oh fer cute

mid week break

2012-02-17T09:43:00.000-06:00

Having been married nearly 25 years, my husband and I have fallen into a married life routine. In the morning, we get the kid off to school, read our favorite blogs or visit our preferred internet sites, peruse the paper, bring each other coffee, manage our email.

Owning a business together means we spend far more time with each other than most couples do, and we tend to spend most of that time making business decisions or talking about the future. It's all very serious and important and life altering. Not really, but necessary to keep ACES going.

Winter weekends Mike and Charlie do a lot of skiing, while I make things for my Etsy shop or spend time with friends. Summer weekends find them off on their dirt bikes, and me in my garden. A cozy, easy routine that I have really grown to love.

But now and then you need to shake things up and get out of the routine, and that is just what Mike and I did this week. We had been asked to speak to the Entrepreneur's Club at the University of Minnesota Duluth, so we headed up bright and early on Weds. morning to do just that. As we walked the campus, I tried to remember my college student days, oh so long ago, and wondered what the students thought of that old couple walking through their midst. Actually, they paid no attention to us.

The students who showed up to listen to us asked great questions and seemed interested in what we had to say, which is really all you can ask for. And after an hour, we were free, to enjoy Duluth, a treasured place.

First stop was a restaurant we adore, Va Bene, ( http://www.vabenecaffe.com/va-bene-caffe.html ) for a little lunch. We sat in the porch dining area, which is located right on the shores of Lake Superior, sun streaming through the windows, the view of Duluth's shoreline spread out before us. Wonderful music in the background (think Ella-I love when restaurant's play good music!), and amazing food in front of us. I had the BLT, which was really a PLT, as being an Italian restaurant it was made with pancetta instead of bacon. Oh my. It was panini style, with perfectly toasted crusty salty bread, just the right amount of mayo, thick slices of tasty fresh tomatoes...to say I was in food heaven is NOT an exaggeration. I was literally swooning and thanked the chef on the way out for ruining blt's for me forever. Sometimes the simplest food is the best.

It was sunny and nearly warm in Duluth, they have hardly any snow. It certainly did not feel like February 15th. We walked down to Fitgers and browsed the shops, I picked up a new book at a little independent bookstore "West from Here" that I am dying to dive into. Because I just may be running out of books....ha.

Then we headed down to Canal Park and checked in to our hotel. This trip brought us to the Inn on Lake Superior, we have stayed here many times before and have always been impressed. I found an on-line deal on a King Whirlpool suite, which included a $40 gift card to a restaurant, along with a bottle of champagne, and chocolates. How can that be bad?

I tucked in for a delicious nap on the giant bed, Mike went to explore Duluth Pack and the Ship Museum, and just soak in the views of the Lake. Kind of a perfect late afternoon.

The evening found us at Black Woods Grill, ( http://www.blackwoods.com/ ) a cozy restaurant of dark woods, subdued lights, roomy leather booths, wonderful music, superb food, and excellent service. A bottle of shiraz to accompany the meal, and we proclaimed the whole experience very nearly perfect.

Upon arriving at our hotel, we found they had fires going outside by the lake, and s'more fixings just ready to be used. So of course we had to make one, outside with the brisk air coming off the lake. Seriously? Had we fallen into a movie?

The morning found us drinking coffee in bed and not worrying about anything, not our kid, or our store, or our to-do lists. A much needed break from the routine of every day life. Fortified with a yummy breakfast, we headed to the Dewitt Sietz Marketplace ( http://www.dewittseitz.com/ ) and went to a shop I ADORE, Two and Co. ( http://twoandco.com/) We met the owner, he is the one responsible for all of the ultra creative fixturing found throughout the space. And the best part? Mike picked up a little Valentine gift for me there. I am glad he waited!

The North Shore beckoned, so we headed up to Two Harbors, enjoying the views along the way. A mandatory stop is Russ Kendall's Smoked Fish, where we picked up smoked trout and cheese and crackers. Finding a perfect little stop along the shore, we devoured the sweet, smooth, smoky fish and then crawled among the rocks, taking in the absolutely pure air off the lake and filling our lungs with it.

(Really, we WERE having fun-even though Mike looks a little serious (taking a good picture is hard work...)

There is just something about that area of Minnesota that has always drawn us, and we return from our time there renewed and refreshed. While it was just an overnight trip, we made the most of it and are now ready to go back to our routines.

We finished our trip with quite a finale, at the Anchor Bar in Superior. It's one of those places that you wonder if the health inspector ever visits, full of true character that was not designed in a corporate office. Salty waitresses, regular customers at the bar, the smell of fried onions in the air. Pieces of mementos and parts of old salties hang from the ceiling and are permanently adhered to the walls by years of smoke and grease. There was a bartender and a cook, and it took AN HOUR from the time we ordered our burger until they were thrown in front of us. You do not go to this place for express service, you go to soak up the atmosphere. And the burgers and hand cut fries are incredible, our spot at the bar gave us a view into the tiny kitchen, where the potatoes are literally cut right before they are thrown in the fryer. It was the exclamation point at the end of our short trip.

Our 14 year old (going on 18) was happy to stay home alone, and take care of Claude. He did just fine managing himself, and was able to get up and off to school, and even made his own lunch. Which means now that he has shown he is capable of doing so, he should be able to do that every day, right? He loves having a little independence, and I think it is healthy for him to be away from the parents for a night now and then.

A good couple of days, all around.

happy hearts day !

2012-02-14T06:45:00.000-06:00

Valentines Day makes my heart happy. I love going through my boxes of papers and trims and vintage valentines, rubber stamps and glitter and ribbon, and crafting little cards for friends and family. It reminds me of making the Valentine holder for school as a child, covering an oatmeal box and making it pretty to collect tiny Valentines from classmates. I still have some of mine, and it is so fun to go through them.

I know Valentines Day has it's detractors, but I disagree. It doesn't have to be about the giant bouquet of roses delivered to your office, or a heart shaped box of chocolates, or something sparkly in a black velvet box. Just a sincere hug, or a kind word, or a little note to friend you haven't seen in ages. Just remind someone how much you care for them.

No, we shouldn't need a reminder to do that, but some people need a nudge.

How can you not love a holiday that emphasizes chocolate? Speaking of, I better get going on those red velvet cupcakes for my guys...

Hoping your Valentine's day is sweet!

(and for a real Valentine treat, head on over to visit Susan Branch today, she knows how to celebrate Valentines Day! http://www.susanbranch.com/archives/3337

music in my ear

2012-02-13T09:09:00.003-06:00

Every morning when I wake up, there is a song running through my head.

Sometimes it makes sense, like this morning, when Adele was mixing with Whitney Houston in my brain this morning, after seeing a snippet of the Grammys last night. (I missed Bruce, dang! Hoping to find a clip of it somewhere today...)

Can I just say, Adele's voice is absolutely incredible? And I love that she is not a size 0 performer in an odd costume. No half clothed back up dancers, just a pure beautiful voice. But back to my subconscious music problem...

This summer, I had songs from the movie Mike was making for my parent's anniversary running through my head for weeks.

Now and then they are commercial jingles, the morning after the Super Bowl it was the song from the Matthew Broderick Honda commercial. Ohhhhh yeah.

Does everyone have this, or do I have a strange brain? Maybe it's the musical part of my brain that feels untapped, and can only come through when I wake up in the morning?

No matter, it's kind of nice to wake up to a little music every morning.

recipe box Wednesday, and the winner is:

2012-02-08T14:54:00.003-06:00

Using the Custom Random Number Generator, from mathgoodies.com, the winner of the Susan Branch cookbook is:

Number 2 !

AnnJFeb 2, 2012 05:10 PM

Your sister is so sweet! I would love to have lunch with my grandma who passed away about 27 years ago. I didn't appreciate her wisdom and grace and would love to talk to her about some things I didn't understand then. It is very foggy here too - but everything is covered with hoarfrost - breathtaking!

Congratulations Ann! Just email me (khpohl@gmail.com) with your address and I will pop it in the mail to you.

Today's recipe feels like one that Susan would have in her cookbook, and she would adorn the page so beautifully. This is one of those recipes clipped from a magazine (I think it was either Family Circle or Woman's Day or Better Homes and Gardens) many years ago, and it has become a family favorite. If I lined up all of the scones I made from this recipe over the years it may even stretch around the globe. But then, I did not mathematically calculate that, I just like the idea....

