An Award

Last week, Chan gave me this "Stylish Blogger" award. Well, I have never considered myself stylish, so, thank you Chan.

First, with this award, I'm supposed to tell you 7 things about myself. Gee, I"m not that interesting, but here goes!

1. I always considered myself a cat person, so it seems strange that I have this giant dog hanging around. Well, mastiffs are very calm and quiet, perfect for a cat person. (I do enjoy other people's dogs, however; I can enjoy their antics and then send them home! It's like some people feel about children, right?)

2. The evening meal here is sacrosanct. If you are in residence, you WILL arrive for dinner whenever I serve it, be that 7 or 10PM (and yes, it falls in that range). You will eat what I'm serving and like it. As Burt Reynolds said in some movie a long time ago, "Special orders DO upset us!" If you have a friend over, he/she is expected to eat with us and like it, too.

3. No electronic crap at the dinner table. No radio, no TV, no cell phones. I confiscated a texting cell phone once, and no one has dared bring their phone into the dining room again.

4. I'm not big on dusting. I operate on the theory that if you keep your grubby fingers off the furniture, the dust won't get really ugly for at least 3 weeks. Note that this theory only works in the rooms that no one's currently using (college kids' bedrooms, for example), but the dust tends not to land too badly in the rooms that are in great use.

5. I operate on the theory that there's nothing I can't do or figure out. I'll never admit defeat or incapability.

6. I don't have lots of jewelry, and I wear every bit that I have every day. I've never taken off my wedding ring, and I wear my watch to bed, because I can't stand to be without one. (I wear a Timex, so I don't worry about ruining a "good" watch.

7. The last time I wore pants (other than maternity pants once in a while) was early August 1983. Once I couldn't wear my size 3 Jordache or Sergio Valente jeans (pre size inflation, now probably a size 0), I decided I'd stick with dresses. I never wore jeans except on weekends, anyway.

Now, to pass this on:

1. Diane, whose photos of life in France and England are stunning
2. Joanne, who offers us a history lesson with food every week
3. Larry, giving us a look at every day life and food
4. Linda, the Alberta Ranch wife, whose life we can only imagine
5. El'bow the mastiff in Belgium, and his brother Hauwii
6. Mischka and Hoover, airedales in Germany who look like lots of fun
7. Honey the Great Dane, and her new kitten, having fun in Australia

Happy Monday, everyone; hopefully I'll feel more like writing about food in a day or 2!

More Sewing

This weekend, I moved on to the dark slate blue velour. The first item up was another version of the Vogue dress, pattern 8409 View B. I really like this pattern. Note that the color in this picture is MUCH brighter than it is in reality. There's a picture later on that comes much closer to the reality of it.
Next was a modification of Butterick's pattern 3389. The original buttons up the front, which I don't much like, but I did like the princess seaming of the top. I also lengthened the sleeves to 3/4 length, inspired by the fact that it was 35 degrees out and the snow might be melting a little bit. I know I'm an optimist, but hope springs eternal!

Last was a top inspired by a short sleeved burnt orange top I bought in an outlet mall in Rhode Island around 1976. That was the only orange top I've ever loved, and it still resides in a drawer here, in sad shape, but still inspirational. I found the basis for this top in New Look pattern 6015, view D, and took off from there. I think I love this top, too, and may well make it again.

The color of this velour appears much more vivid in all of these pictures than it is in reality. This detail shot of the neckline is a very good approximation of the actual color, which is very close to gray.
GMarie also brought to my attention "Me-Made March", in which participants are encouraged to wear their own creations, and post pictures of each day's outfits. Easy enough, right, other than the picture part? Anyway, I signed on, and I'll doubtless just post summaries on the weekends, and maybe even try to remember when I made each thing.

Up next: rethreading my serger, and trying out some tan velour fabric. Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Another Snowy Thorsday!

Let's see how much snow there is out here, kid. Mom's counting on us.
So how much snow did we have? 9 inches? Too much.
Stop with the measuring, and let's go inside, already!
You know what, kid? I've had enough, even if you haven't.
Happy Thorsday, everyone!

George Washington's Birthday

Yesterday was not only my late grandfather's 101st birthday, but also George Washington's birthday. So, as is our tradition, we celebrated by eating a typical George Washington dinner: Ham (my little guy's favorite meat)

Corn Bears (which George's mother would absolutely have served, if bear shaped pans had been available back in the 1730s)

and potatoes, green beans, spinach and cake. For the guy who really invented the job, and refused to be king, holding a birthday celebration, even nearly 300 years later, seems the least we can all do!

Garden Tuesday: More Snow...

We got up yesterday to another coating of snow.

Poor Mark trudged outside to find the newspaper, and it wasn't there. If you notice Dan's truck (look right above Mark's head), you can see now much snow is on its roof.

It's not all that warm looking out my back door.

How do you like the zoom, showing the fence in my back yard? You can't see this fence from April through October.

I keep telling myself that I didn't really want to see the black that had begun to show through on my driveway anyway. I like freezing. Really.

Or not.

Holiday Monday

Not much working or cooking going on here over the long weekend. Here's what Cinnamon the Guinea Pig was doing earlier:
And here's how Thor reacted to it.

Happy Monday, everyone!

More Sewing

Well, some of this was done in January, and I've been lazy in February, but this is what's come out of my machine.

From the last yard of the brown velour: a top. I was a little short on fabric, so I made a top without shoulders, and with shortish sleeves.

From the midnight blue velour: a long sleeved dress from the Claire pattern. Have I mentioned that I love this pattern? But remember, if you're going to use it, don't use the back with the pleats. It's just weird.
And, in february, from a forest green velour, a long sleeved dress, a strappy a-line dress with a little lined jacket, and a cami (no picture).


So, the January total is:

Purple velour: A-Line dress: M7443 view E
2 color dress: V9357 View C modified
Cami: M4872 View A
Jacket: B4551 View C
Skirt - no pattern
Midnight Blue velour: Ballet top - no pattern
Off shoulder top: M4872 view D
Claire dress: M5433
Brown velour: Dress V8409 View B
Off shoulder top: S5875 view C
Blue Hibiscus skirt: M7526 View A
Black floral: Skirt for my daughter: New Look 6843 View E
Skirt for me: S5914 View B

Maybe listing it will help me remember what I've done.

Lemon Cheese Bars

In my house, there are a lot of lemon dessert lovers, led by my dearly beloved. Lemon meringue pie, lemon pudding, lemon cake, lemon bars, lemon whatever; they're in for it. We're also a household of cheesecake lovers. So I knew this idea would be an enormous hit.

LEMON CHEESE BARS

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Lemon Layer:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp chopped lemon zest

Stir together the ingredients for the crust, and press into the bottom of an 8" square pan. Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes; crust will be very pale.

Beat together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 egg until smooth. Pour over the crust.

Stir together the sugar, flour, powder and salt; beat in the lemon juice, extract, zest and 2 eggs. Beat 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth. Pour over the cream cheese layer (it will sink under the cream cheese). Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling sets. Cool before serving.

This is what it looks like before it's cut. There are no pictures of this delightful confection after it's cut, because it only lasted about 2 minutes.

This is my great, springy dessert suggestion for all of you for this weekend! Hope you enjoy it, and I hope everyone has nice weather.

Thorsday Warmup

It's 53 degrees today, and the snow is melting. Thor went tromping with his boy.

It's still cold when you take a rest!

Back inside, Thor wants ice cubes and cookies. And then a nap.

Chicken Stir Fry

When I went to "Big Bargain Store" with my boys the day before the Super Bowl, one of the things I bought was mammoth bags of frozen veggies. Score! 5 pounds of veggies is surely enough for 2 nights around here!

Anyway, one of my great finds was a Bird's Eye Stir Fry mix. The package espoused the idea that you should cook up the veggies as a side dish, but I thought I could make it a little more interesting.

CHICKEN VEGGIE STIR FRY

4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces, cut in smallish pieces
2 to 3 pounds Bird's Eye Stir Fry Veggie Mix
Vegetable Oil
Salt and pepper
Ground Ginger
Sesame Seeds
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 cups cooked white rice

Cover the bottom of the broiler pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Arrange the chicken pieces in it, turn once, lightly salt, pepper and place under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet or wok, begin to prepare the vegetable mix (broccoli, snow peas, carrots, baby corn and red peppers, which I discarded) according to package directions: a bit of oil in the bottom of the pan, add the veggies, stir and cook until nearly done. Turn the chicken over after the first 5 minutes have elapsed, sprinkle generously with ground ginger and sesame seeds, and return to the broiler for another 5 minutes. When the chicken has cooked another 5 minutes, remove it from its pan, leaving the pan drippings behind, and add it to the vegetables. Add the sauce packet that came with the vegetables, stir to coat, and cook a few more minutes, until everything is done. Meanwhile, add the chicken broth and soy sauce to the chicken pan. Heat to boiling. Whisk together the cold water and cornstarch, and whisk into the chicken broth mixture. Cook until the mixture thickens, and add to the chicken and vegetable mixture. Stir well and serve at once over hot rice.
This fed 6 of us, 4 of whom are large and starving guys, so it would probably be plenty for 8 normal people. And I've been asked to make it again very soon, so you know it was good!

