Toluu : Uploads from missbhavens

Uploads from missbhavens

The arrival of the woodstove pipe was incredibly exciting...Today

...until I opened the &$%#^*( tax bill

County taxes rose 23%

WTF?

Best $ I ever spent. Seriously. When we need stuff *poof* it's there in two days.

Like Winter reading selections. Poof.

Face mask or Buckethead stand-in?January 5

missbhavens posted a photo:

This this is very odd, it hooks behind the ears. I have a VERY big head, so this took some muscle.

Now, post-rinse, I can say I really like it! Grape seed mask was a gift from My soon to be BIL's wife Joanna. The gift of soft skin! The gift that keeps on giving!

Truvia? FALSIA!January 5

missbhavens posted a photo:

Embarking on 2009's version of a New Year's Diet Resolution, I'm trying to reduce my carbs and sugar intake in order to make my jeans fit. Jeans I wore two years ago now don't make it too far past my knees. Seriously. So it's sort of a modified South Beach diet I like to call "Bekah Beach Diet".

One thing that tripped me up last time I pulled the reins on my eating habits was that I have a zero tolerance policy for artificial sweeteners. They're vile. I've tried Equal, Splenda, Sweet n' Low and even the 50/50 Splenda/sugar baking blend to no avail. They're hellagross.

Stevia? I had high hopes.

The sh*t is nasty. It makes my coffee taste contaminated. It sort of tastes like this.

So I keep the added sugar in my coffee and try and reduce it elsewhere.

Fennel: The Official Vegetable of 2009.January 5

missbhavens posted a photo:

Last year I converted myself from a Brussels sprouts hater to a Brussels sprouts lover. This year's veggie? Fennel. Bleccch.

I hate licorice. I hate aniseed. I hate Sambuca. I hate fennel.

My mom made a lovely lighter-than-air shaved fennel salad for Christmas dinner and I actually liked it so I bought some for myself and wanted to play with it.

Lacking the remaining salad ingredients (which I think were celery, lemon juice and dried cranberries, O&V) I pan-seared and braised the sucker in white wine and broth then topped with with bacon.

There is no shame in putting bacon on a hated thing to make it palatable. Next week I will wean myself off the bacon.