The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[StarWarsGirl]

We have a kid who for two years now has been ditching or not showing up to school. He said he "missed" the bus and couldn't get a ride and said it was too far to walk or ride his bike. Anyway, long story short, the other day our principal found him at the public library playing computer games. The kids had missed the bus again but could make it to the public library....less than a block away from the school. So I guess that one block more to the school is just to much for him.

Bueller?

 

[MinnieM123]

Yeah...we don't buy anything. Just lookin'. It's fun to look around though.

Window shopping!

 

[MinnieM123]

I'm in deep, deep trouble! I called the store where I got my last sewing machine from and now I'm thinking about going one model up from the one I was thinking about It has even better reviews and it has a bunch of Disney embroidery designs built in. It's still $200 less than I spent on my last machine. Is there any chance any of you will try and talk me out of it? LOL

I won't talk you out of it, because it would be futile. You know you're going to get that one!!

 

[catmom46]

I love this movie. I was just thinking that I should watch it this weekend.

I've never seen it. (drops, covers, and holds on - aka California earthquake drill )

 

[MOXOMUMD]

I don't recall, but that sure sounds familiar. I've seen various White House holiday programs--the ones that go inside and show you how they decorate the White House. The decorations are spectacular, not to mention the trees throughout, particularly the big, main tree. You may be right--the gingerbread house process might have been in one of those holiday specials. I've been enjoying those type of shows for a number of years, so that's why I can't exactly place which show it was on. Reminds me of the (older) Home and Garden channel, before it turned into carp tv. I use to love the early years of H&G--they had plenty of those types of shows around the holidays.

We watch the White House special every year. The one thing I miss on HGTV is the Rose Parade preshow where they showed you how everything is made.

 

[MinnieM123]

So the latest drama for today:

I was volunteering this morning before my class with some members of my religious group. We went to go get lunch, me and one of my friends, who is actually my parents' age. I was driving because the other person there was my adoptive grandmother, and adoptive grandpa told her not to drive except for getting there and coming home. My friend has a car with a lock problem, so she drives it, but won't drive other people in it.

So I was driving. I pulled into a parking spot, and realized my passenger couldn't get out, so I backed up slowly to adjust, and my friend who has three kids who she has taught how to drive, so she was watching with me. White car passed, we both saw it, stopped, no issue. Out of nowhere comes this little car, neither of us saw it until it was too late. She says, "Oh, you hit me, your fault." Normally, I would agree, but she was in the wrong lane, and if she had been in her correct lane, it never would have happened.

My friend (I don't think I've ever been more happy about someone being in my car) told her she was in the wrong lane, and the woman starts yelling at my friend. Then the woman calls the police, which was completely unnecessary because neither of us was injured and I wasn't going anywhere. The police officer gets there and tells her that he didn't need to be called, so he exchanges information for us and leaves (no report, county rule says if both cars can be driven and no one was hurt, no report). But I took photos showing that the woman was in the wrong lane and the road was marked (not with yellow lines, but there were arrows and a stop sign that clearly showed it). Still, had to deal with a nasty woman, and now I have to deal with my insurance company. Thankfully, my friend is more than willing to give a statement, and actually already called my dad on my behalf. Basically, we both think that the woman was trying to have an accident for the insurance money. My friend looked at me and said, "Honey, I've been driving for years and years, and if I had been driving, the outcome would have been the same. This is not your fault." Which makes me feel a bit better, but I'm still irritated it happened.

I cannot wait for this semester to be over because it seems like it's just one thing after another....

Good grief. Sorry to hear you've been involved in another mishap. I hope you can do something nice for yourself tonight, like watch a movie (Frozen? ), and eat all kinds of treats to make you feel happier. This will all pass in time.

You might get a kick out of a woman I know who was in a minor accident last week. Basically, an SUV cut her off and ended up denting the front driver's side of her car. So my friend honks the horn for the woman to pull over. The woman did, but was all indignant denying she hit her car and said she didn't even feel any impact . .. but wait . . . it gets better. The woman told her that she had just bought this SUV 2 days prior, and it had all the latest bells and whistles on it, including a system that would let her know if she was too close to another car. She said the system warning signal never went off, so of course, she could not have possibly hit another car!!! Can you stand it???!!!!!!!! Anyway, my friend called the cops and filed an accident report. The insurance companies will now deal with it.

As if there weren't enough bad drivers out there to begin with, now we have fools who think they don't have to look out the windows of their cars when switching lanes??!!

 

[MOXOMUMD]

 

[MinnieM123]

We watch the White House special every year. The one thing I miss on HGTV is the Rose Parade preshow where they showed you how everything is made.

Yes!! I used to love seeing the preshow, too! I miss so many of those creative, interesting shows.

 

[MinnieM123]

I have rediscovered my rice cooker and am in love with it again. It is a super cheapie though. I think I got it for less than $10 at Walgreens a few years ago.

I never had a rice cooker. Why do you like it? When I've made rice (if I'm not nuking one of those little pre-cooked cups!), I just add the water to the pan and then the rice, and it cooks on the stovetop. What does a rice cooker do that's different? Is it faster or something?

 

[MinnieM123]

O.k. So here's my pumpkin question for either @MOXOMUMD or @figmentfan423. Is there any difference between Libby's canned pumpkin, and something called "pumpkin puree"? Is pumpkin puree advanced--I mean, do you have to get a real pumpkin and cut it up and throw in a blender to puree it? (That sounds like a lot of work. )

So the reason I'm asking is because I have maybe 2 cups more of the whole wheat flour in the bag, left over after I made the cranberry breakfast loaf last weekend. I looked up pumpkin bread recipes, and one said you can use Libby pumpkin from the can, and the other recipe said to use pumpkin puree. Can either one of you explain this mystery to me? If puree is different from canned, then I won't use that recipe; I'll just use the canned recipe.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

My old one was in the $20 range. My new one was only $50 and it is top of the line. Rice cookers seem to run cheap, thankfully. We use ours at least twice a week. The new one has a timer so you can get it ready for up to 15 hours ahead of time. Lol

A timer would be nice, to set it to cook later.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Bueller?

He isn't smart enough to be Bueller...that was kind of mean of me.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I've never seen it. (drops, covers, and holds on - aka California earthquake drill )

Oh my goodness!!! You have to watch it and soon! It is great. If you and your daughter like musical comedies it would be something you could enjoy together.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I never had a rice cooker. Why do you like it? When I've made rice (if I'm not nuking one of those little pre-cooked cups!), I just add the water to the pan and then the rice, and it cooks on the stovetop. What does a rice cooker do that's different? Is it faster or something?

I like it because it seems to cook the rice evenly, and turns out fluffy. It isn't faster but I don't have to worry about it with boiling water or anything. I just put the rice, water, and a little olive oil in the pot, cover, and flip it on and in about 15-20 minutes there is nice fluffy rice!

 

[catmom46]

O.k. So here's my pumpkin question for either @MOXOMUMD or @figmentfan423. Is there any difference between Libby's canned pumpkin, and something called "pumpkin puree"? Is pumpkin puree advanced--I mean, do you have to get a real pumpkin and cut it up and throw in a blender to puree it? (That sounds like a lot of work. )

So the reason I'm asking is because I have maybe 2 cups more of the whole wheat flour in the bag, left over after I made the cranberry breakfast loaf last weekend. I looked up pumpkin bread recipes, and one said you can use Libby pumpkin from the can, and the other recipe said to use pumpkin puree. Can either one of you explain this mystery to me? If puree is different from canned, then I won't use that recipe; I'll just use the canned recipe.

I guess it depends on whether or not you want 100% real pumpkin: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-actually-in-your-canned-pumpkin-puree-ingredient-intelligence-69123

 

[MinnieM123]

I like it because it seems to cook the rice evenly, and turns out fluffy. It isn't faster but I don't have to worry about it with boiling water or anything. I just put the rice, water, and a little olive oil in the pot, cover, and flip it on and in about 15-20 minutes there is nice fluffy rice!

So it sort of sounds like a way to cook it without watching it. A few times, I've sort of burned the bottom of the pan of rice, when I wasn't really timing it closely. That's why I was ecstatic when they came out with those pre-cooked litlle nuke cups, and they microwave for 1 minute, and it's perfect!

 

[catmom46]

I like it because it seems to cook the rice evenly, and turns out fluffy. It isn't faster but I don't have to worry about it with boiling water or anything. I just put the rice, water, and a little olive oil in the pot, cover, and flip it on and in about 15-20 minutes there is nice fluffy rice!

Yep, same reason for me - just throw everything in and wait for it to be done!

Although I like my rice sticky, not fluffy.

 

[MinnieM123]

I guess it depends on whether or not you want 100% real pumpkin: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-actually-in-your-canned-pumpkin-puree-ingredient-intelligence-69123

Aha! So it's basically the same thing--puree or canned. I'll stick with the can then. That article was interesting about some canners also using squash with the pumpkin. Libby has a good reputation though, and I believe they only use pumpkin. Side note: I also like squash pie, so in the end, it doesn't matter what's in the can!

 

[MinnieM123]

Yep, same reason for me - just throw everything in and wait for it to be done!

Although I like my rice sticky, not fluffy.

Rice is yummy--fluffy or sticky!

 

[catmom46]

Aha! So it's basically the same thing--puree or canned. I'll stick with the can then. That article was interesting about some canners also using squash with the pumpkin. Libby has a good reputation though, and I believe they only use pumpkin. Side note: I also like squash pie, so in the end, it doesn't matter what's in the can!

Yes, it will all be yummy!!