Thoughtful Thursday

Flying Monkeys ~HEH!

This is a form of code that a gal pal and I have for " Alert...Alert...it's going to be a bad/weird/fucked up day.

And we like the flying monkeys in " The Wizard Of Oz."

Go fig.

SU and I noticed how light the traffic was on the commute in this morning and decided that the mass exodus for the holiday had in fact alaready begun. Huzzah, less idiot drivers deciding that Lola is in fact their MOT ( Main Operative Target)while they are on the DAMN PHONE while driving. This is especially noticable around the court houses or the ball park most days and a constant source of entertainment and amusement for the SU and I ~ NOT !

And of course people are strolling in lah de dah to the office as if they are demonstrating that it is by the grace of their will alone that they show up at all.

Neato !

Now if I can only get Brad Dourif out of my head reciting the Mentat speach as he gloms down het more Sappho,..sorry - abstact Dune ref there ...never mind.

Anyhoo..yes dear co workers, I recognize that you would rather be else where, home..vacay..it doesn't matter ...any where but here.

I'd rather be independently wealthy but since I am smart enough to realize that ain't gonna happen...I have a suggestion for your sorry asses :

Get over it, you have a job. take the damn day off if you want but try for the love of God...embrace the idea that even sincerity can be faked.

I do it every day...you can too !

And this is for the ladies:

Ladies..please, please, please ...cover your tits.

Seriously !

I know that the most egregious offenders work down with the bad boys of litigation and that you may or may not on some subconscious level think that the twins will impress or elevate your status here.

Think again.

I accept that we have no enforcable dress code here, I really do. I also accept that for the most part I am old enough to be your mother in a lot of cases. You should give thanks to the deity of your choice that I am not because I would have busted your ass a LONG time ago if that was the case.

There is a difference between office and casual, day and evening wear, common sense and your lack thereof.

Yes, the weather is sweltering and no, you don't need to wear a suit or blazer as I do.

I admit I am grateful that you do not have my job. I am the first impression that clients have when they arrive and knowing this means that while I may have a more clear idea after 30 years of what works and what does not , it also means that I know not to dress like a damn hooker or in some of you younger ladies cases , Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian.

I am smilig as I write this because I know you will have one thing to face sooner or later ....

GRAVITY !

LOL..yup...like all women , sooner or later they will be closer to your elbows than your ears.

Have a great day.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Darlins..Go Here ~ Read This

http://www.brianshomeblog.com/2011/06/blog-the-change-lil-em-and-sapphire-are-still-waiting-for-a-forever-home.html

If you know anyone in their area..please , please ...don't Bogart..pass it over/on.

Blessed Be.

Aunty Pol

It Happens Sooner Or Later To All Of Us Ladies

Yeah .

First Off..NOTE : Sweetie, this is NOT about you ..not really except for one bitty part that I will take care of so just f'g chill out.

Yesterday went well enough for an upcoming holiday weekend with the all to predictable bitching , pissing and moaning from the usual suspects regarding how they didn't want to be here....blah , blah , fishcakes. Shut it or take the time off...period.

SU went to play cards and I went to water a bit and the girls came over so it was 8 pm before I went back in. Bear in mind that it is only at 8 pm or later that it is bearable down here right now..." Welcome to the Gulf Coast....here's your sign."

Let's see how did this go...

1. Turn oven on to 375 degrees. Take the chicken out of the fridge to season and bake off for chicken salad to be finished tonight after SU does the chopping etc.

DISCOVER THAT THE CHICKEN IS DRUMSTICKS ~ Crap !

2.Decide to carry on and grab pans..finally find one that will work for the dozen drumsticks ( crap ) , line with foil , spray with pan...get in oven.

NOTICE THAT THE 13 x 9 ROASTER PAN IS VISIBLY NOT CLEAN ON ONE END WITH THAT BROWN GREASY CRAP. Make executive decision to wash pan the following night so taped season premier of " Leverage" can be enjoyed with a small beverage.

3. Turn drumsticks ( crap ) over and return to program. Boschka is now on the arm of my chair screaming for treats. Attempt to ignore the precious child accelerating the hearing loss in my left ear. Attempt to explain to said child that she may have a FEW as the Daddy needs to pick some more up after cards at Unca Charlies.

FAIL.

4. Get the darling hellion and her brother a few treats and realize that I most likely have over cooked the drumsticks ( crap ) .

