FRIDAY THIS AND THAT--CELEBRATE ST PAT'S DAY WITH A CAKE!

 

HAPPY UPCOMING ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Even all you

NONE IRISH

pretend to be

 Irish  

just for a day.

Well, except for a few of you

English that wouldn't

lower yourselves to do so.

You know who you are,

but being the

loving people we are,

we forgive ya,

and God Bless ya,

all the way to the

Blarney Stone and back.

I grew up in a small

Irish Community in Pennsylvania.

I believed in leprechauns

until I was at least 12...

well...maybe older...

hmm..matter of fact I'm

pretty sure I might

STILL BELIEVE

in them.

So, today I am going to

give you a little recipe.

You have a 

FEW DAYS

get your butt to the store

for the ingredients so

you can make it for your family.

And your family will lay down

in your path and let you walk on

them after eating this.

Ready?

Now please don't be asking me

where I got this recipe because

the truth is

I don't remember.

So, if anyone has the source for it

I will be glad to give credit.

I THINK it came out of a

Taste of Home magazine but

I'm not betting my 

IRISH CHINA

on that fact.

Crème de Mint Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box

2 teaspoons mint extract

12 drops green food color

2 jars (16 oz each) hot fudge topping

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Thin rectangular crème de menthe chocolate candies, unwrapped and cut into pieces, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

Make cake batter as directed on box, adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mint extract with the water. Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan.

Drop green batter by generous tablespoonfuls randomly in 12 to 14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with metal spatula or knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan one-fourth turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.

Bake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining 1/2 teaspoon mint extract &  remaining 9 drops green food color. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store covered in refrigerator.

Now, I will tell you that being

St. Paddy's Day

 all the calories

 have all been removed

so you can enjoy every bite.

( Removing those calories

is an Irish trick that I promised not to tell)

I'll be serving it to

The Fam here in the Heartland.

Let's hope "SOMEONE" named John doesn't

eat all the Andes Mints beforehand

because if they are gone

YOU KNOW
he will blame it on

THIS ONE.

Have a wonderful day as you prepare yourself

for all the
IRISH DRUNKS

that will be running amuck on

St Patrick's Day.

I won't be one of them because I don't drink

GREEN BEER.

I will be the one sitting in the corner

taking pictures for 

BLACKMAIL PURPOSES-----

and that's all I'm gonna be 

saying about that!

FRIDAY THIS & THAT- THE NAUGHTY GIRL

 

The picture below is me, myself & I!

(The Irish always keep company with themselves)

Yep-That's me---

A happy-go-lucky little Miss.

My Father thought everything I did was funny.

My Mother thought nothing I did was funny.

It made for some uneasy family meals.

ANYWAY..

Below you will see me standing 

next to my Aunt Erma.

One of my Father's sisters.

She is holding one of her pride & joy grandchildren.

She is happy.

That's her happy face.

Notice how she is ignoring me?

See how happy I am?

As a reference guide

Compare it to the picture above.

See what I mean?

I was NOT Aunt Erma's favorite niece.

As a matter of fact, I think I was on the bottom of her list.

Why? Why you ask?

Well, it started with a can of paint

(kinda like this one)

I think I was about 6 (or maybe 7)

I believe my age was

SHE.IS.OLD.ENOUGH.TO.KNOW.BETTER!

(Accompanied by a red face 

to match her red hair).

Anyway, the best I remember it..

I took her white house paint..

ummm..hmmm...

and I just stirred a wee bit of BLACK paint

into all the cans.

There were lots of cans.

There were enough cans to paint her whole house

and she had a BIG house.

My father asked me if I did it.

I said..YEP!

He asked WHY?

I said..Because I did.

My Auntie said that was

NOT! A! GOOD !ANSWER!!!

My Father suggested she paint the house grey.

She did NOT think that was funny.

She did NOT think I was cute.

My Father bought her new paint.

She got to keep the old paint too!

Now I ask you...

Was that fair? 

No need to vote on that question!

Just so you know-

I was paid back by having 4 children...

and most of them were

Just! Like! Me!

FRIDAY THIS & THAT- MEAL PLANNING BY MY HUSBAND-NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

 

One weekend we were staying in Houghton/Hancock, MI 

for the weekend. 

It is some of God’s beautiful country-

where Lake Superior meets the land with a crash and a bang. 

It has been scarred by copper mines and has that wind-swept desperate quality that grabs hold of the emotions. 

The landscape is somewhat surreal, 

like nothing else I have ever seen in my travels.

We got there late in the evening

 and we were HUNGRY ~

(remember the hungry part as it plays an important part in this story). 

