A Day in the Life

This morning started with an unfortunate but rather hilarious espresso accident.  You may recall I got a lovely cappuccino maker for free.  I hadn't used it in a while, so dove right in without responsible adult supervision.

Heed my advice, where explosive and potentially dangerous steam-under-pressure is involved, get the damn manual.

I pulled something apart when I shouldn't have and created the mother of all coffee explosions on the kitchen counter.  Ever tried to wipe soggy finely-ground espresso beans from every single nook, crevice, horizontal AND vertical surface in your kitchen?  Especially when they've been blown there by force?  Espresso and safety FAIL.

Fortunately no one was hurt.  But I seriously saw my life flash before my eyes.

The morning was redeemed however by popovers with almond butter.  Courtesy of my unauthorized co-blogger Shan, here is the recipe.  They are so incredibly easy and wonderful that they may soon become illegal.  I top them with Almond Butter, which is just a stick of softened butter, about 1T of powdered sugar, and just a drop of almond extract all mixed up.

Today I plan to harvest the onions, carrots, and basil from the garden.  I'll probably end up impaling myself on a tomato support or strangling myself with the hose.

Some days I'm like a walking accident.

Satan's new name is McDonald's

Beelzebub has a new form, and it's iced mocha from McDonald's.

Sometimes I leave work so hungry I could take a bite out of my steering wheel or my own flesh. 90% of the time I can force myself home to make a cheap filling lunch. But today the hungry-shakes took over and I stopped to get the kids and myself some quick lunch at McDonalds.

I ordered one of their new iced coffee drinks because 1. it sounded good and 2. I could then mock their lame attempt to imitate quality coffee. But DAMN that thing was GOOD!!! Lots of strong coffee flavor with just a hint of chocolate and milk, icy cold, all the way I like it. I'm sure there was high fructose corn syrup in there somewhere, it's still a McDonald's product, but it was just really delicious.

And since we're confessing, I really do love Big Macs. I know they are a heart attack in a little paperboard box but they are just SO GOOD!!!

So get thee behind me Satan, and take McDonalds with you.

A Day of Good Things

First, some great things about going "Up North"
1. Truly Northwoods cabins beside one of the clearest lakes I have ever seen in my life.
2. Watching my New York Italian husband catch fish. Of course, he makes his daughters and me bait his hook and take off the fish he catches, but he sure enjoyed the catching!
3. Watching my 9-year-old take to snorkeling like she's done it all her life.
4. Laying in the sun, listening to the loons, feeling the boat sway in the waves, with my line in the water.
5. A king sized campfire
6. Good times with my husband, my kids, their cousins, and my siblings. THIS is what life is about.


Now, today's good things and to hell with Martha Stewart
1. A large homemade iced mocha! With espresso from my stovetop pot, Hershey's syrup, and 1% milk. My espresso doesn't have that deep dark flavor you'd get from a commercial machine but it's pretty darned close.
2. Cleaned out several cupboards and purged old crap. I feel a garage sale coming on!
3. Time to bake a batch of chocolate chip pecan cookies.
4. We'll soon have a Democratic Administration.
5. My job with benefits, something we haven't had since 1990.
6. I'm trying a new tactic with my raging 14-year-old. I'm ignoring everything. This takes about 300% more energy than calling her on her disrespectful behavior towards me. She still has rules, consequences, etc but I don't answer all her teenage drama. It takes all my strength not to fight back.


Excuse me, the first sheet of cookies just came out of the oven - hmmmmmm, warm chocolate chip cookies - is there anything better?? Anyway . . . .

7. The weather is delightful
8. I've got my comfy shorts on
9. Kids are all at friends' houses until 5pm and I have the radio to myself. Can you say Geezer Rock??
10. Time to do some serious laundry. This is one household chore I actually enjoy. I love the smell of detergent and the feel of warm clothes fresh from the dryer.