how about drinking?
Comments
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Sunday Funday! Waking up to a gray and gloomy day but with some breeziness to make for some interesting weather watching. Nothing exciting going on, for which I am very grateful. Mom is pretty much back to her usual self. She'll planning to stuff and cook a turkey, make a pie, the whole Thanksgiving dinner deal. I"ve got to remember to call her and remind her to take the turkey out of the freezer tomorrow to thaw. Hmm. I better make set a reminder for myself on my phone, I inherited my memory from Mom's side of the family, and we're known for inventing the 'I'll put this away right where I can find it when I want it and never seeing it again' phenomonon.
MOmmy—Happy Birthday!
Mallee—We have such a crazy health care system going on. It needs a big change, but I doubt it will happen in my lifetime, unless the whole system totally collapses in next few years, which some industry observers are predicting. How did we get to the point where treatment decisions are being made by reimbursement specialists instead of providers and patients anyway?
Carole—Love the description of the Ol-Fashioned!
Minus—a whole bed of Aloe, Wow! Kalanchoes are beautiful when the bloom, but have a hard time getting them to bloom or keeping them blooming. I think it's just too cold for them around here. I've seen a lot of Passion Fruit juice around but I haven't seen the POG combination. It sounds really tasty. I'm thinking I'm going to look for some next grocery run and add some spice Capt. Morgan and see how that goes down. Wowza to the "The Carroded Hook" that does sound powerful!
MOmmy—glad you had a nice B-day celebration at your Aunt's. And that you found the hangers you needed.
Morning, Reader!
Karen—Glad to hear the eye surgeries are turning out so well! So good it was caught before any damage was done. Narrow angle glaucoma is nothing to mess with. A week with no appointments, that must feel like a vacation!
Rhonda—Welcome to the Hot Tatties Lounge! I think the essentials to stock up on are probably pretty individual based on the tastes of the drinkers. Do you and yours have a favorite that you've bought in the past? That would be a good place to start. Do you like sweet or sour drinks better? Some of the things I've seen in many recipes that you might want to have on hand are simple syrup, bitters, gingerale or ginger beer and fruit juices as mixers, and seltzer water and cola if you like carbonation. Something a friend of mine used to do was pick one base alcohol (bourbon, whiskey, rum, brandy, vodka, etc), get a couple bottles of a good brand, then look up drink recipes using that base alcohol. She would get the ingredients for several of the different recipes, and invite a bunch of friends over for a "Tasting Party." She would mix up the different drinks one at a time, and divide it into shot glasses to taste each one. She usually printed up the recipes for us to take home. It was fun to taste a bunch of drinks without having to worry about wasting ingredients if you didn't like it. After the tasting part we could mix up a full drink of a favorite if we wanted to sip while visiting. Or maybe look at the recipes you have that you want to try and start with those? My favs for this time of year are Eggnog with spiced rum, mulled wine, mulled cider with a shot of rum or citrus flavored vodka.
Bourbon Spiked Mulled Apple Cider
Ingredients
Simply add all ingredients, except for the bourbon, orange slices and apple slices, to a 4 to 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to a low simmer and cover. Bubbles should only rise to the surface every few seconds. Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Stir in the bourbon just before serving. You can also add 1 and ½ ounces bourbon to each glass with 6 ounces apple cider. Garnish with sliced oranges and apples. Strain out any whole spices before serving.
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Rhonda, how about making some Old Fashioned’s the way they re made here in Wisconsin. We use brandy instead of whiskey.
Here is the recipe:
Wisconsin Old Fashioned
- 2oz Brandy
- 2 big dashes of bitters
- 2 sugar cubes
- 1 orange slice
- 3 maraschino cherries
- 1tsp of maraschino syrup
- 7-up
- Ice
Directions
Take your glass and add the orange slice, cherries, sugar cube, bitters, and a teaspoon of syrup from the maraschino cherry jar. Add a dash of 7up and then take your muddler or a spoon and mash all the ingredients up in the bottom of the glass. Pour in your brandy, add ice, and then top off with 7up. Garnish with another orange slice and maraschino cherry.
