4 For 4 This Christmas

For the first time in a long time all four kids were here at the same time this Christmas. They typically breeze in and out of our place one, two or three at a time but it’s rare to have an opportunity for a group shot. This photo is the best thing I got for Christmas this year. What was your favorite gift?

Color This Fun

What a cool little way to waste time. I saw this here at one of my favorite blogs a few days ago and have fiddle-farted around with it several times since. It’s addictive.

If you like to play with color, give it a whirl.

Caution: This tool has the potential to suck up several hours of your ever-so-valuable time.

Sugared Pecans

My mom returned for the winter last week. She lives just a couple of miles from our place while she’s here, which we love. Anyway, she swung into a roadside place in Georgia on her way down and bought me a mondo size bag of pecans.

If anyone ever buys you a mondo size bag of pecans, I recommend that you do what I did: sugar them.

Sweet appetizers typically don’t interest me, but these are unbefrigginglievable. Our guests couldn’t stop eating them.

In the interest of disclosure I must tell you that I made them on a Sunday, but to me they’re a perfect addition to any Friday Happy Hour.

1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound pecans
1 cup white sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease one cookie sheet.

Whip together the egg white, water and vanilla in a medium size bowl until frothy. In a separate medium size bowl, mix sugar, salt and cinnamon.

Add pecans to egg white mixture and stir to coat them. Remove them and toss them in the sugar mixture.

Spread them out on the cooking sheet. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Be Heard Today ...

Seeing Green

So, remember this project?

We’re almost done. The hanging baskets are up and the flowers in the yard have been planted. Perhaps best of all, we've had perfect weather to sit out and enjoy it all.

You’ll notice that Honey painted the baskets and chains to match the New Avocado patio doors. I’d have preferred to leave them black, myself. Call it a wild guess, but I’m thinking maybe that’s why he did it while I was at work.

I’ll just stash this in the old memory bank and pull it out to get my way the next time we have a difference of opinion on a project.

Our Decorating Faux Pas

I was ashamed to learn the other day that Honey and I have apparently neglected a critical element of home decorating.

Our house has no soundtrack.

According to this article in the New York Times, people are hiring music stylists these days to create a playlist that is in harmony with their home’s décor.

These stylists take the homeowner’s music preferences into account to some degree, but in the end it’s all about finding music that complements the house.

And to think we’ve been so ignorant as to play songs we enjoy all these years.

No wonder our place has never been featured in House Beautiful.

Wishing You A ...

Happy 21st!!!!!

Hawaiian Poo-Poos

It’s hard to go wrong with a Friday Happy Hour appetizer that calls for two of the ingredients to be swathed in bacon. I made Hawaiian Poo-Poos for the first time last weekend and must say they’re really good. They’ve got a pleasant balance of savory and sweet, plus a lot of different textures going on.

My friend Stevi has an outstanding recipe on her blog, Good to be Home, for another bacon-wrapped appetizer. I only made them once because I’m seriously unable to control myself around them. I woke up the next morning and said to myself, “Good god. I ate the equivalent of half a pound of bacon and ¾ of a brick of cream cheese last night!”

At any rate, here's the recipe for Hawaiian Poo-Poos:

2 8-ounce cans of whole water chestnuts, drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup soy sauce
1 pound of bacon, slices cut in half
Pineapple chunks (canned is OK but fresh is even better)
1 cup brown sugar

Direction:

Put soy sauce in a bowl, stir in garlic powder, then put water chestnuts in the mixture to marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Drain marinated water chestnuts. Place a pineapple chunk in the center of each piece of bacon then place a water chestnut on top of it. Wrap the bacon around both and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining bacon, pineapple and water chestnuts.

Put brown sugar in a bowl, then gently toss the bacon-wrapped appetizers in the sugar.

Bake 25 minutes on a rack, then turn over and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

This is what they look like:

A Milestone For Son 3

Son 3 turns 21 on Thursday.

That means his friends are taking him out for drinks tonight at midnight once he’s officially eligible to imbibe legally, and again Thursday night because that’s his actual birthday night, and again Friday night because, well, it’s Friday night, and again Saturday because, well, just because, I guess.

He’s squeezing us in for a family barbecue in his honor at our place Sunday.

Got to say that we’re mighty proud of him. He’s attending college full-time, holding down a demanding part-time job at a swanky restaurant and living on his own with a trio of buddies.

