Saturday, August 25, 2018

In My Defense!

INGRID THOFT
Earlier this week, Julia led a staunch defense of the joys of Miracle Whip.  She had a few supporters in her campaign, but not very many.  In the same post, I admitted my preference for Mrs. Butterworth's over real Vermont maple syrup.  I know!  It's sacrilege!  I'm from New England, for goodness sake's, but I can't deny my love for the sweet syrup that comes in the creepy woman-shaped bottle.  Something about real syrup just seems off to me, so like Julia, I will energetically defend my right to ingest the buttery goodness.

So tell me, Reds, is there an experience, a place, a book or movie (you get the idea) to which you have absolute loyalty despite a majority of naysayers?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, that is a pretty interesting question. I love the movie "Point Break." Does that count? I put real sugar in my coffee in the morning--does that make people wince?  I have um, watched Survivor. I got some great gray Keds, that's probably not cool. Twizzlers.  Costco.  I WOULD happily see "Mamma Mia 2," but Jonathan won't go. And let me say, I have never tasted maple syrup, in a creepy bottle or not. OR baked beans. You can have mine. And I like Big Macs. Not that I've eaten one any time recently, but I would. AND I love shopping at the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving .It's terrible, but it's hilarious. Because we are all in it  together. Hmm.  You really have me thinking.

JENN McKINLAY: Hank, I love "Point Break," too! It's the best sort of campy fun, plus hot guys. Things that I enjoy that my people find appalling, hmm, this is a tough one. I defend my need to comfort eat Hostess Sno-balls, I love the Bee Gees, and I think it's perfectly acceptable to break out a sweet pair of leather boots as soon as the thermometer drops below 80 degrees even though the rest of the world is in flip-flops.

RHYS BOWEN: I cried in "Mama Mia 2"! I sing along to the Sound of Music. I can watch my favorite old movies over and over (and still cry at the sad parts ). I love to get a hot dog at a ball game, smothered in mustard and relish (which often splashes onto my light trousers and won't come out). And I still love the magical things of my childhood--driving around seeing the Christmas lights, swinging on a swing at the park. I guess I'm the female Peter Pan. I don't want to grow up.


HALLIE EPHRON: I love "The Princess Bride." Can watch it endlessly. And will grab any opportunity to quote: "My name is Inigo Montoya. You keel my father. Prepare to die." In the same vein, I adore "Shrek" ("Let's get some parfait."  "You know, not everybody likes onions.") Also the movie "Babe."That'll do, Pig, That'll do." A movie which for some reason gave my daughter nightmares.

And Lipton onion soup and sour cream dip. With or without potato chips.

INGRID: I don't think your choices require much defending, Hallie!  Who doesn't like onion soup dip?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Still saying Miracle Whip is the greatest. I love my house, despite the fact that the sane thing to do wold be to sell it and move someplace both newer and smaller. I love the foods of my childhood that are made with canned cream of mushroom soup - it feels as if everyone is making their own white sauce or something for those dishes, but the grocery store still sells giant cans of CoM, so maybe I'm not the only one...

And I don't care what everyone says, I liked the remake of "Annie" with Quvenzhane Wallis and Jaime Foxx. Although even I draw the line at Cameron Diaz's performance of Miss Hannigan.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I did see "Mamma Mia 2," and cried until my popcorn napkins were soggy. "Christopher Robin," ditto. And I have always liked ABBA. I like butter (make that butter-flavored goop) on my movie popcorn. I think Rob Schneider's "Deuce Bigalow: American Gigolo" is hysterically funny.

I like Saltines with chili. I don't like books where all the characters are creepy. And I do like books to have at least sort of happy endings, which I know is very un-literary.  So there.

LUCY BURDETTE: I'm always in for dressing up in goofy costumes, whether it's Halloween or not. This is a photo of our daughter and me, which is quite typical.Also, before I started visiting a naturopath to help me with my meniere's disease and learned that it could be adding to my congestion, I drank a big glass of milk with every meal. My family would be drinking wine, and I'd have milk. I love the stuff!


Do your family and friends give you grief for one of your favorites?  Tell us!  We'll be kind!

And Karen in Ohio, you won the Liese O'Halloran Schwarz giveaway!  Please send your mailing address to ingrid@ingridthoft.com.




96 comments:

  1. I like the High School Musical movies. Yes, all three of them. And I have the soundtracks to all three of them.

    Top that!