5. Get new beverage and again attempt to have 5 minutes peace.

XENA PROCEEDS TO EPIC YAK A HAIRBALL AND THE CONTENTS OF HER STOMACH.

6. Find Petromalt .

SPEND 15 MINUTES REMINDING EVERYONE INSIDE THAT THEY LOVE THEIR NUM NUM .

7. Take all of their plates to the sink to wash.

CLEAN THE DEBRIS OFF THE CARPET AND DECIDE TO GET CARPET CLEANER LATER.

8. Enter enhanced visual mode for the Xena sweep ( ~ SU knows what I mean) , no sightings.

NOTICE AND RECORD ALL AREAS REGARDLESS OF SIZE THAT NEED TO BE CLEANED, DUSTED, HOOVERED, MOPPED, DE-FURRED, ORGANIZED, WINDEX'D STRAIGHTENED, ELIMINATED OR TIDIED.

9. Give up.

Lady Lisa and Sistah have heard me go off the rails before.

I KNOW that I have OCD issues. Not the typical you see on tv where some one has to do something x number of times or have a set in stone routine.

Mine is about control.

Ask any child of alcoholic parents and they will have some variation of this .

Controlling your environment means that y0u have some control over your emotional or physical well being...or both.

SU knows this to a degree and understands that this is a product of both my childhood and an abusive first marriage. We have been married long enough that he knows I will be okay ..usually once I bitch my lungs out about it...and HE KNOWS IT'S NOT HIM ~well ....except for the dirty 13 x 9 pan and to be fair , I am not sure which one of us washed it last so it could have been me so I am NOT mad at him ( you ).

He reads this after all .

Knowing the reasons that I am the way I am helps me.

It helps me realize that I am entitled to a day off for me like this past Saturday and SU will step up and do 90 % of the laundry AND clean BOTH bathrooms...good job sweetie, thanks !

It helps me to write this and see how absurd this angst is.

I will clean the pan while he does the chicken salad and I may or may not throw a load of laundry in..unless I decide to just watch " White Collar " and " Covert Ops".

I can do one extra bugging the crap out of me tomorrow night and the next night and have some free time for Netflix this weekend with Jeri Lee.

When I go bat shit crazy again and try to do it all in one day or one weekend , I will come back to this post and re-read it ..

BABY STEPS Y'ALL.

And I will remind myself that Sistah damn near could have had their house burn down because of their dryer and needing to rewire the ground floor of the house and I will chill the f out.

Thanks for " listening " .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Dying for Chocolate: T is for Tequila Truffles

Oh Mah Sweet baby Jesus !

Just another reason I love www.dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com


Dying for Chocolate: T is for Tequila Truffles: "T is for Tequila Truffles . Months of Edible Celebrations is going on a Picnic, and I have the letter 'T' . Remember the picnic game? A is..."


Mr. Linky should work..

And I have to lay my head down now because I think I have a case of the vapors.

" Uno Mas Tequila Por Favor ! "

" Jose Cuervo , you are a friend of mine, I like to drink you with a little salt and lime......"

Ciao,

Aunty POl

Self Explanitory

Nope....it's here.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Chocolate Orange Blossom Cake

Today is national Orange Blossom Day....NO...I am not making this up .

Go over to www.dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com ....and read today's post.

The original recipe is from Woman's Day magazine 2007 and you can use a devils food cake mix..I use almost exclusively Duncan Hines and substitute single serve apple sauce for any time 1/2 cup oil is called for. It's so much a habit I don't even stop to consider not doing it...and NO..really y'all..it's not a health issue ( have you ever seen me post anything diet ? I openly refer to my voluptuous ass here )..it's just that SU and I have found that the apple sauce keeps a cake moister than the oil.

As usual I digress..

You can find Fluff online if your local grocer doesn't carry it :

www.marshmallowfluff.com

and OMG...they have raspberry flavor available on line.

Le Sigh .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

I Scream , You Scream..We All Scream For Ice Cream..And Then Rail At The Gods of Lactose Issues !

Dear Ice Cream,

I have loved you all my life.

Even when Mom got the same damn flavor from the commissary for months on end..( Chocolate with Marshmallow swirl in it) ..I still loved you because I knew if we bitched that Mom would reply and rightly so.." Fine...I won't buy any then ."

We weren't completely stupid you see.