Hard to believe he’s all grown up.

This Is More Than A Trifle Tasty

Here’s a great autumnal dessert. I made it the other day and sent it to work with Honey.

The recipe (although I’ve tweaked it slightly) comes from Paula Deen. I saw her whip it up on TV one Saturday morning a few years ago and thought it was sheer culinary genius and a perfect annual addition to our Thanksgiving dessert table.

Gingerbread Trifle

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; then allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice into the pudding. Crumble 1/2 of the gingerbread into the bottom of a trifle bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. It’s best if you make it a day ahead.

We're So Impatien!

They’re here! Nine gorgeous flats of impatiens just waiting to find their respective little homes in the yard and the various pots on our patio.

The conversation over what colors to plant is typically a lengthy one each fall at our house. We consider and discard several combinations before we hit on one that suits us both.

This year, though, we went back to the ones we planted and loved last fall. It’s a grouping I never would have picked myself, but after it caught my eye at the entrance of a local hoity-toity gated development a couple years back I fell in love with it: pink, purple and orange.

It's going to look sssooo cool.

Next week: geraniums!

A Lesson On Barware - And Life In General

Friday Happy Hour, my friends, is as much about the barware as it is about the alcohol. Socializing is more enjoyable when you’re sipping from a beautiful glass instead of a long-neck bottle or a Tervis tumbler.

We have accumulated, between purchases of our own and gifts from others, some unique glasses over the years. Here’s one of my favorites. It’s a Nachtmann pilsner glass from a set we bought in Germany a few years ago. This picture doesn’t do it justice. The glass is thin as paper and etched with delicate leafy vines. While we were there we also picked up the wine glasses in this same pattern and some fun stemmed cordial glasses that have a look all their own.

We never consciously intended it to be this way but for several years all of these glasses were more decoration than function. We kept them on display in a cupboard with a glass-insert door, but they never got used. Fingers never wrapped around them. Lips never touched their rims.

A few months ago I happened to glance at them and it suddenly dawned on me how sad it was that glasses like these were not holding beverages and being enjoyed. I’ve been making sure to pull them out as often as possible ever since.

So my Friday Happy Hour advice this week is this: Use the good stuff. An empty glass, no matter how pretty it is, is just taking up space.

The whole thing with the glasses got me to thinking about this old Erma Bombeck missive. It's so, so true:

If I Had My Life To Live Over

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love yous" More "I'm sorrys."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute ... look at it and really see it ... live it and never give it back.

Getting Squashed

Reason to love fall number 452: squash.

I picked up a couple of acorn squashes at the market yesterday and baked them tonight. Not only are these things yummy, they’re healthy as well. Here’s the nutrition information for a whole squash. You can pretty much divide these numbers in two if you’re like me and prefer just half a squash at a sitting:

Calories: 172
Protein: 3.4g
Carbohydrate: 44.9g
Total Fat: 0.43g
Fiber: 6.46g
Excellent source of: magnesium (138mg), potassium (1,495mg), vitamin C (47mg), and vitamin A (1,454 IU)
Good source of: calcium (142mg)

Admittedly, my method of preparation is pretty ho-hum. I nuke each squash for about five minutes until it’s soft enough to cut easily. Once it’s cut I put it flesh side down on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. When it’s done I salt and pepper it and sprinkle a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar Splenda on each half.

Here's the finished product:

I can’t believe I hated this stuff when I was a kid.

Friday Happy Hour Quiz

I'm sure you've wondered, as we all have, "If I was a cocktail, would I be a sexy cosmopolitan, a sophisticated martini, a wild and wacky margarita or something altogether different?"

Now you can find out!

One of my friends at work turned me on to this quiz. She's a mai tai, BTW.

Me? Turns out I'm an all-American brewski.

You Are Beer!

You don't need to get totally wasted when you hit the bars. More of a social drinker, you just like to have fun with your friends. And as long as the beer keeps flowing, you're a happy camper. But don't mix things up: "Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker!"

What Alcoholic Drink Are You?

Don't Get Cocky With Me, Mister

Honey had to work Saturday, so by the time I woke up shortly after 7 a.m. he was long gone. I shuffled into the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, took a spoon out of the drawer and stirred in a splash of non-fat dairy creamer and two Splendas. Then I sat down, read the paper and sipped my coffee.

The phone rang just as I was preparing to pour a second cup. It was Honey.

"Hey," he said. "I'm going to stop by Lowe's tonight for some bait and some spray. I found a cockroach in the kitchen this morning."

"AAAAACCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!" I replied. "That's disgusting. Where did you find it?"

Well, blogosphere friends, you probably know where this is heading, right?

Here's his answer: "In the silverware drawer."

OMG, I thought. I drank cockroach poo, or at minimum ingested whatever diseases it was carrying on the bottom of its vile little feet.

Two options came to mind:

A. Vomit

B. Scrub the kitchen until it's so clean that any self-respecting cockroach would leave.

I chose B.

Opened pantry staples were tossed. Every piece of silverware, every dish, every pot, every pan, every, well, every everything was washed. Every surface in every drawer and every cabinet was wiped clean. Then it was all put back together.

Oh, and this has nothing to do with anything but along the way I discovered that in my pantry were five bottles of vanilla; three containers each of baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar; seven envelopes of taco seasoning; and four sets of food coloring.

The scrub-fest was followed by a trip here, where I loaded up a cart with $73.92 worth of impermeable food storage containers.

This is what the pantry looks like now (she said with pride):

What Hue Doin'?

I stumbled across a fun quiz here the other day. The goal is to place all the tiles in order of hue. The lower your score the better you did. I took it over the weekend and was pleased when I came in with a 20. Son Three and his Lovely Girlfriend were over last night and scored 44 and 52, respectively. Honey mopped the floor with all of us with his 4.

Click here if hue want to take it too.

An Oinker Of A Weekend

Feeling a might like my friend to the left here. It was a superb weekend but one full of eating and beveraging.

Self-discipline? There was none.

Our busy Saturday morning started with a fattening breakfast on the run from the drive-through here. The afternoon was a picnic event in a park where the fare was burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chips, cole slaw, soda, etc. etc. That was followed by a virtual appetizer smorgasbord at a house party Saturday evening, then a sinful but yummy lunch here today.

Back on the miserable and stinking wagon Monday for sure.

Pumpkin Beer Is Here!

I've already told you about my irrational compulsion with fondness of all things fall. That's why this week's Friday Happy Hour post is a tribute to autumn beers. They're full-bodied, rich and best of all, they make me feel like I’ve just come inside to relax by the fireplace after raking a yardful of multi-colored leaves in the crisp yet sunny autumn air.

Yes, I know this fixation is not normal, and no, I have not sought professional help.

Back to the beer.

Several brewing companies make Oktoberfest beers. Of these I think I like Sam Adams the most. Others put out harvest ales, and they’re mighty tasty as well.

But the really fun fall beers as far as I’m concerned are the pumpkin beers. They’re just starting to roll out this season. We picked up a six-pack of this one over the weekend but they're all pretty good. Be warned, though, that bad, bad things happen if you drink too much of it:

Going Back To The Office

I've always had a theory that you could study the personalities and relationships in any office in any profession in any city and come up with an award-winning sitcom.

The geniuses behind "The Office" did just that.

Will Jim and Pam's relationship survive her move to New York to attend art school? Will Angela walk down the aisle with Andy even though Phyllis caught her doing the nasty with Dwight in the Season Four finale? Will Michael get back with Jan even though he's not her baby-daddy? And just WTF will become of Ryan now that he's been hauled out of corporate headquarters in handcuffs? The answers to these questions and more will emerge as Season Five unfolds.

So tonight, dear friends, I'll be saying hello to my buddies back at Dunder-Mifflin. Man, I missed them over the summer.

Here's a preview from the season opener:

Baby It's Cold Inside

Not only has our AC been restored, but the repair did not require replacing the 16-year-old system that was original to the house. For less than $250 we are comfortable once again.

How cool is that?

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

Among the laws of the universe that keep the world spinning on its axis is this: Air conditioning only goes out on the weekend.

Our AC went out Saturday and I’m too cheap practical to pay weekend rates to get it fixed.

So stand back, blogosphere friends – I’m about to type a sequence of words I’ve never before strung together in this particular order: I can’t wait for Monday to get here.

Happy Hour Tunes

Happy Hour is more than just cocktails. It’s a state of mind. And the best way to find that state of mind is to surround yourself with just the right music. There are a few artists we love to listen to as we chill out on Friday evening and quietly ponder the week that was and anticipate the weekend to come. Mr. Ray Charles is up there at the top of the list, as are Chris Botti, Dean Martin and a few others.

But if Happy Hour is a precursor to a Friday night party or dinner on the town, something like this number by Kid Rock may be the perfect tone setter. I think I love this song so much because it carries me back to my mis-spent Michigan youth.

Could someone please pass the Boone's Farm?

Son One's Fave

Son One and his Lovely Girlfriend were over for dinner the other night, which meant I had to make Chocolate Raspberry Bars. They're his favorite.

This is what's cool: Each of the offspring has a favorite dish despite my limited culinary repertoire. I already told you about Son Two's menu item of choice here. Son Three loves my nachos, and Son Four is wild over my Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Here's the recipe for the Chocolate Raspberry Bars:

Two sticks softened butter

Two cups flour

½ cup light brown sugar

One 12-ounce bag chocolate chips (divided)

One can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup seedless raspberry jam

Beat butter, flour and brown sugar together with a mixer. Spread 1¾ cups of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 13 by 9 pan and pat it down. Bake it for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

While that's in the oven, mix sweetened condensed milk and half of the chocolate chips in a pan and heat on the stove until blended.

When crust comes out of the oven pour chocolate mixture over it while it's still hot.

Drop spoonfuls of the rest of the crust mixture on top of the chocolate layer.

Drop spoonfuls of jam over that.

Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of that.

Put the pan back into the oven at 350 degrees for another 30 minutes.

Cool before serving.

Patio Countdown

Honey and I go through a ritual every September in anticipation of patio weather, which for us here in Southwest Florida typically arrives around mid-October.

We paint the wall and the doors on the side of the house that’s under our screen enclosure. It feels like a complete patio overhaul and it costs next to nothing. Over the weekend we ditched the Mediterranean mustard wall and the olive doors in favor of a clean, crisp white on the wall and a Valspar green called “New Avocado” on the doors.

I can hardly wait until it gets cool enough to add the hanging baskets.

Brilliant - And So Diabolical

So what happens when your bff starts college and becomes so busy acclimating that he no longer makes time to go for a walk with you in the evening?

If you’re our Aussie Snickers, you tippy-toe into his room when nobody’s around and scour the trash-strewn floor. You nose past the assorted socks, the Madden game from 2003, the flip-flops, the Madden game from 2004, the Algebra textbook, the Madden game from 2005, the cargo shorts, the Madden game from 2006, the iPod charger, the Madden game from 2007 and the remote control for the TV, and you zero in on the item that means the most to him – his cell phone.

And then you chew the crap out of it.

Message received.

Snickers

Son Four's formerly functional phone

Guilt-Free Happy Hour

Since Happy Hour is calorie-free if you're a spectator and not a partaker, here's some Friday Happy Hour entertainment we can all enjoy:

Taking A Big Fall

We’re getting close to my favorite time of year. Being that we live in Southwest Florida we’re forced to create largely artificial autumnal ambience. Here are just a few of the many signs of fall around our place:

The dining room table stays like this until we dismantle it and reset it for Thanksgiving dinner. My Mom sewed the table runner for me a couple of years ago. The rest of these items I've just accumulated here and there over the past few years. I particularly like the little gourd name card holders.

Crafty I'm not. These napkin rings are one of my few projects, actually. When I bought them they were summery green, but I sprayed them brown and then used red, orange and yellow craft paint to autumn them up.

This is the top of a tea cart that sits just inside the front door. There's no mistaking what time of year it is from the second you walk in.

This is a close-up of the napkins atop the tea cart. Some friends gave us these acrylic napkin holders a couple of years ago and I love them. I just switch the napkins out all year long depending on the season/event.

Six of these pumpkin tea light holders adorn the coffee table.

These found a home on the pass-through between the kitchen and dining room. Those are artificial CVS pharmacy leaves in the base of each candle, btw. Before moving south all those years ago I swore I'd never have fake autumn foliage in my house. My, how times have changed.

Three of these votive holders are on the console beneath the TV.

This Is Going To Suck - Update

I’m proud to say that I dusted off my Ana Caban Pilates DVD after this post a week ago and have run through it five times since then. On one of the days I didn’t turn myself into a human pretzel with Ana, I walked great lengths at a couple of local malls – briskly. No browsing allowed. And there was one day - Monday - when I was under the weather, so nothing really got accomplished.

Not an outstanding record, but still not bad for someone who hid her gym shoes in the third grade and told the phys ed teacher her parents wouldn’t buy her any, eh?

The quest continues.

