I'm Back

I'm not really sure why I stopped blogging here. During Covid lockdown, I got more dependent on social media, mainly Facebook, and even after things mostly returned to normal, the years were catching up to me and I wasn't getting out much and I guess I didn't have much to blog about. I've never stopped posting photos on Flickr and still post book reviews on shellysbooks.blogspot.com. I'm now on BlueSky, too. but I've missed blogging here. So, I'm hoping to post a few posts a week and I hope some folks find their way here or back here to read.

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TV Finales

My top 5 favorite TV series finales:

• Lucifer
• Charmed (original)
• Orphan Black 
• Person of Interest
• Battlestar Galactica (reboot version)

Honorable mention:

• Mom
• The Big Bang Theory

I binged season 6 of Lucifer on Netflix yesterday, and it was amazing. I cried through the last half of the finale. I need to watch it again. And again. And...

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Vaccinated

I Got Vaccinated Sticker

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Melting Candy

This video of melting M&Ms is very cool, if a bit wasteful of yummy chocolate candy.

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Fudge Brownie M&Ms

 Hubby found this when he was at the supermarket and knew I'd want to try them. Not quite as chocolicious as an actual fudge brownie, but rather tasty. Good for when you're craving fudge and have none around.

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Fudge Brownie M&Ms

Fudge Brownie M&Ms in Package

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Some new, to me, chocolate to review. Until recently, I did not know there were chocolate flavored Cheerios. As soon as I found this out, I had to try them. 

Bowl of Chocolate Cheerios

Box of Chocolate Cheerios

At first bite, they didn't seem all that chocolatey, but by the time I ate a bowl of them, I really liked them. Unlike Cocoa Krispies, which always get caught in my teeth, these were nice and crunchy and not overly sweet. They'd make a nice snack, too.

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Movie Snack

. My favorite movie snack is Sno-Caps, though Malt Balls were good, too. During COVID19, hubby and I are doing a weekly movie night, complete with Sno-Caps. I never really looked at the box until now. For some reason, they think the standard Sno-Caps box contains three servings. Back in the days of actually going to a movie theater, I'd eat a whole box of Sno-Caps before the previews ended.

Box with Sno-Caps

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End of a Horrible Year

 Yeah, I know. It's been months and months since my last post. I've spent most of the year obsessively reading news about COVID19 and the shameful political situation in the US. I've also watched a lot of TV and movies via streaming services, but didn't keep track, so no movies seen list this year. 

It used to be so easy to blog, via "Blog This" and other sharing links. Now it's easier to share on Facebook, but my FB account is for friends only. I feel bad about ignoring this, my first, blog.

So, here's an article about some ancient chocolate.

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Time for a Questionnaire

50 (yes fifty!!) Things You've Never Been Asked.... (Except I've done questionnaires with many of these before.)

1. What is the color of your hairbrush?
B&W, but I usually just use a comb. I have a white comb.

2. Name a food you never ever eat.
Liver, lamb, lots of others

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold?
I get hot, I get cold, often within minutes.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Watching "Conan without Borders" on Netflix.

5. What is your favorite candy bar?
Any bar of good dark chocolate is fine, but I do like dark chocolate Milky Ways.

6. Have you ever been to a professional sporting event?
Lots and lots of baseball games. Also some hockey games ages ago.

7. What is the last thing you said out loud?
(I don't recall, mostly because I talk to myself all the time.)

8. What is your favorite ice cream?
Chocolate

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Water

10. Do you like your wallet?
Odd question. If I didn't like it, I would've replaced it. It's a nice leather tri-fold.

11. What was the last thing you ate?
Dark chocolate M&Ms.

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?
Nope

13. The last sporting event you watched in person?
Last Mets baseball game of last season, when a foul ball broke my arm.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
White cheddar is nice, but I rarely eat popcorn.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
I rarely text. Probably my sister.

16. Ever go camping?
Back in my teens, at day camp overnights.

17. Do you take vitamins?
Yep.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
Nope. Don't go to shul on Friday night or Saturday, either.

19. Do you have a tan?
No

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
More variety with Chinese food, so that. I love pizza, though, but I don't eat a lot of wheat, anymore, due to the fructans (the sugar in wheat, I don't have a gluten, which is a protein, problem).

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
I haven't drunk soda in decades.

22. What color socks do you usually wear?
Whatever I'm in the mood for. I own a LOT of socks.

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit?
I don't drive.

24. What terrifies you?
Pandemics, idiots in elected and appointed government jobs.

25. Look to your left, what do you see?
The TV.

26. What chore do you hate?
Cleaning.

27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?
That the speaker might just be Australian.

28. What’s your favorite soda?
It was cherry coke, also Cream and Root Beer. Root Beer makes for great chocolate ice cream floats.

29. Do you go into a fast food place or just hit the drive-thru?
Neither.

30. What is your favorite number?
It's a secret.

31. Who's the last person you talked to?
Hubby, or probably myself.

32. Favorite cut of beef?
Sirloin, rib steak

33. Last song you listened to?
Don't recall. I had the radio on earlier.

34. Last book you read?
Kate Atkinson's Transcription. I'm currently reading The Bear by Andrew Krivak.

35. Favorite day of the week?
Now that I'm retired, all of them.

36. Can you say the alphabet backward?
Probably not.

37. How do you like your coffee?
I don't like coffee.

38. Favorite pair of shoes?
Whatever is comfortable. My new Hoka One One sneakers are nice.

39. Time you normally go to bed?
After midnight, but it varies.

40. Time you normally get up?
9 or 10 am, usually.

41. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets?
Sunsets

42. How many blankets on your bed?
One for me, one for hubby.

43. Describe your kitchen plates.
Dark grayish.

44. Do you have a favorite alcoholic beverage?
Never really liked alcohol.

45. Do you play cards?
Not for a long time. I used to love playing canasta with my mother, grandmother, and sister sometimes after school.

