"Drunk People Solve Some Creative Puzzles More Easily."

This quote is from People Magazine this week:  "Drunk people solve some creative puzzles more easily."

Now I know what I'm doing wrong!  I'm trying to solve puzzles while I'm sober!

The note did suggest that one drink should do it, a six-pack would not.  Take it easy when solving puzzles.

It also isn't clear which puzzles one might solve more easily.  Is Sudoku a creative puzzle?  If so, perhaps you aren't actually solving it but you think you are.  You've filled in all of the numbers and think you are girl genius, but you're really a dumbass.

Cheers!

Pi Day

Goobers unite to celebrate the great Pi day. 

This is when super smart people show their true colors (is dork a Pantone color?).

My Ten Favorite Comfort Foods

I'm reading an article in Cooking Light Magazine, one of my favorite magazines, and it asks what are you ten favorite comfort foods?  Actually, I don't know that it asks, but the editor wrote his piece about his ten favorite comfort foods.  Here are mine in no particular order, but if it came to mind first, perhaps that means something:

1. Macaroni and cheese - but it has to be homemade, none of the glow-in-the-dark, save sailors from reefs, crap from a box.
2. Sauerkraut and Polish sausage - I have always loved sauerkraut and now my husband makes it for me from scratch.  I heard that there is an island off the coast of Nova Scotia that makes sauerkraut and nothing but.  I think these are my people and we should meet, hold hands and sing kumbayah.
3. Corned beef and cabbage - my mother would make this for us at least once us month, but would also add potatoes, carrots and turnip.  Best dish ever!  I now make mine in the crock pot.  Best invention ever.
4. Meatloaf - mine, not my mother's.  Her's was more of a ground beef goulash.  Mine is an actual loaf and is delicious!  Top it with ketchup or bbq sauce - your choice.
5. Soup - I know this could mean any number of soups, but I have to lump them together because it often doesn't matter what soup when I want soup to comfort me.  Chowders, my mother's pea soup, my mother's bean soup, chicken noodle, pumpkin, you name it.
6. Tuna noodle casserole - I just love this little gem.  When done properly it can be creamy goodness that melts in your mouth if it doesn't burn it first.
7. Homemade bread - this especially works when it is fresh out of the oven.  Spread a little butter on it or dip it into a little olive oil and you have yourself a bit of heaven.
8. Ice cream cake - I have loved ice cream cake since I was a tot.  In fact, I still remember the cruelest thing my father ever did to me was buy a faux ice cream cake all iced up to look like cake.  It was on April Fool's Day so it was allowed.  The look on my face was priceless from what I understand.  I still remember that sinking feeling when I thought I had an entire cake and all I had was a frosted cake pan.  Luckily he had the real thing in another freezer.  Luckily.
9. Pizza - sometimes you just want a greasy pepperoni pizza.  Often when I travel, I come home and want a pizza.  That says something.
10. Milk - does a beverage count as a comfort food?  When I am traveling, I always want milk when I come home.  I know I'm old-school in wanting to drink only pasteurized milk.  Not interested if the bad stuff hasn't been killed off.

I thought I might have some trouble putting this list together.  It was surprisingly easy.  That might explain why I'm in need of weight loss.  Notice that you didn't see fruit or veggies on my list.  Perhaps I could stand a bit less comfort.

My Blood Type May Be My Demise

Fitness Magazine published an article recently stating that your blood type may be linked with stroke risk.  As if I didn't have enough genetic baggage.

Women with "AB had a 28 percent increased risk for stroke, and women with type B had a 17 percent higher chance."  Those with Type O may have "underlying protection from strokes."  Damn you universal donors!  At least my blood type is B, not AB.  I am not in the highest risk category.

The article states that I should consult with my physician about other cardiovascular risk factors.  Okay, I've already done that.  I have a history of heart disease in the family along with a history of skin cancer.  Now my blood type may have me at higher risk of stroke.  Seriously? 

