tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86816136938775842952024-02-26T01:44:50.742-05:00Reversing the PolarityA blog on Doctor Who, kitchen adventures, and general miscellanyJLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-58527423194530026552020-08-17T20:38:00.000-04:002020-08-17T20:38:06.200-04:00Blue Moo <p> Dave and I recently went to <a href="https://www.bluemooicecreamshop.com/" target="_blank">Blue Moo Ice Cream Shop</a> for the first time. We got lunch and ice cream. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c1UXPn4Kg2M/XzEnXuC0NwI/AAAAAAAADj0/RIFrwp-aKuoJfUPO0PD3oisZGvf17pS-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_6531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c1UXPn4Kg2M/XzEnXuC0NwI/AAAAAAAADj0/RIFrwp-aKuoJfUPO0PD3oisZGvf17pS-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6531.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The food was good, but the ice cream was amazing! Dave's vanilla shake was one of the best I ever tasted. I got a scoop of Oreo cookie and a scoop of salted caramel. YUM. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zpc9-7uM9TU/XzEnpTy1EoI/AAAAAAAADj8/0uPJ4hMroCoHM2vwDQITifFRj1t9IFGtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_6528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zpc9-7uM9TU/XzEnpTy1EoI/AAAAAAAADj8/0uPJ4hMroCoHM2vwDQITifFRj1t9IFGtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6528.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>We both agreed we'll be coming here a lot more.</p>JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-37963743733652547772020-08-08T15:59:00.000-04:002020-08-08T15:59:24.904-04:00Mississippi mud bars for two<p>This is another recipe from Dessert for Two. It's a chocolate chip brownie topped with mini marshmallows and chocolate icing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TPrPveCv9s4/Xy8CpmNAM2I/AAAAAAAADjg/dNGquj5lojIeaTvDSyrS-Avc5cmdy12MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_6503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TPrPveCv9s4/Xy8CpmNAM2I/AAAAAAAADjg/dNGquj5lojIeaTvDSyrS-Avc5cmdy12MQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_6503.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>There were four bars, but I ate one before I took a picture. Oops. They look a little smooshed because our power was out for a couple of days due to a hurricane, so they got wrapped up and stuck in a cooler. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5UcRk-CBSFc/Xy8DCcFtW0I/AAAAAAAADjo/0UhshM0MoEsE0SJ62v54WNC5Czx9XmXwACLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_6506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5UcRk-CBSFc/Xy8DCcFtW0I/AAAAAAAADjo/0UhshM0MoEsE0SJ62v54WNC5Czx9XmXwACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6506.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Also, I didn't have chocolate chips. I ALWAYS have chocolate chips, so I don't know how that happened. I chopped up some chocolate so they were chocolate chunks instead. These bars were sooooo good. However, they were very rich, and Dave didn't like them. More for me!</p>JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-75410405194425957722020-07-12T22:33:00.001-04:002020-07-12T22:33:25.406-04:00Pumpkin cupcakes for twoI love pumpkin things and eat them all year, not just in the fall. I made pumpkin cupcakes from Dessert for Two.<br />
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I got lazy and didn't make the buttercream icing. I made a simple glaze for the top instead.<br />
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OH MY GOODNESS. These were so good and so easy. Dave liked them, too.<br />
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Dave: What's the name of that cookbook again?<br />
Me: Dessert for Two.<br />
Dave: It should be Dessert for Four or Six!<br />
Me: Then it would be a regular cookbook.<br />
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Hahaha!JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-6417321685612435122020-06-29T13:09:00.000-04:002020-06-29T13:09:10.379-04:00Devil's food cake for twoI made another chocolate cake from Dessert for Two.<br />
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This one was a devil's food cake, and it had two layers.<br />
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We didn't like this as much as the other one, but it was okay. The icing was a little too sweet for our taste, I think.<br />
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It's so nice to be able to make dessert that's sized for two!JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-19269941005159621562020-06-17T16:17:00.000-04:002020-07-02T14:14:15.937-04:00More pandemic plantingWe don't just have a well mound. We have a weird mound. There's a mound on the front lawn, and we don't know why it's there. At least, we didn't know before I did this. This was even more of a weedy mess than the well mound, but I forgot to take a before picture. The sellers had planted ornamental grass and a small bush there. I took them out in favor of native plants.<br />
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This has some of the same stuff as the other mound- bee balm, phlox, aster, purple coneflower, and amsonia. It also has coreopsis.<br />
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Oh, and I found out what's in the mound. See that empty spot? There's a tree stump buried there.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-48481105137390082062020-06-06T09:34:00.000-04:002020-06-06T09:34:41.345-04:00Mini Texas chocolate sheet cakeChocolate cake! This was another recipe from <a href="https://www.dessertfortwo.com/product/dessert-for-two-small-batch-cookies-brownies-pies-and-cakes/" target="_blank">Dessert for Two</a> by Christine Lane.<br />
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This was fast and easy. It made a 6" chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.<br />
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The icing poured on like a ganache and thickened more as it cooled. You can see it's shiny and not like a buttercream. Anyway, it was tasty. It was even better the next day. So, I don't recommend eating almost the entire thing the night you make it and only having one piece each the next morning, like Dave and I did.<br />