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My aunt gave me a crystal candy dish for my birthday. I did not expect that.
Forecast here is for snow late tonight into tomorrow.
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@m0mmyof3, happy birthday to you. Crystal is always so elegant. I hope you have a very special day.
I hope everybody has a good day and please all have a drink for me. I am so hanging out for the time when my body will allow me to drink alcohol again. I have tried a few times, but each time I open a bottle, my stomach does a turnover, and not in a good way, so bottle gets closed again - sigh.
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Happy Birthday!!
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ty all
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Twofer Tuesday! Wakng up to sunshine and clear skies when the forecast was for snow today. Now the snow is predicted for a couple hours this afternoon, and may even be rain instead of snow. Not that any accumulation was expected, but boy what a difference a few hours makes in the forecast these days! Snow seems to come later and later each winter. Not that I'm complaining, just reflecting on how things have changed since I was a child.
MOmmy—a crystal candy dish sounds elegant and beautiful!
Mallee—it is so not fair all the thing bc treatment takes away from us. It's bad enough to live with a treatment schedule, but to have tastes change so that enjoyable things are no longer enjoyable is just not right. Hugs.
For MOmmy:
Birthday Cake Martini with Sprinkles
Ingredients
Rim Garnish (Enough for 2)
- 1 tsp Confectioner's Sugar
- ½ tsp Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Nonpareil Sprinkles
Birthday Cake Martini
- 2 oz Vodka
- 2 oz White Chocolate Liqueur
- 1 oz Amaretto
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Sugar Cube
Instructions
- In a small dish, combine the confectioner's sugar and heavy cream, stirring with a small spoon until smooth. Pour onto a saucer or small plate, and the sprinkles onto a second small plate.
Dip the rim of a martini glass into the cream mixture, spinning slowly and tipping the glass to coat the rim. Then immediately dip it into the sprinkles, tilting and spinning the glass so they stick. Let sit while you mix the cocktail.
- Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with ice. Add in the vodka, white chocolate liqueur, amaretto, vanilla extract, and sugar cube. Cover and shake vigorously until the shaker is very cold, about 15 seconds. Strain into the rimmed glass.
Notes
- The ingredients listed for the rim garnish will be enough for two martinis. To make the second, rinse our your shaker, and follow the same steps. You can also multiply the amount of garnish to make even more.
- If you have vanilla vodka, you can use that instead of the vodka and vanilla extract. The balance of flavor may be slightly different, depending on brands.
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Good morning friends!
And Happy Thanksgiving to all here who celebrate. This holiday came up fast but they always seem to. One minute its Labor Day and the next you are square into the holiday season.
Minustwo, I think you asked me if I was away or home when the surprise storm came? I was home fortunately, and did find a couple branches on my desert willow had broken with the weight of the snow, and got those down with my hand saw but still hacking them up to be able to dispose of them. No big weather since then outside of some short stints of rain. No prediction for weather here this weekend but heard up north there may be some snow. Your drinks you mentioned sounded delicious and love the mixed fruit drinks in tropical places, but don't know that one from HI.
Karen- I am glad your surgeries have gone well for the most part. I had my nearsightedness fixed with my cataract replacements in 2019. I was needing distance glasses since the 80s but also starting to need reading glasses too. Now I am just needing the reading glasses and enjoy having a few fun pair with not having the pricey script glasses I paid for year after year. I hope you finish healing and find some fun reading glasses too.
Mommy- happy birthday and glad you are getting settled into your new location and found an onc you like too.
Welcome all the newbees here!
NM- hope your mom is doing better and it seems like your pups love having you home. My sister always says that her pets are waiting for her to come home so they can hang out with her, have her let them outside for fresh air, open cans of food, etc. As they say, a pet may be part of your life, but to them, you are their life. Hope your mom is doing okay after her surgery. We had an older relative in the family who just had to have some help with a gall bladder issue too (she was too old to have it removed, but they took care of the stones). She is back home to her senior living and driving everyone crazy so she must be feeling better.
