Back To The Real World

Hubby’s been gone all day down to Manchester. He had business to do, and I stayed home with the dogs and complete ownership of the remote control. I’ve watched all kinds of chick flick stuff like HGTV  a couple of chick flick movies and not one moment of news or weather.

Since we have been home from the vacation it seems Hubby is catching up with all his news and weather programs, and I don’t get to watch my fun shows. I’m thinking we need to look in to a package with the satellite company to expand our coverage into the bedroom.

After being on a vacation when I did not think about cooking but only what I wanted to eat, now we are home I actually have to prepare meals! Due to lack of interest, we are having spaghetti and meatballs tonight. And tomorrow is baked stuffed chicken breasts. Yeah, we are talking no desire. Oh well.

It’s back to life!

Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound pasta penne, elbows, etc.
  • Sea Salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar
  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
  • 4 ounces grated Emmenthaler or Greyuer Cheese
  • About 20 grinds black pepper

Directions

Cook pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to form a smooth paste. Cook for about 2 minutes, being careful not to brown. Gradually add the milk and the half-and-half and simmer until thickened slightly, stirring all the while. Remove from the heat. Stir in the 3 cheeses and season with black pepper, to taste. Add the cooked pasta and mix into the cheese sauce thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook:30 min
YIELD:about 4 servings

The Weather

OK. Here we are, back in New Hampshire, after enjoying the warmth of the Caribbean, and we are freezing our bottoms off! You see, we left the tropical heat of 75-85 degrees (F) and now we are home and it is close to zero every day!

At least I was not on the cruise ship that was hit with the Noro-Virus! Have you seen this? Six hundred people, violently ill and confined to a ship! Now the last place I would want to be, when I am ill like that, is on a ship!

As I write it is once again snowing. The Farmers Almanac said that the northeast was going to be “warmer and drier” this year. And guess what? It has been colder and snowier!

Have a great week everyone!

Home

It is hard for me to believe I have been home for a week. It seemed I was looking forward to the vacation, then it was here and gone so quickly. Ah, to be on a Princess Cruise Ship once again!

I guess I will have to plan another cruise in the not too distant future. That will give me something big to look forward too.

Meanwhile tonight I caught Anneliese eating wood. Hubby brought in some to have a fire in our fireplace, and the next thing I knew Anneliese had eaten some and then it was pretty obvious she had something caught in her throat. I tried to get it with my fingers. Then I tried milk and butter. Finally I tried peanut-butter on bread with a shot of milk! That did it. She is now fine and enjoying the fire.

I Need A Vacation

From our cabin, we could see the bridge of the ship. There was always so much happening when we anchored off shore, or docked at an island. Yes, the bridge got very busy!

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There were times it was nearly empty, and I wondered who was watching things. But then, todays ships are so modern they have all the bells and whistles.

On our ship, it was commanded by a Commodore Giuseppe Romano. This means he is a senior captain. I met him twice and saw him on the ship a few times. He seemed a nice enough man.

I sure liked the crew members that we dealt with. Our Cabin Steward, the waiters at our table and the breakfast crew.

I’m still working on getting my land legs! What is it they say? I need a vacation from my vacation!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It was decided on Sunday the Denver Broncos will meet the Seattle Seahawks in this year’s Superbowl. So when was the last time you bowled? Not where you thought this question was going is it? Do you like to bowl? Are you any good?

It’s been years since I have bowled. Mostly due to bad knees. I used to bowl and I really enjoyed it.

2. Should sports stars be role models?

Apparently not. If you look at the number of sports figures who have beaten their girl friends up, murdered them, or just plain been over the top obnoxious due to steroid use, I would say we need to steer clear of them.

3. January is National Oatmeal month…are you a fan? How do you like your oats?

I like oatmeal, just not too much. I really prefer cream of wheat.

4. What is one book on your reading list for 2014?

Tony Bourdain’s “A Movable Feast”.

5. What would you like your future self to say to your present self?

Relax and enjoy the ride!

6. When scrolling through the TV guide, what is one movie title that makes you want to stop, grab the popcorn, and watch for a while?

Almost any chick flick.Lately, it has been “The Descendents”. Hawaii is so beautiful and this movie is George Clooney’s best work.

7. What are two style trends you hope never come back into fashion?

Bell bottoms, granny gowns and midi skirts. Oooops, that’s three, but all from the same era.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

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A week ago I was enjoying warm weather. Down right hot! Now, here I am in the frozen north shivering under my comforter!

Tea

Have you ever wondered what a High Tea was like on a cruise ship? Frankly, it’s one of my favorite things and I attend nearly every day when I’m not ashore.

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The tea is a delicious blend called Twinings English Breakfast Tea. It has a full body flavor and made me smile with delight.

The tea is poured by men and women dressed in formal uniforms wearing white gloves. Oh, how my grandmother would have loved this!

They also serve tea sandwiches, of meats and cheeses, (which I did not have) and cakes, cookies and scones with clotted cream and jam. (And yes, I did have those!)

I also quit drinking coffee on the cruise and drank the Twinings Tea, as well as a decaffeinated tea that I cannot recall at this moment.

Jack even enjoyed the tea with me. He came about half the time, enjoying all the goodies that came along with the tea!

This really was fun. I would encourage you to try it sometime. Most ships offer this, and some of the finer hotels too. It is worth the time.

Home

To me, as much as I love to travel, I also love to come home. Especially after a long trip away from my four dogs.

Yes, the dogs are a lot of work. Taking them out for walks, feeding them on schedule, and making sure they get their little cookie bones.

However after 10 days, it was really good to get home and see them all! If a dog can smile, these four sure did!

My only problem upon arriving home was a 103 temperature, and a sore throat. I actually started to feel bad on the airplane, and Jack said I got very quiet. (This is very unusual, as I am a very chatty person.)

This caused me several cold glasses of soda and a very early bedtime.

Now that I am up and about again I will be trying to get together a journal of my trip with some pictures. The first few days on the ship we had pretty good Internet service, then nothing. It was very frustrating.

So stay tuned for more about our trip. It really was a nice one.