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So far, this cookbook is <a href="https://reversingthepolarity.blogspot.com/2020/05/brownies-for-two.html" target="_blank">two for two</a>!JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-14246495086534418652020-06-03T16:59:00.001-04:002020-07-02T14:14:04.227-04:00Pandemic plantingTime for more native plants! Our well mound was looking sad. Do you see the bit that looks cut off in the left of the photo? That's from Dave crashing into it with the mower. Haha!<br />
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Maybe I should back up a bit. We have well water, and the access cap has to be in a mound. I don't know why. I also don't know when we'd ever access the water that way, since it comes into the house underground via the pump.<br />
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Anyway, it gets a lot of sun and seemed like a great place to plant some stuff. So I dug everything up and added some soil before I started planting.<br />
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Tada! There's columbine, aster, bee balm, salvia, purple coneflower, crocosmia, phlox, and something else that blooms in the spring that I can't remember right now.<br />
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Our township turns yard waste into mulch and compost, which we can then take for free. People really make the most of it. Sometimes there are cars waiting to grab some from the piles. It's a cool program. I grabbed a bit to top off the mound.<br />
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Before I planted the stuff in the well mound, I put some aster with the coral honeysuckle.<br />
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It's wood's blue aster, a compact, native variety. This weekend I hope to start the next gardening project!JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-88788497297388787912020-05-25T07:39:00.000-04:002020-07-02T14:13:40.608-04:00Coral honeysuckleWe had an unusually cold spring, and I've been itching to transform our property to be more bird, bee, and butterfly friendly with native plants. There's also a ton of landscape rock that I need to remove before I can replace some invasives with natives. The first project: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonicera_sempervirens" target="_blank">coral honeysuckle</a>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave took this pic. Jedi is checking out the plants.</td></tr>
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Hummingbirds are amazing. We've seen them randomly a couple of times in the yard since we got the house last year, and they've come to the hummingbird feeder a few times. But not enough! Haha. This plant is supposed to be great at attracting them, plus other pollinators. I got the "Major Wheeler" variety, which is native and is supposed to have more blooms. It also has berries that other birds may eat in the fall.<br />
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I removed the sod, put down a little bit of new soil and compost, and planted the vines. Whew. With our rocky soil, this took much longer than I was expecting. It was getting dark when I was done. I hope they grow!!<br />
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<br />JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-39683759571591299112020-05-10T21:18:00.000-04:002020-05-10T21:18:25.562-04:00Brownies for twoI like to bake, but I usually don't want to make a big cake or batch of cookies for just the two of us. Enter the book <a href="https://www.dessertfortwo.com/product-category/my-cookbooks/" target="_blank">Dessert for Two</a>, by Christina Lane. Perfect!<br />
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I made these brownies quickly, in one bowl, mixed with a spoon. They were baked in a loaf pan.<br />
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YUM. Needless to say, we devoured them.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-4359081053622954302020-04-09T08:07:00.002-04:002020-07-02T14:13:04.967-04:00Pandemic painting projectI was determined to blog more this year, and now we're all stuck inside because of the pandemic. I hope everyone is safe and healthy and that this is all over soon.<br />
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I've done some pandemic painting over the past couple of weeks. First I did the dining room. Before, it was green with brown trim.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherwin Williams Secure Blue, with Extra White on the trim</td></tr>
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I love the blue! Yep, that's paint on the floor. I had a little bit of an accident with the paint tray.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NOY0ik473yY/Xo3BoukpYmI/AAAAAAAADeI/QRCRwcVOO4sMDQCzTmrlxRaynjH42NgRwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6094.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NOY0ik473yY/Xo3BoukpYmI/AAAAAAAADeI/QRCRwcVOO4sMDQCzTmrlxRaynjH42NgRwCK4BGAYYCw/s640/IMG_6094.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Oops! I tripped on the sheets on the floor, landed in the paint tray, and catapulted paint everywhere. This photo was taken a few days later. I was much more covered in paint after it happened! Haha. I'm not upset about the floor. I plan on putting in hardwood floors eventually. Until then, maybe we'll put a rug over it. Or not.<br />
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The next room I tackled was the downstairs bathroom. It's a small half bath. It originally was beige with brown trim. I went with lilac.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SW Inspiring Lilac, with Extra White trim</td></tr>
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I like how this turned out. The next room to paint will be the upstairs hallway bathroom. I'm doing that in SW Lighthearted Pink. Most of the house is beige, so I need to add some color to the place. The white trim really brightens up the rooms compared to the dark wood.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-80403757843857896182020-03-12T16:54:00.000-04:002020-03-12T16:54:58.135-04:00Philadelphia Flower Show: Riviera HolidayAt the end of February, my mom and I made our annual trip to the <a href="https://theflowershow.com/" target="_blank">Philly Flower Show</a>. This year's theme was Riviera Holiday. It smelled great as we walked in.<br />
