Raige Creations

It is never a bad way to end the weekend, watching The Big Lebowski . That we did, for the I don't know how many-eth time. We have seen it a lot. (Plus a little Monty Python , always a good time for that really.) But now back to work from my completely do nothing vacation, well staycation really. Honestly, I did a little more than nothing, but not much. I hardly cooked, didn't go anywhere but the grocery store, did minimal laundry (that still needs to be folded). I sat on the couch most of the time. I successfully lounged and read several kindle fun books. So this is a nice way to ease in to tackeling my work emails, a nice tune from Bob Dylan . (website here if you want to get lost in Bob ) Besides hubby requested it, and it is kinda nice to hear him sing along, even if he is immitating Bob, he is a bit better than Bob. But, if I have to play it again, and read him the lyrics, having heard him say one too many times 'What is that he said there?' , I may ...

Along the lines of healthy eating, fresh herbs from the garden , and keeping busy in the kitchen, I am sharing some further busyness I have had in the kitchen. First, we found these GREAT herb cutting scissors . If anyone shares my dislike of chopping fresh herbs, these are for you. Lots of cutting edges with one cut. THE BEST herb chopping scissors I always had rosemary pop across the counter when I chopped it with a knife, and it felt like it took forever to chop the mint and basil, and to get the leaves in line for cutting a whole other struggle. These scissors make it, dare I say, fun to chop up, or cut up, the herbs. Gather herbs and put on the scissor blades and cut. Then keep cutting. I lay the scissors on their side and keep cutting the pile of herbs until it gets the desired chopped-ness. I think I go a little crazy these days with using the herbs and cutting them up. I do it nearly every other day. But what yummy results! Tomato Cucumber Salad, with fresh cut he...

Photo Courtesy of Raige Tea, those deliciously 'evil' hazelnut and chocolate sticks, and the chili stirring spoon makes for a lovely Sunday. It means all the chores were done by the time football starts. The laundry folded and put away, the dinner prepped (just stirring intermittenly throughout the afternoon), showered and in Sunday comfy clothes.  You might not understand the big deal of the Pirouline's  . These, once upon a time way back when we were a younger family who was content with enough to be able to treat ourselves with yummy treats and the time for tea, were our favorite. A very fancy to us, decadent treat we allowed ourselves when times were good financially. When we took the time to enjoy tea, sweets, and each other.  We then hit tougher times, busier times. We were working harder, for less rewards. We cut back, we skimped, we scraped by. No chocolate hazelnut goodness. No tea time.  Years went by living under these circumstances. We accepted...

Thanks to M.L. Gardner , my chocolates source: Raige Creations Yes, I will be talking about chocolate, again. I so enjoyed the Godiva chocolates I won , not just because they were SO delish, but because it made me stop, relax, and enjoy the company I was with. It also brought back memories of when I was young. My father used to buy Whitman's Samplers every holiday, no doubt bought from the pharmacy on the corner.  It was his special treat for the family, probably one he continued from his childhood. His young years were during the Great Depression (the era of Author M.L. Gardner's 1929 series which are my latest favorite books), and I am sure chocolates were a fine treat indeed. His family was from Philadelphia, where the chocolates originated so no doubt this tradition came from his father, my grandfather. A true family tradition. source: Whitmans.com Not the fanciest, and certainly not expensive, the Whitman Sampler chocolates were all his family could ...

What better way to get back in to Music Monday ? Some G~n~R of course. (old G~n~R...old stuff.....) Playin' a song beggin' to go home. I have been feeling like going home.  Not necessarily the home I grew up in. But where I grew most, where I started my own home. Ah well, home is where you make it right?  So, home is where I am with my family. Home can be anywhere. I have just been wanting my home to be located somewhere else. Either way, this is a rockin' tune to get through a Monday after a completely gorgeous weekend. With more snow on the horizon, we all could use a little G~n~R to get through. Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green And the girls are pretty Oh, won't you please take me home? Yeah, yeah