Archive for January, 2010

Rockin’ Baby

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Today I am so thankful for my friend, D. I went out on a hunt for a rocking chair the other day, as III has been sick and miserable and I thought it might be nice to be able to rock him while he screams. There’s really no money in our budget for a rocking chair, but I’ve been meaning to get one for so long that I thought it might be worth the investment. Of course, I would love one of those nice, padded glider chairs that are always pictured in the perfectly designed nurseries. So I set out seeing if I could find one.

I figured I could splurge and spend $100—after all, this is an investment in my sanity, right? Well, obviously, I have never been rocking chair shopping. I first stopped at a consignment shop (to satisfy the guilt I would feel if I didn’t try to be thrifty), where I found an old wooden rocker for $38. It creaked, and felt like it might have been falling apart, but I figured it could be my last resort, and I moved on to the furniture store across the street.

They had 3 gliders, and the cheapest one was over $300 (and they were all ugly!). I was quite surprised and disappointed. I mean, 300 bucks for a recliner I could see, but one lousy glider? We bought our sofa-bed and a matching chair for $500; surely there are cheaper gliders. So I moved on to the other furniture store in town. They at least had a larger selection, but I was once again shocked by the prices. The cheapest was a $250 wooden rocking chair—no frills. They were still all ugly anyway, so I wasn’t terribly disappointed, except that I really wanted a rocking chair to help me get through the evening.

I had already been on Wal-Mart’s website, and had originally thought $260 was outrageous, but I guess it really is a low price. Still not enough to tempt me, though. I took a shot at the Pamida across the street, and was actually pleasantly surprised by a decent glider and ottoman combo for only $120. It wasn’t the perfection I had envisioned, but it was comfy and not hideous. It was still more than I wanted to pay, though, so I decided to also check out the thrift shop.

Usually their furniture warehouse is locked, so I waited to get the attention of the woman working, but she just continued to make small talk with another customer. After about 10 minutes she lets me know it’s already open, so I head out to the other building, where I find an old glider rocker for only $20. It’s not lovely, and the seat had been repaired with simple plywood, but I figured it was worth 20 bucks. By the time I get their system figured out and return with the ticket off of it, I discover they only accept cash or checks. I, of course, have neither.

So I head home, dejected, and trying to decide what to do. In the course of my weighing of options I get a call from my friend, who I briefly lament my story to. Her quick response is, “Well, do you just want to borrow my extra one? I’m not using it.” Oh, well, yeah. That works. So that’s my story. It is not the perfect glider, but it is small enough to fit well in my living room, and I didn’t have to take any  money out of our budget, making it the perfect solution. I can also give it back when I’m done.

And now instead of only walking around with III as he is crabby, I have a nice rocking chair that calms him down most of the time. I am very thankful. (This is also the same friend who gave me a bunch of frozen roast and ground beef from a freshly slaughtered cow; I am very grateful for her, indeed.)

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

0
Posted in Thankful Thursdays |

Crackers and Canada

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

It’s time to get back to normal and have another Daring Baker challenge! I am finishing this one at the last minute, so I’d definitely say things are normal again. I did this one over a couple of days, as it has a couple parts to it. The first part was to make gluten-free graham crackers, and the second part was to use those graham crackers in a traditional Canadian dessert, Nanaimo Bars. (Full recipe at end of post.)

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

I have a friend here in York whose husband is gluten intolerant, so I was fortunate enough to be able to get some of my ingredients from her pantry, and after searching all the grocery stores and finally ending up at the health food store, I ended up with all of the ingredients except the custard powder (which was fine, as I just substituted vanilla pudding mix as the recipe suggested).

Once again, this was a dough-like substance, so I was yet again hesitant, and for good reason. I, of course, used a whisk to mix my ingredients, and then cut my butter in as best I could with a fork. I worked on this for quite some time, and really couldn’t see any chunks of butter, so I’m pretty sure I was doing it right thus far. I then whisked together my liquid ingredients, and added them to form my “soft and sticky” dough. It was indeed very soft—not tough to stir like cookie dough, but really easy, like air. I really felt like this was more akin to brownie batter, except even lighter. But I thought it must be right, as it was certainly soft and sticky. Very sticky.

