Dec 12, 2011
One of my favorite channels is, of course, the Food Network. And my favorite shows are “Food Network Challenge” and “Cupcake Wars”. I love seeing how other chefs create tastes and presentations.
I never intended this Blog to have a focus on recipes. I always thought it would be just me. Getting through life. And sharing my ridiculous stories with whoever cared to read them. But when some of those stories began in my kitchen, I noticed something. You paid attention.
I love cooking. I love baking. Creating. Decorating. And you like hearing about me setting off the fire alarm with my blackened salmon or spilling the chili all over my foot … okay, I haven’t shared those stories with you yet, but I will…
My point is, my writing and cooking don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And You figured that out before I did. So thank you.
My life-long friend Lisa sent me a great Christmas gift: two boxes of food for my pantry. How amazing is she?! And as I opened the boxes I started singing to myself. Loudly. Lisa lives in Florida. It’s been 30 years since we’ve seen each other. But we’re still friends. And she knew what she was doing when she sent this to me. Because this gift is more than just food. It’s the chance for me to create a menu and play with my food. And then write about it.
With the ingredients she sent me, I’m going to plan out some great meals for January. And I’ll post them here. Some will be old recipes. Some will be trial and error. I’ll share them all with you here: the good, the bad, the tasteless.
[Except the homemade cookies. We’re gonna eat those like yesterday!]
IN THE FOOD BOX:
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Canned Pineapple Chunks
Boxed Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
Boxed Sugar Cookie Mix
Packaged Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
Packaged Sugar Cookie Mix
Packaged Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1 Jar – Peanut Butter
Boxed Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Bag Stuffing Mix
2 Cans – Pot Roast Soup
1 Can – Diced Tomatoes
3 Cans – Tomato Paste
2 Cans – Meatless Chili
2 Boxes – Onion Soup Mix
Dried Beans – Pinto
Dried Beans – Great Northern
Dried Beans – Navy
Dried Beans – Green Split Pea
I’m looking forward to my own little Food Challenge. I have no idea what I’ll create. But I’m pretty sure I’ll have fun creating it!
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Eat!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 8, 2011
I’ve been around the Blogging World for a while now. I’ve met some great new blog-friends (Andrea, Jenn, Ariel, to name just a few). And through my tours of other blogs, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. I pay attention to what attracts me and what doesn’t.
And I’ve come to a better appreciation of my blog. It’s not odd at all to think of it like a child or a job or both. This Blog is my Baby; growing, finding its way in the world. Making mistakes, gaining strength.
And every so often, realizing what we’ve already subconsciously known.
My Blog can be broken down to what I call the Four F’s: Faith, Family, Food, and Fun. And those are the four main factors I look for on other blogs. Granted, under each category are sub-categories: How God works in our lives, familial anecdotes, recipes, writings, party planning, daily life…
So you can see how even fine-tuning my Blog to the Four F’s isn’t really as simple as that.
But I’m grateful that I have the flowchart. So in the coming weeks, I’m going to fine tune the presentation. My blog will be easier to navigate (I hope!), and easier to look at.
Now this is where you come in: I’m looking for feedback. What do you want to see? What can I do without? What are your ideas, suggestions, thoughts on my Blog, and how can I make it better for you? Visually? Readability? Blog post ideas? Categories? I recently made some changes. Do you like them? Is it easier or harder now to leave comments?
I look forward to hearing from you. Let’s get ready to start 2012 with a Better Blog. Whadya say? Wanna help? I hope so.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Nov 20, 2011
SUNDAY STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS WRITING. I got this idea from several bloggers at BlogHer and NaBloPoMo. The idea is to set a timer for five minutes and just write everything that comes into your head, and make NO CORRECTIONS.
Well, I’m not going that far… but as I write this, it does seem more like thoughts jotted down than a coherent blog post. That’s because I have a few things on my mind that I can’t write about yet. Soon. But not yet.
So instead, you get my mundane, do-nothing report of the day.
I was up bright and early this morning, which is strange for it being a weekend. Usually I stay up late, and sleep in accordingly.
On Sundays we usually get up early enough for Church, but today Hannah was the one who slept in. That’s okay: it was really blustery and cold and I don’t do well going out in such weather.
So I’m kinda glad I didn’t have to get up and get out this morning.
But now I’ve missed Church and that makes me sad.
I made an early lunch and Mom came over. We ate this great white sauce with boiled eggs that is served over boiled potatoes. I haven’t made it in about a year, but it’s one of my favorite meals. I always add extra boiled eggs, because I love them so much. After lunch, I’m already almost out of sauce. And that makes me sad. Because, as I said, I love it so much.
The next three and half days I’m all about the Make-Do and leftovers. Because in four days, a 20-lb turkey is calling my name! I’m looking forward to this meal. Turkey is my most favorite meat.
The weather report is calling for a storm that should combine thunderstorms and snowflakes. We’re not supposed to see any real accumulation, but it will be in the air. I’m here to say, it’s true. I know it is.
How do I know? My ankle tells me so. And in 25 years, it’s never been wrong. I can’t explain it. It’s not swollen or tender to the touch. But within 24-48 hours of the first snowfall of the year, it hurts. There’s no other word for it. I’ll try to stand, and it won’t hold weight. I’ll try to walk, and instead I look like an old bent-over woman in need of a cane. And it started revolting against me yesterday. So I agree. By nightfall tonight, we’ll see flakes in the air. And I’ll be able to walk again.
I don’t mind. I like the snow. I like looking out my picture window and seeing the colored leaves fly off the trees in the neighborhood. I put out fresh peanuts and birdseed, and am watching one lone sparrow get his fill before nesting in for the duration of the storm.
Last night we had a bird try to get into our house. It’s a funny story, actually. Well, it’s funny if you ask me. A little traumatic if you ask Dot.
The backstory is that Hannah was enjoying a piece of chicken for dinner. Two of our cats were hoping she’d share and tag-teamed her. As she shushed one away, the other approached from the other side. But Hannah’s smart, and while I laughed at the whole sight, she managed to cower with her food and eat it all. She tossed the bone into the trash and we didn’t think anything of it.
A little while later I heard a noise in the kitchen and looked to see one of those same cats on her back haunches, grabbing the top of the door for the under-sink cabinet where we keep the trash. She walked backwards, pulling the door with her until it was fully opened. To make sure, while she was still holding onto the door, she peered around the corner. Satisfied that the opening was wide enough, she dropped down to all fours and began to walk into the cabinet. We called her and told her “No!” so she left.
It was maybe 15 minutes later when both those two cats were in the entry to the hall, with their backs to us. Suspiciously, I called, “Sparkles! What do you have?” and that cute, adorable little cat moved enough for me to see it was the chicken bone. Hannah cleaned it up and put it back into the trash.
Fast-forward ten minutes. And there’s Sparkles on the kitchen floor eating the same chicken bone. I told Hannah to wrap it in foil and go take it out to the trash. It was after 7:30 so it was solid dark outside. We have one meager porchlight, and the trashcans are on the other side of the driveway. So she left the inside door open for lighting as she went. I heard her come straight back through the gate, and then I heard, “Oh my gosh!” and a squeal. I waited a second, and heard it again. “Oh my gosh!” Squeal. And then, “Oh my gosh! MOM!”
I looked up from my computer work at the third squeal to see the shadow of a bird flying about. I went to the screen door, and this poor little bird kept trying to crash into our windows and doors. I turned the lights off, hoping it was just misdirected and would find its way back to the trees and its nest. But that seemed to irritate it more, so it crashed louder and stronger. Each time it latched onto the screen or window or wall for a few seconds, then frantically fluttered to another location, then came back. This went on for over two or three minutes!
Each time it crashed, I jumped and Dot squealed “Oh my gosh!” It was hilariously funny… or atleast, it is in hindsight. I kept telling her, “I can’t open the door! I can’t let you in!”
The bird perched like a moth above the door, and surely if I let Hannah back in, the bird would come with her. That would not bode well with our five felines and I could just imagine my freshly cleaned house being torn apart in a matter of seconds all in the name of the chase.
So I turned off the lights again and yelled a little. Poor Hannah. She was standing just outside the alcove. In the cold. In the dark. And this crazy bird, realizing he’s not getting in, decided to dive-bomb my daughter. Thankfully he missed, so she rushed to the door but in our startled state, couldn’t grab the door handle fast enough.
So there we are, both trying to grab the door handle and fighting each other to open the door. It seemed like forever but finally she was inside and we slammed the doors shut.
Needless to say, it took a while to settle down and stop the cats from pacing at the window and door.
And all I could think about was Alfred Hitchcock and how this is the beginning of a really good story. Too bad it’s already been told.
And with that, I’m settling in now to watch “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and some other Christmas movies while waiting for it to snow.
Whoever you are, wherever you are; may your week be filled with stories to share, food to fill, and love to last.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