Made it through four years with this job in late October, and a year away from my final goals to leave the FT work force end of next year if everything comes together. I have not found a 40 hour a week job to be easy to do here in my 60s but took this job during the first year of the pandemic when my consulting work dried up and chose this for the regular paycheck and benefits. My goal was to do this until I am 65 which is coming up in the spring and decided after I began to stick it out to the end of 2025. My project has run a year late but they seem clear now it needs to be done next fall or else so one more year to go when I will be firm with my Medicare enrollment and also fully vested in my employer contributions to my retirement. I am also going to buy a new car before I retire and think I have decided on a Toyota RAV 4. Working on my checklist to be ready!
Speaking of birthdays, I am going to go celebrate my 65th in New Orleans in March. My sister will meet me there and we are doing a five-day trip to enjoy the food, culture and music. I have not been since the 1980s when I was there for a conference as a poor grad student over in TX, and we had so much fun. Now I am looking forward to doing more and different this time. Bonus is that one of my long time friends from back east and her husband will be there at the same time so I look forward to seeing them too. Plans are in the works and since I couldn't get to do anything fun for my 60th the first year of the pandemic (literally everything shut down the week before), I was determined to do something fun for this milestone!
I have a nice four day break coming up starting on Thursday and will be in town for a few days, then heading to Santa Fe Sat/Sun for an overnighter there and some time in the city different. Got some shopping and music things planned, plus maybe a visit to one of the museums too.
Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday this week and back again before the next ones!
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ty all for the kind birthday wishes.
Yesterday really stunk as very few of my family or friends even said anything to me for my birthday. Hubby’s response to it was throwing a greeting card with a gift card at me and a lame “Happy Birthday”. Couldn’t even do anything nice for me for dinner either. After he went to bed I sat in the dark crying at the way the day went.
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m0mmy - double what I said on the other thread. Sorry about the family. Go buy yourself some treat you've really been wanting that's more than triple the gift card.
Jazzy - thanks for the update. Glad to hear you're hanging in with your goal of only one more year. Your NOLA trip sounds fantastic.
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Used the gift card to buy a couple of movies I wanted from Amazon. Told my hubby I need another pot to replant my Christmas cactus in but also more soil. I have that plant but also a pothos that need to be transplanted and the second one I transplanted yesterday that my aunt gave me needs a little more soil in its new pot.
Am I nuts because I like to give my plants names. I have one pothos I call Polly after my late older sister. The star leaf begonia that my aunt gave me I named Mary Ann for her, my Christmas cactus is named Aletha after my late bestie, my Dracena is Andy for my Daddy, my spider plant is Teddy for my late nephew and my latest pothos is Tillie for my maternal grandma2 -
Mommy- sorry to hear about not getting much recognition for your birthday. Been there some years with my family and friends too. It's hurtful. I agree with some recommendations here to do something nice for yourself. I hope things get better as the week goes on.
I like that you name your plants. I don't have kids or pets so I give other things names like my cars, musical instruments but never thought about naming my plants. That begins today!
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Hubby took me out to dinner tonight to make up for the crappy day yesterday.
Glad to be of inspiration.
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Happy belated birthday Mommy , Hope your dinner out was delicious. Love that you name your plants, I’m going to start that too.
And thank you everyone for the drink recommendations and ways to approach it all. Bartending here I come !1 -
Jazzy - thanks - I already have several pairs of fun glasses as I order them online and even with progressive and transition, I only pay about $100/pair. I'm not seeing the best with these glasses for distance so I'm taking them off, but reading is okay. Your birthday plans sound nice. I think I want to do something special for my 70th as that is when I will stop working 4 days/week and just work PRN when I feel like it.
M0mmy - glad your husband took you out to dinner.
I went to see Wicked today. Great movie. DD#2 and I saw the play several years ago. She went to see it last night where she lives. Went by myself as DH didn't want to go - and to try to invite a friend was too much work as you don't chitchat in a movie. By myself was okay. It was part one and at the end it said "to be continued".
