Sunday, December 30, 2007

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

merry merry!



don't you just love those jaunty letters? so cheerful and reminiscent of the atomic age.




happy holidays, no matter what you celebrate!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

six word sunday: i'm dreaming of a white christmas

i'm dreaming of a white christmas




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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

no time for games

My mother had surgery yesterday, and is recovering well. I was over there for a few hours last night and the anesthesia still had not worn completely off so she was a bit groggy. She seems to be in good spirits, which is good news. It's such a small world, and here's proof: the nurse assisting the doctor used to work for us! She was the manager of the gift shop we had in SF, and apparently was going to nursing school and all the while working for us. I definitely remember her, but as it was about 15 years ago (!!!) Mom doesn't.

The next step, starting in mid-January, will be for her to undergo radiation therapy. Now we're just waiting to hear back from pathology on her lymph node biopsy to see if the cancer has spread. I imagine we'll hear sometime later this week. In the meantime, I'm relieved that this step is over and we can focus on her recovery.

Thanks to everyone who offered kind words and prayers, they really mean a lot.

Beautiful wreath gifted to my mother by a generous friend:




On with the holidays!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

six word sunday: he dangled the prize before her







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Monday, December 10, 2007

punishment dinner

i once came across a blogger who referred to homemade lunches as "punishment lunches," because what else could compare to the reward of going out to eat?

this week has me low on funds, mostly due to too much holiday shopping, so i've decided to eat in. needless to say, i wasn't looking forward to making meals out of what i had at home, but if tonight and last night were any indication, "punishment" is a relative term.

last night i had homemade garlic bread with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and whole wheat four-cheese ravioli with a hearty marinara. yeah, the pasta and sauce were store-bought, but i added my own spices for a kick. i topped it off with a glass (okay, two) of pretty much the only chardonnay i like, rombauer.




finished product

tonight i had crab cakes and a simple salad with light balsamic vinegar dressing and a couple of biscuits.

crab cakes
biscuits
lovely little dinner


tomorrow will be leftover ravioli, and who knows what wednesday will bring.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

six word sunday: it was a moment of peace










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Sunday, December 02, 2007

fryin' high




did i tell you all we deep-fried a turkey for thanksgiving? it seems like so long ago now, but it was only the other day that i found a recipe for leftover mashed potatoes, of which i had a ton left. the resulting dish of leftover mashed potatoes was delicious, but horribly unhealthy -- sort-of like a twice-baked potato with cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions, but without all that pesky scooping. i ate a portion and then threw the rest away. and as much as i hate to waste food, it was probably for the best.

but the turkey. y'know, i'm not really a meat eater, but i love me a good turkey sammich. father took the leftover turkey and carcass to make soup, his thanksgiving tradition, so the only turkey i had was on the day itself. i'm a white meat kinda gal so i was hoping that the deep frying would seal in the moisture. it sure did! i don't eat the skin (ick!) but even so it was noticeably better than an oven-cooked turkey. i'm not sure we'd fry a turkey again (hello 4 gallons of peanut oil!) but the results were good and the time it took to cook a 13 pound bird can't be beat -- about 40 minutes! i'm happy to report we had no burns or 325 degree oil bubbling over or other horror stories that seem to be heard this time of year.

we're good like that.

six word sunday: a new memory with each flash








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