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Every time I see a ridiculous advertisement for poop themed merchandise I think… this can’t be real.
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Then I do a little research and realize how feces obsessed this nation has become.
( Is it me or does that turd look like an extremely excited brown gherkin?)
And if the original singular flying excrement wasn’t bad enough….
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Now there are three.
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One of which is looking quite smug.
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“Because there’s nothing funnier than poop!”
I beg to differ.
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When I think basement, I imagine dark corners, cobwebs and mouse turds. Clearly there was none of that here.
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How big is this resort?
It has its own post office.
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And a line of high end shops down the hallway. One of which I was forbidden to enter by my spouse…
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Did I mention the carpet?
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Trees, pine cones and woodland creatures. Very whimsical.
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Since we were visiting off season for lunch there were only two options, an upstairs restaurant offering small plates and tapas or downstairs which had a full menu. I think you know by now my husband is not a small plate kind of guy.
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Another cocktail? Don’t mind if I do.
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The menu was a bit smaller than I expected from such a big place, and as I scanned to the bottom I was seriously hoping my spouse would find something he wanted before he found the filet. Gulp!
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We elected to split a bowl of clam chowder to start and instead of bringing two spoons, they divided it in cute little square bowls. Very tasty.
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One shrimp scampi and a crabmeat sandwich later…
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We were replete and ready to continue exploring.
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For the first time in two years we’re venturing out of our Thanksgiving Covid bubble and spending the holiday with friends as was our tradition. It will be a small gathering with a large amount of love.
And food. As well as drink.
In that spirit… I went shopping yesterday for the ingredients to whip up my contributions to the feast. To say I had sticker shock is a gross understatement, and while I’ve been cringing at the checkout counter for a while now, this trip was solely to make three things which made the cost positively ridiculous.
Harvest sangria –
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And mind you, I already had the vodka.
Crabmeat toasties –
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Already had the mayo.
And a cappuccino mousse trifle.
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Already had the milk.
To assemble a drink, an appetizer and a dessert in 2022 without the items I already had at home?
$211.76.
Granted the fresh crabmeat is an indulgence at … are you ready? … $40 a pound. In Maine! Two pounds are pictured, which a few years ago cost me roughly half that. And sure, I could have brought cheese and crackers but everyone loves these and looks forward to them. Probably because they’re too cheap to ever make it themselves, but still.
On the flip side of my extravagance, I have a frugal girlfriend. Every year she challenges herself to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner for six people for under $30. She’s so proud of her ability to do this she lists her purchases on her Facebook page if anyone wants to follow her lead.
I thought this year, with its astronomically high food prices, she wouldn’t be able to do it.
I was wrong. And I’m including her post because she just impresses the Hell out of me.
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I’ve been asked by so many people if I was going to do a Thanksgiving on a shoestring post this year. Well, I did it. I’ll give a shopping list with prices, menu, and break down how I did it.
Turkey $6.14 (.47 #) 13# bird
1 1/2 # sweet potato .56
2# sweet onions .87
Celery $1.50
1# carrots .50
2.5# potatoes $1.00
Squash $1.00
Turnip $1.00
Fresh herbs $1.99
Graham crackers $1.25
1 large banana .40
1# flour .75
2 cups sugar $1.00
Canned whipped cream $2.50
1qt. milk $2.19
Butter $3.99
Vanilla pudding $1.49
Cranberries $1.00
Stuffing $2.49
Grand total $31.62
Thanksgiving menu
Roast turkey with stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Squash
Roasted Root Vegetables
Homemade cranberry sauce
Homemade gravy
Chai pie
Banana cream pie
Biscuits
This was probably the most challenging budget Thanksgiving Dinner. My goal was to keep it at or below $30.00. I could have done it if I went with with cheaper options, like margarine, instead of butter, but I refuse to skimp on quality. Another option was to get a loaf of bread for 1.29, at the off price bread store for stuffing, but $1.00 savings in the meal didn’t make sense when it cost more in gas to go get it. A lot of things, like potatoes, flour, and sugar I buy in bulk, but I used store prices for those items. By making things from scratch, like pie crust, biscuits, and cranberry sauce, you can save a lot of money. I got canned whipped cream, because whipping cream was sold out. The price is about the same. My menu is looking a little different this year as well. I talked to those who were coming for dinner, and we decided on two pies that we all liked. There’s no sense in baking a bunch of pies that aren’t going to be eaten. Six different side dishes aren’t necessary, so we decided what our favorites were. We grew our own Squash, turnip, and herbs, but I priced them for the dinner cost. This list can be tweaked to your personal liking. I didn’t include beverages, because we already have that stuff on hand. In the end, Thanksgiving dinner for 6 breaks down to $5.27 per person. That is, until I turn leftovers into more meals 😉………Happy Thanksgiving all! I hope this had helped 🙂
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Proof positive it is possible.
That’s also proof I’ll never do it myself, but hey… to each their own.
So however you celebrate Thanksgiving , or even if you don’t… I hope your day is filled with food, friends, family and fun.
Let the boozy goodness begin!
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The best thing about this basement… aside from the carpet?
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It had a genuine prohibition era speak easy…
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That you enter through a tunnel of rock! Be still my heart.
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Okay, I was extremely disappointed it didn’t open until 9:00pm when we’d be long gone, but still.
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It was a funky space.
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Burrowed in the ground, no windows, only one access port.
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They took their drinking in secret seriously.
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The bar itself was behind this locked gate but that didn’t stop me from sticking my nose… and camera… inside.
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No flash.
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Flash.
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How cool is that!
If you can, enlarge this article and read the middle and right hand columns for its history.
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I really hope we’re back in the area some night.
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Because I’d love to stroll through here with a martini in hand.
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And if you can use it, I promise I won’t judge.
Much.
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Turns out 7 year old boys were right. No good can come from bathing.
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Eating roadkill? If you’re starving, sure. But I draw the line at smoking poo.
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Hmm. Sounds like that was some pretty potent shit he was smoking.
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That is just… wrong.
🤢
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If she was serving candy corn grilled cheese, it serves her right.
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Damn, Martha. At least make him take you out for a nice dinner first….
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Stepping inside this splendid hotel is like walking through a time machine. Back to the grand old days of luxury accommodations…
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When you “summered” in the mountains and the resort was your seasonal home.
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Elegant, but warm and inviting at the same time.
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Walk through the first floor to the rear of the building….
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Into the rotunda with fabulous views…
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Even when you look up.
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Step outside on the massive panoramic covered porch…
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And you get an idea of how large this resort really is.
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10,000 acres to be exact.
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The porches go on forever, positively begging you to grab a cocktail and relax. Which we did. Because who am I to ignore a begging porch?
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One cocktail down, we made our way back inside, found an elevator…
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And rode it down to the basement where we continued exploring.
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In case you were wondering, our basement does not look like this.
To be continued.
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Be warned Hallmark, your days are numbered.
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And the humble potato is hammering that final nail in your coffin.
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Nothing says I love you like a Happy Anniversary potato.
Please pass the butter.
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If you’ve ever visited Mount Washington and driven through the valley, you know there’s one structure that dominates the landscape.
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The regal Mount Washington resort. Built in 1902 she’s been the hotel to the rich, the famous and everyone in between. The cheapest room is over $500 a night and if you want a king size bed with a view? Prepare to pay $1,500.
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As you turn in the driveway, geese.
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Geese… everywhere.
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Circle past the front door to the parking lot, which is a bit of a hike if you’re too cheap to pay valet… which we were… and then stroll back.
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Past some climbing vines….
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And an impressive row of chrysanthemums.
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Everywhere you look? It’s spectacular.
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Even the portico ceiling.
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And then you walk inside….
To be continued.
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We have a master bath in need of a major update and renovation. While cruising the net for inspiration I saw this:
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I think I’m going to have a hard time talking the husband into this…
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But you have to admit it’s pretty spectacular.
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To heck with shopping that mall….
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I’ll just hang out in the ladies room and pour myself a cocktail.
😉
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When you take scenic drives around the White Mountains of New Hampshire you’re going to pass through a lot of notches. Roads that are cut straight through the hills make for some fantastic photos.
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Unless you’re riding with my husband who hates having anyone in front of him and is constantly jostling for position.
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I can’t tell you how many great shots I’ve lined up just to whizz past them in a blur.
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My husband may be well into the senior citizen age range but you’d never know it by the way he drives.
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Ever come up behind an elderly driver and have to slow to a turtle’s crawl?
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I can guarantee that’s not my spouse. He’s the one coming up in your rear view mirror who makes you move into the next lane to avoid him riding in your back seat.
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It may not look like it, but he was doing about 90 here, passing from the right, next to a big rock. Good times.
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After we exited Crawford Notch and I drew a deep breath?
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We finally visited a place that’s been on my bucket list for years….
To be continued.
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River's world..... 