We're closing up shop early today at 3 so I'm out at 2. Gotta run to the Yankee Candle outlet since the one we bought for my sister disappeared somewhere in the house.

We're still holding at 4/6 afflicted, the last 2 are holding strong, but my 2yo still can't keep anything down. The Mrs. and the pediatrician have been in constant contact, the poor kid didn't have much weight to lose in the first place. It gives me an excuse to stay at home with him while the others go to church tonight although I do enjoy hearing my daughter sing with the choir.

Then off to my grandmother's with the healthy ones to catch up with my mom's side of the family.

Christmas day is at our house with my parents, sister, uncle, FIL and BIL.

Lots of Ten Penny Ale will be consumed in the name of tolerance. :D

Wishing a Merry Christmas to you all whether you like it or not! ;)

I hope your little one gets better soon Swamp. I know I'd be freaking out.:(

I have to box up and ship out 3 MB hubcap clocks I made. I posted them last night and found new owners for them already.:D:cool: That makes my original goal of making mine for free a success.:)

Good luck with that, Jim. I hope everything is alright.

Merry Christmas, Swamp. I'll have you and your clan in my thoughts. I hope everybody is feeling better by tomorow.

Hey Swamp...

GL with the young one there...there's nothing more sad than a sick 'lil one during a festive time...you ALMOST want to trade places with them.

I've got to run out and get the two pies I ordered (I ain't baking anything to feed anyone! :eek: I want them to remember the holidays, not remember ME for making THEM sick!!! :rolleyes:) before the store closes at 1500 this afternoon...and I need to remember to pick up some ice-cream for the topping...none of that "Cool Whip" stuff...there's something in that stuff that gives me hearth-burn...sort of the same thing like with "cotton-seed oil" in some items, at least for me anyways...if I *urp!* a 'lil, the aftertaste is a real "burning/bland" flavor and it leaves a burning sensation in the back of the mouth, near the soft pallette...nothing else does that...just stuff w/cotton-seed oil in it...certainly has cut down on the junk-food consumption a whole lot!!! :rolleyes: :D

I wish I had paid a 'lil closer attention to my mother when she made pie-whip-topping...I think she used Half&Half, a few scoops of sugar (I can't remember if it was regular, or powdered, sugar) and an electric-beater...but it was always alot tastier when she made it than the store-bought crud...

Anyways, have a safe travel to your destinations today/tonight/tomorrow folks...the weather is certainly looking "frightful" out there...just remember...we all want to get to where we're heading...we never won a trophy getting there first...let's be the "nice one" that everyone talks about meeting on their travels these next few days...

Happy Holidays to everyone...Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you all!

Hey Mark, I always make my own whipped cream. Buy a container of heavy whipping cream and use a few tablespoons of regular sugar and a dash of vanilla extract. Whip it with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks and you're good to go.:cool:

AH HAH! The vanilla extract!!! THE REAL STUFF!!! NOT THE IMITATION!!! I knew there was something I was missing!!!

But, Heavy-Whipping Cream? I'll have to knock a few brain-cells around to remember that...I do remember we had a few dairy products in the 'frig' that didn't taste too good on Cap't Crunch...that might be the ticket there! :rolleyes:

I'll have to try it in private first, before I unleash it on the public...I don't want to be known as "Ptomaine-Mark" around the holidays! :eek: :rolleyes: :D

You mean whipped cream doesn't always come out of an aerosol can?

A drop of heavy whipping cream in the morning coffee tastes like heaven.. :)

If that's the way you like it at least buy a cream whipper and some NO2 cartidges. Here's where I bought mine:
http://www.bestwhip.com/

This way you can use fresh heavy whipping cream.:cool:

I still think the Kitchen Aid mixer with the whipper attachment does the best job though.

Agreed.:) I put a dollop of homemade whipped cream in my wife's coffee most mornings.

I gave my older daughter a Kitchen Aid mixer for her birthday this week. She's wanted one of those since she was 10 or 11 years old.

Cool. Now you can get her attachments for other gifts. I love the food mill attachment and the grater attachment. Very useful.;)

EDIT: Oh yeah ... a second bowl is a great thing to have too. I use it all the time when making pizza dough or more involved meals.

Got final, final, last, final, no more changes, sign on the dotted line final copies of the contract from hell off to the two company CEO's minutes ago. Two months of back and forth should be wrapped up within the hour - then the real fun begins - managing the transition of $110M per year of business to a new contract manufacturer!

Picked up a craigslist stove last night (whooping 3.1 miles from home!), gotta get a new outlet wired up for it this afternoon. Ma and Ed getting picked up by darling wife and her twin brother this morning, over to our place for dinner tonight & a sleep over (which is why I and aforementioned twin brother of darling wife spent last night unloading enough of the trailer to expose bed like objects for all).

Merry Christmas to all!

I hear its siren song...

http://www.oldeburnsidebrewing.com/images/keggie.jpg

I didn't say so before, but I've always wanted one, too. I used to bake my own bread. I'd like to have one with the dough hook.

Yeah, I'm good for several birthdays to come with all the attachments they have for those.