Saturday is usually a good day for me. Saturday is the day that if mom is going to go to the market, it happens this day. She went this weekend. She *always* brings me back something good to eat. This week was no different.
Her and dad bring all of these grocery bags into the kitchen. I get to watch as they put everything up. After everything is put away, mom usually takes my things and cuts everything up. This is where me, the sous chef, comes in to play 🙂 She will give me tasty little morsels to try. And trust me, they are so good!
After she cuts everything up (usually carrots, celery, watermelon or some other fruit and my salad mix), she will fix me a bowl as a snack. Today’s menu consisted of grapes, Goldfish and watermelon rind. Good thing mom’s dad doesn’t have a garden anymore. I would be in hog heaven!
Mom and dad let me eat on my food carpet in the front room. So in this picture don’t fear the “dirty carpet”, it’s my feed placemat. They pick it up and wash it every week. As you can see, I am chomping down on that watermelon rind. Mom took this picture of me in mid chomp. I usually will eat what I like the most first. Of course, it was the rind. I couldn’t get enough of it. You bite into it and the watermelon juice actually squirts inside of your mouth. That’s my favorite part.
I guess you can say I’m a little spoiled. Not a lot – just a little. What do you think?
Journalist Rocky the Squirrel here – Keeping my paws on the nuts of the world!
Of all of the important holidays I can tell you about, today seems to be the most important in my book. It is International Day of Friendship. The world is filled with too much hate, too many wars, too much prejudice and way too many disagreements. Today, we should put all of that aside and reach out to each other and say, “Hello friend happy friendship day!”
This is just not a backyard problem or a school playground problem. This is a worldwide problem. A problem that needs to come to an end. Everyone has differences – we wouldn’t be individuals if we didn’t. But when you look down to it, we all want to be happy and what better way than to get along.
Today let’s make friends with different people, different cultures and different countries. Extend your hand – or an olive branch – and say hello friend. Say hello to your neighbor, to the stranger at the market and say hello to a person that you see everyday but you don’t even know their name. Today is the day to make a friend near and far.
To all of our friends, we at the Hotel Thompson would like to say thank you for being our friend – happy friendship day. And to those that don’t know us yet, Happy Friendship Day. May we get to know you better today and in the future!
This month for Shopping Around the World, we are going to focus on go to desserts/treats.
You know for those days when you need a pick me up or you are feeling down, what is the one thing you go to for comfort?
I know we shouldn’t but we do. We can all admit that from time to time, right?
Well this month is an easy one for mom. Wait until you see! Take it away mom –
When I think of go to comfort food as in dessert, I think of one thing. Pepperidge Farm cakes. I was introduced to Pepperidge Farm cakes when I was a young child. It was something that we always kept in the freezer. You know back in the day when you wanted people to drop in for visits and they did unexpectedly – LOL. These days, we don’t want anyone coming by unless you call weeks in advance and make an appointment. Times have changed, right? Well in the day, when unexpected friends dropped by my mom would get out the Pepperidge Farm cake, make a pot of coffee and visit.
These days, I still try to keep these in the freezer if not for just the memories they once brought to me. Anytime you need some sugar comfort, cut you a slice off of the cake and enjoy a little time just being. These Pepperidge Farm cakes come in a different variety – vanilla layer cake, red velvet cake, lemon layer cake, key lime cake, coconut layer cake, chocolate fudge layer cake and this one – rich golden layer cake. And personally, the golden layer and key lime cakes are my all time favorites – LOL.
And the best thing about these cakes – they are cheap. Really on average they are about $4.00 a cake. BUT you can find them on sale two for $5.00! Now can you make two cakes that cheap? So pardon me my friends, this cake in the picture was opened last weekend. It’s calling my name to be finished. The next time you are in your local market, see if you can find one of these and try them. You won’t regret it.
So yesterday during the great shopping expedition, I told you a funny how daddy got mommy. Let me tell you my friends, the laughter *never* ends. Trust me on this okay. The man knows NO boundaries. You don’t believe me huh? Okay, I’ll tell you the rest of the story of those two out unchaperoned.
There they were walking through the aisles. Mom had her list, checking items off and trying to keep daddy in line (which might I add is a full time job these days – snorts). So, they are in the area where the fresh vegetables and nuts were. Mom says to dad who is hanging off to the side looking at God only knows what, “Do you have nuts?”
Without missing a single beat daddy replies, “Yep, I have two of them” and continues what he is doing. In the meantime, there were two guys and a lady standing near them who overheard the entire conversation. They all burst out in laughter. And I have to admit it, when daddy told the story later I did the same.
Leave it to my mom and dad to come up with something so stupid that it’s funny. They went to the market yesterday and came home with this picture. Shakes piggy head. They really need help. Professional help. How can I trust those two out by themselves?
Of all of the important holidays I can tell you about, today seems to be the most important in my book. July 30th is International Day of Friendship. The world is filled with too much hate, too many wars, too much prejudice and way too many disagreements. Today, we should put all of that aside and reach out to each other and say, “Hello friend happy friendship day!”
This is just not a backyard problem or a school playground problem. This is a worldwide problem. A problem that needs to come to an end. Everyone has differences – we wouldn’t be individuals if we didn’t. But when you look down to it, we all want to be happy and what better way than to get along.
Today let’s make friends with different people, different cultures and different countries. Extend your hand – or an olive branch – and say hello friend. Say hello to your neighbor, to the stranger at the market and say hello to a person that you see everyday but you don’t even know their name. Today is the day to make a friend near and far.
To all of our friends, we at the Hotel Thompson would like to say thank you for being our friend – happy friendship day. And to those that don’t know us yet, Happy Friendship Day. May we get to know you better today and in the future!
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 🙂
Squeals with piggy excitement. Why do I get to miss all of the great fun when mom/dad goes out shopping? Mom/dad went to our local market the other day and saw this as one of the groceries ‘carts’. Now wouldn’t that be awesome to ride around throughout the store beeping my little horn and begging for treats? Snorts with piggy laughter – couldn’t you just see me doing that?
Look at this cart – it just has *me* written all over it. That’s Policepiggy Bacon on patrol! ❤
Last week, I read on my friends Denny and Reilly’s blog about Cotton Candy grapes. I can’t begin to tell you excited I was to read about these grapes. In fact, Denny and Reilly’s mom wrote:
“Now for the few of you who haven’t heard of these (probably our overseas readers) these grapes REALLY do taste like Cotton Candy (or Fairy Floss as it is called in other parts of the world) and the best thing for Mom is they are extremely low in acidity.”
I just knew my mom would love these delectable little morsels so I wrote them on her weekly grocery list. Well, the first market mom went to they didn’t have a clue as to what they were. So mom went to another market. And there they were – I do believe mom said she heard angels singing. She picked up a bag and they are expensive – around $4.99 a POUND. So mom muttered something about them needing to be made of fairy dust… I didn’t get that.
She got home with her purchase and had one. Friends, I can not describe the look and joy that went across mom’s face. It was priceless regardless of how much these grapes cost. Yes, they were that good. Then mom had to get daddy to try them. And she video taped it for you to view. Enjoy my friends and if you come across these, you have to try them!
Of all of the important holidays I can tell you about, today seems to be the most important in my book. It is International Day of Friendship. The world is filled with too much hate, too many wars, too much prejudice and way too many disagreements. Today, we should put all of that aside and reach out to each other and say, “Hello friend happy friendship day!”
This is just not a backyard problem or a school playground problem. This is a worldwide problem. A problem that needs to come to an end. Everyone has differences – we wouldn’t be individuals if we didn’t. But when you look down to it, we all want to be happy and what better way than to get along.
Today let’s make friends with different people, different cultures and different countries. Extend your hand – or an olive branch – and say hello friend. Say hello to your neighbor, to the stranger at the market and say hello to a person that you see everyday but you don’t even know their name. Today is the day to make a friend near and far.
To all of our friends, we at the Hotel Thompson would like to say thank you for being our friend – happy friendship day. And to those that don’t know us yet, Happy Friendship Day. May we get to know you better today and in the future!
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 
Piglove 