 was perfect..or passes for in our house.

I had a couple of days to finally get the house clean..just don't open a cabinet just yet and even though the weather was lousy and the chimney has decided not to draw up smoke properly..yeah..it was wonderful.

We didn't have to go anywhere, sweats, naps and lots of food were the order of the day.

Lots of naps which is such a luxury to me..le sigh.

All of our friends and family are happy, safe and healthy.

Ditto the Feline and Canine Overlords.

I got gift cards for the kindle which is just what I wanted..SU got ITunes cards..

Southside Johnny came over for Christmas dinner and we sent him home with a ton of food so he can eat decently before upcoming dental surgery...yeah..we like dentures in our family.

And...

I had the chance to finally watch seasons 1 and 2 of " The Guild".

Seriously funny shit.

Especially if you are a gamer.

I hope every one had a wonderful holiday and that everything was just as you wished for .

The office seemed a bit glummer than usual this year, which I chalk up to the economy and that's fine.

Next year, the larger tree will be put up.

I can have 2 trees if I want to..the kittys say so .

Blessed Be .

Aunty Pol

This is Sooo Stinking Cute

Sistah has a passion for antiques..which strikes me as funny since I am the elder in this relationship..bwahahah..love ya girl.

Among gifts she and Double Oh sent us is this adorable tin with recipes in it.

Which SU promptly tried to steal.

He and I have a small collection of tins that we use to tote baked goods when the mood strikes.

Which is pretty damn'd often.

So his eyes lit up when he saw the tin and yelped " Dibs".

Um , no honey.

This is a recipe box.

We will find you some more tins.

You can even have the one from the girls that had the William Sonoma hot chocolate bits in it.

I can''t wait to dive into the chocolaty goodness in this adorable box.

The pictures alone are drool worthy.

Love ya Sistah !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

One Reminded Me Of The Other

http://www.lefsetime.com/all_about_lefse/krumkake_recipe.php

http://www.shugarysweets.com/2011/12/most-underappreciated-recipe-toffee.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ShugarySweets+%28Shugary+Sweets%29

My Grandpa Engwall has been gone for 18 years now which just flattens me , especially during the holidays.

You see, my Grandparents came over from Sweden, and he was a Lutheran preacher( Lutrin ya know ) in Winthrop , Minnesota until his retirement.

Winthrop had a population of 764 at the time of his death by the way., I checked.

A few years before her death from cancer, Grandpa had gone from " Lisbet, is dat coffee done yat ?" to a man who would pontificate on his love for his Amana Microwave to any and all gathered in his kitchen.

My grandma taught me how to bake at an early age and it is the biggest reason that I so love to do it.

Mom was a good cook when she was able to be..to be blunt when she was sober, but she had ZERO patience trying to teach anyone, especially me....anything.

Not Grandma.

Every Saturday afternoon, after the house was cleaned that morning, she would bake for the Guild coffee get together in the Church basement after church services the next day.

The whole time we lived with them, Saturday was the same.

Grandpa would be in his office, polishing up the sermon for the next day , answering calls and handling emergencies that only the preacher can.

Grandma would be baking and my hand to God, 2 pm on the mark..." Lisbet, is dat coffee done yat ?"

The parsonage wasn't that big y'all and he was after all a grown man...but that is the way that they were.

As cancer took first her body and then her mind, he became the primary non medical care taker and he learned to not only cook but bake.

We used to literally fight over Krummkake when the holidays would roll around and for years I have said that among other things, I wanted to get an electric Krumkake maker.

Heresy, I know Grandma , it's not the old school metal thingamabog...which I can't use because of a ceramic cook top.

Anyhoo, I saw the post on Shugary Sweets , toffee being one of those OMG have to check it out lures and after reading the recipe, I was so reminded of Krumkake ...yeah..

Thankfully SU reads this so he knows that I want a cookie gun..honey..I can't make spritz without one...and the electric Krumkake thingy.

Trust me, I'll find room for them.

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Blessed Solstice Everyone .

Blessed Be.

Aunty Pol

This Is A Bit Much .

http://news.discovery.com/history/medieval-knights-ptsd-111220.html

Really ?

Enjoy.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

WOW ! Did Best Buy Drop The Ball This Holiday Season Or What ?

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=9878f06d-4d80-4bf2-93af-f6b8f55e0383

Now, I haven't shopped in Best Buy for a couple of years , but we did have a similar experience when I wanted to buy a digital camera that was an advertised special before Pyro's wedding. I found one what would work and am happy with it but it this story is true then they really screwed up..and no you can't expect me to believe that with their aggressive promotion during the holidays that they were surprised that they were inundated.

Makes you wonder , doesn't it ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/12/20/hollywoods-feline-phenom/

Oh , I hope they pick this handsome Mancat !

This is a great story.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

You Know Who You Are.

Yes..I know it might not be in the most Walton like wholesome holiday spirit..but..

You know who you are and if this offends you ?

