WIGGY'S GOTCHA DAY

We recently celebrated Wiggy's Gotcha Day! And boy did we ever. 9 years ago. Whoosh.

So here's how it went down. We went to the pound and saw her, then I went back without Tim and asked to see her in the pound yard. I sat on the ground and she came barreling and I do mean barreling toward me and gave me a hug. Did a puppy flip. Gave me another puppy hug. Dashed over to other side of the yard. Peed the longest pee in the history of ever and then charged back my way, almost knocked me down (I was on the ground already, but she almost sent be all the way over). Gave me third puppy hug. I paid for her on the spot and brought her home.

I remember, she didn't know how to use stairs or jump in the car and ... they told me that she had a brother and sister but nobody wanted Wiggy because she wiggled too much.

She wiggled too much? Seriously?

Also, I LOVE this photo. I shot it from my phone back in 2016 right after The Great Declutter and removal of 95 percent of my stuff. The room was bare and simple and this shot just puts all that together.

In garden news, I haven't done ANYTHING. Not a thing. Hope to fix that this weekend. But, in other news, I've been cooking and baking my butt off. Writing food and filming in the new studio area and guess what?

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it!

LOOOOOOOOOOOVE it!

Today's foodie offers are: Spicy Onion Relish (or chutney) and it's so flippin' good. I've been eating it non-stop. I love it. And the last video is Air-Fry Pizza. The BEST reheat ever. No soggy bottoms. I put the relish on the pizza and it's a slice of heaven. Get it, slice. Pizza. What? No good? Not funny? I'm honestly giggling as I type this. I crack myself up.

And that my Boogerbutts, is all that's fit to print. See you next Wednesday with Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies and photos of the front porch.

Cheers and boogie boogie!

Wiggy's Gotcha Day 9 Years Ago

WHO NEEDS A FRIDGE IN THE KITCHEN? NOT ME!

Now that we don't have a living room anymore, I moved the fridge AGAIN only this time, farther away and I LOVE IT!

I get up, I shoot videos and it's WONDERFUL. So much more room to create food. As for the big-ass pantry shelf, I did redo it but I'm asking too much of that poor shelf. It can't be ingredient storage, cereal, snacks, tools (like Instant Pots, Vitamix and a DeLonghi Air Fryer), PLUS a baker's rack (cavity pans, baking sheets, cheesecake pans, cooling racks).

Ack! I'm asking too much of one space.

My poor shelf is doing a so-so job at many things, instead of a really good job at one thing. Which by the way, I've changed my own work day flow to focus on one major thing per day and IT'S WORKING.

But more on that in another post, as I fear the rain drops will be falling on my head, if I don't get my booty outside and enjoy some this non-snowy day. Today's goal. Mow lawn and finish the raised beds in front of the messy porch (see picture below).

Ding, dong, I'm on it.

And that, my Boogerbutts, is what's going on in my world. What's going on in yours?

PS: Latest Spicy Vegan Reaper Noodles, video at the end. I had it yesterday for breakfast and it was GOOOOOOOD. And, dig this, I shot in in the new studio.

Hot dog. Life is good.

Before Shot - Taken Today

GOODBYE MULTI TASKING

Hello Bloggers!

During the last week I went back to publishing videos and I LOVE it. Because this time, I'm JUST making videos. Where in the past, I'd do laundry, dishes and other chores in between scenes and edits. Now, I film, edit and schedule my video upload. No dish. No cleaning. No hanging the bedding over the back deck railing in between edits. Just video work.

It's heaven.

Which brings me to my 6 minute video, Mac 'n' Cheese Soup. I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed making it. For those who don't eat almond cheese, cow cheese would work too. Either way, it's a great way to use up leftovers.

Thanks for watching and boogie boogie.

PS: For anyone who watches the Curry Spiced Lentil Soup video, that was shot BEFORE I set into motion, no chores during work hours.

