December 2010 – Chocolatechic

December 31

The eve of the new year.

When I reflect back over the last 12 months I conclude that I am so very, very, very, very, very glad that this year is over.

Seriously.

This has been one very awful year.

To celebrate I’m ~~getting all liquored up~~ cooking Beef Daube with FFwD.

Beef daube means beef cooked in wine.

And you throw in some onion, garlic, carrots, and parsnips.

Pothole doesn’t know what a parsnip is either…well, I could be wrong because I didn’t look to hard.

Because parsnips??? ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.

I bet my Grandma Teal loved parsnips.

You cook this wonderfulness covered for hours, and the wine tenderizes your tough cut of beef.

Because it is baked for so very long the alcohol is all cooked out and you are left with a very flavorful stew like dish that you can serve with rice, or mashed potatoes, or noodles, or you can do what I did and just scoop it into a bowl and eat.

This is a poor mans dish, but it tastes like it should be served in a 4 star restaurant.

Happy New Year everyone.

May next year be better for us all.

Amen and amen!

December 30

Look Internet!

We finally have peace on Earth…well…our little piece of Earth anyway.

December 29

Christmas this year was just a little different.

It is the first year that I didn’t have all my family under one roof.

It was strange.

After breakfast, everyone usually settles in and looks over their booty.

This year, Superman looked at the back of his eyes.

At least someone stayed awake with me.

Around 11ish the Boy and his Wife came over for lunch and to do Christmas with us.

It was great!!!

After they left, more looking at booty.

Or not.

I guess I’m the only one that got booty.

December 28

Hello Tuesday’s with Dorie.

Guess what?

I have a post.

I got up at 4am to make my TWD, but I pinky swore and my word is my bond.

Today we were allowed to choose a rewind recipe. That means we can do a recipe that has already been chosen. It might be one that we want to eat again and again or one that we might have missed.

Mine is one that I missed.

Snickery Squares.

They are so delicious. Only they taste like a Twix with nuts…so we could call them a Snix or a Twickers. Irregardless they are fabulous!

Whoever coined the phrase “Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what girls are made of” hit the nail on the head.

See, ~~women~~ sugar is sweet and tastes great…but…

If you are not observant, attentive or patient, sugar will turn. on. you. in a heart beat.

It can go from deliciously smooth and rich to burnt and bitter in a matter of seconds, and I have heard that a woman can too.

Not that I know anything about that at. all.

Dad, stop shaking your head.

So the moral of the story is don’t let your ~~women~~ sugar go unattended for any amount of time.

Not even to go to the bathroom.

Just sayin’.

December 27

Hello Monday after Christmas.

I am nosy.

I want to know something that you got for Christmas that you really treasure.

I got a lot of great gifts, but the one gift that I treasure is a picture of the boy and his wife.

December 26

I am thankful.

Very thankful.

I’m thankful for

♥ Family to enjoy Christmas with. I got a card in the mail from a woman that I have know for years, and she told me that her husband had passed away on Thanksgiving. Tango, I am so very sorry for your loss. So many losses this year…it is heartbreaking.

♥ Gifties. I heart my gifties.

♥ New cereal bowls to eat my rice crispies in.

How about you?

December 25

Happy Birthday Jesus.

Merry Christmas everyone.

December 24

It is Friday, Internet.

Not only is it Christmas Eve, but it is time for FFwD.

As a 9-10 year old I had just learned what “take a leak” meant, and when you are that age, any kind of potty humor is just beyond funny.

Around that time, we had gone over at my Grandma and Grandpa Teal’s house.

Now my dad’s parents were very proper and practical.

Grandma especially.

We were over there for supper and she had made some potato soup.

The Mother asked her how she made it.

Grandma said “well, you take a leek and put it in the pot”.

It was at that moment I think the Mother wanted to die because I thought it was hysterical. I laughed. I laughed loud and long.

The adults were not amused.

When I read that we were making Leek and Potato soup, I immediately thought of my Grandma.

And how much I am like her.

Practical, frugal, a place for everything and everything in its place.

I did make a few substitutions.

1. Pothole does not know what a leek is, (snicker…bwahahahahaha) so I used extra onion.

2. Chocolatechic did not have russet potatoes, so she used fingerling ones instead.

And cream.

Heavy cream.

Grandma Teal would have used water. She was a product of the Great Depression.

This soup was just so good I could have eaten it till I exploded.

I will be making this again and again and again…thinking of my Grandma every time I do.

I miss you Grandma.

December 23

I think I have told you before how when Sister and I were little, in the wintertime the Mother would send us outside ahead of the Dad before he would run to the grocery so we could “sneak attack” him with snowballs.

