Shopping Around the World

Welcome my friends to another edition of Shopping Around the World!

This month my brother Phenny is hosting SATW – thanks bro!  This month we are highlighting pumpkin recipes.  This should be fun because my mom loves anything and everything pumpkin.  Doesn’t pumpkin just scream fall?  In fact, mom just posted a funny on her Facebook about pumpkin spice.  I thought I would share with you and let mom take it away  with our recipe.  Again thanks brother Phenny for helping us out here at the Hotel Thompson ❤

 

 

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mmm – pumpkin – one of my favorites this time of year.  Put spice behind it and I’m in hog heaven – sorry Bacon.  My favorite recipe is Pumpkin Spice coffee.  I love it so much throughout the year – not just at Halloween.  And yes, you can ‘buy’ it in those fancy coffee shops and even McDonald’s has a great one; but, why not make it at home yourself.  I mean think about, coffee shops will range from $3.50 to $5.50 a cup.  And that’s just enough pumpkin spice coffee to make you want more.  A second cup at a coffee shop and you will be getting out a loan – LOL.  So what do you need?

Now I’m a sugar free girl.  Of course fully leaded you get more of a pumpkin spice taste but sugar free gets me there.  I use the following:

⇒ Skinny Syrup Pumpkin Spice (costs $9.00 a bottle.  A full bottle can last about 30-35 cups = that’s only $0.26 a cup!)

⇒ International Delight Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Spice (costs $2.50 a bottle.  A full bottle can last about 20 cups = that’s only $0.13 a cup!)

⇒ Your choice of coffee.  We use Maxwell House here.  We buy a medium can for about $5.50 on sale.  That has enough to last 52 pots!  So basically how do  you price that, right?  LOL

⇒ Two packs of Splenda (a box costs $4.00 for 200 packets = $0.04!)

So let’s talk price first.  For somewhere around $0.50 a CUP at home vs coffee shop prices.  Doh!  It’s a no brainer for sure.

Prepare your coffee as you normally do in your coffee pot.  On our coffee pot, we have the option of making one cup or an entire pot.  When I want one cup, I put my Splenda in my cup along with a shot of my Skinny Syrup Pumpkin Spice.  I then place my cup on the coffee maker and hit Latte (I know I’m blessed).  While that is percolating and the aroma is driving you crazy, pour some creamer into a glass container.  Then froth that cream… again my coffee maker has a frother – don’t hate.  Froth that cream as much as you want.  I find the glass container keeps it cold. 

Once your coffee is done, pour the froth into your cup.  Then sit on the couch, prop your feet up and enjoy that pure delight.  And then go back for another cup… .you’re welcome ❤

 

 

 

 

Journey with Friends

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!

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 Hey sweet friends!  How did you do last week?  We are moving right along here at the Hotel Thompson.  I’m actually doing good.  I’ve been working a lot of different hours but I’ve also been watching what I’m eating.  It’s meshing the two half way these days.  Complicated but it’s working.  I no way got my walking in because of work.  But I can say that the weather is getting cooler.  Most days it’s still hotter than you can imagine but every couple of days, Fall tries to kick in and make an appearance.  And another thing about fall – pumpkin.  Oh my!  I just can’t get enough of pumpkin.  I actually found a recipe for pumpkin muffins with cream cheese.  I’m going to see if I can tweak the recipe to get rid of some of the sugar and try it maybe this coming up weekend.  It sounds so marvelous.  I’ll keep you posted and try to take pics.  How are you with pumpkin – yay or nay?

So my friends – how was YOUR week?  Hugs to a great week.

 

It’s Time

It’s Time!  Well, it’s not the time but it’s getting closer.  You do know what I’m talking about my friends.  Fall or Autumn – whichever one you call it.  The one time of the year that my mom looks forward to.  You know, the beautiful colors, the pumpkins, the cooler weather, the changing of the leaves, the start of the holidays, the lighting of candles and fireplaces on a cool night, the snuggling during buggy rides on the farm.

STOP!  STOP!  STOP!  STOP!  STOP!

 Who am I trying to kid?  I’m sure Fall/Autumn means all of those things to some people.  But to mom, it means getting out the Ugg boots and trying Pumpkin everything.  You don’t believe me?  Look at the goodies she had this past weekend.  I’m sorry friends – it has started.  So if you see my mom wearing her Uggs with hands fully loaded of pumpkin stuff in the market, make sure you give her a hand okay.  Happy shopping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

31 Days of Spook – Decorating

 Dear Friends,

If anyone cane take in a slightly worn out daddy that does housework and a humorous pig, we may need it.  We both kind of decorated the bathroom today while mom was at work.  We might be in slight trouble… perhaps even the doghouse if you will when mom sees this in the powder room.  Let’s just hope that she doesn’t have to really, REALLY go when she gets home – snorts with piggy laughter. 

Then again, maybe she won’t be so mad when she sees the pumpkin we made?  Who knows – you think?

 

 

Happy Halloween My Friends

Happy delicious, wonderful, scary Halloween my friends!!

We finally made it to the end of the month – to the one day that we look forward to once a year – HALLOWEEN.  Did you think that you were going to make it?  I know there were times that *I* didn’t – snorts.  I do hope you you’ve enjoyed my 31 Days of Spook and that I didn’t scare you too much.  It’s been a joy to bring it to you this year and share in some of our ‘real’ ghost stories.

It’s been a real zoo here at the Hotel Thompson this month.  I wanted to join some dress up contests and parties but I’ve been so very behind with everything 😦  I guess that’s what happens when mom/dad go on vacation so close to my big day.  I promise – next year I will be on top of things.

I do want to share a few things with my family – snorts.  Hemi and Mouse Girl, the two purr things here, are going as my back up singers and I’m going as Bacon, The King, Presley.  Here we are (can someone get me a banana peanut butter sandwich please?):

   

That leaves mom/dad.  They needed something to bring out their ‘inner’ child.  Lots of discussion took place and we finally settled on some things that are close to their hearts.  Dad is of course the devil – snorts – and mom is bringing out her inner Puss and Boots – snorts.

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I hope enjoyed our Halloween ‘costumes’.  I know we are going to have a blast with them!

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And before I go – I wanted to leave you with some scary kids Halloween jokes 🙂  It’s what I do.

What yard do children not play in?  A grave yard.

How does one get into a locked haunted house?  By using a Spook-key

How does one repair a broken jack-o-lantern?  With a pumpkin patch

Who won the skeleton beauty pageant?  No BODY

PLOL (Pig Laughing out Loud)  Be safe my friends and have fun!

 

How I Got Back on Mom’s Good Side

Just imagine you are on a date with your spouse and then your cell phone goes off with a text message.  You know by the sound of the ring that it’s from one of your kids.  You go to look at it and WOW – it’s a text from ME – Bacon.  Who could stay mad at this little oinker for long?  Especially when I’m giving you a heads up about free coffee!  Mommy is a sucker for coffee.

After mom and dad’s date they did go to Dunkin Donuts.  Mommy didn’t get the free coffee.  She got the pumpkin white chocolate latte.  She said it was delicious.  I wouldn’t know because she didn’t give me a taste of it… BUT, she did bring me some donut holes. 🙂

So, that is how you get back on mommy’s good list.  She drunk her coffee while I was in her lap getting snuggles.  Everything is back to being good at the Hotel Thompson.

Oh, and what?  Doesn’t every pig have an iPhone?  It’s only the 3G that mom used to have but it still works for these emergency type situations – snorts.

 

More PigOLantern Suggestions

You *know* when you look at this pumpkin that you want to start singing THE song.  You know you do.  Go ahead, I’ll start.

  “Spiderpig, Spiderpig…Does what ever a spiderpig does.  Can he swing from a web?  No he can’t, he’s a pig.  Look out, he is a spiderpig! ”  LOL

Feel better now?  I do.  This would be a fun pumpkin.  Kind of hard to carve out but it would be funny.  Of course, I would be oinking around singing that song all night… but it would be fun!

 

 

 

 

This is a simple etching on a pumpking.  It doesn’t seem all that difficult.  Kind of simple but kind of fun.  I think mommy could do it with no problem. 

I just kind of want something a little bit more uummphh to it, you know? 

 

 

 

 

This would take a little bit of carpentry but what a novel idea if you wanted to do more than one!  You could line a bunch of them up along your walk way or on the porch. 

Down side – the entire point of carving a pumpkin is to roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven.  I faintly remember mommy doing this last year and the smell was out of this world!  Mom shook some cinnamon on them and baked them off, they came out so warm and yummy.  I kind of want those pumpkin seeds again in my belly.  But, this was a great idea!

 

 

So far though, I’m kind of swaying towards this one. It’s eerie.  It looks simple to create – think about all of those pumpkin seeds – yummy!  Plus the glow looks frightening without being Friday the 13thish – you know.  What do you think? 

 

 

This Ones For Dad

My dad is forever playing the game Angry Birds.  He has so many different ones on his iPad.  He plays this game nightly.  I think mom has the theme forever burned in her mind – LOL

Last night when I was hanging out in my room watching the History Channel, I was also surfing the net.  I was watching a special on Stone Henge and thought I would do some research.  I came across this funny with Angry Birds.  I started laughing.  In fact, I was laughing so hard that mommy had to come check on me.  Of course, she saw it and started laughing as well.  Then dad walked in and we both got quiet.  Poor dad.  It reminded me of the latest Cheetos commercial.  So funny!

 

Then I was further playing around on the net and I came across these eggs.  How genius!  Someone actually boiled eggs and then painted them to look like Angry Birds.  I told mom that she *has* to do this with daddy.  Can you imagine what he would say?  It would be a hoot! 

Or for that matter, can you imagine fixing a bunch of these up for the yearly Easter egg hunt?  I bet kids would love it.  Do you have a favorite from the Angry Birds?  Of course, mine has to be the pig. 🙂

 

And this one for dad is the best.  We’ve all been pondering how to do the pumpkin this year.  It would be cute if mom did one like this in honor of dad.  It wouldn’t take much to put it together and it would be fun.  … I wonder if she would let me toss it afterwards?

Have fun!!  XOXO Bacon