Merry Christmas to everyone!!
May you be comforted with many blessings, big and small, in the coming year.
God bless y’all!!
The Night Before
It’s Christmas Eve, and we at Casa de Aggie will be cooking and baking and watching Christmas movies and praying for our families and our friends.
Merry Christmas to all, and may you rejoice in the Season, and blessings shower you in the coming year.
Wishing you love and happiness,
Aggie
The Best Surprises
Yesterday, UPS came by and delivered a few packages. Weirdly, not at the same time, which made for very happy dogs, and not-so-happy UPS guys. But that’s neither here nor there, because I GOT A PACKAGE FROM MY FRIEND NICOLE!!!
Click to embiggenify the culinary goodness! My tummy was quite happy last night, and this morning. The biscotti are sooooo good with morning coffee. The kids descended on this bounty like a pack of starving wolves. I was glad to share, but I had to put my foot down hard with the fudge and truffles. Those are for Momma only!!
‘Tis the Season
It’s that time of year again. The time when someone in your home will get sick, be it a cold or the flu. In this case, the someone is me. I have been fighting a cold for a while now, and in retrospect, I should have let it take its course so I wouldn’t be sick on Christmas Day. But I never claimed my hindsight was 20/20, so I have that going for me.
Today I have last minute shopping to do. That should tell you just how sick I am, because normally nothing would make me go to the mall this week. The way I see it, I got sick from someone while shopping, so I’m just paying it forward. I can be very charitable that way. All kidding aside (or mostly kidding), after shopping I shall be enjoying a hot toddy, featured today at H&B.
Then after that, I shall be imbibing (there really is no other word for it) Nyquil™. There is nothing quite like the nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so you can rest medicine. Hopefully that will help me have a nice Christmas.
My future posts may be quite garbled, but that’s a small price to pay for comfort 😉
Ice Cream to Eskimos
I worked retail for a long time. Weirdly, I totally enjoyed it, even on bad days when customers would complain about store policies, or when someone tried to shoplift, or even when a complaint was filed against me for being “too friendly”. No, I’m not kidding. Apparently, the customer felt “threatened” and complained that I was shadowing her as if she were a thief. Things like that seldom happened, though. After years of being out of the workforce, I found I still have the gift.
I was shopping at Target™ last week, looking to see if I could find a gift for Son. I am woefully illiterate on videogames, but I can figure out which ones he owns by the cover graphics. I was perusing the whole Assassin’s Creed to the Brotherhood of Infinity Times Chuck Norris, when I noticed a gentleman looking at the e-readers. Now, I’m not an expert, but I have been wanting one for a while, and have been reading up on them so I can FINALLY, ONE DAY come to a decision.
Anyway, he was muttering to himself, indecisive over which to get for his wife’s Christmas present. And being the nosy busybody that I am, I asked him what she uses her computer for. He went on to say what she liked facebook, and watching movies, and TV shows, and reading, etc. So I explained that either the Nook Tablet or the Kindle Fire were his best options, and the pros and cons of each. He thanked me and asked the employee, who had been hovering over us that he would like to take the Nook Tablet, and I skilfully told him to add a cover for it, and an SD card. After the sale, when I walked up to the register with my purchases, the young man thanked me for my help, explaining that the gentleman had been coming in every day for a week, trying to decide, and that he had never seen someone sell like that before. I joked with him hoping he learned something, and walked away smiling.
Until I recalled that I still didn’t have a Nook Tablet or a Kindle Fire.
Apparently, I can sell ice cream to Eskimos, but not to myself 😉
Two Simple Questions
Would you rather have $20 million dollars, or live an extra 20 years?
And, why?
Om Nom Nom….
I am trying to get into the habit of cooking on Sunday evenings. I know that sounds weird, but with finicky kids, I got into the habit of cold dinners or just hot dogs on Sundays. I’ve gotten in the habit of stews and casseroles, and so far they have been met with success, at least by Eldest and any guests I may have over.
I did say my kids are finicky.
Anyway, I happened to be over at Laura’s Sunday morning, and found a new post, which is unreal because she seldom posts on the weekends. She claims to have a life, but I think she is just stalking goats, or George Clooney. Anyway, she posted a recipe that I just had to try. Why? Because tater tots, cheese, sour cream and chicken, that’s why!
Here is Laura’s recipe, slightly modified from the one she posted:
Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
2 lb. bag of tater tots, thawed
1/2 cup chopped finely onion
16 oz. sour cream
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups French fried onions
1/2 cup melted butter (NOT margarine)
1/4 tsp. salt and pepper
10-12 chicken tenders (or 4-5 boneless-skinless chicken breasts), cubed
Place tater tots in large bowl, and break them up well. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the French fried onions. Scoop half of the mixture into a 9×13 (23x33cm for my foreign readers) baking dish or pan, distributing it evenly. Place the cubed chicken on top, followed by the rest of the mixture. Top with the French fried onions, and bake at 350* F (about 180* C for my foreign readers) for about an hour (about 60 minutes for my foreign readers…).
The casserole was a hit. My hips cringed a bit, but whatever. If I end up needing angioplasty, it will be worth it! 😉
Because It’s So Much Fun to Wait Until the Last Minute
I have a lot to do today. It’s Sunday before Christmas, and though I am almost done with wrapping, I have given up all hope of even going to the post office to mail stuff out. I reconcile myself with the thought that the recipients will be so thrilled to get presents after Christmas so that they can celebrate it again. It’s a weak excuse, but it helps to salve my conscience.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m usually done shopping for Christmas the February before. It’s the boxing up, and addressing, and actually dealing with the post office that’s a big sciatic pain. And having had several bad experiences with damaged items, I am loathe to go. But I will go, once the rush is over.
For now, I have to gather the kidlets and take them to the deserted mall. Afterwards I’ll take myself to the wine cabinet 😉
Sporty Day!
I’m getting quite jazzed about today. Our local High School team is up in Dallas playing for the state championship for the second year in a row! The game will be televised, and I will be looking in the crowd for familiar faces while cheering for our team to crush the opposition into dust while finishing the wrapping of Christmas presents.
Also, the college bowls begin today with the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, featuring Temple versus Wyoming. My money (in truth, just my windbaggery, since I don’t gamble) is on Wyoming. As much as I love owls, they never stand a chance against cowboys. Look, I don’t make the picks based on statistics. I make them based on the colors and names, ok?? It has worked so far!!
There are some games I am not interested in watching due to the teams involved (*cough* Holiday Bowl *cough*), and some that are just so hyped because they are part of the BCS system. But overall, these three weeks will be filled with really good football, unencumbered by politics or grandstanding. Looking at the fiasco that has become the NBA, that’s a Good Thing™!
Friday Funny
I have too much to do today, so I shall leave y’all with a funny:
Thanks to my friend Deb. Y’all have a great day!
Sithy Things 