(A post in which I entertain myself you by airing my dirty laundry.)
(click image to enlarge)
Showing posts with label Books and TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books and TV. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Spring Cleaning
Hi. Today is February 27. I just posted something dated February 14. I did not edit the date or time on it. I simply wrote the last sentence and hit the "publish" button.
Why did it take 2 weeks to do that?
I don't know.
I happened to catch a bit of an Oprah show the other night where the guest suggested that physical clutter in your house = mental clutter in your mind. Well, I'm living proof of that! (Hello, guest! Come on in! Careful you don't trip over the clutter of my mind!)
It's spring cleaning time, folks.
In real life, our basement project is nearing completion. We are rearranging furniture, pulling out boxes that have been in storage these past months, hanging pictures on the wall, and sorting through those things that stay and those things that need to go.
In virtual life, I plan on pulling out drafts that have been in storage these past months, hanging new posts on the wall, and sorting through those links that stay and those that need to go.
So now that I've posted TWO times this morning, it's time to go do a house-related job. I'll be back.
Why did it take 2 weeks to do that?
I don't know.
I happened to catch a bit of an Oprah show the other night where the guest suggested that physical clutter in your house = mental clutter in your mind. Well, I'm living proof of that! (Hello, guest! Come on in! Careful you don't trip over the clutter of my mind!)
It's spring cleaning time, folks.
In real life, our basement project is nearing completion. We are rearranging furniture, pulling out boxes that have been in storage these past months, hanging pictures on the wall, and sorting through those things that stay and those things that need to go.
In virtual life, I plan on pulling out drafts that have been in storage these past months, hanging new posts on the wall, and sorting through those links that stay and those that need to go.
So now that I've posted TWO times this morning, it's time to go do a house-related job. I'll be back.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
On This Episode of Jujley's Believe It Or Not!...Obama, My Mom, The Numbers 82 and 15.3, Balminess, Thievery, and The Lone Fox
"Wednesday's Random Week in Review, Because Time & Space Have Little Meaning Around Here"
-OR-
"How Perfectly Normal Mid-Week Posts Sometimes Start Out Just Fine But Then Plummet Towards Bizarre"
-OR-
"Seriously, Jujy, Don't You Have a Load of Laundry You Should Be Doing or Something??"
-OR-
"How Perfectly Normal Mid-Week Posts Sometimes Start Out Just Fine But Then Plummet Towards Bizarre"
-OR-
"Seriously, Jujy, Don't You Have a Load of Laundry You Should Be Doing or Something??"
Ok. Quick recap of Monday first.
My mom and uncle were among the lucky few who were able to score tickets to see President Obama at Monday's Town Hall Meeting, right close by in little ol' Elkhart, Indiana. This is Obama's first such appearance since his inauguration, and the fact that he came here, of all places, is an oddity in itself.
Why did Obama come here, to OurTown, USA? Because of this:
Yep, that's right. I now live in the official Recession Capital of the Nation. Which is not funny.
But here's something that IS funny -- for some reason, Obama singled out my mom to come up on the stage and pose for photos!! And then, on Tuesday morning, one of those photos ended up on the front page of the newspaper!
See?
Ok, I totally made that part up. (With a little help from myinauguralphoto.com!)But, seriously, she DID end up on the front page photo of one of the local on-line news articles with coverage about the visit. Well, sort of.
See?
The yellow arrow points to my actual uncle in the bottom corner of the photo. The blue arrow points to my virtual mom who was, in fact, directly beside him.And the two of them were also spotted on the televised local news coverage of the event.
See?
So now, not only is my mom on Facebook*, but she's also practically famous! Odd, eh?OK, next oddity!
Here's another headline from Tuesday's news:
Less than a month ago, it was 80 degrees colder outside than it was on Tuesday, (-19 degrees on January 16, and 62 degrees February 10).
Do you see that? EIGHTY degrees warmer?! That's odd, I tell you! (Especially when you consider that it is still chilly enough out for jackets and sweatshirts and there are patches of snow still on the ground; I mean, we're not talking summer here, folks!)
Next oddity:
There was a red fox running around our neighborhood today. That's right, a single red fox! I saw it off and on for about an hour, and even followed it around the neighborhood at one point. I never had my camera with me when I saw it, unfortunately, but the story is true! True and odd!
photo source (since I didn't have my camera!)And if all that was not enough to give you pause, how about THIS: I was just informed that as I was sitting here typing this -- right inside the front window of my house -- money was stolen out of the construction worker's vehicle parked in our driveway, less than 30 feet away! And I saw NOTHING!
...AND THEN, right after I learned about the mysterious thievery, the phone rang -- with a caller ID of 999-999-9999! -- and the Fraternal Order of Police asked me to make a donation!
Seriously, folks, I can't make this stuff up!** (I mean besides that one little picture, of course.)
What is going on here?
Was it the fox?! Mere coinkydink? Conspiracy?? Are we being targeted? Do The Others want revenge? Should Hurley change his lottery ticket to 15.3 - 80 - 30 - 999 - 999 - 9999 - 48?
Because that's an impressive list of oddities for a 48-hour period in one sleepy little town, isn't it?
Discuss!
And join us again for future episodes of Jujley's Believe It...Or Not!
*****
*Oh, hi, mom! Just kidding there! And can you still babysit tomorrow night? KThxBai!
** Well, actually, I could. Pretty easily. BUT I DIDN'T!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Top Chef Season 5: Our Quickfire Family Challenge
As you might recall, we are big fans of Top Chef. BIG fans! We taped the new one (Season 5, Episode 8: Down on the Farm) this week and watched it together last night. You can read a full episode recap over there, but the part that really caught our interest was the QuickFire Challenge at the very beginning of the episode.
In that challenge, the chefs had 15 minutes to make a dish from an assortment of canned and processed ingredients. While the chefs were slightly dumbfounded and made many comments about how hard it was to cook with that type of food (instead of the hand-delivered, fresh whole ingredients to which they are accustomed), I found myself thinking that it just sounded like a typical midweek mealtime dilemma to me!
Sure, there was stuff in there that even I, an ordinary canned food user, have never even purchased and would find extremely challenging to use -- like SPAM, for example. I admit to thinking it a bit beneath me...so it's only natural that these up-and-coming gourmet chefs would too, right? But, listen to this -- the winning QuickFire dish was one that used the Spam!
(And as a total aside here, if you read the episode recap I linked to above, past winner Stephanie Izard sings Spam's praises in her blog....which makes me wonder if I am actually missing something! Do I need to try some Spam??)
After watching the episode, my son and I decided we were going to try the canned & packaged pantry challenge for ourselves. We started the timer and rushed off to investigate our available ingredients.
There was a lot of stuff in the pantry cupboard, but it was a challenge to find things that seemed likely to pair well together in an inventive combo...or that would be done quickly enough.
...So we decided anything in the fridge should be fair game, too. We pulled out a variety of options, and then quickly made our game plan for THREE separate dishes.
In that challenge, the chefs had 15 minutes to make a dish from an assortment of canned and processed ingredients. While the chefs were slightly dumbfounded and made many comments about how hard it was to cook with that type of food (instead of the hand-delivered, fresh whole ingredients to which they are accustomed), I found myself thinking that it just sounded like a typical midweek mealtime dilemma to me!
Sure, there was stuff in there that even I, an ordinary canned food user, have never even purchased and would find extremely challenging to use -- like SPAM, for example. I admit to thinking it a bit beneath me...so it's only natural that these up-and-coming gourmet chefs would too, right? But, listen to this -- the winning QuickFire dish was one that used the Spam!
(And as a total aside here, if you read the episode recap I linked to above, past winner Stephanie Izard sings Spam's praises in her blog....which makes me wonder if I am actually missing something! Do I need to try some Spam??)
After watching the episode, my son and I decided we were going to try the canned & packaged pantry challenge for ourselves. We started the timer and rushed off to investigate our available ingredients.
There was a lot of stuff in the pantry cupboard, but it was a challenge to find things that seemed likely to pair well together in an inventive combo...or that would be done quickly enough.
...So we decided anything in the fridge should be fair game, too. We pulled out a variety of options, and then quickly made our game plan for THREE separate dishes.
Depressing or inspiring? Depends how you look at it...
Eww! (It's been in the cupboard for months, just waiting for someone to give it a try...)
Fresh ginger -- lucky us!
After sauteing together, the ginger mellowed and the sauce reduced to a delicious caramelized coating.
It's a miracle that Junior has never actually burned his NOSE while watching me cook.
I bet the Top Chef kitchen doesn't have one of these ever-useful, old-fashioned potato mashers...
With a little cilantro & mint, it would have been the perfect Thai dipping sauce.
Good thing the plate was colorful...
Surprisingly tasty, but definitely missing something fresh. Or something not brown.
...and some Hershey's syrup and whipped cream in the fridge.
Because "Prepared Brownie Mix with Canned Whipped Cream Leftover From Thanksgiving" just didn't sound right.
The three dishes were presented to our Esteemed Panel of Judges (also known as Our Family, thus including both of us chefs...but not Tootsie, who heard the word "salmon" and caught a glimpse of Inner Beauty Briskettes and promptly resigned).
Judge Number 3 (me), put her camera down and chowed.
...Asian Lettuce Wraps with Teriyaki Salmon, you are the winner for this challenge!
Congratulations to our winner!
The first dish was inspired by Ramen Noodles, a pack of Teriyaki Salmon, and a head of lettuce.
Eww! (It's been in the cupboard for months, just waiting for someone to give it a try...)We threw the salmon in a skillet to heat...but it looked pretty unappetizing and definitely needed to be doctored up a bit. We added soy sauce and rice wine vinegar...and ginger! (I realize this isn't a typical pantry item, but we decided it was the perfect addition.)
Fresh ginger -- lucky us!After sauteing together, the ginger mellowed and the sauce reduced to a delicious caramelized coating.
It's a miracle that Junior has never actually burned his NOSE while watching me cook.We used lettuce leaves as a base, then layered in the Ramen noodles and salmon. We sprinkled crushed peanuts over each filled lettuce cup, but it was way too salty.
I bet the Top Chef kitchen doesn't have one of these ever-useful, old-fashioned potato mashers...Checking the pantry and fridge once more, we mixed up a sweet sauce to drizzle over the cups and garnished each with fresh lime.
With a little cilantro & mint, it would have been the perfect Thai dipping sauce.Here's the finished dish: Asian Lettuce Wraps with Teriyaki Salmon.
Despite taking so many pictures, it seems I neglected to take pictures of the next dish's humble beginnings. So instead, I will simply take a picture of its humble ending and label the layers.
Meet dish number 2: Inner Beauty Briskettes, the appetizer with a great personality. (Bubbs summed it up well when he urged, "Try them! They taste a lot better than they look!")
Good thing the plate was colorful...Surprisingly tasty, but definitely missing something fresh. Or something not brown.
The third dish was, admittedly, a bit of a cheat. It would equal sudden death in a real Top Chef challenge, but was a lovely little addition to our menu.
