Kiki Out of the Kitchen & Into the World

How do you Pi?

2009-03-15T17:32:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was π day for those who missed it.

We celebrate 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510... on 3/14 (or 3.14 if you prefer)

And how else to celebrate, but make Pie!

I rarely make anything resembling dessert at this point in my life. Dessert is a huge indulgence both in terms of calories and time to bake and so my pie was also my dinner, and also a favorite thing:

Spinach Pie

It isn't round, so π isn't really needed, but it was time to eat so pie was. Or something like that. I haven't made this recipe in years, but ran across it in my binder the other day and I love spinach. and cheese. and pie. And with the date coming up I knew I had to celebrate.
So here is my recipe. At least I'm pretty sure that's what this scrap of paper is. The notes in black are newer, scribbled hastily, just like the recipe...

(my "real" writing is much neater. My recipe scribble? I can't explain)
I gathered & stemmed my pile of spinach
Unfortunately, at first read, I thought the recipe said only a pound, instead of 1 1/4 pound. I also thought I had a pound, but it must have been weighed in its little plastic container so I only had 12 oz. So my big pile, was cooked and shrunk down to this

After a little lookey at some other random recipes, I decided to add some extra onion. I had a HUGE shallot so that was chopped, and these lovely sweet green onions along with my lovely little green onions They were sauteed first, then mixed together with the spinach and then the cheeses and parsley & eggs

Next was the laying of the Phyllo. You lay a layer then butter it, then another then more butter. that + next to the 1/2 cup? it probably should say + another 1/2 cup! ( I may have been able to get away with only 3/4 cup, but once I melted it, I figured I should use it) and besides I have to go with the Noble Cathy on this one!
And, I had help. (you'll see in a minute)
So after 5 or 6 layers of trying not to tear the phyllo, and making sure it wasn't too dry, or too wet, or too cold... I finally got to dump the bowl of filling in. (Yay) and then it was more phyllo wrestling. But Bob was having a good time. Have ya met Bob? He's the one mooning ya!
Well, after a bake for 40-45 minutes, we had a lovely spanakopita, or spinach pie if you will.

From spin pie

Yes, I still think it needs more spinach. And maybe I should have chopped it a little better. But the overall review? 2 Yums up!

And tonight? Ahhh, I am wary. The Ides of March are upon us. We will be having Caesar Salad!

Putting the Ha in Haiku

2009-03-10T09:29:00.004-04:00

I have discovered
Haiku Circus comic strip
It makes me giggle

Tastes Like Spring

2009-03-06T10:04:00.004-05:00

Last year in the first week of March, I spotted this

This year, in the first week of March, it looked more like this.

(no, those aren't fresh stalks of anything peeking through the snow. Just dead stuff from last year)

The end of winter is a tricky thing in Pennsylvania. Winter just wants to stay a little longer than we want. Like a house guest you can't get rid of.

So, while I can't see the signs of spring yet. If I try, I can find the tastes.

At the farmer's market there was a lovely bunch of asparagus tips (That means it is spring somewhere, right?). They called to me. I responded. HP has been back from CA for about a week, & he brought with him some lovely lemons from his father's tree. So, I had lovely asparagus and bright lemon in the house, there was only one thing to do with it: I put together a risotto that I developed a few years ago.

Shrimp Scampi Asparagus

The basics of the risotto remain the same as all risottos, but the flavors are a knock out.

The Stuff
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 small Onion finely chopped (about ½ of a cup)
2 Shallots finely chopped (about 1/3 of a cup)
5 cloves Garlic, finely chopped-divided (about ¼ of a cup)
Coarse Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
1 cup Arborio Rice
½ cup dry white wine, such as a Pinot Gris (Grigio)
½ lb. Asparagus, chopped— ½ the tips reserved
¾ lb. Small (50-60's) Shrimp
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Thin slice of Lemon & fresh grated Parmesan Cheese for Serving

What to do with it

In a medium saucepan, bring broth just barely to a simmer; then keep warm over low heat.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium/medium low heat. Add onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened and is starting to become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add Shallots & ½ the garlic. Sauté until soft.
Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
Add about 1 ½ cups broth to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding broth, about 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
Lower the heat. Season Shrimp with salt & pepper, then add to rice. Add a little more broth if needed, stir cook about a minute until shrimp begin to turn pink. Add Lemon Juice, remaining Garlic and Asparagus, stir cook about a minute until Asparagus starts to turn bright green. Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper and stir some more. When cheese is incorporated, add Asparagus Tips to top of rice. Put lid on and steam for a minute or two to barely cook the tips. Serve with thin slice of lemon & fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

This is very pretty with pink shrimp & bright green asparagus and the thin slice of bright yellow lemon in the center. I guess you would know that if I had my act together & got the camera down to the kitchen instead of the third floor.

After the first bite, HP smile and said, "MMMmmmmmm, this tastes like spring"

That was the idea.

No Thank You

2009-03-05T09:48:00.003-05:00

I always found that presentation is a large part of the dining experience.
This has no appeal to me. And the idea of cocktails in beakers and test tubes hasn't had appeal since I graduated college. (scroll through all the pictures)

The Single Life

2009-02-22T11:37:00.003-05:00

For most of the past 2 weeks, I have been a single woman. My husband got sick of the cold NE & headed west to California so he could ~~live like a college student and sleep on his friend's couch then go bum some food & golf from his dad~~ look for work and getting some quality time with his dad. So I've been single.
During that time I

slept in 3 times (and there is hope for tomorrow)
started taking a Yoga/Dance class
taught a ceramics class
started making my husband's valentine's day present
sold my first piece of pottery in the store (for which I will earn enough to buy a bag of clay & a couple happy hour beers)
hosted Kringlapalooza (I taught some friends how to make kringla, & we had dinner & wine & someone played the Ukulele, a good time was had by all)
ate out
ate take out Hot & Sour soup
caught a cold
got rid of a cold
untucked all the sheets & blankets so I could wrap up my feet in them the way I like
worked extra shifts with out guilt
helped teach another ceramics class
did anything I wanted on whatever schedule I wanted
spoke to my husband on the phone around 3 times a day

What I haven't done

Laundry (need to do a load before he gets back)
Cooked huge meals (even Kringlapalooza was a simple fettucine alfredo with someone else in charge of salad)
played musical cars
Had dinner with HP :(

It has been fun being single with out the pressure of dating. I have enjoyed the fun of working in the ceramics studio with out worrying about dinner time & whether or not he was hungry, but it will be nice to spend some quality time with him. Especially since he has learned to appreciate his wife who cooks good food for him & his nice comfy bed.

Hot Damn!

2009-02-21T19:14:00.002-05:00

And today, I'm going to post!

2009-02-12T10:40:00.006-05:00

I am shocked & ashamed. 3 weeks away without a good excuse. Except that it is February. I'll just leave it at that.

So while I haven't been posting, I have done a few other things.

We had a kiln soup party at our 2nd Sunday open house.

We opened up the Gas Kiln and pulled all this out.

4 of us also made soup & we sold that along with little cups. I didn't have much time, so I made a quick, easy & really yummy soup that I found online.
Turkey Chili Soup with Hominy
(adapted from FoodandWine.com)
This is great if you are looking for the warmth of chili, but don't have the time to make it.

The Stuff
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions- one yellow, one red, finely chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound turkey andouille sausage, casings removed (or you can use 2 pounds ground turkey)
1/3 cup ancho chile powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 Teaspoons chipotle powder
Salt
1/4 cup corn meal
2 - 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups dark chicken stock or low-sodium broth
One 29-ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
Shredded cheddar, chopped cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips, for serving

What ya do with it:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add the turkey, sausage, ancho powder, cumin and chipotle powder and season with salt. Cook, breaking up the turkey & sausage with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has evaporated and the turkey is lightly browned, about 5 minutes (if you have problems with the spices sticking to the bottom, deglaze with a little stock). Stir in the corn meal and tomato paste. Add the stock and hominy and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with cheddar, cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Easy - Peasy!

So, while I didn't sell any pottery at the kiln sale, all of the soups were a hit! And I did have enough interest in this piece that the store took it on consignment.

These didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.

They both have glaze issues and aren't as tall as they seemed when I was making them. (First of all, they never do. Secondly, it is always the shrinkage that gets ya!)

My review (of my own work) concept A, execution C+. What do you think? (I can take it!) I made a similar one for my mother-in-law for Christmas. She liked it, and I think the execution on hers was a little better.

I had a couple other things that went into the kiln, but had some even more severe problems. (I do not take all the blame. The kiln seemed to have some underfiring issues in certain areas) I didn't get photos of those.

Stew-pendous

2009-01-24T16:01:00.006-05:00

I don't know how it is out there, but it has been cold here. And my computer is in the 3rd flr, uninsulated office. (Really old house, stone walls, no insulation) that, along with a busy work week (covering some extra shifts, for extra hours) has kept me away from the blogosphere this week. :(

Since I was working a lot and it was so cold, I really wanted something warm & comforting to bring in for lunch, but I'm on a budget, so I can't go to the cafe. Well, I'll tell ya, a good stew is a like a good hug, cheap & warms you down to the soul!
In my latest library stash, I checked out the unbelievable real stew put together by Clifford Wright. (Wow, I really did find "Mr. Wright"-- too bad I'm married).
This is officially my next great find. It will also be a purchase when I return to the world of buyers rather than borrowers. In the mean time let me tell you Cliff (I hope he doesn't mind if I call him that) is worth "checking out!"
There are 300 stews in here, some that look more complicated than I want to mess with, but many are reasonable with combinations that I can't believe I never thought of. The book is extremely well organized, divided in sections by main ingredient and the sections go by regions.

The Chicken and Coconut Stew from Kenya was an instant must-try, so let's see how it went!
Peppers & Onions are always a good start (2 each here sliced) they are being heated up with 1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger, 1/4 t curry, salt, sugar a couple cloves of garlic (he says crushed to a paste, I just put them through the press) and 3 cloves.
Once the onions and peppers softened I added the tomatoes from a 28 oz can (mostly drained) (Cliff asked for 1 1/2 lbs of ripe tomatoes, but they weren't looking so ripe at the market, so I used the canned) Along with tomatoes there was a crushed dried red chile (from the garden last summer!) and 1 1/2 T grated lemon zest. Once they are in & heated, add a small chicken cut into pieces (next time I'll probably just buy 4 # of chicken thighs to make it easier to serve & eat) .
(Dory was very excited to help with this!)

After about 5 minutes add 2 cups of coconut milk* and (wait for it)

1 1/2 pounds of Sweet Potatoes! HO-licius!

Damn, you know I was excited by that!

The next step is a perrennial favorite of mine: Cover, lower the heat & simmer** a couple hours until chicken & taters are tender.

It has a pretty orange color and the chicken melts in your mouth! HP wanted it over rice, but I love it just the way it was! Of course the left-overs were the best!

So keep warm, where ever you are & if you need a hug, make some of this & consider it a hug from Kiki & Cliff. (If you serve this to some one else, spontaneous hugs may occur as well)

*(Cliff tells you how to make your own coconut milk, but I'm down with the Goya thing. Cheap & Easy)
**(Simmer only, don't boil-boiled chicken = tough chicken)

A is for ...

2009-01-15T14:45:00.004-05:00

Alphabet. I'm sure you know that, but soon you'll know why I bring this up.

I have been in a bit of a funk lately, 2009 did not start with the all the promise and joy I need to get out of the rut that I have also been in. Actually, I think that I'm in something like a runk, part rut, part funk. I have been cooking, but not thinking about it (except when I had 8 people over for dinner, 3 of whom I had never met before, and then I was thinking, gee I hope I have enough food!) I have not made anything brilliant in the pottery studio lately, but I will be posting pictures of some of the presents soon. With all this runk going on, I just couldn't come up with anything to post. If I'm bored, why should I bore you?

As we know, once you stop posting, it is hard to get back into the habit, so I have decided to get back into the habit by doing some alphabet based posts. I will still mix in other random posts throughout, but, like a cheap writers ploy, I will try to have some fun with the alphabet.

A is for Alphabet, Alessi, Art and Abacus

Alphabet, you get the picture.

Alessi!
All through Italy, I would come across their wonderful kitchen products and smile. They have great designs that are functional, beautiful, fun everything you could want. They have all sorts of products and designers in their stable.

If I ate soft boiled eggs on a regular basis, you know I would have to get these:


If I was big on tea, I would definitely get this:

I do drink wine, but I haven't found this corkscrew yet. But at $54, maybe I'll skip it.

Moving on to Art. I can't say enough. I love Art and Artists in all their forms. I love fine art, folk art, 2-dimensional, 3 dimensional, visual, performing... You get the picture. I don't have a favorite, though I do have a weakness for the bold, iconic images of Keith Haring and Henri Matisse was probably my first "love". I loved seeing all types of art in our travels. I love that is universal and provincial at the same time. Aside from seeing the amazing pieces through out Rome, I had great fun crashing an opening in Dubrovnik.
I saw this and had to go in.

The exhibit was an environmental/installation piece. It was cool to be in the middle of, but I have no idea what the artist was saying when she discussed her piece.

And finally an Abacus. This one was on the island of Murano.

Yes it's glass. Each bead was about the size of a pumpkin.

So, what do you think of with the letter A?

Happy New Ho

2009-01-01T17:05:00.001-05:00

What better way to start the New Year than with an entry for this month's Ho Down! This month is being hosted by Christie, better known in the ho circle as Milky Lee, over at Fig & Cherry. Me I couldn't wait to join in!

HP has been sick with a miserable cold (or is it that he has a cold & acts miserable...) so I decided that a little zip & a little soup were in order. Unfortunately, I hadn't been to the market since before Christmas, so I went with my frugal nature & love of reinventing leftovers and came up with

Mandy Lynn's Curried Sweet Potato Soup.

I have been eying my leftover Parmesan Sweet Potato Gratin from Thanksgiving for a while. I loved the savory parmesan & rosemary with the sweet of the potatoes and have been looking for an excuse to defrost them The only problem was that I knew that the thin slices wouldn't defrost into the tender slices I started out with and probably wouldn't be as crisp or even as sliced. At first I thought that I would mash them up & serve them that way, but the potatoes I found, which were red skinned and white fleshed, were a different kind of sweet than the orange fleshed cousins and I didn't think I could convince the family to eat them mashed. So I did what any good Mom does. I hid them. I pulled a few more leftovers out of the fridge, including my holiday goat cheese dip with caramelized onions, and some of my frozen stock. I threw it into a pot & added a few secret ingredients. MMMM, maybe it shouldn't be a secret after all, so I'll give you what I made, & try to translate into something you can do as well (without benefits of my leftovers). I know that I plan to make this dish again, so let's give a whirl.

I started with about 1 1/2 pounds of sliced red skinned sweet potatoes. (The closest image I could find was this one over at flickr for a red skinned white sweet potato) Since mine was "gratined" I would say to slice thin, in a large pot, poach in a hearty chicken stock with some fresh rosemary, salt & pepper, when they are tender, add about 2 1/2 ounces of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of light cream. Don't drain. Here are my potatoes post defrost, pre everything else

To my already gratined, slightly mushed potatoes I added 1 1/2 cups of dark chicken stock, about 3/4 of a cup of goat cheese and some caramelized onions. (about 1/3 - 1/2 cup).
Next add 3 Tablespoons of Madras Curry, a teaspoon of salt and, if you can find it, 2 teaspoons Fried Garlic. Simmer until all ingredients are warm & tender, then puree with an immersion blender. (You can also allow this to cool and puree in a regular blender-the result will be smoother, but be very careful when blending hot soups.)

At this point, I added another 1 1/2 cups of stock to thin it, and whipped that in with the immersion as well, (for a little more exotic taste, you can use a cup or so of coconut milk to thin it; I thought about it, but didn't want to open a can of something new). When starting this from scratch, add 1/2 a cup of broth at a time until you get the desired consistency. Just before serving, I stirred in 1/3 cup of plain yogurt. This is a super rich soup, add a piece of bread and you are set to go out and brave the elements or just sit and watch snow fall. It warms you down to your toes and has helped me fight off the terrible cold that HP keeps trying to give me.

A sprinkle of chili powder on top gives the perfect finish

I got a rock...

2008-12-31T09:40:00.007-05:00

Ok, so that was Charlie Brown's Halloween. Well, this Christmas has been a budget Christmas, so HP got me a rock.
"What would motivate such a gift," asked The Girl when told of this.
"Well," I said, "I hate to break this to you, but your father had a very selfish motivation. He wanted more baked goods."
And so I got a rock.

At least it is a pretty one!

Granite counter tops were not part of our great kitchen makeover, but I could at least pretend in one little section. I have wanted a granite section ever since I started making my pizzas & kringla, it is wonderful to have a good surface for rolling out doughs! Our idea in finding the right rock proved to be the best. We called up a guy who does granite counter tops & made a deal on a scrap. (Our "scrap" was almost 2' x 3' that is a decent sized scrap!) In order to break in the new rock, I happily made two loaves of bread and a big batch of pizza dough. For my bread choice, I decided on an easy Oatmeal Bread, almost exactly as written on the back of the flour bag. A scant teaspoon of cinnamon gives this the added depth you love in a home made bread.

The pizza dough is something that I have been working on & tweaking since I discovered my love for grilled pizza. I always make a large batch so I can stock some in the freezer for those pizza cravings. And what does the recipe look like these days? Well, I'll tell ya.

The very best way to do this is to plan in advance (yes, every once-in-a-while I do that) if you can do this the "cold way" the dough is generally a little better & easier to work with, and the method is more relaxed. Also since the yeast is sleeping, it is more relaxed as well and really lets the flavors come through. I'll show ya what I mean.

Pizza Dough, the cold-way:
2 cups water, cold. Really cold, put it in the freezer for a little while.
to that add
1 Tablespoon honey

In a separate bowl, gently mix:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast. (skip the envelopes, buy a jar. It is more cost effective even if you only occasionally bake with yeast. I promise.)
3 Tablespoons Corn Meal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups white flour (plus more as needed) Can be All-Purpose, or if you prefer Bread Flour. Bread Flour will give you a slightly lighter, airier dough. If you have room in the freezer, you can chill your flour for a little while before mixing, it helps prevent shock to the yeast as you mix it all together.

Slowly mix in the water and stir until you get a wet dough. I don't have a kitchenaid, so I do this by hand. It isn't difficult, I swear. If it is more wet than dough, add a little more flour (no more than 1/2 cup), but really it is ok for it to be wet ( The more flour, the thicker the crust, so if you like it thick you can add about 1/4 cup early on). Now, put that in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of wine or clear up a good spot on the counter for kneading. Make-out with your husband. or wife. or significant other. Whatever, after about 10 minutes go back to your dough and take it out of the fridge. While the dough is still in the bowl, add
2 Tablespoons olive oil (plus more as needed) and
2 teaspoons sea salt
Mix that into the dough and then turn out on to a well-floured rock. (Or other workable surface) Oil your hands well (yes, oil them not flour them) and begin kneading. If you really think your dough is soggy & sticky after a little kneading, then add just a little more flour. Once you have kneaded this into a good dough, put the whole thing into a clean, oiled bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. It will rise, I promise you.
The next day,
turn dough out onto floured rock. Oil your hands again (really, it is great moisturizer, I promise) Divide dough in half, or thirds or whatever you feel like working with. squish it into a disc, then shape out from there. I have no patience for shaping dough, so mine are rarely circles unless I am willing to make an additional effort. If the dough is rebelling and trying to shrink back, give it a few minutes. Wash the bowl, chop some toppings, whatever. At this point, I will roll it out with a rolling pin if I feel like it. This is great for making a thinner crust. If you like your crust thicker, don't roll it out so much or just stretch to shape.
At this point, I will sometimes freeze the rolled out dough. I put it between layers of parchment paper and stick it in. If I am doing pizza on the grill, it is sometimes easier to deal with the colder dough. I will also only partially freeze, then roll the dough up around the parchment paper and put into a zip-loc bag to freeze for later use. (The above method is adapted from KitchenMage's pizza dough on A Year In Bread. The recipe is my own, after adapting several to suit my tastes)

Now if HP reads this, he'll laugh, because I rarely plan this far in advance for dinner, so I'll give you a quick run-down.

