The Bar 2014 Edition

[MyDearFriend]

Ha, we had some Ho-Ho-Ho's today.

Had to dodge a protest and a 5K jingle run, but we had lots of fun.

Feeling better about everything!

Love you all.

[^Rhino!]

I think the slow-moving price of diesel has more to do with larger reserve supplies that were bought and produced when the price per barrel was higher. I've heard that the current oil prices are artificially low, because of political games being played to screw over Putin's regime. Half his government's revenue comes from oil and gas exports, the dropping price has devastated them financially. On one hand, hooray for cheap gas, on the other it could force an already unstable guy to do something drastic.

I had a lot of fun yesterday working on arty stuff, and finally feel like I'm wrapping my head around Maya (a fancy 3D modeling program).

The skies here are still gloomy and gray, but I think the worst of the storm has passed. I think we're due for a break in the action over the weekend, then more of the wet stuff. I'm all for it, we're still way under the amount of rain we need to recover from the drought.

Trilo, I hate to tell you this, but from someone with ties to the oil industry and all the petroleum geologists who are in my friends list elsewhere, the dropping price of oil is due to enhanced recovery and new reserves made available by hydraulic fracturing. It's not just hurting the Russians, but also the OPEC cartel, Venezuela, everyone who was on the high side just a few years ago. Today, the United States is self-sufficient in oil. I never thought I'd be saying it, but it's true.

The challenge now is for us to wean ourselves from fossil fuels by the increased use of non-fossil fuels: solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. These are 'smart' technologies in more ways than one. Otherwise, with global warming on the horizon, we may cease to exist as a species in a few hundred years, and be quite uncomfortable long before that.

[lucky420]

Ha, we had some Ho-Ho-Ho's today.

Had to dodge a protest and a 5K jingle run, but we had lots of fun.

Feeling better about everything!

Love you all.

Whew...

Glad you're feeling better. Miss you

[robbidobbs]

<robbidobbs walks in with a plate of Xmas cookies, still warm from the oven. She leaves them on the bar and sits on the Dusty Couch with the NEB and enjoys a glass of Kaluah before retiring.>

Just one more batch out of the oven and its to bed. Jeepers Santa Claus: the Movie deserved the Rotten Tomatoes 17% rating. What a dog!

[^Rhino!]

<robbidobbs walks in with a plate of Xmas cookies, still warm from the oven. She leaves them on the bar and sits on the Dusty Couch with the NEB and enjoys a glass of Kaluah before retiring.>

Just one more batch out of the oven and its to bed. Jeepers Santa Claus: the Movie deserved the Rotten Tomatoes 17% rating. What a dog!

**Rhino gets out his "favorite recipes" book from the bakers' rack/bookshelf in his kitchen.**

robbi, I got one recipe I'm making today you might be interested in. I call it "Christmas Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pretzels"

WTF? Pretzels?

I use my standard pretzel dough, and use the rolling pin to get it to be about a 1/4" in thickness. Then, I use standard Philly cream cheese and roll it into a long dowel shape, I set that into the pretzel dough and sprinkle it liberally with cinnamon and sugar, and then roll the dough around the cream cheese. I then make 9 pretzel shapes (or more, depending upon how many boxes I'm making). You have to boil your pretzel shape in boiling water containing baking soda for 10 or 15 seconds to get an exterior surface that's bakeable to a pretzel finish. Now here's where my fun begins: I take red and green sugar sprinkles (like you'd use on a birthday cake) and cover the pretzels with red and green sugar crystals in stripes of alternating color, like a candy cane. I then go ahead and bake the pretzels, and voila! Ready to cool and eat! Best while still warm.

I use Fleischmann's "Simply Homemade Baking Mix - Pretzel Creations" for the Pretzels, and any old standard sugar crystals with color, used in cake decorating.

The cinnamon sugar flavor with warm cream cheese is wonderful.

