Dackel Princess

Friday found me attending a meet-n-greet for Texas Governor, Rick Perry’s wife. Mrs. Perry is a really nice person, who spoke well, and really charmed everyone in attendance. Heck, too bad she is not running for office, I would definitely vote for her!

From left to right is yours truly, Mrs Perry and our State Senator and my friend, Jeanie Forrester.

I’ve never been one to publicly endorse or proclaim who I am voting for. In fact, I am still unsure at this point who I will vote for in our Primary, but I do enjoy meeting new people.

I saw many old friends, made a few new ones and met many young kids who are working on the campaign. We also had two handsome Secret Service Agents protecting Mrs Perry. I was glad they were there, but isn’t it a shame we need that sort of protection? I mean, it’s sad that people can’t behave in a civil manner, when they disagree.

I’ll let you know if I attend any other events! Have a good weekend!

Friday Fill-Ins

And…here we go!

1. In November, I most look forward to My birthday and Thanksgiving, which are separated by a week.

2. The novocain wore off and the pain wasn’t too bad…phew!

3. It’s right there, in the madness and mayhem that I call home.

4. My faith in God gives me peace of mind.

5. Water great to swim in, bathe in, wash in and cook with, but please don’t ask me to drink it.

6. “There is no problem that a good cup of tea can’t solve” is what my grandmother used to say!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to relaxing a little after a busy week, tomorrow my plans include the usual, laundry and Sunday, I want to take Greta and go for a walk!

Thursday Thirteen~~Comfort Food

Scav Sat

November! Really? November? Somehow I cannot believe that we are nearly through 2011! It I recall, we just started the year the other day. Now here we are, in November, the month of my birth and the month of the Turkey Bird! But as I wrap up the last quarter of the year, I thought I’d look back and share with you a recipe I like to make when I am in dire need of comfort food. Now this is not WW food. But it is comfort food.

Choose a medium-sized pasta with grooves, twists and/or curves that will hold a maximum of the cheese sauce. Varieties such as macaroni, gemelli, radiatore, rotini, shells or fusilli are ideal. You can skip the onion/bay leaf/peppercorn infusion for the béchamel sauce to save time; it adds a subtle layer of savory flavor to the dish.
* 2 ½ c (9 ounces) dry pasta
* 2 ½ c whole milk
* 1 slice onion
* 1 bay leaf
* 4 T unsalted butter
* ¼ c all-purpose flour
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 ½ cups)
* 3 oz fontina cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
* 3 oz Emmenthal, Gruyère or similar Swiss-type cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
* ½ c fresh bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and boil until it is about half-cooked, tender on the surface with a distinct bite still in the center, about 5 minutes. Drain well, rinse with cold water and set aside, tossing from time to time as it cools to avoid sticking.

Put the milk in a small saucepan with the onion slice, bay leaf . Bring just to a low boil over medium heat, then take the pan from the heat and let sit to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. (If skipping the aromatics, simply warm the milk.)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until it foams up and has a very slight toasty smell (it should not brown), 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the warm milk into the pan and whisk to blend. Continue to cook the sauce, whisking often, until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and gradually whisk in the cheeses until fully melted. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, then add the pasta and stir to fully coat all the pasta with the cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over. Set the dish on the oven rack and lay a piece of foil on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake until the macaroni and cheese is bubbling hot and the top is nicely browned, about 40 minutes. Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Who taught you how to cook?

That’s an interesting question. My grandmother, my first mother in-law and then myself. So I guess it was a group effort.

2. Have you been told you think too much? Are too much of a perfectionist? Are too sensitive? Were they right?

Never have I been told I think too much. Probably the opposite. I don’t think enough. I am not a perfectionist. I wish I were, then the house hold crap would be done sooner and better! I am too sensitive. I get upset easily and I cry easily, and despite people thinking that it’s all a result of menopause, I was like this all my life.

3. As a child did you have a favorite blanket or toy? Tell about it.

Barbie. Loved them dearly.

4. What ‘institution’ do you have the most faith in?

The love of my God!

5. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage…your favorite in an autumn garden?

Burning Bush. I have one in front of my bedroom window.

6. What superpower do the kids in your neighborhood seem to posses?

Our neighborhood has advanced to teenagers, and so we don’t have any little kids. A few years back, they just seemed to revel in making the best out of the rain, or snow!

7. Are you a fan of the cranberry?

I was born and raised on Cape Cod. It’s really sort of the home of cranberries. Anyway, I LOVE cranberries! Sauce, juice or bread.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have been thinking the last few days how lucky I am in this world. I have love, and caring people around me, a roof over my head and food to eat. Yes, life is good. I actually feel bad for Ms. Kardashian (see yesterday’s post), as she will never know real happiness or love. Those things cannot be bought, or rented. They are real.

I Do…I Don’t

I was sitting in my family room this morning when the news hit:

LOS ANGELES – Kim Kardashian will file for divorce from husband Kris Humphries Monday, after less than three months of marriage.

Though their marital bliss was short-lived, the reality star is not seeking an annulment and will list “irreconcilable differences” as the cause, TMZ reported.

“Yes @kimkardashian is filing for divorce this morning. I touched base with her, getting a statement in just a few mins,” Ryan Seacrest tweeted in response to the report.

Kardashian, 31, married the NBA player, 26, at a star-studded Hollywood ceremony August 20.

As reported earlier, Kim Kardashian has decided to file for divorce after 10 weeks of marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries. Here is the statement she released on her decision:

“After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage. I hope everyone understands this was not an easy decision. I had hoped this marriage was forever but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. We remain friends and wish each other the best.”

