Have Your Cake -- And Admire It, Too

One of my friends, Tina Madrid, does some amazing things with cakes. Her Sweet Nothings Bakery kicks out some of the most innovative designs ever.

Case in point: a Bottoms Up cake, for boys...

And if your little one is a girlie:

Here's Tina's version of Dora the Explorer.

Her  Rainbow Cake...

Her Pigs in A Barrel...

But she does elegance, too.

Gorgeous, huh?

Find out more about Tina's work on her Facebook page, Sweet Nothings Bakery.

Do It Right Away...Or Wait A While?

When the sun's out, it's still glorious around here...lots of fall leaves blazing, and the sun gleaming off the mountains (still snow-free, but not for long) and the glossy feathers of the chickens.

Can't stand around all day, letting her admire...got stuff to do!

      It doesn't take much, though, for clouds to move in -- and when they do, it's downright chilly, and a little foreboding. Where have the past few months gone? There is still so much to do. The chicken coop expansion must be finished -- wood cut and stacked. The front and backyards are full of all sorts of flotsam and jetsam. Action packers, tarps, supplies are out, waiting for the Brick's upcoming hunting trip. What should I do now -- what can wait?

Some things don't have much choice. Meals must be made, clothes washed, the toilets cleaned. Then there's the business -- orders must be filled, appraisals sent, commitments kept.

But I am starting to understand something -- that I need rest and a break from routine, as much as the basics need doing. That if I trudge through, and nothing else, some of the joy goes out of life. Better to go a little slower and sip, instead of slobber.

There...how's that for poetics. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are eggs to gather, cookies to make, and appraisals to e-mail. Life goes on.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Brrrrr

It's getting chilly out. 
    We spent a chunk of Sunday night putting sides on the new chicken coop expansion. The Brick made it 6 1/2 feet tall, so we could get into it more easily...but trying to hold the boards in place, then screw them down while balancing on a stepladder, is making life interesting!
     If we don't get this coop done soon, the chickies are going to be pretty darn cold. The Brick hopes to finish it up in the next few days; he's going hunting this coming weekend. I want to paint it, as well -- but that can wait for a bit. 
    Now...how can I persuade the younger chickens that they should use the new coop, instead of their drafty (but familiar) old spot? 
     While I'm puzzling on this (any suggestions are welcome):

More than 100 pumpkin dessert recipes. (From Crazy for Crust, a new blog I've just started reading.)

Photos that bring a lump to your throat. I dare you to look at these, and not feel at least a little moved.

Who taught you to be frugal? A Penny Thots post from yours truly.

Six beauty products that are a waste of money...according to Reader's Digest. (I still am partial to q-tips, no matter what they say.)

And in honor of the week: lippy political insults and quotes from all over the world, also from RD.

A teenager finds a 3.85 carat diamond! 

The morons who knocked over a rock formation...then had the gall to say they did it to protect hikers. Watch the video -- do you think they're doing this out of concern?

 Raising chickens update -- at Penny Thots, via yours truly.

Avocado spring rolls -- but a different version than I've ever seen before. (Plus links to other spring roll recipes.) Courtesy of 101 Cookbooks.

Holding steady, even when times are extremely hard. The prizewinner entry at MoneySaving Mom's 'envelope budgeting' contest. Then, on the flip side:

Seven life lessons from the very wealthy. (Thanks, MoneySmart Guides.)

A UFO descends over Iceland. What the heck do you think this is??

A gator goes shopping at Wal-Mart. (He didn't buy much.)

A Nazi solid gold cauldron, found not long ago in a Bavarian lake. I sure hadn't heard anything about this...


Remember: if you have a tantrum, there may be someone lip-syncing behind you, and wrecking the effect!

And in honor of Halloween, the list of Scariest Horror Movies ever. I still have uneasy feelings about Alien, one of the first movies I ever saw in a theater. (Grew up in a family who thought movie theaters in general were bad.)
     Plus my favorite Monty Python sketch...well, other than the one where the guys pretend to be pigeons in Picadilly Square. This one, 'Bring Out Your Dead:' sick but funny.

Stay warm...and have a great week. 

Fall Crisp

The Brick got home Thursday afternoon from Michigan, lugging a suitcase full of apples from the Mama. We (former for me) Michiganders take our apples seriously...and these were Macintoshes, the queen of tastes, the only apple that snaps crisply as you bite into it, yet melts in your mouth.
     Macs don't travel well, so you don't find them much in grocery stores. And these, thanks to Southwest Airlines, were a little bruised, so they won't last long. But that's okay -- we've been giving some away, and eating the rest sliced and spread with peanut butter, or in the form of apple crisp.

APPLE CRISP

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
4-5 tablespoons butter
1/3-1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5 apples, peeled and sliced

Start your oven at 350 degrees. Dump the apples into a small baking pan or ceramic dish. Mix the rest until crumbly (with a fork, or even your hands), then sprinkle on top. Bake for 30 min., or until topping is browned and crunchy. Serves 4, especially when you give it the ultimate topping -- a scoop of vanilla ice cream or yogurt.  


