I haven’t done one of these #5things posts since my refresh, but I can’t resist listing some fall faves, not to mention having an excuse to use this fun image in homage to the first line of “Hotel California.” Thanks, Dr. Tanya, for the prompt.
1. While I adore the summer sun and warmth, I am much more productive when there’s less daylight. Why? I dunno. I’ve already started working on another half-finished book that’s been languishing on Google Drive. This makes me happy!
2. Pumpkin everything. Bring it on, haters! Er, not the oatmeal… that was disgusting. But pumpkin spiced coffee, cookies, cupcakes, and pie? Hell yeah!
My dad loved pinwheels. These were chocolate marshmallow cookies made by Nabisco ~ big, melty, gooey blobs, shaped like a spiral with a flat base. Mallomars (also Nabisco) were the same except they were just circles. Actually, I’m not sure if Mallomars had any cookie in them, so maybe that’s why Dad liked pinwheels best. He also loved sugar wafers, another Nabisco product, which are at the opposite end of the cookie spectrum, all plain and bland. Ugh, and Fig Newtons. Yep, Dad loved these too. I much preferred Oreos, Lorna Doones, and Nutter Butters. My dad wasn’t a huge peanut butter fan. I adore it.
You know, I didn’t realize until writing this that my father and I had vastly different taste in cookies. We both loved chocolate chip, of course, but who doesn’t? Psychos, probably. And those striped fudgey cookies are pretty nom, though I couldn’t eat them for years because I had a bunch one night when I was 14 before coming down with strep the next day. I barfed like 27 times and ended up in the hospital because I was so ill. It wasn’t the poor stripey cookies’ fault, but my mind associated them with the sickies. Not anymore though… bring ‘em on!
My favorite cookies are Pepperidge Farm, though they discontinued my ultimate favorite, which was a coffee/mocha concoction called Vienna (“Oh, Vienna,” good song). I don’t think anyone liked them but me. I also love PF’s Chessmen and Sausalito cookies. Everyone loves Milanos, but I would rather have Pirouettes! So good with vanilla ice cream or with a cuppa tea. I just read that PF is owned by Campbell’s Soup, and it’s on the internet so it must be true.
But back to Dad. We both loved brownies and bread pudding, rum raisin ice cream and caramel popcorn with peanuts, in those giant sticky globs. Fiddle Faddle? Crunch & Munch? One of those. I miss him and our great conversations.
Eternal rest looms closer As each new dawn comes ‘round; Tick tock goes the clock… Does the world get you down? Every day, endless tasks await, Stress piled on stress… Sometimes the whole mess Explodes into disaster. Really, who wants salad now, or Teriyaki fish and a sensible rice dish?
No. We need a decadent pastry puff, Luscious ladyfingers, scrumptious spumoni, Maybe just a simple jar Of Nutella. Get those sugar highs Before the clock runs out.
~*~
Image is mine. Poetry form: acrostic plus. Written for dVerse.
Lately I’ve avoided some of the standard prompt questions in order to create a more poetry and fiction-focused blog, but today PCGuyIV asks about our favorite holiday treats and, well, I can’t resist talking about cookies.
While I adore lots of special occasion nummies, from pumpkin-shaped Reese’s PB cups to heart-shaped Reese’s PB cups to Christmas tree-shaped Reese’s PB cups… to, um, other stuff… there is nothing more delicious in this world than buttery, sugary Spritz cookies. Of course, they must be made in a old-fashioned metal press, with some dough colored red and other dough green and some left plain, and then sprinkled with colorful doodads when done. They should look exactly like the pic above I borrowed from Life, Love and Sugar. No frosting! No choccy! My mommy and I used to make butter Spritzes every year. So so so good!
Mom also used to make rum balls, which I love, but they’re so heartburny to me now. Mostly they’re smashed vanilla wafers smooshed up with rum and more sugar, shaped into balls, and left to ferment for a few weeks. I think it was the lure of “those aren’t ready yet!” that made them so enticing. I also like gingerbread a whole lot.