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So many colors! So many different flowers and plants! This was one of the best flower shows yet.<br />
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I couldn't stop taking pictures.<br />
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One display was particularly neat. It was supposed to be rows of buildings with flower boxes.<br />
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It was very original. You could walk between and see the flowers close up.<br />
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So pretty!<br />
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The flower show had plenty of lighting this year. One recurring issue is that there's never enough light, so sometimes displays are very dark and it's hard to see. Not this year!<br />
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Everything was well lit.<br />
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There were a lot of lemons.<br />
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And succulents!<br />
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I'm a fan of succulents. I have a bunch at home. This display was supposed to represent the ocean.<br />
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Nice!<br />
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Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly) was from the Philadelphia area, and she loved roses, so there was a special display with a replica of her wedding gown.<br />
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It was very popular. They had a video of her wedding playing, too.<br />
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My mom and I had a great time enjoying one of the best flower shows in years. Next year's theme is "Habitat." It's about pollinator- and wildlife-friendly gardening, as well as sustainable gardening. I wish that had been this year's theme! I'm in the process of figuring out plants, trees, and bushes to plant at the new house, and it's important to me and Dave to plant native plants that are good for pollinators and birds. We're also not going to use pesticides or other chemicals. I'm looking forward to next year's show.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-22624993587089817042020-02-23T18:04:00.000-05:002020-02-23T18:04:31.468-05:00Naz-O-Nut I had read about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NazONut/" target="_blank">Naz-O-Nut</a>, a local doughnut shop in Nazareth, a few times and wanted to go there. I'm a big fan of doughnuts but have never made them myself. Since Dave and I were out and about on a Sunday morning, we stopped in. Everything looked delicious! It was a tough decision. I had to try my favorite kind, Boston cream.<br />
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OH MY GOODNESS. The delicious icing. The pastry cream filling- so full of it and so good. The other one I tried was the caramel with glaze drizzle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's icing from my Boston cream that fell on this one...oops...</td></tr>
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Wow! Melt in your mouth. These were the best doughnuts I have ever had. Hands down. Amazing. If you're anywhere near the Lehigh Valley, definitely stop in here and try some. The shop is near downtown Nazareth. YUM.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-40232680395358221232020-02-06T07:20:00.000-05:002020-02-06T07:20:03.658-05:00Jack's Pumpkin GlowLast fall, we went to <a href="https://glowpumpkin.com/" target="_blank">Jack's Pumpkin Glow</a> with my parents.<br />
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It was cool. There were jack-o'-lanterns everywhere.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's this?</td></tr>
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We saw elaborately crafted scenes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take me to your leader.</td></tr>
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The volcano by the dinosaurs periodically blew out smoke.<br />
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It was a fun fall outing.<br />
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If it comes around your neck of the woods this year, I recommend it.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-71994381401805587032020-01-24T16:06:00.000-05:002020-01-24T16:06:31.216-05:00CandytopiaWhen I heard that there was an exhibit called <a href="https://www.candytopia.com/" target="_blank">Candytopia</a> and that it featured free candy, I was there.<br />
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I guess I'd call it an art installation. There were rooms with different themes, each room filled with things made from candy, and each one featuring free candy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopL85s3OGISAq1ASukW-LgjoYWN1ygM6XnsOwWwR979OXByqSWAjhCVZ4F9aD2pR2WmKjo7o-Oh0N1QGkk-WhNF61swYVMtaHU_FJ8NukCnOcG_9nrRbWTjXy0R9hA37yUAQbMxDtYhyphenhyphen7/s1600/IMG_5608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopL85s3OGISAq1ASukW-LgjoYWN1ygM6XnsOwWwR979OXByqSWAjhCVZ4F9aD2pR2WmKjo7o-Oh0N1QGkk-WhNF61swYVMtaHU_FJ8NukCnOcG_9nrRbWTjXy0R9hA37yUAQbMxDtYhyphenhyphen7/s640/IMG_5608.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">made of candy</td></tr>
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Dave isn't that into candy, so I got DOUBLE candy. Wheeeee! Needless to say, I ate too much candy and felt sick. That is not Candytopia's fault.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love dragons.</td></tr>
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This was my favorite thing in all of Candytopia, and it was in the first room. Candy dragon!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrUnzJi86ZY/XhPWORbahfI/AAAAAAAADao/MoRF1T_AUXEopx7PUBj7tyvDWhOA8SC2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrUnzJi86ZY/XhPWORbahfI/AAAAAAAADao/MoRF1T_AUXEopx7PUBj7tyvDWhOA8SC2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5618.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and Dave</td></tr>
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It was pretty cool.<br />
