Oh Yeah, One More Thing
It happens every year, but this year has been exceptional. Just as the holiday lights begin to twinkle, Santa prepares for his voyage, and the eggnog gets poured into the mugs, I lose the ability to remember why I am in a store. Inevitably, I will return to Target no less than 17,240 times to get the same gift I have been meaning to pick up for a month. It's always that simple little gift that is so easily obtained, i.e. a gift card. They're sitting right in front of me, at the checkout, but yet I will leave without it over and over and over.
Have I ever mentioned that I cannot walk into Target without spending at least $100? It's physically impossible. This is a problem.
The bigger problem, however, lies with the ridiculous amounts of cookie-baking that I do this time of year. I cannot manage to have everything I need in the kitchen at one time. It doesn't seem to matter how many lists I make, how many recipe cards I take with me shopping, or how many times I swear that I will remember everything I need, I'm always missing something. It's enough to make me wonder why I do all this baking in the first place.
I try to convince the world that I'm doing it for them by doling out tins of sugary goodness to pretty much everybody, but really it's for my husband. I'm pretty sure that when we got married, he added the line "But if you ever try to make me live through a holiday without massive amounts of peanut butter, I reserve the right to leave your butt" at the end of his vows. He can handle sickness, poorer, and all of that business, but do not deprive the man of his peanut butter. And guess what I have been out of for days, have gone to the grocery store to buy no less than 6 times, and yet still do not possess?
So, off I go for the 7th time. I vow to return with peanut butter because otherwise, there will be no Puppy Chow. Man cannot survive Christmas without Puppy Chow, I swear to it.
The recipe, in case you are interested, goes a little something like this:
Puppy Chow
8 cups Crispix
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz. package chocolate chips
2 cups powdered sugar
Pour the Crispix into a large non-stick pot or large mixing bowl. In a separate pot (or bowl if microwaving) melt the peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips. Pour the peanut butter concoction over the cereal and stir until well-coated. Carefully pour the powdered sugar into a large brown paper bag. Add the cereal mixture. Fold over the top of the bag and shake the contents until mixed. Scoop yourself out a portion and hide it where noone will ever find it (I find inside the dishwasher works well) because otherwise you will not get to eat a single piece of it.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Reader Comments (24)
Darling husband has been sent to the store twice in a four hour period to pick-up things I forgot or underplanned for. Love going to the grocery store this time of year and seeing all the men wandering around with 5 pounds of sugar and beer . . . why not? They were there afterall.
My friend Catwoman and I actually both posted recently about the bottomless pit that is Target. She spent $144 on hummus. I spent $169 on toothpaste. The hubs? Decided together they'd save if we did couple's therapy for our retail addictions. Come on! The economy's in the toilet. I gotta do my part, right?
Driving with the Brakes on--That is one of the unfortunate side effects of Pennsylvania's ridiculous liquor laws. We can't buy beer at the grocery store, only from distributors. It would be wonderful if I could use that as a motivator, "Honey, could you go buy a can of evaporated milk? While you're there, pick up a six-pack, too, OK?"
Holly--CRAP! I knew I forgot something. Toothpaste. Aarrgghh!
Throw in the fact that we are rural. Gotta love the 20 minute drive home from the nearest store only to find that you've forgotten milk.
Love the Puppy Chow recipe. We have tons of the real stuff, and no Chex. Wonder if the kids would notice? I'll just omit the part of the recipe where I keep a bag back for myself.
Karen--Thank goodness we have a grocery store within spitting distance of our house. It may be one that I despise with all my might, but at least it's there. I think that will have to be a requirement when we move--the house must be located within 5 minutes of a grocery store.
The kids will love Puppy Chow. I promise.
I totally have that same Target disease. And forgetting one thing over and over and over again, even when I carve it into my arm...
And while I can purchase wine and beer at the grocery store, if I want some REAL booze, gotta hit the state-owned ABC stores (although they did just open a new ABC about a mile from my house! I can STUMBLE THERE!!!)
Colleen--We have that so-called deterrent, too. The good stuff is only available at State Stores (and at state prices, no less). Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), they have started to put state stores in some grocery stores, including the one I loathe right by our house. It might be the only thing I like about Try 'n Save, besides its proximity.
Tarjay truly IS the ultimate money pit. Especially now that the Super Tarjay's have groceries attached.
Oh my credit card!
I know what you mean about the multiple trips - every time I am out driving somewhere and I drive past the grocery store I try to remember if there is anything I need to go get, as I know there is, but it doesn't hit me until I pass up the grocery store, get out of my car and enter my house. It's the worst part about this time of year - trying to keep up with all the stuff we have to keep on hand or go get. Take care. Kellan
I hate when I can't remember things! Drives me nuts...I am currently search all around my house for a gift I put in a safe place...think I can find that safe place???? I am a big fan of peanut butter....yummy, yummy, yum! Thanks for the recipe!
I am an obsessive list maker, and it still doesn't help. I gotta get a grip on this holiday season...
So, I'm making peanut butter fudge. Yay! I have peanut butter! But wait, oh my, could it be? Why, yes, I am out of sugar!
D%@n, s*^t, and every other word I try not to use in writing.
I too suffer from the recurring Target visits and $100 spending syndrome...there's just so much. Just when you've picked up toilet paper...you remember you needed a greeting card too...and something else....
I always worry about a future as a housewife for myself. Besides the fact that I can't cook to begin with, if I actually try to make something, I never have the right ingredients and have to run to the store, and even then, I end of missing something or get so frustrated that I just grab whatever and spend $40 more than I would have spent if I had planned more carefully.
Somehow I DID manage to get home with all my cookie ingredients last night, but I did forget to get more milk for the kids. I thought I would remember it and didn't put it on my list. NOPE!
We live in a "dry" county so the only place we can get beer/wine is at the grocery store. There are no liquor stores at all in this county -- not much of a problem for me since I don't really drink liquor. The truly sad part is that you can't even have a nice glass of wine or beer with your meal in this county.
What is it with men and peanut butter? My husband will stare into the pantry horrified, "We're out of peanut butter?!", then glare at me accusingly, as if he is physically incapable of driving to a grocery store.
oh target...the reason i'm so broke all the time! the cause of many fights with the hubby. how i love thee! and, how my husband has forbidden me from visiting you!
oh yeah, cookies...way too many being baked over here..waaaaaaay too many!
We love puppy chow.
I'm with you on Target. Target is the devil in glittery garb and deceptive deals :-)
Love it!
So today was my day to shop in town. We're on our last roll of TP. Guess what I forgot, even though it was on my list? We'll be wiping with kleenex for a day until I can get back in. ARRGGHHH!!!
Karen--I'm laughing with you, really, not at you. WITH YOU. Giant Eagle needs to start having call ahead shopping. I would call them and tell them what I really need to buy, then I could shop around for all the fun stuff, without hurting my brain trying to remember why I'm there in the first place.
But I did remember to pick up Chex so that the kids could eat Puppy Chow without having to eat real Puppy Chow. Although I think we're out of chocolate chips. *sigh* Call ahead shopping would be great. The necessities would be waiting and you can finish filling the cart to get to the minimum purchase of $100.
I have four extra bags of chocolate chips--I'll just pack them into my private jet and fly them right over. While I'm there, could I borrow some milk? Because, you know, I've been to the grocery store 80 bazillion times this week and my husband didn't tell me he used it all until after the 80 bazillionth trip. (I even called him while I was there to ask if we needed anything else. ARRRGGHH!)
Yeah, Holly already said this, but my husband thinks I'm mentally unstable because I went to Target for hummus and spent $150 for it. He just doesn't get it. I hope yours is a lot more understanding...