I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Barb - hope you are as boring as the rest of us ((((((HUGS))))))

Anyone here remember the banana flavored Circus Peanuts? I used to love them, but I sure wouldn't like them now. 

Barb-Here's to boring, boring, boring.....I had chostochodritis a couple of times years ago, way before I had breast cancer. It sure is painful, and it never even crossed my mind at the time that it could be cancer. Now every strange symptom we have now becomes cancer in our minds. I hate it.

I've had 2 doses of antibiotic now and I'm feeling better and better. It was a long, tough day at work though. My tolerance for tattling(never very high) was really low today, and I'm afraid I was not as sympathetic to little people's problems as I usually am. The principal did come into the lunchroom and help me out because she knew I wasn't feeling well, and I really appreciated that. I'm going to bed at about 7 tonight.

Mary 

Well, I didn't know what circus peanuts were either!  I've seen them in the bulk bins but never had the desire to do a taste-test!

Barbara, YOU are not boring, but I'm sure your ribs are!  We'll be there with you on Friday. 

Work stress is making me ill.

That is all I will say.

Had a bottle of excellent Merlot. Barbara, we should form a support group.

Getting caught up on several pages. And lima beans? No. Circus peanuts? Yes, in small doses. Peeps? Yes, if you punch a hole in the package and let them harden up a bit (3 or 4 days). Fruitcake? Oh, yum! But only the recipe my family uses. It's mostly fruit and nuts and just enough cake to glue it together. With pecans instead of walnut and dates instead of raisins. And no citron, because it's bitter.This recipe is for two loaf pans:

Fruitcake

1½ c. flour
1½ c. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 lb. pitted dates (may be chopped)
1 lb. diced candied pineapple in several colors
2 16 oz. jars of maraschino cherries, drained
1 lb. pecan halves or pieces
1/3 c. orange juice
6 eggs
½ c. light corn syrup

Prepare 2 loaf pans by greasing them and line with aluminum foil, allowing for a 2 inch overhang. Then grease again on top of the foil. Preheat oven to 300°. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a very large bowl. Add the fruits and nuts and toss until well coated. Beat the eggs and the orange juice together and pour over fruit mixture. Toss until combined. Turn out mixture into the loaf pans, pressing frequently with a spatula (metal works better than plastic) to pack tightly. Bake for 1¾ hrs., or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 min., then remove from pans and tear off foil. Brush with the corn syrup while still warm. Cool completely before serving or storing.

I've decided to not put up the tree this year, because the only place I have to put it is right beside the cat tree, and I can just see them deciding to walk from the cat tree to the Christmas tree, and over it goes! I figure they'll be less rambunctious next year.

It's the coldest day here in about 40 years - so much for global warming (oops - sorry). Still raining - I love it!!! It was 17 deg celcius overnight, so much better than the heat we'd been having, hopefully it will continue for a week or so.

Did the duty thing and called my mother for her birthday. I deliberately left it until I got home from work as I can't afford for my morning routine to be disturbed and I would have got caught up on the phone for ages. She liked the card I sent, but complained the scratchies were a rip off. I have offered to pay for new taps for her, so we'll see if she lets me know how much they end up costing.

Time to cook dinner - chicken linguine in a pesto, garlic, wine and cream sauce with roasted/peeled red capsicum and snow peas - served with garlic ciabatta and wine of course. I prepped the capsicum (I think you call them bell peppers) and garlic yesterday to save time tonight - yumm!!!

Susie the Chef

Correction - coldest December day since 1888 - top of 19 today and it was 17 over night.

Dinner was no where near as good as it used to be. I can no longer buy my favourite pesto and the ciabatta isn't as good as the one I used to get either. The pesto tasted funny even though it is an expensive gourmet brand - I want my Italian one back!! I haven't cooked this dish for ages, looks like I won't be doing it again unless I can get better pesto - never mind. DH scoffed the lot as usual - you can put anything down in front of him and he sucks it up - grunting while he does it Might try and find a recipe for chicken, sundried tomatos and avacado with pasta - something I had while we were away a week or so ago - it was really yummy.

See, I eat something while I'm out and then try to replicate it at home - did that with a yummy pumpkin and feta fettucine I cook - the 'sauce' is olive oil and garlic warmed up.

In case you're wondering - no I'm not Italian, just love good pasta dishes

Sue

Barb - BOOOOOOORING! 

