Return to Staples
So I braved the Staples again for my TurboTax with $10 discount. The help was absent as usual – none of the registers were manned and when I went to the customer service desk to check out, the woman at that register (let's call her Customer Service Lady) eyed me like a piece of rotten meat and called a trainee to Register One. Trainee preferred Register Two, so I guess the third time was the charm. Trainee didn't know how to enter the coupon, so she called on the original Customer Service Lady. See how it goes? Of course, CSL couldn't deal with it, so she called on Dour Manager Type to punch the five numbers that the register required. DMT took her sweet time getting there, but eventually I got checked out and ran back to the car.
I realized during this trip that it is not, in fact, a Morrison's Cafeteria next door to the Staples. It is a Piccadilly.
The customers at the front door of the Piccadilly today all looked like retired mobsters, except for the guy in the Kelly green blazer (it's St. Patrick's Day, don't ya know) and orange tie, who looked like a non-retired drunkard. But at least he wasn't wearing a purple muscle shirt underneath the blazer.
No joy on the St. Patty's Day dessert
Two Publix branches later, I still had no Famous Chocolate Wafers. My mom said to try the ice cream aisle at Publix, but neither of the stores I visited today had them. I settled for chocolate graham crackers, but I doubt they'd be the same. Not that I had a chance to try this out, because my attempts to whip cream ended in disaster. I added my creme de menthe syrup too late in the game and the whip cream fell, eventually becoming a green proto-butter substance that was entirely unlike the fluffy mint-flavored whipped cream I wanted.
Also, Christina had a bit of an accident with the green food coloring, and now her feet and my hands are stained green. Some days you just shouldn't go into the kitchen.
Christina says that our holidays this year just aren't working out on the actual days, and perhaps we should celebrate a few days late for all of them. This worked out for Shrove Tuesday – we did make some tasty pancakes a few days later. My plan is to try Albertson's for the FCWs. If I find them there, it will lend some credibility to her delayed-holiday theory.
I feel a bit sheepish posting this recipe when I can't quite make it myself, but here goes:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
creme de menthe syrup
green food coloring
1 tablespoon sugar (if you like your creme de menthe sweet instead of sharp)
1 box Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers (if you can
find them)
Chill a stainless steel or copper bowl and the beaters for your hand mixer. Pour cream into bowl and start beating with the hand mixer at a low speed. When you see a good number of frothy bubbles, give it the gas. Turn that hand mixer up to whip and start adding the creme de menthe (to taste, but a few tablespoons ought to do it) and a few drops of green food coloring for the holiday mood. Whip until you've got a nice thick whipped cream. Don't overdo it, or you'll end up with the proto-butter mess I mentioned above.
You can chill this in the bowl for about an hour, or if things are still pretty cold, you can start layering the cream between the wafers right away. You can usually stack about 4 wafers with a tablespoon or two of cream between each before things get unstable. A small dollop of cream goes on top of each stack.
Chill for 30 minutes or more and serve after your traditional Irish dinner. Or stuff your face now before your friends and family get any. Let your conscience be your guide.
A quick shout out to Lisa, who is dealing with some rather nasty wounds she received on Friday night. I'm sure she'll describe it all in her own blog, but for now please join me in wishing her a speedy recovery.
0 comments
