New Years Tradition

There’s a yearly tradition that we do here at the Hotel Thompson that I thought I would share.  It’s nothing difficult, really simple if you will.  Mom/dad have done this for years and as they say, “If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it!”  I thought I would share with my friends here in blogville because one can never have too much of good luck, right?

On the 31st of December before midnight, place money outside on your porch.  It can be a loose bill, change, or in an envelope.  This stays on your front porch.  Before midnight, everyone goes outside of the house.

At midnight, you open the front door and throw the money in over the threshold.  This should be the first thing that crosses your door.  This represents money coming into your home for the new year.  Remember, you don’t step into the home until after the money goes in.

I’m not sure where mom/dad got this from but they have been doing it forever.  I mean heck, we’ll take all of the help from everywhere we can, right?  Happy money tossing tonight my friends 🙂

 

Good Bye Don Juan

Good riddance!  Another year behind us with the freak gone.  Shakes piggy head.  I think I will need therapy this year to get over some of the antics that Don Juan did to us this year.  He has no morals.  No standards.  Not anything good is in his twisted little body.  He is bad.  Real bad.

The night before Christmas, dad was going to set out donuts and a Coke Zero for Santa.  I know that’s a weird combination but dad assured me that was what Santa wanted – Shakes piggy head.  You know what they say, “Don’t argue with your elders”.  Snorts with piggy laughter.

Dad went to go get the donuts and he found Don Juan was in his bag.  The little brat ate all of the donuts but one.  Daddy said Santa was *not* going to be happy.

So Don Juan – goodbye.  Good riddance.  Don’t let the door hit you on the butt on the way out of the Hotel Thompson.  Until we see each again, may you see nothing but darkness.  And watch out little guy – we will be prepared for you next year.  Oh yes… we will – evil piggy snorts.

 

Shopping Around the World

Thanks to everyone for another great edition of Shopping Around the World last month.  It’s so awesome to see the various prices around the world – and the pictures with recipes!

This month we have a suggestion from my cousin Sammy on highlighting cookies or other sweets for December.  Is there a special treat that you fix only around the Christmas holidays?  A certain cookie to share?  It does not have to be five items or less this month.  Share your recipe and picture of your sweet items.

This time of the year mom loves to fix what she has always called reindeer noses.  Now they have been called other things like yummy, pure grace, delicious, Rolo droppings, etc.  Snorts with piggy laughter.  It doesn’t matter what you call them because you will absolutely love them.  AND they are so easy to make.  You will need:  1 bag of pecan halves (prices range on this – the bag I bought was $8.99); 1 bag of Rolo caramels in milk chocolate candies ($4.00) ; and 1 bag of small pretzels ($1.50 on sale).  Total paid around $14.50 for some priceless candy 🙂

Turn your oven on to around 250-300 degrees.  While that is pre-heating, start taking all of the aggravating pretty foils off of the Rolo caramels in milk chocolates.  Yes you can be like my mommy and eat some for all of that painstaking foil removal.  Then, put some parchment paper on a baking pan.  Add a bunch of small pretzels and top with one Rolo each.  Now, here is the tricky part.  You don’t want to put so many on the baking pan that when you pull it out of the oven you don’t have time to top them with the pecan half.  You see they will cool fast and you want that finishing touch – trust me.  Okay so now you have your pan planned out.  Place it in the hot oven for around 5 minutes until the Rolo melts all over the pretzel.  Once that happens, remove the pan and quickly add a 1/2 of pecan to the top squishing it down in the chocolate.  mmm – just thinking about it.

Let these cool before trying one.  Trust me on this – daddy found out the hard way.  Once they are cool, put in a air tight container and share… or not 🙂