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What's In A Couch and a Few Cushions?

Well, there’s history and there’s comfort.  And there’s memories from years of having sunk into it on so many an ordinary day and a few extraordinary ones as well.  What else is there?  Well, there’s scrubbed over foodstains and sometimes surprising things that might emerge from the deep recesses of a couch:  things like hairbands, candy-wrappers, sometimes slim paperbacks, and the ocassional remote-control!

So, here’s to the ubiquitous couch today.  And not just any couch, mind you, but the new one in my bedroom!  Because this past weekend, after ten years, the time had come to retire our old one and bring in a new one.  So we can now create new history and new memories on it!  And so it can give us (hopefully!) many years of comfort, of course. 

In a popular expression of the day, here’s how I might capture this news: Couch from IKEA:  $250.  Time spent hauling it from store to house and putting it together:  4 hours.  Sitting on it:  Priceless!

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And how do I dress up my couch?  With the most exotic of cushions, each one a work of art itself because the front of each one is an intricate handwoven piece of kilim.  For more on kilims, check out the wiki entry right here. 

And finally, what’s a comfortable couch if you don’t have someone to share it with, right?  And for that, my honey, aka, sweet husband, fits the bill very well!

And how does all or any of this even remotely qualify to find a place in a blog titled The Show Must Go On?  Well, if you think about it, it qualifies beautifully:  life is a show, and my couch is an essential accessory for this show!  And for me, this is an event, if you will: an event that takes place perhaps once every decade!  And as for those beautiful kilim cushions: well, I’ve had those for some years now in sundry places around the house, but brought together here on a brand new couch, it is as if a new life has been breathed into them even as they complement each other and serve as comfortable decorations to my couch. 

Viva la vida!  The show does indeed go on!

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10 Ways To Hack A Peanut Butter Sandwich

It doesn’t always have to be a PBJ (Peanut-Butter-Jelly) Sandwich– it can be anything you like. Check out some of these ideas from Home Hacks.

We’ll assume for a minute that your usual fall back add-ins are a given. The two most popular are usually slices of banana and jam or jelly. While those are great, they aren’t much of a surprise. Listed below and pictured above are 10 of our favorites that pack a little more punch. We were missing a few of the items (what do we look like a grocery store?), but we’re pretty sure you can guess which ones!

Do you have a favorite or quirky peanut butter and “insert weird item here” combo? Let us know in the comments below!

What You Need

Materials:
Bread of choice
Peanut Butter of choice
1 or more of the ingredients listed below
Knife for spreading

Flavorful Add-Ins

1. Dill Pickles: Hands down our favorite way to enjoy a peanut butter sandwich is with a few slices of cold pickle on it. Yes it’s weird. Yes, we’re ok with that and yes, we think you’ll like it too!

 

2. Tomatoes: During the summer months when tomatoes are coming out of your garden like… well tomatoes in summer, slice one up and add it to your sandwich. Some prefer the tomato to be salted, though we’re purists at heart. Well, purists who like tomato that is.

 

3. Marshmallows: It doesn’t matter if you’re a purist and love your marshmallow fluff or you like the little bite size marshmallows themselves, peanut butter and marshmallows has been a long time favorite through many a generation.

 

4. Onion: Though it might not be a favorite for little kids, peanut butter and onion is a favorite for many. Some like their onions cooked, though most prefer them raw, a nice slice with a bit of salt and pepper nestled between two pieces of bread and a layer of peanut butter? Yes please!!

 

5. Chocolate Chips: While you can also melt some chips and spread on the chocolate first, we like the hidden surprises of the chips in each bite. It’s a sweet treat that keeps our need for dessert at bay.

 

6. Cheese: Plain old yellow American singles are a great addition, sharper cheeses are great for adults as well. Sometimes we’ve been known to skip the bread all together and just put our peanut butter right on our cheese… though we fear you might judge us for having said that out loud.

 

7. Apple Slices: Peanut butter and apples is a common lunch time snack, but not usually found between two pieces of bread. Slice your apple thin so its easily bit through while eating and enjoy a little tart and sweet with your ooey gooey delight! (for a double whammy, add a slice of cheddar on there as well!)

 

8. Cabbage & Carrots: This one is probably at the top of the weird list when it comes to things most people wouldn’t usually think of. A stout cabbage leaf and some julienned carrots (sometimes with a dash of soy sauce) is almost a lettuce wrap and feels slightly Thai in nature. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! (for those with a keen eye, the “cabbage” above is really Romaine lettuce… but we figured it was an ok stand in!)

 

9. Bacon: This combo isn’t sure if it’s breakfast or lunch, but it’s great for a burst of energy and a little out of the ordinary. It sure is tasty though!

 

10. Raisins: Just like Ants on a Log, we love raisins here too! We’re partial to Golden raisins, though you can use whatever you have on hand.

 

Additional Notes
You can of course use different nut butters for those with allergies or personal preferences. So please try our suggestions with vigor, even if peanuts aren’t your bag — just remember, we haven’t taste tested pistachio butter and pickles, so we can’t suggest it as a tasty treat (though we bet it’s swell).

Pjs

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52 Things You'll Only See In America

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Click on the link for the rest of the “only in America” images.

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Which Tragedy Would You Prefer?

There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
 – Oscar Wilde
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Indian Street Food: A Saturation of the Senses

So, you know about Chicken Tikka Masala and about the many Curries and Kebabs and Naans and such, but do you know about ordinary Indian street-food that is to be found in Anytown, India– literally on the sidewalk or footpath as it is known there.  Little carts and stands that serve the most delectable hot and cold snacks served in disposable paper-plates or leaf-plates, or sometimes in plain old newspaper.

Well, there’s a place in town right here in the Upper Midwest of these great United States where one may find just such great Indian street-food.  Made hot and fresh, but served in nice dishes, these are as authentic as they come.  The name of the little restaurant is NeeHees, and I had the pleasure of ordering and inhaling a number of things this afternoon.  Things that are the most ordinary and that are made in any Indian home worth its salt, and yet, when you eat it outside the home, it somehow feels like a treat because you’re indulging yourself, and you know it! 

So, what was on the menu for us today was this:  Chaat Papdi, Khasta Kachoris, Chole Bhature, Samosas, and Mirchi Bhajjis. See if you can identify them all in the pictures below.  Hint:  the picture of the samosas is missing because we got that to go. 

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