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  2. I could watch “Sleepless in Seattle” a gazillion times; I know the dialogue, I know everything that’s going to happen, and it’s still good. And I get some good-natured teasing over my propensity to watch “Star Trek,” but I do it anyway.

    My so-not-good-for-you-but-I-love-it-anyway is for White Chocolate Raspberry coffee creamer or Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer . . . .

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  3. I love a man in a kilt! My adult son has worn his to Disneyland with me on more than one occasion and I'm fine with that. None of my SoCal friends get this. The soul stirring strains of a bagpipe can move me to tears. I'm California born and bred and I have no idea what part of my DNA asserts itself but there you have it.

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  4. I love Miracle Whip....on turkey sandwiches, with tuna salad and egg salad....I can’t stand mayo. And cream of mushroom soup...yum! I can even eat this as a soup, as long as it is mixed with milk and not water. And finally, the thing that really makes people cringe is I use catsup on my cheese sandwiches, and even worse, nothing better than white bread, bologna and catsup!

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    1. And is catsup the same as ketchup? I feel like this might be another Miracle Whip/mayo conversation!

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    2. The same, only the spelling differs.

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  5. I love this! I could watch Bridges of Madison County a hundred more times and still weep through half of it. Hostess twinkies. Yes, Abba. And Fritos. And I put lettuce on my peanut butter sandwiches. Never jam or jelly. Lettuce. Lyda, I love a man in a kilt, too. Oooh!

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    1. I used to put mung bean sprouts on my peanut butter sandwiches, Edith. But then, I was eating peanut butter and mozzarella on buttered bread. The bean sprouts were only there as a nod to health and fiber.

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    2. I love Fritos, but I admit to being skeptical when it comes to the lettuce, Edith!

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  6. I love "Blades of Glory" with Will Ferrell and Jon Heder, have watched it a zillion time and still laugh at every scene.

    There is no Miracle Whip nor mushroom soup in my house, but if any of you come visit, I'll be glad to provide same.

    I love the smell of my dogs' feet, like Fritos or popcorn, can't decide which.

    I've read all of Deb's book twice and one of them three times. Deb, you know which one.

    I love "Mama's Family", "The Andy Griffith Show", and "The Big Bang Theory", and I have seen every episode multiple times. Bazinga I also love the Oxford comma.

    I can't eat pancakes without a fried egg in between layers. Real butter and real maple syrup please, but the syrup of my childhood was made by my mother, boiling up brown sugar and water. It's very good. Trust me.

    Sausage gravy and biscuits is my idea of heaven. So is KFC original recipe, indulged in maybe yearly.

    And the Beatles never made a bad record.

    And the Reds never wrote a bad book.



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    1. PS I dislike Nutella but I make myself a hazelnut latte sprinkled with cocoa every single morning. Go figger.

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    2. My mom made syrup too. She would add flavoring to Karo.

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    3. I will forever think of this post as the "Ann Mason Manifesto" Where do I sign, please? I'm all in. (strains of the Beatles playing in the background)

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    4. Lyda, separated at birth.

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  7. I love, LOVE Marmite! There you have been it. I’m the Mum who sent her daughter to school with Marmite sandwiches as I couldn’t understand how anyone could eat PB&J for lunch. She has survived and I have just found giant sized Marmite on Amazon! I’m happy. I reread all my favs, Julia’s books may have to be replaced I’ve reread them so many times. Movies? Love Actually, big weeper. Oh and the Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal movie, what’s it’s name, Hallie? Who couldn’t watch that 10000 times?

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    1. When Harry Met Sally! And yes, love actually, but that is perfection. That’s not even controversial, right? Xxx

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    2. I love Marmite too, Celia, but I think you have to be born with British genes to enjoy it. I do toasted Marmite sandwiches with grilled cheese on top. Heaven

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  8. While You Were Sleeping, with Sandra Bullock is the movie I love to watch over and over.

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  9. I miss the Twinkies of my childhood. I don't know what they've done to them, but something. Same goes for the cupcakes.

    I adore "The Princess Bride." Will stop and watch it every time (even though my husband rolls his eyes, "You can quote the darn thing!"). Same for "Clue": "Flames. Flames, on the side of my face." (The only ad-libbed line in the movie.)

    Will also stop and watch any Marvel movie that even flashes a glimpse of RDJ.

    And I am addicted to chips and Bison french onion dip (fortunately, they don't sell it outside of Western New York or my hips would hate me).

