Eggnog Snickerdoodles

I love eggnog.  I love Snickerdoodles.  When I saw the recipe for Eggnog Snickerdoodles at the link below, I couldn't wait to fill the house with the aroma of this delicious combination.  The only deviations were subbing vanilla extract for the rum extract and opting to go with no icing on top.  Fortunately, Gourmet Chef Elaine spotted at the last second that I was using wax paper instead of parchment paper to line the cookie trays which would have ruined both the cookies and the trays.  I can be such a ditz.

https://lilluna.com/eggnog-snickerdoodles

Miami Valley Meals

Miami Valley Meals is a local organization that transforms raw ingredients provided by various food donors (e.g., farms, urban gardens, restaurants) into balanced, nutritious, and tasty meals.  Food pantries, churches, social service groups, etc., distribute those meals to needy individuals in the Dayton region.  In 2023 they provided 235,123 meals not to just the hungry but to people who are not able to cook their own meals or just have a microwave available to them.  You can learn more at the link below.

One way to donate to their cause is by buying one of the unique spice blends they have created.  Click "Shop" at the top of their webpage to check it out.  I opted for the "Feel Good Fusion".

https://miamivalleymeals.org

Room Numbers

Gourmet Chef Elaine noticed that our local high school has put each room number on a window so it's visible from the outside.  In emergencies, these numbers can assist first responders in quickly getting to the correct location.  The design of the numbers (white and not too large) helps them blend into the building and not present an eye sore, but are easily seen when needed.  Pretty clever idea to help keep the kids safe.

Big Toe Hole Preventer

Every pair of running/walking shoes I've worn ended up with a hole in the fabric on the top of the left shoe and sometimes the right, which eventually causes me to buy new shoes earlier than otherwise needed.  It's a foot condition called "the hyperextension of the distal phalanx" (I know, it sounds kinda dirty), but all it means is that every time you take a step your big toe lifts, and that rubbing will lead to a hole.  

I recently discovered the "Big Toe Hole Preventer" which uses a black path, which is under the lift-off release paper in the picture below.  You just cut the outline to your shoe size, remove the release paper, slide the cut-out to the front of the shoe, and press down.  After a minute or so you slide the applicator out of the shoe and wait 24 hours to ensure the patch is secure.  I've put them in two pairs of shoes and don't know they are there.  

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4NWVBB1

YouTube TV Zen Channel

As I've blogged about before, I'm a big fan of YouTube TV and their latest feature expands on the little nature and other Zen-like clips they show at times in lieu of commercials.  There is now a full-time Zen channel that loops through scenes of arm-flapping penguins (shown below), crackling fireplaces, play-fighting polar bear cubs, ice skaters, and more.  While targeted at having a calming moment, I find myself flipping over to it during those all-too-often, 3.5-minute commercial breaks that cause major sporting events to regularly run 4 hours or more.  I can't wait until I can customize a 2-pane MultiView with the show I'm watching in one frame and the Zen Channel in the other.  And hopefully, YouTube TV will add a lot more scenes as these do get a bit repetitive.

https://9to5google.com/2024/12/04/youtube-tv-zen-channel

Cornbread Cupcakes

I was left with most of a bag of Pan brand cornmeal after making arepas a few months ago and didn't know what else I could make until Gourmet Chef Elaine made a pot of her awesome chili.  I thought a loaf of cornbread would match perfectly and then decided, for portion-control purposes, to make the cornbread cupcakes shown below.  I just followed the simple recipe at the link below and used baking cups to make clean-up easy.  What I didn't realize was that cornmeal is way stickier than a desert batter and I had to pry the baking cup off.  Next time I'll spray the pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.

The portion control didn't go as planned as these were so delicious I had to have seconds (and just maybe, thirds).  

https://us.allofpan.com/recipes/corn-cupcakes

Unique Flag To Pole Connection

The flag shown below is located in the office building complex across from the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering, Ohio.  It features one of the smartest ways to connect the flag to the pole to prevent it from getting tangled up on itself.  Instead of the bottom attachment being the usual ring that's (supposed to) rotate, this configuration uses a weight to keep the flag spread vertically and a very loose loop to allow the flag to rotate.  Separating the two needs using two different mechanisms (IMHO) is pure genius.

Fraze Construction - Part 2

As shown below, the answer to yesterday's puzzle is that they are planting new trees. The series of plastic pipes comes from a company named DeepRoot. As its name implies, the piping is an irrigation system that helps the tree's roots grow down into the soil instead of sideways. If you have a tree near a patio or sidewalk, you know first-hand how powerful and destructive their roots can be.  You can read more about DeepRoot at the link below which includes a rainwater filtration option I don't believe is being used here.

