Golly, it's been so busy lately...

But I have been cooking. Last weekend I had the hankrin for some Buffalo wings. Poultry-Poppy and I make our own sauce and I make my own blue cheese dressing...

Mix together in a pot:
6 ounces Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/2 stick of butter
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon sugar (I substitute with the Stevia)
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Heat it up. Get some wings. You can either oven bake them or grill them. Toss them in the sauce when done cooking. That's it.

For the dressing mix together:

1 cup of mayonnaise
4oz crumbled blue cheese
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 pinch garlic powder
Milk, cream or water to thin, if needed.

Serve with carrot and celery sticks. Easy squeezy!



The other night I wanted to try stuffing a pork tenderloin. Boooooorrrrriiiiinnnnggggg!



They look like a couple of Jabba-The-Huts sitting in a pan!



Keeping with the stinky cheese theme, they were rolled (not stuffed) with Roquefort cheese, apple, onion and mushrooms. I served it with greens. Dry as the Sahara! The next night I had some of the leftover stuffing so I heated it up with some milk and called it a sauce that I poured over the pork. Little better.

Okay, so last Thursday a couple of the ladies in the office were raving about this "Wen" shampoo. So I went to my internets and checked it out. Seemed interesting and I was mostly thinking of it for Hair-Impaired-Poppy since she's been wearing her hairs down. Then I went to Amazon to check it out...why pay shipping if you don't have too? I found a 6oz bottle of cucumber/aloe for $20. Mi-Poppy is so worth it. So I ordered it.



It came on Saturday and I told Poppy all about what this product could do for her. Then Depression-Era-Poppy read the back of the bottle...turns out, Are-You-Kidding-Me-Poppy needs to use 20-30 pumps of the $$Wen$$ to "cleanse" her hair. DOH!! I'd not read that part on my internets. So that 6oz bottle is nothing more than a $20 sample and there ain't no way Penny-Pinching-Poppy is going to use it.

I emailed my co-workers. They said they don't use as much as is recommended...11 pumps for STT. She recommended that I could get away with 4 pumps for my hair. So I tried it. It's okay, but not worth the $$. Back to my 32oz, $11 for a 2-pack Crew Citrus/Mint.

Live and learn...although, I wish I was Snazzy-Chazzy, the guy that invented the stuff. He must be rolling in the $$$.

Happy Humpy!

Let's talk about Alessia...

You recall we bought a new couch...The Alessia. After sitting on it for a few days, Princess-n-the-Pea-Poppy was very disappointed because Alessia lost her firmness. Fatass couldn't tell the difference between one cushion to the next. P-n-P-Poppy called Macy's and they said they would replace the couch.

A few weeks ago, they came and replaced it. Within a week of sitting on Alessia, II, Perturbed-Princess-n-the-Pea-Poppy said it went squishy again and this is not the couch that she sat on in the showroom.

Last weekend, PP-n-P-Poppy walked from our house over to Stonestown Macy's to try Showroom-Alessia and sure enough, even after many asses have tried Showroom Alessia, it was still firmer than Alessia, I or Alessia II.

Frustrated-Perturbed-Princess-n-the-Pea-Poppy called Macy's again. They will send out a repair person to check it out. If nothing can be done, we can get another model or get a refund.

So all through this, I've been less than supportive of my little PP-Poppy and her silly notion that the couch is gooshy...until this morning.

I was sitting on end of the couch playing on the computer and I looked at the corner where Fatass normally sits...





See how the leather is all stretched? Me thinks this is the problem.

Looks like we'll be sitting on those milk crates that I wanted all along...

Shopping on the Internet...

I'm just amazed at all the stuff you can buy on the Internet from the privacy of your spending chair. I decided to go back a few weeks and see what we've been buying.

These just came today:



Yeah, 280 Ziploc Gallon Freezer Bags...at $.07 per bag!! Depression-Era-Poppy will be proud of me.

Check this out...we found a new soda called Zevia. It's sweetened with Stevia!



These are on a subscription service so I get a bottle of my Girly Vits once a month. They are really good and you should try them, but only if you're a girl! If you're a boy and you take one, you'll sprout boobs.



We have a slight rodent problem in our garage so Terminator-Poppy bought a better mousetrap...only they don't work. Well, the raccoon that came in the garage in the middle of the night played with it.



As soon as the weather clears up, Like-The-Wind-Poppy and I will start riding our bikes to work a few days a week. To make the ride more pleasurable, we got matching Nanos.



I didn't really buy this...but I might get one for Poppy when she takes the Big Sleep:



You can get it from Costco.com!

I ran out of vinegar. I found some coconut vinegar:



I've never seen coconut vinegar so I though I'd like to try it. It came, but it was leaking a little so I'm afraid to use it. Hmmm.

I bought Tangerine today from Amazon.com/prime.



Shhhh...Don't tell Puppy-Poppy!

Pretty cool all the stuff you can buy from your spending chair.

Later.

Artsie Fartsie Monday...

I call this Still-Life Composting Bucket.



Purdy flower.



Uncooked Beets.



Poppy's idea of a sick minkey joke (I'm pretty sure it bit me when I tried to turn on the lamp)!



Happy Monday!

It's a dog's life...

With all the recent family comings and goings, I ran out of Jax-The-Peanut-Butter-Cookie-Connesewer's cookies. This is the first time that has happened since I started making them. She was not happy, in fact, was adamant that she wanted them. Not only that, but she also gave me her sad puppy dog look constantly...



She even turned her nose up to her regular old cookies. So I got busy yesterday making them.



All is right with her world once again...

Other than Jax's complete cookie breakdown, the weekend has been quiet. Fantasy-Film-Poppy made us watch Hugo last night. I don't know why but I just don't dig that kind of stuff. The movie started at 7:30 and by 8:30 I was thinking this was a total waste of my time and I should go read my Food and Wine magazine and catch up on my sleep. I also figured this morning that Dad would say what a piece of crap that movie was, but much to my surprise, he liked it! Yay Dad! Another one to add to the list!

Next up, bowling!

Happy Sunday!

It's a Dad Weekend!

We started with lunch at Denny's. We walk in and I see a chalkboard that says something like "If your server doesn't offer you an alcoholic beverage...something is probably free.

Dad wanted breakfast (ham/scramble, hashbrowns browned on both sides and wheat toast. Don't be giving him any strawberry jam, either. GRAPE!

I ordered the Western Omlette, no hashbrowns and no toast...a side of fruit, please. "Would you like a Mimosa or glass of wine?" Oh, hell yes I would!



Normally, when you order a mimosa, you get a champagne flute with mostly OJ but at Denny's no way...that's a Stella Artois beer glass. What a deal!

On le menu for this evening:

Salmon with a lemon-dill-butter-caper sauce, my go-to green beans and basmati brown rice (for Dad).

Have a great weekend!

There's no place like home...

There's no place I'd rather live...




There's no one I'd rather play with...





And then top it off with dinner at A16 with Adventure-Popppy and MomJean...



Life is good!

Things that make you go Hmmm...

I went to return some disks in our supply cabinet at work. One of the lawyer folks I work with asked me if we had any staples cause he didn't see any in the cabinet. Said it wasn't a big deal cause he found a "work-around". This brought a couple of things to mind. When he said he found a work-around did that mean he was sticking papers together with his ABC spearmint gum or did it mean he just stole a stapler from the copy room?

But the more interesting thing that came to my mind was who invented the stapler? So I consulted my favorite website, Wikipedia, and here's what I found:

The first known stapler was handmade in the 18th century in France for King Louis XV. Each staple was inscribed with the insignia of the royal court, as required. The growing uses of paper in the 19th century created a demand for an efficient paper fastener.



In 1866, George McGill received U.S. patent 56,587 for a small, bendable brass paper fastener that was a precursor to the modern staple. In 1867, he received U.S. patent 67,665 for a press to insert the fastener into paper. He showed his invention at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and continued to work on these and other various paper fasteners through the 1880s. In 1868 a patent was also taken out for a stapler in England by C.H.Gould. As well, also in 1868, Albert Kletzker of St Louis, MO patented a device to staple paper.

In 1877 Henry R. Heyl filed patent number 195603 for the first machines to both insert and clinch a staple in one step, and for this reason some consider him the inventor of the modern stapler. In 1876 and 1877 Heyl also filed patents for the Novelty Paper Box Manufacturing Co of Philadelphia,PA,[8] However, the N. P. B. Manufacturing Co.'s inventions were to be used to staple boxes and books.

The first machine to hold a magazine of many preformed staples came out in 1878.
On February 18, 1879, George McGill received patent 212,316 for the McGill Single-Stroke Staple Press, the first commercially successful stapler. This device weighed over two and a half pounds and loaded a single 1/2 inch wide wire staple, which it could drive through several sheets of paper.

The first published use of the word "stapler" to indicate a machine for fastening papers with a thin metal wire was in an advertisement in the American Munsey's Magazine in 1901.

In the early 1900s, several devices were developed and patented that punched and folded papers to attach them to each other without a metallic clip. The Clipless Stand Machine (made in North Berwick) sold from 1909 into the 1920s. It cut a tongue in the paper that it folded back and tucked in. Bump's New Model Paper Fastener used a similar cutting and weaving technology.

In 1941 the type of paper stapler that is the most common in use today was developed: the four way paper stapler. With the four way, the operator could either use the stapler to staple papers to wood or card board, or used to staple like pliers for bags, or the normal way with two options, one the standard with the staples going inward or turning the plate and the staples going outward.

Then I got to thinking that my stapler and I have been together for almost 24 years.