My graham ingredients

My graham ingredients

My dry ingredients with butter cut in

My dry ingredients with butter cut in

The soft, sticky batter/dough

The soft, sticky batter/dough

Next was turning the dough onto a floured surface in order to shape it into a rectangle for the fridge. Here’s where I became slightly concerned. The term “turn” implies that it will all plop out of the bowl as a complete unit. I basically poured my “dough” onto my floured surface (once again, think brownie batter). And as for turning it into a rectangle, well . . . it was a globular rectangle. But I doused it with flour and tried my best at wrapping it in plastic wrap, figuring it would get more solid when it cooled.

My rectangle of gooey dough

My rectangle of gooey dough

Pretty much didn’t happen. Instead I just had cold cracker batter, even after sitting in the fridge overnight.  So I figured I just needed more flour, so I LOADED it up—my parchment paper was covered, and I drenched the top of the dough as well. On the bright side, it was really easy to roll out. I didn’t even really need my rolling pin. Somehow, though, it was still sticky. So when it seemed close to 1/8 inch, I called it good and cut pieces out, but didn’t remove them from the parchment, as they were stuck and not even mildly stiff anyway. I stuck them in the fridge to cool and went to have dinner at a friend’s.

Ready to cook, I guess

Ready to cook, I guess

When I got home I immediately turned on the oven and stuck my dough batter in the oven. They were supposed to take 25 minutes, but after 15 they smelled like they were burning. The center of the mass still didn’t seem done, even though the edges were looking browned, so I left them in a little longer. I still don’t know if I should have left them in longer or what, because the edges ended up getting black, while the center is more like a soft cookie. I’m guessing the problem may lie in the thickness of the dough. Should have rolled a little more.

The cooked product

The cooked product

Too thick?

Too thick?

Well, the soft bits are still quite delicious, and I have no complaints, except that I needed crunchy graham crumbs for the next part. So I broke apart what I could, and tried to avoid the really burned bits and managed to get my 1 and 1/4 cups of crumbs. I figured once they were mixed with the rest it really wouldn’t be a big deal. So on to part two!

I started on my bottom layer in my makeshift double boiler, and really had no problems. Things melted as predicted, mixed as predicted, and stuck in the bottom of my pan, just like it was all supposed to. Very encouraging. I stuck it in the fridge to cool while I put Emma to bed (it was almost midnight by this time—oops!).

Bottom layer (minus the egg)

Bottom layer (minus the egg)

Melting in the "double boiler"

Melting in the "double boiler"

Adding all the rest

Adding all the rest

Bottom layer success!

Bottom layer success!

Then I started on layer two. I think to really get it to cream together, the butter really needs to be at room temperature, which mine was not, so I took another little break part way through mixing and then went back and creamed my second layer and added it on top.

Creaming butter, sugar, etc

Creaming butter, sugar, etc

Layer two success!

Layer two success!

Last, I melted my chocolate and butter, but I went the easy method, and stuck it in a measuring cup in the microwave. I also used dark chocolate chips because I like them more than just semi-sweet. I waited until the chocolate seemed cool enough not to melt the custard layer, but it was rather sticky, so I think it may have been too cool. Also, were I to do this again, I would leave out the butter. I’ve made refrigerated bars before that require chocolate on top, and it works just fine to just melt the chocolate. I feel like the butter made it a little greasy when spreading instead of smooth and creamy. Still worked, though. (Or maybe I didn’t melt it enough?)

Top layer success!

Top layer success!

Sadly, I am finishing this in the middle of the night, so I do not have a picture of the finished, cut product. But I will update later in the day tomorrow when I get to it! Oh, and I suggest cutting the bars before the chocolate is all the way hardened, or it may crack (at least in past experience this has been true).

My final opinion on this challenge is this: if I ever do try to make graham crackers again (which I may one day—the unburned parts are very tasty!), I will roll them out thinner. I will also pay more attention at the beginning. Emma was helping me and it’s very possible that with all her constant chatter I mis-measured something. This recipe will not be at the top of my list to try again, though.

On the other hand, the Nanaimo Bars seem to be a definite keeper. They really weren’t too difficult to make, but I would  just use regular graham crackers next time. I know I haven’t tasted the whole product all together yet, but I sampled each layer, and on their own, they were each very good (I almost quit at the custard layer and just ate the whole bowl of it!), so I’m pretty confident that they will be enjoyable.