I have no clue how much taxpayer money they are spending on this project but just to plant six trees must be worth it in someone's mind.

https://www.deeproot.com

Fraze Construction - Part 1

A couple of weeks ago we found workmen breaking concrete and digging a pair of large holes in the ground at the Fraze Pavilion, including removing some trees.  Why they were doing this was a mystery that only got more puzzling when a few days later they installed the series of plastic tubes you see below.  Maybe some kind of new Christmas decoration?  Take your best guess and tomorrow I'll reveal what they're up to.

Power Failure

One of the benefits of having some smart devices in your home is finding out that our electricity was out l during our 16-day September road trip.  I received alerts from my Blink camera app that it lost connection. I then looked at the Google Home app (screenshot below) to see that the WiFi router and Nest thermostat were offline.  Fortunately for us, we had almost nothing perishable in our two refrigerators and even though the first (of three) outages lasted over thirteen hours, nothing had to be thrown away.  

Guacamole

Earlier this year I had the Garden Toast breakfast shown below at the Garden Table restaurant near the Broad Ripple neighborhood in Indianapolis.  It was basically upscale bacon and eggs on toast with smashed avocado, which got me thinking about the word "guacamole".  

I've always pronounced it with a long "E" at the end, but when I heard it in Spanish, which concludes the word with a long "A" sound instead, I realized guacamole must be the two words, "guaca" and "mole", smashed together.  As you can read more about at the link below, guacamole is derived from the Nahuatl (an Indigenous people of Mexico) word “ahuacamolli,” which is a combination of the words “ahuacatl,” meaning avocado, and “molli,” meaning sauce.  Over time it was shortened to “guacamole.”

For whatever that was worth, I found it fascinating.

https://www.chefsresource.com/why-is-guacamole-called-guacamole

New Coffee Mug

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I visited Gettysburg this fall and took a fantastic bus tour through the battlegrounds, monuments, and graveyards, even though there was a drizzling rain most of the time. When we got back to the tour station, I wanted something to remember the somber moments of the bloody three-day battle of Gettysburg, and in their gift shop, I found the coffee mug shown below.  "We the People" are the first three words of the Preamble to the United States Constitution, introducing the US Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles.  

If you haven't visited Gettysburg, I highly recommend it.  Bring a couple of tissues with you as experiencing the memories of this battle can bring tears.

Clever Marketing Gimmick

A couple of people trying to sell us AT&T's internet service door-to-door had a very interesting trick up their sleeve.  They had me run a speed test on my current service while standing on our front porch.  That resulted in a download speed of 61.4 Mbps, as shown in the lefthand screenshot below.  That makes it look like I'm not getting anywhere near the 300 Mbps I should be getting, but that's the trick.  Standing outside not only put me further from my Wifi router, but that signal now had to penetrate a brick wall to reach my smartphone.  Which of course they knew.

Being the techie type (it was my job for 40 years), I reran the test by walking five steps to the living room and reran the test, resulting in the 342 Mbps as shown in the righthand screenshot below.  That seemingly small difference in location made a huge difference and I was clearly getting great Internet speed.  But to really measure Internet speed, I knew I had to take WiFi out of the equation, so I ran a speed test from my MacMini, which is Ethernet-cabled to the cable modem.  That resulted in a stunning 483 Mbps.  

Creeping Thyme

The picture of our creeping thyme shown below was taken in late autumn. The single plant has grown to approximately four feet by three feet. That's not bad for a plant that started out this spring about the size of your hand.  This will remain green all winter (unless it's really bad) and bloom in late spring to early summer creating a blanket of small flowers.  We'll find out next year if it continues its growth spurt and tries to take over the entire front landscape.

