I opted for a change of venue this week because we're having the board room fumigated. The ants came marching in...yes, they did!
The monkey and I got here early. I attempted to play this game while I was waiting for you to arrive.
I am dreadful at this game. The Farmer should be here because he wins every time. He knows the secret but won't tell me. That's OK because I'd never remember anyway.
I love this place because of all the stuff they have hanging on the walls.
Oh yeah, and the food. Here comes the waitress with my order. Biscuits and gravy with sausage patties, and black coffee.
Just a warning, a lot of the food on Cracker Barrel's menu is spiked with a little bacon grease. Feels like comfort food to me because my grandmother used to fry up some bacon or sausage, crumble a bit into the pan, add some flour, cook for a few minutes, add milk and voila', you've got gravy to serve over biscuits. (That was a run-on sentence with many commas).
It's all super yummy but I saved one biscuit to show you how to learn to eat something else. Sorghum molasses and butter on biscuits. See that dark lake in the small bowl? It's sorghum molasses. If you ask the waitress she'll bring you some.
Put some butter on your plate. This is soft whipped butter, which doesn't work the best. Try to find some cold hard butter. Drizzle some molasses over the top and mush it up with a fork. If you use really cold butter the result will be something the looks like pulled taffy.
Put some on the biscuit and enjoy. It has a strong flavor but you might learn to love it.
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Several people asked about the Basil Lemon Sorbet. I promise you it's delicious. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you how to make it. If you'd like to follow along you'll need some basil, lemons and sugar.
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Each summer it's a challenge to hold on to our patio umbrella. It doesn't matter that we lock it into a heavy base, the northern Illinois winds usually destroy it by the end of the summer. Or, it is taken airborne and disappears! Yes, it has happened. Fo that reason I don't like to spend a lot of money on an umbrella.
This year I found a nice crank-style umbrella at J.C. Penney Outlet store. They had a green one on display but I opted for a red one, not on display. I was envisioning some beautiful shade of red. What I got was a bright, BRIGHT orangish red with bright yellow stripes. When I unpacked it our son asked me if I was turning the deck into a Mexican restaurant. Sigh. (No pictures, I wouldn't want to hurt your eyes).
I was flipping through the latest issue of Country Living magazine while standing in line at the local home improvement store buying more tiling supplies. This is what I spotted.
I want this umbrella. Really bad. It's rad. It's called the Flamenco by Santa Barbara Umbrella. Their website has another version called the Lily Pond. I need the Flamenco. I might rob a bank in order to have one.
What do you think?
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Thanks everyone for all the great Sock Monkey tales. You are all very creative. Want to see more Sock Monkey stuff?
Updated Sock Monkeys are at Monkeys Gone Ape.
Don't forget to visit Jan's Sock Monkey Ranch.
More cute Sock Monkey stuff at Sock Monkey Dreams.
My friend Kelli can watch the socks being created from her second floor window.
Without further ado I will announce the Sock Monkey Giveaway winners. No need for me to go over the method. You all know how I go about pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
SOCK MONKEY WOODEN NICKEL - - - goes to Ang!
SOCK MONKEY POSTCARD - - - goes to Ingasmile!
TWO PAIRS OF ROCKFORD SOCK AND DIRECTIONS FOR CREATING A SOCK MONKEY - - - goes to Steph!
and now it's time for Casimir the 4 1/2 inch Sock Monkey to find a new home.
THE WINNER IS........ Liz in PA
Contact me via e-mail and I'll get your monkey stuff in the mail.
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Now it's your turn. Let me know what's new in your life. Got anything exciting this week?
Remember, no talking with your mouth full.
When you've finished your breakfast, I have dessert for everyone.
23 comments:
Hubby and I ate at a Cracker Barrel probably 10 years ago and the food was so salty we could not eat it. We don't salt our food at home so it was a real shocker to the taste buds when our forks dipped into our meals at CB. Have never been back I must say. I will have a glass of orange juice during this Monday Morning Staff Meeting though. :-)
DI
The Blue Ridge Gal
Oh my gosh....does EVERY Cracker Barrel in the country have 500 white rocking chairs lining it's porch? I thought it was just the one here because they had a great white sale or something. Who knew.
w00t! Thanks, Suzanne!
Today I will be doing laundry and helping my son get ready for state FFA convention. Not a very exciting day but it must be done!
College daughter just got home from her second week at the beach (she was with us for the first week, but *we had to come home and buckle down...)and I'm supervising her in painting the inside of the back porch. Also looking forward to the fill-a-pool guy's arrival sometime early this week. Also younger daughter turns sweet sixteen on Wednesday. Also I turn 49 on Saturday so I have to schedule time this week to have an introverted contemplative on-the-brink-of-50 personal crisis.
Now I want to go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast!
I have given you the Lemonade Award. Go to my blog to find out what it's about...
Cracker Barrel is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. It just says "vacation" to me...mainly because we ate at a CB every time we went on vacation. I love to go there when I'm really hungry and don't want to cook. I get the same type of food without all the work...and you know it will be good every time!
I grew up on homemade buttermilk biscuits with butter and sorghum molasses. The combination is heavenly. You've got me craving some now!
There's not very much going on at our house this week. I will be doing laundry and straigtening up the house after a busy weekend. There might be some swimming going on. Oh, and I will turn 29 Saturday. One year closer to 30 :(
We're expecting severe weather later on in SE Wisconsin. We have already lost power a couple of times early this morning.
Inside work today for sure. Laundry sounds good as does the straightening of the house. My son, who's taking summer courses in college was home over the weekend.
I love Cracker Barrel, mostly for browsing the store before we eat.
Just a nice day doing the usual. We mowed and edged the lawn yesterday so that big chore is done for the week. There are no Cracker Barrels in this neck of the woods.
Yay! I won something!! We ate at Cracker Barrel on Friday, and we discovered some new peanut butter Moon Pies! They are good!
I have a story about your Moon Pie. That was my Halloween costume one year--copied pictures of the surface of the moon, glued them into aluminum pie pans, taped the pie pans to a large trash bag that had head and arm holes cut out. Wore the trash bag and passed out Moon Pies to the kids.
Oh thanks for going to Cracker Barrel. It is my favorite but no one else in the family thinks so. I just had biscuits, butter and honey. That is the way I learned to eat them. My CB fav is grilled bacon and cheese on sourdough, so I will have to go back again for that. This is the week. Thursday we are picking up the fiance at O'Hare and driving him to Springfield to pack up our daughter and drive the truck to PA. We will leave her and the truck there. Let's all hope that she can find some help to unload that apt. I helped her pack last weekend and she has way too much stuff.
Congrats all you winners! In truth everyone who reads your blog is a winner, our lives are enriched by your sharing.
Love that umbrella! I don't have one, most of our yard is shaded by hug pine trees or 2 maples.
I'm doing baseball, wash uniforms, baseball, post a blog, baseball, make apts. wash uniforms and lets not forget baseball!
Cracker Barrel is one of my faves- chicken n dumplins! Mmmm! And I love their little shop too. Just had a banana MoonPie last weekend, hadn't had one in ages. I think you are supposed to have an RC cola with it.
Love the ruffle umbrella. So cool.
When we lived in Colorado there was a Cracker Barrel real close...I LOVED it. I haven't been in about 4 years or so....I miss it, they had the NEATEST stuff for sale.
That breakfast looks yummy although I am having grapefruit.....sigh.
I love eating at Cracker Barrel. Today I am watching heat/air workmen make a mess while installing a new unit in the attic. How they got that thing up there is pure miracle.
Cracker Barrel.
I heart cracker barrel.
It is just the best place....*contented sigh*
Also, could I have an RC with my Moon Pie? Please...
Oh man, I love the Crapper Barrel, thanks for the invite. I usually order the Uncle Herschel special with the honey cured ham, yummmmm.
You should be there when they have a Sidewalk Sale, great deals!
As for news, SHE GRADUATED!!!!! What a right of passage that is, now onto real life.
Speaking of tile, don't you just despise the stuff by now? By the sound of it you've put down a football field of the stuff. When you finish I have just 2 small bathrooms that could use your expertise!?!
I like Cracker Barrel for breakfast and like the eggs-in-a-nest where they cut holes in the bread and cook the eggs inside. If you're into moon pies then you need to come to Bell Buckle, TN for the annual Moon Pie & RC Cola Festival. They make a giant moon pie!
Congrats to the winners! I thought sure Casimir was going to come and live with me in TN!
That umbrella just says PARTY! Olé!
I miss Cracker Barrel ~
:D
Sorry I'm late for the staff meeting (2:30 pm already), but have been busy at work writing funding proposals. Skipped lunch, so could REALLY enjoy some of those biscuits 'n gravy about now. Can't find a single place "up here" in Canada that serves biscuits 'n gravy, isn't that sad? I grew up on good home-cooked food like biscuits 'n gravy, and biscuits with molasses! What's new in my world this week? I'm packing to move -- just across the city, but still it's a lot of work. How the heck did I collect so much STUFF??? Have a great week y'all!
...sniff... you have a Cracker Barrel near you? We have to drive TWO STATES away to get the one. I'm so jealous. I love their okra. We've actually been known to route trips to make sure we swing close enough to one to justify stopping! LOL!
My Dad totally would have shared the biscuits with the molasses with you. Me? Pipping hot right out of the oven, slathered in butter, and covered in homemade blackberry jam! Yum!
*snarfs down breakfast* I always love it when someone else cooks!!! OH I so cant wait for your visit.. Did you get my email about Sue in Florida coming up?
Way Cool! Thanks!!!
I can't wait to show Mr. Sock Monkey around my homestead!
He may need a nap and me too, by the time we finish all the
"Look At This and That"!
Does he come w/tiny sunglasses?
♥♥Liz in PA
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