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Of course the Candy Man himself made an appearance...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willy Wonka</td></tr>
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All in all, it was a worthwhile experience.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-30469542888310239862020-01-17T21:36:00.000-05:002020-01-18T22:30:12.555-05:00First pupdate of the '20sPupdate! Jedi is doing well. He has a large fenced yard of his very own now, and he loves it. He also has his own Instagram account on which he discusses books, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/readingbeagle/" target="_blank">@readingbeagle</a>.<br />
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Jedi and I tend to like the same books.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-92065251124322498172020-01-09T16:36:00.000-05:002020-01-09T16:36:15.234-05:00Cinnamon bunsI love cinnamon buns. I had never made them before, because yeast dough seemed intimidating to me. <a href="https://reversingthepolarity.blogspot.com/2018/09/new-york-cheese-pizza.html" target="_blank">I've since discovered</a> that yeast dough is fun and not that hard. I make homemade pizza dough fairly often now, so it was time to find a good cinnamon bun recipe.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YUM</td></tr>
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I was going to make the cinnamon buns (or cinnamon rolls, as everyone else calls them) for a family brunch. I found <a href="https://joyfoodsunshine.com/cinnamon-rolls-recipe/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> and it seemed like it would be good. However, I'm not the biggest fan of cream cheese icing. I did a test run before brunch and did half with the cream cheese icing in the recipe and the other half with a butter/sugar glaze.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEpbU-7r6Pw/XhIpMhynV8I/AAAAAAAADZQ/PJapSk3AqPUwGkP8YPBOApjyKyBboQNpACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEpbU-7r6Pw/XhIpMhynV8I/AAAAAAAADZQ/PJapSk3AqPUwGkP8YPBOApjyKyBboQNpACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5684.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre-icing</td></tr>
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Dave and I decided that the cream cheese icing, while good, was a bit too overpowering. We preferred the sugar glaze. That's what I used for brunch. Oh, and the taste? WOW, THESE ARE THE BEST. Seriously. The best. They were amazing.<br />
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I messed up the icing a little bit, as you can see. I didn't let the butter soften enough, and you can see little bits of butter on them. Oops! They were still great. These cinnamon buns will be made many times in the future.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-13662233175044727512020-01-05T13:08:00.000-05:002020-01-05T13:08:19.818-05:00The Great Pumpkin RunOh my goodness, I haven't blogged since April! 2019 was a crazy year. We bought a house, Dave severely sprained his ankle, and work was even crazier than the year before. I'm determined to get back to blogging in 2020. So here it goes...<br />
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To deal with stress and anxiety, I started running again. I hadn't done that for years, so I decided to set a goal and seriously dedicate myself to meeting it. I signed up for <a href="https://www.thegreatpumpkinrun.com/" target="_blank">The Great Pumpkin Run</a> 5K in Allentown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuREowaMk3A/XhIf2nCePsI/AAAAAAAADYg/Fu2UA0E2G9IxRy53ww99vrZF-iBUuP9bQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuREowaMk3A/XhIf2nCePsI/AAAAAAAADYg/Fu2UA0E2G9IxRy53ww99vrZF-iBUuP9bQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5588.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">starting gate</td></tr>
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The race was in the beginning of November. I signed up in September. My goal: To run the entire race without walking. Walking three miles is easy. I love hiking. I can walk two or three times that distance. So I had to run. My first step was to download a free "couch to 5K" <a href="https://www.c25kfree.com/" target="_blank">running app</a>. It had an interval training plan that I could listen to while I ran. It cued me when to walk and when to run, building up to running longer and longer, three days every week. I got my running music playlist together and started.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">almost 3,000 participants</td></tr>
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After the first run, I walked in the door, collapsed, and told Dave I was going to die and I couldn't do it. He said it would get easier. It did! I kept at it every week and felt myself getting stronger and in better shape.<br />
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The race was getting closer, but I hadn't run a full 3.1 miles yet. I was close, and I hoped I could do it on race day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BnC7YocWhhA/XhIh7XoB7_I/AAAAAAAADYw/krrR4zxHjcEIeJrdtNxqlOSt9gOwHZYgACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/race_4410_photo_68861094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BnC7YocWhhA/XhIh7XoB7_I/AAAAAAAADYw/krrR4zxHjcEIeJrdtNxqlOSt9gOwHZYgACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/race_4410_photo_68861094.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">getting toward the finish line</td></tr>
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The morning of the race, it was 20 degrees and I wore four layers. This is the Lehigh Valley in November, after all. It has snowed on Halloween here.<br />
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The race started with a giant hill. Ugh. I hate running up hills. There was an incredibly steep hill at the very beginning, and the entire first mile was uphill. I told myself to keep going because I WAS GOING TO RUN THE ENTIRE RACE. This hill was not going to defeat me after I worked so hard to reach my goal. I slowed my pace and kept going up the hill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBq4JV6N6hDd2NpE7qKaTguBXIFYhhv-fwVejsXchrmCDJ9fcDkVGaTMk0jV_n9eArkY7rVhLnSCWRA5iIM0nW8wkyPSfHxFG_0hHkeNlDyHZBnms-1FO3h4Q42AzOKTrLFEIpoGbUzF1/s1600/IMG_5591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBq4JV6N6hDd2NpE7qKaTguBXIFYhhv-fwVejsXchrmCDJ9fcDkVGaTMk0jV_n9eArkY7rVhLnSCWRA5iIM0nW8wkyPSfHxFG_0hHkeNlDyHZBnms-1FO3h4Q42AzOKTrLFEIpoGbUzF1/s640/IMG_5591.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay!</td></tr>
