Now you know once I saw these shoes I had to blog about them and it’s no insult, Shannon herself called them her Ompalumpa shoes.  I have no idea how to spell that.   It certainly made a fashion statement.  I probably would not have noticed if it was just the socks or just the shoes but together . . ..   hmmmmm.  Now she wants to go back and get the purple converse shoes.

I’ve taken to labeling my photos to stop people from using them somewhere else.   You never know, the shoe company may want this photo for a new logo.

Wow it seems like all I ever post about are my fire house quilts.  Lately all I ever really have time for is cleaning house, laundry, work, church and trying to get those quilts done.    I finally got the 3rd one done that can be considered “complete”.   I’m not considering them done till they are ready to wash and deliver.  Hoping to have # 4 tonight as it only needs abut another 45 minutes of hand stitching to complete the binding.    Of course baby dog had to get him some blankie time while I’m doing the binding.  Luckily I plan on washing them all before they are delivered.

Toilet paper – like tampons no one wants to talk about it.

So, being a life long user of Charmin, I’ve never really thought about changing.  I also have always wondered about the massive TV advertisements for household items.  Does anyone ever really pick a brand based on commercials?  I mean really, bears use it so you should too?

About a month ago I was in the store and the clerk was stocking Cottonell and I thought about the clean enough to go commando commercial so figured what they heck, I’ll try it.  I’m perfectly happy with Charmin but why not, it was cheaper.  So after giving it a full month of use, I can honestly say . . . . . I really do prefer Conttonell.   I can’t say why since I was happy with Charmin, but I like it better.  It feels like a good product and is a better value.  I felt clean and that is the function of toilet paper.

So there you have my monthly product review.  Don’t get me started on those Scott and other terrible brand.  I have no desire to wipe my backside with recycled sandpaper.

I also used the 4 day weekend to re-visit my paper piecing.  I did take a class several weeks ago but I don’t know why my brain struggles so much with the format.  Seems like I pick out a whole lot more than I sew and takes me the first 40 minutes I sit down to remember how to start it.   But,I have 24 of the 30 fans I need for the main quilt completed.  After I finish  the remaining 6, I get to figure out how to sew curved pieces.  This should be fun.  And just when you think it’s done, the borders are paper pieced also.   I don’t have any real color scheme in mind I’m just using up my box of asian fabrics.

While I had a 4 day weekend I moved the dogs out of their room and set them up in the dining room and kitchen for their day time area.  I’ve accepted they will likely never be allowed to roam free when no one is home but I’m not going to make them spend days in a kennel.  Besides this way they have a tile floor if anyone has an accident.   And, now my sewing room has a window and we have a dining room.  Unfortunately I gave away 2 of my dining room chairs and am using the other 2 for quilting but I think I’ll look into benches for the table since my room is so narrow.  Cookout guests got to eat sitting on what chairs I had and exercise balls.  Here’s the new room set up so Robert can sew same time that I do.

 

Well our cookout was nothing fancy just the neighbors and a co-worker of Shannon.  Thank you MS. Tonia for joining us.   I made all the sides and Robert cooked the meat on the smoker.  This might possibly have been the best chicken I’ve eaten and it was definitely the best corn I’ve eaten.   Nothing fancy on the seasoning just some tex joy, let it come to room temp and put it on the smoker for several hours.   We tried cherry wood this time and it gave it a wonderful smoke flavor without over powering like the hickory and mesquite did.  To finish it off, I wrapped corn in bacon (no reason except bacon is awesome) then we smoked it for an hour and put on the gas grill for 10 minutes to crisp up the bacon.  I didn’t get a finished corn picture as they gobbled it up fast as I could plate it.   Saturday the leftover beef and chicken were dinner and last night the leftover pork because some tasty pork sandwiches.

Decided to try this place twice before I commented on it.   While the menu isn’t huge, I like that they have fewer selections and can prefect those menu items.   There are several seafood items, several non-seafood and a few pastas.

Robert had the fish last week and said it was very tasty.  I ordered the pork chop and when I asked it to be cooked medium the chef actually came out to ask exactly how I wanted it cooked and suggested he broil it.  He even came back half way thru the meal and asked if it was cooked the way I wanted.   And imagine – my 3 favorite foods on the plate at one time – pork chops, green beans and scalloped potatoes.  Everything on the plate was delicious.   The pork was juicy and tender, the green beans fresh grilled with garlic and the potatoes were heavenly.

Shannon ordered the chicken alfredo and for the first time ever, did not have to ask for extra sauce.  The pasta was tender, cooked very well and the sauce fresh, not packaged and reheated as most alfredos.   You can always tell an alfredo sauce is fresh if the butter separates when you heat it up.  Shannon had enough to eat dinner and share the leftovers with someone else for lunch the following day.

We went back yesterday and of course I ordered that pork chop and potatoes again only this time it came with sweet glazed carrots.  I’m not a fan of sweetened sauces or sauces in general but the carrots were wonderful.

So in review, prices are not cheap but they aren’t overly expensive for a clean, very nicely decorated restaurant with excellent food.  I think the pork chop dinner is $23 which isn’t bad compared to a $10 burger at Chili’s.  Dinner even comes with garlic bread, and a sampling of pepperoni and cheese.

 

 

I’ve decided I’m going to start doing reviews on places I eat and people I do business with.  Kind of like google reviews but on my blog.  Yes, I know, too much free time.

So never having been to a Hardee’s before and hearing how wonderful they are, I stopped in this am.   Ok first, what?  Everything comes on a biscuit?  I hate biscuits.  Apparently you can order a texas toast sandwich which takes extra time and since it was also thick, heavy slices of bread, I opted for the egg & cheese biscuit.   Not being a big fan of fried foods I passed on the hashbrown and added a tea.  Apparently it costs more if you don’t get the hashbrown?   That made no sense so I just said add them and then I find the tea isn’t ready that early so I have to get a coke.  Forget changing your order after you’ve paid, they would need to wait for the manager who would be back in a few minutes.   Strike One.

Now to what I actually received.  Hashbrown’s?  No.  Flat tater tots half cooked obviously in grease that wasn’t hot enough so it resulted in these limp, greasy balls of grossness.   Pass on those.  The coke – well what’s to be said – it’s a coke. Strike Two.

Ok this egg & cheese biscuit that the cashier said, just wait you’ll love it.   Who loves this thing?  First you get a greasy biscuit with a egg half the size of an egg mcmuffin and what looks like a half a slice of processed american cheese.  To top it off there is no straw and no napkin.   The biscuit while greasy in your hands managed to be quite dry when you ate it.   The egg was over cooked and the cheese microwaved beyond recognition.   Strike Three.

So Hardee’s, I’m not sure why everyone loves your breakfast cause I will never be back.  Don’t berate me in the comments.  If you love Hardee’s so be it, me, nope.

 

You got it. Where there is smoke, there are ribs.  And chicken and pork and . . .  Robert fired up the new smoker right before vacation and again when I got back.  Oh my word, it was tasty.  I love smoked chicken.  I can’t wait to wrap corn in bacon and smoke it, or smoked anything for that matter but especially chicken.     Came out delish.  Thank you Robert.    I can’t wait to smoke some corn wrapped in bacon.

Couldn’t resist this weekend making some of my mom’s taco salad.  I added some ground chicken so it’d be a meal.  Wow I forgot how much I liked that salad.  Just add some more crunchy doritos the next day and it’s still delish.