Pączki are pastries traditional to Polish cuisine. They are similar to doughnuts.
They can be filled with any type of filling. These are filled with Apricot and Prune or Plum Butter filling. So grateful that my sister dropped these off for my mom and I on her way home from work today.
Why a dedicated day?
This day marks the start of the final week of the pre-Lenten celebrations.While the practice of Pączki Day is traditionally observed the day before Ash Wednesday in the United States, in Poland, pączki sales are the highest on Tlusty Czwartek, or “Fat Thursday.” (The Thursday before Ash Wednesday).
Good Morning!! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed watching the Super Bowl, especially liked the half-time show with Coldplay and Bruno Mars!! I also thought that Lady Gaga did a fantastic job singing the national anthem. I have to admit I started out cheering for the Panthers (only because I like the color of their uniforms, lol), but I do like to watch Payton Manning play, just not a Broncos fan. But in the end, I was glad he won…with the Broncos. When it comes to the Super Bowl that the Bears are NOT in, I’m like Switzerland, and remain neutral, either team can win as far as I’m concerned. 😀
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
The forecast shows some snow this week, I know it won’t be much, but I’ll take it!! And we’re supposed to call this winter?!?! pfffft.
MOVIE REVIEW:
We went to see Kung Fu Panda 3 on my son’s birthday. I really enjoyed it and liked that it had a good message. It was about finding what makes you who you are. I’ve liked all of them, and Shifu (voice of Dustin Hoffman) and Po (voice of Jack Black) are my favorites. What’s not to like about a huge, adorable, lovable panda who does Kung Fu!!
LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
This is totally me!!
Your welcome, my introverted friends!! 🙂
WHAT’S ON THE TV: Food Network’s Kid’s Baking Championship. My youngest son and I watch this together. Some of the recipes that these kids come up with are very impressive. I do hate to see one of them go home each week, but they have such great attitudes.
Castle also returns this week!!
RECIPE I WANT TO TRY:
Yummy addition to banana bread!! It’s kinda healthy right…there’s bananas in it. 🙂
WHAT I AM CREATING:
Not so much me, but the boys and I. I remembered seeing this before, but was reminded of it from my friend Joanna @Where the roses never fade. Ice Marbles. You fill balloons with water and food coloring and set them outside to freeze. It looks like it will be cold enough this week, so we’ll see how they turn out.
FAVORITE BLOG POST:
Too adorable, worth watching to the end, he gets cuter and cuter!!
HELPFUL TIP:
Recently I started storing my leftovers in a different way. I usually put them in one large container. But now I store them in individual freezer bags, with enough for maybe 2 servings. I find that it is quicker to thaw out that way. It takes a little longer when putting it away, but here’s my tip. I put the freezer bag in a large plastic cup or container, with a wide opening, and fold the top of the bag over the edges. This makes it easy to spoon in the food.
Well today is Groundhog day. The official groundhog lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and his name is Phil…Punxsutawney Phil that is. The story goes, if on this morning, he doesn’t see his shadow, we’ll have an early spring. If he does see his shadow, then we will have 6 more weeks of winter. So here’s the thing. The first day of spring is actually March 20, which is like 6 weeks away anyway, so this is not an exact science by any means.
The news reports are now in, and he did not see his shadow, I repeat, no shadow. So we are in for an early spring.
But of course this all takes place in Pennsylvania. I myself have my own little indicator. It’s not only Groundhog Day for us today, but we also celebrate my son’s birthday. My son Elijah is 15 today!! So let’s see if Elijah sees his shadow today or not (it won’t be difficult being that he’s like 6 feet tall).
Well folks, there you have it, no shadow from Phil AND Elijah. Looks like an early spring. My dear friend Carrie up in the Northwoods will be happy to hear this, she’s been dreaming of spring since January 1st 😉
Linking up with Kate Motaung for Five Minute Friday. If you would like to join in or learn more about it, click on the icon to the left. Write for 5 minutes, here we go.
TODAY’S PROMPT: QUIET
GO…
After the clock strikes midnight, the silence is almost deafening. But I let it embrace me like a warm, soft blanket. It’s what I long for at the end of a day filled with questions. Like home schooling questions, “Mom, so how did the scientists know what color the dinosaurs were, if they only found their bones.” Good question….Google? “Mom, can you wash my work clothes?” and the ever popular “Mom, what’s for dinner?” times 4. This one also comes in the form of a phone call, from my daughter, when she is on her way home from work. I usually don’t say hello, just tell her what I’m making. Last but not least, my youngest starts most of his sentences with “Quick question…” whether it’s a question or not, and trust me it usually isn’t quick by any means. 🙂
So after a day like this, I just want it quiet. So it’s once everyone is asleep, I can finally relax, with a snack, and do what I want to do, and not have to answer any more questions. I can catch up on my favorite shows, catch up with friends on Facebook, through email, or their blogs. The only sound I want to hear is the low hum of the refrigerator, or the sound of the heat kicking on and off on a cold winter’s night. Ahhh….it’s quiet, the perfect time to get lost in a book. Quiet is a commodity that is worth far more to me than diamonds or gold. Well…maybe not diamonds. Nonetheless, it is not only what I want, but as an introvert, it’s what I need each night, so that I can recharge and be ready for another day, no matter how many questions I have to answer.
OK. So to commemorate this day, I made Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Filled Cupcakes. Yeah, they are cupcakes, but it’s still cake!!
I did try something new with the cake. This is just a box mix, but I saw a tip on how to make it more like a bakery cake. Instead of water, use milk, instead of oil use butter, and add an extra egg. It does make a difference.
So grab yourself a slice of cake and enjoy the day!!
Carrie Ann Alexis 