Photo Courtesy of SodaHead
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Friday, July 1, 2011
July Already?
Can someone please tell me how the heck we got to July 2011? Great, thanks.
Man, time sure flies. I can't believe our annual party is only a week away. I'm excited, don't get me wrong, but there is still a lot of shopping/cleaning/prep that needs to be done. Luckily, I have a beautiful 3-day weekend to get most of it taken care of. I already hit up the liquor store last night (and spent $100+ on booze) because as of today, the liquor tax in Maryland went up to 9% (from 6%). I figured I might as well get it when it's a little cheaper, right? And I love the store I shop at most of the time; they pay me to drink! They track your spending by your last name if you join their club, and every time you spend $100, they give you $5 in cash. Not huge, but hey, no other liquor store in my area gives me anything back. I received $5 back yesterday after my purchase and was told I'm $3 away from my next $5. How nice of them.
I think I know where our crabs will be coming from and plan to order them sometime this weekend. I'm sure everywhere is swamped for the holiday weekend, so maybe on Sunday or Monday I'll give 'em a ring. If I heard correctly when I called to price them, they're by far the cheapest I've found. They're the same price I paid last year per bushel ($175), which was expensive at that time. However, this year, that price is a steal. Thank goodness I have a nice paying job now and have been able to save up money for this party. Crabs at this price wouldn't have happened if unemployment was still payin' my bills. Now Buppy and I just have to decide if a bushel will be enough or if we'll have to get one and a half. I'm not doing 2 bushels regardless of how many guests we have because I refuse to have leftover crabs to pick. Nu-uh. Not this girl.
On a totally unrelated subject: we had the strangest visitors stop by our office on Thursday evening (5:15pm). They said they were there for a tasting with the woman I work closely with. Uh . . . she doesn't do tastings and she already left for the day. Our social caterings sales manager is pretty much the only person to do them because really, only weddings get tastings. Anyway, come to find out they drove up from Annapolis in rush hour traffic to taste . . . . . wait for it . . . . . . . box lunches. Yup. They honestly thought they were going to taste a turkey club sammy and a chicken salad sammy. What's wrong with people these days?!?!!
Tonight is my last night home alone. Buppy's been gone to NY all week with the kids; they left last Saturday around 10am to head up to spend time with his family. From what I can tell, they've all been having a great time. Anyway, they'll be home tomorrow afternoon/evening, then the kids go to their mom's house for the week on Sunday morning. Super, 'cause that means I then have Buppy to help me with our long list of party prep tasks. Whew.
Well, happy 4th of July weekend to all. Mine will be busy, but I'm positive I'll make some time to relax outside by the pool and soak up some sun. Oh, and I'll make time to grill some brats too, because really, it can't be the 4th without 'em. Have fun and stay safe everyone!
Man, time sure flies. I can't believe our annual party is only a week away. I'm excited, don't get me wrong, but there is still a lot of shopping/cleaning/prep that needs to be done. Luckily, I have a beautiful 3-day weekend to get most of it taken care of. I already hit up the liquor store last night (and spent $100+ on booze) because as of today, the liquor tax in Maryland went up to 9% (from 6%). I figured I might as well get it when it's a little cheaper, right? And I love the store I shop at most of the time; they pay me to drink! They track your spending by your last name if you join their club, and every time you spend $100, they give you $5 in cash. Not huge, but hey, no other liquor store in my area gives me anything back. I received $5 back yesterday after my purchase and was told I'm $3 away from my next $5. How nice of them.
I think I know where our crabs will be coming from and plan to order them sometime this weekend. I'm sure everywhere is swamped for the holiday weekend, so maybe on Sunday or Monday I'll give 'em a ring. If I heard correctly when I called to price them, they're by far the cheapest I've found. They're the same price I paid last year per bushel ($175), which was expensive at that time. However, this year, that price is a steal. Thank goodness I have a nice paying job now and have been able to save up money for this party. Crabs at this price wouldn't have happened if unemployment was still payin' my bills. Now Buppy and I just have to decide if a bushel will be enough or if we'll have to get one and a half. I'm not doing 2 bushels regardless of how many guests we have because I refuse to have leftover crabs to pick. Nu-uh. Not this girl.
