So, I’ve been looking at my sidebar, and I think I need some more reviews.
Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to review me (Michelle), and post it on your blog. If I like your review, I’ll post an excerpt and link to it.
Gina, you’re already on the sidebar, from a comment a couple years ago. :)
To clarify, I have never every seen traffic backed up this far ever. For locals, the Med Center PRT is straight ahead.
This is an insane amount of traffic. I keep walking out of my office to look at the traffic it’s so unbelievable.
Glad I have the option to walk home.
Here is a reposting of my bread pudding recipe, just for Vince.
Actually, I’ve changed a few things, which is why I’m reposting and not just linking to the old post.
Bread Pudding
Leftover bread, cut into cubes (I used a whole loaf of whole wheat “Italian” bread–the cup or so I didn’t use went to the birds.)
3 cups milk (We used soy milk for Grandmom)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup minced apple
3 eggs
Heat oven to 350 F and then butter a medium sized casserole dish.
In a saucepan, heat milk, butter, sugar, and cinnamon until the butter melts. In a bowl, beat eggs. Remove milk mixture from heat, and then mix in eggs.
In a large bowl, mix everything together and then dump into casserole dish. Alternatively, put bread and apples into casserole dish and then pour milk and egg mixture over bread.
Bake at 350 F for 45- 60 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
(adapted from How to Cook Everything)
Whiskey Sauce
8 tbs butter
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt
1 egg
Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar, whiskey, water, nutmeg, and salt. Heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Beat egg and whisk into whiskey sauce. Raise heat to medium, and stir gently until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
(from The Joy of Cooking)
Spoon hot bread pudding into bowl. Add scoop of vanilla ice cream. Spoon hot whiskey sauce over everything. Eat.
NOTE: Grandmom has hers with soy ice cream and loves it.
The poll is up. I limited it to fifteen, and tried to vary the genres and not let a single genre dominate the list.
For me, this is a much harder list and choice. No on here stands out for me the way Paul Robeson does on the male list. :)
Come on, you know you need a dose of cute!
How frustrating.
I’ve reached the point I do every so often where I can’t find anything to read.
The problem is that I’ve just read a string of really good books, and want to read more of the same, but most everything I have I’m saving to read (the last paperback book out by Donna Leon, the last paperback book out by F. Paul Wilson) or don’t want to read because it’s hardback or I look at the book and wonder what on earth I was thinking when I picked that up, because it looks dreadful and what on earth was I thinking?
Mind you, most of those will turn out to be okay, they’re just not what I’m in the mood for.
I’m trying to read David Hewson’s Lucifer’s Shadow, and it’s interesting, but it’s not holding my attention (in fact I’ve fallen asleep twice in the past 24 hours trying to read it).
This means I’m at the point where nothing is appealing to me, but I feel somewhat guilty about going back to read old favorites, because I have all these books I haven’t read yet.
Of course I also think I’m fighting off a case of the blues, which means I really should go pick up an old comforting favorite
The house smells like Christmas tree! What a wonderful thing to wake up to!
Filled the bird feeders.
Brought the tree inside. (It won’t be decorated until Christmas Eve day, but smells wonderful.)
Went looking for a wreath. Changed our minds.
Bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and whiskey sauce.
Today was full of doing stuff. Not anything particularly fun, but the grocery shopping and laundry and all that other stuff that ends up on the back burner until the weekend.
However, on the bright side, since I was already on my feet the whole day, I made pizza for dinner, and there is bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and whiskey sauce for dessert.
Mmmmm!
No, I didn’t take any pictures, as I was making dinner and dessert at the same time while washing up as I went. So you’ll just have to imagine.
Or perhaps I’ll just take a picture of the end product–a couple spoonfuls of piping hot bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whiskey sauce poured over the entire thing.
I love baking.
I’m tired and don’t feel like chasing the cats all over the house, so here’s an old post for you:
Last night, Michael (who may be the most wonderful man in the entire world) spent more than two hours on the phone helping Grandmom get a new Medicare Part D prescription plan.
Over the course of the evening he spoke to at least four people (if not more), and had to give them all the information on my grandmother’s medication including drug names (spelling them of course), dosages, and the number of pills taken a day.
Every single person he talked to last night was nice, patient, and unfailingly polite.
This is despite the fact that he was trying to spell drug names over the phone (names that in some cases were written down for him in correctly), trying to get information from my grandmother as he spoke to them, and in general sharing a lot of information over the phone, when we could he how loud it was on their end. (They are definitely in cubicles and not offices!)
I was delighted with how easy they tried to make the process, even when it was complicated and they had to repeat things multiple times.
Kudos to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Thank you for making a long and complex process as painless as possible.
I got nothing, so here’s a look some of at yesterday’s search terms:
fashion victims
Bet they were soundly disappointed when they didn’t get pictures.
things that can make you mad at the work
What kind of person is this that they can’t come up with their own list?
please leave a message and we
We will what? Cry at the thought of missing your call? Celebrate because we didn’t have to talk to you? Erase your message without listening because we don’t really care?
lenny ********
That’s strange. Someone was searching for a friend I haven’t been in contact with in years. I’d like to find him myself.
what did real pirates wear
Lavender taffeta party dresses. With tiaras.
random latin phrases
Inter arma silent leges
tofu, gas
Yes, tofu does cause gas. Get thee behind me vegetarian!
