Homemade Pies

A friend of mine baked me 2 pies from her grandmother's recipes for Thanksgiving becasue I had very little time. She was so nice to do this for me! So we ate them, they were good, and I washed the pie plates to return them.

Both plates say "Mrs. Smith's Pies" on the bottom, and neither had any old knife marks in them. I think she bought them frozen, baked them, and passed them on as her own family recipe. I'm anxious to see her again and rag on her for it!

I'm really grateful she baked them for me, and they were good, so I really can't say TOO much to her!

In the Bread Drawer

What's in the bread drawer?

Oreo Cookies. Put in the drawer 2 weeks ago in a zipper bag for freshness. I found them this morning. What a great surprise!

OH, FUDGE!

I cook. I bake. I enjoy dabbling in edible delights. But there is one thing I have no success with: fudge.

About once each year I attempt to make fudge. This year I found a recipe in the local paper. It’s a Blue Ribbon Winner! A sure fire, make every year, eat until you’re sick recipe! 5 gold stars from all the newspaper readers! So I cut it out, made sure I had all the ingredients, and prepared to cook fudge.

I followed the instructions EXACTLY, using a microwave, a microwave-safe bowl with straight sides, and fresh ingredients. But…the sugar crystallized. The butter burned. And this was only after 3 of the 6 minutes it was supposed to cook! The marshmallow and peanut butter wouldn’t mix with the other ingredients. And the plastic container melted into the "fudge". My 11 year old still tasted it and asked why I used crunchy peanut butter. I didn’t.

After it cooled (2 hours later) I threw the bowl and contents away.

Attempt number 2 consisted of a recipe from a children’s cookbook. “Easy Chocolate Fudge.” My fudge turned out grainy. And dry. In another attempt at support, my 11 year old tasted it and felt she could probably eat this batch.

Attempt number 3. Go to the local department store. Find the loose candy counter. Purchase 1 pound of chocolate/peanut butter fudge for $6.99. Go home. Take it out of the box, cut it into squares, and display on my own pretty glass plate. Accept compliments from guests. Promise myself to NEVER attempt to make fudge again – at least for another year.

The Incredibles

While hubby played poker last Sunday evening, and daughter 1 was at a friend's house, daughter 2 and I went to see The Incredibles. A long but cute long movie!

I like the idea that a small black mask can hide your identity, and that there is a clothing designer that will create a perfect outfit that works with your best attributes. I need to find that designer and hire her!

I also liked the transformation of the daughter, from a teenager who feels invisible to one that really can be. She develops her powers and becomes more assured and confident. A message?

And now I'm trying to convince A2 to see The Polar Express with me tonight. Can you believe she only wants to go if she can bring a friend? So I'll fork over an extra $6 for her friend, just so I can see another kid's movie. Tom Hanks here I come!

Green Thumbs

Those who know me best know I have a black thumb. Any plant that enters my house in a pot will leave in a black trash back. It's been that way for the last 15 years. I've been known to kill even the strongest cactus known East of the Mississippi!

I recentle plant-sat, admitted my short-comings, and amazingly enough all plants survived. One leafy flowery thing even survived SO well that it actually grew fuller and started flowering! Unheard of in my care.

Bolstered by success, I am now shopping to replace the plants that I had to give back. Can I really take care of them now? Maybe my luck has turned! I purchased 1 leafy green thing (the name wasn't on the pot) that's about 2 feet high. I like it, tranplanted it into a decorative container, and watched 5 leaves drop within 24 hours.

My husband tells me that as I was looking through the plants at the nursery, they (the plants) were playing dead so I wouldn't choose them! They were wilting as I walked down each aisle, then springing back to life as I passed. Apparently my reputation preceded me! The one I chose was actually in the rear of a pile, sticking up above the rest. Idiot plant. Maybe it has a death wish?

Maybe I shouldn't have repotted it, but the plastic pot was so ugly. I'm sure I've done a terrible thing and it's going to die.