Shopping Around the World this month is being hosted by our great friends Shoko and Kali with Canadian Cats – thanks ya’ll! ❤
This month we are highlighting seafood recipes. Now mom/dad usually go out to eat seafood but there is the rare occasion when mom uses the big box in the kitchen for something more than a paper weight and actually cooks dinner. Now having this assignment of seafood, mom thought she would fix one of dad’s all time favorite meals in the world. She fixed it and then dad sat and wondered did he miss an important date? Was he in trouble for something? Did mom overspend on a credit card? What was the special occasion. That’s when mom told dad that she loved him ❤ So, here it is my friends – mom’s seafood special.
Are you hungry yet looking at that picture? I had to fix the hub unit’s favorite meal – ribeye steaks, french fries and fried shrimp. Of course you don’t see the salad on the side. I have to get the hub’s veggies in somewhere with this meal. I’ll tell you the prices for everything and break down the shrimp for you.
◊ Ribeye Steak – I had some in the freezer. I usually buy the entire loin and have the butcher cut them for me. The last time I bought steaks, it cost me around $50 and I got 16 steaks. I then take them home and wrap everything up individually to freeze. By buying the entire loin like this when it is on sale, the price per steak comes out around $3.15 per steak. Two steaks $6.30
◊ Two large baking potatoes. Buying a pack of potatoes at Sam’s Warehouse it costs $8.00 for about 20 potatoes. That’s around $0.40 each potato. Two potatoes $0.80
◊ One pound of fresh shrimp (or frozen but make sure they are thawed out). I got large 31-35 count shrimp this date from the market. They cost right $8.00 a pound. And trust me, I fixed them all for dinner and none were left. My hub will snarf these down like potato chips ❤
So the entire meal will cost less than $17.00 for two people. And yes we could stretch the meal; but, this was the hubby’s special meal and he likes to pig out on it – and you will too.
How to fix the shrimp:
I like to put all of my shrimp in a colander and run them under cold water for a few minutes. This makes sure that they are all thawed out. Shake the colander and make sure all of the excess water is out and pour them in a bowl. Here’s the fun part – making sure they are all clean and deveined. Take this kitchen hint, you can buy them cleaned and already deveined. You may have to pay a little more. I have been cleaning shrimp all of my life. It’s something that my dad taught me so it takes no time to fix them right up. Once they are all cleaned, wash them again to make sure all of the ick is removed. Once you start cleaning the shrimp, you will know exactly what that ick is that I’m talking about – LOL. I like to take a mallet and pound my shrimp out a bit. Don’t whack them too hard. Just enough to smoosh them a little so they will lay flat. (Look at mine above for size for flattening).
In a bowl mix together a cup of flour, a cup of cornmeal, salt, pepper and a little cayenne flakes. In another bowl mix together, milk, 3 eggs, salt, pepper and cayenne. (We like them a little spicy – you put as much or not at all according to your tastes). Go ahead and put your grease on the stuff and let it get hot. Here’s the secret to a really good crust on shrimp or chicken. You want to dip your shrimp in the flour/cornmeal first, then to your wet mixture and then back to your dry. After that, the little shrimp go for a swim in the hot oil. When they turn a pretty brown, they are done. If it’s like our house, most of the shrimp won’t make it to the dinner table because every one is hanging out in the kitchen eating them as they come up hot from the grease. They are highly addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you 🙂
There comes a time in a little pigs life that he needs to start thinking about his future. I thought perhaps I had a career picked out but mom set me straight – thank goodness. My texts are in blue and moms are in gray. Enjoy.
Barks! Hey my friends. Hope your week is going awesome. Last weekend, I spent some time at the Spa. Someone here at the Hotel Thompson told me how much fun it was to go in our magic backyard and roll in mud – I’m not mentioning names but we all know who oinks and snorts in these parts. Well, I did. And guess what. That mud sticks to your fur in places it doesn’t need to stick if you know what I mean. I didn’t find it fun at all. Mom let me out just for “a few minutes” she said and then came back to a mud caked Yorkshire Terror– her words not mine. She was taking me in that day anyway to the Spa. I just wanted to make sure they earned their money when they gave me my oatmeal bath. See, I was helping mom out, right?
I came back home later in the day and mom had bought me a new toy. OMD! That toy is the bomb. It’s my favorite this week for sure… well at least today. You roll it, squeak it and it lights up. OMD – I played with it until I wore myself out. I had mom take a video to share it with you my friends. I hope you enjoy it and Jokes with Dad. Have a great weekend and remember to roll in some mud ❤
Oh sweet friends – even in time of grief, Nellie’s mom Barb made this badge above for other anipals that have been interviewed by me here at the Hotel Thompson. We received this email yesterday when mom/dad were running around doing errands from mom’s accident several weeks ago. Mom actually cried. Do you know it is so hard in life to find true friends and we have so many here in blogville. I can imagine Nellie’s mom and all of the hurt she is going through at this time. We have been there too with the anniversary of our Mouse Girl’s passing coming up next week. The only thing that remotely helps our grieve in times like this is to know that all of our wonderful friends that have already passed the Rainbow Bridge are now greeting the newcomers. It brings tears to our eyes and hearts knowing there are so many that are leaving us but we want to remember that although they are gone, they are never very far from our hearts and memories.
So my friends that have been interviewed by Bacon, please accept this badge to post proudly on your page. Not only for Bacon but for remembering where the badge came from with love.
We miss all of our beloved anipal friends that have passed. And for the rest of the day, we would like to light this candle in their memories. We hope that you share on your blog. Much love my friends from all of us here at the Hotel Thompson ❤
Welcome my friends to SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY. This is the time that I will introduce you to one of my fellow anipals so you can get to know them better. Some of them, you may already know. We hope that you enjoy this series!
NOTE: Dear friends, it is with a weary heart that we have to relay the news that Nellie passed over the Rainbow Bridge on April 14th. This is one of the last interviews that Nellie did and we so wanted to share it with you. So for today, let’s remember our feisty girl Nellie andplease leave your comments for Nellie’s family for support ❤
Name: My name is Penelope, but my furrends calls mes Nellie or Nellie Bellie. And mes used to be (and still am sometimes) called The Cat From Hell.
Age: Us lady cats does not usually tells our age…but mes has been celebrating my birthdays on my blog for YEARS!!! Wes will be celebrating my 19th birthday on May 15.
Location: Me lives in Richmond, BC, but me has lived in Midway, BC, Calgary, AB, and Edmonton, AB. Mes has lived in 9 different castles.
What were your first thoughts when you met your new parents? Hmmm, that was so long ago and mes was so furry angry at peoples mes prefers to forgets. Mes was a totally terrible cat me bitted and scratched and was thoroughly unpleasant. And that is how mes gotted the name The Cat From Hell.
What was the defining moment when you knew you were in your forever home? After mes had been living there about six months mes started to sit in my Daddy’s lap…it was a long long time after that before mes would let my Mommy touch me. Now mes a cuddle bunny.
What has been your biggest “Oh no, now I’ve done it” moment so far in your home? Purrhaps when mes climbed the shower curtain after mes jumped in the shower when mommy was having one…or shedding a whole sofa… or when mes gotted losted when wes was camping and spended a whole week in the wilds with the coyotes, the owls and the other wildlife…or maybe when mes locked Mommy and Daddy out of the truck, while it was running and the hairy slobbery sisters Bob and Sam and Kozmo were sleeping in the back seat…But the worst must be when mes shut down and deleted the Cat From Hell Blog.
Who do you have wrapped around your paws more – mom or dad – and why? Mes thinks mes has everybody who meets mes wrapped. Since mes started being nice, mes likes to kiss peoples!!! And my pawrents — mes them both wrapped! First though, mes was a total Daddy’s girl. But now mes lives with Mommy in Vancouver and Daddy lives in Midway and mes does not see him furry often.
What’s the biggest misconception that humans think about you? That mes is a cute and tiny sweet cat! Mes is 5 and a half pounds of HELL!
♥
❤ In Loving Memory of Sweet Nellie ❤
Hope you enjoyed meeting my friend – check back next week for another Spotlight edition!
Today , April 26th, is a wonderfully special day for not only Bacon’s mom but for all of the Administrative Professionals out there in the world. Whether you call them secretaries, administrative assistants or my personal favorite Octopuses, they do not get enough praise for what they do. They are the office keepers, the schedulers, the reminders, the speed typists – the office jugglers. They not only keep the work load going but they remind their bosses of their personal dates to remember and patch up the boo-boos that happen while at work. They should be praised daily and reminded of their wonders.
So by all means, don’t forget your office Octopus. Show them your gratitude. A small token of a card, a cup of coffee, a gift card, flowers or take them to lunch. Just don’t forget that special worker.
And to mom and everyone else – Happy Secretary/Administrative/Octopus Day. We here at the Hotel Thompson wish you all the best today. You are so worthy – we definitely couldn’t live without you!
Welcome my friends to another week of Travels in the South. This week, mom/dad found something delicious and decadent. Something they had to share because you know sharing is half of the calories, right?
Now, I won’t tell anyone you were drooling while you were looking at that picture. Nope. That will just be our little secret. Are you wondering what it is? This is a white creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust swirled with white chocolate curls topped with fresh strawberries and whip cream. THUD! That would be my little piggy mouth hitting the floor. It sounds marvelous but mom/dad said it tasted even better. It was sweet but no so that your teeth ached afterwards. The cost was less than $5.00 and mom/dad said it was more than enough – even for two people. Who can turn down a good cheesecake? In fact, where is mine. Oh mom/dad….
Dear Bacon – Who says that the natural order of things in nature have to be that we don’t get along? My name is Gull and this is my close pal Gator.
We’re like two peas in a pod. We often play in the water like this. Gator protects me from other things in the water and we have fun. Can you believe that it actually blows peoples minds when they see us like this? Signed Born to be Different
❤
Dear Born to be Different – Hey my friends. I think that is absolutely wonderful to have that kind of friendship.
I’m sure the other animals in the water look at you like a two piece snack from KFC but as long Gator is there to protect you – awesomesauce!
.
Dear Bacon – The humans. They will pay for this get up. I feel totally ridiculous. The nerve to dress me up as some kind of twisted frog. I think the look on my face tells you everything you need to know. Do you have any ideas on how I can get the humans back? Signed Feeling Froggy
Dear Feeling Froggy – WOW! Now that is some sort of predicament my friend. I feel you 100%. Your humans really did have some nerve in dressing you like a Kermit want to be. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry with you on that get up. As far as pay back – evil piggy snorts.
The humans they do have to sleep at some point. I’m sure you can think of so many different ways to bring down the wrath of Froggy upon them. Just act innocent in whatever you decide.
P.S. Can I borrow that outfit for Halloween? Maybe I can snatch Miss Piggy with it.
Dear Bacon – Talk about animal labor laws. I often read about your life at the Hotel Thompson and how they make you ‘work for your food’ in a way. Never complain again my friend. My humans put me to work out in nature in concrete. It’s a hard and tedious job… especially in this get up. Help me please. Signed Mason
Dear Mason – Oh snap. Your humans weren’t playing any games were they my friend? Bless your little heart. Not only did they dress you but you have to wear those indestructible construction boots. Shakes piggy head. I’m so sorry pal. I will *never* again complain about having to bring my dirty stuff to the laundry room. Ever.
P.S. Dad needs some help expanding the driveway. When you get done with that project, can you help a human out?
Dear Bacon – What? Haven’t you ever seen a hamster with his lady working the pole? Blondie is one of the best pole dancers out there. I suggest this kind of get up for your bedroom pig. You might get some girlfriends then. HA! Signed Boris
Dear Boris – OMP (oh my pig!) My eyes! What has been seen can not be unseen. We really don’t need to see this my friend. Although daddy was interested in that pole action, me and mom are not – snorts. Ya’ll carry on in the privacy of your bedroom. And don’t worry about me and girlfriends. I have one 🙂
April 24th is Pig in a Blanket Day. Okay – so maybe it’s not exactly the Pig in a Blanket Day you were thinking . I can’t report about sausage wrapped in a pancake. I mean, that would be weird and everything being on Bacon’s blog, right? – wink – So just have pancakes today to celebrate – chitter chatter
But, I can report to you the original Pig in a Blanket for this great holiday. That’s right – the original. As in Bacon wrapped up in a blanket – ha! That seems to be the oinker’s favorite position – pig wrapped up in a blanket.
So on this day, think of the little booger and enjoy. And yes, on top of that pig in a blanket is Sir Hemi passed out sleeping too. See, proof is in the picture that they all get along at the Hotel Thompson.
Welcome my friends to our weekly issue of Journey with Friends. This is a time that we come together for support, for encouragement, for fellowship – all with one single goal in mind – to live better. Welcome to our journey to share our goals and our accomplishments and our disappointments and frustrations.
Together we can do this!
Sunday, April 16, 2017 – It’s been a tough past couple of weeks my friends. I’ll be honest in saying that I’ve been totally overwhelmed with getting my car straightened out and getting my body back to where it was before this awful ordeal. I have an appointment next Wednesday to get the car looked at one more time to see if they can finally get it fixed. And hopefully my body is at the point now that it will let me walk without feeling constant pain. Miles Moved: 0.44
Monday, April 17, 2017 – I’m starting it off slow but today was the first time I have walked for exercise in 12 days – it felt like a lifetime! I took it really slow and could feel towards the end of my 30 minutes that it was beginning to be a bit too much. I can honestly say that I’ve missed walking. I just feel so much better moving. Miles Moved: 2.53
Tuesday, April 18, 2017 – What makes it worth walking? Getting high five’s from perfect strangers who have been watching you walk for months now – LOL. I was walking today and the offices across from us had a couple of guys outside. They came up to me and said they had been missing me and was glad to see I was back. Then they all gave me high fives. Now, they didn’t slow me down one bit. They walked and talked with me! How fabulous was that? Miles Moved: 2.46
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 – The weather was perfect today – 70 degrees. Awesome – felt like walking near the beach since the rains are still in our area. What makes great upbeat walking? Upbeat music. I have 16 songs on my iPhone titled ‘workout’. When I walk, I hit the shuffle button that way every day is different. Out of the 16 songs, there are only TWO slow songs. When they come on, I can take my walk down a notch. But when the upbeat songs are playing, I’m hauling it on my path that I’ve created around my office building. Miles Moved: 2.29
Thursday, April 20, 2017 – It’s getting hot here in the south this week. By the time I get done walking, I’m a puddle. Definitely I will have to start bringing my gym bag to work next week. Miles Moved: 2.48
Friday, April 21, 2017 – Did extra time today on my walk. I’m definitely feeling so much better. I would probably say close to 100%. YAY! Thanks ya’ll so much for your kind thoughts during this awful time ❤ Miles Moved: 2.59
Saturday, April 22, 2017 – Today is Earth Day. I must get outside and enjoy Mother Nature today. And for working out today, I earned a cool badge on my exercise app on my i-watch/i-phone. Cool beans. It’s the little things that make me happy 🙂 Miles Moved: 2.54
Thoughts for the week: After the two weeks I’ve had with trying to recuperate, I needed some motivation. So I did some picture comparisons. I think that’s good – especially for times like now where you need to see where you are coming from. It’s not a race to see who gets there the fastest. It’s about getting more fit for life. That took me so long to figure out. I took it easy for the two weeks after the accident. I was beat up – purple, blue, swollen and bruised. For those two weeks, it seemed like my aches ached. I ache every day because of my RA so it’s nothing new for me to hurt. But those two weeks, I literally felt like I had been hit by a car… well I was hit by a car – LOL. Finally getting back to walking, it was like coming home this week. Slowly my body is adjusting. There is still some tightness in my sternum area but the swelling is finally going down. I can breathe now without feeling like an elephant is doing a tap down on my chest. So the bottom line – I’m back my friends. I wanted to share this picture with you. I still have a LONG ways to go but hey I’m here for the rest of my life ❤ Thanks for listening and your support sweet friends. HUGS TO YOU ALL!
Miniature pot bellied pig and friends - Bacon, Houdini, Hemi and all of the Rock Clan with Journalist Rocky the Squirrel all out looking for adventures from the Hotel Thompson.
Shopping Around the World this month is being hosted by our great friends Shoko and Kali with Canadian Cats – thanks ya’ll! ❤
Talk about animal labor laws. I often read about your life at the Hotel Thompson and how they make you ‘work for your food’ in a way. Never complain again my friend. My humans put me to work out in nature in concrete. It’s a hard and tedious job… especially in this get up. Help me please. Signed Mason
What? Haven’t you ever seen a hamster with his lady working the pole? Blondie is one of the best pole dancers out there. I suggest this kind of get up for your bedroom pig. You might get some girlfriends then. HA! Signed Boris
Piglove 