TGIF!! Time to share five random things about our week.  Here’s mine:

1. It’s almost 2023!! It’s been a year for sure. While 2022 brought some challenges, I’m very grateful we were able to get into the new house, which has made life easier for us.
2. I made lemon bars and wasn’t entirely happy with them, so then I made brownies. But I can stop baking any time I want. Really, I’m fine Okay, I’m also making thumbprint cookies today, but that’s entirely Wizards fault because he asked me to make them to take to a small a New Years Eve gathering at a neighbors. And now I have a question: Why are men so bad at party plans? The neighbor saw wizard and invited us through him, but I’m getting like six different versions from him on what I should bring…men! I’m not big on blaming men for most things, but it’s so true and that men and women communicate very differently! Oops, this was a run-on random thing, LOL.
3. We had Biker Witch and her Biker Hubby over last night for dinner as a latish holiday celebration. I made manicotti which I haven’t made in years. Did you all know Manicotti shells are hard to find? At least they are in my area. I managed to improvise with oven ready lasagna noodles and I was very pleased with the results. I also found both a decent ricotta and mozzarella. I served the lemon bars and brownies for dessert (that’s perfectly normal for a four person dinner party, right?) We really enjoyed having them out. And now that this dinner is over, I’m out of excuses and probably have to put the Christmas tree and decorations away.
4. I bought a new cookbook by a blogger I follow. I’m weirdly excited by this. I haven’t bought any version of a cookbook in years, but love thumbing through it, seeing the pictures and reading about dinner parties and such. In my head, I could pull off an amazing dinner party. In reality…it’d be a clown show, LOLOL! But I I’m totally enjoying the “old school” (as in a real book, not online) cookbook.
5.  I mentioned going to a small gathering at a new neighbor’s for New Year’s Eve. This party starts at 8pm. That’s perfect for me…if it’s a pajama party! I’m pretty much a couch potato about that time at night because I generally get up at 5:30 and go nonstop until about 7 or 8. But I really want to meet and chat with neighbors so I’m going to try to pull myself together into something presentable. Wish me luck!

I hope everyone has a great New Year’s Eve and we all take on 2023 with positivity and hope! Now I’d love to hear five random things about your week!

Happy New Year!

This week so far has been relaxing because I can do things on my own timeline. Both Wizard and I are loving it! We were so happy to do that last two to three weeks of non stop stuff, but we sure appreciate the slower, more controlled pace this week!

This is a picture from a hike Maggie and I took Monday afternoon.

We went a little farther than we should have, and I scoped out some new-to-me trails before I stopped due to the whole common sense thing. I worry about wildlife, stray unstable humans and falls when I’m alone, and I was a lot farther up than it looks in this shot. But when my son comes out to hang out TV in a couple weeks, his wife and dogs are planning to come with him. We girls will take the dogs hiking if it’s a nice enough day. Since their two dogs, Jett and Hazel, are big and my daughter-in-law is a smart, capable woman, I’ll feel safer to go farther and explore more.

How’s your Wednesday going?

It was a wild and fun holiday for us! But we had 80 degree weather unlike so many of you in other parts of the country. I hope those of you in the cold areas are all well, warm and had a great celebration too! That cold was scary.

After two weeks of going nonstop, I’m so wiped out I’m barely functioning today. Anyone else feel like that or is it just me? I was going so much, I lost weight despite all the baking I did, LOLOL. I’m sure that will change pretty quickly as life returns to a more normal pace.

Let’s see: Friday middle son and his wife came out and brought us a Christmas/Housewarming gift that stunned us both. We were so shocked, that both of us had to mentally shake ourselves in order to thank them They were so very sweet and thoughtful and way too generous. That was a great day just seeing them. Sometimes, it’s really nice to see the kids with their spouses separately. We really enjoyed the day.

Saturday I had a few small errands, then youngest came over, and after that, I made a small cake just for me and Turbo. We shared it with the others, but Turbo and I are the chocolate fans It was a one bowl chocolate cake, with chocolate swiss meringue icing. Then just for fun I did a quick fondant  snowman. I’ll post a pic of the cake, but trust me, I know the icing job is sloppy both neither Turbo or I cared! And he even ate some of the fondant snowman.

Sunday — Christmas morning, Wizard and I opened gifts. He got hobby stuff and clothes. I got a vacuum mop for the floors (which I REALLY wanted) and my dream coffeemaker! It’s a Ninja Duelbrew Pro and I love it so much! Youngest has one and I’ve wanted it for months but could not bring myself to spend that much money on a coffeemaker.

Maggie got a toy and a special treat. But truly, her happiest time is just have people over, and she and Turbo are buddies. He has a snoopy robe with ears and a tail that he put that on after his bath. Maggie found that super interesting. I mean her ruff was up down her back, but it was from excitement and I guess curiosity. If he’d taken it off, she’d have probably stolen it

How was your weekend and holiday?

I want to wish you all a Happy Holidays and/or Merry Christmas! No matter what tradition or holiday you celebrate, I want you all to know you’re important to me! And I sincerely hope you have a safe, warm and joyful times with your loved ones! (This in the storm areas or traveling, please be careful!)

We’ve been celebrating since last weekend. We had one family party last Sunday, another one yesterday at Wizard’s mom, then Sunday will just be us and Turbo plus his parents, then sometime next week another small gathering with my sister and her husband. The important thing is spending times with those we love even if we somehow spread it out over time and tons of travel miles. I’m a big believer in making the effort as long as we’re up to it.