GOODBYE LIVING ROOM - HELLO WOOD SHOPPE

Guess what I'm doing this week? If you guessed ripping apart our broken down couch and taking it to the dump, followed by turning our living room into a temporary wood shoppe, then ding, ding, ding. You win three paper clips, two balls of wax and one shoe.

Carrot greens from my last post and the celery (that I didn't post). Both grown in water, soon to transfer the carrot tops to the yellow tins that I painted earlier this morning.

And that my Boogerbutts, is all that's fit to print. I'm going back outside to enjoy the sunny shine day, crank the ear buds and mow two lawns.

Cheers and boogie boogie. Whisk, out.

HELLO MONDAY! SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN

Music on. Instant Pot going. Second Instant Pot going. Laundry swooshing down the hall. Dogs barking outside. Hello Monday!

So nice to see you again. 

Up next, bills, budget and all things good. That's because our crusade against debt continues, even during a pandemic - as we continue to put positive energy and empowerment into every single day.

For those who want to hear more about that, click my podcast EP: 103 EMPOWERMENT (even during a pandemic), or click the play button at the end of this blog post.

Now, let's get to the past weekend.

Tim and I celebrated our wedding anniversary outside. Thank you Sunny Day Spring. He wrote, I shucked peanuts. We listened to music and after that, we worked on the not-done-yet but soon-to-be, food lot.

When I woke this morning, the new area reminded me of an old black and white Sherlock Holmes or a Classic Monster Movie. I love them both, so I'll take it.

We also took measurements for additional areas where the garden boxes, raised beds and straight to soil plantings will go. Pretty good day, pandemic or no.

And before this post, I also made homemade orange-scented bleach wipes for the first time. Then I wiped down the a few things and so far, I love how they clean. I'll continue to test-drive them and report back. Have you made your own? So easy. 

And that my Boogerbutts, is all that's fit to print. But before I go, pictures! (and an embedded play button for podcast episode: 103).

Stay safe. Be well. Whisk, out.

GOOD THINGS - STUDIO IN PROGRESS

Hello Monday! Hello World! Here's some good things going on in my world, today. I'd love to hear what's going on in yours. Let's kick things off.

First up, most of my veggie garden seeds are ordered and have shipped. We also increased the food pantry from five to six shelves, along with tucking a small bookshelf of tinned goods under my workbench. AND dun, dun, dun, I started sprouting lentils.

Never did it before. Learning and tasting as I go and after 12 hours, the lentils already have a good yummy crunch. So excited to see them sprout. Then to sprout other things.

Do you sprout? 

In other news, my missing front(ish) tooth will remain that way for a bit longer. My 3D image was considered non-essential and the appointment was canceled. Not a complaint. I'm fine waiting. For now, I'm a chick without a front tooth, living in a rural area, about to start a fun veggie garden. 

Life is good. Pictures to come. 

Lastly, with the fridge and upper cupboards long out of the kitchen, I finally pushed the workbench (aka kitchen table), against the wall and that makes filming SO MUCH EASIER. Pure heaven. But ... the wall is still red and damaged so I'll fix that. But for now I'm shooting any time of day, because film gear gets to stay up 24/7, which is something that I've wanted for a long time. Very, very happy to have this space. 

And that my Boogerbutts, is all that's fit to print. Stay safe, be kind to each other and look out for each other. These are messed up times but even in the midst of the mayhem, good things can still be a thing. 

Hugs & Bugs,
-Me

AT LEAST I STOPPED SWEARING

It's long over-due. Time to turn this blog into a food blog. I want to say proper food blog but that's something I've not succeeded at ... yet. But that's okay, I'm gonna give it another go. I'm also happy to report that I'm no longer swearing as I change this site around. 

So that's good.

In other news, I didn't work on my studio wall this past weekend as planned. Instead, I moved my work bench next to the yucky wall and shot video from Friday through Sunday. 

Oh my gosh, what fun. 

As for the bake, I'm only two drafts in so for now, here's a picture of my Chocolate Baby Bundt Cakes (no eggs or dairy).  But I'm excited to share the formula with you in an upcoming post, right here on my very own foodie blog.

That's right. I'm gonna be a food blogger when I grow up. 

I SHOULD BE BUT ...

Hello Boogerbutts!

Long time no talk. So much to share but today, I'm jumping back in with a quick hello and a little real-life cartoon of my Monday.

THIS IS MY RANT by The Happy Whisk

Last week I did additional research on nutritional yeast and the various synthetic and non-synthetics added.  Quick side note, nutritional yeast, aka nooch, is a deactivated yeast, flaky powder that I use to make dairy-free cheeses and sauces. Not all nooch is created equal. Some don't contain B12 and some are LOADED with synthetics. But this post isn't about nooch.

I click onto a website and BAM! The page is littered with SO MANY adverts, motion graphics, and fly by banners that I left the site.

Never to return.

I get that the owner of this page makes money through these annoying-to-me-AF, adverts but seriously, who is staying long enough to read anything?

Is this kind of bombardment the new normal, where readers don't mind the flying whirly-twirly banners, popups and even videos playing from somewhere else on the page?

And since I'm here, why can't I easily locate and shut off those videos that are playing?

I hate these sort of formats because they're clutter and bring zero value to the reader.

Zero.

Since I'm on a roll, let's talk about banners. Why on earth would I, The Happy Whisk blog or website, allow another company to have their banner over mine?

Maybe it's ego, but I don't care. My name comes first. This is my page. I put the work in. I'm not handing the top banner space over to a company that I may or may not use.

F that.

Thank you for letting me rant. If you're still reading, I award you three broken paper clips, a chocolate chip cookie, and two rotten gummy worms.

You're welcome.

In other news, I'm still fighting a low-grade, drawn-out mouth infection so I haven't been able to yippy yap on video or podcasts. But I did make a short vlog of our wall to share with you Boogerbutts. If all goes to plan, I'll complete the primer today.

And lastly ....

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! (with vertical video test)

I'm still sick but just at the very end of it, which is good. Boy, this thing held on for TOO LONG. But on the bright side, I still enjoyed Halloween staycation with Smoochie Face. And, we went to the oral surgeon and setup the appointment to rip out 4 wisdom and one front (ish), tooth. They called today and with insurance we have left (used some on the dentist), my extraction and bone graft (not sure if that's the right word), will be 300 smackers. We are both happy about this because we thought the cost was going to be considerably more.

In other news, I LOVE my new Canon M50 I'm learning each day how to use it. I'm learning how to use manual and what it means to let in light. And, I'm starting to see food in scenes and story, which is something I haven't really worked on before. I'm also saving for a marco lens. Much to learn but I tell you, what a fun thing.

And now, I wish you all a Happy Winter (or Summer). Here's a little vertical video I made. I set it to 720p which should upload directly to Blogger and be easy to see on phones.

Let's find out.

PS: If you can't view it, please let me know. I'm curious what works for folks and what doesn't with regards to posting native video on Blogger.

Happy Winter and Boogie Boogie.

PPS: Who else got snow? To be honest, I'm excited for winter. We had snow already but today, it's just such a pretty winter wonderland, that I can't help but smile and take lots of pictures.

DOING A HAPPY DANCE

I have a HUGE fridge. HUGE. Too big really, but I do fill it with many jars and experiments so I can't downsize the fridge at this time BUT, I can move it.

So I did.

The living room will become the extended kitchen/studio. Tim's idea is to make the studio bigger and the living room, much, much smaller. Just enough to snuggle in for a big screen movie, read a book or take a nap. And with our annual 10-day Halloween staycation coming up, why not get back to work?

Muwhahahahaha. 

In other news, it's been cold for a billion days and today, somehow, Mama Earth is giving us a bright spring day, side of the mountain. Though I hear, other areas got snow.

And that my Boogerbutts, is all that's fit to print.