Dad aka Elvis?

Today we went to visit Dad and bring him lunch  in the nursing home. He is looking good.

When I was a kid, I told everyone in school, "My dad, looks like Elvis".

My mom and dad's wedding picture, May, 1958.

Read more...

Getting in the Spirit

We, gals, weren't up for Black Friday shopping. However, we did hit the mall towards noon. Old Navy (scored some sweaters) and The Loft.  I bought clothing I can layer and that will take me into the Winter and early Spring. 

Isn't Mom cute? She had a crisp pair of new jeans on. Ready to shop!

 

Later in the evening, Becky, Ken and Mom took us to do the Pensacola Winterfest again this year, riding the trolley and stopping to see the lights at the different staged Christmas scenes. 

My two favorite stops were the Polar Express and the live Nativity scene.

Can you tell Becky and I are sisters? We look just a little bit like each other, don't you think?

Last stop, Krispy Kreme for doughnuts and hot coffee.

Don and I spent several minutes watching the doughnuts being cooked and iced. A lot of speculating was going on.

Read more...

Gobble, Gobble

                                            Deep fried turkey for lunch.

  Then we wondered.....do cheese curds float or sink in the oil? Answer, they sink and then as they cook, they float. Mmmm, crispy.

 (notice the fire extinguisher). We may not be done with the oil yet, there is two more days. What else can we fry? doughnuts, coconut shrimp, funnel cakes, squirrel...... (jk)
This post will not be archived under healthy eating.

Read more...

Rain, Snow, whatever, go away.

In Monday's newpaper, here is the weather forecast:

Today: Occasional showers, mainly after noon. High near 41. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west between 13 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Oh, we definitely had rain; and sleet that accompanied it. As of this morning at 6:00 a.m. (18 hours later) that "rain" was still on the ground. It think they call this SNOW!

Read more...

Apples, my favorite

    

Dried apples are easy to make. Grannysmith apples taste the best to me.

I use a potato peeler and quickly peel the apple (I am wary about the pesticides that linger on the outside of the apple).

Then I core/slice the apple. Lemon or citrus juice keeps the apple slicing from turning brown. I mix up a glass of Emergen C in a small bowl and dip the apple slices in it. ( Emergen C has got all kinds of good stuff in it). I place the apple slices on the dehydrator trays and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and dry overnight.

Read more...

I'm gonna do this.

Thanksgiving is coming up and we are heading to Pensacola on Wednesday to see the family. Where has 2010 gone? I just reviewed my 2010 resolutions , to see how I've done so far. THERE IS STILL TIME.....

 
Not everything was planned this last year. Who knew that Sassy would be joining our family? She came for a weekend and here she stayed.

Something fun that I am going to add to my to do list this year is to follow the migration of wildlife online. When I was in grade school/middle school we lived near Rochester, MN, on a hobby farm with five acres of oak trees. One evening about dusk, the oak trees filled with monarch butterflies. I rode my horse through the trees plucking butterfly after butterfly out of the branches. I thought I was going to save them in a jar, but there were so many that I gave up. The next morning they were gone.

Read more...

Saturday rain, Snow on Sunday?

Don and I are both fighting colds, so we stayed in bed late on Saturday morning.  Julie's Cafe was already closed for the season,  so sad, no kamikaze cakes for me.

We went to White Gull Inn and had Eggs Benedict. They were good, but not as good as Jim Weidner's, and I texted him in New York City and let him know. Got a response from Jim and Ellen, "we had pizza, almost as good as eggs".

This is the Cliff House (one of the cottages at White Gull), it was our view out of the restaurant window.  You can tell by looking at the paving stones that it is wet outside. There is a light drizzle and it is chilly.

Don asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday. Ecology Sports, of course. I love that store. They carry my favorite line of clothing for this time of year, Pantagonia.  One skirt, three shirts, a blazer and some smartwool socks later, we're out the door.

More driving, up to the ferry landing going over to Washington Island and then back, to find ourselves at JJ's LaPuerta for a late lunch of Chicken Nachos!  Ummmm, ummm. Had to text Cammie and tell her what she was missing. Her text read,
"You're evil" .  Yup, she's right. :)

Read more...

Hands On Hazel, Friday night fun

Don and I took to the road at 5:00 last night. We left town heading up to Fish Creek, Door County, Wisconsin  for the weekend.
I had our picnic basket for Adult Art Night complements of Linda and Meghan at Kavarna.

Baguette slices with fig jam and feta cheese, italian summer sausage and buffalo mozzarella with pickled onion and artichokes, and little sandwiches.

When we arrived, Cy and Karan only had one couple there who, Stan, their employee, was helping. Quiet in the studio and quite chilly, we decided to take our picnic over to the house and meet Cy and Karan's new pig, Hazel.

Hazel, is a sweetie. She is a noisy little thing. She chases the cats and they chase her. Her hide is coarse hair and lots of pink skin. She is 13 weeks old and will plop down onto her side if you start to scratch her belly.

We looked over the plans for Cy's new house being built on the back of the property. When it is finished, the front house will be available for vacationers to rent with many artistic touches that will inspire them to create and take back to their own homes.

We stayed and visited until late, hugged Cy and Karan goodbye and then headed down the road (1.5 mile) to the condo and tucked ourselves into bed. Great weekend so far!!!

Read more...

Focus on Fun

I'm done! I  finished reading. You, Being Beautiful by Dr. Mehmet Oz. "Happiness is really rooted in simplicity....remove extraneous stimuli...so that you can focus on the important task at hand."  (page 332)

Our brains can dramtically increase their energy consumption levels when we focus.  My yoga teacher, says" Balance creates focus and focus energizes your brain". 

Leo Babauta, the author of The Power of Less, just came out with a  new book, Focus: A Simplicity Manifesto in the Age of Distraction.  I'll be heading to the library to check out his new book and to stick it in my backpack.

Meanwhile, after having a crazy week at work, I plan to focus on fun this weekend.  Don and I are heading up to the condo in Door County.  We will go to  Hands on Art, Friday evening to catch up with friends and to Julie's Cafe on Saturday morning for kamikaze cakes.

And lastly, Cammie, here is the Pumpkin Crumble recipe that you and I were going to create  for Justin.

I made it this past weekend and it passed the "Dad approved test".

1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)
1/2 c. egg beaters
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. molasses
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. rolled oats
4 TBSP cold butter

1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans

In bowl, combine and stir pumpkin, egg beaters and milk until smooth, stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.

In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, molasses and oats. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients (I used the dough hook on my mixer). Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread the pumpkin mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.

Drop dollops of the oats mixture (should be the consistency of biscuit dough) randomly on top.

Sprinkle the top with chopped nuts.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until done. (When you insert a knife it comes out clean)

Read more...

Roundtrip: MKE to SAN

I went with my friend, Sue Christianson,(picture right below) attending the IHI conference.
The temperature reached 80 degrees while we were there. The pictures of the water and Seaport Village are from the balcony of our hotel. 

I really enjoyed the fish tacos!

Read more...