Snuggle in.

{Curious?}

Make the most of Nutella. 

Editor’s Note: Lest you non-nutters be left out, you can substitute Nutella for the likes of Biscoff Spread.

{Curious?}

Wednesday, my friend Manders came over for a birthday dinner.

Her birthday was the 7th of January. 

The crate paper ran amok, the Happy Birthday banner hung cattywompus, the gift box poked through the paper on one corner. And the photos were pitiful, at best. 

Apparently, I’m not getting back in the game any time soon. Good thing it doesn’t matter when it comes to time spent with friends.

Sure, there may come a day when my decorations are flawless, my gifts refined, and my photos are gallery quality {why are you laughing?}. I’ll just keep celebrating like I mean it, until the rest of it catches up.

And that’s my hope for you, dear friends: days filled with festivity–even if things are far from perfect, and you haven’t a true reason to celebrate. Despite it all, I hope you’ll take some time to toast, share a meal, laugh, and otherwise celebrate. With all your heart. 

. . . the happiest of weekend wishes to you!

Learn your geography. 

Bonus points if you can differentiate between Idaho, Iowa, and Ohio.

{Curious?}

::PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT::

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow!

Now, before you don sackcloth and ashes, keep in mind there are other whistle-pigs. Dunkirk Dave (NY), Susquehanna Sherman (PA), General Beauregard Lee (GA), and Shubencadie Sam (Nova Scotia)–just to name a few–all announced an early spring. 

Personally, I think Punxsutawney Phil just likes to play with us.

So six more weeks of winter, be damned. Let’s raise a glass in celebration–to absurd little holidays, woodchucks, and the coming of spring . . . 

Cheers!

Make fish lips. 

Just because you can. 

{Curious?}

Let’s face it, love takes work. Luckily, you can show your love without breaking a sweat.

Take pie crust, for example.

Growing up, I wasn’t much of a dessert person–but I loved pie crust. Loved it. I’d choke down the filling, just to save the best for last. So, my grandmother began baking the scraps of pie crust with cinnamon and sugar. They were nothing to look at, mind you; but the taste was a little bit of heaven.

Now that, my friends, is love.

Good reminder as we enter the month of love. You don’t have to do a lot to prove your devotion–just a little something thoughtful. If that happens to include baking up some cinnamon & sugar pie crust, all the sweeter . . .

Cinnamon & Sugar topping

Mix together:

1/2 cup sugar

1 T ground cinnamon

Baking instructions

• Preheat over to 425 F;
• Place pie crust pieces on cookie tray;
• Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar topping;
• Bake for approximately 7 minutes.

A little something extra

• The original “recipe” uses the crust left over from a pie. Naturally, can also use a ready-made crust–or roll out a homemade crust just for this. The more, the merrier!
• When using a complete crust, use cookie cutters for bigger pieces.
• You can always sprinkle the pieces with water or lightly coat with melted butter before adding cinnamon & sugar–even drizzle frosting over the top once they cool. {I’m sure it’s delectable, I’m simply smitten with the original version}

Watch An Affair to Remember.

{Curious?}

It’s all a blur from there, literally. I simply recall looking out the smudged window of that bus to see my house blur by. With that, I did the only thing for a shy, 5 year-old to do . . . I slid down in the seat, wishing for a cloak of invisibility.

It didn’t work.

The bus driver finished dropping off the elementary kids and promptly drove to his next stop–High School. Waiting for the release bell, he walked the aisle, looking for things left behind. Boy, did he find something–mainly, a small, strawberry blond. He had no choice but to take me along for the ride, dropping me off at my school, last.

Eyes wide, I reported the whole experience to my mom–they were all drunk! 

What can I say? I didn’t hang much with teenagers. As a matter of fact, the only high school students I “knew” were those from Welcome Back, Kotter.

Naturally, with the death of Robert Hegyes, I’ve thought a lot of that show in the last few days. As with most things from that decade I remember only bits and pieces–Horshack’s whiny voice (and goofy laugh), Epstein’s notes, Barbarino’s dance, Washington’s swagger. Being a child, I had no idea the controversy surrounding the show; I didn’t know there was an uproar over delinquent kids, in a racially integrated classroom. 

What I did know, however, was you could always count on the sweathogs for shenanigans–and they always made me laugh. Even if the subject matter wasn’t necessarily funny. How could we forget Gimme some drugs, gimme some drugs, gimme some drugs?  Sure, it made us laugh at a very serious topic; but in doing so, it highlighted the ridiculousness of it all. And show that can pull that off, can’t be all bad . . . no matter how questionable the fashion.   

So for those of you who remember, a trip down memory lane. For those of you who haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, this was the type of TV show we watched in the 70′s. It may explain a lot  . . .

Take in some art.

{Curious?}