Chanukah provides yummy treats as well, and while I hate the jelly doughnuts, I love the latkes and applesauce. Gelt is also delicious (chocolate coins), especially if you buy it from See’s. This is how I prefer chocolate anyway: by itself. I’m not a fan of chocolate frosting or dipping cookies into chocolate unless they’re almond crescents, which seem to be available only in New York. Of course, I love chocolate chip cookies, but you can have those anytime and this post is about holiday yums.
What about other holidays? Meh. Valentine candy isn’t anything special you can’t get throughout the year. I’m not a big fan of hamentashen (Purim triangle cookies), and Easter candy is pretty barf except for the aforementioned PB cups (egg-shaped in this case). Passover food is hideous, and I’m not into any of the meat-grilling rituals of Memorial Day and July 4th.
That brings us to Thanksgiving, which is many people’s favorite food holiday, but I don’t like most of the traditional items, with one exception ~ stuffing! I love love love stuffing, especially if it contains mushrooms or oysters. Turkey is meh. Mashed potatoes meh. Sweet potatoes OK. Cranberry sauce ick. Etc. Then there’s pie, which is OK. I mean, of course I enjoy pie… I’m not a psychopath! But compared to Spritz cookies? No contest.
This week Dr. Tanya asks about 5 food fads we hate. I’m not a fan of new things generally, so I don’t try every fad that comes along; however, I think I can scramble up 5 today.
1. Fake milks. They just taste weird, especially in tea. I’ve never gotten used to them, though I can tolerate soy milk in coffee. Almond milk is yucky and so is oat. I don’t even know what oat milk is, but it doesn’t taste good, that’s for sure!
2. The supersizing trend. Bigger is NOT always better, and with our obesity epidemic here in the US, no one needs a bucket of fries with their lunch. The most annoying thing is that if you want a smaller portion, you don’t get any break on the price. In fact, you’re rewarded by ordering the “deal” of a meal sized for a whale. Same in grocery stores too, but that’s more catering to households with multiple people. If I don’t buy a gargantuan pack of massive TP rolls that will last me 6 months, I’m penalized on the price. Not to mention, we don’t all live in mansions with extra rooms to store excess items.
3. Bacon on everything. I’m not a bacon hater, per se, though I have ethical issues with eating pigs. That doesn’t stop me from nomming up an Egg McMuffin every once in a while though. But I definitely do not want bacon on salads, potatoes, cheeseburgers, or any other thing that is fine by itself. I tried a bacon cupcake once, and the cake part was horrible. Bacon does NOT belong in cake! But I must admit that a little sprinkle of crunchy bacon bits on the frosting was rather tasty.
4. Kale. WTF is with this stupid rabbit food? Spinach is far superior and just as good for you. I get annoyed even seeing the word “kale” on a menu. Go away! Give it to bunnies and turtles. Turtles love kale, which should tell you something right there.
5. Macarons. This was the biggest disappointment in my life! For a long time, I’d seen pictures of macarons, which are absolutely adorable. They come in a bunch of colors and look totally scrumptious. I was so excited to try one. And? Nothing. A big fat zero. I see them everywhere now, but I know better than to bother with them. Tasteless dreck. Don’t judge a cookie by its cover, and give me a plain, old-fashioned chocolate chip one, OK?
Last weekend was super-great. I saw friends in person Saturday night for games and noms, and Sunday I celebrated my granddaughter’s third birthday with family and friends. My daughter originally thought it would be a low-key get-together, but the theme was unicorns, and you can’t really do unicorns “low-key.” The birthday girl wore a sparkly purple unicorn dress and a pink princess crown, and she carried a silver heart magic wand. Adding to the festivities were a rainbow bounce house, pastel unicorn party supplies, coloring pages, pizza and snacks galore, and of course fabulous unicorn cupcakes.
I must say I was impressed with my daughter’s cupcakes. I’ve made some good cakes in my time, but she exceeded my efforts in every way. The cupcakes were pink, and she piped on white buttercream frosting like a pro. Then she added sprinkles along with unicorn cutouts, just in case it wasn’t clear that this was a UNICORN PARTY! Honestly, these cupcakes looked and tasted like they came from an excellent bakery. Absolutely delicious. The day began gloomily but ended up nice and sunny for the party. Truly outstanding smiles all around.