I first got the idea at a truck stop in Ellsinore, Missouri. It's on a stretch of US 60 between Poplar Bluff and Springfield that is REALLY hillbilly...we're talking southern drawl and dentally challenged.

[lucky420]

Morning Bar! Geez I've been waking around 4 am for a bit and then falling back yo sleep til 8 am this weekend. Sure hope I dont do that tomorrow...

Those pretzels sound delicious Rhino. I might just try making them. Maybe.

[Aurelia]

Well kisses to you Rhino, but here in Marin we keep it simple
just straight whatever you want.
excess
cognac chocolate

xoA.

[ygmir]

*wanders in, makes CCC*
HI Rhino! those pretzels sound interesting.
Saw photos from up at the Hof yesterday....beautiful snow covered hills and such. this next storm tomorrow may well close the road. theres about 16" of snow there now.
road in:

road in.jpg

looking across the canyon on the way in, Hof barely visible above and left of the dam:

Windy pt..jpg

Looking across the lake, from just below the Hof:

boat ramp.jpg

Hi Lucky!
Hi ASD!

*clicks TV, heads for ROS*

[media]

[unjonharley]

Going to watch Bad Santa again today.. It get we into the mood for Bahhh humm bug.

[lucky420]

What a beautiful winter wonderland!

So good to see snow up there

[lucky420]

Going to watch Bad Santa again today.. It get we into the mood for Bahhh humm bug.

Love that movie

[MyDearFriend]

Beautiful pix of the snow, Yggy! Just as soon look at pix, myself, as see any falling here.
Been reading about your stormy rains out there in California and worried about flooding.

I miss you too, Lucky, trying to figure out a way to see you again before next August.

Putting up my xmas tree today!!!

[magicmarty]

YG that's a beautiful sight. Nostalgia ... Can't wait to return

[^Rhino!]

Well kisses to you Rhino, but here in Marin we keep it simple
just straight whatever you want.
excess
cognac chocolate

xoA.

Well straight back kisses back to you, and hugs.....

Both the virtual and Hershey's varieties.

Lunch is in the oven right now. I took a pie crust, a can of mixed veggies, and can of checken stew....filled up the pie crust with mixed veggies and stew, added a quarter teaspoon of pepper to the veggies and stew, and then covered it with another pie crust half.

Chicken pot pie for the limited budget.

[Ratty]

Rhino. I absolutely love chicken pot pie. This sounds yummy. I'm gonna pick up some pie crusts today. I've always wanted to make a pie, including the crust but have never bothered to learn.

[Tin Halo]

road in.jpg

We need an "envy" smiley.

[ygmir]

road in.jpg

We need an "envy" smiley.

well, yer always welcome.

[lucky420]

Watching Gangs of New York. Sweet holiday movie, warms my heart

[Simon of the Playa]

[theCryptofishist]

I don't seem to care about eplaya today.

[^Rhino!]

Rhino. I absolutely love chicken pot pie. This sounds yummy. I'm gonna pick up some pie crusts today. I've always wanted to make a pie, including the crust but have never bothered to learn.

Ratty, my dear, I have extra pot pie left over from lunch. Any one of my friends from here is always welcome to stop by for my kitchen creations. Tonight:

Kansas City enchiladas.......

I don't use skirt steak inside of the enchilada. Carne asada is not my friend. Instead, I got some breakfast cut K.C.s strip steaks (thin), and I'll sliver them, pan fry them with onions and peppers, and fill about a dozen enchiladas to bake in the oven tonight. I flash fry the corn tortillas in butter until they soften so I can roll the enchilada. Seasonings include cumin, a tad of finely ground red pepper (chili powder, actually), black pepper, hickory smoke flavor BaconSalt, and the enchiladas are baked in premium salsa at 350 degrees for half an hour. Serve on a bed of lettuce with Mexican crema (sour cream) on the side. Hot sauce available tonight at the table: Tabasco Chipotle. Marie Sharp's (Habanero +carrots) is just too hot for this. I'm also a fan of Cholula lime.

Vanilla iced tea to drink. The Vanilla variety is Chinese, made with black tea and Vanilla beans. I brew it with Splenda, and go through gallons of the stuff guilt free. NO calories.

Adios, compadres....I got a grocery run to make.

[EspressoDude]

mmmmm, my mouth is watering. aims for the print button

[Ratty]

Those enchiladas sound deeeelicious. Mine are made with enchilada sauce. I don't care for meat in them so it's usually 2 or 3 different cheeses with onions and black olives. Fried egg optional.

I shouldn't say I can't cook. I cooked for 10 years for my first husband and kids. Since he was Mexican that's all I can cook. My Mom died around the time I got married and since I was so young my homemaking skills were lacking. I remarried and he has been feeding me ever since.

[Aurelia]

Ye Gads !

My first set of kids just came over with a 6 ft. real silvertip tree and put it up, water in the stand and all.
We put lights on and it is really lovely.
I think they need me to continue the dream stuff I was ready to leave .

Jeez
and of course I had tears

Fishy, Ratty,All, come over ..I was planning on being reclusive and now cannot.
I did not go to the American Steel do last night.
It was my attempt to change .
xoA.

[^Rhino!]

Those enchiladas sound deeeelicious. Mine are made with enchilada sauce. I don't care for meat in them so it's usually 2 or 3 different cheeses with onions and black olives. Fried egg optional.

I shouldn't say I can't cook. I cooked for 10 years for my first husband and kids. Since he was Mexican that's all I can cook. My Mom died around the time I got married and since I was so young my homemaking skills were lacking. I remarried and he has been feeding me ever since.

Ratty my dear, I either use Las Palmas or Hatch green enchilada sauce. I can get Mexican cheeses here, but I much prefer my Colby/Monterey Jack/ mild cheddar mix. I can do a great cheese enchilada that way, and also use other wonderful fillings like jicama root (taste is neutral, but OK filler), green peppers, Texas sweet/Colorado Sweet/Vidalia onions, and, for those of you into the desert living, nopales (the leaves of the prickly pear cactus, dethorned and peeled). Yes to black olives also.

My cooking training is developed over the years, from basic short-order to full breakfast/ dinner menus, to Italian, to Mexican, and now......Chinese and Mediterranean. I make a WONDERFUL Moroccan style tagine, if I do say so myself. And Chinese? I can't go wrong with Chinese emigres in town and two Chinese grocery stores. I do Kung Po chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, and twice-cooked pork as good as the restaurants here.

I'm just not into fusion cuisine, unless it makes sense.

Mexican/Chinese doesn't work. Burritos in won ton wraps may be edible, but it's just wrong.

[Elorrum]

Happy for You AS. Enjoy the tree. I'm in Abilene at Sadie's beautiful old renovated Paramount theatre. High of 64 forecasted today. I love you my northern friends, but dang it's nice to be in warm sun again for a while before coming back to wet and cold. I know it's temporary, but welcome all the same.

[AntiM]

I don't seem to care about eplaya today.

I've been skimming. Slow season. It will pick up as ticket sales approach, oh, and the drinking. Eplaya and the drinking are always good for a few WTF moments.

[unjonharley]

I don't seem to care about eplaya today.

I've been skimming. Slow season. It will pick up as ticket sales approach, oh, and the drinking. Eplaya and the drinking are always good for a few WTF moments.

Just don't be drinking your bath water like captain goddamitt

[trilobyte]

Happy Monday! Despite the gray and gloomy and wet weather, I'm in high spirits. It's also marathon day at the local cinema, so I'll be over-indulging in popcorn starting around lunchtime...

[fernley1]

Happy Monday!
Got a light dusting of snow in Fernley this morning. Heard the playa got some last night.
Stop talking about food, I'm getting hungry!