A Holiday Visit From SP

In Which He Writes a Guest Post For Me!
(Even if I do kinda want to kick him in the shins for his topic of choice.) 
Nonetheless, a deal's a deal, so here we go...

Christmas 2019

Jz in the Concert of Angels

of Ferrari Gaudenzio

We all have read that our dear Jz is experiencing a very busy Yuletide this year with some unplanned events. In this guest blog I will allude to some of that even if I must remain somewhat restrained by Jz.  It is only fair after all that she has some sort of a turn and on top of that role reversal is a time-honored Christmas tradition.

Allow me first to provide a brief historic context.

Here is a paraphrase (not a transcript ha ha) of an interchange between Jz and me that took place a few years ago.

Jz:        Won’t you write a guest entrance for my blog?

Me:      I could, maybe, do you intend me to address some of our kinkier explorations?

Jz:        Well of course, what else would I expect from you, sp?

(note: sp is an abbreviation of the terms she uses to address me, particularly when she wants something from me. Actually, it does not stand for “scholarly professor”, that is just a ruse in her blog)

Me:      Let me think. I don’t know when I would get around to it.

Jz:        Ok, no pressure but… - Here follow some of Jz’s specialties, such as, fluttering of eyelids, encouraging high pitched sounds and a suggestive waving and undulating of lovely body parts.

(As an aside I wish to establish clearly that Jz, who in her blog tends to speak with some dissatisfaction about her physical appearance, is actually built in delightful curvy-bodied loveliness all supported by long shapely legs and a loose-jointed easy gracefulness in movement. How is that for some objectifying observations?  But I maintain that faithful readers have a right to glimpse at least that much.)

Some years went by in which the guest blog was occasionally mentioned but never did materialize. Jz indeed did not pressure about it but skillfully nurtured and sustained a slight tinge of guilt in me.

Now let’s jump to the present day.  Jz and I were talking about events during the fortuitous Christmassy meeting between herself, her Beau and me.  In this encounter we hit it off swimmingly well between the three of us with Sweet Jz to her vociferous delight stuck in the middle, very stuck at times.

So, our conversation only hours ago:

Me:      Now there is my guest blog! I could write about that.

Jz:        Don’t you dare.

Me:      I would really like to write about that.

Jz:        Don’t you dare.

Me:      Why this reluctance and monotony in your retort? You said, and I also remember in your blog…

Jz:        Yes, sure, but this one, I don’t know.

Me:      So, I really can’t mention those lovely glowing red marks across the white of your…

Jz:        Stop!!

Me:      Or you writhing on the floor while Beau and I …

Jz:        You heard me!  Oh well, do as you please, send it to me and I will post it; maybe.

Thus, dear reader, it came to pass that I gave in to her laments and I will not mention any of that. I must be getting too lenient with the years.  Instead, I decided to give you an image, appropriate for season and events.  Isn’t that supposed to say more than a thousand words?

With that and a loving kiss for adorable Jz the Angelic, I take my leave.

Blessed Yule to all.

Holiday Dance Party!

It's possible that I’m the last person on the planet to have seen this but just in case there's another cultural straggler out there, here’s a special Friday Night Holiday Dance for you.

(The scene with Chevy Chase is pretty much just like watching my brother do his lights.)

Merry Christmas!

My holiday is fairly buggered up this year - lots of last-minute changes, peculiar timings, and unexpected gaps in festivities - but it’s still been warm and festive and full of heart…

Which is exactly the kind of Christmas I wish for all of you.

I hope this holiday is one for the books, for everyone!

Now on to the annual Christmas Eve carol sing. 

The tune isn’t as lively as some I’ve offered but it’s the chorus that sold this one. After the mess that was 2019, I figure we could all use the reminder.

Peace on Earth

Goodwill Towards Man

First Officer’s Log, Stardate 1739.04

"The Captain asked that I select a suitable vignette for his annual holiday missive to the crew. He required an example that reflects the challenges we all face every day, as we encounter new civilizations and formulate our responses to the unknown." 

"The choice was difficult but logic led me to select a moment that illustrates the strength of teamwork. Here, the Captain and I work together, utilizing keen analytical reasoning to formulate a plan of precise, swift, and decisive action."

"It is a classic case of leadership by example that I think will prove instructive for all."

Why Is This Woman Looking Grinchy?

I sure wouldn’t have such a sour puss if that were me!

It's Been Said Many Times, Many Ways...

…but I always mean it, from the bottom of my heart.

This would not, could not, happen without all of you...

and I appreciate you, each and every one.

Thank you for putting a smile on my face.

(And a recipe in my book.) :-)

Happy Tenth Cookie Day!

Welcome to the (Especially Celebratory) TENTH Annual

Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza!