Since we're exchanging fruitcake recipes, here's the one I use.  It's the dark fruitcake from Marion Cunningham's Fannie Farmer Cookbook.  However, when I went online to see if I could find a link, most of the hits were for very different recipes that didn't sound nearly as tasty.  Go figure.  Different editions, I guess?   This one is the real deal:  it makes four big, dense loaves -- that's a lot of fruitcake, but then, these babies (puppies?  hahahaha!) keep.  I give some away to other fruitcake lovers, and enjoy thin slices for dessert all winter.

You can, of course, adjust the mix of dried fruit.

Title: DARK FRUITCAKE
  Categories: Desserts, Holiday, Personal
         
       2 c  Golden raisins
       2 c  Currants
       2 c  Dried apricot halves
       2 c  Dried figs, halved
       1 c  Pitted prunes
       1 c  Pitted dates
       4 c  Walnuts, in large pieces
       2 c  Pecans, in large pieces
       3    Oranges, Grated zest only
       3    Lemons, Grated zest only
     1/2 c  Candied ginger, chopped (YUM!  ONE CANDIED "FRUIT" I ACTUALLY LIKE)
       2 ts Cinnamon
       1 ts Ground allspice
       1 ts Mace (DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY HAVE MACE IN THEIR CUPBOARD?  I USE FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG.)
     1/2 ts Cloves
       1 c  Molasses
       2 c  Brandy
            -(or substitute apple juice
            -  or water - OH, COME ON.  YOU'RE MAKING FRUITCAKE . . . GO FOR THE BRANDY!)
     1/2 c  Orange liqueur
            - (or orange juice)
       4 c  All-purpose flour
       1 tb Baking powder
       1 ts Baking soda
   1 1/2 ts Salt
       1 lb Butter
       3 c  Dark brown sugar
       8    Eggs
       1 tb Vanilla extract
 
   The day before (OR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE) combine all dried fruits, nuts and zest in a mixing
   bowl. Add the candied ginger and the spices and toss well to mix. Add
   molasses and liquids and mix well. Cover and let stand overnight at
   room temperature. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 275F. Grease 4
   (9-by-5-by-3-inch) loaf pans, line them with waxed paper and grease
   the paper. Coat lightly with flour. Sprinkle 1 cup flour over fruit
   mixture and stir it. Combine the remaining 3 cups of flour with
   baking powder, baking soda and salt and sift them together on a sheet
   of waxed paper. Cream the butter, add the brown sugar and beat well.
   Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the
   vanilla. Add all dry ingredients and beat until batter is blended and
   smooth. Pour batter over fruit, mix well until everything is coated
   with batter. Divide batter among loaf pans, filling to 1/2 inch below
   top. Bake for 2 hours. Don't worry if they crack on top. Cakes are
   done when a straw inserted in the center comes out clean.
   
   Let them sit on a cooling rack for half an hour, then turn out of the pan and, if desired (which of course you will), sprinkle a tablespoon (or 2, or 3) of brandy on top.  Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in a cool place. 

 Linda

Thanks for all the good wishes everyone. I'm feeling 1000% better today after 3 doses of antibiotics. Amazing how fast those things work.

Otter-I'm like you-I get UTIs on a fairly regular basis-probably about 2-3 times a year. I hate that I always have to go in a give a urine sample, because I can probably tell you exactly when each UTI started. I call it a "pinging" feeling when I urinate. My doctor's excuse for making me come in every time is that they need to identify the type of bacteria so they can target it with the right antibiotic. I gues that makes sense, but I still wish I could just call and get a prescription without going in, or better yet, have one on hand just in case.

Mary 

Did someone say wine drinking support group? Where and when is the next meeting??

WR........tee, heee...don't forget we got 28 inches right b4 Halloween.....at least I've remembered to bring my snow shoes up from the basement, which can only be entered from the outside of the cabin.

SO, when we got the 28 inches, with a lot of WIND, and I could hardly open the east facing glass door which opens outward ( wood door opens inward)) and I couldn't manage to get to the basement door, more tee, hee's - I got to LAUGH AT MYSELF cuz my snow shoes were down there!!!!

With the winds, then, the snow came up to my high thighs ( yes, I have very short hobbit like legs!) and getting to the road, to try to get the daily newspaper out of the plastic "sleeve" at the road was really funny.... lovely to see the sheep across the street, even the brownish ones looked like Big Balls of Snow.

3M's - so sorry to hear about your Mother - good that she will be with you, and difficult as it is, less worrisome for you, Not easy person is my favorite description, think that's how most women make it to 83!   You will be a wonderful advocate for her.  Hope and all good wishes for healing...

3M's - I've missed you.

Thanks for the pesto recipe Lindasa.

Blue - what does that drug do to you? Doesn't sound good from your description - 'devil'