I don't mind splenda or even aspartame, but I can't stand the taste of stevia. Glad you managed acceptable meringues! The addition of raspberry sounds so good.

I've decided to try to eat up some of the stuff that's been hanging around my pantry/freezer for way too long, so I've got baked beans in the oven, heavy on the salt pork, light on the beans (because I had 3/4 lb of salt pork in the freezer and only 5 oz of dried beans in the pantry and using things up means using things up), and full of tomatoes both sun-dried and in paste form. I'm interested to see how it turns out.

I've hated splenda desserts before, so thought I'd give the stevia a shot. To me, they are about the same. Anyway, the bulk of the thing will be the strawberries and sugar-free cool whip, which seems OK.

Ooh, those beans sound good.

Mmm, strawberries and cool whip = yum!

I made a giant quinoa salad for a birthday party today (adult birthday party = indoor go-karting!): big giant amount of quinoa, plus corn, black beans, and tomatoes in whatever amount seems tasty, and pepper, salt, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to taste. (I love balsamic vinegar, like A LOT, but since I was cooking for strangers, I decided to give them a break.)

Yum.

Avocadoes would probably be really good in that, but I didn't have any ripe. Boo.

You just reminded me to check my avocados! I had them in a bag to ripen for like 3-4 days and I didn't check them. They are READY.

I am watching DVDs of the early 1960s detective show Surfside 6, and the longstanding prejudice against TV acting & writing versus their film counterparts makes much more sense to me now. Everything was just so stiff and unnatural, a disconnect that I've never felt from watching movies of that period. Troy Donahue and Margarita Sierra were particularly cringeworthy.

However, the producers rightly surmised that the best use for Van Williams at this point in his career was lots and lots of time spent in a bathing suit.

They are READY.

Guac-Fest 2013!

Or possibly the world's biggest shrimp salad with avocado.

Now you just need to marathon something.

hahaha! I was just going to eat them raw, but you know, I think I need to make some guac or put them on a salad.

I like tacos!

Today's agenda: Go to home depot and buy landscaping rocks and a couple of rumble stones

Use the landscaping rocks and rumble stones to create a temporary solution to the gap under the gate that's currently just big enough for a corgi size dog to get under if he really wants to.

Plant the flowering shrub I accidentally bought at Home Depot

Pretend to clean a little

Go see Fella in San Jose, finalize plans to get him home to me.

Kill time in San Jose.

Go have a massage in San Jose at 7:00

Drive home

Go see Fella in San Jose, finalize plans to get him home to me

I briefly forgot that Fella was the name of your new pup. I just figured you were acquiring a man today.