A little family trick for you this holiday weekend...

It's Sunday morning, the family wants pancakes. Well, let me tell you the niftiest idea I've read about it in a long time....

Get your griddle hot, take you pancake batter, dip a spoonful and make a smiley face on the griddle - two dots for the eyes, and a smiley mouth, and then let it cook until the edges just start to brown, then go ahead and pour your pancake batter over the top of the smiley face and cook the pancake like you normally do.

When you flip it, you have a smiley face on your pancake, a bit browner because you cooked it first - I saw a picture, drats, I didn't save it. It really special, trust me... give it a try. I bet you get smiles at your house with this trick.

~ jan

Favorite Things...

I'm getting some really good favorite things, ladies. I'll be publishing the list next week, so keep those emails coming in.

Let me give you another tease - Artwork by Gustav Klimt, Austrian Painter (1862-1918)

Happy Thanksgiving from Heavensville....

I've got exactly FIVE minutes to spare this morning, the house is humming, pots are simmering, chicken is stewing, and family are enroute.

I was thinking as I was cooking this morning, that I have so many nifty kitchen gadgets, I should do a video blog and show you some of my stash. More ideas for your Christmas lists.

So I'll do that, later in the weekend, when I catch my breath...

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday today - family and friends, that's what it's all about...

Well, that and the pecan pie *wink* and the buttered rolls, and the noodles, and and and and...

I'm thankful for...

It's almost 9am, this day before Thanksgiving, the food is in the fridge, preparations are about to get underway, John and Tonia will be home tomorrow, Ry and Lindsay made it safely to Seattle, and I am thankful because...

Hubby and I are healthy, my children and their spouses now live within a three hour radius, and we get to see them often, the M&M's are so precious, and such a joy to me , and I'm thankful for my wonderful family of girlfriends, who bring me spasms of giggles and the warm fuzzy feelings that come from years of friendship....

And, I am truly grateful that my computer has not only a 320 gig harddrive, but an external harddrive as well, and that I have a 24" monitor so that I can have lots and lots of applications on screen at once, and that the Alzheimer's hasn't kicked in to an extent that I can no longer blog and build webpages. And you thought I was going to be TOTALLY serious. *grin* You all know me better than that.

Happy Thanksgiving to your family from all of us in Heavensville. May your day be blessed with yummy food, minimal tummy discomfort and little weight gain...

~ jan

Favorite Things...

People are starting to respond, I'm getting lists of favorite things. I've got some goodies for all of you, but I need MORE...

Let me give you a couple of teases - velour sweats from Target, and Lucky jeans for girls with "booty"...

So fire me those emails, next week I'll publish Jan & Friends Favorite Things on the Dish....

They're still filming...

A scene from Sex and the City, filmed this week in NYC. Oh, I am so going to be at the movies on opening night, a pack of gummy bears, a diet coke, and a tub popcorn in my lap... ahhh, life's simple pleasures...

Let's talk about oranges...

Do you have one of these nifty little orange peelers??? Well, I didn't, and in fact, I had never heard of them until Nisha told me that the school janitor had thrown hers away and how upset she was. She had it for like 20 years (remember, Nish, doesn't throw out ANYTHING), so I found them on eBay, bought several of them, mailed her one, and discovered for myself what she was talking about.

OMG, this thing is so COOL!!! You make wagon wheel spokes on the outside of your orange, and then the orange skin just peels right off. It's an amazin' raisin.

AND, just last week, I was complaining about my navel oranges not being good, and she asked me what kind I bought, California or Florida? Well, I was clueless, but the little tag thingie on the orange said Florida, and she said, NEVER buy Florida oranges, they don't have the flavor that California ones do. So yesterday, I was at Schnucks, picked up a bag of CALIFORNIA navel oranges. Oh my, she was right AGAIN. These things are wonderful. Half the bag is gone. History.

I don't know what my deal is, I've been craving oranges and apples, and now I'm craving stuffed olives. If I wasn't 57 almost 58 years old, I would think I was preggers....

Oh, here's a link to that handy dandy little peeler, if you want to order one... and SURPRISE, it's good old TUPPERWARE!!! Now that's a blast from the past, Tupperware isn't around like it once was...

Here's the link...

Take a minute...

Sit back, relax, and watch this little video about a pumpkin pie. Hooterville sent it to me a bit ago, it's just a little whimsy that will make you smile. Turn on the speakers, it's a catchy little tune, too ~ jan

Click here to watch...

memories...

Wow, I actually found bird egg beans online. It's amazing how EVERYTHING in the whole world is on the net. Here's the link if you're at all curious about them - great picture, too....

BIRD EGG BEANS

And, I published the noodle recipe and the raisin pie recipe on Jan Can Cook. Click here to access them... ~ jan

A few of my "FAVORITE" things

Silpat
Williams Sonoma Chop & Measure
Silicone Pie Crust Shield
The Martha Blog

Christmas Cookies

I just published a recipe for Key Lime Spritz Cookies on the Jan Can Cook board. This is a new recipe from Midwest Living, the girlfriends that I've sent it to so far are loving the thought of it, and have plans to make it. I hope it's as good as it looks.

It's a new twist to an old fave - CLICK HERE to see if you might like to add it to your cookie rotation this year... ~ jan