Spice Bars

I went in search of my mom's spice bar recipe last week. I made it and was not disappointed. It was amazing and I might have to make it again this weekend. Back in the day mom was a volunteer at the local "junior museum", a nature museum where she worked as a marsh docent, modeled in fundraising fashion shows and worked shifts at the annual Show House. Sometimes I worked those shifts also, even though I was a child. Mom's recipe eventually made it into a Show House cookbook that was also a fundraiser. The scan below must be from one of those. For the best texture use oil, not shortening.

A new treasure that I just had to have, from a blind box series of cats and shrimp. I was lucky enough to get the one I wanted. Looks so much like boy kitten :)

So much like the boy kitten that when a friend tagged me in a fb ad for a customized aloha shirt thing, which I could not resist clicking on and futzing around with, and when I could not find a good photo of boy kitten to add to an aloha shirt, I used the above photo, to full effect.

Mysteries

There are very few headlines that demand that I read them, but anything related to Bigfoot, Amelia Earhart, and the location of Jimmy Hoffa's body always draws me in.

We have another alleged Hoffa burial location. How many times have we done the dig?

It just doesn't get old for me.

Selling Stuff

As readers of mrsguy know, I like the occasional auction and there is a local auction house that we frequent. The grand mammoo caught the bug one day when I was telling her about an auction, and she started looking around for things to sell.

Last week mrguy took her to the auction house for a free appraisal of the items she wants to sell. A space at the auction house was set up with appraisers at tables. Sellers took a number and waited their turn to have their items appraised. Most people brought in items that weren't worth a whole lot. The mamoo's weren't tremendously valuable, but valuable enough that they'll sell them for us. Anyhoo...

While their appraiser stepped away, another seller put his items on the next table to show to *his* appraiser. mrguy saw a beautiful pair of Victorian boots, and something in a paper bag. He looked away, and then heard the appraiser gasp loudly. He looked back.

It was a shrunken head.

He has eaten beef stroganoff with the Ramones and has seen a shrunken head without trying.

I think I am jealous.

Being Creepy, Myspace Style

Message not to send to complete strangers via Myspace, if you're a chiropractor:

"Hello, I just wanted to extend a warm friend invite since I noticed we were neighbors in [name of local municipality]. I enjoy connecting and meeting new, interesting people. Would you like to be Myspace friends?"

That would be no, Dr R.

Eeew.

Jello

I'm For Sale

At the beginning of the month, the local auction house publishes its monthly catalog on the Web. Sometimes I check it out and bid on things I like (Sonia Delaunay watercolors, Oceanic sculptures, genuine c.r.a.p. and jimcracks). I've only won one auction, but I have a lot of fun.

This month's catalog held two surprises: first, a painting by an old friend of my sister's. Second, on closer examination I realized that the painting is a still life of some ephemera, including a picture of me as a child and one of my first cat. I know those photos. I can *almost* remember the painting.

Now that's funny.

Who's getting rid of me?

Gonna have to bid on myself.

Pizza

Overheard conversation between skinny girl with pink hair and man whose pant legs were so wide that each one could be her dress:

"I usually think of a threesome as being with two women. We can *try* it, but..."

Ah, youth.

Sheffield's Dentifrice -- a correction

Sheffield's Dentifrice -- a correction

The correspondent who furnished the formula for a preparation said to resemble this, which was printed in last month's CIRCULAR, was unfortunate enough to write sodium bicarbonate where he meant to say precipitated chalk. We here reproduce the formula corrected accordingly:

Powdered white castile soap........................6 drs.
Precipitated chalk...........................................15 ozs.
Carmine, No. 40..............................................3 or 4 grs.
Sassafras flavoring (as below).....................100 mins
Glycerin, a sufficient quantity.

Rub the solids well together, add the falvoring in small portions during the constant trituration and then glycerin enough to form a thin paste.

Sassafras Flavoring.

Oil of sassafras..................5 1/2 drs.
Oil of cinnamon..................2 drs.
Oil of wintergreen..............1/2 dr.
Extract of vanilla................4 drs.
Alcohol................................4 drs.
Shake before using.

--- The Druggists Circular And Chemical Gazette, June 1893