Monthly Archives: December 2005
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Recipe of the Week
December 29, 2005 – 8:14 pm
Andy bought these amazing pears at Harry and David last week and we have shared them with our families, but we still have them coming out of our ears. (I just got some comment over my shoulder about not having that many pears, but I had to exaggerate a bit so you would understand that we still have an entire box full!) I searched for a salad recipe that would include pears, but could only find a Waldorf Salad recipe, so I used an apple-nut-salad from www.cooks.com . I wound up using apples instead of my original plan to use the fantastic pears (since they are just a bit too ripe for a salad now), and no regrets, people. This is one of the best salads I have ever eaten three nights in a row… Run to your grocery and buy some lettuce, make a salad. This one…
| APPLE – NUT – CHEESE GREEN SALAD | |
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1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. minced onion 1/3 c. red wine vinegar 1 c. salad oil 1 1/2 tbsp. poppy seeds SALAD:
Mixed crisp salad greens (spinach, leaf, and Iceberg is a good combination)
Crisp apple cubes Cashew nuts Cubes of cheese (Havarti, Muenster, Mozzarella, or Swiss) Dressing:
In blender or food processor, combine sugar, mustard, salt, onion, and vinegar; blend thoroughly. Add salad oil and poppy seeds and mix slightly. Chill. Salad: Combine salad greens, apple cubes, nuts, and cheese cubes in large bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately. Note: |
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** I substituted light virgin olive oil for the salad oil and used a mixture of baby spinach leaves, iceberg salad and red leaf lettuce as well as the Muenster cheese option. Happy taste buds I tell you!
Google Game
December 28, 2005 – 7:43 pm
Not a whole lot going on around here and I saw this game on someone else’s blog. I peruse blogs every once in awhile to combat pure internet surfing blues. Yep, that bored.
So, all you have to do is Google your name and the word "needs" (I typed in "Susie needs" in the search box) and this is what I got… it is frightening how much these random needs apply to me.
"Susie needs…"
1. Susie needs to go to cake school.
My cakes stink as do the cookies I baked today. They were flat as pancakes and turned out gross, gross, gross (ask Andy!)
2. Susie needs Katy as her sole corroborating witness to her emotional distress.
I don’t know who Katy is, but there is a smidgen of emotional distress going on occasionally…
3. Susie needs the Love Bus.
Not to be confused with the love-bug.
4. Susie needs to think through her constructs of parent involvement.
Yep, probably so.
5. Susie needs a light weight manual wheelchair because she can’t walk.
Currently, I have photographer’s knee from landing wrong three days ago trying to capture Ashleigh on the move (Andy doesn’t believe me that I bruised up the corner of my knee from being a wanna-be photographer)
6. SUSIE NEEDS INFORMATION.
Always.
7. Susie Sock is Sad. Susie needs YOUR help.
My socks are always losing their pairs… can you help us out?
8. Susie needs to learn that baking doesn’t always have to include baking yourself.
I think I am going to bake the Betty Crocker way for now on, straight out of the refrigerated section…
9. Susie needs to make all her long distance calls at night or use a calling card.
I just got the fifth degree about talking too much on our cell phone.
10. Susie needs an assistant secretary in case she is sick.
And you already know that I can’t call in sick.
Happy 53rd Birthday, Dad!
December 26, 2005 – 9:03 am
Hope your birthday is wonderful and filled with sunshine… and no stress! Love you much!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
December 25, 2005 – 7:14 am
From our little family to yours, Merry Christmas.
Blog Games
December 24, 2005 – 7:40 am
I’ve been Holiday Tagged…
thanks Maureen 
Hot Chocolate or Egg nog.
Hot chocolate… but not the fake bagged stuff, has to be made from Hershey’s Cocoa, yum.
Does Santa wrap the presents or just set them under the tree.
Everything wrapped up, including the stocking stuffers. Andy can’t figure out this weird Benfield tradition.
Colored or white lights on the tree/house?
All white, now. I had this great idea to buy purple mini-lights and wouldn’t you know, they looked hot pink on the tree.
Do you hang mistletoe?
nope
When do you decorate?
Anytime after December 1st.
What is your favorite holiday dish?
My dad’s fudge. Never mind that it’s a dessert. I look forward to it the most during the holidays.
Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Waiting in anticipation for Nana and Uncle Geno to arrive at our house and my mom to get the dishes cleaned so we could open the presents! We always opened presents on Christmas Eve night.
How and when did you learn the truth about Santa?
Third grade. I recognized my mom’s handwriting on the package. I think I may have been clued in earlier, though.
Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
Yep. All of them.
What kind of cookies do you set out for Santa on Christmas Eve?
We never have set any cookies out. Perhaps we’ll begin doing that next year.
Snow! Love it or hate it?
Being from Southern California, I love it. I have only experienced the magic of snow a few times, and NEVER on Christmas. I imagine with Andy being in the Air Force, we will at some point
Can you ice skate?
Sorta. I rollerblade really well and have rarely fallen on the ice. But, my brother is like a pro ice hockey player and may argue that I stink at ice skating.
Do you remember your favorite gift?
Not to disappoint my mom and dad, but it was not the Teddy Ruxpin doll.
Actually, my best present was a surprise given to me right before my sister was born. My parents purchased a brand new bedroom furniture set in my new pink room (I was eleven). They had the neighbors finagle it in while I was out with my mom.
What’s your favorite holiday dessert?
Totally answered this already.
What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Sending out and receiving Christmas cards.
What is your favorite Christmas Carol?
O, Come All Ye Faithful
Are they fake or real? Er, I mean…What type of tree?
Always real.
I tag Rachel now (Andy’s sweet cousin since she is on vacation and bored, bored, bored…)
Merry Christmas everyone!
ten-fifty-two
December 23, 2005 – 11:05 pm
10:52.
The time the clock read tonight when I finished getting ready for Christmas.
All done Christmas cards.
All done shopping, wrapping, addressing and retaping labels on the presents (Ashleigh is extremely fond of tearing those guys off).
All done being creative with homemade gifts.
All done being disappointed in myself about the ideas I had in my head for creative gifts that never came to fruition.
All done worrying about my dad’s gifts not arriving on time. (Because they arrived today!)
All done getting ready for Christmas.
It is time to celebrate. I am ready to celebrate Jesus. Ready to enjoy Christmas. With my little family, my extended family, my inherited family.
I love Christmas.
And I am not going to worry about the bad lighting in living rooms because Andy said I would just be plain silly to bring in my own foam board to reflect light for pictures. But wouldn’t it just be a little bit humorous?
Waves, Candy Canes and Wild Animals
December 22, 2005 – 11:29 pm
San Diego is the happening place, let me tell you…
Waves that are GIANT- like 15-20 foot waves are befalling the Southern California coastlines. We are so stinkin’ lucky to live here and be able to jump in the car (after thirty minutes of getting everybody ready, of course), drive less than a half-hour and see Mother Nature hard at work. Wow.
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Our city also has a light display that is amazing… it is known as Candy Cane Court. Three neighborhoods are connected with candy canes and lights and Santas and lights and Snowmen in blow-up snowglobes and lights… I really don’t have words to express how magical Christmas lights on houses are. Even more wondrous than that is my Sarah so EXCITED to see the Christmas lights.
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The Wild Animal Park happens to be about a twenty minute ride for us and today, we took advantage of good weather and annual passes to go see, what else? The giraffes.
Come visit San Diego. Despite corrupt mayors, the city’s financial crisis and a certain Congressman accepting bribes, San Diego rocks because it has a unique environment with many family friendly activities. I have heard this place referred to as "one of the most desirable places to live." I’m living it. I’m so lucky. So come visit. We’ll leave the light on for you.
Poor New Yorkers
December 20, 2005 – 2:06 pm
Haven’t New Yorkers been through enough in the past five years? Now they have to walk across bridges, rollerbalde, bicycle, share cabs and pick-up vans to get to work?
I just have a heart for this city, not that I will ever willingly live there now that I am a mama, but people do it and I am impressed to say the least. Here’s to the 7 million people scrambling to get to and fro the city.
Makes sitting in traffic on the 405 a little more bearable.
photo courtesy Yahoo! News (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Bad Day
December 18, 2005 – 1:25 pm
It sure is a bad day to be an Indianapolis Colts fan.
And a great day to be a San Diegan.
Hee. Hee.