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Rich, wishing you a fabulous time on your cruises. Just shaking my head over that one. My niece wanted to stop by Christmas Day with her fiance and his daughter, but the daughter is sick. We don't know what she is sick with and the fiance doesn't believe in Covid - still insisting it is a hoax. I suggested that perhaps they should visit another time when they are all healthy. Even if his daughter doesn't have Covid, we don't want what she does have. That is really encouraging. I hope things continue to go well for him on that front. Thank you for checking in. It is good to know that all is going well for you, despite being busy. Enjoy Hawaii. I'm jealous! You lucked out with the taxi driver. I bought jumper cables and carry them in my car just in case I or someone else needs a jump. Better safe than sorry! La Crema is one of my favorites! Can't go wrong with that. Sorry that Florida is out for you, but happy that you are not having a reaction to the booster. Your advice to wear a mask if flying is spot on! Well, I am having a go round with FedEx. Yesterday they delivered a package for Previous Owner. I called and let them know that PO moved two months ago and was no longer at this address. They said they would pick up the package today. Well, instead of picking it up, they delivered a second package. So, I called again asking why they would deliver a second package when I had told them that PO no longer lived here. They said they had investigated and determined that they had delivered the package correctly so they weren't going to pick it up. I told them if they didn't get it by tomorrow evening it was going to the curb for trash pickup Thursday morning. I suppose I could try to locate their realtor and see if she has contact information for them. And, ask her to call them and tell them to come get their boxes. More work than I want to do, but......

Good morning, everyone. I love @0106 Tina's quote. That is our modus operandi here on the Daily all year round. It is a cold day today here in mid-Michigan. I'll be heading to the gym again today as there is still snow and some ice on the sidewalks. I'll make a stop by the grocery store on the way home and I think I'll be ready for the holidays. I'm still not sure how many I'll have for dinner, but I will have enough food and I've picked up a few more chairs in case we need them. We're still monitoring the weather for Sue's trek down to Midland. It is only an hour or so, but the weather can still wreak havoc on a short trip. We think her best bet is to leave right from work on Thursday. She's hoping her last patient cancels. That would get her on the road by 3:30, escaping the worst of the storm and letting her drive in daylight. Today's meal is yummy! A while back we had a meal with crispy kale and I tried that. It is very easy to do. You toss it in a bowl with a small amount of olive oil and the seasonings you like and then spread it out on a sheet pan and stick it in the oven. I loved it. That is what turned me on to kale. Now, I use a lot of it. This first recipe didn't come with a picture, but I found one I thought would go nicely with the recipe. https://www.familycookbookproject.com/recipe/3801788/default.asp This next one is pork and kale, but the kale isn't done to be crispy. You can do it on a sheet pan to make it crispy. https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/tuscan-style-roasted-pork-with-braised-kale-salsa-verde This next one does crisp the kale and then uses it to make a walnut pesto. Sounds interesting. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pork-chops-with-roasted-kale-and-walnut-pesto-recipe-2119954 This next one breads the pork chops and makes a crispy sesame balsamic kale. That sounds good to me. https://www.sainsburysmagazine.co.uk/recipes/pork/breaded-pork-chops-with-crispy-sesame-and-basamic-kale And the best of the bunch: lots of great garlic, roasted potatoes, crispy kale, and a pork roast to feed the whole family all done in one pan. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/one-pan-party-pork-roast @smitty34877 So glad you are home and progressing. Don't overdo it, but do get up and walk around a bit every hour or so. @StLouisCruisers I hope the surgeon is pleased with the healing of your daughter's foot. Warm wishes for everyone who is recovering or healing themselves or has family members who are doing so. Hugs to Pauline for the loss of her friend's daughter. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

It isn't just this thread either. There was some mix up of comedians on @kazu's thread. Perhaps it is the Devil or the alignment of the stars.

Wow, we are getting confused easily today. I guess I started it by rushing @AncientWanderer Maxine's anniversary. Do messy painting and messy baking lead to messy minds or is that due to the cardboardeaux that goes along with the messy stuff?

Here's another vote for staying on board and using the pool and hot tub. The water is amazing for injuries and will help a lot. The hot tub will open up little veins and capillaries in the foot and aid in healing. Get your foot right up to the jets.

Another beautiful family. You are blessed.