Why the Fuck are you reading my blog in the first place ?

Carry on.

Served.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Vintage Christmas Cards

It may be just me , but every year when it occurs to me that we need to buy Christmas cards , I do one of two things.

I either in a burst of rare pre planning go to Barnes and Noble to pour over the table of cards, trying to pick out ones that we both like and I don't hate.

And I get another box of the slightly or not so slightly twisted ones for my closest and completely insane partners in crime....you know who you are.

Or

I go at the last minute to Walgreens to get some last minute thing and go " Oh Shite" as I make my way to the check out .

Slim pickins at best and oh dear Gaia...what can I say..

Why can't they make cards like the ones above anymore ?

Simple, elegant, non vomit inducing ones that convey a general message of good will and cheer ?

Let's not even talk about the left overs that are on sale after Christmas...

Sigh.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Oh Lordy Yes, More Pecans Please.

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/09/a-tasty-recipe-pecan-pie-muffins/

I rarely have met a muffin or muffin recipe I didn't like.

I don't care for traditional corn bread per se, I know, heresy when you live in the south , but there it is.

I do however like the Jiffy mix cornbread stuff because it's a sweeter version.

Anyhoo.....

While still over at Tasty Kitchen , I came across this recipe.

The photos are wonderful by the way.

I so admire people that can do this.

There used to be a web site called .." Food Porn", which I loved.

Go ahead and laugh , I can hear you .

The most wonderful food photography ever!

If you don't want to bake the pecans..make muffins.

You know what to do...slap Mr. Linky for the recipe.

Oh, and before I forget. Amazon has Miss Ree's second cookbook available for pre-order.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

A New Variation On Roasted Pecans

As usual, I was zipping around " Tasty Kitchen" and saw this recipe.
Now, when you live in the South , during the holidays you see tons of roasted, spiced, sugared pecan recipes.
It's like deviled egg recipes, everyone and their great aunt Edna has one.
Every Baptist church cookbook has them.
What caught my eye was the use of cocoa powder.

You know what to do.
Go slap Mr. Linky for the recipe.
http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/12/mexican-hot-chocolate-roasted-pecans/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TastyKitchenBlog+%28Tasty+Kitchen+Blog%29

Every year , I tell myself that I am going to do this again..yeah ...right.

I BARELY got Christmas cards out this year.

Hope or lunacy springs eternal it seems.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

For My Father ~ Feliz Navidad !

http://thefw.com/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-a-charlie-brown-christmas/

My late father just loved the whole "Peanuts " thing , particularly " Joe Cool ".

It's become an annual tradition in our house, at least for me to watch the " Charlie Brown Christmas " special every year..and cry..yeah...I know.

Our Christmas tree is one of the Charlie Brown ones, but thank Gaia, not the kind that sings.

I found the link interesting all things considered and I am grateful the talking heads were wrong.

Happy Whatever Holiday You Celebrate If That's Your thing .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Christmas Wishes

First of all...Gordon and I want to thank each and every one of you that posted a note to us on Andy's passing, it meant the world to us and the comfort it gives is without measure.

Christmas Wishes 2011:

For my home, I wish peace , quiet and less yodeling on the furniture and carpet...you know who you are...I kid..it's okay Loki. Just slow down when you eat, you don't have to inhale it honey, we have more than 1 can of food.

For Sistah, Double Oh Mullet, Pyro and Mama to be Mrs. Pyro, I wish all the joy, love , safety and happiness a grandchild can bring. For the kids..P and baby Mama..It's all gonna be okay. Everyone panics , but you have love and experience all around you ..you'll be fine.

Sistah..remember , this is where we get to roll our eyes and smile, because once again.." Been there..done that " trumps it all....LMAO ! Just keep me informed of infant sizes and I will hoard coupons etc..remember there are no rules for Godmothers and shopping for Godchild's babies....I looked it up !

For the Bug and her parents, I wish joy and love and for them to carry on just the way that they are. Sure, there will be bumps along the way, but you are doing such a wonderful job of being civil through all of this that I can only tell you how proud I am of both of you ...keep calm and carry on. Beloved nephew...I know that there are some career options that you are exploring,, I hope you get the one you really want . You've worked hard through it all to get the degrees...it is worth it honey, at least your degree , unlike mine will be of some use...wheee......

For the Crazy Cajuns, thank you for being there through it all for SU and I ..we love you .

For the Yakkers, thank you for being the kind of friends that blend in so well with the rest of the insane tribe that we have collected...I'll try to get SU to stop pocket dialing you from the ice house girl....I have to hear the rest of that story...what a hoot. And remember..pirates don't swim ! Arrrrrh !

For Southside Johnny, thank you for making the call that you did, I am very proud of you and I know that once the surgery is over , you really will feel mo bedder. And you WILL listen to your older sister and brother in law..we have been down a road you haven't so you have been warned.

For " Evil Stepmother", thank you for helping with Southsides financial arrangements on the surgery..we love you sweetie, we really do..and YOU ROCK !

