Early Birthday Presents

I love the day that Easter candy first makes its appearance in the stores -- or, at least, the day I first notice it.  That day was yesterday, and I snagged a couple of my favorites because today's my birthday and I "deserve" a treat.

Though I prefer an original Cadbury egg over the other flavors (the filling is always creamier in the former), orange is nice for a change.

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Not just for kids

[Seatbelt Carriage Satchel by Harveys; Uniqlo Boyfriend Jeans; We Who See Pleated Canvas Booties from Urban Outfitters.]

We toured a local pediatricians' office last week and made sure to take home a couple of the Yummy Earth organic lollipops from the reception desk.  The doctor who spoke to us said that they used to give out sugar-free suckers, but that they'd decided that organic ones with real sugar were a better, healthier idea.

Tastier, too, I'm sure.  Mine ("Strawberry Smash") was tart and sweet at the same time.  Delicious!

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These are odd.

Paul showed me these videos the other day.  That candy sushi looks pretty fabulous!  My instinct is that these must taste gross, but  I haven't tried them for myself, so that's not a fair assessment. 

I do like miniature things...and assembly...




The pizza freaks me out a little.  What's with all the liquid?

Have any of you ever tried this sort of homemade gummy candy? 

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"Ginger" should never be an insult.

I got a tip from Daupo that the ginger cookies he spotted today at Paradis were mighty fine -- sweet, soft, and with a good ginger flavor.

Ginger cookies at Paradis?  I've never seen such a thing!  Their chocolate chip cookie was the first item featured on this blog (the epic picture came later), so I always give their cookies a chance.

I went right over -- and bought two, of course.

And Daupo was right.  No "redheaded stepchildren" in the cookie family, these.  Just delicious.

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Poetry Tuesday: The Patient Muffin

Pepitas don't look like
Pepitas taste nice but
A pumpkin muffin is soft and waits
Solidly on your desk, and waits
Warm flavor pausing, waits
For you to remember.


OR


A Noiseless, Patient Muffin

A NOISELESS, patient muffin,
I mark’d, where, on a little office desk, it stood, isolated;
Mark’d how, to adorn the cluttered, flat surrounding,
It launch’d forth fragrance, fragrance, fragrance, out of itself;
Ever unreeling it—ever tirelessly speeding scent.	5
And you, O my Stomach, where you sit,
Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of work,
Ceaselessly eating, nibbling, snacking,—seeking the foods, to ingest them;
Till the hunger you still have be fill’d—till your breakfast's anchor holds;
Till the pumpkin-y muffin's strings catch somewhere, O my Soul.

 


[Pumpkin muffin from Whole Foods, via Kevin.  Thanks, Kevin.  Sorry, Whitman.]

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I Engage in Some Shameless Name-Dropping.

I have to say that although I don't care at all about American football or the Super Bowl (or even, honestly, the commercials), I do love both cranberry juice and Henry Strozier, the actor on the left in this Ocean Spray spot.  I know Henry from work (and I'm positive he's not our food thief, in case you were wondering).  He's even more fun outside the bog.   

By the way, if I happen to wander into a Super-Bowl-watching scenario this evening, I'll report back.  Because there will be food there, or I won't be.

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Marriage Vows

"I promise not to finish your chocolate bar while you are off watching a soccer game."

Dan and I received some fancy chocolates for Christmas.  I think both of these bars were from Eva and Ben.  And since Dan is the coffee-lover in our house, it would be unfair of me to finish off the Seattle Chocolates Pike Place Espresso Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar With Espresso Infusion.



But the B.T. McElrath Chocolatier Salty Dog Chocolate Bar (Butter toffee with sea salt) is fair game.

They're both quite good, BTW.  I wish the B.T.M bar had a little more toffee, but the salt level is perfect.

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Not Pictured: 1 Slice of Dean and DeLuca Iced Lemon Bread

(photo by Dan)

Eaten before and after Infant CPR and Safety class at Birth Day Presence.

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Office Food Theft: Never a Victimless Crime

Yes, many in my workplace (including me) have been reduced to passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive notes regarding food theft.  There are thieves among us!

We're not richly compensated enough that this becomes "no big deal."  And most of us are generous and would (and do) share happily if asked.  Stop eating our food in secret, mysterious thieves!



In my office, if it isn't coffee, tea, milk (one specific brand, easily identified), or half-and-half, it's not public property.  Sometimes fruit and baked goods are left out on the counter or table for all to share, but those offerings are pretty easy to identify.  Yet lunches, leftovers, and more go missing -- again and again.



The worst part is that I am straight-out quite fond of pretty much everyone I work with, which makes it awfully hard to point fingers.  But clearly there are a) thoughtless and/or b) mean and/or c) porky and/or d) starving people among us.  

Boo, food thieves!  Boo!

Does personal food go missing in your workplace?

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My pants are too tight. Oh, hello, Pudding.

Yes, I'm too lazy to shop for maternity pants.  The pair I'm wearing today have to be completely unbuttoned when I sit down.  I'm spending my Elevenses eating leftover pudding from The Food Emporium anyway -- tight pants be damned!

FYI, marshmallows left in pudding overnight take on a sort of soft-foam texture.  Odd.

Also!  While I have mentioned I found Whole Foods' chocolate pudding to be TOO chocolatey and rich, the F.E. pudding is just my speed. The only thing I don't like about this in-store brand is the packaging.  Because the pudding cup is "rippled" around its sides, it is impossible to scrape all of the pudding out with any utensil.  Wasted pudding is a disgrace.

p.s.  Here's a funny picture of my cat wearing my hair as a wig. It is un-staged (i.e. he crawled under my chin and sat down like that):





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My dinner with My Dinner With Andre

It would be fun to make a "Giant Movie Night" joke about Andre the Giant here, but we didn't invite anyone over or declare it an official "Giant Movie Night" before sitting down to eat dinner and watch My Dinner with Andre.



Dan did, however, make excellent chicken enchiladas, using a Rick Bayless recipe.  The adobo rub was a little salty, but avocado slices helped cut that to a manageable degree.

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