Sinking to a new low

When I have super-busy weeks with work, family, and volunteering, this is what dinner sometimes sinks to:

That's fresh potatoes that will be mashed with the potato nuggets in the can to make a hybrid fresh/packaged pot of mashed potatoes.  The mashed potatoes are the side for the gravy with sliced turkey (truth in packaging).  That's it.  My family felt lucky that there were fresh potatoes!

I'm really disappointed!

My friend invited me to sing in an women's choir loosely associated with her children's school.  I've been longing to sing in a good community choir again after my excellent experience singing in the Gallup Community Choir for four years.

[This isn't actually my choir but I couldn't exactly take my camera along on a first visit now, could I?]

Everything was great until the conductor mentioned, kind of in passing, that it was, "Eighty bucks for ten rehearsals."  UGH.  I had asked my friend if it was a for-profit choir and she said she didn't think so.  Unfortunately, no one had told her it IS a for-profit choir.

My view is that if I'm going to volunteer to sing, I want the conductor and pianist to volunteer as well.  I don't want to have to pay to volunteer, even though I enjoy singing.  I don't mind buying my own music or making a donation to give the conductor and pianist a gift on performance night, but I don't want to pay an up-front fee.

So, even though I enjoyed singing tonight, I'm not going to continue with the choir.  I hope my friend does though, so I'll have an excuse to attend the concert at Christmas time.

What's wrong with this picture??

This picture was taken at Walmart about two weeks ago.

This is NUTS!!!

A few more details of our new fridge

When we got the fridge home and Carolyn moved all the food over, we realized it was even a little bigger than our old one.  The main thing is that we can put nine gallons of milk in it instead of only six.  Six is what we could get into our old one and that was my main size requirement.  I was delighted when I realized the depth of the new fridge was such that I could get them in three deep.  With our big milk-drinking family, I sometimes want to put nine gallons in.  If not, that allows for six or seven plus a pitcher or two.

The shelves aren't as adjustable as the old ones were, but really, once you set them, how often do you actually move them around anyway?  So it's okay.

Here is our interesting ice maker/storage container:

Well, I guess it's just the storage bin.  The ice maker is in the door above it, not on the top shelf of the freezer.  Here are the two problems:  1) it's small 2) it hasn't started filling yet.  The manual says it can take up to twenty-four hours to start working and three days until it's going at full tilt.  I have no idea why it would take that long, but that's what the manual says.  If there is still nothing tomorrow, I'll call Sears and see what they suggest.

Meal Plan Sunday

Monday:  Skillet lasagne, green beans [this turned out to be very good]

Tuesday:  Quesadilla Casserole (recipe is on the package of McCormick spices)

Wednesday:  Ham and cheese rolls
Breakfast: Harvest bread

Thursday:  Pancakes

Friday:  Pizza

Saturday:  Someone's birthday
Birthday cake:  German Chocolate Crazy Cake
German Chocolate Cake http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/german-chocolate-cake/17f6f6d1-2a74-4626-a51a-dd1cd5fc22fd

Here's the promised new major appliance

The old fridge was on life support after 13 good years, so we got a new one today.  I can't say it's an EXCITING! EVENT! because we bought pretty much the same thing we've had all along.   Big, white, side-by-side, with ice and water through the door.

We went to the Sears scratch-n-dent outlet here in town and in 15 minutes found the one we wanted, dh got on the phone and called a friend with a pickup truck to haul it home for us, paid for it with a credit card I got for a project I worked on + birthday money from my mom, and I was on my way home while dh waited for our friend.

And here is the frosting on the cake: my dear niece moved everything over from the old to the new.  How's that for true love?

A kind-of-cheating birthday gift for a child

Caroline and Elizabeth were invited to a friend's birthday party today.  Yesterday I talked to the mother to see what he might like and we settled on a gift card.  That made my life really easy!

It was a 2 hour party (brave mother!) and the kids had pizza played games, and made tie-dye T-shirts.  Pictures of those to follow.

Great party and I am sooo stealing some of the ideas!

Birthday lunch with my friends

September is birthday month for me!  Two of my friends and I have the pleasure of going out for lunch to celebrate.  I think this is our third year.  Or maybe our second.  I don't know, but I do know I look forward to it.

 

We went to Paradise Bakery which is a delicious regional soup/salad/sandwich place.  My lunch was cheddar-broccoli soup and a mediterranean veggie sandwich.  Oh, they also throw in a roll, butter, and a chocolate chunk cookie with their "You Pick 2" lunch.

Lisa had a meat sandwich and a tomato-basil soup that she said was delicious.

Amber had the same soup I had (and said it was very good) and a panini.

We chatted and chatted (mostly me--I was excited to tell about the interesting things going on in my life--thanks, gals, I owe you!) and the time flew by way too fast.  Their birthdays are in the spring and we'll be doing it again . . . .

Getting ready for October

Every year I fill two large, decorative jars with candy corn and mallow pumpkins.  I tell the kids not to eat them but they always do.

Here's this year's start--six bags.  I.love.this.candy.  But I can't eat it anymore.  Much, anyway.

Korean Snacks

I came across a website that lists ten favorite Korean snacks.  Among Koreans, that is.  Here is my least favorite:

Another typically Korean flavor, ojingeo (오징어) and ttangkong (땅콩) literally mean squid and peanuts. Real dried roasted squid with roasted peanuts is a favorite anju (안주, food that accompanies alcoholic drinks) pairing, so someone came up with the brilliant idea of putting these two flavors together in a snack. Like its name, the snack has a strong sea-like salty taste outside with a peanut in the center.

The snack also has traces of being “roasted” on its exterior, making it interesting trying to find smiley (or frowny) faces. As expected, it is a favorite with beer lovers.

The snack has its own fun site: http://www.ottangworld.com
 

Katie here:  I don't like fish AT ALL.  I can't imagine eating a squid-flavored-covered peanut.

Here are a couple of my favorite Korean snacks:

Do you have a Korean friend? Do you have a Korean guy friend? Do you have a Korean guy friend who has completed his mandatory military service? If you do, you most certainly have heard a story about Chocopie (쵸코파이). Chocopie is a chocolate covered spongecake-like snack with a marshmallow center, and it’s the soldiers’ main obsession (besides K-pop girl groups) during their service.

Military service is really hard, as any guy will tell you. Deprived of civilian joys such as freely pigging out on sugary goods, this sweet snack is somehow like a prize to them, probably symbolizing a “normal” life. They all have tearful, heart wrenching Chocopie stories to tell, whether their own or a fellow soldier’s, so try asking if you haven’t heard any already.

Chocopie is also popular as an alternative birthday cake; for students without a lot of pocket money, one will suffice, for those who want something different, a pyramid stack of Chocopie is used.

Chocopie’s website : http://www.chocopie.co.kr/

 Chocolate, in my opinion, is always a homerun. How could it not be? So when you pack chocolate in a ball of fluffy pastry? It becomes a Homerunball. Designed after a cream puff, it’s as creamy and light as the original and just darn addictive. There is a plain cream version as well, but I always go for the chocolate.
 

Katie here again:  there are other great Korean snacks on the page, but these two piqued my curiosity.  I wonder if I could find either of the sweet snacks at an import grocery store or if I'd have to make a return trip to Korea to get them?

Hmmm . . . thinking . . . thinking . . . .