Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[easyas123]

@easyas123 Will you share the peppermint cake recipe, please? Peppermint is my favorite!

Ok...since you asked, here is the recipe I plan on using:

I saw peppermint icing at the store not to long ago - maybe it was Target? Or Food Lion? Anyway - I grabbed it. Can't recall off the top of my head if it's Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines - it's one of the two though.
Step 2 - add one of the chocolate cake mixes to my next shopping list. If I'm lucky I'll remember to pick up some chocolate chips or chunks - and if I'm feeling very fancy, maybe some peppermint chips.
Part C - fuss over if it's worth it to make the cake in the Bundt pan or two round ones. Decide to go with the bundt because you probably should have bought two tubs of the peppermint icing to have enough for the round pans/2 or 4 layer cake. Hope you have enough of the baking spray w/ flour leftover in the pantry to enable you to pry finished cake from bundt pan.
Step 5 make cake as per box directions, stir in extra chips, or maybe wait until cake starts to bake to put them in so they don't all sink to bottom (top?) of pan. Try to figure out if you should use a extra egg, cause our chickens lay small eggs...
While it's baking, put on LOTR The Two Towers because there is nothing else on.
Switch laundry.
Get out step stool and find the cake container. Look at it and judge how much dust is on it and if it warrants a washing. Remember why you hate using it because it's a pain to clean and doesn't fit in dishwasher. Decide to use it anyway. It's Christmas darn it, time to make a bit of a effort!
Rinse off dome of cake container.
Get cake out of pan, let cool. Transfer to cake container stand w/o breaking the cake. Look at it. Decide it you are going to heat up the icing a bit to pour over top or just try to pipe it on? Remember you tossed decorating bag because it had a hole. Go with zapping icing in microwave till warm and smooth. Pour/Drizzle over cake. Maybe toss some peppermint or chocolate chips on top? Stand back and admire - then contemplate if the cake would have been better if you had make it a chocolate rum cake. Ruminate on that, briefly consider making rum balls or more rum cakes. Decide to keep rum for yourself, then decide to have a fire outside with hot buttered rum later that evening. Try to decide if the heavy winter bootie socks you have on will fit in your rubber boots when you do go out to the fire, or will you need to change your socks to something thinner? Then remember the bottle of Gluwein in pantry and maybe you'll heat that up and have it instead of the hot buttered rum?
Last step - after 5 days start to ignore the last 1/3 of the cake that remains uneaten. Not because you think someone will finish it off - they won't. You just don't want to wash the awkward cake container.

Obviously, I'm not a fabulous baker! I use boxed cake mixes almost exclusively! Works with cupcakes, layer cakes, or loaf pan cakes.

 

[easyas123]

@easyas123 Will you share the peppermint cake recipe, please? Peppermint is my favorite!

In all seriousness....a few years ago I found a peppermint chocolate cake mix at Harry & Davids. Youngest loves chocolate anything, and peppermint. So I made it but as it was cooling on counter it became a 'attractive nuisance' and a great dane who had - up until that point - proved himself not to be a counter surfer decided he had to have that cake. Had to have it, and he did enjoy it very much. And I have never, ever found that H & D peppermint cake mix again. Haven't even looked in recent years...I should look.

 

[Shellsbutt]

We found a company that makes mixed meat burgers, and I have to say, they are the best burgers I've had in a long time! Found the brisket/chuck/short rib OG burgers in the meat section at Publix last month. They were so juicy and flavorful! They've been out of stock since; they come in and are gone within a day! I need to get my timing better, lol.

https://eatmeatdistrict.com/
We haven't tried anything else from them, but those burgers.......

Thanks for the suggestion! We don't have Publix here ( I live in CA) but I looked them up and they seem to be carried in Safeway. I will look for them next time I go.

 

[Shellsbutt]

Good morning, and QUACK!

@lynxstch , you are in charge of reminding us to look for the star.

