• food,  my view

    Fresh Friday

    Wishing you a super fresh Friday and a Happy Weekend!

     

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    Can you tell I’m trying to at least think, if not eat, a little more healthfully? A girl can strive.

     

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • family,  food,  my view

    Eating down the line aka what I did on my Summer vacation…

    Happy Monday!

    Here I am back at my old laptop after a week away on the road with the family and finding it oh so hard to get back into the swing of work again. The DH, DD, DS and I were off to Savannah to visit with the DH’s kin and I have to say I think I ate my way down I-95 and back up again. Of sweet tea how I love thee! Now get back!

    You can see the evidence of my gluttony which felt at times more on the edge of debauchery here:

    So now I’m feeling like some serious Fall get in line action needs to be taken but then again… the summer’s not over yet. Check back with me on that action after Labor Day. Have a good one.

     

    Best,

    Kwana

  • food,  jack,  my view

    Everything’s Better With Bacon

    What’s Jack up to? Jack’s doing good, hanging, doing his usual Jack thing full of vim and vigor that is until about 9:00 when his sleepy kicks in. Then all bets are off and nobody better mess with him when he’s trying to get his sleep on. Zzzzzzzz…..

    So, I’m sure many of you have heard the saying, “everything taste better with bacon.” Well, one of my knitting buddies, T went and proved it yesterday when she brought this for the group to sample. that’s right bacon flavored chocolate. To it’s credit she didn’t tell us the secret ingredient and the bacon wasn’t overpowering so we were all guessing for quite a while. I got very close when I said something smoked. It combined sweet and salty perfectly. Have you ever?

    Sadly, I have. You should have seen the faces when I fessed up to having potato chips with my chocolate ice cream. Yum.

    Tell me what odd treats do you like to have on the sly?

    If you’d like to try the bacon flavored chocolate you can get it from Vosges here.

    Best,
    Kwana

  • accessories,  Books,  domestications,  food,  movies,  my view

    And Featuring…

    What’s Jack up to? Nothing much besides being the Just Jackster lately and having quite a time with that. He had fun helping the DD with a photography project for school what got him plenty of bribe treats in order to keep still (which he never did do) so WIN for him.

    Happy Monday and Happy Columbus Day!
    This is probably one of the latest Julie and Julia posts ever but here goes. Many of you know that Julie and Julia was my last book group book and I was quite excited to read this book and even more excited to see the movie with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

    Well, I guess too excited because I did an off reversal thing that I really thought would work. I saw the movie before reading the book and as it happens, I LOVED the movie, maybe a little too much.

    The problem with that was the movie, for me, was adapted so differently from the book that it made the book hard to separate and enjoy and I think if I had read the book first, I would have enjoyed it more. Or if I read the book maybe a year prior and then read Julia’s MY LIFE IN FRANCE and had those to go on I would have had a different experience.
    That said, this is not really what this post is about. This post is about the other little star of the movie. You all know how I can get swayed by a good accessory. Don’t let a fine handbag cross the screen. Clive Owen can be bare chested and I will barely notice. Well, that fine accessory moment in Julie and Julia was the Le Creuset dutch oven moment. I instantly turned to the DH and whispered, half breathless, “look my pot”. He just sighed knowing the trouble ahead.

    I had been coveting one of these pots for years but just could not justify the purchase of one in my own mind even a discounted one (on sale) and I really didn’t want another brand. You know how it goes. Real or Canal Street knock off? I go for real every time.
    Well this weekend after countless trips to Home Goods and TJ Maxx the DH had had it with me and the anniversary had not quite worn off so I now have my very own pretty yellow dutch oven. (sorry it’s dark in the pics)

    The first meal: braised ox tail stew with onions, peppers and potatoes. A fave of the DH.


    I also got this great casserole and one-pot book for myself to go with it. Who knew I’d be so happy over a pot?

    Could I be sorta domesticated? Kinda?
    Um… Nah. I’m not getting crazy here.

    Best,
    Kwana

  • dieting,  food,  my view

    Yummy at the Gas Station

    Snickers ads following me as I pump my gas now. There is no escape. At least now I see they are supporting a good cause. Nice.

    Sidebar: And still I have not had a Snicker bar. I must remedy that, but maybe the ads are working in my favor in that way.

    Best,
    Kwana
  • food,  jack,  life,  marriage,  new york,  Real Housewives of NYC

    A Cheap Date

    What’s Jack Up to? Jack is getting his Monday chill on after dealing with the wild family all weekend. A cloudy day means a Jack will be perched on the couch dozing for a good part of the day.
    The DH and I had a party to go to on Saturday night that we thought we were showing up for fashionably late. Turns out that 11:00 was not late enough. Seriously, nobody was there yet. I was like, “what, is this party being hosted by Kelly from the Not So Real Housewives of the NYC?”
    But no, it was the DH’s bud’s party and he wanted to make an appearance. So we drove around in the city looking for a bite to eat. He wanted to treat me to something a bit fancy. I said no way.
    This is there we ended up for some pre-party fare.

    There’s a good reason he married me. I’m so easy to please.

    I hope you had a satisfying weekend.

    Best,
    Kwana
  • diets,  food,  my view,  videos

    It’s a McWonder

    Happy Friday everyone. I hope you all have a nice weekend planned. Lately it seems for me the weekends are just blending with the week and it all feels the same. Work, work and more work just on a different day. I need a McVacation to sort things out.

    My mind is cluttered with strange things that it probably should not be, but, well, it is. And here is one of them that’s a bit old but still stuck with me especially since I’m off the sugar and white products for Lent. Honestly at this point I’d give my pinky toe for a decent diner grilled cheese with bacon on good old white bread with a big side of fries. Oh be still my heart.

    Stop, Kwana, that’s not the story. Breath. This is the story. Did you hear about the woman who called 911 because McDonald’s didn’t have her McNuggets and wouldn’t refund her money?


    Well, a woman goes into McDonald’s orders a 10 piece nuggets they take her money and then tell her they are out of the nuggets and she can have something else. She asks for her money back and they refuse to give it saying all sales are final. What’s with that? That sounds like robbery to me.

    Now you know when you’ve got your mind set on something in particular you want that thing. Nothing else will do. Like, I want a grilled cheese on White bread with bacon right now. Not on whole grain with fat free cheese. And if you get me on the wrong day I may have to call 911 on you if you don’t give me my money back.

    It turns out the woman was given a summons for abusing the 911 system for calling 3 times. She says she called back to get the address correct. I say the restaurant was at fault for not refunding her money. Worse for taking it in the first place and giving her false Nugget hope.

    Turns out McDonald’s has sent her a bunch of coupons and are now offering a refund. I say they owe her a lot more than that. You don’t go messing with a lady when she’s got food on her mind.

    Best,
    Kwana