Saturday, December 25, 2010

Technical difficulties

Sunday December 12, 2010:  If you are reading this that means that for some reason while en route to Honolulu (via a few days in San Francisco) or sometime after my arrival in Honolulu I neglected to log into Blogger & update Useless Ranch.  I am sure the problem must be computer related, some wireless versus dial-in thing, a freak weather pattern that makes me want to sit in a tropical garden & forget that this time next week I will begin interviewing contractors because it seems my sewing room (& A's office) are sliding into a sink hole.  Yes, it has been that kind of month, season & year.

Most happy times to everyone.  I will be back, clearing queued posts just as soon as I can get the sound of waves out of my ears.  Or maybe a day or two after that.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

I see your snickerdoodles & raise you two buckeyes

Somehow in the haze that was last December, I never blogged about our first ever holiday cookie swap.  Probably because I never took pictures & I mostly only remember I meant to write about something when I upload the digital camera.  I have only two time frames: Now & the Distant Past/Future (they are the same thing right?).

Let me give you the highlights:

V** made buckeyes.  Dozens & dozens of buckeyes.  I did not know what a buckeye was but I do now-it's where Reese's got the idea & homemade is better.  Because she committed to buckeyes early, M****** was in.  Apparently they are a favorite of C****'s.

M****** made a variety which included these fantastic chow mein noodle peanut butter things.  She said "Let's call them manger cookies".

A***** made...I don't remember.  I DO remember starting this whole thing because A***** has access to a cache of Hungarian-family cookies recipes & I know I was not disappointed.

They brought with them E****'s cookies.  They were the snickerdoodles.  I think.

B*** mailed her cookies from Boston.  When choosing what went back to her, we left off everything with icing that would just get all smushed.  Lucky me!

I made my mother's nut balls.  I made enough for everyone at the table to get a Chinese takeout tray of them as a Thank You for Playing take home gift.  I also made sour cream jam prints using the last of my homemade cranberry sauce, toffee spoons & Irish toffee spoons.

For A***** & M****** the highlight of the evening was the Irish.  So much so that when they left for the gym, I offered them a to-go cup.  They thought they would stop at the liquor store on the way instead.  M****** went on to tell people it brought her milk in & A***** gave her father a bottle for Christmas.

We are doing this again for sure, although I do not yet have a date.  Who's in?  Long distance can be accommodated.