Pretty wild, yes? I mean we, mere mortals, planned our wedding to the one we loved, and actually thought about it. We stayed married for more than an instant. We didn’t run off after a few weeks because “Things didn’t work out”! I admit I was married before, but that marriage lasted 11 years! Not 72 days like Ms. Kardashians!

The really hilarious thing is, my wedding to my current Hubby, was a lovely one. I spent all of $5000.00 on my gown, the gowns for my daughter, and my step-daughter, the invitations, music at the reception, a photographer, all the food, and an open bar! Granted that was 23 years ago, but….even with inflation it wouldn’t add up to all that Ms. Kardashian spent (rumored to be approximately 10 million dollars!). Oh yes, and I took my husbands name.

As I get older I seem to find myself having less patience for Hollywood and all the crap that comes out of there. It seems like no one stays married, that people have make believe marriages and then delight in saying, oh yeah, it was just for publicity.

I like real people. Not reality show types. I mean real people like my neighbors. I suppose that was why I always enjoyed “All My Children”. I knew it wasn’t real, and so it was sort of a guilty pleasure. None of these people ever presented to me a 72 day marriage in their real life.

But it seems that the networks want us to swallow these Kardashian types. Ms. Kardashian is, after all, a wealthy woman! She is worth close to 35 million dollars! And E television paid her dearly for their 2 part coverage of her wedding.

For me, I will not watch that bologna!

What I Did This Past Weekend

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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While others in New England were buried with the first of the season snowfall, Hubby and I woke on Sunday to discover that we only had gotten 5 inches of the heavy wet stuff. The wind was fierce, so it had blown the snow from the trees, and the leaves as well. It is quite off to go from autumn to winter in one day!

Upon calling my family in various parts of the northeast I discovered that my daughter had no power, and she had about 20 inches of snow. My sister had no power and she had more than 5 inches of snow and trees were down everywhere.

My cousin, also had no power, and I actually didn’t find out how much snow she had, as all of my contacts were done via texting.

Hubby got the driveway cleared, and I have been providing hot, nourishing meals, to keep him going. Fritz helped him. Isn’t he a faithful dog?

Not too much else, really. Just the usual, laundry, bad TV and a little too much time playing solitaire. Tell me…do you play solitaire on your computer?

Have a great week everyone!

Oh yes, Happy Halloween!!!

Snowtober!

All day long, Hubby and I prepared. He picked the last apples off the trees, we put our patio furniture away, and then we waited.

Lunch time came and went and we tuned into the weather channel to see snow falling not too far away. But still, we had no snow.

Oh, how I love to watch the snow fall in all it’s fury. Today it was not to be, for our snow did not start to fall until well after dark.

Now I have been outside with Anneliese, who barked at the snow flakes and tried to bite them. It was so cute! We shall see what comes to us overnight and how much we get in the end.

Tomorrow I’ll take some pictures, but it simply would be terribly boring in the dark!

Snow in October?…… Snowtober!

Outrunning Winter

This morning we heard that on Saturday and Sunday, we are going to be getting some snow…maybe! What this means for those of us in the northeast, is that all those little jobs that we’ve been putting off, had to be done before it was buried until 4-6 inches of snow.

I tried to convince myself that making the bed and cleaning my closet was more important. I even got out my winter sweaters, and got those organized.

We took the air conditioners out and stored them for the winter. This was a big job as each of them weighs a ton, and after the windows needed to be cleaned.

But after lunch and a hot cup of tea, I had to face the last job of season, the one I had been dreading! Stripping the garden, and rolling up my garden fencing.

Hubby was busy getting all the hoses put away and closing all the cell calks from inside. No more water outside until next spring.

When I was done I came in and sat down and tried to convince myself NOT to cook dinner, but somehow I got my legs under me and cooked a pretty decent meatloaf, with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Now I am snuggling with Arnie as I watch the incredibly bad reruns they show on Friday nights. Perhaps I’ll just watch reruns of NCIS on the satellite. Those are always good no matter how many times I’ve seen them!

Friday Fill-Ins

This picture was drawn by Dave, my cousin Janet’s boyfriend , and then she photographed it, and then did the photo-editing to put in the text! When I saw it, I just knew it was perfect for this weeks Friday Fill-In! Dave, this really is fabulous, and Janet, you took a super picture!

And…here we go!

1. Beware of Little dogs covered in snowballs!.

2. Oh, how I love the first snow.

3. And since we can only go with the flow, I think I will have a fire in the hearth and accept lower temperatures gracefully.

4. Mystical or fine spirits?

5. Where the heart is.

6. Pot Roast is one of my favorite meals when it’s cold out.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to making Maribeth’s Meatloaf, tomorrow my plans include the usual laundry and Sunday, I want to make a real Sunday Dinner. Perhaps a roasted chicken, with all the fixings!!

Thursday Thirteen

Scav Sat

It was a shopping day for us this crazy Wednesday. So here is my Thursday Thirteen, highlighting my Wednesday happenings!

I went to Weight Watchers and was down a pound. I have to say, it is a constant battle for me to keep my weight under control.
When I was coming home I stopped at the Post Office.
Now I was all ready to parallel park when this jerk behind me pulls next to me, making it impossible to move my car.
Eventually he moved his car and I was able to park.
I came home and picked up Hubby and we went out for Chinese food at lunch.
It was nice and Hubby and I had a good time.
We shopped at three stores and even filled up my car with gas.
Sadly we discovered that a salesperson we really like, and have known for about 10 years is leaving her job.
I admit it. I cried. We exchanged address and phone numbers and I hope we stay in touch.
I found a cheap movie at Walmart.
It was, “Nights in Rodanthe” with Richard Gere and Diane Lane.
Hubby says this is a total “chick flick”.
Which is probably true as I cried like a baby!

That is all! Happy Thursday!