Maybe they have a fish pond. We are not far from the head of the Chesapeake Bay. A neighbor has a fish pond they had to put a net over after heron kept eating the fish which traumatized the kids.

We also have lots of geese overhead these days. I was pointing them our to DGD and explaining the V. After the third flock went over she was like "Grandmom, I've seen enough." DS has peacock near him near Annapolis but I have never seen them.

We are going to drive over to the Conowingo dam today and look for eagles. They are supposed to peak in numbers near Thanksgiving.

Well, they do have a pool, not sure about a pond but that is a good point! I have heard about people protecting their koi ponds from predators. We have a pool too and in the spring we seem to get alot of ducks that want to hang out there, lol. I have to chase them off unfortunately because they like to poop in the pool. The peacocks make a lot of noise and I know my neighbor has complained in the past about him. Hmm Have a good trip.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I have started sketching out some meals in my head, I'm a list maker so soon it'll get transferred to paper! The problem is we've developed several 'traditional' meals and frankly, without a bigger crowd to feed at several different functions this year I'm torn. I want to make them, but it's just to much.
Right now I'm wrestling w/ Christmas Eve and our version of Feast of Seven Fishes. If it's just going to be the 2 of us, well - it's hard to justify cooking all that knowing the next day is another big meal (duck, always on Christmas Day. And 9000 calories worth of cinnamon rolls!)and not given to the leftovers from the day before. I'm trying to pare down things in order to shoe-horn it all in! Someone is going to have to roll me into next year at the end of December because I'll be stuffed! I'm going to have to cut a few things out I think is all. But not the fondue night. Or seafood mac & cheese. Or peppermint cake, or crab dip & smelt, or the black pudding or cinnamon rolls or all the extra high calorie cocktails and drinks...those stay! 🍽

Dinner this evening will be beef burgers for youngest & husband. I'm full from reading the above! Ha...Actually I can't eat to much beef burger so I'll have a frozen turkey burger if I'm hungry. I had lunch late, around 2ish so I might be able to parlay that into no dinner. Youngest has 2 or maybe 3 more dinners with us before he moves to his apartment outside of DC. He had his orders rescinded and then been placed in another position (this one) back in October and broken up with his girlfriend in early November, plus he came back to work for us which isn't his life dream AT ALL, and I know he is just ready to get started on this new assignment, which should be about a year long. I suspect we will see him almost as much as he plans on being home most weekends this winter, plus he will be home for Christmas. And he's really only a little over a hour away. So I'm glad he's finally getting ready to start down this newest path.

Eldest, nephew & two other coworkers were able to get their tests today, 24-48 hours till results are back. Original sick employee still waiting for results, although his fever is gone and he is feeling much better. His teenage son - who had same symptoms, had his test come back positive. In true teenage boy fashion he is bounced back and feeling 100% again already! His wife tested negative, w/ NO symptoms! And they drove from the east coast to LA and back together so they were all in a car sharing air all that time! It's amazing who gets it and who doesn't. So, at least he is feeling better. Wasn't to happy when I told him he was out for 7 more days if he had a positive test though-

Chilly & overcast here in my part of MD today. I've got to head on in to the UPS store in a few minutes to drop off some items that we shipped after the UPS guy had already been to the office. Then I'm heading home to clean out the fridge of all the rest of the leftovers everyone has been ignoring for last 2 days. I'm so tired, it's been a long day.

I so hear you! Most of my freezer goods are portioned for 3-4 people and since we may only be two it does make it harder. Yeah to a lighter meal before “The Main Event”. We do a fish only meal on CE and NYE as well. Im veering towards an appetizer assortment for CE this year but the idea of a seafood stew entered my thoughts for a time. Rachel Ray makes a really good boullanaise type stew that shines and it’s much faster to make called fool-ya-baise; easy to incorporate more fish/seafood than recipe states.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Just got home from “school” and I’m already back outside - the cats met me at door for walks.

The kids had a blast doing science today. I received a package that was shipped cold, so there was a piece of dry ice in it. We did a couple of different experiments, and they loved watching it bubble and steam!