46. What color is your car?
Black (but I don't drive it).

47. Can you change a tire?
Nope

48. Your favorite state.
Geographic or mental?

49. Favorite job you’ve ever had?
Librarian

50. How did you get your biggest scar?
Hmmm..... they're mostly small and very faded now. The one on my palm looks like a dimple now that it's 55 years old. It was from an accident in an art class. 

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Chocolate Love

"Last Kiss" is one of my favorite comics and this one is perfect, so I had to share.

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Make it Dark

Bite-Size Hershey Dark Chocolate

Back when I was growing up, I ate milk chocolate and was content. Then I tried one of these Hershey dark chocolate mini-bars. They're not high percentage cacao the way fancier chocolates are these days, but they're infinitely better than milk chocolate. It's nice to see them with an updated wrapper.

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Movies I Saw in 2019

I meant to post this weeks ago, but I've really upped my procrastinator game in recent years.

I didn't get to a theater much last year, just twice. I saw Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker and loved them both.

Seen on TV:

• Crazy Rich Asians: I haven't watched rom-coms in years, but this was so well-reviewed, I gave it a try and loved it.
• One Upon a Deadpool: I ended up watching the PG version, with all the f-bombs bleeped. It was actually funny that way, including interludes/explanations of things they couldn't show.
• The Wife: Glenn Close is mesmerizing in this.
• First Man: Fictional account of Neil Armstrong becoming the first man to set foot on the moon. Riveting. 
• Solo: A Star Wars Story: A lot of people didn't like this movie about Han Solo's early years, but I thought it was fun. Plus, Alden Ehrenreich was delightful as Han and Donald Glover was great as Lando.
• On the Basis of Sex: Felicity Jones is masterful playing Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
• Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Gindelwald: A nice follow-up to the first one, a bit more suspenseful, as middle-of-trilogy movies should be.
• Ugly Dolls: A totally charming, animated movie about the Ugly Doll toys.
• Can You Ever Forgive Me: Based on a true story, this starred Melissa McCarthy as a writer-turned-forger. She proves she's not just funny, but a talented actress.

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Chocolate Hearts

Nothing says "I love you" like a realistic chocolate heart. I don't think I could bring myself to eat one, though. ;)

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Gift Idea

This Hot Chocolate Shaker is the perfect gift for the chocoholic in your life. You're welcome.

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Scandal in Chocolate

Somehow, I missed the Mast Bros. Chocolate. That seems like a good thing now, given the claims of inferiority. Sounds like the whole thing is just scammers preying on lovers of chocolate.

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Chocolate Comparisons

I'm still here, still eating chocolate.

I've been meaning to blog this comparison of a few chocolate bars, but kept forgetting.

5 Chocolate Bars

Mackie's of Scotland Dark Chocolate with Mint

 I don't mind mint with my chocolate, but the mint was too strong for my taste. The chocolate was a bit crunchy.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 60% Cacao

 Ghirardelli's Evening Dream at 60 per cent cacao is a good, dependable bar of chocolate, nice and smooth.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 92% Cacao

 Ghirardelli's Moonlight Mystique is far more intense, at 92 per cent cacao, for my taste. It almost doesn't taste like chocolate to me and is kind of dry.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cabernet

 Ghirardelli's Cabernet Matinee is a solid bar of chocolate. I was expecting a liquid center the way they do some of their infused squares, so this was a bit weird tasting to me. It has a very fruity, tangy flavor.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao

Finally, Ghirardelli's Twilight Delight, at 72 per cent cacao, hits at the upper limit of my preferred intensity, maintaining enough of a smooth, chocolate flavor.

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Frozen Chocolate Dessert

Dish of Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle Frozen Dessert

Dish of Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle Frozen Dessert

So I tried this Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert from Haagen-Dazs. I was curious about it and couldn't resist anything called Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle. It's made from soy and doesn't have the smoothness of ice cream, but the flavor is satisfying for the chocoholic in me. If you can't eat dairy but can eat soy, it's worth a try.

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Ugly Dolls

Have some Ugly Doll fun. Here's mine!

Three-Eyed UglyDoll 

The Ugly Doll movie opens May 3, 2019. Watch the trailer.

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Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate Recipes. Disclaimer: I haven't tried any of them.

I did mix a packet of Swiss Miss Dark, Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate, and No Chewing Allowed Hot Chocolate with milk and some boiling water and it was yummy.

Hot Cocoa

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Movie Time

I meant to post this sooner: the movies I saw in 2018. Some were seen in the movie theater, others on TV. Here they are in no particular order:

• Ocean's 8: A delightful, all-female caper movie
• Black Panther: One of Marvel Studio's best superhero films
• Blade Runner 2049: I hesitate to admit I never saw "Blade Runner." I did find this enjoyable and easy enough to follow.
• Dunkirk: A well done fictionalized account of the evacuation of British soldiers from the beach at Dunkirk during WWII.
• Ant-Man and the Wasp: A fun sequel to Ant-Man
• Thor: Ragnorak: Nice blend of serious and fun. Perhaps the best of the three Thor movies
• Avengers: Infinity War: Quite the cliffhanger to end this one. Things are getting dark in the Marvel movie-verse.
• Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle: Four teens get sucked into an old video game as their adult avatars. Fun movie.

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