For Jere Lee and Cindy Lou Who, thank you for being the kind of neighbors every one wants to have..we love you bunches.

For CT, Lady Rae , the Princess and the Feline Overlords, happy holidays darlings..now get your asses to Canada !...Yeah....the one that's closer..you know...this side of the pond !

For Lady Lisa, thank you for keeping me together through all of this for Sgt. Panda Pants and for understanding what this all means. I love you honey !

For the rest of our friends and family, we wish you the best of everything and thank you for being in our lives..even though we might not call or see each other very often, we love you all and really do think of you a lot.

Celebrate what you want in what ever way you want this holiday season.

I wish you all peace , happiness and good Karma for the coming year and beyond.

And if you are lucky, I might get off my ass next year and actually get Christmas cards out in 2012 .......LOL !

Blessed Be.

Aunty Pol

If It's Monday, It's John Barrowman Time !

Happy Monday Y'all !

I hope every one is ready for celebrating the holiday of their choice or not..I am , more or less.

I finally gave myself a break and took a mental health day off and had a really good boo hoo over Andy, which really helped a lot...and hoovered the rugs with SU 's help and got the clutter attended to so all in all it was a good weekend .

We both had a jones to get some baking done which is funny because it usually hits one or the other and I saw something yesterday morning that just had me on the floor.

Xena as usual decided that Momma had to get up, regardless of the fact that her Daddy had fed them brekky..nopers..Mama has to " git up", so she does her thing...walking across me, making biscuits on my shoulders and yelling in my ear.

FINE !

FINE !

I'm up already for sh*ts sake !

Find glasses,....mutter mutter..bad words.....mutter...coffee....coffee....get the hell out of my way..Mama needs coffee .

As the brewing ends..I tell SU to move the small bowl out of the way so I can get mah dayum coffee...and we both watch an egg roll off the counter.....splat !

It was like it was in slow mo.

I laughed till I had to pee.

In all the years that we have been married , that is the first time that I have seen that happen.

It struck me so funny, and for the life of me I can't explain why.

I told SU , " Honey, all I wanted was my coffee because YOUR child decided that I had to be up ."

He replied as usual..." Not my child, I fed them brekky and I was gonna start pancakes..."

All righty then, clean up the egg please and carry on..

I thought right then and there that if this is the worst thing that we have happen today then we are on top of the game.

And the pancakes were yummy !

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

You HAVE To Love This ~ I Sure Do !

http://soufflebombay.blogspot.com/2011/12/mini-free-form-caramel-apple-tarts.html

Go read Colleen's post.

It's refreshing to see that not everything has to be a perfect creation every day....and she's a wonderful blogger to boot.

I just want to grab a fork and clinm through the screen.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

This One Is For You SIstah !

http://daisyfae.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/daisyfae-1-shelob-0/

Sistah and I have had a deal through out our long sisterhood.

I HATE SNAKES !

SHE HATES SPIDERS !

Years ago in college I had the original two cats Msi ( Missy, a very independent but loving Burmese ) and Oogie ( ok..his actual name was Sandy as he was a short haired red tabby , but he would dance to " Boogie Wonderland"..I kid you not) who were indoor/outdoor rangers. Back in the dark ages when duplexes and such were built , they often had enough windows with screens on them for ....CROSS VENTILATION.

Oh how I miss that.

Anyhoo, one morning while I was waiting for Sistah to pick me up for work, I saw Msi bringing something into the apartment through the Msi size hole in the screen that NO ONE cared about. I was going to and did fix it when I moved out by the way......Well, I thought she had a length of that rubbery gasket shit that they put around windows back then so I bent down to pick it up.

IT MOVED !

To this day , and I do not doubt it or her in the least, Sistah swears on the chassis of her old Malibu ( the classic, not that re-vamped POS that they tried to fob off on anyone born after 1985 ) that she could hear me screaming as she came around the corner. So she parks the car and hustles up to my place.

I am now incoherent.

She goes and gets a paper towel and disposes of the varmint so off we go to work.

Now she on the other hand ...

SHE HATES SPIDERS !

Me not so much .

So we have a pact.

She will always kill my snakes and I will always kill her spiders.

This link is for you honey, I'll always kill your spiders.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

I'm Trying , I Really Am .

This made me smile today and for me , right now that is enough.


Enjoy !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Cookbook Number Two

Like every popular personality, there is a backlash against Ree Drummond.

Some of the posters are funny, some are just vile.

Much like everything else in life it seems.

SO, me being me, I ordered a copy of the new cook book for me and one for Sistah.

Like it's gonna be a surprise....pfft.

We have no secrets.

Cooking like everything else in life is a matter of degrees.

Some people live for it.

Yes..that would be SU and I .

We have more than a tad experience and training so for us it is pure enjoyment.

We experiment, we tweak...we boldly go.

We buy cookbooks.

Others are not as comfortable.

Now, one of the main bitches about Ree's cookbooks is that they are too simplistic.

Really !~?

Now, I don 't know about the rest of the world, but when I am considering a cookbook, I check it out to see if it is something I would actually.....USE.

Some folks need pictures of the finished product if they are trying a method or recipe for the first time...I know I do.

WTF is the backlash against simple food ?

Comfort food ?

Cooking is about nourishing your mind and body.

Cooking is about nourishing the fiellowship of your community .

So what if Ree's photo's of herself are airbrushed ?

DOH !

I don't know any female that wouldn't have a photo airbrushed if needed.

Get over it.

So what if Ree married money and her husband's family have a ginormous cattle ranch in Oklahoma ?

Last time I checked, it was their business.

So what if she has created a business and branded herself as it is termed?

She is living her life, raising four decent children and harming no one.

No , she is not some dewy eyed ingenue, not has she ever claimed to be .

Buy the book or not.

Read her blog or not.

Join Tasty Kitchen or not .

Your choice.

Just stop being ugly about her success .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

It's That Time Of Year Y'all !

www.cajun-shop.com/cajun-twelve-days-of-christmas.htm

All y'all know what to do.

Slap Mr. Linky.

Fall over laughing.

Lather .

Rinse.

Repeat.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Brownies !!!!! ~ OMG ~ How Did I Miss This One ?

http://dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com/2011/12/brownies-recipe-round-up.html

Okay.

I know Lady Lisa is probably about to kill me with this one.

Honey, this is how I stgave off the annual holiday depression that occcurs every year and is a real bitch this one..so when in doubt chocolate.

Sistah must be out of town because I haven't heard from her yet.

If they are , I hope they are having fun.

Her job is going through a transition which ....yeah..let's not go there, no need to borrow trouble as my grandma Engwall used to say.

Enjoy and get that hand mixer out of the cabinet !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Photo and recipe courtesy of
http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2011/12/almond-toffee-bars.html

Almond Toffee Bars
Recipe adapted from Land o’ Lakes
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup powdered sugar
6 ounces sliced almonds (1 package)
1 cup cold butter
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8-ounce) package milk chocolate toffee bits
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, sugar, and ¼ cup of almonds in a medium bowl. Cut in butter (I use a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Line a 9x13” baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Press butter mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
2. Stir sweetened condensed milk, toffee bits, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour over hot, partially baked crust. Top with remaining almonds and continue baking 23-27 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into squares.
Yield: 36 bars

There is something about almond and toffee, especially when it still warm from the oven that makes me so..almost Betty Crocker-ish that I can't stand it.

I have to mix an adult beverage and sit down, especially this time of year.

Le Holidays...Le Sigh.

I am not crafty.

I have to pay people to wrap my gifts..that is...those that are not gift cards , because I have no patience.

Fancy , thick , pricey paper...thin, dime store..it doesn't matter.

Yes..I hear you , there are those things called " bags".

Indeed, I have met then and not only met them, I have used them and still do.

But..but , not everything fits in a bag..

So I pay people.

I don't do decorations any more, I haven't since Daddy died and frankly, the " Charlie Brown " Christmas tree does quite nicely.

I don't set the table with every known holiday bauble known to man from Oriental Traders, I leave that to SU's sister..that's her thing..her house..her rules.

I barely get out Christmas cards.

I am not my mother with a list in the old fashioned address books that have a place where you can check off who sent what to whom in any given year.

I have never understood how Christmas cards turned into a score keeping event..my bad I guess.

Try as I might, I simply cannot keep the house clean or presentable for more than a day and a half.

Damn near every night, some kitty urps a bit of food that they inhaled on the carpet because they were afraid Gracie Marie would grab their plates.

They are not far from wrong..

Damn cat thinks she's Goldilocks looking for " just right ".

I guess I'm glad that most if not all of my friends are nearsighted.

I'm just frustrated right now , and a lot of this is displaced grief...yeah.

So when in doubt..post another ass buster baked delicacy.

Yep...I can hear my voluptuous ass expanding even as we speak.

I may not be Martha or whatever, but there is one thing I can do.

I can bake with the best of them.

And so I do.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Kindle Fire - Ruh Roh..

http://money.msn.com/ways-to-invest/articles.aspx?post=2befc193-9630-487b-a939-213740ddea52

I could have predicted this.
I spent the better part of 6 months researching e readers...much the same as I researched cars 2 years ago.
I had decided on Kindle.
At the firms holiday party gifts were given out in a drawing.
I won a Shell gift card.
Nee Nee won a Kindle Fire.
For a small dollar amount and I do mean small, we arranged a swap.
Fair is fair.
SO I ordered the cover and the screen protectors and my first book.

And I see in todays paper that there will be a patch to improve performance in a couple of weeks.
And on the net today, various articles comparing the Kindle to the Edsel.

In a perfect world , I would have gotten an IPad.
I got what I wanted and an upgrade.
World.....
Don 't kill my happy place.