And now I’m off to bed, while visions of chocolate dance in my head. :)

***Updated*** Ok, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go to bed without tasting it. So I pulled them out of the fridge, cut, snapped a photo, and consumed. Oh, my. Oh, my. Maybe I’m just tired, and that’s making it seem better, but these are good. I have quite a sweet tooth, so I’m pretty sure I’m lovin’ them because they are so intense. But all the work, and the staying up way, way too late is totally worth it at this point in time (I’m sure I’ll have a different opinion when I’m awakened in a few hours by III crying). Anyone in town that wants to try one, you better hurry up, or I am sure to finish them all myself!

Looks aren't everything. So fantastic!!

Looks aren't everything. So fantastic!!

The Recipe:

Preparation time: • Graham Wafers: 30 to 45 minutes total active prep, 2 ½ hours to overnight and 45 minutes inactive prep. • Nanaimo Bars: 30 minutes.

Equipment required: • Food Processor • Bowls • Parchment paper or silpats • Cookie sheets • Double boiler or pot and heatproof bowl • 8 by 8 inch square pan • Hand mixer or stand mixer (You may use a wooden spoon, but this makes it much easier!) • Saucepan

For Gluten-Free Graham Wafers Ingredients

1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions: 1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.

7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.

8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars Ingredients:

For Nanaimo Bars —

Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions: 1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

——————————- Additional Information:

These bars freeze very well, so don’t be afraid to pop some into the freezer.

The graham wafers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Mine lasted about that long.

If making the graham crackers with wheat, replace the gluten-free flours (tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and sorghum flour) with 2 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose wheat flour, or wheat pastry flour. Watch the wheat-based graham wafers very closely in the oven, as they bake faster than the gluten-free ones, sometimes only 12 minutes.

For the Nanaimo Bars, if making with wheat, replace the gluten-free graham wafer crumbs with equal parts wheat graham wafer crumbs!

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

2
Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Wanderlust Wednesdays |

Before Kids…

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

…I got to pop my own bubble wrap.

…Mealtime didn’t take two hours.

…”Accidents” meant something like a car crash, or a slip on the ice. (And I realize this could be taken two ways!)

…I only had to brush my own teeth.

…Bathtime was relaxing.

…I remembered to brush my hair every day.

…I didn’t try to align my shower time with Dragon Tales.

…I laughed at the words “This plastic bag is not a toy.”

…My shirts stayed snot-free.

Before kids, I thought mine would never be naughty. And I’m sure when they’re teenagers they’ll never talk back to me!


Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

0
Tags:
Posted in Twitterific Tuesdays |

I Should Know This

Monday, January 25th, 2010

For all my talk about cooking, and supposed experience baking things, you’d think I would understand the basic principles by now. But I am still in the dark about the chemistry of baking, which is absolutely my own fault. I know I could—and should—learn how and why everything works like it does, but I keep putting it off for another day.

I used to work at a catering company, and I still remember one of the cooks talking with me one day about cooking and baking. She told me she likes to cook, but she really loves to bake, because anyone can cook—you just throw stuff together and it can turn out fine. But baking is a science, and it takes measurements. If you’re not careful, you can really mess stuff up. She said not just anyone can bake.

Now, I realize there are some crazy-complicated recipes out there that one would bring in to argue against her “anyone can cook” statement. But I think she meant that if you knew absolutely nothing about anything, cooking something blindly would probably turn out better than baking something blindly. After all, it’s not that complicated to fry a piece of chicken. But without a recipe, how many people would just luckily choose the right ingredients and amounts to bake up some pancakes? What she said made a lot of sense, and is honestly probably part of why I love the idea of baking so much.

But back to me not knowing the basics. What she was talking about is exactly what I don’t know. What exactly does the egg do in a batch of brownies? Or cookies? How about the butter or oil? What’s the difference between baking powder and baking soda? I mean, I know pancakes take the powder, and I think it helps them rise and get fluffy, but what about the soda? I do plan on figuring out all these things at some point, especially because understanding the purpose of each ingredient can help a baker make good decisions about what can be substituted for something else, or what can possibly be left out if you happen to not have a full pantry.

I especially need to figure out this whole baking soda thing, because let me tell you, cookies are just not the same without it. I was craving some chocolate chip cookies the other night, and I had a half a bag of chocolate chips left from something I made over Christmas, I think. So I figured I could whip up a little half-batch without spending any more money, and be satisfied. But I couldn’t find a single recipe that did not call for baking soda, and I distinctly remember throwing my baking soda out while packing up because it just wouldn’t fit in the box I used to transport my food goods.

Well, what’s the big deal? It’s one little teaspoon of baking soda. It can’t possibly make that big of a difference. I was a little wrong, and a little right. Obviously, the soda has something to do with the consistency of your dough when baking. The mixed cookie dough seemed pretty normal to me—maybe just a little stickier than usual. I plopped it on my cookie sheet, expecting it to just ooze down into a nice, gooey cookie once baked, but after 6 minutes in the oven, it looked exactly the same. Didn’t ooze down one little iota. I guess that baking soda does have a purpose.

The cookies weren’t exactly bad; I mean, they were still sugar and chocolate, so I ate every last one (with a little help, and not all in one night!). But they were pretty weird. The little peaks of dough that stood up from being thrown off the spoon remained exactly as they were and cooked to be a little sharp. No one expects a chocolate chip cookie to be sharp. And in general, the cookies just tasted dense. So don’t leave out the baking soda (I have replenished my pantry’s supply). Here’s what you get:

Still edible, but not ideal

Still edible, but not ideal

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

7
Tags: , ,
Posted in Mediocre Mondays |

Zuppa Toscana!

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Today I am sharing with you a fabulous recipe; one that has been tested on real live subjects two times, and passed with flying colors both times! The first time I made it was just for Lloyd, and he enjoyed it so much that I made it again over the holidays for all of our family.

As usual, I tweaked this recipe because I liked so many things about a few different recipes. Also, as usual, I sort of guessed on some of the amounts, so I apologize about that, but I think it’s pretty easy to recreate without exact measurements.

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
1 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 T minced garlic
approx 32 oz chicken broth
4-6 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream, or milk
1 pkg tortellini

Cook the sausage and red pepper flakes until browned, and then drain and set aside. (I used my biggest pot; the original recipe calls for a dutch oven, which I don’t own, but the pot worked fine). Cook the bacon until crisp (this part seemed to take the longest, and I also used more than 4 slices of bacon the second time I made it—after all, I was feeding 5 grown men!). Drain the bacon, but leave a little bit of the drippings in the bottom with the bacon. And it’s also fine if a little bit of the sausage is still in there; you don’t have to be really picky because everything is ending up in this pot eventually anyway.

Next, add in the onions and garlic, cooking them until the onions are translucent, or about 5 minutes. Then add your chicken broth. You’re trying to make a thick soup here, but keep in mind that you will be adding potatoes and pasta, so there needs to be plenty of liquid to soak up. The original recipe called for over 60 oz of chicken broth, which seemed like a lot to me. I used one of the large boxes of broth, which I think was around 32 oz. Feel free to experiment with that part; I guess it depends how soupy you like it, too. I bought lots of broth, but when I was pouring it in, it just seemed like too much.

Bring it to boil over high heat, and then add the potatoes and continue to boil until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). About 10 minutes into the boiling, add the tortellini as well. I’m sorry I can’t remember the actual size of the package, but it was probably around 12 oz. (I got the multi-colored kind for Emma.)

Reduce the heat to medium and add the heavy cream or milk (I used milk because I forgot to buy the heavy cream and it turned out just fine). Also add the cooked sausage and heat the whole thing through. Then serve it with a smile, and maybe some salad or something.

This recipe is very heavy, but really delicious. Emma even liked it when I used mild sausage. The second time I used hot sausage, though, and it was too spicy for her. There were no leftovers, and even Lloyd’s dad ate quite a bit, which I took to mean the recipe was a keeper, as he typically only eats raw foods. So if you’re looking for another way to serve good ol’ meat and potatoes, here it is!

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

1
Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Freestyle Fridays |

Good Decisions

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Today I am thankful to just be where I am. When we decided to open the door to the possibility of moving, and prayed for the “right” outcome, I really didn’t know what that would be. I was having trouble deciding on my own. And now that all is said and done, and I find myself back in Nebraska (which I promised myself would never happen!), I am really at peace and content with the situation.

Sure, it’s difficult on those days that seem to be filled with more screaming than smiles, and I would love to have someone else around to take turns with diaper changes. But I believe where we’re at is best for all of us. Lloyd’s been working long days (as usual), and I am even more convinced now that going to California with him would have resulted in more stress. He wouldn’t be able to focus on his work as well, and I would probably become resentful of his time spent working, rather than spent with us. I think it would have been bad for business and family.

And had I stayed in Texas, I’m sure things would be manageable, but there have been many positives to being in York. I used to dread going to the grocery store just because it was such a big ordeal. I’d figure on at least half an hour just for commute and loading/unloading of the children, and at least an hour for the shopping part. The other night I went shopping here and the total trip time was 45 minutes—not even long enough to make my kids fussy!

Even though it was a bit of an ordeal to move, the change of venue has been good mentally, as well.  Had we stayed in our house (which I do miss, especially after the awesome paint job in Emma’s room), it would seem more empty because we were used to having Lloyd there. Here, everything is new again. There is no feeling of a physical void since Lloyd hasn’t been here. I don’t know if that makes sense, but if you’ve ever been split up from someone, doesn’t it always seem like the one left at home misses the other person more than the one having the “adventure”? This way we’re both having an adventure, and while we miss each other, there’s enough of a distraction in the newness that so far it really hasn’t been too bad.

Of course I miss my friends in Texas, but I’m also enjoying reuniting with friends I left behind. I feel like every negative has been overpowered by a positive, and at the end of the day I’m enjoying life as it is right now. Five years ago I would not have predicted the things that have happened in our lives through now, and so I’m curious and excited to see what another five years will bring. This period of our lives will be like a blip—a good story to tell down the road. So I’m thankful for good decisions, and I hope we will continue to choose wisely.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

2
Tags: ,
Posted in Thankful Thursdays |

I Want to be a Bachelorette!

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

I am about to reveal to you my secret sin: I am a Bachelor addict. It’s not a complete secret; I share with other addicts, but it really is a problem. It began a few years ago while I was painting our house. I was bored and looking for something easy and brainless to watch/listen to while I worked. And so began my affair. I don’t even remember the Bachelor’s name that season, but I remember that I really liked one of the girls—DeAnna, who later went on to be the Bachelorette (and really lame). So then I watched her season, where one of her discards became the new Bachelor, and so on and so forth until this season, where discarded pilot Jake is now the Bachelor.

I know this show is totally ridiculous. There have been like 17 seasons, and only one couple stayed together. How is this show still going?? Well, let’s see. Regardless of which side I could be on (rose-giver or rose-taker), I would leave my job for a few months to spend most of my days either hanging out at a mansion with a group of jealous girls, or going on dates with hot guys. I’m guessing I would not have to cook, or clean, or even do my own hair for a date. I would not have to plan the dates or pay for the dates, and I would get to travel the world. Even if I got booted, or ended up heart-broken, my 15 minutes of fame could lead to other television deals, or a new relationship, or just plain a better job. I would have to have my life invaded my camera guys, but I think that’s a small price to pay.

So, yes, I want to be a Bachelorette. It’s easy to see why it’s so easy to “fall in love” on the show. That’s why sad housewives like me keep watching it. I’m in love. In love with all the beautiful people and the pretty, pretty dresses they get to wear. In love with the dates that are full of adventure and probably cost more than my mortgage. In love with the idea of not having to do much of anything to make a relationship happen other than show up to one date a week and a cocktail party. This last week Jake compared facing the fear of bungee jumping to difficult times in life or a relationship. Clearly, he really has not been married. Bungee jumping is like mac ‘n’ cheese. Facing the fears that come with a lifetime relationship (especially once you add in kids) is more like pate de canard en croute (Julie & Julia, anyone?).

So now I’m thinking the network should just use their resources to make a marriage-rejuvenating reality show. Wouldn’t that be so much more inspiring? Instead of watching insipid, anorexic catty girls fighting over a hunky airline pilot, we could watch some average-looking, boring married couple that fights a lot get to go on a series of adventurous dates to rekindle their love. Well, maybe it’s better from my perspective because I know I’d at least qualify by being married. Although, once again, considering that none of the relationships seem to pan out, it would probably just be a band-aid on a marriage (but a very nice band-aid that would probably stick on for quite some time).

As a side note, in double-checking some things about the show I discovered how intertwined the people from different seasons become. There are a number of off-shoot relationships from all different seasons. DeAnna is now dating the twin brother of one of the bachelor’s from Jillian’s season. It’s like a sub-culture of beautiful people that have formed this big family and are just switching around until they find the right cousin. Weird. And also, it makes sense that people would sign up for a relationship with a deadline. I think people go into a relationship wondering when/how it will end, and on the Bachelor, you know that within 2 months you will either be dumped or engaged. Not really a huge commitment—which is probably why the engagements never stick. It’s just fast-food dating, and we all know fast-food is not the way to go.

Anyway, now you know my secret. And despite all the horribleness of the show, I still want to be on it. And for the record, I’m rooting for Tenley; she’s cute. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, please, please don’t turn on your TV to find out. You’ll never escape!!

(And Lloyd, if you’re reading this, one word for our next date: helicopter ;) )

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

2
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Wanderlust Wednesdays |

Tiny Tweets

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

I meant to be keeping track of Emma sayings again, but I haven’t been doing a very good job at it. Here are the only three I have:

“Mom, are we real people?”

(While playing Wii Fit) “No, I don’t want to work out any more. I’m gettin’ sweaty from workin’ out.”

(Her bedtime prayer) “Once upon a time . . .  Oops.”

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

1
Tags:
Posted in Twitterific Tuesdays, What kids say... |

Sunday Best

Monday, January 18th, 2010

I know there’s a bit of a standard in many churches that Sunday mornings require one’s “Sunday best,” meaning you must participate in the unspoken rule of wearing a suit and tie if you’re male, or a dress if you’re female. This is clearly not at all churches—many have a very laid-back, come-as-you-are attitude that is very sincere. And then there are some very staunchly traditional churches that may give you the cold shoulder if you’re wearing even dress pants (I’m talking females here). Anyway, I’m not writing this to get into some semi-political/theological discussion on proper church attire, and how your clothing either brings honor or shame to God—I honestly don’t care to get into such an argument, as it would probably only end in frustration.

I just want to say that I still dress up, and I’d like to explain why, without ever bringing God into it. (Although the mere fact that I’m talking about my attire while going to worship God technically is still centered around Him, but just bear with me here.) As a mother of two small children, and particularly now as a mother who could go for weeks without ever seeing another human being if I chose, I set all my own standards of living. I don’t have a hungry husband coming home at 6 that I need to have dinner prepared for. I don’t have to go to any fancy work parties for my husband’s office. I don’t ever need to be seen with anyone other than my children.

And this state of living is nice, but it is making me more lazy than usual. If my kids stay up way too late and then the baby wakes up and cries for hours in the middle of the night, leaving him exhausted enough to sleep until noon, why should I get up before then? Nobody will know the difference. No one’s coming home at lunch to make me feel guilty for being such a slouch while the “rest of the world” has been productive for 4 hours of the day so far. Does it really matter if I’m still in my pajamas at 2 in the afternoon?

I haven’t started watching soap operas yet, or making grilled cheese with an iron, so I haven’t quite sunk to Mr. Mom levels of stay-at-home parenting, but this lifestyle is why I still dress up on Sundays. Sunday is the one day of the week where I set an alarm. It is the one day that I force myself to care a little more than usual, and by doing so, I am rewarded. Staying in one’s pajamas all day sounds like fun, but in the end, I find myself more drained and feeling gross. Not to mention I seem to way too ready to have a “good” reason for eating massive doses of chocolate, or whatever form of sugar I happen to find.

When I dress up on a Sunday it’s not just throwing on jeans and a t-shirt to make myself presentable to run errands in; it’s taking a little bit of pride in how I look. And I don’t mean pride like, “Oh, everyone look how pretty I am. You all just wish you could look as hot as me!” I mean the type of pride that one gets when dressing for a job, or even a job interview. Perhaps it’s more of just a feeling of self-worth. I get to feel like a person, not just a mommy (which seems to be synonymous with maid, short-order cook, and babysitter, all at once). Once again, I am not saying that a mommy is an unworthy job, only that it can leave said mommy very drained, and I think it’s important that mothers get a chance to feel good about themselves, and to get out of the house looking and feeling confident and happy at least one day a week.

So as long as I’m still dressing up on Sundays, all is not lost; and while I’m semi-shooting for being a productive person with a before-noon schedule for every day of the week, my mediocre goal is to just hang on to Sundays. And I’m pretty confident I will succeed.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

0
Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Mediocre Mondays |

Better Late Than Never?

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

So, funny story about last month’s baking challenge; well,  not really very funny at all, but I’ll at least let you know what happened. I planned in advance to have my challenge done before Christmas and the ensuing chaos. So, my little helper Emma and I started on the 22nd I believe, and finished on the 23rd. My intention was to immediately write my post and just schedule it for a later date. Guess that didn’t happen—but I did finish the challenge early! So here I am now, sharing (to the best of my memory) my gingerbread house experience.

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

I chose to use the Good Housekeeping recipe for the same reason as Anna: it was simple and I already had the ingredients. We decided to mix our ingredients at night, and bake and assemble the next day. So, first I mixed my brown sugar, cream and molasses in one bowl, and the flour, baking soda and ginger in another bowl. Emma was very adamant about helping with this challenge, so the mixing took us quite a while, especially once we combined the bowls.

Here are our two bowls of mixed ingredients.

Here are our two bowls of mixed ingredients.

Here Emma is proud of our mixed gingerbread dough

Here Emma is proud of our mixed gingerbread dough

Also, I had heard from my friend’s experience with this challenge that the recipe made a LOT of gingerbread, so I halved the recipe, and then divided it into two discs to chill in the fridge. The next day I took it out and began beating it into submission in order to roll it out. Anna suggested using dowels or rulers on either side of the dough as a guide for thickness, and in hindsight, I really should have gone to the trouble. But instead, with my usual whatever attitude, I just guessed.

I also just whipped up a template for the house, as many of the ones online seemed like too much work, and besides, Emma had decreed that we were to have a gingerbread cabin, not house. So I guessed on a template, and here it is:

Our cabin template, in pretty pink and green

Our cabin template, in pretty pink and green

I had a little bit of trouble with cracking, but overall, the gingerbread was pretty manageable. I should have made it thicker, though. Anyway, after cutting out the pieces, I decided to score them before they cooked so they would have a little bit of a log look to them. Then I scored the chimney pieces to look like brick. This whole process took me quite a bit of time, but other than Emma getting bored and then becoming slightly obnoxious, there were no major disasters, so that was nice.

Here are two sides and parts of the chimney cooking

Here are two sides and parts of the chimney cooking

And here are all the finished pieces

And here are all the finished pieces

I didn’t have time to assemble right away like I thought I would, but I roughly held the pieces together when they came out of the oven to see if they would all fit together. They sort of did, so I figured that would be good enough. I did end up remaking part of the chimney, as one side came out really warped, but I had plenty of leftover gingerbread, so it was an easy fix.

I decided to go with the simple syrup, as I figured it would be stickier and easier. I have never boiled sugar before, and I really did not believe my eyes as it was happening. I put my sugar in the pan and started heating it, and was amazed when it started melting. Perhaps this seems like a simple thing to you, but seriously, I was incredulous that just sugar was turning into this goopy mess. And then it turned brown, which really confused and amazed me, as sugar is white. Anyway, I think I burned mine a little. I thought I was being careful, and as soon as it hit boiling I took it off the heat, but it continued to bowl on its own for like 5 minutes, and smelled horrible, so I guess this was one tiny part that didn’t go as planned. But then it turned sticky, so it was all ok.

This syrup was nuts. It was incredibly sticky and dried in an instant and was really hard. It was like hot glue except the usability window was even smaller. I just started throwing it on as fast as I could, despite any messes, figuring I could hide it all with icing later. So before I put on the last roof piece, here’s a picture of the messy inside:

Sugar and gingerbread

Sugar and gingerbread

It stuck together very nicely, and I didn’t need any other supports. Unfortunately, I got distracted with other things and never decorated my house, but I had still completed all the requirements of the challenge. After a few days of just sitting out, the syrup started to get sticky again and the gingerbread got soft (moisture in the air??), and I came in one morning to find part of the roof sliding off. I have no doubt that had I reinforced the whole thing with icing it would have lasted longer, but with the coming festivities, I wasn’t too disappointed. We enjoyed our cabin.

The almost-finished product

The almost-finished product

The final gingerbread cabin

The final gingerbread cabin

Emma at her wedding (this is what she did once she got bored)

Emma at her wedding (this is what she did once she got bored)

If you’d like the whole recipe, you can find it here!

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

2
Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Wanderlust Wednesdays |
« Older Entries