Off Topic Part Deux

[SpiritAlight 1]

There exist people that do not know what vinegar is?

Wow.

You can use it to clean and freshen your house and laundry as well as spice up lentil soup and fries.

[trailmix 77]

Good morning all!

Campfire coffee this morning!

[JillA 2]

Good morning all!

Campfire coffee this morning!

Awww thanks for the memories!! That brings me back to my annual camping trips to Banff.

[MrsCat 6]

I had a voicemail message from MBNA yesterday saying to call them back. I guess someone went on a shopping spree with my MasterCard in Canada and really liked shopping at Canadian Tire and Petro-Canada.

So the guy on the phone says - so you're not near Kitchener? I said ah. . . . no, I'm in Hilo, Hawaii right now and haven't been back to the mainland since September. And they certainly don't have a Canadian Tire here or Petro-Canada.

So alas, they cancelled the card and are reversing the changes. I was almost cheeky enough to ask whether I get to keep the Alaska Airmiles.

[Danu 19]

I had a voicemail message from MBNA yesterday saying to call them back. I guess someone went on a shopping spree with my MasterCard in Canada and really liked shopping at Canadian Tire and Petro-Canada.

So the guy on the phone says - so you're not near Kitchener? I said ah. . . . no, I'm in Hilo, Hawaii right now and haven't been back to the mainland since September. And they certainly don't have a Canadian Tire here or Petro-Canada.

So alas, they cancelled the card and are reversing the changes. I was almost cheeky enough to ask whether I get to keep the Alaska Airmiles.

Thats good that they reversed everything for you. Stupid credit theives.

[trailmix 77]

I had a voicemail message from MBNA yesterday saying to call them back. I guess someone went on a shopping spree with my MasterCard in Canada and really liked shopping at Canadian Tire and Petro-Canada.

So the guy on the phone says - so you're not near Kitchener? I said ah. . . . no, I'm in Hilo, Hawaii right now and haven't been back to the mainland since September. And they certainly don't have a Canadian Tire here or Petro-Canada.

So alas, they cancelled the card and are reversing the changes. I was almost cheeky enough to ask whether I get to keep the Alaska Airmiles.

Thats good that they reversed everything for you. Stupid credit theives.

Yeah, what a hassle for you MrsCat!

[MrsCat 6]

My husband thinks that they made a fake card using my number and are using it for gas stations. Which would make sense, since they could swipe it through at the pump without a clerk seeing it. But how many vehicles can you seriously need to fill with $700 in gas purchases in one day.

The criminal mind is a bizarre place.

Good morning all!

Campfire coffee this morning!

Oh bless your heart - campfire coffee! When I was a little girl, I used to have campfire tea outside with my grandpa and he'd have campfire coffee. He had a little fire pit in the backyard (he lived next door).

Edited February 7, 2009 by MrsCat

[Sprailenes 47]

I baked cupcakes.

They're cream filled. I can't eat an entire one, its very rich. That's why I'm bringing them to Mike's skinny friends to eat.

I grated some chocolate to sprinkle and put some cut chocolate pieces on top. I tried to curls but they kept breaking every time I tried to pick them up... doesn't help that its hot in here today because Mike is using the dryer.

Oh well, there they are. Just wanted to share.

[MrsCat 6]

I think Sprailenes is the Martha Stewart of the Canadian forum.

Those look delish btw.

[Danu 19]

those do look amazing. Care to share the recipe?

[trailmix 77]

Yay! pics!

Those look really delicious. I have been pondering making a chocolate cake today.

[SpiritAlight 1]

They're beautiful Sprailenes.

Yummm...

[Emancipation 2]

cupcakes mmmmmmm

little rodent pets.. not my thing, but happy for you Marilyn!!

We have taught all the USC's we know how to play crokinole, and we've started a "fad" here among our friends. We may never see our board again

[DeadPoolX 9]

My husband thinks that they made a fake card using my number and are using it for gas stations. Which would make sense, since they could swipe it through at the pump without a clerk seeing it. But how many vehicles can you seriously need to fill with $700 in gas purchases in one day.

The criminal mind is a bizarre place.

My CC number was stolen the very first time I used a credit card online. It was also my first credit card (or at least, the first one in which I was the primary user). The thief had bought a ton of electronic equipment, so the credit company (MBNA, before they were taken over by Bank of America) called me up to ask about. I told them I hadn't done that and they canceled the card and sent me a new one. Eventually I received another new card from them, but this time, it was under the BoA label.

One thing I really dislike about most restaurants in Canada (at least the ones I've been to in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver) is that they display the entire credit card number on the bill. The customer has the number entirely blanked out except for the last four digits, but the merchant copy keeps the whole thing. Half the time I blank it out with a pen. I've never seen a restaurant in the U.S. do that (unless it's really, really old fashioned and uses a non-electronic method of payment).

The U.S. certainly has its share of scams, though. One time I was called up and told I had been "selected randomly and won a free gas card." The guy on the phone then said they needed to verify my identity with a major credit card. I responded, "You obviously know my identity if I've won this card, so why do you need a credit card?" He paused for a moment and then tried to rephrase his question, emphasizing the overall importance of the gas card I had apparently "won." I told him "no thanks" and hung up. Amazing, isn't it?

[Sprailenes 47]

those do look amazing. Care to share the recipe?

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 Cups of all purpose flour

2 Tsp of baking soda

2 Tsp of Baking powder

1/4 Tsp of salr

1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar

1 cup of water

4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate (chopped)

1 stick unsalted butter (cut into pieces)

2 tsp of vanilla

2 Large eggs (lightly beaten)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place your paper liners in the cupcake pans (2 12-cup muffin pans)

Sift together the flour, baking soda, powder and salt in a bowl and put to the side.

Bring the sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the sugar and water mixture into a large mixer bowl or regular bowl and add the chocolate and butter and let it sit, but stir it occasionally until the chocolate and butter is melted and the mixture has cooled slightly. Then stir in the vanilla and slightly beaten eggs.

Finally add the dry ingredients and using a mixer, mix it all together.

Divide the batter between the pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While they're baking you can start on the filling:

Filling:

4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp.

1 Cup icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp heavy cream

1 cup of marshmallow cream - MMMM!

Using a mixer, cream the butter until fluffy and beat in 1/2 a cup of the icing sugar. Add the vanilla and 1 tbsp of heavy cream beat until smooth like buttah. Then beat in the 1/4 cup of icing sugar and then 1tbsp of cream and then 1/4 cup of sugar and the rest of the cream. Beat in the marshmallow cream and set aside.

When the cupcakes are finished, let them cool in the pan for about 25 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack... cooling time takes approx 45 minutes, but do not put them in the fridge because they have to be soft enough for the filling.

Once they are cool you can spoon the filling into a pastry bag w/ a medium tip. Insert the tip into the centre of each cupcake and fill until the cupcake is heavier but do not overfill. Once they are all finished, set them aside and make the ganache.

The ganache:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped

1/2 Cup of heavy cream

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp. vanilla

Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl or glass pirex bowl. Heat the cream and butter until just boiling, then pour it over the chocolate, it it stand for 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Then add two tsp of vanilla let stand until cool but still glossy and liquid.

Dip each cupcake into the ganache and let stand for 15 minutes.

Grate 1 ounce of the semi sweet chocolate and place in a shaker or whatever you feel like using and shake over the cupcakes, then create chocolate curls using a paring knife or the slicer on a grater... whichever you prefer. Break the curls in half and stick two in each cupcake for garnish.

Tralalalala.

Holy ####### as if I just wrote all that.

Someone better try this now.