Dairy Queen soft serve with the chocolate dip , Creamsickles, Fudgesickles...you name it, I loved it.

I will forever associate Butter Brickle and Hershey's syrup with Minnesota circa 1968 and my grandparents. I think this is the only kind Grandma bought while we lived at the Parsonage with them...can't find it here, and sorry , Butter Pecan is not the same.

Dryers, Ben and Jerry's, BlueBell..you name it , I've tried them.

One if the sites I follow is www.laurenslatest.com

And she is having a contest that I have entered..yup ..for that beauty you see above.

Check her website out , you know your Aunty Pol won't steer you wrong.

AND....if you believe in irony as I do or am a dyed in the wool cynic at times as I am...

Yes..the woman with lactose tolerance issues is entering a contest for an ice cream maker...LMAO !

I'm doing it for SU you see ( wink wink) because that man loves him some Blue Bell.

Aren't I the best wifey ?

Have a great week !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Friday ~ Bruce Of The Day ~

Happy Friday Y'all !

First of all, I'd like to give a shout out , a huzzah and a giant oh f yes we can to everyone that had contributed thus far over at Itty Bitty Kitty Committee. Hang on ..let me go check the tally board......( Insert theme to Jeopardy here - lol) .......ok..the latest tally at 3 pm cst is:

$15,573.36.

That's 32% of the way towards the the goal of $50,000.00 !

Since Monday !

Go get your self the adult beverage of your choice !

And the new coffee maker rocks!

And I got the clarisonic Mia in to replace the old one.

Yes dear, I broke down and got it .

I know I said I was going to wait but really honey ..have you seen the extra clutter on the counter with all of the lesser priced cleansers that I have bought since my lil buddy crapped out ? Yeah...add them up and I could have gotten the Mia months ago...

Sorry for the personal spousal aside there gang..he does read it and knows there is a box on the dining room table...lol.

And..another new website..yes....a food one.

Go check out : www.thesweetart.com

Down here we have a restaurant called Treebeards and they are famous for their butter cakes.

I love the cake so much that the mere idea of it makes me automatically clutch my imaginary pearls lest I have a case of the vapors it's that good.

Over at sweet art , todays post is all about butter cake.

Evidently , it's a St. Louis staple .

My voluptuous ass is expanding at the idea and the recipe.

And..warm up the DVR's this weekend kids.

Leverage is back this Sunday.

Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Food Porn

Cinnamon Pull apart Bread

Brined Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Etoufee

I got your attention , didn't I ?

Today has been one of those days where as a self defense mechanism, I have maintained the " Attention span of a kitten " mode because I have the headache of all sinus headaches and people are annoying the crap out of me ...but on the up side , this headache is caused by the weather as in :

WE HAD A TEENY WEENY BIT MORE RAIN THIS MORNING !

So I played nicely with others at the office .

And I have a new website to share.

http://www.foodgawker.com/

It is a compilation of the most beautiful food photos that I have seen lately, it's FREE and links back to each of the authors recipes and blogs . It gives English translations as needed and I love it's overview of different recipes.

Yipes...It is turning into cats, rants and food here on this bloggy !

I never claimed consistency or sanity for that matter.

**Remember** The new season of "Burn ( Sam Axe RULES !) Notice "begins tonight and the show after it " Suits" reminds me enough of a lawyer who used to work here ( Yes Larry, I am talking about you ) that I am going to at least check it out.

Anyone got any vodka to share ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Birthday !

Happy Birthday Bruce !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Oh Happy Day !

First and formost :

WE GOT SOME RAIN !

We haven't had a half inch of rain or better since January 25, 2011.

Damn near 5 months people !

I am beyond happy even for the little bit that we are getting.

If I had a say in it all, I would be at home on the patio just watching it all .

Please let it stay for a day or so .

And...to celebrate my almost giddy state..I'm not kidding here by the way...

Go check out :

www.dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com

Sistah..this one is for us.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Solstice Everyone !

Yes Dearhearts, it is the longest day of the year !

Huzzah !

Now , if Gaia would send some rain..

Blessed Be,

Aunty Pol

Shameless Shakedown 2011

I warned you .

It's that time of year.

Miss Pearla would like you to look at the inner sanctum of the IBKC offices.

Go to http://www.theittybittykittycommittee.com/

You know the drill , donate if you can.