There was a leftover pan of cream cheese brownies sitting on the counter...
...and some Hershey's syrup and whipped cream in the fridge.Voila! Dish number three: Double Chocolate Pastries with a Duo of Cream!
Because "Prepared Brownie Mix with Canned Whipped Cream Leftover From Thanksgiving" just didn't sound right.The three dishes were presented to our Esteemed Panel of Judges (also known as Our Family, thus including both of us chefs...but not Tootsie, who heard the word "salmon" and caught a glimpse of Inner Beauty Briskettes and promptly resigned).
Judge Number 1 gave the menu a very solid Thumbs Up.
Judge Number 2 enthusiastically agreed, giving it Two Pointy Fingers.
Judge Number 3 (me), put her camera down and chowed.
Judge Number 4, Head Judge for this event, had the honor of announcing the winner...
...Asian Lettuce Wraps with Teriyaki Salmon, you are the winner for this challenge! Inner Beauty Briskettes, please pack your knives and go.
(Double Chocolates with your Duo of Cream, you know you don't really count because you have immunity. Still, your performance tonight was integral to the success of your team, and you will remain safe.)
Congratulations to our winner!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Oops, My Tendencies Are Showing!
Tonight I was looking up a recipe in my trusty old Betty Crocker's Cookbook (1990 edition). I grinned to myself as I skimmed over the section dividers, thinking how it's kinda funny that crazy Betty rank-ordered them in much the same way that I would put them! You know, with the most important things towards the front?
She starts with Appetizers, Beverages, Bread, Cakes, Cookies, Eggs & Cheese, then a variety of Meats, and finally Veggies & Fruits as a chronically neglected afterthought (ahead only of Nutritional Information, which is essentially buried in the back)! I mean, seriously, in today's PC, health-conscious, nutritionally & ecologically responsible world, you just don't find a cookbook like THAT anymore!! I mean am I right, or am I right? But ol' Betty, she knows what's good!
...And then I realized that the whole thing was simply in ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Day Joy & Merriment
I woke up this morning and had to run immediately to the computer to read the headlines and make sure that Obama really did win last night. (I went to bed before it was all official.) And though I really don't like to talk politics, let me just state for the record that I'm thrilled (as you probably gleaned from various comments I've made on this blog).
But there are some other reasons I'm especially relieved that Obama won. Now that the Obama Presidency is secured, it feels safe enough to let you in on a few little behind-the-scenes secrets that have had me pretty worried these past weeks.
First of all, it seems that somehow MY NAME was being tossed around as a presidential option! And while I thank all you faceless internet supporters out there for your belief in me -- however misguided it may be -- it was CLEARLY a bad idea. Very, very bad! (I suppose there was some twisted logic in thinking a Blogger Mom was just as qualified as a Hockey Mom...)
Anyway, I am breathing a BIG OL' SIGH OF RELIEF today that the nomination never really got much farther than the local news, and I'm still free to sit around in my robe and sip coffee and blog this morning. (Shew! That was close!)
Local News Clip:
**Edited 11/6 -- If the video doesn't show up for you, you can watch it here.
Now, the second thing that had me worried was that I forgot to update my voter registration card after moving! I read all the fine print on the on-line voting information sites, and was fretting and stewing that I wouldn't be allowed to vote this year.
To make a long story short, I ended up going downtown to City Hall and voting early, just in case there was a problem. Everything went smoothly, and I was assured my vote counted. Thank goodness, because I was SO PARANOID that Obama would lose by a single vote...and it would be all my fault! My friend sent me a video from moveon.org depicting that exact situation. (Thanks, Lynne!)
I tried to go back to the website and personalize one with MY name on it, but the page is no longer available, so here it is hammering a poor ol' guy named Alan.)
**Edited 11/5 -- Shoot! The video actually says the non-voter's name is "undefined." Sorry about that -- looks like they've pulled the plug over there. I'm leaving it in anyway, just for history's sake.**
Just One Vote:
Here's to change! Can't you just feel it in the air?
But there are some other reasons I'm especially relieved that Obama won. Now that the Obama Presidency is secured, it feels safe enough to let you in on a few little behind-the-scenes secrets that have had me pretty worried these past weeks.
First of all, it seems that somehow MY NAME was being tossed around as a presidential option! And while I thank all you faceless internet supporters out there for your belief in me -- however misguided it may be -- it was CLEARLY a bad idea. Very, very bad! (I suppose there was some twisted logic in thinking a Blogger Mom was just as qualified as a Hockey Mom...)
Anyway, I am breathing a BIG OL' SIGH OF RELIEF today that the nomination never really got much farther than the local news, and I'm still free to sit around in my robe and sip coffee and blog this morning. (Shew! That was close!)
Local News Clip:
**Edited 11/6 -- If the video doesn't show up for you, you can watch it here.
Now, the second thing that had me worried was that I forgot to update my voter registration card after moving! I read all the fine print on the on-line voting information sites, and was fretting and stewing that I wouldn't be allowed to vote this year.
To make a long story short, I ended up going downtown to City Hall and voting early, just in case there was a problem. Everything went smoothly, and I was assured my vote counted. Thank goodness, because I was SO PARANOID that Obama would lose by a single vote...and it would be all my fault! My friend sent me a video from moveon.org depicting that exact situation. (Thanks, Lynne!)
I tried to go back to the website and personalize one with MY name on it, but the page is no longer available, so here it is hammering a poor ol' guy named Alan.)
**Edited 11/5 -- Shoot! The video actually says the non-voter's name is "undefined." Sorry about that -- looks like they've pulled the plug over there. I'm leaving it in anyway, just for history's sake.**
Just One Vote:
Here's to change! Can't you just feel it in the air?