Welcome rlschaller.
The mountains are getting hammered with snow. Denver might get up to 3" or nothing tomorrow but it will be cold.
Tomorrow I have to go to Costco to get my hearing aids checked. Sure hope the place isn't a zoo as I need to return something. Not sure there is anything that I need to buy.
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I eagerly read about cataract surgery as tamoxifen put me at increased risk for cataracts…DH finally had his done at 80. He's 84 now and has had zero ill effects from the surgery. I'm 67 and thinking it may be time. I'm reading about the new Spiral lenses that should make reading glasses obsolete, but I know how marketing works. There are some contact lenses being offered with that, so maybe I can do a test.
Having red wine and enjoyed the pizza we had, out with friends, for lunch today. It has been gorgeously gray and cool, fog banks over the water…just a lovely fall. I am hopeful this will be a year of some winter snow. Rare here, but a gal can dream.
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Ugh, got a dreaded eye appointment today to check if I am diabetic, set up by my primary. Gotta bundle up as it’s cold here. Then I have to get a couple of apples on my way home and then making my maternal grandma’s cranberry relish for tomorrow.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Hump DAy! Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Looks like it's going to be a rainy holiday around here, but that's ok. At least we haven't gotten into the subzero cold temps they keep saying are going to characterize this winter.
Jazzy—glad to hear the weather has only brought down a couple of branches. Mom is doing fine, now, pretty much back to her usual self. She's still getting tired quicker than usual and thinks she should be over that, after all, she got over that in a few days after having her appendix taken out and that was a bigger deal than this. I keep telling her she had her appendix taken out when she was in her 30's, and that was half a decade ago, and her body is not going to bounce back as fast now as it dd then. The puppers are happy when I'm home, and are not too unhappy if I go out for a few hours, but for longer times they let me know they are not pleased with me. But like you say, I am a bigger part of their lives than they are mine, even though they are a HUGE part of my life. I found working full time got a lot harder in my 60's, too. Glad your plan for yourself is coming together so well. Getting a new car before retirement sounds like a wonderful plan! Great birthday plans! It must have been so disappointing when everything shut down right before your 60th birthday like it did. Seemed like it was so sudden at the time, but looking back there was quite a bit of craziness running up to the shutdown.
MOmmy—Hugs. How disappointing.
Morning, Minus!
MOmmy—I love the names of your plants! I used to have a bromeliad I named Fertile Myrtle because she budded so many baby plant all the time. And glad Hubby stepped up and made an effort.
Rischaller—please let us know how your bartending experience goes!
Karen—does Costco do a good job with hearing aids? Mom needs to replace hers and I'm trying to find out where is best to go for that.
Wally—thanks for mentioning the Spiral lenses. I'm getting tired of having one contact correcting for distance and the other for near vision, maybe this will be something to try.
The Frozen Turkey Cocktail
Ingredients
- I pint container Häagen-Dazs butter pecan ice cream
- 1 oz Wild Turkey bourbon
- 1 oz Amaretto
caramel sauce
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cream
- pinch of salt
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
Make the caramel sauce by mixing the sugar, cream, butter and salt in a saucepan and heating to a simmer. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil for about 3 full mintues. Be careful not to let the mixture boil over, as it will foam up in the pan.
Pour the mixture into a heat safe jar, and let cool. It will thicken as it cools.
For the cocktail, scoop the the ice cream into a blender, along with the bourbon and the amaretto. Blend until it reaches your desired texture. I like my cocktail to be on the thick side.
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NM, YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…you had me at Haagan Daz!
If you try the spiral contacts, report back, please.Mommyof3, hope your eye exam goes well. If you are not diabetic (blood value check) then things should go well. Best to you.
I bought a late harvest reisling (chte. st. michelle) that DH doesn't mind (he's not a huge drinker and prefers sweeter stuff; bet he would love that drink, NM!). I'll stick with my red wine.
