The Perils of the Shopping Trip

The other day anther blogger  Isabella and Max and I had a brief connection on taking kids to the grocery store and how much easier it will be for her now that they are back at school which got me to thinking about the whole shopping experience.  
 





There are many things wrong with grocery store, the biggest being the shopping cart problems, that we have all experienced.

Wobbly wheels or wheels that lock

The cart that always pulls to the right

Goo or something on the handle.

Someone else's left behind list that you mistake for your own.

But we are all used to those annoyances.

The biggest problem I have with my shopping cart is that it always fills with stuff not on the list and changes a $100 shopping trip into a $400 shopping trip.  

Because of this  I am no longer allowed to do the grocery shopping.

(insert a very big smile here!)

The Husband goes every Saturday morning at seven because that is when there are the best bargains and that is when they are changing the shelf listed prices and that is when he can get those priced-wrong items for free.

A little anal perhaps but I don't care - I am not there.  I am at home coffee in hand, feet up.  Okay, maybe not feet up but definitely not ready go out in public.

A couple of weeks ago I tagged along with and I am here to tell you that I know how kids feel when they follow along, have to keep up, are not allowed to touch anything and cannot put anything into the cart.

No wonder they have tantrums and fits - I was close to having one myself.

Following the Pack

It looks like a trend has taken over our small city.

The trend is naming the house/property.

http://yoursigns.blogspot.com

Not to be left behind I researched it a bit further to see what name we could apply to our little piece of paradise.
I  found that not every one can tell the difference between an ash and an elm or a birch from a poplar and that the name they stick on the driveway sign often has nothing to do with the surroundings.

They take creative license.

Mountain View 
(the view is that of the neighbors shed that when covered in snow looks a bit like a mountain)

Poplar Park 
(only thing parked is the visitors cars and they have no poplars - perhaps they meant it to say Popular Park)

Sage Point 
(halfway down a country road and the base of a hill - there is no point)


Billabong 
(yes, there is a bong but I have seen no Billa - I think the occupants are leftovers from the 70's)

Anyway, with the soon to be painted house I thought we could add one of these clever signs that let's everyone know that our address now has a name that relates somehow to the owners, location or lifestyle.


So far the few to chose from are:

Work in Progress Half Acre

Dead Hedge Drive

Kill Those Quail Corner


The Home (that's my son's submission)

and

Messy House Haven

Wishful thinking  that The Sign will actually get finished and hung....

Perhaps the trend will fade away without me.


That's the sign I should hang, Wishful Thinking.

For People who Hate Marmalade

I love everything citrus - except for marmalade. 

 I find it to be too bitter and too sweet. 

There is also annoyingly thick chunks of citrus peel that are just too intense for my palate.

I have a lot of peaches.  

I made peach freezer jam, sliced and froze pounds and pounds of them to use in smoothies and baking during the winter, gave several boxes to neighbors and the food bank and still had a lot of boxes of picked peaches left.

I complained to my mother-in-law about the over-abundance.

She suggested Peach Marmalade.

 (Yuck, I thought) 

 But to not hurt her feelings I told her it looked good and I would make it.

(After all, I can always gift it at Christmas time.)

The recipe is amazingly simple.

And amazingly delicious.

It is:

5 cups peeled and diced Peaches

1 large Orange

3 1/2 cups Sugar

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Peel and chop the peaches.  With a rasp, grate the rind off the orange and add to the peaches.  Cut the remaining white pith off the orange and throw that in the compost.  Cut the orange into quarters and finely chop in a food processor or blender.  Add the peaches and pulse two times - short bursts - don't puree - leave some small pieces.

Pour this mixture into a large heavy pot,  add the sugar and lemon juice and stir on medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  When the sugar is dissolved bring to a full rolling boil and watching closely and stirring often.  Let cook until jam/marmalade begins to set.  You will see it go from runny to thicker and when you hold your stirring spoon up over the liquid you will see that it drips off slower and kind of forms a rounded end to the drip.  The citrus has lots of pectin in it so it gels quite quickly - 10 minutes or so.

Pour into sterilized jars, top with lids and process in a canner water bath for 15 minutes.

It is so good that I am going to make more.  

and some croissants!  I think is would be delicious on a croissant.

Or maybe I should go and paint trim on the house.

Annoyed That I Missed It

Did you know that July 20th is National Junk Food Day?

Well, I didn't  and I'm a bit annoyed that I wasn't alerted.

I'm setting the calendar date-reminder on my phone to remember it for next year.

(along with my anniversary and birthday)

This recipe, which I have not tried but certainly will next July 20th, was one of the suggestions to celebrate National Junk Food Day.

