Saturday, December 24, 2011
Be drawn to the light.
“The best Christmas gift of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another” -Author Unknown Grab a cup of cocoa with marshmallows or whipped cream or both, bundle up the family, hop in the car and put in your best holiday CD, its Christmas Eve and a “most wonderful time of the year.” My friend told me a couple weeks ago that she has been taking her son and twins frequently to see the holiday lights. She piles them in her mini-van, stops by McDonald’s for a hot chocolate and drives around neighborhoods looking at lights. Similar to my childhood days. Even in my 30’s holiday lights are amazing. Each house has its unique style and there is always the perfect blend of red, green, yellow, blue, green, white and more. Some…
Monday, December 12, 2011
When you need a little pick-me-up.
“Everybody should believe in something. I believe I'll have another coffee.” -Author Unknown It’s the holidays. A lot of my friends bundle their kids up and head out to look at the holiday lights. Me, I don’t have children. Actually, I am like a big child. I bundle myself up, head on over to Starbucks, grab a holiday coffee treat, turn on some holiday music and drive around looking at holiday lights. There is something about a hand crafted warm beverage that makes life better. This week I took a poll and asked what is your favorite Starbucks holiday coffee drink. And the winner is……A TIE - between the Caramel Brulée Latte and the Gingerbread Latte. Here are five holiday drinks a Starbucks Barista can whip up for you in minutes at a …
Sunday, December 4, 2011
When you want cake, but not a whole one.
“Make Cupcakes, Not War” -Unknown What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “Cupcakes”? Does it make you smile? Do you recall a childhood memory of a cupcake smeared all over your face? When you look at a cupcake, you just have to smile. The holiday season is upon us and lucky for me, I have fabulous friends and local bakery’s to satisfy my baked good cravings. Because let’s face it, I can’t bake. Yep, I admit it; I am the worst when it comes to baking. Don’t you just love those little, dainty, personal, round, moist pieces of cake ornamented with an assortment of frostings, sprinkles, and other decorative elements? Almost any cake can be turned into cupcakes. And cupcakes allow people to handle them without getting their…
Friday, November 25, 2011
Better than turkey leftovers.
“After a visit to the beach, it's hard to believe that we live in a material world.” -Pam Shaw Do you know the history of “Black Friday”? Wikipedia states, “The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1966 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black". The Washington Business Journal has reported that “online holiday spending to jump by 15 percent.” The article states, “ComScore (a Virginia …
Sunday, November 13, 2011
How to simplify turkey day by making preparation a one-stop-shop.
“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.” ~Erma Bombeck Thirteen days until Thanksgiving…can you believe it? This time of year encourages cooking. Besides the turkey, the best part of Thanksgiving has to be the Thanksgiving dinner sides like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing... And the pies! Don’t forget the pies. Each week, when I get ready to write the Patch Picks column, I find inspiration through friends, family, current events or emails. This week I received an email from Safeway entitled: “Get Holiday Inspirations at Safeway.” Mouth is still watering from all of the photos and ideas. I don’t know…
Monday, October 31, 2011
Celebrating the season.
“I am the shadow on the moon at night, Filling your dreams to the brim with fright…This is Halloween, this is Halloween Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!” –This is Halloween Lyrics by Tim Burton Cook up some ghost stories or make an eerie looking Jack-o-Lantern. Halloween is fun for all. Lucky for us, there are several businesses that have turned their backyards into fun for everyone. Have you been enjoying Patches “fall things”? The question is….. To you, what best represents Fall: _________________?? Week 1: To me, what best represents Fall is FOOTBALL!!! Week 2: To me, what best represents Fall is LEAVES!!!! Week 3: To me, what best represents Fall is HALLOWEEN COSTUMES!!! Week 4: To me, what best represents Fall is FALL …
Friday, October 21, 2011
Where to get that perfect costume.
“As a kid, there are some things you looked forward to. You looked forward to Charlie Brown during Halloween and you looked forward to Monday Night Football” - Nick Ferguson I could not agree more with Nick Ferguson; however, as an adult, I continue to look forward to Charlie Brown Halloween and Monday Night Football. Just for the record, the 1966 classic, “Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” will be on television Thursday, Oct. 27, 8:00 p.m. on WJLA/ABC 7. Have you been enjoying Patches “fall things”? The question is….. To you, what best represents Fall: _________________?? Week 1: To me, what best represents Fall is FOOTBALL!!! Week 2: To me, what best represents Fall is LEAVES!!!! Week 3: To me, what best represents Fall is HALLOWEEN COSTUMES …
Friday, September 30, 2011
Good grub when money is scarce.
“People don't want to get out of their cars to get dinner” - Harry Balzer Balzer’s quote is spot on! C’mon, we all have had that night where traffic is a nightmare, it took you nearly two hours to get around the beltway and you still have to worry about feeding the family. What to do, what to do? Chances are, you swing by the KFC drive thru and just like that dinner is ready. America is dealing with obesity problems. Just turn on the television where you will find shows like NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” CW’s “Shedding for the Wedding,” MTV's "I Used to Be Fat" and A&E's "Heavy" ("Hoarders" for the morbidly obese). Restaurants of all types are trying to combat this problem by printing the calories in each item on their menus. Do you even …
Monday, September 19, 2011
When you need to restock on kibble, or top up on treats.
“I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals” – Winston Churchill Did you know that Gaithersburg has a dog park? They do! Green Park, located at 151 Bickerstaff Way, is a ‘patch’ of green grass with open fields, a dog exercise area and more. But where do you go to keep your furry companions happy? There are a lot of animal lovers in Gaithersburg … I’m one of them. My kitty cats, Brooklyn and Max, are lucky that I don’t have to travel far to get their favorite treats. And you don’t have to go too far to tend to their every need either. Here are our picks on local “pet stores.” PetSmart Address: 218 Kentlands Boulevard, Gaithersburg Phone: 301-977-9677 About: It is so much fun to walk into a PetSmart on the…
Friday, September 9, 2011
Your one-stop shop.
“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”- Ronald Reagan Each and every week, I ponder on what to write about. Then I saw an article in the Gazette regarding Lakeforest Mall. In the article it says: “The inability of the owners of Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg to refinance the property is a sign that the retail sector nationally is in serious trouble, a financial analyst said this week." It went out to state “the owners of Lakeforest Mall were unable to secure refinancing for a $138.7 million loan from Morgan Stanley, and it has been transferred to a special servicer, said Frank A. Innaurato, managing director …
Cathy Drzyzgula
9:26 pm on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
That's where we got our cockatiel Roger, who was guaranteed to eat, bite and at some point die. No guarantee on talking, but he does ok with that. more ›