Right now, I’m debating if I have time to make another Christmas cake for Turbo…the answer is NO, LOLOL! I’m going to try to resist the urge.

If any of you are around and have a few moments, share what you’re doing!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is just a few days away!  I hope everyone is ready or almost ready. For us, it’s a busier week than we’d anticipated, but it’ll be manageable.  But I am a little distracted and I was thinking so hard about various things yesterday the I ended up cleaning the shower twice. I may have called myself an idiot in very creative ways when I realized what I was doing! I mean it’s not a chore I enjoy doing once…so I deserved the self-name-calling.

I’m still mad about it, LOLOL!!

But aside from my masochistic tendencies, I started listening to a new book to get through the dreaded cleaning and thought you all might be amused given my rather eclectic choices lately. The title is “The Second Life if Mirielle West” by Amanda Skenandore, and it’s a historical fiction about a socialite in California in the 1920’s who contracts leprosy and is sent to a colony run by nuns.  Is that eclectic enough ?? I truly just stumbled onto the books when I looked through a sale at Audible and it caught my eye. The heroine is a spoiled, vain woman who finds herself living in a leper colony and having to readjust — so at it’s core, it’s a fish out of water story. And it’s not told in a grim way, I’m enjoying it more than I would have believed.

Also Maggie wants to show you all her brand new toy! It was a gift from a friend of hers (my daughter-in-law’s mom) and Maggie loves it. She run around with it, throws and shakes it. I tried to get a picture of that, but she was shaking it so hard, it came out a gray blur in the pics. I’m glad she loves it, but I can’t seem to take my eyes off that long candy cane striped…nose I guess its a long nose sawshark? Out of the water, he looks more comical than scary!

Happy Wednesday!

Sorry I’m late, the entire weekend passed in a blur and Monday showed up before I wasn’t ready But I’m here now!

So Friday afternoon we headed out to Turbo’s preschool play. We left an hour and half before the show to give ourselves plenty of time, and got stuck in traffic from a bad accident. However frustrating it was for us, it was a lot worse for the occupants of the cars, and their loved ones. Anyhow, we arrived on time and the play was too cute! And lasted maybe 30 minutes with four different “classes” of age groups. Then we went to dinner with Turbo and his parents. It was truly nice, especially since it was Grandma’s night! Turbo hugged me, kissed me and chatted to me nonstop the entire evening. Poor Grandpa was stuck on the other side of me and got the left over affection and chatter, LOLOL.

Saturday I did more baking — I think I made 7 double batches of cookies? I think the faves I’ve heard so for have been the pistachio cookies with brown butter icing, thumbprint cookies with raspberry or lemon filling, lemon cookies and the chocolate mocha peppermint. And then I made the cake — it’s my first cake in something like 9 months or maybe even a year. It took a while it get the hang of it again, and it came out okay but not as good as I could have done with more time. But for better or worse here’s a pic:

Sunday we had the family party. There were present mix ups that were hilarious — everyone laughed because we are all trying to juggle too many things and sometime the wrong present is wrapped for the wrong person. Turbo had a great time and showed so very nice manners and graciousness. I was impressed.

Today I’m trying to regroup mentally and physically for this next week.

How was your weekend?

TGIF!! I hope all of you in the tornado areas this week are okay. I was thinking of you ( and you specifically, Silver!). Now it’s time to dive into sharing five random things about our week. I’m trying to write mine in a 10 minute window of time I have, LOLOL!! It’s been that kind of week. So here we go!

1. I’ve baked three kinds of bread and at least six double batches of cookies, and two eight inch cake layers so far. I have another double batch of cookie. All that is mostly in the freezer, and my freezer is bulging at the seems. I still have a double batch of pistachio cookies to make.
2. I’m trying to find time to make fondant toppers for the vague and ever-changing cake design in my head. I need it by one p,m, on Sunday, so we’ll see if I get this cake done! So the cake was supposed to be a white chocolate cake that I’ll add layers of raspberry filling too. But I could not find the white chocolate instant pudding I needed, so I substituted cheesecake flavored pudding. I think that flavor will work with the raspberry filling, but my baking is always an adventure! I also planned on making some chocolate cupcakes, but I’m so short on time and freezer space, I don’t know if that’s even possible.
3. My oven is getting mixed reviews. I’ve been using convection bake, and it’s slower. My cake and the cupcakes I’ve made in the past seem to do well. Cookies are mixed, some are underbaked, and my zucchini bread came out weird — flat and sticky. That’s either too low a temp with the fan blowing in the convection or my baking soda or powder is old. But the other breads baked fine so who knows. The chemistry in making is mysterious sometimes.
4. Our family Christmas party is Sunday and that’s why this week is crazed. Well that and things just got out of control like they always do. That’s life!
5. Today we hope to go to see Turbo in his pre-kindergarten Christmas play, and then we’ll go to dinner with Turbo and his family afterward. It’ll make for a long day so we arranged from Maggie to have an overnight spa weekend for her. She’ll get to play with friends and get her bath, and probably be mad at us:-) But it’s better for her and for us.

Okay I wrote then in like 12 minutes!!! Now it’s your turn, can you beat my time??? I hope everyone has a fun, safe and not too overwhelming weekend!