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I did it! I ran the entire race. People were cheering on the sidelines along the route through Allentown, and that felt great. At this point, I was listening to audiobooks instead of music while I ran, and I wasn't even paying attention to the book during the race. I was taking in the experience. It was fantastic. I was truly proud of myself for doing it.<br />
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I finished my first 5K in 37 minutes and 27 seconds. That's not great, but it's not bad for a first time. Next time, I want to do better.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-28345942588787612672019-04-15T12:19:00.000-04:002019-04-15T12:19:34.910-04:00Game of Thrones sugar cookiesThis past weekend was the big Game of Thrones premiere. I went to a Game of Thrones party and brought sugar cookies. Dave surprised me with these cookie cutters a week or two ago. Here's just out of the oven...<br />
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And here's after icing them...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QF9jXxl8J60/XLSUmKz4g8I/AAAAAAAADWA/g1ESUnly6L8i8kp_5zpAd_YBkpIA61QvQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QF9jXxl8J60/XLSUmKz4g8I/AAAAAAAADWA/g1ESUnly6L8i8kp_5zpAd_YBkpIA61QvQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5116.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, I ate one before I took this pic.</td></tr>
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I think they turned out embarrassingly bad, but people were nice enough to compliment them. At least they were tasty. </div>
JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-21835798058738385032019-04-04T16:44:00.002-04:002019-04-04T16:44:30.638-04:00Dreamers' CircusWe went to see <a href="http://www.dreamerscircus.com/" target="_blank">Dreamers' Circus</a> at the Williams Center for the Arts in Easton this week. Nikolaj Busk plays the accordian and piano, Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen plays the violin, and Ale Carr plays the cittern. Sorensen is also in the Danish String Quartet, and since Dave and I are fans, we thought we'd give Dreamers' Circus a try.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG6VfmYk8gjHcGess_Phf7iQ46coFlUifgLinQzplctpGTa1ZaWL_pzGM-DFaGq177R3fw37NOcex1HYumTf8e-TSAtrwhVjk7KmeB0Wg4wzq2GuTFAtEsZeFqmxyiN5BDveiR0oDrlkx/s1600/IMG_5099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG6VfmYk8gjHcGess_Phf7iQ46coFlUifgLinQzplctpGTa1ZaWL_pzGM-DFaGq177R3fw37NOcex1HYumTf8e-TSAtrwhVjk7KmeB0Wg4wzq2GuTFAtEsZeFqmxyiN5BDveiR0oDrlkx/s640/IMG_5099.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding our seats before the performance</td></tr>
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WOW. I can't express how fantastic they are. They play Scandinavian folk/traditional music. I don't know how to describe it. The performance was captivating. This is their first tour of the U.S., and I hope they come back!JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-12565435900872841212019-03-29T05:58:00.000-04:002019-03-29T05:58:38.000-04:00Virginia road tripLast September Dave and I took a road trip around Virginia. I usually pick where we go on vacation because Dave never really expresses an opinion on where he wants to go. This time, Dave wanted to go to Colonial Williamsburg, so we made a trip around that. Here are some highlights...<br />
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First we drove along the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/index.htm" target="_blank">George Washington Memorial Parkway</a>. You can see DC as you drive along the Potomac. We stopped at a park for a walk, but the weather was bad so that was cut short. The weather was rainy a lot during this trip. I got some national park passport stamps, and then we headed to the first big stop, <a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/" target="_blank">Mount Vernon</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_frFbL9reQ/XJ3gHgotY5I/AAAAAAAADUE/JjkEvvNCmnkI2FNc1Ur8yPPaitBIJn9rgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_frFbL9reQ/XJ3gHgotY5I/AAAAAAAADUE/JjkEvvNCmnkI2FNc1Ur8yPPaitBIJn9rgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4605.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GW's house</td></tr>
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You can see how rainy it was in the photo of George Washington's house. We toured the house, walked the grounds, saw his grave, and checked out the museum. It was neat.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2TZ8eyrCxJw/XJ3gnh7yMwI/AAAAAAAADUM/Tt_EzOFz73wbIPJbOsGOhyAcE12pni7KACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2TZ8eyrCxJw/XJ3gnh7yMwI/AAAAAAAADUM/Tt_EzOFz73wbIPJbOsGOhyAcE12pni7KACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4631.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington's grave</td></tr>
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I'm a big fan of George Washington, so I really enjoyed seeing his home. Next stop, <a href="https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/" target="_blank">Colonial Williamsburg</a>. It was okay. Here's the problem...It wasn't crowded. Usually that is fantastic, because we hate crowds. But when you walk into all the little shops, the reenactors want to talk to you and tell you about what they do. So how do you leave when there isn't a crowd and you can't sneak out??? We ended up just going in a couple of places. I did see an original Gutenburg printing press, so that was cool. My dad is a retired printer, and I had a tiny model of one when I was a kid. The highlight here was the Thomas Jefferson reenactor. He was great.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdTTVjTsotnALQthOfUSyUpvtG8dBSb9DowNnpzfbqJXZoCOhHclezuuw5KYBMyP5-ZH4VPcVtmC3tWvON9mUQkYjlGC2QA3WT_AyvIFvgevure9zmQpauhje15KkfFNiDRWptuJblFvL/s1600/IMG_4649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdTTVjTsotnALQthOfUSyUpvtG8dBSb9DowNnpzfbqJXZoCOhHclezuuw5KYBMyP5-ZH4VPcVtmC3tWvON9mUQkYjlGC2QA3WT_AyvIFvgevure9zmQpauhje15KkfFNiDRWptuJblFvL/s640/IMG_4649.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferson reenactor giving a speech</td></tr>
