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

Hello, folks! I know it's a bit early to be calling it a new year, but if I know the Coffeehousers, we're filling our cuppas all ready! Happy New Year!

I need something warm in my cuppa. Someone was telling me about a drink called a Snow rose the other day. What was it? Warm cranberry juice and something potent? Anyone know?

I don't know ...but that sounds pretty good.
I've got a nice, hot cuppa Maxwell House right now, but just realized it's 5 o'clock somewhere, and maybe it's time for a glass of burgundy.


Cindy

Sounds good, Cindy and Bess! Warm me up a cup too?

Hi Bess,
My husband PROMISED me he'd bring home some Bailey's tonight, since he forgot to get it for me for Christmas... I am salivating as we speak!
Although he said he'd bring home Pizza tonight for dinner too, and I had thoughts of Pizza and Baileys' not too sure that's a good combo????
I will have to rethink that one...

Hmmmmmmmmmm??? Dinner or Liquid??? Hmmmmmmmmm???

I just bought some White Cranberry and Peach juice in the grocery store, it's a very light peachie/rosie colored drink, looked really good.
My kids don't like it, and they like just about every juice I give them, but I LOVED IT!!!!
I normally get my self White Grape Juice and Peach, but thought this sounded like a nice change.

Weezie

My mother in law bought a big canister of Folgers while they were here, and I still have almost half of it left. I like it. It's at least better than the cheapest store brand I can buy stuff.

Last night, I cracked open a bottle of southern comfort, and had about a 1/3 of a glass of it, with some ice. Mmmm. I think I could drink more of it tonight. It was tasty. I haven't had that stuff in a loooong time.

Meg

I got a bottle of Moet for Christmas that I'm dying to open...
But...saving it for a special occasion!


Cindy

Hot or cold it's Pepsi for me. I have started drinking green tea in the morning.

Sheri,
My sister~in~law swears by that tea..
(**well, I don't mean she cusses or says bad words by it, hehehehe )
But she likes it's cleansing ablilities and antioxidents...supposed to be very good for you.

Weezie

I do green tea in the morning. Acutally have a ice tea maker and usual make about 2 quarts and drink it over a week.

Over here, all that we can hope for is a good snow to keep our gardens from the frigid winds!

Hi Lady Bess ~

I for one am glad you started the new thread a bit early; I like talking to you!

I'm not much for flavored coffees as I like mine the old fashioned way: High Octane, fully leaded, strong and hot! With just a titch of the wimp in me revealed when I drop in a bit of half and half...

But someone gave me a small packet of Sugar Plum Coffee in my Christmas Stocking. Sounds good, doesn't it? Could be I'm just infatuated with the phrase "Visions of Sugar Plums Danced In Their Heads". Dunno.

Oh, Meg, just a tip for ya. When my budget causes me to buy inexpensive coffee that doesn't taste too good, I always mix it with a better quality brand. Use some of that Folgers you have got to doctor up the lesser coffee.

Anybody else sleepyheaded after the Holiday? I wrote in another post that all I can think of is naps and more naps. Makes me want to ask Santa to give me Naps next year....


Merme

Afternoon all,
I love the idea of a coffee right about now-- it is chilly and getting chillier right now- getting windy again....snow we got last week melted- mostly but we may get some more tonight...

I do the same as Merme- mix me expensive coffee with my regular brand - I keep the good stuff in the freezer too- wrapped really well...still have some Kona I got in Hawaii almost 4 years ago-- just a little but it is so good!

As soon as the boys get picked up I am taking a nap today- I have been waking up around 5 every morning and that makes for very long days for me--- got dinner in the crock - just chic and mushroom soup to serve with noodles but at least it is done...

Mmmm... that's all I want in the wintertime. SOUP! Just gimmee a nice, hot cuppa soup and some crackers and I can really enjoy life. Lentil, clam chowder, you name it. Oh, and when I don't feel too great, tomato soup picks me up like nobody's business. Just good ol' Campbell's made with water. Ahhhhhh...

Then a nap! But when is there time?