    Mary/Liz

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    1. Yes, I agree Mary, they completely don’t taste the same.

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    2. I love Hostess cupcakes, Mary/Liz! "The Princess Bride" is great, too. Doesn't everyone love that movie?

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    3. I don't wish to start anything here but it's Hostess Ding Dongs for the win. No Twinkies. No Cupcakes. No Son-balls. Just Ding Dongs

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    4. Ingrid, surprisingly no! My husband doesn't understand the fascination. Sigh.

      And Lyda, them's fighting words! LOL

      Mary/Liz

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    5. Lyda....Ding Dongs hands down...no contest! When we celebrate birthdays at a cabin in Pinecrest (CA) we unwrap several boxes of Ding Dongs stack them on a platter in an artful pyramid, stick candles in the top layer...and voila, birthday cake for 20 people to enjoy, no forks,plates,or slicing needed!

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  10. Wait wait, what is wrong with saltines and tomato soup? Saltines are fabulous. So are Triscuits. And Wheat Thins. And I like applesauce on cottage cheese. I know it sounds bizarre, but it is a taste sensation.

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    1. There's not a darn thing wrong with saltines and tomato soup or chili.

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    2. Wheat Thins are very dangerous. I can't keep them in the house!

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    3. Ingrid, yes Wheat Thins are dangerous. Whatever size box I ever bought, ate the whole of it in one sitting. For a while I found very small boxes eating the whole of them was as satisfying as eating the 14 oz size. Seem to have outgrown this craving. Interesting.

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    4. Wheat Thins and Cheezits. Very dangerous to have in my kitchen.

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  11. The movies "Red" and "Pirate Radio," and of course, the latest James Bond movie. I make killer pork chops with mushrooms, apricots, onion, and cream of mushroom soup. Curry for flavor.

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    1. Margaret, I was just in a conversation with a neighbor last night about what a great movie "Red" is!

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  12. In no particular order: Helman's real mayo, cold pizza, Velveeta grilled cheese sandwiches, melted Velveeta or cheddar cheese on a slide apple pie (heaven on a plate!), any movie with John Wayne or Harrison Ford, Marvel movies, and the Lord of the Rings movies. I'm sure there are more that will occur to me after I've finished my morning caffeine.

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    1. Yes, Cathy, on the Marvel movies and the LOTR movies. And I like sharp cheddar on apple pie.

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  13. Ladies, thank you all for this ‘homey’ discussion with which to begin a most delightful Saturday morning!
    Sorry, Julia, but it’s Hellman’s in my fridge.
    Ingrid-fellow New Englander-to each her own, but I NEEDS my REAL maple 🍁 syrup! So much so that two of my good friends (both Vermonters) & I take a bottle of it w/us when we go out to breakfast. Ahhh the looks we get.
    Guilty movie confessions: love me a good rom-com/tearjerker, all that we’re mentioned work for me. BUT. Yes, BUT, I am still insane, after all these years, over The Godfather. And worse? (Big apologies to all). I like ALL 3 of them.
    I know, I told you I apologize. ( Yes, of COURSE the first one is the best.)
    But just everything about them-the plots, the acting ( for the most part), the visuals, the dialogue-“leave the gun, take the cannoli”, just ALL of it. And, for a laugh, I have the clearest memory of seeing it for the first time (having read the book). When the first shot of Al Pacino came on the screen, I leaned over & whispered to my friend:
    “They expect me to believe that THAT milquetoast is going to turn into the next GODFATHER!?”
    Yes, my jaw was on the floor by the final ( and ever classic) scene!

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    1. Oh, Dorothy, you make me think of my late husband. Ross LOVED the Godfather trilogy and watched all three movies every year. He and our son made it their tradition to watch the first movie at Christmastime! Why? I have no idea. But in our family, we still say, "Leave the -----, take the cannoli."

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  14. I love movies--but don't have many DVDs on my shelf. If a movie is on the shelf, you'll know I absolutely love it and re-watch many times. Ditto books. If it stays on the shelf, it's because I can't bear to part with it. Princess Bride is on the shelf. So is LadyHawke. Thunderheart. The Iron Giant. And Holes. Father Goose. An eclectic bunch. Oh, Red Dog is a newish addition. And I love Mounds bars--dark chocolate + coconut. Yum.

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  15. No defense needed for liking The Princess Bride as far as I'm concerned. It's a classic. Same for When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. I do hang my head in (insincerely-faked) shame when I admit that I like the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost movie Hot Fuzz. Is there a cop show trope they missed in that one?

