The Other Side of Fifty

Chewy Tri-Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2012-01-18T09:11:00.005-06:00

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?I like to start out in the depths of despair and then end up hanging the moon. So in the interest of breaking you down before miraculously building you back up again, I shall start with the less-than-perfect nutritional information for this recipe. These are NOT low fat, low calorie or low sugar cookies. Wait! STAY!!Quickly....before the shackles

Christmas 2011... This About Sums It Up

2011-12-27T22:22:00.000-06:00

A Post From Wes

2011-12-14T10:24:00.003-06:00

It's been a LONG year folks. I apologize once again for my lack of regular and consistent communication, but my heart just hasn't been into my blog. I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers throughout this year and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!The main reason for this post was to make sure that this Facebook post of my son's didn't get lost forever in the depths of

I Hate Thanksgiving Clean-Up!! (and my go-to turkey recipe)

2011-11-22T14:19:00.005-06:00

Sheer brilliance, you say? Of course it is, unless you're one of those sticklers who sit there and count up the minutes (hours) it took me to wrap this rack and pan. But you know what? When you're scrubbing the caramelized crap off of your turkey rack and pan, I'll be three glasses of wine ahead of you.... in my lazy boy recliner. Hell yeah.(Edited post-Thanksgiving to remember how I made it

11/11/11 = 33 Years Of Marriage

2011-11-11T04:14:00.001-06:00

Happy Anniversary Dave. I love you (even more than my wine.)

For Your Consideration (Volume 1)

2011-11-08T09:28:00.009-06:00

If you occasionally need to dole out an insult, it's OK to call your dog a "son-of-a-bitch." It's not only reaffirming that he does indeed have a mother, it's a way of calming your nerves after you've tripped over his toys which he always places right in front of the stove. EVERY. DANG. DAY.What am I eating these days? Do you really want to know? Because it looks like this:I'm back on the

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-31T10:17:00.003-05:00

Pretend he's a black cat. Pretend he's scary. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!(Hubby and I sleep on a grass mat out in the garage. We're just thankful he lets us live here.)

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

2011-10-26T07:35:00.007-05:00

There are only two people who know how much weight I've gained since I quit smoking last December. I've kept this information reigned in from the general public for two reasons. First and foremost, because the Macy's people are really adamant about us not giving out our weight information before we fly in their annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Look for me floating behind Goofy, like a big turd.

I'm in mint condition. (But for a limited time only)

2011-10-14T09:42:00.008-05:00

I know I'm not the only one who hates the fact that the stores are already filled with Christmas crap when we haven't even properly celebrated Halloween. I mean, it's tough to get into the spirit of buying your annual ugly Christmas sweater when you haven't even carved your annual ugly jack-o-lantern, right?Know what though? As much as I detest early Christmas decor, I adore early holiday baking

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

2011-10-04T19:08:00.006-05:00

... when first we practice to deceive. (Walter Scott)I'll admit it. I lie like a fly in July when it comes to my weight, my natural hair color, my age, how much wine I drink, etc. I'm not proud of it, I'm just saying that if I think I can get away with it, I'll lie. Now, let's all keep in mind however, that I'm talking about little white lies, not the really, really big ones that'll put you on

Garlic S'mores Goldfish Crackers

2011-09-30T21:01:00.014-05:00

GRANDCHILD ADVISORY/ LEVEL ORANGE-YOU-GLAD-I-ONLY-HAVE-ONE: I am hooked on my Grandkid and as always, addiction tastes better when you can draw others into your vice and get them hooked right beside you. I do realize however, that like the times my Father forced us to view slide after slide of the Grand Canyon.... you just have to be there to appreciate its cuteness (I know, I know......

Physical Therapy?

2011-09-28T07:14:00.004-05:00

Nope, not the kind of physical therapy that has you stretched on a rack, with half-assed promises to heal your messed up vertebrae or cure the hitch in your get-along. Nor the type where you tug on rubber bands, sit on plastic balls, or use myriad other torture devices to heal various broken body parts.I'm talking about REAL physical therapy. One on one where the only energy spent is tucking

The New Other-Side-Of-Fifty

2011-09-20T08:53:00.001-05:00

What exactly is this blog about? I can see more than a few of you who've been with me for the last several years scratching your heads and thinking, "Well Mags, we really have been your regulars because we're avid food blog readers and we like your recipes." A couple of you will admit to enjoying my warped sense of humor and I think the rest of you just stop by to see what I'm up to. This blog

In Case You Were On Mars This Past Week...

