Tradition

Passing through this Christmas season it got me thinking... I want an annual tradition. The main reason I started thinking about this is: every Christmas Eve my family and I go to a very good friends house and have dinner drinks, and just have fun. Part of these festivities that started more than 20 years ago was a fruit cake. 20 some odd years ago, someone brought a fruitcake to the party. The party host (being as always witty and sarcastic) "What am I supposed to do with a fruit cake. Yuck." So through the course of the party she wrote every bodies name on a slip of paper and put inside a plastic zip top bag. When the party started winding down she got one of the smaller kids to draw a name. The name drawn had to take the fruit cake home. They didn't want it either so they said "I'm bringing it back next year" and hence a tradition started. Every Christmas Eve THIS SAME fruit cake has been passed from freezer to freezer and brought back to the original house. This year...my family has it for the first time in over 20 years! For the past 3 years I have drawn the name from the bag, the same person got it for 3 years from my picking. This year she would NOT let me even near that bag.

Now to my point: I want a family/friend Christmas tradition to do every year. My friends and I have tried, for the past 3 years we have had Christmas eve breakfast at Ihop. This year, with all of us out of (or almost out of) college, married, or parents have moved not all of us were in FL for this breakfast. Same basic concept its kind of just happened that everyone comes to my house after Christmas dinner and has dessert and drinks (on the kitchen floor of course). Last year and now this year I am holding the New Years Eve party. I really hope this can continue though out the years, but I'm not sure how probable that is.

Any one have any ideas for an ANNUAL Christmas tradition that can take place when we are all gathered or even when we are in different locations. Suggestions will be great!

Leave of Absense

Not that many people read my blog(s), but just in case. There will not be any updates on my blogs for the next few days. I am leaving for St. Louis for vacation, (and although the one person that reads my blog, Twinny, already knows this). There will be no time for blogging.
Happy Holidays to all, and hopefully I can dazzle you with some new recipes when I get back, for The Irish Chef bog, and new stories and experiences for this one.

Ideas

I subscribe to a few magazines. Some of my recipes on The Irish Chef are from said magazines.
I got in the mail today a bunch of junk mail, but low-and-be-hold a magazine! That is a major highlight to the day. This day it was Family Circle. While flipping through the first few pages, which are usually the ads there was something that caught my eye. "What a card" hm... intriguing. I read on further. Basically it is a website that has cards, all kinds, birthday, anniversary etc. Its free to join, all you have to do is buy the cards you want. It has a built in calender and address book. You select a card, put the event in the calendar and address of whom it goes to, and when the time comes the site mails you the card (already addressed AND stamped) so all you have to do is write a message, sign it and mail it on its merry way! I think this is BRILLIANT!.
Whats the site you are jumping up and down asking: Jack Cards

Thanksgiving

This year we went to the boyfriend's family house for Thanksgiving. It was great, great food, great drink, and great company. Only now have I realized that all I got for sweets was one slice of pumpkin cheesecake. I totally and completely missed out on my mom's famous (not so famous as grandpa's) apple pie, and missed out on my uncle's fried turkey :-).
Every Thanksgiving it has seemed to be a tradation to bring our imfamous pumpkin cheese cake (recipe on The Irish Chef blog) and every year I get a picture of boyfriend holding it and making the first slice.




2007


2008

2009

(this year with the addition of rum, for the conquito, recipe also found on The Irish Chef)

Bad mommy

I feel like I've been such a bad mommy lately. Let me share a little back history: all my life in my house we have had cats, I love them, they are great furry little critters. I LOVE all animals to be exact (the furry kind). I have wanted a dog ever since I can remember. My parents response has always been "NO!" then it changed to, "If you get straight A's in school we'll talk". I was never a super star in school. So I kind of gave up on ever having a dog. I had asked "Santa" for a cat when I was 6 or 7, and low-and-behold Christmas day came and there was this little orange and white fluff ball of a kitty- named Fluffy. (Not real original as a 7-year old). This kitty was like a doll for me, and he put up with everything I did to him. He was more an outside driven cat, and that lead to his demise. I was devastated, along with mommy about my Fluffy not being here anymore. I was inconsolable for a week. Finally things got back into the swing of not having a kitty around. A year or so later, we are at the local Publix and the cashier has a few pictures of kitties on her register, my mom takes notice just to say how cute they look, she tells us, she's trying to find homes for a few. I get jumping up-and-down happy! We make an appointment to look at the kitties she has. As soon as i walk in I see a little stripped baby tabby kitty, and immediately want him! He has a home... :-( Mommy is drawn to a little shy skinny gray thing sitting on a shelf. She was a cute and cuddly, he name Blue Bell (already given to her, I wanted to rename her Smokey, but mommy wouldn't let me). Blue Bell was part of our family for 13 years. She was the fat queen of the house. She was pampered, pet, and fed real well. Somewhere along the lines of my sophomore year of high school (6 year ago). We have a little kinda skinny tan and brown kitty wondering in the back yard. Well me being the pet lover than I am, I quickly put a bowl of dry food out for him. He obviously not being stupid starts to regularly hang around. I was the good kid and put fliers around the neighbor hood with a picture and description and our number. No one called, so after a few weeks (and now he is inside the house) we officially make him ours (taking him to the vet for shots and snip snip). I named him Mr. Chatter Box (I was getting more creative with the names). So our house lived very harmoniously like that for 6 years. Blue Bell was getting old...needless to say nature had taken its course and she passed away quietly on the kitchen floor with mommy petting her. She was 16 years old. Chatter Box had lost his adoptive "mommy", friend, and playmate. He consoled mommy and me and would snuggle up next to us. After a little while I started to want another critter in the house. The response I got again, "NO!" then this no turned to (via mommy) "ok fine, you find me a kitty that looks exactly like Blue Bell, all dark grey with a patch of white under the chin and the belly"
me: "ok"
That was it, that was all she had to say, I went searching! I was on my computer everyday looking for those specifics. I found one cat at the Humane Society that matched the description in the photo, but when i saw her, it just didn't click. That was another demand, had to be a girl. A friend of mine had a little grey kitty with white under the chin, but it was a boy... not gonna work. I still searched, even though I was starting to give up. I went to petfinder.com typed in my "request" ::POOF:: a itty bitty grey with white girl kitty, PERFECT! Location: 2 hours north of me. I had to seriously think about this one. OK, done thinking, I was going to make one trip to "check out" the kitty, to make sure it matches the requirements and I took an old picture of Blue Bell with me for a comparison. I took one of my friends with me on this long 2 hour up and 2 hour drive back. We reach the rescue group, they showed us the room where the kittens were held. I open the door and right before me sits the kitty I am here to see. I scooped her up and immediately asked for the paper work to fill out. I filled out all my information, handed it over, and we set up a date for her to be fixed before she could be released. The drive back home that day was the longest ever, knowing I left the perfect kitty behind. The weekend that was scheduled for me to pick her up. My parents were going out of town to visit friends so I could get the cat bring her home and have her acclimated by the time they got home. I call up my friend ask if she's up for another drive. We hop in my car and drive again the 2 hours. We make it up there and I bound into that office with pure joy, ask for my kitty and they bring out A kitty... not MY kitty. Where is my kitty?!?!?! Did they give her to someone else?!?! I (needless to say) throw a fit. I open the kitten room door, and there again staring at me is my kitty. I pick her up, take her to the people behind the desk and say "This is my kitty!" Their response "OK, you'll have to wait another 2 weeks for the vet to come back to spay her" Did they not just realize that I drove ANOTHER 2 hours to get this kitty and now I'm gonna have to drive it again. Long story short, they wont/cant give her to me at that visit, it is FL law that all animals released by a rescue group be spay/neutered. No loop-holes around that (believe me I tried them all). The day comes to pick up my kitty again. I called the center stressing that the right one was fixed, they assured me she was. I get there and there is my precious baby kitty! We get in the car and go for the 2 hour drive home without any complications. Now this weekend I got her just my dad was going to go our of town. We make it home with the precious cargo who is now waking up from the anesthesia and running around and playing. My "Bubba" (Mr Chatter Box) doing relatively good with the new young en running around. Mommy calls me coming out of work asking what to do for dinner. I told her I'm not sure, just come home and we'll figure it out. Well apparently she had a a bad day at work and didn't want to come home and go out again. I begged and pleaded, and she came home. I was in the TV room with the little fur ball and heard mommy come in the door. I met her at the door with this doofy smile and told her I had a surprise. She looks at me like I have 3 heads. I told her to close her eyes and I'd take her to the surprise. She reluctantly did so. I guided her into the TV room, and baby fur ball was perched on top of one of the big pillows. I told mommy to open, and as soon as she spots her she starts crying and saying "No you didn't!" Well apparently I did. I pick the fur ball up and hand her to mommy, and its an immediate love. We later decide on the name of Baby Bell (in honor of Blue Bell). This itty bitty little nothing of a kitty is now bigger than my Bubba with the longest legs you would ever see, she looks like a dark grey panther. That was the completion of our furry family, or so we all thought. Mother's Day 2009 my friend calls me, "I'm at walgreens and I have 3 sets of eyes staring at me."
