The NUTCRACKER, Dance of the Mirlitons

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It's that time of year and although it is not a Christmas song, it was played around that time period.  One of many pieces from  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's score from the opera ballad, The Nutcracker, here is my take on Dance of the Mirlitons.












FOOD PORN: 'SWEET, CHOCOLATE CHIP-OVERLOAD' CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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Ok. So Today, make that yesterday, I was busy in the kitchen whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies - something I do often since I'm always trying to find the perfect recipe for one or at the very least, trying to perfect the one I always use.  I'm not talking 'healthy' chocolate chip cookie recipes, (I'll experiment and work on that later).  I'm talking about the good old home-made chocolate chip cookies that mom used to make.

Although, I've made them so many times in different ways, I don't really think you can make a 'bad' batch of chocolate chip cookies.  I've added ground oatmeal to them - which gives them a nice, nutty texture and flavour, but my guys didn't fancy them as much. I've omitted the milk chocolate chips and only used semi-sweet - they said they were not chocolately and sweet enough.  I've used less baking soda but they don't like them too flat.  I've added nuts to them - whether it be almonds, macadamias or pecans - but they are not nut freaks, at least not when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.

So, in the end, what they really wanted was some THICK and CHEWY, SWEET AND SOFT ON THE INSIDE-CRISPY-ON-THE-OUTSIDE, CHOCOLATEY, NUT-LESS, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! Whoa!  Talk about PICKY!! It was hard trying to pull off that tall of an order... but I think I did.

No more of those popular, flat, dried-up-looking cookies, (see the end of this post), that I usually buy for them when I don't have time to bake.

After seeing all these pictures, you'll either be sick and tired of seeing another chocolate chip cookie photo, be craving some right now... or they will just simply satisfy that chocolate chip cookie urge you've been having lately! Food porn - here we go!!

There were a few things that helped to make the middle of these chocolate chip cookies softer on the inside; the melting of the butter and the elimination of an egg white. They were also a bit thicker than most chocolate chip cookies because I used more baking soda - 1/2 tsp more, than is required. They were LOADED, and I mean LOADED with chocolate chips.  There was more chocolate chip than cookie!  All this can be altered to suit your liking.  I only made it the way these guys wanted it. The recipe is at the end.

By the way, if you have a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe or know of any tips or tricks - then please share it ;)



With these chocolate chip cookies, you were guaranteed at least 3-4... probably more, chocolate chips with EVERY bite, lol...  but that was the idea!



YOU KNOW WINTER IS COMING WHEN...

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I keep hearing and reading it will be a harsh winter this year.  I can only hope they are wrong. However, according to that old winter folklore further below, I'm afraid they could be right.



YOU KNOW WINTER IS COMING WHEN...

... all the leaves are almost gone.








... squirrels are busy collecting insulation from your patio furniture.





A Winter Folklore

If ant hills are high in July,

Winter will be snowy.
If the first week in August is unusually warm,

the coming Winter will be snowy and long.
For every fog in August,

There will be a snowfall in Winter.
If a cold August follows a hot July,

It foretells a Winter hard and dry.
When leaves fall early,

Fall and Winter will be mild;
When leaves fall late,
Winter will be severe.

Squirrels gathering nuts in a flurry,

Will cause snow to gather in a hurry.
Much rain in October,

Much wind in December.
A warm October,

A cold February.
Full Moon in October without frost,

No frost ’till November’s Full Moon.
Flowers bloomin’ in late Autumn,

A sure sign of a bad Winter comin’.
A warm November is the sign of a bad Winter.
As high as the weeds grow,

So will the bank of snow.
Thunder in the Fall foretells a cold Winter.
Onion skins very thin,

Mild Winter coming in;
Onion skins thick and tough,
Coming Winter cold and rough.

A green Christmas; a white Easter.
If there’s thunder during Christmas week,

The Winter will be anything but meek.



A tough Winter is ahead if:

corn husks are thick and tight…
apple skins are tough…
birds migrate early…
squirrels tails are very bushy…
berries and nuts are plentiful…
bees build their nests high in the trees.




MY TOP 6 ALL-TIME FAVOURITE ROB FORD MOMENTS....

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#6. GETTING DOWN AND JIGGY WITH IT...






#5. THE INVISIBLE TACKLE







#4. UP CLOSE AND IN YOUR FACE







#3. KNOCKING OVER COUNCILLOR





#3. ACTING LIKE AN ASS... 








#2.  HAVE I TRIED IT? NO. UHM, PROBABLY IN ONE OF MY DRUNKEN STUPORS...








#1. OH FORGET IT! I GIVE UP!






CHEEKY SQUIRREL GOES 'TO TOWN' ON MY LAWN CHAIR AND STUFFS HIS MOUTH 'LIKE A BOSS!'

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Omg.  I can't believe the tenacity of these squirrels. It took this one squirrel, not one, not two, not even 3 or 4 attempts before finally giving up on stuffing it's mouth with batting/wadding from the chair.

I did a video not too long ago of one attacking my lawn chair, which, by the way, is now rendered absolutely useless after this squirrel in my latest video went at it, but after scaring the previous one away, it did not come back for a few weeks.  Then all of a sudden, it started again, but this time this one was on a mission...















OFFICE LYRICS: MILEY'S 'WRECKING BALL'

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In the office, the radio is always turned down low. There is no control over this. There is also no control over what we'd like to hear.  Some songs are repeated over and over and over and over again - til they drive you insane!

Every so often I hear a song that I thought I was singing the correct lyrics to, until I find out otherwise.

These I will call my "Office Lyrics"...








PERFUME VS. BEER

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Lol. So the other day, my husband bought me a Jean Paul Gaultier perfume to add to my many collections of perfume.  I started collecting them about five years ago - when he bought me my first bottle from Dolce & Gabbana.  Up until then, I was wearing the 'cheaper' stuff, because that's all I could afford. Now I collect perfumes like women collect purses, bags, shoes etc., but only if HE buys them, lol.

I have to admit, I was not too impress with the fragrance. As a matter of fact, I was more impress with the bottle!  I was staring at it and staring at it. Turning it around and around.  Lol.  I've never heard of this perfume before, (or any other perfume until he hands them to me), so I was so surprise, first of all, that it came in a can and doubly surprised when I saw what was IN the can.  I had to take pictures...




HALLOWEEN: Lol, Exorcist Visits Retirement Home (MY VIDEOS)

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A visit to a favourite retirement home was in order and it just happened to be on Halloween day! Boy was I glad that I did!  I managed to capture the 'exorcist' (who was there visting her mom, who was also dressed up for Halloween), in action, coming down the hallway, lol. (See my video at the end). A lot of the residents and staff were in costumes, but, of course, I could only share with you, the pictures of the ones that would allow me to do so.

Everyone looked great in their costumes but the one I found most fascinating was the 'exorcist' aka 'Lisa'. Lisa explained to me that this costume took her over 4 hours to do!  I thought she did an excellent job.  She looked so scary that some people wouldn't even look at her!  I saved hers for the last.


MY YOUTUBE FINDS: Over enthusiastic guy shows his salesmanship in selling rubber gloves

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Lol.  Over enthusiastic is putting it mildy when it comes to describing this sales guy.  And these are some heavy duty gloves - waaaay more durable than the ones we use at work that sometimes get ripped.

I wonder where I could purchase a box of these, lol.

I would think we should be able to get them here. If it was made in China....