My husband and I were wearily wandering through a shopping mall some years ago and I came up with an idea to have a store that sold naps. You could pay $20. and just go in and lie down on a cot for twenty minutes. Don't you think that's be great?

I saw on a documentary that they actually do that in China. It was pretty weird...this one place they showed pulled this bed out, like in a morgue, and the person laid down on it and they closed it back up. WILD!

Cindy

Green tea is supposed to be great for all sorts of things. I start my day off good. I have Total or oatmeal with blueberries. I drink water and some green tea. Then it's downhill. I drink Pepsi the rest of the day - fully loaded. I've tried to get off the stuff but I just flat out like it.

So what's in everyone's planned cuppas for tonight?

And Bess, I'm with you on the soup. The kid and I eat soup all the time, all the time.

When he was quite young he wouldn't eat any vegetables on his plate but he WOULD eat them if I diced them real small and tossed them into his soup. He'd eat every last bite. You can't imagine the veggies I got down that kid in his soup.

Then one day when he was 3 1/2, I was in a hurry and I cut the vegetables into bigger chunks. I put the bowl on the table in front of my son and he looked down at it for a moment. With a small sigh of despair he said

"Mama, I HATE when there is food in my soup!"



That one still makes me laugh....

Merme

That's so great!
When I was a kid the only vegetables I would conciously eat were brusle sprouts because they looked so funny and my grandma always put them in her stew. I'd eat them whole most of the time. Other then that I liked celery but only if it was packed with peanutbutter and ligned with raisins
Remembering being a kid sometimes is almost as great as being one was!
I made this smoothy last night with mixed berries, banana, eggnog, mango juice, shredded carot, a bit of zuchini, crushed almonds, an a bit of peanut butter. It sounds a little off but it usually turns out really good, you just have to keep throwing berries in untill you get the right colour and if it smells good it (probably) tasts good. The peanut butter kind of took over though and it just tasted like refreshing peanut butter. Their's always next time to find the perfect mix, but it's always a guess.
I think I'll bendreaming in the new year as I've got a bad cold.
Going back a bit, If it were in the teens around here I might be running around naked It was -42 with the wind chill last week. "Luckily" it went up to the -2 all the way back to +3 and we have an ice storm starting! This is how it seems to go every year up here. We get a little snow around mid november, everything melts and it's unusualy warm with no snow untill a week befor christmass, then it gets so cold you can't go outside for more then an hour.
I kind of like the cold now. Just don't like waking up and having to crawl out of a nice warm bed into a refridgerated room, that's what you get for living in a basement.

Ok, I just ran across this, and just HAD to post it!!

Coffee Drinker\'s Prayer

Meg

Totally COOL,Meg...thanks for sharing that with all of us "Coffee Addicts"

G-Mom

Especially when mixed 50/50 with Bailey's!

Look at my beautiful daughter and neices. And keep in mind that they all look just like me.


http://pic6.picturetrail.com/VOL145/2152270/6128739/78666959.jpg

Which one is your daughter?

The one in the white sweater.

She's beautiful.
Actually, they're ALL beautiful!
They look so much alike!
(Just like you!)

I love those curtains.
I want them!


Cindy

Hey Meg...Thanks for that NEAT prayer...just had to have it for hubby...he is a FOLGERS addict!

Oh Sheri, what a fine looking family you have got! You must be so proud!

Merme

My children and nieces and nephews are a great bunch of people. All of them have turned out to be nice, hard working individuals.

Oh Sheri, they are gorgeous!

Hey there, Apples! I love smoothies! Especially at this time of year when the vitamins are so helpful. Do you use frozen berries in yours? Anyone got any good standard recipes?

Merme- loved the soup story. I get my 6-year-old to eat spinach by cooking it into quiche.

Hi Miss Bess ~

Clever girl to disquise spinach into quiche!

I remember Maxi's first experiments with raw vegetables. I handed him a small salad when he was three and he said "I no bunny, hop, hop, hop!"

I won't even share what he said the day I filled celery sticks with peanut butter, but I will admit the look on his face was rather bleak. Rather.

