Flaming Christmas Pudding!

While reading over the answers in the Monday Morning Question I realized that there were a lot of foods that were unfamiliar to me.  Perhaps they are unfamiliar to some of you also.  Well, you Americans, anyway, lol.  So I asked for definitions and this is the answers that I received:

From Amy: 

I can't believe you don't have these things in america! You are missing out on so much!   Ok....it might be hard to explain some of them....  

Yorkshire Pudding: It's made from batter (like you use to make pancakes) but is poured in to little tins (a bit like a muffin tin) filled with hot oil and cooked in the oven. The rise up and are traditionally served with roast beef over here. sometimes people cook them in a big tin instead of the individual tins and then cut it into slices.  

http://www.britainexpress.com/articles/Food/yorkshire-pudding.htm  

Trifle: it's a dessert....it's a layer of jelly (jello) usually strawberry...sometimes with bits of cake in it. Then a layer of custard that is set so it's all wobbley! Then topped with a layer of cream and finished with sprinkles. Some people add sherry to the jelly bit of the trifle too.  

http://www.recipesource.com/desserts/trifle/authentic-english1.html  

Chocolate Gateau: yum! It's basically a huge chocolate cake that is REALLY chocolatey and made with chocolate cream and stuff....yummy!  

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/food/tools/recipefinder/display_recipe/0,,4187,00.html  

Christmas Pudding: Hmm.....here is a web site with a recipe and picture:  

http://www.britischebotschaft.de/advent/advent_e7.htm  

it's usually a steamed pudding that is very rich and stodgey (we like our stodgey puddings over here!). It has rasins and sultanas and lots of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg so it's all christmassy. Traditionally served on fire! Well, they set fire to the brandy and then pour the flaming brandy over the pudding. In the old days people used to bake them with a sixpence inside and who ever got the sixpence was lucky!  

From Jules:  

Swede:  swede is like turnip, it's from the same family and has a very strong taste.  

From Sara:  

Chipolata Sausages: chipolata sausages are just little cocktail sausages, we have them wrapped in bacon at Christmastime - Mmmm.  Here let me show you:

 

                                    

 

Now to find out about pheasant (if you dare!) and purple sprouting and a few more things, visit Sylvia's journal.   Thank you everyone from the UK who have taught me about new culinary delights.  If there are any American foods that you would like to know about, please ask!  

Love, Krissy

Canceled Again

We are going to have to cancel this week's Photo Scavenger Hunt one more time.  One reason is because Saturday falls on New Year's Day and I am sure you all will be doing something important on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  The other reason is John is going through some minor health problems and I want to be there for him.  We will definately have a Scavenger Hunt the following week though. 

Hope everybody is enjoying the Holiday Season.  Love, Krissy

Monday Morning Question

Monday Morning Question:

What did you have for your Christmas dinner?

John and I went to Val's and Chelsea's to eat.  They served us a dinner of turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, green beans, mandarin oranges, pineapple, cheese and crackers, pickles, and Christmas cookies!  It was beyond delicious!  Thanks ladies!

What did you have?

My Ring!

Today was a great day.  I went looking at rings and chose one with the help of John and my sister Valerie.  It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen!  It is tanzanite flanked by diamonds.  It's white gold.  I am going to get it in ten days because they need to size it for me.  I am so excited!  I can't wait until it is on my finger!  

I have really enjoyed yesterday and today, and will enjoy the next two days also.  Four days with no appointments or anywhere I absolutely have to go!  I am having so much fun with my free time and relaxing.  I am so glad I got my Christmas stuff done early.  I am going to have fun tomorrow spending Christmas Eve with John and we will go to midnight Mass.  Then on Christmas day we will spend Christmas morning together and then go to Valerie's and Chelsea's in the afternoon for Christmas dinner and fun!  I am really excited about that.  

Hope everyone else is having a good Christmas season also!  Love, Krissy

Wedding Date

I have really good news today.  I have a date for my wedding.  It is May 7th!  What is so exciting about that is normally my church makes you wait nine months to get married.  But my priest called me today and said I could get married on May 7th.  I guess the fact that John and I have been dating for over six years might have had something to do with it, I don't know!  Anyway, I am so excited!

I have already been planning away of course, with the help of my parents, because time is already short!  It is actually fun.  Of course with fun comes, uhm, I don't know if it is called stress or what it is called.  I told myself that I was never going to be one of those crazy brides-to-be.  So I will just relax and enjoy this time and not go kooky like my parents suggest, lol.  I will just enjoy this time, and enjoy my special day when it comes.  

Well, I am really happy this Christmas season.  Tomorrow I am going to go ring shopping!

Love, Krissy 

Having Fun

The past couple of days have been so much fun!  Yesterday John and I cooked a turkey with all the trimmings and invited a couple of guests over.  We had a wonderful evening of talk and all around fun.  I am glad I got everything done including my shopping because now I have really had a chance to enjoy myself and do some fun things.

Today was really nice too.  We went to Valerie's house and helped Valerie and Chelsea decorate their Christmas tree.  It made me think of my childhood.  The tree was gorgeous! 

The only crazy part was when Chelsea was making dinner for a friend and we smelled something burning and the smoke detector went off.  We ran to the kitchen and lo and behold she had torched the George Forman grill.  Well I don't know if she torched it completely but I don't know if it works anymore.  It was sitting on the stove and she turned on the wrong burner.  Oh well, at least nobody got hurt. 

She probably won't like that I wrote about that, lol!

Well, I have to get off here and get under the blankets.  With windchill it is 30 degrees below zero.  I have a hat and scarf on right now!  I did well not complaining about the cold all day, actually all year so far.  But today after the sun went down, it finally got too cold for me.  I think I need to go get warm.  Try to stay warm everybody!  Krissy  

Monday Morning Question

Monday Morning Question:

What is the most exotic food you have ever eaten? 

My answer:  Escargot.  In English that's snails.  And they were gross.  I'll never do it again.

Extra credit question:  Do you like fruit cake?  

My answer:  Yes!  

 

This Week's Hunt Cancelled

This week we will not have a Photo Scavenger Hunt because  Christmas falls on Saturday.  Sunday, the day after Christmas, I will post a new subject for the following Saturday's hunt.

 

Entries for Scavenger Hunt #11

Entries for Photo Scavenger Hunt #11:

Your Computer Area Before and After Cleaning It:

labdancer51

ryanagi

chasferris

quartrlyfecrysis

silviam4000

promiseluv372

sarajanesmiles

jules19642001

fisherkristina

bookncoffee  (take a look at her cool transportation!)

Sorry folks that this was posted late this week.  I thought this was Saturday night and it turned out to be Sunday night, lol!  I hope everyone enjoyed seeing where each other works and plays!  Love, Krissy

Photo Scavenger Hunt #11

In this week's hunt we are supposed to show our computer area before and after cleaning it.

Here is my computer area.  What you see is what you get.  I didn't want to take two pictures so this is the messy version.  Well, I did dust.  The stack of papers is there, but that is not messy because, hey, I know what is in my organized piles of papers!  

Christmas Cards

Well I stayed up tonight doing Christmas cards.  Started out early and here it is 3:45 AM!  Boy will I be tired tomorrow!

I have really been enjoying this Christmas season.  I have gotten my Christmas shopping done.  I finished it up today.  I am finishing up my cards.  I should have them done by tomorrow and should have my shipping out.  Then I can relax. 

I am going to take some time out and just have a good time and maybe go out with friends.  That should be fun.  I haven't done that in a long time.  I haven't felt well enough mentally or physically.

Things are really nice this Christmas.  My depression is way down.    And I have dropped weight since I started my thyroid medication.  And being engaged has been just dreamy.

I can't believe how much I have neglected my journal.  I haven't written to many daily entries.  I have been tremendously busy.  I want to write more entries but sometimes I feel like I am the most boring person in the world, lol.  

Well, I need to get off to bed.  I hope everyone is enjoying this time of year too.

Love, Krissy  

Monday Morning Question

Monday Morning Question

(Sorry this is a few hours late, I thought today was Sunday, lol):

What is the worst physical pain you have ever been in?

My Answer:  Probably back pain from fibromyalgia.  Actually, allover pain from fibromyalgia

What about you? 

 

This Week's Hunt

This week's Photo Scavenger Hunt (#11) should be completed by Saturday, Dec. 18, at 8 PM EST.

This week will be another easy one because it is Christmastime.  The idea comes from Chuck.  He wants us to take a picture of our computer area.  Actually two pictures.  One before we clean it and one after!  Come on, be brave!

A photo of your computer area before cleaning it!

A photo of your computer area after cleaning it.

Entries for Scavenger Hunt #10

Entries for Photo Scavenger Hunt #10:

Show us your Mode Of Transportation:

sarajanesmiles

promiseluv372 

kkasey47

chasferris

sonensmilinmon

jules19642001

sylviam4000

quartrlyfecrysis

levi1023

And from last week, check out madmanadhd's entry to see his geometric shapes.  This week he doesn't have a transportation entry, but has done something very special in his journal today, his very first photo collage.  We had better go check it out! 