me: "You gotta be kidding me. What do you want me to do?"
friend: "I cant take them home, my mom will want the all and we already have 2 dogs and 5 cats"
me: "You are not doing this to me"
friend: "Then I have to leave them here"
me: "No your not, I'll be there in 15 minutes"
Hop into my car and drive to pick up 3 furry lil critters, telling myself the whole way, "They are going to the humane society tomorrow!"
I get there and they are the tiniest little thing you'd ever see, I forgot a vessel to bring them home in, the only thing I have in my car is a Build-a-Bear box. I catch all 3 and put them inside the box, proceeding yelling at my friend for calling me knowing I wouldn't say no. We gather them all up and in the car and its off to home for me. I get them home and put them i the spare bedroom with the door closed. They meow!
dad in next room: "What is that?"
me: "Well.... my friend called my and found 3 abandoned kitties and they are going to the humane society tomorrow I promise!!"
dad: "OK they better"
Mom is out to dinner with her friends. She comes home and notices the door closed.
mom: "What is in there?"
me: "um... well... just look"
mom: "Oh no...."
I show her and her heart melts at the 3 little faces staring at her and she starts petting on one. I tell her the same thing they are going to the humane society tomorrow. Well tomorrow turned to...never. "Tomorrow" was Mothers Day, Sunday. My boyfriend comes over and loves the little fur balls too. We call up his dad and step-mom to wish her a Happy Mothers Day. Half way joking we tell them we have a gift for her, we have 3 small kitties and she can choose one as her present. Now his dad is NO NO NO to pets, his step-mom and step-sisters have been begging for a long time. Apparently he had a change of heart and said "OK bring the little fur balls over and they can have their pick"
We waste no time getting them over there and they pick the smallest one of the bunch and name her Sushi.
I go home with 2 kitties. At work I ask around to anybody and everybody if they want a baby kitten. Most of the responses. "No thank you".
The friend that got me into this mess has another friend he goes to school with that might take one if it's a girl. Guess what? They are girl!!! He comes over to look at them and take the one all tabby with no white, her name: Bailey. I have one lonely little kitty left that has gotten quite attached to me and the other cats and now has control of the house. I cant give this one away, I have to keep it! Well after much deliberation and discussion we keep her, Tippy-Toes. (She is all tabby with white tips on her toes). She is my princess, my pride and joy, she snuggles with me, she is my baby. We now have 3 members to the furry family, one for each of us if you will. I will go through stages, more jokingly of "lets get a dog". Response to that, "NO! No more animals." I'd walk away ok.... One evening I was watching Dogs 101 on Animal Planet, and one of the dogs featured is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi (the Queen of England's dogs). I fall in LOVE with this dog! I have always wanted a BIG dog, a husky would be perfect, but Husky's in FL = not good, so I had to settle on that one. No other dog quite caught my attention like the Huskies, except this one. Now I also am not a fan of "small" dogs, but this one was cute, petie and perfect. I wanted one!!! I began searching, not many well known in south FL. One day my boyfriend and I have to run an errand and next to where we had to go was the pet store. "Oh come on, lets just check it out" As soon as we walk in, what is in the dog cages but a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. I almost die! I want it, I must have it! "Cant I play with it?" YAY! They put us in a small room with her and we can play, she is beautiful, and sweet. "How much?" "$800.00" ::GASP SHOCK AWE:: oh dear lord! That's a down payment on a car! I have to say good buy to my perfect little doggie. I still am on the search for one. I try everything, and I was being picky I wanted a pure Corgi, I was willing to pay some, just not $800. I tried craigslist, petfinder, the humane society... nothing. I was staring to give up. I looked one last time on craigslist and poof there was a full Corgi puppy that someone had to find a new home for. I emailed this person ASAP, I was checking my email every hour for the next week. I got no reply back, I was crushed. Just as my hopes were floating away I looked at petfinder. I found one! In my area! A full Corgi, girl, not a puppy but not a senior! She was 2 1/2. I called the number immediately and left a message and also emailed them for the adoption application. They sent on over the next day! I filled it out, and they loved me, wanted to meet me. We set up a date and I met this adorable dog and we clicked. It was love! I took her home for a weekend trial. We didn't think things were gonna go so good cause of the cats there had been a few fights break out. Daddy was a fishing trip the weekend I got her. He got home ans well lets just say he was less than pleased. He was furious! It was going back! For a full day and half he wouldn't look at me or talk to me. After this prolonged silent treatment I sat down with him and presented "my case". Answer still "NO!" After many arguments and yelling and crying (on my part) we settled. I pay rent to keep the dog. Dog original name: Roxy, changed name: Whiskey

