Tootie's Place

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be nice to make brownies for Valentine’s Day. (Ok, the truth is I was craving brownies, and Valentine’s Day happened to be a convenient reason to make them.)

And this time, I decided to cut a couple into heart shapes and give them as little gifts on Valentine’s Day. I put them in clear plastic bags and tied them with a red ribbon. (The ribbon is actually from Christmas. Shh, don’t tell.)

Note: By cutting the brownies into shapes, you are left with scraps. It would be a waste to throw them away, so it is my duty to eat them. I’m taking my duty very seriously.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Resolutions by Mail

2012-02-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

I teach an English class at night. For our first class of 2012, I had the students write out their resolutions or goals for the year and address an envelope to themselves.

I told them that in a month I’d mail them their envelopes with their resolutions. Now that it’s officially February, I’m putting the letters in the mail today.

I figure it would be a good time to see how the resolutions are going after a month. And it’s probably a good time for all of us to dust off those month-old resolutions, or congratulate ourselves on a job well done.

Happy February!

It's that time of year...

2012-01-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

This month starts my favorite season: Girl Scout cookie season!

There are 3 boxes on their way to me, which just makes my day.

What's your favorite kind of Girl Scout cookie? It’s no secret that I love Thin Mints, but I’m an equal-opportunity-cookie-eater.

Cooking School

2012-01-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

Well, 2012 is off to a delicious start.

Yesterday I went to a cooking class that I absolutely loved. The Italian dishes were so delicious that I secretly wanted to ask for seconds (and thirds).

And the instruction was practical and informative. It was much better than the last cooking class I took, where things were so complicated that it made me want to give up cooking. But, this class yesterday made me want to run home and start cooking.

Here were a few tips that I loved and plan to use in the kitchen:

1) Before you dice an onion, wet a wooden cutting board and you’ll never cry. (The water absorbs whatever it is in the onion that makes you cry.)

2) If you don’t have time to make chicken stock, “Better than Boullion” brand is a good substitute.

3) If you don’t have time to make a homemade salad dressing, buy a good quality dressing and add appropriate fresh ingredients, like lemon juice, cheese, etc.

4) It’s best to grocery shop being open to ideas and using whatever fresh, seasonal items are available.

5) When entertaining, serve custard in a fancy wine glass or martini glass for dessert. You can make it the day before and refrigerate. Top with berries or chocolate. The dessert looks impressive, but it’s pretty easy to make.

6) You can use a vegetable peeler to grate cheese into slices to top soups or pasta. You can also use the peeler on a Hershey bar to make chocolate strips to top desserts.

7) Cooking does not have to be complicated. Simple things with the right seasoning and herbs can be really tasty.

8) I know there were other things I learned, but I think I’m just distracted thinking about the yummy food we had.

Happy cooking!

Roasted Chestnuts

2011-12-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

I saw this sign today for roasted chestnuts outside a local store.

I have to say that I’m a sucker for: 1) trying new things, 2) things related to Christmas and/or Christmas songs (“chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”), and 3) things that are less than $5.

In other words, I was walking away with a bag of chestnuts.

And the verdict?

I liked them. They were slightly sweet, although they were a little bit dry. And as weird as it sounds, they sort of tasted like a baked potato.

Overall, I’m glad I got them. And if I can just find “yuletide carols being sung by a choir” and/or “folks dressed up like Eskimos,” then my life-turned-Christmas-song will be complete.

Merry early Christmas!

Cranberry Eggnog Cake

2011-12-14T05:51:00.000-08:00

It seems like every season, there’s some dessert recipe that is my go-to recipe. In the fall, it was pumpkin muffins. I can’t remember how many times I made them, but the fact that I lost count means that it was quite a few.

This winter my favorite recipe is Cranberry Eggnog Cake. I’ve made it twice so far, and I’ll be scheming to find reasons to make it again. The first time I made it was for a dinner party. This tasty cake was the perfect ending to a great meal. It’s flavorful, but not too sweet, and it has a nice crust on top. And to steal a phrase from Husband: “It takes like Christmas.”

And just yesterday I made this cake for a friend who loves cranberries. (I guess it goes without saying that it was a good friend because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to exercise such restraint in not devouring the whole thing.)

By the way, I feel like I have to say something in defense of eggnog. I’ve avoided it most of my life for reasons unknown to me, but it is really delicious in this cake. It also freezes well. I bought a ½ gallon of it, and I just take it out of the freezer when I need it.