I suppose I should really, really, really start to eat better and exercise more.  In fact, I should head out for a run right now.  It's a beautiful day and I need to lose weight and reduce my risks of heart disease and stroke.

Does red wine work for stroke as well as heart disease prevention?  Perhaps I should test it.

More Renovations On the Way

We are getting our house ready to sell and we need to do a few more renovations.  It will be exciting to add a half-bathroom to our first floor. I have been dying to pee on the first floor rather than having to run upstairs to use the loo.

While we are at it, we will add insulation and actual walls to the back room.  Why not add shelves?  And let's modify the kitchen just a tad.  Pictures will appear in a future post once we have the project finished.

We are also getting compliments on the outside of the house.  Turns out the house stands out and people are noticing.  Good for us!

National Take a Hike Day!

Happy New Year!

I read somewhere that Jan. 1 is National Take a Hike Day.  After doing more extensive research (Google search), I found that National Take a Hike Day is in November.  No matter, ignorance was bliss and it seemed a good way to start the new year.

Jamie and I went for a hike on the Foothills Conservation Trail near Darien Lake State Park up the street from us.  We took the dogs.

It should be noted that we have had the most screwed up winter weather.  Actually, we have not had winter weather.  It had rained nearly all of last week so the trails were muddy and slippery.  I don't think I need to say how that makes for an adventurous hike with dogs.

We slid around and got muddy. Then it started to rain.  Good times.  We know how to ring in the new year.

That said, though, the trail is quite beautiful.  Cocoa needs to be carried across water barriers and Maggie flops her way through and makes a huge mess.  Good thing clean isn't what we were going for.

I said that we have to return when the trail is snow covered.  And we have to bring the camera.

We are finished with the house

We are finished with the house and are receiving any number of compliments, which makes us feel good.  It's also so nice to drive up to the house and pull in the driveway and see this splendid home.

We actually finished in October, but this is the first chance I've had to post anything (please see the post about canning and freezing for an explanation).

Some before and after shots.

Before the painting started.  This is the front of the house and it's summer.

This is winter so the grass looks dreary, but it's the same house.  Can you even believe it?

The front and side before the work......

....And after.

The side of the house with phantom husband standing in the backyard.  Also, very green and in bloom.

Not green and not in bloom, but you can see the entire thing!

Husband scrapping before painting and before we bought our new bistro set.

The bistro set seemed perfect and it matched the house!  Now we can eat and drink wine.  We can also clean up the yard.  Baby steps.

Canning and Freezing catch up

I know that I wanted to make notes in this blog about all of the canning and freezing we had been doing related to our garden bounty, but life got in the way!  I was asked to serve as the Interim Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication which was an enormous undertaking.

We still did all of the canning and freezing, but I didn't document it.  For the record.....

What we froze:

• strawberries
• blueberries
• corn cut off the cob (after grilling it first - delicious)
• brussels sprouts
• rhubarb

What we canned:

• jams: blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, strawberry (which became strawberry sauce excellent on ice cream), peach, black raspberry, blackberry
• peach chutney
• sweet and dill pickles
• zucchini relish
• squash pickles
• salsa
• tomatoes

Here's a photo so that you know it's official!

I have yet to break out the jams, but I have used plenty of strawberry sauce on plenty of ice cream.  Delish.  Also, the peach chutney in a crock pot with pork tenderloin or pork roast is wonderful.  That's all you have to do - empty the jar in the crock pot and stick the pork in there and go to work.

The pickles have made excellent sides for sandwiches and the like.  The zucchini relish tastes wonderful on hot dogs.

The salsa is quite hot and might burn your insides, but it is great with guacamole and in any of the Mexican dishes we whip up.

The tomatoes have been used in minestrone soup and, most notably, in our red sauce.  We cooked up a huge batch with Italian sausage, meatballs and pork spare ribs and then froze it for a nice weeknight or weekend meal in the middle of winter.  We also made homemade ravioli - mushroom, cheese, butternut squash.  Marvelous!