Bonus smile: a friend told me about Mother’s mythological frosted cookies, so I brought a few bags to add to to the mix of party snacks. They were yummy! Instead of plain old pink and white frosted regular animals, we had purple and white frosted dragons, sea serpents, mermaids, and UNICORNS! Highly recommend these cookies. For kids, I mean. OBVIOUSLY.
Pasta with seafood and butt’ry potatoes; Pizza with mushrooms; grilled cheese and tomatoes; Avos all ripened and berries of blue… These are a few of my favorite foods. Warm PB cookies and cupcakes with icing; Nachos and mangoes and pie so enticing; Brownies so fudgy you have to eat two… These are a few of my favorite foods. French toast with cinn’mon and syrup is yummy; Burgers with pickles get into my tummy; Ice cream with caramel and choc’late ooh ooh These are a few of my favorite foods. When the spam bites, When the troll spews, When I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite foods, And then I don’t feel so bad.
~*~
Written for Fandango’s Dog Days 10. Photo from The Sound of Music.
OK, so I said I wasn’t going to answer a bunch of silly questions on my refreshed blog, but I like this set, so sue me. Apparently, Stephen Colbert asks these to get to know peeps, and Fandango is doing likewise for his Provocative Question today.
Best sandwich? See above image. I can’t remember a time when lox and cream cheese on a toasted onion bagel (with or without sliced onion and/or capers) wasn’t my favorite sandwich, and indeed it still is because change sucks. Now, you may be wondering why I didn’t choose my famous grilled cheese and tomato, right? Well, that’s a hot sandwich and since Fandango didn’t specify, I’m going with a cold sandwich. Close second is a veggie bagel sandwich or wrap with loads of avocado, cucumber, sprouts, tomato, cheese, etc. Mmm…
What’s one thing you own that you really should throw out? Nothing. I continually toss things I no longer like or use, since I hate mess and clutter.
What is the scariest animal? I’m copying Jim Adams here and saying human. No other animal causes such vast mayhem and destruction as our own violent, selfish, greedy species.
Apples or oranges? Apples for sure. They’re delicious plain, with peanut butter, and baked into a pie, cobbler, tart, etc. Oranges, meh. Pulpy and stringy, no good in a pie… like, what’s the point?
Have you ever asked someone for their autograph? No. I prefer not to worship celebs.
What do you think happens when we die? Nothing except decomposition.
Favorite action movie? Probably Goodfellas, if that counts. If not, then Live and Let Die.
Favorite smell? So many good ones… vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, bread or cookies baking, lemon, coconut. I’ll go with baking. I guess there are nice smells other than food… nah, I’m sticking with food!
Least favorite smell? Tar. Instant migraine.
Exercise: worth it? I’ll let you know if I ever do any.
Flat or sparkling? Sparkling, with lime.
Most used app on your phone? Google Chrome.
You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life: what is it? Hotel California!
What number am I thinking of? 867-5309
Describe the rest of your life in 5 words? Work, family, friends, cats, hobbies. Which, coincidentally, is the same as it’s been for a long time because… change sucks!
Last weekend I drove up to Alameda to spend a few days with my daughter Diane and her hubby Sam, plus their critters Rory and Zizi. I stopped frequently to stretch my legs so my back would not freeze up. Took me more than 8 hours (supposed to be about 6.5), but I was okay with that.
Friday night we ordered a strange pizza with ricotta cheese blobs… Diane and I loved it! Sam, not so much.
To get even for the pizza, Sam kicked our butts at Scrabble. Next, we decided to watch a movie and chose Out of Africa. None of us liked it much, and Rory woofed at the doggie on screen. I fell asleep and we didn’t finish the film. Got a good night’s rest without being awakened by Gatsby’s howls.
On Saturday, we went to a mall in Walnut Creek to mosey around (everyone masked). Then we headed to lunch at Kabab Burgers in Lafayette. Everything was crowded, so we took our lunches to Sam’s parents’ house in Orinda.
