SHHH don't tell

we are invited to a pot luck din-din tonight with the T-Day L.O.'s. BLAAAAAAAAAAH! We had turkey sandwiches at luncheon and we just can't bare any more turkey - so we are arriving LATE - probably around dessert. Can't stomach the turkey for another meal! I am bringing my pumpkin pie which we didn't eat last night. I don't even know if I want a slice - although I do love a good pumpkin pie.

Right now I have a meat sauce going on the stove - and we'll have a salad and then go to the friends! I hope this doesn't make me a bad person ...

Just back from seeing the movie BLIND SIDE. Was a really great movie - Gary liked it too! WOOT WOOT! It's rare to see a good movie these days.

Happy Day AFTER T-Day! Now onto XMAS! Bring on the lights and decorations - OH IT'S MY FAVORITE PART OF THE HOLIDAY! I also am a GREAT judge of the XMAS trees - hope I get invited in to see many this season.

Oh and 1 more thing - PLEASE SELL ALOT OF TIES TOO! I'm just saying!

Best,
Jane M

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

TO YOU AND YOURS!

Here is a picture of my bird on the GRILL this year! Hope it comes out tasty!

I'll write more later!
It's now later - this was the BEST BIRD I EVER ROASTED! It was GREAT! I highly recommend this method of roasting a turkey lurkey!

I baked that pumpkin pie, but we are too stuffed! Too full! Hopefully we'll get an invite MAYBE tomorrow and I'll bring the pie.

Hope your holiday was wonderful as well. I think I ate my 3,000 calorie din-din yes indeedy I did!

Best,
Jane M

Dog Treats

Who do you think these treats are marketed to? That is a rhetorical question - but we love our DOG! OH YES WE DO. I think you are probably sick of hearing me go on and on about our dog - but he's a big part of our family. Especially with the kids away at college.

Anyway, back to these new treats. Gordie is not 1 for NEW things. I gave Gordie the bacon strip. He took the treat and left it on the floor. Next up the egg. Well Gordie tasted the egg, glommed down the bacon and then proceeded to hurl himself into the kitchen cabinet for MORE MORE MORE!

We're getting company later so I must get my work done so that I can prepare the meal.

Happy Friday - buy our ties!

Best,
Jane M

A Quick Post

Gary and I are having company for dinner tomorrow night and I baked up this cheesecake with a CRANBERRY couli sauce on the side so it can chill overnight. Now I have to decide what to cook up for the dinner - oh and of course there are the drinks and nibbles.

Here are some photos of the dessert.

More pictures to follow after I decide WHAT I'm making -- WOOT WOOT!

Best,
Jane M

I HAVE STRAIGHT HAIRS!

Yes I do! I can be sold ANYTHING if you,

A) Advertise to ME in a hip and pretty cool packaging
B) Give me a cute slogan

This product does BOTH for me! And I NEED TO HAVE STRAIGHT SMOOTH HAIR! That I do.

So if you too want STRAIGHT SEXY hair, buy this product - TODAY! If you want to see my STRAIGHT SEXY HAIR come to the MR show at the Javits in January or to the Chicago Collective in February! You can BUY our gorgeous new Spring 2010 neckwear line, get a package of yummy Double Chocolate Walnut biscotti, and you can see my STRAIGHT HAIRS!

Good Selling to you ALL!

Jane M

Did you know

THAT BIRDS HIDE IN THESE TYPES OF HANGING PLANTS? I DID NOT KNOW THIS - NOPE I DID NOT.

I decided that enough was enough, that I must bring inside my hanging plant for the winter. I try and hold off as long as possible - plants indoors are a big mess. Between the water, the drying leaves, just the mess of it all.

Gary and I were going out for dinner with friends and I was on the front porch waiting for our ride. I looked over at my hanging plant and thought NOW IS THE TIME TO BRING IT INSIDE. I get the heavy pot off the loop, open the front door inside we go and OUT FLIES A BIRD! OH GROSS! OH GROSS! I hate flying things. You all must remember the FLYING bat story - well now we have a FLYING BIRD STORY! Gary was just inside the door and the bird buzzed right over his head. He screamed, I screamed and immediately ran out of the house. I DO NOT LIKE BIRDS - SORRY ALL YOU BIRD LOVERS - THEY CAN FLY I CANNOT.

I stood outside screaming like a lunatic - that I did! I'm not proud of my behavior what-so-ever. I felt guilty leaving Gary inside, so I came inside to see Gary looking in our living room at the bird who was perched on our curtain rod. Gary was holding a tennis racket. Me, I had my hood on and was TRYING not scream. All at once the bird took off and so did I once again! Gary was yelling at me through the closed front door that I was behaving like a sissie. I DON'T CARE - NOPE - I'M A BIG BABY AND I'M ADMITTING IT.

Gary waited patiently for the bird to leave his post once again, and when he flew by Gary's head, he gave his best forehand shot I've ever seen, and the bird died dead on the dining room floor. Gary DID NOT MEAN TO KILL THE BIRD IT WAS AN ACCIDENT - PURE AND SIMPLE - I think he was so crazed by my screaming behavior that he had this pent up energy. I was still outside when Gary came out with the dustpan and featherless bird who is now at our next door neighbors house! Me, I'm still outside and I hear my vacuum cleaner going - apparently a good forehand shot makes birds feathers fly out as well. ICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCK!

I sheepishly come inside in all the aftermath and had a look around the house. I found some bird plop ON MY FURNITURE - am grossed out now cleaning up. Afterwards, I went and took that hanging spider plant and threw it in the giant pile of leaves out front so the town can it take away. No more hanging plants for me - nope - NEVER AGAIN! Well never is a long time - but I have a very good memory. Just ask my family!

That's my story!

Best,
Jane M

PS The next morning my hanging plant is no longer in the giant leaf pile out front - wonder who now is in ownership of the bird/bat house?

Our Local Kitchen Store in Town

Sleepy Gordie



No more granola left - I must bake more later



New Carafe!


Meyer Lemon Crystallized Ginger Bundt Cake


We have this kitchen store in town that I like to shop in because I want this store to stay in business! It is not fancy like William Sonoma or Sur La Table - in fact it's kinda dark and unfancy. But he sells the greatest items for a kitchen - and as you know, I can HARDLY STAY OUT OF MINE!

Tonight we are going out with friends to eat at the TICK TOCK DINER. It's a famous diner in New Jersey. But I thought why not bake a cake and have them back to the house for dessert. Because I'm in LOVE with my Meyer Lemons from the last haul I received from my folks, I baked up a Lemon Ginger Bundt Cake. I had to go into town to my local grocer - EDEN GOURMET - another new store in town - and buy Crystalized Ginger. Sheesh I had no idea a 2.3 ounce jar of crystalized ginger cost $8.49! This is some expensive cake! Myer Lemons, 6 eggs, a cup of sour cream - but wow does it look pretty. I sure hope it tastes great too.

But before I went into Eden Gourmet I stopped into the kitchen store to have a look around. I really don't like WINDOW SHOPPING or going into a store without buying something. So I went in and found this really fun caraf. We are NOT drinkers in this house - I'm sure this caraf would be nice for a bottle of wine - but I bought this caraf for water for the table. It was not expensive AT ALL, it comes from Italy and I just LOVE IT! See, it's the little things that make me happy.

So tonight no cooking for me. I'm going OUT for dinner! WOOT WOOT!

Tomorrow is T.G.I.F.! I heart Fridays!

Best,
Jane M

My Summer Window Boxes

Here are my window boxes from summer 2009! KIDDING! You know they were starting to look a little leggy because I just got sick of watering. I'm happy how they turned out my pretty window boxes and they did last for 6 long months! They were even moved a few times when we had our house painted and they still survived! I guess summer of 2009 is officially history with the window boxes all bare and ready for snow and ice! For right now we have a mess of leaves waiting for the town to come and pick when they get around to it.

I've been up since FOREVER - I did a cardio kick boxing class last night and I'm quite sore. In fact, my arms feel as though I got flu shots in each shoulder! Since I woke up at 5:00am I decided to bake Giada DeLaurentiis's Granola Bars - wow were they great! Yep only crazy me starts baking at 5:00am!

Thanksgiving is fast approaching - then it's onto the holidays and New Year's! Time sure FLIES! Yes indeedy!

Best,
Jane M

I really enjoy baking

ONLY I'M THE ONLY 1 WHO IS EATING THE DESSERTS! Since we are empty nesters now - well for a semester at a time, I do not bake AS OFTEN. I do bake the biscotti that I include in the shipments - but that doesn't count. Last night I felt like using up dough that was in the my fridge. I whipped up an Apple Galette. I had a slice and Gary ate an apple. Sheesh, that made me feel even MORE GUILTY for indulging! Oh well - it was yummy. I also tried a recipe from a cookbook that I have had on my shelf for over a year. It was a cauliflower and pasta cheese bake. I think it was like macaroni and cheese with cauliflower tossed in! I MADE 1/2 THE RECIPE AND STILL HAVE WAY TOO MUCH LEFT OVER!

On another note we took a 1 hour walk with Gordie yesterday. It was warm and wonderful outside and we all needed the exercise. WOW was Gordie tired but was he in HEAVEN!

Just another Monday - hope your stores were busy with HOLIDAY traffic - it's ALMOST the HOLIDAYS! Where did the time go?

Best,
Jane M

Meatloaf, Lemon Bars and the Yankee Game

Last night we were invited for dinner at friends house. What fun - a dinner invite and it was in the MIDDLE OF THE WEEK! Our friend makes a mean meatloaf and we were invited along with another friend for dinner. Of course I cannot come empty handed so I baked up my now famous lemon bars. My parent just sent up my 2nd batch of lemons just yesterday and I went right to work baking up those citrus-sy bars. They were a big hit as was the meatloaf! WOOT WOOT!

We also watched part of the Yankee game before going home to see the Yankees take yet another title. As you know, we're NY Met fans in this house, but we always root for the home team in a big game like last night.

That's all for now - hope these pictures make your mouth water! I left all the bars at my friends house so I wouldn't glom up the leftovers! Hope they are enjoying the rest!

Best,
Jane M

We have MEAN NEIGHBORS

who live across the street. 17+ years ago when we moved in to our house - these neighbors, stuck their middle finger at us, yelled at us, beeped their horn on us to go into oncoming traffic from our street - you know real NICE FOLKS! Hence we have gave them the name MEANIES as we do not know their REAL NAMES! We've never said hello to them - never said 1 word to them in fact. THEY ARE TRULY THE MEANIES!

In our town, we are not allowed to park cars on the street for the entire night. I think after 2:00am your car must be in the driveway until 6:00am. While walking the dog this morning I noticed THE MEANIES BROKE THE LAW AND GOT A PARKING TICKET! WOOT WOOT - couldn't have happened to better folks! I hope they are good and mad when they go out to their car today! Wish I could see the look on their faces when they see the Parking ticket stuck in their car door!

DOES THIS MAKE ME A MEANIE TOO??????????????

Bye for now!
Jane M

I am NOT a good Fatty Loser!

Nope - I'm not watching my diet BUT - I'm still exercising! Yes indeedy I am! Yesterday, the dreaded Monday ended and we quickly changed into our gym clothes and headed off to work out before dinner. We received a pep talk email from our trainer for the Fatty Loser program we are participating in right before heading off the gym. Gary is on the fence about returning to the program - claims the folks in our group are lame - WHICH THEY ARE! But I really like the trainer. So we get to the gym and check in with our cards and who do we see - but Benu! We said hello and chatted a bit and headed off to our machines of choice.

After finishing our workouts, we came home and I had to quickly start dinner - we were HUNGRY after a day of work and then exercising! I chopped a salad and grilled up some boneless chicken. Was a good meal - but Gary wanted a little something else. Something else hmmmmmmmmmmm what could that be? He suggested something with apples. So I whipped up a quick dough, chopped up 1 apple, added a tiny bit of sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice and look what I baked!!!! I AM NOT A THE FATTEST LOSER! Waah! It sure tasted good going down!

So today - before the big weigh in tonight at 6:00 - only celery and water for me! Just kidding - I can't survive the day on that!

Happy Tuesday to you all.

Best,
Jane M

Sunday

Russell came home this weekend - WHATEVER. Gordie was happy to have the company - WHEN HE WAS AROUND - and got a little cozy this morning before Russ was preparing to leave. My boys went to the RANGER game - had a hassle on the NJ Transit trains BOTH WAYS! Don't ask, but AT LEAST THE RANGERS WON!

Me, I shopped for food on the busiest day of the week - I'M NEVER GOING AGAIN ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON! BIG MISTAKE! And then I came home and cooked! I made these yummy stuffed calamaris. I watch this woman on the Food Channel, Anne Burrell. She's hard to listen to and look at - she makes these ugly grunting noises and sniffs the food - GROSS - but the ingredients she uses always makes me think her food must be good. And indeed it was! This stuffed calamari is a keeper.

OK time to put my feeties up. We changed the clocks but it feels oh so much later now that it's pitch dark!

The dreaded Monday is fast approaching! Call me with orders - that will brighten my MONDAY!

Best,
Jane M