Holiday Things

[Phoebe]

Does anyone know where to find NORMAL Old Spice aftershave? For some reason - an attempt to update the brand? who is buying Old Spice who would not ALREADY be buying Old Spice and probably confused by new markings of any sort?! - the makers of Old Spice have gone insane and it is now impossible to figure out which one of their various packages contains the actual Old Spice of yore, if any. Apparently I can scentify my Football MMA Snipers, Mongolian Warrior Princes, Sumo Wrestlers, and a variety of others, but how do I get NORMAL Old Spice?

[Phoebe]

I figured it out: you have to look for "Classic". This is not immediately apparent. I dislike everything they have done with their brand, to the point that I will probably force my gift recipients into wearing Burberry instead. Or... something. There is a crazy men's fragrance out there called Bora Bora, not sure if they still make it, and I bought it on a lark once for Ron because it was very cheap on sale and every single time he wore it I was like, WOW, WHAT IS THAT GREAT SMELL?

[Cazmonster]

Until this year, I didn't wear any kind of fragrance. I decided to try out beard oil and it turns out that the stuff is voodoo for my curly hair. I get to have actual curls instead of this weird white halo of hair.

I will post the kind I use when I get home. It's really cool.

[Cazmonster]

I did not post my beard oil. I will do that later.

Instead, tonight, the Holiday Spirit is with me. I am canning Pineapple Serrano Jam! I will post pictures to facebook as I go along.

[Phoebe]

That sounds SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!

[Cazmonster]

There we go.

[Phoebe]

Question: what are the best ear buds? Not anything crazy expensive, considering that we are getting a replacement as a gift after the dog ate the kid's last earbuds... Clarification: stripped them with the precision of a surgeon into several long strings, but did not actually digest. Thankfully.

[Cazmonster]

Are you looking for traditional wired earbuds or bluetooth wireless ones?

Wired buds - I like Skullcandy buds because they fit to my ear and stay in place while I'm doing housework. Shopko is where I usually buy them. There's a website for you -> http://www.shopko.com/thumbnail/Electro ... 28/186.uts

Wireless buds - I can only talk about the one set I have. https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-wirele ... ts-edition

I like them but for two issues.
1. When they are about to lose power, the alert sound is way louder than your music. Not fun.
2. The little clasps that hold the earbud wires to the collar have to go. They're not at all helpful. Luckily, they just pry off.

[Phoebe]

Thanks, those look promising! Christmas has become such a stressful time for me that it breeds a resentment and ill-humor not very fitting to the season. My husband is on my last nerve, the dog is on my last nerve, and I'm trying to figure out how I only raised one child who sleeps normal hours at night. Ok this is all the time I have to sit; I have to get up and fight again for the rest of the day. I'm so tired. There is a guy at work with cancer and every time I see him plowing through his hell to victory, I feel like a piece of shit for feeling tired, but there it is.

[Cazmonster]

It is okay. I spend virtually every day being tired. My one highlight is doing gift prep. I'm ready to can my third project for the year. Grapefruit marmalade defeated me last year. This year, I will be really careful about how much pith winds up in it, and maybe add some ginger.

[Phoebe]

See now, that improves my outlook. The idea that people are running around making homemade jellies for gifts is so Christmas. That's just so Christmas it makes me want to finish putting on the lights while everyone else is still sleeping.

[Kyle]

After having to throw all our inflatables out last year because of holes, we decided to do something different. We bought a cheap 6.5 foot inflatable christmas tree, and then when we see small inflatables on sale, we buy them and put them around the tree. So now we have a Minion (Kevin), Olaf and Dory around the tree outside. I'll try to take a picture when I get a chance.

[Cazmonster]

The fact that cold season is also Holiday season is really putting a cramp in my mojo. If I'm too sick to enjoy my baking spree, I am going to kick an anti-vaxxer in the coin purse.

[Phoebe]

I have a question for Caz or anyone: how do you modify recipes in baking to accommodate wheat flour vs. white?

[Cazmonster]

Doing a full replacement of wheat for white often fails. 1/3 wheat in white works well. I will check ATK and the food lab for their opinions.

[Phoebe]

Sounds good - I am going to experiment with cookies and banana / pumpkin breads, which seem like things I should be able to make with wheat flour.

Another food question for the holidays:
Which one of these would you prefer to either eat or cook?
Beef Rib Roast (i.e. prime rib / ribeyes)
Tenderloin Roast (i.e. chateaubriand / filets)

Is one of these easier to roast at home in a successful manner? Is it worth getting boneless? This is a new thing for me.

[Tahlvin]

I would prefer the tenderloin roast, either the chateaubriand or filets. Not that I'd turn down the rib roast, I just prefer the other more.

[Phoebe]

This is excellent - have you had them both? Is the tenderloin more like a tender piece of fancy meat? That's what we want. Or easier to cook? I gather both are pretty easy to cook.

[Tahlvin]

IMO, the tenderloin is a bit higher-end. Rib roast was always more of a "throw it in the crockpot with some potatoes and carrots" kind of meal, while the tenderloin took some more prep and attention but ended up with better flavor, more tender.

[Phoebe]

Okay, that pretty much settles it - unless anyone cares to defend the cause of Rib Roast, we are probably going with the vacuum packed tenderloin. Now I just have to figure out the optimal amount of time pre-Christmas to buy the damn thing. I know they can sit for quite a while, but the ones I saw today seemed a bit premature to purchase. Maybe next Monday.