Open Thread – One Down, 364 to Go.
Well, 2010 has begun. The day had a less than auspicious beginning when I discovered that I was totally out of coffee, and was ultimately (after much wailing and rending of garments) forced to use yesterdays coffee grounds, still in the machine, to brew up a pot. I was not impressed. Let’s just say I would prefer a pot of coffee I can’t read a newspaper through.
But despite that, it was a great day. And to make up for the less than stellar morning beverage, I decided this evening to Go Rogue.
That delicious treat was a little present from Spouse acquired on a business trip and smuggled into the house! Gotta love it. And it’s WAY better than the other Rogue.
Hope everyone began the year well. Enjoy the open thread!
I am with you on the “AAAAARG!” factor when out of coffee beans. One of those, and you learn to leave a stash in the freezer (ok, so I’m an addict).
Well, you’ve obviously wrapped up the day quite well. Being out of a good red wine….now that’s even worse.
Onward into 2010, and I will continue to tag along.
OH, WOW! A good “blue” and a good “red!” How can you go wrong with THAT? Hope it was a good cabernet sauvignon. Or at least a decent pinot noir. The cab is all I drink. Think I’ll get MY spouse to run into Charlottesville and find a decent hunk of blue cheese and we’ll have that tonight for supper. Hey, with a salad, that’s good enough for me!
Rogue roque. Very Kewl!!! So tell us about the letter. We are dying to hear.
They make that cheese down Oregon way.
Wow. Just goes to show how different things are depending where you live! Here in South Ft. Lauderdale Florida, if I had no coffee on New Year’s Day, I could have walked, in pants and a shirt, to a nearby convenience store, that would be open, or at least drive to an open Publix supermarket to buy more coffee!
Of course, I didn’t need too partly because … I’m a tea drinker.
As for the wine and cheese … yum! Perfect!
We’ve been enjoying the strange combination of cheese fondue, chili and Mimosas. Boston is a true culinary melting pot, I guess.
Be careful out there drivin’.
http://i.imgur.com/FGgCn.jpg
@ austintx at 7:
You do realize that the City of Boston has declared those particular traffic signs, “The Official Warning Signs of Boston”? By the way, we are in the midst of quite a snowstorm right now. Thank God it held off for the Bruins game at Fenway Park yesterday.
AKM – Don’t leave that out unattended…….
http://i.imgur.com/4X8fQ.jpg
On those mornings I find myself (basely!) groundless, the pull of possibilities ranges from the immediate ‘donning of coat over pj’s to hit the coffee shop’ (fuzzy-slippers not recommended) to ***shudders*** having a cup of my brother’s instant coffee.
Now I’m in the habit of leaving a cupful in the pot. If I’m desperate the next morning I nuke it, but if not, my houseplants benefit from a cuppa joe.
lynnrockets -
This you in the park ??
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4113/myg2001.18a/0_36bed_d8d79577_L
Great pictures folks!
Yum on the wine and cheese AKM.
Will we be reading anything soon about a certain mysterious envelope? ( I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning.)
Patience is a virtue. 0:-) AKM
Sunnyjane – try “Silver Oak” cabernet savigion…you’ll LIKE it ~~ Napa Valley if you can find it, mo’ betta than the Central Valley , altho’ that’s good, too. It’s a bit pricey, but oooooo, that oak flavor !!
hhmmm Dec 29. court papers made public….it’s been 3 days since Scarah has done something to grab the headlines….. wait for it, wait for it…it’s coming…. wait for it…..
Love the pictures, would love to be aware of the pricer wines..but happily make-do. I keep about a 12 week stash of starbucks and tullys 12 ouncer bags..frozen down in the outbuilding, deepfreeze. Thus..I can afford them as they are normally 10 bucks-plus per bag..but 5.99..when on sale..soooo..load up then. Blue cheese? Oh yes..and many kinds local to those of us in Oregon. Most of our family would be considered..blue cheese-aholics!