Just sayin.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Oh My

http://hubblespacepaws.blogspot.com/2011/12/rip-sweet-sgt-andy-panda-pants-of-patio.html

Lady Lisa wrote the sweetest post over at Space Paws and a couple of her followers sent condolence purrs. I can't even begin to express what that meant to me . People talk about "crazy Cat ladies" who blog and they are oh so wrong.

The cat community that I have found and in some small way belong to are the most loving, giving generous people out there . They raise money for charity, awareness of feline and canine issues and are never afraid to step up to the plate as needed.

I am finally able to cry for Andy and count my Lady Lisa and all others like her as a real life friend.

I am so very lucky.

Blessed Be.

Aunty Pol

Our Andy

Our baby is at peace now.

His fight with FIV and renal failure was too much for him to bear.

I had a really good conversation for about 4 hours with my pooky bear on Friday night and I honestly think he was ready, he had this look that was so calm and so wise it tore me up .

The others are very sad today because they know that he is gone .

Gracie has been looking for him off and on, the others are all in a kitten pile on the beds, very quiet.

His father and I will miss him for the rest of our lives.

Nite Nite Baby.

We love you.

Mommy , Daddy, Munchkin, Loki, Xena, Boschka and Gracie Marie.

Sugar Scrubs

http://www.greensnchocolate.com/

Any one who knows me knows that I love oil based scrubs.

I started down this road to addiction with "One Minute Manicure"..or " Manicure In A Minute"...

Sorry, I forget which way it goes.

Let's just call it "MIM" for the sake of argument.

I found this product a number of years ago and just fell in love with it.

This was way the hell before every tom , Dick and Mary came out with their own version.

So one day I went on line to see if I could buy it locally since the vendor I had used quit stocking it.

Oh cripes, the factory is just down 1960..not 15 minutes from here.

Woo the F Hoo.

All righteous, I decided to support a female owned local bidness.

Till I looked at the shipping.

Nope...not happening .

Amazon charges less for your product.

Another year we decided..yes dear you were involved in this btw..to make home made beef jerky and biscotti.

Buy neato baskets And gift to our closet local partners in crime.

This was by the way over ten years ago, I mean really ?

Have you seen the price of beef ?

It all came out wonderfully..but..

Anyone who thinks they can make this sort of Gumps/Nordstrom's William Sonoma gift basket cheaper that the afore mentioned businesses...?

WE gonna have a big talk.

Because I almost lost what little is left of my mind when I added it up.

SRSLY.

I love people who make their own gifts.

I admire them.

I am the type that hires stuff done.

Period.

I love the idea of customizing..and then I second guess myself.

Allergies, likes , dislikes ?

When I over think it that much..um..yeah.

Walk away..no..hell......................RUN!

I may try this..but just for me.

If you are interested in home made small batch stuff...again , I urge you to browse etsy.

Or slap Mr. Linky above, she is a genius and I lub her.

I do.

Have a good day.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

Epic Even For Miss Ray !

http://foodnetworkhumor.com/

Check them out .

LMAO !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

I Would Buy These, I Really Would !

Oh how I wish they really had this card on the market.

I would buy them in a heartbeat.

Stop laughing.

YOU KNOW I WOULD !

And if you were a real life gal pal like Sistah, Lady Lisa, Purple Girl or The Neighbors Gals....

You'd be pissed if I didn't send one to you .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ~ !

Happy Friday Y'all.

It's been a real roller coaster ride.

A fucking no seat belt, driving a Yugo but the brakes work kinda week.

For whatever reason , this last week has brought out the absolutely OMG brace for impact bad drivers ever on our commutes to work.

The mornings are bad enough with the glaring sun bouncing off mirrors and glass windows thus creating corners that are absolutely a complete 360 blind spot as you make the turns, but the evenings..?

I swear to God, I want to put a St. Christopher on the dash...I know , I know.

But.....

I swear to Gaia , the evening commute home is almost beyond words.

BOTH of us have noticed that people are driving like bats out of hell, cannot stay in one lane, much less commit to choosing one lane and are genuinely giving us both angina.

These driver pull this shit with their air of entitlement ( I can therefore I will do ) whether they have their cell phones firmly grafted to their ear ( do not get me started on that one ) or not.

Now , SU and I pay attention , especially the closer we get to the house as we go down 1960 because there is a particularly bad stretch of road that has NO street lights.

Businesses may have their parking lot and decorative lights along this strip , but few if any street lights.

Why , you ask ?

Because dear hearts, 1960 runs along the back side of IAH.

Intercontinental Airport Houston

A Major International hub.

And where do we live?

Directly across from the new runway on 1960.

Our end of 1960 is getting to be as bad as the Willowbrook end.

And the office software upgrade continues to delight.
Every day is a new adventure in what is fucked up today, what worked an hour ago and now does not and what next.

People need to climb off the IT depts ass because THEY did NOT do the installation.

They have NO backup from the asshats that did.

So just quit it y'all.