It has been a warm, sunny afternoon, the kind Colorado is famous for. The leaves are starting to fade now, sadly, and drift down, but there is still enough color to make the scenery joyous. I spent a few hours cutting up hardwood trimmings, with a break for the Mama's homemade doughnuts. (She sent those back with the Brick, too.) We're supposed to get snow next week -- have to cut and stack enough for use in the fireplace.
    The Brick is down the hill, sawing away at the chicken coop expansion. You could barely get into the old coop -- this new version will be much taller: "only 6' 6"," reassured the Brick. (He's 6-foot, and is sick and tired of bending over.) The chickies have been watching suspiciously, scampering back whenever they hear the saws. (Probably planning mayhem. Hey, as long as they keep producing eggs, I don't care.)
     Charley pooches around, looking in the woodpile for his buddy the snake. (He likes to toss it into the air, something Mr. Snake doesn't put up with for very long.) Abby just rests, watching the chickens with one eye, and me with the other. 
     The Brick likes to get in as much work as he can before the sun goes down, so I'll wait. After it gets dark, we'll head to Little Caesar's for a three-meat pizza and crazy bread. (These pizzas are amazing, if you haven't tried them yet, by the way.)

     You couldn't ask for a nicer day.

You've Been Warned

There's a squirrel out there with evil intent. 

It's been vandalizing bikes at one of Iowa's community colleges. So far, the score is 5+ to 0 -- a headlight, taillight, bike seat and two tires. No doubt, more are going down, even as we speak.

Authorities thought kids were doing it, until they saw a photo of this devious little guy, up to no good.

I know better. I've watched these rodents torture poor unsuspecting Charley, by running up and down the telephone wire, juuuust out of reach.

The little stinkers.

Monty Python warned us about furry animals...

Wait A Minute...

Toy Story fans will understand...

To infinity...and beyond!

Ten Ways to Eke Out...And A Really Good Joke

I try hard to be funny -- but the best I normally get, telling jokes to the girlies and the Brick, is a snort and eye-rollings. (Daughter #2 also likes to imitate cricket sounds -- 'See, Mom? No one is laughing.') It's when I'm trying to be serious that I get the bellylaughs. (Sad, yes. I know.)

All three of my harshest critics have laughed at this one. See what you think. (Thanks to Jeff Yeager for passing it on.)

     A rich man asks his accountant, priest and lawyer to come to a meeting. When they get there, he says, "I don't have long to live, but I'm going to bring my money with me, whether people like it or not. I'll give each of you 10 million dollars. You're my pallbearers; just before you set me down by the graveside, slip the money inside the coffin. I know you'll follow my instructions to the letter."
    After the guy's funeral, the threesome stop by for a drink. While they're talking, the accountant says, "I have a confession to make. I only put $9 million into the casket -- we're in the process of redoing our house, and need the money. I'm sorry I did it...but I did."
     The priest shifts around for a while, then says, "I didn't put the full amount in, either -- our church is funding an orphanage in Africa, and I just kept thinking about those kids. I only put in $5 million."
     The lawyer is aghast. "I'm shocked -- shocked," he says. "I would have thought you'd both keep your promise. I did -- I put a check for the full $10 million inside."

(The Brick said, "What would he do, if someone cashed it??")

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Are you paying off a debt or two? This is on our minds big-time, right now...new cars aren't cheap. (Well, new to us.) Both the Brick and myself HATE being in debt. Here are some ways we save on everyday expenses, that will help you save a buck or two, too. That means a few dollars more to be applied toward the bill.

*Add liquid. A few cups of water stretch your milk a little; a few cups of broth stretch the soup or stew. You've got enough not only for supper, but lunch tomorrow, as well.

*Cut back on going out. Instead of restaurant fare every other week, make it every third week...or once a month. (Use coupons and save even more.)

*Keep the heat off -- or down -- longer. (It's currently at 62 degrees at Chez Brick,and will pretty much stay there all winter, except in the mornings.)

*Get creative when it comes to firewood. Craigslist is full of ads for free firewood - all you have to is find a tree-trimming company who's clearing out their excess. Or an ad like this --

    Eight hundred pounds of hardwood trimmings, at $20 a bundle. It's what we've been burning in the fireplace for months now, along with leftovers from our recent roof and indoor renovation jobs.

*Clean and mend what you've got -- instead of buying more. Buy classic versions of your socks, shirts, sweaters and such, then keep them clean and in good repair. (Make them last even longer by not using the dryer, but hanging them up, instead. They'll fade and pill less.)

*Give a lesson...or perform a needed task. Do it for pay, and you've got extra money that isn't spoken for...

*Refill your print cartridges -- or buy refilled ones. We do this all the time for black ink, and you couldn't tell the difference. Turning in your used cartridges gets you credit at office supply stores, as well.

*Don't pay full price for anything you can bargain on.  Large appliances, hotel rooms, vehicles. Haggling can really save -- and keep you from having to borrow so much money in the first place.

*Plan for the holidays NOW. You've still got time to find baking ingredients, decorations and presents on sale -- it will be more difficult in a few weeks. (Hint: once Halloween is over, all those bags of little candy bars are going to be half-price...good for hunting, as well as Christmas stocking stuffers. Hint #2:  Thrift shops, more often than you think, have unused items still in their original boxes -- and ready for gift-giving.)

*Get inspiration from others.  Like Ken Ligunas, who lived in his van to pay for college, and has been living and traveling on a shoestring ever since. I wouldn't do everything this guy does to save money -- but he does help me think more creatively about it.

Save on the everyday stuff -- and you'll have money for luxuries.