Omg so delicious! The food was excellent and it was a beautiful day to dine al fresco. Then, the real adventure began. The lovely Orinda house is secluded in a gorgeous woodsy area, and I asked Sam where this path led I saw from the porch. He said there was a tiny old wooden schoolhouse back in the forest from like 100 years ago. Of course, Diane and I wanted to go see it. Sam led the way…
Turned out there wasn’t much of a path and we had to hack our way through the wilderness like explorers in the Amazon. There were birds and bugs and probably salamanders, toads, and snakes. Bobcats and bears too! Finally, after an arduous 7 minutes or so of intense hiking, we found the schoolhouse.
But two things happened simultaneously. One, we saw that the building had collapsed into a pile of rotting wood. You couldn’t even tell what kind of structure it had been. Sad. Two, I lost my phone somewhere in the jungle. Oh no! Sam said we’d find it and not to worry. He took a pic of Dee and me with his phone.
We began to trace our steps back and search for my phone. Nothing. I looked around and realized what a vast woods it was, teeming with life. An eagle could have already swooped in and taken my phone, or a rattlesnake might have eaten it, or it could have sunk in a pile of quicksand. I was starting to panic in a major way. How would I get home sans GPS? What about my Scrabble games in progress? I’d miss out on all the Messenger chats! But then Dee called my number and it rang. Sam spotted my phone going off in a patch of leaves and handed it to me. Whew! What a relief!
We headed home and proceeded to play board games: Carcassonne, the Castles of Mad King Ludwig, and Ticket to Ride. I lost all of them. I wasn’t too hungry that night because of the big lunch, but I managed to try my pre-birthday cake and pie selections.
There was carrot cake and red velvet cake, both with scrumptious cream cheese frosting, and there was my favorite pie… key lime in a graham cracker crust. So yummy! No movies that night; we all read books on Kindle. Sunday morning I slept in even later and had cookies for breakfast. Lunch was a variety of dim sum (delivered) and later we took a walk with Rory.
We saw lots of ducks and geese on the other side of the island, but it was windy and freezing, so we stayed out only a short time. Warmed up at home with some wine and baked brie, plus two rounds of Catan and two rounds of Lanterns (lost all, keeping my streak going). Doggo was happy to be back in her cozy bed.
Kitty is older and not feeling well, so she mostly stays snuggled in a soft blanket. Poor sweetie. Sunday night came around so quickly… and then Monday morning when I headed back down south. Easy-peasy trip home with little traffic and a bit of drizzle in the middle of the journey. Visits with family are always too short! Already planning to return for Turkey Day. Hopefully I will get a chance to redeem myself at board games… will practice on friends in the meantime.
You are not hallucinating ~ Cookie Dough Oreos exist and I tried them. I almost passed out from excitement in the grocery store when I saw the package, and of course I grabbed it immediately, with my first thought being… I shall review these for my peeps!
Just look how incredibly adorable they are!
And they are absolutely delicious! The cookie is crispy and chocolately, which enhances the dough flavor. It really tastes like cookie dough, all buttery and sugary, but better cuz of being sandwiched between the nommy Oreo discs.
Look, I know I’m going to get some Oreo purists muttering about the olden days of basic Oreos. They turn up their snoots at Double Stuf… they think Golden Sandwiches are blasphemy. Heck, they probably wouldn’t even touch a cute Halloween Oreo. Well, you know what I say to these folks? GROW UP! You can’t keep everything the way it was when you were 5 years old, for Pete’s sake. Time marches on. Deal with it.
(Personally I can live without Birthday Cake Oreos. Meh.)
My daughter had the brilliant idea of putting some CD Oreos in the fridge to see if they’d taste like a roll of cookie dough. I did that experiment. They were superb!
Cold Cookie Dough Oreos on my pink Kindle Fire ~ pretty artistic, wot?
I can only hope that my Ode to Oreo post here comes to the attention of Mr. Nabisco himself and he sends me all the Oreos to review because I would do that for you guys! Yes, yes, I would.
Also, most of the time I can’t even find any of the awesome new special flavors, so it’d be great to have them FedEx’d to my door. I’m especially interested in the coconut fudge cremes and Mega Stuf.