All the ingredients & amounts are the same, the changes are in the method:

The water should be warm. (Not hot, but about what you would feed a baby)
Add the yeast to the warm water
After mixing, don't rest, add the oil & salt
After kneading, put the dough in an oiled bowl in warm (about 70-75) place with slightly damp towel over it. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
Roll out as above.

This method is not quite as relaxing, but gets the job done when you want your pizza for dinner that night!

As for cooking on the grill, this is the way to do it. (And yes, we had a warm day this week, so my pizza was cooked on the grill!)
Preheat grill to very hot, then turn down to low.
Scrape & oil grate as needed
Put the naked dough on the grill, cover and let sit for a couple minutes until bottom is lightly toasted.
Flip dough, put toppings on, cover and cook for about 10 minutes (or less depending on your grill)
If your dough is not frozen and is well formed, you can also create your pizza with your toppings and put it on the hot grill. (I still recommend chilling the dough so it doesn't stick) If you do that, be sure to spread cornmeal on your pizza peel (or cookie sheet if you don't have a peel) and put onto the grill with a quick jerking motion.

With all the the pizzas, don't go too heavy with the sauce. Just trust me on that. Besides, with crust this good, who needs to?

Our favorite toppings:
Goat Cheese & Parmesan Alfredo with shrimp and caramelized onions (we've also been known to add roasted red peppers to this)
Fresh Mozzarella with garden tomatoes and olive oil (no sauce). Add fresh basil just prior to serving (so it doesn't over cook) it may work better if blanched, but I'm not organized enough to think about that until its too late
Mixed "Mexican cheese" with leftover beer-can chicken, red onions & a swirl or two of Sweet Baby Ray's.

So what will you put on your pizza?

A very non-traditional winter holiday to you!

2008-12-29T11:04:00.008-05:00

We did not get into the traditional Christmas at our house this year. The Kids left a few days before for Florida with mom & grandma and we were running behind in everything. We were lucky enough to go to my sister's so we could spend Christmas eve & Christmas day with her family and my dad & his wife. Christmas is much more fun when you have small children who still get caught up in the excitement of it!
Our cork Christmas tree was the only tree that went up in our house. It seemed wasteful to spend money on a tree just for the sake of having a tree, but I did take the time get my annual ornament. I have gotten an ornament every year since my husband & I were engaged and plan to continue this regardless of the tree situation. This year, I went a step farther & made an ornament. One of the benefits of working at an arts center is that you get to experience art every day and even try something new if the mood strikes. This year, I decided to try blowing a hot glass ornament. I had lots of help (Thanks Ben!) but this is what I made

If ya have a chance to do this, I totally recommend it. I had a blast & have a great ornament!

Since the kids were on their way to warmer climes, and we were going over the river & through the woods, we didn't want to do a traditional Christmas dinner. We chose instead an warming winter meal from my latest library book.
In this case, the "Balti" is they style of cooking, Indian-by-way-of England, and the way it is cooked, in that large wok-like pan. We chose most of our menu from this book.

Balti Butter Chicken
Balti Baby Vegetables
Naan
Tandoori Style Salmon from my own collection of recipes

Do ya wanna see?

The Butter Chicken was unbelievable (ok, they had me at "butter") It was marinaded in a thick yogurt and spice mixture for about 8 hours then cooked on the stove top in a traditional wok with, you guessed it, butter (I couldn't find a Balti at the local kitchen shop). In looking at other recipes on the world wide web, I think I could have done a version cooking directly in the clay dish and been equally as traditional. This was a flavorful, but mellow chicken dish that was super easy and will hit the table again soon!

I loved the tenderness and bright flavor of the baby vegetables (I used new potatoes, baby zucchini, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes and chick peas) This was tasty, the sauce was a little over-zippy, but mellowed to a nice level on the leftovers (usually it goes the other way, hmmm). Not sure I would do this again unless I can find cheaper baby vegetables. It seems that you pay for the cute factor. Maybe in spring!

The naan was a decent bread, (seen here pre-oven) it didn't look or taste like naan to me. That is something that I will work on for the next time, though I think I need to forgo the oven in favor of the grill for this.

Oops, no picture of the salmon. It was very tasty and went quickly though. We had a blast doing a non-traditional dinner and will likely hit this cookbook a couple more meals before the due date! I can't wait.

So, what kind of food did you eat over the holidays? Any new favorites?

Have a very

2008-12-24T09:58:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas

As promised

2008-12-22T14:14:00.007-05:00

A post about Kringla!

Now, if you followed the link below, you'll realize that my Kringla doesn't look anything like the traditional Norwegian Kringla. It does, however, somewhat resemble the Kringla that Grandma K. brings the kids when she visits. Mine is not as even or as pretty, but ohhhhh does it taste good!
Due to the time & mess involved in making it, Kringla is a "special occasion" cookie. It comes out for Christmas, maybe Easter. It is not a spur-of-the-moment, lets-bake-coookies cookie, it is a 2 day process. It is also something that I like to keep special, and when you take a bite of these, you know they are special.

Kiki's Kringla, adapted from MBPG on Allrecipes.com
Day one.
Mix two cups sour cream & two cups heavy cream in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Put in the fridge until tomorrow. Have a glass of wine & contemplate cleaning some counter space in order to actually make these.

Day two.
Take sour cream mix out of the fridge. Let it come to room temperature. (At my house, that isn't much different than fridge temp, but lets pretend it is!) Preheat the oven to 475. (Yes, that is 475, very hot) Then, line up your baking sheets. You'll need several.

Mix 2 teaspoos baking soda & 2 teaspoons real, pure vanilla extract into the cream mixture. It marbles up very pretty; see: Next, in a very large bowl beat 1/4 cup softened butter with 2 2/3 cups sugar and 2 egg yolks. Add the new improved cream mixture to the butter mixture & beat some more.
In another bowl, sift together 6 cups of flour & 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Then gently dump in your flour mixture mixing as you go until fully incorporated.

Now, take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves, make sure your apron is tied & hair out of your face. Curse at yourself that you drank wine instead of cleaning counter space. Clean some counter space and find a good workspace. On a floured surface, with floured hands, grab a hunk of (very sticky) dough about the size of those yummy Ferrero Rocher balls, (you know the ones with a crispy coating over a hazelnut with chocolate-hazelnut filling) roll your ball of dough out to a coil and then attempt to shape into an infinity symblol or a figure 8 depending on which way is up. This is easier said than done, but this dough fluffs up enough that the detail is lost. (The kringla my mother-in-law brings from Iowa is always beautiful, but not as puffy as mine. I'm not sure if that is good or bad, but I like these so I'm not going to mess with it) put your infinity, figure 8, letter B, ... shaped dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat process with freshly floured hands. The dough is very sticky, so if the phone rings, let the machine get it. In between kringla you can try to get some of the dough off, but you may look like a dog trying to get peanut butter off the roof of its mouth. Give the kringla enough space to puff out like a pomeranian and put into the oven. Bake for about 4 minutes, then turn cookie sheet. Bake for another 4 minutes or so until the tops have just a hint of brown.

Usually, I put HP in charge of the oven & baking portion while I am busy attempting to make my infinity signs. (Really, the dough sticks to your fingers and you get some odd shapes).

These taste best fresh out of the oven, with a small pat of butter on top. They melt in your mouth! They are also good if you microwave it for about 10 seconds & put butter on it. And they are also good just on their own or with a cup of hot cocoa, or coffee...

Reruns

2008-12-20T10:02:00.003-05:00

Well the first half of this post is a big rerun. But it is from sometime in '07, so hopefully you won't remember it.
I'm doing a rerun, because on Thanksgiving I got a comment on the post from Unni E. in Norway. I don't know if she continues to read, but if you do, Thanks for coming across the pond & I love your name!

So the original post was on Kringla, a Norwegian cake-like cookie. Unni also sent me a link to what real Norwegian Kringla looks like http://www.tine.no/page?id=28&key=8422&cat=649
Well gosh, that doesn't look anything like mine! And when I used google translate to translate the page, it told me to "melt the butter and milk in hell" and also told me to "Paint with whisk together eggs and steak." I'm not sure I know how to do that. So, today you get the rerun. Tomorrow, or the next day, you get my Kringla in a post. For now enjoy, and remember, if you are melting your butter in hell, "Let the mixture will be lukewarm, and the hell of ferment. Rør til gjæren er oppløst."

I'll have to clean & clear every spare inch if I'm going to follow through with my plans to make Kringla for The Girl as an Easter treat. Kringla is a Norwegian soft cookie (normally in the shape of an infinity sign, but this was the pic I found), and she loves it. Since she gave up sweets for Lent, I thought it would be a nice reward, as it is a very rare treat. I've only made it 2 times, though her grandmother will occasionally send it (store bought as it is a major project to make & grandma has enough going on).
A bit of history: HP's family is partially of Norwegian origin (you can't tell by looking at him though), when they emigrated to the US, his great grandfather (a former member of King Olaf's Royal Ski Patrol. I swear, I can't make this stuff up) changed the family name. Seems he thought Sveergard was too hard to spell. (In fact, I'm willing to bet I spelled it wrong) When he changed his last name, he picked something shorter, and translates roughly to "By the Fjord." Sadly, my husband didn't pay much attention to genealogy, he thought his name meant "Buy the Ford" and now we have a "Crapmobile" Contour that has started once in the past 3 months. (ok, I did make up the "buy the Ford" part, but the rest is true, including the dead crapmobile)
Kringla is labor intensive as well as space intensive. Last time I made it, I destroyed the cheap little hand blender that I used. The kids, worried that that could end my Kringla making career, got me a lovely little kitchen-aid hand blender for Christmas. Tragedy averted!

So, I feel that the kitchen-aid is up to the task, the real question is am I?

I'm not sure what this image is, but it came up when I was trying to do an image search for Kringla, does it mean No Kringla?

Honest Injun

2008-12-13T09:39:00.003-05:00

I was tagged for an "Honest to God" meme by Sarah Louise, so here I go. 10 points of honesty.

I didn't like the title "Honest to God." I don't really like that phrase.
I ate the last brownie & it was good
I also ate the last cheese stick. I didn't realize it was the last one.
I wish I had that cheesestick now.
I try to be helpful, but really sometimes I'm a pain.
I have too much time on my hands & not enough gumption to use it wisely.
If I know that, I haven't figured out why I'm not giving myself a kick in the pants to get get off my pants.
The pants I'm wearing are too big. Unfortunately it's not because I've lost weight. They were "hand-me-downs" that were just a little big to begin with
I think I'm a very honest person. Unless I think honesty is going to hurt your feelings, then I'll sugar coat sometimes. Sometimes I do that when I shouldn't & sometimes I don't do that when I should.
I'm not good at "tagging" people, so I'm not going to. I'll leave it to you "injuns" to be honest.

I bet you thought I was kidding...

2008-12-07T20:31:00.006-05:00

when I mentioned the stuffing, didn't you?

Really, what do you do with a heap of left over stuffing? We had 2 kinds at Thanksgiving & this was the "savory" it was cooked in pan, not the bird. It was good stuffing with cornbread & sausage along with a little apple & onion & celery, but really; I only eat stuffing at Thanksgiving. So, I was perplexed, but I am also pretty frugal, so I didn't throw it away immediately.

And then one day last week a friend said, "Hey, J doesn't have a budget for food at his opening. We thought we would all pitch in and make something. Are you in?"

Of course I was!

Then it dawned on me, that my grocery money hadn't quite recovered from Thanksgiving. But I wanted to make something tasty. So, of course, I went through the pantry & fridge. What did I find? A large container of stuffing.

So, of course I did what I always do when in doubt, add cheese
To my cornbread & sausage stuffing, I added about 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend ( CHEDDAR, MONTEREY JACK, COLBY AND MOZZARELLA CHEESES-- not the stuff with the icky spices & salt & MSG) and some (4 oz?) GOAT CHEESE and about a 1/4 cup grated pecorino. I mixed that in with 3 beaten eggs and rolled them into balls.

I put them in a hot oven (I believe it was 375) for about 35 minutes. When I pulled out these little puffs? I had almost 4 dozen puffs of yumminess

(see the cheese? that makes it for me!) They were snapped up pretty quickly, these little stuffing wonders, and the taste was a hit. One person even told me I should definitely try the "crab puffs" So the stuffing was a hit. And I was relieved!

I've already realized that the stuffing would also be perfect to put into mushrooms as another appetizer. Because I hate wasted food--especially when it's good food!

You'll Laugh, You'll Cry, it's better than # 11

2008-12-04T10:58:00.004-05:00

From the fabulous fellows over at woot.com, I had a good laugh this morning.

17 Fabulous Prequels To Broadway Musicals
by Lydon, Toon, Norman, & Rutledge Wednesday December 3, 2008 3:20 PM

1. Kate, We Haven’t Been Introduced
2. Bar Mitzvah of La Mancha
3. Sand And Primer Your Wagon
4. A Chorus Dot
5. Fiddler Borrows A Ladder
6. Little Business Plan of Horrors
7. A Star's Mom Allows A Handsome Stranger To Buy Her A Drink
8. Indian Territory!
9. The Guy Who Is A Little Intense But Keeps To Himself And Isn’t Really Bothering Anyone Of The Opera
10. Annie There’s A Waiting Period
11. Kittens
12. Brand New Acquaintance Joey
13. Handshake Of The Spider Woman
14. Jesus Christ Waiter
15. Starlight Right-of-Way Allocation And Environmental Impact Study
16. Vocal Warm-ups On A Cloudy Day
17. West Side Backstory

Can you guess them all? I had trouble with # 7, I have to admit it went right over my head at first.

Can't get one? Need to know? Go to their discussion page, it has a cheat sheet. While you are there, check out what they have for sale. Don't like it? It will change at midnight. (I figure if I'm stealing their blog post, I should give them a plug)

So what have you done with your leftovers?

2008-12-03T10:33:00.002-05:00

I have not gone to the grocery store or farmers market since before Thanksgiving. At that time, I was primarily shopping for, well, Thanksgiving. We ate left overs as they were left. The turkey did not go into any tettrazinni, spring rolls, enchiladas or casserole. (In all truth, with 8 of us, all above the age of 16, there wasn't much in the turkey bin). The mashed potatoes, of course, went first, and then the leek tart, and bit by bit other items. There are still a couple bites of veggies, a little taste of cranberry & plenty of stuffing. The sweet potatoes, which I found very tasty, were made to serve 12, but untouched the under 20-crowd (as well as some of the over 20 crowd) and had sufficient amount to be served with another meal, so into the freezer they went. And now that you have the status of my leftovers, we'll continue on.

Last night's dinner was a definite departure from the holiday meal. I made a big pot of black beans & rice. I sautéed some onions & shallots in pot, added some hot & some sweet turkey sausages (I'm a turkey sausage girl, not into the fatty pork stuff) and sautéed some more. I added that to my big pot of pre-soaked beans along with a little stock, and some cumin & some ancho powder & the regular salt & pepper thing. After about an hour, I went down to taste. It was pretty good, but something was missing. It had the spice end right, but needed just a touch of sweet. So, into the fridge I went. And into the pot went the last bit of my caramelized onion gravy. It was sweetened with wine while cooking, and had the sweet of the onions. It also served to slightly thicken the broth in the beans and create more of a stew than a soup. The result was a richer flavor in the beans, and one less container in the fridge!

Did you know that in many Spanish & Latin American cultures, black beans & rice were called Moros y Cristianos or Christians & Moors, with the beans representing the dark-skinned Moors and the white rice representing the lighter-skinned Christians. I believe my Uncle told me that, and now you know too!

Now, if I could only figure out what to do with the stuffing (another item I made too much of!) Any one up for dumplings?

Hmmm, I may need to find a different main course for Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T10:37:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year

2008-11-21T21:29:00.004-05:00

Although I announced in August (and again in September & October) that I would be making Thanksgiving Dinner, it was not until last week that we finally confirmed that yes, on Thursday we would be cooking. Here. I won't go into all the reasons why it went zipping around, but I finally started planning this week. It will not be large, my aunt & uncle, along with their 2 (adult) daughters will be joining HP, The Boy, The Girl & I.

I spent the beginning of the week pouring over this year's Thanksgiving issues of Bon Appétit & Food & Wine, searching for inspiration. I was also trying to channel some of my recent vacation, and find a little Italian flair where appropriate. What I came up with (with some help from HP) was a traditional menu, with a few small kicks.

Starter:
Pumpkin Soup with Chipotle Mousse (very loosely based on this recipe from Gourmet)

The Turkey:
I think our turkey is probably still alive at this point. I get my turkey from the guys I know at the farmer's market. While not certified organic, it is happy, healthy, hormone free, free to wander the farm, and from past experience the best turkey ever.
It will be salted instead of brined, then roasted walnut, bay, rosemary and garlic. The gravy will be flavored with wine & maybe caramelized onions.

The Potatoes:
Whipped, creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes. HP requested, "nothing fancy; a traditional, yummy, creamy gravy holder" maybe not as exciting as some of the choices I was thinking of, but hey, I can do basic. (although I may have sneak a little garlic in, or a hint of cheese...)

Sweet-Potato-Parmesan Gratin, no marshmallows for me. I want savory! This recipe came from the best ever Thanksgiving issue to beat all magazine issues ever. Bon Appétit November, 2001. Every year since it came out I have had something from that issue. Sometimes cooked by me, sometimes by someone else. It has never let me down & is more reliable than my stove!

The Veggies:
Grill Roasted Vegetables with Pine Nut Pesto. There will b a few substitutions, no one here is big on brussel sprouts so they are OUT and I'm considering throwing something else in to replace it. Maybe some spinach, wilted in the vegetables. We'll see! I love the fact that it uses the grill and dosen't take up oven space. Hopefully it will warm up a little that day. But not before, right now the grill is my back up refrigerator. (Yes everything is sealed up tight! With temperatures only reaching mid-thirties, it is the perfect place for the stock I've started stocking up on...)

Gigante Verde broccoli & cauliflower in cheese sauce

I'm skipping our traditional creamed pearl onions, in favor of this yummy sounding tart: Belgian Leek Tart with Aged Goat Cheese (Flamiche Aux Poireaux)

The Stuffing:
Sweet Stuffing a la HP

HP's sausage & stuff stuffing.

apparently, I am not qualified to make stuffing, but that's ok. I am pretty neutral on stuffing anyway.

The Cranberry:
Another favorite from my favorite Thanksgiving issue, Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Zinfandel it is easy & good & ALWAYS a winner. This is one of the few dishes that I'm not allowed to switch up from year to year.

So that is the dinner table! I think that I was relieved of dessert duties; between my Aunt Chirp & The Girl I think it is covered! Am I ready? Will I have everything done ahead of time so I can relax and enjoy my day? Sure, of course that's what I thought last year!

Tomorrow I do the first phase of shopping & make the soup (I roasted my pumpkin yesterday).

What's on YOUR table?

I have decided that last year's Sushi idea was the best new tradition ever. With days of cooking, a little rice & some raw fish sounds likd a nice departure!

Random Venice

2008-11-20T10:15:00.002-05:00

I am still working on sorting the pictures, but have been running around a lot since I got back & I spent some of my day off yesterday throwing pottery (after a too long hiatus. I have gifts to make!) I really have no excuse, my sister-in-law who has two small kids & a full time job put together a neat slide show, which inspired me to do the same. (of course, this is the same woman who ran up to the top of every mountain she could find & biked up above Florence; she has a lot of energy!) Unfortunately, while I am inspired, I haven't gotten organized. But I will, I promise. I have family coming for Thanksgiving & don't want to slog through the 750 pics on my computer. I haven't even looked at the ones my husband took.

I thought this was pretty random. There was apparently some sort of art/theatre school hazing our first day in Venice. We saw this young lady "perform" while being egged on by classmates.

We also saw a young man dressed as Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. (which we saw while at the Uffuzi in Florence) Unfortunately, he was walking the opposite direction on the other side of a canal & I didn't get a picture. Besides, his clam shell got in the way.

My next random photo is an advertisement that caught my eye. My feeling is that even the the ads look better in Venice. Granted it is an art show, but still I like the clean lines of it. I also liked the modern look contrasted against the aging building facade.

And finally, even the protests are more artistic. I don't know exactly what this means, but it roughly means they want to be rid of the big hand of public school, it is our time. I know there is something lost in the translation, but I loved the imagery.

So that is my Venice installment for now. I will have more when I do the slide show, but for the random photos, I'll be leaving town shortly! Thanks for traveling with me!

Mashed, Smashed, Whipped or Beaten?

2008-11-18T10:44:00.005-05:00

How do you 'ho?

Hey there, it's Mandy Lynn your friendly potato 'ho!
Well, due to random technological challenges, I do not have a picture of my taters. I don't know if that disqualifies me from the Ho Down, this month hosted over at Baking Delights so, even if I don't really enter (am I late, I don't know that either, I'm still getting reorganized) I thought I'd share my potatoes from Sunday's dinner. (Which also included Deviled Fried Chicken and spinach sauted in lightly caramelized shallots and a splash of red wine).

The potatoes were the Clean-Out-The-Fridge Smashed Potatoes & really, they rocked!
I roughly peeled (left some skin on) about 3 lbs of red potatoes then quartered & boiled until al dente. When draining, I leave just a little of the water in so I don't lose the tasty tater juices. I warmed up about a cup of dark chicken stock (left over from last week) with about 2-3 oz of goat cheese left in the cheese drawer and a tablespoon or 2 of butter. I dumped that in & smashed the taters with the old family potato masher*. Once everything was incorporated, I dusted with a little romano cheese and topped with an amazing bread-crumb mix left over from a pasta dish. (Yes, I should have posted it, maybe next time). So, for those of you who just want the topping, I'm going to guess on measurements:
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, also toasted (I think I used a little oil (very little))
1/2 cup quality pecorino/romano cheese.
when the nuts & breadcrumbs have cooled slightly, mix in the cheese.
This makes an amazing topping for mashed potatoes**! I popped the crusted taters under the broiler (on low) for a few minutes until everything was warm & toasty. Comfort food at its most comforting!

*I am generally not a "ricer" or a "whipper" and I think that the new lingo says smashed are chunkier than mashed & I like a little chunk.
**This topping would also be good on a baked fish or baked chicken breast or topping some vegetable or a random casserole.

Since I haven't fallen asleep yet...

2008-11-10T22:41:00.002-05:00

Hopefully you won't while reading this. But, even though it is not very late, I'm pretty much done. But I went and did some rounds of commenting so I thought since the typing fingers were on, I'd try a quick post.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am working on the Pennsylvania Governor's Awards for the Arts. I moved to Pennsylvania as a teenager over 20 years ago. My initial reaction was, "It's cold, I want to go back to Florida!" After I graduated college, I moved to Florida for a couple years, my thoughts upon leaving were, "I'm broke. I need to move up to Pennsylvania. Surely there is a Theatre & Arts scene that I haven't previously explored" (Other than the Central Pennslyvania Festival of the Arts which is HUGE! And I didn't really appreciate to its full extent until later in life. So I moved back & got involved. For the first few years upon moving back I was focused mainly on what I was doing. I worked for a theatre production company and worked about 100 hrs a week and didn't get out to see other things for many years. As the company evolved & I grew up, I was exposed bit by bit to Philadelphia area artists. Then as I grew up more I learned more about some of the other artists that were born or spent their "formative" years, or currently call Pennsylvania Home.

As an artists group, it is unbelievably diverse. Did you know that Pennsylvania was the home of Doo-Wop & Dick Clark & Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Keith Haring, Andrew Wyeth, Director Rob Marshall (He did the movie version of Chicago & the upcoming Nine, among other things) His sister choreographer Kathleen Marshall (Grease, Pajama Game) Opera singer Marilyn Horne, dancer Rennie Harris, pianist Lang Lang, conductor Peter Nero, singer Patti LaBelle, playwright August Wilson, Bill Cosby, John Updike, Jimmy Stewart, Mario Lanza, George Crumb, James Michner, Marian Anderson. It is truly a list that could go on & on. If you aren't sure of a name up there, Google them, really they are all worth knowing!

I am thrilled to be ever-so-slightly associated with all these people by calling Pennsylvania my home. I am equally thrilled to assist with this year's Governor's Awards for the Arts. Pennsylvania is the only state in the US that explores the state as we honor our artists. I became involved with this event when they were here in my town, at my theatre, in 2004. Since then I have traveled to Wilkes-Barre, (for you Office fans, it is right next to Scranton), Gettysburg and nowWilliamsport. (I missed Greensburg in 2005 due to strange timing). I hope next year to go to the other side of the state for these awards and see more of PA.

I am humbled by the company we keep and encouraged for the future of the arts not only in Pennsylvania, but through out the country. (I'm hoping that the other 49 states do as good a job as Governor Rendell in supporting the arts and honoring those who make it happen!)

This year we honor several people. We honor the usually unsung patrons who give time & money (Thank you Barbara Hudock of Williamsport) and amazing organizations who help the kids of Pennsylvania by introducing them to the arts. Children who participate in the arts, be it music, dance, visual arts or performing arts grow up to be more self-confident, more involved in their community, less destructive to themselves and their community and better citizens over all. Thank you to the PAL Center for the Arts in Reading, PA- an arts center and
arts mentoring program for high risk students & Taller Puertorriqueño, nationally-recognized arts organization known as the “Cultural Heart of Latino Philadelphia,” whose mission is to preserve, promote and develop Latino arts and culture. We have world-renown poet Sascha Feinstein and legendary jazz artist Phil Woods and the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts, the annual jazz and arts festival that Woods co-founded in 1978. And our Distinguished Arts Award goes to my favorite Batman, Michael Keaton.

I am too lazy to do any links, but look them up. It is a neat group of people to spend an evening with!

Now, I am ready to go to bed. I have some very important people to deal with the next 2 days!

More Promises

2008-11-09T23:04:00.004-05:00

I really do promise that there will be more pictures of Italy up soon. I'll even post one today, perhaps a little more Venice?

I got back from Italy with 2 ½ weeks until the Pennsylvania Governor's Awards for the Arts. I have helped with this event since 2004, and this year they decided that it might be nice to pay me for my help. (Cool, eh?) But with that paycheck, comes additional responsibilities, ok, actual responsibilities; I mean as a volunteer, I helped, but really it wasn't my job. Now it is. Anyway, I've been working hard on that, trying to make a good impression, and trying to keep all the ducks that need to be in a row in their row, so that has been consuming much of my time (plus working 3-4 nights a week, plus just trying to get caught up with life) So I promise there will be more, but I will leave you with a couple images.

I loved waking up in Venice. The street where I live is pretty noisy. There is a bar across the street that sometimes gets rowdy at closing, and the street alongside my house is filled with kids that are screaming, playing, yelling at the top of their lungs, fighting or generally making noise if they can stand to be outside. (I'm really not kidding—our house-sitters, who are 20-something laid-back artists couldn't believe how much noise was on our block). So Venice, where we stayed, was lovely and peaceful. We stayed in a small B&B in the Dosoduro district, away from the Grand Canal and the tourist hordes. We took a nap one afternoon, shortly after our arrival, and awoke to an accordion being played while a group of Gondola's slid down the canal behind our room. It was peaceful, and haunting and the most pleasant "alarm clock" I've ever had.

The Osteria just outside of our front door was lovely as well. Just look at this menu! Today we have a zucchini dish. There is a fresh vegetable soup, I had the eggplant parmesan (so good! Unlike any I've ever had!) Though the Penne with tuna & eggplant sounded good as well. HP had the grilled salmon, which was very tasty!

The restaurant was called Osteria ae Cravate. (I guess you could call it a "Tie restaurant!") I liked all the ties hanging form the rafters. But I loved the food! And the owner was really terrific! He spent a long time talking to us and helping us with our Italian. We saw him often the couple days we were there, and he always had a minute to say Hi, even if we were just passing by on our way to our door..

If When we return to Venice, I'd be happy to return to our cozy room above the quiet canal and visit the Osteria downstairs again!

The view from the window, the canal is down below the greenery.

A lovely trip indeed.

ps. all images are directly from the camera. I haven't had time to crop, edit, photoshop, or otherwise alter them. Hope they work for ya!

Working it out

2008-11-04T11:43:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm trying a new look.
Unfortunately, I decided to do this just before I have to leave the house, so there are still some glitches. I'll rework the header another day & get my links back in as soon as I can.

come back soon!

And for my Italy post of the day, have you ever been to Venice?
I have & love it!
(Here are pictures of me & HP, lovin' it)

Here we are at some random canal. A little tired & jet-lagged from our up all-night flight. (We aren't good sleepers on the plane, and neglected to try the sleeping pills from the doctor for fear of arriving groggy. and so we were groggy) Oh well, it was an amazing day!
Here is a ride on the vaperetto for fun (they are the canal busses) It is very short (I had a fear of memory card & battery issues so I didn't use the video much)

Thanks for riding along with me!

Yes, I did come back from Italy

2008-11-02T17:45:00.003-05:00

Reluctantly, but I'm back!
Since I've been home:
I've done about 10 loads of laundry (Ok, my husband did most of them)
I've made mashed potatoes, just as comfort food.
I've downloaded 750 pictures.
I haven't uploaded any of them.
I printed about 10 of them to send to my Father-in-Law & Sister-in-Law.
I sent packages to my my Step-Mother-in-Law & my S-I-L.
My family came by for a brief visit (a long dinner)
I worked
I answered email
I froze my butt off in this house
I wrote a cover letter & updated my resume
I sent them out (ok, I emailed them out)
I turned my clock back
I picked up friends from the airport
I napped
I started a knitting project
I sucked it up & turned on the heat. 55 is too cold for the dining room
I finished 2 books
I have occasionally gotten to the computer. My husband & I are now sharing one computer.
I went to a lecture
and today,
I went to see a movie.
Even if you don't like wine (Although I can't imagine you not liking wine)
You'll like this movie.
It's got love, victory, fermentation & Alan Rickman. and it's based on a true story, The Paris Judgment of 1976

I promise I'll post pictures soon. I will share, my first Cannoli. Shot quickly & unedited

It was very yummy!

PS

2008-10-02T22:01:00.002-04:00

So for dinner tonight, HP warmed last night's leftovers and added some breakfast sausage links (turkey, from the freezer) some mushrooms (that I didn't know we still had), a little butter & a few grinds from the herbs de provence mill. I don't know if he put anything else in, but it was enough to turn the Ho's dish into a dinner. Yum.

This will probably be my last post for a few weeks (unless I find a minute or 3 this weekend) I need to pack and such to be on my merry way.

We leave Sunday. I'm very excited!

Ciao!

Rex Vs. Dory, A Post About Sibling Rivalry

2008-10-01T20:40:00.004-04:00

It has begun. I didn't realize they would start so soon, but yes Rex & Dory have issues with sibling rivalry.
Tonight it was dinner. I asked for suggestions.

Rex wanted pasta, Dory (my little Ho) wanted potatoes.
They argued & bickered until I finally said enough.
I made both. Because I'm a Potato Ho!

This month's Ho Down will be hosted by Hillary at Chew on That. The Ho Down isn't until October 15, but I'll be on my way from Capri to Positano, so I thought I'd throw this up early. Thanks for hosting!

Pasta with Potatoes, Arugula & Rosemary
Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables.

1 # firm potatoes, sliced about 1/3" thick, tossed w/ olive oil, salt & pepper
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 shallot, slice thin
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
more olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 bunches arugula, washed
1/2 a lemon
Box of noodles, they suggest penne or other tubular pasta, I used the tri-color rotini & loved it

On baking stone, rimmed sheet, (or other suitable surface) bake the potatoes in a single layer at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until tender.

Put water on to boil for pasta. Cook according to box.

While waiting for water to boil, saute onion & shallot in olive oil until brown & tender, add garlic and saute lightly, toss in potatoes & rosemary.

When pasta is done, drain & return to pan. Add Arugula & toss to wilt greens, add potato/onion mixture & toss again.

Serve with fresh shaved Parmesan.
The kids were happy (though Rex did get some arugula stuck in his teeth) they both loved it!

HP wasn't convinced this was a complete meal and suggested some cooked Italian Sausage cut up and tossed in. I thought that was a splendid idea; the dish needs some protein to be a meal, but hey I'm still in my comfort food phase.

I didn't take this picture & I can't find any of Rex standing his ground on the pasta issue. I'm not sure if my camera is possessed or Rex is sneakier than I though.

Breathing In, Breathing Out

2008-09-28T21:24:00.004-04:00

After letting the stress get to me, I let let it go. At least some of it.
Of course, one of the best stress relievers is comfort food.
So this weekend's foray into comfort food was a couple of fall favorites. Perfect for the dreary days we've had.
The first was my Papa's Paprikas (paprikash). My father always had his specialties, but he began really cooking for himself about 9 years ago, after my mother passed away. About 6 months after she passed, he had a business trip that took him to Europe. He and my mom lived in Germany when they were first married, so he took the opportunity to return to some of the places they had visited, but also had the time to check out some of his family back life. He spent a few days in Hungary, trying to track his mother's roots and eating food that reminded him of his youth. After this trip, he mad a mission of making a good, Hunky Paprikas. Emphasis on good!
So, like he made his recipe his own, I have made his recipe my own.
I don't have any pictures, because of technical difficulties (that Rex, couldn't stand the camera & hid the battery from me. the scoundrel!) I promise I'll have details soon, but I left my notes in the kitchen...

But I will say that the paprika's is a stew that warms you inside & out and sweet of the red peppers with the zip of some good hot paprika is enough to keep the boogeyman at bay!

Since I found the red peppers at a great price at a road-side stand in the middle of nowhere and some gorgeous eggplant alongside, I took advantage of them for my other comfort meal. This is one of those rare recipes that I make almost exactly as written. Just haven't found much in need of change. If you really have your act together & think about it in advance, you can roast the eggplant & red pepper early in the day and get rid of that chore. Don't skimp on the lemon or the Parmesan, those little garnish make the soup! Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Soup
Bon Appétit March 2001

The Stuff
2 eggplants (about 2 1/2 pounds total), halved

4 red bell peppers (about 22 ounces)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped (I usually add a shallot, too)
1 medium leek, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only; about 2 cups) (I used 2 big, because that what was fresh & I didn't want the second to go to waste)
6 large garlic cloves, minced
8 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Parmesan cheese shavings

The Method
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pierce eggplants all over with fork. Transfer, cut side down, to baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove peel and discard. Cut eggplants into large pieces. Rinse eggplant pieces under running water. Drain well. Set aside.

Char bell peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, seed and coarsely chop peppers.

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and leek and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in eggplant, peppers, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in basil and thyme. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add butter and lemon juice; stir over low heat until soup is heated through, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Transfer to large bowl; garnish with Parmesan.

STRESSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEDDDDDDDDD

2008-09-24T20:34:00.007-04:00

Ugh!

The part-time job has full time responsibilities; classes start October 5 & I need to get things confirmed, canceled, registered and/or filed in duplicate (payment & programs) before then. And when I asked someone to do the brainless work, I was met with "That's not my job" That is probably my least favorite phrase in the English language. Especially when spoken by someone who regularly pawns off her job duties on others, sits and reads the paper for hours on end and does the part of the job she likes. (And gets on the computer to check her email, but when asked to do some work on the computer says she is computer illiterate, but gets paid more than me).

The side-project job has me out of town 2 days this week and on the computer in between. It is high profile & very important to me so I want to give it 110%. If it was the only thing I was working on, it would be no problem; I planned to get things done on it on my day "off" but instead I went to the part time job above & only got through 95% of what I planned for this project done before I went to work (and the last 5% needs to be done in business hours). I wonder if I can do the rest while I'm driving tomorrow...

I want very much to do a good job for everyone I'm working for and I want to make everyone's life a little easier for having hired me. I also want to find time to get all my ducks in a row before I leave town for 3 weeks.

Then there was my email. One message, from one of my neighbors said

I will not live in a third-world neighborhood.

And I will not let our neighborhood become one, without a fight

Wow, a little dramatic I think. While I don't live in LilyWhiteSuburbia, I don't, by definition, live in the third world.

But, another email told me:
An Italian Adventure Awaits.
It wasn't a travel email, or even a horoscope email, but just another food thing, but they are letting me send e-postcards. Does that mean I don't have to send them while I'm gone?

In a nutshell, I think I need a vacation! (but wait, getting ready for that is causing me stress...)

Introducing Our New Little Arrivals: The Twins.

2008-09-24T10:21:00.005-04:00

I know, I didn't tell anyone we were "expecting," but with adoptions, sometimes it just happens one day. Meet Dory & Rex
Dory is our golden child, and loves the spotlight. Rex, with his regal purple, is a little more subdued, but likes to sit back & stir things up.
Can you believe that Dory loves to flash people. I'm trying to get her to stop, but she's incorrigible!

Dory likes to stir up trouble when ever she can. She was enjoying this mix of ginger, garlic and onion.
But once the spices were added, Rex jumped right in, with Dory watching carefully over him. She is a big fan of the turmeric, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, coriander and other curry spices thrown in. Rex, was a little surprised at having his picture taken and tried to hide the next time I grabbed the camera When I added the Salmon, they both went running for the hills I guess they aren't fish fans like HP & I. (Recipe inspired by October Food & Wine's Creamy Indian-Spiced Halibut Curry)

Both the twins loved bath time
Though I did have to wait for Rex to come up from the bubbles!

While the twins were keeping me busy, HP was cookin' up some trouble of his own. Actually, he wasn't really cooking, he was mostly slicing and tearing and really, it wasn't trouble he was making, he was making the most of some organic heirloom tomatoes that someone had given me. Layered with fresh mozzarella & basil from our garden then drizzled with basalmic vinegar & olive oil with a sprinkle of black pepper, these were the best tomatoes of the season!

Have I told ya I'm going to Italy?

2008-09-20T21:45:00.004-04:00

I think I have. In fact, I don't think there is anyone I haven't told!
I'm just a little bit excited...
We start in Venice
We have almost 4 days of wandering along the canals, crossing the little bridges and getting as lost as you can get on an island. We are staying at the Casanova ai Tolentini Bed & Breakfast
I think that is a picture of it, at least it came from their website.
I wanted a local flavor & didn't want to got to a big hotel, so we are trying the B&B. It looks lovely & the owners seemed nice from their email making arrangements to meet us at the bus stop where we come in from the train. They are located in the Dorsoduro region, a little bit away from the high tourist saturation of Piazza San Marco, but close enough to wander over on a a water taxi, gondola, vaporetto or even traverse the many ponti (bridges). We have 2 days on our own before we board the ship, then we have a day & 1/2 in Venice with the family before we set sail. Our plan is to be the experts by then so we can show the other folks around, and wait until we have a group of us to split the gondola ride. The gondola is something we think we should do, but really, is it worth a $120 - $155 for the 2 of us? We'd rather split it among a group. (So it kills the romance, I'd rather spend the money shopping)
Once we set sail, our first port-of-call is Dubrovnick, Croatia.
With its amazing walls surrounding the city and overlooking the sea, the Pearl of the Adriatic will be the first test of how much my feet can stand! This is one of the few stops that we can stay out late; we don't set sail until the next morning.
After a short sail, we find ourselves in Kotor, Montenegro. "A beautiful walled medieval city of twisting, pink-paved streets, markets and architecture reflecting Byzantine to Venetian influences."

Then we leave the Dalmation Coast (I keep asking my husband if we can get a puppy while we are there, but he just rolls his eyes ) and cruise down to Corfu, Greece. I love Greek food and am looking forward to lunch. This looks like a lovely spot, no?

Next stop is Taormina, Sicily the historic resort town on the east coast of Sicily, midway between the towns of Messina and Catania. I think I'll pass on visiting Mt. Etna, but sign me up for the many pottery shops. (don't tell HP!)

Next stop: Capri--should I wear their pants?

How to succeed in business with out really frying...

2008-09-15T11:10:00.007-04:00

Well, I failed that part, because I was a fryin' demon this weekend. I will share with you, that if you decide to fry, be smart, don't do it when the weather is over 90 with 80% humidity. That is just askin' for heat induced crankiness. Trust Me!