At the risk of sounding like a parent bemoaning how fast their child is growing up…

I can’t believe it’s been ten years since my wild hair of an idea was launched. The baking ranks have fluctuated through time, gaining and losing as people’s lives change, but we’re still here… and still exchanging recipes!

A heart-felt Thank You! to everyone who has played along over the years, both bakers and armchair nibblers, for making this such a joyous part of my holiday season. (Not to mention how much my Holiday Goodie repertoire has increased!) 

And with extra-special thanks to Greengirl and Little Monkey, who’ve been with me for Every Single Exchange (under various nom de plumes) since the very first one. 

Bonus shoulder-bumps to each of you. :-)

Now, on to the cookies!

Years ago, I included these in a cookie package that I sent to a friend. He apparently wasn’t familiar with biscotti, because while he listed them in his thank you note as the Number One Favorite Cookie, he referred to them as “those chocolate jaw breaker thingies”.

What can I say?

This is definitely a dunking cookie.

But a very tasty, deeply chocolate, not-too-sweet, oddly-addicting dunking cookie.

Like any biscotti, this recipe is time-consuming, but mostly because of all the rounds of baking that you have to go through. The actual assembly is fairly simple. Altho’, if you have a stand mixer, I’d recommend using it because this is a dry, sticky dough that can be a challenge for the hand-mixer. (Since I don’t have a stand mixer, I usually just use my hands, rather than fry my mixer or sprain a bicep from wielding a wooden spoon…)

Also - after you’ve gotten these on the tray, your hands (and possibly parts of your kitchen) will look like you’ve been playing in mud puddles. Manipulating the dough is kind of like working with chocolate paste. Believe the recipe when it says, “moistened hands”, ok?

But the taste is well worth the little bit of extra mess, I promise you.

So here you go, my special celebratory tenth-anniversary cookie recipe:

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

Makes: approx. 48 

2 C walnuts, coarsely crushed

2 C flour

2 C cocoa 

2 C sugar

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

6 eggs

1/8 t salt

1/4 C brandy or coffee

2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 325º

Spread walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast in oven 5-8 minutes, shaking pan several times, until walnuts are light brown.
Let cool.

Lower oven temperature to 300º.  

(Converters for measurements and oven temperatures here)

  In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and soda. Stir or whisk gently until well mixed. Make a well in the center.

  In a medium bowl, beat eggs with salt until well blended. Mix in brandy and vanilla. Pour egg mixture into well in dry ingredients. Beat together until a soft dough forms, then stir in toasted walnuts.

  With lightly moistened hands, divide dough in half. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, shape dough into 2 loaves about 12 x 3.5 x .5. Bake 50 minutes, or until dough appears dry. Remove from oven and cut loaves into 1/2" slices.

  Arrange slices on baking sheet and bake 17-20 minutes. Turn over and bake 17-20 minutes more, until firm and dry. Let cool.

Pour yourself a coffee and start dunking. :-)

But wait!

I’m not done yet, because I have a recipe from selkie!

CHOCOLATE WHISKEY BALLS 

1 cup pecans

1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs

1 cup icing sugar

1-1/2 tbsps light corn syrup

1/4 cup whiskey (I use Irish!)

Powdered sugar for rolling

1 Grind the pecans and chocolate wafers (I buy the already crushed Oreo crumbs) in a food processor and empty into a large bowl.

2 Mix in sugar, corn syrup and whiskey thoroughly (I use my hands). Shape the mixture into balls the size of a quarter and roll in powdered sugar.

3 Keep in an airtight container in a cool place or freeze on a baking sheet then store in tightly sealed plastic bags.

2-3 dozen.

Now that we’ve whetted your appetite, please go check out the rest of the goodies:
(just remember, different time zones = different posting times)

Baker

blossom

Cat

greengirl

Hermione

Lindy

little monkey

messymimi

morningstar

Mrs. Fever

olivia

Ronnie

Ryan

Sassy

Bearer of Sad News

The unhappy news is that Fondles buried her father this past weekend.

She and her mom are doing ok, but her focus right now is on her family, so Fondles is likely to be away from blogging for a while. She says she’s just taking things one day at a time… and wanted to let people know why she hasn’t been around and probably still won’t be for a while. (Tho' I’m sure you could email or leave a comment on her blog if you want to drop a word of support.)

~Condolences and good thoughts to your family, Fondles~

That's An Order!

Although I did not go out shopping on Black Friday, I did intend to shop Small Business Saturday, so that morning felt like the right time to break out the piggy bank to count how much “bonus” spending money I’d managed to accumulate. 

Confidently, I sat at the table, armed with piggy bank and coin rolls.

Optimistically, I started with quarters, because, biggest pay load, hello.

Nine dollars and fifty cents… I was two quarters short.

Hmph.

Dimes, then.

Four dollars and eighty cents… I was two dimes short.

Darn.

Undaunted, I moved on to nickels.

One dollar and ninety cents… I was two nickels short.

Drat!

Disheartened, I moved on to pennies.

Anyone surprised to learn that the one thing I wasn’t short on was my two cents’ worth?

Anyhow, the shopping has begun,

COOKIES will arrive on Tuesday… It’s official.

Plus ça change...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Company has arrived, there’s been a revolving door of visitors coming in and out to visit the company, and the dog has been obsessed with re-staking his claim on my land.

Life is very good - and I wish the same for all of you.

Enjoy the day, no matter where you are!

Quick Update (and COOKIES!)

I received a practically-unheard-of offer of overtime this week (“Before the holidays? Why thank you, I believe I shall!”) - which naturally, fell during my annual pre-holiday Week Of Frantic Deep Cleaning. (And this year, after the benign neglect necessitated by the prolonged renovations taking place around the bathroom, the “deep” portion was particularly needful.)

So I set a demanding (yet *just* feasible) schedule, relegated sleep to the bottom of the list, and have been scrambling on all fronts. The pace was optimistic but I was managing it - and everything proceeded according to plan. I’ve had to eschew any and all social engagements for the time being but having so much done will mean a lot more free time post-holiday.
Life was good, things were under control.

Until Thursday, when I got an email from the family members coming to stay with me. Ice storms are predicted for Wednesday, would it be terribly inconvenient if they arrived a day early? Feeling that to tell loved ones to endanger their lives because I hadn’t finished dusting wasn’t in the spirit of the season, I said, “Of course not!” and planned to step up my pace.

Except… that I later found myself having to spend Thursday evening focused entirely on finishing the work project. No time to even glance at the cleaning supplies.

So now I’m TWO days behind - with two days to go.

I stuck my computer under a chair, gave Spock the weekend off, and have been cleaning like my life depends on it. Life is nothing but scrub, dust, tidy. I haven’t even been reading! 

I’m reserving the possibility of simply lowering the white-glove standard but I’m trying hard not to do that. I want this task finished, not postponed. I want there to be time for the fun stuff going forward into the holiday season.

Fun stuff like COOKIES!!! (You knew this was coming, didn’t you?)

Because no matter how busy I am, I haven’t forgotten that 2019 is… 

the Ten-Year Anniversary (!!!) of…

The Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza!

December 10th seems an apt day for the 10th anniversary, so I hope you'll join me then.

Just leave a comment saying you’ll play along and I’ll put your name on the Cookie-Participation list (Altho’ we’re not picky. ANY goodie will do.) 

Then post your recipe on the 10th.

That’s all there is to it.

Hope to see you all there!

Now that I’ve made the initial announcement, I must return to the cleaning.

Because the end is in sight — then I can focus on the cookies!

The Concerns of Command

Spotted On The Balcony

Do you think he's grumpy he didn't get to wear ruffles?

The Tech Dance

So, my dom has been keeping me up late lately.

Sounds exhilarating, doesn't it?

Sadly, it's not, At least not in the "Hey! kinky hi-jinx goin' on!" kinda way. It's more that he's upgrading his computer and keeps peppering me with late-night questions.

Now obviously, I don’t really mind. Kink-jinx or not, I do find it exhilarating to be able to help him and I also love the fact that our power exchange does not warp his common sense. He may be able to code-monkey circles around me but when it comes to making upgrades play nice, my expertise outstrips his - and he's willing to recognize that and utilize my knowledge. It’s a small thing, but it makes me happy.

Nonetheless, there are still Y chromosomes at play here, so it's not an entirely smooth process. In this case, however the hiccups are not triggered by any posturing but rather, by his secret longing to buy some expensive new tech toy to play with. Naturally, he won't come out and tell me that, however. Instead, he tries to lead me around to a point where I'll suggest that he should buy said new toy. (Altho' he always goes ahead and does just that anyhow, so I'm not sure what the point is... except maybe the fun of manipulation?)

This seemingly-unfocused procession made me nuts the first time or two but once I figured out what was going on, it became part of the dance. His hints get broader and broader and I act more and more obtuse. We each know what the other is doing, of course, but we both enjoy the verbal tango, so it all works out.

However, I think that next time, I may change my strategy.

I'll suggest the new toy right at the beginning... which will make him happy.

And then I'll claim all the credit. 

          Persistently.

          For years to come.

After all, when doing the tech dance, you have to keep on your toes, right?

Dining In Space

This one’s for Fondles, who’s been going out to eat a lot lately. ;-D

SO Unprepared

And now Halloween is in 4 days.

Do I have a pumpkin?

No.

Do I have any candy?

No.

Do I have the items I need to make the super cute decoration idea I had?

No.

Do I have a hope in Hades of getting all these things done by Thursday?

No.

Did I at least find a Zombie Spock for Halloween?

YES!!!

