Friday, January 23, 2026

FRIDAY --THIS & THAT-- MINUS 45˚ PEANUT BRITTLE WEATHER

Remember- my This & That

can be about ANYTHING.

Got that?  ANYTHING!

My son-in-law, Glen, LOVES

peanut brittle.

SORRY-GALS- 

He's taken!

Anyway-back to the 

PEANUT BRITTLE

I made some at Christmas time

and he ate it all without sharing.

Okay- He might have left a couple

of measly little pieces but

only because he felt he "had to".

 SO-we are going to make Peanut Brittle today.

Or, in my case, 
ALMOND BRITTLE.
I found the recipe in my box of 
Blogger's Recipes.
Sadly, I do not know which blogger
posted this first but it is GOOD!
I will include the recipe at the end.

Here is what you need:
Sugar, Karo Syrup, Peanuts (or almonds),
Butter, Vanilla & Baking Soda.
Make sure you use a 
LARGE PRYEX MEASURING CUP/BOWL!
(not all bowls will take this kind of heat)

Mix the sugar and Karo together.
It will make a pasty mess that you can hardly stir.
Pop it in the microwave for 3 minutes 40 seconds
While this is cooking HEAVILY BUTTER a cookie sheet.
Remove mixture from oven and 
add 2 cups of  peanuts or almonds.
DO NOT STIR-just push them down into sugar
Don't freak out cuz they barely fit into the sugary stuff.
.Ummm...that is NOT my hair in there
regardless of what my kids might tell you.
After 2-1/2 mintues remove and add 
the butter and vanilla.
AGAIN- DO NOT STIR.
Nuke another minute and half and remove 
and add baking soda.
NOW YOU MUST STIR FAST!
It is gonna froth and bubble like a witch's cauldron.
What did you say?
Who you calling a witch?
 QUICKLY spread onto buttered cookie sheet.
Use the back of a buttered spoon to spread it thin.
It will look a mess but don't worry about it.
I waited a tad too long taking pictures so this is not spread as 
thin as the last time I made it.

Then, I covered it with tinfoil and put it on the 
shoveled off back deck to cool. 
Weather temp is Zero-It cooled fast!;>)
Otherwise, inside it hardens in about 45 mintues.
Once it is set break it up into pieces.
Now...Here is
THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION.
HIDE IT!!!!
And break off little pieces when no one is home-and Glen isn't visiting.......
Shhhh...It's our SWEET LITTLE secret!
And if you tell
 I will make you go sit in the on the patio in minus zero degree weather!

Oh- I almost forgot-How do you
AVOID THE CALORIES?
Don't eat it! Just feed it to your friends.
Remember- The fatter they get the 
skinnier you look standing next to them!

Here's the recipe:

Peanut  Brittle
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Karo syrup
2 scant cups nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a 2-quart Pyrex bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar and ½ cup white syrup) 
Microwave on high for 3 minutes, 40 seconds.
Remove from microwave and add 2 scant cups (cups not quite full) dry roasted salted peanuts. Punch them down into the mixture. Do not stir.
Return to microwave and cook for 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and add — but don't stir —1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon butter. Microwave for 1 minute, 30 seconds.

Remove from microwave and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir the mixture. It will foam. Immediately pour mixture onto the heavily buttered surface. Drag the bowl along to make sure the mixture is flat. Using a spatula, lift the candy and scoot it around, so it doesn't stick to the surface. Let the mixture cool until completely hardened, about 45 minutes. Break into pieces.

As a side note- I made this in two different microwaves with different power levels/wattage.  It came out perfectly in both of them.  The time might be off for the really low wattage (700-800W) microwaves. Those are the older ones-most newer ones are at least 1000W. 

HAPPY WINTER FRIDAY-

THIS CHICK WILL BE SNUGGLED DOWN

WITH TWO PUPS, HOT COFFEE 

AND

ALMOND BRITTLE!!!!
your photo name

Friday, January 16, 2026

FRIDAYS THIS & THAT- FOR A SNOWY JANUARY DAY

 

I promised a bit of this and that, right?
I wrote this a
while back for a 
Gardening Group
that I used to belong to
and thought I would share it here.

It looks like
January
to me!
The spruce stands in full glory,
A pretty sight to see.
As daybreak catches glimpses,
Of the snow upon this tree.

He lifts his boughs to Heaven,
To give glory and full praise.
He stands in solid tribute,
To the Maker all his days.

He shelters every bird's nest,
He guards it; standing green.
And he beckons to the bunnies
As they hide & remain unseen.

He will stand there oh-so-proudly,
If we will let him grow.
For he's living just as we are
And this is what I know.

A man with all his knowledge,
Cannot create a tree.
He can only guard & keep it,
For the gift of life is free.

Poem by: Nana Diana©

Oh! And just for a bit of THAT-
I scheduled a
MAMMOGRAM
for today....
try NOT to picture THAT!
It ain't pretty!
your photo name

Friday, January 9, 2026

FRIDAYS THIS & THAT

 I thought to get back into

regular blogging,

I would do a 

FRIDAY FEATURE

called

THIS & THAT!

You never know what you will find here.

Could be my thoughts on-

Why leprechauns are real

or

Why do monkeys seem so human

OR

What is something embarrassing I did

or

Whatever happened to Baby Jane...

OR

It could be something more serious about life

Like-aging, stress, joy, sorrow

or crafting!

You see-Fridays will be

all over the place

but I will TRY to be here every Friday.

Today's This or That is 

THIS!

THIS is what brings me JOY!

                             Scruffy and Coco Chanel

also known as

Thing One & Thing Two.

Thing One weighs 26#

Thing Two weighs 13#

Thing Two can take anything away from

Thing One and get away with it.

She is 

Boss of the World

at least for today.

Next week I will be back with

my thoughts on government issues.

Okay-I lied about that!

I DO NOT DO

politics or controversial issues

on my blog.

Just not my style.

So stop by for

fun, crafting, joy, love

and nonsense.

Big news coming next week!

Have a wonderful weekend.



your photo name

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

THE LITTLES ARE GROWN ENOUGH TO CELEBRATE NEW YEARS BUT.....

I REMEMBER-I REMEMBER-I REMEMBER 

 We never really had

fussy eaters in this

family.

They would eat just about

anything put in

front of them.

However, it was
ALWAYS
fun to do a little
SOMETHING SPECIAL
for them for the
Holidays.

The "tradition",
according to the
Bible of Lulu
(when she was 9 years old),
was that every
New Year's Eve they
came to our house to
EAT and then they
got to spend the night,
while Mom and Dad
went out to celebrate.

What?
How did THAT get started?
I guess I was 
EVEN THEN
TOO OLD
to go out to celebrate!
sigh...

Anyway, It was always
best to be prepared for the
LITTLE DARLINGS
with some special snacks.

How about a
Snowman Cheese Ball
to start the night off?
Betty Crocker recipe is here.

Hmmmm..what else did I do?
Leave those
kids alone with me and I
will serve them
SHOTS!
Shots like everyone else had
on New Years!
That'll teach them.

Okay-
Maybe I DID tone it down
a bit.
How about
THIS kind of shot?
I call it
Tomato Soup Shooters!
You find the instructions at Rachel Hollis's site.

And, of course, we must have a few
Ants on a log
(raisins on cream cheese filled celery)
They loved those, too.

Apples cored, sliced sideways,
and topped with peanut butter,
or nutella,
and sprinkled with granola were also a hit.
So..a few snacks,
a few laughs,
a few games,

and a shot of Tequilla

and those kids had a
GREAT
New Year's Eve....

okay...just kidding about
the Tequilla.

sigh... ?
Maybe one for me?
Somedays I wish I drank!

Enjoy your own
New Year's Eve
and I will see you soon!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

your photo name

Monday, December 22, 2025

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

 It has been a long,

strange year for me.

Hubby went into assisted living

and I am still recovering

from the last few years

of caretaking--

which caused my own health problem.

I am doing a lot better.

I baked and cooked for three days

preparing for a 

Girlfriend Party

for all the decorators/undecorators

that helped with 

Christmas at the Clubhouse.

Just a sneak peak at

a few little things around

my house this year.

My grandgirl, Maria,

made good use of the whiteboard.

Later we used it to play

Pictionary.

Here she is with her 

Christmas apron on

waiting for 

the ladies to arrive~


                           Glasses are ready for some

Christmas cheer~


                       My Spode got a good workout~

I have service for 24~

                     The piano was waiting for carols-

Didn't happen-

                            Furniture moved all around

to accommodate all the ladies~

And a sweet little gift

package for them to take home~


                          I had planned lots of pictures

but for some reason

they are not loading properly

and my wording is all over the place~sigh~

So-

Here's wishing you all a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a NEW YEAR

filled with 

HOPE, HEALTH & HAPPINESS.

Thank you for all the years

you have followed me

and been patient with my lack

of posts.

Love you all~












your photo name

Monday, September 29, 2025

PICK YOUR FAVORITE FALL TABLE RESULTS

PICK YOUR FAVORITE FALL TABLE RESULTS 




FIRST OFF LET ME SAY--

IF I MISSED YOUR NAME FORGIVE ME.

I GOT THE NAMES FROM MY BLOG,

MY FACEBOOK PAGE & MY EMAILS,

SO-IF YOU DON'T SEE YOUR NAME AT A TABLE

LET ME KNOW!

Here we go-please watch out for crazies at your table!


#1-PUMPKIN SOUP~

Denise is here for the serenity (and the booze apparently),

Linda/Life&Linda, Kris-(my neutral lover), Julie,

MA-(she's anxious about who she is sitting with! 

