The 11th Hour

And the question that's on everyone's lips these days...

Are you ready for Christmas?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas...

Okay, so maybe that isn't really how the song goes. But everywhere you turn, it really does sound like Christmas. From the stores packed with holiday shoppers, mindlessly humming Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as they search for the latest bargains, to the always present, never overdone Hershey's commercial wishing you a Merry Christmas in the form of little ringing kiss shaped bells, Christmas songs are everywhere.

Now if you're in the Chicago area, you know it's sounded like Christmas since November 1, thanks to the Lite's mission of overwhelming the listening area with the sounds of the season before we've even polished off the last of the Halloween candy. They've been decking the halls and rockin' around the Christmas tree before the first flakes of snow even fell. But you really know it's Christmas when the rock stations start busting out their versions of the holiday standards, whittling down your resistance to the sounds of the season with each additional chord.

Love them or hate them, Christmas carols are a quintessential part of the holiday season. What songs never fail to bring a smile to your face this time of year?

I'm dreaming of a ... ?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know you want world peace. That's a given. But what do you reallllly want? And don't say, "I want a million dollars so I can be independently wealthy and never have to work again." So do we.

'Fess up. When you're bored in your monthly staff meetings and daydreaming about all of the possibilities, what do you imagine is waiting for you under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning?

We need a little Christmas!

Sorry, sorry... we've been slacking here at Two Peas. Sickness, busy-ness, just plain blah-ness. Since I received my first piece of hate mail yesterday (thanks for the reminder, sunshinesams!), I figured it was time to get off my bum and come up with a question. A Pea has been very patient with me, and for that, I am grateful. :)

We know we have lots of lurkers out there, so I'm dragging you out of lurkdom today! This is a question in which everyone can participate! If you read the blog, you must answer!

Since the creative juices are not flowing today, I'll launch right into it:

What is on your Christmas list this year? (This is realistic now... tomorrow, we'll think bigger!)

How do I love thee...?

[rriinngg]
"It's a great day at Two Peas in a QOD, this is T Pea! How can I help you?"
Silence.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Pea, I have your family."
"Excuse me?"
"I have your family. If you want to see them again, you need to come to the corner of Lincolnway and Washington immediately."
[Click.]

Lincolnway and Washington? What's at the corner of Lincolnway and Washington? Did Gil kidnap my family?

I race out of my office, fly through town and come to a screeching halt in front of the court house. As I run to the corner, I see my husband and two children gagged and tied up. Behind the hot dog cart. I start to run toward them when suddenly, a masked man steps out and stands between us. He lifts the lid of the cart. And starts to prepare a hot dog -- loaded with ketchup and mustard. He hands it to me.

"If you want to save your family, you must eat this."

I gulp. I look at him, then look at my family. Their eyes are pleading, "Eat the hot dog... eat the hot dog..."

Finally, I can't take it anymore.

I blow them kisses through my tears as I hop in my car and drive back to work.



What food disgusts you so much that you wouldn't even eat it to save the ones you love the most in the entire world? (This can't be something that everyone would traditionally agree is gross -- disgusting combinations like sardines and ice cream or whatever. It needs to be something that is accepted in the general population as a "normal" food but that literally turns your stomach to think about eating it.)

Just Like Mom Made

There are certain foods that mom or grandma makes/made that no one else out there can quite duplicate. Try as they might, nobody can capture the creaminess of her mashed potatoes, recreate the taste and texture of her apple pie (with homemade crust) or find the perfect crispy/chewy balance of her chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven.

You may have even tried a time or two to make these coveted dishes yourself after painstakingly writing her exact recipe and following the directions to a T, but you were still a little disappointed that your efforts lacked that certain special something. There's no way to recapture the extra dash of this or pinch of that that make her everyday dishes outstanding.

Fill in the blank: "No one can make _____________ quite like my mom/grandma."

Food for Thought

You're tired. You're cranky. You're sore. You're depressed. You're... well you don't even know. It's just a feeling that makes you want to do nothing more than curl yourself into a ball and shut the world out. No matter who is knocking, you don't really want to open the door.

Unless it's Ben. Or maybe his friend Jerry. Each of them holding a pint of goodness guaranteed to take away your troubles for an hour or two. Heck, maybe you need an entire meal, but cooking is out of the question and only the cheesy goodness of Kraft Mac n Cheese (like mom used to make) will do the trick.

No matter the circumstances, there is always those one or two tried and true favorite foods that have gotten us through so many rough times. Lost loves weren't quite as bad with your new boyfriend Papa John serving up a hot, steaming pizza to your doorstep of despair, followed up by your other new love, E.L. Fudge, offering up cookie after cookie of heart filling goodness for your dessert.

Yes, we've all been there. The days when nothing goes right and it seems like the world is against you. Until you remember the hidden gem in your cupboard/fridge/freezer that holds the ultimate power to make your universe right once again. So go ahead. Reach for your never fail, instant comfort pleasure foods. What do you choose?