Wishing you a Vintage Valentine Day...

 

 

 

 

 

Abby came home from school today with this Valentine Card for mama.  She’s the only girl in a class with all boys, and her teacher has two sons.  Looks like the teacher had a lot of fun dressing her up for this picture.  Love the camera!

She is such a darling little child, our Abby.  My grandchildren are all the sunshine of my life.  

The Galloping Gourmet Spurtle

 

 

Do you need a laugh today?  If so, read on and be sure and watch the videos.  Guaranteed giggles.  Pinky swear...

Does anybody remember this blast from the past?  I’ve always been a foodie and back in the early 1970’s, Graham Kerr’s tv show “The Galloping Gourmet” started the trend, he was the first cooking show I ever watched.

He was this goofy English guy who cooked food that I would never make, but he did have great wooden kitchen spoons that he called “Spurtles.”  They even gave them away in cereal boxes, but I bought a set of them from an address he posted on his show. They’ve always been my favorite kitchen tools and they’re still going strong all these years later.

Pictured above is my collection, and yes I use that Bakelite Grease Jar.  I low carb, I always have bacon grease.  I’m going back to my roots, people, my mother always had a jar of bacon grease next to her stove, I bet yours did, too.

But back to the Spurtles.  I’ve picked up additional sets and individual pieces when they’ve been available on eBay through the years and now have quite a collection.  Some of them have holes in them, some are shorter, some are angled,one is a spatula,  but the traditional Spurtle is the one I use over and over again.  It’s the long one with a curved bottom and straight side.   They all have the GG Emblem burnt into the handles and they’re my treasures, I’ve used them daily since the 70’s.

If you do nothing else today, click and watch this video below, and if it doesn’t make you laugh until tears roll down your cheeks, something is seriously wrong with you.

Oh, The Galloping Gourmet, he was one of a kind, there were no retakes on this old television show, they were taped before a live audience and what you see is what you got.  Funniest thing I’ve seen in ages.

And then I found this other video of a lady demonstrating her Spurtle.  She’s a little, ummmm “odd”  and she totally cracked me up just watching her.  She’s very passionate about her Spurtle, but she does a fair job of explaining how it works.  Oh, my, the things you find on YouTube.

 And finally, if all this talk of spurtles is making you think you have missed out all of these years, you can still get one.  Not the original, but this guy on Etsy has copied the design and is selling them for $20.  

Here’s the click, I would so invest $20 in one of these if didn’t have my original collection.  What’s so good about them other than nostalgia?  They are just designed so well, they have a curved bottom that gets in the corners, a straight edge that cleanly stirs sides of pots.  Oh, just buy the damn thing, trust me it’s a good thing.  ~ Jan

Martha Stewart and Johnson's Baby Oil, My Find of the Week...

Martha Stewart Living is revealing her beauty secrets,  Well, you have to admit, whether you’re a fan or not, she is 73 years old and looks good.  I know, I know, she’s had work, but it’s good work!

Anyhoo, she said in an article in Martha Stewart Living that she uses baby oil and a warm washcloth nightly to remove makeup and moisturize her face.  So I gave it a try last night, oh it was wonderful, it smelled divine, and did a great job, this one’s a keeper for sure.  And this isn’t the only thing that I’ve learned from Martha, a few years ago she said that “Brown Down” was one of her favorite MAC Shadow shades.  So of course, I bought it right away, and she’s right, it is a good thing.  But then, Martha is always right, isn’t she, just ask her.  Bad Jan, Bad Jan...

Here’s a link to the entire article, the woman gets up at 4am, holy schmoly, what discipline!

Lexi's on the move!

Sweet bebe Granddaughter is growing up.  Her mama posted these pictures on Facebook yesterday and said that she has figured out reverse, now she’s working on forward. 

Wish I could just reach through this computer and smush those sweet little cheeks!

Her hair is curling now.  She’s hanging with her bestie, Izzie in this picture  I’m thinking that Izzie really loves Lexi now that she drops morsels  for her to eat.

Yep, these two are quite a pair.  Iz is just patiently waiting for one of those Puffs to drop. She’s a Gerber dog now. :-)

Just a little smile for you this cold, February morning.  ~ Jan

The Second Best Marigold Hotel

 

 

If you didn’t see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, you missed a great movie.  But guess what, it’s back!  The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is due to be released March 6th. 

You know, everything comes full circle.  It’s hard to find an age appropriate movie for children, and it’s hard to find one for adults of a certain age.  This is a movie I will actually spend the big bucks to see as soon as it comes out.  Can’t wait!  Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, a fantastic cast, what’s not to love!  The first one just assaulted your senses with magnificent color and wonderful acting.

If you missed the first one and think you might like to watch the original Best Exotic Marigold Hotel released in 2011, here’s the trailer for it...

One Cup Coffeemaker Review

 

 Yesterday morning hubby announced that my Cuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Coffeemaker was officially kaput.  He took it apart, blew out all the lines, cleaned the filters, it was the pump, it was dead, Fred!  My gut reaction was to go screaming through the streets, because this is the 3rd Cuisinart SS-700 that has bit the dust.  That’s right, the third!!!  The first two broke within a short window and Kohl’s replaced them, this one has been chugging along since 2012, and research says that the life of these machines is about three years, I guess it was time.

So yesterday I was on a mission.   I had a $55 credit at Kohl’s, and a 30% off coupon, but they had jacked the price on the SS-700’s up to $269 and it was only available in black, they no longer carry it in silver.  Well, black + yours truly = disaster.  I detest black appliances, they show spots and I’ve got better things to do than wash the darn thing daily.  That’s why I went to K-Cups in the first place, convenience and no clean-up except for sporadic maintenance.  So Kohl’s was out, I’ll just use that $55 credit for some new jeans.

Now being the logo queen that I am, I did go to Starbucks and check out their Vessimo.  After all they have a retro one that is pretty cute!

It also makes expresso and latte’s, but that’s where the wow factor ends.  Here’s the cons:

• It has a 33 ounce water storage capacity.  My Cuisinart has an 80 ounce, resulting in almost three times less to fill the tank than the Vessimo.
• It only uses Starbucks pods.  They don’t have a large selection, and here’s the worse part, the darn things are $.99 each.  That’ way more spendy than buying my favorite Green Mountain Breakfast Blend at Sams in the bulk.  I don’t want to spend a dollar for every cup of coffee I make at home.
• It only says Vessimo on the top, nowhere does it say Starbucks.  Now this is the deal breaker, I know, I know, it’s ridiciulous and I’m just kidding, well, sorta.  I talked to their customer service rep yesterday and informed them that they need to come out with a white unit with the retro Starbucks Logo plastered on the side.  Now how cool would that be?  I would be all over that in a New York minute! She was probably laughing her rear off when she hung up the phone, but I just had to throw that out there, being the mouthy old(er) broad that I am.

Next is the Keurig.  Now I don’t want to offend anyone, probably 99% of people who read this and have K-Cup coffeemakers have a Keurig.  And they’re really good units, they really are.  But for some reason they don’t appeal to me, it’s all about the appearance.

It’s not a bad looking brewer, but it’s too futuristic looking for my taste.  And yes, I know it comes in red, but it just doesn’t ring my chimes.  Just a matter of taste.   Keurig’s look great in other people’s kitchens, they’re just not for me.

And now for the not so trustworthy Cuisinart.

I’m sure a lot of you think the Cuisinart is ugly, but for me it’s the best option, there aren’t a lot to choose from.  And it’s familiar, I like the look of it, the square lines instead of being round, and most of all I like the color and the backlighting.  I like how it makes a cup of coffee faster than the Keurig, too.  I just don’t like the fact that it’s undependable.  But doing my research, I’m finding that none of them are that reliable.  And it’s been a few years now, hopefully they are doing a better job with them.  

The price for the 80 oz. Keurig and the 80 oz. Cuisinart is pretty much the same, they’re both top of the line, so you’re gonna pay too much for them.  But that’s what you have to do to get that 80 ounce reservoir.  And where did I find the best price, good old Amazon Prime of course, $184.42.  Ouch, it’s spendy but it’s a must have.  I’m drinking a cup of leftover Starbucks from yesterday this morning and it just isn’t cutting it.  One more day and this little beauty will arrive in Heavensville, and will be plugged in and brewing a great cuppa joe.

So now I’ll go on to my next rant, I’m sure I have one.  I know you can’t wait...

Helen Mirren's Fall on the Red Carpet

The lady did it with grace, you’ve got to give her that.  

And why do I find this blogworthy?  Ummmm, is it because I fell kerthud out of a booth in the bar at O’Charley’s last week?  And no, I hadn’t been drinking, only a Diet Coke, but there was a step, I just totally connected with air instead of concrete and down I went.  I was with my friend, Peg, I think I scared her to death, poor woman.

And it wasn’t graceful, either!  Thank goodness it was slo-mo, I didn’t hurt myself, just my dignity.  Oh, isn’t old(er) age fun...

Diane Keaton's Hair Color, L'Oreal Age Perfect...

 

 

 

Diane Keaton has had many, many hair colors over the year, kinda like somebody else I know, *blush* but her new campaign for L’Oreal Paris Excellence Age Perfect Color had me running to the closest Walgreen to pick up a box.  I researched and found that she is “supposedly” wearing Excellence Age Perfect 9N, Light Natural Blonde Layered-Tone Flattering Color.

 

 

And so I’ll color my hair with it, and it will look nothing like the streaky look that Diane Keaton has.  They had a whole crew of professionals working on her, not to mention fantastic lighting, all I have is my makeup mirror and the kitchen sink!  Oh, I know it’s going to be be too light, but it’s February, what else is there to do for fun, except to screw up your hair color.  Well I did just buy that cow poster.  Geezy Pete, how much more excitement can a person stand in one day...

 

 

 

Antique Farmhouse Cow Print

I found this on Antique Farmhouse today.  It’s a reproduction of a vintage 1899 print by F. E. Wright, and I thought Clover was a bit lonely a needed some friends.

So I scooped it up, price was right, it’s either gonna be a hit or a miss.  It will be here in a few weeks, I’ll update.  

Seems that my kitchen and dining room are turning into a virtual barnyard.  Now if hubby could just find our old cow bell in the attic to put around Clover’s head...

Does it ring your chimes, too?  Probably not, but here’s the click just in case.  ~ Think Spring!!  ~ Jan

Bad things really do happen in threes...

 

Pardon me while i whine...

So the dishwasher has been making a weird vibrating sound for quite a while now.  Hubby deemed it was the pump, ordered a new one, spent most of yesterday installing it.  Nothing went right, it fought him every step of the way.  Plus he has a cold and didn’t feel like messing with it anyway.

I get up this morning, he’s got it installed, but hasn’t bolted it down yet resulting in tools and drills still in the kitchen.  I walk to the utility room, remembering that I had ran a load of clothes late last night and didn’t take them out of the washer.  SURPRISE!  The washer isn’t draining.  Okay, I can handle this, all I need is a cup of coffee.  Right????  WRONG!!!!!!  You guessed it, my coffee brewer is on the fritz!

I could cope if I just had a cup of coffee, I really could.  And after I just spent $40 at Sams on K-Cups last week, how dare it break!  I can cope with the dishwasher and the washing machine, but the coffeemaker, it’s just too much!!!!!!!

I’m lucky that I have a husband who is as handy as the Maytag Repairman, but he doesn’t feel well, the last thing he wants to do is repair appliances.  I’ve had my three bad things now, it can stop, and in the meantime I may just have to make a run to Mickey D’s for a quick java jolt.  Deep breath, Jan, deep breath...