Good Friday morning! I've already worked out and had breakfast. It looks like rain is heading our way. We've been teased with droplets all week, but nothing happened. Today it's dark and muggy, so we have a good chance! Happy birthday, Magic Kitty! Hope to see you posting again when you can. I'm going over to my youngest Dson's house tomorrow for the weekend. We'll all go to Alexis's soccer game at 1, then Dson and DDIL are going to a birthday bash, and I get those girls all to myself! I'll be back Sunday afternoon. This time, I'm planning ahead and taking snack foods and ingredients I'll need to have in order to stay on WW. Not going to get caught without this time!!! I love the feel of mud squishing through my toes. I was allowed to play in it when I was little, I let my sons play in it, and I'd encourage my DGDs to do it also. Nothing else quite like it! I've FINALLY finished those little cloth books for Aubrie!!! I am such a procrastinator sometimes. I know she'll be happy to see them. She loves books and having people read to her. When she stubbed her toe the other night while I was talking to my son on the phone, she tried to shove her new "Bambi" book through the phone to have me read it to her! Can't wait to do that in person. Marci, I know you're going to have a wonderful trip. We'll miss you, but so happy you're getting to do this. McPeg, enjoy your time with your in-laws! BJ, do tell us what kind of act you're doing tonight. I'm betting it's something very interesting! Dee, I noticed that you take a Geritol Complete at bedtime. Is that a multi-vitamin? Does it not bother your sleep to take it then? I think that I've actually read somewhere that it was most effective to take a vitamin then, but I worry about getting too much "energy" or whatever by taking it then. Got to get busy picking up around here and packing my food and things for tomorrow. I'm going to work out first, then leave from there to go to Beaumont. Have a great weekend!

My friend and I run a Scrapbook Summit and this is our third year -- always on the first May weekend and falls on Nat'l SB Day. This year we have 107 scrappers meeting in the Berkshires for F/S/S at a great Inn. Always lots of fun and on Saturday it's pajama night!!! Becky

Well I was planning on going to a all day scrap by a CM Consultant . I went a few months ago to one and it was great! Anyway, I graduated from college friday night and it was late when I got to bed and I over slept saturday morning and to make a long story short....I slept in then my sister came over and we went to yard sales. It was fun! But to tell you the truth I would of rather been scrapping! I hope everyone had a great time scrappin and bargain shopping! Take care and happy scrappin to ya all!

So, I tried them right out of the jar, which is what I loved anout Cara Mia as a kid. The Mazzetta are fine. Especially if you're putting them into something you don't want them to diva all over. But it's thin sunflower oil, not thick olive oil, and while there is a complexity of flavor in the seasoning, it’s very subtle, and salt forward. So I thought they'd be nice in the next egg bake, but I still have a piece of the last one, and I have to do something with the leftover cheese. Some mozz or fontina could go on an egg bake, but there was way too much of both, plus the eggy, herby ricotta concoction. Answer: Cheese pie. Not pastry pie. Not pizza pie. Just a cheese strata, to be served with vegetables and/or toast. But wouldn't the artichokes be lost? Nay! Last week's slightly dry mandarins need using up. The membranes are so thin, they not really noticeable (and you might be able to give me $10,000 for charity to get me to supreme several mandarines, but IRL heck no). In the classic Northern European Jewish style—if in doubt, add another egg—I actually added four eggs to the ricotta to get a good texture, and if the cheese failed it could be custard. One of the minions took the leftover sage and tarragon, so I used a bunch of dried herbs, not wanting to go out in the wind to pick fresh. There was a glut of Italian parsley gently freezing in the fridge, so I decorated with that. If you look in the almanac under ”harmless herbs”, parsley will be at the top of the list. But this is supposed to be about artichoke hearts. I remembered to take a picture: