COFFEE CAKE

Continuing now on the Further Adventures of Catalyst and his new stand mixer.

I made a Sour-Cream Coffee Cake.

Yeah, I know it looks good.

And it was actually in spite of strange results.

The walnut topping that I spread on the top fell to the bottom and the resulting cake was pretty crumbly.

Both SWMBO and I agreed that it was delicious.

But we decided that it was too sweet for our aging (ageing, Europeans) bodies and I won't make it again.

Now, on to dinner rolls for Thanksgiving.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Yes it is, little helper.

How about you Gentle Readers . . . how was *your* week?

Good, bad, or ugly, let's lighten the mood with a little end-of-the-week humor, O.K.?

For example . . .

And then there's my favorite this week, sent by my pun partner Dr. Jim.

I hope you liked these and that you'll take your good humor into a fabulous, funny, fine, freewheeling, few days filled with flirtatiousness and fun with your friends.

And always remember to keep laughing.

You just otter, right?

(I can just hear my wife saying "All right, enough with the puns!")

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(uh-oh)

THE ARTIST VIEWING ART

This is my wife's daughter, also known on this blog as the BRD or Beautiful Rich Daughter.

Now why, you might ask, does she have that blissful grin on her face?

Because, you see, she is an artist in many genres and she is taking an art break.

In Scottsdale, where the 2018 Canal Convergence is going on for another four nights, the last of a 10 day run of performance, light, music and temporary art on and around a canal running through the city.

You can learn more about the event by going here and be sure to view the video.

But that's after the sun goes down which leaves all day for exploring.

So the BRD toured the MIM, Scottsdale's highly regarded Musical Instrument Museum.

So no wonder she's smiling.

I texted her that with those rose-colored glasses and the jeans with the knees carefully frayed she looked like a rock star.

Her reply?

"Hey!  I do rock!!!"

Yes you do, girl, yes you do.

GIMME A BOOST, WILLYA?

One cat helping another to get a drink.

(And the black one does not have big gray spots on his fur.  The window needs cleaning.  Sorry.)

TURNING PURPLE?

Arizona has elected a new U.S. Senator and it illustrates history in the making.

As of late yesterday Democrat Kyrsten Sinema won the election to replace the retiring Republican Jeff Flake.

She will become Arizona's first female Senator and the first Democrat elected in 24 years.

REMEMBER

Dedicated to all those who gave their lives while serving . . .

THE LOOK

This is why I call her SWMBO

(She Who Must Be Obeyed)

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Don't you just hate the television news reporters and anchors who greet their fellows with "Hey"?

It's one of my pet peeves.

Lately.

But, hey, can't we all just smile awhile?

Yep, it's time for the Friday Funnies.

Awwww-right, Gentle Readers, that's it for this week.

Let's all get out there and have a great weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing.

Oh, man . . . .

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS?

There were some interesting comments from TJ on yesterdays clouds/blue sky picture.

So, Gentle Readers, what can you do with this one?

RE-SET

Feeling a tad better today?

SERENITY

YOUTH

Judy and I paid a visit to Prescott Valley's Sunday Farmers Market yesterday and she pointed out something to me.

As we oldsters doddered around she had spotted a young woman displaying a much younger sensibility.

And sense of balance.

Wearing quite high-heeled shoes she was balanced atop a cooler chatting with the cook in a food cart.

We watched as she jiggled her feet in that seemingly precarious position, perhaps in time to some inner music.

Ah, to be young again.

(BTW, I got the young woman's permission to take the photo.)

CLAFOUTIS

Some time back I baked a recipe I'd found for a French dessert called a cherry clafoutis.

Yesterday I found myself with an abundance of champagne grapes rapidly turning and decided to try some of them in the pastry.

It looks good but we haven't tried it yet.

Judy said that we'd save it for Sunday breakfast.

Anybody hungry yet?

THINK PINK

Spotted in my town recently:

Would you care to guess what the owner of this beauty named it?

It's on the back.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

All right, voters.

The mid-term elections are only four days away here in the United States.

Be somebody.

Vote!

And that's my political speech for the season.

Now on to something important.

Humor!

Okay, campers, now you're going to have to succeed crazily with chutzpah and cozying up to your cupcake this weekend, chuckling all the way but with absolutely no cuckolding or crackups.

In other words, have a great time!

And always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

THE MIX MASTER

For months and months I've been pining and pining for a stand mixer for our kitchen.

So many of the recipes that I look at online seem to start with "In the bowl of a stand mixer . . ."

I really was enamored of the KitchenAid brand because all the reviewers said it was the best.

But the price was way too high for our budget.

Then the other day SWMBO brought me a page she'd torn from an old magazine she was throwing away.

It showed a Hamilton Beach mixer, said it was nearly as good as the KitchenAid and was only $100.

With what was left of a gift card on my Amazon Prime membership the price came down to around $60.

With Judy's nod, I ordered it.

Two days later, it was on my counter.

Does he look confused?

Yesterday I finally broke it in.

No, no, no, Gentle Readers, I did not say I broke it.

But there is a bit of a learning curve.

By the time I was through with it there was a not- so-fine coating of flour over it, the counter and the floor nearby.

But the bread dough was mixed perfectly.

Then there were a few minutes of kneading and later rolling it out.

I remembered midway through the latter process a trick SWMBO had taught me sometime back.

The bread board will move around on the counter so just put a damp cloth under it and that will stop.

Well, it was too late for that so I struggled through and finally had two loaves in the oven.

Here are my finished products.

Two slightly irregular French baguettes.

As Judy pointed out, they could have stayed a bit longer in the oven to brown a bit more but the taste was amazing.

Especially compared with the ones I've brought home from the grocery store.

Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and a great flavor.

We dined on them, some Brie cheese and another of Judy's great slaws for our evening repast last night.

And we kept the outside lights off and never had a trick-or-treater.

So now, not only do I have that fancy new stand mixer to play with but I also have a (nearly) full bag of candy!

And the November baking season is upon us!