On a totally unrelated subject: we had the strangest visitors stop by our office on Thursday evening (5:15pm). They said they were there for a tasting with the woman I work closely with. Uh . . . she doesn't do tastings and she already left for the day. Our social caterings sales manager is pretty much the only person to do them because really, only weddings get tastings. Anyway, come to find out they drove up from Annapolis in rush hour traffic to taste . . . . . wait for it . . . . . . . box lunches. Yup. They honestly thought they were going to taste a turkey club sammy and a chicken salad sammy. What's wrong with people these days?!?!!
Tonight is my last night home alone. Buppy's been gone to NY all week with the kids; they left last Saturday around 10am to head up to spend time with his family. From what I can tell, they've all been having a great time. Anyway, they'll be home tomorrow afternoon/evening, then the kids go to their mom's house for the week on Sunday morning. Super, 'cause that means I then have Buppy to help me with our long list of party prep tasks. Whew.
Well, happy 4th of July weekend to all. Mine will be busy, but I'm positive I'll make some time to relax outside by the pool and soak up some sun. Oh, and I'll make time to grill some brats too, because really, it can't be the 4th without 'em. Have fun and stay safe everyone!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter 2011
The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.
-Robert Flatt
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Chocolate Brittle Surprise
Since Christmas is just around the corner [hey, it is in my book because I’m that girl who listens to Christmas music in July!], I thought I’d post something that has worked out beautifully as part of gift baskets for friends and coworkers during the holiday season in past years. It’s really easy to make, although be careful not to burn yourself with the hot butter/sugar mixture, ‘cause that hurts in a major way [ah, the voice of experience]! And watch it closely --- it’ll burn before ya can yell “what the . . . ”!I made a few pans of this last year and the year before, broke ‘em up, slid ‘em into cute little holiday food bags and called it a day. And trust me, it’s not like getting fruitcake. People actually enjoy this “surprise”! No, I have no idea why it’s called "surprise" either. Perhaps because it’s made with soda crackers and that’s somewhat surprising? Hmmmmm, wish I could remember where I found the recipe . . .
Chocolate Brittle Surprise
35 unsalted soda crackers
1 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350F. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray foil with nonstick spray. Place crackers on foil in 5x7 rows. Microwave butter on high for 2 minutes; add brown sugar, stir and microwave another 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour over crackers and bake 10-15 minutes, checking often starting around the 10-minute mark [to make sure the mixture does not burn]. Remove from the oven and sprinkle chips and nuts over hot crackers; spread after 2 minutes [chips should have melted]. Refrigerate 1 hour; break into pieces. This can be frozen, by the way.
See? Super duper easy! Easy as, well, chocolate brittle surprise! And I bet variations would be just as tasty as the original, like using white or butterscotch chips instead of semisweet. Don't they make peppermint ones around the holidays, too? Now I'm going to have to play around with this --- enjoy!
Update: This will be linked up to Life as Mom’s Ultimate Recipe Swap for today, Thursday, 12/2/10. It's for favorite cookie recipes today, and while I realize this isn't technically a cookie, it wouldn't be the holidays around here without some of this fabulous little dessert. Check out her site for more great holiday cookie ideas!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patty's Day
Happy St. Patrick's Day all! I know I've been a bit of a slacker here this past week or so, but the weekend in CT was amazing and a great time was had by all. I'll soon get back to some recipes, but for today, have a shot of Jameson, a pint o' Guinness and enjoy this awesome weather. Wish I was at the parade in NYC!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Menu Plan Monday - Dec. 28, 2009
Ah, menu plan Monday. Wow, it's been awhile since I've linked up to I’m an organizing junkie. This week isn't too stressful meal-wise as we have several outings planned that eliminate the need to plan/prepare for a meal. Here we go: Monday - Ribs in the rotisserie, steamed Old Bay carrots & a green salad (with all sorts of good stuff!)
Tuesday - White chicken chili (found on eatbetteramerica.com) with crusty bread, possible addition of a green salad. The chili will be made Monday night so the flavors really have time to meld by Tuesday night. I'm really diggin' the recipe selection at eat better america!
Wednesday - I'm alone (Buppy's at work) so I'll fend for myself. Most likely it'll be a sandwich or breakfast-for-dinner kind of night.
Thursday - A pretty basic repeat of Wednesday. We'll see if I get any more ambitious to cook something more impressive for myself.
Friday - No plans. We're going to Buppy's mom's house for her annual "New Year's Open House", so that'll cover a late lunch for us. Then Buppy's father, his wife, Buppy's brother's family and our clan are all doing something for dinner. His father wants to go out to eat, so most likely that's what will happen.
