People-I’m eating…hear?

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OK -it’s soapbox time. Stand back it’s going to get ugly.

I know anyone who reads this blog is not guilty of this but I have to get my rant on somewhere. So… join me in a  “Hallelujah sister!” if you feel the same and ignore this if you don’t.

I have to get this off of my chest because I have had too many otherwise pleasant outings ruined by rude and overly-loud people vociferously expressing their opinions, comments and self-importance for everyone within a two mile radius to hear. Phew!

Take it down a notch- please! I don’t want to hear your political views or interpersonal problems (how your neighbors should have offered to wash your windows because they had some construction done on their home and you decided to wash your windows in the midst of it all and dust blew over and stuck to your newly washed windows…blah…blah…blah) I’m trying to have a nice meal with my sweetie over here!

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Hello?!… we’re in a restaurant having a nice meal, ordered and prepared with care and hopefully consumed with satisfaction- I want to be able to hear the conversation of those with whom I’ve chosen to dine – not your complaints from two tables away.

Same and double ditto in the movie theatre- I paid to watch the movie not hear your comments- so Hush up! Just because you’re rude enough to talk through a movie at home doesn’t mean you have a right to behave that way in public.

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And if it’s not a kid’s movie -don’t bring your babies please, please. They cry and then you miss the movie and I miss the movie and they have to pee or get restless or give away the plot at the crucial moment and then you argue with your partner about who should have to remove them because neither of you wants to miss the movie you’ve just paid megabucks to see… see?

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And by the way if you open that cell phone to take a call, text or check your messages and pull my attention away from the movie  just one more time- there’s gonna be trouble -right here in River City… Just because you have the attention span of a gnat doesn’t mean you have the right to ruin my escapist cinema experience.

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So remember this “Just because you want to -doesn’t mean you can, and just because you can -doesn’t mean you should!…”

Alright -I feel better now. Onwards and upwards. Sorry for the rant- you know it is not like me at all but…today my cup runneth over with rude fools.

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s without Pink Frosted Cookies

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It wouldn’t be Valentine’s  day around here without some big soft heart-shaped and pink frosted sugar cookies! So I whipped some up a couple of days ago. Well- I had to take some to other people I love too, you see?

This morning we tried to go out to breakfast but even with the snowfall in SLC -the place was jammed. So we decided to stop a local bakery (I won’t mention the name) and get some pastry then go home for the traditional scrambled eggs, pastry, latte and a game of Upwords. I mention this because they were charging $2.00 a piece for cookies not this big or cute- (even if I do say so myself.) And then- I about fell over dead when I saw they were charging $58.00 for a 9″ red velvet cake. I mean this is Utah not San Francisco or New York. Whew! But- I digress…

Back to the day of love and these lovely cookies.

Pink Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

  • 3 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups of granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter or (1/2 butter -1/2 non-hydrogenated shortening)
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients together and cut the butter into them, then mix in the eggs and extracts. Mix until a soft dough forms. Roll out on a lightly floured surface about 1/4 inch thick and cut with heart shaped cutters. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 8 minutes for small hearts and about 11 minutes for large. Watch them and don’t over bake- remove when just set through. Remove to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

  • 1/3 cup softened butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
  • 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
  • a few drops red food coloring or a bit of powdered
  • Pink sanding sugar (optional)

Mix all together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle until smooth.  Add more powdered sugar or less to get a spreadable consistency. Add the coloring slowly just until you get a pretty pink – keep it pale. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar if desired.

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I also, wanted to show you this spectacular Amaryllis (sadly, I don’t know the variety) that is currently blooming in my living room. It came up with three stems and the first that opened had FIVE blooms- amazing. There are four coming on the second stem and the third hasn’t opened yet. It was a forced bulb in a pot that was a Christmas present that my friends Clint and Jan bought at  one of my own favorite places to go- Cactus and Tropicals to give to me. Thanks very much- I’m loving it !!!

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For Rick’s valentine I had to make him another card because he saw the one I made at our crafternoon- so I made him one with a daffodil to represent looking  forward to Spring.

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I also went to the lovely and decadent V Chocolates and bought him a box of their luscious caramels and toffee. I went to their corporate headquarters store here in Salt Lake City, and I was treated so nicely 🙂 Thanks!- I just love their candy. They have beautiful presentation, but what is most important is the quality and I think that is superb!

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Rick, in turn, went to one of my favorite local stores Tabula Rasa and bought a book for me on one of my favorite artists Tamara Lempicka called “Lempicka The Artist The Woman The Legend.” Then we went to Moriarty’s Antiques for a look round. We’ve had a wonderful day. As we always say: “We’re so lucky we must have rabbit’s feet!”

Well my dears, I send you all my love and hope your days are just as wonderful and filled with all of the people you love!

xoxoxo

Tyler Florence Fridays- Amaretto Chocolate Brownies from Stirring the Pot

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amaretto-brownies

I’m back on the TFF bandwagon this week and the recipe I’m serving up is from “Stirring the Pot”, by Tyler Florence -page #200- Amaretto Brownies.  I am a big Tyler cookbook fan so far- I’m sure I’ll be finding more of his recipes to love as we go along.

I actually made these this morning before leaving for work- so they are cooling and waiting to be cut when I go home for lunch today. I did sneak a taste though -and they were full of chocolaty- Amaretto goodness. mise-brownies

I am a complete brownie slave- they are my absolute favorite treat- the one I refuse to give up no matter what. Because of this, I have my favorite brownie recipe memorized and just make variations to it according to my mood.  So what I’m getting at is that I respect Tyler enough to go outside of my comfort zone and give his a try. These use a lot more ingredients than my usual but then again they are a lot thicker. I’m curious to see what they are like in the middle when cooled- so I’ll update on that later… and I don’t know if I’ll make the chocolate whipped cream he serves with these yet- I love the darkness of the brownies by themselves.

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Now let’s go on over to the Tyler Florence Fridays site to get a list of the other TFF recipes presented today…

Update: the verdict- yummy- we ate them all and they were very good and might be nice for a change-up in future… but I still prefer my regular brownie recipe. xoxo

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