Easy Drop Scones are a little moister than a traditional English scone, and they pack a lot of flavor. While the recipe calls for dried and fresh cranberries, I have also made them with blueberries, cherries, and apricots. The possibilities are endless! And you can skip the white chocolate chips if you so choose, but I like the little pockets of sweetness they provide in contrast to the tart cranberries. I use raw cane sugar to sprinkle the tops, regular sugar works fine in a pinch. I love the ease of this recipe, just mix, drop and bake. No rolling or scoring as in other scone recipes. Bake up a batch and see if you like them as much as I do!

Go to my recipe pages for the printable page: https://sites.google.com/site/ohfercuterecipepages/easy-drop-scones

And thanks for stopping by today!

high school daze

2012-02-07T08:34:00.001-06:00

Firstly, if you haven't already, don't forget to enter my cookbook giveaway!

http://ohfercute.blogspot.com/2012/02/celebrating-good-things.html

Your chances of winning are far greater than entering a Pioneer Woman freebie...just leave a comment on that post, and let me know of someone you admire that you would love to have lunch with, contest ends at midnight tonight, night of the Snow Moon!

Now back to the topic at hand...

I sat last night in an auditorium filled with parents and their 13 and 14 year olds. The sides of the room were lined with teachers in bright red, the stage was adorned with festive red and white balloons. I listened to the principal welcome what will be the class of 2016, and he let the kids know that even though that seemed rather far off, the next four years would fly by. We listened attentively as IB programs were explained, and extra curricular offerings. I was only half listening, the other half of me was wondering how I got to this moment.

Wasn't I just holding his fingers as he toddled down the sidewalk, in search of garbage trucks or a good construction project?

Didn't we just spend the morning at the library, followed by some cookie baking after nap time?

Wasn't he just walking out the door for his first day of first grade?

I was rather in a daze as we wandered through the field house, endless tables of eager students and teachers ready to explain Computer Science, the Debate Team, National Honor Society, the Yearbook Committee. We ran into families from our days at Horace Mann, and I was astonished at how much their children had changed since I last saw them in fifth grade. I am sure they were thinking the same thing about Charlie.

We did a self tour of the building, Charlie ran into kids he knew, and his comment was "Mom, I really feel at home here."

He is still trying to decide between staying at his charter school or attending Highland, our neighborhood high school. He is doing shadowing days in the next few weeks at both places, and then he will have to make a decision. They are completely different choices, TCA has graduating classes of two dozen students, while Highland is more like 400. TCA has few offerings for extra-curricular, but a wonderfully rigorous academic focus and tremendous small school support. Highland has an IB program, and a club or activity for absolutely every interest. Asian Dance, Food and Film, Chess, you name it, they have it.

Soon another chapter of life will open-I have a few months to get my heart ready.

movie dreams

2012-02-03T11:28:00.001-06:00

I finally had a chance to watch "Midnight in Paris", and I am still thinking about it. I fell in love with it, and I think Owen Wilson did an amazing job. Having a bit of art in my background, seeing Picasso, and Dali, Degas and Toulouse Lautrec just put me over the moon. Marion Cotillard was luminescent, and Kathy Bates was ideal as Gertrude Stein. Here is a trailer for the movie, but it doesn't show much of what I thought made the movie so good:

http://youtu.be/BYRWfS2s2v4

So that got me to thinking, if you were magically transported to another time, and had a chance to meet (or dance with!) someone from the past, who would it be?

I have lots of ideas, one of the first people I would like to visit with would be Mary Cassatt. I adored her paintings, posters of them papered my dorm room in college. I would ask her about the influence of Paris on her painting, and why she focused on women and children in most of her art, and how she really preferred not to be labeled as part of the Impressionist movement. She was very independent for her time, and it would be so interesting to have a cup of tea with her in Paris.

Five O'Clock Tea by Mary Cassatt

This may have to a running thread in my blog over the next few weeks, I have many people from history I would love to spend time with!

So I leave you with this question for the weekend-if you were transported in time, when and where would it be and who would you want to see?

celebrating good things

2012-02-02T09:35:00.001-06:00

February is here! Looking out my window, I feel like perhaps I have moved to San Francisco-the fog has enveloped us for the last couple of days. Very little snow on the ground may lead us to think that spring may be just around the corner, but the Groundhog today said, not so fast!

Today I am announcing a little give away to celebrate my four year blogiversary. Regular readers will know how much I adore Susan Branch-her cookbooks, her art, her blog, and just the way she lives her life. I found a copy of her very first cookbook at a tiny independent bookstore last summer, and have been waiting for just the right time to give it away. This is the time!

I was fortunate to meet Susan Branch in person at a book signing many years ago, and I had a brush with her last fall. She is one of those people I would love to have lunch with someday. Leave a comment below and let me know who YOU love and admire and would like to lunch with someday, and you will be entered to win her first cookbook.

One entry per person (please make sure I have your email address, so I can contact you when you win!), the contest ends at midnight on Tues. February 7th. There is a full moon that night, and if you read Susan's blog you will know that February's full moon is a "Snow Moon". Here is a link to a blog post she wrote about moons, if you have some extra time: http://www.susanbranch.com/archives/2862 She also provides a link to a fun, free printable bookmark: http://www.susanbranch.com/moons-bookmark

All kinds of Susan love today! Good luck!

recipe box Wednesday

2012-02-01T07:15:00.000-06:00

Today brings us to February-although with the weather lately it feels more like April!

February always makes me think of cherries and chocolate, and today I share with you one of my favorite cookie recipes. I remember making dozens of these for a long weekend party we had for Mike and his friends fortieth birthday celebration, nearly 11 years ago. Enjoy!

Here is the link to the printable page: https://sites.google.com/site/ohfercuterecipepages/chocolate-coma-cookies

Oh how I wish I had a photo to share with you, you would want to take a bite of your computer screen! And now I may need to whip up a batch....

time flies, part XX

2012-01-31T06:44:00.000-06:00

Mike and Charlie at the District 23 Banquet last Saturday:

Charlie finished fifth in his class, Mike claimed second.

I am so proud!

Charlie won a new helmet in the raffle (woohoo!) and has decided to race his first adult enduro this summer. I will have to make sure not to be there, I will be a nervous wreck.

I remember when he didn't want to give up his trike to learn how to ride a bike....

Mom, I did it!

2012-01-30T06:02:00.000-06:00

My mother has been keeping a journal for years. And in typical reserved Scandinavian, northern Minnesota fashion, she doesn't use it to record her feelings, or hopes, or dreams. But she CAN tell us, on any given day, what she cooked for dinner, or what the temperature was, or if someone stopped by for coffee. She has saved all of them, for 'the girls' (that would be me and my sister), and she has been trying to get Heather and I to keep journals too, for years.

Apparently, she does not consider blogging a form of memory keeping, as each year, in January, she asks me if I am ever going to start keeping a journal.

Huh? Maybe it's because she does not own a computer, and never gets to read what I have to say, that she dismisses my silly little blog. (To be fair, she has never called it silly, but she is rather dismissive of it.)

Anyhoo-even if she doesn't consider it true memory keeping, I do, and I am happy to report that my blog has been around for FOUR YEARS as of January 28th. At first I was very timid, and unprepared to share myself with the world, so my first post was written and viewable only by my sister. So since you missed it, you can read it here:
http://ohfercute.blogspot.com/2008/01/finally.html

My blog hasn't changed all that much in those four years, I still have no advertisers (by choice) and I don't belong to any circles or groups or whatever you call them. Because I still write this daily blathering for me, and someday if Charlie is interested in reading about his mother, it will be there for him too. And hopefully he will learn a little more about me than what I cooked for dinner.

Friday!

2012-01-27T09:05:00.004-06:00

But I thought it was Thursday, since Charlie didn't have school on Monday, which always throws me off...

No theme today, just random musings of things that have been occupying my brain lately:

1. STOP THE MADNESS. If our legislators and elected county and city officials spent half as much time finding ways to spend our tax dollars more wisely, as they have on this stupid Vikings stadium, we wouldn't have budget problems. I am very tired of hearing the debate over which site is best, and it drives me crazy that it now seems to be a question of where, rather than WHY SHOULD THEY DO IT AT ALL? Clearly, I am happy to have the team move elsewhere, and for time and resources to be used for something that would benefit more of our state.
Whew, that tired me out.

2. WINTER CARNIVAL. It starts this weekend, it was 40 yesterday so the ice sculptures they are trying to build had some melting action. We are not big winter carnival people, the last time we participated in anything was when they had the last ice castle, YEARS ago (pic below, pulled from the interwebs). But it seems to be a fun event, and this year no one will freeze their fingers.

3. TAX TIME. I can hardy wait for January to be over. My tax package is nearly ready to go to my accountant, (I will be doing a happy dance on my way to the post office). Corporate taxes are due March 15th (did you know that?) so I really have to have my act together. And I do pretty much nothing BUT tax prep in January. It will be good to get out of the house again!

4. HAIRY. Charlie has gym class this quarter (why they don't have it every quarter still makes no sense to me....). With some pride in his voice, he let me know he has the hairiest legs in his class. At least he didn't inherit that trait from ME:

Mike now looks like the Second Most Interesting Man in the World. His beard isn't THAT white, it is full of snow from a fall-which he rarely does!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

thank goodness for smart kids

2012-01-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

Crisis averted, my Kindle is back.

Charlie came home from school and I whined that my Kindle had died. Five minutes later he had it going again. I don't know what he did, and I do intend to find out, so I can take care of myself next time. He is really good at electronic related issues, and is in the process of building his own computer. Perhaps he could hire himself out, I know he would rather do that than mow lawns or shovel snow. He only likes snow on the ski hill:

What am I going to do when he leaves for college? Perhaps I will just keep making good home cooked meals and he won't want to leave....

Just kidding, I know he is supposed to leave. But I have four more years to use his technical expertise!

recipe box Wednesday

2012-01-25T10:02:00.001-06:00

What is it about karma? So after I waxed poetic about my love for my Kindle Fire, it died last night. Won't turn on. Plugged in, not plugged in, don't tell me it's just a coincidence. Mike will trouble shoot it today, and go on line and see what he can find out. I am just frustrated and I am going to let him deal with it. One thing about a good book made of paper, it never lets you down!

On to better things....

I tried a few new recipes last week, purposely to find something new to share with you today. The Beer Chicken Crockpot Tacos did not make the cut, the Fresh Banana Cheesecake was a disappointment as well. But I did try a new recipe, from Martha Stewart's Everyday site, that was DELICIOUS. Here is the link:

http://www.marthastewart.com/314942/lighter-general-tsos-chicken?czone=food/dinner-tonight-center/dinner-tonight-main-courses&center=276948&gallery=275660&slide=259458

A few things, I doubled every ingredient (except the oil for cooking, the amount in the recipe was fine even with more chicken) and used broccoli instead of snap peas. We like our food spicy, so I used a very generous teaspoon of red pepper flakes, if you don't like things spicy I would cut back on that ingredient. I also used basmati rice, rather than brown rice.

Mike and Charlie gave it two thumbs up, and said it needs to be put in regular rotation. A winner!

a whole new world of books

2012-01-24T09:55:00.000-06:00

My sweet hubby gave me one of these, for Christmas.

And a month later, I have kind of fallen in love with it.

I am not a big techy person, I have a $10 flip phone (since I rarely use my phone, who needs all those bells and whistles?) I am on my laptop a big part of my workday, but since I mostly use it for work I try to stay away from it, unless I am loading goodies into my Etsy shop, or attempting a blog post, during the evening and weekends. Because when I am messing with an electronic device I am not getting anything hand crafted, and that is what my fingers would rather be doing.

But the Kindle Fire makes me really happy. The first thing I did after I opened it was to download a book: "Red Mist" by Patricia Cornwall. It completely violated my own rule about never paying more than $3 for a book (I love Half Price Books bargain basement and avid readers who have yard sales), but hey, it was Christmas Day, so I deserved to splurge! And there is nothing better than catching up with Kay Scarpetta, this one did not disappoint.

A day does not go by that I am not reading on my Kindle, mostly at night before bed, or in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. "Red Mist" was a fast read, and it was followed by "A Field of Darkness" by Cornelia Read (a mystery with Madeline Dare, written in a really fresh, delightful way). I can't wait to read other Madeline Dare mysteries.

It was followed by "The St. Paul Conspiracy" McRyan Mystery Series #1 by Roger Stelljes-a book that takes place in St. Paul. It is so fun to read books where you are familiar with all of the places depicted throughout the story-much like the Lucas Davenport mysteries. I borrowed it through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library, a neat feature where Prime Members get to borrow a book a month.

Next, I downloaded "Maids of Misfortune" - A Victorian San Francisco Mystery by Louisa M. Locke. (Clearly I have been on a mystery kick lately...) It was very enjoyable, and part of it even took place near the Cliff House restaurant, where Mike and I ate the last time we were in California. I plan to find more of these mysteries to read-San Francisco has always really fascinated me, and the author's website piqued my interest.

Amazon offers a Kindle Deal of the Day, book downloads are free or very inexpensive. It's a great way to try new authors. I almost feel like I have a library day, every day!

I have this one in my Kindle, just waiting to be read, "The Architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks" by Donald Harington. I love knowing I have fresh books just waiting for me.

Another Deal of the Day was this title "The Secret Holocaust Diaries" by Nonna Bannister - I am waiting to be in the right frame of mind to delve into it. Perhaps once I get off my mystery kick!

I am currently in the middle of "The Highest Tide" by Jim Lynch, about a fourteen year old boy who discovers a giant squid during his nocturnal low tide adventures. It is delightful.

I have also downloaded a few free games to play, I use Sudoku every day to keep my brain in shape (in theory...) I have also downloaded some books on organization and cookbooks. It is so versatile!

The Kindle Fire also lets me browse the web, so I can check my Gmail, Facebook, and Etsy shop along with my favorite blogs. And I can have Pandora playing my favorite music in the background at the same time. I haven't watched a movie on it yet, but since I am a Prime member I can watch thousands of them for free.

I have come to realize that the reason I love my Kindle Fire so much is that when I am holding it, it's just about me enjoying some down time. And we could all use a little more of that!

(all book images from the author's web sites, check them out if you are interested!)

my new favorite magazine

2012-01-20T08:50:00.000-06:00

It has been noted that I am a magazine hoarder (someone will probably make a reality show about that someday...) and I do love me my magazines.

I have a penchant for British magazines, every now and then I will splurge and buy the British edition of Country Living and pretend I have a quaint little cottage in a village there somewhere, and I walk down to the pub for a pint, and I have tea and cakes at 4 in the afternoon.

A few months ago I discovered a new magazine from the UK that I am pretty sure was designed with me in mind. It's called "Molly Makes", and it's my new favorite thing that makes me so happy. It features sewing and knitting and every kind of creative pursuit that I love to do. Just their tagline makes me smile "Living and Loving Handmade."

Here is the cover of the newest issue, which hasn't made it to the bookstores here yet. I am on 'pins and needles' waiting for it. tee hee! Yes, perhaps I should just take the plunge and subscribe, but the anticipation is part of the fun, and my trip to Barnes and Noble to look for it is always a special treat.

But while I patiently wait for it's arrival, I pore through the issues I already have, and enjoy their blog and wonderful website.

And because I love you all, here is the link to it, so you can have fun too!

http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com/

gentle reminder update

2012-01-19T09:26:00.002-06:00

This is usually the part of January when resolutions start to fall by the wayside. Did you make resolutions? How are you doing with them?

Personally, I think reminders are so much easier to work with. I have been doing pretty well getting some walks in, and replacing my salty snacks with fruit. The flossing reminder hasn't been going as well, but I will get there. I have been trying out some new healthier recipes, last night we had a Salmon Corn Chowder that I made with the leftover giant hunk of salmon I cooked up for dinner the night before. We have been eating more salads, and Charlie has asked for extra veggies or fruit in his lunchbox rather than a sweet ending. Tonight I am trying a new chicken recipe, if we like it I will feature it next week in Recipe Box Wednesday.

I just think it is easier to change habits when you do it slowly, and easily, and incorporate them into everyday life. And realize that it is okay to still have a treat now and then.

(image borrowed from the site- her blog, photography, and recipes are FAB! I am a new follower!)

And did we have a treat last night! I LOVE to bake, but I know we don't need those extra calories, so I don't do it very often. But this link http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2012/01/toasted-marshmallow-hot-fudge-cake/ popped up in my inbox this week, and last night I just couldn't resist.