I know that money is tight for all of us right now , and if you can't donate that's fine. There are other ways that you can help animals in need in your area . A can or two of extra food, a bag of kibble, old towels or blankets, puppy pads...these small things can make all the difference for the smallest of God's creatures. If you can do no more than pass it on then by all means , please do so...you never know who is out there that can and will help.

Blessed Be.

Aunty Pol

Blessed Be .

Aunty Pol

Monday..What Again ? Didn't We Just Do This ?

I refuse to get mah hopes up for rain....again.

Friday night was a bit tense as we figured out exactly where the wild fires were over off of Aldine Westfield..while they were not that close to the Casa, Jeri's daughter in laws mother lives smack dab in the middle of that area so calls abounded.

Elaine is fine btw.

It was a good weekend but a rather odd one.

In the first place , SU abstained from the Ice House.

I know...Ruh Roh!

He does that from time to time just to freak me out with his spontaneity ..I let him think what he wants.

Saturday it was chores and haircuts ( him) Kroger and so on .

SU then informs me that he has to fix the commode in the master bath so thanks for the heads up honey...the fact that it was on plastic in sections on the floor gave me no clue....just kidding.

Except...when you see your spouse go down the hallway with one hammer and commence the bangitty bangitty...then you see him reverse back down the hall to repeat the fetching of yet a bigger hammer...you realize that 3 pm is not too early to start the adult beverage service on the patio . Screw the heat, there is a fan out there and I was not sure as to whether I actually wanted to see any of this or not.

But being the good wifey that I am I funded his afternoon run to the Ice House .

And the repairs were completed.

Plus the knowledge that we really have to gut both bathrooms next year..Le Sigh.

Other than me losing what little mind I have left and deciding that we needed Cupcakes By Gawd...Why is it when the weather is this hot that I decide to make a double batch of Hot dish and then the Cajun pork and Spanish Rice...?

Yeah..the brain melted.

But it was good.

And I only burned myself once and not badly...Note to self: If you use the oven safe pan for the pork..oven safe means all the bits of it will be hot coming out of the oven...just because y0u place it on the stove top doesn't mean that the Safety Unicorn will immediately render the handle safe to touch !

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Please Read This

http://hubblespacepaws.blogspot.com/2011/06/psa-from-one-cats-nip-rocky-needs-help.html

Okay..I promised that I would put this out in the innertubes.

Go to the above Mr. Linky.

LIl Dude is on a short time line and needs a forever home and help.

Spread the word.

Thank you .

Aunty Pol

My Thoughts Exactly !

Right On Sistah, Right On !


Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ! ~

Well, I think it's going to be an interesting weekend.

Le Sigh .

I just got a text from Jeri Lee.

You have to understand the two roommates. Jeri Lee is like I am , sensitive to the heat yet smart enough to stay hydrated etc. She's from Louisiana and knows how it is.

Cindy on the other hand is from Sweetwater aka West Texas and always cold.

Always.

Right now Cindy is a happy camper because it's hotter than Jeebus H right now with today marking 145 days since we have had any rain.

Wrap your minds around that while I go get everyone some more ice water.

Okay..Jeri Lee had to come home early because Comcast had to come out AGAIN to work on her phone line.

" Bitch had the house set at 78 f'g degrees."

Ruh Roh.

Jeri is livid...it's more of the usual fight over such things. Cindy fails or better refuses to see that the A/C will only reduce the heat at the max by 20 degrees and that the units have to work harder when a NORMAL SANE person sets them at a reasonable setting ..like 74 degrees.

I texted back that as soon as Comcast was gone that Jeri needed to go to our house and cool off.

Yippy !

Gonna be one of those weekends.

Can I have a beverage now ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Thoughtful Thursdays

One of the things I am prone to do is visit new blog sites. More often than not , I find them through the list of favorites of bloggers that I follow...it's like the Hansel and Gretel bread crumb trail at times and awfully entertaining.

The Restaurant Managers Rants led me to Aunty Becky over at Mommy Wants Vodka which in turn led me to The Blue Kimono.

Confused Yet ?

Good, let's carry on then.

At one of them was a list along the lines of :

" You know you're a grownup when..." and it got me to thinking.

I know of a young couple that is having a bit of a problem in their marriage. Neither wants to bend and they are both stubborn as the day is long. Counseling has been suggested, but according to one of the parties , their family " Does Not Do That ."

Period.

Short sighted ?