The recipe is from the Baker by Nature website.

Cranberry Eggnog Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 large egg
1/2 cup eggnog
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with eggnog, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter cranberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

If you make this, I hope you enjoy it! Just consider it an early Christmas gift to yourself.

Remembering

2011-12-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend we visited a military cemetery in the area. They were laying wreaths at each gravesite, and we were honored to help place the wreaths.

The end result was a beautiful blanket of wreaths covering this sacred ground. I felt a mix of pride and sadness at the sight.

I’m so glad that our country honors our veterans this way. This weekend reminded me of a few more things to be thankful for this holiday season.

Baking Disaster

2011-12-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was baking an eggnog bread and planning what I would tell you about it.

I was going to write about how it was a new recipe I found on allrecipes.com. I was going to tell you how I picked the recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand, and I was too lazy to go to the grocery store to pick up anything else. I was going to report how delicious it smelled when it was baking.

That was all until this happened:

I was pulling the bread out a bit early to check it. I lost my grip on the pan, and half of it dumped out on the bottom of the oven.

I stood there for at least 5 seconds in shock wondering what you do when you’ve half-ruined your dessert and how the heck you even attempt to clean a scalding-hot oven.

The answer, I found, was you continue baking the rest of the dessert and you worry about the mess later when the oven is cooler. (I hope that I will not have to use this knowledge again in the near future!)

The dessert was salvageable, and I even served it to dinner guests. It didn’t look the prettiest, but it was tasty. Truthfully, I’ve never thought of myself as an eggnog fan, but this dessert changed my mind.

The recipe I used is here. I used almond extract instead of rum extract because I didn’t have any rum extract. And, following the suggestions of the reviewers, I used less flour (2 cups) and more eggnog (1 and ¼ cups).

If you make this, I hope yours turns out a little more “intact” than mine!

Christmas Cards

2011-12-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

I’m not much of a shopper, but I have a strange compulsion to keep buying boxes of Christmas cards. Whenever I see a store’s table full of Christmas cards, it’s like a magnetic pull that I can’t resist. I’m instantly drawn to them. And, if they’re on sale, I have to buy them.

Worse yet, then I have to tell people about the deal I got. “I got 18 cards for $2.88!” or “I got 20 cards for $3.99!”

Here are the Christmas cards I bought, just this year.

We do send a fair amount of Christmas cards, so most of them will be used.

I hate to do the math on how many I have, but let’s just say that it’s a lot of Christmas cheer.

Happy December!

“ You want a Christmas card? You want a Christmas card? All right here. Here's your Christmas card.” ~Elaine from Seinfeld

Leftovers

2011-11-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

Not surprisingly, we’re eating turkey leftovers today. I’m not sure why, but sometimes it seems that the leftovers taste even better than the original meal.

On another note, I heard the first Christmas song of the year on the radio today, which brought a big smile to my face. (I would listen to Christmas music year round, if it were socially acceptable.)

Is it any wonder why this is one of my favorite weekends of the year?

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T04:37:00.000-08:00

I never know what to say in response to the question, “What is your favorite holiday?” I love them all. But I think that if I had to rank them, Thanksgiving would be at the top of the list. After all, it combines two of my favorite things – family and food.

Though it may sound corny, I do like reflecting on all the things that I’m thankful for. A lot of the blessings are obvious: Husband and our wonderful families, good health, my faith, a nice home, etc. But then there are also things that are (thankfully) so much a part of my life, that I barely notice: freedom, clean water, education, laughter, and more.

By the way, I recently read that the original Thanksgiving feast lasted 3 days. So feel free to indulge in more than one day of feasting, just so you’ll be historically accurate, of course.

Happy early Thanksgiving!

Happy Veterans Day

2011-11-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day holds a special place in my heart. It just so happens that 3 of my favorite people - my mom, my dad, and of course, Husband - are veterans. (To say that we are a military family is an understatement!)

Happy Veterans Day to all veterans and their families!

Extra Hour

2011-11-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

We get an extra hour this weekend with the time change, which I love. (Good thing I can remember the phrase “fall back,” or else, my clock would really be off.)

I get excited about it the same way I would when getting a snow day as a kid. It's like a little bonus. (Although I’m trying not to focus on the fact that since it’s only an hour, we’re essentially getting cheated 23 hours. An hour is better than nothing, right?)

So what to do with the extra hour? Read a good book? Watch a movie? I’d like to think that I’ll do something fun, but I have a feeling I’m going to spend the time either sleeping or doing laundry.