"BTS Shake"

Ingredients:

1 oz. Butterfingers, crushed

1 oz. Twix, crushed

1 oz. Snickers, crushed

9 oz. Vanilla Ice Cream 

2 oz. whole Milk

1 to 3 oz. Bourbon or Rum

(Frankly, I think I'll go for the 3 oz. version)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into large blender. Blend until mixture is just thin enough to drink through a straw. Do not over-mix. Pour into tall glass and enjoy.

"BTS Shake" created by Beverage Director Scott Clime of Passion Food Hospitality.




I can hardly wait for July 20th! 


I can feel the sugar headache already.

UpDate!

The house is still not painted.

I forgot my birthday - it was last Thursday.

Someone remembered and brought me a Score Cake.

I've gained 3 pounds - I blame the anniversary dessert - but it might have been the Score Cake.

We spent all day Sunday boating and visiting friends.

Did I mention we still haven't finished painting the house.

The windows of the house are covered in paper and painters tape.

The covered windows are good because they need washing again.

The boys are back to school and both in high school!

Our teachers are on strike.

I have been spending too much time in my pottery room,

the rest of the family thinks.

Tonight I have to sit in the gym and watch Volleyball practice.

Next Thursday Son #1 goes back to the Ocean.

Last trip he got to kayak with the Killer whales.

He also got to eat crab.

He loved it.

Did I mention that we haven't finished painting the house?

Waffling between dark trim and light trim.

Driving the Husband crazy! 

"Pick something!" he insists.

It's not easy being indecisive.

I feel like I could use a small rest.....

To the Funeral Home Blog Followers - Please, Sign the Guestbook

The town where I was raised is about 1600 miles from where I live now.

It is a small farming community in the middle of the Canadian Prairies.

Every one knows every one else's business and, if they don't, are not above making something up, or changing details ever so slightly.

You know the whisper game? Sit in a circle, whisper something in some one's ear and see how the story has changed seven people later?  I think that game started in my hometown.

  

I digress. This is not what I am writing about.

I don't have much contact with people from that town and those who I do have contact with have also moved on to different parts of the world.  I will get the odd update from them as to the comings and goings of those who didn't leave but curiosity gets the most of me and, on a weekly basis, I check the obituaries listed in the local funeral home's website to see who didn't make it.

No matter who dies, there is always the same person who posts a comment in the obituaries "Guestbook" and it's always the same comment.  Almost as if she's too busy and doesn't have time to say something different, or personal, or heartfelt.

Maybe it's an 'if it aint' broke - don't fix it' thing.

And did I mention, she posts on the Guestbook for every person.

It reads:

"My heart goes out to all of you. Just cherish your memories of (insert name here) .  He/she will be missed  "

The same - every time - no matter who it is.

Is this the blog she follows?

Should I contact her and let her know about all of you - the 'regular' bloggers?


I wonder what she'll write about me when I die.

Probably, "Cherish your memories, Joy didn't know her a$$ from her elbow."

September 2nd, September 2nd, September 2nd...

There are several days in one's life that note remembering.  

Birthdays, anniversaries, those sorts of things.

Friday was our 18th anniversary.

I forgot.

This is not the first time I've forgotten our anniversary but lately we get reminders from our sons who view the day as an opportunity for all of us to go out for dinner. 

This year son number one is kayaking in the Gulf Islands and son number two was preoccupied with a  new laptop he had just bought for himself (mowing lawns can be very profitable).

No one reminded me.


It's an easy date to remember being that it is in the last long weekend of the summer.

But still,  I forgot.

Thank goodness my husband remembered.  What a Guy!

I had Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Salad and Chocolate Explosion.

And a trip to the Paint Store.

My Living Will

http://showmemoneybiz.com


I, Joyful Things, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept 

alive by artificial means. 

Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of narrow minded politicians who most likely couldn't pass ninth-grade biology when tested. Or doctors and lawyers who, simply, are interested in issuing the bills.

 If a reasonable amount of time passes and I don't ask for at least one of the following.......

Wine, Coffee,  Chocolate Martini, Gin and Tonic, Mexican Food, Pasta, a Foot Rub, and any and all Desserts


.............it should be presumed that I won't ever get better.

When it is determined that this is my condition, I hereby instruct you to reel in the tubes, pull the plug, turn off the lights and call it a day!

Yes.  You can presume from this post  that the house painting, child rearing, office job and client demands, and  regular daily responsibilities is not going as well as planned.....


(this is not my house - my house does not have this much paint on it)



http://www.flickr.com/photos/splynch/2766907666/