Tag Archives: shopping

I know Fridays. I live for them every week. Fridays mean that mommy will be home for the next couple of days. Fridays mean I get to stay up late and watch television with mom and dad. Fridays sometimes even mean popcorn while watching b-rated movies on the Sy-Fy channel.

But, I’ve never heard of this Black Friday. It has to be bad. I say this for a couple of reasons. First, when mommy told daddy he would have to “survive” this day, daddy stopped laughing. Heck, for a minute I thought he was going to cry. He kept saying, “But, but, but”. Mommy didn’t listen to him. Second of all, you know something is bad when mommy laughs like the wicked witch from the east. Ooh shivers just hearing that in my head.

So this Black Friday thing, what can it be? Is it dark as black outside all day and it’s a Friday this Black Friday? Is it a plague or disease? Did someone not pay the light bill? Is it the end of days? Should I start stock piling my piggy chow in my bedroom? I’ll admit that this little piggy was scared.

I did what I do best. I squealed, ran to my bedroom and slammed my door. I then immediately started doing some research on my laptop.

ODP (oh dear piggies). It’s worse than what I thought! Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving in the USA, they call it Black Friday? Here’s the scary part. People get up voluntarily at 0400 hours to camp outside of stores to go shopping!. Thud – piggy down! 0400 hours is like way before even Old McDonald gets up at the farm. It’s before the birds start chirping. It’s before they even make the doughnuts at the Krispy Kreme. Heck, it’s before *I* even stir in my toddler bed. That’s early!

Mommy is going to make daddy go shopping with her on Black Friday at 0400 hours. Two words mom. How uncivilized. I can’t believe mom is going to get up before the break of dawn. But friends, don’t feel too sorry for daddy. I saw him the garage laughing and getting “ready” for Black Friday. He was pulling out his old pads from his football days. I think I even saw him with a hockey stick and a helmet. Oohh mommy – who is punishing who now? Snorts.

Welcome my friends to another edition of Shopping Around the World!

This month my brother Phenny is hosting SATW – thanks bro! This month we are highlighting pumpkin recipes. This should be fun because my mom loves anything and everything pumpkin. Doesn’t pumpkin just scream fall? In fact, mom just posted a funny on her Facebook about pumpkin spice. I thought I would share with you and let mom take it away with our recipe. Again thanks brother Phenny for helping us out here at the Hotel Thompson ❤

mmm – pumpkin – one of my favorites this time of year. Put spice behind it and I’m in hog heaven – sorry Bacon. My favorite recipe is Pumpkin Spice coffee. I love it so much throughout the year – not just at Halloween. And yes, you can ‘buy’ it in those fancy coffee shops and even McDonald’s has a great one; but, why not make it at home yourself. I mean think about, coffee shops will range from $3.50 to $5.50 a cup. And that’s just enough pumpkin spice coffee to make you want more. A second cup at a coffee shop and you will be getting out a loan – LOL. So what do you need?

Now I’m a sugar free girl. Of course fully leaded you get more of a pumpkin spice taste but sugar free gets me there. I use the following:

⇒ Skinny Syrup Pumpkin Spice (costs $9.00 a bottle. A full bottle can last about 30-35 cups = that’s only $0.26 a cup!)

⇒ International Delight Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Spice (costs $2.50 a bottle. A full bottle can last about 20 cups = that’s only $0.13 a cup!)

⇒ Your choice of coffee. We use Maxwell House here. We buy a medium can for about $5.50 on sale. That has enough to last 52 pots! So basically how do you price that, right? LOL

⇒ Two packs of Splenda (a box costs $4.00 for 200 packets = $0.04!)

So let’s talk price first. For somewhere around $0.50 a CUP at home vs coffee shop prices. Doh! It’s a no brainer for sure.

Prepare your coffee as you normally do in your coffee pot. On our coffee pot, we have the option of making one cup or an entire pot. When I want one cup, I put my Splenda in my cup along with a shot of my Skinny Syrup Pumpkin Spice. I then place my cup on the coffee maker and hit Latte (I know I’m blessed). While that is percolating and the aroma is driving you crazy, pour some creamer into a glass container. Then froth that cream… again my coffee maker has a frother – don’t hate. Froth that cream as much as you want. I find the glass container keeps it cold.

Once your coffee is done, pour the froth into your cup. Then sit on the couch, prop your feet up and enjoy that pure delight. And then go back for another cup… .you’re welcome ❤

Hello sweet friends. Welcome to another edition of Shopping Around the World. This month we are highlighting things that we cook in this hot weather outside. So without further ado, here is mom – take it away mom!

What we have this month is a meal that keeps on giving – LOL. Friday morning before work, I put a beef roast in the oven. I got a nice beef roast (around 3 pounds) at the market for around $14.00. That night when I got home, I cut all of the meat up and put it aside. In the meantime, I took a head of lettuce ($0.98 head) and chopped it all up placing it in a huge bowl. On this date, I didn’t add anything extra – just the salad mix so far. I then poured in some 1000 Island salad dressing into the lettuce (probably 1/3 bottle for the entire salad $0.34). I tossed and coated all of the salad with the dressing. At this time, you can add a little more if you need it. Just make sure your lettuce is coated.

I then used some big plates and put some salad into the plates. Next up, the beef that I had previously sliced was put on top of the salad. Just as a garnish, I took some barbeque sauce I had on hand and drizzled it over the beef. There you go – dinner is served. The entire meal cost $15.32 and we had salads for two all weekend in this heat.

Hello sweet friends ❤ Did you miss Shopping Around the World in May? I know we did – snorts. I tell you things have been going on weird here at the Hotel Thompson for the past couple of months – but I digress. That’s another posting for another day.

Shopping Around the World is back for June and with a new badge courtesy of Phenny’s dad. (Huge shout out and thanks to them ❤ ) Please feel free to share and use this badge on your blog postings for Shopping Around the World.

For June we are going to focus on something that you have cooked lately that you absolutely went bonkers for and everyone enjoyed. This could be anything – even a cheese cracker. Just make it the best cheese cracker you ever had and post prices… and pictures are awesome. That gives us something to drool on while we read your recipe.

So my friends. That’s your assignment for June. We will all post Shopping Around the World on Friday, June 30th. Remember to link back to my blog so everyone can check your postings out. Can’t wait to read your recipe!

Hello sweet friends ❤ Did you miss Shopping Around the World in May? I know we did – snorts. I tell you things have been going on weird here at the Hotel Thompson for the past couple of months – but I digress. That’s another posting for another day.

Shopping Around the World is back for June and with a new badge courtesy of Phenny’s dad. (Huge shout out and thanks to them ❤ ) Please feel free to share and use this badge on your blog postings for Shopping Around the World.

For June we are going to focus on something that you have cooked lately that you absolutely went bonkers for and everyone enjoyed. This could be anything – even a cheese cracker. Just make it the best cheese cracker you ever had and post prices… and pictures are awesome. That gives us something to drool on while we read your recipe.

So my friends. That’s your assignment for June. We will all post Shopping Around the World on Friday, June 30th. Remember to link back to my blog so everyone can check your postings out. Can’t wait to read your recipe!

Welcome my friends to another week of Travels in the South. This past weekend, daddy was craving his favorite – pizza. It doesn’t matter what kind or where, daddy loves all kinds and doesn’t discriminate – snorts. Mom/dad went shopping this past weekend a couple of towns over from the Hotel Thompson. After a long day of spending money and daddy lugging all the bags (like a perfect southern gentleman), both were ravished.

So mom saw this darling little pizza shop and thought she would bless daddy cause you know his hard work of (A) pulling out the credit card often this date and (B) lugging said packages everywhere. Let me start by saying that this is *not* a meal that mom/dad would splurge in often because of their new way of eating; however, today was a special date night of sorts.

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Mom/dad started with buttered garlic knots. Now there were more buttered garlic knots in the bowl but someone conveniently forgot to take a picture before diving head first into that wonderful dish. Not that I’m pointing hooves mom but it’s so hard to train humans. Those two humans of mine acted like they had never eaten before and the next thing you knew – the dish was empty except for buttery/garlic goodness on the bottom of the bowl.

And of course, mom wouldn’t give that bowl up for all of the money in the world. She told dad they would keep it. Why? So they could swipe their pizza crust up all in that concoction. Yep, it was that good.

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Now for the main star. The pizza. Not just any pizza. Dad said it was probably the best pizza he has ever had – and that is saying a lot! Look at all of that cheesy goodness.

This is called the white pizza (one of mom’s favorite pizzas to order anywhere). It has a blend of ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan cheese and minced garlic. Then they sprinkle MORE fresh parmesan cheese on top before bringing it to the table.

Can you see the cheese dripping everywhere? Okay, maybe this picture of dad eating slice shows you how cheesy and wonderful this pizza was.