But, I was frying for a cause. 'Cause I'm a HO
My Potato Ho name is Mandy Lynn. I've been a lover of potatoes for many years but I am finally ending my my Potato Ho virginity with a little trip to the other side of the pond, but first I'm heading to Diane at AsthmaGirlCooksfor the Ho Down.

My entry into Hodom is Fish & Chips Wanna see how it's done?
I adapted my recipe from Gourmet magazine's Fish & Chips from Jan 2004. I really didn't make a lot of changes. I will warn you, this recipe is very simple, but it can be VERY time consuming. I think I spent about 2 hours over hot oil. Mostly that is because I didn't use a very big pot (I wanted to have depth in the peanut oil with out using all the oil in the house)

The Stuff:

4 large potatoes
Peanut Oil**
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons corn meal
8 oz Yuengling Lager (or other full bodied beer/ale)
1 lb tillapia fillets, skinned, pin bones removed, and fish cut diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips
salt, pepper, super-fine sugar & dried porcini mushroom mill (if you can find it :( )
other seasonings as desired
Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

See, not a lot of stuff.
The Method:

Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges, transferring as cut to a large bowl of ice and cold water. Chill 30 minutes.

Heat about 1 - 1 1/2" oil in a deep heavy pot over moderately high heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer. While oil is heating, drain potatoes and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Fry a pot of the potatoes, (make sure your potatoes aren't too crowded) stirring gently, until edges are just golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to fresh paper towels/newspaper to drain (I like to put newspaper over a wire cooling rack so the oil doesn't pool under the taters). Fry remaining potatoes in batches, returning oil to 350°F between batches. Remove oil from heat and reserve while getting organized to refry.

Heat oil over moderately high heat until it registers 375°F. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 250°F.

Fry potatoes again, in batches, until deep golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch. Return oil to 375°F between batches. Transfer with slotted spoon to fresh paper towels as fried and drain briefly, then arrange in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and keep warm in upper third of oven.

Return oil temperature to 375°F. Sift flour & cornmeal into a bowl, then whisk in beer gently until just combined. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Pat fish dry. Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt and pepper and any other spices (I used a rub we made for chicken), Coat pieces of fish in batter (Gourmet says to dredge in flour first, I always forget to do that & haven't had any problems), 1 at a time, and slide into oil as coated. Fry coated fish, turning over frequently, until deep golden and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in lower third of oven, then fry remaining fish in batches, returning oil to 375°F between batches.

Mix about one Tablespoon sea salt or Kosher salt, about 2 teaspoons superfine sugar and about 2 teaspoons dried porcini. Sprinkle on the Chips

Serve with malt vinegar or homemade tartar sauce (mayo, sweet pickles, fresh parsley, fresh tarragon, lemon, green onion & capers) or a chipotle "aioli" (mayo, sour cream, chipotles, dried chipotle powder, lime, cilantro, and I'm not sure what else) (or catsup if you are feeding kids)

The finished fish look like this:

I didn't get a pic of them together because we were all to hungry at that point and the family was threatening riot if I tried. But they looked good and tasted GREAT!

Beer & flour is the best way to fry fish, though fried, it is light & crunchy. YUM!

**If you or someone you are feeding is allergic, Veg or Canola oil can be used. I prefer peanut because it has a much higher burning point, with those oils you should decease the oil temp to 325 & 350 and increase cooking time. I think they aren't quite as crisp that way.

That's what I get for complaining about the heat

2008-09-09T10:29:00.002-04:00

Yes, I complained about the heat a little. I didn't think that I was overly whiny, but apparently I was. Karma said, ok, I'll cool things down with a little rain. And the rains came, and came, and came directly into my bathroom.

The roofing guys that smell like tar & cigarettes are now planning a vacation of their own working up an estimate.

I guess we did such a good job with the kitchen, that the bathroom will be next. The jigger of that is: if the kitchen is out of commission I can use the grill or even go out, if the bathroom is out of commission, I can only cross my legs & whimper. Yes, my house has only 1 bathroom.

Holding on to summer

2008-09-05T09:58:00.012-04:00

With highs in the 90's around here, it seems that summer is hangin' in there. With "hazy hot & humid, highs in the mid 90's" I feel that we have returned to July's weather, so I will do a post that I planned to do back in July, but was too embroiled (with emphasis on the BROIL) with the kitchen project to come up to the computer.

This July, as happens every July, The Girl had a birthday. And every birthday it seems to be the hottest week of the year. I do not have central air, so the kitchen is usually hot & soupy before I begin cooking, but I usually make sure to do a nice birthday dinner and birthday cake for her (though it is often a shared celebration as HP's birthday is 3 days later). I have been known to make cakes in the middle of the night, hoping to avoid heat exhaustion.

This year, when The Girl had her birthday, it was not just any birthday. She turned "Sweet Sixteen." She had no interest in a big bash or a crazy party--"I don't want to have to entertain people on my birthday. I just want to enjoy myself." So 2 days after returning from the Poconos, 2 weeks after I had pulled 3/4 of the things in my kitchen in preparation for painting, and at the beginning of the hottest week of the year, I agreed to throw a casual dinner party for her and a few of her friends (and her brother, and her mom, and her mom's boyfriend).

The Girl & friends sat at the "Teen Table"

I think she liked this, we gave her a gift certificate for a Broadway show of her choice.
(She went to see Chicago with her grandmother. The both loved it.)

Avoiding the kitchen, I did the old standby, pizza on the grill.
(Pictured are Mozzarella, Basil & Tomato; Caramelized Onion, Roasted Red Pepper, Shrimp & Goat Cheese; BBQ Chicken with Cheddar & Red Onions)

And I avoided the oven in the middle of the night by making a tart.

I searched the internet, but didn't find anything that was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted refreshing, not too heavy, not to sweet and didn't require turning my kitchen into a sauna. My needs were pretty simple don't ya think? Alas, the internet wasn't helping, so I created my own recipe. I call it

"I Hope-It-Turns-Out Lemon Cream Tart with Blueberries"

The Stuff:

2 cup graham cracker crumbs (3 for big springform)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Lemon Curd
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz marscapone cheese, softened
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
blueberry sauce (optional)
whipped cream (if that's the kind of girl you are...)

Preheat oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack. (yeah, I know it is supposed to be no oven. If you are that adamant go out & buy a crappy pre-made graham cracker crust from those creepy elves)

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture with your fingers and back of a spoon evenly and firmly onto bottom and up side of tart pan.

Put tart pan on preheated baking sheet and bake crusts until slightly darker, about 10 minutes, then cool 10 minutes on a rack. (see, it was only 10 minutes. I could live with that!)

While crust cools, whisk together brown sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat cream cheese, marscapone, whipping cream and lemon curd & juice in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Next fold in sour cream mixture and zest, until just combined well (you want this to be uniformly blended, but not beaten to death.)
Is your crust cool? If not, take a break, clean your mess, have some lemonade, whatever.
When crust has cooled (as much as it can in a 100° ~~oven~~kitchen) smooth the filling into the crust, then top with as many blueberries as you like. (I only used a few here, I didn't know if her friends would like blueberries & lemon and I needed room for the candles)
Chill until firm (at least 8 hours in this heat, can be made the day before!). If you are so inclined it tastes great when topped with this blueberry sauce, but that does require some stove-top use, unless you have some left over. You can also top it with a little whipped cream if ya feel like it.

And, did it turn out?

It was a sweetheart of a tart!

The candles were blown out, the light faded away and soon another birthday was over. But the tart will live on!

End of Summer

2008-09-03T09:33:00.008-04:00

Another summer disappeared. It happened so quickly, I don't know where it went. Except is supposed to reach 90 today, so I guess it isn't really over, but The Boy is back at college and The Girl started her junior year of HS.
and HP has a Masters in Business Administration New Ventures & Entrepreneurial Studies. (Yes he usually is that blurry, it's not the camera.)

I have had problems off & on with my digital, and am desperately hoping that I will be able to get it to behave before I go to Italy next month. Wow, next Month???? (We've been talking about this trip for about a year and a half--HP's dad is taking us, HP's sis & her hubby so we can meet his new wife's family. A nice way to get to know each other, eh. I honestly didn't think it was going to happen, but it is almost here! I guess I better get back to those Italian lessons!)

Any way, I am trying to get back into a routine of answering email and posting. Hopefully I can, because really I'm shocked that I missed 2 Ho-Downs! I swear, I've been eating my potatoes like a good ho! Last night's mashed Yukon Gold with caramelized onions, goat cheese and smoked Parmesan were out of this world. But the camera was up here on the 3rd flr with the computer. Maybe I can do something with the left-overs.

Let's see if I have any good pics of our Major Kitchen Project, shall we?

The kitchen started a terra cotta color with these blue cabinets. When I bought the house I thought the kitchen was cozy and warm. After 7 years of cooking and living in it, I decided it was dingy and tortuous.
We started with the ceiling, then did prep & cut in around the miles of moulding in the kitchen. Can ya see the garden through the window?
We had a lot of prep, and had a hard time figuring out what to with the stuff we use every day. We worked around it for a little while.

We were still cutting in on HP's birthday, so I made him a card.

We put the new sink & countertop in after we painted the "racing stripes"
We had a dearth of doors for a while! I think this was supposed to show the "after" color on the yellow. The "before" picture is one that was eaten by my camera's random memory card issues. The yellow was very bright and sunny, but we didn't want to want to wear sunglasses for our morning coffee, so I toned it down with a glaze effect made with brown glaze and beer. (no, that doesn't count the beer I was drinking at the time, really I mixed the two and applied it to the wall)

And our kitchen will never look this clean again...

Something I ran across

2008-08-19T12:56:00.004-04:00

In the fall, I will be working on a state arts awards ceremony (more on that another time). While discussing the ceremony, I was told that, for the first time in the history of the awards, there will be a keynote speaker: Sir Ken Robinson
I was given this link as an intro:
It is worth the time it takes to watch, even if you just listen to it and do something else.
For more on the series, read here.

An open letter to parents whose children attend art camp

2008-08-14T17:05:00.002-04:00

Dear Parents-

I'm sorry to just call you "Parent" but I know that when I introduced myself at the beginning of camp, all I got from you is "this is Joey." So you are only known as Joey's mom/dad/grandma/sister/vague relationship that I'm not sure of/pimp/brother etc.

If you see me, Kiki, (the helpful camp assistant in her late 30's who is getting paid minimum wage to help out with art camp because they begged me to lend a hand and all the interns are too hung over to deal with the am camp) at the end of the day and I look like I want to throw your child out the window, please take a minute to ask how she did today. This is not the time to say that your worthless ex-husband did not give her her morning meds. (Umm that is the second time this week, is it always his fault?) If you can, take a minute to tell me at the beginning of class so that I am mentally prepared to deal with your son/daughter in a caring manner rather than raising my voice and pulling my hair out.

Do you think your child has a special talent? let me know, I can encourage the teacher to think about it while working on the projects, but having her tell me that she can't do today's project because it's not what she's good at doesn't fly. There are 14 other kids in class, I can't just stay with one. Why should the kid's that are truly trying and need assistance suffer because you insist on doing everything for your child.

I know that I'm not a "real artist" but I am the one who is with your kid every day of camp. While I don't need the fawning that you give the artist, a "thanks" or something along those lines would be nice. If I look like a zombie at the end of the day, it's not because I'm disinterested, it's because your child and the other monsters have sucked my soul out through my finger tips.

And by the way, I don't care if you clean up after you children constantly at home, I'm not doing it here. Please encourage them to be responsible. It's bad enough I have to help clean up after the artist.

Please don't send your child to a glass studio in flip-flops. I can't believe I had to tell you that. Really. And why are you surprised that he got a cut when he was doing the glass project? And if I have my way, crocks and flip flops will be banned from kids camp. Just because I said so.

It says in your letter of information that we take a snack break. Is it really too hard to pick up a piece of fruit or a bag of crackers to send with them? I can't afford to feed all these kids. (remember the minimum wage thing up there)

Oh and dads, this one is for you. I know when Mom is out of town you let little junior pick out his snacks and lunch treats, but really, a little common sense. Please do not send your already "excitable" child with a movie theatre pack of Twizzlers, a box of JuJuBees, and some sour patch kids. The squeeze yogurt isn't really "health food." Neither are chocolate chip granola bars. If the top ingredient is "Sugar" or "Corn Syrup" think about what you are doing to me. Please.

And finally, this is ART camp. Not cell phone camp or toy camp so those can be left at home or put somewhere where I can't see it. And when making art, children tend to be messy. 3 hours with paint and glue some of it is bound to find its way to your child's clothing. Not my problem. It's bad enought that I have a huge paint mark across my boob because someone "handed" me a white brush. Oh well, black tee shirts are boring any way. Now HP has a place to aim for.

Hugs to all of you devoted parents and your shining offspring.
Kiki

PS. Last week's kids were much better to deal with and their projects were nicer too. Nyhnie-Nyhnie-Nyeh-Nyeh

Tap, Tap, Tap. Is this thing on???

2008-08-10T20:57:00.002-04:00

Testing. 1.2.3.
Check, check, check!
Hello?
Oh, this is how this thing works...

Uh, hey guys, how are ya?

Sorry, it's been a while, but ya know one thing lead to another and well, I kind of forgot how to type this thing.
I tried to make random, lurky visits to friends, but I really haven't spent much time on the computer. I'm only here now because HP wore himself out and I'm trying to do something quiet since I'm still awake. sort of.

I've read some excerpts of people's summers, I think a lot of people are getting out & doing things that sound like fun.

I'll give you the "Reader's Digest" version of my summer. I've uploaded some pictures to flickr, but then the battery died on the camera, and I have to start over except the camera and the computer have rarely shared the same floor of the house, so those are still to come.

Kiki's Summer Vacation

3 weddings (in 5 weeks)
my sister's birthday. she's 2 years older than I am
The Girl's Sweet Sixteen. Somehow I ended up doing a dinner party for 10 in my yard after I had already started clearing out the kitchen for the great budget makeover that never ended and went over over budget
HP's 40-somethingth birthday
Uncle Dick's 75th birthday
My niece's 7th birthday
HP's adventure on the other coast.
3 weeks of wondering if we were moving to the other coast
2 weeks and a random weekend in the Pocono's. I brought my computer with every intention of blogging, but there were children who had different ideas for me (like swimming and making blueberry pancakes) and for my computer (like barbie.com) and their mother who had different ideas for me (like swimming with her kids so she could get work done, and driving around in the convertible) and for my computer (ebay!) So, I didn't get much blogging done. I did take pictures, but most of them didn't make the great file transfer.
Summer Camp I got a call the day I was recovering from The Girl's Sweet Sixteen asking me to work for an art's camp. starting THAT day. Please! I've been going full tilt since then. I've played with clay with kids, I've fused glass with kids, I've read to kids, I've gotten ice for kids who run in crocs, I've filled out forms for band-aids, I've painted a giraffe, I've had to pull structured-theme-oriented mixed media projects out of my ass, I've tie-dyed, I've had art shows, I've been run ragged...
and finally
The great budget kitchen makeover The idea was to give the kitchen a $500 makeover. New countertop ($100) New sink ($100 (plus $12 for the drainbowls and strainers, sold separately)) New faucet ($70 so far--still need another piece to make it work with our ancient portable dishwasher) Paint (about $100). So far that sounds reasonable, but what about all the $50 trips to Lowe's?? what are we getting there that keeps adding up? Today it was copper pipe, fittings, connectors and things like that to actually hook up the sink.
The great budget kitchen makeover was also supposed to only take about 10 days. 2 weekends plus the days between to do extra coats and things like that. That was over a month ago. Of course, the trip to the Poconos, all of the birthdays and summer camp were all after we started the great kitchen makeover.
And while we have been working on the GKM, HP finished grad school! Yay. I am soo proud. and so is his Ma, who will be coming for a visit. ON FRIDAY. We have a lot to do before Friday! Ma will be here for 10 fun-filled days. I hope she likes to watch paint dry, that's what we have for excitement. I think she wants us to go to that whole commencement thing which will be smack dab in the center of the state. So, we have a visit to my dad (who goes by YOM--Your Old Man) and his wife, who just goes by her name.
And still to come this summer, My birthday (30 somethingth), our anniversary (4th) and getting The Boy back to school.

So that is the abridged version of my summer. At some point pictures will follow. I think. I'm trying to work towards getting back on my computer at least a couple evenings a week (the last couple weeks I've checked email, occasionally visited your blog. if you have one. and looked up the weather.)

Oh, the kitchen? It is a kind of yellow, almost a yellow ochre (brought about by a beer glaze) with white "wainscoting" (ok, it is paneling that was cut down at some point in the house's history, but little oddities like that are part of the fun of an old house). The cabinets are white and the counter top is beechwood. We have a bright white cast iron sink and pewter faucet (I think--the package was mismarked, which was part of the reason it was only $70 instead of $275).
My kitchen was a warm tera-cotta color, with dingy blue cabinets and an icky laminate counter top, now it is bright and cheerful. Or at least it will be when we get all the tools and crap out of it, sand and refinish the floor, and put the shelves and kitchen island back in.
I can't wait to show you the finished pictures, and I can't wait to get back in it!

On the Road with Kiki cont'd

2008-07-03T10:00:00.002-04:00

The wedding was lovely, then off to the reception we went. We were greeted with flowers. They were everywhere!

I am jealous, I've never gotten delphinium to grow like this!

I really liked the wrapping paper on this gift!

The bride asked everyone to write a passage or thought for them so she could create a book of her wedding day.

It started to rain, but that didn't dampen spirits!

Even as we were lining up for

The Ice Cream Man! (look at those flavors! Soooo hard to decide!)

Someone thought to collect some rain, I think the showers will help their marriage grow.

I think this guy had a little too much...

I danced with the bride's prom date

And the couple lived happily ever after!

On the Road with Kiki

2008-07-01T09:18:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was Road Trip weekend! Yay, we got out of the house (after taking a second mortgage so we could fill up the gas tank) We went up to Massachusetts for a wedding, the groom was my high school prom date. (I thought about posting a picture to go with that, but then thought better). We stayed in a very bizarre little hotel probably from the 70's. It was clean, but a little quirky.



They had a putting green in the lanai area.  I wonder if there was once a pool.


They need some help with the gardens.

We went to visit the Bridge of Flowers. The view was very pretty

I like the view of the Connecticut River.

We also drove around and checked out the local color. There were a few things that I couldn't get HP to slow down long enough to photograph, but I kind of got this one.

It was nice that this blow up doll has cleaned up her act and is trying to make an honest living in the kitchen, but climbing up the signpost everyday is still demeaning.

The wedding was beautiful. There was a nice breeze coming off the river.

The bride seemed cool & collected.

The groom escorted his mother down the aisle.

The brides mother officiated

but her nephew got in on the show.

I cried at the vows.

I think they will be very happy!

I hope they like their present

Tomorrow, the reception!

In the Mud with Kiki

2008-06-23T20:51:00.004-04:00

Ok, so it isn't really mud right now, but it was a one point. Actually, a couple different points it was mud. Last week I even brought my camera to the studio to have my picture taken while I was working. Twice. I even remembered that I had it one day, and asked someone to take my picture once I started working. We both forgot. But this really is pottery that I made with my own 2 hands.

The group shot, hangin' out on the love seat.

This is the big casserole. It may not look so big to you, but trust me, when you are wrestling that clay, it is HUGE!

Next we have the little brother. It's still not very little. The glaze is a little thin on this one, but I'm ok with it.

Look, it is a little family of prep bowls. Done in manly colors, for my B-I-L. The glaze turned out a little funky because it was fired in a different kiln (yes, that does make a big difference) so I'm not sure if I'll make another set for him. I have time, his birthday isn't until August. If I try to make another set how can I be sure
they will nest so nicely?

Well, this isn't mud, but I will share what I had for dinner tonight.
Barbeque Chicken Pizza. On the grill. I finally got at least a little picture.

I made pizzas on Friday night (no, I didn't have my Solstice Party, but at least I had some friends over for pizza and beer) I was a little wiser this time, I didn't make everything at once. I did a couple small batches so we wouldn't eat too much or leave too much. So today, I grabbed a hunk of dough out of the freezer (already rolled out) and threw it on the grill then threw the toppings on. I'm not sure if it would have been less crispy if I let the dough thaw a little more, but it was still pretty tasty for a super quick dinner while HP was in class.

