Alton Brown in a genius

I love popcorn, lovely buttery popcorn. I HATE microwave popcorn. No matter what brand I have bought it is always too salty, and then my fingers swell up like sausages and I need to drink gallons of water and you get the picture. So, for the last several years, whenever I wanted popcorn I did it the old fashioned way, on the stove top in a pan with oil. It takes a while but the result is good and I have total control over how much butter and salt I put on.

But now, thanks to that genius Alton Brown, I can go back to quickly doing my popcorn in the microwave. I never would have known about this except for the lovely ladies in the Frugal Homemakers forum on Ravelry. So, this is what you do. You will need a brown paper bag (about lunch bag size), regular popcorn kernels and a stapler (yes a stapler). You put the popcorn kernels in the paper bag (a 1/3 cup makes a GOOD sized portion), fold the top down twice and close it with ONE staple. Put the bag in the microwave, hit the popcorn button and then start. That is all there is to it. I did have to do one and a half popcorn cycles, turning the microwave off when the popping slowed way down. Take it out, open the bag (be careful of the steam) and voila! Popcorn. Add melted butter, salt and whatever other seasonings you want and you are in business. No muss, no fuss, no oil. Delicious.

Well worth watching. I am not sure if there is a group that does this at my local airport but I am going to check it out.

7 Quick Takes (Vol1)

Well, I am going to try something that I haven't done before in the blogosphere, a regular weekly thing called "7 Quick Takes". I wish that I could claim this as an original idea, I haven't really had one of those for a long time, but it isn't. I found the idea on Conversion Diary blog and liked it (thanks Jennifer F.) So, we will give it a shot and see what happens. Go here to find out what "7 Quick Takes" are. For me they will be 7 things that I am thinking about on any given Friday. Who knows what is going to come out of my fingers! Be afraid, be very afraid.

-1-

I love spending time with my family. When my daughters are all laughing and joking together and the DH is out talking to my dad and brother. When everyone is together and just enjoying each others company it is so great. I would take that over just about anything.

-2-

At the airport, when the "Temporarily closed for cleaning" sign is out in front of the bathroom why do people seem to think that pertains to everyone but THEM. I watched a parade of people walk up to the restrooms, walk AROUND the sign, enter the bathroom only to exit quickly when they realize that yes, the sign means it is closed to all people. Hello!

-3-

I love early morning. I seem to be genetically set up to get up early and go to bed early. Here is is 6a (CST) and I have been up for an hour already. I think the thing I love most about it is that I am the only one up. Everyone else is sleeping. That is what I loved about early morning when the girls were little. It was the only part of the day that I had all to myself.

-4-

Are you on Facebook? I resisted for the longest time. I was worried that my kids would run screaming into the hills knowing that I was on Facebook. My latent teenage fears that no one would like me also reared their ugly heads. What if no one "friended" me, what if no one liked me. What would I do? But finally I gave in and set up a Facebook account. All I can say is......TOTAL ADDICTION. Just ridiculous on my part but there it is. I am now friends with people I haven't seen in years and may never see again (the wife of my high school church youth leader!?!), I am friends with people I will never meet in person. It just seems to snowball but I can't seem to stop. Help me!

-5-

I don't know what I would do without my dog Max. I am convinced that he is the smartest dog in the world. He has this internal clock that tells him, "Hey it is 3:30p and it is time for me to be fed!". When there is any kind of sporting event on the TV he quietly goes into his house and stays there because there might be yelling going on and he is a sensitive dog. He knows that we don't play until after dinner. He watches and waits and seems to know the minute that we are done eating and talking and then here he comes with his toy. Amazing.

-6-

I love books. I just thought I would tell you that in case you hadn't already figured it out. I would rather read than do almost anything else. I am not sure what I am going to do when we move. I will take plenty of books with me but are there ones that can been weaned out of the shelves. Perhaps. But it will be hard.

-7-

That first cup of coffee is one of the best things in life. In fact, the coffee is just done brewing.

Go over to Conversion Diary and check out other " 7 Quick Takes".

Thanksgiving

Do you ever just say "Thanks" for the little things in life? I am not talking about the little old lady driving 20mph in a 35mph zone who makes you slow down and then prevents you from getting a ticket or being involved in that big accident. You were speeding and late, that isn't anything to be proud of.

No, I mean thanks for all the little things in life that we take for granted. Actually, some of them may be little things to others but big things to you. It is good for you to sit down and write it out, not just to pop little thank you arrows to "the man upstairs" (oh I hate that phrase but this post isn't about that). Today take the time to write out what you are thankful for. Some of them may be common, all of them may be. But when you write something down it gives that thing substance, weight, importance. It makes them real to you, it makes you think.

So, here is my "thankful" list. It may get a tad long but this is my blog and I can do what I want. Hehehehehehehe.

- For my health and the health of my family. After the medical issues that we have had this year that is saying something.
- That I can spend this holiday with my husband, children, parents, brother and his family and various boyfriends. The more the merrier.
- That my home is paid for. In these times that is a biggie.
- for the 5 hawks that we saw yesterday on the drive to the cottage. I don't know what it is about hawks but I just love to see them.
- for my country. I still believe that the United States of America is the best country to live in. I have been to plenty of other countries and I haven't yet found one that I would rather live in. Think about that when you complain about the election process or the price of gas or whatever. You have those things available to you without any difficulty. In most countries in the world that isn't the case.
- for my love of photography. When you begin to look at the world around you in a closer way you see just how marvelous is the world that the Lord has given us.
- for books.
- for a good glass of wine. Not just any glass of wine but a good one. A bad glass of wine is nothing to be thankful for. Why bother if it tastes yucky.
- for laughter with my daughters. There are few things in life that make me happier than to see my girls laughing with each other and with me. We watched old family videos last night and laughed until we cried. It was awesome.
- for good friends. I have some of the best friends in the world. They are there for me whatever the situation. If I need a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, prayer for any situation, laughter, they are there for me. My friend Dottie and I are going to the spa next week to spend the day wallowing in decadence. Well, I don't know about the decadence cuz I haven't ever been to the spa but it has to be better than just putting lotion on my feet in the morning.
- for my excellent Mothers-in-law and Fathers-in-law. You might notice that those are plural. Yes I have two of each do to divorce and remarriage. All four of them are great and I am thankful that they are in my life.
- for my puppy dog Max (who is actually 7). He is the best dog in the entire world.
- for that first (and only) cup of coffee in the morning. It is just so good.
- for all the good times that we have had here at The Cottage for the last 41 years. More fun than a barrel of monkeys and a little cleaner too, though not always, especially during the "algae years".
- for a wonderful husband Dan. He is my best friend, my travel buddy, my lover, my computer "go to" guy, the person who can make me laugh the most. I am so thankful that the Lord brought him into my life back in 1983. We will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary next May. I love you babe.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all. Eat a lot of turkey, dressing and all the trimmings. Enjoy your family.

March

March
Brooks, Geraldine

Knitting Sticks: 1


OK, this was a book that my MIL recommended. She LOVED it. I HATED it. Can I say that again, I HATED IT. I don't really know why this book struck me so negatively but it certainly did. It is one of those books that I just wanted to throw it against the wall and walk away. I am sure that it is a good book and the reviews are very positive but for me it was just infuriating, sort of like that movie a few years back called "The Piano". Oh man don't get me started on that one! I digress.

"March" is the story of Mr. March, the father from Louisa May Alcott's book Little Women. A revered figure in literature, the wise, kind father who is wounded in the Civil War. Ms. Brooks "let her imagination run" (her own words) when imagining the life and background of Mr. March and to some extent Mrs. March. She based these imaginings on the real life of Louisa May Alcott's father Bronson Alcott a rather controversial figure. Mr. March starts life as an uneducated man just like Bronson Alcott, he travels in the South, he is a vegetarian, he participates in the Underground Railroad, he is a friend of John Brown, all like Bronson Alcott. I don't have any issues with that but imagining that Mr. March would also have "feelings" for a slave in the south, would be unfaithful in his heart (but thankfully nothing more) for said woman after he meets up with her again during the Civil War, would be not the strong husband and father that we came to know from Ms. Alcott's book but a weak and in my mind cowardly man who stands on his "convictions" to the detriment of others. That Mr. March and Miss Day (later to become Mrs. March) would consummate their relationship, out of the bounds of matrimony, OUTSIDE, after having met only two or three times. Oh give me a break!

I know loads of people have loved this book and if you have read it and loved it then that is great. But if you are looking for me to recommend it I am going to give you a resounding NO!!! Just go and read Little Women. In the end it is a much better use of your time.

Socks For Soldiers

I keep forgetting to post some knitting, this is after all partially a knitting blog. Anyways, some of what I am knitting I can't post because certain people who read the blog would see the projects and that wouldn't be good.

First of all, yes I know the picture is rotated wrong. For some reason Blogger keeps doing that and I can't seem to correct it so we will have to live with it. Sigh.

So, what is the picture all about. Well, I will tell you. I knit socks (like you didn't already know that). I would knit socks all the time I love it so. But, after a period of time you have to do something that is for someone else. Almost a year ago I was surfing around on the internet for sock knitting groups. This group, "Socks For Soldiers" popped up. Hmmmmm, that sounds interesting I said to myself. Socks for Soldiers is a Yahoo group that you must join to participate in. We knit wool socks for our soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. We don't talk politics, we don't gab too much about off topic subjects (except for health concerns and certain other issues), we stay on task and we love it. There are 1300 of us around the country who are passionate about this particular thing. We knit socks for soldiers.

You might be asking if there are really any soldiers who want these socks. Well there are! We currently have a waiting list of almost 1500 soldiers who want socks. That is a lot of knitting especially since these socks are BIG and LONG. It takes me a month to produce a pair and I am a fast knitter.

So, how does Socks for Soldiers work? You have to join the group first. That is fairly easy, you just have to tell our fearless leader Kim why you want to knit socks (or beanies) for soldiers. We ask that you make a commitment to knit 20 minutes a day on these socks. If you do that, even if you are a beginner or slow knitter you will complete your socks in a month or so. I should let you know that when you make this commitment you also commit to using the approved yarn list and the approved sock pattern. Kim has taken the time to liason with the different branches of service to make sure that the sock pattern, yarn and colors are all "regulation". If you don't use the approved pattern and yarn then the soldiers can't use the socks, it is that simple. I should also say that when we aren't knitting regulation socks we might also be knitting "leisure" socks which can be knit from whatever yarn you want.

Once you have finished the socks then you send them off, along with a note to your soldier, to Kim Opperman who is our fearless "Sarge". This woman is a DYNAMO and totally committed to the cause. She started Socks For Soldiers when her son was sent to Iraq a number of years ago. It just kept growing from there. She collects all the socks and the other supplies, checks to make sure that everything is in proper order, boxes everything up and sends it out. There is also a list of other supplies that you can send if you so desire along with your sock. That isn't a necessity but many of us do. We don't just send socks we send boxes, LOTS of boxes, filled with all sorts of things. It is cool.

So, if you are a sock knitter or want to be one then this is a group for you. I don't know what I would do without these ladies and I can't imagine not knitting socks for soldiers. In fact, after I finish sending these socks to Kim I am going to cast on for my next pair. I haven't gotten my 20 minutes in yet today. Can't slack off, there are too many soldiers waiting for socks!

Monday Morning Humor

In light of the fact that it is Thanksgiving week and I am busy, busy, busy here is a little Monday morning humor. JUST A REMINDER- George Carlin is "salty" in his use of language. This one isn't the seven words that you can't say on TV but there is some language in it.

This is one of my favorites especially as I am working to get rid of my "stuff"