To be sure, but they are young.

I am close to one side of this marriage family wise and so the parent my age and I were e mailing about it all this morning , just a couple of Yentas in the mix.

Then it hit me...my own personal " You know you are a grownup when "

1. You realize that sometimes you just have to let your partner win in an argument or situation if for no other reason than the fact that fair is fair , rather than your old stand by " Well , that will freak their ass out ."

2. Suggesting counseling as an option is your first suggestion and not the last one.

3. It's okay to table an issue before the screaming match begins. IF it's important, it can be re-visited . If it's not important..who cares, let it go !

4. You tell yourself " Get over it or yourself" and you are okay with it .

5. It's rarely as dire as it seems at that moment as long as no one is bleeding and there is no need for a doctor , cop or priest.

6. If your marriage is worth fighting about, it is more than likely worth fighting for .

7. Control means more than winning a situation, it also means self control , having it and the decency to use it .

8. You don't always have the answers, much less the right one.

9. Sometimes your partner just needs to vent, it's not always about you .

10. IF it gets to a certain point...walk out of the room till things calm down...see # 9.

These are the things that my friend the parent and I know . We have learned them the hard way . The kids haven't been married but for a few years and there are some real issues that in a large part a matter of control. But as kids will, they aren't exactly willing to listen to their elders because " We don't understand, their whatever is special, one of a kind situation thingy, exclusive to them .....wah wah wah ."

You know you're a grownup when you listen to a friend , just to listen and you both know the above.

You also know that the kids will not listen because you didn't at their age and hopefully they will come to it on their own.

Either way, the grownups will get through it, we always do.

Ciao ,

Aunty Pol

Upcoming Fund Raiser ~ Shameless Shakedown Alert ! ~

I am jumping the gun yet again this year...quelle surprise.

The top photo is from last years fundraiser for the annual " Dog A Thon" fundraiser for the Humane Society of Tacoma/Pierce County.

Miss Laurie Cinotto, blogger Goddess of the known Universe fosters kittens until they can be placed in their forever homes and is the human caregiver for Miss Charlene Butterbean . Her blog is :

www.theittybittykittycommittee.com and you have heard me refer to them before .

Miss Laurie works for the fundraiser in her little that she has spare time and it's not just for dogs..it's for cats, kittens, fosters and so on.

Even though I live in Houston, I support this fundraiser along with my local charities...so...

Wait for it....

Wait....

SHAMELESS SHAKEDOWN TIME PEOPLE.

You know it's coming.

If you can afford even a dollar, that's great.

If you cannot, that's fine too..the economy is really hard right now, we all know that . But..if you can't right now, in the future when you can..donate a buck or 2 to the jar at Petsmart for their Banfield charities....take your gently worn towels to the shelters or humane society...drop of a can or a bag of dry for these places if you can.

LET'S ROCK THIS .

Go to www.ittybittykittycommittee for more details and updates .

Operators are standing by.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

You Have To Check This Out !

Okay, I have to own up to a guilty pleasure.

I like some really bizarre, lame stuff on TV.

No, not NCIS, BSG ( thank you thank you thank you BBC for bringing it back in order on Saturday night...9 pm cst for you in the same time zone.)..White Collar, Smallville,Burn Notice, Memphis Beat...we're watching and/or taping.

Then there are the others.

Real Housewives of New Jersey, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, What Not To Wear..you get the idea.

Anyhoo..I also love Jay Mohr.

He is insanely funny and is writing a blog recap of RHONJ which is as funny as any recap on TWOP ( Television Without Pity) . TWOP is my gold standard followed by Pink Raygun for recap snark.

Go check it out.

Go to www.bravotv.com and hit blogs.

It's listed under his name.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Worn Out

I am just worn out, tuckered, spent, used up, wrung out and burnt.

No , not sun burnt tho that would have been the more logical answer.

Something very weird happened Monday.

I had a headache that wouldn't quit, even after some fairly good OC drugs from Nee Nee. I didn't think too much of it and should have.

The first oddity is that I only managed to finish half my Otto's cheeseburger and did NOT touch the fries...in our house this counts as a sigh of the end times .

You have to know how big a ho I am for french fries...yesindeedydo I am, you bettcha .

We needed to stop at Kroger for a few things and while I was out in the car , having had a smoke..I know, I know...I began to feel really nauseous...like oh shit do not heave in your car with the leather interior kind of sick.

Dizzy.

Thankfully SU wasn't long so we could beat feet to the casa.

I washed my face , and crawled into the water bed.

Where I stayed till yesterday morning.

IN BED BY 7:15 PM.

Out...ZZZZZZZZZ....snerk....ZZZZZZZZ

And I stayed there.

I guess the heat has finally gotten to me.

I did far more than my usual running around with the girls and yes..there was adult beverages involved...but again..there was food also and for the most part we were indoors.

I was and am very careful about when I am out during the day to water etc because I know that it is both wasteful of the water and just plain stoopy to be out in the heat watering.

I drink water all damn day long at the office and I do try at home and know I need to drink more just water or ice water at the casa .

Sigh.

Once again my body smacks me up side the head with the reminder:

" IDIOT- YOU are not 18 anymore."

Have a safer week than I did cause I'm an idgit .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ~

You know how you have one of those boring kind of weeks where everything is ho hum ?

And if you are a blogger , you scratch your head because you just can't think of a damn thing to write and you are used to posting at least once a day and you are blank ?

Yeah ...like that .

It for the most part has been like that this week , hence the more than usual recipes etc. Some days/weeks are like that so I didn't give it much of a ruh roh.

Until last night at the ice house .

Sunday is Cindy's birthday so Jeri and I decided that since Madame announced a few weeks ago that she wanted a mani /pedi for her birfday...we being the quick to take the hint kinda gals that we are replied " Kewl".

Then the excrement hit the oscillating blade.

Between my two neighbor gal pals , they have spent close to 3k in repairs, rentals and tows.

As it is right now we are a car down.

And until last night, I really hadn't seen Jeri to firm up da game plannage.

Now as it stands, Gordy will drop off Cindy and I at the nail shop at noon which also means that I have to get my voluptuous ass up earlier than usual and actually slap something on the face and do something with the hair since I know that when Jeri picks us up that there will be drinkage and then Cindy has a 6 pm hair appt which should he hilarious depending on her alcohol level .

Then on Sunday as Cindy has a lunch thingy with her brother I have to do a cake and all the while amongst this I have to fit in the usual laundry..LMAO...looks like I will be starting tonight while hisself is at the Ice House ( the real one , not our patio ).

And Andy and Gracie are still pissed off because they have to stay in during the days since it's been 96 at the lowest.

And still no rain.

Have a great weekend, you've earned it.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

This lovely picture is by Taylor from greensandchocolate.com

cream cheese stuffed french toast

Another food blog I love is : http://www.greensandchocolate.com/ .

If the linky doesn't work, the post is dated Sunday February 27,2011 .

I saw this as I was browsing the blogs that I follow and thought : " Yowza ! I wonder if I could also use Nutella !"

Go check it out !

Commence Le Drool !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze

This beautiful photo is by Jane , author and creator of The Heritage Cooks.

Commence drooling.

I love http://www.theheritagecook.com/.

Go to the link below for the recipe and variations.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze








I love lemon.





I love the smell of real lemons, the color of lemons, using lemons in cooking and baking and slicing them for water and finding a good lemon scented candle.





I also love shortbread cookies and have to force myself to step away from them at Sams during the holidays when they have a ton of those Dansk tins.....especially the little square cookies that have pearl sugar on them and a hint of cocoanut.





MY TIN....MINE !





Both SU and I love to bake cookies, but we usually only do the drop style.





Why you ask...and I know you are..





Because I have a galley style kitchen about the size of Deb's over at Smitten kitchen and there is 0 as in zero counter space to roll out dough of any kind.





It is the only real thing I hate about the house...well that and no linen closet but what the hell, the house is paid for .





I subscribe to Heritage Cooks and get e mail updates so I opened the one dated today and saw the drop dead georgous picture and thought to my self...you have to go check this out.





Scrolling down I saw as I suspected that this was yet another recipe for a rolled out and cut cookie.





Well crap says I, but I press on through the entire recipe and God bless her, she included instructions to roll the dough into a roll and how to bake them as slice and bake.





I am now smiling because someone out there realized that some folks have limitations and need variations.





Go check it out.





Ciao,





Aunty Pol

Roasted Peppers, Capers and Mozzarella

Go to : http://www.smittenkitchen/.com right now.

I LOVE roasted peppers.

I LOVE capers.....CAPERS !!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE fresh mozzarella.



