Easy, Super Delicious, Addictive Bread Dip Recipe for a Party or BarBQ

by Sandy // June 3, 2017 // 7 Comments

Everyone’s had an Artichoke Dip, Spinach Dip or Broccoli Dip, but few have experienced the delight of this addictive Bread Dip.

First introduced to us by my cousin, Lilly, I’ve only met one person (out of hundreds) who wasn’t ecstatic over it. Comments like “I don’t eat mayo (or green onion or sour cream).” are frequently voiced when I tell them the 6 simple ingredients.

Most have taken a taste, shrugged and walked away. Then a few minutes would pass … and they would return for more. Then ask for the recipe. It’s addictive. Usually, we end up with people “hovering” over the bread bowl, including the folks that “don’t eat mayo (or green onions or sour cream)”. One of my husband’s friends liked it so much, he slathered it on his burgers, too.

Inexpensive (All of these ingredients cost under $12 and serves many, many people!) and super easy to make, it was the obvious choice for the Backyard Barbecue I attended this week.

Ingredients:

1 bunch green onion (with roots and bruised leaves removed and washed)

1/4 lb smoked ham

1/4 lb smoked turkey

24 oz Sour Cream

24 oz Real Mayonnaisse

2-3 loaves Good Bread (One should be round for serving.)

Directions:

Grind the green onions in a food processor (or chop super fine). Place in large mixing bowl.

Grind the smoked turkey and smoked ham (or chop super fine). Add to the green onions in the bowl.

Stir in one large sour cream and an equal amount of real mayonnaise.

Resist the temptation to taste it! It will taste like green onion (bleh!). Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The next day, using a round, good bread, slice about a third of the top off. With a spoon, scoop out the bread from the top and bread leaving mostly crust. Tear the bits of bread up for serving with the dip.

Tear another 2-3 varieties of bread to serve with the Addictive Bread Dip. I love King’s Hawaiin, French or Italian and a Sour Dough Rye. It provides a nice variety.

Place the scooped out bread bowl on a plate and pour the Awesome, Delicious Dip into the bread bowl.

Place the variety of torn bread around it and serve.

The Nephews are Wrong! (I Hate Digital Photos)

by Sandy // May 27, 2017 // 2 Comments

The lectures – I can hear them now. The lectures will start when my nephews hear that I’m going back to printed photos and convincing my sister to do the same. “Noooooooooooooo!” (they’ll say.) But I’ve decided. I’ve made up my mind. I HATE digital photos!

For years, the nephews made fun of me for not jumping on the technology bandwagon: My camera was huge! Get with the century! So, I did. I purchased a tiny, digital camera.

You have to understand, I take thousands of photos. Everyone complains when I stop every 2 feet to snap that fabulous memory, but no one complains weeks later when I’m the one with the great shots. Suddenly, my thousands of photos are in demand.

Digital photos are beautiful, I agree. Thousands of photos fit on a memory card, I agree. It’s cheaper than printing, I agree. So, why do I hate them?

Two main reasons: No one looks at them (including me) and they disappear.

In the 70s, when I visited a friend or relative, someone handed me an envelope just returned from the local developer. I would sit and flip through the photos and smile, admire, ooooh and ahhhhh and sometimes cry. My best friends always purchased “Picture Picture” (2 prints of each for one low price) and let me select a few memories to keep. I still have them. I still pull out the book or box and flip through the photos that take me to times and places I had forgotten.

Last month, we went to Germany, I met my cousins for the first time (in 60 years). At every home, someone pulled out a photo album (or 2 or 6) and we spent hours looking at pictures of my mother as a girl, aunts and uncles I had never met, my grandparents. Not one relative sat me down at a computer and said “Click here to view the rest.”

I took hundreds of photos of my new-found relatives. I captured as many memories as possible. In the second week of our visit, the unthinkable happened: My computer was full. I couldn’t download one single photo!

OK, now what? Well, I had been well versed about keeping photos in “the cloud”. I spent an entire, precious evening moving everything on my computer to space I purchased on Amazon and Dropbox.

When the moves were complete (yes, they notified me), I deleted the files on my camera and computer and emptied the wastebasket. Voila! Room on the computer again! The trip continued, photos were taken and uploaded to my computer, and a month later, we returned home.

Then I went to Dropbox (and the Cloud and Amazon) to retrieve my photos. There were none! There were folders, but the folders were empty! Over 800 photos lost forever.

Remember I said that I moved everything from my computer? It wasn’t just the Germany photos that disappeared forever. Our trip to Alaska, Savannah, and more. The only photos I had of my grandson growing up.

I’m in the long, tedious process of moving whatever photos there are out there back to my computer. It takes much more time to move them back. So, the decision is made. I’m going back to printed photos.

I’ll keep my digital camera and I’ll join this century by having books made instead of just prints – in 18 months, when I finish downloading them all.

The Misadventures of Irish Toilets

by Irene // April 23, 2017 // 4 Comments

In Ireland, if you ask for the location of a “restroom”, “bathroom” or (perish the thought) “powder room”, the Irish will have none of that nonsense. Irish facilities are, simply, toilets.

We recently traveled to Ireland and I’ll bet you’d like to read about castles, beautiful churches and maybe even Irish whiskey. We will blog those posts–soon. But this is one of those little things, which makes travel so interesting.

Most Irish toilets are somewhat familiar. But if you “go local” you’re in for some curious differences.

We didn’t experience pull chains, but the flusher was usually a button. Easy enough (if you can find it). We also experienced the “split” button. The bigger side provided a regular flush and the smaller side was for “lighter” jobs to conserve water.

The restrooms were generally clean and occasionally we saw toilet seat sanitizers. Simply squirt some cleaner on toilet paper then wipe down the seat. Nice. Another courtesy that we witnessed was when the toilet lid was down. This indicated the toilet needed attention and wasn’t functioning properly. Move on.

None of us missed our”Miller Time”, but it took a bit of adjustment to the obvious lack of paper toweling. Although there was an abundance of Dyson Airblades, some hand dryers were much slower or, as in the Hazel Mountain Chocolates’ toilet, a hand towel hung on the back of the door.

Before you travel, it’s good to know fuel stations are not easily found and there are no rest areas. Restaurants and pubs always have restrooms and the proprietors won’t raise a stink (get it?) if you aren’t a patron. Hotels also have restrooms for those cheeky enough to use the facilities when they’re not guests.

Most toilets are down many stairs or up many stairs, so plan ahead for a long walk–even at the Galway McDonald’s. Sandy went up, up, up the first set of stairs that caught her eye. Nope. She saw more teens congregating with their electronics, but no bathrooms. Down. Up, up, up another set…exhausted but victorious and getting good practice for the next three or four visits she made.

Parks usually have public restrooms, as well. Near Galway Bay, Eddie, going by the creed, “never trust a fart and never pass up the chance to use the bathroom”, tried to use the facilities and came back completely perplexed. The door was labeled “Fir”. At his expense, we found the befuddlement highly amusing. Later, when we reached WIFI, we discovered “Fir” was Gaelic for men and “Mná” indicated ladies.

On our 2015 visit to the Cliffs of Moher, a photographic display of the cliffs was plastered directly onto the doors of the Women’s restroom stalls. Pretty. This time, we nearly stopped in our tracks when we saw the unisex sign. This was not just unisex, but multi-user unisex! We’ve all been married over 30 years and still close the door when using the bathroom at home, so this was a first. Before entering, I had the impulse to cry out “Hello?” I then entered with my head lowered as men stood at urinals, not realizing they were in a common area where everyone can wash their hands or check the mirror to see if they had spinach on their teeth. I have no objection to it in principle, especially if men put the seat down, but I’m a product of my time and my culture. These are the days of our (2017) lives.

If it’s a 911 urge, I suppose you can use nature when nature calls. There are plenty of unpopulated fields, stone walls, and hedgerows as you travel through Ireland. So always – carry tissues

8 Things to Know Before You Go (To the Nursing Home)

by Irene // February 8, 2017 // 8 Comments

I know we’re not quite old enough to think about nursing homes, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Sandy’s requirements are quite simple: Christmas lights strung around her room and a soft, stuffed animal on her lap will bring her contentment while in the nursing home.

Most of us will have more to think about, so prepare, we must. Here are some suggestions:

1. Downsize. The first step is to, da-da-da-da, de-clutter. Pairing down on sentimental objects isn’t a struggle for me because I no longer remember the stories associated with the objects. But items like the dog food bowl shaped like a crown? Maybe it should go since our dog, Jack, died in, what? 2007? I don’t want to burden my children with decisions about what to do with things like that trophy I won at bar night trivia in 1976. So, maybe, it should go as well? Yes! Hold onto the sentiment; take a photo; let it go.

Before getting rid of your stuff, there are a couple of rules to follow:

First, confirm there’s no “hidden” cash before donating or selling. My mother had so much cash in her coat pockets, Tupperware and vases, we could have bought a new travel trailer.

Second, never, ever, ever get rid of family members’ items without checking with them first. Selling the Super Nintendo System or beloved Legos may not sit well with the man-children. Or, what about that cafeteria tray your husband snagged from college? Probably not a good idea to toss it or introduce it to eBay.

Sandy gives her more precious possessions to the family’s younger generation. Never underestimate how much something you don’t use could be useful and appreciated by someone else. Although, my sons have responded to my sentimental objects with, “Nope. Not interested. Nah.” Wait. What?

2. Start video recording stuff your spouse needs to know when you’re gone. On second thought, I’ll be the one with tons of video instructions. I even find it difficult, if not impossible, to open a new pump bottle of hand soap or start the Bunn coffeemaker that’s in vacation mode. And, Mark probably isn’t interested in how to crochet or make a good gin and tonic.

3. Get your facial hair permanently removed. You can’t always count on family or staff to shave or pluck those hairs on your chinny-chin-chin. It’s difficult being in a home as it is, but as a circus freak? Unbearable.

4. Have a family meeting and hand out assignments. Someone can make sure I have enough Mork & Mindy episodes to watch. Another can make sure my eyebrows are penciled-in. Then there are duties such as sneaking in cupcakes, Cheez-in-a-can, liquor and cigarettes.

5. Get rid of your assets. My mother gifted us with money in her later years. Her attitude was “I’d rather give joy to my loved ones then give all my hard earned cash to the nursing home.” Good idea, Mom! I’ll start giving away the hundreds we’ve accumulated so far.

6. Assign a Power of Attorney for your finances. Again, see #5 to know how to get rid of the hundreds of dollars you’ve squirreled away.

7. Assign a medical power of attorney. My friend, Shelley and I have discussed this at length. We don’t want to be “unplugged” or have a “Do Not Resuscitate” order under any circumstance. Keep us alive! There may be a miracle or a new medical discovery around the corner. Note: If I start eating boogers or punching you when I hear the word “Bingo!”, then it’s ok to place the pillow over my face until it’s over.

8. Write a living will. Again, if I start drawing hieroglyphics with poop or the only words out of my mouth are “Cream Pie. Cream Pie-Pie. Slut! Slut!”, you know what to do.

If you can’t get these completed in time or agreement from family isn’t forthcoming, know that you can always move in with your children.

Ready boys?

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Sister's Folly

How to be a fabulous, middle-aged+ woman in the 21st Century….

Easy, Super Delicious, Addictive Bread Dip Recipe for a Party or BarBQ

Ingredients:

Directions:

The Misadventures of Irish Toilets

8 Things to Know Before You Go (To the Nursing Home)