(I think they even forgave me for making them write about it afterwards. )

 

[flyingdumbo127]

What a cool sounding experiment, PollyannaMom! I love the bigger chickies too

I'm not much of a strong mint person, I used to love Thrifty's mint and chip ice cream because the chips were flecks and the ice cream was green. Peppermint ice cream has to be pink. The cake recipe, especially with extra chips, sure sounds tasty Easyas123.

Dad and I always try to have seasonal pictures to brighten up our tiny dining space. We always need one smaller and one longer (like a banner) to cover up a patch of wall that has spots were paint was pulled off. I'll try to post a picture later of our small Winter sign that we're working on.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Wow, I'm so jealous, this sounds delicious! I've heard of Katz Deli and Zabar's but never been to NYC before. You are very lucky to live so close to these spots, must be great. Nothing like that out here in the suburbs, enjoy!

Places like the aforementioned are part of what ”forces” me to continue to live here

good morning from YUma, AZ...and yes...it is 3:00 am....was a vendor at farmers market Wednesday....lots of dust blowing around,....had to come in and wash out my one eye that does not blink....and listen to some sad music so I could tear up and clean out the eye. "Come in" I guess sleeping outside does not help, but addicted to that cool night air

....so is Russell Crowe or Glenn Ford at the station?

@flyingdumbo127 ---



I just read this..marking my calendar to look for it--


‘Christmas Star’ to light up December sky for first time in 800 years

Posted: Dec 2, 2020 / 07:52 PM EST / Updated: Dec 2, 2020 / 07:52 PM EST

(WJW) — On Dec. 21, humans can witness something not seen in nearly 800 years.
That’s right, during the upcoming winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn will line up to create what is known as the “Christmas Star” or “Star of Bethlehem.”
NASA discovers water on the sunlit surface of Moon
These two planets haven’t appeared this (relatively) close together from Earth’s vantage point since the Middle Ages.
“Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another,” Patrick Hartigan, astronomer at Rice University, told Forbes. “You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.”
Stargazers in the northern hemisphere should turn their heads and telescopes to the southwest portion of the sky about 45 minutes after sunset to see the planets align Dec. 21. However, reportedly sightings can be seen throughout that entire week.
According to Forbes, a star-sighting of this magnitude won’t occur again until 2080.

I’m so in and only wish some of the local night lights could be turned off!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Ok...since you asked, here is the recipe I plan on using:

I saw peppermint icing at the store not to long ago - maybe it was Target? Or Food Lion? Anyway - I grabbed it. Can't recall off the top of my head if it's Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines - it's one of the two though.
Step 2 - add one of the chocolate cake mixes to my next shopping list. If I'm lucky I'll remember to pick up some chocolate chips or chunks - and if I'm feeling very fancy, maybe some peppermint chips.
Part C - fuss over if it's worth it to make the cake in the Bundt pan or two round ones. Decide to go with the bundt because you probably should have bought two tubs of the peppermint icing to have enough for the round pans/2 or 4 layer cake. Hope you have enough of the baking spray w/ flour leftover in the pantry to enable you to pry finished cake from bundt pan.
Step 5 make cake as per box directions, stir in extra chips, or maybe wait until cake starts to bake to put them in so they don't all sink to bottom (top?) of pan. Try to figure out if you should use a extra egg, cause our chickens lay small eggs...
While it's baking, put on LOTR The Two Towers because there is nothing else on.
Switch laundry.
Get out step stool and find the cake container. Look at it and judge how much dust is on it and if it warrants a washing. Remember why you hate using it because it's a pain to clean and doesn't fit in dishwasher. Decide to use it anyway. It's Christmas darn it, time to make a bit of a effort!
Rinse off dome of cake container.
Get cake out of pan, let cool. Transfer to cake container stand w/o breaking the cake. Look at it. Decide it you are going to heat up the icing a bit to pour over top or just try to pipe it on? Remember you tossed decorating bag because it had a hole. Go with zapping icing in microwave till warm and smooth. Pour/Drizzle over cake. Maybe toss some peppermint or chocolate chips on top? Stand back and admire - then contemplate if the cake would have been better if you had make it a chocolate rum cake. Ruminate on that, briefly consider making rum balls or more rum cakes. Decide to keep rum for yourself, then decide to have a fire outside with hot buttered rum later that evening. Try to decide if the heavy winter bootie socks you have on will fit in your rubber boots when you do go out to the fire, or will you need to change your socks to something thinner? Then remember the bottle of Gluwein in pantry and maybe you'll heat that up and have it instead of the hot buttered rum?
Last step - after 5 days start to ignore the last 1/3 of the cake that remains uneaten. Not because you think someone will finish it off - they won't. You just don't want to wash the awkward cake container.

Obviously, I'm not a fabulous baker! I use boxed cake mixes almost exclusively! Works with cupcakes, layer cakes, or loaf pan cakes.

Thank you!! My DH will love this, haha!!

ETA When we’ve done peppermint in the past, we always crush up some candy canes for the top, and you can also add some chocolate-peppermint cookiesif you want to, too!

Found one DD had done on my Instagram. I think here we put peppermint extract in the frosting.



(Sorry, I was in the midst of an eye exam and can’t even see! Lol)

 

[easyas123]

seafood stew

We usually have a turtle soup over the holidays, but we were gifted some oysters over Thanksgiving and as the boys & my husband were shucking and eating them they started going on about some oyster stew they had eaten at a off the beaten path type place down on Hoopers Island - and that one of them should drive down and get see if they could buy a quart or two. I won't lie, I'm kinda hoping they get the stew because making the soup can be time consuming.

I just placed a Instacart order. I simply placed my order, noted in delivery instructions to place groceries in my car, that the back of my car would be open and that it was parked by front door of office and BOOM! I've got groceries in my car. It's just so incredibly convenient -

I've been listening to our local news-talk station out of Baltimore as I usually do and they briefly discussed something - snow days. Now up until Covid and distance learning becoming a thing, kids in many places in Maryland could at least count on the chance of a snow day, if not a actual snow day or three during the school year. Well now they are working on implementing distance learning for snow days (once school is back). How sad to think of the end of snow days. Remember watching the crawl at the bottom of the TV or listening to the local radio station to periodically announce school closures and hoping your school was named?!?! That bums me out - guess we potentially are seeing the end of a classic childhood fun that transcends generations. Of course, I guess teachers could be feeling the same way - they will no longer have a school day and will have to go home prepared to teach from home.

I put a roast in the crock pot this morning, and will roast some potatoes and make a spinach salad for dinner. Tomorrow night I'm making tacos, youngest will be home and eldest will be home, so assuming eldest gets his test results back and they are negative we will have tacos and play mexican train game. Should be fun -haven't played that in a while.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

@easyas123, OMG, your recipe cracked me up. I have a chocolate mint brownie recipe if anyone wants it.

Here is my recipe for turkey burgers.
Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lean chicken (I use turkey instead)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (I omit)
• 1 teaspoon tarragon
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 ounces crumbed non or low-fat feta cheese (This is about 1/3 cup)
• 1 large handful spinach, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Olive oil (for frying)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients except for the olive oil and combine until well incorporated.
2. Preheat a non-stick pan on medium high heat.
3. Depending on how lean your chicken is, you may need to add a bit of Olive Oil to the pan.
4. Add patties and cook until both sides are browned and chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. ( It takes about 5 minutes a side for me.)

So our eagle hunt didn't go as planned. The Conowingo dam is about 30 minutes away. We go there frequently for a bike trail that runs along the Susquehanna River. We knew people went there to see eagles but had no idea it was THE SPOT on the east coast to see eagles. When we arrived, the fairly large parking area was completely full with people parking way up the access road. The cars were from MD (Less that 50%), NJ, DE, PA, VA, NY, and some even farther away. So many people with cameras with HUGE lenses.