Good morning, everyone! We will have a couple days of decent weather before we get dumped on with snow. Thursday and Friday are looking bad. I hope Sue makes it down either Thursday right after work or Friday morning before the Friday storm. Due to snow on the ground and cold temperatures, I am going to the gym this morning instead of doing an outside walk. @smitty34877 Thinking of you today. @grapau27 It looks like you have healed up well! Today's meal sounds really good to me. I did something similar years and years ago in the slow cooker. This first recipe comes to us from Australia. Use whichever chicken parts you like. https://www.lovefood.com/recipes/103275/braised-chicken-with-almonds-olives-raisins-and-lemon-recipe Here's another Australian version. We're still using chicken marylands. Again, use the chicken parts you prefer. https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/recipe-collections/neil-perrys-braised-chicken-with-olives-and-almonds-20190415-h1di8o Here is a west coast version. It is a version of the restaurant Barbacco's dish. https://gregnelsoncooks.com/2021/04/02/braised-chicken-thighs-with-olives-and-almonds/ This is the recipe for Barbacco's version: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/barbaccos-chicken-thighs-50103162 This last one is chicken with olives and herbs. You can add in some toasted almonds if you like. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/braised-chicken-thighs-with-olives-and-herbs Wishing you all a wonderful day!

What a beautiful family!

@ottahand7 Well, Sue has headed north to her rental for the week. She'll be back on Friday if the snow lets up long enough to let her. We're supposed to get pounded this week. Thursday night they are forecasting 3-5 inches of the fluffy stuff with another 3-5 inches on Friday during the day. Let's hope they are wrong. @Sharon in AZ What good news about the medication! Fingers and toes crossed that it does the trick for you. @Cruising-along if you want those pounds back, I have some I'll give you. @superoma Oh, those cookies look good.

I had mugs made for my sisters like that. I got the hair right on all of us and it is a treasured gift among my sisters.

Good morning, everyone! Happy Hanukkah! We had a lovely evening last night. Dinner was superb and the Farkle games a ton of fun. My dice were cold as ice, but that's ok. It was the time spent with loved ones that matters. Nothing exciting on the agenda for today. We are watching the weather forecast for next week as it will impact Sue's ability to get down from her rental for Christmas. It looks like we are going to have a houseful. But, that's what I wanted when I moved here. I guess we're having a run on comfort food. Spaghetti and meatballs definitely fall into that category, no matter how they are prepared. My oven in Ohio had a built in air fryer. The one here does not and an air fryer isn't on the agenda in the near future. We have too many other things we want first. But, if you are in my situation, you can always prepare the meatballs in the traditional way. Lack of an air fryer shouldn't stop you! Improvise! Our first recipe is an easy one. https://airfryereats.com/air-fryer-spaghetti-and-meatballs/ Now, if you want to go all fancy, Williams Sonoma has a recipe where you make your own pasta as well. I'd probably just go with the stuff you get in the store, but follow the rest of the recipe for the sauce and meatballs. Oh, I'd have to buy their sauce. Never mind, I'll make mom's sauce. https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/fresh-spaghetti-with-air-fried-meatballs.html This last one is all about the meatballs. You can do what you want with them. Make a meatball sandwich or toss with sauce and pasta. https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/air-fryer-italian-meatballs/ I can just imagine the satisfying crunch when you bite into these. Wishing everyone a wonderful day. @smitty34877 Terry, we'll be thinking of you and thank you for the picture of our Miss Camilla. Hoping everyone on a BHB is having a fantastic time!

Bon Voyage, Jacqui! I hope you have an out of this world fantastic time.

Good morning, everyone! We got a light dusting of snow last night. Nothing to cause any problems, just to make everything white. I do have to run to the grocery today to get a vegetable for tonight's dinner. We're having one of Muzzy's Marvelous Meals: Meatloaf Magnifique. The recipe is my mom's, the description is dad's. @smitty34877 I'm happy you are getting the hip taken care of so quickly and that you will be able to come home so quickly. Just don't over do things! Let everyone wait on you for a while. Today's meal is another comfort meal and would be a perfect one for a snowy day. Carnivores only need to add some ground beef. We'll start off with this one from Budget Bytes. Who isn't thinking of the budget when they hit the grocery store these days? https://www.budgetbytes.com/cheesy-vegetarian-chili-mac/ This next one looks good with the green onion garnish. It comes with directions on how to make it vegan. https://kristineskitchenblog.com/one-pot-vegetarian-chili-mac/ And we have this last option. Most of the recipes are very similar and, as you all know, chili is a meal that can be individualized easily. So, take the idea of chili mac and make it yours! https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/vegetarian-chili-mac/ Wishing everyone a wonderful day!

Hey, Melisa! When I was driving up from Ohio I went up 23 and 75 and never got as far west as Ithaca. I used to go through Ithaca when I was in college at Western Michigan. It was a three hour drive from Midland to Kalamazoo and it seemed soooo long. I'm glad you will be spending Christmas with DSIL. Make it her best. @Quartzsite Cruiser Yes, it is the baking, not the clean up that wears you out. Clean up actually went pretty quickly. I just wiped everything onto the floor, swept, and mopped and I was done.