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/thymus-serpyllum-pink-chintz

iOS Keyboard Space Bar Slide

Back on January 8, 2024, of this year, I wrote about the Space Bar Slide and how it makes positioning to the exact place in a string of text so easy.  I also said that I had to install the GBoard (Google's keyboard) on my iPad to get it to work.  All that being true, the part I missed is that you can do this with Apple's default keyboard, but it works just a bit differently.  Instead of just sliding back and forth on the space bar, the Apple keyboard requires you to press down on the keyboard and hold it down while you slide your finger.  You will know you have pressed down firmly enough when the keyboard "blanks out" as shown in the image below.  Get that screen and you can now slide back and forth.  This, and other useful tips, can be found at the link below.

https://www.howtogeek.com/441872/how-to-use-text-editing-gestures-on-your-iphone-and-ipad

Pumpkin Ice Cream

For my money, Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice Cream is the very best.  It's delicious by itself, but I like to put a couple tablespoons of Smucker's Hot Fudge in a ramekin (i.e. portion control), heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then scoop some ice cream on top.  Pure heaven!  It's only available around Thanksgiving time and in limited quantities, so if you see it, put it immediately in your cart.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/pumpkin-ice-cream-095253

Half-n-Half Struggles

I swear some package designers get off by making an ordinary product impossible to open without the use of tools.  The most difficult one, as shown in the picture below, is a carton of Half-n-half.  The cap is too small to grip easily and requires a ridiculous amount of effort to twist off.  Fortunately, I keep a pair of pliers close by.

They have a term for that: Wrap Rage.  Spot on.  Read more about it at the link below.

https://www.smashbrand.com/articles/wrap-rage-know-the-signs-design-a-cure

Henckels Stainless Steel Cookware

Walking through Costco can result in an impulse buy like replacing our somewhat dated but still good pots and pans with a 12-piece Henckels set.  It included 3 frying pans, 3 saucepans, and a stock pot, with lids.  Besides the great quality, it includes useful features like the straining lids and the measuring markers shown below.  

https://www.costco.com/henckels-tri-ply-clad-stainless-steel-12-piece-cookware-set.product.4000269635.html

Blink Cameras

We decided to get some outdoor cameras, but first, we had to decide what to use them for.  Since we have never had a doorbell and had no inclination for one, that was out.   We also didn't want to get notified every time a motion was detected since that would be dozens if not hundreds of alerts per day.  The final needs list was (1) a simple deterrent for no-gooders as they know they're watched, (2) recordings that could provide useful information if something bad happened and (3) easy to install and operate.  

The Blink Home Outdoor 4 was the perfect match.  They run on a pair of lithium batteries that can last up to two years, so installation only involves a drill and screws and they can be placed anywhere in WiFi reach.  The included Sync Module 2 has a USB port which I inserted a spare 128GB flash drive to keep recordings, so I don't have to subscribe to a monthly cloud storage plan.  I configured the Blink app so I get no notifications, just as desired.  

As you can see in the screenshot below, we have two cameras in the front and one in the back, just perfect to capture me blowing grass off the driveway, walk, and patio.

https://blinkforhome.com

2024 MAC Bowl Games

Now that the Buffalo Bulls (Gourmet Chef Elaine's son is a coach there), a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), have at least six wins in the season, they have become bowl-eligible.  The bowl games they might get are shown below.  While we have no choice in which game they will get, if we did I would rank them best (Boca Raton, Orlando, Frisco, Bahamas), OK (Mobile, Albuquerque, Tucson), and worst (Montgomery, Boise, Detroit).  We will not know until Sunday, Dec. 8 which one they go to, but if it's in Florida, we'll be doing a happy dance.

https://fbschedules.com/college-football-bowl-schedule

Mojo Cuban Sandwich

The monster Cuban sandwich shown below was my lunch earlier this year at the Clear Sky Beachside Cafe on Clearwater Beach, Florida.  It featured mojo pulled pork, cotto salami, black forest ham, swiss cheese, dill pickle, and yellow mustard aioli on fresh bread.  Unfortunately, Clear Sky is currently closed due to the damage from Hurricane Milton, but there are a few other Clear Sky's available in the region.

https://www.clearskycafe.com

Ship Decanter

I had to pull out our ship decanter to let a bottle of 2019 Old Clone Petite Sirah breathe and open up for an hour before starting to drink it.  This type of decanter was designed for use on a ship (pretty clever name, huh?) that could sway at any moment, and with most of the weight on the bottom, it's not likely to lose its precious cargo.  If you're looking for a Christmas gift for a wine-loving friend, this might be just the thing.

https://www.delightedcooking.com/what-is-a-ship-decanter.htm

Online Passport Renewal

Renewing your passport is a little more convenient now that you can do it online if you can meet the requirements.  Among those are the passport you are renewing is or was valid for 10 years, and you are age 25 or older, you are not changing your name, gender, date of birth, or place of birth and you will not need your passport for at least six weeks (your current passport is canceled immediately).  There are more restrictions and requirements that you can find at the link below.  

You will need a new photo of yourself, and you'll need a friend, as no selfies are allowed.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html

Flex Caulk

The first big problem with caulking a shower, sink, or the like is getting the finished product to look straight, even, and smooth and I blogged that solution back on September 14, 2021, using painter's tape above and below.  The second big problem is tubes of caulk that have to be squeezed using a caulking gun or by hand and Flex Caulk is the solution for that.  This caulk tube is under its own pressure and all you have to do is squeeze the red handle you see below and a steady stream of caulk comes out its tip.  Between the painter's tape and Flex Caulk, you can caulk like a pro.

https://flexsealproducts.com/products/flex-caulk

 

Gentile Park

The playground shown below is just part of Kettering, Ohio's new Gentile Park.  Named for Major Don Gentile, a legendary WWII fighter ace born in Piqua.  The park features a one-half-mile walking path, a pair of 100-foot zip lines, and access to the Dayton-Kettering Connector bike trail.  This is not a park you will likely find just driving around, as it sits at the intersection of Peach Orchard and West Avenue off Acorn Drive and very few people know that this cut-through from Wilmington Pike to Shroyer Road exists.

https://www.playkettering.org/gentile-park-project

RYO Pizza

When was the last time we had pizza delivered to our home?  Can't remember, it's been that long.

Instead, we favor making our own dough (shown below) or buying a thin Boboli crust. We combine a can of tomato paste and a cube of pesto, a heartier version of store-bought pizza sauce, and spread it evenly on the dough. It's dusted with onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. In the version below, we added sliced mushrooms, banana peppers, and little mozzarella balls. It's baked on a pizza stone at 400 degrees until the cheese melts and the crust turns brown.

Bamboo Cup

You can read about all the environmental benefits of Southwest's new cup, but this is the first paper-based cup that is nice to drink from.  Made from a pulp blend comprising 75% bamboo, it delivers a pretty decent mouthfeel and is strong enough to not feel like it will fall apart.  

https://www.southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com/news-and-events/news-releases/2024/10-28-2024-154230283

Singcall

When I spotted the Singcall device at the Culina Italian restaurant in the Oregon District of downtown Dayton, Ohio, I thought this was a great idea, getting service when you need it and not waiting for your server to stop by.  Turns out that (1) this is just a twist on the old pager technology that was so cool in the 1980s, and (2) Singcall has several other niches such as caregiver pagers, doorbell chimes, and security alarms.  See the link below for their website and additional options. 

https://singcall.com

Turnabout Is Fair Play

I find it fascinating to watch videos where birds of prey swoop over the water and deftly pull a fish from the water with their talons or others that dive straight into the water to snatch deeper prey.  But nature doesn't side exclusively with birds as the two-minute video at the link below demonstrates.  Created by BBC's Blue Planet, it features the Giant Trevally feeding on Terns as in the picture below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4pxLHG0Wzs&si=1XQQgAc2JX0C7dJq

Puck

The hockey puck you see below came from our Infiniti QX60 we bought last February.  You would guess correctly we don't play hockey since we're in our late 60s so it's not ours.  But it's obvious that someone in the previous owners' family did and accidentally left it behind.  It was found by the person at Soft Touch Car Wash that vacuumed our car and they must have done the best job ever, finding a black puck on the black carpet wedged (presumably) under one of the seats.  Impressive!  

https://softtouchcarwashdayton.com

Skyline Chili Dip

The Skyline Chili Dip shown below is both super easy and super delicious.  A layer of cream cheese on the bottom is topped with a can of Skyline Chili and baked at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Add a layer of shredded cheddar cheese and bake for another 5-8 minutes until the cheese melts.  If the mood strikes, top the dip with sliced scallions or jalapeno peppers.

Big shout out to Deb for this tailgate masterpiece.

https://www.thechunkychef.com/cincinnati-style-chili-cheese-dip

ABC Store

On our recent trip to Hilton Head Island, we stocked up on our necessary liquid supplies at Island Spirits & Fine Wines.  While the receipt included that establishment's name, that debit charge came through very differently on our bank account.  As shown below, somebody has a weird sense of humor.