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Kim - this is my second pair of HA from Costco. I've had these for going on two years, the other pair 5 years. They clean them for free, adjust them as needed, hearing exams are free, 2 year warranty (for loss or damage) etc. My last pair, I lost both HA but not at the same time and each one was replaced once. Thankfully I haven't lost any since. I find their prices quite reasonable. They carry 3 different brands and we know that each brand/type doesn't work for everyone. I have Rexton which is who made my first pair from Costco which were Kirkland brand. My hearing is pretty bad in my right ear and even with HA, I struggle to hear in that ear. The HA make a big difference for my left ear. I have rechargeable which I prefer over battery.
It's snowing here and cold. The mountains are getting dumped on! Great for the ski areas.
DH is at cardiologist for a stress test. His doc wants them done every 4 to 5 years. We don't expect any issues. Next Tuesday he has his 5 year colonoscopy. First appointment of the day at 7:00am so we have to be there at 6:00am. Thankfully it is only 10 minutes away.
Going to putter in the house this morning and again this afternoon. I will save the cooking tomorrow as I really don't have much to cook - it's just DH, DS and me. 1/2 turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin and pecan pies. I use pre-made pie crusts. We will eat it again Friday night with one new vegetable, so really cooking for 2 meals.
Friday or Sunday I'm going to go to the Apple store. I really need to update my phone and I want to get an iPad to replace my computer - computer is from 2015 and is my son's. The Apple store are so NOT hard sell. the gal asks me why I want to upgrade my phone. They don't try to up sale you. I was thinking of getting an iPhone 14 but after looking at the specs DH said to go with the 15 as he likes the power cord. I have an XR that is at least 6 years old - maybe 7. It's in great shape, but the battery doesn't last all that long. The reason for going now and getting both is Apple is giving gift cards with purchases Friday - Monday that you can use toward the purchase. I was only going to get either the phone or the iPad, but $50 to $75 gift card is worth getting both now. MY educator discount is not that much.
Have a great day.
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@nativemainer, OMG - I shall dream of the Dotd. Just reading the ingredients made my heart sing. I hope everybody has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I cannot help but wonder how a buttery and crumbly biscuit (Aus)/cookie would go with that drink. I am already having ideas. Mmmmmmm
In everybody's pockets with support and homebaked treats.😎
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Eye appointment went well. No sign of diabetic issues, vision has changed a bit, so new glasses soon and the found a shadow of a cataract, but not bad enough to warrant surgery. It will be monitored. All in all, was good but it looks like I am joining the bifocal crowd.
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Eyes finally settled down overnight.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Saturday! Here's a little Thanksgiving story for your entertainment:
Thanksgiving this year? Oh, it was a masterpiece of culinary chaos—equal parts comedy, tragedy, and a dash of paprika. It all started with Mom losing her phone charger. Without her lifeline, her phone died, and with it, apparently, any memory that the day before Thanksgiving is kind of important for, you know, pie-making and stuffing prep.
I didn’t hear a peep from her all day until her neighbor called me that evening to say, “Hey, your mom’s spiraling.” He handed her his phone, and I managed to talk her down. Thankfully, he lent her a charger. Crisis averted—or so I thought.
Thanksgiving morning, I arrived bright and early, full of optimism and caffeine, only to find Mom had tossed the bread we’d bought for stuffing. She thought it was moldy. Spoiler: it wasn’t. The actual moldy bread was still sitting smugly in the cupboard. Strike one.
Then came the great produce hunt. Mom swore she couldn’t find the potatoes, squash, or onions. I scoured the kitchen before expanding my search to...her craft room? There they were, nestled among yarn and glitter glue. As for the turkey? Oh, that was chilling in her bedroom closet like it had been caught sneaking out after curfew. Strike two.
By then, it was clear the turkey wouldn’t make it to the table by lunchtime, and snow was forecasted to start early afternoon. Mom’s aversion to me driving in anything stronger than a light breeze sealed the deal: Thanksgiving dinner was rescheduled for Friday.
I went home, ready to regroup, only to have my power knocked out overnight by the snow. Heavy, wet, branch-breaking, Thanksgiving-ruining snow. No problem, I thought—Mom has power. So, off I went, armed with replacement bread and an “I’ve got this” attitude.
When I arrived, she had the squash and potatoes simmering, which seemed promising until I spotted her wrestling with a can of pumpkin puree. I stepped in, mangled the can further, and eventually liberated the puree. Then came the recipe transcription project: Mom couldn’t read the tiny print, so I dictated while she rewrote it in letters big enough to see from space.
Somewhere in the chaos, she nearly added sugar twice, actually added a tablespoon of ginger instead of a teaspoon, and turned the pie into a spicy, gingery enigma. Then, the pièce de résistance: her whipped cream. She lovingly whipped it to perfection—before seasoning it with salt instead of sugar. Because apparently, we needed savory dessert toppings now.
By the time we sat down, it was more “lupper” than lunch. But hey, we finally had turkey, stuffing, potatoes, squash, gravy, cranberry sauce, peas, and a respectable glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It was delicious. Well, most of it. The pie? Let’s just say it’ll live in family lore forever as “The Great Ginger-Salt Pumpkin Incident of 2024.”
Bonus: I got to take home a bunch of leftover turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce, so I can have my favorite Day After Thanksgiving sandwich. Except that the power was still off when I got home. Blessedly, it came back on a little before midnight last night. In the meantime I was plenty warm snuggled up in bed with Colt and Zoe.
Wally—I'll let you know if I try the contacts. Glad you like the DOTD!
Karen—thanks for the info about Costco hearing aids. Rechargeable sounds better than battery operated to me, too. I remember struggling with those tiny batteries when I worked in the nursing home, and I know Mom would struggle even more. Wishing DH good luck with the colonoscopy. I"m glad to be old enough to opt out of that fun time! Nice gift card deal on the Apple products. You definitely get some good use of your techy toys.
Mallee—Glad you are enjoying the DOTD! I love it when people add to the recipe.
MOmmy—so good to hear the eye appointment went well! Welcome to the bifocal club. It takes a little getting used to, but that doesn't take long.
Teka—LOL!
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Salty Dog
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin or vodka
3 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
Garnish: salt rim
Garnish: grapefruit slice
Steps
- Wet the rim of a highball glass and dip it in coarse salt.
- Fill the glass with ice, then add the gin (or vodka) and grapefruit juice and stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
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DD and I went to a potluck at the neighborhood center where I used to live. Lots of good food and friendly people. We sat next to a woman talking about breast cancer. I recommended this site and I think she’ll try it out
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We had a small Thanksgiving - just the four of us and my Dad. The kids made nachos and pigs-in-a-blanket, DH made stuffed pork chops and stuffed potato skins, I made kheer, and there were store-bought extras. Before I went shopping, I reached out to my Dad to see what he wanted to bring. Unfortunately, the message went to his iPad instead of his phone (he has an android, the rest of us are iPhone, and iMessenger doesn't always play nicely with his OS), so he didn't see the question until the next day. That was Wednesday, and he replied, "Oh, well all I have on hand are some pears. If I'd had more warning, I could have picked something up, but it's too late. I guess I could bring some pies. Would store bought be ok?" "It's ok, Dad. We already have pies, and there will be plenty of food regardless."
Now mind you, my Dad is a very good cook, and the upcoming holiday wasn't a surprise. I don't know why he suddenly thought that we wouldn't want something he made. And it was Wednesday afternoon. The grocery stores were open and eager to accept money for last-minute purchases. Perhaps since retiring, he doesn't like cooking for more than one person? If so, he hasn't said anything about his change in heart. He always seemed to have enjoyed it before. We had a lovely dinner, but bless his heart.
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Kim - my DH and I are both older than you. And no opting out of Colonscopy. We are both on the 5 year schedule. At my last one in 2022, the GI doctor noted that I was high risk. The prep is a royal pain, but to us so worth it as if there are polyps, they can be removed before they turn into cancer. WE have both had polyps, DH more than me. Okay - off my soapbox. Glad you turkey dinner turned out well on Friday.
The week of went by so quickly. But only 3 weeks till winter break!!!
I don't like shopping in the stores, so all mine is done on Amazon and I have spent more than enough - on me. A couple new winter beanies, new mittens and then we now order vitamins etc on Amazon. I needed more artificial tears and ordered online. Better price and more convenient.
Wren and Mirianda, sounds like both had a nice Turkey day.
Well, I'm getting to fall asleep at the computer. Sweet dreams
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Sunday Funday! Not much going on around here today, just going to enjoy the sunshine and ignore the cold. I've got to get up early tomorrow to take Mom down to the graveyard so she can put wreathes on Dad's, her Mom's, and 2 of her sisters' graves. Have to get an early start in order to get back home before dark, which right now means before 4 peeyem. It's a 2 hour drive each way, and Mom will want to make some stops along the way, so it will end up being a bit of a tight timeline. She particularly wants to check out the place she last bought a live Christmas tree from, years ago, as it had the best prices. She wants a live tree this year, and is looking for a tabletop size one. I think she'll be in for some sticker shock, the last tree she bought was a full size one and she paid around $10-$15 for it, and I'm pretty sure it will cost a lot more now even for a table tip size tree.
Yesterday while I was rummaging around in the garage I came across a box of wines that I didn't recognize. Opened it up, and it's a wine Advent Calendar! I don't remember ordering one for this year. I wonder if I ordered it when it first was available for order and forgot, or if I ordered two last year but didn't open it. Anyway, I'm bringing it into the house today and plan to enjoy one each evening. Let the festivities begin!
Wren—Potluck dinners can be so much fun! So can church sponsored Bean Suppers. I kind of miss going to Bean Suppers with Mom and Dick, even though I don't really like the beans usually served. To me they always seemed to be undercooked. But there were always other things like mac & cheese or chicken or tuna casseroles that I really liked. Yes, I am one of those weird people who actually LIKES tuna casserole! I hope the neighbor you were talking with finds this site and finds it helpful.
Miriandra—Your Dad sounds a bit like my Mom several years ago. Cooking for one Isn't her greatest joy, but she always enjoyed cooking for family and for holiday meals. After she retired, and more so after she moved into her own apartment, she's had more trouble keeping track of time--as in day of the week, and more recently what month. I doubt he thought you wouldn't want something he made. What helps my Mom quite a bit is a clock that shows the day of the week and date along with the time and showing morning, daytime, or night time. If I may ask, how old is your Dad?
Karen—I opted out of the 5 year colonoscopy/upper endoscopy after talking with my PCP. Factors playing into my choice include not being at high risk for colon cancer, and despite being at high risk for esophageal cancer, I would not consent to any of the treatment options currently available to me. I just cannot go through the work up and treatment process knowing it would only make a difference of a few months and likely totally destroy any quality of life. I realize the risk I'm taking by opting out. For me, there just isn't enough potential benefit to make going through the preps and procedures (I have to do double preps because I throw up so much of the drink, and last time I ended up with esophageal bleeding from the vomiting). Isn't Amazon amazing for just about everything? I'm not a big fan of shopping either, except for grocery shopping. I like Amazon's subscription service for some of the things I use regularly. I love being able to order stuff for Mom and have it delivered right to her place, too.
Black-beery Whiskey Smash
Ingredients
¼ cup fresh blackberries
Juice of ½ lemon
6 fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons raw sugar
2 ounces bourbon whiskey
2 ounces wheat beer
For garnish: (optional)
Blackberries
Mint sprig
Instructions
- Muddle fresh blackberries, lemon juice, mint leaves and sugar in a highball glass. Stir in the whiskey. Add ice (crushed if possible) and top with wheat beer.
- If you’re feeling fancy, cut a wooden skewer so that it’s slightly taller than your glass. Thread 4-5 blackberries onto the skewer and add it to your cocktail along with a sprig of fresh mint.
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