She is the full-on heavy metal Swingline stapler. For some reason, it will only work for me. BK has often tried to use it over the last 24 years and always gives up cause it won't work for her. I do consider her a wee mechanically challenged, but c'mon, it's a stapler! When it's time for me to take the big sleep, I want to be buried with my faithful stapler.

Speaking of 24 years, that means that BK and I have been together just as long. I was hired to work for her and another lawyer. Only thing is that she was on maternity (Happy Birthday again Sydney!) leave so she never interviewed me.

As luck would have it, we seemed to click. The other lawyer I worked for didn't like me very much so we divorced. Actually, I've worked with a lot of other lawyers, but BK has always been my #1.

As I said to BK's daughters "Why does BK get thinner and better looking as she ages and I get fatter and dumpier?" Annie answered "In case you haven't noticed BK does not exactly fit under the category of mortal." Evidently, I work for a Superhero!

Happy Monday!

Heat Wave!!

That's right folks...the temps have been running in the high 60's so that means a heat wave to Fatass! Sweating makes Fatass grumpy. Oh, speaking of Fatass...her mission, that started at the end of February, was to lose 30lbs by her birthday. So far, not so good.

According to my Terra Nova graduate math, in order for Fatass to lose said weight, she will need to drop 1.9 pounds per day starting today. Can she do it? I say YES! She'll have to start tomorrow though cause her clan is coming for the dinnah and there's Cava in the fridge...and Porcine-Poppy is making chocolate drizzled Becky-Bacon.

Not only is the clan coming over, but included in the clan is Nephew-Lucas and he's bringing GF-Kelly, who I've not met. So weird, I swear it was just yesterday he was pooping the color chartrousse in his diapers cause I gave him a bunch of blueberries.

Speaking of poop, ever eat a bunch of beets and think you're dying when the by-product comes out?

MomJean has been with us for a while now. We met FFM-Laurie in Linda Mar yesterday for a little walkie and them some breakfast at High Tides. That place is a treasure! Food was awesome!

Mmmmmimosa!



I like to call this pic "Oh no you DID-ENT!"



Gamer-Poppy finally found someone she could play geeky computer games with...who knew it would be MomJean?!



Okay, so I've been cooking a fair bit this past week. Let me tell you, this is one tough crowd! As you know My-Worst-Food-Critic-Poppy is not quick with the compliment...

Monday: Steak, creamed spinach and brussly sprouts.

Steaks (I seasoned w/Kecky's Steak Shake and Poppy pan-fried).

Creamed spinach made with cream, parm, nutmeg, finished w/lemon juice, salt/pepper.

Very thinly julienned salami that I sauteed in olive oil, drained from the pan then used the flavored oil and cooked the brussly sprouts. Added the salami back in.

Comment: The steaks are too salty.

Tuesday: Salmon w/wasabi sauce, dry-fried green beans w/mushrooms and arugula salad.

For the wasabi sauce I start with about a cup of water and half-cup soy sauce. Add a little bit of chili sesame oil and diced shallot. I simmer until it's reduced a bit. Let cool. Once cool I add probably 3 tablespoons to 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayo and about a tablespoon of finely diced shallot and a bunch of wasabi paste. Stir it all together and stick it in the fridge.

Chop up some shroomies and throw them in a pan with a little olive oil. Once they cooked a wee, it tossed in the rest of the soy liquid and let that reduce a bit. Once it was done, I pulled out the mushrooms.

For the beans, I blanched them and then get them as dry as possible. In a very hot oiled pan they go and fry them by tossing them around letting them get that brown on them. Once they were pretty much done, I tossed in the shroomies and the soy liquid.

For the arugula salad, I made a dressing of seasoned rice vinegar, cider vinegar, wee bit of sesame oil, wee bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. The seasoned rice vinegar added a sweet that cut a little of the bitter in the arugula...just a little though cause I like the bitter.

Poppy cooked the salmon (mine was over-cooked but I didn't say anything).

Comment: None.

Okay, now I'm getting frustrated. Gonna have to really out do myself. So last night was more salmon, beets, beet greens and sweet baby broccoli.

Salmon: Poppy seasoned with my lemon-dill salt-n-pepper and broiled.

Beets: I tented them in foil w/a few allspice berries, bay leave garlic, salt and pepper. In the oven for a couple of hours.

Beet greens: Sauteed in a little olive oil then added chicken stock, a touch of Worcestershire and pepper.

Sweet Baby Broc: same deal as the beans, soy, hot chili sesame oil.

Also had the leftover wasabi sauce.



Comment: Guess I nailed it cause there were yum yum noises and a few "This is really good."

Tonight's le menu:

Spit roasted chicken
Dry-fried green beans (sorry, my people really like them)
Tarragon baby carrots
roasted red and white potatoes

I'll let you know how it all goes.

Happy Sunday!

The many faces of Jax-The-Cheese-Connesewer...

I can't bare another moment without my cheese...



Did someone say CHEESE?!



I dream of cheese...



Have a great weekend!