And yes, it was worth every single calorie.

recipe box Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:56:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning dawned sunny and warm. We received some actual snow on Sunday, and everything was frosted with a fluffy coating. I pulled on my boots (which have been terribly neglected this winter) and took a walk in the sunshine. Beautiful!

It felt like a waffle day. The guys had planned to go skiing, but Charlie woke up with a nasty migraine, so plans changed. What better medicine for a headache than the smell of bacon?

I had picked up bacon at a little meat market in Delano the weekend before, so it was time to bake it up. It is the ONLY way I cook bacon anymore: line a big rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, place a cooking rack on top, lay out the bacon slices, and bake in a 400 degree oven. Depending on the thickness of the bacon, it will take anywhere from 15-25 minutes. The fat drips off the bacon, it gets yummy as only bacon can, and you don't have to clean grease spatters off your stove or figure out what to do with bacon grease. Just pull out the foil and toss the whole thing in the trash.

The only waffle recipe I will ever make is from Susan Branch, I have literally been making this same recipe for 20 years, and it is one of the few recipes I can make by heart. It is from this cookbook:

I will share the recipe (with my little alteration) here, it is nowhere near as pretty as it is in the cookbook!

https://sites.google.com/site/ohfercuterecipepages/

On this day, we gathered at the dining room table and enjoyed the waffles with warmed real maple syrup and European butter (oh yes we did, Heather! I am still a butter snob...) and fresh blueberries and whipped cream.

Not a bad way to start a Sunday, and I do believe it helped Charlie's headache.

where is winter?

2012-01-17T09:36:00.002-06:00

This will surely go down in history as our strangest winter, ever.

Here was the view outside my dining room window at this time, last year:

Our streets were narrowed by the piles of snow, and cars had to wait their turn to travel down them. (I must have taken this on the weekend or MLK day, no Cretin kid's cars!)

And here it is today:

(Sorry, my CF card is shot on my camera, so you will have to visualize. Our sidewalk is bare, and you can see the ground around the base of that tree. You can see pavement where the street is, and there is grass on the edges of the field across the street. There is a little snow, interspersed amongst the grass, in our yard.)

There is no snow, in our front yard, at all-Sunday and Monday's warm temperatures melted the few flakes we received on Saturday.

Minnesotan's are losing self esteem daily. We can't brag about how much snow we have shoveled, or how many cold days we have endured. The Winter Carnival has had to cancel the snow sculpture contest, and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Race has been canceled too. Ice fishermen are stuck at home, when they would rather be sitting out on the cold lake.

Snowplow drivers are looking for other projects. Places that sell snowmobiles have pretty much already given up, and are looking to motorcycle season instead. Ski hills are so tired of making snow, when normally this time of year it is free, and plentiful.

As a gardener, I am wondering what this strange winter means for my plants. While I do cover them with a nice layer of leaves at the end of the season, they are not sporting their usual blanket of white during their winter sleep. When it turns colder this week, their fragile roots will be far more vulnerable, and considering the drought of the fall they were already distressed. Will any of them even come up this spring?

I have heard that the birds are even confused, and have been staying longer in certain parts of the country on their migrations to warmer climates, as they don't see a need to leave.

The squirrels in my neighborhood have been out and about and busy all winter. Normally in January they are holed up with a nice cup of cocoa.

I am of mixed emotions-while I am grateful I have not had icy sidewalks to worry about falling on, or snow filled roads to drive on, it just hasn't felt like winter. Which is kind of okay, but I worry about the natural order of things here in Minnesota. We have lost our badges of icy honor this year.

But it IS only the middle of January, and it IS Minnesota. With a solid 3 months of winter possible weather still ahead on the calendar, I am sure we will get ours.

boys and their toys

2012-01-16T09:28:00.002-06:00

They say boys never get over their toys, they just get more expensive. Or something like that...

While Mike is clearly no longer a boy (he even had a full beard in high school...) he still loves toys.

But perhaps a dirt bike isn't really a toy. Most toys can't cause broken bones in many different body parts, or bring such delight. For Mike, a dirt bike is so much more than a toy.

Mike has great passion in his life, for the things that are important to him. And riding dirt bikes is definitely one of them. The sport keeps him in shape, gives him a shot at competition, brings he and Charlie together on many weekends in the summer, gives him the opportunity to pursue another of his passions-taking pictures and making movies, and it evokes great memories of his youth. On top of that, he is really good at it.

He has needed a new dirt bike for a while, last year he lost half of the racing season as his bike was in for repairs, or broke down at the event. His riding buddies kept hounding him to get a new one, but it just wasn't in the budget. (I am the accountant of the family, and I am pretty fiscally conservative...)

But 2012 is a new year, and Mike has quietly been lobbying and hinting about a new bike for a few weeks. And Saturday, while I was in the middle of organizing jewelry parts and pieces, he asked me to read this post he had placed on Facebook:

‎37 Years ago (the year 1975), about this time of year and on a cold overcast day just like today, my brother, my Dad and myself set off on a three hour drive to a town I had never been to before; Cambridge, Minnesota. Our destination was, of course, Larson's Cycle. It seemed like a long drive with our boat trailer, converted to a snowmobile trailer, bouncing along behind our metallic lime-green 1974 Ford LTD. The LTD was our "Sunday car".

When we arrived at the shop with great anticipation, it was like no cycle shop I had been to before. It was like stepping into a hardware store for motorcycles. It had that same sense of intimacy that a hardware store has. Motorcycle merchandise was stacked to the ceiling and your eyes couldn't seem to take it all in. The bikes were displayed in a cramped, but warm, display area that felt like a living room.

We were there to purchase a 1975 Can Am TNT. My brother had saved up his paper route money and decided to bet all of it on this grand purchase. While there he bought a pair of wonderfully fragrant Full Bore Motocross Boots and a white, vented nylon Can Am jersey. Barney Larson wrote up the sale as Mrs. Larson filled out the paperwork for the license and title. It was a family affair on both sides of the transaction.

I was but a spectator on this day. No bike for me. I had just started my paper route and had not saved up enough money to buy a motorcycle (yet). On the long drive back home, I was mesmerised as I stared out the back window at that fascinatingly beautiful machine, as wisps of snow flitted past the handlebars.

A year or so later my brother wanted out of his relationship with motorcycles. I eagerly stepped into the void and bought his Can Am, upgrading from a spindly Kawasaki KE-125 that spent more time in the shop than on the trail.

The Can Am felt solid and well built compared to my week-kneed Kawasaki. And it was fast. I rode it everywhere and went on 100 mile trail rides all alone. I entered my first enduro on it in 1978. It was a National at Hill City and I never even made it to the first checkpoint. But I grew alot with that bike. I learned to take responsibly for it and myself (100 miles in the woods, alone!). I gained mechanical self-confidence, which still serves me today in my business.

It's funny what comes back to you when you look out the window at a cold, overcast sky. I might have to make a journey to Larson's Cycle today. It's not nearly so far away as it was 37 years ago. And maybe I can talk my 14 year old son to come with me. He's the same age I was when we hooked up that converted boat trailer to a metallic green 1974 Ford LTD.

—

And then he turned to me, with puppy eyes, and I said, "you're going to go and get that bike today, aren't you?" He said the day felt just like that January day, so long ago. He certainly knows which buttons of mine to push! So he and Charlie bundled into the pick up truck, and several hours later, he came back with this:

I have to say, that is the most genuine grin of pure joy I have seen on his face in a long time. And I loved that he and Charlie shared the experience together, even though Charlie won't look back on it as a wonderful memory until he is older. I am really happy for my hubby, as he loves the sport so much, and deserves to have a great bike to ride, so he can keep enjoying this sport for years to come.

when your home is your office

2012-01-13T09:04:00.001-06:00

Sorry to be missing in action this week-in January I am swamped with work from my real job, so blogging needs to take a back seat.

I am really happy to work from home, especially on a day like today. I am sitting on my cozy couch watching the people drive by on their way to work, hunched in their heavy coats, snow swirling on the roads. The 'Today' show is on in the background (love starting my day with them, and today they are celebrating their 60th anniversary, and it is so interesting to see all of the previous anchors!)

I remember when I was one of those commuters-getting up at 5:30, picking out which suit to wear, seeing if I had all of the work that I did the night before packed in my bag. Making sure my shoes matched, after dressing in the dark so I wouldn't wake Mike. (One time I didn't check, and ended up at work with one blue and one black, at least they were for the right feet). I would join the throngs and drive to downtown Minneapolis, and park in my favorite lot, and say good morning to the parking attendant. He became so used to me parking there that if I showed up late (having been on a store tour or meeting off site with a vendor), he would save me a spot.

I remember the brisk walk to the Multi Foods Tower, and waiting with all of the other Targeteers at the bank of elevators to take us to our floors. The smell of coffee filled the elevators, and as the doors slid open you could almost hear a collective big breath as we stepped off, ready for another day.

I was at Target for seven years, and learned so much, and made good friends, and met famous people. They are a wonderful company to work for, and while I miss the people, I really don't miss the job. Too much pressure for a girl like me, and it really wasn't a job I felt I could manage and be a mom too, so that is why I left once Charlie came into our lives.

Eight year old Charlie in Target colors.

And I have never looked back.

Now the only people I see on the way to my 'office' are Mike and Charlie, and I get to bring my cat to work every day. The dress code is far more relaxed, and the parking attendant no longer needs to save me a spot!

Dear Martha-

2012-01-10T21:32:00.002-06:00

I have adored Martha Stewart from afar, for so many years.

We both worked on our high school newspaper, and our fathers taught us about growing things.

While I am not a Jersey Girl (but I DO love Bruce Springsteen), it seems we have just a couple of things in common.

I pretty much have, or have had, every issue of her magazine, and several of her cookbooks, and I have watched her show (my favorite guest was Amy Sedaris).

I love to cook, and garden, and entertain (although it's been a while, where parties are concerned).

But....

I just went through the January issue of Living (because I just finished going through my stack of December magazines, in January - clearly the gift ideas, cookie concepts, and Christmas Eve. celebration recipes will have to wait until next year...) so yes, I am a little behind.

Martha, occasionally your monthly calendar (page 2) makes me feel extremely guilty: I don't have a citrus tree in my cold house, to check on (Jan. 17th). But I wish I did. I know for a fact that I will not be "Spreading alfalfa meal from the feed store on slippery paths to provide traction on ice and snow." ( Jan 27th) as I have to be a nag just to get Mike or Charlie to shovel snow, let alone provide traction. While I DID 'Take down my Christmas tree and Store my Ornaments and other decorations" on Jan. 2nd (YAY ME!), I am pretty sure that I will NOT be "Meeting with my arborist and reviewing my tree-care programs" on Jan. 24th., as I have had a huge old dead pine tree in my front yard for years that I don't have more than one thousand dollars in discretionary income to use to be removed. And the City of St. Paul already removed my ash tree that had nothing wrong with it. But I digress....

Martha, I love you, and I don't think you should have gone to prison for lying, because there are plenty of famous men who lie on a regular basis and don't receive any consequences. But you served your time graciously, and came back and YOU ROCK.

But really? Your new Home keeping Room on page 17??? You are making me NUTS. I am lucky to have a shelf to put my cleaning supplies on, rather than a gorgeous armoire to display them in . I just DREAM of having a place to store all of my baking tins (other than the basement), and a small area where I can make my jewelry, and cards, and other things that I adore. Someday....

Inadequately yours,

kp

just go!

2012-01-09T13:02:00.000-06:00

We don't see a lot of movies at an actual theater. For one thing, we have to think it will be worth the minimum of $30 we will spend as a family to see it (and that's without popcorn!) We have seen all of the Harry Potters at a theater, and Mike and I will occasionally find a film we think may be worth it (usually from the Coen brothers), but we usually wait for it to be shown at the Riverview Theater in S. Mpls (bargain tickets and inexpensive, delicious popcorn), or watch it at home once the DVD is released.

But when we first heard that Steven Spielberg was going to tackle the Adventures of Tin Tin, we have been counting the days!

Charlie was a huge Tin Tin fan when he was younger, I even found a complete set of the Tin Tin books from a seller in Europe, on Ebay, that I got him for Christmas one year. He poured over those books, and read about all of Tin Tin's adventures over and over again. If you aren't familiar with Tin Tin, here is some info for you to catch up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin

Delightful animation, action packed stories, wonderful characters, Tin Tin has it all!

And so does the movie. The animation is absolutely stunning, I was in awe. It was the perfect Saturday night outing!

Truly a movie for the whole family. You know it's a major movie accomplishment when a 14 year old boy completely agrees with his parents on how good it is!

back to books

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000-06:00

Reading time takes a hit during the holidays. While I still read each night before falling asleep, the busy month of December means I don't last long before passing out.

But this book kept my attention-I adored it! What first drew me to it was the cover, but the story of a young boy with no hand is what kept me eagerly awaiting the end of the day, so I could snuggle under the covers and continue the tale.

I have since passed it on to Charlie, I think he will enjoy it. It seems like a book that was written ages ago, and has timeless themes.

Check out the authors website for more about this absorbing read!

http://hannahtinti.com/category/the-good-thief/

how to survive winter with your family

2012-01-05T07:19:00.000-06:00

Do you spend more time with your family in the winter?

Do the things they do (or don't do) ever bug you? (and do you secretly think that perhaps you may bug them, too?)

I was already on the path to the winter crazies, and so I came up with a plan. At first, the list was going to be called TEN THINGS YOU DO THAT MAKE ME CRAZY.

After a shower (when I do my best thinking) I thought I needed to temper it. So in addition to the things that make me crazy, I decided to let them know about the things they do that I LOVE. It's important to balance things.

Each member of the family is going to fill out the following form, for each member of the family:
crazy love printable form

The rules? No holding back, no repercussions. State your feelings honestly.

Once you have filled out your sheet, sit down with the family member and go through it.

Acknowledge what you can change, and delight in the things you do that make others happy, when you don't even realize it. And be honest. If something you do makes them nuts, and you don't get it, let them know how you feel.

I know that there are things I do that make Mike and Charlie crazy. And I can't wait to find out the things that make them very happy.

I will let you know how this little family concept works out!

Feel free to copy and share and try it with your own family. Together, we may just make cabin fever a lot more tolerable this winter.

recipe box Wednesday

2012-01-04T09:26:00.002-06:00

One of my gentle reminders for 2012 was to FINALLY got a printable recipe version set up for my blog-and I did it! Whew. Please let me know if it works (or doesn't) for you.

On Monday, Charlie was back at school and it was time for me to get back to work. I needed an easy dinner, but something hearty and healthy. I had picked up a little cookbook when I was in Bemidji at Dunn Bros. It's called The Coffee Cookbook, and every recipe in it has, of course, coffee. While I have several favorite chili recipes, what appealed to me is that this one didn't make enough for 3 meals, and it looked relatively quick.

Here you go! printable recipe

As with any chili recipe, feel free to adjust to your family's prefernces-more or less chili powder, different or no beans, etc. I upped the chili powder (original recipe was 1 tsp.) as we like a zing to the chili at our house!

gentle reminders

2012-01-03T09:09:00.001-06:00

While everyone is busy making RESOLUTIONS for the new year, I prefer to call them reminders. RESOLUTIONS seem so daunting, while it is easier to remind myself about something. And I am more forgiving of myself when I forget something, rather than BREAKING A RESOLUTION.

* I will remind myself to take more walks, in all weather, to enjoy the beauty of each season.

* I will remind myself to floss more, as I want to keep my teeth.

* I will remind myself to grab a piece of fruit rather than a salty snack.

* I will remind myself to exercise my brain, as well as my body. I am a fan of Sudoku, but need to come up with another brain exercise.

* I will remind myself to find more time for creativity, and less time for house cleaning.

* I will remind myself to cherish my family and friends, as each day is precious.

What are you going to remind yourself to do this year?

Welcome to a New Year!

2012-01-01T13:17:00.001-06:00

Charlie was a big fan of Calvin and Hobbes back in the day.

Unlike Calvin, I feel the need for some change in my life. The big 50 approaches this year, a good time to figure out how to make the second half of my life better and more rewarding.

This year I plan to focus on Gratitude. I plan to use my blog to share what I am grateful for, and perhaps remind others to find those things in their lives which make them happy.

They don't have to be big things, I find that the smallest things can make my day feel complete.

Today: Sunday, January 1st. I am grateful that I have a cold so that I am taking it slow, cuddling my cat, drinking tea, and planning a nap after reading a book. A healthy me would feel compelled to start putting away holiday decorations, cleaning my house, filling in new calendars, and starting the year on a shiny note.