Ready Or Not...

I have NO idea how it got to be October 20th already

Or how it’s been 2 weeks since I posted

Or why there are so very few hours in a day 

        (Which, when you multiply times seven, puts you woefully short of a week!)

What I DO know:

        one week is too short of a vacation

        you couldn’t pay me enough to work in the DMV every day

        fresh apple cider is nectar of the gods
                but cider donuts are over-rated

        weddings are expensive, even when they’re not yours

        it’s entirely possible to spend so much time considering faucet styles that your eyes cross

        my life needs more dogs in it

                and more Waldemar Januszczak

        bomb cyclones can cause a LOT of damage

        a 14” chainsaw blade doesn’t get you very far on a limb that’s 50” in circumference

        pine sap in the hair sucks

Now that you know everything I do (and don't,) I'm off.

I’ll be back one of these days, I promise!

A Crossover I Can Get Behind

I feel a new motto coming on!

Songs of Our Lives

(September Song Project, #6)

Thinking about this music challenge has really brought home to me just how much of my life is anchored in song. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me but it did, somehow.

There’s something very sticky about music, isn't there? Jingles from our childhood, our tendency toward earworms…, not to mention the way that certain tunes are nothing but extra-strength fly paper for memories, both good and bad. Music is kind of a framework for compressing and storing our important moments, filing them away neatly for years, needing only the trigger of melody to unpack a whole gamut of emotions.

Sometimes music picks away slowly, niggling and poking until it gradually uncovers a recalcitrant memory. Other times, it only takes a single opening note to call up an experience so vivid that you find yourself laughing (or crying) before you’ve even had a chance to register what you're remembering.

In fact, in the hands of the very talented, music can even knock you to your backside from feelings that were never actually yours to begin with…

(Brace yourself for 1:24!)

Music.

I’m glad we’ve got it.


Aaaand... that's it for the September Song Project.
Thanks to Mrs. Fever for launching the idea - I hope you've had fun coming along for the ride.
:-)

Chançon de Spock

To wrap up the final Spock Sunday of September's Song Project,

The Vulcan Crooner himself

*swoooon*

An Eight From The Soviet Judge

Or maybe not…

But this dancing really is just about perfect.

A Twitch In Time

(September Song Project, #5)

Driving through town the other day, I was struck by one of those rogue nerve spasms that irritate a person every now and again. Usually, mine center near an eyelid and give the appearance of frantic winking. This one was a little different, however - it broke out between nose and upper lip, repeatedly pulling my face up into a sneer.

This, as you can imagine, was both fairly maddening and quite unattractive, but try as I might, I could not overpower the twitch. That darned lip just kept curling up - I felt like Elvis Presley.

After a few minutes of fruitless struggle, I finally decided, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”, took a deep breath, and belted out,“You ain’t nothin' but a Hound Dog” at the top of my lungs.

The tic immediately abated.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

NEVER underestimate the power of The King!

Spock and The Dropping Penny

Dude…

Even *I* got that one!

Strange Song...

but great dancing!

(Anyone else get an earworm from this…?)

Songs of the Kitchen

(September Song Project, #4)

Generally, I can manage to produce some pretty tasty meals... but an ungodly September workload has been wreaking havoc on the cooking mojo around here. 

The food has gone from singing with flavor to crying for mercy.

I made:

Peach muffins.

From gorgeous, succulent, orchard-fresh globes of goodness, obtained by special trip to the farmer’s market, specifically to try out a new “Oooh! Makes a double-batch!” recipe. 

Charred to within an inch of their lives.

Meatloaf.

I borked meatloaf, for cripesake. 

Who screws that up? 

Well… me, apparently.

Now, I didn’t burn it… and the texture was terrific. BUT my total omission of seasoning in any form; salt, pepper, or otherwise, resulted in a perfectly cooked, superbly textured loaf of Bland.

HOWEVER…!

If you think I’m letting a little carbon (or too little sodium) get the better of me, you seriously misunderstand just how ornery I truly am. I absolutely refused to throw these dishes out. 

(I could claim noble intentions but really, it was less a case of “waste not, want not” than sheer, stubborn refusal to accept culinary defeat.)

So I crumbled the meatloaf into a skillet, took a paring knife to the crunchy black muffin skin, and produced a magnificent dinner of superbly saucy (and very well-seasoned) shepherd’s pie, with creamy, custardy peach muffin bread pudding for dessert. 

HA!

Same food, different tune.

Take that, you cooking gremlins, you!

p.s - did YOU know this wasn't done by Aretha?

I sure didn't.

Grunge In Space

A rare glimpse into Spock’s misspent, tattooed youth…

(To whoever Photoshopped this - you are my new hero.)

That King Can Dance

More Musicals!

(I particularly like the moment around 3:57, when he pretty much sends her airborne...)