    On the food front, yeah . . . gotta admit that tuna casserole is one of my childhood comfort foods. I've tried using healthier ingredients, but it's just not the same blandly salty perfection. No peas, no potato chips; just canned cream of mushroom soup, wide egg noodles, whole milk, and a big can of Chicken of the Sea. Maybe a sprinkle of paprika on top to give it color. It's even better the next day, eaten cold.

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    1. Gigi, can you believe once I was so stressed in grad school that I forgot to add the can of Chicken of the Sea to the tuna noodle casserole?! My roomies were merciful! ;-)

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    2. Yes. I can believe that, Flora. Based on personal experience.

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    3. I agree! I don't see why any of those movies need defending - they're fabulous! Also, I'll watch anything Simon Pegg is in - he's fabulous!

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  16. I agree with many above that Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle require no apology. They're pretty much recognized as classics. Shawshank Redemption is another go-to movie if I need a comfort food of a movie, but I think it is largely considered a modern classic, too.

    Two of my guilty favorites are Moonstruck and Bull Durham. The first is a perfect Cinderella tale, the second blends baseball and sex. Seriously, what more can I ask for?

    I, too, have read most of Deb's books twice. And Margaret Maron's. And I have read all of Anne George's Southern Sister mysteries more times than I could count. But I'm not sure any of those count as "guilty" pleasures. But I have also read all of Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford books, and still eat them up. That might be a guiltier pleasure.

    Food wise, I will admit that at family holidays, I still love the old traditional green beans/mushroom soup/fried onion rings casserole. And Stove Top Stuffing. (Don't judge me!)

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    1. I love Anne George's books! I too have read them over and over. My sister and I often discuss which "sister" we are.

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    2. Susan, I love love love Bull Durham. My other 80s favorite is The Big Easy--in spite of Dennis Quaid's accent, lol.

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    3. Moonstruck! "Ma, I love him awful." Still gives me shivers.

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    4. I love Stove Top, Susan. No shame there!

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    5. I loved Anne George's books too. Still want to go to Birmingham and check out Vulcan's ***.

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    6. I've seen pictures of it but it would be great to be there in person!

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  17. I love open-faced peanut butter "sandwiches" with little chunks of butter scattered on it. I also like my French toast buttered with salt, no syrup. I think that one came from my parents. As for Miracle Whip--ugh! My college considered that mayonnaise--sacrilege!

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  18. Margie, you are warped, I say, WARPED! And Susan, I'm with you on Moonstruck (the hair!) and Bull Durham (the toenails!).

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  19. Kraft macaroni & cheese....the taste of childhood!

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    1. I love KM&C, Beth. It's my go-to when I'm under the weather!

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  20. I'm sure no one should be apologizing for reading any of our books twice!!!

    Do I need to defend how many times I've watched Love Actually? Or is that a cult thing now? I would add Notting Hill, for obvious reasons. And The Holiday, which tops my list over When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle, although I like those, too.

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    1. Debs, you and I need to have a movie marathon together. You certainly don't need to defend the number of times you've watched Love Actually, as I'm pretty sure my number would be as high. And, the other movies you mentioned are favorites of mine, too.

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  21. Thank you, thank you, Ingrid! Email sent.

    My husband has always been a real maple syrup guy, but Mrs. Butterworth has so much more flavor, in my opinion. He's come over to the dark side, over the the course of 36 years. I refuse to have anything other than real butter in my house, and totally agree with saltines crumbled into chili. Or Triscuits.

    If I'm out for breakfast I'll get my eggs in an omelet, but I really love the egg yolk sopped up with toast, buttered, which is not pretty for eating in public.

    My kids still roll their eyes when I speak to perfect strangers in public places, but I think they've come to realize that's how I've made some astonishing connections. Once in New York we were first given a chef-made egg cream (which was not on their menu) to share, and then were invited to have dinner at a hard-to-get-in-to sister restaurant for dinner that evening, no reservations, all because of a conversation with the waiter.

    They also used to roll their eyes at my political convictions, but now they pretty much agree with me. So there.

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  22. I make brownies from a mix, which is a sacrilege according to some people I know.

    I don't apologize for the fact that I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dr Who. Same with loving mysteries. (I have a relative who can't understand any of this!)

    I still miss Anne George!