Saturday - Lunch will be grilled cheese or tuna fish sandwiches (or leftover chili.) Dinner is going to be Salisbury steak. I've never made it, but I really enjoy it and almost never eat it. Buppy is skeptical as the only time he remembers eating it was when he was a child and it was part of a TV dinner. I have yet to figure out what recipe I plan to use, but I'm hoping to find one that's uber tasty!
Sunday - We're hosting a brunch to celebrate Christmas/Nick's birthday with Buppy's whole family. I plan on making this bagel and cheese bake for sure, and possibly this jiffy fruit salad I found on Hannah’s Hangout. Sounds good, but I'll see what else I can find. I'm looking for recipes that aren't too laden with fatty ingredients --- it'll be after the 1st and eating healthier is becoming a priority. Dinner on Sunday will be at a restaurant in Baltimore called Dionysis; we'll stop there for a relaxing dinner after we see the Nutcracker. I'm psyched!
If anyone has a good recipe (that isn't all too unhealthy) for Salisbury steak, please feel free to share!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Bagel & Cheese Bake
Going back to our Thanksgiving meals [again], here is a recipe I tried for the first time for breakfast while our out-of-town guests were here. It was a total success, and something we're thinking of doing again when we host Buppy's family for our make-up-Christmas-and-oldest tike's-birthday brunch on Jan. 3rd. I've never had the opportunity to host a breakfast or brunch before, but am much looking forward to it. I really love breakfast foods for dinner, but they're not something I can ever make for company; it just never seems appropriate. I'm not sure exactly what'll be on the menu for our Christmas brunch on the 3rd, but it's gonna be yummy!
This recipe is something you can really play with and add whatever kind of meat [sausage, bacon, ham --- or go meatless!], cheese or bagel you have on hand. I modified the recipe slightly and it was great. Buppy's father really seemed to enjoy! I also love the fact that I can make this the night before and let Buppy bake it in the morning [more sleepy time for me!] Hmmmm . . . now I just have to figure out what ingredients I want to use next weekend.
Bagel & Cheese Bake
Adapted from allrecipes.com
1/2 lb. bacon, diced
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 everything bagels
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
12 eggs, beaten
2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the bacon and onion in a large, deep skillet over med.-high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. Slice each bagel into 4 thin slices. Arrange 6 bagel slices in the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Cover with the bacon and onion mixture, followed by the Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bagel slices. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bagel layers. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 400F; uncover the chilled bagel dish and bake in the preheated oven 25-30 minutes or until eggs are firm. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.
Enjoy!
Update: I'm linking this to Life as Mom’s Ultimate Recipe Swap for this week's egg dish edition [March 18, 2010]. This is a fantastic egg dish, but for even more ideas, visit her site!
This recipe is something you can really play with and add whatever kind of meat [sausage, bacon, ham --- or go meatless!], cheese or bagel you have on hand. I modified the recipe slightly and it was great. Buppy's father really seemed to enjoy! I also love the fact that I can make this the night before and let Buppy bake it in the morning [more sleepy time for me!] Hmmmm . . . now I just have to figure out what ingredients I want to use next weekend.
Bagel & Cheese Bake
Adapted from allrecipes.com
1/2 lb. bacon, diced
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 everything bagels
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
12 eggs, beaten
2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the bacon and onion in a large, deep skillet over med.-high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. Slice each bagel into 4 thin slices. Arrange 6 bagel slices in the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Cover with the bacon and onion mixture, followed by the Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bagel slices. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bagel layers. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 400F; uncover the chilled bagel dish and bake in the preheated oven 25-30 minutes or until eggs are firm. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.
Enjoy!
Update: I'm linking this to Life as Mom’s Ultimate Recipe Swap for this week's egg dish edition [March 18, 2010]. This is a fantastic egg dish, but for even more ideas, visit her site!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas in the Big Apple '09
My how time flies. Christmas '09 is now a thing of the past, if only by a day. Buppy and I seriously enjoyed our trip up to NYC Christmas Eve. We left our house around 4pm and arrived in The City around 8:30pm. The hotel was easy enough to find and we were lucky enough to find a parking garage almost directly across the street. After our quick check-in, we headed out to find Asian Fusion, our dinner pick from restaurant.com. We were surprised at how packed the restaurant was, but that doesn't say much considering how tiny the place was. The sushi was affordable (especially with our gift certificate!), beautiful and very delish. My salmon was my favorite (from my order) and had such fantastic texture. My favorite from Buppy's order? Both! His were really, really tasty! 
After dinner, we decided to find the Rockefeller Tree. We knew we weren't staying very far from it, so it was just a matter of locating the appropriate block. We found some cute decorations along the way, as well as some crazily decorated vehicles. I didn't know that Radio City Music Hall has their own tree (which turns colors), but we ran across that on our trek too. One of the most holiday-ish sites we found was directly across from Rockefeller; the Saks Fifth Ave. building had giant snowflakes all across the side that lit up along with Carol of the Bells.
And then there it was, the main reason I wanted to venture to The City for Christmas --- Rockefeller Tree! I can't even describe to you the feeling of seeing that tree in person. Most people, my family included, don't understand the big deal, but it's just something I've always wanted to see up close and in person. It didn't disappoint. We didn't get in line to skate on the rink below the tree; I'm sure it would have taken us 2+ hours to get through the line! I'm ok with that though, since I saw what I came there for.
We wandered around looking at different buildings and sites for awhile after that, then ended up at one of the few places open to warm up: Applebee's. We had a cocktail or 2 there (At the staggering price of $62 for 4 drinks total, no food. Can you say OUCH?) and then headed back to the hotel.
Christmas day consisted of lunch at Carnegie Deli (can you say "wow" to their Reuben?!?!), walking the fashion district (the Juicy store had tigers on their model's heads!), roaming Bryant Park and just taking in The City. We found a fabulous little shop in Bryant Park where we got Buppy some hot choco. He said it was $5 and well worth it --- he called it "liquid gold" in his mouth!
While I would have enjoyed being with my family for the holidays, especially since they were all home together in Wisco and I didn't get to see them last year for the holidays, this was a close 2nd to "most enjoyable holiday." And with my discount from working at a hotel, a quite affordable holiday as well! Happy holidays '09!
After dinner, we decided to find the Rockefeller Tree. We knew we weren't staying very far from it, so it was just a matter of locating the appropriate block. We found some cute decorations along the way, as well as some crazily decorated vehicles. I didn't know that Radio City Music Hall has their own tree (which turns colors), but we ran across that on our trek too. One of the most holiday-ish sites we found was directly across from Rockefeller; the Saks Fifth Ave. building had giant snowflakes all across the side that lit up along with Carol of the Bells.
And then there it was, the main reason I wanted to venture to The City for Christmas --- Rockefeller Tree! I can't even describe to you the feeling of seeing that tree in person. Most people, my family included, don't understand the big deal, but it's just something I've always wanted to see up close and in person. It didn't disappoint. We didn't get in line to skate on the rink below the tree; I'm sure it would have taken us 2+ hours to get through the line! I'm ok with that though, since I saw what I came there for.We wandered around looking at different buildings and sites for awhile after that, then ended up at one of the few places open to warm up: Applebee's. We had a cocktail or 2 there (At the staggering price of $62 for 4 drinks total, no food. Can you say OUCH?) and then headed back to the hotel.
Christmas day consisted of lunch at Carnegie Deli (can you say "wow" to their Reuben?!?!), walking the fashion district (the Juicy store had tigers on their model's heads!), roaming Bryant Park and just taking in The City. We found a fabulous little shop in Bryant Park where we got Buppy some hot choco. He said it was $5 and well worth it --- he called it "liquid gold" in his mouth!
While I would have enjoyed being with my family for the holidays, especially since they were all home together in Wisco and I didn't get to see them last year for the holidays, this was a close 2nd to "most enjoyable holiday." And with my discount from working at a hotel, a quite affordable holiday as well! Happy holidays '09!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Neglection
While I'm aware of the fact that "neglection" (the title) is not a real word (at least I don't think it is...), it's still what's been going on with this poor, poor blog of mine. I'm trying to change that, but it's difficult when I'm a part-time mom, part-time girlfriend (I love you Buppy, but I just mean that you're not home all the time!) and now full-time lover of my job.
Things have definitely changed since this job landed in my lap. I cook less, and have less time at night to spend with Buppy. But the rewards are fulfilling, and I wouldn't change much. Well, perhaps just to have more time in a day, but then I'd just be busier, longer. November was the first month I earned commission (my first full month with the company), and it was such an ego boost to earn 5x more than predicted at the beginning of the month. I managed to snag a wedding the day after Christmas, which will (of course) help my figures for this month. And I've booked 2 holiday parties for January --- on the same day! That will be a challenge, but with the right staff, I'm confident in our abilities.