May your new year be filled with kindness, gratitude, and the occasional nap.

recipe box Wednesday

2011-12-28T06:42:00.000-06:00

Realizing I have completely neglected my semi-regular feature on Wednesdays, today I have a new, EASY recipe that you can whip up in no time.

I claim no creativity here, I found out about it on the interwebs and I am sharing it with you, in this season of giving....

Do you love turtles? (not the slimy ones, the candy kind). I do, and my mother has always been a big fan. My favorite turtles are from Tremblays (I have been to their stores in Stillwater, MN and Hayward, WI), here is their on-line store: http://www.tremblaysweetshop.com/

But with no time for a fun day of shopping in either of those picturesque cities, I made some!

Easy Turtles

1 bag of Rolo candies (you will need to unwrap them)
OR 3 or 4 rolls of Rolos (you won't have to unwrap the individual ones)
mini pretzels (I used the square ones from Snyders, and the stars from Old Dutch)
pecan halves, or whole cashews, or roasted almonds-choose your favorite nut!

Preheat the oven to 350. Place pretzels on a baking sheet, top each with a rolo. Pop in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes. As soon as you take them out, use a spatula to slip them onto a cooling rack. (this can be a little messy, so be careful, as the rolos are melting as you work). The minute they hit the rack, top them with a nut and smash the rolo down a bit.

Let them cool (you will be very tempted to eat them all up-but they won't be as messy once they have cooled)!

Not as good as Tremblay's, but they sure work in a fix! Sorry I have no photos, I ate them all.

I must SHARE!

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Long time blog readers will know of my absolute adoration for Susan Branch. She sends out a wonderful monthly newsletter and writes an amazing blog. She never fails to bring a smile to my face, and lift my spirits. I own all of her cookbooks, which are some of the very favorites in my collection, and was even fortunate enough to meet her once and autograph my books.

(image from CountryLiving.com)

I regularly check in to her blog, it is one of the best parts of my day when she has a new post. This one I absolutely had to share-she is a movie girl like me- and this post is the most comprehensive list of wonderful movies ever! So go here and be assured you will find something you have not yet seen: http://www.susanbranch.com/archives/2817?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SusanBranchBlog+%28Susan+Branch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Pop some corn, grab a cozy blanket and a cup of tea (or glass of wine!) and find a new personal favorite on a cold winter's night.

Thanks to Susan for sharing her love with us!

our Christmas baby

2011-12-26T14:21:00.001-06:00

It was December of 1973 and my mom was expecting her third child. At eleven years old, most of my friends moms were done having kids, so it was kind of strange to have a pregnant mom. (She was 31 at the time, which back then seemed SO OLD to be having a baby, boy how things have changed!)

And of course at the age of eleven, all I was worried about was how much having a baby in our house would change MY life. I had been five when my brother was born, and had been in total heaven helping to care for him. But this, this was different. I already knew I was going to be sharing a room with this new baby, which didn't sound fun to me at all.

Christmas eve we were at my aunt's house, busy eating snacks and opening gifts. My mom seemed quieter than usual, and every once in a while I caught her wincing, hoping no one was noticing. But it was Christmas eve, the BEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR when you are a kid, so I didn't pay too much attention to her.

When we got home, my brother and I were busy putting on our new pajamas, making sure there were cookies for Santa, and desperately trying to go to sleep.

I awoke early on Christmas day, as most children do, and hurried down the hall to see what Santa had brought. I couldn't figure out why my aunt was there, on the couch, until she told me that my mom and dad were at the hospital! Then it hit me, today would not be a normal Christmas day at all, I was getting a new brother or sister for Christmas! (Bless my mom's heart, she wouldn't leave for the hospital until she had filled our stockings and put the gifts from Santa under the tree, she did everything she could to keep things normal.)

I remember my dad arriving home shortly after that, glowing and smiling from ear to ear, proudly telling Kelly and I that we had a beautiful new baby sister, and that our mom was resting and ready to sleep the day away.

We dressed in our Christmas clothes and headed out to my grandparent's house for Christmas dinner-it just wasn't the same without my mom. Back then, kids weren't allowed to visit moms in the hospital, so we didn't get to see her until she came home a couple of days later. With our amazing new baby. And oh, she was the most beautiful baby ever born. And she still is.

Turns out I LOVED taking care of her. My parents would tease her that I was her real mom. Which may be why we are so very close, to this day.

Happy Birthday to my amazing sister. You are brave and strong, courageous and caring, kind and smart. You are independent and the most incredible mom to your son. You were the best thing that ever happened to our family, and we are so blessed that you are in our lives!!! LOVE YOU!

And I can't wait to help you celebrate in a few days. After all, when you are born on Christmas day, you should get to celebrate for an entire week!

...and to all, a good night!

2011-12-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve is here.

Will you spend it waiting in line at the grocery store, wondering why you didn't pick up milk a couple of days ago?

Will you be wrapping gifts and looking for extra scotch tape?

Are you all done, and ready to enjoy a quiet day with friends?

Did you stay up all last night completing things, and today just want a nap?

Or maybe you will be traveling, heading home to family.

Perhaps you have to work today, and look forward to leaving early to start the holiday.

My gifts are wrapped, but I have not started baking, so I am hoping to get a thing or two made in the morning before we head in to ACES.

And I will also take the time today, to remember Christmas Eve in the past: Taking out the pink sponge curlers from my hair and putting on a skirt for our church Christmas program, looking forward to the candy cane sundaes we would have at Bridgemans after it was over. Trying to get to sleep on Christmas eve-listening so hard to hear the sound of sleigh bells in the cold night sky. Wrapping the presents my dad bought that day for my mom. Helping my mom get treats ready for the evening's celebrations, so happy to be home from college. Helping Charlie put out cookies and milk for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer, and staying awake until Charlie fell asleep so I could fill his stocking and put his gift from Santa under the tree.

It truly is, a wonderful life.

Merry Christmas to all! May the love of family and friends surround you.

house full of memories

2011-12-21T07:55:00.001-06:00

Since the holiday season isn't busy enough, we have recently started house hunting.

WHAT???????

Yes, I have said this was the house we were never leaving, remember when we spent weeks last fall painting the exterior and reglazing and painting almost all of the 252 panes of glass in our house? A labor of love for our little house, that we were spending the rest of our lives in. (here it is prior to the big paint make over):

But suddenly, we have decided it is time, as our 'starter house' is no longer suited for our lifestyle, so we have begun the search. A very good friend is a realtor, so he has been helping us dig up potential sites.

Some days I think we may have lost our minds, as I can't even begin to imagine packing up our twenty years of living. And getting this house ready to sell. And dealing with all that a move would involve. Leaving behind our neighborhood, where the little grocery store is just a short walk away, and we can walk to The Nook for a burger and beer.

But the other part of me, that has always dreamed of a bigger kitchen, a room just for my Etsy creating, a porch, and a big back yard, is nearly giddy with excitement. It's a great time to buy a house, not a great time to sell one. So we will see what the next few months will bring.

I sit on my couch, in the early morning hours before the rest of the house has awakened, and think of all the memories secured in these walls. The first day we owned it, painting walls as our realtor delivered champagne. The moving in party we had with all of our friends, who generously gave of their time and trucks to help us start our new life. The dinner parties we have had over the years, or parties celebrating engagements, baby showers, anniversaries. The family celebrations for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Bringing Charlie home from the hospital, listening to his first steps echo on the wood floors. The sounds of our neighborhood drifting through the window screens on a warm summer night. The many dinners in our backyard, planting new flowers in the window boxes every year, bringing in the Christmas tree and enjoying it's warm glow on cold winter nights.

How can I possibly leave that all behind?

This just might do it....

Monday musings

2011-12-19T07:11:00.001-06:00

At this time next week, you may be sleeping in. The presents will all be unwrapped, no more secrets to be held tight. The box holding the cookies will just have crumbs and colored sugar remnants in it. The holiday meal leftovers will be stored in the refrigerator, perhaps you will look forward to reading a new book today, or hitting up the after Christmas sale at your favorite store.

Will there be snow? Here in St. Paul it looks to be a brown Christmas this year. You may recall Christmas for the last two years was decidedly white, this was Christmas Eve, 2009:

In fact, we had such a snowstorm on Christmas Eve that the Mall of America closed EARLY. Definitely a first in their history. So since we didn't have to work we were able to start our Christmas eve celebration a little early. We played Monopoly, and you could only open a gift if you landed in jail. A great way to make the fun last.