How are you going to spend your extra hour?

Ghost Wine

2011-10-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours has been kind enough to help us with Husband’s car this fall. I wanted to give a Halloween-themed gift to say thank you, but I knew that he probably wouldn’t want candy.

But, I knew he would love wine. And, somehow, my one tiny creative brain cell came up with an idea to make it more festive for Halloween…

I picked up a regular bottle of wine. [I used the same complicated selection process that I always do, which goes like this: 1) Decide which wine has the best-looking label, and 2) Buy that wine.] In this case, I bought the bottle that was orange and black.

Then I cut a hole in a sheet of tissue paper and slipped it over the bottle. I used black marker to make the eyes.

And that’s it! Drink or treat.

Pumpkin Muffins

2011-10-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

This pumpkin muffin recipe is, by far, my favorite fall recipe. I’ve made it 3 times so far this year. In fact, I just made a batch this morning. (I wish you could smell the delicious aroma in my kitchen!)

I’ve made this for a lot of people, and they’ve all raved about it. It’s perfect as a sweet breakfast muffin or as a dessert with ice cream and/or whip cream.

I wish I could remember where I got the recipe. It’s in my scribbled handwriting on a piece of scratch paper. I’m guessing I found it somewhere on the internet. (If the recipe is yours, please let me know so I can give proper credit!)

Anyway, here’s the recipe:

Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves (I’ve omitted this because I keep forgetting to buy cloves)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup oil

1 cup pumpkin (the pumpkin puree in a can)

*chopped walnuts

*semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and eggs. Add oil and mix at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add flour mixture, and then add pumpkin. Mix at medium speed until well blended. *Add in chopped walnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips to your liking. (I added a small amount of chopped walnuts and a very generous portion of chocolate chips.) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 18 muffins.

*Note: the original recipe did not call for chopped walnuts or semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I think this is the key to the muffin!

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite fall recipe?

Fall Flowers

2011-10-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

These beauties arrived yesterday for me.

It’s not my birthday. It’s not our anniversary. It’s not a holiday. The reason was “just because,” which is the best reason of all.

Thank you, Husband!

Sewing Class

2011-10-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

My mom's friend heard that I wanted to learn how to sew, and she graciously offered to teach me. She doesn’t just know how to sew, but she knows how to sew incredibly well and makes all sorts of beautiful things.

Our first class was yesterday. I decided to bring an apple to my teacher. (Remember that tradition?) I had a plain apple, but I decided to put it in a fancy bag.

She got such a kick out of it. She said, “I love it! You are just like your mom!”

I took that to be a huge compliment because my mom is always coming up with fun and thoughtful things to give to people.

The class went really well. Our first project is making a simple navy blue skirt. We’re taking baby steps, so we cut out the pattern pieces and pinned them to the fabric. Next week we’ll start sewing the pieces together.

If it comes out well, I’ll be sure to post a picture. (And if it doesn’t, then there will be no photographic evidence and I’ll probably never speak of sewing again.)

Sew, we’ll see.

Book Club

2011-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week I went to my first book club meeting, which I absolutely loved. I’ve wanted to join a book club for some time, and it finally worked out. It was just so nice to sit and chat with other ladies who love books as much as I do. In other words, it was a safe place for my inner book nerd to come out.

This month’s book was Jane Eyre, the classic by Charlotte Bronte. Somehow I never had to read this in school. I didn’t know anything about the book, so it was a surprise – a good one – for me. (Bonus: Jane Eyre is free on the Kindle.) The book is a little long, but the story itself was interesting and I found the ending very satisfying.

Though it’s not for my book club, the next book I’m going to read is The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. A friend loaned it to me a few months ago, and I figure I better read it and return it before my friend adds me on her “do not lend” list.

What are you reading?

You know you're a food fanatic when...

2011-09-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

...you call the cable guy to come out because the Food Network channel isn’t working.

Ahem, I cannot confirm nor deny that I did this.

But let’s just say that, if I did, my friends will be very glad to know that the channel is now working, and I will no longer have to hijack their TV on Saturday mornings to watch the Pioneer Woman cooking show.

P.S. Has anyone else been watching the PW cooking show? I'm definitely a fan!

Boston Cream Cake

2011-09-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Why hello there. I wish I had some good reason why I neglected my poor blog here, but I don’t have one. And though I can’t say that I was doing anything super exciting this summer, I can say that I’ve done quite a bit of baking.

