Remember that apricot tart I made over and over last summer? Well, apricots are back in (insert opera-singing voice) sea-son!
So, guess what we're having for dinner tonight? Oh yes. Yes we did. Apricot tart and ice cream! I figured, why not just skip the mess and extra calories of supper and go straight for the decadence?
It is really hot here today. This time of year begins the long season during which I hate living in Florida. My car told me it was 99 degrees outside and the bank said it was 104. Sheesh. And no rain in sight just yet. Our afternoon showers have been sporatic at best. We had such a hot, dry spring, then a couple of weeks of rain, rain, glorious rain, and now we're back to nothin'. Wish it would just make up its mind.
The kids are continuing their instrument lessons over the summer, so the afternoon brought an hour to me of listening in amazement to my kids. It's so brilliant that they can actually do stuff. I mean, when they are babies, it's so hard to imagine what they'll be, what they'll do. But as they grow, you just have to stand back and take it in sometimes because they really are people, in their own right, with talents and abilities. And they do stuff - even without your help!
Daily Bliss: a cool cotton tunic, made by me of course
Wake-up Playlist: Jars of Clay, Two Hands
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I'm Good!
I love that guy phrase - you know, when they fall down or get hurt or something and they holler out, "I'm good!" I saw that on a Pepsi commercial recently. I laughed a lot at it because it's really true.
So I feel like I ought to holler out at you all that I'm good. You know, I didn't hurt myself or anything, I just haven't had a lot to say this past week or so.
Summer is rolling along.
We haven't bothered to get our TV converter box yet and we don't have cable, so we're outta luck on TV. I'd like to be in a store and state loudly and self-righteously that we don't watch TV in order to make people think that we are that kind of family. Does it really matter why we're not watching TV?
That lack has made for some interesting entertainment choices, though. We've really been digging to the bottom of our DVD collection to find something to watch in the evenings (not that we watch something every evening...). I tend not to enjoy watching things twice, so it's getting hard to find something entertaining in the cabinet. Last night, we watched the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers while I knitted on that baby blanket (sorry, Melanie, that this blanket is taking so long! I don't know why!). Chris grew up on that kind of stuff, but I didn't, so it's fun for me to see those campy sci-fi movies. Only, this one was actually good. Bonus! Plus, Kevin McCarthy, the leading man, was in UHF, which is one of the few movies I've seen multiple times. I know. I'm not normal.
I made spaghetti bolognese for dinner tonight. It's really a simple meat sauce recipe that somebody gave me - the photocopy looked like it was originally from a box of spaghetti noodles. It is such a favorite in this house and I think you should try it if you don't already have a sauce recipe of your own. My husband came home from work and I was cooking (listening to my iPod - The Silver Seas' High Society album is really happy indie pop stuff). He lifted the lids on the pots, you know, just to check. He was so happy about what was in there that he started making out with me right then and there! So, ahem,I highly recommend it.
Just brown a chopped-up onion with a pound of ground beef and a clove of garlic. Add parsley flakes, dried basil and oregano to taste - oh, and salt and pepper of course - and pour in a large can of tomato puree. That's all! Man-pleasin' dinner is what that is. Trust me.
I did a little knitting and a little sewing too. There are a few new projects listed over on the side bar, if you haven't noticed. The nephew pants are kind of a consolation prize because I haven't finished Max's blanket yet. Only, they were meant to be cute little matching pants for my Indiana nephews and somehow they are becoming pants with monogram-appliqued t-shirts and maybe some sun hats. But I might nix the sun hats because I don't have enough fabric. We shall see. I always do complicate things.
My sewing was interrupted by a stiff breeze outside that could almost be called a real Wind. I headed out to the porch in the dark and took that in for a while, until I got some dust in my eyes.
I guess you could say that things are happening, lists items are being scratched off and...you know, I'm good.
Daily Bliss: Choxie (chocolate) - bought with coupons!
Wake-up Playlist: Eric Claipton, After Midnight
So I feel like I ought to holler out at you all that I'm good. You know, I didn't hurt myself or anything, I just haven't had a lot to say this past week or so.
Summer is rolling along.