Lights On

The lights are illuminated even though it's a bright sunny day at UB Stadium on the University of Buffalo campus.  This isn't the first time I've experienced this, but it was the first time it triggered me to find out why.  The numerous reasons are detailed at the link below, and while a few seem a bit of a reach, having them on to assist the television broadcast cameras in delivering high-quality video, having consistent light levels during partly cloudy days, and getting players to get used to them being on makes sense to me.  

https://medium.com/@wosenlight/why-are-stadium-lights-on-during-the-day-e85c910481d#

Valet Living

One of Valet Living's services is a once-a-day trash pickup, so you can avoid trips to your apartment complex's central garbage dumpsters.  I have never lived in an apartment complex so big that this would be valuable, but the can shown below is from the Buffalo, New York area where snow, cold, and dark make that evaluation much different.

https://www.valetliving.com

In Five Seconds

I have an Amazon Alexa-controlled smart switch on a lamp in the basement so I can say "Alexa, turn on (or off) the basement light."  The only problem is that after dark the basement is very dark and I need that light to safely see my way to the stairs.  I used to walk part of the way up the stairs before issuing the "off" command, but recently, on a whim, deciding to try "Alexa, in five seconds turn off the basement light."  To my surprise that worked!  I've searched several times for a document showing this feature exists, but so far I've come up with nothing.

Street Corn Dip

This Street Corn Dip is delicious whether you serve it up hot or cold, making it the perfect tailgate dish.  Don't let the twelve ingredients fool you into thinking this is a hard recipe to make, it's mostly slicing, dicing, and measuring with a little stirring thrown in.  If I've created a recipe card like the one below for a dish, it's both easy (because the prep fits in 90 words or less) and delicious (have to trust me on that).

Blood Orange Tom Collins

The hot afternoon on Hilton Head Island, SC, last month was the perfect time to have the Blood Orange Tom Collins shown below.  It's a simple concoction of 2 oz blood orange gin, 1 oz lemon juice, and 3/4 oz simple syrup that's shaken with ice and topped with club soda.  The venue was the Hilton Head Distillery found on the northeast side of the island.  Tours are available for those interested, but give me a bar seat and a bartender and I'm a happy guy.

https://www.hiltonheaddistillery.com

But I Gotta Go

I apologize for the blurry picture below but I had to share this sign along I-90 in New York.  A parking area one mile ahead is advertised as a "text stop" but without any "bathrooms".  Given the choice of which one I need the most on a long drive, I'll take the "bathrooms", or at least the cover of some thick bushes, cause when you gotta go, you gotta go.  I guess knowing there's a telephone available (as if we don't all carry one) is some sort of relief, just not the kind I need. 

Come on New York, get real!

Knot On Call

People name their boats creatively and personally, like the "Knot On Call" shown below.  Another cute name, also found at LumberJack's Patio Grill on the Niagara River just north of Buffalo, New York, was "Sea E O".  Check out the link below for some more chuckle-worthy boat names like "She Got the House" and "What’s Up Dock?".

https://www.veranda.com/luxury-lifestyle/a41001953/best-boat-names

Niagara Falls

The picture below is of the American Falls on the Niagara River, the second-largest of the three falls that move water from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.   While you can see the largest, Horseshoe Falls, from the American side it's not nearly as impressive as the view from the Canadian side.  We drove to Niagara Falls State Park (free admission, but pay for parking) located on Goat Island, and walked to views of all three falls (Bridal Falls being the third) where getting caught in the mist is part of the fun.  A poncho is a good idea.

One thing we learned, as detailed in the link below, is that water is diverted from the falls at night to provide for more hydroelectricity generation and even more than that in the winter off-season.  

https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/blog/do-they-shut-off-the-falls-at-night

Homemade Arepas

Shown below is my first attempt to make arepas at home.  The corn pocket was made using warm water, salt, and precooked white cornmeal as detailed in the YouTube video at the link below.  It's formed by hands coated in oil and water to minimize sticking, shaped into a circle to the diameter and thickness you desire, and fried for a short time in a frying pan to get some color.  They are finished by baking them in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, they are sliced horizontally and filled with whatever strikes your fancy, in the case below some leftovers from last night's dinner at Jorrge's.

The only difficulty in this recipe is finding the precooked white cornmeal.  I found a package of the brand Pan at La Raza in West Carrollton, a small Mexican store and restaurant at 2175 Imperial Road, which was a bit challenging as I don't speak a lick of Spanish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbvh5XaBpJk

Copa Di Vino

I appreciate unique packaging like the Copa Di Vino hourglass-shaped beauty shown below. Holding about 6.3 fluid ounces, it comes filled with one of several kinds of wine. Its splash-proof cap is perfect if you're on the move or just want to keep the bugs out. Gourmet Chef, Elaine, and I agree that drinking from a glass (i.e., made of real glass like these) is the best (i.e. only) way to enjoy a beverage.

I plan to buy several of their white wine varieties.  I can't speak to the quality of their red wine selections, but in my experience, they tend to vary all over the place where white choices are generally at least OK.   I will refill them with some of our better wines or cocktails for our next tailgate party. 

https://copadivino.com

NY Tolls

The sign below is one of two on our way on I-90 in New York on our way to Buffalo, a disappointment because we have E-ZPass transponders and it's a hassle, albeit minor, dealing with a bill in our mailbox.  But after a couple of months and no bill, I didn't know what to think or do.  But just before our second trip, I checked our online E-ZPAss account and voila, the charges were there.  While I can't find anything online that will validate me, it looks like New York sent the bill to Ohio first to see if we were E-ZPass customers and when we were, Ohio took care of the charges and debited my account.  So only half of the sign is true; they don't use E-ZPass transponders, but they do take E-ZPass accounts.  Sigh...

Red, White And Blue

We should all know that the stars on the United States flag represent the current fifty states and the red and white stripes the thirteen original colonies.  But do you know why these particular colors were selected?

• Red stands for hardiness and valor
• White symbolizes purity and innocence
• Blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice

The flag is usually displayed from sunrise to sunset, but the locations below fly Old Glory 24 hours a day 

• Fort McHenry, National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland
• Flag House Square, Baltimore, Maryland
• United States Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia
• On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts
• The White House, Washington, D.C.
• United States customs ports of entry
• Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

More on the interesting history of our flag can be found at the link below.

https://www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth/history/old-glory

10X

At the bottom of the picture below, which appeared for less than a second on a commercial for some humanitarian fundraiser I don't remember, is a line that caught my attention.  I had to "rewind" the commercial to quickly snap the picture. It states your donation "can" be used to get government money and that it "can" multiply its impact by ten times.  I suppose that also means it could be a great waste of money and only benefits grant writers or lobbyists.

What irks me more than anything is the use of the huge "10X" which I'm sure is meant to distract you long enough that you wouldn't notice anything else on the screen before it passed.  When an organization tries this hard to get you to miss what I'm sure a line their lawyers said had to be included, I'm inclined to believe I'm wasting my money on this one.

Am I just getting more distrustful the longer I live, or am I just getting smarter?

Mascarpone Limoncello Pie

If you closed your eyes and tasted the Mascarpone Limoncello Pie pictured below, you could easily mistake it for the best Key Lime Pie ever.  The crust is ground-up toasted pecans and coconut crisp cookies blended with butter and sweetened coconut.  The filling starts by whipping heavy cream to soft peaks and then whisking in mascarpone, condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Limoncello.  The filling and crust are combined and placed in a freezer for at least 3-4 hours.  We're not big dessert eaters, but there wasn't a crumb left.

Argon

Way back when Gourmet Chef Elaine and I were dating, we played trivia with a group of friends at a local watering hole named Bosco's.  One of the questions was "What's the third most gas that makes up air" to which I immediately wrote down "argon".  She looked at me and asked, "How on earth do you know that!?"  Well, I'm a geek, pure and simple, and that was my value to our trivia group.  She brings a vast amount of medical knowledge and each member of the group had their specialties, and we always did well.  

The name "argon" is derived from the Greek word meaning 'lazy' or 'inactive', as a reference to the fact that the element undergoes almost no chemical reactions.  And I just had to buy the coffee mug shown below as a remembrance. 

Android Camera Delay

For those of us smart, lucky, or handsome enough who have Android phones, we also have the option to set a camera delay like I posted yesterday for iPhone folks.  Launch the Camera app and click the gear icon to bring up the screen below.  Like the iPhone, there are the same 3 and 10-second delay options.  Pick one, return to the app, and press the shutter to start the countdown.  That's how it works on my Pixel 7 and that varies on the type of Android phone you have, which is talked about in more detail at the link below.

https://www.alphr.com/set-timer-android-camera

iPhone Camera Delay

Perhaps your fingers are so talented that you can take an arms-length selfie while simultaneously firmly holding your iPhone and pressing the shutter button, but the rest of us are at serious risk of taking a terrible picture or worse, dropping our phone.  After recently witnessing a near-disaster I asked myself if there might be a way to use a countdown timer and avoid pressing the shutter, and sure nuf, there is.  As the link below will explain in more detail, you just launch Camera, tap the up-arrow icon at the top of your screen, and tap the timer icon at the upper right.  That will bring up the screen you see below where you can select either a 3 or 10-second delay.  After tapping the shutter button a timer will count down to zero when your picture is taken.

https://www.howtogeek.com/833693/how-to-use-the-iphone-camera-timer