Thank you, JC Penney!

Do you know how hard it is to find these...

These are ear MUFFS; MUFFS, I tell you. All you can find are those wrap things that go around the back of your head; well maybe YOUR head, but I think it takes an act of God to keep them around my head. Muffs are what I want; the over-the-head things that will stay on whether I'm wearing a hood, a hard hat or nothing.

Today was "Friends and Family Day" at Penneys. I get a coupon from Carole which makes 99% of the store on sale. I needed a new robe and decided, rather than ask for that for Christmas and then have to take it back because I don't like the color or it's the wrong size, I'll just get one. On sale + 20% FnF discount. Might as well replace my slippers that have the sole separating from the upper. Glue didn't hold them. Not on sale but I have my discount. I found a sleep shirt on clearance and add the discount. And then, around the corner from the slippers were the ear muffs. There were three different kinds. I got the two above so when I leave one some place, I have a back up.

I added additional shopping, finishing off two people out of the country and my great-niece and great-nephew. I even got something fun for me. It was a good trip.

Thanks, JC Penney, for having ear muffs and employing my daughter and, now, her boyfriend.

Beverage: Dr. Pepper

Deb

Iowa 20 Wisconsin 10

This time, I got a stable Internet radio feed up to 5 minutes left in the game. At that point, the feed died. WHO radio, arguably Iowa's flagship radio station from Des Moines, took a few minutes to switch over to the ESPN TV feed. Then, we 1 minute 30 seconds left in the game, cut that out and came back with their regular feed for the end of the game.

It will be a happy dance on Monday. 7-0. I think you have to go back to 1985 and the year of the #1 team in the nation, to find a better start.

Maybe I'll have BOTH kinds of shakes.

Beverage: China Black tea

Deb

Happy Dance

Pam called me yesterday and reminded me that one of the best comfort foods is macaroni and cheese and I had the temerity to FORGET that on my last post.

(gasp)

(faint)

Yup.

But...

I make macaroni and cheese with Velveeta and I love to add Spam and peas. I think I blogged about this before, how much I like Spam. I grew up with it as there were some very hard times for my family at the end of the 1960's and into the early 1970's. Spam was one thing we could afford. I've eaten it just about any way you can fix it. That would be a nice Christmas gift for me, a Spam cookbook. I'm pretty sure you can get one on the Spam web site.

But that's not why I'm doing a happy dance. Pam called and said it was time for a girls night out dinner and I replied that she's been reading my mind because the paper has had coupons in it for...

Steak 'n Shake.

Monday night...before we both suffer from withdrawals. The only problem is going to be which seasonal shake do I get, the chocolate fudge one or the caramel apple one.

If only all life choices could be like that.

Beverage: Assam tea

Deb

It's time for comfort

I've beaten it to death how much I love fall, the sights, sounds and smells of this season. But here's another reason:

'tis the season for the return of comfort food.

I was thinking about that last night as I tossed a load of blankets into the washing machine and cleared off a section of basement shelves for the soups and broth I bought a couple weeks ago. (Hmmmm. This can has a best by date of '97. I think I can toss that.) I found a can of Campbells Pork and Beans to which I added sliced smoked sausage, Hillshire Farms brand as it was "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" at Dominicks. They don't carry Campbells brand Pork and Beans any more and I had to get Van de Kamps which I grew up with. I really prefer Campbells as I don't like the chunks of fat I see in Van de Kamps when you remove the top. Plus, Campbells has gone to the "pop top" lids with the ring so no need to fish in the drawer for the can opener.

I add ketchup (or is it catsup), yellow mustard and brown sugar to the beans, slice the sausage and add to the pot and then heat the whole thing together. I had the last of a jar of applesauce which I warmed. Total comfort food.

I bought tomato soup to go with grilled cheese sandwiches. I need to make pancakes in quantity and freeze those. I found the raisins in my cleaning of the cupboards so oatmeal with raisins and walnuts is back on the menu for weekend breakfasts. I haven't had a pot roast in awhile, with potatoes and carrots. I haven't made scalloped ham and potatoes or meatball pasta soup in ages. Perry was eating a meatball and sausage sandwich for lunch yesterday which caused me to want a polish and fries for lunch. Jon and I took care of that craving.

I know in the dim reaches of the past, you had to eat hearty at this time of year because, long about March, you were lean from not having the abundance of food at your finger tips that you had as fall was in full swing. But I think there's more to it than just a remnant of my ancestors. These foods improve my mood and make me feel snug and warm. I have two meals of beans and sausage and then, on Friday, I can cook something else or wait until the weekend and really go to town. The cooking process makes the whole house smell wonderful, too, and if you're going to finally close up the house for the winter, you want it to smell like something other than an antiseptically clean bathroom.

So I need to finish clearing the cupboards and then put everything back so I can begin the process of never having any counter space because I was cooking. Oh look! Here's another bag of semi-sweet morsels. I haven't made dump cookies in ages...

Beverage: Blackberry Sage tea

Deb