Invisibility Post # 5: Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
I seem to be stuck. All I can think of is how everything could be blogged about in terms of its invisibility factor.
There's the obvious:
Two large trees were cut down in our yard!
The one existing room in the otherwise unfinished basement has been deconstructed! (seriously, that one's totally gone, walls and all -- it's practically begging for me to post pictures and write about how it's now invisible!)
There's the less obvious (the -- wait for it --invisible, if you will):
All the summer posts that are sitting in draft form in my files, waiting to share their newsy bits!
I could just keep going and going and going and GOING with this pathetic theme. Which is...what I meant by "stuck."
But I won't. Or at least I'm trying not to. But here it is, Invisible Post Number 5 that's pretending not to mention Invisible Post Numbers 6, 7, and 8!
So let me just get this one last joke in and I'll change the topic:
An invisible turkey, an invisible priest, and an invisible rabbi go into an invisible bar, and the ba.....
--Oooooooooooooooo, SHINY!
And in case you can't tell how big that thing actually is, here's a bit of scale.
It has On Demand Digital Cable...which has Mad Men...which has a pink bathroom, just like ours! I'm totally hooked.
And, finally, free to move on from previous obsessions (to a nice shiny new one)!
P.S. Sorry about the dead horse and all!
There's the obvious:
Two large trees were cut down in our yard!
The one existing room in the otherwise unfinished basement has been deconstructed! (seriously, that one's totally gone, walls and all -- it's practically begging for me to post pictures and write about how it's now invisible!)
There's the less obvious (the -- wait for it --invisible, if you will):
All the summer posts that are sitting in draft form in my files, waiting to share their newsy bits!
I could just keep going and going and going and GOING with this pathetic theme. Which is...what I meant by "stuck."
But I won't. Or at least I'm trying not to. But here it is, Invisible Post Number 5 that's pretending not to mention Invisible Post Numbers 6, 7, and 8!
So let me just get this one last joke in and I'll change the topic:
An invisible turkey, an invisible priest, and an invisible rabbi go into an invisible bar, and the ba.....
--Oooooooooooooooo, SHINY!
And in case you can't tell how big that thing actually is, here's a bit of scale.
It has On Demand Digital Cable...which has Mad Men...which has a pink bathroom, just like ours! I'm totally hooked.
And, finally, free to move on from previous obsessions (to a nice shiny new one)!
P.S. Sorry about the dead horse and all!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Goodbye, House. Goodbye, Moon. Goodbye, Room with the Red Balloon.
So today's the day we move. While I've been working here behind the scenes for a while now, the literal, physical, actual moving of boxes will commence shortly! (Yay!)
Which also means my beloved computer will be unplugged shortly. In fact, according to the phone company, my internet service will be disconnected today...and will not be available again for several days. (Boo!)
I just hope I can actually finish this first.
I was brainstorming about a cute post that would parody the beloved Goodnight Moon children's book that I would call Goodbye Moon. I couldn't remember all the words, because it's been a while since I've read that one to anybody. So, I googled the text, and up popped this link to a New York Times Op/Ed piece that made me giggle...
...and since I don't have time this morning to take matching photos or come up with new words to complete the book theme, let's just say that it was a really good idea and move on! Go read the link instead.
Catch ya on the flip side.
Which also means my beloved computer will be unplugged shortly. In fact, according to the phone company, my internet service will be disconnected today...and will not be available again for several days. (Boo!)
I just hope I can actually finish this first.
I was brainstorming about a cute post that would parody the beloved Goodnight Moon children's book that I would call Goodbye Moon. I couldn't remember all the words, because it's been a while since I've read that one to anybody. So, I googled the text, and up popped this link to a New York Times Op/Ed piece that made me giggle...
...and since I don't have time this morning to take matching photos or come up with new words to complete the book theme, let's just say that it was a really good idea and move on! Go read the link instead.
Catch ya on the flip side.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
A Right Jolly Old God
I'm gonna take that as a sign that it's time to go back to church; our summer hiatus is over.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Fanny Pack News Flash!
I spoke to my daughter on the phone Saturday as she was heading home from camp. As we were talking, she suddenly said, "Hey, Grammy -- did you get my fanny pack from the cabin?" off to the side.
I strained my ears to hear the response from the background on that end...and, of course, it was a mildly surprised negative. That's right -- The Infamous Fanny Pack, highly sought after and debated, the main purpose of which was to keep her things close by and handy -- was itself forgotten!
"Well," I thought to myself, "I guess it really wasn't all that superior to more traditional toting methods after all. Everything was misplaced anyway...and they really do look pretty silly. No wonder they are all but extinct!"
LOOK AT THIS! They may be Stars, but they really are just like us...and some of them even wear fanny packs belt bags!! Ok, so maybe that makes them NOT like us, but I think they might be on to something and we should bring back the pack, too!
I strained my ears to hear the response from the background on that end...and, of course, it was a mildly surprised negative. That's right -- The Infamous Fanny Pack, highly sought after and debated, the main purpose of which was to keep her things close by and handy -- was itself forgotten!
"Well," I thought to myself, "I guess it really wasn't all that superior to more traditional toting methods after all. Everything was misplaced anyway...and they really do look pretty silly. No wonder they are all but extinct!"
I brought in the mail this morning and saw the cover of the July 2008 American Girl catalog. Un. Be. LIEVable. You can buy matching fanny packs belt bags for girls and their dolls?! "Does this mean they are nostalgic time-period accessories, or generally something the young kids these days are yearning for, like Webkinz, or a Wii??," I wondered.