Show & Tell

2008-06-19T21:28:00.003-04:00

Today is show-n-tell day here on the Kiki Blog. So, a few random things that make me happy.

In no particular order, fashion or organization. (Kind of like my life)

French "fries" on the grill, that turned out almost perfect! (Yukon Gold!)

I seriously love the look on this little girls face. I recently lent a hand to someone who was teaching a workshop to preschool children of Migrant workers. Small kids with little or no English, but a ball of clay and lots of enthusiasm. We were lucky that we had help from a friend in the corner of the picture! These were the cutest, best-behaved little people, ever.

My hydrangea last week.

My hydrangea today. I'm so excited! I've had this plant for 5 or 6 years, it is now in it's third location, and finally I'm getting my bloom out of it! (I can't complain, I got it on clearance for $6 or $8 after it had been forced for Mother's Day. I'm just glad it lived!)

The daycare across the way has a bounce house. You have no idea how much self-control it took to keep me out of this!

My grapelings. I love having a grape arbor in the back yard. Sadly, these are not really wine grapes. They are concord and I don't care for sweet wines, besides the birds and squirrels usually get the grapes before me! Still, it is so nice to grab a grape of the vine at the end of summer when they are ripened, and the sweet smell of grapes when the burst into ripening. Plus, all the fun I have cooking with the leaves!

Hubby Poo in the garden. I've already enjoying the herbs, I can't wait for the tomatoes!

My babies! My niece & nephew, whom I adore!

Further Adventures with Kiki

2008-06-17T21:02:00.002-04:00

In my house, I don't limit my adventures to just culinary escapades. I also like to include the occasional curious libation. This weekend's adventure:
While searching for my summer roll wrappers (which I did find something that seems to be working, but no I haven't gotten those pictures yet)

HP: It was like Cream Soda & Peanut Butter in the blender. I was fascinated by its frothiness
The Girl: It's thick
The Girl's new beau: Uhh, it is ok
The Boy: I didn't agree to this. I'm not going to try it. You guys go ahead.
Kiki: It's not bad. Kind of like a peanut butter ripple milkshake, but not quite. Come on Boy, don't you want to try just a taste?
The Boy: NO! I'm going outside.

And there you have it. Your first on the street soft drink review, for the next time you find yourself in an odd little Jamaican-Hispanic-Oriental-Fresh Fish-We've Got Plants Market and you are in the mood for something thick and Peanut Buttery.

My wrap rut is continuing. I thought it was just a phase, but I believe that I have turned the corner into rut. If it's edible, wrap it:

I made a few summer rolls, but I never had a chance to take a picture. I thought I got a picture of the wrapper, but my camera card occasionally decides that it doesn't want to be read, so as far as I know I don't have a photo. Yet. The package has about 30 (I think) of these little wedge shaped wrap things, so I still have time. I'm not sure about the pictures though, they need a lot of attention.

I had to trim back the grape vines. Again. They were into the neighbor's yard and over the hedge so my clippers and I had a date. But, the grape leaves are still fairly young and thusly fairly tender, so I blanched a few of those bad boys and filled them up and grilled them.
The filling is Goat Cheese (like that surprises anyone) sun-dried tomatoes, random fresh herbs from the garden, a little chopped garlic and some chopped toasted walnuts. Form that into a log, wrap it up, oil her up, chill for a short time and roll them onto the grill. The recipe says that you unwrap the grape leaves and smear the cheese on little toast points or something like that. The kids prefer to pop them in their mouth as is, in one bite. If your leaves are blanched to the point of being very tender, (go past the pretty bright green stage into the canned green bean color and your fine) and you coat them in olive oil there is an earthy, yummy-grapey taste to them.

The final "wrap of the week" was the Father's Day fish tacos. HP & the kids spent about a year trying to convince me that fish tacos were good. (They just didn't sound right) Now they have regular appearances on our table. Sometimes we use grilled fish and sometimes we do beer-batter fried fish. Beer Batter is simple and crunchy and really very simple. How simple?

1 12-oz can of beer. use a decent one, we use Lager
1 1/2 cups of AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix. Have some beer for yourself. Dip your fish in and fry it up. We used tilapia cut into small fish tenders. Sunday's fillings were:

Mango-black bean salsa
Guacamole
Fresh greens, with little flowers in it from the farmer's market
Chipotle-Ancho "Aioli" (ok, it's just a sauce I make with mayo & sour cream, but the girl hates mayo, so we don't tell her that is a major ingredient. She loves this)
cheese. just the regular Mexi-mix. no goat cheese, I swear. We usually use Queso Fresco or Queso blanco, but the ethnic Price-Rite closed right before I got there and the Giant didn't have any. (rrrrrr)

It is a fill & wrap your own deal, so all I need to do is prep. HP does the salsa & guac. He does them both really well, so why should I mess with it.

I think on Friday night, I'm going to make this. Just because it isn't a wrap. And it tastes really good!

Random Things

2008-06-16T09:37:00.003-04:00

Happy Day after Father's Day!

A few random things about my Dad.

He is a pretty neat guy.

He can cook.
He has been known to brew his own beer.
He graduated to making his own wine.
His wine has won gold & silver awards at the National AWS Convention.
When I was little I thought he drove a train at one point (he told me he was an Engineer)
He was really doing things that helped our country.
When I was really little, he would go on long trips to Germany and stay for a couple months at a time.
We would record "letters" on cassette tape and send them to him, and he would record them back.
He was always involved in the community.
He took us camping.
One time when we asked where we were going, his repeated answers were "We are going nuts" or "Bananas" We were really going to the Sweetest Place on Earth.
He got choked up at my wedding, even though he was joking all the way there.
He is one of the smartest people I know.
He didn't have the discipline to finish college, so he joined the army.
He met my mom at a church based camp where he knew everyone except 2 women.
My mom always said he flipped a coin to decide which one he would ask out.
He said, "Nawwwwwww" then he would whisper, "It was a manhole cover"
My sister & I used to torture him by removing one sock. Only one.
He put up with us.
He stood by me when my life went to hell.
My niece and nephew call him Opa.
He has a really good head of hair!

As promised

2008-06-12T08:48:00.007-04:00

After hours of trying to convince flickr to upload my pictures. (pretty please with garlic on top? no, how about bananas on top? sugar on top?)
I am back with the photo version of dinner.
The big bag of banana leaves.

They are long too!

The achiote paste was made with achiote (annatto) seeds, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, and allspice (maybe some more things, I don't remember) then mixed with OJ, lime juice, garlic,a bay leaf and maybe some other things (and no, it isn't real "pasty").

The fish then marinated for an hour before being wrapped in the banana leaf, sprinkled with fresh herbs and put on the grill.

I grilled some onions in lime and cumin for the side

While HP made some salsa

Doesn't this look good?
With a little lime and tomato on top, it really was a tasty adventure!

Look inside

2008-06-11T16:20:00.005-04:00

For some reason, I have recently been finding new and creative ways to enclose my food. Some of it is enclosed for cooking purposes only and some of it is enclosed to eat.

Last weekend, I wanted a little of each. My first round began with a trip to the Farmer's Market. Fish for dinner is what was listed on my list, so I headed to my favorite fishmonger and got a lovely piece of Dolphin. No, not Flipper
Then I came home and had to decide what to do with it.

So, feeling a little adventuresome, I tried Tikinxic, also known as Yucatan-style grilled mahi-mahi. What makes it Yucatcany, you ask? It is cooked in Banana Leaves. Banana Leaves were pretty easy to find (found at the 2nd store I went to) though a little pricey- $5.99-which I guess isn't so much considering how many I got.

I then made a recado rojo for the fish and wrapped it up and sent it to the grill. HP made some zippy salsa to go along with it and we put it along side some couscous. We are ethnically diverse at the dinner table. We ate in the yard, under the little baby grapelings with a glass of cheap white wine. It was lovely, and a lot of fun.

My next attempt at swaddling my food, was sadly less successful. It is summer, and we had almost a week with temperatures enough above 90 to reach the top of the double digits. (Today is a "chilly 87") So I thought, what better time to make summer rolls. However, the grocery store gods have a different plan for me. I have now been to 6 grocery stores, 2 farmer's markets, a couple specialty stores and a gourmet shop, but can not find rice paper anywhere. Apparently, international doesn't mean what I think it does, but I have found all sorts of interesting food items out there. Unfortunately, I don't have a camera phone, so you'll just have to wonder about that.

I do have some pictures of the Yucatany fish, but right now I'm having problems uploading to flickr. So you'll just have to wonder about that too!

As seen on the internet

2008-06-08T18:27:00.005-04:00

From FreeCycle

Wanted: Mini Food Chopper
I'm looking for a mini food chopper for my siamese cat. He is old and has lost most of his teeth.

Now that is just cruel.

OFFER: Large Swag

How does he walk now?

Taken: Vanity

This song is no longer about you.

Gosh it's hot out here!

2008-06-07T20:41:00.003-04:00

but I don't think you came here to talk about the weather. It's boring, but really it is way too early for 97 degrees.

The solstice is coming, I'm thinking of having a small party out in the yard. Ya'll are invited, really I mean that!

I'm trying to come up with ideas of what to make. Any suggestions? Please, keep in mind that my kitchen has no a/c. I'm hoping that tomatoes will start showing up early so I can make a nice cool gazpacho. I'm sure that my my little grilled pizzas (cotto poca pizza) will make an appearance. I get in ruts way too quickly with fun foods like that!

And to drink? My frozen mango bebedo's (I just came up with that name since I can't find the origin of the drink). I may have to come up with other flavors to freeze and inebriate as well.
I'll also do lemonade's for the teetotalers and who knows what else.

Please if you are out there, leave me suggestions. And really come on over!

Why I'll never be a "Food Blogger"

2008-06-04T20:39:00.006-04:00

It has taken a week, but I will finally post a couple food pictures:
I will never be a food blogger because I don't have the patience to pose my food beautifully or remember to write down what is going into my dinner. Or even what I had for dinner some nights. But I do at least think about these things and OCCASIONALLY remember to take a photo.

For my wrap-fest, the only one that got near a camera was eggplant night. You will notice immediately that eggplant, while tasty, is not very photogenic.
(You'll also notice that my slices aren't very even. Another reason I'll never be a food blogger.)
They do look a little better once they have be sacrificed to the Char-King
(pay no attention to the piece that is under the grate. It was a rough flipping)
Sadly the goat cheese spread on a flour tortilla doesn't do much for the color. Thank goodness for a little lettuce mix.

It was probably slightly redundant to serve it with a salad, but hey, I needed to add something to call it dinner and I thought that chips would diminish that "healthy" aspect I was kind of going for. (It's only a little goat cheese, it just looks like a lot) Or maybe this is the shrimp one. Since I didn't slice for the photo, who knows!

So for the really good pictures of food, visit someone who seems to have more patience to photograph every thing, beautifully as well as posting the recipes. Thank goodness for people like Cathy, who cooks, photographs everything, raises hooligans and is soon planting a winery. How do you manage to do it??? (and remember me when you need tasters :) )

Also not to be missed is another amazing chef/photographer who answers the Eternal Question What's for Lunch Honey?

There are tons more out there, but those are my current faves!

I will also take a minute to talk about my grilled pizzas, once again. (I swear that I will photograph these babies at some point when I am not scrambling to get them on the table to feed people) (how do you do that, make the photo all pretty and still have a hot dinner???)
Anyway, I did a variation on my grilled pizza and am very excited because I learned that it will be possible for me to make these year-round.
Some of the talented young men I know at the GoggleWorks recently had a gallery show. As with all good things, it had to come to an end and it did last Friday night. But the guys decided to go out with a bang and a party so I agreed to make some dip. Which then turned into some dip and a little food. On the menu: Redneck Fondue (a yummy beer-cheese dip), Sweet & Saucy Meatballs (turkey meatballs in a ginger-peach sauce spiked with bourbon) and grilled pizzas. I was a little bummed (but not at all surprised) I couldn't bring my tabletop propane grill, but I was able to bring this:

My ever trusty Farberware grill. My parents got one as a wedding gift, my mom picked up a spare for parts at a garage sale because she was frightened it would one day fail. I got mine when the local Service Merchandise was closing. It is rather large & a pain to store, but it is an awesome piece of kitchen equipment. (It's most common use in my home is the rotisserie feature for a Christmas duck. There is NO other way to cook it!) So I saw it sitting there and decided that was the answer to hot food.
I made my pizza dough as normal, but when it came time to shape it, I used an empty tin to create small (about the size of an English Muffin) individual pizza crusts. I hammered them out and put them in the freezer until it was time to go. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible (or at least as simple as I could at this point) so I prepped for 2 kinds of pizza. The first had a cheese spread made with Goat Cheese (I can get an 11 oz. log for $5.25 at the local farmer's market; it is a staple in my house) mixed with cream cheese and fresh snipped herbs. I think I used oregano, marjoram, rosemary and thyme with a little salt and pepper. I also had caramelized onions (another favorite in my home) and roasted red-pepper. My other variety was fresh mozzarella marinated in Balsamic vinegar, sliced tomato in olive oil and fresh basil.
I prepped all the toppings and put them in their plastic containers and trudged off to the Gallery.
The creation of these mini-miracles was actually pretty easy.
I preheated the grill and then plopped the pre-cut dough circles (ok, by that time, maybe not circles, but close enough) onto the grill. I then either (a) smeared it with the cheese spread, and topped it with onions and red peppers or (b) placed the mozzarella, tomato and basil on top. I brought my Pampered Chef bar pan and used that as a lid to trap the heat inside which almost worked. (a couple of the pizzas rose a lot so the toppings stuck and I had a bit of a mess)
Amazingly enough, this worked out really well. The pizzas cooked up brilliantly and disappeared as fast as I could make them. I also figure that I can make a bunch of small crusts (maybe muffin sized, maybe dessert plate sized) and freeze them ahead of time so that the mess of the crusts is out of the way, and I can eat these on a whim instead of on several hours notice. (The dough is very simple, but it does take time to rise, and I usually make a big mess--which is another reason I don't take photos).
As you may have realized, these are very unconventional pizzas, but I haven't figured out a better name for them. My husband was vying for "Grillza" but I am not so sure. Any ideas??
I am also constantly looking for ideas of what to top these with. I did get a great inspiration tonight. How perfect would an upside down version of these be? Pizza Rockefeller anyone?
Any other suggestions for these? Please, I think I'm in a (tasty) goat cheese rut!

Wrap You Up in My Love

2008-05-27T18:30:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I'm not Madonna. You can't even hear me singing, so I don't see why you need to be snarky about it.

Oh well. I've been on a bit of a wrap kick. I'd almost say I've been on a roll, but like I said they are wraps, so the roll thing doesn't quite compute.

Saturday night was left-over night. Sort of. I had to go out to buy tomatillos so I could make Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, but it was to go onto left over chicken. But, I cooked a big chicken, so I would have left overs for other things.
So, I roasted the tomatillos on the grill, I think about 1 - 1 1/2 lbs, along with a head of garlic & 3 serrano chili's. While that was roasting I chopped about 1/2 cup of cilantro, about the same amount of red onion (ok, maybe a little heavier on the onion) and squoze a lime. (yes, I said "squoze" & I don't care what spell check thinks!) I mixed those in a bowl, added the roasted tomatillos, some of the roasted garlic (3 or 4 heads, who can remember these things) and the serrano after peeling & chopping and ridding them of some of their seeds. (if ya want a little heat, leave more in; less seeds, less heat). I then mushed it all together with my handy stick blender, and poof, I had salsa.

I took some of the aforementioned chicken, warmed it up in the skillet with a little oil. Then mixed the chicken with a little sour cream, and some cheese (ok, just regular kraft "Mexican Shredded" cheese) added some of the salsa. I grabbed a flour tortilla, warmed it slightly on the skillet then filled it with the chick-mix and wrapped it all snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug, and put it in the hot skillet with a little oil and "fried" it closed. I put the done one in a warm oven & made a couple more. Next I put it on a plate, put a little more salsa on top, crumbled some cojita on top threw a salad next to it and poof called it dinner.

Monday's wrap was all together different. I made some of the-best-dip-ever to take over to a neighbor's to watch the Memorial Day parade. (Luckily this year, I didn't sneeze or blink when it passed by, so I was able to see the whole thing). Our parade watching is more about sitting on the porch, talking to neighbors and eating. My dip is goat cheese & cream cheese, whipped together with some herbs then baked and topped with caramelized onions. Yesterday's version also had the bonus of some of Trader Joe's Artichoke Antipasti thrown in for the chunks of artichoke. Quick, easy & way tasty! So for dinner I grilled some eggplant, then I smeared my wrap with leftover dip, added the eggplant and some greens and such. There may have been other things in there, but I did this after having a couple glasses of wine (a slightly fizzed pinot grigio picked up at Trader Joe's also for $4 0r $5, yum) so I'm not sure what else went into the wrap, but it was pretty easy & light and nice for an early summer dinner.

And finally, today's late-mid-day-ish wrap that was thrown together so HP would have something to eat before he went to class, was another flavory bundle of food that included some grilled shrimp, black beans, cheese (yeah, more of that Kraft stuff), some green onions and it was all held together with a yumtastick avocado dressing. The dressing was made with an avocado, about 1/4 cup each mayo, light sour cream & olive oil, a little lemon juice, a splash of tabasco, some of the roasted garlic from the other day, a sprinkling of cumin and a dash of salt. A quite tasty smear if I do say so myself.

So I'll wrap this up & let you off to your own wrapped up yummies.

Some pictures to go along with yesterday’s post

2008-05-21T22:13:00.005-04:00

Somehow I thought I had more pictures from our journey to Glick's, but, my only access to camera was when I could pry HP's crackberry from his hands. I was not able to capture the playground atmosphere or the acres of plants, begging to be chosen, but I did get a couple images.

I get a fuchsia every year. I love the deep colors of the traditional fuchsia.

But, to truly suit the Flamingo (and you know I must) I repeated the lighter pink like last year's.

I'm sure I'll get the deeper fuchsia when Glick's big sale starts in June.

I probably would have gotten more pictures, but HP was impatiens

We filled the buggy, as full as the little buggy gets. It is probably a good thing we don't have a bigger car, since we don't have a big enough yard to handle it!

Here is a sample of our shopping excursion A few tomatoes, some thai and serrano peppers , some parsley, the tall grass stuff that HP likes to put in the planter with his impatiens, a bleeding heart to replace the one HP heartlessly killed, some lemon balm.

Kiki, in the garden

2008-05-20T20:58:00.003-04:00

We had a brief hint of sunshine this weekend. Unfortunately, it was short lived, but it was a full day of sun.
First we went to our favorite greenhouse. We drove up on a sunny Saturday only to find that there were about a zillion other people with the same idea. The grown-ups were rushing throughout like kids at opening day of Hershey Park. Couples were calling to each other like kids discovering candy. "Look at the Zinnias! Honey do we have space for these peppers or more tomatoes?"
Loading up the buggies and filling trays with young plants, there were smiles everywhere. The promise of lush gardens and fresh juicy tomatoes was like a call from above, as in the Song of Solomon:

2:12 Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.

In our yard, the doves have returned. Last summer they raised a family, we watched as they fed the babies, and taught them to fly. We didn't have a chance to say goodbye to them as summer faded away, but we were overjoyed to see them return.

Our very small yard requires quite a bit of work to keep it presentable. While I have always favored the "natural" look (to the point my husband calls it wild or sometimes unruly) we at least try to start the spring with some trimming. I think we only buy plants as a reward for all our trimming. I'm not sure that makes sense, but it's my story.

The hedges needed attacking, the grapes & wisteria were taking over the world and there were sticks and twigs and leaves to be picked up. And then more grapes and wisteria to trim. It was a long day in the yard followed by pizzas made on the grill. (Which I have yet to have time to photograph, though I think of it each and every time.)

The trimming did reap an unexpected reward, I had lots of grape leaves and had a wonderful Sunday dinner!

Salmon grilled in Grape Leaves.

Talk about opening a can of worms

2008-05-16T12:55:00.001-04:00

There is not enough time in the day for that phone call!

