On a Sadder Note....

I think Freddie is depressed. He spent most of yesterday doing this...



Doesn't he look depressed to you?

It's hard enough on him waiting for his new sister to come, but then his Dad (who has play time with him everynight) has been working 6-7 days a week until almost 8 p.m. everynight and is tired. So, this of course has gotten Freddie down. Sometimes it's hard being a stay at home Mom. Being the one to nag at him all day with the "rules". You know the usual "pee ouside, not in here", "no biting", "quit licking your weanie".... blah! blah! blah! Moms do it out of sheer love. So, when Freddie sits and pines over his Dad, I'm not going to lie, it tears me apart a little inside. Just a minute while I get a tissue.....but that's okay, 'cause I know deep down.....HE REALLY DOES LOVE ME MORE!!! Ha! Ha! That's right Stevie, deal with it!

Microwave Chips...Really!

I was on the internet last night trying to find a recipe that might copycat Hostess Hickory Sticks, 'cause I love them, and instead came across this recipe for microwave chips. Since I love my "chippies" too, I set out to make them for our snack last night. I never ever would have thought that chips out of the microwave would be crispy let alone taste so freakin' great! The added bonus.....they are way healthier than bought chips or deep fried! You have to do it in batches, but who the heck cares. Did I mention how great they are? I love it when you find a recipe where you still get the feeling your eating "junk food", but your not! So, without further ado here is the "complicated" recipe.

Potatoes
Cooking spray

Whew! Need to give my fingers a break after typing that ingredient list.

Slice potatoes thin. I used russet potatoes and sliced them on a mandolin. Place slices in bowl of cold water and let sit for at least ten minutes.



Dry in batches on paper towels.



Fold a piece of parchment paper in half and lightly spray with cooking oil. Place slices on one half and fold over.



Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes. This will vary depending on your microwave and how thick your slices are. As soon as you see them start to brown, take them out. Put on a plate and sprinkle with some sea salt or whatever you like for that matter.



Then crunch away and I do mean crunch! It still just amazes me how crispy they come out! It's crazy, I tell ya....just crazy!! It's going to take me awhile to get over this one.

SunButter

My new best friend.

I got some SunButter to try since my granddaughter has a peanut allergy(check out my daughters blog at yeewittlethings.blogspot.com )and we no longer keep any peanut products in our house. So yesterday I tried making some "SunButter Cups" instead of peanut butter cups. I didn't know what to expect when I first tried the SunButter, but holy cow! It smells like peanut butter, looks like peanut butter and even tastes like peanut butter with a hint of roasted sunflower seeds. This stuff is amazing! How wonderful for people with peanut allergies! It was great on toast and very easy to use in the SunButter cups I made which turned out FANTASTIC! I just love it when I find a great product like this. I don't know why it isn't eaten by more people even if you don't have a peanut allergy and especially if you love sunflower seeds like me! You can check out the SunButter site at sunbutter.com
Lots of information there including where to purchase and recipes like this one.


I kinda tweeked the recipe from the Sunbutter website a bit. Here's what I used and next time I will cut the amount of filling in half as I made twelve "Sun Cups" in large muffin liners and still have half of the filling left. I would have made more but I ran out of chocolate.

12 Large paper muffin liners
8 oz. Bakers semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup of sunbutter, well stirred
1 cup sifted icing sugar

Chop chocolate and melt in double boiler, shut off and leave over steam, this will keep it warm. Put a teaspoon of chocolate in the bottom of each paper liner spreading up sides a little.


Put in fridge to harden. About ten minutes. Meanwhile, mix SunButter and icing sugar.

I did this in my Kitchen Aid bowl with the paddle attatchment. Mixture will be stiff. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl and warm in microwave to soften.Put a teaspoon of this mixture on top of the chocolate and put back in the fridge for an hour to set up a bit.

Remove and spoon another teaspoon of chocolate over top of each. Remember, your chocolate should still be melted as it is over the warm water. Put back in the fridge to set another 5-10 minutes and enjoy!


It's a wonderful thing!

And it all came about because of this little sweetie!

My New Acer Aspire 4820TG!!

Yep, that's it! My new Acer Notebook. And who's that little guy on my background? You know I can't do anything without Freddie! I know it has only been two days since I got it, but I think it is safe to say I'm in love! Stevie got it for my big 5-0 coming up. I don't know, maybe he thinks I'm getting to old to toddle on off to the computer room anymore or toddle back out of it. Whatever, I'm in there like a tick on a dog. (and I don't just make reference to that because of ole Freddie Spaghetti either) Okay, maybe I do. Anywho, I also got a new wireless mouse.



Come on, that's pretty nice!! All red and shiny. Right now I don't know what I love more.....my Acer Notebook or my Microsoft wireless mouse. All I had to do with that mouse was insert the battery and plug the little chippy thing into the side of my laptop and voila! It was that easy!! Freddie is bored with the whole thing 'cause it doesn't have to do with him. Little does he know that this will make all of his (and soon to be Gloria's)pictures available for the "puparazzi" to post and write about ANYWHERE! Ha!Ha! So to make him feel special I put both of his dog tags back on him this morning. At first he just kept trying to get his mouth on them to pull them off, yet again. Then after a lot of rolling around and useless effort, he decided that if he just tiptoes around they won't jingle so much! It's pretty hilarious!!
Well, he's had enough and gone to the couch.



Goodnight Mr. Bo Jingles!!


......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Got It!

Another Snow Storm

Woke up this morning to a couple of things. Another snow storm and Fred ripping apart a kleenex alternately with a tea bag. Who knew that a little tea bag held so much! It is so cold and blustery that even Freddie wanted to come home half way through his walk this morning. All I could say was HALLA FREAKIN' LOOYAH!! My face was frozen and as we were coming up the driveway I noticed that even Stevie's snowman (remember his new purchase at Christmas)even had enough of this cold winter and was waving "bye, bye now" to the snow. I don't know how to break it to Mr. Snowman, but it didn't work!

At least Freddie seems pooped now and happy just to find a sunny spot under the coffee table to warm up in.



Everything was hunky dory until I got out my camera.

Then Fred started to get a little antsy with me following him around.
At first he tried to just walk away.


and I'm pretty sure he mumbled, "f****n' paparazzi, I can't go anywhere!"

Then he tried to lay down and ignore me.


(if I can't see her she can't see me)

Then, as you can see here, he was getting a little "riled".



And then BAM!!!



Thats right, he attacked the camera woman!

Hey, all I can say is if your gonna strut around with all that cuteness, then your gonna have to deal with your fans. After all if it wasn't for your fans Freddie, you wouldn't be where you are today!

After that, he thought "screw it". "I guess I'll just go watch the water fill up in the tub and nonchalantly slime the edge of it. (hee hee, that'll fix her!)"



I think this is a calming ritual for Freddie.

The moral of this story is....don't bite the hand that feeds ya! (or takes your picture over and over and over again!)
Love ya Freddie!
Love you to Momma (*&%@*&#)

Quiet Day

Well, yesterday was just another quiet day around the house with Fred. Well, don't take my word for it, here's a little clip of the "quiet times" with a lazy ole basset hound! You'll have to click on the link to a youtube video 'cause for whatever reason I don't seem to be able to upload my video here. It may seem like a short blog, but believe me it's taken me quite awhile. (all the fiddling with the video...aaarggg!!) So, I finally just put it on youtube. What the heck, everyone else does, right? Oh well, end result is the same, a glimpse into life with FRED.
youtube.com/watch?v=qH6DlgEM9RQ

Any Given Sunday........

.....you can usually see the Seahawks lose. Which they did today. I could go on about it, but why add salt to the wound. At least they are out of the running now so Steve can just relax and watch his football in peace! Well, as long as Fred isn't biting at his feet or something.

When I needed a break from seeing Stevies team get clobbered today(let's just hope that John Carlson and Marcus Trufant are okay after being carted off the field with head injuries)I just went outside to watch Freddie play in the snow or demolish some of my bushes, whichever. So of course I snapped about 30 or so pictures. Yes, still trying to get that perfect one!

So here is Freddie Spaghetti in the snow.



......and eating a branch off of my Lilac bush



......and snickering at me after I slipped in the snow



......and having a time out for snickering at me



Actually it was for gnawing on my leg.

Another month and a half Freddie and snippidy-doo-da-day!

Lots to write about; first up......... The Seahawks!

Well, I've got to hand it to Steves' Seahawks. Not only did they come into the playoffs with a 7-9 losing record. (first division winner with a losing record) They managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history beating the defending Super Bowl champs the New Orleans Saints 41-36! What a game it was! Matt Hasselbeck played a great game throwing for four touchdown passes as did Brandon Stokely with 73 yds. and 1 touchdown. But the real star......MARSHAWN LYNCH! He finished with 131 yards on 19 carries and it was his 67 yard td run that left 8 Saints, who got a hand on him, in his wake taking the Seahawks to their 41-30 lead which would ultimately cost the Saints the game.



Congratulations Steve! The Seahawks live to see another day! Goooooooo Seahawks!!

Guarder of the Toblerone

This is the top of Steves' dresser.
That..... was his Toblerone.



Come on Steve! Did you really think the Bumble was going to protect your Toblerone from the housewife?

Waiting for Gloria

Dogs don't have any real concept of time. So when we told Fred that Gloria was coming to live with him in April. I really don't think he got the fact that April is 3 months away. So, this is what he does. He waits.......



......and waits
"the chair might be a little more comfortable spot to wait".


"I don't know where she's coming from . But it's taking an awfully long time."
"I'd better lie down and wait."



and then......this happens



Don't worry Fred, we'll wake you when she comes!

Mud in the Winter!

Yep. That's a muddy footprint alright! Jeez, whos do you think it is?.......just one of many that ole Freddie Spaghetti left on the kitchen floor and living room rug before I knew what was happening and grabbed him! So, after cleaning Fred up I had to wash my floor and shampoo the rug. I don't know how you like to start your morning, but that is NOT how I like to start mine. I usually like to have a coffee and ease into the morning with Mister Mischief! Only my Freddie would be able to dig a huge hole in the yard in the middle of winter, in frozen ground covered in snow and come out of it covered in mud!! So, I've decided to put a positive spin on events, and credit Fred for being my new exercise routine and giving me the added motivation for housecleaning!

Never Forgotten

Barney is always in our hearts. Gone but not forgotten, his urn sits by the end of the couch where he used to lay. He is the reason Fred is here and Gloria soon will be. He is why I love all things Bassets!