    In high school I sometimes ate peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches. I went to an all-girl Catholic high school. There was no cafeteria but if you forgot your lunch you could order one through the convent kitchen. They frequently had these sandwiches, which were delicious. The bread was home-made, and someone said the nuns also made their own peanut butter. I don't know if that was true, but it was the best peanut butter I have ever tasted. I sometimes deliberately didn't make a lunch if I knew ahead of time that it would be a peanut butter and lettuce day.

    DebRo

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  23. I'm with Hallie. Just watched Princess Bride again. Inigo Montoya reminds me of what I liked about ex-husband #3.

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  24. Don't leave out My Cousin Vinnie! One of the funniest, well acted movies ever. IMHBAO
    Libby Dodd

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  25. Marshmallow PEEPS — only the chicks and only yellow (even though green is my favorite color) and every so slightly stale. Several years ago a vicious storm shut down everything just before Easter. Afterward, my delight in finding 15 packs of yellow PEEPS for 15 cents a pack — unsurpassed, all 20 packages of them. Happy weekend.

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  26. Twinkies. Love twinkies. We only buy them if we're on the road. I love National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. So full of belly laughs. I'm a Doctor Who fan, unashamedly. I like to watch Hallmark movies and take grief for it from my son. I don't like maple syrup. There is just something in the flavor that doesn't agree with me. But I like maple sugar candy in small doses. Mrs Butterworth and Aunt Jemima are okay in my book. Traditional pralines please. None of those chewy "pralines" that are not really pralines. No beans in the chili. Just no. And that Cincinnati stuff? Interesting, but not chili. And bagpipe music moves me to tears. My Cousin Vinnie and grits? Fabulous.

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  27. These days it seems hot dogs are considered evil, but I love them. I've been eating them all my life, on a bun with mustard and catsup (sometimes also relish), or even better chili dogs. When I discovered Der Wienerschnitzel (they have since dropped the "der", I believe.) my second year of college and they had 15 cent chili dogs I was in heaven. Unfortunately the chain is not in Oregon, so I have to make do at home. :(

    I love the old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies, can watch any of them over and over. Everybody else seems to think they're dumb. I love Good N Plenty candy, I could eat it by the pound, though I can make a box last a whole day, sometimes. For pancakes (preferably blueberry) or waffles, real butter and pure Vermont maple syrup, dark amber, please. With chili, either Nabisco Premium Saltines or garlic bread. Guilty pleasure: fudge brownies with cream cheese frosting. OMG.

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    1. Yum on the brownies, Rick, but you lose me on Good N Plenty. I assume you like black licorice?

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    2. Rick, I put mayo and dill relish on mine. I fully admit that's weird but that's the way I like them.

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    3. Ingrid: yes, I do.
      Deborah: I use mayo sometimes too.

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  28. I don't really like milk, but, I'll only eat cornbread if milk has been poured over it to make it soupy.

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  29. Peeps, yes! stale and yellow chicks only - do you remember the year they came out with peppermint flavored Christmas Tree Peeps - what were they thinking? Peanut butter with bananas (and if my husband it out and we're out of crunchy - I'll put Frito's on it. Wait, I'll put Frito's on any sandwich if we don't have lettuce. Need the crunch. Devil Dogs though - Way better than Twinkies.

    I love Field of Dreams, and the Godfather trilogy, and My cousin Vinnie. "Yeah, like you blend."

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    1. Oh, yes Kait. The “peppermint” trees and I vaguely remember something in vanilla. So glad to know that I am not alone.

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    2. I love peanut butter on bananas!

      When we were kids my brother used to dip Cheez Doodles into his milk; he would also stir his hot chocolate with a peppermint candy cane. I could do the latter, but I don't understand the former!

      DebRo

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    3. I love peanut butter on bananas, but I haven't tried it with Fritos. I will the next time I succumb to the lure of the Fritos!

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  30. Yay! Another fan of peanut butter with fritos sandwiches.

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  31. When I'm on vacation I need (yes, NEED!) to eat Oreos and Chips Ahoy cookies. The rest of the year I don't even think about them.

    When I'm in the mood for a really good laugh, I borrow the movie Saving Grace from the library.

    DebRo

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  32. I'm already looking forward to my after-Thanksgiving sandwiches -- ordinary white bread, dark meat turkey, lots of mayo and salt, Romaine lettuce -- and the clincher? As much grape jelly as you can get to stick on it. If there isn't enough turkey left for me to eat this for at least four or five days after the holiday, I consider roasting another turkey -- although the same sammie, made with canned salmon, is almost as good. Grape jelly: a great addition to almost anything.

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    1. Oh my, grape jelly... Ick. Though I get it as a stand-in for cranberry sauce on an after-Thanksgiving sandwich.

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  33. The one item I get the most grief over from my family is my love of Beanie Babies. Those little stuffed animals are just so adorable. I used to tease the kids and say that the Beanie Babies were their inheritance. I have parted with many of the "babies," giving some to the granddaughters and buying more for them. I've been put on a short leash now by my daughter in that department. Many of the grands' Beanies have ended up at a woman's shelter for the kids there, and that is lovely.(My daughter does try to make some practical use of them, as she is a most practical person, unlike her quirky mother.) I still buy a few Beanies for myself, most recently a goat. I mean, come on, I love goats, and a Beanie Baby goat? Who could resist? Oh, and I still have my Halloween and Christmas Beanies that I put out with the decorations over the years.

    As Beth F. mentioned above, I'm a big fan of Kraft macaroni and cheese. With all the fancy mac and cheeses out there, I still love the original Kraft from a box. And, I admit that I love white bread, although I usually try to eat something a little healthier. When it comes to making a grilled cheese though, white bread is my favorite. Hotdogs are still yummy to me, with mustard and catsup, although I don't often let myself have one. I do have a problem with my husband being back home and loving hotdogs, as they are now in the fridge to tempt me. So far, I've only allowed myself one occasionally.

    I'll have to think on the movies category a bit more. All I can come up with now is that I love all the Shrek movies, including the one made for holidays. I never tire of the music used in them.

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    1. I'm with you on the stuffed animals, Kathy. They don't even have to be beanie babies for me. If one catches my eye in the store, it must come home with me.

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  34. Love the Princess Bride movie and the Shrek movie. Loved the first Mamma Mia movie and look forward to seeing Mamma Mia 2.

    Rhys, when you go to a ballgame in the USA, wear your oldest comfortable jeans. I always spill mustard on my clothes at ball games so I wear dark color clothes.

    Since I am such an Anglophile, I love many things English / Scottish. I'm not sure if Ireland is included in Anglo stuff? I love Welsh and Irish things too. I have this Irish Cable sweater that I have had since high school. It does not matter that it has holes at the elbows.

    Great post today!

    Diana

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  35. I watched the Bob Hope specials until he died, even though the last ones weren't as funny and a little sexist. Guess they reminded me of my childhood. I love TV more than movies, even though a lot of the shows aren't considered that great. Watch all the NCIS's and watched all the CSI's. Actually most mystery shows. Funny how they are rebooting all those old shows that they cancelled years ago.

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  36. I wanted to add a comment pretending that I loved something that was borderline offensive or just so outrageous that no one could take my side in liking it. You know, just make something up and drop it into the reply. But I couldn't come up with anything that fit the bill.

    So I'm going to go with a movie instead.

    I love the Kevin Costner movie "Waterworld" and that is pretty much acknowledged as one of the worst movies he's ever made and a bad movie overall.

    But I love it to pieces.

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    1. I think I saw "Waterworld"! I don't remember much about it, which tells you something...;)

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  37. Pretty sure Debs wins with the liking "books to have at least sort of happy endings". Me, too, Debs!

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  38. I love miracle whip and canned mushroom soup to make casseroles. I can watch back to the beach over and over. With Annette and Frankie Avalon, peanut butter and banana sandwiches are a favorite. Yes books have to have some sort of happy ending. In some way some kind of joyful ending.

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  39. Well, being a day late, I was going to pass on commenting, but since Neil Simon has just passed, I have to say that my ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE (yes, shouting with love) is Murder By Death. A movie so bad, so full of terrible cliches, it just comes right back around again until you realize that one of the stars of this weird thing is actually TRUMAN CAPOTE! Any mystery lover who has not seen this absolutely must! And do as I do while watching movies--make air popped popcorn, douse generously with butter, and keep the salt shaker handy next to the wine glass to keep topping up the p-corn.
    Other favorites, yes to the hot dogs and the Devil Dogs. Although back in high school decades ago we called them Desert Dogs--those things are dry as dust! And Twizzlers! So fake tasting, just like plastic, and so much better when they are a bit stale and tough. And Fresca--love me a bottle of tastes-like-nothing-on-earth soda.

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