Snack Stories: Holiday Edition

I wish I had taken a photo of the delicious popcorn I took down during today's 12:10 showing of Road Chip (a surprisingly watchable film), but my fingers were too covered in butter to reach for my phone.  I paid for this pleasure with the inevitable popcorn hangover feeling wherein your stomach feels empty and queasily full at the same time.

Here are some of the culinary moments that I did photograph this holiday season.

 

I purchased these specialty Frito's at a gas station in Northwest Indiana on the way back to Chicagoland after Thanksgiving.  They were okay, but I doubt that I'll buy them again.  Note that it is not a single-serve bag.   

These are the Bacon Fondue Fries from Wendy's.  I treated myself to these (for the bargain price of $2.49) after a lunchless day spent crawling in traffic on North Avenue in an attempt to obtain twelve identical hooks between two different Menards.  I think it would be excessive to eat these as a side for a burger, but as a stand alone snack/lunch replacement on a frustrating day, these fries hit the spot.

I decorated these cookies myself, NTB.  Of course, I did so at a friend's house where she baked all the cookies in advance, provided all the decorating materials, and had a professional cookie lady on hand.  But still, I decorated them.  My kids were impressed!

A mom I know makes and sells these heavenly turtles.  I bought two boxes at a Christmas shopping event with absolutely no intention of gifting them.  I think my husband and I made the box last about two weeks.  So, so, so, so good.  (Also, please note my super cool vintage Christmas oilcloth tablecloth).

Driving from Chicagoland to Ohio the day after Christmas, we stopped for gas, snacks, and a break from the relentless rain.  I'm not sure what possessed me, but I chose these chips.  Every member of my family was disgusted either by the chips themselves or the very idea of them.  I kind of liked them and their tangy zip (to borrow a phrase) but won't actively seek them out in the future.  

Ask and you shall receive

We have a trumpet player in the beginner band.  There's a big winter concert coming up in which the beginner musicians from all the Catholic schools in the area will join forces to perform "Hot Cross Buns," "Jingle Bells," and other signature pieces.  The practice for this event was late afternoon at a school in a neighboring town.

Most of the Fall, I've been operating on a "one day at at time" system, seldom looking too far forward, unless aware of specific conflicts or complicated logistics that will need troubleshooting.  That's worked out okay, except that it makes it difficult to ask for help because by the time I focus on what needs to happen or be done, it's nearing too late to seek assistance. 

My friend happened to look just a bit further ahead and asked yesterday if I could drive to band practice, and she'd drive home.  Perfect.  When I picked up her daughter to head to practice, she thanked me for saving her three trips to the neighboring town.  Now she'd only need to drop off her son (intermediate band), pick up our beginners, and then drive back for him later.  "You have over an hour," I said.  "Offer to give another intermediate band member a ride there in exchange for a ride home."  She thanked me for the "marching orders" and ultimately ended up with one trip to band practice instead of three.   

I know this story is boring, but it is a nice little reminder to take the time to ask.  What was a perfectly pleasant evening around here might have been miserable had I driven to and from band practice with the other two kids along for the ride. 

The bonus was that I actually enjoyed the drive.  The kids were all talking about the antics of their elves in a really cute way.  The city of Addison has some gorgeous Christmas lights going on, and the Big Guy delivered with an amazing sunset.  Fountain Diet Coke for me on the way home.

Life is good.

  

Too Kind, Too KIND

I eat a KIND bar for breakfast every morning.  The bars are quick, easy, satisfying, and tasty.  They pair well with Diet Coke.  My favorite is the Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt, but I am trying to force myself to mix it up.  If I overdo it on my favorite and burn out, I'm going to be a hungry, crabby girl.

I had breakfast with friends over Thanksgiving and one mentioned her love for the Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan.  Later that day, I was at the amazing Jungle Jim's International Market and was able to find one for myself, plus a couple of other varieties that were new to me.

Brief reviews:
Peanut Butter and Strawberry -- Has the flavors of a PB&J.  It wouldn't get me out of bed in the morning, but I'll definitely add it into the rotation.  I had it with a DC, but I think this is a KIND bar that would be better complemented by a cold glass of skim milk.

Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan -- I really liked it.  Can see it as an every third or fourth day option.

Almonds & Apricots in Yogurt -- I like almonds, apricots, yogurt, and the coconut in this bar (even with the dental challenges coconut flakes pose), but I found this bar too sweet.  If the almonds were saltier, I think this bar would be a real contender.  But they're not.

One of my friends brought up one of the logistical challenges of eating a KIND bar in the car, which we both often do:  chunks of the chocolate can flake off.  Next thing you know, you're walking around with a smudge of dark chocolate on your backside or near your crotch.  We discussed the possibility of using a tea towel or dish cloth on our laps to catch the chocolate crumbs and chunks.  You heard it here first.

The other thing I want to point out is that KIND bars are full of nuts.  I try to wash my hands after eating them, especially if I am going to be in contact with anyone who may be allergic.

Are you KIND?  What's your flavor?

Wait a second ...

I won't bother explaining why I was at the Arby's drive-thru at 9:10 pm (neither for dinner, nor for a late night snack), but I had to take this pic of their Holiday Hours signage.  It's blurry because I felt goofy and creepy taking it.

I am very much against stores being open for bargain shopping on Thanksgiving Day.  That just sucks.  On the years when I spend Thanksgiving in Ohio, however, I always go out on Black Friday with my mom, sisters, my niece (new addition), and usually a family friend as well.  We avoid all big box stores and arrive at the mall around 6:30am.  There are good deals to be had at many mall stores, and I did well this year at Disney Store, Anthropologie, Macy's, and Nordstrom.  Morning at the mall is crowded but not painfully so.  We go about our business, share some laughs, make some purchases, and take turns carting cumbersome bundles to the car.  I am very kind to those working on Black Friday.  Not to brag, but I usually know and understand the intricacies of the various coupons and discounts, which makes for smooth transactions.  I've seen some overcrowded fitting room return racks and groups of women in matching holiday sweatshirts but never any pushing, elbowing, or trampling.  We eat an early lunch around 11:30 and then head home as things start heating up.  The crowds build, the parking lot gets packed, and many of the best discounts expire.  End scene for us.

In short, I love Black Friday the way that my posse and I do Black Friday.  I look forward to the child-free time with my mom and sisters.  I really enjoy the special lunch. 

But here's where Arby's and I differ:  Black Friday is not a holiday.  It's just not.

The First Gift of Christmas

What if I wrapped one or two presents at a time instead of saving a larger pile for a "relaxing evening of wrapping" that never quite arrives?  Tonight, I decided, "I'll do one."  And I did.  I used this gorgeous gold wrapping paper because I have tons leftover after purchasing it for a special project at our parish.

Then I made some adorable cardinal gift tags, using my special Avery labels and the free design templates at avery.com/print that I have written about before. 

The first gift of Christmas is officially wrapped.  Fingers crossed that enough progress will be made on our remodeling project this week so that, as of next weekend, there will be a tree to shelter gifts.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and I welcome the gift of hope brightly offered by the first purple candle.

On the (Hall)mark

Many women have favorite "present-wrapping movies."  The films you tee up when you settle in to wrap gifts or assemble Christmas cards.  Mine have been the same for years:  While You Were Sleeping, Bridget Jones's Diary, and Love, Actually.  Every once in a while, I will mix things up with a Christmas episode of The Office.

My mom and sisters are fans of the films above, but swear by the holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel.  My mom claims she could happily wrap presents and watch the movies all day long.

I'm open to expanding my holiday repertoire.

In an unwelcome interruption to my husband's viewing of the ND/Stanford game, I took advantage of family togetherness to have the experts recommend some Hallmark movies to get me started.

Recent Favorites (responses were fast and furious and often passionate).  I have included key words and phrases I was able to take down ...

Snow Bride -- tabloid reporter

Christmas Under Wraps -- Candace Cameron in Alaska, and the one where she is a doctor

Let It Snow -- Candace Cameron when she is the ad executive and Alan Thicke is her dad

The Royal Christmas

Merry Matrimony -- my niece loved it

Tis the Season for Love

The Christmas Ornament -- Kelly Martin

Sad, but Good
November Christmas -- my mom called it "heartbreaking," one sister called it "hard" and the other said, "it's sad but if you stick with it, it all ends up ok"

A Dog Named Christmas -- two phrases that came up in the discussion of this one were "saves the horse from the mountain lion" and "has flashbacks of the dog he had in Vietnam"

 Avoid
- the ones where someone is a witch
- the North Pole ones
- Cookie Cutter Christmas (uncomfortable, hard to watch)

My sisters summarized the ingredients for a Hallmark Christmas Movie:  return to a hometown or starting over in a big city, reunion with old flame, lead character really loves Christmas, tree lot scene, everything wrapped with big red bow at the end

My sister LAP claims that when there are ten minutes left, she always says, "There's a lot that needs to be wrapped up in ten minutes."  But it always gets wrapped up.

My mom added that kids can watch these movies.

All three stressed that we had just scratched the surface with the titles discussed above.

The movie they are most looking forward to is Mariah Carey's Christmas Melody, which will be premiering on December 19th and which was filmed in our hometown of Cincinnati.  My mom's friend Karen reports that instant potato flakes were used as snow and that Mariah Carey was friendly to the shopkeepers in Wyoming, the area of town where the filming took place. 

I'm ready to get on the (Hall)mark.  Do you have any must-see or must-avoid Hallmarkers for my list?


 

Lights Out!

Such a full and busy day here that I can barely keep my eyes open, much less write anything of value.  November and NaBloPoMo are nearing the end, but the Christmas season is off to a great start!