From a previous assignment, shedtheshellnow tells us that she is thankful for the memories in her attic. 

And finally, if you haven't spotted my entry out yet, it is at fisherkristina.

Thanks to all who participated this week.  Everybody had a fabulous entry! 

Photo Scavenger Hunt #10

In this week's hunt we are supposed to show our mode of transportation. 

Here's the car I drive.

It's a Toyota Camry.  I think it is just fabulous.

List your link here

If you haven't already given me your link for today's Photo Scavenger Hunt, then list yours in the comments section.

Thanks!

Good News!

 

He asked me...He asked me...He asked me...and I said yes!

Last night John asked me to marry him!  I am so excited.  It was a very romantic proposal.  He got down on one knee.  We were at my house in my living room.  I was a little surprised when he asked me so I just blurted out "Sure!" to his question, lol.  

Engaged.  What a lovely sounding word!

What else is new?  Like I need something else to be new!  I am feeling SO much better these days now that I started the synthroid.  It is working wonders for my health and my depression.  I still get tired some, and a little depressed some, but I am doing SO much better.  And I am losing some weight already!  

Also, I have almost finished with my Christmas shopping!  I even went out and shopped on Black Friday!  I have never been this far ahead for Christmas shopping.

What else is new?  Tomorrow I have a Carmelite meeting and two Christmas parties!  Tonight John and I have to spear olives and little pieces of cheese onto party tooth picks!  That should be fun.  I figured that would be easier than baking casseroles or desserts.

Bye for now and love you all, Krissy :-)     

Monday Morning Question

Monday Morning Question:

What is your favorite Christmas song?

My favorite is Joy To The World. 

What is yours?

This Week's Hunt

This week's Photo Scavenger Hunt (#10) should be completed by Saturday, Dec. 11, at 8 PM EST. 

This week is going to be easy because I am taking into consideration that it's the holiday season and we are all getting ready and are busy.   My sister Therese came up with the idea that we all take a photo of our mode of transportation.  This is one that everyone can participate in!  Let us see what each other drives or rides in!

Your Mode of Transportation

Entries for Scavenger Hunt #9

Entries for Photo Scavenger Hunt #9:

Geometric Shapes

sarajanesmiles

quartrlyfecrysis

sylviam4000

valphish

sonensmilinmon

kkasey47

chasferris

fisherkristina

Photo Scavenger Hunt #9

This week's hunt is Geometric Shapes. 

My first picture is of globular objects.  They also double as cat balls.

 

My second photo is a septilateral figure.  A septilateral figure is a seven sided object.  I found that my boyfriend's medminder was  perfectly septilateral .  No, we didn't know the name for it!  We had to look up the kind of geometric shape it was in the dictionary.

Hope you enjoyed my entry even though it was short!

List your link here

If you haven't already given me your link for the current Photo Scavenger Hunt, then list yours in the comments section.

Thank you!

 

December's Here!

I'm so excited!  It is December.  I love this time of year.  I get so excited around Christmastime! 

Today was a good first day of December.  Last month I had a really bad month because I was dealing with a lot of depression.  I still am, but today at least I got a piece of the puzzle of why I haven't been feeling well physically and mentally.  Lately I have been depressed, sluggish, sleeping alot, and gaining a lot of weight.  Like major weight.  Let me tell you my day's discovery.  I was waiting for my therapist this morning when my doctor came in and pulled me aside.  She had recently run a bunch of tests on me.  She told me that my thyroid was off, and she believed that this was most likely the cause of my recent increase in depression.  I went in and talked to my therapist about it.  She said that a low thyroid problem was what they believed caused my recent exacerbation in my depression, my recent weight gain, and even probably my recent OCD symptoms. 

You may think I am strange to be glad that I know I have a thyroid problem, but I am just excited that I have a name for my illness, and know what it is, so I can know how to treat it.  

My doctor wrote me a prescription.  I am excited.  It is supposed to help with the depression and weight gain!  Yay!

Well, I need to go now.  I have had a long day.  I started out this morning going over to Valerie and Chelsea's.  Chels made us a delicious lunch of Chicken Alfredo.  She also showed us her kitten.  He is one of the cutest kittens I have ever seen in my life!  And spunky.  And bright.  If you stick out your tongue or wink at him he does it back - he copies you!  And at only one month old.  You may think I am making this up or am daft, but I promise you it is true. 

Must go, much love, Krissy

A Couple More Photo Entries

Here are a couple more Photo Scavenger Hunt entries from last week's Photo Scavenger Hunt:

madmanadhd

alphawoman1