I Love This Room!

Paula Prass is an interior designer, blogger and so much more from Carmel, Ind. I recently happened across her post about a room she just completed in her home. It was so very cool I e-mailed and asked permission to post a few pictures of it here. She graciously said yes.

Now before you scroll down to see the photographs, let me tell you why the room struck such a chord with me. In addition to being unique and beautifully done, it’s another version of my dream room. I wrote about that here in one of my very first posts. Hers is a laundry room/studio while mine will be a laundry room/gift-wrapping room, but you get the idea.

So take a look at what she created. If you like it even half as much as I do you can see more of her projects and design ideas here.

Thanks for sharing, Paula.

To Your Health

Certain things in life shouldn’t be missed, and Friday Happy Hour is one of them. So in light of my efforts to live healthier I scoured the Internet for a refreshing and relatively light cocktail recipe. Here it is:

White Wine Sangria

1 bottle of chardonnay or white zinfandel
1 16-ounce bottle diet tonic water
2 oz brandy
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 orange, cored and sliced
1 peach, sliced
1/4 cup Splenda
ice

Add the sliced fruit, sugar and 2 cups of ice to large pitcher. Muddle slightly with a muddler or the back of a big wooden spoon.

Add the wine and brandy. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Add the tonic water and top the pitcher with more ice. Pour into tall glasses or wine goblets, letting some of the fruit fall into the glass.

This Is Going To Suck

Today marks the beginning of a healthier lifestyle for me.

For months my clothes have been feeling increasingly snug. I’m finally irritated enough about it to take action.

This isn’t going to be easy. I hate physical exertion. I hate perspiring. Why can’t reading burn calories? Why can’t blogging make you trim?

I’ve not devised a specific exercise plan as of yet, but I’m sure it will involve these #*$& shoes.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

BTW - Here is a kindred soul I found on YouTube.

A Bunch For Brunch

OMG – We had 16 people over for brunch today. The oldest was Honey’s 94-year-old grandmother and the youngest was my brother-in-law’s 4-month-old grandson. Three of our guests are German, four live outside Atlanta. The rest are all local, including three of our four kids. It was a blast.

Anyway, one of the items we served was this breakfast casserole, and it was a mondo hit. I found it here, where it’s called Charleston Breakfast Casserole. I modified it based on my tastes and some of the recommendations in the reviews. Here’s the version I wound up with today. I’ll be making this again and again.

Charleston Breakfast Casserole – Sort Of

12 slices bacon
¼ cup butter, melted
3 cups seasoned croutons
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 tablespoon ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon, crumble and set aside.

Melt butter in microwave, spray a 13-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray. Put croutons in bottom of pan, then drizzle melted butter over them. Sprinkle cheese over croutons.

In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, onion, ground mustard and salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the croutons. Sprinkle bacon over top.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Another 2-Ingredient Appetizer

A couple of Happy Hour Fridays ago I shared this two-ingredient appetizer (three if you count the crackers to serve with it).

Well, here’s another one. There’s just a touch more prep work with this (not much) and because it involves fruit and meat it will likely involve a quick trip to the market.

Here’s the recipe:

1 cantaloupe cut into slices
Thin ribbons of prosciutto

Wrap the prosciutto around the cantaloupe slices and secure with a toothpick. Once they're on the platter cover them with a little freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Badda-boom, badda-bing, you’ve got yourself an appetizer.

Pimp My Blog

Just look at this fabulous new header.

My good friend and co-worker J.M. made it for me today. Click, click, click and BAM - there it was. She's an absolute virtuoso with all things related to computers and graphic design. And she's always doing nice things for others. Hence the new header.

So thank you, J.M., for making my little space look blogtastic.

Merry Christmas To Me!

So I was cleaning my dresser the other day and what did I find? The Barnes and Noble gift certificate my brother Jim gave me for Christmas!

I ran right out and bought this Candice Olson book. She is fabulous. She hosts “Divine Design” on HGTV. She also has her own line of lighting and furniture. Every room she does just pulls you in.

Here are a few spaces she has designed. Aren’t they cool?

College Bound

Son Four starts college today.

There were so many times when he and the others were little that I thought they’d never grow up, never tie their own shoes, never stop needing something every 15 minutes.

But it happened. And it happened really fast.

To me he still looks like this – all curled up in a bean bag chair playing video games with the dog on his lap.

This is how the rest of the world sees him: