Mmmm…diet breaking treats. Of course since Lent is essentially a 40-day fast, I think we’re allowed.
I like how the caption of the first picture in the Wiki article claims the plastic baby has been removed from the middle of the cake. Someone needs to tell them “faceplanted” is not a synonym for “removed”.
Hi, all. Don’t get too close. <koff koff> Not grrrrrr, just bluuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrfffff today. I woke up with a slightly scratchy throat and it turned into a cough and a general feeling of ick. So I came home early, because I’m nice, dammit, and I didn’t want to disturb or infect my coworkers.
Interesting encounter in the coffee room this morning. This guy Mike stopped me to ask about sailing and sailboats. He’s thinking he’ll propose to his girlfriend in May and he’d like to do it on a sailboat. But neither of them sails… yet. We talked about a lot of stuff, then I mentioned that at our new marina, there’s a sailing school, and I was sure he could arrange for a “lesson” out on the river, and pop the question there. He thought that was inspired. So did I, as a matter of fact. 
So I found the school’s website and sent it to him. We’ll see how that goes.
Pancakes - not a Catholic thing as far as I know. At least not at any church I attended as a kid. I never heard of pre-Lenten pancake dinners, so I have no idea what the history or thinking behind them would be.
However, I do know Mardi Gras - at least in 1977. I was an officer candidate attached to the ROTC unit at Purdue. For whatever reason, several of us served in a color guard and marched in 3 parades. I carried the Navy flag. Along the way, without flashing, I amassed a bunch of beads which I eventually gave to my daughter. As a kid, she shared them with her friends - no idea if she has any left. All I know is I don’t like marching in parades.
Lessee, that’s all for now. I’m going to crash on the recliner in a bit, and knit, and watch TV, and probably sip some tea. And maybe make some chickie soup. Stoopit cold.
Can’t believe I forgot: {{Rebo & Mr. Rebo}}
Tee hee, Spaz, I so stole that! 
Sorry about the bro, Rebo, give your hubby a hug from me–losing a sibling must suck no matter what the circumstances…
I am not looking at any pastry today, TYVM, after my disgraceful display with the chocolate cake last night, which was OM NOM NOM NOM and there’s still a bit left to go with my coffee this morning. I am amazed that I managed to lose another pound last week in spite of it–and the chicken fried steak I pounded down at brunch yesterday, not even to mention the Bellini! It’s a wonder I’m not still in a food coma!
I have a buncha stuff to do today if we’re going on a trip tomorrow–I need to do some laundry, get my library books back, gas up the Time Bomb and do a little shopping for drinks and suchlike. I also need to vacuum because I dislike coming home to a messy house. This explains why I’m sitting on the couch wrapped in my bankie surfing the Dope, right?
Don’t worry about keeping up, n00bz, there’s no requirement that you remember all our weird quirks and fidgets. The MMP is like a cooperative LiveJournal of the mundane with occasional fits of drama and real honest-to-gosh heartache rolled in.
Sounds like 'im indoors needs a sound kick in the 'nads to get his attention, BooFae! What is it with men and their obsessive hobbies, anyway?
Sorry about your 'puter, Rigs, that would drive me bats. Luckily, I have teh UberGeek in the house to keep my shit running right, hooray! He does Mac support for work, even though they don’t technically extend support to any platform other than Windows. He figures he knows what he’s doing so why not?
I gotta get off my ass and do something useful, laterz!
Need lemon cous cous cake recipe.
It was hell of a weekend. I love Other Quasi-Daughter, but she’s a handful, and I was still recovering from flu. We were especially unimpressed that she a)didn’t heed my warning and slammed a door into Nat’s head, and b) they arrived yesterday just in time to wake Nat up from the nap he’d started two and a half minutes before (not kidding). We gave them keys so they wouldn’t use the buzzer. They buzzed anyway, and thought it was funny that he woke up, stayed up, didn’t really nap yesterday. In consequence he was grumpy and crabby all yesterday, and pitched a huge screaming fit at midnight, for an hour and a half.
I seriously thought about calling them so they could enjoy it themselves. At midnight.
Sorry. That was Grrr. I;m exhausted, Nat just fell asleep, and I’m going down for an hour’s nap.
Blurf. Meh.
gt, nice OP. Agree on losing the grr for this week.
Not a whole lot got done at the weekend, as I am stuck in Annual Report Hell ™. This will continue until Wednesday when I can move into Broken Deadline Paper Editing Hell ™.
Perhaps if I go and hold a small parade in the back garden it will scare some sense into the psychotic cat (you’re not the only one having problems with this, jsgoddess.)
As for what tarragon said up thread about bringing chocolate tributes to FairyChatMom in return for participation in the MMP - well, I don’t got no chocolate. But by the end of today, I hope to have cookies. Would those be an acceptable chocolate substitute?
Well, if she doesn’t want them, you can put one in the CD drive for me!
(Thanks everyone. :))
For the last couple of years, I’ve been working on how to transmit delicious treats to coworkers and friends around the world. ICQ and MSN sometimes work; with email, they tend to get lost.
I’ll try the CD drive method! And hopefully a cookie will make it over your way!
Can I be just a little teensy bit grrr? Please?
I was told by New Boss Guy that another team had three people who’d be sitting on their bums doing nothing all week, and that I’d need to parcel off some of my work to them since I have quite a bit to do… I wasn’t keen on it because a) they haven’t been trained on the task and b) it’s not worth training them for a week’s worth of work. Which, of course, means c) I’ll just end up re-doing all the work myself anyways.
So fine, I spent the better part of an hour walking them through what they’d be doing… but now all three people have come up separately to tell me they’ve been pulled off to do something else for the next couple of days. WTF? If I’m going to be forced to use their help, I should at least be able to rely on them to be available.
{{LiLi}} May I recommend calling them during their naptime for a few days in a row so they can be taught the error of their ways? 
PS - Dopefest on Thursday. Korean BBQ. Please come!
Weeelllllllllllll, OK, just this once. I loves me some oatmeal raising cookies - not as much as chocolate, but lots more than sugar cookies.
{{{Rebo and Mr.}}}
Another failed recipe that has promise. I’m trying to recreate Eyetalian Stuffed Peppers that I get at a little place we frequent in Franklin VA. This one failed for 2 reasons: I didn’t bake long enough (and at too high of a temperature), and there was not enough marinara to suit me.
Corrective actions for next attempt will be listed afterwards.
What I did:
What I’ll do different next time: double the marinara, or even mix some in the meat before dolloping. I likes 'mater sauce… Oh, I’ll bake at maybe 250 for 45 minutes, 'cuz the peppers weren’t soft enough and the cheese got crusty too soon. I 'like crusty cheese like that, but not crunchy peppers.
And if you don’t want to follow two links, here’s the direct link to the piccies
sigh Bosses. Can’t yell at them, can’t get paid without them.
It may be end-of-winter where you’re from, but around here Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday is far from the end of winter. Easter, maybe, if it doesn’t fall in March.
Does anyone have any suggestions for “fixing” a less-than-stellar recipe? I made this chicken jalfrezi recipe last night to eat tonight when we have some company (It really is better if the flavors have a day to blend together.), but even though I’ve made it before, it’s not quite right this time. The spices just came out… weird. So my thoughts… 1) add some unsweetened coconut, 2) add some yogurt, 3) add more tomatoes to dilute the spices a bit or if all else fails 4) add some cream. Any thoughts? I have lots of trouble with Indian/Pakistani food, and I’m starting to think it’s the coriander and cumin. I’m not sure what about them since I like them, but it was smelling good up to the point where I added them and suddenly it got a very unpleasant scent. If I have too much of them, the extra tomatoes should help cut that a bit, right? And making it creamy can’t hurt. I just hate having company who hasn’t ever had my cooking before come over when I have a cooking disaster. Or at least a less-than-success.
Grr. I always put the k in the wrong place.
As said upthread, paczki are like jelly doughnuts, but they are really dense, really heavy, and don’t taste as sweet (to me). I love the custard filled ones, but I can only eat one and the box always has six! Eek!
King cake is a yeast cake that I’ve never eaten. It’s usually brightly frosted and has a baby Jesus figurine. I think it may be cinnamony, but I’m not sure.
Sorry to hear about your BIL, Rebo; you and MrRebo are in my thoughts and prayters. {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}
I’m going to test my blood sugar twice a day for the next week and let my doc know what the results are. Please cross your fingers for me here!
::crosses fingers::
Bobbio, try parboiling the peppers after you halve and clean them. Just dunk in boiling water for a couple of minutes. They will be much more tender. I would definitely add some of the marinara in with the meat. Hunt’s makes a “meatloaf” tomato sauce that’s pretty good, too.
{{{Rebo and Mr. Rebo}}} Y’all, BIL and his family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Howdy Y’all! I have survived two days of work this week. Tomorrow is my humpday. WOOHOO!!! What? I takes my excitement where I can get it.
Ok, not exactly the house at grr corner, but I must speak sternly to another mumper…
taxi, I’m callin’ you out young lady! Your Kix Condoms comment got me in almost trouble at lunch today. There was a movement to vote me off the lunch table after I repeated it. I survived banishment to behind the dumpster across the street by one vote. :dubious:
Of course they all giggled like six year old girls at a slumber party about it, but still… almost banishment. I never!
I forgive you though.
I had paczki last week. Lemon and Bavarian Cream. I ate one and then I had such a hard sugar crash later that I didn’t dare eat another. Good thing I have a 14 year old boy who will eat just about anything; he finished all but two, which I took into work.
The girl has broken up with her boyfriend and when I spoke to her was sobbing. I can’t get her to come home and I can’t get her to do anything. She worries me. I know she will survive this but I feel bad for her and it drives me crazy that I can’t help.
Hugs to the Rebos. 
I know it was expected, but it’s always hard. :(
I’ve added your failed recipe with Rebo’s suggestion to the blog, Bobbio. I’ll just keep editing until it’s declared not failed.
Heh. It’s funny watching people try to avoid the grrrr. (Apparently I’m a bad bad person.)
STG, one doesn’t yell at bosses? Ooopsie. (I have a yell-y boss who only responds if you yell back. Most of the time he’s not really yelling, he’s debating loudly, but yeah, we yell.
taxi got swampy in trouble??? Whatever is this world coming to?
Hope you got to sleep some, LiLi. Sounds like OQD needs a child to teach her the importance of following directions. Perhaps she’d like to care for Nat for a week or so?
Kids and their breakups are no fun, are they, Suse? I don’t have any biological children, but I’ve had several kid equivalents with traumatic love lives. They were all in college by the time this happened, but it was always painful for me, too.
Today was important haircut day. Yay! (This means I was FORCED to leave work on time. The suffering.)
FCM pottery originals were waiting for me when I got home. Yay! I think the black dish is going to be filled with pebbles and hold the origami tulips I got in the Valentine’s exchange. Haven’t tried it yet, but I think it might be the exact size I need.
Guess I should decide what I’m doing and get something done. Maybe knit a bit on the new hat.
I want to make pancakes tomorrow. (I could go to church for them, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be too lazy.
Back later.
GT
**GT **- glad the package arrived intact. I always worry about my packing, so it’s a relief to know there was no breakage.
I think I’ll be going to work tomorrow, but I’m still coughing. ugh. I do not like Teh Sick. Isn’t it time for winter to be over??