Ted Talks

Fanny Followers, it's time to get intellectual.  Now, I've made no secret of the fact that I love learning new things -- speaking of which, today's word from my word-of-the-day calendar is 'bombastic' - pompous, overblown -- so why, I ask myself, have I been totally ignoring one of my favorite guilty (intellectual) pleasures .... Ted Talks.

Ted Talks are the perfect sized portions of learning for today's busy adult.  With 'talks' on everything from How Free is Our Press to  Holistic Sanitation ( apparently your poo and pee have superpowers). The mind-expanding possibilities presented by all those shorts, well, it's just awesome.  

So, it was with great pleasure that I loaded up Ted Talks and started searching for something real intellectual, Stephen Hawkings-esq, to watch.   A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and I was DONE wasting mine.  As I scrolled over the options, I found myself overwhelmed.  Like a nerd in a comic book store, my eyes danced from one option to another.  What to choose?  What to watch?  18 options on the Ancient World (like Revealing the Lost Codex of Archimedes - i wanted to watch that just to find out what a codex was and how Archimedes lost his); 45 talks on Beauty (check out Adam Savage's My Love Letter to Cosplay); and on and on....

Ultimately, I ended up in the Humor section and found a wonderful, funny, talk by James Veitch, comedian/author, called What Happens When You Respond to SPAM.  I could summarize the talk, but I won't.  You just need to watch it.

So, my suggestion, check out Ted Talks (if you haven't already) or revisit it if you have strayed from home.  You won't regret it.   

Remember the Past

Fanny followers (I know, "followers" plural is pushing it by at least two, but reality is overrated),

I come to you, head in hands, contrite (I have a new word of the day calendar) and offering my sincerest apologies for leaving you in the cold for so long.

I know you all have been breathlessly awaiting my blogging return, and so, against better judgment, I will once again darken your door with my rapier wit and absolute lack of basic good sense.

Don't judge, I was having a bad morning
when this pic was taken!

She's BACK!

So, even though it is a full 4 months before I am due to start my next totally useless set of resolutions that I will follow for no less than 10 minutes (2009 record low) but no more than 1.25 days (passed out that year and lost a day - good thing 'drink less' wasn't on the list) ... phew, where was I?  Oh, yes, I resolve to actually post information on my blog that you all (again a stretch) can enjoy on a regular basis.  Not quite morning Joe kind of frequency but definitely more than the bi-annual sort.  

Just try to keep it on the down low.  We don't want the word to get out.

Sweet Candy Mine

Well, I have woefully neglected the Fairweather Favorites page.  So, for my zero followers, I am publishing a family secret recipe.  Since nobody actually reads this blog, I have to believe that the secret is still safe!

This is the easiest and most delicious little candy - trust me.  People gobble these up like, well, candy.

Coconut Joys

Ingredients:

1 bag sweetened grated coconut
1 stick salted butter (don't substitute - don't use 'unsalted')
1 bag powdered sugar
Dark chocolate for melting (I favor Scharffen Berger - but you can substitute without hurting my feelings)
Shaved almonds (or other nuts) - if desired (sometimes, you just feel like a nut; sometimes, you don't)

Directions:
Place butter in medium to large pot.  Melt over medium/low heat, being careful not to brown the butter.  Once melted, remove the pot from the heat and add the bag of coconut.  Mix well.  Once fully mixed, begin adding powdered sugar, mixing well with a large spoon.  It typically takes most of the bag (sometimes a bit more than 1 bag.)  You know you have added enough when you can roll a small amount together into a ball that holds its form.  If you squeeze your balls and butter runs out, then add more sugar (or head to the hospital if you aren't making the Coconut Joys.)

Now let's have some fun.  Using about a tsp of the coconut mixture, roll small and tightly formed balls (about the size of a large marble) and place on a covered surface (a counter with wax paper works great, so does a cookie sheet.)  Once all the coconut mixture has been formed into balls, stick your finger in the middle of the ball and make a depression (the balls will flatten a bit, but that is just fine.)

Melt your chocolate over a double boiler until it is melted (or risk it in the microwave - but be careful not to heat too high or you will bind your chocolate.)  Use a small spoon to scoop a small bit of the chocolate into the depression in each coconut ball. 

If you like, sprinkle nuts over your balls.  And now they are ready to eat!

Store in a container at room temperature.  They are best fresh, but they stay good for a while.  (I honestly don't know how long they stay good because they don't last more than a few days at my house.)

Yummy, Coconut Joys!