On the road with Kiki

2008-05-13T12:04:00.007-04:00

I've been gone the past couple weekends. It was a nice change of scenery! First I went to see the cutest kids EVER and got to play with them for a weekend.
Their mom went away, so Auntie Kiki was in charge!

Hmmm what to dress them in?
They weren't so sure about that, until we started doing this

Tie dye is always fun and the Cute Nephew liked his so much, he is wearing both of the shirts he we Auntie Kiki made (with his "help"). Cute Niece made a sundress to wear if the weather ever warms up. She was considering wearing it along with her hat to "hippie day" at school.

The weekend also included a visit to the museum & nature center. We got to see old cars, all sorts of animals, including a very entertaining river otter and an exhibit by this artist. Let me tell ya, as cool as the pics are, the real thing blows them away!

And of course, we had to make ICE CREAM. Chocolate chip mint. It was very good! I also got to see the Cute Nephew play soccer. (football for you Euro types).
And a good time was had by ALL!

Next on the road trip was a weekend away with HP.

We went down to the DC area where The Boy has just completed his freshman year. Yay Boy! Friday night we stayed with Aunt Chirp & Uncle Pablo at "the Nut" where Sarah Louise was doing a weekend visit for Mom's day. It was a great chance to catch up with family and relax. Saturday morning, I got up and made these amazing pancakes. It has been a tradition for many years to eat blueberry pancakes with this family and I found this recipe the day before we left. Which says to me, it was meant to be!

In following the tradition, I added blueberries to the batter as well as using in the sauce, and pancake nirvana was achieved! I will be making these again, want to come by for some?

After breakfast and a self-indulgent trip to Trader Joe's, we went into the city to fetch some stuff from The Boy to put into storage. We called to be sure he was awake before the plan was formulated. We called to let him know we were on the way. We called to let him know we were there, his response was "I'm just getting up, give me a few minutes to shower." I think the only reason that boy lived through his teen years is because he went to boarding school and hid from his parents! After feeding him & stowing the stuff that was staying in the city for the summer (unlike The Boy who came home to work) we left him back at the dorm (so his mom could fetch him & the remainder of his stuff the next day) and set off on our own adventure. First on the plan was try to get out of town. DC was planned out like the spokes of a wheel. Except they threw small monuments, large monuments, one way streets, and random closed streets in the middle of it. We did not plan our route very well in advance, and there was some miscommunication involved between HP & I. (I know you are shocked)

(Sometime earlier this month)
HP: Honey, why don't you find a place for us to go for crabs when we go up from DC and a room for Saturday night in Newark (pronounced New-ARC, not new-werk)
Me: Umm, I'm really busy & really stressed trying to get Souper Bowl together. Plus my computer is acting all cranky and keeps shutting down.
HP: Uh huh.

(Sometime last week)
HP: Did you find a place for us to stay?
Me: No, I told you I was busy and my computer is getting worse. I'm going to try to wipe it out & start over.
HP: ok

(Sometime last weekend while I was in CT)
HP: Did you find a place for us to stay?
Me: (sigh) No, I told you I couldn't
HP: Oh. yeah. Where should we stay when we are in Newark, do you have any ideas?
Me: No, when ever I went to that area it was with friends and we didn't stay the night.
HP: Ok, I'll find something

(Friday)
HP: Did you find a place to go for crabs?
Me: No, but if we go up the Eastern Shore we should be ok. What do you think our schedule will be?
HP: Oh, we'll meet the boy around noon, feed him, stow his stuff, and go. We should be in crab area pretty early.
Me: Ok, I'll ask at the rest area.

So I asked the helpful man at the helpful desk about good places to go for crabs. We got a lovely location that was recommend (and subsequently recommended by the Relatives). We even discussed some alternatives. HP really wanted to do a side trip to Rock Hall (I'm not sure how he heard about Rock Hall, but he thought it sounded cute) and on the road we were.

(Saturday)
HP: Well, it took a lot longer than I thought to get on the road! I think I have spent a large portion of my adulthood waiting for my kids... I guess we'll do Rock Hall another trip.
(a little while later)
Me: We are about to hit Harris, do you want to stop? I'm not real hungry yet.
HP: No, me neither, lunch was late. We'll keep going.
(a little while later)
HP: Wasn't that 213? Don't we want to take that?
Me: Uh, I thought we were taking 301 up to 896, it runs straight into Newark. Since we aren't going to Rock Hall.
HP: No, I still want to go along the Chesapeake.
Me: Ok, there is a rest area up ahead, we can turn around there or figure out a new plan.
(after our rest stop)
Me: There is 405, we can take it North to 213 & be back on our way.
HP: Ok, east or west?
Me: Oh, east to the water.
HP: Honeeyy, the Bay is West. The ocean is east, we want the bay
Me: UHHH, turn around. Sorry.

So that was how much of the trip went. We weren't at our best or most prepared. We had a false start or two getting to the crabs, but I did have plan "C" in mind for our journey and we stopped in Chesapeake City and went to the Tap Room where we ( finally) sat down for a big plate of Maryland Blue Crabs. They weren't cooked to order (maybe I should have asked for that) but they showed up quick and though they were a little scraggly, missing a claw or 2, they still tasted pretty darn good! Nothing like the Maryland Blues!

Here is where I could go into our Hotel Trauma, but I'll just give the cliff notes version.

Me: It's in Newark? The only listing I can find is Wilmington
HP: I thought it was in Newark. I left the confirmation at home let me check the crackberry. Uh, no service
Front Desk Guy: I'm sorry we are booked, and we have no reservation for you

We eventually got a room. In Wilmington. Sunday we got up and drove back to Newark (yes, we had gone there first Saturday night looking for a nonexistent hotel) and saw a performance of Squonk Opera's Newark: The Opera. We had a good time and then made our way back to our little house, where I promptly fell asleep.

And everybody lived happily ever after.

a little joke

2008-05-08T18:27:00.002-04:00

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.

Finally fed up, God said, "THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job."

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.

They moused.

They faxed.

They e-mailed.

They e-mailed with attachments.

They downloaded.

They did spreadsheets!

They wrote reports.

They created labels and cards.

They created charts and graphs.

They did some genealogy reports

They did every job known to man.

Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.

Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off..

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming:

"It's gone! It's all GONE! "I lost everything when the power went out!"

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work..

Satan observed this and became irate.

"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?"

God just shrugged and said,

JESUS SAVES...

(Groan)

I am in the process of trying to back-up the important stuff on the computer. Right now it crashes and turns it self off on a pretty regular basis. If I try to watch a video, crash. If I worked too long on a layout for the now successfully completed Souper Bowl, crash. If I try to copy a few files on to CD, crash.

This is a slow process. Sometimes I can just reboot, other times I need to wait, and wait and wait. It is very sad. and frustrating. Hopefully I will be able to back it all up and then wipe the slate clean. And begin again.

Kiki on the block

2008-04-23T11:15:00.003-04:00

How sad, my computer crashed & the post I was working on disappeared. :(

I'm sure it was a brilliant dissertation on writers block (um, you may have noticed that I seem to have a bad case of it)

I know that I was mentioning what led to my case.

It started in the usual way, too busy to think, let alone write.

First there was Backyardigans, which I spent 3 1/2 weeks working on so that it could be live & on stage.

Then there was the Berks Jazz Fest, I spent a week helping out with that.

Now I'm on to the Souper Bowl for Opportunity House. (Monday May 5, 2008 at the Inn at Reading, 5:30 - 7:30) Souper Bowl is an "Empty Bowl" event, where local potters, students, dilettantes, churches, whoever donate hand made or hand painted bowls and restaurants donate soup. Each attendee chooses a bowl (which is then wrapped up) then gets to sample soup from different restaurants. (For video on last year's Souper Bowl, click HERE.)

I'm in charge of venue & logistics. We switched to a new venue this year, since we ran out space last year, which has made the logistics a little challenging. We are using multiple ball rooms, with that all open up to each other, but the basic layout is a large "L" with a little flag at the top that goes the opposite direction as the the bottom. And by the way, some of the rooms will be used for another event that morning, so we can get into them until after 2:00 pm. Yikes. I have also had the fun of creating several bowls this year. As you look at some of them, you can see my learning curve.

All that being said, I will try to post more often. Grilling season has begun--I've already made pizza, and fish tacos, and multiple "Beer Can Chickens." I'm very carefully watching my grape leaves, because I can't wait to make these again.

Kiki's Gallery Opening

2008-03-17T17:47:00.005-04:00

Sandpaper print

I did a great workshop last weekend at the GoggleWorks. It was taught by Mitch Lyons, whose work can be seen here and is a method of printmaking that uses clay and colored slips. I hope to continue to work on this, as it is a really cool, ever evolving process, but I thought I'd share my first attempts. What you are seeing is clay that has been colored with pigment that is transferred onto the "canvas" (actually reemay is the substrate). All of the photos you see are my work, that was created from one slab of clay. Each print represents the addition of colors, themes or ideas or the removal of layers.

The photos aren't the best and I'm hoping the color is true. I have not yet decided if I will cut out certain parts or frame small areas rather than the whole print, and honestly I don't even know which side is up on some of them. (I keep changing my mind). So let me know your thoughts! Tell me which ones you like or don't like or think are upside down or sideways.

If you don't have a blogger account, you can click the "Name/Url" button and just type in your name, nickname or alternate personality.
Please.

III

Darkest

First try

The following is a series each pulled from the same slab with no alteration to the slab except through the removal of clay in the process of printing and the addition of window panes in the 2nd and 3rd Edition. Each print is unique as the surface is pulled revealing hidden layers.

A New Dawn

A New Day

A New Life

Four Things

2008-03-11T13:24:00.004-04:00

This came in my email today and rather than sending it to Cyber-Space, I thought I'd reach whomever wanted to know here. I'm not the best at forwarding, but feel free to answer if you want :)

Four things about me that you may or may not have known in any
particular order.

Four jobs I have had in my life:

donut wench, Kelly Girl, Stage Manager, Bartender

Four movies I've watched more than once:

Blazing Saddles, Nightmare on Elm Street, West Side Story, Charade

Four Places I have lived:

Orlando, Philadelphia, Miami, Virginia

Four T.V. Shows that I watch: (when I can, on the computer)
Chuck, My Name is Earl, Ugly Betty, Top Chef

Four places I have been:

Bequia, Costa del Sol, prison, New Jersey

Four people who e-mail me (regularly):

Holly, Suzi, Tuna, Sue

Four FavoriteFoods:
Only 4?????? Cheese, Girl Scout Cookies, Seafood, Ice Cream

Four Places I would like to visit:

Alaska, Greece, Germany, Tuscany

Four friends I think will respond:

? I don't think four people read this

Things I am looking forward to in the coming year:

the lake, a cruise to Italy, a fresh start, the next time I see my niece & nephew

Politics for the Looney Tunes Generation

2008-03-05T10:19:00.002-05:00

First and foremost let me say, this is not a political blog. Nor will it change into one now that Pennsylvania actually matters in the election process.
But, without making any endorsements*, I did find slate.com's piece on Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy Duck surprisingly insightful. or at least amusing.

When the candidates start lobbying for that all important Kiki endorsement, I'll let you know my decision.

Mother Nature was listening

2008-03-04T10:37:00.006-05:00

Yesterday the sun was shining and the last little bits of ~~snow~~ dirty brown cold stuff melted away from the shady spots. I got a chance to look around and found this:

After searching a little more, I

found this: It is my hydrangea, maybe this will be the year it blooms!

While not technically a spring find, if you look at this the right way, it looks like a flower

This isn't springy at all, but I made it and I like it. and I just noticed how well it matches my tablecloth.

Lizards are springy right?

That was a t-shirt, now it is a market bag. Thanks for the idea Martha!

I can't wait until my magnolia blossoms!

What have I done to deserve this?

2008-02-26T19:03:00.002-05:00

I went to my meeting today, expecting to be rewarded with Girl Scout Cookies, and she was a no-show.
boo-hoo
I can't imagine what evil thing I could have done to deserve such treatment!

PS

2008-02-25T13:10:00.004-05:00

Oh, stop by Barilla and get your Free* Celebrity Italian Table Cookbook, with recipes that were created by Mario Batalli with inspiration from various celebs like Stanley Tucci, Marisa Tomei, Debra Messing, Natalie Portman and Chris Daughtry.
You have to download it & print it yourself, but it doesn't cost a thing, AND Barilla donates a buck to America's Second Harvest. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me--especially since they have an option to donate locally.

The real upside is that you'll know what to cook the next time Stanely or Marisa is in town!

*DISCLAIMER: Ok, they are trying to collect demographic info and your email address, but you don't have to accept their newsletter in order to get the cook book.

Dreaming of Spring

2008-02-25T11:42:00.015-05:00

I am cold.
I am pretty much done with cold, it is officially on my nerves.
I would much rather be sitting here with my laptop than the cold, very messy office where I am now.
I find my self looking through the Sundance Catalog longingly at clothes like this

or this

I also like this one & it's on sale

--as is this one

Somehow I found myself on Ebay, bidding on this scarf. It looks springy and bright, but I don't think I want to increase my bid any higher, so I'll probably end up with out it.
I blame the blogs.
Today it started with a trip to Apartment Therapy to look at "the amazing bookshelf staircase" so I started looking around and there was a picture of these Ranunculus. Flowers along with the seed catalogs--especially this one have got me ready for longer, warmer days. (Holly, if you are out there, definitely check out that catalog, yum!)
I am also ready to spend time on the grill. That started last night when dinner was cooked on the grill, because I'm slightly sadistic and like to shove a beer can up the chick's posterior and let it steam from the inside out. With my special blend of herbs and spices (so secret, I don't even know what is in there) it was the tasty main course along with some Fettucine More-Kiki-Than-Alfred-o (more secret ingredients :) ).

Alas, spring is not close enough, but will be here when she is good & ready, so I will continue to wait.
At least I can play in the mud all year round!

Thank goodness for the BBC

2008-02-20T17:53:00.003-05:00

They have language courses on the BBC (in case I get bored with the other free courses I've looked at) but I was happy to note that they have "Cool Italian" so I can learn some catch new phrases.
I'm not sure I would have realized that Bleah! means Yuk! or that Mmmmm! means doubtful, you don't really believe what someone is telling you and Aha! is Oh, I see! (Your voice needs to start low, go high and back down again in one uninterrupted sound.) I hope I don't need this one
Ufff! Pronounced "Oooffarh!". When you're fed up, tired, bored.

I'll try to remember this when I'm shopping: Credi che sia a ieri? -Do you think I was born yesterday and hope I don't hear this Ti prendo a sberle (I'll give you a good slapping).

Merda! That is a lot to remember

Torture by any other name...

2008-02-19T10:47:00.002-05:00

Ya know, there has been a lot of talk about torture lately. Specifically, Waterboarding, I can't figure out why there was a debate: it is cruel & inhumane and definitely torture. But there is another form of torture out there that hasn't been discussed. No congressional hearings, no vocal debates, but I'm sure if it were happening to you, you would agree: TORTURE!
I'm talking about the practice of withholding Girl Scout Cookies.
You try to be a good person and do the right thing.
Back in January a friend sends an innocent enough email, "Hey, my adorable cherub-like daughter is selling some cookies. Would you like to order some from her?"
Of course I would. Who doesn't want to support these girls as they learn about the entrepreneurial spirit. They learn life skills like goal setting, money management, and teamwork. I want to support this American tradition, so I say count me in!
At the end of January, the email I'd hoped for came:

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES ARE IN!

Ok, when do I get mine? Are going to be at the workshop on February 10? I asked, knowing that that would be a day I would need cookies-thinking I was showing great restraint. But no, she had to go out of town. Well when ARE you going to be on this side of town?
"Oh" she says, "I'll just give them to you at our next meeting"
February 26????
I can't believe she is making me wait. She can't be bothered to come into town before that.
About 6 weeks after I ordered them, and almost a month after she said they would be in. So now I'm sitting, waiting. I had to buy some from the brownies in front of the grocery store a last week. I couldn't handle the wait. Sadly I only bought one box. I have a week to go, I only hope I can make it.

It all started last Thursday

2008-02-11T10:13:00.000-05:00

I woke up on Thursday with the worst sinus headache I've had in years. I was slightly nauseated, it hurt to blink and I thought the front of my head was going to explode. HP was sweet enough to offer to go out to get me some sort of a cure, but since it was also the day of a a job interview, I needed to go myself because I had to get the right size and color of pantyhose. I don't know what that is to tell him, I just have to find it. So at shortly after 7:00 am dressed in a style known as early-sick-house-wife-with-no-concept-of-what-she-had-put-on, I left the house to run to the drugstore a couple blocks away. Since this drugstore is not in the best of neighborhoods (certainly not the lily-white suburbs) they had steel gates down at 7:00 am. Ok, surely the one on the "Fifth Street Highway" would be open so people on their way to work could get their remedy. Nope. OK, the almighty K-Mart? Not until 8. While I considered pounding my head into the steering wheel, I did not think that was the solution. Since I have found that Advil Cold & Sinus is pretty much a sure-fire reliever I had to go somewhere with a pharmacy or at least a well stocked service desk to buy it, lest I stock up and start a meth lab in my basement. Next stop the low-self-esteem Giant. It's not a bad store, just doesn't quite take care of itself the way it should. (It's near a college & on the edge of town and they don't quite gear themselves towards higher end customers) I went to the service desk, but no one was around. So I went over to the pantyhose, looked at the 8 shades of black until my eyes crossed, grabbed a pair and hit the cold aisle in hopes that they would have the little card that said I needed the service desk so I could at least ask a cashier. Of course they didn't. I found a manager on the phone near the service desk. He had no idea what I was talking about in regards to cold medicines. He fetched the store accountant from behind the magic door and she was able to open the super secret cache of Pseudoephedrine filled drugs. No advil cold & sinus. (Why stock a large selection if no one can find it???) So I tried the Aleve cold & sinus (with the required Pseudoephedrine), showed my ID, signed a form, and promised not to start a meth lab. I also grabbed a new Tylenol product that doesn't have all the speed in it (it has Phenylephrine instead. I don't know what that is). So I grabbed my drugs & hose & got in the car to go home. By that time the CVS was open.
Please tell me why it is harder to buy this sinus relief than is is to buy cigarettes? Cigarettes are more addictive than Meth (or heroin or cocaine or alcohol or PCP or pot ) but any one can get a pack any time of day, but wake up with a sinus headache and you are in big trouble!
So now I'm suffering through a sinus thing. I don't know what it really is, but my ears are a little clogged and I've got the post-nasal drip. I'm trying the Tylenol medication, hoping it will do the trick, but right now my ears are clogged & I've got post nasal drip. I don't think I'll sell my pseudoephedrine on the black market just yet.

Oh and the job interview? Well general nerves of a job interview combined with the pseudoephedrine jitters got me a little wired, but I had a 2 hour drive to calm down (or get aggravated as I hit city traffic). I went in confident, I spoke the language, I knew the organization and some of the competition. HP was very sweet, he made me breakfast (an omelet with goat cheese) and gave me a back rub before I left and he made dinner that night(note to self: always interview on days that he is working from home). I felt pretty good about it, but now it's up to them...

Kiki has a blog!

2008-01-29T09:45:00.000-05:00

Hey look, I still have a blog.
I really do think about posting more, but I haven't been so good at sitting down to the the post machine.
I wanted to post about my trip to The Big Apple, but when I returned from there I was busy working wardrobe for Go Diego, Go! (live & on stage) Mostly I was being paid to do laundry & knit my husband a hat while waiting for the spin cycle to finish, but it was long days with an hour commute tagged on each end. (if I was on top of it I would add a picture of the hat, but I'm not sure where the camera is)

Some highlights of NYC-

I got to run around & shop while my husband was working!
I got a $20 fake Prada bag from a guy on the street. It's not even a good knock off, but I liked the bag.
My M-I-L gave HP & I each $50 gift cards for Macy*s, so I headed for Herald Square & hit the biggest Macy*s there is (I think) during January clearance. Unfortunately, I was dressed for January cold instead of the inside of a HUGE department store filled with zillions of people, so I was hot & overwhelmed by the HUGENESS that is the Miracle on 34th Street. It was over-crowded & over-heated and I didn't buy myself a thing. I fared a little better for HP who got a new sweater, just like an old sweater he loves & a couple flannel shirts.
I got to eat at Les Halles, a restaurant I loved before I had ever heard of Anthony Bourdain (whom I also love!)
I went to a club & saw Regina Carter, was a unique (jazz violin? and an accordion???), but great show. I'm glad we went!
I scooted downtown to Century 21 where I was one of the few Americans looking for bargains. Mostly it was foreign tourists, making the most of our weak dollar. If you aren't familiar with it, Century 21 is kind of like a Loehman's on steroids. I got just one skirt, but it is a skirt that I will wear until it falls apart (sometimes, ya just know!)
I loved this store: Delphinium Home, I didn't buy a thing--too pricey for whims, but I had a lot of fun looking. I took pictures with my husband's phone of things that caught my fancy, but haven't figured out how to retrieve them onto my computer.

It was fun to get out of town & hit the big city, now I'm back to the cold gray January of Reading. It has been a good winter for stews though, last night I made a Moroccan tangine with Chicken & Eggplant. Quite flavory! Last week it was some unbelievable Chicken Paprika's and some black bean soup that warmed the belly. Next I think will be some lasagna!

Kiki in 2008

2008-01-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's been a new year for most of the week, but hey, I'm slow on the uptake.

First some "Super Spies" in their Christmas Jammies, because really, they are too cute to leave out!

Then, on to the new year.

I have spent many years of my life working on New Year's Eve. I have climbed into rafters to release the balloons that stuck in the ceiling for a midnight drop, I have drunk champagne with the Maestro.

One of the few benefits of being a dilettante that I can ring in the new year with those that I love. HP and I had a quiet evening at home after running all over the county in order to make the perfect meal for our final of 2007. We dined on scallops in Champagne sauce with wilted spinach and scalloped potatoes with goat cheese and caramelized onions. The sauce only used a cup of Champagne, so we had most of a bottle to enjoy with dinner. The candles were lit, and so were we. New Year's day was spent lazing about and declaring our resolutions for the new.

As you can tell, devoting more time to my blog was not one of my resolutions. I really do think about the blogosphere, and I think about posting more, but then I think my life is really to dull to write about, so I play another video game or abandon the computer for some clay. (And on the clay front, I am REALLY excited about the piece I'm working on now. It is awaiting its first firing, so I hope it turns out. Maybe I should take pictures in stages--I can fake the first stage, a ball of clay, but I'll have to bypass the stage where I decided to make a lid. That is done, and I can't go back & take pics. who am I kidding, I'm terrible at remember to put pics in anyway. I'll try to do better though really) That was a really unnecessary paragraph, but for now I'll just edit this way.

Kiki's 2008 Resolutions

Get a Job, those bills aren't going to pay themselves
Lose Weight. Cliché, but necessary.
Learn Italian. I started last year, then missed a day or two and then got away from it. Time to return!
Have more fun with my husband
Drink more water. Sometimes I forget.
Make nicer pottery, I'm working on that one!
Elect a new president. Ok, I'll only do a small part of that and vote, but it sounds like a good resolution, the old one has put in his time, and now it's time for a fresh outlook!

I think that is enough for one year, don't you?

Hi, my name is Kiki

2007-12-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Kiki.

I am suffering from Holiday Stress Disorder.

I'm stressed, and my life is in disorder and there is a holiday that is arriving a couple days early.

Tonight is our family's Christmas Eve as the kids will fly off to Florida tomorrow to see their Grandmother (over the hill, through the woods & down to the Gulf Coast)

My tree is up, but only 1/2 the lights work and it doesn't have a single decoration.

Today's plan is:
Decorate the tree
finish wrapping presents
make Kringla (click the label to find out about Kringla. it was a much better post than this one)
Make date nut balls. (I'm sure there is a joke in there somewhere)
Make dinner for 10 since I thought it would be nice to have a big holiday dinner.
clean kitchen
curl up into the fetal position and cry

Yes, I did bring a lot of the stress on my self, but I had planned in advance. I have an easy meal. Some how I thought I would be spending today doing finishing touches, not starting everything.

I didn't count on losing my grocery list, getting stuck in traffic at the farmers market & 2 grocery stores (because, this is Reading and you can't get everything at one place. really)

I didn't count on starting yesterday with a minor melt-down, (which followed one the day before), I didn't count on teenagers being teenagers (yes, some things still surprise me), I didn't count on just plain not getting my shit together.
I did count on my husband having most of this week off, but I didn't count on him working from home most of the day Wednesday, a portion of the day Thursday and then going into work on Friday.

So now I'm stressed and my naked Christmas tree is dropping needles and the Christmas spirit is stuck down the street.

So really, I just need to get off the computer & get my whiny butt in gear.

I will take this opportunity to say Merry Christmas. Really, the season isn't about the boxes under the tree, or the food under the table, so I will try to put on some Christmas hymns and let the REAL spirit of Christmas help me through this day.

Oh, I will tell ya what I'm making for dinner
Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions (served on a dish of my own making :) )
Pasta in Vodka Sauce
Grilled Asparagus
Salmon Basilica
Assorted Cookies & Ice Cream.

a post of random thoughts

2007-12-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry internet. I'm sure you are out there & I'm really just not.

I've had a lot of ideas for posts, but have not been able to flesh them out. Ok, maybe it would be more effective if I sat down & tried, but I have not been very good about that either.

Honestly, I'm having a very slacker month. It is beyond the middle of December, I haven't sent my Christmas cards. I haven't finished my Christmas cards. There is no tree in my house and when everything came out of the kiln, I think I'm still short on presents. It looks like I'll have to actually buy some.

In my defense, my husband is chairman of the Centre Park Christmas House Tour committee, and that means the end of November & beginning of December were an awful lot of work. Add to that the finishing of the Centre Park headquarters (that needed to be done before the tour) and I got sucked into a lot of the work. Not sure why it worked out that way, but it did. And last weekend the weather was too crappy to accomplish much of anything. Except some napping and a little partying. And a lovely Christmas concert with the The Girl's high school choir. Now on to important holiday thoughts.

I made a pledge to myself that I would not step foot into the mall this holiday season. Thus far I have been successful with a few small allowances. While I have not entered a "MALL," I did visit the stores across from it that are kind of in a strip mall type thing. I have decided that doesn't count, after all I needed to hit Borders & AC Moore. I just did.

I have made many presents this year. I have made all sorts of pottery items, perhaps I'll line them up & take a picture. (Really, I should, but don't hold your breath for that) I have completed one scarf and am about halfway through another. (I need to check out more movies so that I can sit and complete the other one!) (ooh, I just looked at my library account and I have 3 that are ready for pick up today! yay!)

I have visited alternative shopping locations. I bought presents from GoggleWorks and The Reading Public Museum. I've done a small amount of online shopping (Ok, I still like getting the boxes even if I know it's not for me) I hit the bookstore that isn't in the mall. I even went into Office Max for something. I'm most excited that I was able to make some nice presents for my family & friends. I hope they like them! I like the idea of buying gifts from the non-profit sector. I like that my purchases help them and I find unique gift items. I'm also planning to check out some of the boutiques in West Reading since it is a nice day and I am still looking for an item for The Girl.

Tomorrow's shopping adventure will take me to Philadelphia. Our currently planned activities include a visit to IKEA, which is almost as big as a mall, but has the organizers I want cheap. We'll also be visiting a guitar store or 2 looking for accessories for The Boy's new guitar. But the stop I'm looking forward to is here. OK, I'm becoming a little bit of a geek about this stuff, but it keeps me out of trouble!

So if anyone has any great gift ideas for a 15 1/2 year-old girl or her 18 year-old brother (who turns 19 at the end of the month so I also neeed to find a birthday present for) let me know!

I'll try to stop in a little more often, 'kay?

Oh the menu

2007-11-25T19:41:00.000-05:00

I tried to write this in word then publish to blogger, but I guess blogger doesn't like my text box with the menu, so here it is. I also had links for a lot of these, but they went away too. If you are curious about something, leave a comment or check epicurious.com

Thanksgiving at Kiki's The Official Thanksgiving Day Menu
• Relish Tray
• Citrus Glazed Turkey with Chipotle Gravy
• Butternut Squash Gratin with Goat Cheese & Hazelnuts
• Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots
• Broccoli & Cheese
• Kiki’s Drunken Cranberries
• Apple Ginger Pie with Cider Bourbon Sauce
• The Girl’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• ~~Grandma Letty’s Cherry Pie~~ Kris’s Pumpkin Pie

• Oh yeah, stuffing with & without citrus

Thanksgiving with Kiki

2007-11-25T19:35:00.001-05:00

No matter how much you think that you are planning ahead & getting things done, Thanksgiving dinner is always a crazy hectic push to get food on the table.

I shopped on Tuesday, in fact, I'm surprised that the Farmer's Market was still open on Wednesday, because I honestly felt that I was buying the bulk of their inventory. They must have re-stocked. Tuesday evening was spent making my Drunken Cranberry Sauce, slicing shallots for the potatoes, peeling and slicing the butternut squash & toasting my hazelnuts.

Wednesday (after a haircut & a quick trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond for some new toys) I roasted the butternut squash, sautéed the leeks and layered the two of them in the baking dish with goat cheese & hazelnuts. I peeled and sliced my apples, chopped my ginger, put them together, and created the bourbon glaze for on top. Next I caramelized my shallots and "parbaked" the Yukon Gold's and then went to the farmer's market to pick up the turkey (I waited until the last minute, but at least I pre-ordered). While I was doing this, HP was busy strewing dirty laundry all over the kitchen and then abandoning it while he went to the Centre Park Artifacts Bank. Wednesday I also spent 2 ½ hours playing with clay with young kids, following that, the only thing I really wanted to do, was to go back to the farmer's market. This time, however, was for a very non-Thanksgiving dinner. I picked up Sushi for dinner. Best Idea Ever! We had the "Tiger Roll" with Unagi, Avocado & Carrot, the "Rainbow Roll" a California style roll with Tuna, Salmon & Shrimp (for those who can't make up their mind?) and a "Spicy Scallop" roll with, duh, Scallops and spicy sauce. The scallop was a little delicate for the sauce, but was still tasty, the Rainbow was rainbowlicious, and the Tiger Roll was better than anything I've had in a looooonnnnnggg time!

So with the menu all prepped, I should have been in great shape. Most of the laundry had been folded Wednesday night so I thought that I would take my time shaking the cobwebs out and pop the turkey in the oven. Oops, HP was going to make the glaze while I was elbow deep in clay, but he took a nap instead. So he got up and started that. That's ok, we are still in good shape. Damn, I keep forgetting about the stuffing. (I'm not a big stuffing eater & I don't cook it in the bird, but HP does & he was in-charge of the stuffing. So we had to quick make the stuffing. Ok, so the bird was only an hour late getting in the oven.) Next a quick clean-up around the house, throw the last load of laundry in, pull out the china and take a shower. Hmmm where is the relaxing part? Ok, now to roll out the pie crust (ok, it was a store bought rollout--a girl is allowed to cheat occasionally). Fill the pie. Try to figure out how to put that in the oven along with the turkey. Why is my oven this small? Then the potato panic. They needed to finish baking & be mashed. No room in the oven. Honey, can you light the grill? Ok, the last minute shuffle of trying to get everything in the oven, the turkey out of the oven & listen to the complaining of the person who is getting a free meal out of this. (It's NOT my fault, you didn't eat breakfast. We even called & said we were about an hour behind.)

The time came to pull the turkey out & let it rest. The Squash was covered in cream & thrown in the oven. The gravy was made. Oh yeah, don't forget to throw the rest of the stuffing in the oven. How are we doing? The natives are getting restless! Round up the kids to set the table! Someone zap the Broccoli (yes, that one was for the kids) Double check the menu, do we have everything? Oooh don't forget to pull the cranberry out of the fridge. Ok it's all set.

The "imported" tradition was to sing the Johnny Appleseed Grace, so we did and we thanked God that we were healthy and together and free to eat together. Now do we get to relax? Hah

Thanksgiving Countdown

2007-11-15T22:19:00.001-05:00

What's cookin'?

We are at that time of year where people, some of whom believe that the kitchen is where you eat cereal & heat up frozen pizza, bravely enter the realm of Thanksgiving Dinner. As I contemplate this year's meal, I realize that this is not a meal for wimps. Sure, anyone can throw a turkey in the oven & wait for the popper to pop and open a box of mashed potatoes that just need water. And then there are the folks with more money than sense that feel the need to shell out OVER $100 for a FROZEN turkey. That is just wrong on so many levels. If you want an organic turkey because it is better for you, etc. why are you getting something frozen instead of fresh? Why are you adding to waste to the environment with the packing and excessive CO₂? (It is packed in dry ice) Why, if you have that much money to spend, don't you spend it on something beneficial, like 5 or 6 turkeys for the local homeless shelter? What really is the point?

So, back to the not so wimpy cooking. I am mostly traditional for Thanksgiving. Turkey, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, even cranberry. But I do feel the need to give it all a little kick in the pants. My turkey will have a citrus glaze & a chipotle gravy. My mashed potatoes will have cheese (haven't completely decided what kind yet), my squash will have hazelnuts and even my cranberry will get a kick from some port. We don't have strong family traditions for Thanksgiving, too much of a mixed family. We will all share something we are thankful for and we will all eat way too much, beyond that? I may have to find a way to start a new tradition. How does one go about that?

Any great ideas to share? Please, let me know!

Playing with Food!

2007-11-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Scroll down past the obnoxious ads and check out these food photos.
My food never looks like any of them!

Dark Roasted Blend: Strange Food Special

Kiki is on the Post!

2007-11-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, all around the internet world people are celebrating National Blogging Post Month. (NaBloPoMo) those people are posting every day!

Well, I've realized that I just don't have that much to say.

I will make an attempt to post at least once a week however. Really, I've been sliding here.

So for today's post, I'll revert to the old standby:
What's cookin'! It has been international week in Kiki's kitchen:

Tuesday's dinner:
Shrimp Curry
It was a curry that is a cross between a Chinese & Maylasian curries and had coconut milk & curry powder along with ginger & garlic. It was really quite tasty, and very easy to make. I threw a bunch of things in my mini-prep (mini food processor)then onto the stove. Boil some rice and a good dinner was had by all

Thursday's dinner:
Pasta in Vodka Sauce
Way yum! The pasta was baked in the sauce with turkey sausage and smoked mozzarella cheese. I chose Cellentani pasta, which is tubular, corkscrew shaped pasta that really holds the sauce. It looked kind of like Hamburger Helper, but tasted like nothing else! (did I mention YUM!) HP had at least 4 servings, plus he brought the left overs in for lunch the next day.

Friday's dinner:
Chicken Kiev.
Ok, I cheated on this. I use Barber Foods frozen Kiev. But hey, their's is pretty good, has an ingredient list that can be pronounced & they use real butter. Plus they do all that pounding & rolling & stuffing. And most importantly, The Girl requested it specifically.

Saturday's dinner:
Tandoori style Salmon
Ok, I don't actually own a Tandoor, but at least I cooked it on a baking stone in a screaming hot (550 degrees)oven. I like the spices & yogurt that makes this up, but I think I'm ready to experiment with the recipe a little bit.

Sunday's dinner
Chicken Paprikas (sometimes spelled paprikash) made in the crock pot.
I'm 1/4 Hungarian, so this is theoretically in my blood. Though the Hungarian 1/4 was from my grandmother who passed away before I was born, so I never had her cooking. My father (her son) did not develop his own paprikas until years after I had left the house, so, while my recipe is based mostly on a version of his, I have never actually had his paprikas and I don't know if his version has since changed. So authenticity aside, Papa's Paprikas is still a winner in my kitchen.

Tomorrow is a night off from cooking, HP has to go to school and I can have leftovers!

I have a friend whose husband & kids don't eat leftovers. I have to say, this is a concept that I cannot comprehend. To me, one of the joys of a great meal, is being able to have it again. Besides, it sure beats a sandwich!

The porch

2007-10-23T10:45:00.001-04:00

Out of the kitchen & hangin' on the porch

2007-10-18T22:42:00.001-04:00

I really haven't spent much time in the kitchen the past couple weeks. We cooked up enough stuff to get us through MIL & Rent tech (which I was sewing my fingers to the bone) and I made dinner last night. (A more-than-palatable stew of turkey thigh, tomatillos, peppers and various other things. Which was very enjoyable, though HP claims his was better. Maybe I should just give up cooking?)

Any way, I spent a few lovely hours on my porch yesterday. The weather is probably considered "Indian Summer" with temperate breezes and bright sunshine. After working until the wee hours of the morning, then driving home I was mostly allowed to sleep in. HP tried valiantly to convince me that I should be awake at 8 when he got up, I chose 11 as a much better decision. After determining that I had little to contribute to the world at that particular time, I climbed into the big papasan (also known as a mamasan chair with a book and relaxed.
The papasan is on the porch. About a month or two ago, HP & I, in a strange fit of productivity, cleaned up the porch, repainted the floor, touched up the walls, cleaned the papasan cushion and generally made the porch the refuge it should be. HP even increased the plant population up there so we now have a fern, a spiderplant, a "dish garden," and air plant the ginger plant and the mother-in-laws-tongue. (You'll have to look up any thing you don't know. I'm not in the mood to search)(sorry) The furniture on the porch includes the aforementioned papasan, a teak coffee table that is older than me and is prone to spilling drinks if you aren't careful, an old rattan reclining chair that belonged to the aged aunt of a guy I knew, a wicker rocker, and an hammock chair. the old hammock that has been in the family almost as long as the teak coffee table hangs in the corner and poster sized prints of Mattisse and Picasso decorate the walls.
I really should take a picture. I could have saved my self a lot of words.
Anyway, I relaxed on the porch, the breeze was blowing, I had a book in hand. (A Phillip Craig Martha's Vineyard mystery if you must know)and I leaned back. There were no car alarms going off. The screaming children were safely packed away in various hallowed walls of education. The people-who-try-to-drive-big-trucks-with-obnoxious-back-up-songs-and/or-tones were not making their frequent, feeble and repetitive attempts to parallel park, it was good. Then softly, I heard the sounds of the strings of a chamber orchestra. It was quiet and soothing (and yes, recorded not live) and they were playing Braham's Lullaby.
All was right with the world, at least during those few moments on the porch.

Out of the kitchen & in the Arts

2007-10-07T21:25:00.000-04:00

So, like a good ~~sucker~~volunteer, I rearranged my schedule for the week and ran to Harrisburg to assist with the PA Governor's Awards for the Arts. I spent 2 days in Harrisburg, a day in Gettysburg and a day mostly in recovery from the previous 3 days. The Governor's Awards are a really great thing. They support the arts in PA and those who make a difference in the Arts.
The 2007 recipients were:
• 2007 Distinguished Arts Awards: Rob Marshall, director and choreographer of Academy Award winning films and Tony Award winning Broadway musicals; and Kathleen Marshall, Tony Award nominated director and choreographer. Kathleen and Rob Marshall, from Pittsburgh, are brother and sister.
• 2007 Artist of the Year Award: Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris, Philadelphia, acclaimed choreographer, artistic director and founder of the hip-hop dance company, Rennie Harris Puremovement.
• 2007 Patron Award: David and Jennifer LeVan of Gettysburg.
• 2007 Pennsylvania Creative Community Award: Pike County Arts & Crafts of Milford.
• 2007 Outstanding Leadership & Service to Youth Awards: The Settlement Music School, a 100-year-old community school for the arts in Philadelphia; and nationally renowned teacher of classical ballet Marcia Dale Weary of Carlisle.

Each one of the Artists truly deserved their award and it was a lovely ceremony. I promised I would not blog on the drama that an awards ceremony that is mixed with politics entails, but suffice it to say, there is more than one reason these things only happen once a year.

Now back to the kitchen.
While I was immersed in the world of the Governor's Awards, I spoke with dear HP a few times (yes, I missed him). One of the conversations went along the lines of this

HP: I saw K, she sends her best
Me: oh that's nice, did you tell her what I'm up to? She attended last year.
HP: Yeah, oh and I thought it would be nice to have her over on Sunday. I told her I would check with you.
Me: ummm, Sunday. Sure, that sounds great! (translated: that's not today and I can't really imagine life beyond the awards on Thursday, but what the heck!)

So today is Sunday. We are cleaning like banshees (actually, not really like banshees. I don't know that they clean much, we were just cleaning our little hearts out). HP's mother is coming to town this week. This is the same week that HP has signed me up to work my butt off at his little theatre. (HP: but it's Rent You like that show. Me: not for 200 of the next 240 hours.) Anyway. While we are cleaning.

Me (In a little of a cleaning & cooking panic): Well what time is K coming over?
HP: Oh, I'm not sure. She wasn't sure of her plans, and I was going to get back to her when I got the OK from you.
Me: Uhhh, I agreed to it on Wednesday. Why didn't you confirm? I bought food for this.
HP: OOOOOhhhh. What's for dinner?
Me: (pounds head!)

So we did determine that K was coming over. I made Chicken Saté (or Satay, as every caterer in the US now calls them) with peanut sauce and an eggplant dip. While I know that Saté is overdone. WAY Overdone! I also realize that they are overdone because they are simple & tasty. The only real work is mixing up the marinade & grilling them "To Perfection" I had no problem throwing together. Some chicken. A little marinade & there you are.

They were uber tasty. Dipped in a Peanutbutter spice dip & you forgot you were in wherever you thought you were. What could be better? Our appetizers were better.

We had an super tasty grilled eggplant dip. Maybe I'll post it tomorrow, but my husband just woke me from my typing, so I think I'm going to finish this sentance and go to bed.

Good Night

The done part of the list-

2007-10-01T22:51:00.000-04:00

Call the Dentist (reschedule appointment)
Only the 3rd time I've rescheduled. I promise I really will go this time!
Call Sue (can I reschedule meeting?)
After all it really is about me :)
Call Heather (what am I doing again)
Heather wanted me there Today. She clearly was not on this to do list. *SIGH!* Ok, will reschedule life and be there tomorrow*
Wash my Car
Um, why do these things ALWAYS** happen to me? I sat waiting for the car wash to open for 25 minutes before someone told me it was broken and gave me a coupon to "rewash" car. But I didn't wash it in the first place. :(
Go to the Produce place (2 grocery stores in 2 days wasn't enough)
It didn't live up to the hype, but at least I got my peppers
Make Soup
Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Soup. Uber Tasty!
Make Black Beans & Rice (rice is already done, made extra last night. Check)
Beans are blacked! & Cooked
Take The Girl to the Orthodontist.
I'm so glad that I never had to get braces!
Write some LONG overdue Thank You notes
Yeah, I actually did this. Some while waiting for The Girl, the rest while waiting for the carwash
Stop at GoggleWorks and see if my pottery will survive trimming or if I let it sit too long
It lived and hopefully I have a Christmas present for someone
Clean the Kitchen
Well, I cooked a couple things and cleaned for a while. It still needs work.
Clean the Dining Room
ummmm It became the place to fold laundry instead of being cleaned. At least the laundry is clean
Call a venue about a fundraiser
Done, they can't do it. One less thing to worry about!
Return Library books/books on tape
oops. left them on the kitchen table. I'll have to drop them on way out of town or risk the wrath of the librarian!
Work on the Brochure that was supposed to be done last week
Was asked to rework an ad instead. Didn't have time for both...
Try to find some new sneakers
Not enough time in the day for that
Try to find a comfortable bra
Not enough time in the world for that

*"There" is in Harrisburg, Pa. helping with the Governor's Awards for the Arts.
**"ALWAYS" = the last 2 times I've tried

Dear Internets, where have you gone?

2007-10-01T09:29:00.001-04:00

Dear Internets,
Why don't you write? You never call any more.
What is up with that? Are you mad at me?
Really, was it something I did or didn't do?
Did or didn't say?

What do you mean it's all me? I need to get off the post and post.
Fine! Here is your bloody post.

I spent the last couple weeks with Arthur the Aardvark. (Check PBS kids for more information, I don't feel like inserting the link). Arthur was live in York, PA with Binky and D.W. and Francine and Muffy and Buster and Mother and Baby Kate and Mr. Ratburn and even Mrs. MacGrady, the Lunchroom Lady. They were joined by the Tooth Fairy and Tooth Decay.

I have to say, all those big characters, with their expressionless faces and blank eyes kind of gave me the creeps. But when they got on stage and the music was going and they were acting and dancing their little fur off, they were awesome.

I also like Arthur because he incorporates good messages in his story (Don't try to grow up before you are ready, brush your teeth, everyone is different) and a smidgen of education (Tyrannosaurus Rex Rocks)
You'll have to see it for yourself to understand all that.

Now that I'm back at home for a couple days (until I go down and work Rent!) It's time to attack my to-do list.

Call the Dentist (reschedule appointment)
Call Sue (can I reschedule meeting)
Call Heather (what am I doing again)
Wash my Car
Go to the Produce place (2 grocery stores in 2 days wasn't enough)
Make Soup
Make Black Beans & Rice (rice is already done, made extra last night. Check)
Take The Girl to the Orthodontist.
Write some LONG overdue Thank You notes
Stop at GoggleWorks and see if my pottery will survive trimming or if I let it sit too long
Clean the Kitchen
Clean the Dining Room
Call a venue about a fundraiser
Return Library books/books on tape
Work on the Brochure that was supposed to be done last week
Try to find some new sneakers
Try to find a comfortable bra.

Back from the North Woods

2007-08-30T18:11:00.000-04:00

I was somewhere in North Central Minnesota. I'm not entirely sure where, and really the links I find aren't all that great, so you'll just have to trust me.

I spent just under a week in Minnesota, surrounded by guys named Steve. It was an odd lot, and really I don't think they have a whole lot in common other than the fact that they were all born around 1960, and named Steve. They went to junior high & high school together and ran wild in suburban Minneapolis and at their places "up north" on the lakes.
And for a few ~~short~~ long days, I was experiencing their "formative years" all over again.

So what do these guys do when they get together almost 30 years later? Well, some of it is the same. They got together and drank too much, and smoked too much, and ate too much. Only now, they had to cook and clean up after themselves and waking up the morning after too much to drink was not nearly as easy. And their toys are better too.

We had a good time. We built a fire along the shore, we took the pontoon boat out for the cocktail cruise and we cooked dinner outside. I tried to relive my own youth a little by water skiing (yes, I have pictures somewhere) That was a lot of fun--I'll let you know when I recover! We wondered over to another lake so we could check out the cabin that HP used to call his summer quarters. That still belongs to his mother's cousin's family so we sat for a visit. We wandered around ~~Antique~~ JUNK shops on a rainy Monday in hopes of finding a birthday present for me. We didn't. I really shouldn't have surprised HP with my birthday. I suppose I should have told him that I have one every year. Followed directly by our Anniversary. (We've been married 3 years. Certainly seems longer than that.)

I will let my internet audience know that it is not advised to spend your Birthday & Anniversary stuck in the middle of the woods with a couple guys named Steve (We lost 2 of them by Monday--they couldn't hack it and returned to being semi-responsible adults). I can only entertain one Steve at a time, and the other Steve doesn't like to read, doesn't really play cards (except the occasional game of poker, with other guys named Steve)and didn't like the movies that were at the house. At this point I would like to say, NOT MY PROBLEM. But the boys decided to have one more escapade and go over to another friend's cabin (this one belongs to a guy named Chris, who did make a brief appearance in an otherwise all Steve weekend.) So they went to Chris's cabin and snuck into his back yard (Chris went home after the weekend also. He still hasn't recovered from water skiing either). They fired up Chris's "hillbilly hot-tub" so we could have a good soak after dinner. When I say "fired up" I do mean that literally, it was a wood fired hot tub. No bubbles or jets or anything fancy. I think if you added some carrots and celery, you could have made people soup. It would have been a much better idea if they hadn't come up with it while it was POURING down rain. But the evening sky did clear somewhat and we had a nice soak. Not quite as idyllic as this, but not far from it.

Feelin' Saucy

2007-08-21T10:39:00.001-04:00

Yes, I have some tomatoes. And peppers. And tomatillos.
So listening with one ear to the wise Miss Holly,I decided to make sauce. Tomatoes, check. Hmmm, plenty of Poblano & Serrano peppers as well. What else is lurking in my larder? Onions, check; garlic, check. What is growing in my garden? Cuban Oregano, Hmmmm. Let's check the spice rack: tasty, a little cumin; perhaps a little chili powder.
Ok, now that I have my 'meez,' it's time to get cookin'.

First off, get the grill going, preferably with some smoky wood chips in there, then I slowly roasted my tomatoes along with a couple onions, some garlic cloves, and my pairs of poblanos and serranos (and only lost one serrano through the grill grate). While they are roasting a way, I turned on the crockpot and added a little olive oil. When the oil was warm, I added a couple teaspoons of whole cumin seed and a little more garlic. After I peeled the roasted veggies and added them to the pot, I added my oregano, along with a little ground cumin (ok, I like cumin, what of it?) and some chili powder with the obligatory salt & pepper. Then I gave it a whirl with the stick blender and left it for the night. This morning I woke up and look, I have enchilada sauce. Fantastic! Now to get some chicken, or some beans & make enchiladas...

This weekend was the last weekend that we had The Boy over to visit before he goes off to college. (I guess I should call him The College Man now, but I'll have to ease into that). We celebrated with family activities such as him showing his Father how to load an Ipod with music. Also, as we know, no College Man is ready for school without new clothes for school. We got socks and a baseball cap. They started out white, then a short time later they looked like this:

And then, finally like this:

Well, the family that tie-dyes together, ummm I'm not sure how to finish that one.

Back to the family activities. We also ATE. I know that will come as a shock to some, but that is considered a family activity around here.
Friday night was Fish Taco night. I know that sounds gross, but really they are quite flavory. The fish were fried in a beer batter and served with HP's homemade salsa (fresh from the garden), Kiki's guacamole with roasted garlic, and plenty of queso fresco. Fish Tacos, who knew?

Saturday was our annualish Crab-Fest. I love Maryland crabs, and look forward to eating them every summer. Unfortunately, as they need to be imported they are a little pricey, so I only get them once a year. This year's fest was served up with the freshest corn-on-the-cob I could find and a loaf of Homemade Pesto Bread. (I love The Herbfarm Cookbook and all the wonderful recipes I've found there!)

Somehow, we did end up with a few left over crabs at the end of crabfest, so Sunday's brunch was this:

Crab & Thyme Souffle adapted from The Herbfarm Cookbook. Now that is TASTY!

The other thing I love about The Herbfarm Cookbook, is that after having it from the library for about a month-and-a-half, I decided to splurge and buy it (after all, I'm worth it & besides, I was worried about spilling something on the book!) Unfortunately my splurge budget is not what it once was, so my solution? EBAY!
That's right, winner bidder kitchenkiki at $4.99. Now that's TASTY!

And a final image, Sunday's dinner (I didn't want it to feel left out)Pizza on the grill! (ok, I had some dough challenges, so one of the pizzas was cooked in the oven)
A perennial favorite: Pizza with caramelized onions, shrimp and alfredo sauce.

elbow deep in tomatoes-post finished if you looked at it earlier

2007-08-14T12:05:00.001-04:00

At the beginning of gardening season the following conversation was heard by our magnolia bush:

HP: Ya know I was thinking of signing up for the garden tour.
Me: I love our garden & I love the tour, but we really can't afford to spruce up the yard for people to come through.
HP: We can do it on the cheap, I'll plant that herb & salsa garden I promised you for your birthday last year.
Me: The birthday that you didn't even get me a card for? NOW you want to start on that? We are even more broke now than we were then and that was your excuse for not getting me anything.
HP: Umm, yeah, sorry about that. But think how much we'll save if we only spend a few dollars now on herbs instead of $2 a pop when you buy them for recipes. I'll even start with the seeds you bought for the garden last year.
Me: Ok, we'll start the herb garden, if we can do it cheap. But I don't think we can afford to do all the fluffing for the garden tour.
HP: uh huh. I hope I can grow tomatoes, I've never had any luck with them before.
Me: Umm, isn't it hard to have a salsa garden without tomatoes?
HP: What are you making for dinner? I'm hungry

So after smuggling free bricks out of York in the trunk of a convertible, a few at a time (funny how he could do it when he wanted to). HP started planning out the herb garden. It began a little like this:

Now, it is looking much more like this:

So, where he had failed in the past, he is more than making up for now. We have tomatoes, and tomatoes and tomatoes. And we are eating them. I have made something resembling this (and mostly using this recipe)
but it didn't really look that pretty. It sure tastes good though!

In a fit of too many tomato paranoia, my husband asked me to so something with the green tomatoes. So I found a soup recipe, and changed it to include fresh herbs, vegetable broth* and creamy goat cheese. The original said it was good hot or cold, but mine was kind of unexciting warm, yet rich and velvety cold, it was smooth & refreshing, and much better cold! HP thought it would be extra-tasty with a red pepper & chipotle mousse I once made, (ok it was supposed to be just red-pepper, but I didn't have enough and thought a little zip would enhance. I was right!) but not having enough time to make said mousse before packing the soup in his lunch box I did a quick chipotle crema that added just enough heat to contrast the cool. His suggestion really made that soup a stand-out!

We also had plenty of ripe tomatoes this week so I made some of my semi-famous gazpacho. It features both fresh and roasted tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions along with fresh herbs and cucumbers and what ever else I managed to put in there.

Well along comes Sunday dinner and I was tired.
I spent the majority of my day volunteering here. Which included some demos on the wheel, some cleaning up and a kiln unloading & sale of works from the gas kiln reduction firing (as opposed to the "neutral" electric kiln we normally use. I had only a few pieces in the kiln, but I donated one to the ceramic shop (proceeds of the sale were benefiting the shop) gave a plate and bowl as a very late birthday present to my husband, gave another bowl to a friend I don't see often enough and kept a bowl for myself. I am very proud to say that the bowl I donated sold within hours of being put up for sale. WooHoo, my first sale. Even though I didn't get any of the $13.50 selling price, I was thrilled and hopefully we are on our way to more exciting toys for the ceramic shop!

Anyway, back to Sunday dinner that I was too tired to cook. (But if I don't, who will?) So I pulled out a chicken, smothered it in garlic and a little rosemary and some lemon. Shoved the old beer can up it's end and put it on the grill. That is pretty easy, but HP does not live on chicken alone. So I had to have something to go with it.
Out came the green tomato soup. Out came the chipotle crema. Out came the gazpacho. Put them all together and it looks like this:

And boy-howdy was it tasty!

Although, it probably would have tasted better in this bowl...

I should be posting instead of reading other peoples blogs so I found a Meme to do

2007-08-10T13:29:00.000-04:00

Two Names You Go By
1. Kiki
2. Mrs. Kiki

Two Things You Are Wearing
1. Slippers
2. Deodorant

Two Things You Want Badly
1. A job
2. An aquittal

Two Pets You Have
1. My husband
2. His kids

Two Things You Did Last Night
1. Have a big beer
2. Go to bed early

Two Things You Will Do Tonight
1. Go to a Jewish “starlight service” (what is the service called if you aren’t going to a synagogue?)

2. Make dinner. Maybe

Two Favorite Holidays
1. Any holiday that I get to see my niece & nephew.
2. They are really cute & sweet. (I know they didn’t get that from their mother—must be from their grandmothers)

Two Things You Can't Live Without
1. Girl Scout Cookies
2. Thin Mints & Samoas

Two Favorite Numbers
1. π
2. № 5

Two Favorite Sports
1. canoeing
2. Lying on a raft with a cold drink

Two Good Drinks
1. Makers Mark + Ice
2. Dark Rum, Triple Sec, Mango Juice, Champagne

~~Two TV Shows You Like~~ Guilty Pleasures
1. Top Chef - Hung needs to go!
2. My Name is Earl

I wish I had tv so I could watch these every once and a while. I saw Top Chef on vacation & now I am only following the re-caps. I'm glad Tre won, I like him & CJ, who is too tall not to like

Two Favorite Foods
1. Anything cooked by someone else
2. Anything with Ice Cream in the name

Two Favorite Passions in Your Life
1. I seem to have left my passions in my other life.
2. I’ll get back to you on that

Summertime learning

2007-08-01T11:05:00.000-04:00

The library is a wonderful thing. I'm sure that~~most~~ both of my readers would agree to that. What I think is over-the top wonderful is that our public library system has a new program that encourages library card holders to learn a language
See a brand-name highly esteemed company that allows you to learn at your pace and best of all it is FREE costs nothing, nada, is complimentary. All you need is a library card. Whee!
Now the license only allows the library to choose 5 languages to be taught, and one of them is English(U.S.) (we have a large English as a second language population around here), but hey it will take me a while to get through the other 4. Ok, I can get through German pretty quickly if I can recall what I learned 15-20 years ago. But Italian and Spanish and French will probably take me a little while.
My father-in-law has planned a cruise that goes from Venice to Rome (or is it Rome to Venice?) so I am brushing up on my Italian. I can already let someone know if there is a boy under a ball (Un bambino sotto una palla). I have also looked at some of the Spanish lessons--I was curious how similar they are (eh, a little, but I think if I tried to learn both simultaneously I would get confused).
But I think that I need to not ignore my other hobbies, so I will try to go play in the clay!

Ciao!

What happened to July?

2007-07-30T23:41:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am back again (for now) I spent most of July traveling hither & yon. I spent about 3 weeks in the Poconos, enjoying the sounds of nature. Waking to the sound of the birds chirping or the rain falling or sometimes, the ultimate nature call “MAMA, I got pooters!”

Warm days were spent in the lake debating how deep is too deep with a six-year old, trying to explain that splashing Kiki is not necessarily in their best interest and pushing a raft around with 2 munchkins on it. Afternoons could be spent lazing in the hammock—if you managed to get there before the kids!

We had some colder, rainier days also. We watched Wizard of Oz and every cartoon known to man. Overall I watched more TV than I have in the past 2 years combined. I’m glad that I don’t normally watch TV, but I will confess to enjoying some of it, especially Bravo’s Top Chef. (I’m rooting for CJ and think Hung should be chopped in a humiliating defeat. I also like the Joey/Howie dynamic and think that Howie may make it all the way. But he’s not as cute as CJJ )

We also had a nice afternoon of tie-dyeing t-shirts. and a sundress. and underwear (boxers and boxer-briefs, depending on the recipient).

No, those aren’t the ones we made, ours were a little more “free-style.” But who knew these things were getting top-dollar on ebay?

Other activities included having a birthday party for The Girl with Wegman’s Lemon Tart and fresh blueberries. (No time to bake this year, so I went with the best!) and a mad flea market excursion. Originally it was just going to breakfast, then we had to go to the store and along the way, we couldn’t help but stop and check out the fine wares in peoples yards. Where else can you get a pink bike for $5? Sadly it was too small for me, but perfect for above mentioned 6-year-old. I did get a pair of vintage pink sunglasses for 99 cents, so I’m not complaining.

Also on my July travel loge was a trip to Hershey, PA to celebrate the big sister’s 40^th birthday. We spent an afternoon at the world famous Hershey’s Chocolate Spa where we enjoyed a Peppermint Patty (Peppermint Salt Scrub followed by the Chocolate Fondue Wrap). It is wonderful to be at one with chocolate—I felt and smelled so good for the rest of the weekend! (Ok, it didn’t really last through my shower the next morning, but I held off on that until I was ready to say good-bye to the chocolate smell)

The final July destination was George Washington University’s “Colonial Inauguration.” It was the orientation extravaganza for The Boy. All I can say is there was WAY too much pep going on. It was really great to see the campus and hear about all the opportunities available to him. Made me wish I was young with the world on a platter. These opportunities are really wasted on the young!

So that is the gist of what I’ve been up to for the past month. What about you?

a little joke

2007-07-28T09:58:00.000-04:00

An Elephant is drinking out of a river when he spots a turtle asleep on a log. The elephant ambles over and kicks the unsuspecting turtle clear across the river.
"Why did you do that?" asks a passing giraffe.

"Because I recognized it as the same turtle that took a nip out of my trunk 47 years ago."

"Wow, what a memory!" says the giraffe.

"Yes," says the elephant. "Turtle recall."

this made me laugh

2007-07-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

Chickens!