Little did we know that it wasn’t a “sneak attack” at all.

Dad knew.

Harumph!

I have never warned Superman.

Why ruin a good sneak attack?

I fear though that I have failed in a few areas of the “sneak attack” lessons.

1. You don’t bring a ~~knife~~ silly string to a ~~gun~~ snowball fight, and

2. Retreating is smart.

December 22

Every year when Superman and the chips/chip go to pick out the Christmas tree, I beg…beg…beg them to please, please, please pick out a smaller tree.

And every year they come home with a ginormous monstrosity.

This year was no exception.

Superman ended up cutting off almost 3 feet of trunk just so it would fit.

THREE FEET.

I want a smaller tree for several reason.

1. We don’t have enough ornaments for a huge tree.

2. Our house is small, and therefore there isn’t. room. for. a. huge. tree.

3. It is exhausting work decorating such a large tree.

December 21

Hello Tuesday.

Hello Dorie.

This past month I have been an epic failure at TWD.

Epic.

This week we were supposed to make Cardamom Crumb Cake.

Jill of Jill’s Blog picked today’s recipe.

Tanya of Chocolatechic did not make the recipe.

I told you, epic failure.

Next week, however, I will no longer be epic or a failure because I will be posting a TWD.

Pinky swear.

December 20

Hey there Internet!

How have you been?

I have been busy.

I am nosy. Exclamation point.

What I want to know today is…

Is there anything that you would absolutely go digging through the trash for? and is there anything that you’d just get another one because digging through the trash…ewwwwwwwwwww!

December 19

Today I am thankful.

I am thankful for…

♥ Family. I spent a wonderful 5 hours with Superman’s family yesterday and I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.

♥ Cookies. They make a wonderful supper.

♥ Superman. He has been working so very hard lately.

♥ My parents. They mean the world to me.

December 17

Before I get out of bed every morning I mentally make a loose schedule of the day.

I thrive on the schedule.

Yesterday morning was no different.

I was going to go to the grocery store to get the stuff for my FFwD, eat some breakfast, do my chores, go to a doc appointment, and make My go to Beef Daube.

Well, I went to the grocery around 7am.

Ate some breakfast.

Came home, did chores, went to the doc appointment, and that is when the schedule decided to deviate.

One of the girls friends came over and they needed driven somewhere, and by the time I got home, I didn’t have 2½ + hours to make Beef Daube.

Today my loose schedule consists of

☺ Making Beef Daube

The end.

December 16

Dear wrapping paper company,

You are genius!

Signed,
cutting wrapping paper beautifully now

December 15

So the girl and I have been baking up a storm.

And the family has been eating the baking as fast as you can say yummmm.

It is a good thing that Oreo Balls are so quick and so easy to make.

First you grab a package of Great Value Oreos and dump them in a food processor.

Then you take a package of cream cheese and cube it.

Add that to the food processor.

Whiz till thoroughly mixed.

Scoop into balls and put in the freezer.

Drive to the next town over and watch Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Eat a very disappointing meal at Golden Corral.

Come home.

Talk about how great the movie was and complain about how awful the meal was.

Send Superman to work.

Nuke some almond bark, and keep warm with a heating pad.

And within 2 minutes you can eat them.

Not only are these delicious, but they are so easy that little ones can make them.

PS. Go see Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but don’t eat lunch at Golden Corral. You’ll be disappointed.

Decebmer 14

Today is Tuesday.

And therefore I’m supposed to be posting my rendition of the Apple-Coconut Family Cake that Amber of Cobbler du Monde picked for us today.

Again, I didn’t make it.

I didn’t make it because the girl and I have been busy with the baking of the thumb print, the peanut blossom, the Russian Tea Cakes, and the Oreo balls.

The oven said if you stick one more thing in me, I quit.

December 13

Good Monday morning Internet.

This sign says it all for me.

Today is Monday and I am nosy.

What’s the worst thing about really bad snow storms?
What’s the best thing about really bad snow storms?
What’s your favorite (be honest!) way to pass the time when the power’s out?
In what ways are you always prepared for a bad storm?
What’s your favorite song with the word “snow” in the title?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guess what we got all day yesterday…

1. The worst thing about a really bad snow storm is that I feel trapped at home.

2. The best thing about a really bad snow storm is everyone being trapped at home and hot chocolate.

3. When the power is out, I like to read, or sleep.

4. I used to live out in the country and the electricity went out on a regular basis. I have all sorts of things to be prepared for any kind of storm. Propane stove, extra propane, hurricane lamps, canned goods, etc. The only thing I don’t have is bottled water.

5. I do not like snow, so I have no snow favorite song.

How about you?