A few blocks away from where we were staying was a wonderful little restaurant, perched on the street above the river.

It is called The Library. 

I do believe it was a big, old beautiful library at one time. 

Right now it is a somewhat eclectic eatery that offers both casual and fine dining.

We were seated in one of the booths that overlooks the river. 

A few tables away sat a woman with outrageously red hair. 

You know the kind~

not the kind that nature blessed someone with~

it’s the kind that can only come out of a bottle-

a bad, bad bottle. 

To top matters off, 

she did not look like the red-head type-

You know-the pearly translucent skin 

& light eyes-

that somewhat delicate look that red-heads

 seem to maintain their whole life. 

No-she was a bottle job-

and had the most pasty white skin

 and dark eyes I have ever seen. 

Picture the Snow Queen 

with beet-orange colored hair.

I am trying NOT to stare 

when I notice MyHero has his eyes glued on their table. 

"Stop staring", I whispered. 

"I can’t help it", he said. "Boy! She doesn’t look good!" (No kidding?)...

He continued, "Geez! I would hate to be stuck on a desert island with her." 

"Don’t worry about it", I tell him, "we aren’t boating this weekend". 

He says-"IF we were all stuck on a desert island together she would be the first one we ate!". 

WHAT? WHAT? 

What is WRONG with you? 

"Well, I’m just saying, 

she doesn’t look like she would be able to do any work or anything 

and we’d probably need food!" 

Lord love us-WHAT kind of a mind jumps 

from dinner at The Library 

to eating one of its patrons?

By the time our dinners had been set before us I had lost my appetite.

PS- Please don't eat the baby~

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY-FRIDAY THIS AND THAT

  The good:

This sweet little 

Vintage card.

The bad:

A real heartbreaker indeed!

The ugly:

1980's oversized heart sweater

If this is in your closet well...

I'm sorry I said anything (NOT)

What?  Didn't like THAT sweater?

How about  this one?

Reminds me of those 

Christmas sweaters.

How about a heart on a pig?

Now THAT'S pretty cute 

if you ask me.

But the best is yet to come!

My favorite?

This little Valentine!!!!

Couldn't you just eat him up?

Looks like somebody tried but

couldn't get past the kissing!

Hope you have a great day!

Hubby is home from 

Assisted Living.

More about THAT adventure

coming soon!

Give someone a Valentine Hug~

Just for fun!

BLAST FROM THE PAST-MAKING VALENTINES AND NEEDING PROZAC -FRIDAY THIS & THAT

 

I was looking through some of my old posts

and kind of got a lump in my throat 

reading this one so I thought I would share it with you.

Grab something with caffeine because
you will be tired when you are done reading this.

Step One:
First you must hang a banner inside 
so the grandkids
will know which holiday they 
are celebrating.

Just a word of caution..

If you hang one

that looks like

the one below..

SOMEONE

(who shall remain nameless)

will be sure to ask..
IS HIMS NAKED?

Your reply should be

Absolutely..

That is why he is

carrying an envelope.

This is sure to produce

a giggle from at

least 2 or the 3 grandkids.
The third one doesn't giggle.

She doesn't giggle 
because she doesn't
"get it".  
She is trying to figure out 
where HIMS got that big of an envelope.

Step Two:

You must lay out supplies.

These will cost somewhere

in the neighborhood
of $459.00...and....

after you buy

ALL THAT STUFF,

you will realize that you have

forgotten at least one or

two crucial supplies..

Like...

Elmer's WASHABLE glue. 
Lord help you if you buy the 
regular Elmer's glue
because it will NOT be pretty!

Now that you have

your supplies home
and have signed the bank loan

to cover the expense..

you must lay out the goodies...

Lay them out nice and neatly..

Sigh over the paper-Oh So Sweet

Step Three:
HANG A FLAG OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR.

A cute little cherub flag

to greet them with a smile.

Isn't it perfect?

Love Mary Englebriet's flags.

Then they arrive bringing presents.

Bringing PRESENTS?
PRESENTS FOR ME?

Yep-these are for Nana..
and they made them all by themselves.

Inside are beautiful little

hearts made with love..

One from Ria.

Two from Lulu...

and one from SweetCheeks.

Of course I must put them all on..

I pick up SweetCheeks...

What does this say, SweetCheeks?

That's jus' sumbuddy ehlse's name

on there...Doan't pay eny

attenshun to the name...

just putt it on..

Whereupon I am informed

by Lulu that

"I told SweetCheeks

NOT to give you that one".

