madrano's comments (member since Jan 13, 2009)

madrano's comments from the Readers and Reading group.

I'm a tad envious of your snow, particularly since i have nowhere to go. However, it will probably play havoc with our daughter's flight home tomorrow morning from LaGuardia. The good news is that it appears calm west of us, which is the direction from which our son is driving (from Oregon). All in all, i'd prefer the storm where it is.

This morning we are hearing the sound of hunters shooting. I have no idea what is in season but it must have just started today because it's been fairly quiet the last 6 weeks or so. Ah, the holidays. ;-)

deborah

Thank you, Alias. Bono's photo is in his book but i haven't gotten to the point where she's mentioned. I'll record the program for post holiday encouragement to FINISH THE FIRST BOOK! LOL! And i'd like to "see" Mortenson, too.

deborah

I tend to agree, Rosie. When we shifted here last year i was slow to adjust because i was unable to post much. Once i got going, it all made sense. However, it took me a couple of months. And i'm still learning about the various aspects of GoodReads.

deborah

And i appreciate it, Donna!

deborah

I did not know all this about pork in Italian food. Hmmm...i'm thinking i'll try some next time i cook up my spaghetti sauce. Thanks.

deborah

Oh, Donna! THREE cups of heavy cream?! I'm am SO craving that dish. LOL! And i know i'll probably never make it, either.

deborah

Kate, thank you for the dip idea. We just happen to have some leftover corned beef, so i'm trying it.

I treasure the memories when our children's friends would visit & stay for hours on a regular basis. Unfortunately it didn't last long as they seemed to morph into staying for afterschool activities instead, such as rehearsals for plays. Still, it was neat.

And, Kate, i laughed at the "American" food kid. Only once did i have a kid decide to go home after i told him what was for dinner. LOL! It was amusing. And i remember our son declaring he, too, would like to go home to eat with that kid. LOL!

Donna, have a Great Time in Florida! I hope your holidays are full of memory-making moments. And full of lovely anticipation of next year with Charlie!

deborah

YUM! These recipes are too good to not try this year! HELP!!!!!


deborah, thinking she'll add one or two after my sister leaves...we are making rolls & cookies tomorrow

Thanks for the encouragement, Alias. I really don't intend to stop reading, but i now believe it'll be post-Christmas before i pick it up again. It helps knowing my SIL is reading it too. And knowing that Mortenson continues his work leads me to want to read it too. And i haven't even mentioned how many people have praised the book. ;-)

deborah

kate/Edukate12 wrote: "I also had shrimp, various dips such as a taco dip, plates of Christmas cookies,...........thinking........a reuben dip,..."

Kate, i continue to like this idea & how it can all be prepared ahead of time. I'm going to adopt it! What is a reuben dip? DH made reubens last night & your dip sounds tempting, even though i have zero clue on what it is! LOL!

And your meals. What lucky kids you have. That you were willing & able to feed their friends must have made them proud. Yea, Kate.

Re. our hippie days. Incredible, isn't it? I suspect we thought everyone could shine in embroidery. I can barely thread a needle but i recall embellishing clothing, too. Love those memories!

deborah

JoAnn, i saw & liked her in Junebug but didn't really think she was going to be an actress we'd hear from again. When i saw her in Enchanted i changed my mind. THEN, after seeing her in Sunshine Cleaning i felt she was better than i ever realized. I look forward to seeing her in more roles with meatier parts.

deborah

I'm working my way through Three Cups of Tea by Mortenson. My SIL & i are reading it "together" but i'm almost 200 pages into it while she's on page 50. I am liking it but am not very motivated this time of year to finish. Her speed encourages me to take it slowly.

deborah

Sue, thank you for filling us in on the French Canadian meal. Good history but quite a bit of effort. Your husband must be a saint to be willing to do the furniture moving & toting.

Bunny, i am stunned into puzzlement over your brother-in-law's gift. You have a better sense of humor than i do, as i suspect i'd be torqued. Do you still speak to them? LOL!

deborah

Bunny, i liked TYOLD & still think of it despite the fact it was uncomfortable in many ways. I feel the humidity. lol We also liked Sunshine Cleaning, feeling everyone did a good job in it. I've been a big fan of Adams since seeing her in Enchanted

deborah

Cute story. Does he have a repertoire of movie stories? I would think so. Let us know if you see him on TLB screen.

deborah

kate/Edukate12 wrote: " I used to make it, but now I buy it every once in a while. ..."

This is about fruitcake. Kate, until i read your post i'd forgotten that my friends & i tried two years in a row to make our own fruitcakes. We started in October or November (depending on the recipe) and tenderly wrapped them, remembering to keep an eye for moistness of the wrapping. Organic ingredients were important to us, as was using whole wheat, rather than white, flour. Little sugar but honey &/or molasses were okay. One of our recipes called for moistening the cloth with apple cider instead of liquor.

All in all, none of them were good. LOL! My favorite fruitcake turned out to be one which didn't need curing. I've gotten rid of the recipe, as i was the only one who really liked it. Iirc, it had pineapple and pecans as the main ingredients. It was full o' nuts & that suited me just fine. *sigh*

We served these gems (all were cooked in mini-loaf pans, btw) at a holiday party &/or gave them as gifts, wrapped in brown wrapping paper which we'd decorated with markers. We were so hippy! ;-)

Ah, memory lane. Good memories, bad cakes.

deborah

kate/Edukate12 wrote: 20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Actually a Santa ..."

Kate, i guess i wrote too soon. I'm glad to see something different listed as a tree topper.

And i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of appetizers all day, rather than a big meal. You've got me rethinking my plans. Would the family go berserk? How many appetizers would you guess you served in one day? By that i mean how many different ones? I think a fondue round would be fun. We introduced cheese fondue to our 7 year old nephew last month & it's now his New Favorite Food, replacing spaghetti.

Your worst gift reply sounds just like the ex-husband we knew you had. Incredible!

deborah

I read the book but didn't love it, so am not sure whether i'd watch the movie or not. There was a commercial for it recently but i can't even recall who is in it. I do know i wondered how they would present the story from the narrator's point of view, though. Now knowing Bob is in it, well! Of course we'll rent it, so we can slow-mo his scene. ;-) Wait! Did you tell us which scene he's in?

deborah

Sherry, we eat much grapefruit this time of year, too. It's cheap here in Texas, this week 33 cents each! They were small but still! We used to buy bedding plants from FFA in other places we've lived but here they don't offer them. I find that odd.

Susan, how neat to have those dolls. And what a great creative outlet for your mother. My mom sewed out of necessity but it worked out well for me. I was the oldest, so got the new dresses while my sister (2 1/2 years younger) got my used ones, followed by my aunt, who was 4 years younger than me. Those outfits got a workout & were loved for the detail mom could invest in them.

Do you have (m)any of the Susie dolls left? She must have enjoyed researching the outfits too. Lucky you!

As for the IPhone, i can see the appeal. My sister has one & it is in constant use. If she's not on the phone itself, she's using some other application. And there's one or two apps she has that my 7 year old nephew plays with when mom is busy. Well used! Enjoy yours!

deborah

I just realized the only book on the list that i've read is Exodus, which i read on vacation in '73. That & Emma, if you can believe it. Odd coupling. Maybe they were the only 2 paperbacks i owned back then.

I've found the nonfiction interesting. No diet-type books but at least money making is still there. ;-)

deborah