Dear W4D,

I thought you might like to know what I had for dinner tonight. It's Spa Week here at Casa de Flaurella.



While you are living it up in a fancy, schmancy hotel, I am eating healthy and running around buck nekked and there is nothing you can do about it. I don't even want to wear one of those fluffy terry robes or sleep on those fancy linens. I put flannel sheets on the bed so I can be all snuggly and warm. Flannel is much cozier than Egyptian Linen, dontcha know.

I can drink martinis, as many as I want, for FREE. I can hug and cuddle with Tucker and eat peach ice cream (if I wasn't on my spa diet.) Ahem. Tucker had doggy ice cream earlier, made of carrots. He's on the Spa Diet, too.

I hope your ass falls asleep tomorrow from all the meetings. I hope you have to eat tiny little greasy chicken fingers for lunch. Did you realize that you forgot the martini travel kit?

Just so you know, we aren't at all jealous. :P

kiss, kiss.

Righteous Cocktails with Steena

An online friend of 12 or 13 years dropped by for a visit yesterday. It was our first meeting in person but we've been friends so long we just took right off chatting like she's here every day and no one even thought to take a photo. Dang!

We inhaled assorted cocktails, scarfed up copious amounts of bruschetta and shrimp and laughed and talked for hours. We didn't have any Jello Shooters, but I managed to coerce our guest to drink a Green Apple Martini, a Sparkletini and a rum Mojito. Those Chicago Land gals can hold their liquor.

Here's how I made Steena's Sparkletini:

Place 3 ounces of ice cold Raspberry Sparkletini in a large martini glass.
Shake 1.5 oz. of Vanilla Vodka and 1.5 oz. of Raspberry juice over ice.
Strain into tooni glass with Sparkletini
Garnish with a red ripe, locally grown winter Strawberry.

Thinking it would make us seem more pious, we walked her around our house and showed her how she could see 4 churches from our yard. I don't think it worked but it was a righteous visit. Drop by again soon, Steena!

We Are The CHAMPIONS!

GATOR-AID Shower
Photo by Stephen M. McDowell, Orlando Sentinel

Congratulations, FLORIDA GATORS!
What an Awesome Game.
You played like the Champions you are!





























Chris Leak, Quarterback
Photo by Stephen M. McDowell, Orlando Sentinel

It's never been done before:
Back to Back Championships in NCAA Basketball and NCAA Football
And don't forget that big win on Dancing With the Stars!














Confetti Celebration
Photo By: ROB-SCHUMACHER-THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ohio called our defense "an absolute terror." and said "the GATORS "crackled with execution." Said the Buckeye Extra, "The ferocious Florida Gators put Ohio State in a blender, hit the speed button and churned out a 41-14 win that denied the Buckeyes their second national title in five seasons. "

Flaurella's Top 13 Reasons
The Ohio State University
Did NOT win the National Championship

1. The game was only supposed to last 16 seconds.

2. Ginn got hurt celebrating. Had he been 100%, he would have run back a few more kicks.

3. 7.5 weeks off in between games way too long and the layoff effected tOSU timing

4. 5.5 weeks off gave the GATORS too much time to get focused.

5. tOSU thought GATORS tasted like chicken.

6. tOSU defense quit when Florida got up by a mere 27 points.

7. 4th and short on the Ohio St 29? Let's go for it!

7. Florida's Everett played without a helmet.

8. Florida's cleats were too long.

10. Too many award buffets for Troy.

11. Forgot to tell the GATORS they were supposed to Fear the Vest.

Articles for a good read:

Buckeye Extra

Chicago Sun Times

Columbus Dispatch

Orlando Sentinel

USA Today

Gainesville Sun1

Gainesville Sun2

Congrats to Ohio State for having a great season. You played with dignity and integrity. Hopefully we'll meet again in the Final Four this Spring.

FLORIDA GATORS ROCK!