GO NOW .

The recipe is once again easy to follow and beautifully photographed.

With the kind of heat that we've been having here I am not going to heat up the house ( 1 story ranch style with a galley kitchen) any more than I have to . I am also thinking that I usually have frozen chicken of some variety in the freezer and if pressed could be baked off and cut into strips of chunks...hm...... Chicken doesn't take that long to bake . Throw the above with the chicken in a salad ...or over pasta....maybe..probably..most likely. Also..throw this on a hogie with some chicken or beef ( like I won the lottery..hahahah)..and melt the cheeze....oh yeah.

Is it a wonder that I am now starvin Marvin..hee hee.

And......


As a bonus, there is going to be a Smitten Kitchen cookbook in the spring of 2012 .

Go to : www.smittenkitchen.com/cookbook for details

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Twitchy Tuesday

Dear Co-Worker,

Yes, I understand that you had a sore throat at the end of last week and I did mention to you that given the fact that you still have your tonsils , it might be prudent to have a doctor look at it.

I understand and appreciate the fact that you did call me on Sunday night to tell me that you were taking a personal day off ( yesterday) because you had some stuff to attend to. I thanked you and told you to have a good day off. You have the time , take it. You seem to take it without any prior notice most of the time as it is and I am used to being *surprised*.

It is not your fault or concern that the other third party in our department also called in " sick" and that I was for all intents and purposes the entire department on a Monday.

Go Team ME !

And this morning you tell me that you did go to the doctor and YOU HAVE FUCKING STREP THROAT and he GAVE YOU A NOTE SO THAT YOU CAN COME IN TODAY ????? And put you on ANTIBIOTICS mid afternoon yesterday , and still you came in TODAY ? The note was an indicator that you COULD , should you choose to , not that it was mandatory .

ANYONE WITH AN OUNCE OF COMMOM FUCKING SENSE WOULD HAVE STAYED HOME AT LEAST ONE DAY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE TO TIME BANKED TO COVER IT !

Thank you for being so considerate of all of the rest of us, regardless of the fact that according to the Mayo Clinic website , among others , it is still considered infectious until the first 24 hours have PASSED with antibiotics.

Thank you so very much for this little gift.

I have made a complaint to administration over this issue since you relieve me for breaks and lunch..sitting at MY desk, using MY equipment.

What a stupid bitch you truly are !

If I get sick, I promise you, you will hear about it..in the HR's office no less .

Aunty Pol

Angel Lush Cupcakes

This is one of my happy places for today.

Angel Lush Cupcakes from Kraft Foods.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. ( 16 oz) angel food cake mix

1 pkg. ( 3.4 oz) Jello instant vanilla pudding

2 cans ( 8 oz each ) Dole crushed pineapple in juice, UNDRAINED

1 cup thawed Cool Whip whipped topping

2 cups assorted fresh berries ( if using strawberries, slice them.)

Directions :

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour into 30 paper lined muffin cups ,filling cups 2/3 full. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the crack are dry. ( Note if baking in batches , refrigerate the remaining batter in the bowl until ready to pour into the lined muffin cups and bake.). Cool cupcakes in pans 10 minutes then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

Mix the dry pudding mix and the pineapple in a bowl, gently fold in cool whip and frost cupcakes .

Top with berries.

Even though the original recipe does not say so , in our heat in Houston, I'd refrigerate these unless they are to be served immediately.

Enjoy!

You'll see why this is my happy place with the next post.

Mwahahah

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

The Mystery Is Solved !

Aha !

Now I know the answer to what Sgt. Andy " Pooky Bear" Panda Pants did before he came to the Casa .

Figures .

Carry On.

Aunty Pol

Monday Monday

Yeah , I hear ya kittster.

Today I am the entirety of my department.

Both of the other ladies chose to take the day off, one I knew about yesterday when she had the good grace to call me and tell me that she had some things to take care of and therefore.....

Been there, done that.

The other one..well she does this at the drop of a hat, and it will bite her some day so there ya go.

A random day of this is no biggie...a pattern of this and I will raise Cain because after all, a girl deserves and has a legal right to lunch.

Other than that I have a happy.

It's raining a bit downtown as I am typing this and while I am more than convinced that it is again a case of nada at the Casa..I am glad to see any rain anywhere.

Since it's been 4 months and all.

And we set a record in Humble yesterday....105 degrees.

Not heat index as in "Feels like" but the actual One OhMyGawd Five Degrees .

And nary a breeze to be seen.

I think we busted another record at one point today.

And Andy and Gracie wonder why Mommy and Daddy are being sooooo means to them and making them stay in the house with BRAND NEW FRIGGAN A/C FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE !

SU went to his High School reunion and had a good time.

I had a better time with Forever Knight, season one, pizza, adult beverages and peace and quiet.

Last night was Churches Chiggan..spicy of course and honey to pour over that..hey try it !

I refuse to heat the house up in this heat and since SOMEONE forgot to close the valve on the grills tank so it ran out...yeah

Extra Bonus: It's Monday so SU will be at the Cajuns to play what passes for poker and I have the new season of " Food Network Star" thingy from last night on tape.

And cold leftover chiggan.

And maybe it rained at home.

Or maybe Mr. Trejo got the trees trimmed.

Either way, winning !

And remember guys and gals...the new season of " White Collar " and " Covert Ops " begins tomorrow.

Ain't life grand ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Information We Can All Use

Everyone knows that I read almost everything. My interests are so far flung that I have been told that it is as if the Library of Congress has Tourettes Syndrome.

I take that as a compliment by the way ,

I have a new blog for you to check out should you be so inclined.

http://www.fraudblog-gene.blogspot.com/

Surprise!

It's not a blog about cats or cooking or baking or my usual frivolity.....or Bruce Campbell.

I have always been curious about the whys of something, specifically why did this happen.

We all think that we know what a fraud is and in a simple way , we do.

While I am not going to point any fingers, I will put my magic eight ball up against any Gypsy fortune teller any day of the week.

Gene is a writer who has the gift of writing as if he is having a conversation with you over a beverage or a meal or both.

It's interesting , informative, funny, and at times and makes you go " Huh...I did not know that ."

Which is also pretty much the definition of why I often choose to read what I do.

Check it out.

And now back to our regularly programmed mayhem.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Hooray ~ It's National Donut Day !

Yes..it's National Donut day !

Guess who has the pans for baked donuts ?

Guess who has the King Arthur recipes ?

Guess who just ordered the Cake Pen ?

Tha's Right...Me !

Donuts for everyone !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ~

I'm sorry to have been awol kids, but the old sinus/migraine monster hit me again....

It's getting very , very old.


I think it is a combo platter of the pollen and the ungawdly heat down here in Tejas. We actually broke a record yesterday when the temp hit 100 degrees. Not the heat index mind you , the actual real friggan temperature.

Shoot my ass now and get it over with .

Over 4 months since we've had any rain.

Sigh.

Andy and Gracie Marie have to stay in during the day now and are let out after dark when it is less ohmahgawd hot. Never fear, they do not wander off, they are lazy like that and so we are not worried. Andy would most likely prefer to stay in and that would be fine as soon as the young man LEARNS TO USE THE DAMN BOXES ! We have 3 of theem you see so it's not as if he is in line at Cafe Adobe waiting to get in there.

We are trying to be careful about the watering as best we can because of the $$$ , and I am certain that sometime this month the rationing will begin.

And then there are the trees.

We have a shitload of them in the front yard. Oaks and pines both.

They are over 30 years old and once again they are so overgrown that they are killing the grass in the front yard. So I get to do the least favorite thing I can think of and take money out of savings so that Mr. Trejo can trim them. Besides the grass thing and the HOA bitching about it is the fact that I am convinced that it is not a mater of if but when we get hit by a storm and the possibility that the trees will snap due to dryness and f up the roof ( higher deductible than the cost of the pruning FYI ) is more than I care to risk.

I know better than to make that sort of dumb ass decision.

On the up side, I am now the proud owner of seasons 1 and 2 of " Forever Knight " .

YEAH MEEEEEEE !!!!

Trivia buff alert...For those of you who have seen the " Good Witch " movies on lifetime..Catherine Disher is the woman who played the part of Martha Tinsdale, the mayors wife. She also played the whole series as M.E. Natalie Lambert on Forever Knight on all 3 seasons ....see..you learned something !

Hisself will be as his HS reunion this weekend, so I have a plan...Nick, Nick and more Nick Knight ! I have been to his reunion before mumble of years ago and I'd rather watch paint dry it is sooooooo boring for the spouse/guest/victim.

Not only no but hell no.

Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol