Thanks so much for writing about your trip, Quill, both the ups and the downs. I'm enjoying every word!

Welcome back, Parrotthead! I'm so glad to hear your daughter is doing well. So sorry to hear about your health and employment troubles. That's awful. :(. Prayers for you and your husband.

I "saw" you on another thread, so here's a request for an update. :)

I really like the 12" melamine mixing spoons from Hutzler. I like a lot of their stuff and order from them every few years. These spoons are my absolute favorite. I can't imagine cooking without them. http://www.hutzlerco.com/products/i/45/

Reg's sister called last fall to say that they were having Thanksgiving at their house, and that they were inviting Grandma, other SIL & family, and cousin this-and-that. Then she said that our family wasn't invited. The weird thing is that she is usually a very nice person. I guess everyone has their moments!

How were you able to get away with that? Whenever I fell asleep while she was talking at me, she would notice! She'd say, "Are you falling asleep while I'm talking AGAIN?" She never got the hint!

Actually, onions can be challenging. I mean growing nice sized onions that will keep longer than past August, or really sweet, large onions like Vidalias. Most people who grow onions plant sets, which don't produce onions that keep well. You also need to cure and store them properly. Most onions are also day-length sensitive, so you have to grow the right kind for your latitude. Long day onions grown in the south won't bulb, and short day onions grown in the north must be planted in the fall and wintered over in protective structures like low tunnels. And you can grow Walla Walla onions in other areas, but they won't taste the same as as those grown in Walla Walla, Washington, because of the soil.

We have rocks in one area, and I hate them. Dirt falls or blows onto them, and weeds grow up between them, and the weeds are really hard to get out. Don't do it!

NOOOOOOOOOO! You can't be serious!

A long time ago, I used to make bean dip. A lot. It was really good, and one day a friend was over, so I dumped a can of beans in the blender to start a new batch. When it was time to check to see if it was done, I took the lid off the blender. Then peered in the pitcher ... and forgot myself and turned the blender on. I became spectacularly covered with bean dip! And I never made it again. Every time someone says to pass the bean dip, I remember looking into that blender. Have a wonderful WTM Black Out, everyone!

Oh, my! I had forgotten about that one! It's been awhile.

Yes! You got it! Sorry I don't know how to link on my iPad, but it's on hersheys.com . They say it's the number one recipe on their site. I believe Quill uses their Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting recipe which is on the same page.

Quill brought them to a WTM meetup a couple of years ago. They are so, so good. The recipe is on the Hershey's cocoa powder can.

I vote that we all eat cupcakes, preferably Quill's Hershey's Chocolate cupcakes. But we may certainly not take them into school for our children's birthdays.

I need to start tomatoes, pepper, and eggplant in trays this weekend. I also need to plant lettuce and radishes in one of the cold frames, and buy some onion sets because I never got around to starting onions from seed, and now it's too late. I've also mulched the and pruned the thornless blackberry patch, which is really looking good. We are leaf scavengers, having almost no trees ourselves, but we got 80 bags of leaves from neighbors and friends and mulched with them. I have started working on our very small raspberry patch. I planted Caroline because they are late summer bearing; pruning is easy because you just cut all of the canes down to the ground every march. Caroline berries are delicious. Dh's horseradish is in the same patch, but it looks bad. How can anyone not be able to grow horseradish? Comfrey is with them, too, and it's ok. We also have strawberries and gooseberries. We didn't manure the strawberries last fall but maybe we can do that this spring before they get going. The gooseberries are terrific! They're Hinnonmaki Red, a Norwegian variety. I layered the one bush we got three years ago to make 8 more bushes. The berries have tart skin and sweet flesh. I think it's going to be a rather minimal garden year. If we can do all of the above well, it will be a success.

I suggest getting a part-time job a couple of years before you want to work full time. I was able to transition from pt to ft that way.

Btw, it was 61 F here today. :)

Way to go, Quill! Janice of the Vivienne Files says she is usually absolutely sick of what she packs for Europe. So it sounds like you're doing it right. You were smart to bring warm weather clothes, because you never know. Thanks for checking in! Hope you have fun with your dd.

Have a wonderful time, Quill! Because I've been reading The Vivienne Files a lot lately, I'd love to know what outfits you're taking. :)

I don't know how to link, but we like to make a modified version of the one at Smitten Kitchen. The main thing is to put garlic and ginger in the broth.

It's not the most attractive option, but we cover ours with clear plastic from the fabric store. JoAnn Fabics has rolls of it in the decorator section. We use a coupon or buy it on sale. Get it cut long enough to hang down about 10 inches in the ends, and round the corners. Buy the thickest plastic they have, and it will hold up for years. Our wooden table is about 15 years old and is still in great shape.

All of the above would look cute. In addition, I'd look for brown or black loafers, or I'd go with navy Keds for a more casual look. See the Vivienne Files blog for ideas on stylish, comfortable flats to wear with pants. eta blog, not blg.

We like the Joy of Cooking's recipe for Chicken Piccata. It's very buttery, probably because it has a lot of butter in it. 😉

Your Madame story reminds me of the blog, The Vivienne files, which shows entire wardrobes chosen around scarf color schemes. I hope your DD has a fabulous time!

Awesome! What is she studying? And what did she pack? I would be trying to look "French"!