This coming Sunday, the 20th, we have tickets to see the Nutcracker ballet at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore. We'll grab a gift certificate from restaurant.com (I love that website!), have dinner and enjoy the show. Buppy managed to get us a super good deal on tickets, which makes it all the better. Great entertainment without costing us a fortune!
I'm not going to be able to head back to Wisco to see my family and friends this year for the holidays, but I had the amazing idea to head up to NYC on Christmas Eve. The kids will go to their mom's at 3:30pm, and Buppy and I will head straight up to The City, roughly 4 hours away. Because I work in a hotel, we're going to be staying in a suite in Times Square for the low, low price of $59. Parking will be a little costly, but well worth it for a $59 room rate! And we're only half a mile from Rockefeller Center at this particular hotel, which is the main attraction for this trip. I've always wanted to see the tree live and in person. I'm psyched! I also plan to find a knock off Coach bag for a dear friend of mine who's never made it up that way. Don't worry Sunshine --- I'll find you something amazing!
Our 2 trees are up (1 being strictly a fire tree), Christmas is being celebrated at Buppy's mom's house this Saturday, the Nutcracker on Sunday, work 3 days, then up to NYC. What a great holiday season!
Things have definitely changed since this job landed in my lap. I cook less, and have less time at night to spend with Buppy. But the rewards are fulfilling, and I wouldn't change much. Well, perhaps just to have more time in a day, but then I'd just be busier, longer. November was the first month I earned commission (my first full month with the company), and it was such an ego boost to earn 5x more than predicted at the beginning of the month. I managed to snag a wedding the day after Christmas, which will (of course) help my figures for this month. And I've booked 2 holiday parties for January --- on the same day! That will be a challenge, but with the right staff, I'm confident in our abilities.
This coming Sunday, the 20th, we have tickets to see the Nutcracker ballet at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore. We'll grab a gift certificate from restaurant.com (I love that website!), have dinner and enjoy the show. Buppy managed to get us a super good deal on tickets, which makes it all the better. Great entertainment without costing us a fortune!
I'm not going to be able to head back to Wisco to see my family and friends this year for the holidays, but I had the amazing idea to head up to NYC on Christmas Eve. The kids will go to their mom's at 3:30pm, and Buppy and I will head straight up to The City, roughly 4 hours away. Because I work in a hotel, we're going to be staying in a suite in Times Square for the low, low price of $59. Parking will be a little costly, but well worth it for a $59 room rate! And we're only half a mile from Rockefeller Center at this particular hotel, which is the main attraction for this trip. I've always wanted to see the tree live and in person. I'm psyched! I also plan to find a knock off Coach bag for a dear friend of mine who's never made it up that way. Don't worry Sunshine --- I'll find you something amazing!
Our 2 trees are up (1 being strictly a fire tree), Christmas is being celebrated at Buppy's mom's house this Saturday, the Nutcracker on Sunday, work 3 days, then up to NYC. What a great holiday season!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Norwegian Cookies (I *Heart* Christmas!)
So why not celebrate by participating in Life as Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap: Christmas Must-Haves? It's Christmas in July people, and it looks like she's getting a great group of recipes together; I'm really looking forward to exploring other reader's must-haves. I really love the whole holiday season and this seems like a wonderful idea for a recipe swap! My contribution: Norwegian Cookies. Lip-smackin' good!
These cookies turn out crispy, and although I'm not a huge fan of crispy cookies in general, these are definitely the exception. I made them for the first time about 3 yrs. ago for Christmas after randomly choosing the recipe from a Taste of Home magazine, and I'm now expected to make at least 2 batches of these during the holidays. Luckily I don't mind since they're so easy! My only substitution is that I use pecans instead of walnuts simply because my parents live on a pecan grove and I get as many as I want for free!
Norwegian Cookies
Recipe from Taste of Home website
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts
Red and/or green colored sugar
In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and nuts; beat just until moistened. Cover and chill 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness with a glass dipped in colored sugar. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Yield: 3 dozen.
*Tip: I found that the easiest way to get the sugar to stick to the bottom of the glass to press down the cookies is to first rub it on a damp paper towel, then to dip it into the sugar.
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