31 Monday Dec 2007
Our family has no long standing food traditions for the Christmas holidays-our meals have included everything from turkey to tenderloin to spaghetti to pizza. But the tradition of making and enjoying tamales on Christmas Eve keeps popping up, and since we are getting better and better at it, I think this one might stick for awhile.
Everyone joins in on the fun-
31 Monday Dec 2007
I love cooking when I have the time and when I have the right inspiration to cook…I’ve gone through many cooking seasons and at least for the time being my days of setting my alarm to keep a new type of bread right on track at 2 am or spending several days making croissants and danishes from scratch are long gone. These are the days of gourmet in 30 minutes or quick-invent something that everyone will like from the leftovers or make gobs and gobs of food for a party in one day or less.
Hosting an open house with my sister Erin gave me the chance to cook up a storm. One little thing about me and cooking is that I can not, never have and probably never will, cook in small quantities. It kills me. I have to make more. I can’t dream of someone not getting enough or of -horrors- of a platter being empty before the party is over. So what started out small, grew and grew and wonder of wonders-we had plenty of food. (I panic every single time I host a party…I think it is genetic. My mom laughs at me when she is not the one responsible, but ha, when she is the hostess, she does the exact same thing.)
So if you need to quick a bunch in a hurry I heartily recommend-
Jalapeno Bacon Thingies from thepioneerwoman.com
Olive Cheese Bread from the Pioneer Woman.com
I also made some great new spreads, and they are winners because they are different and made in the food processor!
Fresh Herb and Walnut Dip
4 oz. cream cheese
3 oz. feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
2 large basil leaves
2 large mint leaves
2 parsley sprigs
2 green onions, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Throw all of this in the FP, blend and serve with celery and apples.
Greek Cheese Spread with Roasted Red Peppers
1/2 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup feta
1 Tbs olive oil
lemon juice to taste (1/2 -1 lemon)
2 garlic cloves
2 chopped green onions
2 parsley sprigs
3/4 cup roasted red bell peppers
Toss everything in the FP, blend and serve with veggies and pita wedges.
27 Thursday Dec 2007
Posted in 888 Books, Book Discussion, Random Book Notes
Stumbling upon this reading challenge was just what I needed! I have been thinking lately that my reading over the last year was so disappointingly hit-and-miss…I read some wonderful books and then there were all the ho-hum books that I read just because they were there and easy to get. I knew I needed a plan. Then voila! I came upon the 888 reading challenge. (The short explanation is 8 categories of 8 books each with 8 books overlapping for a total of 56 books.) Who wants to join the fun?!?
Here is my list as it stands now.
8 History Books
1. Mistress of the Elgin Marbles
2. Walk Through the Bible
3. A Short History of Nearly Everything
4. The Odyssey **
5. Cat of Bubastes **
6. Desire of the Everlasting Hills
7. The Gifts of the Jews
8.
8 Novels
1. Washington Square
2. Persuasion
3. Cry, the Beloved Country
4. Lake Wobegon Days
5. Love in a Time of Cholera
6. The Silence
7. Middlemarch
8.
8 Mysteries
1. Maisie Dobbs
2. Murder on the Orient Express
3. Father Brown
4. The Name of the Rose
5.
6.
7.
8.
8 School Related
1. Cat of Bubastes **
2. Voyage of the Dawn Treader
3. As You Like It
4. Till We Have Faces
5. The Odyssey **
6. The Tempest
7.
8.
8 Non-Fiction
1. Shakespeare, by Bryson
2. Summer at Tiffany
3. Reading Like a Writer
4. Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog
5. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
6. How to Read a Book
7. Small is Beautiful
8. Conflict of Visions
8 Food Books
1. The Perfectionist, Life and Death in Haute Cuisine
2. The 64 Dollar Tomato
3. Blithe Tomato
4. My Life in France
5. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
6. Dining Out on Adventure
7.
8.
8 Book Club Books
1. The Future and its Enemies
2. Stop Dating the Church
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
8 Religious Books
1. Screwtape Letters
2. The Cost of Discipleship
3. Orthodoxy
4. Mere Christianity
5. Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance
6. Steering Through Chaos
7. For the Life of the World
8.
21 Friday Dec 2007
Always on the look out for little gifts that are inexpensive, quick and fun, I was so pleased to find this idea:
A Mini S’mores Kit
Place these items together in a fun Christmas gift bag and voila! S’mores Kits!
Fill a small Ziploc bag with a handful of mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.
Add a snack sized bag of mini grahams
Toss in a tea light and a couple of cocktail picks
And then your happy recipients can enjoy! 
20 Thursday Dec 2007
One fun part of the graduation was watching the student video. I have a slight tendency towards claustrophobia and watching the various maneuvers-climbing in small spaces, crawling under masses of wires, being lowered into a hole in the roof-so even seeing the video made me queasy and nervous. I have profound respect for the brave people who dedicate their lives to saving people in this manner. And I am profoundly proud that my brother is joining the ranks of these brave individuals.
18 Tuesday Dec 2007
Posted in Uncategorized
(and my brother just got a cup stacking set for his birthday…)
🙂
Vodpod videos no longer available. from www.doublesharpevide posted with vodpod
18 Tuesday Dec 2007
Posted in Thoughts Not Worth Categorizing
Did you know that the engery saving CFL bulbs contain mercury? You need to take special precautions if one breaks so check this out for more info. Be sure you don’t put these bulbs into a lamp that can be knocked over!
18 Tuesday Dec 2007
Posted in Family, Thoughts Not Worth Categorizing
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black?!? 🙂 I had a couple of awesome, memorable, witty entries in my mind, but the internet connection was s—l—-o—-w, and I had no patience for it. Now all of those great ideas have vanished and I’ll have to see what else I can come up with…
12 Wednesday Dec 2007
I just made a couple dozen of these for some students-
Christmas Reindeer
Lay miny pretzels out on a baking sheet
Top each pretzel with a Hershey’s kiss
Melt in a low oven (about 250 degrees) for about 5 minutes or so…
They should be soft but not melted over everything.
Pull them out of the oven and top each reindeer with an M&M. Voila-you have yummy Christmas treats!
(at any other time of the year they could also look like Mickey Mouse…)
12 Wednesday Dec 2007
What a success this was! I am still so excited about the great responses with both donations and shoppers. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people around me-especially my family. The family really, really came through for me on this event! My dad was the master of ceremonies (and many people saw a side of him that they had never seen before), my brother donate a number of key, key items, my sister in law is an awesome gift basket maker, my sister made beautiful flower arrangements and gathered a lot of donations, my other sister got us some more donations, my mom came through with all the last minute stuff and was a great sounding board the whole time…my family is great!
And to top it all off, I also have some truly wonderful friends as well. 🙂 All in all, the auction turned out very well and I think that next year’s will be even better.
Thanks all!
