Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry "Low-Key" Christmas!

Hope yours is filled with Joy and Happiness!

This year, with the economy being what it is, we decided to dial-it-back a notch or two. Actually, with our Amazon Wish List Widget thing, there really wasn't a damn thing that I really "needed" this year. Last year's Christmas Kiln has been the Gift that Keeps on Giving - and I'm pretty damned happy with that!

Of course, Rog filled his Wish-List with all kinds of new Camaro Goodies. I ended up getting him a few "small" Car Goodies (Camaro umbrella; key-chain; coffee-mug), and some "decent" Boat Goodies - including a bitchen' VHF Radio (actually, that was his Birthday Gift), with a "Remote" station to mount on the helm.

When you think about it, a "Base Station" AND a "Remote Station" on a teeny 26-foot Trailer Sailor is kinda, well, "ridiculous!" But OTOH, it does kinda make sense because the base-station has the "power" and the remote allows you easy-access from the helm (without having a Big Mama-Jama radio cluttering up the steering pedestal).

I'm guessing next we'll be getting a bow-thruster! (NOTTT!!!).

I also got Rog an off-shore auto-inflating PFD with tether/harness so he can strap himself to the boat when he goes forward (i.e. to raise/lower the mainsail). That's an important safety-item, I think ('cuz sometimes we're rockin' and rollin' by the time we drop the sails).

Stuff I scored: Mostly cooking/canning related (that was all I could think of - when Rog told me to update my wish list!). I did some research and found that Presto does make a 16 qt Pressure-Canner that *will* work on a solid-surface (Ceramic/Glass) cooktop (Yay!). I also got a cherry-pitter and super-cool, old-fashioned-looking, hand-crank apple-peeler-corer (which doubles, quite nicely, as a potato peeler/slicer!).


Apple Peeler/Corer - being used as a Potato Peeler!
Way Cool Pressure Canner! Can't wait to try it out!!!

Kinda frustrating to have "Canning-Stuff" when it's no longer Canning Season! But I will definitely put it to good use next year! I so TOTALLY love my Garden (Oh, and I did get a seedling/warming mat - which I *will* use next Spring, in the greenhouse, to get my Garden Started). My Garden is yet another Gift-That-Keeps-On-Giving, and it's nice to be able to enjoy the "Fruits of my Labors" (figuratively *and* literally) well into winter!

I also got some Artsy/Fartsy stuff: A few more Kiln Shelves (can NEVER have enough of those!), and a Soldering Iron for whenever I decide to try some more Stained Glass Stuff... Way Cool!

Anyway, I'm glad we didn't go completely off-the-deep-end with Christmas this year. It was nice and low-key - and we won't be faced with insurmountable bills going into the New Year. All told: A Very Good Thing!

The dogs had a good Christmas, too!

Dynah, Annie and Tazz... Opening their gifts!

And I am working on a German Christmas FEAST for dinner tonight.
  • Warm Kartoffelsalat (Warm, German Potato Salad) (re-hash from a previous post)
  • "Canned" Rotkohl (easier than home-made which leaves the kitchen looking like a scene from a CSI Episode!)
  • Austrian Gulaschsuppe (Austrian Goulash Soup)
  • Wienerschnitzel with fresh lemon wedges (re-hash from the same previous post)
  • Fresh, home-made Pumpernickel (from the bread-machine - and this stuff is DAYUM good!)
  • Frozen Apple Turnovers (lazy-person's interpretation of Apfelstrudel!)
I'll re-hash the recipes (in condensed form - sans "blah-blah-blah" in a separate post!)

Some of my New Years Resolutions (aside from the usual "Lose-a-billion-lbs, Find a Cure for Cancer, Achieve World Peace, End World Hunger...):
  1. Find a phone with a better camera (I'm due for an upgrade) so "Foodie Posts" appear more appetizing!
  2. Write Snarkier Posts
  3. Post More Frequently!
  4. Spend More Time in The Studio!
  5. Watch more "Hoarders" Episodes so I'll donate a BUNCH more crap to Goodwill!
  6. TBD........................
Anyway.... Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

-QT

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