Now that he is 9, he will eat all fruits and vegetables except lima beans, but in those early years he had soup every day just to get the vegetables in him. Ya gotta do what cha gotta do.

So now I'm off for some chamomile tea and then to bed. I've been creeping around the house at all wee hours lately and it has caught up to me at last.

Night all ~

Merme

Hi all, I had to laugh at your ways of getting the kids to eat vegies-- I used to puree all sorts of veggies and mix them into cooky dough- carrots- zuch, cauliflower into mashed potatos-- kids never caught on.... powdered milk in all sorts of stuff too- meatloaf, hamburghers, protein powder in smoothies- homemade ice cream too - we lived in Az was not a problem getting them to eat popsicles made of pureed fruit and protein powder and a little jello to hide it better... now I add it to pancakes - cookies- and smoothies for my grands too- I mentioned it to my oldest sometime around Christmas and she insisted I couldn't have done that.... little did she know!
I still freeze all the little bits of vegies leftover from meals and when I have a full container add it pureed to the next batch of chili or beefstew I make....

Thats a great idea Nana...a perfect way to use leftovers and add extra vitamins to my familys food. Insted of just sticking the leftover veggies in the fridges...I'm gonna start freezing them too! Don't tell my family though...I can see their faces now :p

G-Mom

G-Mom,
I'll never tell..been doing it to my kids and grands for yrs- you would think they would have noticed but never did- told my oldest the secret a few weeks ago and she insists I never did that-- showed her the container I have in the freezer with bits and pieces in it almost ready to puree and add to something--- she was speechless!
She is 37 yrs old now!

I have to say, I'd be speachless to!
A pretty shocking thing find out theirs vegtables in you favorite cookies
Frozen ingreedients seem to give it a better concistency too.
I like experimenting. I've only gotten something non drinkable once. My best so for is a small hand full of blueberries, five or six rasberries, three strawberries, 2/3 of a banana, one grated baby carrot, a cup of cranberry juice and if it to think I add some soy milk, takes away the bitter sweet tast of so many berries. Not verry divers I know but it always tasts great.
I liked, "coffe drinkers prayer" it a good poem.
I used to drink way to much coffee once I left school. I was up at all hours so their was no reason not to.
I like yerba matte alot! It's an herbal tea from south america. It tasts a little grassy but it has so many nutrishing compounds, that's understandable. You can't boil it so I like to put a tea bag in a pot of water and put it on low, so it gets nice and strong and ready to drink when it's as hot as it can be. Otherwise I just have it cold. It has a substance in it that is like a bretherin of coffee but is naturally occuring and actualy clenses your system, like a more energising green tea with tons of nutrients.
It won't help keep you up if your trying to stay up late to finnish some work or something, you "come off it" very fast if your tired because it apparently helps ballence your biological clock. It works great for me, an experienced insomniac.
Every now and then though I have to give in and have a nice rich coffee.

*pokes apples* hi!

I think my boyfriend kinda sorta accidently stole ur name >.o his name's apple.

~Phoebe

That's fine, I'll be his brothers or something

Hi Miss Bess ~

Oh, where you been lately?

Merme

I was wondering the same thing this morning....

Got a nice Chardonnay in my cuppa right now.
I was thinking more on the line of Burgandy again tonight, but it makes my teeth look purple while I'm drinking it.
So, last night I had the bright idea to sip it thru a straw...
You know...it goes down so much faster guzzling it thru a straw!
All of a sudden...BAM!

I have a situation. I work in a sick building. This building was built over a place where water used to stand all the time. There was a little shopping area here and a movie theatre. I don't know the exact particulars, but they to be moved because of the standing water. A bunch of rocks were brought in and my building was built. There was a cut through area to the main road but it was closed due to having to dig a big ditch and fill it full of rocks because of water. Anyway, there is very little ventilation in this building and when I go to work I get a terrible headache. All of us are sick a lot of the time and today one of my friends said "Sheri, don't you have allergies to mold." I do. She said that's probably causing my headaches and that makes sense. Wonder what I can do other than quit my job.

Mold is one of my worst allergies, even worse than my allergy to BIRDS! It gives me a terrible headache. Geez, Sheri.....I couldn't work in a place where I had a headache all the time. I'm goin' like this right now just thinking about it.

What ARE you going to do???

One option is to phone the EPA in your area and explain about your building. They are a government agency and work independently of any owners. They will come in and test your building for air quality. If it is truly bad with mold or other not-good-stuff to be breathing, they will insist the owners both clean it up AND do whatever it takes to rectify the problem so it doesn't happen again.

I've worked with the EPA twice, in two separate locations and they were fair and wonderful and had the clout to get the job done! Nice folks who really care about living things and the environment.

Blessings to you.
Merme

I'm here! I'm here!

I was under the weather last week, then busy RAKING LEAVES, which I had put off in the autumn, when normal people do that sort of thing. Luckily, we've had a warm spell and I thought I'd better get out and do them before the cold hits this weekend. We have a big, old oak tree and I use it's leaves on the flower beds to keep them warm in the winter, then rake them off when the weather warms in spring.

Merme's idea is SO SENSIBLE! I'd like to take sensibilty lessons from her. I think you can even ask the EPA to keep the request anonymous, if you're afraid the owners of the building may take some sort of offense.

Cindy- I'm a flower gardener who's allergic to pollen. I just weed and sneeze, weed and sneeze.

I've got this Nescafe Frothe stuff in my cuppa today, and it really is frothy!

Been there, done that!
Back in the summer when I was digging my pond, it was a muddy mess. My nose started running, I was sneezing, and didn't have a Kleenex handy. Well, I kept putting my hands over my mouth when I sneezed...out of reflex. I mean, I should have just let the germs go with the wind...
Maybe because of a bad experience I had when that Coffee-Mate flavored stuff came out back in the early 90's.

Might have to check out that stuff out sometime.

For me, it's still Maxwell House in the cuppa right now. Having a hard time getting started today.

I have started out with one of those weeks, took hubby's truck yesterday to get the tire balanced at wal mart, the guy there didn't do his job so when I got home I got yelled at for some jerk not doing his job. so today I had to take it back to another place and get it done again. this time they put the balance on the out side and he sould be happy, but probably will not be because I noticed that one on the back tire is gone now. I think they are just falling off, why would they be falling off.

But anyway I told him last nite to go yell at the guy at wal mart. told him if more men would go punch the lights out on the guy who screwed up instead of taking it out on their wives the jerk who wasn't doing his job would either quit or straighten up. The men in these places take advantage of women because they know they can. If more men would go and throw their fit up there it would stop.

This is it, in a nutshell.....
I know nothing about a vehicle except you put gas in it and check the oil once a year or so when that light comes on inside. My car has gotten over 2 quarts low on oil before.
Guys (not all) know that most (but not all) women know nothing about vehicles, and take advantage of that fact.

Around here where I live, women need to get the husband, brother, friend to take a vehicle in for anything, or she WILL get screwed!

and men don't want to go because they hate to sit and wait in line to get it worked on.

that's it, if they know you're a woman alone they screw you.

I've noticed they do better if I tell them up front "my husband will be checking this when I get home."

But most do not care, they do sloppy work just because it's a woman and they know they can get by with it

well gotta run, got house work and cooking to do.

The idiot didn't clamp them on tight enough!

I went to technical school and received my A.A.S. in Automotive Technology. I don't work on my own vehicle now, though, but it helps when I have to take it in to be serviced. I let them know that I know what they are talking about and that they can save each of us some trouble by doing the job right the first time.

You know the old adage, "if you don't use it, you lose it"? That's me. I haven't had to work on an old car in so long, I couldn't diagnose anything now. BUT, mechanics don't know that!

Dianna

Thanks for the info. I will call the EPA. Now, I have a question about putting pictures on the web. I use PictureTrail and go through IrfanView to make them look good. I'm trying to brighten some up. They are looking good on IrfanView but when I look at them on PictureTrail, prior to posting them, they are still too dark. Any ideas why this is happening? Cindy, you've helped me before can you try it again. They are the pictures in Christmas 2004. The ones of the woman holding the candle, there are 3 of her, and the one of the women at the table. I need them light enough to be able to email them and have them seen.

Sheri...I will check it out.

okay I completely understand now why they are falling off Thanks so much this explains everything.

you know, maybe I've been thinking of taking the wrong kind of class I'll think that one over. Would sure love to know what the heck they are doing to my car. My brother is a mechanic, he use to work on my car for me, that was before he re married. this new wife is a Bit*h and will not let him help anyone

Oh, Miss Bess ~ Are you feeling better and have you finished raking leaves?

What's in your cuppa these days?

Merme

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!

So maybe we cheat a bit with this recipe, but the "Snowman Soup" I make is basically mint flavored hot chocolate, made with either the white or the milk chocolate.

All you do is....open your preferred package of hot chocolate and prepare as directed. Drop in three (unwrapped, please!) Hershey's Kisses, some minimarshmellows, then stir with a Candy Cane.

It'll warm up any wintery soul, guaranteed.

Merme

Cindy, did I tell you I had the best spaghetti ever. I crushed up a fresh basil leaf in it. Wonder where that came from.

Got some leaves simmering in a pot of water on the stove right now.

That's my alternative to candles...
I can't use scented candles (or scented ANYTHING) because of Lola. (Toxic)


Cindy

I didn't know that...I use them around my parakeets ALL THE TIME!

The scent stuff in the candles is toxic. Not supposed to use any air fresheners of any kind in the house with a bird, and especially not that powder carpet cleaner you vacuum up. My ex-brother-in-law used some and his budgie died about 5 minutes after he used it. I took Lola to my dad's a few years ago in a car I'd recently bought that had some kind of air freshener on the dash. She started having seizures before we were a mile down the road, and came sooo close to dying.

Be careful!


Cindy

yeah I have to watch what I do my carpets in because some if it makes my dog itch, so I guess too the have allergies just like we do.

All I can say is, your parakeets must be some kind of Super Heros disguised as parakeets!

Hmmm....or maybe it has something to do with the old saying "What you don't know won't hurt you".

Wow, maybe that's why I can't keep a budgie alive very long. I was so baffled why they just keel over and die. Ya learn something new everyday.

Never mind the birds and dogs what about us!!!

Well, I am enjoying a nice cuppa Jim Beam and Pepsi right now, trying to decide whether to go to bed or pack some more. Got about 2 hours of sleep last night.

I know I need to go to bed, but I have so much to do. :rolleyes:
At first, I had visions of getting rid of a lot of my "treasures" via yard sale. Packing that stuff in separate boxes with "Yard Sale" written on them with black magic marker....
NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

At this point, I am throwing everything in boxes together...yesterday I dumped my sock drawer into a box that had CD's in it...and there was still room left for the blender, so it's in there, too.

Guess I'll have another cuppa JB and P, and pack some more. I think that box of towels and wash clothes has enough room left in it for the fax machine!


Cindy

What box are you gonna pack yourself in?

Wonder what that first blender drink will taste like!!! :p

Weezie

I need a travel agent. My daughter wants to get married in May at some resort that is all inclusive. Any ideas?

Well, I *had* folgers in my cup, but now, I see it's barely a drop in there, and I need more! LOL.

So, I'm gonna go OT for a bit here.. (no, we don't ever do that, do we?! *gasp*)

Birds- shouldn't use anything scented around em. Also, be very wary of using non-stick pans. If they overheat (which can happen easily), their fumes can be toxic & instantly kill your birds. We can't even smell it. But thier tiny bodies pick up all kinds of things from the air that we don't, and that is why you have to be careful. (Lot's of do not's with birds, but it's hard to stop them all, all the time.) I never gave up my non-stick pans, and while I did once leave one on by accident that burned down to nothing left in the pot, my Sammy was ok. *whew* I once in a great while will vaccum with that stuff, but I try to not overdo it in his part of the house. I use candles occasionally, but again, not where he is most of the time. I try to be careful about the fumes in his area. My folks have lots of tiels tho, and they smoke like frieght trains, and you know that's gotta be bad for them. But, so far- just fine.

Ok, 'nuff birdy talk. I gotta get more coffee!
Meg

What I'd like to know is: Where Has Miss Bess Been Lately? Anyone seen hide or hair of the lass?

I've got Maxwell House Masterblend with some Half & Half in my huge cup this morning and I'm just sitting here wondering....



Merme

Whew! I'm here, but it's been odd getting here. thanks for looking for me, Merme! For some reason, I couldn't post from Internet Explorer. I'm on Netscape, now. We'll see if this posts.

Gotta start anew coffeehouse soon, eh Hostesses?

I can see you, I can see you!!!

Hope you get things back up and running again!!!

How's your weather going Bess???

And what's in the ole cuppa???
(*I finally got a sip of Bailey's!! )

Weezie

Eh, just Theraflu today. I got the grippe, the catarrh, the end-o-winter cruds. I got a strep test yesterday and it came up negative, so whatever it is, it isn't strep. But it's okay. I'm functioning.

Say, Weez, how many entrees can we have in a discussion before we need to open a new one?

Hey there, Miss Bess, nice to see you though I'm sorry to hear you are feeling so poorly. Hope whatever it is soon passes!

Merme

Bess,
Usually it goes to the 100th post..

Anytime you want to start a new one, just give it a start up and we'll close this one.

Weezie

I need help desperately! This dog is driving me crazy. She's 9 months old and is not house trained. jWe tried keeping her in a crate and all she did was poop and pee in it and lay in it. 2 weeks ago we took her out of the crate, put paper down on the porch so now she poops and pees on and off the paper, lays in it, walks in it. We left her for 2 hours and 15 minutes today and she poop, peed, walked in it and laid in it. What's wrong with this stupid dog? Our lab goes to the bathroom outside in the same spot every time. This dog goes wherever whenever.

Have you got a small crate, Sheri? When we had a crate that was too large for our Jack Russell, she used one end as a bathroom. If a smaller crate doesn't fix the problem, try feeding your pup in the crate, too. They usually don't like to poop where their dining area is.

Dianna

The best part of waking up, is folgers in your cup...

I had forgotten that tidbit of info Dianna. Yes, dogs don't usually like to eliminate where they sleep/eat.. it's like thier "den". BUT, if thier "den" is roomy, well, it's not gonna matter much. If you can get a crate that is just big enough for her to stand up in, and turn around, with pretty much no extra room.. it may stop the unwanted problem. Of course, I had a lab mix once that was really hyper, and would pee all over the place when she saw people, crate or not. And she did poop in her crate from time to time, but it was usually (you could tell) from a bellyache.

Not sure what kind of crate you have.. I had one that had a divider in it, to make it grow with her.. tiny for a pup, a bit bigger each week if needed, till she was full grown. It was pretty neat, but kinda expensive.. they averaged about $100 or so.

Meg

Nope, the crate size isn't the problem. Hers is just big enough for her to lay in. If we don't keep an eye out she will poop in her food bowl. We've even consulted a dog trainer and have done everything he said. For months we were taking her out every ten minutes for ten minutes at a time, hoping she would get the idea.

Sheri,
I always understood the rule of thumb for their
potty times where just as got up from a nap
or after eating...

If you take them out so many times, do they get confused for WHY they go out???? Play time, runnin' time, fresh air time, oh, yeah, poop time.
LOL!!!

And maybe save some of the poooie, from a couple of loads.... and pile it outside, right where you put the dog..... on the line....... or kennel or however you put the dog outside.. and let the dog know that's where the poop is supposed to be.....

And when you take the dog out, watch the dog go potty.....and say the words as the dogs going..
*Goin' pee~pee, you had to go potty, there's lot's of poop there....whatever you wanna say, but so they start to correlate what they are out there for....

Then when they get up from the nap or eat and you go to take them outside.... ask him/her if she/he has to go pee~pee or poopie... or what ever you want to say......
Then they know that's what they're going outside for....

Does that help a wee~bit???????

Weezie