I'm sure she doesn't want to sit with any riff-raff)

Jan/LowCarb, Michele, ColoringOutsideTheLines, 

Linda C, Amalia, Gert, Melanie, Missy, Jeanie, Kim,

Karen, Kathy & Linda


#2-STREAMERS & CHANDELIERS

Debbie (came for the Fall colors-not much color where she lives),

Dawn P, Sheri (says the table says FALL IS HERE), 

Mevely, DebbieDabble, 

Carla, (my Wisconsin neighbor on the other side of WI) & Janie


#3-CANDLES AND CHARGERS

Betsy/Estelle's, Dolly, 

Anonymous-(speak now or forever remain unknown),

Pam (hopes the food is better than just green pumpkins),

Sandi (complaining the table is outside--hmmmpf),

 Patti McD (wants a wingback chair), Gay, Bless,

Ron the Cocktail King- Lauren-(only sitting here because

Ron is here and she likes to drink apparently), 

Rita(bringing bug spray to share but taking pumpkins home with her)

Lady Ella (insists on sitting across from Bless), 

Polly-(Here for the comfort of a chair) & Laurie S


#4-PICNIC PLEASER,

Lori-(Insists on dragging an upholstered chair to the table 

and wants someone to carry it back in for her afterwards)

I don't make this stuff up folks---we just have some of

THOSE PEOPLE (LORI)

Liz, Linda/Georgia, Ann, 

Cindy(liking the simpler things in life) & Marilyn


#5- BURLAP-DO I SEE BURLAP

Pat ( No high decor here-easier to converse),

Ginny, Diane/Lavender Dreams,

Ellen, Sarah (wants a ride home) & Cindy C


#6-GREEN GOBLETS

Pam (sitting here but visiting ALL the tables), Jenn,

Karen C (more room to pass dishes-bet she's bringing a dessert)

Katie Isabella (yep-a cat and her "mom"-both talk A LOT),

Jan, Terri D (old-needs a chair for her back), Donna,

Racheld (wants to have me sit and have others take care of me💕)

A newbie-Margie from Toronto (Yay! Hi!)

and Sweet Sally.


#7- COLOR COLOR COLOR

Cheryl K, Kay (likes the wider seats)

Cecilia (she's all about color-trust me-check for paint under her fingernails)

bobbie-(said she was feeling wild today), Mary Jane,

Jack & Sherry (my travelers) Cindy O &

Sandie/ChattyC.

Jettie- (Looking for handicapped parking but figured she could make it to this table)


Then, of course, we have those that don't like

any of the tables or just don't want to sit with any crazies----

There's my dear old friend, Shirley,

Happy Whisk says Hi,

Shari-will sit wherever I am sitting,

Tete & Mad Snapper

and my friend, Tom, who will take his sandwich elsewhere!


THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR PLAYING ALONG!

I hope to be back with another one soon.

Bear with me...learning a new program for

collages & flyers and it took me a bit to 

get the collage done for this post.

Getting old is for the birds....or whatever....

your photo name

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

I'M BACK WITH ~ PICK YOUR FAVORITE FALL TABLE

 

 I'm back!

Yes! Indeedy!

It was a short summer 

in so many ways.

I am not making promises about

how often I will be here

so bear with me.


You all seemed to like
the posts where you pick your favorites.
Or...if you didn't like it 
you kept your mouth shut....
your thoughts to yourself
so now
you are stuck with me doing another
PICK YOUR FAVORITE
You can click on any image for the source~
(if I have it)

Ready?
Okay- Here we go!

#1-PUMPKIN SOUP

A harvest table set on a  patio
with an arbor to the side..
Beautiful in whites and neutrals.

#2 STREAMERS AND A CHANDELIER

This one is a bit more rustic with
much more color and 
is under a gazebo.
.

#3 CANDLES AND CHARGERS

How about this tablecloth covered table
in a field of green?
Don't you love those wood chargers?

#4 PICNIC PLEASER

This one is even simpler with a 
painted picnic table and white tableware
and a colorful runner to anchor the food..

#5 BURLAP! DO I SEE BURLAP?

This one sports a heavily ruffled  burlap runner,
candles and bronze colored chargers.

#6 GREEN GOBLETS

A study in greens-green goblets
 paired with yellow plates

#7 COLOR-COLOR-COLOR

Last but not least-
A FUN one-It reminds me of an opened
Crayola box.
So, there you go-
Place your vote for #1 thru #7
and I will tally up the results.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE~
If you are posting as anonymous because of some blogger glitch, PLEASE, leave at least a first name at the end of your vote so I know who you are.  Thanks so much!

I will fill you in on other things
I have going on in my life
in future posts.

It's a crazy life but someone has to live it!

I have missed you guys!!!! 

your photo name