Well! Imagine my surprise when the following magazine pages caught my eye while in the waiting room of the hospital for Junior's weekly Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy sessions later...
(click to super-size images)
LOOK AT THIS! They may be Stars, but they really are just like us...and some of them even wear Of course, these are candid shots, taken while they are just slumming around. So these photos could just be the equivalent of Stars With Cellulite or Stars Without Makeup or Stars Caught Red-Handed!
But then I kept reading and came to the StyleWatch page. NO WAY!! Stars are wearing them on the red carpet! Stylists are adding them as accessories! Coach sells them for $128.00!!
And LOOK! It's not just Hollywood that's doing it. Fanny packs Belt bags are being worn on the PGA Tour! (Will Tiger Woods start promoting them in commercials??)
And, speaking of commercials, what do you see on the waist of this carefree model? That's right. Another one! Think about it -- you can have ZERO periods (all year long!), and no more bulky, cumbersome purses to carry, either!! (That right there is some SERIOUS freedom, ladies.)
So there you have it, people. It's official. Feel free to strap on those packs and move about with pride!
Turns out you are NOT the only one.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Top Chef: The Jujyfruit Family Elimination Challenge
Our family loves to watch Food Network, and we have many must-see-t.v. shows thanks to that channel. Now that "Top Chef" is over for the season (which by the way, I never blogged about the finale, but didn't they totally make it look like Lisa was going to win?! Her food did look good that day, but, I mean, LISA?!?? I was yelling at the tv & threatening that I would NEVER WATCH AGAIN...and then, thank goodness, Stephanie won, because I would have hated to follow up on that threat), we are watching "The Next Food Network Star".
So anyway, the kids and I went to the library and checked out a bunch of cookbooks (after I paid my large fine and got my checkout privileges back...) because we all agreed we wanted to actually DO a little cooking, instead of just WATCHING it with stomachs growling.
We browsed and planned and came up with a group menu for supper last night. Then yesterday the kids and I went to the grocery store, each armed with our own list of ingredients for the cooking challenge (just like they do on the shows).
I gave orders to my husband to start the Baked Chicken Fingers recipe from this book while we finished up at swimming lessons. Then he cleared out of the kitchen with Junior while the bigs and I finished the rest.
Bubbs wanted to make BBQ sauce, so he cooked up a batch from a Williams-Sonoma sauce cookbook. Tootsie made Caesar Salad with the recipe from the first cookbook (minus the chicken). She also had plans to make the Potato Skins...but when we realized it was a two-hour endeavor, we 86'd them. (See my insider kitchen terminology? We're savvy cool foodies!) I whipped up some garlic bread as a quick replacement for the potato skins, and then my featured menu item was Swistle's Modified Baker's One Bowl Brownies, served with a duo of ice cream (Breyer's vanilla and a Peanut Butter version we mixed up in an effort to recreate a local ice cream stand favorite).
Now for the results from the Judges' Table.
The sauce was good, although a bit tangier and chili sauce-y flavor-ier than we prefer. Plus it was chunky. It was a good start, though, and now that he knows the basics of sauce-making, Bubba's gonna run it through the blender and doctor it up today to experiment a bit.
The chicken was a total flop (literally) for some reason -- it stayed pale and floppy and the egg dip & coating sort of pooled beneath each piece and baked onto the pan. We cut up the strips into nugget portions and finished cooking them IN some of the BBQ sauce on top of the stove. We gave them a thumbs-up after our modifications.
The Caesar salad was really garlicky, and quite good, and the recipe didn't call for eggs or sardines, which we considered a plus for home cooking. We thinned the dressing with some additional EVOO, but I don't think that was a good move. We'll definitely make that recipe again, but add extra lemon juice instead (if needed).
The brownies were delish. They were chocolatey and dense, with a thin chewy crust on the top and bottom - perfect! They actually didn't take much longer than they would from a mix, either, and the flavor was well worth the few extra minutes. I will have to start keeping unsweetened chocolate squares in the pantry now, rather than boxed mixes, because they are definitely craveable.
Hmmm, in fact, I'm suddenly thinking about how delicious one would taste right n....
So anyway, the kids and I went to the library and checked out a bunch of cookbooks (after I paid my large fine and got my checkout privileges back...) because we all agreed we wanted to actually DO a little cooking, instead of just WATCHING it with stomachs growling.
We browsed and planned and came up with a group menu for supper last night. Then yesterday the kids and I went to the grocery store, each armed with our own list of ingredients for the cooking challenge (just like they do on the shows).
I gave orders to my husband to start the Baked Chicken Fingers recipe from this book while we finished up at swimming lessons. Then he cleared out of the kitchen with Junior while the bigs and I finished the rest.
Bubbs wanted to make BBQ sauce, so he cooked up a batch from a Williams-Sonoma sauce cookbook. Tootsie made Caesar Salad with the recipe from the first cookbook (minus the chicken). She also had plans to make the Potato Skins...but when we realized it was a two-hour endeavor, we 86'd them. (See my insider kitchen terminology? We're savvy cool foodies!) I whipped up some garlic bread as a quick replacement for the potato skins, and then my featured menu item was Swistle's Modified Baker's One Bowl Brownies, served with a duo of ice cream (Breyer's vanilla and a Peanut Butter version we mixed up in an effort to recreate a local ice cream stand favorite).
Now for the results from the Judges' Table.
The sauce was good, although a bit tangier and chili sauce-y flavor-ier than we prefer. Plus it was chunky. It was a good start, though, and now that he knows the basics of sauce-making, Bubba's gonna run it through the blender and doctor it up today to experiment a bit.
The chicken was a total flop (literally) for some reason -- it stayed pale and floppy and the egg dip & coating sort of pooled beneath each piece and baked onto the pan. We cut up the strips into nugget portions and finished cooking them IN some of the BBQ sauce on top of the stove. We gave them a thumbs-up after our modifications.Based on his lackluster cooking results, my husband had to be eliminated from the family. Heartbreaking as it was, we were forced to ask him to "please pack his knives and go." Ha! Just kidding! It wasn't really an Elimination Challenge; I just said that to get everyone properly motivated -- it was really more of a QuickFire Challenge.
Anyhoo. On with the critique.
The Caesar salad was really garlicky, and quite good, and the recipe didn't call for eggs or sardines, which we considered a plus for home cooking. We thinned the dressing with some additional EVOO, but I don't think that was a good move. We'll definitely make that recipe again, but add extra lemon juice instead (if needed).
The brownies were delish. They were chocolatey and dense, with a thin chewy crust on the top and bottom - perfect! They actually didn't take much longer than they would from a mix, either, and the flavor was well worth the few extra minutes. I will have to start keeping unsweetened chocolate squares in the pantry now, rather than boxed mixes, because they are definitely craveable.Hmmm, in fact, I'm suddenly thinking about how delicious one would taste right n....
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Unread Book Meme
So I've been tagged by Pennamite for my first viral meme. (Mom, don't worry, it's not really a virus. I'm fine. The kids are fine. We're all fine. A meme is just an internet thingy that goes around from person to person or site to site. What? No, no, your computer is fine, too! It's not a virus of any type! Here -- read Wikipedia's meme definition.)
So this meme involves the books most frequently listed as “Not Read” on LibraryThing.com. You’re supposed to bold the ones you’ve finished, italicize the ones that you’ve started but not finished, and *star the ones you have on your To Be Read shelves…
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (long & odd)
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22 (years ago)
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
*Life of Pi : a novel (was supposed to read it as a book club selection a year ago...still there)
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick (seriously, why is this book such a big deal?)
#Ulysses
Madame Bovary (Is this title better for a book about a). an uncooperative ovary or b). your best milk cow?)
#The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife (loved the concept!)
#The Iliad (ok, surely I didn't read all 3 of those Homer things? I highly doubt it)
Emma
The Blind Assassin
*The Kite Runner (a dozen people have told me to read it, and I still haven't. Why?)
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations (am I meeting your great expectations of my literariness so far?)
American Gods
*A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (not literally on my shelves, but I want it)
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha (loved it)
Middlesex (strangely satisfying)
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West (musical sooo much better! book=dark & twisty; musical=fun & uplifting)
#The Canterbury Tales (was this in high school?)
*The Historian: a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch (ooh, confused this with Middlesex for a moment)
?Frankenstein (mostly I just picture that googly-eyed guy from the Young Dr. F. version...)
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula (reading those last 3 titles in a row makes me think of breakfast cereals...)
?A Clockwork Orange (the image of those eyelid holders is seared into my brain, replacing all memory of the actual book...if indeed I did read it)
Anansi Boys (oh, is this novel based on the little spider story clips from Sesame Street?)
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath (high school. Dang it! -- now I think it was just the movie!)
!The Poisonwood Bible : a novel (Love LOVE! the first half; the end frustrated me)
1984 (I was 14)
Angels & Demons
#The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise) (I read some Dante thing at some point...)
The Satanic Verses (No, but I watch his ex-wife, Padma Lakshmi, every week on Top Chef!)
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray (that's that guy on Scrubs, right?)
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (that awful Nurse Cratchett!.. pratchet? krachett?)
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (what's the hound one? This one? If so, then possibly yes.)
?Oliver Twist (loved this musical and had the cassette tape)
Gulliver’s Travels (I read this...but it might have been an abridged version)
!Les Misérables (I read it 3 times, saw the musical 3 times, AND saw the movie -- both of our library's 2 versions! Oh, AND the PBS stage version! And I have the Broadway CD. And possibly a few karaoke version songs. For, ya know, when I'm vacuuming and imagining myself as poor Cosette, or feeling dramatic as Eponine while I sing, longingly gazing out the window...which is sealed tightly shut so the neighbors don't hear me! I mean these things are just available in case one ever wanted to do those things. I mean, hypothetically speaking, and all. Ahem. NEXT!)
*The Corrections (this has been on my shelf for 6 years, I swear. When did Oprah pick it??)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (I've eyeballed it, but it just looks so wordy)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince (Does The Little Prince count?) (Or perhaps Purple Rain?)
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces (hear! hear!....or is it "Here! Here!"?)
A Short History of Nearly Everything (yaaaawn!)
Dubliners
@The Unbearable Lightness of Being (this is one of those titles that sticks in my head, and I have to think it now and then, all Tourettey-like.)
Beloved (hers all blur together, don't they?)
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves (great title)
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel (I can still picture that freaky world)
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed (upcoming elections, anyone?)
@Cloud Atlas (pretty sure I only brought it home...and then had to return it.)
The Confusion
So this meme involves the books most frequently listed as “Not Read” on LibraryThing.com. You’re supposed to bold the ones you’ve finished, italicize the ones that you’ve started but not finished, and *star the ones you have on your To Be Read shelves…
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (long & odd)
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22 (years ago)
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
*Life of Pi : a novel (was supposed to read it as a book club selection a year ago...still there)
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick (seriously, why is this book such a big deal?)
#Ulysses
Madame Bovary (Is this title better for a book about a). an uncooperative ovary or b). your best milk cow?)
#The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife (loved the concept!)
#The Iliad (ok, surely I didn't read all 3 of those Homer things? I highly doubt it)
Emma
The Blind Assassin
*The Kite Runner (a dozen people have told me to read it, and I still haven't. Why?)
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations (am I meeting your great expectations of my literariness so far?)
American Gods
*A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (not literally on my shelves, but I want it)
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha (loved it)
Middlesex (strangely satisfying)
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West (musical sooo much better! book=dark & twisty; musical=fun & uplifting)
#The Canterbury Tales (was this in high school?)
*The Historian: a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch (ooh, confused this with Middlesex for a moment)
?Frankenstein (mostly I just picture that googly-eyed guy from the Young Dr. F. version...)
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula (reading those last 3 titles in a row makes me think of breakfast cereals...)
?A Clockwork Orange (the image of those eyelid holders is seared into my brain, replacing all memory of the actual book...if indeed I did read it)
Anansi Boys (oh, is this novel based on the little spider story clips from Sesame Street?)
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath (high school. Dang it! -- now I think it was just the movie!)
!The Poisonwood Bible : a novel (Love LOVE! the first half; the end frustrated me)
1984 (I was 14)
Angels & Demons
#The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise) (I read some Dante thing at some point...)
The Satanic Verses (No, but I watch his ex-wife, Padma Lakshmi, every week on Top Chef!)
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray (that's that guy on Scrubs, right?)
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (that awful Nurse Cratchett!.. pratchet? krachett?)
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (what's the hound one? This one? If so, then possibly yes.)
?Oliver Twist (loved this musical and had the cassette tape)
Gulliver’s Travels (I read this...but it might have been an abridged version)
!Les Misérables (I read it 3 times, saw the musical 3 times, AND saw the movie -- both of our library's 2 versions! Oh, AND the PBS stage version! And I have the Broadway CD. And possibly a few karaoke version songs. For, ya know, when I'm vacuuming and imagining myself as poor Cosette, or feeling dramatic as Eponine while I sing, longingly gazing out the window...which is sealed tightly shut so the neighbors don't hear me! I mean these things are just available in case one ever wanted to do those things. I mean, hypothetically speaking, and all. Ahem. NEXT!)
*The Corrections (this has been on my shelf for 6 years, I swear. When did Oprah pick it??)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (I've eyeballed it, but it just looks so wordy)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince (Does The Little Prince count?) (Or perhaps Purple Rain?)
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces (hear! hear!....or is it "Here! Here!"?)
A Short History of Nearly Everything (yaaaawn!)
Dubliners
@The Unbearable Lightness of Being (this is one of those titles that sticks in my head, and I have to think it now and then, all Tourettey-like.)
Beloved (hers all blur together, don't they?)
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves (great title)
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel (I can still picture that freaky world)
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed (upcoming elections, anyone?)
@Cloud Atlas (pretty sure I only brought it home...and then had to return it.)
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion (I'll give you a piece of candy if you read it)
Northanger Abbey
!The Catcher in the Rye (re-read it after meeting my now husband, because he said it was his favorite book. Didn't really get it, but thought that was so literary and impressive and mysterious at the time. Huh. Remembering that makes me want to read it again. Maybe it would help me understand that whole lightswitch thing.)
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (sorry Hugo, only one of your books worked for me!)
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values (college)
The Aeneid
Watership Down (Trivia Time: I did a book report on this in 7th grade. At the time we were living in Costa Rica, with only a handful of English books in the house. I read both this one and Catch 22 that year -- 2 on this list!)
Gravity’s Rainbow (I first read this as Gravy Train Chow -- and I don't even have a dog!)
The Hobbit (I never was much for fantasy, though.)
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth (no, but I've read White Fang)
Treasure Island (I watched the Survivor season finale the other night)
David Copperfield
?The Three Musketeers (mmm, chocolate...think I'm done here. Gonna go get a snack!)
Persuasion (I'll give you a piece of candy if you read it)
Northanger Abbey
!The Catcher in the Rye (re-read it after meeting my now husband, because he said it was his favorite book. Didn't really get it, but thought that was so literary and impressive and mysterious at the time. Huh. Remembering that makes me want to read it again. Maybe it would help me understand that whole lightswitch thing.)
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (sorry Hugo, only one of your books worked for me!)
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values (college)
The Aeneid
Watership Down (Trivia Time: I did a book report on this in 7th grade. At the time we were living in Costa Rica, with only a handful of English books in the house. I read both this one and Catch 22 that year -- 2 on this list!)
Gravity’s Rainbow (I first read this as Gravy Train Chow -- and I don't even have a dog!)
The Hobbit (I never was much for fantasy, though.)
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth (no, but I've read White Fang)
Treasure Island (I watched the Survivor season finale the other night)
David Copperfield
?The Three Musketeers (mmm, chocolate...think I'm done here. Gonna go get a snack!)
***
So, dear Pennamite, I started this meme in all seriousness, but It. Is. Long. My attention span was running a bit short, so I decided it would be ok to add personal comments. And also a few other categories. And colors! To liven things up! Here's the key:
? I can't remember if I merely saw the movie or actually read the book
# I think I did, ages ago in school, but I can't remember diddlysquat about it
! I have read it more than once
@ I know the title is familiar for some reason, but I'm drawing a total blank
Incidentally, LibraryThing.com looks like a great site. I'm gonna have to go back there sometime and try it out. (List your favorites and it connects you to other "shelves" with the same favorites.) Seems like it would be a great source for finding book recommendations!
If anyone out there wants to play -- Tag, you're it!
? I can't remember if I merely saw the movie or actually read the book
# I think I did, ages ago in school, but I can't remember diddlysquat about it
! I have read it more than once
@ I know the title is familiar for some reason, but I'm drawing a total blank
Incidentally, LibraryThing.com looks like a great site. I'm gonna have to go back there sometime and try it out. (List your favorites and it connects you to other "shelves" with the same favorites.) Seems like it would be a great source for finding book recommendations!
If anyone out there wants to play -- Tag, you're it!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Top Chef Recap - Episode 9: Wedding Wars
We are huge fans of Top Chef around here. It's the one show that really is "Must-See T.V." for our family. The current season is set in Chicago, so we have been extra interested and enjoy watching for familiar landmarks and locations and so on. Here is a little re-cap of last night's episode, just in case you missed it!
The 8 remaining contestants hit the ground running with a QuickFire Challenge. They divided into two teams with Stephanie, Antonia, Richard, & Andrew in one corner, and Spike, Nikki, Lisa, and Dale in the other. The challenge was a relay race featuring each chef's knife skills. Each team had to peel & segment 5 oranges, prep 2 artichokes, clean a monkfish into 2 filets, and whip up 1 quart of mayonnaise from scratch. The teams were dicing and slicing neck-to-neck, and emotions were high! 
The whole thing came down to the mayonnaise round, with Stephanie whipping up her batch first and clinching the win for the team. Dale got mad, totally lost it, & punched a locker!
Lisa was glad to see Dale providing her with yet another reason to dislike him. The two of them really do not play well together.She had this to say about the locker-punching incident: "Mrfff mruffffty muffle mrgfff mrfem"
Because Lisa regularly expresses her opinions with colorful language, she will be wearing a duct tape muzzle for her appearance on this blog. After all, this is a PG site! (well, ok, maybe PG-13?)
Then
Antonia came on camera and explained what happened. "Dale punched a locker...then had to have his diaper changed," she said with a the smallest of grins.
Which is really not integral to the storyline, but pretty amusing nonetheless.
Then judges Padma & Tom announced the next challenge. The same two teams would be competing in a Wedding War, in which each team would be catering a wedding reception for 125 people the very next day. One team would prepare a buffet according to the Bride's tastes and requests; the other would prepare a buffet agreeable to the Groom.
The rules? Each team would have a short consultation with their client (bride or groom), 45 minutes to plan, and 1 hour to shop for ingredients with a budget of $5,000. The teams would then have 14 hours to prepare the food, requiring them to work straight through the night!
The winning team selected the Bride to work with. She requested a buffet of southern-style food, highlighting meat & potatoes. She also wanted a big wedding cake with lots of layers that was pretty.
The Groom told his team he wanted a menu featuring Italian food, specifying a German Chocolate or Hazelnut cake.
The teams flew into action and, as usual, whipped up a huge assortment of impressive-sounding dishes. As the game timer counted down, the contestants were becoming more exhausted and more strained, and the challenge of bringing both the dishes and the individual visions together (while operating on no sleep), became a little too much for some. Emotions were sky high throughout this entire episode, and in order to continue the story, I have to hand out a bit more duct tape. (excuse me for a second)
C'mon, Chefs!! My children watch this show! Get it together & watch your mouths.
Somewhere in here during a commercial break, the Bravo text poll question was, "Which Top Chef annoys you most?" Yeah. 'Nuff said. It was one of those episodes.The teams handed out their appetizers and canapes, then served the wedding guests at their respective buffet tables. The array of food was delicious-looking, and seemed to represent much more than 14 hours of prep time! 
(Check out some of the menu items and recipes here.)
The judges tasted and discussed the two teams' buffet offerings. They reflected on the "overcooked meat", "flavorless" items, and the "ugly battleship cake". They pronounced the bride's cake "impressive", the brisket "perfect", and the pizza appetizer as better than the Italian team's version. Clearly, they had decided on the winning team.
While the contestants anxiously awaited the verdict, they looked pretty miserable trying to keep their eyes open. The all-nighter was catching up with them! (Well, except for Andrew. Apparently his ADHD came in very handy in this particular challenge.)
The Bride's team was announced as the Judges' favorite, and Richard was awarded the Winning Top Chef position.
He immediately said he would like to offer the win to Stephanie, because she managed to create a lovely wedding cake for the bride (a job which nobody really wanted, yet was integral to their success). The judges applauded his move and told Stephanie that she would receive a $2,000 gift certificate from Crate & Barrel. Stephanie, in yet another fine demonstration of teamwork, announced that she and Richard would split the prize. In a show where the winner takes all, this turn of events was delightful to witness.
Then came the final decision -- the losing contestant from the losing team. The chef who would be promptly eighty-sixed. The steely expressions returned, the suspenseful music swelled, and...
...the loser was announced.Despite an intense series of challenges, and an emotionally-charged episode, Nikki accepted her cut gracefully.
"This show has been a great experience, and I am happy to go home to my family. I know that there will be another venture waiting for me," she said.
And so ended another great episode of Top Chef.
I have to say that the lessons illustrated about teamwork, leadership, cooperation, creativity, and doing the best you can (not to mention the mouth-watering food! The fooooood!!) they serve up each week keep Top Chef on my list of great family t.v. shows.....just watch the language, guys!!
Tune in next week for another exciting episode of Top Chef Chicago, served up on Bravo at 10pm EST. The previews promise tales of sabotage and intrigue...and my mouth is already watering.
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