They are doing the best they can in an absolutely impossible nightmare and unless YOU can do it better or faster........

SHUT THE FUCK UP !

And on the upside...

AHA !

You thought there wasn't going to be one didn't you ?

Admit it .

I can see you .

I have started the Christmas shopping.

So far...

Great Niece - check.

Step Mother - check ( delivery scheduled)

Will Be Done This Weekend :

Nephew /Godson

Niece ( his wife)

Southside Johnny

To Be Done Next Week:

Both Coworkers in my department

The Neighbor Gals

Sistah ( okay, yours may be at the end of the week but we both know that's cool)

In other words, by this time next week...hot diggity dayum.

I will be done with the shopping.

And other than the great niece, it will all be paid for via debit card or cash.

So..it all balances out.

Have a great weekend, we all deserve it .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Jessica, Oh Jessica, I Do Love You !

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/11/how-to-make-baklava/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+howsweeteats%2FsmSp+%28How+Sweet+It+Is%29

I do love Miss Jessica over at " How Sweet It Is."

I really, really do .

Her approach to trying new things is much the same as mine.

Despite a best effort, it never fails..you have damn near 99% of the exact thing that you need to bravely experiment in your pantry..and you have gone to the store with the recipe to buy what you need ..right ?

And then once home from Kroger , when it is all unpacked and you have tripped over a cat or three and taken a wine break ( Moi ?)..you discover that dammit..you are 1% off of having what you need because the stupid thrice damned store didn't have what you needed ..or they did but moved it while you had your back turned because they can do that shit..yeah...that would be applying to me by the way and NOT Miss Jessica, just to be clear on it.

Anyhoo,

I love Baklava. It is an acquired adult taste if you aren't from a Mediterranean culture..but yeah..phyllo..pistacios..HONEY...sigh.

I have watched people literally cry over phyllo dough disasters.

My late mother was at times quite a remarkable cook and a master at won tons..made from scratch..but...

Not even Betty would when capable ( aka sober) would attempt working with phyllo.

So I avidly read Miss Jessica's blog entry ...and smiled.

Then I laughed out loud at the office...in public.

I love this woman because she is unafraid to tell you how it didn't maybe come out as perfect as one could hope, and it was still wonderful.

I love this woman because she can 't resist a nibble either

I love this woman because she understands it usually does work out and changes and or adaptations are not only permitted but to be applauded when bravely used in the pursuit of honest cookery by non professionals ..ok...I threw that last bit in myself but I suspect she might agree.

Lastly, I love this woman because she knows one of life's secrets :

All things can be improved by the addition of chocolate.

Go slap Mr. Linky above and pay her a visit.

Sistah..don't you love the photographs ?

Happy Friday Eve.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Customize your chocolate!

Customize your chocolate!

www.Bluntcard.com

I started out at a site called Bluntcard, which led me to Ephemera which does magnets and such based on Bluntcards..and that let me to Chocomize.

See..you can learn things while at work.

Warning: Bluntcard may not be safe for work, unless they already know that you are an insane bitch anyway..."Oh..hi Boss...."...lol.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

You Can't Make This Stuff Up !

http://classifieds.victoriaadvocate.com/weblogs/demographics-dockets/2011/nov/30/kidnapper-sues-former-hostages-says-couple-broke-p/

This guy gets my " WFT ? Dumb Ass Of The Year " Award.

Where is Perry Mason when we need him ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Rocky Road By Any Other Name Is Still OMG Must Make NOW !

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/choco-mallow-recipe

SU came home a few weeks ago on a Sunday evening after spending time with his father as they attended Pop's Churches Thanksgiving dinner.

I passed on this one for a number of reasons but mostly because I could and had no desire to eat basically cafeteria food and I had done my time..oops ...good deed in previous years.

A day of so later , I saw that Pop had sent home some Nestles white chocolate chips and some semi sweet chunks.

I turned to my husband .." ? " and he said that his father had tried to make some candy and what he had used had not melted properly..and SU being SU said that we'd take the unused bits off his hands rather than see them get chucked out.

Oh Hell Yeah , we'll take 'em .

I realized that my father in law like so many others did not realize that all chocolate is not the same and there are differences between chocolate for baking and chocolate for candy making.

There are some , for example like Wilton that offer many fine ingredients.

Chocolate is not one of them.

Baking equipment yes...ingredients not so much.

Me ...I like what King Arthur offers.

I really need to make this .

It's really just Rocky Road after all, isn't it.

I wonder if almonds would work ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol With The Ever Increasing Voluptuous Ass ~ LMAO !~

This Made Me Grin Big Time !

Dontcha love it ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

The Baker Chick: Famous Family Toffee

The Baker Chick: Famous Family Toffee: During WWII my Granddad James McCann served as a soldier overseas. He had a huge family with many siblings back home in Wisconsin, and his ...

I found yet another baking blog to drool over which is right up there with my favorite things on earth.

You see , it's been a real roller coaster ride this month, specifically the last 2 weeks.

We lost cable and net access for a week at the house, thank you so much Comcast for your quality service and attention to problems..I'd say more using words with less letters but with my luck.....yeah ..you all know the rest here.

Anyhoo..

The office also did a new software upgrade ( kill me naow) so yeah..more of the same .

Regardless ,, I love toffee.

I love Heath bars.

I love to use Heath bar baking bits over chocolate frosting on a good vanilla bundt pound cake.

Trust me here, oh who am I kidding...I have been known to just open the bag and pour that mess down the throat,..busted.

Go check out the blog, it's wonderful.

I am going to try to get posting back up to speed here, suffice to say November is a complete wash at this point but as Lady Lisa says..No Obligation..

We'll deal with the odd guilt later.

Have a good day..we all deserve it .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Cyber Monday My A**

Bad enough that with the wind and the weather that yet again Comcast is all fubared at the house for the whole damn holiday it seems .

Of course this happens the week that Leverage , The Closer and Risoli and Isles return with new episodes.

Not that we watch all THAT much tv.

F you so very much bundled services.

Bad enough that the four day switch over to the new software at the office is...oh Lordy Jeebus H , don't get anyone started on that one.

Yes, it appears that all of my pictures of da bug are gone until I swipe them from facebook..thanks be to Gaia that Jenn has scads of albums for me to rifle through..thanks hon.

It's Cyber Freaking Monday !

It took me 2 hours to get pay pal to open and 2 more hours to get a live body to help me make a payment.

Finally, one lovely young gal named Teresa at Pay Pal stayed on the line with me to the GE call center( hey..I am being nice here...) so that I could get he payment made without a phone payment fee of $15.00 or potential late fee of God knows what.

Teresa deserves a raise.

I am boycotting cyber anything today.

No one needs my pittance that bad.

I am ready for a nap.

OH Shite..I just got an e mail from paypal offering some holiday crap offer or another.

I will not engage.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Logic, OWS And The Lack Thereof .

I have been watching or following the whole OWS from the beginning.

The Genesis as it were.

And I came to an interesting conclusion.

In my opinion and I am not above noting the screaming irony here ( Uniform Cap Tip To Daddy) , that it is clear to me that I have harbored a misconception all these years.

Like many of my generation, I had romanticised the concept of protests.

Vietnam.

Civil Rights.

The ERA .

I believe in civil discourse.

I believe in civil assembly.

These two things may be considered civil disobedience if they are kept CIVIL.

It is a fundamental right in a working democracy to be able to disagree , to protest with out peril of punishment.

It is one way that a civilized society sets themselves apart from other forms of government.

Apart , not above.

I sent a friend of mine the above " Deep Space Nine" jpeg because he and I share a love of science fiction among other things and I knew that it would make him laugh. Gene is one of the few lawyers that I actually like after working in this industry for 30 years because among other things , he respects my intelligence and warped sense of humor .

Low and behold , this jpeg set off a shit storm on Gene's facebook page because two of the people that he was having a conversation with started foaming at the mouth when he asked a simple question. They couldn't even see a question had been asked..they just went bat shit crazy.

I had pondered the same question myself.

" What is the goal of OWS and these protests. What is their position and platform. If they have questions, do they also have potential answers.?"

Yes, they as citizens have the right to assemble and protest.

CIVIL Assembly .

They seem to be neither civil nor assembled.

If they put the same energy into seeking answers..positive actions and responses , that they are putting into getting media attention...I might just develop some respect for their position.

And no, I am not on Bank Of America's side or any other corporations side in this issue.

I am not holding my breathe.

Carry on Gene..

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

The Food Librarian: I Like Big Bundts 2011 - 30 Days of Bundts!

The Food Librarian: I Like Big Bundts 2011 - 30 Days of Bundts!: Logo by JustJennDesigns National Bundt Day - November 15, 2011 Happy National Bundt Day!! Whoo Hoo! Thank you so much for following...

LMAO seriously.

I just found this blog when I googled National Bundt Cake Day , because yes, it is and yes, I actually know that.

Anyhoo.....

SU is for friggan ever giving me a hard time because he "claims" that I make bundt cakes more often than not.

In a way he is right because of the ease of the recipes and the fact that even if I decide to play with a recipe, I can get it in the oven in 30 to 45 minutes...and they pack well for lunches.

We are brown baggers you see.

So I found the Food Librarian and of course added her blog to the list of ones that I follow.

Anyone clever enough to come up with this picture deserves to be followed.

I wonder what she did with all of those bundt cakes..can you imagine baking a bundt cake every day for 30 days ?

Enjoy the new blog.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Shugary Sweets: Mini Lemon Loaves

Shugary Sweets: Mini Lemon Loaves: These mini loaves of lemon bread are absolutely fabulous. No really, they are. I have been filling my freezer lately with all sort of pastr...

It's official, I think I am either on the mend or have lost my mind or both...shhhh...SU ...I CAN hear you !

I saw this on Shugary Sweets today and almost swooned.

