Well, we’re going to skip the Fringery this week due to the Holiday, and, given the nature of how Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve tend to both work exactly the same, we’re going to skip it next week as well.
So, instead, we can just discuss the gifts we’re pleased to be giving this year. For my part, I was delighted to find a Captain Action
So the youngest nephew is getting those. I’m hoping I won’t have to resort to a speech about how, in 1966, these were really cool.
So… what are you pleased to have given (whether or not they’ll be thrilled to get it)?
Got this for the wife; I figure in a few years (middle school at the latest), we may need this info.
The boy is at an age where guessing means failing, so bicycle stuff and gift cards (I hate gift cards, but what are you gonna do…) C said she wanted bitters, so I hit bevmo and got one of each. I hope that was what she was talking about.
Baby girl is getting a Big Wheel and an easel among other trifles and trinkets.
I am super-enjoying cross-stitching on linen to make that tiny sampler for your sister. I don’t know if it will even get done on time (stupid family crap; stupid finally-finished 7500 word paper)…. so it might be the lamest present ever… but it is REALLY fun to work on. Also I like listening to audiobooks while I work on it.
Per my daughter’s request, I made each of the kids a personalized card. (And I threw a gift card into each envelope, because “It’s the thought that counts” goes only so far.)
I got my niece a box of chocolates – that contains over 2kg of chocolate.
Ok, that should have been 1kg, but I still think it’s impressive.
And I meant my cousin, not my niece. Seriously, this is why I shouldn’t post late at night.
Sending Mom and Sis to see the new Broadway production of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. Sending other Sis on a food tour in the neighborhood she just bought property in in Miami. Feel pretty good about those ones in particular.
so many robots.
A Christmas recipe (or two)
Mulling Spices
Orange peel
Cinnamon sticks
Cloves
Allspice
Combine various ingredients to taste. Place in wine or mead. Heat.* Strain through coffee filter. Imbibe. Laugh until it comes out of your nose.**
Queen Elizabeth’s Gruit
per one gallon:
15 grams each of rosemary, bay leaves, & thyme
10 grams sweet briar
This is the true historical recipe for Queen Elizabeth’s mead.
This one was steeped, but it can also be mulled.
* You can go with the traditional method of taking a red-hot poker from the fire and holding it in your mug. Or, you can go with the saucepan/stovetop method, though this evaporates a lot of the alcohol. As a happy medium, you can nuke it about like you would a cup of coffee, which heats it quickly to prevent evaporation.
** Optional. For advanced users only.
I use a crockpot for mulling wine. I’ve never been disappointed.
The idea never occurred to me.
How long do you let it go for?
Just until it’s steamy, so it depends on what setting you use. It takes about 20 mins on high in my cooker.
You’re obviously an advanced user. 😉
As it turns out, both Captain Action and Doctor Evil were nude within an hour.
I honestly thought the “running around with naked barbie dolls” impulse was a girl thing.
I imagine MOST superheroes and their archnemeses have “that” kind of relationship, if you know what I mean (waggles eyebrows).
I mean dirty, dirty sex.
I was happy to give my homemade kahlua whether people liked it or not.