Good morning, everyone! I am getting a slow start here this morning. The joy of baking yesterday wore me out. Sue will be here this weekend. Her boss has begged her to stay on through the month of May and said she could stay at his cabin at the lake since she has to be out of her place by May 1. He told her to think about it and she said she did for about 40 seconds and decided no. She so wants to be done. Today's meal can be anything you want it to be. Use whatever toppings you like and leave off the ones you don't. You can get fancy or you can go the easy route and get the frozen ones like Roy @rafinmd. They are pretty darn good and very quick. And, you can doctor them up with whatever you have and like. Our first one is a tomato pizza. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tomato-baguette-pizza/ In this next one Ree Drummond demonstrates that you can individualize baguette pizzas for different people. Put the jalapeños on for those who like them and leave them off for those who don't! https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/french-bread-pizzas-2247960 Here are a few more ideas for your baguette pizzas. https://www.savingdessert.com/french-bread-pizza-4-ways/ What is your favorite pizza topping. My sister always wanted a barbecue chicken pizza and so Dad would split it with her since the rest of us were more traditional in our tastes. The day he died we were discussing the pizza order and I asked him if he wanted to go in with Sue for the barbecue chicken pizza and he responded, "I hate chicken." Gosh, Dad, thanks for letting us know. Wishing everyone a wonderful day!

You mean kind of like this? You are more than welcome. Thanks! Ordered mine.

Wishing you a wonderful time. We'd love to hear about your adventures, but mostly want to know that you are relaxing, healing, and loving your cruise. So glad you made it out of Dodge yesterday.

I hope you have a fantastic time!

Love the pictures, Sharon. They bring back such good memories. I think the tour you are talking about is the one out of Halifax. You go up to Burntcoat Head and walk out into the Bay of Fundy when the tide is out. You can see tidal pools and all kinds of creatures. These are the stairs leading down to the ocean floor. Here's a sea critter for you! This is normally an island. I'm not done in the kitchen yet, but I'll share some of my mess. And, yes @ger_77, you qualify for the Messy Bakers Guild. I have it all over me. Flour on the mixer, pumpkin on the counter.... Powdered sugar (icing sugar) everywhere. Wax paper ripped off the cake. I've managed to spread the mess throughout the whole kitchen. I still have to make the filling and fill and re-roll the pumpkin roll. You can't really see the mess on the floor because the color of the floor helps absorb it.

I may be able to match this later today. Wonderful news! I haven't started the pumpkin rolls yet. Did my in the house route of laps this morning and did get all the ingredients out and on the counter. Now, to organize them and get started. @kazu Jacqui, so glad you made it to San Diego. Enjoy your cruise. Here are the reversing rapids in Saint John. We were there in October and will be back next July. And our ship from the park across the way. And one of the famous sea caves on the Bay of Fundy. We watched as the water rose quite quickly.

Good morning, everyone! What a morning already. Sister Sue reports ice is everywhere, but she still has to go into work. I'll bet half her patients cancel. We only got rain as far as I can tell. No school closures in Midland, but up near Sue they are all closed. At least she won't have to battle school buses on the way to work. I have engaged in regifting. I had these two friends and we used to get together at Christmas. I would cook dinner and we'd exchange gifts. Generally what I got from them was stuff that I didn't know what to do with and had little or no use for. So, I'd regift them at white elephant exchanges. My friend John told me after the last one that he wasn't accepting any more gifts from me. I explained that I had to regift so I could make room for all the junk they were going to give me that year. I got my grocery shopping done and I have everything I will need for Christmas except vegetables. I'll get those next week so they are fresher. Today I am making pumpkin rolls. They freeze well so I can keep them for Christmas. Today's meal is a great one. This first recipe calls for apple and fennel and I suspect the flavor is wonderful. https://www.simplywhisked.com/rigatoni-with-pork-ragu/ This next one leaves out the apples but includes fresh ricotta. Smooth and creamy! https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/rigatoni-pork-ragu-and-fresh-ricotta This next one is for those who like to fuss. Tony Mantuano starts with pork ribs following a family recipe. Ok, that means it has to be good! https://www.foodnetwork.com/fnk/recipes/rigatoni-with-pork-rag-7151624 One last one that adds in some Italian sausage. Mmmmm https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/rigatoni-with-spicy-calabrese-style-pork-ragu-51143440 The only question left is how do I choose? Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

Those sound so good! Thanks!

And I have no idea where I got it. Maybe I just decided that Maxine @AncientWanderer needed a day of celebration. Or, more likely, I hadn't had enough coffee yet. Anyways, @Sharon in AZ Sharon, I hope I didn't take too much away from your day and Maxine, take advantage and party hearty. One year at Christmas time we made Dad go out and get chestnuts and a chestnut roaster so we could roast them on an open fire in the fireplace. We also made everyone sit in the living room and sing that song while we roasted them. They were ok, but we never asked for them again. I did get to the grocery store! And, I think I have almost everything for Christmas dinner. I know I don't want to go back to the store in the last few days before Christmas. Early next week will be the latest I will go.