Whereupon SweetCheeks says

NOAH.YOHU.DIDN'T.LULU

an' I dohn't care cuz I am ghiving

it to her enyways! PFFFFFT!

I start the legal paperwork

to change my name to Allison.

Great.. We are off

to a nice, calm start...

Now where were we?

Okay..girls..

Let's get started...
WHO WANTS TO MAKE A VALENTINE?

Everyone's hand shoots into the air.

In short order everything

 looks like this.....

All three girls are

Busy-Busy-Busy

Lulu made this-

 Ria loved the self-stick hearts...

SweetCheeks has changed into 
her 3rd Princess outfit and has busied herself

making th...........

Oh, Dear Lord In Heaven...
While I was refilling my coffee cup,

pray tell WHO handed HER 
the glitter?

There is glitter glitter everywhere..

On the floor and on the chair..

In her mouth and on her hair....

I could go on and on with the

rhyming thingy but I'm afraid

the Dr. Suess police will get me.

An especially nice touch? 

The globs of

glue that dropped here and there

and shine brightly up

from the chair...and the table...

and the floor...and the countertop...

Did I say floor? Ah..yes...

and back to the glitter...

Nothing like glitter on the floor

that can be tracked from

room to room..

Leave NO ROOM untouched

seems to have been the motto

of the day.

I decide I need a bathroom break

to dispose of the 3 gallons of coffee

that I have downed in an effort

to keep up with this

CRAFT DAY WITH THE KIDS.

Lo and behold,

in the small reading nook

(where the old steps used to be)
I SEE THIS!!!

How did all these books get off

the shelf and on the floor?

I ask ever-so-sweetly-

between slightly gritted teeth.

Uh-oh---Here it comes...

Welllll...says SweetCheeks..

Ria toohk a few books off

the shellf and then I helped her

and taked the rest offf..and

we jus' put 'em there for now.

Yeah? Where do you think

you're gonna put them later?

Wellll...It was Ria's idea.

I dunno how they gonna

get bahck on the shelfs.

Hmmmm...I dunno where YOU'RE

gonna go either if you guys don't put

these books back.

All too soon-

hahahahahahahaha

the day ends and we clean up the

mess, they put on their matching
dresses that Nana bought them
 and they get ready to go home.

As you can plainly see 

SOMEONE has been so overworked

she has collapsed in a heap

using her sisters as pillows.

These little girls are big girls now...
but I love them as much as I did 
when they were little like this...
even more...

Kind of bittersweet to look back on 
these special times.

I am so glad I had so many

hands-on experiences with these kiddos.

Now I have two dogs hanging around

instead of the girls.

Hmmmm....wonder if they would like to

make Valentines using

doggy treats?

I suspect they would eat the 

supplies before we could begin!

Edited to add:
MyHero reads my blog and says:
 You SPENT $459 ON THIS STUFF?
(Sheeez...don't ya know a joke when you read one?;>)

FRIDAY'S THIS OR THAT----FLASHBACK TO THE 60s--WHAT WE WORE

 Oh, I know that some of you

are TOO YOUNG to remember the '60s

But for many of us it was a time of

New freedoms~ 
New music,

New hairdos and 
NEW CLOTHING STYLES

Twiggy was one of the first ones

that brought us the 

MINI DRESS!

image

I had a dress almost identical to this in navy blue

and wore it with ORANGE SHOES.  

I thought I was SOOO cool.

The town I lived in thought I was scandalous!

I think it was the first mini-skirt 
they had ever seen.

That's would be me-

always causing a ruckus of some kind...

just ask my mother..never mind...

she's in Heaven.

The 1960's also brought us

BELL BOTTOMS

image
You were totally hip in those
especially if you wore them with one of 
THESE TOPS!

image

There were hippie clothes-
The SHORT of it looked like this~

image
That mighta been me...oh wait..
my Go-go boots were white!

The LONG of the 60's looked like this:
A Gunne Sax dress that some of us wore:
Were we grown girls playing
Little House On The Prairie?

Some of us wore
TIE-DYED pieces

Some of us would have DIED 
to be caught in tie dye.
I, for one, never owned a single piece of tie-dye!

Some of us were preppy in the 60's
Yes-it's true- I had this dress!

image

POP ART clothing POPPED UP here and there-

image
I would have worn something 
like this to church
on Sunday
(after hiding my mini dress in the back of the closet)

image
Somehow,
I always envied this woman's 
class and style.

image
And while the beautiful Jacqueline Kennedy
had someone that dressed like this-

image

The ones that looked like THIS
are the ones that usually found me!

image
Was I lucky, or what?
What?
Add you own favorite fashionista
remembrances in the comments if you'd like.