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Next stop, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/index.htm" target="_blank">Yorktown</a>! Yorktown, Jamestown, and Colonial Williamsburg are all within 20 minutes of each other. I very much enjoyed Yorktown.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZrlr01S_k-jUCdLRpDGHZs9NwFRR0MMF3uoxHj8nI8WKuEeTFvwQ2aEyDOB1h2l-eImtnMZIXJeNmEiRIJOU5U4Zhd1938VgXqj6q23DHRsk-WA_3PWBa5MPMgVJNfn12hnRSHBPBH7-/s1600/IMG_4662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZrlr01S_k-jUCdLRpDGHZs9NwFRR0MMF3uoxHj8nI8WKuEeTFvwQ2aEyDOB1h2l-eImtnMZIXJeNmEiRIJOU5U4Zhd1938VgXqj6q23DHRsk-WA_3PWBa5MPMgVJNfn12hnRSHBPBH7-/s640/IMG_4662.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and my buddy, George</td></tr>
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Yorktown is where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, effectively ending the American Revolution. We checked out the museum and then walked down to the water. I was trying to picture all the ships there. We saw some great blue herons down there, which made me happy.<br />
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After Yorktown was <a href="https://www.nps.gov/jame/index.htm" target="_blank">Jamestown</a>, the first permanent British settlement in the Americas. We went there because it was close, but it was meh. Nice to see, but I wouldn't really recommend it. Oh, and needless to say, there were passport stamps at Yorktown and Jamestown. Yes!<br />
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Here's where the trip changed direction. Originally, we were going to go from here to visit my cousin who lives in South Carolina. However, a major hurricane had just hit there, and that part of the trip was cancelled. In fact, as we were driving along 95 in Virginia, there were repeated signs saying that 95 was closed in North Carolina and to find an alternate route. Crazy.<br />
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Instead, we headed west. The first new stop was <a href="https://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm" target="_blank">Appomattox Court House</a>, where Lee surrended to Grant, ending the Civil War. Another passport stamp! Woo!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZNfizcAD8Q/XJ3jdjeiICI/AAAAAAAADUs/IzKuk8nuVf4t0JN863HoL9CAQEeXQy0XgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZNfizcAD8Q/XJ3jdjeiICI/AAAAAAAADUs/IzKuk8nuVf4t0JN863HoL9CAQEeXQy0XgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4728.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">surrender time</td></tr>
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From there we went to the mountains. First we drove along some of the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Parkway</a>. It was beautiful.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r3UQiC_wd8A/XJ3klVnFedI/AAAAAAAADU0/4o720t6ZQhIVkO9ok_JyXt5rFrFNvurygCLcBGAs/s1600/BR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r3UQiC_wd8A/XJ3klVnFedI/AAAAAAAADU0/4o720t6ZQhIVkO9ok_JyXt5rFrFNvurygCLcBGAs/s640/BR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the layered look of the mountains. Then we drove through <a href="https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm" target="_blank">Shenandoah National Park</a> along Skyline Drive. The weather was pretty bad at this point, so it was mostly hard to see the mountains there. But I did get more passport stamps...We were going to stay the night in a town just north of Skyline Drive, and as we were exiting the highway, we saw a national park sign. What? A bonus park? Yes!<br />
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<a href="https://www.nps.gov/cebe/index.htm" target="_blank">Cedar Creek and Belle Grove</a> was a civil war battle site. It's a new park and there wasn't much to it, but they did have the coolest thing in the visitor center- a fiber optic reenactment of the battle.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4ewhNBvj_s/XJ3lS2Nq7uI/AAAAAAAADU8/XYta9YkXvyIWwy1bu7R34rixm74T2I1sACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4ewhNBvj_s/XJ3lS2Nq7uI/AAAAAAAADU8/XYta9YkXvyIWwy1bu7R34rixm74T2I1sACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4760.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The story of the battle was told on the screen, and the lights on the table lit up to show the movements of the two armies. It really helped give a sense of what was going on. That was the last new stop of the road trip. The next day we got back on track and headed to <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague/" target="_blank">Chincoteague</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm" target="_blank">Assateague</a> to see the wild ponies. This is split between two states, and you don't see many ponies in Chincoteague, the Virginia side. They're all fenced in far away. But the wildlife refuge was full of birds!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7T160u9yp6M/XJ3mGkIX2fI/AAAAAAAADVI/p3eJ59Q-KvQnEZytyWCnpWMpNEmfjV3NQCLcBGAs/s1600/egret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="700" height="430" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7T160u9yp6M/XJ3mGkIX2fI/AAAAAAAADVI/p3eJ59Q-KvQnEZytyWCnpWMpNEmfjV3NQCLcBGAs/s640/egret.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">great egret fishing</td></tr>
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I caught a photo of this one fishing. There were egrets and herons all over the place. We drove up to Maryland to see their ponies, and they were everywhere! It was raining and windy. We couldn't even walk on the beach. But the ponies were all over the park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pG0fGhsOVx4/XJ3m2URQNKI/AAAAAAAADVQ/nLuwO1GtVMchOyjFoG8Gs-cFimE8eiLOgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_E4791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pG0fGhsOVx4/XJ3m2URQNKI/AAAAAAAADVQ/nLuwO1GtVMchOyjFoG8Gs-cFimE8eiLOgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_E4791.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see they're all wet from the rain.</td></tr>
