Pandemic Party for Two....

The 2020 self-isolation Covid-19 Pandemic is in its 6th week for us.  

We are running out of things to do, so today we decided to have a 

"Party for Two"

While organizing my bookshelf the other day, I came across these books by Jill Connor Browne.  I remember hearing about the Sweet Potato Queens back in the late 90's.  Browne wrote the books in the late 90's and early 2000's.  These books were filled with humor and daring adventures from a group of fun woman in Mississippi.  

The Sweet Potato Queens Big Ass Cookbook has a recipe for Bacon Wraps and I decided to make it for Happy Hour today.

They are very simple - and the aroma in the kitchen was mouth watering!

Here is the recipe:

These were a tasty delight and I will definitely make them again:

While they were cooking I decided to make a pitcher of frozen Strawberry Daiquiris and set up a tray for the drinks and hors d'oeuvres:

I painted these highball glasses a while ago with a little black, white and gold enamel paint:

I placed my black Flower Market luncheon plate on top of my mini checked pedestal platter:

 I used my mini Courtly Check appetizer plates.  Sadly, these are no longer on the MacKenzie-Childs website.  I would love another set of 4 because I use them quite often - and hopefully we can start entertaining again soon:

I was lucky enough to find this in the freezer, so I pulled out some rum, the blender and ice and made our frozen cocktails:

 Frozen drinks make me dream of summer days ahead!

Today's Happy Hour helped raise our spirits of being isolated from family and friends for so long!

CHEERS!

What are you doing to raise your spirits?

And it happened again....

See this pan?  It's going in the garbage....

...because it happened again...

...not as bad as this time... 

...but I scream"UNCLE" and I admit defeat...

...as I "glued" it back together with lemon icing....

...and screamed a few curse words....

...I laughed because I don't have to wash the pan!

Don't bother sending me all your tips and tricks - the pan is GONE!

So my new mantra:

Now I feel better and I think I will have a piece of lemon cake!

sharing with Full Plate Thursday

Preparing for the Holidays ~ Traveling Tote #5

Leave a comment below to be entered in the giveaway!

My Traveling Tote is settling in for a long winter's night!

Most often, once the weather gets cold, my tote sits in the great room filled with throws.  I am always cold, so this is my "go to" every night as I watch TV!

In November I worked in Albany for a few days and filled my tote with my computer, magazines and a shawl...



...  after work I took a short drive up to Saratoga Springs to walk the shops in town.  My goal was to begin my Christmas shopping.  Saratoga Olive Oil Company has some fabulous oils to taste and I treated myself to a bottle of Garlic Oil....

...and next door was the Savory Pantry, where I picked up some tasty treats for Christmas hostess gifts:

We almost always celebrate my birthday during the first weekend in December. We headed out on a foggy morning:

 This year my daughter, Caitlin, planned the day and we went to Rochester to see "The Christmas Carol".

  After the play we had an early dinner at The Gate House.  

  The following day John, Mom and I celebrated my birthday by having dinner at Santangelo's and the window in our booth was decorated in a Grinch theme:

There are so many events going on in December and there are some I always like to attend. 

These are a few that have become a yearly tradition:

We went to the Erie Canal Museum to see the Gingerbread House Displays:

The Everson Museum holds the Festival of Trees, all the trees are donated to the museum and sold as a fundraiser:

We shopped for the "perfect poinsettia" at Hafner's Garden Center:

And walked around to see the perfectly decorated trees - it is truly a decorator's dream !

            We also saw Lights on the Lake in Syracuse, a drive thru winter wonderland of lights along the Lake:

My large tote carried presents for girlfriends at an annual luncheon to celebrate the holidays:

And a few days later the smaller tote held a hostess gift for breakfast with another girlfriend:

I wrapped for hours one day and my tote held all the rolls of paper:

Over three hours of wrapping!

We shopped at Wegman's for my yearly "Girlfriend's Happy Hour" which I host every December in my home:

And how can you "prepare for the holidays" without a trip to see Santa?

It's a busy time of year, but Christmas is about sharing and spending time with family and friends. It’s about creating happy memories with those you love. Many of these yearly traditions are what I look forward to and it certainly keeps my spirit alive!


I wish you a blessed holiday season. May this Christmas bring you comfort, joy, peace and happiness to last throughout the coming year!


A special treat for one of my readers:

GIVEAWAY !

Leave me a comment ( an email addy, too, if you don't have a blog) below for a chance to win a MacKenzie-Childs Flower Market soap dish, Balsam scented soap from the Adirondacks and a mini soap from Cape Cod, all items purchased on my recent travels with my Traveling Tote!

A winner will be picked on Dec 27th!!

Visit my other Traveling Tote friends to see how they "prepare for the holidays":

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 

Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 

Sarah with Miss CC @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Samantha with Christabel @ Samantha Stone



To read about how the Traveling Tote Series began, go HERE

Wow Us Wednesday

'nuff said...

The Polar Bear Plunge

On Saturday, in Baldwinsville, NY, a fundraiser event held a Polar Bear Plunge on the Seneca River. This is the first year they had to clear away ice:

They had heated "changing rooms":

and lifeguards (he is sitting on the ice):

and even the mayors of 2 towns joined in on the plunge:

The temperature was 30' but the windchill dropped it to 20'. These 2 babes certainly caught a few eyes:

And off they ran - just as quickly as they ran in, they ran out:

It was all for a good cause (Ronald McDonald House). There was also a chili cook-off a few feet away, snowshoe races and lots of cocoa and coffee!!

Crazy people!!