Making Brownies

Here is the conversation from tonight between Andrew and myself:

A: Now that dinner is over, I want to have something sweet like cake or something.

M(e): Well, I don't have any mixes in the cupboard & I'm not going to the store.

A: But there has to be something...I see pancake mix, can we make something with that.

M: Doubtful. Go grab my computer will you.

A: Here it is mom...what are you searching?

M: Allrecipes to see if there is a brownie mix or cake mix that I have the ingredients in-house to make.

A: My Grandma's Brownies: That one looks good.

M: Nope, requires bar chocolate, I only have cocoa powder...let's keep looking. Here's one, Mmm-good Brownies. I think I have all those ingredients.

A: I'll get the bowl out. I've got the aprons, here's yours mom. Do you need the mixer?

M: Would be nice, but remember we burned it out last week making Christmas cookies. We are really going to have to make it old fashioned...mixing with a spoon.

An hour later....
A: Are they ready to eat....can I eat it now...can I have two! Do we have ingredients to make more?

White Elephant

So, this weekend is the annual Christmas party of local Phi Gamma Tri Deltas and we are suppose to have a White Elephant exchange.

If I recall from watching a version of the King and I...I think it was the one with Jodie Foster...White Elephants are rare and sacred and the sign of power in a monarchy.
According to Wikipedia, a white elephant is an idiom for a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth.

So, with that in mind, how has this tradition become more of a gag-gift of sorts. As I dig into my "treasures" to find the perfect gift, I realize there are many things that are my true White Elephants....a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose......which is why I still have it in my possession. There are some things that I should have brought with me to California last year as the white elephant event there. These items would be meaningful to my real sisters, not my sorority sisters.

Since we did a big "Clean Sweep" when we finished the basement, the collection of "stuff" just hasn't added up yet....I better keep digging!

Allergy-Related Bronchitis

So, on Monday, I head down to the Big Metropolis of New Bremen, Ohio to attend my aunt's funeral, making it an all-in-one day. While at the "after service" luncheon, I start developing a tickle in my throat. By the time I get home around 6 pm, it's now just a little cough or clearing of the throat. By the time I go to bed, I'm hacking up a storm and just miserable.

I get into the doctor Tuesday morning as I don't need to spend another 2 months getting over my allergy-related bronchitis as I did all summer and this week is a busy week on the calendar. I'm at a new doctors office as we had a change in insurance, and not only did he look down my throat, they ran blood work, cultures, swabs down my throat & up my nose, chest x-rays, had a pregnancy test due to x-rays (obviously being OTR wasn't good enough), and provided me with 6 prescriptions. Of course my first comment was: I'm just here for bronchitis; my second comment was: is my insurance covering all this, because I'm not.

Outside of Motrin & the occasional Tylenol PM, I tend not to take drugs, so then I'm at the pharmacist chatting up a storm on the potentials of being overdosed. She assured me, I'd be okay, as two of them are more optional: the inhaler & the Robitussin D, if the symptoms are bad.

I'm use to my other doctor telling me to take Mucinex, a decongestant of choice, & nose spray. But then again, I couldn't kick it this summer for 2 months, maybe the new doctor has a better plan.

So, I get home glad to know it wasn't H1N1, any other flu, didn't have strep (not that my throat hurt), and it was exactly what I thought, allergy-related bronchitis, but I was still trying to deduce what was the initial cause. Did the farmland of America really play around with my seasonal allergies. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm. It had just rained the night before. Was it my brother's dog? Never bothered me before. I personally think it was the manure smell by the cemetery myself. I think that's something I should avoid for all purposes in the future!

Best bonus from all the drugs: when taken in the right sequence, I'm inclined to take a really nice morning nap....my pillow is calling...be back and moving around 10:00 :)

The Pie's Have It

Baking day for me....pumpkin roll, sweet potato pie, and apple pie aroma all fill my kitchen and the house.

I also got the cranberry sauce made and must say, it is fantastic! I can't wait to have it with my turkey.

The sausage/rice stuffing is complete and that is also might tasty.

How am I going to make it to tomorrow with all these fabulous items within reach?

Tomorrow I've got the turkey, regular stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, sweet potato casserole, gravy, & rolls...did I forget something?

Sad to say, only one green item on the menu!

To Market, To Market

To market, to market to buy a fresh turkey, Home again to dry it into jerky...

Or really to figure out how to get it to thaw in 2 days....why are they still frozen at the market! Don't they know Thanksgiving is in 2 days!

On my list of Thanksgiving preparation for Richard's family to join us on Wednesday evening sometime, today was my market day, so I can have everything as fresh as possible without waiting until the last moment....which would be Wednesday. That day is saved for other tasks :) For some reason, everyone else in Rochester Hills thought the same thing. Krogers was busy, Costco was busier. Doesn't anyone work anymore. You would think that hitting Krogers at 9 a.m. would offer the convenience of a little alone time in the market...nooooo...I'm there with all the other SAHM that just dropped their kids off at school. Which was again me!

Today was a special day for Andrew. He was allowed to wear PJs to school today...but only for elementary school. So, he heads over to middle school at 7 am for his math class, and somehow convinced me to pick him up after at 8:45 so he can change, but he needs to be back at elementary school at 8:55 because he is in charge of doing the news this week & next week.

Of course my comment last night was to pack his PJs and change at school, or wear his bottoms under his blue jeans and just drop trou when he gets to school. Noooo that wouldn't work. Instead, I'm on a time table at the gym to make sure I leave by 8:30, so I can get to WMS, pick Andrew up, get home, he changes while I make second breakfast for him (bagel to go), then off to Long Meadow to start the next part of his day.

After rushing back to school, I finally get to go to the market to start my shopping experience. Back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth once more. I think I finally have everything to last at least until Friday when I'll need more bread & salad!

Now I'm ready for Wednesday...bank, post office, orthodontist, make pumpkin rolls, and clean bathrooms (again)...oh and another load of towels.

New Moon - The Movie

http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

As I patiently awaited the Twilight Series movie of New Moon, which I read in January, it finally was released on Friday, so we waited until Sunday to see it. So, Michal, Kaitlyn, Emma, Emily, Andrew, & I all headed over to Forum 30 to drool over Rob Pattinson, & Taylor Launter...or at least I did. I tell you what, for being 16, Taylor Launter did what he had to do to assure his continuation from Twilight to New Moon....he's pretty buff!

Now, I was the only one that had read the book and I really wonder if people that haven't read it "get it". I obviously got the movie. I wondered if Emily fell asleep as she was looking pretty relaxed in her chair. Andrew thought there was too much kissing. I, of course, didn't think there was a enough as the movie is about a romance.

So, now I'm waiting to see if others want to see it...as I'm a Twilight fan and would see it again.

Bummer, I have to wait until next year for Eclipse!

Dumped by Mindy

So, I'm hosting my monthly workshop and Mindy brings up the fact that she's dumping my blog as I haven't updated anything in 5 months...so here I am, back on track so I don't get dumped by Mindy!

In my life, I've been dumped by boyfriends, dumped the clothes in the laundry room, dumped the wheel barrel full of leaves into the fire pit, but don't think I've ever been dumped by a close friend!

So, as I try to pride myself to not having to be told something twice, I'm back on track so I can be in Mindy's Top 5 blogs to read section of her followings :)

Message to Mindy: I'm down on my knees, please don't delete me out of your life :)