Mistletoe Bacon – Smooches

 My dear friends – I can let Bashful think that he is the only one with swag these days.  In prepping for Christmas, I’m going to wear this head clip ALL.DAY.LONG.  Hey, I’m sweet.  I’m loveable.  I’m cuddly.  Who Wants to Kiss the Bacon First?

 

Travels in the South

Okay my friends.  Take a good look at that picture.  Look familiar?  These delectable weird shaped things are called Moondrop Grapes.  What?  Really?  Yes really.  They are look like moon beams.  When mom started talking about them to me and dad, we just laughed at her.  But she kept saying they were real and we *were* going to try them.  Me and dad just looked at each other like mom had finally slipped over that fine edge of sanity – snorts with piggy laughter.

Nana came down Saturday and her and mom/dad went off for a bit.  When they came back, mom was beaming with moonbeams because she found the moondrop grapes.  Say that several times huh?  She made all of us eat one together.  And you know what?  They are awesome!  They are a bit sweeter than a normal grape but yummy.  You want to eat more than one and we all did.  Dad said their shape reminded him of our boiled peanut shells here in the south that are also that long.

Have you tried these before?  You gotta find some if you haven’t.  They are a seasonal item.  Mom got these at our local Kroger where they were on sale.  Bon appetite!

 

 

Spotlight Thursday – Meet Noel, The Christmas Cat

Spotlight Thursday

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!

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Name:  Noel, The Christmas Cat

Age:  10

Location:   Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Web/Blog Page:  http://dogdaz.com/

What were your first thoughts when you met your new parents?  I was really scared and really sick, but the humans did not know that yet. I just wanted to hide. I had been on my own for 9 months already and all this commotion made me afraid. Then these humans took me from my cage into a box into a room where they made me feel better and they hugged me and loved me. I thought that this could be OK but I still was not sure about those humans.

What was the defining moment when you knew you were in your forever home?  My new Mom held me for weeks and gave me medicine and held me more. Slowly, I realized that she was never going to let me go anywhere else and she was always going to take care of me and that this was my place forever. Mom is the only person that I let pick me up and turn me upside down like she did when I was first here at the Zoo and very sick. She protects me from the other animals in the house (especially that mean Stella cat) and makes sure I have safe places to call my own. If that is not home, what is?

What has been your biggest “Oh no, now I’ve done it” moment so far in your home?   Mom says that I am not the sharpest tack in the pack (whatever that means). Because I have feline herpes and not socialized until almost a year old, she thinks that it provided me with special powers, unlike other cats. For example, I don’t like cat litter so I don’t use the same toilet as the other cats. It took awhile for me to teach Mom that I will use weewee pads in my preferred spots and though I still overshoot them from time to time, I don’t think that’s bad, is it? Truly, I don’t think about much. Mom doesn’t get mad at me ever because she knows that I am special. I live primarily in the living/dining room and kitchen (where the yummy stuff is) and mostly Mom has made it safe so that my big fluffiness can’t get hurt, or break too many things. I don’t really understand the “oh no, now I’ve done it” thing because everything I do is purrfect, for a cat like me. It is all the other cats that get in trouble or try to get me into some, but I am special, and I know to run and hide when they do stupid stuff like knock over plants or face off with the little dog. Not me! 

 Who do you have wrapped around your paws more – mom or dad – and why? My Mom is the most important human in the house, as she says it should be. Everyone that lives here says that I am the most beautiful, sweet, giant white cat, they know and they all brush me (because I shed white stuff all year round) and pet me. I prefer Mom to all others but if one of my human family is sitting quietly on MY couch, I will talk to them and ask them for a brushing or a treat. Then usually I run away until Mom comes. I do like the big black dog, she is quiet too. I do my best to stay away from the pesky youngsters. Nine and Mini, who try to unthrone me from the top of the cat tree, or the blonde dog who chases me down the hall. The new little dog is smaller than I am, so I kind of think he is ok, but I am not sure yet.

What’s the biggest misconception that humans think about you?  People thank that I am aloof because I am scared. If they would just be quiet I will come to them (maybe). I have a special sense that tells me when it is ok to come out of my hiding spots. I am a keen judge of character and Mom uses me as a barometer to see if the kid’s friends are worthy of being on my couch. I am a simple cat, with simple desires, if people would just be patient.

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Hope you enjoyed meeting my friend – check back next week for another Spotlight edition!

 

Shopping Around the World

This month my dear brother Phenny is hosting Shopping Around the World.  His suggestion this month was pie, dessert or anything sweet.  Since I can’t just post a picture of me for something sweet – snorts with piggy laughter, I”m going to let mom take care of this month.  Hope you enjoy my friends ❤

Now this month was hard.  Sweets – my favorites of any kind – is something I’m trying to stay away from here at the Hotel Thompson.  But there are times that the inner sweet monster comes from within and you just *have* to have something gooey and wonderful.  A long time favorite of ours here are Whoopie Pies.  Now if you don’t know what a Whoopie Pie is here, you are a sheltered person and need a fix ASAP!  You can fix them as elaborately as you want or in my case as simple as you want.  And you know me…. I’m all about simple 🙂 

So here is a picture of what a Whoopie Pie looks like.  (I didn’t take this picture.)  This is a simple way of seeing what a Whoopie Pie looks like.  They should be gooey and wonderful.  Most of them are made with a cake batter as the top and bottom.  But remember, I have a favorite ‘quick’ recipe.  Here you go:

◊ Store bought cookies (no lying).  Get a package of the soft cookies – you don’t want a hard one.  Or you can make your own.  Now remember to buy twice as many cookies because you will need two cookies for every Whoopie Pie.  I bought a package of 24 cookies from our local market for $3.29 – I bought Macadamia cookies.  Buy and make whatever kind of cookies you like.  24 cookies will make 12 Whoopie Pies.

◊ Here is the tricky part – what do you want for your center?  You have several options.  You can buy a container of Cool Whip.  You can buy those little containers of pre-made frosting.  Or, you can be lazy like me.  I asked the bakery department at my market to whip me up some butter cream frosting.  A huge container cost me $4.99 – and that is more than enough.  

Now the fun begins.  I take my 12 cookies and place them on a cookie sheet.  I then put my butter cream frosting in a pastry bag and start dabbing frosting on my cookies.  After all my cookies have full attention, I then place cookies on top of the frosting.  There you go – instant Whoopie Pies.  No, they are not like the ‘real’ Whoopie Pies but are your guests or family going to know the difference?  Of course not.  Heck, throw some flour on your face and around the kitchen and let them know you slaved in the kitchen for hours.  Who is going to know?  I’m not going to tell.  ❤ 

 

Travels in the South

Welcome my friends to another edition of Travels in the South.

Knowing that last week was difficult for the mommy in getting done a lot of things at work, mom/dad took time out for a little tender loving care in the form of sweet pleasures. They went to a local restaurant just for a little just desserts.  May we introduce you to a Molten Salted Caramel Cake.  Oh my friends, dad says that mom made sounds he hasn’t heard in a long time.  I’m not sure what he meant by that – snorts with piggy laughter.

This creation is a salted caramel cake filled with melted yummy caramel.  So when you cut into the cake, that wonderful caramel spreads everywhere – can you say yummy?  Then the cake is topped with vanilla ice cream, more caramel sauce and salted caramel pieces.  Now personally I don’t know how good this was but mommy came home happy and in a great mood.  She also said that if you crave a salt/sweet combination, this is for you.  Dad says it kind of taste like pancakes and syrup.  Now, that I can relate to – snorts with piggy laughter.

So there you go my friends.  Another awesome contribution to Travels in the South.  Have you eaten something amazing lately?

 

Travels in the South

Welcome my friends to another issue of Travels in the South.  Today, I want to talk about biscuits, which I’m told look a lot like scones.  Maybe the difference is a little sweetness.  The majority of our American biscuits do not have sugar while scones have a bit.  But here in America in the south, we have found a biscuit that gives you a little of both – we at the Hotel Thompson call them biscones – snorts with piggy laughter.  Of course, that is not their real name.

Let me introduce you to a Boberry Biscuit from a local restaurant here called Bojangles.  Bojangles is known for their chicken (go figure with mom and her chicken passion, right?)  But they also have these sweet babies.  It’s a regular biscuit made with blueberries and then highlighted with cream cheese.  Can you say sinfully good?  You can buy them in packs of 1, 2 or 6.  Nana buys them 6 at a time and freezes them.  She shows great restraint while this piggy can’t say the same.  Yes they are that delicious.

Have you tried one of these bad boys yet?  If so, what did you think about them?  Do tell my friends.

 

Snorts – Shaking My Piggy Head

Oh my friends.  This is just wrong on so many different levels.  Really it is.  Let me set the story up for you.  Here is Spike.  Spike is peeking through a hole in his wood fence at the neighbor.  Looks all innocent huh?

Sure it’s innocent until you see what Spike is looking at – his neighbor Sally.  Ooohh-laaa-laaa.  Snorts with piggy laughter!

 

Rain, Rain and MORE Rain

 This is a picture that mom took the other morning coming out of the neighborhood of the Hotel Thompson.  Do you see all that rain?  On the sides of the street, falling from the sky and on the car?  I told mom she needed a boat not a Jeep to get to work – jeez!

And all of this rain… sighs.  It makes my deviled ham side come out to play.  I can admit that.  See, time of the year I kind of go into hibernation mode.  I don’t play as much.  I don’t eat as much.  And I sleep lots.  But the weather here in Georgia, it has me messed up.  It’s still hot – not cold like it should be in winter.  And ALL of this rain – OMP!  I’m getting cabin fever with the rain.

So deviled ham comes out.  Shivers – you don’t want to meet deviled ham.  He doesn’t know how to play nice.  He doesn’t have any manners.  He doesn’t mind mom/dad.  AND… he’s very destructive.  You won’t like me when I’m deviled ham.  Mom says she much prefers her sweet Bacon.

I found this picture on iFunny and had to share.  It says everything about our desperate situation right now of RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!

 

Mistletoe Bacon

 My dear friends – get in line now.  In prepping for Christmas, I’m going to wear this head clip ALL.DAY.LONG.  Hey, I’m sweet.  I’m loveable.  I’m cuddly.  Who Wants to Kiss the Bacon First?

 

Anniversary Kidnapping – Part 3

Welcome back my friends to Part 3 of mom/dad’s kidnapping.  Of all of the places to send mom/dad overnight – why not a hotel?  Snorts.  I grabbed daddy’s credit card and booked them a room at the Hyatt in Marietta which is down the street from the restaurant I sent them to – Pappasito’s Cantina.  The good part about this was that mom/dad are Hyatt members and they had enough points on their card that the room was FREE.  Yes, you read that correctly.  FREE.  Nothing beats FREE – especially when you are putting together an anniversary weekend.

But wait a minute.  There is something better than FREE.  FREE champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries courtesy of the hotel manager, Mr. Foster.  You rock Mr. Foster.  This made mom/dad’s anniversary night.  They enjoyed the bubbly and the room.  Among experiences of hotel stays, this one ranked way up there at the top of the list – perhaps maybe even number 1.  And look at the decorated bed.  Romantic huh?

Okay remember then room was on the Hyatt point system and FREE.  Well Mr. Foster also upgraded mom/dad’s room for their anniversary.  Oh my piggy heavens!  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this video that mom took – OMP!  I wanted to come too – and the other anipals here.  There was plenty of room for us to have a gracious time and we wouldn’t be in the way.  You don’t believe me?  Well, I’m going to share mom’s third video with you on the room.  Daddy said they were in pig heaven!  What’s not to like – check this out.  AND SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MR FOSTER AND THE STAFF OF THE MARIETTA HYATT – YOU ROCK!