King Arthur has the cutest bake and give pans in their catalog and on line , I can't hardly stand it . I know they have a mini size.

These would make mighty fine holiday gifts.

Sigh.

I need to Bake Dammit !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Cooking at Café D: The 2 Things you NEED TO KNOW Before Frying a Turk...

Cooking at Café D: The 2 Things you NEED TO KNOW Before Frying a Turk...: BTW, there's still time to enter this week's Linky Party if you haven't had a chance. Many people swear that fried turkey is the most mout...

I have noticed that in the last 10 years or so the practice of deep frying the holiday bird has become more the norm.

I don't get it.

Granted, back in the dark ages when Mom would do the bird, it was in the oven , slapped withing an inch of it's life with Land O'Lakes..we are butter people folks..buttah!

The Butterball ( literally) was then gently pushed into whatever brown paper bag Mom had on hand from A & P or the commissary and put in a low oven to bake forever .

Always worked.

I have never had what I consider a well done deep fried turkey but do not dismiss the future potential meeting between me and the chicken on steroids.

Now..anyone who knows SU and I knows that we love " Good Eats " formerly on FoodNetwork and now on the Cooking Channel.

WE ADORE ALTON BROWN !

If you have ever seen his demonstration on how to deep fry a turkey using a hoist and a ladder amongst other things you know what I mean.

Slap Mr. Linky above to check out the hilarity and more importantly the valid safety issues because it all comes down to one simple rule of thumb...

" Santa ain't visiting your dumb ass in the burn unit on Christmas Eve..he just isn't."

I found this at Cooking at Cafe D from her comment on The Heritage Cook.

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Friday ~ Bruce Of The Day ~ !

Happy Veterans Day Everyone.

To those who served like my husband and father..and to those who are serving:

You matter.
You are remembered.
Your sacrifice is not forgotten by those who understand the measure of it.
Your families deserve better support and treatment than they have gotten from both civilians and the armed forces.
You deserve better , having given your country your best without hesitation, selfish motivations or thought of reward.

Thank you.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Remembering

For my Husband, my Father, and all Veterans Every Where Every Day.
You are remembered and it does matter.

:Bacon Potato Hash:

:Bacon Potato Hash:

I found this sort of on PW this morning. I saw a cajun spice mix recipe that I wanted and the author who submitted it has her own blog with..you guessed it ...recipes ..so I went bippity boppity BOOM Baby over to check it out.

Now, all y'all know that in our house there is a semi serious rule of the house that states that :

Most everything in life can be improved by adding the following : Bacon, Chocolate or Beer.

Please go visit my latest blog to stalk...oops...follow...really..just following Officer...really !

www.simplyscratch.com

Then..go grab the pan , spuds and bacon and git ta fryin !

The photo and recipe are from the genius lady person over at simply scratch.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Surprises and Revelations

I started a piece about my ambivalence and the holidays yesterday that did not turn out in any way like I had expected.

Instead of explaining why I am embracing ambivalence in a healthy was this holiday season ( and many more I hope ) , I found myself getting angry.

Angry for and not at my mother.

It was not the way I wanted it to be and a tad too self involved so I deleted it .

Now I am glad that I did.

Recently I friended my Uncle Richard on Facebook.

Ditto Uncle Clancy or Clarence I should say.

One is a retired business executive and the other is a retired doctor of anesthesiology.

They and their families live in Minnesota.

They are my mother's two younger brothers .

I am the oldest grandchild.

I found out today that 11 days after SU's mother died, my cousin Mark ( Clancy's son) and his wife Sally lost their daughter Kelly Marie in a house fire a month before her 21'st birthday.

A year and a half ago.

I was profoundly saddened for them as a family and for all of us collectively as family.

Mother grew up in small town Minnesota as the oldest of three. She married a career officer and traveled while the rest of them stayed in Minnesota. She was very close to her brothers and her family overall, but as her drinking over the years increased, walls went up ...the elephant in the room so to speak and for one reason or another , I never got to really get to know my cousins.

Except at funerals..Mother's in 1981 and Grandpa's in 1993.

I wrote a condolence to my uncle and aunt om the loss of their grandchild and indicated that I would like to at least send my cousins a Christmas card , given the proper address or last names for the girl cousins.

I don't want to be like my mother trying to meet some artificial expectation of who I am.

She could never do that with her family.

She always felt like a complete failure and a bad person in their eyes.

She felt unworthy.

I honestly believe that Mother thought she could hide her problems and because of that, she did not seek or accept the gift of help until it was too late.

You can't reach out to someone that keeps you at arms length.

It's a choice .

I've made that choice before without regret of any kind.

It's healthier for me.

Just because you are family does not give you the right to try to damage or hurt another family member, there is no free pass so to speak.

But..I don't want to go through life not knowing who my cousins are as just people.

I am curious to see who they are without our parents expectations hanging over us.

They might not want to bother.

Their call.

I have no illusions.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol