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

Mini Orange Bundt Cakes ala Miss Frieda

Mini Orange Bundt Cakes

Oh Miss Frieda..you had me at the bundt cake.

Orange.

Bundt.

Cake.

Mini.

Go slap Mr. Linky to see all of the orangey goodness..then drool...then lay your head down on your desk.

I think..I know ...I must get a mini pan for this.

Sigh.

Let the holiday baking begin.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Friday ~ Bruce Of The Day ~!

Happy Friday Y'all.

I chose this particular image of Bruce because it conveys that fact that I am actually feeling less at death's door and more just on death's front porch than I have in literally a month.

The weather did a 360 again over night but since I was already f'd up by the ragweed it didn't do all that much..huzzah.

I have random thoughts in my head of a lot of things that I need to do this weekend..attending to the urpage on le carpet is at the very top of the list but I have all weekend to get it done so I won't kill myself...that and the usual laundry.

I have noticed the beginnings of the holiday crap starting recently but so far I am managing to avoid it ...even though in the back of my brain resides at least 3 recipes for geedunk ( sweets) to make and or bake.

Geedunk was one of my fathers words..I know but it's one I grew up with.

Like Slop Shute = McDonalds or any other fast food emporium especially if they had a drive through.

Zorie = Flip Flops.

Scooch = move over.

There are others that will pop up so brace for impact.

And I have begun Christmas shopping...I know , I want to run screaming off into that good night too.

Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Hot Diggity Damn , It's National Candy Day !

Dying for Chocolate: Heath Bar Truffles: National Candy Day: The other day I posted several different Ways to use Left-over Halloween Candy . Well, today is National Candy Day , and I still have a lot ...

Once again Miss Janet over at Dying For Chocolate comes through.

Dayum, I love Heath bars.

I am on the mend and of course it helped that my local hooch hut got in their seasonal load of Pennsylvania Dutch Brand Egg Nog..fully loaded you bettcha so the holidays may commence .

Bruce of the Day coming up.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

The Way Things Really Are.

If you substitute the word " Cat" for " Toddler" , it really is self explanatory, at least in our house...just ask any one of the feline overlords.

I can't really pick on them because they know that their Mommy has been sick with allergies ( thrice damn'd ragweed) and so they are very ..um...less..feed me , love me, I'm not in your path( except for Andy and he gets a free pass right now ) ....and more .." Oh , you need us in your lap."

I am so tired of being sick.

Now I am at the point of not being as sick as I was and just feel crapp-ish.

Everyone is all whoopydishit about another brief weather change where it you can actually wear a light weight sweater and not die..but give me a break.

Yes , this is nice after the summer of OMG drought we had but please.

When this happened last week is when I got hit with the " Feel Like I'm Fixing To Die Rag", ( Thank you Country Joe and The Fish) .

By the time I got home last Friday after sleeping the whole 25 minute ride home, I washed my face and teeth and crawled into bed by 7:30 pm.

And woke up at 11-ish am on Saturday morning .

Yup.
Fifteen and a half hours.

And felt worse..'

And went was back in bed by 8 pm.

Thankfully , SU did what laundry needed to be done.

I was so bleech that I did not care that the cats had again as is their habit thrown up their food in the dining room and hallway.

That in itself is a minor miracle, but given the fact that I had JUST cleaned the dining room carpet the previous weekend...the fact that I didn't get pissed off briefly as is my custom let me know that I was feeling more than puny.

The hard part is the lack of energy but worse yet is the cough.

I can't seem to get under it.

I'd just gotten over the flu ( 3 days out of the office which is honestly unheard of for me ) and I think that I hadn't really gotten over it completely before the allergies slapped themselves on top of a middle aged body with no resistance.

I had no idea that I had been sick for the better part of the month of October until I looked at the stats for the month on the blog.

Yes, I put up some cute pictures, but not written a lot.

Very few recipes..

Yep..not my best month.

And when the hell did it get to be November ?

I don 't get all giddy about Christmas.

We don't have any bipeds.

And I have struggled with it since my father died 8 years ago this coming January.

But it had been getting better.

I refuse to be sick for the holidays because that will trigger the depression faster than all get out and I don't want to be like that this year.

I tease SU every year because he is the Grinch..but I do really struggle with the holidays.

Basta.

I will get mo bedder .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol