The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am back, I have been reading over the thread and thinking and pondering.

It sounds like everyone here today would like to be in one piece again and that is half the battle. I am glad for that. T'is silly for any of us to think we could go on alone at this point. Too much fun still to be had.

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh good! - Ramius is volunteering to mop up!

Here ya go!

[HairOfTheDog]

Bad Habits an' all.

You don't think I could ever be a good nun? ;~D

[Scott from the Left Coast]

In an alternate life.

[Sam Cree]

Well, I'd probably suck at being a priest, except for the drinking part.

Have you ever noticed that the clubs fishermen carry to subdue unruly catches are called priests? I guess because they help the fish to know their maker.

[Sam Cree]

Yes, you are right, there's lots of fun to be had.

[HairOfTheDog]

[grin]

[300winmag]

Getting back to the ordinary chit-chat of this place, I came across today's "Dilbert" cartoon. The point-haired boss in today's strip is exactly like a former boss of mine, and this strip reminded me of ol' Frank.

[SuziQ]

Howdy! Now that you're back, I'll post one of the pictures from the MA mini-moot.

We was havin a bit o fun with Mr. Frodo! I had to hold him up; you'd a thought he'd had too many pints!

[SuziQ]

Here's one I knew y'all would like! This was a wax figure of Jean-Paul Gaultier, the designer who did the costumes for The Fifth Element. I couldn't resist taking Frodo's picture with the man in the sequined kilt.

[HairOfTheDog]

If we all wanted to laugh, I should have taken some pictures of my friend's rescue dog.... She said he looked terrible, 12 year old collie, way overweight, but obviously not had good nutrition, because his coat is in terrible shape. Dry and brittle, and his color was gone. By the time he had arrived here she had already taken the scissors to him and cut most of his hair off.

She brought along all her show spritz stuff including hair color because whatever collie markings he had were all but lost, faded or something... She brought Auburn/Mahogany hair tint with her that she uses to deepen the color on her show dog and colored him in my tub.... well, because she had cut all his long guard hair off and all that was left was the porous fuzzy undercoat, it took the color really weird and he came out quite pink. I think she will now have to just hide him until his hair grows back.

;~D

[Overtaxed]

Heh....Frodo must be getting tired of that. I've got a similar picture of my sister and Frodo.

[Lil'freeper]

Ok, here's my Sugar-free Cheesecake

2 8oz pkg softened cream cheese
1/2 c Splenda
1 tsp lemon juice (+ 1/4 tsp lime juice)
2 eggs
1 Tbs heavy cream

crust of choice
fruit topping of choice

Cream Splenda and cream cheese until smooth. Separately, beat eggs, cream, and lemon/lime juice until frothy. Fold into cheese mixture until blended. Pour over crust in 8-in baking dish. Bake 30 min @ 350 or until almost set in the middle.

Notes:

• When cooking for the two of us, I just line my 8-inch cake pan with foil and bake it in that. The foil makes it easy to lift it out of the pan.
  
• Use a double batch for a 9-10" springform pan. Ends up being a thin cheesecake (approx 1.25 inch thick)
  
• Really good if you let it sit overnight in the fridge. Flavor bends nicely and the texture improves.
  
• This recipe works well at sea level. May have to fiddle with it if your altitude is much different.
  
• I never use the full measure of Splenda. I fill the cup to within 1/2 inch of the top and the cheesecake comes out great. The lemon juice does a lot of the work flavor-wise and reduces the amount of 'sweet' needed.
  
• Crust and topping are entirely up to you. Tastes great with no crust. During the thick of our Atkins adventure I made a crust out of pecan 'flour' and butter (with a tsp of splenda). The pecan was a bit overpowering but tolerable. Now I use my sour wheat crust- and that's a whole 'nother recipe! I usually top it with fresh fruit that's been tossed in a Tbs of Splenda and a sprinkle of water. Makes a very light and yummy glaze.

[HairOfTheDog]

We was havin a bit o fun with Mr. Frodo! I had to hold him up; you'd a thought he'd had too many pints!

Well, I am glad someone took care of him if he was having too many pints! You guys look like you were having a bit of fun yourself!

Frodo stories! - We need you guys to finish the Frodo posts!

[SuziQ]

Heh....Frodo must be getting tired of that.

He certainly doesn't seem to have a problem with it; his expression hasn't changed any. Heh Heh.

You know, that's what makes the pictures and the comments so fun. Here is this hobbit with the SAME expression in every picture, no matter what is going on or what we write about him!

[Overtaxed]

It was a dark and stormy night....

[HairOfTheDog]

You already told us that part!

[Overtaxed]

That Frodo, he's a trooper.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

ecurbh wears his sunglasses on his polo exactly like I do...

[Overtaxed]

....meanwhile....