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

[Aurora79]

Yellow cake with chocolate frosting or chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache. I really like chocolate.

 

[ten6mom]

Hmmmm I do like carrot cake with NO RAISINS and NO NUTS and a thin layer of cream cheese frosting.

I like marble/swirl cake (chocolate and vanilla)

I like spice cake

Gosh is there a cake I don't like or wouldn't eat? No, I don't believe there is!

But I will scrape the frosting off before I eat it

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Sorry to stray from the cake question but I've got three very ripe bananas I need to so something with.

Don't have to stray from the cake question at all... you can make banana cake.

 

[Searc]

Happy Monday to all!
I have finished my first test of the short 8 week semester. I fumbled through it and came out with an A so I won't complain. In celebration I finally baked my lemon coffee cake today. It's in the oven and smells outstanding. I have been putting off baking because if I bake it then, I have to eat it and I'm trying really hard to keep on the healthy side and not do the easy slide to stuffing my face with all the tasty but not healthiest foods. Doritos I'm looking at you...

I found out here in Indiana colleges are going to be online all summer, which huge indicator that things aren't going back to normally right away. I didn't expect it would but still just another sign of this weird new normal at least for a while. It's okay we will get through this. We are strong and resilient and can do this. The hard part of just putting the head down and charging ahead is going to be difficult for a lot of people. It will seem heartless but it's also about just getting through. Every time my husband was deployed, I would just get up and do my day and go to sleep knowing another day was done. I had to think that no news was good news and no phones calls of information meant all was good in my bubble of the world. Unfortunately this is very similar.

Dinner tonight is ribs I have cooked in crock pot and will bake in the oven with sauce to crisp up. I'll serve with potato salad and coleslaw. And cake!

Gratitude today:
1. Beautiful sunny spring day. It makes me feel hopeful especially during this holy week.
2. My appreciation for my grandparents who taught me how to scratch cook and appreciate the simpleness of it.
3. Today I am really thankful for leadership at the state level. I didn't vote for him the first time but I believe I will this time around.
He is doing a great job communicating with the state and how to push forward and shows caring of the Hoosiers.


Peace and safe health to all

Congratulations on your A, Tina. That's fantastic!

Sorry I haven't been keeping up on the thread, I haven't much felt like chatting. As a Wisconsin resident, I am furious, so I'm going to limit my online time today.

DH and I got out yesterday and got some fresh, though chilly air. I am someone that thrives on routine and certainty, so this last month has been very unsettling for me, with no end in sight.

My gratitude for today is
1) thank god we don't have young kids to try and deal with during this and all the complications that come from that
2)I ordered DH a pound of his favorite Kona coffee from Hawaii yesterday, which is normally only a Christmas present. If he's going to be home for the foreseeable future, he can drink good coffee.

 

[Searc]

My 3rd gratitude for today is I finally caved on the Le Creuset FTT sale and bought myself an oval dutch oven with a grill pan lid in Oyster and saved $270. I have LC round dutch ovens in varying sizes, but no oval ones.

 

[gillep]

My 3rd gratitude for today is I finally caved on the Le Creuset FTT sale and bought myself an oval dutch oven with a grill pan lid in Oyster and saved $270. I have LC round dutch ovens in varying sizes, but no oval ones.

My pan from the SLT sale arrived last night!!! It is a 12" GreenPan with lid that I am hoping will make cooking fried eggs a breeze.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Happy Tuesday!
My phone woke me up with the sound of "ding, ding ding" super early this morning and I thought well that can't be good. Matt's grandma has been taking to the hospital and then wouldn't let anyone be with her because a 88 year old woman without her hearing aids in the hospital during a pandemic alone is a good idea but I understand hospital protocol too...sigh...it's been 6 months since Grandpa has passed and she is over this and ready to go be with him. They got her in and out of the hospital quick as possible with ton of medicine and set her back up at home. I told her Sunday when just she and I on the phone that I know she is ready but it can't be now that I need to her to fight. I married into a family that doesn't feel the feelings very well and not being able to mourn/grieve/services in the traditional manner would not go well. I told her to even just hold off until summer if she can. Let's hope...

So I had my first meeting this morning super early and in my pjs and eating coffee cake with fresh fruit on it. Clearly the fruit canceled out any calories from the cake as the cake was a vessel lifting the berries easier to my mouth. That's my story and I'm sticking to it today. I'm apparently getting more comfortable with my zoom meetings that I didn't care about being dressed better or bother do anything other than pull my rats nest hair back and had my glasses on. I'm getting the hang it seems lol I did dress later on in case ya'll are worried. I am taking crisis calls today and I figured these people are already upset and seeing my betty boop pjs might not help the situation.

Dinner today: Baked panko crumb fish fillets, with coleslaw/broccoli slaw with fresh fruit.

Gratitude today:

1. My husband's grandparents. Matt and I were with them the whole weekend leading up to and with them when he passed. She is hell on wheels and he was a charmer with love for his wife. They set the bar high what it means to enjoy being together. He passed right before their 67th anniversary and made a standard I strive towards in my own marriage.

2. I'm thankful we are still healthy here at home and financially safe and can ride the storm of uncertainty and have support when needed.

3. I'm glad to have somewhere to put this out in the universe and people care. That's pretty invaluable right now to know people cheer and want the best for each other and hold the other in prayer or good thoughts. That's one the most important tools we have right now to help the other.

Peace and good health to all

 

[lovemygoofy]

Question of the day and challenge 4/7: What is a vacation/location you still want to see? Challenge: Reach out to someone today.

We all have people on Facebook or our phone or email that we think of and smile but don't reach out because we aren't that close now or they are semi annoying or whatever. I challenge everyone to just send a message or call and say hello. This is a time where we should be connecting and feeling less alone knowing we all have the same suck right now. A good friend, even if I haven't talked to her in months, called me the other night because she needed a laugh and just to talk about all this going on. It was great to feel that sense of normal just laughing and hearing what's going on and remembering no matter where we are, we are still having some same struggles.

Somewhere we still want to go is The Pacific Northwest. I haven't explored Oregon or WA state yet and really hope to take a couple weeks and can be explorers. I am really hoping by late summer to go to Montana. I have no idea why but it has always appealed to me and I want to just go drive and see and enjoy the openness and the pretty it looks. I doubt we will be cruising anytime soon. I was thisclose to getting him to agree before all this but even I'm not ready for that much togetherness now. Maybe I'll take up camping...or glamping LOL

 

[AuntieMe3]

I used this one last time (skipping the nutmeg because I didn't have any) -

https://bakingmischief.com/small-batch-banana-muffins/

My family was happy.

This is a really easy recipe and very good.
Banana Bread
1 egg
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter – melted
3 bananas – mashed
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Beat egg, add sugar and butter, then bananas. Add sifted dry ingredients. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 45-55 minutes (Usually takes longer – 65-75 minutes.) Or use 3 small loaf pans for 40-45 minutes.

Don't have to stray from the cake question at all... you can make banana cake.

Thank you all...I ended up making banana pecan chocolate chip muffins. I did a variation of the recipe Breezy_Carol posted. I'm really looking forward to trying a banana cake in the future next time I get to the store for more bananas.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Question of the day and challenge 4/7: What is a vacation/location you still want to see? Challenge: Reach out to someone today.

Answer: I'd love to plan an epic California trip when vacation travel is a thing again - either go up or down the whole state! I want to see the Redwoods, go to Disneyland (of course!) and visit my aunt (near Sacramento) and my college roommate (near San Francisco).

Challenge: (You are great at challenging me to do things I just did. - I love it!!) I belong to an e-mail newsletter that generally sends out a weekly "things to do" sort of list, but this week's was full of virtual tours, animal webcams, and the like. I forwarded it on to the moms/grandmas I know from my niece and nephew's preschool class, to check in with them and help them keep their little ones entertained and learning. (I even already got one reply!)

Gratitude for today

• Sunshine!
• A text from family members, checking in (They must have seen your challenge in their crystal balls, too!)
• DS and DH

 

[AuntieMe3]

Question of the day and challenge 4/7: What is a vacation/location you still want to see? Challenge: Reach out to someone today.

Somewhere we still want to go is The Pacific Northwest. I haven't explored Oregon or WA state yet and really hope to take a couple weeks and can be explorers.

The PNW is amazing and you really should try and make it out there when you can. My husband is from the western side of the Puget Sound across from Seattle. We used go visit there often but his family still there is toxic so we stopped visiting. A couple years ago we decided to just go up with minimal family contact and it was fantastic to explore the area he loves so much and then we fell in love with it more than before. We've been back a few times since that trip with NO FAMILY contact and sad to say but it was even better. Our absolute favorite place to stay is
https://quileuteoceanside.com
Its Twilight country...lol right outside Forks, WA. You really can't go wrong with a trip either up or down the PNW coast....incredible.

 

[Meriweather]

Still planning on going to WDW......May's trip won't happen but we have December booked and hopefully will fit another in while our AP is still active.
We still have our Egypt trip.....(one of my bucket list places) for February and I hope we can make it.
Hope to continue cruising. We have a June family cruise booked, but I don't think that is going to happen either. And so hard to work with 7 peoples schedule.
Next year is a Disneyland year for us so hope for 3 trips.
Grand Canyon is planned for October....me, DD and DGD

Dinner tonight is in the crock pot. Azteca chicken with green salad

Oh yes....get to the Pacific Northwest. We lived north of Seattle for over 30 years.
It is a great place.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Favorite cake: Hummingbird!

What is hummingbird cake?

 

[AuntieMe3]

Question of the day and challenge 4/7: What is a vacation/location you still want to see? Challenge: Reach out to someone today.

And I forgot to answer the question...

Someplace we still want to go is Hawaii. We had planned on going on a cruise around the islands next year with our best friends. None of us have ever been and thought a cruise would be a good way to get to all the islands. But maybe we'll just island hop by plane and skip the cruise...

 

[Meriweather]

What is hummingbird cake?

Hummingbird cake is a banana-pineapple spice cake common in the Southern United States. Ingredients include flour, sugar, salt, vegetable oil, ripe banana, pineapple, cinnamon, pecans, vanilla extract, eggs, and leavening agent. It is often served with cream cheese frosting.

I know they serve it at Homecomin at DS

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Question of the day and challenge 4/7: What is a vacation/location you still want to see? Challenge: Reach out to someone today.

We all have people on Facebook or our phone or email that we think of and smile but don't reach out because we aren't that close now or they are semi annoying or whatever. I challenge everyone to just send a message or call and say hello. This is a time where we should be connecting and feeling less alone knowing we all have the same suck right now. A good friend, even if I haven't talked to her in months, called me the other night because she needed a laugh and just to talk about all this going on. It was great to feel that sense of normal just laughing and hearing what's going on and remembering no matter where we are, we are still having some same struggles.

Somewhere we still want to go is The Pacific Northwest. I haven't explored Oregon or WA state yet and really hope to take a couple weeks and can be explorers. I am really hoping by late summer to go to Montana. I have no idea why but it has always appealed to me and I want to just go drive and see and enjoy the openness and the pretty it looks. I doubt we will be cruising anytime soon. I was thisclose to getting him to agree before all this but even I'm not ready for that much togetherness now. Maybe I'll take up camping...or glamping LOL

I don't know. Seeing someone else in their pjs in the middle of the day might make me feel better about where I'm at during this crisis.....

Greece is on DH's list; also New Zealand and Japan and he wants Alaska as well. Ireland/Scotland are the top spots on my list; I feel so drawn there. I'd like to go to England, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark as well, to see where I'm from.

We'd still like to go to Washington DC, and visit the museums; and to Philly and Boston for the historic value. DH said maybe NY, and definitely NoCal/PacNor. [I've been to all 48 connected states, and to Canada, and to Tijuana...but I was like 8 when I went there, so does it really count? ]

So, basically, everywhere but the southwest/middle/southeast America (because we've lived/been there). And no interest in further south from us...it's just too hot and humid for me, and DH is supposed to avoid as much sun as possible. And while a 2 or 3 week safari in Africa would be amazing, DH couldn't because of medical reasons, and I'm not sure I could be disconnected from things for that long.

 

[easyas123]

Egypt. My goal is to get there in next 5-7 years.

Reach out? hmmm....honestly, I don't do social media of any kind, never have (do these boards count? Then I guess I do!) I already keep in touch with folks I want to keep in touch with via other means. HOWEVER - my husband isn't super close with his side of the family- they are friendly enough so long as they only talk sporadically and see each other even less. It works for him. Anyway, I picked up a Easter card to send off to both my MIL & SIL, since the one time a year we see the MIL is Easter weekend, and that isn't happening, I figured it would be a nice effort to make.

But honestly, I'd really like some cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

What is hummingbird cake?

I have never made one. We welcomed our first grandchild with a Welcome to the family cake baked by a professional, my DSis ordered it, and it was our first. My gosh, I fell in love! It’s traditionally Southern, and there’s a place off I 75 south of Atlanta that features it on their menu. We found it as we drove from OH to WDW, and it’s a must stop for us, South of Atlanta. We live in NJ now, so no more going there.

Here‘s a link to a picture and a recipe!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/15750/hummingbird-cake/

 

[Kittyblue]

We are scheduled to go to the Seattle area this summer, but that's up in the air now. Disneyland too, because we haven't seen SWL yet, though we're close enough that can be a weekend trip any time.

I'd also love to visit Norway and Sweden someday, especially around the time I can see the northern lights, but that's probably a trip for after the kids are grown and on their own.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Question of the day and challenge 4/7: What is a vacation/location you still want to see?

Ireland, England, and Scotland. And Wales. I guess. No offense, Welsh, I just don't have any ancestors from your country.