I recently made this Boston Cream Cake. It was a birthday cake for someone very dear to me. The birthday girl is crazy about Boston cream donuts, and that became the inspiration for the cake. I found a few websites that gave me ideas.

I ended up using:

1 yellow cake mix (18 oz)

1 tsp lemon extract

1 box instant vanilla pudding (3 oz)

Chocolate glaze (in the baking aisle, next to the frostings)

I made the cake mix according to the instructions, but I added 1 tsp lemon extract. I baked the cake in 2 round cake pans. Once the cakes cooled, I assembled everything, spreading the pudding in the middle and the glaze on the top. In the looks department, I think it was pretty close in resembling the donut.

But, for some reason, I thought that the cake wasn’t quite right. It tasted too sweet to me.

After reflecting on it later, I told the birthday girl the next day, “It won’t hurt my feelings if you throw out the leftovers. I think it was just too sweet.”

She said, “Are you kidding? I already ate the leftover piece as a midnight snack.”

I call that a birthday success.

Plants

2011-05-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Something strange is happening to my plants. They have an unusual condition where they're growing taller and fuller - and even blooming. With a little research, I have figured out that they are "thriving," which is much different than the condition of "dying" that I had previously seen with almost all of my plants.
The other day my mom called and asked if I wouldn't mind giving her back her African violet flower pot when she visits. I said, "Sure, but what am I going to do with the plant?"

She laughed and asked, "You mean it's still alive?!"

Even my own mother, who has cheered me on to do a number of near-impossible things in life, still can't believe that I could keep a simple house plant alive. Truthfully, neither can I.

I'm not sure what I did to overcome my plant-killer instincts, but I'm posting the pictures as proof before the plants change their mind.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure how I got so lucky, but I have the most wonderful mother. With the way that we chat together and laugh together, I have to remind myself sometimes that she is the same person who used to tell me to stand up straight (which I do!) and not just my lifelong friend (which she is!). I also think that I somehow hit the “mother” lottery because my mother-in-law is also one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know, and we hit it off on day one. I feel fortunate to have no idea what people are talking about when they tell mother-in-law jokes. Big hugs today to these two amazing ladies in my life. Happy Mother’s Day!

A Little Chaos

2011-04-20T16:25:00.001-07:00

Life just got a little more chaotic here. We're doing ok, though. And I haven't (yet) pulled out my hair or run off to join the circus, so I'm considering that a success. I'll update more when I get a chance to catch my breath. In the meantime, Happy Easter to all!

New Favorite Brownies

2011-04-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went to a potluck, where I had the best brownies ever. The brownies were regular chocolate on the bottom, but the top was a chocolate chip cookie crust. Essentially, it was my two favorite desserts – brownies and chocolate chip cookies - all baked together. I begged the girl who brought them for the recipe, but she said they were out of a box.

Sure enough, I went to the grocery store and found the box (Betty Crocker Cookie Brownies).

I made them for a party this weekend, and people were fighting over them. There wasn’t even a crumb left on the plate. I promised everyone that next time I’d make two batches. And I’m secretly promising myself that I’ll make them again soon. (And I can't break a promise, right?)

Yum!

What I'm loving this week

2011-04-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

1) Yoga class

Earlier this week, I went to yoga class with a friend. It had been years since I last went to one. I loved the class, and I had almost forgotten how great it feels to stretch. I’m hoping to make this a weekly thing.

2) Bakery boxes

For Christmas, my mom gave me a set of these cute boxes for baked goods. I used them for the first time this week to give some cupcakes to a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. I loved that the boxes made my baked-at-home-from-a-box cupcakes look like bakery material. (Let’s just hope that she’s not disappointed when she realizes that they’re not actually from a bakery!) I did end up using the Peeps to top the cupcakes.

3) The Office

Yesterday I saw a preview for an episode of the Office that will feature a guest appearance from Will Ferrell, and I think I shrieked with excitement. Steve Carell and Will Ferrell are probably our two favorite comedy actors – I can’t wait to see them together again.

What are you loving this week?

April Fools and Peeps

2011-04-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

1) I used to love pulling April Fools jokes. But this year, I almost completely forgot about it. Husband asked me this morning, “Do you know what day it is?” I first answered “Friday!” And then, after he baited me, I finally figured it out. I haven’t pulled a single joke on anyone today. How lame!

2) We’re going to a military get-together this evening. I bought these marshmallow peeps because I thought they’d look cute on top of the lemon cupcakes I was planning on making. Too bad that I decided to make butterscotch brownies instead. (Although the brownies are amazing, so no one will be deprived.) The peeps are still in the pantry, and I’m sure I’ll make those cupcakes sometime before Easter.

Happy April Fools’ Day!

Welcome, Neighbors

2011-03-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

Even after 3 years of living here, I still feel grateful every time I think of the sweet woman that welcomed us into the neighborhood with a plate of freshly-baked cookies. It left such an impression on me that I decided I would do the same for any new neighbors.

A couple moved into the house a few doors down from us recently, and I made them brownies this weekend. I always attach a note that says “Welcome to the neighborhood!” with our name and phone number. (I figure that might help them, if their memory is as poor as mine, so they don’t have to ask themselves afterwards, “Now what was her name again?”)

The husband, who answered the door, seemed very appreciative. His wife wasn’t there when I stopped by.

Not long after I dropped off the brownies, our doorbell rang. It was the husband with his wife, who said, “I just had to meet my new best friend who brought me brownies!” This fellow brownie-lover seems like a girl after my own heart.

We already made plans with them to get together one weekend.

This all confirms what I already knew – any reason to make brownies is a good reason.

Big Weekend Plans

2011-03-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

We have a set date tonight with Cheez-it snacks, Twizzlers, and a movie. (The movie is Megamind, which we’ve already seen but loved.) Happy Weekend!

Shirley Temple Cupcakes

2011-03-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

I have been on a cupcake kick recently. I saw this recipe for Shirley Temple cupcakes, and I instantly knew I had to make them. I could not believe that there was a cupcake to match my favorite cocktail.

(I do still order Shirley Temple drinks occasionally, and I pretend that I’m not embarrassed to order the drink that I loved as a 12-year-old.)

Anyway, the recipe is from the cupcake project blog. If you can’t access the link, the recipe is:

Shirley Temple Cupcakes

2 C flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¾ C unsalted butter, room temperature 2/3 C sugar 2 eggs 2/3 C milk 1 ½ C grenadine

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. 2. In another medium-sized bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 3. Beat eggs, milk, and grenadine into the butter/sugar mixture until blended. 4. Fold in flour mixture. 5. Fill cupcake liners all the way to the top. 6. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

The secret ingredient (or I suppose it’s not-so-secret, since it’s on the internet) is grenadine, which is the red syrup used for drink cocktails. I actually found it at Wal-Mart in the section next to the Margarita mixes. I cheated and used store-bought frosting for the icing and topped with a maraschino cherry.

The cupcakes came out great! They have such a tasty and unique flavor. I will definitely make these again. Next time, I plan to chop up some maraschino cherries and add them to the batter to give the cupcake itself a little texture. Otherwise, the recipe is perfect as is.

The recipe says it makes 12 cupcakes, but it made about 18 for me.

Oh, and this probably goes without saying, but it’s best not to wear a white shirt while making these. I, um, had a little grenadine splatter when I put the mixer in the batter. Let’s just say I’m glad it was a ratty old t-shirt.

Either way, it was well worth it. Enjoy!

For Sale - Soon

2011-03-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

We’re getting ready to put the house on the market. In true military fashion, we don’t know exactly when or where we are moving, but we figure it’s better to try to sell early than late, especially given the economy. This weekend we met with a realtor, who impressed us. We will definitely be going with her when the time comes soon. She gave us some great tips, and we’ll be doing the finishing touches on the house in the meantime. Still, I think the reality of the daunting task of moving finally hit us this weekend. Husband, who is calm in virtually every situation I’ve seen, said passionately, “I HATE moving!” Ditto, my friend. We’ve been here for 3 years, which is just long enough to almost forget about everything that’s involved in the moving process. For me, after moving so many times, I really don’t mind the meeting new people and moving into a new place part. I just hate the home-selling process and packing up part. So this weekend, after a few loud sighs, we both sat on the couch. Husband said, “Want to eat that apple pie in the freezer?” The answer, of course, was yes. And that was another thing I had forgotten about moving. Eating large quantities of sugary foods does make the moving situation a little better.

The Eagle Has Landed

2011-03-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Though I cannot explain why, I have become completely fascinated by this “eagle cam,” shown at this website. It’s a live, video feed of an eagle’s nest in Virginia. Two of the three eggs recently hatched. It is beyond cute to see the mama eagle feeding these two little fuzzy-headed baby eagles. (Well, as cute as something can be being fed pieces of a floppy, dead fish.) My mom is loving the eagle cam, too. So far, we’ve called each other at least on two separate occasions to say, “Check the eagle cam! She’s feeding the baby eagles!” I have the link bookmarked, and I check in on the eagles more times a day that I care to admit. Just don’t do what I did. Don’t check the video feed at night, and then wonder why you can’t see anything. (The feed is live, which means it will be dark at night. I know, it’s obvious now.) Happy eagle stalking!

Visitors!

2011-03-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

My parents are friends with a couple who are, no doubt, the happiest people I know. The wife always has a huge smile and a kind word. The husband is always quick to respond in conversation with a “That’s terrific!” or “It doesn’t get any better than this!” My parents and I have known them for over a decade now, and they have become like family to me. Plus, the wife, whose nickname is “Kodak” because she’s always taking pictures, took some impromptu pictures after our wedding reception, which turned out to be the best of our wedding and rank among the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. Anyway, I was so excited to hear that they would be passing through our town this weekend on their road trip to see family. Maybe it’s because they are such great people (or maybe we haven’t had visitors in a while), but I think I went a little overboard with the planning. I made them a welcome bag with some goodies and postcards of the area. We took them on a little tour of our town and then out to dinner. And because it’s her birthday soon, I made a special cake for her that we had at our house for dessert. I wanted to do something different for the cake, so I decided on key lime cake, based off of the recipe for my absolute favorite cupcakes. The recipe is from Tasty Kitchen. I followed it pretty much as is, except I added 3 drops of green food coloring to give it a light green color. Since it's a cake, I baked it at 375 for about 24 minutes. And don’t tell – but I used store-bought icing. I topped it with a few candy lime slices I found in the candy aisle. The cake was a big hit, and the visit was wonderful. It also made me smile when my usually-quiet Husband stopped our friend before he was leaving and said, “I can’t let you leave without hearing your signature phrase.” Our friend smiled and said, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” Indeed, it doesn’t.

And Don't Call Me Shirley - or Sir

2011-03-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

Husband is starting his final project for his Master’s degree. He was hoping he would be assigned with a professor he had previously for a class he liked. But instead, he was assigned one he has never had for class and knew nothing about. This professor also happens to have a very unique name. Husband had to submit his proposal for the final project to the instructor. {Side note: Why do I still think of marriage proposals whenever I hear this word, even in a school context? I think I’ve been watching too much of Say Yes to the Dress on TV.} He was a little nervous because if his proposal is accepted, then he is that much closer to (finally!) finishing his Master’s. He sent a very polite e-mail to the instructor, introducing himself, starting with, “Sir…” He wanted to start on a good note. Later, Husband got an e-mail from another faculty member, who mentioned his professor. “Yes, she….” She! Husband almost died when he read the e-mail, realizing that his professor was a female, who he called “sir.” So much for a “polite” first impression. This could be a long project. {Extra credit: What movie is the title from? Hint: It’s a favorite of my plane-loving husband and father.}

Candlelight

2011-03-08T06:54:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine from my women’s group shares my love of cooking. We often talk about meals and recipes. Last time we were talking, she happened to mention that she and her husband eat by candlelight every night for dinner. (Yes, you read that correctly – every night!)

When I heard that, I felt a mix of awe and envy. I cannot even remember the last time that Husband and I ate by candlelight, but I’m guessing that it was probably when we were dating.

Most nights, I feel lucky that I have the time to manage to make a meal, let alone having the time to decorate the table, too. (Although, I’ll admit, it probably wouldn’t take much extra effort to light a candle.)

Still, she inspired me to at least light my candles more often. I have so many pretty ones in various scents. And there is something almost peaceful about having a candle lit in the room.

During my pre-move cleaning, I found quite a few candles, including this cute egg candle. The timing on finding it was perfect, since Easter is coming up fairly soon.

And who knows, maybe I’ll celebrate Mardi Gras tonight with a candle.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Early St. Patrick's Day Recipe

2011-03-03T05:21:00.001-08:00

Here’s what I want to tell you: I planned to post this recipe for a green drink in March because it would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s the truth: I’ve been meaning to write about this recipe for weeks now, and the end of my procrastination happened to coincide with the month of March. This drink is made with spinach, and it’s called the Green Monster. {The recipe is here.}

If you can’t access the link, it is:

2 cups spinach 1 to 1.25 cups milk 1 banana Ice {I added in a few blueberries, too, which added a nice flavor.}

Throw it in the blender. Serve and enjoy.

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for months, but I just got around to trying it a few weeks ago. We had a bunch of spinach that was starting to wilt, and I happened to have a banana on hand, too. I didn’t have high expectations because, let’s face it, if I’m making a drink in the blender, it better have ice cream or chocolate in it. Still, it turned out to be pretty tasty. It tastes mostly like banana.

Husband reluctantly tried it (his face was priceless when I told him it had spinach in it), and he actually liked it, too. Except he likes to call it the Swamp Monster.

I’ve made it a few more times since then for a quick breakfast.

Still, I think the St. Patrick’s Day drink that still has my heart will always be the sweet Shamrock Shake, featured sometimes at McDonald’s. Here's a similar recipe for it, if your McDonald’s doesn’t carry it.

Healthy or sweet – cheers to (early) St. Patrick’s Day!

Busy, Busy

2011-02-26T05:54:00.000-08:00

My workload for my job increased a lot this week, and I feel like I’ve been running around in circles the last few days. We’re also trying to spruce up the house, getting it ready to sell in a few months, so that’s been on my mind, too. But, I still feel victorious because somehow: 1) we still have clean clothes to wear, 2) the house is not a total disaster area, and 3) I have not (yet) lost it. I should also add to that list that we’ll be eating good this weekend. I’m finally going to try making Pioneer Woman’s Pistachio Cake (recipe is here). I’ve been drooling over it ever since I first saw it. I’m bringing it to an event this weekend, or at least I’m hoping to bring it, assuming that there are more than just crumbs left after we sample it. Have a great weekend!

What a difference a day makes

2011-02-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a bad day at work for me. I was traveling out of town on business, and I got hopelessly lost, among a list of other disasters. I realized that I hit an all-time low when I yelled at my GPS, “You idiot! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” The poor GPS is too dumb to know that I wanted to throw it out the window, and she kept giving her calm (but inaccurate) directions. But today is a new day, and thankfully, it has been a great day. The fact that it’s Friday and the start of a 3-day weekend certainly helps. Happy Friday!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T06:19:00.001-08:00

We're celebrating Valentine's Day with what has become our annual tradition: exchanging homemade cards. Corny? Yes. Priceless? Also yes.

Also, Husband has the pictured cupcake in his lunch today, which would probably be romantic, if it wasn't a leftover from a breakfast we hosted this weekend for friends.

We also had a little "date afternoon" this weekend, and we saw the movie Just Go With It. It was a funny, cute movie.

However you celebrate, I hope you have a happy Valentine's Day!

They're here!

2011-02-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

My day just got 4 times happier.

Homemade Kindle Cover

2011-02-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

I have been looking everywhere for a simple cover for my Kindle. It all started when we went out of town, and I was terrified that my Kindle was going to get scratched in my purse. I ended up putting it in a Ziploc bag, which sort of worked, but wasn’t ideal. I’ve looked online and in stores, and the prices for the covers seemed outrageous. I could practically buy a new Kindle for what they are charging. Somehow, for no real good reason, I decided that I could make my own. I’ve been wanting to try to get into sewing anyway, so I figured that this would be a good experiment. I have to preface all of this by saying that I am not crafty at all. In fact, the worst grade I ever got in school was a C in Art Class in 6th grade. (No, I’m not bitter at all, thank you for asking.) So really, I had no good reason to think that I could make anything that resembled a Kindle cover, but I dove right in before I could talk myself out of it. I ended up looking through some drawers and found these pretty placements. I hardly ever use them, but I love the colors. Here is the placement with the (naked!) Kindle: I ended up folding the placement a few times to make the fabric thicker and to give it more support. Then I just used a simple stitch by hand on the side and on the bottom. (And no, I did not take step-by-step pictures because I had no idea that I would actually succeed in making it.) Now, ta-da, here is the final product: The stitching definitely looks amateur-ish, but I finally have my Kindle cover. I might end up putting a decorative button or ribbon on the top, but we’ll see. I think I may have used up my year’s (or decade's) supply of craftiness already.

So Cold

2011-02-04T05:54:00.000-08:00

With the extreme cold weather we’ve had recently, you’d never know that I once grew up in a place where snow was a normal, regular occurrence. This week I’ve complained to everyone that will listen: It’s cold! I’m freezing! This is crazy! I might freeze to death! I can’t help but thinking of my beloved childhood dog. A family member, who lived in the South, found this cute, stray dog. I begged my parents for us to adopt her. Eventually, much to my mother’s chagrin, this cute dog came to live with us up North. The dog seemed to acclimate well to her new home, until the first snow. This dog was clearly a Southern dog. The first time she went outside in the snow, she turned right around to go back in the house. She hated the snow. In fact, she disliked it so much that she actually went on a bathroom strike. We didn’t fully understand her bathroom situation until a week later when our dog went for a ride in the backseat of my mother’s luxury car and the dog had an unfortunate “incident.” Oh, and it just so happens that my mom had volunteered to give the mayor of our town a ride that day. He was actually the first to discover what happened with our dog, by asking my mom, “Oh geez, what’s that smell?” as soon as got in the passenger side of the car. In short, it was a mortifying event for my mother and the source of much laughter for the rest of us. Regardless, I’m feeling a little bit like our Southern dog. I just don’t want to go outside, which has been a perfect excuse to read some books, drink hot tea, and clean the house. (Thankfully, unlike our dog, I am not on a bathroom strike.) I hope all of you stay warm!

New Group

2011-02-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

At our last duty station, on a whim, I joined a women’s book group through our church, and I absolutely loved it. I was by far the youngest one in the group (most of the women were my mother’s age, and some were closer to my grandmother’s age), but I felt like I fit in anyway and I learned so much from those ladies. I often think of that group and what a wonderful experience it was. I’ve been dying to join a women’s book group or bible study since we got here, but it had never worked out. All of the groups that I had heard about met during the day, when I work. I made a casual comment to my friend about wanting to join an evening group, and sure enough, she called a couple weeks later letting me know about a new group that was starting up. I went to my first meeting this week, and it was wonderful! The ladies are closer to my age, and surprisingly, a lot of them are military spouses as well. I initially thought that I wouldn’t know anyone in the group, but it just so happens that 2 of the ladies I had met before through a mutual friend. I never anticipated that I’d find a group like this here before we moved, so it has been a nice surprise. I’m liking 2011 already.

Recipe: Beef Stew with Beer

2011-01-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

I made Beef Stew with Beer for the first time the other day, only because we had a bottle of beer that had been sitting in our fridge for months.

[The recipe, from Pioneer Woman, is here.]

I’ve never considered myself a fan of beef stew. It always seemed like a so-so meal. But, this recipe was SO delicious that it has completely changed my view on stew (rhyme unintended).

Usually when I first taste a new recipe that I’ve made, I’m quick to critique it. (“It needs more salt,” “The flavor isn’t right,” or “I should have cooked it longer.”) This is one of the first times that I’ve made something and said, “It’s perfect!”

A couple of quick notes:

- The package of stew meat I had was only 1.5 lbs, so I used less beef stock (3 cups instead of 4 cups).

- I actually doubled the tomato paste (4 tablespoons instead of 2 tablespoons), partly because I wanted a thicker sauce and partly because it seemed like such a waste to only use 2 tablespoons of a can of tomato paste.

- I threw in more potatoes because, well, why not?

- Because of time constraints, I cooked it for only a little over an hour and I did not need the additional water.

Everything else I kept the same. The flavor is really rich and so tasty. We had the leftovers the next day for lunch, and they were even better.

And I liked the recipe so much that I made it again for dinner tonight.

Husband didn’t complain. After all, does a recipe get more guy-friendly than meat, potatoes, and beer?

Add this to the list...

2011-01-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

...of things that I never thought I would be able to say: This weekend I made elk chili. (Weird, huh?)

The other day Husband called from work and said, “Hey, one of my buddies is going to drop off some samples of jerky (meat) that he made after hunting. He should be there any second…”

As if on cue, that second our doorbell rang, and sure enough, there was Husband’s friend. I was expecting a couple small packages of jerky, but instead he brought a huge shopping bag full of elk, venison, and other meat. It was really generous of him.

When Husband got home from work and saw our freezer stocked with all the meat, his face lit up. He was ecstatic. (I joked with him that this was his version of Girl Scout cookies, except that the goods were delivered by a stocky military man instead of a shy little girl.)

Initially, I wasn’t sure what to do with the meat, but decided that I would make some chili with the elk meat.

I cooked it just like regular ground beef, and the chili turned out to be pretty tasty! After using this exotic meat (or what I consider to be more exotic than beef or chicken), I felt like a rugged hunter. Or, at least as rugged as you can feel when you pull pre-packaged game meat from your freezer and cook it in your modern kitchen.