I did not know you could re-use the grounds. The American school system has let me down. I also didn’t know you can freeze coffee beans. The ‘flats is a really neat place. I will ponder the wonder of my expanded knowledge (while pretending I don’t care what was in the envelope).
OMG…. running out of coffee!??? That’s torture. It’s also rotten to wake up without having any sort of milk products at ALL…There’s just no drinking black coffee in my house…
Keep some good Green Tea on hand. It’s a terrific source of caffeine and doesn’t need any dairy. It has saved me on a few occasions, but more importantly, it has saved those around me from the effects of caffeine withdrawal!
My coffee grinder broke and now I have whole beans but no coffee…I see a trip to the store in my future… (Mona Lisa, I’m not quite desperate enough to have some of my dad’s instant coffee, blecccch!)
one thing about santa – he always puts some special coffees in the christmas stocking – what a lovely thing eh?
Stags Leap! Nice.
Cronopio: I down it the same way I down Nyquil®. If I want to feel better, I gotta hold my nose and swallow as quickly as possible. Bonus points if I can somehow bypass the taste-buds.
Is it AKM’s birthday? Read the facebook post over here >>>>>
Cheese, wine, whatever. Left out in all this are the crackers! Are they not the Miltons Multigrain that you can get in bulk at a place like Costco? They are the Lays potato chips of crackers!
AKM….yesterday’s coffee grounds. Sadly I am just shaking my head on that one. I have been known to jump in the car in my pajamas and thank god a baseball hat covering my standing up hair, and go to the drive thru for my fix. But then again….OMG it was New Years Day, ” No One Was Open Yesterday” that could brew up a decent cup of Joe! Throw a pound of whole bean coffee in a sealed bag in your freezer in case of emergency….works like a charm. Starting my day off w/out a few cups of coffee while I surf the blogs would put me in one pissed off mood.
While one *can* reuse coffee grounds…………only the most desperate addicts would attempt such a thing! But this coming from a person who cannot bear a cup that is greater than a few hours old, even re-nuked.
AKM………It’s the new year, what’s the Big Scoop???
AKM… based on your story… you have definitely “Gone Rogue ”
And You have become a ‘ smuggler ‘ as well. Ohh Nooo s ! I wouldn’t let that rumor get around the inter-webs…. another DooDoo Doogan might pop up and send out one of those nasty emails.
nope…not the akm’s birthday.
seems like akm got lots of facebook wall birthday wishes out of the blue…oh, tee hee…must have been the blue moon effect.
MonaLisa, my dad swears no one can tell the difference, SNORF.
Of course, he also thinks Scarah would make a fine president, so, consider the source.
One of the very BEST wines I’ve ever had is made by a tiny winery in CA. ~ Three Blind Moose (yes that’s the name) Merlot. It’s like drinking liquid rubies! Beautiful. Smoking Loon comes close.
fForgot to attache website. Brian would approve.
http://www.3blindmoose.com/home.asp
OOh to be caught without coffee on any morning. I still have my stash of Tully’s tucked away. Last time in Seattle, they were on sale so bought a bunch and shipped back to MD. Must have coffee on hand. Absolute must.
Great for asthma first thing in the morning. No wines however. Picture looks great though. A new year and new start for everyone.
It’s awfully cold here in MD, a chilly 23. My goodness, I don’t want to go out today. What a coward I am.
Reusing grounds is not recommended, rather an act of complete desperation. Take it from someone whose cat was going to be named Moca Java (until I discovered the white shape of a heart on her belly), has 2 coffee grinders and 3 different coffee makers. If I run out of coffee, it’s my own fault. Near my first apt in college, there was a Jewish deli which was run by an Asian family. They had a sign that said “We serve Peet’s Coffee” and I thought who is this Peet, and why can’t he spell? That began a very important part of my education. When I moved after college, I would mail order their coffee. Now if they had a Peet’s near my home, I’d probably never leave my neighborhood, would get rid of my car and walk everywhere instead. There is a Starbucks and a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf within walking distance, but they aren’t in the same league in my picky opinion.