How has Charlie changed so much in just two years?????

I think on this date last year we already had at least 3 feet of snow on the ground. The streets were narrowed by giant snow banks, and we were wishing for a giant flame thrower to come and clear the ice from the streets. I don't think it all melted until April.

I am okay with no snow for now, running errands yesterday in the 40 degree sunshine was certainly more agreeable than sliding down icy streets and climbing over crusty snowbanks to get to your favorite store.
But a light, fluffy dusting, to coat the grass and tree branches, would be just fine for Christmas eve.

Last night I was at a Christmas cocktail party (thanks Julie! such fun!). It was the only holiday party on my calendar this year, and it was so nice to sit with other moms and just enjoy the season.

Less than a week now, to finish shopping and baking. I took holiday cards off my plate several years ago when we moved to the MOA, I just couldn't make it work. Now I send Happy Winter cards, or Valentines, to those on my list instead. I may do some baking, but other than Aunt Katie's sugar cookies there is nothing I feel required to make, in order for Christmas to arrive.

I have stocked up on lefse, and family favorite treats we only have on Christmas Eve: Chicken in a Biscuit crackers for Mike, tiny sausages for Charlie, a nice Brie for me that I will wrap in pastry dough and bake, then serve with a little chutney or jam. I will need a Trader Joe's run this week, to pick up olives, and favorite crackers and meats.

We already have our holiday bottles of real Coke, and several good bottles of wine and beer. I love the quiet of our little house on Christmas eve, we have music playing in the background while we snack and open gifts, then we usually put in a movie: Elf, or the Grinch, or Charlie Brown.

Charlie has requested Mike's spaghetti for Christmas Day, so I will be able to relax rather than spending the day in the kitchen making holiday ham and all that goes along with it. I can whip up a crunchy green salad and throw a baguette in the oven and call it good. I should come up with a fun dessert, perhaps some cookbook browsing is in order. And for sure I need to make Tracy Lane's Ricotta cookies-oh my heavens.

We will get to see our families in Bemidji after Christmas, we will be spending a couple of days with them before New Years, a nice, relaxed time.

Are you ready? Are you already looking forward to next Monday?

the holiday spirit

2011-12-16T09:08:00.001-06:00

Since I work from home, I try to keep the house as cozy and stress free as possible. It can be tricky to separate business from home life, especially at this time of year, when I am fulfilling gift cards from the dining room table, receiving inventory for the store, and finding hiding places for presents.

One way I do this is to throw splashes of holiday wherever I can, to remind me that the holiday is about being jolly, not stressed out.

Pulling out red and green that I already own in the kitchen:

Decorating my shipping area for my Etsy shop-it's been a busy December for bracelets!

Using things I already have to create a festive touch:

I found this edition of The Night Before Christmas a few years ago, it was the exact book we had growing up (that had long since been sold at a yard sale). Love it! There is a little mouse hiding in a shoe on the shelf next to it.

This is the one new holiday decoration I purchased this year, I found it at Gypsy Moon (one of my favorite local little stores). Isn't it sweet? I used to do paper cutting, but no longer have the patience (or eyesight) for it:

Some years I like to decorate the same spots as the year before, but usually I like to shake things up and see what new ideas I come up with. But some items always have to be in the same spot, or it just isn't Christmas-this little stocking has hung in the same spot for almost 20 Christmases:

How do you like to decorate? Is your tree up yet?

ode to the December mom

2011-12-11T21:40:00.005-06:00

When the calender flips

to the month of December

Most moms take a deep breath.

December is not just wrapping gifts.

December is coming up with the ideas,

Racking your brain for that perfect thought.

Shopping for those presents,

Sometimes standing in line,

Or checking out several stores.

Wrapping those presents,

Mailing those presents,

to make sure they arrive in time

or delivering them to where they belong.

Teacher gifts

Caregiver gifts

Did you remember your mailman?

Is the school concert on the calendar?

Do the dress shoes still fit,

or do you need another shopping trip?

Do the dress pants need to be hemmed?

Don't forget to charge the batteries in the camera.

It's snowing, where are those boots?

Do the snow pants still fit

and where the heck is that other mitten?

Of course I can make hot chocolate

when you come in from the cold

but the marshmallows may be a little stale.

Advent calendars (it's okay that it's December 5th)

and elves on shelves

that need to move each day

and of course don't forget to fill their shoes

on St. Nicholas Day.

Now where did I put the stockings?

And do I have enough to fill them?

Thank goodness I made a copy of the Santa letter

before he brought it to the mailbox

except he has already changed his mind,

can I still change that Amazon order?

The school needs treats for the bake sale

and could I fill in an extra volunteer day this month?

And what about those children
with December birthdays?
Do your best to make it perfect
so they don't feel neglected
in the hustle and bustle
and please don't use Santa paper
on their birthday present.

Our holiday card isn't done,

we need a funny photo!

Shall I just print them at home?

Wait, not enough printer ink.

And the internet is down,

maybe they can be New Year's cards.

Forgot to pick up the holiday stamps,

and where is my address book?

I don't have the Smith's new address,

that card can wait until I get one from them.

And now the Christmas Eve menu

did I remember the cocktail weenies?

Does Target carry lefse?

DO I HAVE ENOUGH WINE????

What are we wearing for the big day?

Does last years red sweater still fit?

The cat is running low on meds,

and the dog needs a walk

and a teeth cleaning

and a new bag of food.

Where to get the tree this year?
What kind did we have
that wasn't our favorite
and where the heck is the stand
and HOW many lights are burnt out?

After working all day,

stay merry and happy

as you prepare dinner for your family

before you tackle the laundry

and head out for more gift shopping.

Now one of the kids has a fever

and the husband is feeling neglected

and your flex money in your health plan

needs to be spent by the end of the month.

Don't forget the work party

and Secret Santa in the office

and your mother-in-law

would like you to shop for her.

You find yourself flipping the calendar

to January

and dreaming of quieter days and nights

and a nice long nap.

To all of you moms everywhere, doing it ALL this month.

YOU ARE AMAZING.

(this was inspired by all of the moms in my life-YOU are a true gift to your family)

fa la la la la

2011-12-08T20:10:00.001-06:00

My halls are decked!

They were actually decked the weekend after Thanksgiving, I am just getting around to sharing with you.

This is the first year in a long time that I actually felt joy while I was decorating. Owning a business can suck the fun out of the season, if you let it. I decided this year I would pursue joy!

I own a lot of Christmas things I have had for years, that hold fond memories of times past, as well as new things I find along the way that spark my interest.

I like to pull out red and green things I already own, that make me happy. Teapots, coffee cups, cookbooks, and then find a way to let them join the fun.

Today I share with you the tiny things I have tucked here and there. You will find I have quite a fondness for snowmen.

Yes, old telephone nooks do still serve a purpose!

More to come as my little Christmas tour continues. Are you decking your halls?

you call THIS a holiday gift?

2011-12-07T16:08:00.001-06:00

Now don't get me wrong, I believe in the spirit of giving, at all times of year, not just Christmas.

But some items that are being marketed as holiday gifts really set my teeth on edge. (remember, I have been in bed for two days watching daytime television....)

Items that should NEVER be given as a gift:

1. Rain gutters. Even if the squirrels are wearing santa hats in the ad, DO NOT buy your loved one a rain gutter system.

2. Vacuum cleaners. While I adore my Oreck vacuum, I would literally cry if I received one for a Christmas present. A vacuum is a necessary household tool, not a GIFT.

3. Teeth Whitening. While I would like whiter teeth, please don't give me this as a present. Personal improvement gifts that also fall in this category are foot sloughing products and hair dye. Gentle reminders are not very well disguised as presents.

There are so many gift choices available now, you could literally do all of your shopping on Etsy alone! So don't fall into any marketing traps that lead you to believe that ANYTHING is a good gift. You all have a better heart than that.

And did you know Chia pets are still around? In more varieties than ever. I do believe I need a White Elephant gift this year...

(Enough griping, I will get back to happy holiday postings tomorrow! Thanks for indulging me...)

ugh

2011-12-06T15:56:00.001-06:00

Sorry-down and out here on the corner of Hamline and Hartford.

