w00t w00t booyah

More orange. I have a thing for oranges at Christmas - it must be the HUGE naval orange I always got in my stocking Christmas morning, along with the goil foil coins and peanuts in the shell. Christmas, to me, tastes like chocolate, oranges and peanuts together....

Orange Scented Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:

* 2 cups Milk
* 4 oz chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet Chocolate
* 3 2-inch strips Orange peel (orange part only)
* 1/2 tsp instant Espresso or regular coffee powder
* 1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg

Mixing instructions:

Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Increase heat and bring just to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and whisk untily frothy. Return to heat and bring to boil again. Remove from heat, whisk until frothy. Repeat heating and whisking once again. Discard orange peel. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Before serving, bring just to boil, remove from heat and whisk until frothy.) Pour hot chocolate into coffee mugs. Makes 2 servings.

In honor of my husband's folly in eating less-than-fresh california rolls at the Mitsuwa Friday - and suffering the effects into Sunday (dumbass) -

I hereby give you sushi links.

Koo-ki Sushi. Chocolate. Cookies. SUSHI?

Who, what, where, how - and yeah. Everything.

Just what did you catch from that california roll anyway, dude?

Suffice it to say, we're behind schedule. Like we weren't already -

Enjoy - and see you tomorrow!

In honor of my husband's folly in eating less-than-fresh california rolls at the Mitsuwa Friday - and suffering the effects into Sunday (dumbass) -

I hereby give you sushi links.

Koo-ki Sushi. Chocolate. Cookies. SUSHI?

Who, what, where, how - and yeah. Everything.

Just what did you catch from that california roll anyway, dude?

Suffice it to say, we're behind schedule. Like we weren't already -

Enjoy - and see you tomorrow!

Something I got in the mail yesterday and I thought of all of you immediately.

Christmas Shopping When You're Broke.

What. Stop looking at me like that -

(Look down towards the bottom for the free printable gift tags - nifty!)

See you tomorrow!

Get crafty.



Instructions for Christmas Chunk Soaps.

Enjoy - see you tomorrow!

Get crafty.



Instructions for Christmas Chunk Soaps.

Enjoy - see you tomorrow!

'Tis the season. Want some suggestions or kicks to the head?

Give. If you can. Where? BoingBoing can help you.

A few of my favorites -

Eat cookies. Help the homeless. Dancing Deer will show you how.
Not a charity, but a cool place to get stuff. And hum 'look for the union label' as you do so.
Stray Cat Alliance. My favorite, catch-spay-release group here in town.
Children of the Night. Wow. They're coming up on 30 years....

...and it could go on.

Needless to say, they don't get a lot at this time of year, but they get something every year. Remember them, if you can.

See you tomorrow!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting short of memory handles and time.

So - let's take three recipes that only take three ingredients, and can be thrown into the Crockpot:

Beach Boy's Pot Roast


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 beef roast (chuck, top round, about $1.69/lb)
* jar of pepperoncini peppers
* slivers of garlic

PREPARATION:
Cut some slits in roast and insert garlic slivers. Place beef in crockpot. Dump peppers and all of the juice on top. Crock all day on low....at least 12 hours.

For serving, just slice and serve, or make BB's hoagies.

Crockpot Easiest Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 pork chops, well trimmed
* 1 envelope onion soup mix
* 10 oz. can ready to serve chicken broth

PREPARATION:
You can brown the pork chops if you wish in a nonstick skillet 3-4 minutes on each side. Place pork chops in 3-1/2-4 quart crockpot. In medium bowl, combine soup mix and chicken broth and stir until blended. Pour this mixture over the pork chops. Cover crockpot and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

Turkey Breast Dijon

INGREDIENTS:

* One fresh bone-in turkey breast
* 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
* 2/3 cup 100% fruit juice
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. pepper

PREPARATION:
Put turkey breast, skin side up, in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Spread with Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour juice over the turkey and cover the crockpot. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours, until turkey is tender and thoroughly cooked.

--

I need a smaller crockpot - one I have is big enough to fit a standing rib roast in.

See you tomorrow!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting short of memory handles and time.

So - let's take three recipes that only take three ingredients, and can be thrown into the Crockpot:

Beach Boy's Pot Roast


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 beef roast (chuck, top round, about $1.69/lb)
* jar of pepperoncini peppers
* slivers of garlic

PREPARATION:
Cut some slits in roast and insert garlic slivers. Place beef in crockpot. Dump peppers and all of the juice on top. Crock all day on low....at least 12 hours.

For serving, just slice and serve, or make BB's hoagies.

Crockpot Easiest Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 pork chops, well trimmed
* 1 envelope onion soup mix
* 10 oz. can ready to serve chicken broth

PREPARATION:
You can brown the pork chops if you wish in a nonstick skillet 3-4 minutes on each side. Place pork chops in 3-1/2-4 quart crockpot. In medium bowl, combine soup mix and chicken broth and stir until blended. Pour this mixture over the pork chops. Cover crockpot and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

Turkey Breast Dijon

INGREDIENTS:

* One fresh bone-in turkey breast
* 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
* 2/3 cup 100% fruit juice
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. pepper

PREPARATION:
Put turkey breast, skin side up, in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Spread with Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour juice over the turkey and cover the crockpot. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours, until turkey is tender and thoroughly cooked.

--

I need a smaller crockpot - one I have is big enough to fit a standing rib roast in.

See you tomorrow!

How about some other advent calendars online?

You know about the the one the BBC has up for Dr. Who this year, right?

My favorite remains llamajoy and tenshi_no_korin's Bishink's Advent Calendars -

But a quick look and Google turned up a few more -

Uh, this is a religious holiday - so deal. The really obnoxious ones? Right. Never got past the first day.

This looks like a project for a junior high school in the UK.

Leslie Harpold takes a crack at it.

Ann Gunkle (poor thing) has one as well.

Boowakwala. What's that?

Enjoy - see you tomorrow!