We drove to another section of the park about 4 miles south but couldn't see any eagles. I knew where there was a park with river access on the other side of the river so we went there. Spoke to a man who had driven 2.5 hours to see the eagles and couldn't park so came to this side with no luck. He said there were Facebook pages and lots of cameras clubs promoted it. He spoke to a guard at the first parking area who said the lot was full at 5 am. Here is a picture from the second and not usual view of the dam.



We may go to the south access tomorrow and take the bikes and ride up to where people are seeing the eagles. We did get to see 2 eagles and a hawk but only through binoculars so no pictures. It was nice to be outside though.

And here is a picture of my new mask.

 

[lynxstch]

Places like the aforementioned are part of what ”forces” me to continue to live here

....so is Russell Crowe or Glenn Ford at the station?


I’m so in and only wish some of the local night lights could be turned off!

we live outside the city limits..no streetlights, and only a few houses have them..so as long as it's not cloudy and hiding stars, we should be able to get a good look at it.

 

[easyas123]

Carol -
First, nice damn mask

I've seen them in the fields and down 301 in our area. You might have luck at Camp P or Adkins maybe? Or even the Kent Island cross island (or whatever it's called) path.

That turkey burger recipe sounds good! In keeping with store purchased burgers that were good but hard to find, I once bought some turkey burgers that had dried cranberries, jalapenos and a cheese - cheddar? I can't recall - anyway, they were really good. Haven't ever seen them again. I've thought about trying to recreate them though.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Happy our thread is getting more posts today Love all the treat pictures and talk!

I have been thinking about Christmas e-cards. I think years ago there was one site (don't remember which one) that truly was free both in to send cards and also of ads/spam email you would be sent (after sending ecards through them) Does such a place still exist in cyberspace? As I shared yesterday, I did order some cards on Amazon. I would like to send some ecards extras to folks I am not able (due to cost) to send an actual card too. I know I can also just send emails/texts Thanks, everyone!

 

[Snowysmom]

It is getting colder here with snow in the forecast for the weekend. So far it looks like it will be a bit north and west of us but you never know. Today it is in the low 40s. I walked briskly today so hopefully burned a few more calories.

Peppermint cake sounds really good. I love peppermint right around the holidays. Trader Joe's has a peppermint meringue cookie that is so good and so light.

Jasper looks really good after his grooming. The ladies at the grooming salon are so good and really love the dogs. After I told them about his illness they made sure to get his done quickly so he could be back home within a couple of hours. I really appreciated that. The picture of Jasper is sideway. LOL!

 

[easyas123]

Jasper is a handsome fella!

I have been thinking about Christmas e-cards.

I seem to recall one of those sites I used a few years ago, I can’t remember what it was! Let me think on it/search my email and see if I can come up with it-

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you, Easyas123!

Love the picture of Jasper, Snowysmom, so cute!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

@flyingdumbo127 I believe you’re thinking of American Greetings.com! They are still around because I use them sometimes!

Yes to the peppermint brownie recipe @Breezy_Carol !

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you, Pea, I will check that out!

Our small picture is finished and will be laminated tomorrow. I'll take it's completed photo then

I am very pleased with the Advent calendar I got today from Amazon. As an FYI, this product is also available on Christian Book (for much less than on Amazon but I had waited too long to order it on CB and it went out of stock. Plus by the time it would have gotten across the country (CB is in MA), Advent might have been close to over! It's a very sturdy cardboard which is awesome because I'll be able to re-use it from year to year. Here's the link: https://www.christianbook.com/alphabet-advent-calendar-with-scripture/pd/5125013

Wishing each of you a lovely evening.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Here you go. I have also seen them made with cherry liqueur instead of mint. I have some Kahlua that I want to try in the butter cream layer. This is out of a church cookbook I’ve had for more than 35 years. They are easy, always get rave reviews, tasty but very rich.