We haven't bothered to get our TV converter box yet and we don't have cable, so we're outta luck on TV. I'd like to be in a store and state loudly and self-righteously that we don't watch TV in order to make people think that we are that kind of family. Does it really matter why we're not watching TV?
That lack has made for some interesting entertainment choices, though. We've really been digging to the bottom of our DVD collection to find something to watch in the evenings (not that we watch something every evening...). I tend not to enjoy watching things twice, so it's getting hard to find something entertaining in the cabinet. Last night, we watched the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers while I knitted on that baby blanket (sorry, Melanie, that this blanket is taking so long! I don't know why!). Chris grew up on that kind of stuff, but I didn't, so it's fun for me to see those campy sci-fi movies. Only, this one was actually good. Bonus! Plus, Kevin McCarthy, the leading man, was in UHF, which is one of the few movies I've seen multiple times. I know. I'm not normal.
I made spaghetti bolognese for dinner tonight. It's really a simple meat sauce recipe that somebody gave me - the photocopy looked like it was originally from a box of spaghetti noodles. It is such a favorite in this house and I think you should try it if you don't already have a sauce recipe of your own. My husband came home from work and I was cooking (listening to my iPod - The Silver Seas' High Society album is really happy indie pop stuff). He lifted the lids on the pots, you know, just to check. He was so happy about what was in there that he started making out with me right then and there! So, ahem,I highly recommend it.
Just brown a chopped-up onion with a pound of ground beef and a clove of garlic. Add parsley flakes, dried basil and oregano to taste - oh, and salt and pepper of course - and pour in a large can of tomato puree. That's all! Man-pleasin' dinner is what that is. Trust me.
I did a little knitting and a little sewing too. There are a few new projects listed over on the side bar, if you haven't noticed. The nephew pants are kind of a consolation prize because I haven't finished Max's blanket yet. Only, they were meant to be cute little matching pants for my Indiana nephews and somehow they are becoming pants with monogram-appliqued t-shirts and maybe some sun hats. But I might nix the sun hats because I don't have enough fabric. We shall see. I always do complicate things.
My sewing was interrupted by a stiff breeze outside that could almost be called a real Wind. I headed out to the porch in the dark and took that in for a while, until I got some dust in my eyes.
I guess you could say that things are happening, lists items are being scratched off and...you know, I'm good.
Daily Bliss: Choxie (chocolate) - bought with coupons!
Wake-up Playlist: Eric Claipton, After Midnight
Monday, May 18, 2009
I Should Be Doing Other Things
Well. I should be doing paperwork for the kids' summer camps and adventures. But I'm not. I should be at the grocery store. But I'm not. I should be ironing tomorrow's clothes. But I'm not. I should have served frozen fish sticks for supper in order to save time. But I didn't.
I invited my sister-in-law over for dinner instead. My brother's out of town for a couple of days. And if I'm completely honest, I want her little pumpkin of a baby to love being at my house before it even gets out into the world. So I like to feed it. I figure the tiny one will associate the hum of activity at my house with the feeling of a happy, full tummy right off the bat.
The problem is, when I invite my Mindy over for dinner, I always end up having the craziest cooking adventures. I'll call her up at 4:00, on my way home from getting the kids and the dog and say, "Hey. You wanna come over for dinner?" And she'll say she'd love to and ask what she can bring. And I tell her that I don't know what we're having yet. I'm going to pick something up at the store and I'll call her if I can think of a contribution for her to make.
Then I walk through the store, just looking for inspiration. Wandering open-mindedly through a grocery store is dangerous. That is how I ended up making pumpkin ravioli once from scratch. Oh my. I think I even served it with brown butter sauce or something like that. That is also how I invented the New Year's Eve pasta (I think). And that is how, tonight at 5:00, I decided we'd have homemade bread, roasted beets and pork chops with lemon caper sauce. None of which I had recipes for or experience with.
But it was good.
I've only roasted beets once before, but it's easy and they're so tasty. Even if my fingers are a stained bright pink now.
I made some progress on the fairy costume tonight. The tunic/slip for underneath the flowy part is done and outer part is mostly cut out. A run to the fabric store is in order because I used up too much material cutting out a piece that I didn't need after all. Because I'm not very good at reading directions. Whatever.
This will be a lesson in good-enough for me. As in, what I have time to do will have to be good enough. My mommy instincts have already dictated plans for a matching organza flowered head piece and homemade wings. Of course a wand and glitter and a fancy hairdo that we'll have to wake up at 5:00 to do would be perfect. And wouldn't it be great if I had mad embroidery skilz? I mean, I could pimp out that purple tunic like nobody's business! Twining vines and pink flowers climbing up her pink leggings? Ah. Magical.
But I need to put on the brakes.
A simple lavender slip (that I altered into a tunic) and a sparkly but plain organza peasant shirt (that I altered to make it really long) will be worn over pink leggings. No headband and no purple-boot-shaped shoe covers (the fairy in the book wore purple boots). And absolutely no embroidery-that-I'd-have-to-stay-up-until-3:00-AM-researching-online-because-I-don't-already-know-how-to-do-it.
Okay, well, maybe the headband...how do I make organza flowers anyway?
Because I will be lucky to have this finished in time for her book report on Wednesday, what with tomorrow evening being spent on Andrew's spring band concert and a trip to the fabric store being necessary.
(shaking my head at my crazy self)
I will laugh abouto this one day.
Probably tomorrow.
Daily bliss: dinner turned out okay, even if I almost wrecked the bread
Wake-Up Playlist: Lovesong of the Buzzard by Iron and Wine
I invited my sister-in-law over for dinner instead. My brother's out of town for a couple of days. And if I'm completely honest, I want her little pumpkin of a baby to love being at my house before it even gets out into the world. So I like to feed it. I figure the tiny one will associate the hum of activity at my house with the feeling of a happy, full tummy right off the bat.
The problem is, when I invite my Mindy over for dinner, I always end up having the craziest cooking adventures. I'll call her up at 4:00, on my way home from getting the kids and the dog and say, "Hey. You wanna come over for dinner?" And she'll say she'd love to and ask what she can bring. And I tell her that I don't know what we're having yet. I'm going to pick something up at the store and I'll call her if I can think of a contribution for her to make.
Then I walk through the store, just looking for inspiration. Wandering open-mindedly through a grocery store is dangerous. That is how I ended up making pumpkin ravioli once from scratch. Oh my. I think I even served it with brown butter sauce or something like that. That is also how I invented the New Year's Eve pasta (I think). And that is how, tonight at 5:00, I decided we'd have homemade bread, roasted beets and pork chops with lemon caper sauce. None of which I had recipes for or experience with.
But it was good.
I've only roasted beets once before, but it's easy and they're so tasty. Even if my fingers are a stained bright pink now.
I made some progress on the fairy costume tonight. The tunic/slip for underneath the flowy part is done and outer part is mostly cut out. A run to the fabric store is in order because I used up too much material cutting out a piece that I didn't need after all. Because I'm not very good at reading directions. Whatever.
This will be a lesson in good-enough for me. As in, what I have time to do will have to be good enough. My mommy instincts have already dictated plans for a matching organza flowered head piece and homemade wings. Of course a wand and glitter and a fancy hairdo that we'll have to wake up at 5:00 to do would be perfect. And wouldn't it be great if I had mad embroidery skilz? I mean, I could pimp out that purple tunic like nobody's business! Twining vines and pink flowers climbing up her pink leggings? Ah. Magical.
But I need to put on the brakes.
A simple lavender slip (that I altered into a tunic) and a sparkly but plain organza peasant shirt (that I altered to make it really long) will be worn over pink leggings. No headband and no purple-boot-shaped shoe covers (the fairy in the book wore purple boots). And absolutely no embroidery-that-I'd-have-to-stay-up-until-3:00-AM-researching-online-because-I-don't-already-know-how-to-do-it.
Okay, well, maybe the headband...how do I make organza flowers anyway?
Because I will be lucky to have this finished in time for her book report on Wednesday, what with tomorrow evening being spent on Andrew's spring band concert and a trip to the fabric store being necessary.
(shaking my head at my crazy self)
I will laugh abouto this one day.
Probably tomorrow.
Daily bliss: dinner turned out okay, even if I almost wrecked the bread
Wake-Up Playlist: Lovesong of the Buzzard by Iron and Wine
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