tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post5278747447509669813..comments2024-03-22T05:18:29.555-04:00Comments on Romance Bandits: Christmas, North Carolina StyleLoucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02217492654108300014noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-56783347814015633172007-12-17T10:07:00.000-05:002007-12-17T10:07:00.000-05:00I've never been to Christmastown, USA. I'll have t...I've never been to Christmastown, USA. I'll have to add that to my list. Love Biltmore and Old Salem though. We haven't done either this year. Maybe I'll make husband take me to Old Salem for some fresh bread and Moravian sugar cookies next weekend. Ooh and warm gingerbread with lemon ice cream. Mmmm.Sonja Fousthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00874425238467467926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-90664855458948467772007-12-16T23:47:00.000-05:002007-12-16T23:47:00.000-05:00Cassondra, that shows what a Philistine I am! I di...Cassondra, that shows what a Philistine I am! I didn't know that was a James Taylor song. He wrote so many of my favourites that other people sing.<BR/><BR/>Caren, hmm St Moritz... now there's somewhere I hadn't thought of!<BR/><BR/>Oh, and the best choc covered thing ever is scorched almonds. I know it's staid and unoriginal, but I love 'em!Christine Wellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14260589566405262159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-31079175330660533432007-12-16T23:21:00.000-05:002007-12-16T23:21:00.000-05:00That Demetrius better be an incredibly strong swim...That Demetrius better be an incredibly strong swimmer and STRONG, because I'll be the third one hanging from his, well his, um, arm (neck, leg, hair, you-get-the-picture)...<BR/><BR/>Keira-thanks-the-gods-for-life-vestsKeira Soleorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14440213826734580889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-56758476183690907122007-12-16T22:56:00.000-05:002007-12-16T22:56:00.000-05:00ROFLMAO! Okay, Joan, when we go on our Bandita and...ROFLMAO! Okay, Joan, when we go on our Bandita and Friends cruise you and I need to check out the location of the lifeboats first. And then? We need to locate the crewman who looks MOST like Demetrius! Can this man be used as a flotation device?dogladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03392561174583932552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-53256171319216181922007-12-16T22:48:00.000-05:002007-12-16T22:48:00.000-05:00State Street where I live is all decorated with li...State Street where I live is all decorated with lights and the stores decorate their windows with animated scenes. It's so beautiful! <BR/><BR/>I once tasted a pigeon egg but it wasn't covered with chocolate. Maybe if it had been, I wouldn't have spit it out. lolKammiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00183089224990431099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-19617342507168180952007-12-16T22:24:00.000-05:002007-12-16T22:24:00.000-05:00Doglady,I can swim all of 4-5 strokes before going...Doglady,<BR/><BR/>I can swim all of 4-5 strokes before going down like a rock.<BR/><BR/>That talent will come in REAL handy if I'm on a ship that sinks 3 feet from shore!Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12566704374877697300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-36455507206815014482007-12-16T22:12:00.000-05:002007-12-16T22:12:00.000-05:00LOL Hey, Caren I'll try almost anything once!! Wel...LOL Hey, Caren I'll try almost anything once!! Well, except . . . I do NOT swim. Never learned. Can't even float. I sink to the bottom every time in spite of years of swimming lessons. I also can't eat seafood. I am deathly allergic to all fish and seafood. The only exception? Crawdads! Bon nuit a mes aimees cajun! Allo, chers! I am actually not that adventurous, but I have always been surrounded by adventurous friends. And last, but not least. since my dh's untimely death I have adopted the attitude that I am living for both of us and he was the real adventurer. Anytime he decided to do something the rest of us thought was nuts he would say "Well folks, this ain't no dress rehearsal!"<BR/><BR/>And I already zipped the chutney recipe over to my mother with a HUGE hint for it to appear on the table Christmas Day.dogladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03392561174583932552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-82470127925495900752007-12-16T21:50:00.000-05:002007-12-16T21:50:00.000-05:00Gannon, I am officially pea green with envy! Or ma...Gannon, I am officially pea green with envy! Or maybe that's the food coloring from the cookies I made tonight: Melting Moments. They are basically an almond butter cookie (tinted green) you make in very small balls and bake. Then, you make little sandwiches of them by slapping pink-tinted butter and sugar icing in the middle, with a hint of almond extract. Oh, my! My tongue may be green for days...Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-44621398378840085492007-12-16T21:47:00.000-05:002007-12-16T21:47:00.000-05:00Doglady, is there anything you haven't done? We ma...Doglady, is there anything you haven't done? We may have to come up with a special challenge to find something not in your repertoire! *g* Not sure I would have eaten locusts - either fried or chocolate covered. I know they are supposedly a gift from Heaven (according to 'Hidalgo' anyway), but I won't be munching on locusts anytime soon. What a life you have had! <BR/><BR/>Definitely try the chutney recipe. If you are a fan of chutney, it's just the thing! My friend's husband said it was just like his English grandmother's chutney. Maybe it will evoke a bit of English winter - although you won't have any snow in Alabama!Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-46805618397435200712007-12-16T21:35:00.000-05:002007-12-16T21:35:00.000-05:00Jennifer, don't you think there should be some kin...Jennifer, don't you think there should be some kind of special hell for people who trick others into eating particularly disgusting, not-intended-to-be-food food? It's one thing if you're on Survivor or Amazing Race and sign up for it. Quite another to have friends sabotage your taste buds. Ack! <BR/><BR/>Don't blame you a bit for passing on the grasshoppers. You may remember from Susan's random fears blog that I don't like crickets at ALL. While I don't loathe grasshoppers as much, I had to dissect one in Biology in high school. It was very spiny and spindly. I imagine, smothered in chocolate (or even double-smothered), they would still be extra crunchy. Ugh, gag reflex!Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-80279708208801083562007-12-16T21:31:00.000-05:002007-12-16T21:31:00.000-05:00Ruth, chocolate-dipped pita chips? Hm. Never thoug...Ruth, chocolate-dipped pita chips? Hm. Never thought of those. Now, I enjoy chocolate on pound cake and biscotti and all manner of cookies, but pita chips? Where in the world did you find those - or did you make them?Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-52306740531437723022007-12-16T20:58:00.000-05:002007-12-16T20:58:00.000-05:00Pam, you've given me permanent indigestion. Fried ...Pam, you've given me permanent indigestion. Fried Locusts?????Keira Soleorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14440213826734580889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-67568965867927941402007-12-16T20:22:00.000-05:002007-12-16T20:22:00.000-05:00It's official--there's snow on the ground! It's b...It's official--there's snow on the ground! It's been snowing since early this afternoon. Very high winds for awhile, so it just blew around, but it was so lovely. It started to stick after awhile and now we have a few inches on the ground and it's still going. I love it!<BR/><BR/>We just got the phone call that school will be closed tomorrow. My kids are over the moon! Looks like a good day to make those Reese's Mini Tarts...and eat 'em, too!Gannon Carrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08636246789013520445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-7139082122674206542007-12-16T19:39:00.000-05:002007-12-16T19:39:00.000-05:00Kudos to Kirsten on the GR!!! Cockadoodle indeed!!...Kudos to Kirsten on the GR!!! Cockadoodle indeed!! Caren everything you described sounds so wonderful - including the Tacky Museum!! What's not to love? I have never seen the Biltmore, but it is on my list of things to see before I die. I had a Moravian music professor in undergrad school and she prepared many Moravian Christmas treats for us. MMMM GOOD! My favorite Christmases were the ones we spent in England because we actually had snow! Don't get that much in the South. <BR/><BR/>As to chocolate covered anything, I have pretty much eaten it all. Of course some of these treats you are all posting sound like real winners, especially the chocolate chip cookie dough in the muffin tin with the hershey's kiss! I have eaten chocolate covered ants. Just crunchy for the most part. Chocolate covered locust were a bit more than crunchy although I will be dashed if I can describe the taste. Same thing goes for fried locusts although they were kind of like potato chips. Definitely not Christmas fare! Unlike the chutney, which sounds delicious. I LOVE chutney!dogladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03392561174583932552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-86732601655420297532007-12-16T19:36:00.000-05:002007-12-16T19:36:00.000-05:00Yup...it was Lake Lanier...the Festival of Lights ...Yup...it was Lake Lanier...the Festival of Lights parade was cancelled. The water levels were just too low to have it safely according to the news.<BR/><BR/>And yes, I long for the traditional holiday season I see in movies...would love to wake up to a white Christmas just once in my life. Christmases here are a bit generic and there is really nothing special about them. It is my family and spending time with them that make them special.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I forgot to answer the chocolate-covered question...I once ate chocolate covered ants...only I didn't know that was the case until after I had tried them. I wondered why my friend kept staring at me as I tried some of their "favorite candy". Funny, I don't really remember the taste (maybe I blocked it out), but I remember being disgusted once I found out they tricked me and I remember passing on the chocolate covered grasshoppers. You know what I found scary though...my friend told me that their were recipes on the web on how to make your own chocolate-coverd insects...that is one recipe I won't be trying this holiday season. Now the only chocolate-covered things I stick with are things like peanuts...love peanut M&Ms.Jennifer Y.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17872094673771046272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-40709744581839449262007-12-16T19:35:00.000-05:002007-12-16T19:35:00.000-05:00The most enchanting place that I visited with the ...The most enchanting place that I visited with the loveliest and most awe-inspiring Christmas lights and nativity scenes was an old mining town in the Sandias, Madrid. Every Christmas there is a walk through the town to witness these artistic endeavors. The feeling casts a spell upon everyone and it is an experience to remember. <BR/><BR/>Chocolate treats that I enjoy are dipped pita chips.ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794047014613091855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-22718270582243460572007-12-16T19:34:00.000-05:002007-12-16T19:34:00.000-05:00Caren, if we do make it up to Leavenworth, I'll be...Caren, if we do make it up to Leavenworth, I'll be sure to take plenty of photos.<BR/><BR/>Cassondra, the visit to NYC completely converted me over to the Christmas spirit. Celebrate all different holidays, I say, instead of the ridiculous Holiday Trees.Keira Soleorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14440213826734580889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-4833940143442153332007-12-16T18:09:00.000-05:002007-12-16T18:09:00.000-05:00Keira, the German town sounds so wonderful. My fam...Keira, the German town sounds so wonderful. My family would adore that. Hope you guys get up there this year. Take pictures and show them to me at conference. *g*Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-78976553339749778012007-12-16T18:08:00.001-05:002007-12-16T18:08:00.001-05:00Christine, sign me up for seafood and beach partie...Christine, sign me up for seafood and beach parties! But a white Christmas in Europe would be lovely. I would choose St. Moritz!Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-91682141010866677782007-12-16T18:08:00.000-05:002007-12-16T18:08:00.000-05:00Joan, rum cake? You didn't take your rum balls to ...Joan, rum cake? You didn't take your rum balls to add to the holiday hiccups, did you?! Surely not or your guests would still be there, passed out on the floor. *g*<BR/><BR/>Sadly, that is actually the Biltmore House and not my house in the picture. I tried for classic and elegant, but people kept smearing peanut butter on the medieval tapestries and silk damask, so we had to go with more of a casual, washable look. *sigh* At least it takes less staff to maintain!<BR/><BR/>Chocolate-covered chocolate - a truffle! One of my favorites.Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-26146390162506865932007-12-16T18:03:00.000-05:002007-12-16T18:03:00.000-05:00Jennifer, don't you long for piles of snow and ska...Jennifer, don't you long for piles of snow and skating on frozen ponds? Those Currier and Ives-inspired images made my Southern heart go pitter-pat! <BR/><BR/>Cities like Atlanta, that have experienced rapid growth, tend to be sort of generic, it seems. Charlotte is like that. I always look around down there and think, "Now what is uniquely Charlottean about this?" They have a few cool things, but nothing special. Raleigh is the same way, but at least we have the state capitol. *g* <BR/><BR/>When cities are better-established, I think they have a more well-defined identity, if that makes any sense. I hope Raleigh does! I dug for something unique about Christmas in Raleigh but came up empty-handed. <BR/><BR/>So sorry to hear about the cancellation! Was that Lake Lanier?Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-77454270798918156612007-12-16T17:56:00.000-05:002007-12-16T17:56:00.000-05:00Cassondra, that's true for me as well. James Taylo...Cassondra, that's true for me as well. James Taylor is a native North Carolinian and wrote the song when he was far from home and homesick. Believe me, they love to trot out the James Taylor Christmas songs around here at this time of year! ;-)<BR/><BR/>It really is a beautiful state. The mountains, the ocean, the rolling hills of the Piedmont and the sandhills down east. Something for everyone. According to Gannon, they even have snow in those mountains! *g*Caren Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352366686017375279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-78931877944315811792007-12-16T17:54:00.000-05:002007-12-16T17:54:00.000-05:00Oh, and the lake near here used to have a Christma...Oh, and the lake near here used to have a Christmas Parade on the water, but because of Georgia's drought and extremely low water levels, they had to cancel it this year.Jennifer Y.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17872094673771046272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-74875525807776662962007-12-16T17:53:00.000-05:002007-12-16T17:53:00.000-05:00Sorry I'm late to the party but had my local chapt...Sorry I'm late to the party but had my local chapter party today. Rum CAKE...ummm...good.<BR/><BR/>Congrats Kirsten on the GR! He'll enjoy the change of scenery. BTW, I first read your post as "everyone decorates their BOOTS!" LOL. Got a really cool visual.<BR/><BR/>Caren, confess. That first picture in your blog is your living room, right? The Biltmore just copied off you, huh?<BR/><BR/>Jane, I was in NYC a couple of years ago in mid November and some of the stores had their decorations up. SOOOOOOOO cool for this Kentucky girl who'd grown up seeing that magic on TV.<BR/><BR/>As to traditions, I could lie and say we decorate the thorobreds but not really. On the Friday after Thanksgiving we have "Light Up Louisville." I've never gone (don't want the crowd hassle) but it is festive. Although THIS year instead of a huge real tree they made an "electronic" one. Not the same in my opinion.<BR/><BR/>And chocolate covered chocolate is my favorite. :-)Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12566704374877697300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-49115027713333937122007-12-16T17:52:00.000-05:002007-12-16T17:52:00.000-05:00Loved the post! Christmas here where I live is no...Loved the post! Christmas here where I live is not all that special...at least not to me. There are different Christmas light events around the city and different attractions. Stone Mountain Park usually goes all out with Christmas festivities and they used to have a holiday-themed laser show on the side of the mountain...not sure if they still do it or not. Downtown Atlanta has ice skating and different lights/decorations in Centennial Olympic Park.Jennifer Y.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17872094673771046272noreply@blogger.com