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.