Now getting to the part of being a bad mother. My baby princess of kitty feels like she has been replaced by the dog, and by all means she hasn't. But she sure is letting me know how mad she is. She sleeps in my parents room and cuddles with "grammie" (my mom), lets grammie hold her, as soon as she is passed to me, it leaps and bounds to get out of my arms. Every once in a while she will be laying on a table top and be sweet to me, let me pet on her and love her and sometime, sometimes give me kisses. I still feel like a bad mother, like my baby has abandoned me. I want my baby kitty to cuddle with me again. The reason I really really wanted to keep her was cause my my mom had "acquired" Chatter Box as her own, and Baby sure is hers. Tippy was suppose to be MY cat, now she's grammie's cat. I have decided that I will regain Bubba/Chatter Box as mine. When I move (ever) Chatter Box and Whiskey will come with me. Mom and I still fight over that one, even though my Tippy has chosen her as her new mommy.

I know this was a long post, I did not intend for it to be this long, but it is my pet story.

Pictures of Blue Bell coming. All I have of her, are from film cameras

Mr Chatter Box

itty bitty Baby Bell

Baby Bell now

My Princess Tippy

The 3 cats in size and age order. Chatter Box, Baby, and Tippy

My pup-pup Whiskey

lovely-ness of a 5 year old boyfriend

Today my boyfriend and I had a busy day. First off we had to go to health clinic to see if we could get him a grant to help pay for medical cost. Apparently if you are working and white that feat is almost impossible. We have been getting the run-around from this clinic for the past month. We go get the "done" as much as possible for one day before I start screaming and yelling and making a scene. When we get home, we are both mentally exhausted so we decide to take a nap. We wake up for lunch, then the boyfriend has to go get a haircut for the Christmas card picture we were taking today. We get his hair cute (and might I add that he looked very sexy), get home and then my pup-pup needs a bath, she was majorly stinky. We give her a bath clean her up, dry her off, and finish the backdrop for our pictures. Now at this point it is 5:30pm. No where during this day did my lovely boyfriend mention that he had to go to work 4-8pm! He mentions it now at 5:30pm!!! That his 2 bosses keep calling his phone.

Me: absolutely clueless- "what?"
BF: They keep calling me to come in.
Me: Why?
BF: Because I was supposed to be there from 4-8.
Me: EXCUSE ME!?!?!?!

I had asked him to take the FULL day off because of our clinic appointment and the pictures. I took a full day off.

Me:Well what are you going to do?
BF: staring off into space I guessI got to go in.
Me: evil, I'm gonna kill you stare. I thought I asked you to take the day off?
BF: I'll be back and we'll do the pictures when I come back


He gets off at 8; then he has to go home 8:30 then he has to shower 9; then he has to get to my house 9:30; then we have to finish prepping 10!!!!

How hard is it to get a boy to do what you want the first time you ask. I swear I feel like I'm raising a 5 year old, just bigger and stronger, and can easily overpower me.

Staying open late

As you know from previous blogs I work in clothing retail. I had to go in for the closing shift last night. Still not feeling good and for about 2 hours I couldn't move anything below my stomach, I crawled myself to work (I NEED the hours). I get to work to a complete hurricane disaster of a store. I sneezed and had to dig through 3 inches of papers to find them. I was tripping over at least 5 boxes of new stuff and the clothes hanging outside (The store resembled a middles-schoolers room). In the meantime there were 4 of us there, no one could clean up a little? So I get to work organizing, I hate a cluttered mess, especially at work, and when I can even reach the register. A few hours later and now there are just 2 of us working. We had to put out a new collection of clothes for boys and girls (by Tori Spelling). Whoever packed these boxes has a serious problem...the clothes were just thrown in there any size any style. Actually it looked like Tori Spelling's kids packed the boxes, they may have actually done a better job. So we have to look at the line board drawings (thank God for those) and piece together the groups that way. Finally I get my 4-way of boys clothes arranged perfectly and just on time to close (9:15pm). I pack up the extra box I didn't get to and start the closing on one register... Then my boss lays this on me: "Let's stay open a little longer"
"!?!?!!?!WHAT??!?!?!"
"Yea, we just need little more to make the day, lets stay open"
"Uh, no. I'm closing at 9:30"
"No we are staying open"
Not much more that I can do, she's the store manager.
"I'm not feeling well. I am going home"
"Fine you can clock out at 9:45"
Ok I'm ok with that. I finish fixing all the clothes and re-folding what got crumpled in the back of the shelf. 9:45 rolls around and this is my response:
"Ok let's count the drawers"
::blink blink:: "excuse me"
"count down the drawer"
(thinking to myself...arg!) Fine I count my drawer I'm usually pretty fast. I count I'm done, I'm ready to clock out. NOOOOO I have to finish the closing procedure while she does I don't know what!
I finish without a single word. I take the money back finish all that and then my boss moseys on in all nice and slow. I walk past her and go immediately to clock out. We close the gate, I lock my side and get ready to walk off.
"Oh wait, you have to do the other side, I forgot my key"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!
We walk out together and I txt on my phone to avoid any other kind of conversation with her. I get to my car and call mommy to vent.
And here's the real kicker, the nice 20 minutes later we stayed open to make the extra money, No one came in! I told her that, the mall was dead no one was outside they were all going t their car.
I clocked out at 10pm... I get home at 10pm. I was livid, and then ofcourse of top of that I am getting over my horrible cold.

Art in the Park

My town puts on every year (with the exception of last, because of the economy). This year is the 42nd annual. I have been going to it since Kindergarten, and my parents longer than that. When I was in grade school it was sort of "mandatory" for all students in the art classes to put in alteast one piece. I did enter pieces all through my grade school years, and one year (I believe 7th) I won a second place ribbon for a replica piece of Monet's. I am so proud of myself. :-)
Its only a one weekend a year deal, but they have great artist that come and show their creations. Waaaaay back when my parents went they got some framed (and autographed) photo prints from a guy named, Clyd Butcher. Now this photographer is very world wide known for more of his black and white everglade pictures.
This year there were a lot of great creative products to look at and buy. I bought some super-yummy-smelly soaps that have great designs within them. There were also so great photo prints, and paintings. Who knows, maybe one of these artist will be the next big thing. I cant wait for next year!

Something Special

Just a random note... My lovely boyfriend and I have spent 2 years together. :-) We celebrated on Nove 10.

No e-speake spanish

Ok I know now in this day and age we all should probably learn 2-3 languages. That however is not my issue.



This is the issue: I work in clothing retail... at the sawgrass mall. (And for those of you who don't know, it is a tourist mall, its a destination for them-kinda like Disney). Now I (generally in a bad mood) hate everybody, but at work I loathe the Spanish-speaking (pick a country, I'm not bias).
These are a few of the people I have encountered:

1. I greet them, say "Hello, do you need help finding anything"
my response. "......." ::Silence::

2. Greet them "Hello do you need help with anything?"
response: "I'm sorry I don't speak English" (in PERFECT English no-less)

3. Greet: "Hello"
response: Hola ::politely nods head::
me: ::rolls eyes:: (thinking) greeeeaaaat....

4. Greet: "Hello"
response: Mirar ::points to eyes then clothes::

and my favorite
5. Greet: "Hello, do you need help finding anything"
response: ::all in Spanish::
me: ::blink blink:: ::shrug shoulders:: ::shake head::
response: ::still in Spanish now with big arm gestures::
me: ::more shaking of the head:: NO Spanish! (no yes I do realize I know how to say that exact phrase in Spanish, but I'm not caving in)
response: ::waving hands at me and walks out::

actually there is a tie for another favorite:
6. Greet: "Hello, can I help you with anything?"
response: Speak-e Spanish
me: ::shakes head no::
guest: ok.... (in perfect English again) I am looking for..... (fill in the blank)
me: ok ::I show them::
we get to check out
guest: You should learn Spanish
me: ::politely giggles:: I know very little
guest: It is good to know Spanish.
me: ::getting irritated now:: well maybe..
guest: ::pushing the issue more::
me: Look when I visit your country I will learn Spanish, in the meantime while you are in the USA you can speak English. (My actual response once)
guest: takes bag and leaves

And that is my major complaint right there. If I go to some other country, be it Spain, France, Italy.... I will attempt the language and bring a little guide book. I will NOT go over to that country and EXPECT them all to know my language.

Here's another one that rubs me the wrong way:
7. Greet: "Hello"
response: ::silence and walks by::
they've been in the store a while so I have to check up on them
me: "You doing ok?"
guest: ::broken English:: we fine.
me: ok great ::walks away::
comes to check out, and I ring them up
pays with credit card
me: ID?
guest: ::show ID::
A FLORIDA DRIVERS LIENCSE!!!!

Just a little rant

Now this happened a few weeks ago, but I've just been so busy I haven't had time so it is going to lose some of that "rant omf" but it still needs to get out.

I work at the mall and a kids clothing store at that. Outside in the main walkways are the kiosk that sell the more random things. Directly in front of our store is a Miami souvenir shop. The owner of the shop is some old hag that had has 1 too many plastic surgeries and we rarely see her any ways. Now he "charming" son we see quite often. "Charming" here is has a very dirty potty mouth. (Now so do I when it comes to certain things just not in the place of work). Let me also reiterate at this time that I work at a CHILDREN'S store. He is OUTSIDE the store in the main hall dropping F-bombs like no tomorrow! I'm standing in the middle of the store which is a good yard more away from him and I can hear him clear as day. Finally after one F-bomb going off as a family with 4 kids all under the age of 7 walk by.

Side note: I have a temper like no other when I get pissed off

Now I walk up to the front of the store and POLITELY ask him to watch his language please this is a family environment and I just saw a group of little kids walk by.
I figured I'd get "Oh OK, I'll try"
OH boy was I wrong!!! He turns to me and starts yelling at me, that he can basically due whatever he damn well pleases. That he has been opening store longer than my "existence" (I'm 23, he look late 30s)
So of course my mind and mouth worked to slow when I realized I should have retaliated with "you look good for 50". (but of course it did not play out like that, only in my head).
I asked him again slightly more irate to just please watch it, its inappropriate and that this is again a family environment.
He continues to cuss me out and drop a million more F-bombs. At that a guest walks into my store seeing this whole debacle, so I excuse myself from his berating and help my guest then run to get the portable phone from the back. I was going to call Mall Security (not that they help much), but one my way back out I had a stroke of nice-ness and decided to give him one more shot, if I heard it again I was calling. Well I guess my little interruption sparked something cause I didn't hear anymore curse the rest of the day, so either he stopped or said it under his breath, either way I was happy. But fuming from the incident with him. So the next couple days I worked with the store manager, and told her about the altercation and she called and told the Mall Management people (the people that can pull his lease). They were excited to GET a complaint ABOUT him, apparently HE has called on many other stores for music being too loud.
As for now no more altercations with "Charming" and I hope it stays that way, otherwise I will call security and mall management

Happy Halloween!

I know I'm REALLY early but I love this card!

Start of Something New

My Twinny has gotten my slightly addicted to blogging. I have one other at The Irish Chef that is strictly for recipes and food related. This one is for everything else, hence "All that Jazz".
Just for a little background. I work in retail, so be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have plenty of stories and they will be shared.