A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Coffeehouse 2005!

Hello Merme,

I'm doing very well, thank you. I did get the leaves raked finally, and without a moment to lose. This week it's FREEZING (and below!), and I feel better knowing my perennials are safe under their leafy blankets.

It's snowing lightly, here today. The forecast is for about an inch of snow, more or less. This will be our first measurable snow fall. It sure is pretty out there. Snow falling makes me happy. I'm told it's something having to do with positive ions in the atmosphere. Anyone scientific here to explain?

Anyhow, if it has to be cold, it might as well be pretty. And it's definitely cold! Our heat pump isn't keeping up so well. We're looking into buying a small propane fireplace to supplement. There's a really cute one at Home Depot.

I've got my teapot getting ready to whistle on the stove. I don't even know quite what I'll make with it, as long as it's HOT! Tea, probably. I've had three cuppas of coffee today, which is one more than I usually have, so i guess I'd better lay off that!

Are you staying warm?

Hi ya, Bess,
I got a cup of HOT CHOCOLATE!!!
And we're setting records up here for cold!
One or two more days I think they said,
and we'll get up to the 20's!!! :rolleyes:
Oh, geesh!!

I keep after my hubby if we could get a secondary fireplace thing, maybe into the basement or something *(absolutely no room inside the house*)
But it sure would take the chill off and help offset the heating bill for it...
although, I've kept ours very low and bundled the kids! We look like The Pilsbury Doughboys' Family!

Keep warm......

Weezie

Hiya Weez!!!!

I wound up finding one lonely lil' Peppermint teabag and decided to use it up. It's probably three years old and I wasn't sure it would still make a good cuppa tea, but I added some low-fat french vanilla creamer to it and it's WONDERFUL!

Are you getting snowed on?

The little fireplace I'm looking at is a Charmglow. It looks like one of those little English fireplaces they are always finding behind the plaster on the BBC Trading Spaces show. It costs $349 and then another $350 to get the propane line and tank put in. I have a $200 gift certificate to home Depot and as much as I want to spend it on the garden, I am thinking of putting it toward this, instead.

Of course, by the time I get all that done, it'll be February and I'll be pouting about how I don't ahve enough azaleas, or something!!!

I wouldn't trust my youngest with a fireplace..
No sir~reee...

We grew up with two fireplaces and I reallllly don't want to have the dust/ash in the house,
I have problems enough with "DUST COLLECTORS" :rolleyes:
I'd like one you load twice a day, and leave it.

I was looking at a really cute old fashioned one at the Tractor Supply store last week, one like your gramma's gramma might have cooked on..
Cast iron and 4 round holes at the top and it looked like a rectangle, going into the room, not along the side wall.. Does that make sense?
(*need a pencil and paper )
I do like the old fashioned ones alooooooooot!
I'd have one of those if I had a bigger house.

I gotta go make lunch, what should I have???
Something HOT! It's just tooooooooo darn cold outside!!!

Weezie

That's why we want a propane fireplace. No ashes! No chimney! Switch it on and the flames appear on the little ceramic logs. Switch it off when you leave. And best of all: it works during a power outage!

BUT you can't cook on this one. Guess I'd have to go out and put a kettle on the BBQ!

Yeah, we were talking about those gas one's
(natural gas)
*is propane the same as natural gas?*
My parents had propane on the hill, because of not being in town and no direct line to them.
So they got it delivered by a tank truck.
We live in town and no need for a tank,
but we were looking to cut down that bill and do either wood *which would be free but for the work to do it and gas to cut it up* or maybe a coal burning one???

But hey, you have to have $$money$$ in the first place to get one of those things, and that isn't in the my program right now....some day!!

But I would love one of those old ones...
I'll have to dig up a picture for you so you can see what I'm talking about.

Weezie

I think I need a hot cuppa sumpthin right about now. Maybe soak my toes in it? GAH! It's cold! We have no heat at work, and after an hour, I was so froze, I couldn't feel fingers & toes. We left. I need to feel my fingers & toes, more than I need the money.

So, in the mean time, for chit chat's sake...

I just got some books in the mail. I re-joined the Literary guild.. had left it YEARS ago. Decided to join, to see if they had anything that would interest me. I got an Ellen book, a book on slow cooking, an Anne Rice (Vampire Chronicles) book with 3 stories in it (very thick!), and yet to come, a brand new release-gardening type book by better homes & gardens. I also got a book for each of my girls.. The Giving tree, and Princess in Pink (a princess diaries, volume V story). And lastly, I got the x-men 2 dvd. I can't wait to try out some recipes from the slow cooker book! And I just read a couple pages of The Giving tree, and ok, yes, I know I'm "hormonal" right now, but it had me in tears. I'm also supposed to recieve a free gift, some kind of pda looking thing, but that didn't come with the first shipment. All total, this cost about $23. Not bad, eh? I love introductory offers..lol.

So, maybe I should get a hot cuppa sumpthin, and crack open a book! I have an hour to kill before I gotta get the girls from school...
Meg

I love the Vampire Chronicles Which ones did you get?

G-Mom

Oh Miss Bess, how neat if you do get a Charmglow! What a wonderful plan that is. I especially like the thought that it works even when the power is off. Now that's a very useful feature! Oh do please keep us posted on this project and be sure to share all the details.

Merme

Ciao campers,

For $40 CDN you can get a wonderful Bionaire space heater at CostCo. It was my Christmas present to myself..call it a survival gift. It oscillates and even has a remote control. I've been chained to it for a week.

Starbucks French Roast is something else you can get at CostCo..but I think I may have to forego the caffeine and switch to white chocolate hot cocoa..yet another CostCo item. I should really consider working in their marketing dept !!

Stay warm everyone.

Cheers !!

PS Sidewalk snowplows in Toronto are cute for about 5 minutes..and then you get over it. Happy shovelling !!

Sorellina,
Do they really make white hot cocoa??
I don't think I've ever seen that before????

Taste the same????

Hi Weezie !!

First off, let me tell you I love your posts. Lots of good information, so no apologies for longwindedness

White chocolate hot cocoa is just a hot version of what white chocolate tastes like. White chocolate isn't actual chocolate but a cocoa butter concoction so it contains no caffeine. I gave Mum one of those Terry's white chocolate oranges in her stocking this year because she can't have caffeine. It's a British item, but when I was in the States, I could sometimes find them at CostPlus Imports. What part of New York are you in? Do you have a CostCo or CostPlus near you?

Cheers,
Sorellina

Oh, I love those chocolate oranges! I didn't know they came in white chocolate. I'll have to go looking. I bought a mix for white chocolate pudding today. I think we here in the Coffeehouse should declare January white chocolate month. Whaddya say?

LOL, sounds good to me. Can you get Starbucks coffee down there? They put Torani syrups in their lattes...and they have a white chocolate version. Torani is a San Fran company and CostPlus sells their syrups in the States..at least the Western ones. I've foregone any other sweetener apart from the syrups..sugar just doesn't compare and those flavoured creamers are kinda nasty-tasting. The good news is that I've found a source for the Torani syrups way up here in Toronto. Cricket, if you're keen, Second Cup carries them for $10 CDN. But then, you can always hop on the ferry and get em in Seattle. Jealous, no not me, LOL.

If there is interest, I'll post a recipe from the Holiday issue of La Cucina Italiana magazine for white chocolate bavarian cream cake. It's not for the faint of heart, I'll tell you !!

Cheers,
Julianna

It's 3 stories in one book.. Interview/Lestat/Queen. I can't wait to get a chance to read some of it.

Meg

Hey Julianna!

We've got a Starbucks in our Safeway (grocery store) and I have earned a FREE Grande... and guess what I'm going to order? Hee hee!

Please DO give us the evil, evil, eeeeeeevil recipe for the white chocolate barvarian cream cake! It sounds fabulously naughtyt! You could put it in the Recipes discussion on this forum and then link us to it! My mouth is watering all over the keyboard!

Ciao again campers, and especially Weezie,

Sorry girlfriend but I think the White Chocolate Hot Cocoa mix may only be available up here in Maple-Land..otherwise known as Canada. I don't want to post a website and have Bill get upset with me but if you omit the www, it's at nestle.ca because it's a Carnation product. In Canada you can find all sorts of Carnation Hot Cocoa mixes..it's kind of a survival thing. They have After Eight and Turtles flavours even.

Bess, I'll get to that recipe when I have more time...I need to get started on a cassoulet.

In addition to seed swapping, I might be talked into sending Canadian products for American products, especially to those of you who may be close to a CostPlus or Trader Joe's..sigh, I miss those places.

Ciao Giardina Familia,
Julianna

Julianna,
That white chocolate mix sounded neat!!!

I wondered what it looked like too!!!
I'll have to ask my cousin's if they've seen it.
Those sound sooooo scrumptious!!!!

P/S And yes post that recipe in the RECIPE SECTION for the sinfully delicious cake!!!

Good news, Weezie, Good News:

HERSHEY'S makes a white chocolate mix. They have two hot chocolate mixes, one is Goodnight Hugs and the other is Goodnight Kisses, and one is milk- and the other is white chocolate. I get the names mixed up, but you can tell by looking at the box.

Also, Target sells a big line of flavored hot drinks, including Hazelnut Hot Chocolate.

I like Raspberry Hot Chocolate, too.

But still, my all-time favorite is the old fashioned kind you cook on the stove. Especially nice if you add a shot of dark rum to that! Really great for occasions "when O! the wind doth blow!"

Merme

Hey that IS great news that you can still get some form of white chocolate hot cocoa, Weezie !!

Still, I'm a bit bummed as I know I'll not be swapping hot cocoa mix for something from CostPlus or Trader Joe's now. Ah well...

Sounds absolutely scrumptious!!!
My mouth started watering when I read it...

I will have to take a look for that stuff from Hersey's.......

I had some other Hot Chocolate drinks here somewhere's, I'll have to go dig them up for everyone...

Weezie

Mmmmmm! I started thinking about those chocolate oranges and now I wonder if there's a hot chocolate-orange drink.

I love chocolate and mint, too! Total beverage used to offer a chocolate mint flavored coffee that I loved, but it's long gone, now! Anyone know of some hot choco-mint drink?

That's it, I'm making cocoa right now.

Bess,
Hot Coco and White Creme de Menth
(**Makes a Peppermint Patti Drink)


Hot Coco and Cocoribe Coconut flavored rum!!
(**Makes a Mounds Bar)

Weezie

Guess what? Terry's also makes a mint version of their chocolate oranges. I can dig up a recipe for a sinful chocolate mint smoothie if there's interest..I'll post it in the recipes section. Don't blame me if it's fattening though. I have the body of a stick insect. Don't throw snowballs, either, I can't help it !

YES! I want the choco-mint smoothie recipe, even though I'm built like a beehive!