Garden Tuesday: Sunshine

Early morning sunshine sneaking through winter tree limbs is very pretty.

It doesn't make 17 degrees any warmer, however.

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you have a heart shaped pan, pretty cakes are so easy! Be sure to give someone an unexpected hug today.

Shortly after the New Year, I received a most exciting invitation: to be a judge at Mango Minster. I was honored to be selected to be part of such a wonderful event as Mango Minster. So, before I begin, let me thank Mango and his gracious scribe, the lovely and talented Mango Momma, for allowing me to participate in Mango Minster 2011.

I was chosen to judge the Good Old Boys/Gals category. Since there's no better Good Ol' Dog than a Mastiff, this was a perfect fit. And I found many wonderful contestants. There were dogs who are in service to others, dogs with farm animals, rabbits, and cats, and one Good Ol' Gal who is disliked by donkeys, although I fail to see why. Some dogs have Good Ol' Boy/Girl names, and some have genuine Good Ol' Dog accessories. As one might expect, all of you are called a Good Old Bor/Girl by your most perceptive humans. All were very helpful, including one who helped a tomato perfect its sit/stay. And, to a dog, all were able to nap wherever the mood struck them. So, judging this category was significantly more difficult than I could have anticipated.

Without further ado, I would like to introduce the winners in the Good Old Boy/Girl Category of Mango Minster 2011

Honorable Mention:

Charlie and Emma, whose most excellent skillset included fabulous sleeping skills, and having both a rabbit and a horse. Beyond the keeping of such animals, Charlie and Emma are a Good Old Boy AND a Good Old Girl in one entry! Excellent work, you two.

Honorable Mention also goes to El'bow. The English Mastiff is the epitome of Good Old Boy, and El'bow is a perfect Mastiff, even tolerating well (and appearing to love) his Bad Boy brother, Hauwii. I am delighted to acknowledge El'bow's entry, and happy to proclaim him a Good Old Boy Extraordinaire.

Third Place goes to Guinness, a Wolfhound from Novia Scotia. Not only does Guinness have his own personal farm animals, he shares a name with a most excellent beer, and he has a blind adopted sister, who he has helped to adapt to their world and he takes excellent care of her. Guinness, you are a Good Old Boy worthy of high praise, indeed.

Our Second Place Award goes to Sarge. Merely scanning Sarge's pictures confirms that he is the classic Good Ol' Boy who has a genuine Redneck truck, goes huntin', fishin', and campin', and sleeps wherever the need arises. Sarge is such a Good Ol' Boy that Jed and Abby (our esteemed Guardian of Judicial Ethics) from Merry Land have offered Sarge honorary Southern residency.
And now, the moment you've been waiting for:

First Place Good Ol' Boy in Mango Minster 2011:

Rudy. Rudy is a Labradude, which guarantees that he's a good ol' boy from the start. However, instead of being all hopping around, excited, high life Good Old Dog, Rudy is in training to be a Seeing Eye Dog, volunteering to spend his life being a calm, helpful Good Old Boy forever. Rudy, my boy, my hat is off to you for planning such a noble life.

I am truly sorry that I have been unable to acknowledge all of the fine contestants by name here in the Good Ol' Dog category at Mango Minster 2011. Just because I didn't post any comments on any of your blogs does not mean I didn't visit each and every one of you many times; I simply didn't want to appear partial to any of you. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you, and am proud to consider you a fellow Good Old Dog (even if you're still a youngster).

And now, I yield the floor to the next judge...

Deviled Eggs

Sue and Chan both requested that I publish my recipe for Deviled Eggs. Everyone has his or her own variation on them, and I really enjoy mine. Note that I can't stand raw onions, but if you love them, grate them finely and add them to the filling.

DEVILED EGGS

1 dozen hard boiled eggs
6 to 8 "cut & cleaned" baby carrots (or 1 large carrot, peeled)
1 handful dill pickle chips (or 2 to 3 spears)
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
enough mayonnaise to hold the mix together
paprika

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise; pop the yolks out into a bowl and line up the whites on a plate. Mash the yolks with a fork. Grate the carrots and pickle chips and stir in with the egg yolks. Add the salt, some pepper and the mustard, then add the mayonnaise by spoonsful, until the mixture holds together; stir well. Mound the egg yolk mixture into the yolk holes in the whites, and over the top, using all filling; sprinkle the top with paprika and serve. Grab your own fast, because they won't last long. Oh, and keep these from your dog; eggs have much the same effect on your dog's contribution to air quality as broccoli does.

Garden Tuesday: Snow

It was still 35 degrees at 2AM, but by 7AM, the temperature had dropped to 29. A dusting of snow had fallen, and the high school had a 2 hour delay.

Meanwhile, in Thor's yard, a fresh dusting of snow lays atop the branches. And Thor sleeps inside. Smart boy, that one.

Super Bowl Food

I went the semi-lazy route for Super Bowl Sunday this year.

Dan, Jeff and I went on the Super Bowl Food Hunt on Saturday. You don't even want to know how much I spent, between food, staples and Thor's vitamins. But the boys had a terrific time, and the trunk of my little blue winter-beater Caddy was full; some things had to go in the back seat.

I made deviled eggs and dip, served with several kinds of chips for the first half. I made meatballs and marinara sauce, Dan pre-made quesadillas (filled with chicken and cheese), which I reheated and served them with mozarella sticks, egg rolls, and dinosaur shaped breaded chicken pieces. The boys were very excited about having dinosaurs for dinner; I think they're all about 5.

Dessert was cream puffs; easy and light after all that meat.

No Super Bowl report from my house would be complete without my "dumb broad" comment of the year: "Oh, how cute! They coordinated their outfits! They're both wearing yellow trousers!" I guess the game was good. Some of the commercials were awful, and some were pretty good. I especially enjoyed the one where the guy renovated the kitchen with Bud Light, the Bridgestone commercial with the beaver, the Chevy commercial where the Silverado truck keeps rescuing the kid ("I didn't even know there was a volcano in this town!") and the commercial for Detroit. Thor voted for the Party Dogs commercial.

What did you all think?

Mango Minster Update

Shortly after the New Year, I received a most exciting invitation: to be a judge at Mango Minster. I was honored to be selected to be part of such a wonderful event as Mango Minster. So, before I begin, let me thank Mango and his gracious scribe, the lovely and talented Mango Momma, for allowing me to participate in Mango Minster 2011.

I was chosen to judge the Good Old Boys/Gals category. Since there's no better Good Ol' Dog than a Mastiff, this was a perfect fit. And I found many wonderful contestants. There were dogs who are in service to others, dogs with farm animals, rabbits, and cats, and one Good Ol' Gal who is disliked by donkeys, although I fail to see why. Some dogs have Good Ol' Boy/Girl names, and some have genuine Good Ol' Dog accessories. As one might expect, all of you are called a Good Old Boy/Girl by your most perceptive humans. All were very helpful, including one who helped a tomato perfect its sit/stay. And, to a dog, all were able to nap wherever the mood struck them. So, judging this category was significantly more difficult than I could have anticipated.
What, you thought I was going to tell you my decisions? my category opens Tuesday; stay tuned for updates...

Western Chicken Sandwiches

This lunch was a no-brainer the day after I made my wheaten rolls. The microwave sure does make lunch easy, doesn't it?

WESTERN CHICKEN SANDWICHES

1 Wheaten roll for each sandwich
Leftover chicken, torn into bite sized pieces
swiss cheese
1 scallion per sandwich
barbecue sauce

Toast the rolls a little, if you like, or just warm for 10 seconds each in the microwave. Put the chicken in a microwave safe bowl, add barbecue sauce to taste, and microwave until hot. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on the bottom of each roll, spoon the chicken mixture over the top, and cut a scallion (I use kitchen shears) over the chicken. Top with another slice of Swiss cheese, and close the roll. Delicious lunch in about 3 minutes!

Do you like Craisins? We do. So, when trolling about amazon recently, I stumbled on a 10 pound box of them. I didn't know quite what to expect, because the picture was a brown cardboard box, so I eagerly awaited their arrival.

I was delighted. These Craisins were the softest, freshest, plumpest ones I've ever had. They are a bulk pack, meaning 10 pounds in a plastic bag inside a very sturdy cardboard box, but I just took a tightly sealing jar with a hinged lid, put a bunch in the jar, and everyone's snacking away - even those sons who claim to be not terribly fond of Craisins! I've refilled this jar once already since Wednesday. If you have the space for them, this is the best way to buy Craisins, IMHO.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Snowy Thorsday

During a lull between the storms on Tuesday, Thor went outside with his boys.

There was a fair bit of snow.

We weren't sure we liked trudging through all of this.

Can I sit down for this dumb picture?
Happy Thorsday, everyone!