If Erin didn’t have her baby last night, they were supposed to induce her today.
Here’s hoping she didn’t need to be induced, and that it’s an easy labor!
ADDENDUM the First:
No baby today most likely.
ADDENDUM the Second:
She’s in the hospital–probably for quite awhile, but has wi-fi!
Quick! Go entertain her!
Same as best male voice, only female. I’m again soliciting names for the list.
Etta James
Julie Andrews
Enya
Dolly Parton
Ella Fitzgerald
Tina Turner
Barbra Streisand
Judy Garland
Amy Winehouse
SARAH VAUGHAN
ROSEMARY CLOONEY
NINA SIMONE
First person to put a screechy pop singer like Mariah Carey on the list will be disinherited.
The holiday season is officially upon us when we make bourbon balls. Of course, we should have made them immediately after Thanksgiving, because they’re better the longer they sit, but this is still plenty of tie.
These are one of Michael’s favorite Christmas cookies, and we make a double (or even triple) back every year.
This recipe calls for Nilla wafers, but other recipes have called for stale cake. But I never have stale cake lying around, so this works perfectly well. The recipe calls for corn syrup to hold everything together. I suppose honey might work, but I think it might change the flavor, so I’ve never fussed with the recipe.
Bourbon Balls
1 box vanilla wafers, crushed
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
3 tbsp corn syrup
1/4 to 1/2 cup bourbon
3 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee *
Michael was reading through the news off his phone this morning and asked a question I didn’t quite parse.
Michelle: Would I like a battle turtle named after me?
Michael: Would you like a BAT or a TURTLE named after you?
Michelle: I’d rather have a battle turtle.
Humph. The poll for best male voice is on the sidebar.
Before anyone pitches a fit that there favorite person isn’t on here, my criteria was not for singer songwriter or song choice, but whether they would sound awesome singing The Star Spangled Banner or Christmas carols some other random song. (If it was for Christmas songs only, I would have had Robert Goulet on the list–I love how he sings Christmas songs.)
I wanted voices that made me feel all warm inside regardless of what they were singing. A lot of the recommendations were for people who don’t have amazing voices but were good song-writers–not what I wanted. (Which is why neither Tom Waites not Tom Petty made the list.)
I wanted to make a post here so y’all could berate me for ignoring your favorite singer, and so you can argue vociferously for or against someone.
Me? I’m annoyed I couldn’t come up with more non-English singers.
Assuming Michael can get away from work at lunch, loot will be going out today: requested loot, thank you loot, birthday loot, and our old cell phones to cell phones for soldiers.
This week more loot should be arriving, so I can wrap it up and have Michael to send that out as well.
Then I desperately need to start my Christmas cards. I picked my cards up last year after Christmas, when they were cheap, so I’ve got three boxes of new cards, and one box of the remainders from last year (which were actually the previous years cards.)
If only I could get motivated…
ADDENDUM the First:
The loot is in the mail.
West Virginia Public radio had a recent piece of pepperoni rolls.
Having grown up here, pepperoni rolls are just a food you can get in some delis and convenience stores. However, they’re a local item that has only slowly spread, and at some point I discovered that people not from this area had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned them.
Different bakeries and individuals in the Fairmont/Clarksburg area claim to be the creator of the pepperoni roll, but no one particularly knows for sure. Nor, really, does it matter. They were a food created to take into the mines.
No, I haven’t eaten one for years, but sometimes when I come across one, I remember the soft bread and the spicy pepperoni and the cheese and just for a second I am tempted.
But only for a second.
(I’d link to the WV Public Radio article, but that site is unbelievable slow and I can rarely get it to come up. So, no radio link for you.)
Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.
Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces – with the unbounded determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”
The Pearl Harbor attack kliied 2,403 and wounded 1,178. Twenty-one ships were sunk or damaged, including the USS Arizona, which remains on the harbor floor, and the USS West Virginia, which was eventually refloated, repaired, and rejoined the fleet towards the end of the war.
Information about the Pearl Harbor Attack.
Pearl Harbor Remembered, including survivor’s remembrances.
The USS West Virginia, including pictures of the ship from the 20s through the “mothballing” of the ship in the 1950s (She was later broken up and sold for scrap).
The USS Arizona, from the University of Arizona, including a brief history and online exhibits.
President Roosevelt’s speech in response to the other attacks that day.
This is last home game of the 2008 season. They’ve designated this game a “white out” in honor of Pat White.
I hope they kick ass to finish Pat White’s career on a high note, because I have to say that of all my years following the Mountaineers, Pat White has been my all time favorite player–finally replacing Paul Woodside.
So for Pat White’s last game…
LET’S GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s OVER!
13 – 6 WVU! It’s a win for Patrick White’s last game!
I think that Nathan needs the first item in this list.
That’s right folks, happiness is contagious.
Just remember, I’m here for your health.
I suppose this means the stereo is nice and warm.
Don’t try to figure out what that look means. She was probably just tormented by the air molecules.
A new form of kitty prison!
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