When ?

Dead Plants.

Green Grass only seen in photos.

All of the above are gone now because of the weather.

Mandavilla, Coreopsis, Geraniums, Petunias, Daisys, Hydrangeas,Day Lillies , all dead.

I have gone from angry ( stoopy , yes I know because we have no control over the weather ) to sad ( stoopy, because they are just plants) to resigned.

My garden was finally just he way I wanted it. The plants I had were ones that I knew would work, or experiments that should have worked. The discipline had finally kicked in so that I would concentrate on what I know that I can and DO well and I would neither waste time, money or energy on things that were a maybe at best .

That's all gone now since we have had 24 days with one day off of weather over 100 degrees. We actually hit 109 degrees Saturday without factoring in any heat index. We set a record for the date.Houston had according to our Mayor , over 1,000 water lines breaking just yesterday. Streets and roads are buckling under the heat. Trees are so stressed that any recovery that had been made in the 3 years since the ball breaker known as IKE is gone.

Andy is now not only tormented as a double coated long haired ginger who must stay inside during the day..he also has to endure the fire ants that are in the area he commonly uses to potty. Both he and Gracie Marie are still pissed off that we insist they stay inside...

I feel like Christopher Whalkens character in Skylark as he waits and prays for rain.

Any rain .

Any.

Sigh.

A DEPRESSED Aunty Pol.

Glorious Treats: American Buttercream Frosting {Recipe}

Glorious Treats: American Buttercream Frosting {Recipe}: Often the most beloved element of a cupcake is the frosting. A good frosting can elevate a simple cupcake to a delicious, rich dessert. ...

Remember the glorious pink cake from yesterday ?

Well..I subscribe via email to a LOT of cooking blogs, primarily baking ( DUH) and one of the blog mails talked about cupcakes in a jar.

That e mail linked back to Glorious Treats and I saw something I had meant to post so..

Voila !

Yes....I confess.

There is no escaping the fact.

I am obsessed by cupcakes.

Cakes in general , of course !

Bundt...always ! ( Shh dear..I don't to hear it ).

Cupcakes...oh hella yeah.

Here's the thing. You can of course decorate a cake to your hearts content but if you F it up, what do you have..?

You have a disaster like the 3 year old hobbit cake..or Cakenstein as I prefer to call it.

When you do cupcakes, if you f one up, you have at least a dozen to get right. Your index finger can swipe the evidence away and you don't look like you just wasted or inhaled enough frosting to bounce off the walls in a sugar rush..( and that's bad because why again ?) . Cupcakes allow more freedom to play and experiment with jimmies and sprinkles and tips and Oh dear Gaia..stop me now.

Pause...ok..now that I have come back to what little senses I have left....go to the link above for one of the best tutorials on frosting cupcakes and both American and French Buttercream.

Damn, I'm hungry now..and I have an hour before lunch.

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

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

John, John , John, John, John John.

Put down the shiney.

I cannot tell you how insane TMD ( Torchwood Miracle Day ) is making me !

For real babe..f'g nuts at this point.

And I spent $ to order Starz so I could watch the show..yes..I spent money dude !

It took me a full week to get past the hit me up side the head with Jacks crucifixion set up by Angelo. Okay....we get that Angelo is conflicted about his sexual orientation..but really..the prolonged torture was so absurd it nullified the point of it all. And...derp..Jack's blood is the blessing ? Really..not his dandruff or nail clippings...let's go for the blood.

Yippee.

You see the man pictured above you ?

His name is John D'Lancie and my dear, he can and will kick your ass..just ask Patrick Stewart,

I can't convey how disappointed I am in this show right now . I have little hope that the last two will make it any better, much less logical.

Three families....really..one Anglo sounding..one Italian sounding and one possibly Germanic ?

ALL TOGETHER NOW, ....HOW CLICHE !

Would anyone care to wager how much each or all of these families own of big bad Pharma ?

Any am I the only one that thought .." Hey lady..Grandpa Angelo is just plain old nuts there so you better have a really good exit plan and or lawyer....

Oops..Sorry..Nevermind.

..Newman is nuts but not so nuts that anyone with an actual brain cell in working order might..just might have considered searching him ? You can frame the young and stupid ( Esther) for almost anything and be smart enough to pull it off...but not bother to consider much less actually search a mole..?

Not so much.

Boom...there ya go .

Problem solved.

When this all started, I will be the first one that will jump up and yell and stomp my feet about how Oswald Danes and that Jilly Chick creeped my ass out..seriously..heebie jeebie time.

And I don't scare easily..you should see the bottom of my purse on any given day.

Yes..the whole pedophilia killer was distasteful in the extreme..but it got the viewers attention.

There was so much done with that one character that a viewer had to wonder how it would be resolved given that there are only 10 bloody episodes...

And you guys just let it fall by the wayside and went with the tormented gay eternal life thing.

Q can and should kick your ass kiddo.

If not Q then most certainly Gwen and Rhys for screwing up their lives and endangering their kid to the point that ANOTHER child is in danger. I'd kick your ass on Anwen's behalf myself if I could.

If some one at this point were to ask me to recap the 8 episodes thus far , sadly it would be easy :

" Jack has another bad narcissistic relationship and everyone has to clean up after him again."

That is what this show has been reduced to Mr. Davies .

We cared dammit about Jack and Ianto. It broke our hearts when Ianto was killed. Jack grieved for him, they all did, the same as Tosh and as Owen. We cared that Tosh felt that the only relationship she could have or deserved to have was with a man who was actually alive for one day a year. We cared that she loved Owen and although he knew it, he was unable to love her back. We disliked the affair between Owen and Gwen. We cared about Owen's pain over the loss of his fiancee, we cared that Ianto was pissed off at having nothing better to do at times than get the coffees. We care about how much Rhys loves Gwen and accepts that if he is going to be a part of her life he has to accept Torchwood and all it stands for . We care that they want a baby and a normal life or what passes for after Cardiff goes kablooey.

You have made Jack so in incredibly shallow and self serving that he's not even Jack anymore. The man who had to sacrifice his only grandchild for the the good on all has now put his own selfish pleasure and being finally mortal above the needs of every one he cares for and everything that Torchwood ever stood for or might stand for in the future.

I hope you're happy..you've killed one of the best written shows ever .

Have a great week everyone .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Ombre Pink Cake By Glorious Treats

Isn't this the most amazing thing you've ever seen ? Go over to :

http://www.glorioustreats.blogspot.com/

In her post dated yesterday she gave the full description of what she used in such a wonderfully clear way , that other than the practice time with the #21 Wilton tip, even I think I could attempt this...and I haven't really done any piping work in ages.

See, this is the thing that I have learned , a good food blogger may draw you in with the wonderful pictures , and after all , we all know that I loves the shiney....but they will keep you as a follower if they do it smart.

Let your readers know that it might not have come out as magical as you'd hoped for, or that you had to make some changes or your oven died in the middle of it all.....ya know....real life.

I used to be very intimidated by all of the food blogs that are out there, and then Lord bless her, Ree captured me heart and soul by showing the messy real life bits in her blog and then the first cook book.I joined her website and posted a few recipes and along the way found links and links and more Mr. Linky's to other wonderful creative food artisans...and the Jinn was out of the bottle permanently. I have always loved to cook and bake and am lucky to have married a man with the same love for it.Now if I can just get the time to put the recipes that I have collected ALL in the 3 ring binder...sigh.

A light bulb went off because while I consider myself a good cook, I am a better baker. But as for the rest of it...people either are gifted with photography such as Sistah, or they have training as a food stylist or the money to hire one. AKA...NOT ME !

If you need proof of this just go back to last weeks picture of the crummy photo of the cupcake that I took at work...now...look at the photo's above here....now back to mine...back to the top pink cake and so on .

Years ago , I wouldn't have even dared to say out loud much less in print that I was going to try something like this...or play with butter cream because I 'd see all of these glorious photo's and I'd be just all F it....mine won't look that good. . I'd done it before for the restaurant (Over 25 years ago ) but with the passage of time, I thought I'd gotten so rusty at it and other peoples finishes were just so much "better" than mine that I laid it aside . Well that and the fact that when you do it for a living or as a part of your job it really does become more work and less play..and that can be a real drag.

There will be disasters and so on , but I have found that I really did miss baking and other than SU's idea that I am bundt obsessed ( am not !) ...I take great joy out of all of it,even when the SU thinks that he is making a funny ( are not !). Sometimes you want to play with all of it, sometimes sprinkles are just enough and then there are the recipes that are finest in their basic simplicity, like pound cake for example.

Yes, Jeri Lee's huge ass cupcake birthday cake looked like a three year old hobbit made it and taught me that silicone pans are not my friend just yet.....but the plate I send it home on came clean.

It's way too hot to bake right now but...trust me....I am really considering this cake.

Have a great week .

Aunty Pol

Dying for Chocolate: Hurricane Cake

I guess it is ALL about the food this week after all. Hit Mr. Linky below for the full post and recipe at Dying For Chocolate.

Dying for Chocolate: Hurricane Cake: With Hurricane Irene on the way and people battening down the hatches, this Hurricane Cake is perfect. This recipe has been around for ag...

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

A Helpful Tip Regarding Irene

The top photo is an actual one taken during Jurrican Ike, September 13, 2008 at the Seawall Monument on Galveston Island. The Hurricane of 1906 almost wiped the island off the map.

Having survived Ike amongst others, it behooves me to share the following tip:

" Don't forget to hurricane proof your furr babies ! Don't forget their carriers records, food, litter needs, beds, toys, PROZAC and everything else to keep them from a full blown freak out ."

And..for you puppy Mommy and Daddies..the same applies. I am not biased and if I could have found the above with a puppy I would have posted it too.

IF you are in the path of IRENE...get out. You may not have experienced a hurricane before , or think that people are exaggerating or over reacting..

THEY ARE NOT !

IF you need to hit the ATM do it soon..no power means you are screwed . Same goes for gas at the stations. Get your gear packed, your important papers, prescriptions , checkbooks,etc together. We were without power for 10 days. ...In Texas..... If you have a hard time figuring this...go look at a map. look and the bottom of Texas..that's Galveston Bay . Now..look a bit north at IAH ( Intercontinental Airport Houston aka the BIG one.) .SU and I live literally across the road ( FM 1960 ) from the new runway.....This is how far north IKE came. The actual f'g storm..not the heavy rains..the hurricane itself. We were lucky to have no structural damage to the house , and believe me , we were an exception in our neighborhood.

Beat the traffic and leave if you need to .I doubt you are going to be able to get any plywood or duct tape at Home Depot before long..

We had trees down..massive damage and the gulf coast shore line permanently changed.

Trust me...we lived through IKE 3 years ago this coming September 13'th and it came up the bloody chip channel.

Be safe..it's just easier.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Hatch Chile Apple Cobbler

Hatch chile apple cobbler

Okay...I guess I can't help myself.

The above link is to http://www.homesicktexan.blogspot.com/ by Lisa Fain and it is genius. She is presently living in New York and guess what..she has a cookbook coming out this October. She tweeted me ( aren't I special ? ) that she will be having a book signing here in Houston mid October so I will post that info here.

Chile's and apples might sound strange unless you've tried a pinch or 2 of chile's in chocolate cake batter..trust me..it ain't half bad.

I may just have to drag out the cast iron skillet that my late mother in law had and clean it up.

Go check out Lisa's blog..it's a winner.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Friday ~ Bruce Of The Day ! ~

Happy Friday Everyone !
I sooo want that shirt.
Last night ep of BN was particularly good because of two things :
1. Michael T. Weiss . I loved the " Pretender" and over all he has aged better than some that come to mind. I assume it is due to the fact that he has done other things behind the camera such as directing and not been out there making an ass of himself ( Mel ?) trying to keep up with the younger set...smart move on his part.
2. Madeline. Finally Sharon Gless gets another moment to shine. She just keeps getting better as the show goes along and this episode along with the one with Tyne Daly, ( Cagney and Lacey RULE PEOPLE !) is a favorite of mine. The morale here is don't be dismissive of we ladies over 55+, we WILL still kick your ass.

And it's hot, no rain..yada yada...no big plans for the weekend even though I am still toying with the coconut cake..

Have a great weekend.

Ciao,
Aunty Pol

For The Hubbs.

Could be worse honey, you could be at Myrtle Beach right about now.

Love,

The Lovely Bride .

Athens man arrested for cattle thefts

Athens man arrested for cattle thefts

Dayum..some things never change.

Yippy Ki Yea Mo Fo.." Rustler, meet Ranger....Ranger , meet idiot ."

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Wow

I have to say that I am somewhat surprised.

I didn't really realize it until today as I looked over the blog as a whole as to how much food has become a topic of posting here.

Hey..at least I'm not some crazy cat lady here..and I say that with love given the number of posts that I have done for charities and cats , including my own so don't spaz on me.

Yes, I have bitched a lot about the weather , but praise Gaia, we not only got sprinkled on here at the Casa , it rained some downtown where I work.

Grown folk stared out with a 3 year olds glee like it was Christmas morning.

I know that I have fallen in somewhat of a rut in my real life and it can't be helped. Coming home every night to water the flowers in some vain effort to save them has been both a pain in the ass and a heart break for me.

My garden is my sanctuary and to watch it die slowly and surely has taken a real toll on me and my attitude. Yes, I bitch about the work every spring when we clean out the debris but I do take great joy in it all .

Some part of me shut down with all of this damned heat to the point that I gave up and in the the clutter and dust on the inside of the Casa.

Anyone who knows me knows that this is not my style and I do take an enormous amount of pride in the home the he and I have created, but I threw in the towel.

The auto pilot will start again tomorrow I am sure but for now, tonight I am grateful to have been given what really is a day off for me and to know that it will rain again.

Maybe not this week or next, but it can and will happen.

Ciao,

A Contented Aunty Pol At Least For Tonight .

Coconut Cake

As promised, Coconut Cake.

Again, this photo is from www.meganscookin.com and is only used as a grateful representation of all things cakey good. Go to her website for other really really cool recipes....!

Bakers Coconut 3 Layer Cake:

Bake at 350 degrees.

Ingredients For Cake :
1 package ( 2 layer size) yellow cake mix ( I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 pkg. ( 4 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding and pie filling ( French Vanilla perhaps ?)
1 1/3 Cup water
4 eggs
1/4 Cup oil ( I really prefer applesauce )
2 Cups Bakers Angel Flake Coconut
1 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans ( optional) ( What about sliced almonds..hmmmmm)

Blend cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil ( applesauce) in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium for 4 minutes.
Stir in coconut and nuts ( optional) .
Pour into 3 greased and floured 9 inch layer pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or till done.
Cool in pans for 15 minutes them remove and cool on racks.
Fill and frost with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting .

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting :

Ingredients :
4 Tablespoons butter , softened.
2 Cups Bakers Coconut.
1 pkg. ( 8 oz) cream cheese.
2 Teaspoons milk.
3 1/2 Cups sifted confectioners sugar.
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add coconut and stir constantly over low heat until golden brown.
Spread coconut on paper towels to cool.
Cream remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cream cheese.
Add milk and confectioners sugar alternately and beat well.
Add vanilla.
Stir in 1 3/4 cups coconut .
Frost layers and cake.
Top with remaining 1/2 cup toasted coconut.

Thoughts :

It seems odd to only use 1 box of cake mix for a 3 layer cake so I am torn..go for it or double the recipe and use the left over batter for cupcakes ?

Pondering....pondering...

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Crunchy Lemonade Drumsticks

Note....The contest is over to don't get all nuts on me..breathe deep and stare at Michael Chiarello..you will feel better soon...you're welcome.

Crunchy Lemonade Drumsticks and a Giveaway!

There are a lot of blogs that I subscribe to via e mail so as is my habit, I read them and then look at the authors links...I can almost guarantee that I will find at least 3 or 4 who interest me either because of the title or topic...it's like a scavenger hunt for food.

The one I found today is called : http://www.meganscookin.com/

She had a coconut cake post that I had to read because I have been craving a coconut cake. I am at the point of going to Kroger to buy a Peppridge Farm frozen one..I know..I know...desperate times call for desperate measures and all that ..but with MY luck they will be out of them and or no longer made.

It's like when you color your own hair and find the perfect shade of auburn..you will love it and depend on it and then the rat bastards will stop making it or worse yet , re-formulate it and you will be doomed to a lovely pomegranate shade...not that I am at all bitter about it.

Onward.

She posted a cute one about a contest and then a recipe that came from the back of a package of Bakers Coconut from about 25 years ago. That will be the next post.

Browsing her recipes further I came across this one.

I love Lemon chicken in any format.

The original recipe is from : http://www.noblepig.com/ which is another really cool site.

See...a treasure hunt.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

P.S. Next up...coconut cakeage

OMG..This Is SO Where I have Found Myself At Times.

Go read this.

Go to www.atheistgranny.blogspot.com and look for the mean girls post dated today, 8/24.

This hit home for a lot of reasons.

I always thought of my self as the friend..aka the pleaser.

I was wrong in so many ways .

More often than I care to admit, I am the " Torn Bystander."

Finally, I had the clarity to say good bye to all of it and all of them .

My regret is that I let myself fall into that trap in the first place.

This dynamic is not supportive and they are NOT your Sistah's.

If you find yourself in this place, own it..and remove yourself.

You will sleep better from then on.

I promise.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Sigh..Here's Your Sign

I am trying to be tolerant ( yes..pick your sorry asses up off the floor, I actually said that ) of my co-workers because it is still hotter than Satans's Underoos here in Tejas and I suppose that all of our little grey cells have melted into primordial ooze..but...this ..this....amazed me.

And no..I couldn't make this up if I tried..my hand to Gaia.

Since we are all weather obsessed right now and it is the TWENTY FOURTH day of 100 degree weather, we are paying attention to Hurricane Irene and she flirts her way up here. We go to the local TV channel links and watch the radar loop and or the Weather Channel ( guilty) so we tend to pay attention to these kinds of things . A lot of us are sort of hoping for a storm to hit the gulf, that is how bad we need ANY rain.

One of my co-workers commented during the Irene discussion that she was "not aware" that Virginia, both Carolina's and so on had borders on water.....what the rest of us commonly call coast lines.

I'm not kidding.

And she makes more money than I do.

Here's your sign sweetie,,will you need help with any of the "big" words ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

Orange Macaroons

It must be an orange thing and a secret recipe club thing this week .

Colleen over at http://www.soufflebombay.blogspot.com/ is doing Orange Macaroons using almond paste and no coconut. Now, I love coconut macaroons but I am sorely tempted to try these .

Go check out her blog too !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Chocolate Cupcakes

Update..Voila ..crappy photo from cell phone..Note to SU..you put them in backwards and upside down honey..I will show you tonight...see this is why I don't do food photos...your're welcome.

Ok...I may or may not have lied earlier. IF my cupacake holder ( damn ~ they are CUTE !) didn't smoosh my cupcake , I am going to try to take a photo with my cell phone of yesterdays I gotta make some baked yummy goodness , no matter how hot it is. I only had a few cake mixes to play with and I knew what I wanted so here was the plan:

Take 1 Duncan Hines white cake mix and prepare as usual EXCEPT I use a single serving pack of applesauce in place of the oil. Add to the batter 2 teaspoons Adams Orange extract, and blend. Lastly add some red and yellow food coloring ( I use gel and a 5 red/3 yellow ratio or till it looks peachy-orange) and blend .

Bake cupcakes as usual, mine take 23 minutes at 350 degrees in my oven.

Cool and frost with the chocolate frosting you love the best...I was lazy so mine came out of the tub.

Finish with chocolate sprinkles and inhale.

Ciao.

Aunty Pol

More Secret Recipe Club ~ WooHoo !

Jane over at http://www.janedeereblog.blogspot.com/ is also doing a secret recipe thingy ~ chocolate cobbler so go check her nifty blog out too !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol who of course is hungry now !

Shugary Sweets: Maple Twists

One of the blogs that I follow is Shugary Sweets and she posted recently about a secret recipe club that sounded interesting. Check out Mr. Linky for more details, and no , I won't be doing it in the near future simply because I take CRAPPY photos of the stuff I cook and or bake.. you have probably all figured that bit out any way since the photo's I use are either random or properly credited to their authors when I post a recipe I find.

Regardless check it out and Shugary's blog.

Enjoy !

Shugary Sweets: Maple Twists: I stepped out of my comfort zone this month. I joined a club. While it may seem very high school of me, haha, this is a secret club. Okay, ...

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Uh Oh Toto !

Just to start out the week...lmao !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Friday ~ Bruce Of The Day ~

Well , why the hell not ?

At least it's Friday.

It's gonna be a tough weekend and upcoming week kids.

Cindy Lou Who's Aunt Toots is not long for this earth. Cindy Lou Who just got back from Sweetwater , Texas ( aka BFWT - Bum F*ck West Texas) and no more had a day at home and then had to turn right back around and high tail it back. We all hope that she made it back before Toots actually passed , but at the last I'd heard it was iffy at best .

There is not a lot that we can do at this point. In the 8 years that the girls have lived next door to us, we have become insanely close so this is hard . Since they have moved in , I have lost my father, Cindy Lou Who has lost hers ( within less than 6 months of each other ) and SU lost his Mom 15 months ago...not to mention his aunt Genie and 3 weeks ago , Uncle Harry.

Jeri Lee and I were talking last night at the Ice House about how we are in fact at the age where we are becoming the older generation. Our parents are dying off, our Grandparents are all gone and our kids are having their own kids.But I still have a hard time wrapping my head around all of it , surely I can't be that old ? Can I ? Can he ?

The funny part is that my grandparents acted like grandparents. Granted I have no living children, but even so...I can't fathom my grandmother falling over laughing at something as I am prone to do , perhaps because she was a preachers wife and it wasn't done. As for Nana, sure I can see that , but at the same time she was both lady like and a full blown Auntie Mame so if she did so it would have been in the absolute privacy of her own home . One does not deport themselves in public that way dontchaknow.

Perhaps part of this is that we are all still working , retirement is something we joke about so we don't feel that old , even as we stopped counting our ages past 55. And we don't have the same type routines that they did. SU will grab the vac and hoover or throw in a load of wash or clean a bathroom...or cook a meal . My grandfather did none of those and didn't learn how to really cook until my grandmothers cancer was at the stage where she couldn't cope. In all fairness, he became quite the cook ( or what passes in small town Lutheran Minnesota) and quite the catch around town.

Nana on the other hand was a divorcee. Yeah, sound quite quaint now doesn't it ? It was in fact quite the scandal in 1955. It wasn't done..but other than to say that it wasn't a matter of HER fault, it's not my story to tell. The interesting part is that after she regained her sight ( psychosomatic blindness /stress induced ) , she dropped 25 pounds or so and dyed her hair blonde. Now she was a tiny thing, only about 4'11" so you can only imagine her drive. She became a world class Bridge player and I doubt she ever dusted a damn thing again.

But still....she was OLD to me..Nana.

My father was only 26 when they divorced and so I'd hazard a guess that she was maybe no more than 26 when she had him...so I am only a few years older than she was when she had to reinvent herself.

It just hit me like a ton of bricks...she was my age .

It literally just hit me like a ton of bricks.

HOLY CRAP !

There really isn't that much of a difference between the generations. It's a matter of perception ( I'm feeling kinda dumb at this moment ) and I am sure that there is a more than even money chance that my grandparents felt their parents and grandparents were old and staid too.

It is hard to lose family no matter the age, but if you are lucky you can be there for friends and family when it happens because that is really what gets us all through the dark days we all experience.

And we 're all gonna get older , like it or not .

Funny part is , I like my age..I just never thought of my grandparents as being the same age....Bast , I am so glad they were smarter about it than I am .

Have a great weekend .

Ciao,

Aunt Pol

Did We Forget Something ?

Conan

Khal Drogo ( Game of Thrones/HBO)

Ronan Dax ( Stargate Atlantis/SCIFI Channel)

Stargate Atlantis ( SciFi Channel)

They are listing Jason Momoas credits to include his stint on Barfwatch ( oops...my bad..Baywatch) when they did all of the press kits for the remake of Conan , and yet they are not listing his role as Ronan Dax on Stargate Atlantis....hmmmm...someone is not feeling the lovefor the SciFi channel these days , are they ?...Besides me that is.

He was only on the damn show for three seasons.

DOH !

Ciao,

Aunty POl

I Really DON'T Understand This At All !

I must confess that I am at a complete and utter loss as to understanding this.
When did being thrifty and conservative become so extreme, so just flat out vulgar ?

SU and I were raised by parents that were themselves raised by folks that made it through the Depression.
They grew and canned their own food.
They watched for sales and they planned their shopping trips accordingly.
They didn't buy in bulk because first of all, they had no where to put the stuff.There were no huge ass side by side fridges or freezers..a second freezer was unheard of. You had a Amana and the local iceman to tote your slab of Mr. Frosty.
They bought what they needed and laid some aside of they could for a rainy day but didn't go bat shit nuts about it all because they KNEW that was hoarding , which was GREEDY which was a SIN y'all.

Extreme Couponing is just the cleaned up , gentrified version of hoarding and I just don't get it.
I have used coupons faithfully since I was in college.
We use coupons on a regular basis , ie . whenever we zip out to Kroger and we have a coupon for stuff we regularly buy..unless Peppridge Farms has one for those Milano cookies , then all bets are off !
I have run across at least 4 stories in print and on the innerwebs today regarding the fact that people are out and out stealing the coupons from venders and magazine stands and so on.

STEALING Y'all.

Theft.

And the thieves don't understand or more likely are unwilling to understand that theft is theft is theft. Joe Blow Paper carrier more than likely has to pay out of his pocket for the missing coupons....and lady, just because you buy one lousy paper..you don't have the right to rifle through all the others in the pile to grab all of the coupons. How many bottles of GAIN do you need ?

Which brings up the other point, actually two of them.

I try to be organized about the grocery shopping because it makes it easier on me .SU and I don't have human bipedal type children. We have a six pack of the four on the floor variety. We feed them a total of 4 cans a day of wet Friskies..2 cans are split between the 6 of them for brekky and then again the same is done for din din. They also have full bowls of Iams kibble in the kitchen and one huge ass dog size one in the bedroom..and Temptations Treats..( ..TREATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) . Forty cans of wet , plus 5 large bags of treats and 2 smaller ones ( Dudes..you NEED to make the catnip flavor in the Jethro Beaudine size..really! ) and a big bag o'sand was $64.00 drive out...and that won't last till payday as far as the canned food goes. Funds permitting, we do try to buy enough to go from pay day to payday...and we didn 't even have to buy the bag of Iams...yet. Sigh .

I read the Kroger ad every week and I make the grocery list accordingly, with the appropriate coupons in my lil fist...which I hand off to SU because the rule is ..I buy , you fly . I hate the way people let their tax deductions run flat out f'g amok in the store so I pass on that...like I NEED another hot flash .

Now..I don't buy a palate of anything..not even during hurricane season. We have no where to put it.I don't need 5 dozen bottles of Prego or salad dressing. Ditto..pasta, soup, paper towels, deodorant, shampoo, streak sauce, mayo, peanut butter and alike.

Yes, we have a foodsaver and I do try to buy the family size pack of meat ( a fond memory at this point with the drought ) and we repackage the meats and such.I cook a large Sunday dinner for us and the girls that extends into lunches for SU and I the next week because we are brown baggers, have been for years and I cook better and cheaper than the fast food courts. SU does go out on his payday , that is his treat and that is cool too.....but I am not clearing out a room, the attic or the garage so that I can stack the crap, fawn over it, fondle it or swoon over it. I have never spent $600.00 in one shot at the grocery store so the idea of that much for $3.98 is a moot point. Darlings, if I am spending $600.00 at the grocery store you can be damn sure that :

1. It's Central Market time baby.
2. There will be MEAT in the buggy.
3. Ditto the above for seafood and chicken.
4. There will be more than one bottle and one kind of wine in the buggy.
5. There will be fresh flowers in the buggy because dammit, I deserve them.

Now, it would be one thing if these folks were donating to a food pantry , church or homeless shelter.
That would rock and I would buy them a beer or 3.

But oh noes...they are obsessive hoarders trying to kid themselves and foil the system in a failed yet again attempt to prove that they are smarter than John Q or Jane Q Public.

They are vulgar in the extreme.

Extreme couponing is the same as hoarding.Hoarding is greedy. It is being a pig.

If it's the buzz you want like beating the house and winning at slots, fine I get that . Donate the food to charity and for fucks sake , be clear on your reasoning.
It's an addiction like any other one.

OCD much ?


Happy Friday Eve everyone.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Dying for Chocolate: Chocolate Rum Balls

Dying for Chocolate: Chocolate Rum Balls: "Yesterday was National Rum Day . I posted a recipe for Chocolate Fudge from a 1941 Ronrico Rum pamphlet of recipes. Definitely worth a try...."

Seriously..go to the linky above and read the blog and recipes....sigh.

I can almost taste the chocolaty goodness.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Obi-Wan Kenobi Is Dead, Vader Says - Galactic Empire Times

Obi-Wan Kenobi Is Dead, Vader Says - Galactic Empire Times

Yes..I read www.galacticempiretimes.com every day because it's that damn dunny and I need all the snark I can get.

Go grab a giggle or three.

You're welcome.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Coming Soon: Margaritaville Coffee ~ Let The Christmas Shopping Bergin !

Coming Soon: Margaritaville Coffee

If I paired this with some of the cakes from Tortuga Cakes , I could knock out a couple gifts or more...OK..yes the OCD is kicking in.

Whilst SU played cards at teh Crazy Cajuns last night , this is what I did ..from 7 to 9 pm.

1. Chip dried food off cats breakfast dishes and clean them.

2. Throw the sheets from the futon in the washer since someone barf'd on them .

3. Feed cats.

4. Start Hotdish.

5.Empty dishwasher.

6. Cook hotdish.

7. Clean all counters.

8. Put sheets in dryer.

9. Clean kitchen floor

10. Cook my scrambled eggs for the week for taco's.

11. Clean kitchen again.

12. Wash up cat dishes and stack them to dry.

At 9 pm I got to see Risoli amd Isles ...so yes..the OCD has kicked in.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

My House Fer Reals !

Just another reason I treasure all my gal pals...Lady Lisa knows that this really is basically my life and she understands that along with our mutual love of kittys, IBKC, steak, seafood, adult beverages, good haircuts and recipes to share.

Go check out : www.dorktower.com

Love ya Sweetie.

Off to roll initiatives..lol.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Arrrr...It's National Rum Day !

Arrrr..y'all !

It's National Rum Day and just a little over a month before " Talk Like A Pirate Day " on September 19'th.

Yes, another wacky holiday that your Aunty celebrates, but then you all know that by now.

One thing I would like to share is a link for rum cake.

Settle down.

Some friends of ours went to the Caymans for their honeymoon and brought back some of these little morsels from the Gods as gifts.

Best damn rum cake you will ever have, and the prices to ship here are not bad at all.

Through the end of the month there is also a 20% offer on the site so go check it out :

www.tortugarumcakes.com

Enjoy the day !

Arrr..er.....Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Dear Mr. Russell T . Davis ~ WTF ~ Again Already ??

Dear Mr. Davis,

Again , WTF ...seriously.

I have been pondering my disappointment of late and have finally isolated it to a few , critical things.

1. Captain Jack Harkness is a leader , you hapless twit ! He stood toe to toe, eye to eye with the Doctor and held his ground. Occasionally he had to give an order to someone at Torchwood, and like it or not, it was obeyed....Both Ianto and Owen may have disagreed and mouthed off but in the end they did as directed because they trusted their leader....Captain . Jack Harkness.

Now that Jack is mortal, did you really think that you were being cute or clever to turn him into some helpless sexual carnivore who cannot focus other than to show off his coat ( " Oh hello, this is my date, Coat...Coat..This is everyone...") while chatting up every available gay man for enough random sex that I swear to God if you make him glitter , I WILL hunt you down .

Where is the man who sacrificed his ONLY grandchild for the greater good of Earth , knowing full well that he had just killed whatever part of his soul that he still retained and any traces of humanity .

Where is the man who mourned the loss of his soul mate and allowed everyone to mourn Ianto in their own way with grace and dignity?

Just because they are in the US doesn 't mean that Jack has lost his autonomy. Stop the smirking and commence with the smacking...starting with either Jilly or Oswald Dane. Either way I am good.

2. Gwen , Oh Gwen .....Darling girl....Where is your moral outrage as you calmly watch the crematoriums burn through the night ?I know that your bonds with your family are critical to portraying the duality between one life and the other , but your reaction was akin to breaking a nail . Are you so overloaded that at this point you don't or can't care ? Where is the woman who was clever enough to slap the cutest pair of ear muffs in the known universe on her child as she Annie Oaklied towards the couple at the front door ?. Quit the perpetual snog -fest with Rhys and get angry ! I did love the bit where you and your C-4 blew the crap out of the joint....nicely framed shot that by the way....BUT :

Gwen, darling girl, you were smart enough to stay off the grid for how long ..a year ? Happily tucked into that lovely patch of Wales, you and farmer Rhys stayed low and self contained. Security wasn't your watchword...it was your blood type. Yes, the world is in chaos, but obviously there are those in charge who are opposed to your position and that of Torchwood..hence all the sneaking in and out and pass codes and swipey the badgey play time .

And yet...you let Rhys and your Mom and Dad and baby gambol about with out any thought to their safety ? When did you leap from rightous paranoia to just plain old stupid and thick ?

Bitch please !

3. Intrepid Esther....Exactly when pray tell did she go from Bambi in the headlights to Lara Croft Tomb Raider ? Yes , earnest is endearing and all that but the gal can't quite grasp that big brother will track her down if she uses her phone to check on her family. Yes..they are a mess..but Esther, darlin...did you do them a favor by making the call that got the kids put in the system ..really ? And now you go all commando ass on Collin..knowing that no one dies,,oh dry those eyes baby girl, the Mabelline is running and it's not your best look..suck it the F up.


4. Rex..You confuse me...NOW you're all TORCHWOOD ???????



Mr. Davies, in conclusion, please pull your head out of your ass and stop fucking this up...there isn't a lot out there to watch as an alternative now that Eureka is tits up.







GRRR.







Aunty Pol

Lumiere Brushes ~ The BEST On The Entire Planet And On Pre-Buy Sale Even !

Happy Monday everyone.

Please check out this website:

http://www.lumierecosmetics.com/

Let me begin by saying that I am in no way associated with this company other than as a repeat customer and I am not being compensated in any fashion by them.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am blessed with an active shopping gene and a husband who knows I have said gene. Luckily for me, SU loves to shop too so it has worked out well for over 20 years.

While I have been known to blather on about " I want this or that , or MUST POSSESS this or that ", as a general rule I do not push my choices at anyone. True, I will strongly and highly recommend something if I use the product already or get a helluva deal..till now.

I am a huge fan of mineral makeup. I have used nothing else for well over 10 years now and have all sorts of brands hidden away like little nuggets of gold...or acorns.Don't laugh , you try to find a matte finish eyeshadow nowadays...when you do it is more than likely that the company will go cease and you are be fret of selection. There are a lot of good lines out there and I buy a lot on Etsy, but makeup itself is such a personal choice , it's like picking out a favorite child or pet..to each their own.

But..brushes...that's another story.

Some gals spend as little as possible on brushes and that is cool. I prefer to buy brushes that I can use over a period of time and can wash .

Yes..I wash mine every week in a clarifying shampoo ( Suave) and dry them out on towels. At the age of 56, I am still cursed or blessed with an oily t-zone. Blotting papers ( Elf is the cheapest btw) and Laura Gellers Matte Maker Invisible Oil Blotting powder are my crutches. I wash my brushes as a matter of sanitation and the simple fact that ANY makeup will build up and gunk up and that is just nasty.

I still have and use my original BE ( Bare Escentuals ) brushes but I have found over the years that with age and use , they shed.

Now the top photo is of my ALL time favorite ( gonna be buried with it )brush..the flat top kabuki. It's non scratchy, a dream to clean, HOLDS it's shape....have you ever had a brush that you washed and the bristles decide to act like they got a bad perm ? Yeah..me too , but this is not the case here. It and the other photo, the long handled kabuki are priced at $6.55 each (regularly $19.00 each ).

TRUST your Aunty Pol here...they are worth every penny.

And I want the travel set too , but first things first.

Rarely, there are weeks when life just gets in the way and the weekly washy falls to the curb. The minute I got the e mail that the annual sale was starting, I decided to at least get a duplicate or 2 of my favorites so that I always have a clean brush to use.

The older I have gotten, the better care I am taking of my skin ( too little too late..yes Mother...I KNOW !) and it makes a difference.

You should read all of the sale guidelines, they are detailed but very fair. You see they place a massive order to get these sale prices and it takes 2 months or so before you receive them..but they are a wonderful company and completely the real deal..no gimmicks or switcheroo's .

Just saying.....

Off to order !

Wheee !

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Friday ~ Bruce Of The Day ! ~

Happy Friday Gang !

Not a whole lot going on this week , I suspect it is the end of summer kind on doldrums that everyone experiences. Other than the rapturous smiles on the faces of parents as they prepare their little tax deductions for the new school year, it's dull as dishwater around the joint.

Yes, it is still hotter than Satan's Underoo's and I have given up on the lawn. We are going to do what we can to save the flowering plants ion the beds but the talking heads in the t slant v are no longer kidding when they say that we may not have any rain till October.

Sigh.

While it's too hot to really cook, the visage of my ample , voluptuous ass indicates that I am in no way in danger of starving..my ambition for the cooking this weekend is no more than cold boiled shrimp and a huge ass spinach salad...and before you think that the world has ended and I have become...gasp...a smart eater..never fear...there will be bread to go with it.

The crazy Cajuns are having a wine pairing at their house tomorrow night which on the surface sounds terribly hoi poloi, but the reality is that they loves them some wine and it is a great excuse to drink fun new wines and eat our weight in nibbles. Our contribution is Knorrs spinach and artichoke dip and some stuffed Japs. While it is not required or requested that we bring a dish, they know us and know we will be bringing the groceries. It will be fun to meet new folks ..always is and so that is the extent of our jam packed social calender...that and laundry and attending to what ever the latest spot of cat urp on the carpet we are gifted with.

Ain't life grand ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol