After all the excitement on Friday, things calmed down THANK GOD, though I didn’t really get much done the rest of the day. I ran to get my groceries (didn’t go to Wal-Mart, because after 10 that place is a nightmare, so I went to Publix instead), ate lunch, and then lay on the couch and watched Grey’s Anatomy.
WARNING: GREY’S ANATOMY SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH. SKIP TO THE NEXT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE SEASON PREMIERE. I don’t get what the big deal was about whether or not to donate George’s organs. George is dead, donate the goddamn things! Also, McSteamy cracked me up when he asked if George was hung, because George was a “dorky little dude” all the hot women were atwitter over. Also also, I can’t stand Izzy and wish she’d been the one to die YES I SAID IT.
It rained all day Friday. I’m trying not to complain about the rain because at least we’re not getting it as bad as Atlanta, and we didn’t get it as bad as we did in the Spring, and I know there were several times over the summer when we were wishing for rain. But DAMN it was making it hard to get laundry done. I kept putting off doing laundry, because I was hoping for a rainy day, and then Fred would say “Um, are you ever going to wash clothes again?” and I’d have to do a quick load of laundry so he wouldn’t have to go to work naked the next day, and use the dryer, which I hate to do.
Finally, on Saturday I gave up and did all the laundry in the house, and guess what? Sunday it was sunny as could be.
Mother Nature, you damn trickster.
Fred processed nine roosters Saturday morning, racing the rain, and managed to get them done, cleaned, and in the fridge about 20 minutes before it started raining like hell. We went out to do errands, and ended up going into Madison to visit the bookstore so Fred could buy some books he wanted (hey, if we had a Kindle, he could have just downloaded them without leaving the house!), we went over to Publix to buy Chrysanthemums for the front porch (Chrissie-anthemums! Anyone else remember that episode of Three’s Company?), then we picked up Chinese food for lunch and spent the rest of the day at home.
I figured Fred would be all antsy and pacing because he’s not usually a sit-and-relax kinda guy, but he actually spent most of the afternoon reading on the couch and petting kittens.
At one point Saturday, when he looked at my desk, which was loaded down with kittens, Fred said “I sure do love having all these kittens around. I think we could have fifty of them running around, and I’d be happy. I’d like to be like Scrooge McDuck, only instead of laying in a bed of money, I’d be laying in a bed of kittens.”
Which is when I told him that I’d answered the eternal question: How many cats have to be in residence before the house smells like litter box all the time? (Answer: 21, apparently.) He says it’s not that bad, but it seems like more often than not when I’m near the laundry room, there’s been recent usage of one of the litter boxes.
We must have cats with the healthiest and most active bowels on earth, I’m telling you.
After all those days and days of overcast, rainy days, Sunday dawned bright and sunny and BOY was it nice. We had to run to Lowe’s so I could buy some potting soil to repot the Chrysanthemums (Chrissie-anthemums!). While we were there Fred talked to the manager about the fact that the riding lawnmower that was delivered on Friday was incredibly difficult to steer. The manager told him to double-check and see if the cruise control (!) was engaged or something else would be going on that would impede steering, and if he was still having the problem, to call the store and they’d swap it out.
While I repotted my Chrysanthemums (Chrissie-anthemums!) and discovered that I hadn’t bought enough potting soil (damnit), Fred double-checked the riding lawnmower, found that it really was the lawnmower and not user error, and called the store. They had a new lawnmower out to the house by 11, and Fred spent the next few hours mowing the lawn while I puttered around the house and did laundry, cleaned, vacuumed. The usual fun stuff.
It was a good weekend but, as usual, went by far too quickly. I always feel like there’s a long list of stuff I need to do that just never gets done. Not enough hours in the day, you know?
I don’t know how on earth you people with actual jobs ever get anything done!
Lately, it’s been about the dip around here and I’m not talking about Fred HAR HAR HAR.
When I was in Publix on Friday, I tasted some of their imitation crab dip (I don’t remember the name of the stuff for certain, but I believe it might have been “Kajun Krab Dip” or something along those lines. I know they spelled it “krab”). That got me in the mood for some sort of dip, so I looked at the dips and spreads they had in their seafood section. I ended up buying a small container of lobster dip. Since it cost $2.99, likely the closest lobster got to it was when the guy who made it thought of lobster while he mixed it up, but it tasted like lobster to me, so I was happy. Then on Saturday, I made Hot Artichoke and Garlic Dip, and it was good. It was a little salty for our tastes, until I realized that it wasn’t the dip that was so salty, but rather the crackers we were eating it on. When I switched to pita chips, it became perfect. (Also, it’s just as good cold as it is hot!)
Fred thinks it would be good with a package of chopped spinach mixed in.
I’m in the mood for more dips and spreads – what’ve you got for me? Please, nothing with peppers or pimentos (the mere existence of pimentos offends me), and nothing too complicated.
Share your favorite dip/ spread recipe with me!
Those Wonka kids are doing just fine. They seem to be losing interest in the bottle on their own and have all started showing some interest in baby food. My next step, I suppose, will be to mix the baby food with canned kitten food and transition them over to that. I put out a bowl of water and a small dish of Babycat on Sunday, and I’ll be damned if they didn’t all four at least give it a try. We’re still supplementing with the bottle, to get some fluid into them, and judging by the litter box, they’re getting enough food and fluid in. I weighed them this morning, and they’re all solidly over a pound (they gained from 1 1/2 ounces to 4 ounces since I weighed them on… Tuesday, I think?), running around with big bright eyes and play-fighting. They are killing me with the cute, I’m telling you.
We’re currently letting them out into the guest bedroom to run around during the day. The cage is still in there, and they seem to all understand where the litter box is. When they get tired, the boys always return to the cage to sleep (the girls tend to flop down on the condo or on the bed across the room). At night we put them in their cage and lock them in, and they don’t seem to mind. When they’re a little bigger, I guess we’ll just allow them full access to the room all the time. Right now they’re still little enough that they get lost in the corners of the room (“Oh WOE, I am lost, someone please save me!”), so we’ll keep them locked up at night.
Violet, Gus, and my knee (and foot).
“So, I’m WALKING ALONG, minding my own BUSINESS, and suddenly there’s this cage door! NOW what the heck am I supposed to do?!”
Gus requires a post-meal massage.
Even this little, they see a closed door and they’re determined to be on the other side of it.
Look who climbed up onto the condo all by her little tiny self! It’s Violet!
Mike followed, and she bit him on the butt for his trouble.
THERE’S A MONSTER IN THE BOX! STAND BACK! BILL WILL SAVE YOU!
First, Bill identifies the monster as being monstrous. “Yes, that is a monster. And it is in the box.”
Second, Bill names the monster. “That is a monster of the mean and bitey genre. Must be a Hoyt monster.”
Bill decides his strategy. “Stop flailing at me, mean and bitey monster. I am thinking here.”
Bill approaches the issue from another angle. “Ah, yes. The mean and bitey monster looks completely different from here!”
Bill taunts the monster. “Can’t get me now, CAN you?!”
And then Bill runs off because he thinks someone was maybe considering that it might possibly, in the next six hours or so, be snack time, and he doesn’t want to miss that.
When I see pictures of Stinkerbelle from two years ago…
And then from now…
It’s hard to believe she’s the same cat, isn’t it? She got so dark!
(Still gorgeous, though.)
Previously
2008: No entry.
2007: I do not know, honest to god, how men walk around with those things.
2006: YOU’RE WELCOME.
2005: Phear my l33t fotograffic skillz.
2004: Dear Stephen King: Stop defending what you did, and just write the goddamn story.
2003: Meet Gizmo.
2002: No entry.
2001: No entry.
2000: No entry.
I LOVE that picture of Violet and the door. I don’t know why but it just makes me smile. It really is true, no closed door shall go unchallenged.
Deck guys are here a-sawing and a-hammering. It rained here in Indy like crazy on Friday also. Just never stopped raining. Of course we decided to put the deck in at the end of September because it is usually dry. Man (or woman) plans, God laughs….
I’m only at 20, thankfully most are kittens. I’m in love with Feline Pine, I really think it helps with the smell.
As for dip, everyone I know loves this stuff & I’m asked to bring it to every party or gathering. I could be because I can’t cook and this is one of the few edible things I make.
Chicken Dip
2 packages of cream cheese
2 cans of chicken
wing sauce or hot sauce
blue cheese dressing
shredded cheddar cheese
drain and shred up the chicken & mash it with the cream cheese. Then mix in some hot sauce to taste and enough blue cheese dressing so it’t not too mushy. Spread it in a casserole dish and top w/ cheddar. Bake it on 350 for 15 min or to whenever the edges are slightly brown & cheese is melted. Serve w/ scoops chips. I have also been desperate enough to eat it with crackers which is good and I’ve also made it into a pizza.
Chele… this is my families favorite!!!
Robin, this Buffalo Chicken Dip is AWESOME!!
I usually use 1 cup ranch, 3/4 cups hot sauce and just eyeball the cheese. (thie good news is you can add more or less hot sauce depending on how much heat you like.)
I am usually taking it somewhere, so I melt and mix it altogether on the stove, then transfer it to a crock pot so it can stay warm at my destination. And the best crackers to eat it with are the Chicken N Biscuit ones.
OH I must try Chicken Biscuit crackers, sounds yummy. Never tried ranch, will have to try that. I’ve found wing sauce has a much better spicy but not hot taste. Thanks for the measurements.
SAUSAGE DIP
1 package sausage (the roll kind or the square package of “bass” sausage)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 package cream cheese
Prehead oven to 350°F.
Brown sausage in skillet, drain. In a clean skillet, place drained sausage back into pan with tomatoes and cream cheese. Mix until well blended together.
Place in a baking dish in oven for 20-25 minutes or you can do it in one of the small crockpots.
Serve with Tostito’s Scoops.
Ive heard that you can do this with ground beef too, but I prefer the sausage.
I like this with Velveeta also. Yummy.
I make mine very meaty with ground beef and sausage.
My in-laws make this wonderful Cheesy Goo:
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 8-oz bar of cheddar cheese, grated (or a 2-cup bag of grated cheese)
dash of worcestershire sauce, some red pepper, maybe some parsley
Mix that up real good and serve it on those Town House crackers with the troughs, or on Triscuits. Yummm.
My sister’s name is Kristi Ann, she has 3 kids. I’m a goober, I call her “Kris-ann-the-mum”.
I am not a fan of peppers either-they repeat horribly and I don’t enjoy the flavor to begin with. Many times I wanted to order a special until I read that awful ingredient. They are expensive too-my sister bought 2 vadalia onions and a bag of pre packaged peppers(the cheapest option) and it was 8 bucks last week. Food costs are really high here. I love artichokes and could live on them and on dip too. I will look for that prepackaged mix and copy these cool recipies. Great question, Robyn.
Kitten cuteness overload! Your witty captions really make it fun! Keep them comming Please! Nice way to start the day! (I’ve been up a while but got interupted by the phone-not that lazy yet).
IE-previous entrys/Stephen King. I finally picked up on the Dark Tower Series-I’m half way through Wolves Of The Calla and I find Calla words popping into my brain at odd moments. I think Stephen King is so brilliant creating new worlds and “languages”. I am not crazy about the illustrations either.
Robyn, do you and Fred like hummus? It’s pretty easy to make in a food processor, and actually healthy, too. Also, tastier and way cheaper than buying it pre-made. We love it – here’s an oil-free version that tastes great.
2 cans chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
garlic cloves, minced (I love garlic, so I use a lot)
about two or three tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste – you can buy it in most stores)
juice of half a lemon
a few dashes of cumin
salt
enough water to make it a “dippy” consistency
Put it all in a food processor and whir it around until it’s a dip. Add the water slowly as the mixture blends to get the right consistency. You can also add kalamata olives if you like that flavor.
Easy-Peasy and not bad for you, either!
Knorr Spinach Dip
http://www.letsmakeknorr.com/Recipes/6200/1/Knorr-Spinach-Dip.aspx
I love this with Pepperidge Farm party breads: http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=756&prdID=11781
But it’s also good with pita chips, various kinds of crackers, or tortilla chips.
I know you said no peppers, but I like cream cheese and Pick-a-peppa sauce.
Yummy. Slightly sweet, not hot at all.
I found a humorous piece on a joke website, just thought you and all cat/dog lovers would enjoy it. Here’s the link:
Pet Diaries: http://www.joke-of-the-day.com/jokes/pet-diaries-dog-vs-cat
Here is a sweet dip for fall and the holidays.
4 C powdered sugar
30 oz canned pumpkin
2 (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
(or you can use 2-3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice to your liking!)
Let cream cheese sit out and soften then blend all the ingredients together.
Store in refrigerator with tight lid.
Serve with Ginger Snaps, Graham Crackers, Vanilla Wafers etc..
And my fav veggie/cracker dip ever.
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Hellman’s Mayo (must be this brand or Best Brand)
1 tbsp. dill weed
1 tsp. Accent
1 tsp. minced onion
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Ready to eat immediately, but tastes best after setting about an hour to let spices mingle.
Dump a bunch of shredded cheese in a non-stick soup pot. Pour over a can of chilli. Heat on medium until the cheese is melted.
Nothing easier or more popular, especially with your favorite tortilla chips.
I don’t know if you like anchovies and garlic, but if you do, I cannot say enough about Nigella Lawson’s bagna cauda recipe. I don’t have it to hand, but from memory, you mince 15 anchovy filets and 8 garlic cloves, and cook in a quarter cup of olive oil until the anchovies melt (yes they do) and everything is all gorgeous. I know it sounds way over-the-top, but it’s delicious. (I believe Nigella’s recipe also calls for butter, but the authentic way has only anchovies, garlic, and oil – I am told.)
My mom uses the Knorr recipe that Katy linked to. It’s really good, but I like this one too – http://myprettypurse.blogspot.com/2008/10/spinach-dip.html. I think the original recipe had artichokes in it.
I can’t remember where I came up with this recipe, maybe recipezaar, but I tweaked it.
Baked Mexican Dip
Layer in a cake pan in the following order (from the bottom up):
1 pkg cream cheese
1 can refried beans (can be plain, black bean or with chiles)
about 1 c of salsa (your desired heat level- enough to cover beans)
3-4 chopped green onions
1/4-1/2 c sliced, pitted kalamata olives (if desired, can be left out, makes it quite salty)
cheddar cheese (1-2 cups)
Bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour or until bubbly and brown. Eat with tortilla chips. Leftovers make good burrito stuffing if you add chicken, beef and some veggies in there.
THANK GOD I’m not the only one who can’t stand Izzy. I want Georgie back!
The dill dip that Special K posted is my absolute favorite in the whole world; it’s so easy, and so good, and it tastes fabulous on a potato chip.
Also? I may need to develop an excuse to come to Alabama, and ste– ahem, adopt a Violet. OMG, I am dying of the sweet cute.
My husband makes this yummy dip-if you like Reuben’s-it is great!
Reuben Spread
1/2 lb corned beef, shredded or chopped
16 oz. can sauerkraut, well drained
1-2 cups of shredded Swiss Cheese
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
snack rye bread
Thousand Island dressing, optional
Combine all ingredients, (except bread and Thousand Island Dressing) in a slow cooker, mix well. Cover and cook on High 1-2 hours until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Turn to low and keep warm in cooker while serving. Serve with rye bread and top individual servings with Thousand Island, if desired.
I don’t like rye bread, so we slice up a baguette, spread with a mixture of butter and garlic powder, and toast in the oven. So good! This is not healthy obviously, and they don’t recommend going lowfat with the recipe. We like to serve this on New Years Eve.
This sounds fantastic. I bet it would be good with chunks of pumpernickel bread like that popular spinach dip.
this buffalo chicken dip is awesome.
1 12 oz canned chicken, drained
3/4 cup hot sauce
3/4 cup ranch dressing
1 8oz package cream cheese
drain chicken and break up, add hot sauce and let sit for about an hour, then add ranch dressing and cream cheese. bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and serve with pita chips, tortilla chips or crackers. Its good hot and cold.
Excellent dip for chips:
1 pint mayo
12 oz cottage cheese
12 oz sour cream
1 pkg ranch dressing
Combine all. Refrigerate overnight for best taste.
I had cottage cheese, and I love this dip, you can’t tell there is cottage cheese in it.
However, it makes a ton so I only make it when I have a potluck to go to and can send some of it to work w/my husband, who has lots of co-workers.