Doesn't everyone?

I mean, don't all cats sit inside the lid of a toilet tank?




I know what you're thinking.  Why is there a lid, for a toilet tank, sitting on your deck table?  You're probably also wondering if the cat sits in there often.  This is one of the barn cats who hangs out on the porch to (a) have his ears scratched and (b) because he's begging for food (he's fed each morning, FYI).


The lid?
We replaced the toilet a few weeks ago.  And like a bunch of red-necks we had the toilet on the back porch.  The toilet has been hauled away.  But the lid for that toilet tank?


Still on the porch.
Doesn't everyone have one on their porch?

Luck o' the Irish Cake....

In researching my family tree a few years ago, I discovered that I am, indeed, Irish.


Not a lot, mind you.  My great, great grandmother on my dad's father's side of the family was from Ireland.  All of those years growing up when I was jealous of kids in my class for being Irish.  Well!  Now I can celebrate St. Patrick's day as a true Irish girl!  And to celebrate, I'm taking this little gem into work:

Gwen's Luck o' the Irish Cake


1 box of white cake mix
mint extract divided into 1 1/2t and 1/2t servings.
12 drops green food coloring
2 jars (16 oz each) hot fudge topping
1 container (8oz) cool whip--thawed
5 drops yellow food color
Andies mint candies, chopped (you can get these in the chocolate chip aisle)


Heat oven to 350 (glass & metal pans) or 325 (for dark/non stick pans)

1. Spray cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Make cake mix according to package directions.  Fold in 1 1/2 t mint extract.  Remove 1 cup of batter and add in 3 drops of green food coloring.  Set aside.  Pour remaining, uncolored batter into your pan.
3. Take the 1 cup of green tinted batter and drop generous tablespoonfuls randomly throughout the cake.  Take a butter-knife and swirl the cake batter.
4. Bake for 28-33 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Run a knife around the edges.
5. Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cooled cake.
6. In a medium bowl stir whipped topping, 1/2t mint extract, 9 drops green food coloring, 5 drops yellow food coloring until well mixed.  Spread topping over fudge layer.
7. Top with mint candy pieces.
8. Store in refrigerator

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Disclaimer:  With all the hub-bub on the interwebs with bloggers not citing sources and claiming other's work as their own, I'm trying my best to give credit where credit is due.  Gwen (a former coworker) has made this cake for YEARS and shared the recipe with me.  Therefore, Gwen gets the credit.  However, if your company or if you as a home-baker, was the original creator of this recipe, I'm happy to give you credit, too.

Disclaimer #2:  Yes.  I pinned my own page to pinterest.  I've said this before and I'll say it again--I've tried searching my own blog for my recipes--but I suck at it.  Pinning it is so much easier.  It's for my benefit--not to be a "popular pinner".  

Should I?

If you were recognized for doing a really good job at a major, national, fundraising event....
An event that required you to wear this:

And use this:

And you did such a good job that they asked you to not only come back for another year and do it again....but asked to you also consider traveling to another city would you?


Especially if that city were here, in mid November:

(source)

Would you?
Even if you had to pay for your own travel and lodging?  And probably wouldn't be able to do a lot of sight seeing while you're there?


Would you?

Farm Friday...

We had a snow day on Wednesday.  They predicted 14 inches of snow for our area.
We got 4.


But, considering we haven't had winter this year, and add in the freezing rain we had the night before, it was a recipe for a good ol' classic Minnesota snow day.  The college I work for also closed.  Sadly, I got the message it was closed AFTER I drove the 20 miles to work on unplowed roads.  


But that's OK.
Why?  BECAUSE IT WAS A SNOW DAY!!


I came home and told the Big Guy that the driveway needed to be plowed.  So, out he went to get the job done.

We don't mess around out here.  

Maggie and I stayed inside and had lunch.  

Snow days.

Nothin' but good.