All this talk of coffee has me reaching for the grinder. I am very luck in that futurexpat? keeps up well supplied with great coffee. On a trip to Costa Rica a few years ago, we discovered the joy of Costa Rican coffee. After bringing some home and exhausting it, we began having it shipped in from Britt, an excellent roaster of small grower Costa Rican coffees. It is surprisingly inexpensve, especially if you follow their sales.
One warning, though. It may ruin you for other coffees. We find it superior to Jamaican Blue Mountain, Kona, and all the other touted “super brands.”
I can’t speak for that one exotic that they run through a Cervel, however. I have neither the discretionary money or the inclination to try a coffee so prepared.
My father-in-law reuses grounds because he doesn’t have to buy coffee as often. So whenever we are down there, hubby makes sure that he makes the coffee. We also usually buy him some good coffee to supplement his.
I love all the pics this morning. But I’m so thankful we don’t have any snow this year. Last year was a mess.
And no red wine for me. For some reason, even a little gives me a headache. I stick to white wine, preferably a late harvest reisling. Hubby would like the blue cheese, but that’s another one that I don’t care for. We had several cheddars to nibble on.
I don’t worry about finding coffee anywhere, being in Seattle coffee country. There’s a Starbucks or Tully’s on nearly every corner. And Seattle’s Best, though that’s now part of Starbucks. Hubby found a place in nearby Ellensburg that roasts their own coffee and ships within a few days of your order. So he now orders from them. It’s so much fresher than anything you can buy in a store.
But, mainly I’m a tea drinker and only have a mocha once a week while I sit in the Barnes and Noble Cafe with my nose buried in a book.
Our house still smells like sauer kraut, which we have every New Year’s Day. Helps ward off the evil spirits for the coming year.
Ahhh! A good blue cheese, red wine, crunchy crackers. I did the same thing New Year’s Eve while home guarding the sleeping kid; hubby was out celebrating with the rest of the village. I made myself a nice platter of roquefort, port wine and provalone cheese (I saved my Maytag blue for salads), some green apple slices, dates, crackers and a very smooth red from Australia. Turned on a good period romance and had a very pleasent evening, just me and the cat. While everyone else was sleeping late, the kid and I were up at 7 and watched the Rose Bowl Parade. We danced to the marching bands and oooh and aahhed over the floats and the pretty horses.
As for the coffee conversation. I used to be addicted to it, now I drink mostly tea, but I love the smell. Hubby has more coffee stashed around here to keep an army up and caffinated for a week. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, I bet you have a hammer and a towel! For a backup, we’ve got an old hand-cranked grinder from hubby’s Granddad. Still works as well as the day it was bought – some 70 odd years ago!
Coffee snobs — that’s what we are! Gotta have it juuuuuuust right. Of course. And then I read that Jackie-O used Folger’s. So it’s just not an issue for some people. I don’t get it. Maybe like the weather: we some of us have our most definite preferences. I like rain way more than most people I know. So it’s a good thing we don’t have to decide, communally (voting?), on the weather. Such wars there would be over that, if we could choose. Same with coffee, if we couldn’t each have our fave: we’d have to revisit gun control (“You call THAT sorry swill a cup of coffee????” Blam!) Here’s another vote to have you work on the letter ASAP.
I’m with you on the coffee AKM. In a pinch I would probably go through my neighbors garbage can looking for grounds (in the dark of night of course).
Also, have we really not heard a peep or tweet from granny palin since last year? Wow..
RE: wines, Mr. Terps and I were not disappointed by the three River Road (Russian River Valley) selections we purchased for New Year’s including a champagne that we paid more for than we normally would but it was smooth as a baby’s bottom …. and, it tasted a lot better than a baby’s bottom!
Also, very much enjoyed Santa Barbara/Santa Maria Valley wines and wineries last summer. Some yummy Pinots but alas hard to find here in S. Florida, except Cambria.
Must also give a virtual high five to my beloved Temecula Valley (Southern California) wines since I grew up about a half hour to the north of there. Some interesting stuff, a lot too sweet for my tastes, but still different. Once again, only the ‘biggies’ can be found in stores locally, such as Callaway, but we love the little Hart Winery that specializes in non-sweet wines and has lots of tasty reds. Has a great picnic table in the shade you can sit at over looking the vineyards at the top of a hill. Very pretty, very serene, very …. civilized.
Happy New Year everyone! Sending wishes for a happy, peaceful & prosperous New Year to everyone!
I don’t chime in much, but will say…
1) I don’t drink coffee, but my husband is devoted to the stuff, so we have lots. We have the grind n brew cuisinart thing with the insulated carafe — fine for big gatherings, but since it’s just him drinking the joe, kind of a waste 99% of the time. Which is why a year or so ago we bought a Keurig, and those things are magic! Hot choc, tea & coffee at the touch of a button. There are zillions of types of tea & coffee, so one can certainly find some fine stuff that suits your taste. Costco sells them pretty cheap, and includes the filter that allows one to do the ground bean option (as opposed to pod), and a bunch of sample pods. We bought our daughter a mini-Keurig for her dorm room & one for my dad who was coveting ours, have one for our VW camper van as well. We are sold on Keurigs, if you have some spare cash after the holidays, some room on your counter and a Costco that stocks them, you will not be disappointed. It’s a real boon when we have company and people want coffee post-wine/food — you point them to the pods & the machine and let them get their own.
2) I still read ADN online now & then just to see what is going on in AK, most particularly the letters to the editor, hoping that Alaskan IQs have risen a bit following the exodus of SWWNBN, I don’t bother with the poisonous comment section. Anyway, I see that sadly it is not the case, as there have been a rash of letters to the editor re: “Obamacare.” WTH? I thought the legislation was crafted via the House & Senate? And when someone says “Obamacare” does that not automatically disqualify them from participation in discourse re: healthcare? One of my new year’s resolutions is to not get bogged down in the political mire, but really, this is a pet peeve of mine!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, Calgary is grand, don’t miss Alaska at all!
All this talk about good coffee makes me want a cup. Hills Bros use to reign in Bush Alaska from the 40′s into the 80′s and now they sell dried up, bland tasting stuff. It’s Folgers coming on strong these days. Folgers coffee bags are good for the trail, one cup at a time.
Pat@33, have you tried Stella’s on 1st Ave (downtown)? GREAT coffee house.
#37 @SMR
Don’t be a stranger!
I received a Keurig for Christmas! Oh it’s really nice. I drink one really really good cup of coffee a day and it’s perfect. I was given a box of assorted pods and am happily drinking my way through them. I remember reading somewhere about making your own pods and I’m planning to do a little research about it just to be a bit nicer to the environment. I save the grounds for my compost pile.
Terpishore – what a small world this is. I know Hart winery well!!
I’m not much of an adult beverage person anymore but my favorite wines to bring along are any red by David Bruce (Santa Cruz Mountains) and the Chardonnay from Baileyana (Edna Valley). Both have master wine makers to make their own wine, have vineyards and have tasting rooms. Worth a visit if you are ever in their area.
I’ll have to get my tasters to try 3 Blind Moose. I notice that they are part of Constellation Brands. The same folks who bring us Mondavi and Inglenook. Lots of the wine makers don’t have their own vineyards but buy from others. During September the roads are full of tractor trailers hauling the harvest to different plants for the crush. This year the harvest was really abundant with lots of sugar because of the hot weather. The prices were reported to be down for all but the most in demand vineyards. Hope the prices carry forward to the bottles in the future.
And thanks for the tip on pouring the cold coffee on plants, I save up the grounds and use them in the garden for the plants. They really like it. One less thing for the landfill.
It’s amazing the knowledge that is shared amongst mudpups. Happy new year.
austintx @7 -
LOVE the photo…where DO you find them all??????
My sister and her family lived for 15 years in SE New Hampshire, just over the border from MA. My niece, who spent most of her childhood there, occasionally spills a Bostonian word or two. She loves ‘hawkey’ (she even named her son after Cam Neely) and we tease her a lot about her accent, especially since she now lives in ID!
As for the coffee…don’t drink it.
Wine? On occasion, but only white.
BUT…tell me there’s no chocolate in the house and it’s gonna get ugly!!!!
I entered the New Year with some very good champagne (can’t remember the name since I did seem to empty the bottle by myself), some lovely Wensleydale and Stilton cheeses and the commoner at the party, Wheat Thins. I love Wheat Thins. I did have coffee in the morning, but had the magical spell broken when I discovered the PuppyWhoCannotBeHousebroken had peed on the bedspread. All in all, I’d rather have a peed upon bedspread than no coffee.
Happy New Year to all you housbroken Mudpuppies out there!
Here’s something to amuse:
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0102/Palindrome-day-No-turning-this-day-around
Ah, Peet’s Coffee, Cafe Britt from Costa Rica – what a great way to start the new year! Happy New Year, AKM, and all coffee-loving Mudpups!
ooohhh yum!
So pleased that you were able to make up for the coffee with a treat from Oregon!
I own 4 espresso shops in Alaska, so I know a little bit about coffee and have sampled the liquid gold in every shape and form from all over the world. The finest coffee I have tasted anywhere is actually roasted in Alaska and can be found at ravensbrew dot com. Not only is the coffee amazing (try the Pearls French Roast if you really want to wake up or the Resurrection Blend for what I think is the best cup of coffee you can find anywhere) but it also has a true Alaska flair to it. All of the artwork for the coffee is done by a very famous artist up here named Ray Troll and each bag has a unique story to tell
Ha! Yes, the organic version of the French Roast is my favorite, and the one I tried the second pass on the grounds. I wholeheartedly agree with your analysis. :0) AKM
Will gross you out.. but oh welly
So I also leave a few cups of coffee left in my pot… for that just in case moment.
If I do not have any more coffee.. rather than nuke or reheat (but good idears!) .. this is what I do
sorry.. but
I just pour the pot back in the coffee maker (where you should be putting fresh clean water!) … leave the old grinds where they are and just press on
It comes out hot .. a wee stronger … not bad
One thing.. when leaving extra cups in the pot… just make sure you turn the burner off so that coffee doesn’t sit there for long.. you will get that nasty burned taste.
For those of you who like to partake of the vino… I will share a little bit of my experience with you. ( especially if you like the Reds )
I worked for a Wine Distributor as a salesman back in the late 70′s, early 80′s.
One of the companies we represented was “Bolla” wines and we had a Holiday party where they foot the bill at a nice Italian restaurant for reaching a sales goal. They felt that if we were going to sell and represent them… we needed to know their whole product line. Even the higher priced wines which might be for a special occasion.
( the typical line price at the time was about $ 4.49/bottle- these sold easily)
They had the restaurant open a few bottles of Bolla ” Amarone ” so we could taste it. This was in the $25-$35 back in the 70′s. Comparable to a nice CA Cabernet Sauvignon in price…. and the taste was just soooooo fine. Mmmm!!
Now… continue to support our CA wineries but if you want something different sometime for variety… try this type of wine. If you have never tried it… don’t experiment for the first time at a restaurant. Typical mark-up on the wine list is about 100%. Buy a bottle retail at some beverage store to see if you like it. Then you might might order it at a nice Italian restaurant at a later time for something special.
FYI: Amarone is made from some of the same grape variety blend as your typical Valpolicella region wines which are made to be drunk young and fresh. Amarone is aged in barrels like you would a Cabernet Sauvignon so it compares to a Cabernet. ( quote from webpage below )
“Valpolicella is a medium-weight wine meant for consumption with lighter fare with in its first 3-5 years, Amarone is a much more robust wine that is perfect with game birds or other such sturdy fare over the course of 7 to 15 years. ”
http://www.wineloverspage.com/italwineguide/amarone.phtml
That website is also advertising a CA wine map on the top if you want to see where some of the wineries are located. Look it over… with a nice glass of wine.
Cheers!!
I’ve never developed a taste for blue cheese but these photos make me wish I did or could ! ( However, I desire one of those crackers, please) Ottoline @3 – Rogue Roque cracked me up.
Boodog @35 – I’ll remember to ask for tea if ever visiting, just in case!
SMR @37 – I was also going to post about the Keurig and I join you in high-fives . I only drink 4-5 cups a week but really do love when it’s a good one . I have a french press that I like very much but it’s such a pain to clean. The Keurig is great because it gives you so many choices, there is no clean up, and really – it’s just a great cuppa coffee. ( SMR, LiladyNY & I receive no compensation from Keurig for our accolades. However, some of us may indeed be on the Obama Admin payroll. But that is entirely different!)
Buffalo & WNY folks – Here’s hoping our region moves on to a new level in 2010.
KateinMT@45 – My son was here today and told story of being the only one at the party with a bottle of good champagne instead of a bottle of Canadian beer. I’m not sure it worked in his favor after the fact but I chuckled at the image, especially because there was a pool table involved.
As per my earlier post just above…( about Amarone ) here is another website with FYI info and some do’s and don’ts.
———————
“One of the most beloved and famed Italian wines, Amarone is big, rich, dark and dry, and will knock you over (in a good way) with its full bodied-flavors. Once you try Amarone, it will be love at first sip.”
http://www.ehow.com/how_2064194_pick-amarone-wine.html
A day without coffee is like a day with s’error palin. It’s painful but us coffee nuts manage to get thru it.
The only thing I got more of for this xmas than s’error palin stuff is coffee. 8 lb of beans.
As for wine, I gave away over 20 bottles of pennsyltucky’s finest to various relatives living in other states. Of course, due to pennsyltucky’s stupid wine laws, the relatives only get to collect if they stop by the house.
I heard there’s a Harrison Vineyards somewhere in the Russian River Valley of CA. Anyone ever hear of them or know what purveyor uses their grapes in wine? Perhaps they make their own but label it under a different name?? I’ve heard their offerings are supposed to be really good.
The Three Blind Moose label follows a recent trend used by numerous “new” wine makers: unique and clever names. Two Red Bicycles, Red Truck, Blue Truck, Humping Dogs (a pennsyltucky niagra), and a number of Aussie brands follow this trend. Used to be that german reislings and Blue Nun (a terrible wine) were the only clever names out there. Not anymore. TBM Merlot is decent but I will never again buy their savignon blanc.
AKM… if you need some fresh coffee beans sent your way, just leave the particulars in my email. I promise it will not be Starbucks.
My favorite red is Adelsheim’s Pinot Noir. It’s made in Oregon – the vineyard is surrounded by hazelnut farms -I’m sure the hazelnuts (filberts) add the body I like to the wine.
Adelsheim’s Pinot Grigio is pretty good, too, costs about half as much as the Noir.
I also like Gnarly Vine red.
liLadyNY… I bought a bottle of Three Blind Moose Merlot for a Christmas Eve open house party I went to! GMTA
#27 Cronopio Says: January 2nd, 2010 at 8:32 AM …my dad swears no one can tell the difference … he also thinks Scarah would make a fine president…
*******
Wacko!! My dad reuses grounds and is a Palin Rebublican!!
AKM: It’s a slippery slope – watch out – reusing grounds then voting for Palin!!
Ohhh Noooooooo!
My dad passed away 3 years ago and he might not have liked President Obama but he would never have voted for mcCain/palin/never and to his dying day he did not believe we had a man walk on the moon.He thought it was all filmed in the west. LOL I know a lot of the elderly thought that. 30 below and I thought 15 was cold which is what we have right now.
Hawk @50: I love Ray Troll! (I’ve even bought 2 of his tee shirts to give as gifts, but ended-up keeping one for myself!)
Gonna hafta’ check out that coffee now….
Drinking coffee (my second pot) right now with some sharp cheddar and a great little sourdough boulet I found for $1.64 at the chain grocery, of all places! Sorry, AKM! But hope you got to the store. Your blue cheese (fond of the dressing, not the cheese by itself) reminds me of the limburger my dad used to eat over 50 yrs ago. Talk about stinking up the entire refrig!
BTW, if you like a slightly sweet, very fruity wine, you should try the muscadine and scuppernong wines from NC, among others types. One brand even puts out a “Christmas” wine. NC is developing a pretty good variety of small vineyards in this area; even Biltmore House has a line of wines, also low cost for the most part.
#57 @R’ipley in CT
GMTA indeed. LOL
I haven’t had the Cabernet, but I really like their Merlot.
OMG. I heard this on NPR today (Wait. Wait. Don’t tell me). It is hysterical.
Enjoy,
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=122098268&m=122098236
@boodog, no I haven’t tried Stella’s, but I’m not in Seattle that often. Oldest daughter and I stumbled on an internet coffee shop in Capitol Hill though. Very cool, and the coffee (mocha) was tasty, especially on a cold blustery day.
Now, back to Kansas basketball. Ah, tis my favorite sports season, finally.
LiLady, that was the funniest thing yet on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. I love that program anyway, but that was priceless, beginning to end. Thanks for the link – I had missed that one.
That NPR piece is priceless. My favorite line….. Sara Palin speaks as if she is narrating her own acid trip. Hilarious!
I’m poking around on WordPress, trying to change my avatar photo. I found this old quote someone posted from HuffPo. It’s so funny I had to share.
“The McCain/Palin campaign and the GOP is one big car wreck and Palin is the hub cap that’s still rolling down the street”.
Take a fork and mash together a block of blue cheese + a block of cream cheese, spread it into celery sticks. Nummers!
Cronopio @ #18 — Do you own a hammer & a few thicknesses of paper or plastic bags? Grinder, shminder. I haven’t drunk coffee in years (still enjoy the aroma); white jasmine tea is my (mild) caffeine source. Happy 2010 to all. C U in chat.
I have this feeling, someone else mentioned it upthread……it’s been 3 days of quiet on the Crazy Woman front. You know how a volcano gathers its steam before the big blow?
Just a feeling.
LiladyNY, that NPR link was hilarious! LMAO! I always enjoy that show, but haven’t listened to it in awhile.
For a very smooth and cheap Merlot – try Sutter Home. Beats most of the more expensive brands. It is my wife’s favorite. When I waited tables I was more into wine. Now I prefer having a Mexican beer.
LilLadyNY..oh how choice..I had missed that! Many thanks.
@ #50 hawk
LOVE the Ray Troll art – Tshirts & Coffee Covers!
Favorite: something about a three-pecker billy goat
Perhaps at some point one of the moderators can go read the submissions for the I heart mudflats posts? I submitted one over a week ago. Pretty soon it will be so far after Christmas that the post will be pointless.
I submitted the full post plus I requested a temporary account to do the posting myself. Haven’t heard a thing either way.
Seagull -
Kinda quiet huh ?? Ricky Reese didn’t come thru with the party favors for all of Wasilla. Shooters is walking distance to Casa de Palin.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=11754814
Look @AKM’s twitter >>>>
Go to the link – political carnival
Grandma68@61 Says:BTW, if you like a slightly sweet, very fruity wine, you should try the muscadine and scuppernong wines from NC, among others types. One brand even puts out a “Christmas” wine. NC is developing a pretty good variety of small vineyards in this area; even Biltmore House has a line of wines, also low cost for the most part.
* ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
Ditto on the muscadine grape wines. San Sebastian Winery (St. Augustine Fla) makes several blends with them. Different but nicely different.
Also, gotta visit the Saint Augustine if you are anywhere near it in Florida. Charming, historic, lots of places to walk around, beaches if you want them …. oh yeah, and the winery with a free (as I recall) wine tasting!
Thanks to Kelly, Jennifer and Belynda. My donorschoose project is funded!
I know at least one of you hangs out on this blog.
I’m not sure when the books will arrive, but shortly thereafter my students will be reading all three and voting on their favorite.
And to think, in 2012 they’ll be voting for president.
Start them young.