2011-09-17T20:17:00.002-05:00

For all of you who were out of the county, country, or off the planet this past week, please take a look at this video and tell me that it doesn't remind you of your parents/grandparents, or maybe yourself? (I say this only because I wonder what the bank drive-thru has recorded of me.) I laughed myself silly because it reminded me of my Dad going through McDonald's drive thru a few years back

And Then There Were Eight

2011-09-07T08:56:00.003-05:00

It is not easy gathering a family of nine siblings together. The family base is Glandorf, Ohio, but almost half of us have left the nest for other parts of the U.S. The second Saturday in December has been set aside for over 20 years for the big family Christmas party, but very rarely could all nine of us be there. Weddings brought most of us together as well, but there always seemed to be at

Dear Sixteen-Year-Old Me...

2011-08-28T10:18:00.001-05:00

For my brother Steve....

2011-08-27T21:04:00.004-05:00

Cancer is one of those diseases that does not respect age. It if did, it would only affect the elderly and it would leave the little children, teenagers, nursing mothers, middle aged cougars (cough.. cough) and newly retired folks alone. Here's how it's supposed to go down. You're born. You toddle and tyke and pee your pants. You go to school.... 12 or more years. You marry (or not) You

Freezer Pickles (The Best Ever)

2011-08-25T21:09:00.003-05:00

Freezer pickles for the third year in a row. Will she get it right this time? OR... are there just that many freezer pickle recipes out there to try? Maybe she doesn't know if she wants sweet or sour. Perhaps she's somewhere in betwixt the two. And one might always wonder if she just loves using the word 'betwixt'. In any event, ladles and germs, she indeed did get it right this time. The

(G)radiation Day!

2011-08-11T11:27:00.007-05:00

All decked out in my pumps and circus pants, I waltzed into the cancer center to receive my last boob blast this morning and look what my 'rad' pals gave me in addition to my final radiation treatment: I graduated! I can't go on enough regarding how professional and friendly the entire staff was during my therapy. Below are just two of the lovely ladies who helped me through this ordeal. In

Black Bean Zucchini Soup

2011-07-29T20:55:00.006-05:00

If you like soup, this is a recipe for you. If you dislike zucchini, this is also a recipe for you. (This is where you need to know just how much time I spend on y'all, making sure that EVERYONE is happy!) And this is also where I thank hubby's boss for supplying me with the abundance below.Actually, zucchini is kind of a non-taste vegetable. It is nicely loaded with nutrients, but it really

Leave It To Bieber

2011-07-24T19:19:00.003-05:00

Dear Maw Maw,Thank you for the CARS chair. If I were older I would not only have been old enough to watch the new movie, I would also be big enough to get myself into this chair without your help. As it stands however, you had to lift me into the chair, then yell at me to sit still while you took the picture, bribe me with frosted animal crackers if I would sit still, and then threaten to take

Chicken Cordon Lou (Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole)

2011-07-13T11:06:00.003-05:00

With the final season of Rescue Me airing its first episode tonight, I thought I'd do a rerun of Chicken Cordon Lou, which I originally posted on this blog back in April of 2009. Hubby and I are huge fans of the show and have been looking forward to the beginning of its final season, yet are also saddened by the fact that it is about to come to an end. I apologize for the less-than-stellar

We Don't Need No Steenking Chemo...

2011-07-10T18:10:00.010-05:00

Pay attention please. We have lots to cover today and I'm fading fast. A couple of cocktails will do that to a 53 year old woman. (That's the first reason for this post.... it's my birthday. Light a candle, say a prayer, and drink a shot in my honor. I'll sleep better, swears.)Tomorrow starts THE BIG DIET. OK, for all of you who have been readers of my blog long enough to remember the other 20

I'd rather be a 42A than a 36 Long

2011-06-23T17:00:00.001-05:00

In Junior High as all the other girls started filling out and buying bras further up the alphabet, I remained an A cup. For years I've lamented over how small my 'girls' are, and because it's not possible to buy a 42A off the rack, I've come close to buying bras from transvestites' websites. Wait, what? Don't laugh; it's not funny. OK, go ahead and laugh; it's hysterical.Ah... but who do you

Just Getting Something Off My Chest...

2011-06-14T13:46:00.004-05:00

(That's breast cancer surgery humor folks.... getting something off my chest (get it??) Don't tell me you've gone all stale and given up on me.Thanks to thisoldbroad and susies1955 for leaving comments that reminded me that I owe all of you an update. I've been too busy brooding to remember that you guys actually do care about me. I'm sorry and promise to do a better job in the future.The surgery