SWEET AND SPICY

The holidays are a time to bring out some time-honored recipes.

SWMBO has some that are favorites, like her Red Pepper Jelly.

To begin . . .

. . . some big beautiful red bell peppers . . .

. . . chopped up and combined with the juice of some lemons . . .

. . . in the food processor . . .

. . . where they are pureed and then strained . . .

. . . and then boiled and stirred on the stovetop with a generous slash of sugar, some red wine vinegar, a little of the strained juice, pectin and a surprise ingredient this year: a slosh of Sambal Indonesian hot sauce to give it a little kick.

The eventual jelly is poured into glasses and topped with some melted paraffin and cooled.

Kind of looks like Christmas, doesn't it?

HOT & COLD

Here in the Central Highlands of Arizona the Thanksgiving Day weather forecast is not promising.

Snow starting during the day and continuing through Friday.

Yikes!

That's what the BRD commented this morning when she emailed me a story about the storm.

Meantime, she's trying to stay cool, listening to a couple of mariachis in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

She and Beau Jack are enjoying a respite from the colder weather back home.

In the latest photo she is posing as La Reina de las flores (the Queen of the flowers).

Seems like a little Frida Kahlo influence, don't you think?

ZANINESS

What strange paths the sleeping mind travels.

I woke this morning, thinking of this.

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies comprise over a thousand short theatrical films that introduced characters like Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

They were a mainstay of my childhood many, many, many years ago.

Who knows why they came into my mind this morning but there they were.

On another front, I heard a strange whirring sound coming from above the other day.

It grew louder as I listened with some trepidation.

Then I saw it!

A drone!

Right above me!

How did it get into my house?

But then I realized - it was only the ceiling fan in my den.

Now to get back to reality and the puzzle of where the BRD and her Beau Jack are spending Thanksgiving Week.

It's not Florida.

It's not Hawaii.

It's tacos for their Thanksgiving Dinner.

They're spending time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Some folks have all the fun.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

I know.

It's still a few days before Thanksgiving.

And I know how SWMBO puts off any Christmas decorating as long as she can.

That's why I was agape when she brought this home from a brief shopping stint the other day.

Yeah, you've got it, it's a giant poinsettia plant.

I love 'em but we rarely get one in the house during the holidays unless the BRD brings one over.

When we moved to Mexico back in the distant '80's, I was amazed to find several of the blooming beauties in the yard of a house we rented.

As I told Judy, I thought they always grew in pots in the grocery stores.

BTW, in Mexico they're called flor de nochebuena, or Christmas Eve flowers.

To this day I always think of them as nochebuenas and have to go to The Great Google to bring the name "poinsettia" back.

Whatever you call them, they're beautiful.

When I questioned my housemate about it she said it was only $5.99 and they're normally 3 or 4 times that for one that size.

So the Christmas season has started early, even in my house.

Speaking of Christmas, the BRD emailed us this picture this morning.

And, speaking of the BRD, she sent a picture of her view this morning.

Do you have any idea where she is?

FOGGY FRIDAY

The sun is back today but yesterday morning was a bit of a surprise.

Fog was blanketing my neighborhood.

A foggy day always makes me think of the Sherlock Holmes stories I read as a kid.

"The game is afoot.

Watson?  Watson?

Where the devil are you?"

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I suppose to some it started with Halloween but with Thanksgiving coming up next week we are officially in the Holiday Season.

Just to put you in the mood many retailers large and small have designated today Black Friday and begun their huge sales.

Aren't you happy?

Well let me lighten your load, Gentle Readers, with a small dose of medicinal humor.

There you have it, folks, the annual turkey trot.

I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving and that you don't eat too much.

In the meantime have yourselves a wonderful weekend and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oh, don't they just irritate the heck out of ya?)

ThrowBack Thursday

A weary Catalyst, after a two-hour long set with Mick and "Keef " and Charlie, back in the day.

A RAINY DAY IN ARIZONA

Yes, we do have rain in our desert state some times.

Just a little overnight but the sky is promising more to come.

The front showing only a slightly damp walkway this morning.

And out back the sun faces are smiling through.

Here in arid Arizona, we seldom sing the children's song:

"Rain, rain, go away.  Come again some other day."

CONTRAST

Just to make up for that somewhat ugly picture of my lunch that I posted yesterday, here's what my beloved Judy can do when she has a mind to.

In case you're wondering, it's breaded pork tenderloin on a bed of spinach and sliced strawberries.

(Some people can mash up a burrito and microwave it.  Other people are culinary artists.)

A SIMPLE LUNCH

A flour tortilla, enclosing some leftover taco meat and refried beans; microwaved for 30-40 seconds.

Not pretty but tasty and fast.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

It's nearing the end of the week and the Catalyst's idle mind encountered a question while thinking about The Friday Funnies.

Can he get a laugh without a picture?

As an experiment, let's see.

Okay, okay, I hear you so I'll bring back the cartoons.

Well maybe just one.

Brace yourselves.

With that, I will call a halt to this Friday Frivolity.

I leave you with my standard plea - enjoy yourselves, have a great weekend and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oooooohhhhhhh)

ThrowBack Thursday

1971 - Indiana:  A smug Catalyst in his brand new MGB,

Less than a year later, the car was back with the dealer and I was on my way to Arizona.

The smug smile remains.

PUSHING THE SEASON

I took this photo in a local store yesterday . . .

. . . so now it's down to 42!

TUESDAY TRICKERY

Up at the pass between Woodchute and Mingus Mountains there is a very unique tree.

While towering over its neighbors it blends into the forest.

But a closer inspection found it to be fenced off. 

Surprise!

It's NOT a tree.

It's a cleverly disguised cell phone tower.

To quote a punch line from an old joke, "Are you going to believe me or your lyin' eyes?"

CHOCOLATE & BLOODY

I told you yesterday about the mini "road trip" SWMBO and I took to the Verde Valley and our viewing the golden colors of the Cottonwoods along the river.

But, as you might expect of us, there were other pleasures experienced on this trip.

On our drive through Cottonwood (the town) we were surprised by this sign.

Now it happens that Judy has a daughter named Gayle, spelled that way, also known here as The BRD, for Beautiful Rich Daughter.

And she loves chocolate so I had to whip out my camera.

And visit the tiny shop.

Where I purchased four chocolate truffles.

They are Lemon, Raspberry, Champagne and, the shop-owner's favorite, Michigan Cherry.

In spite of good intentions, though, the BRD never saw these, as we greedily gobbled them up after we got home that evening.

Oh, and there was one other thing.

We stopped at The Tavern Grille in Old Town Cottonwood for a wonderful lunch preceded by one of these for SWMBO.

That is a spectacularly garnished Bloody Mary.

She said it was made to her taste - very spicey!

She topped it off with a BLTA sandwich and I had a Bleu Cheeseburger, both of which were excellent.

I heartily recommend The Tavern Grille.

And Gayle's Chocolates.