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You have to be careful driving around because the ponies walk in the street. They didn't care that we were there. This is what I thought of when I pictured this place. Virginia's ponies were a disappointment, but this made up for that. That was the last stop on the road trip. Dave and I loved Chincoteague/Assateague, and we'll definitely go back sometime.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-6693780852604927152019-03-24T09:28:00.000-04:002019-03-24T09:28:04.137-04:00Doctor Who: The Three DoctorsI love this story! It has a crazy villain, and I've always been a fan of episodes with multiple Doctors. I like episodes that feature Gallifrey and the Time Lords, too. I like it so much that I blogged about it before <a href="https://reversingthepolarity.blogspot.com/2013/03/doctor-who-three-doctors.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ8o1K1RDWA/XJeFpquCcCI/AAAAAAAADT4/ilh3JoYxOHgeudXqxTqi-Tz7tdcNVIMGQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1499" height="486" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ8o1K1RDWA/XJeFpquCcCI/AAAAAAAADT4/ilh3JoYxOHgeudXqxTqi-Tz7tdcNVIMGQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Omega, Three, and Two</td></tr>
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So go read that post because while I watched it again, I'm not writing about it again. :)<br />
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<div style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">
<b>THE RUNDOWN</b></div>
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></b>
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Doctor: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Third</span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Companions:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> Jo Grant</span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Episode: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">#65, "The Three Doctors," four parts</span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Adversary: </b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Omega</span><br />
<div class="quote" style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Classic Lines:</b> the Brigadier, to the 2nd Doctor, unfazed after entering the TARDIS for the first time and seeing it's bigger on the inside: "So this is what you've been doing with UNIT funds and equipment all this time."</div>
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: </b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">This story is the first time earlier Doctors appeared with the current Doctor. </span></span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Next Up: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">"Carnival of Monsters"</span>JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-52584125745311102492019-03-10T12:44:00.000-04:002019-03-10T12:44:51.824-04:00Philly Flower Show 2019: Flower PowerMy mom and I went to the <a href="https://theflowershow.com/" target="_blank">Philadelphia Flower Show</a> again this year. Unfortunately, we both agreed this was the worst one we have ever attended. The theme was vague, the exhibits weren't very good, and there were hardly any of the usual big exhibits. Here's the main entrance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-7ocykfR4kQtvQwiGOcgnuO8lKTmU7bnxzfgxZcI0rkW3kjewQx8fqIdXsoRkt-L7vzyaekgCnfzsVPjqIdBg4RTHBSp-FdooiWoTG73EPNTDGrcFMJipEJyz0dKYXbc4i0w7MDMkn-v/s1600/IMG_5045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-7ocykfR4kQtvQwiGOcgnuO8lKTmU7bnxzfgxZcI0rkW3kjewQx8fqIdXsoRkt-L7vzyaekgCnfzsVPjqIdBg4RTHBSp-FdooiWoTG73EPNTDGrcFMJipEJyz0dKYXbc4i0w7MDMkn-v/s640/IMG_5045.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Those white walls you see are booths for the FTD World Cup. That was a huge problem. The competition space took up two thirds of the floor, where the big, beautiful exhibits usually are. That might be okay if the competitors were ready. But THEY WEREN'T. We were there for the member preview hours on the first day of the show, and the World Cup booths were half empty and people were still setting things up.<br />
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My mom and I were done with the show in less than an hour. We heard other people talking about how there was less to it this year than in the past, too. While my mom and I had a nice time walking around and going to Reading Terminal Market after, the flower show was incredibly disappointing this year. Next year's theme is Riviera Holiday, which sounds great, so I hope the show gets back to its usual standard.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-8046291818115179722019-02-11T16:52:00.000-05:002019-02-11T16:52:53.962-05:00London Fog cake<a href="https://thecakeblog.com/2016/04/london-fog-cake.html" target="_blank">This</a> is a cake I've been wanting to try for a long time. Earl Grey is my favorite tea, and this is chocolate cake with an Earl Grey buttercream! Also, caramel sauce.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0yc5OsIH2xbgdPdh1DWzV9iLDcaS4hjL081a_efq-zafWM1xR-59lQvjFhnJTi145eF-GXxNK1gIIsnEWVN_xcVJlb97OUzpuhtzJn_2sTU2v1TAJqv4Rm-JUzleFiYBpLK73XePhtna/s1600/IMG_5018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0yc5OsIH2xbgdPdh1DWzV9iLDcaS4hjL081a_efq-zafWM1xR-59lQvjFhnJTi145eF-GXxNK1gIIsnEWVN_xcVJlb97OUzpuhtzJn_2sTU2v1TAJqv4Rm-JUzleFiYBpLK73XePhtna/s640/IMG_5018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I took this to my parents' house so we could all try it together. My dad is also a fan of Earl Grey tea. Here's the cake pre-caramel sauce. Those black specks are vanilla seeds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5x6yLrl1-tRhKGNmfOuU7LS-eOiZwJ2ID4DtNZsGNNyq2xEmCR2DR_YPVJ98yYNSW68gk7Rs9UANDJbZk-HILy1GPy-wCLQvYBXcUOOKbHjBo7jtC1RsGqbZdGxDS1EaxGjwtu0kooko/s1600/IMG_5015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5x6yLrl1-tRhKGNmfOuU7LS-eOiZwJ2ID4DtNZsGNNyq2xEmCR2DR_YPVJ98yYNSW68gk7Rs9UANDJbZk-HILy1GPy-wCLQvYBXcUOOKbHjBo7jtC1RsGqbZdGxDS1EaxGjwtu0kooko/s640/IMG_5015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I continue to fail horribly at icing cakes. A rotating cake stand may help...but I don't get enough practice, really. I'm thinking I should have put it in the fridge to firm up a bit before I used the icing comb to make the design around the outside.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Edd2d09P-YY/XGGLE90mq6I/AAAAAAAADSk/f3E7s2TauxICHH9x03vg9ZMd1pwns-E3ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Edd2d09P-YY/XGGLE90mq6I/AAAAAAAADSk/f3E7s2TauxICHH9x03vg9ZMd1pwns-E3ACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This cake was very rich! My eyes are always bigger than my stomach, and I should have cut a smaller piece for myself. As much as I like caramel, the cake didn't need it.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RaoT7MQo8lw/XGGLPYWHZXI/AAAAAAAADSo/PvaBXgzuW68Zamj8Angi8dMV2iumKRc1ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RaoT7MQo8lw/XGGLPYWHZXI/AAAAAAAADSo/PvaBXgzuW68Zamj8Angi8dMV2iumKRc1ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5021.JPG" /></a></div>
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The Earl Grey buttercream was AMAZING. I melted butter and boiled and steeped loose Earl Grey, as if making tea. Then I strained it and put it in the fridge, and the melted butter firmed back up into hard butter. The cake part was moist, but it didn't taste very chocolatey to me. My parents liked it, Dave didn't, and I can't decide. I kept the recipe, but I'm not sure if I'll make it again.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-85835016542321211072019-01-30T16:01:00.000-05:002019-01-30T16:01:44.806-05:00Doctor Who: The Time MonsterThe Whoathon returns! This one is a classic with the Master, UNIT, and yet another explanation of how Atlantis was destroyed. But what would Doctor Who be without its continuity inconsistencies? I love the Master so much. As this one starts, he's incognito as Professor Thascales...which is Greek for Master. Hee!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D3k3hZsrjbk/XFG_xko5p4I/AAAAAAAADRM/a4CK2-8MqFoO9w5UMh6HcFHHSoUyesTBgCLcBGAs/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="1600" height="492" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D3k3hZsrjbk/XFG_xko5p4I/AAAAAAAADRM/a4CK2-8MqFoO9w5UMh6HcFHHSoUyesTBgCLcBGAs/s640/1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Brigadier, Jo Grant, Mike Yates, and the Doctor</td></tr>
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The Doctor is suspicious that the Master is back and causing trouble. Of course he is. He's trying to gain control of Kronos, a time eater with a connection to Atlantis. Honestly, it's not really clear why, but I'm sure it's to take over the universe or something. The Master's plan isn't going well, so he summons Krasis, high priest of Kronos, from Atlantis.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krasis and the Master</td></tr>
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The Master takes the seal from Krasis' neck and summons Kronos, who is just as brilliant as you'd expect a Classic Who one-off creature to be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OrCMp9tQ0So/XFHSundBeEI/AAAAAAAADRg/tqL-AT2hUBkFxk84Ay7PQYe1RMmCma1lgCLcBGAs/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="1600" height="492" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OrCMp9tQ0So/XFHSundBeEI/AAAAAAAADRg/tqL-AT2hUBkFxk84Ay7PQYe1RMmCma1lgCLcBGAs/s640/3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kronos and the Master</td></tr>
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The plan still isn't going well. The Master finds out that he doesn't have the entire crystal that he needs to control Kronos. That's in Atlantis. Off to Atlantis they all go!<br />
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The Doctor and the Master each try to get Atlanteans on their side. The Master has some luck with the queen, while the Doctor has the king on his side.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How YOU doin'?</td></tr>
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The Master takes over Atlantis and releases Kronos...<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0k78l8cVeTw/XFICjL_CScI/AAAAAAAADSA/y14eYyMinhs6hybu2SBzCq_chUGNTCM4ACLcBGAs/s1600/Kronos.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="1600" height="490" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0k78l8cVeTw/XFICjL_CScI/AAAAAAAADSA/y14eYyMinhs6hybu2SBzCq_chUGNTCM4ACLcBGAs/s640/Kronos.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Atlantis is destroyed. Again.<br />
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<b>THE RUNDOWN</b></div>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Doctor: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Third</span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Companions:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> Jo Grant</span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Episode: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">#64, "The Time Monster," six parts</span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Adversary: </b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">the Master</span><br />
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<b>Classic Lines:</b> the Brigadier, to the Doctor: "This isn't a picnic! One moment you're talking about the entire universe blowing up and the next you're going on about tea." </div>
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: </b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Jo Grant understands Greek. </span><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;">Next Up: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">"The Three Doctors"</span>JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681613693877584295.post-59804376707634793002018-12-22T09:57:00.000-05:002018-12-22T09:57:12.256-05:00Saucy clams and shrimp with wild mushroomsI asked Dave to pick out a few recipes I've saved over the years to try. <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/saucy-clams-and-shrimp-with-wild-mushrooms" target="_blank">This one</a> came from Food & Wine.<br />
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I thought this would be okay because Dave loves shrimp and he likes clam chowder (although he prefers the weird tomato-based clam chowder to the <b>correct</b> New England clam chowder).<br />
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I liked it. After trying it, Dave said, eh, I don't know if I'm a fan of clams. Yep.JLAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235093202956238922noreply@blogger.com2