White Friday

I always do things a little different from everyone else. So I changed the name of today to White Friday.  I understand the term "Black Friday".   It is the day that the retail world hopefully puts their businesses in the black but I just have never liked the term,  Black Friday. It just sounds a little evil to me.  I had Rob buy the newspaper on Thanksgiving morning and looked through all the ads.  I even played with the idea of going out shopping but I didn't. I don't like big pushy crowds.  I hate standing in lines and I hate being out shopping when I'm already tired.  I stayed home to watch the Lady GaGa Thanksgiving special and then I just couldn't get myself motivated to go.  I could have gone this morning but that would have entailed getting out of my Tinker Bell pj's before 2 PM and that didn't happen. I had pumpkin pie for breakfast and it was all down hill after that.  I think I took a nap, watched some TV,  ate some turkey, and then took a nap with Rob.  We finally left the house at around three for a walk at the beach. We made a quick stop at a couple of places and came home. We actually were going to go to Walmart but Mary called and said that there was an antique car parade in Ormond so we turned around and came back across the bridge.  Rob wasn't to thrilled about going to the parade because he had to miss the first few minutes of the Pitt/WVU game but I assured him that it would be fine. I actually didn't know it would be fine but I wanted to go to the parade so I just said that.  He named the make, model and year of every car that went by so I think he actually enjoyed the parade. There was a Nova and a 280 Z in the parade. That was kind of neat.  Rob got me four sets of beads off the street that were thrown out during the parade. I really didn't get the bead thing at an antique/Christmas car parade, but who am I to turn down cheap jewelry? Rob has been complaining that he doesn't have the holiday spirit because we are in Florida and it is warm and green. For some strange reason I got it during the parade and even more so after WVU beat Pitt.  I never get the Christmas spirit during Black Friday shopping because it is all so commercial. I realize that people are trying to get good deals and the economy is bad but I just think it puts the wrong emphasis on the holidays right at the very beginning. I'm going to focus the next month of my blog on free or relatively inexpensive ideas for Christmas and the other winter holidays. The build up to Christmas was always more exciting to me than the actual holiday. I also want to focus more on giving this month and by giving I don't mean expensive gifts. I think we all need to think about religion more and shopping less this time of year. The news tonight is giving tips on how to reduce stress during the holidays so I will also try to reduce your stress during the next month. Julie and I were talking the other day about our obsessive/over the top "Get Ready for Christmas" organizational calendars. Mine was ridiculous but Julie's was a little suicidal. I don't do mine any more. I just kind of go with the flow. I kicked off the holiday season with Lady GaGa's Thanksgiving special and a parade tonight. Tomorrow, I think I will dance to some of her songs. Great exercise, which was one of the stress reducing tips on TV tonight. Get exercise during the holidays. Maybe everyone needs to stop for 10 or 20 minutes tomorrow and just dance. I'm serious, just dance.  My shrink advises everyone to give up on that fantasy of a Norman Rockwell Christmas.  Great idea, because we all know that our families don't come close to resembling a Norman Rockwell photo.  So, I am going to try and help everyone out for the next month with some ideas for the holidays.  My first one is cheap and easy fudge that I made tonight.  The recipe follows:

Cheap and Easy (Kind of Like Me) Fudge

1 12oz package peanut butter chips (2 cups)
1 can vanilla frosting (DO NOT USE WHIPPED)
nuts, if desired

1. Line 8 or 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Place chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 90 seconds. stir until smooth.
2 . Add can of frosting to melted chip mixture. Mix well. Microwave 90 seconds, Mix well. Add nuts. Spread in foil-lined pan. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
3 . Remove fudge from pan by lifting foil. Remove foil; cut into squares.

Experiment a bit and have fun, use chocolate chips with chocolate frosting, butterscotch chips with vanilla frosting, peanut butter chips with chocolate frosting,
Mint chocolate chips/chocolate frosting, Peppermint Crunch chips with vanilla frosting. I have even made lemon fudge! White chips with lemon frosting..tastes like lemon drops. White chips with Strawberry frosting. Cherry chips with chocolate frosting. Coconut-Pecan frosting with dark chocolate chips. Try using Cream Cheese frosting.
Use your imagination. Any chips with any frosting!!
You may add 1/2-1 cup chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, maybe a teaspoon of vanilla, or any extract. Have fun.