Pumpkin/Pumpkin

I have long been a fan of Einstein Bros. Bagels. I was a little disheartened the other day while watching some nutrition show (wtf was I thinking?), that a bagel like theirs is the equivalent of 5 slices of bread. Wow. No wonder I like them so much. I try to stay away, but at this time of year, it's caution to the wind and I go all the way and order up what I call the Pumpkin/Pumpkin. Pumpkin bagel, Pumpkin schmear.  OMG. Best thing ever! And, after doing a quick Google, I find I'm not the only devoted fan. It seems they have quite a following.
Who ever invented this little combo will forever be my hero.
The bagels are on the top of my holiday favorite list which also includes Eggnog shakes from Braum's and Eggnog Lattes from Starbucks.

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/eggnog-latte

Needless to say, these are not what you'd call nutritious either, but what the hell, it's Christmas! In fact, I could very well live on these three items from November til January and be perfectly happy. Well, I might have to add cornbread dressing to the menu. 
Yep, I'm ready for a P/P. Maybe since it's early, I can beat the crowd.

Edit 12/27/10. I was informed on Sunday that the P/P are discontinued right after Thanksgiving each year. WTF is up with that? Don't they know that Pumpkin is ALSO a Christmas flavor? Ugh. 

Deck the Halls

Christmas music already? As Sarah Palin would say, "You betcha!". Bring it on. Love it. I'd listen all year if I could. Some days in July, I do listen. I don't care if it's not Thanksgiving yet, I am a happy girl when I flip over and hear "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". I will admit, however, that there are a few Christmas songs that seem to get a lot of air play that just drive me up the effin' wall....such as "Little Saint Nick", "Wonderful Christmastime" and most of all "The Christmas Shoes". Does that song not wanna make you just slit your wrists? Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Edit to add:  Last Christmas by Wham. This song truly does make me wanna stick a pencil in my eye.
The music is just one of the many things I love about Christmas and the holiday season. I am quite sure you'll hear more about this in the next few weeks.
I am just about to burst waiting for the day after Thanksgiving when I can drag all the decorations out and start decking the halls. This year, I have bought some new ornaments in a new color. Oh, who am I kidding? I buy new ornaments every year. (Insert blushing smiley here). This year, I bought brown--to sort of coordinate with my new beige, black, white and brown room. I only recently decided that I had to have brown in that room too, but not too much. Anyhoo, the new brown ornaments match the new brown pillows that I also bought. I'm thinking brown decorations in that room with just a hint of silver. I shall post a pic--most likely Thanksgiving weekend.
So, until the next time the mood strikes me...

Feliz Navidad!

The rest is gravy

I could go on for days about how much I love REAL cream gravy. I call it cream gravy, but actually, I use milk. I find it's too thick and rich when cream is used, but to each his own. And, since I only have three followers, I don't mind admitting that my favorite way to have it is on fresh white bread. Fresh white bread. None of that whole wheat cardboard crap. White bread. Disclaimer:  I do not consider the above to be wet bread.......which I hate. Assuming wheat bread has been bought by the healthy, thin person of the house, biscuits will work. Now, you put some cream gravy on a sweet cream biscuit and you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. Then, while you're at it, put a whole bunch on your chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. YU UU UU UU M!
I'm posting a recipe but it's pretty much all intuition. You have to know when you've added enough flour. You MUST use either bacon, sausage, pork chop or chicken fried steak drippings. No oil or butter. (Wow, I just remembered how much I love fried pork chops too. The thin ones that get really crispy when you fry them like CFS. )
You have to know that when it boils and bubbles, take it off the heat!! It will thicken more as it cools.
You have to know that it ain't good left over.
You have to know that it's got about one zillion calories and it's worth every one.

CREAM (MILK) GRAVY

1/4 cup pan drippings,  1/4 cup flour 2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste In the pan which the meat was cooked, add 1/4 cup flour to the 1/4 cup drippings already in the pan. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until mixture starts to brown. Add the salt and pepper then slowly add the milk, stirring constantly.Continue cooking until gravy boils and thickens. If gravy is too thick, add a little milk. Adjust seasonings to taste. ~~~Cooks.com

A Perfect Day

It happened on a Wednesday about two weeks ago. Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island to be exact. Perfect weather--not too hot, beach calling. Waffle House for breakfast. Ugh. Hubby loves this place. Me, not so much. If they could make half way decent gravy, they might have a chance with me, but instead it's that white wallpaper paste that so many places serve. Yuck. Suffered through and then went to my favorite store in the whole world--Publix. Stocked up on stuff for a beach picnic:  chicken salad, cracked black pepper and sea salt chips, Tahiti cookies. Tahiti cookies deserve a blog of their own...OMG! Heaven in a white paper bag!
Called up the bestest gambling friend ever who happened to be staying close by, invited her for picnic on the beach. Searched for extra beach chairs at several stores. Found them at one of my other favorite stores--Winn Dixie. ( I so miss WD in Texas). Chairs a bargain at end of season $7.99. Go to buy ice at the place where hubby has bought giant bags of ice for 25 years. Ice place closed. Hubby goes into store connected to ice place. Comes out with black market ice.
Make sandwiches for picnic. Friend arrives!! Yippee!!! Always a treat!!! Head to beach. Gorgeous! Plant chairs, hang out, have picnic, have fun. Then, off to Destin to AJ's for a cocktail. Two cosmos for me. Friend heads home after one drink and hubby and I hang around for a while. Watch the Fishing Rodeo contestants weigh in with the day's catch. Drink a bushwhacker.
Back to house. Family arrives. Only part of the family--many more to come. Go to dinner at an old, funky, sort of 50's seaside restaurant. Good times. More drinks.
More family arrives late bearing a van full of baked goods driven all the way to Florida from Illinois by an 88 year old uncle. Baked goods are unloaded, measured, cut into perfect squares and triangles, argued over, lovingly arranged and supervised by the darling 85 year old baker/aunt.
Bed time for me..left them up.  Sweet dreams of a perfect day.