Suckiest Week o'the Year

New Year's is my least favorite holiday. In fact, I detest the Eve, the Day and the whole first week of the year, each year, every year. I am always annoyed with the false merriment and the countdown, the stupid hats and obnoxious noisy implements. I also dislike "having" to drink and make merry. I resent having to make resolutions or even pretend to think about them. Yes, the whole New Year ring out the old bring in the new fest gets my vote as the shittiest excuse ever for a celebration.

That said, no, I didn't take a single photo of bubbly champagne, exotic martinis or elegant hors doerves. We didn't go out this year and I refused to watch that stupid ball thing drop or those idiotic TV specials. I did kiss W4D at midnight but it was a sweet old married peck, without tongue. I really hate having to kiss when the exact moment is set in stone. At 12:05AM, 01/01/2007, I marched myself upstairs, put on my flannel nightie and pulled the covers over my head.

New Year's Day dawned warm and balmy and we went to a nice party at June and Bill's where about 50 friends enjoyed many libations, good conversation and a fab traditional Southern New Year's dinner on a huge patio under the trees with linens and real china and crystal. Being a guest is my idea of a great NY Day. The Flaurella will always attend parties on New Year's Day since that means she does not have to cook the hoppin' John nor the greens. To not consume the traditional Southern dinner of collards and black-eyed peas and pork and cornbread would be taking a terrible risk and I don't plan to ever find out what might happen if I don't eat and enjoy the proper lucky foods on the first day of the year.

I still hate the idea of New Year's.

Yes, I am in a foul and grumpy mood.

No, I didn't make any damned resolutions.

No, there will not be any steenkin' photos until I get over my new year's funk.

And yes, I really do love collard greens. I make collards every few weeks during the winter when they are abundant. When I made them a few weeks ago, I made them with white wine and they were really good, if not traditional. And that, reminds me of the worst part about New Year's Day parties.

No leftovers.

Aunt Millena's Pizelle Recipe

Pizelle are a holiday tradition at my house.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sweet cream butter (2 sticks - 1/2 pound)
6 large eggs (room temp)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp Anise Oil (not extract)
2 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time until creamy.
Add the oil of anise and mix well.

Sift flour and baking powder together. Add the dry mix to the cream mix in small amounts until all incorporated into a soft batter.

Heat the Pizelle Iron until the red light goes off. Spray with PAM on both sides of iron (or oil with canola or vegetable oil with paper towel.) Place a healthy teaspoonful of batter in the center portion of each side of the iron. Let batter sit for about 5 or 10 seconds to warm up and then gently close the lid and squeeze to compress. Batter will spread out to the edges of the iron. You may need to experiment to find just the right amount of batter to place on the iron. Keep lid closed until red light goes out. Then you may peak if you must but you can smell them when they are just right and lightly golden brown. Open lid, remove with large spatula and cool on wire rack or on waxed paper. You may also mold still warm pizelle over custard cups to make small dishes to fill with ice cream or roll them on dowels or cone forms to make pirouettes, cannoli or ice cream cones.



Traditional Italian anise pizelle can also be made in other flavors but we prefer the anise ones with a glass of red wine or a cup of strong coffee.


Mangia.

Manhattan by Proxy

Secretly envious of our friends, Kathleen and Anton and their holiday trip to New York City, we salute them vicariously by drinking Manhattans, straight up and mellow, in Florida.



Hope y'all are having a grand time!
Send pix.

(Damn, these are good!)
.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HOLIDAY WISHES
from FLAURELLA
and her GATORS -
Florida Style!

Farfen-Pfeffer

The holiday menus were done and the marketing lists compiled last evening. W4D volunteered to do the food shopping. As I have mentioned many times, the man loves to grocery shop. Fine by me.

I make organized grocery lists by section; produce, bakery, frozen, meats and then groceries and dry goods by aisle. Since I don't get all giddy at the thought of grocery shopping like some un-named spouses, I have a plan that gets me in and out with the least steps and the least wasted time. W4D considers a trip to the market as a joy to savor and can spend hours browsing. Me? I gotta get in, I gotta get out.

Anyway, on my list were several kinds of fancy bakery cookies since I didn't yet get time to bake. Oh, I will make some Pizelle tomorrow or Sunday and bake more next week but I wanted a few nice cookies that I could technically pass off as my own in case people stop by for coffee over the weekend before I have time to bake.

As a kid, my mother always made Pfeffernusse, those little German spicy treats with cloves, allspice, cinnamon and honey that are covered with a mountain of powdered sugar. W4D had never eaten pfeffernusse before we met. To me, they are a Christmas tradition. No time to bake - go buy me some!

This afternoon, W4D, armed with his lovely wife's perfectly organized grocery list, marched into the bakery and asked the elderly clerk where the Farfengnugen were located.

Farfenghuggen?

Yes, please, I want some Farfenguggen.

Poor confused old cookie clerk.
Eventually W4D showed her the list.

Ah, you want zee Pfeffernusse!

In other news, later in the afternoon, W4D sent me a photo of an adorable yellow and black convertible VW Bug that is for sale at our fave car dealer. It's a darling car and I've always wanted a yellow and black convertible bug but we don't need another small car and I just funded my IRA today and I don't do car payments. No yellow Beetle Bug for moi this December.


Tiny Tree sits on my desk
.

Winter Solstice

On this, the shortest day of the year, Winter has officially arrived and so have the robins. There are hundreds of them chattering in my yard, gobbling all the purple berries from the camphor tree, digging for worms in the lawn, fighting over the bird bath which is now devoid of water. The robins and I are happy. It is 75 degrees and sunny outside and we're all barefoot.

Tonight, I make the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus, prepare the grocery lists and wrap presents. Wish I had a week all to myself to prepare for the holiday. I've been so busy that no cookies were baked but who says you can't bake the week AFTER Christmas? The house is a wreck but a messy house is a happy house.

I wish I had found the time to keep up with my blog this fall. Autumn is my fave time of year and now it is Christmastime already and where has the time gone? I am so tired of working 10 and 12 hours a day. Calgon, take me away.

Sure would love to put my feet up with a nice cocktail and a cigarette. I quit smoking almost 5 years ago and while I am really proud of that accomplishment, that doesn't mean I don't still want a ciggie, especially when I am stressed out and over-worked and GAWD, I WANT A CIGARETTE RIGHT NOW. Right this very second, I want a PACK of Benson and Hedges. Gimme, GIMME. Ahem. (take a deep calming breath, Flaurella, breathe deeply and slowly)

Instead, I will have a little slice of pumpkin pie and a cup of coffee. Never had time to bake pies this year but the bakery doth provide at times like this. As you can see, I like a little pie with my whipped cream.


Yum!

I still want a cigarette.

Stress be gone.
Away with you!

Hoodie Pup

I admit it.
I am guilty of dressing the dog.
After all, it is cold in this old house and he's but a puppy and needs to keep warm.



Isn't he a cutie?
Here is is standing up.



Yes, he sort of jumped out of the frame but when you see a cute puppy walking around on his hind legs, wearing a blue velour hoodie, you try to take a photo.

I also bought him a maroon and pink smoking jacket but it was too small. Now, I am searching for a raincoat for him. I don't think he will take kindly to rain booties though.

More puppy pictures located here.
.

Time Passages

It has been a momentous week. Not only did our puppy learn to tripod like a big boy when he tinkles and then scratch the grass with his hind feet with gusto afterwards, the shuttle launched at night with the most beautiful display I have ever seen -- even when we were right across the nearest causeway, close up and personal. I swear it was more spectacular on a cold crisp night, 100 miles north and 40 miles inland than right there in person! The night sky turned to dawn upon launch and was all orange and glorious with the shuttle streaming NE for what seemed lke 5 minutes but must have only been a couple. We could see the Boosters fall off with absolute clarity and we watched the shuttle light reflection until it was almost to Jacksonville. No matter how many times you've seen it, what a sight! Always a thrill, we could even feel the thrust and hear the engine roar all the way to Gainesville.

In other news, it was very cold here this last week. and for three days, I had to wear real shoes, with closed toes....and closed heels. Argh! I am now actively searhing for fur-lined flip flops. All that leather wrapped around my footsies gives me the willies. Since I am not big on toe socks, I need furry flip flops. If you find some, let me know.

The other big news is I celebrated my birthday on the 11th. I think I may now offically be middle aged. I wonder exactly what middle age is now? When I was a young whippersnapper, I thought it was age 30. Who knows nowadays? It might well be 40 or 50 or 60 or greater. Regardless, I like to consider myself right in the middle of life.

Yesterday, W4D had a little cocktail party for me and some close friends and then fixed me a lovely birthday dinner. Here's the dessert. I asked for pumpkin pie. I got cannoli and cheesecake.


Beggars can't be chosers.

Too Depressed for Words

I am so totally bummed. We didn't get our tickets to the BCS National Championship game in Arizona. I think the method of selecting who eventually received tickets was fixed and I am really angry with W4D's Gator Club. We could still go out West and enjoy hanging out in the atmosphere of a Championship game but but we wouldn't get to actually be in the arena. Maybe we should use that four grand for a nice vacation or toward that RV I want to buy. I dunno. Guess we'll talk about it tonight and try to make a plan. I just cannot believe we didn't get tickets and won't get to see the Championship Game. Dammit. I am so depressed.

Options:
Fly to Vegas, watch the game on TV
Drive to Arizona and hang out anyway
Cruise to the Caribbean and watch on satellite
Plan a trip to Italy for Spring
Go buy that 2006 gunmetal 4 Runner I have had my eye on
Remain near the Swamp and have a huge party
Stay home nekked and pout and watch it on the tube

Crap. Now I will have to buy Christmas presents.
Bah humbug.


Autumn afternoon on the River Styx
Where depressed GATORS go to
Weep over not getting BCS Tickets.
-

Pig Parts Everywhere

All the Gators around Flaurel's house have little piggies in their powerful jaws. We here in The Swamp had eggs, pancakes, link sausage, sausage patties and bacon for breakfast. We practically overdosed ourselves on PORK.

We know what they are eating for breakfast in Arkansas this morning
















Congratulation to my Florida GATORS
2006 SEC Champions!
It was an exciting game.
Kudos to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
They played with talent and heart.

The GATORS are now 12 and 1 and we'll find out this evening who we'll be playing in the BCS. The Gator Nation is very excited about the possibilities. W4D has already booked a hotel in Mesa, Arizona since that's the closest accommodations he could find in the Glendale proximity. While I wanted a trip out west this year, I was thinking about March or April, not a month from now. We'll see what happens.

Those of you who bet on Arkansas will be receiving my "Sorry Hogs" Consolation Prize. I'll post a photo later this week since I don't wish to spoil the surprise you will be receiving in the mail.

Now, do we want Ham or Pork Tenderloin or BBQ Butt for supper?
It's difficult to make a choice when you have so many pig parts lying about...



FLORIDA GATORS
2006 SEC Champs!

Breakfast of Champions

Time for the SEC Championship,
6:00 PM Eastern Time, Saturday.
Should be a Rolicking Good Time!

VS.

This is what Florida GATORS will be eating for Breakfast on Sunday Morning.

Question:
What's considered a seven course, world class meal in Little Rock?

A possum and a six-pack.

'Nother Question:
Why does the Arkansan Razorback football team and their coaches go to the movie theater in groups of 18 or more?

Because 17 and under are not admitted.

Looking forward to the showdown!
Go GATORS!