Woke up early yesterday morning with stomach distress, it got progressively worse until I was just a lump under my covers.

My head was pounding, it felt like an alien was trying to break out of my body. A flu bug? Food poisoning? So I went through a litany in my head of what I had eaten the previous day (which only made me feel more nauseated....)

At that point it didn't really matter, I just wanted to feel better. Nothing helped. Sips of water was all I could manage. Every muscle in my body hurt, there was no comfortable spot to be in.

You know I am sick when I don't even want to read, or knit. So I spent the entire day, under the covers.

I HATE being sick! I have too much to do! Charlie needs his lunch packed, there is laundry piling up, gift card orders to mail, my Etsy shop to manage.

Today is a bit better, I was able to keep down toast, and open my laptop, and see what was going on in the world. I even read a little bit, in between the pounding in my head. Had a little turkey broth, going to try some tea next.

Charlie is an excellent care giver, he set up a movie for me on my laptop last night, to watch in bed. This morning before he left for school, he asked if I could hurry up and get better so his life could get back to normal.

How do you battle a stomach bug? No matter if it is the stomach flu or food poisoning, you pretty much have to treat them the same, and hope to god they go away soon... My wish to all of you, my dear readers, is that this particular bug does not find you this season!

turkey day remembered

2011-12-02T09:59:00.001-06:00

Was it really just a week ago that the holiday madness began? That yummy turkey dinner seems far more than a week ago, what happens to the passage of time in December?

Here we are, enjoying our meal (the desserts are on the table to remind us to leave room....):

Here is the food:

And yes, Mike is growing his beard for the winter, here he is in profile enjoying a piece of lefse. We really love lefse. Maybe someday I will make my own, but for now Mrs. Olson's from Gonvick fills the bill.

The leftovers have been tossed, and I made a huge batch of stock from the carcass. Moving on to December.

What will you do this first December weekend?

recipe box Wednesday

2011-11-30T20:29:00.001-06:00

So Thanksgiving may be all about the turkey, but I think it may be more about the pie.

Last week I had shared that I was going to make an apple pie, since Charlie had declared his dislike of both pumpkin and pecan pie. But when Thanksgiving eve arrived, I was swamped with work and trying to decide how to fit in pie baking along with everything else.

My friend Tracy (yup, the sellabitmum one) had called from La Patisserie, and I got all spontaneous and joined her and Astrid for a very quick cup of coffee. Luckily Deb, the amazing owner of La Patisserie, had made extra pies, so I decided to give her my business and brought home an incredible Dutch Apple pie. So Charlie was covered.

With a pie crust in my fridge just crying out to be baked, that night I dug through my recipe box and pulled out my mother's Pecan Pie recipe. I decided to get really wild and make miniature pecan tarts, that way Mike and I could still have our pecan fix, and I could freeze the rest for another day.

As with many heirloom recipes handed down, this one had the ingredients, but not much for directions. Here is exactly what was on the recipe card:

Mom's Pecan Pie

1/2 stick of butter, melted
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. white corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. pecan pieces

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, 350 degrees for 30 minutes until knife in center comes out clean.

So I took a deep breath, and rolled out the pie crust (I didn't even do homemade). I pulled out my mini muffin tin, and cut out 24 circles with my largest biscuit cutter. I filled each tin with the little rounds of dough, and melted my butter. I beat the eggs and added the sugar (I used packed brown), corn syrup, and vanilla, and slowly added the melted butter. Then I stirred in the pecan pieces. Using a small ice cream scoop, I filled the little pie crusts. I had saved the pie dough scraps, and cut them into little leaves, and placed on the pecans, then I brushed them with the remaining syrup in the bottom of my bowl. I popped them in the oven at 350 degrees, and started checking them at 15 minutes. They took about 22 minutes total, and looked delicious coming out. (Of course your oven timing may vary...)

After the turkey, the dressing, the mashed potatoes and gravy, the green bean casserole, the sweet potatoes, lefse, and cranberry sauce, those little tarts were just calling out to us. So of course we had to try them, with a dash of whipped cream.

And guess what? Charlie LOVED them, so a few days later there were none left to put in the freezer.

classic movies

2011-11-29T20:42:00.001-06:00

Cooking turkey, eating pie, nabbing bargains, decorating mantles, creating pine wreaths.....not much time for blogging lately! Mike took some pictures of our feast, when I can get them loaded I will share the yumminess.

We love having movie night at our house, and as Charlie grows we are sharing with him some of our favorites.

You may recall our Hitchcock sessions, Mike and Charlie just watched "North by Northwest" again a few weeks ago.

Over the holiday weekend, we laughed and cried with "Forest Gump". I never grow tired of watching Tom Hanks create such an amazing character, and Gary Sinise as Captain Dan is so memorable. And no matter how many times I watch it, I always end up in a puddle of tears at the end. Charlie really liked it, it was very nearly a mini history lesson. He understands the underlying emotions and conflicts going on, it's so much more than just a good movie.

The next night was "The Shawshank Redemption", another one on mine and Mike's favorite movie list. So absorbing, and thought provoking. I read they had originally planned Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford for the main roles, rather than Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. I can't even imagine that! Brutal (it is a prison movie, after all) and the warden personifies evil-but so well done.

Now that Charlie is older there are more movies we can start to share with him. We can't wait!

Did you watch any movies over the holidays? (new or classic....)

Updated: Recording "To Catch a Thief" and "Dial M for Murder" for this weekend's viewing!

tales of Thanksgiving past

2011-11-24T07:50:00.001-06:00

As I sit here this morning with my coffee, the guys are still sleeping and Claude is curled up next to me. I have picked up the 50 lb. bag of holiday advertising that came with our newspaper this morning, and the ads are already in the recycling bin. I am not a big shopper, I make as many of my gifts as I can, and I am not a fan of crowds.

I am thinking of other Thanksgivings, and remembering:

Thanksgiving as a young girl was always spent at my grandparents house on the Mississippi River. My grandma Betty would sing as she cooked, and always wore a dress and heels and a pretty apron. My great grandma Ethel would be there helping make dinner, and I remember my Grandpa Don meticulously carving the giant turkey. He was a bit of a perfectionist, so the turkey was usually cool by the time it got to the table, but that's what gravy was for. After the dishes were cleared away (always by all the women, the men would retire to the living room for their post-feast naps), the tablecloth would be pulled away and the Yahtzee game would come out. Ethel and Betty would pull out their cigarette cases and ash trays and fill their coffee cups, and the sound of dice hitting the hard surface would echo in the blue haze of smoke.

Thanksgiving in my college years was such a treat, my '69 Chevy Malibu couldn't get to Bemidji fast enough from Grand Forks (having to stop halfway each time to fill it with oil didn't help....). My mom would cook and my dad would peel potatoes and I would spend as much time snuggling with my little sister as I could, so happy to be home and know I would be well fed and surrounded with love. Grandma Doris would come and bring her zig zag carrot sticks and peanut butter stuffed celery and almond bark coated pretzels. We would cram around our table and fill up on stuffing and green bean casserole, my dad would be the only one enjoying his favorite side dish-lime jello with celery, green olives, peas, and onions, topped with Miracle Whip. My mom still makes it for him to this day, even though he is usually the only one to eat it.

The day after Thanksgiving wasn't spent shopping, it was spent in the woods collecting pine boughs and princess pine. Dad would always have peanuts in the shell, and we brought cocoa in a thermos to keep us warm. The next day was spent in my dad's shop. standing on the cold concrete floor, listening to country music, the heat from the barrel stove keeping it toasty as we crafted wreaths for friends and family.

Thanksgiving after marriage was a completely different affair, I usually had to work the day after turkey so we would often host friends in our little apartment in Bloomington. I remember our first Thanksgiving after we got married, we were living in a furnished apartment as we didn't know if we were staying in Bloomington. We invited all of our friends who also couldn't make it home for the holidays, and it was such fun. Food and games and later on we all went out to a movie. It made the sting of being away from family bearable for all of us.

Thanksgiving in our little house in St. Paul started happening when Charlie came along, both sets of grandparents have journeyed down for the holiday weekend, we always made sure to include shopping and picking out our Christmas tree in the weekend plans.

Since opening our store at the MOA, we have mostly enjoyed our own little Thanksgiving with just the three of us, a relaxing day of just being together, playing games, and watching classic movies. Resting, and gearing up for the craziness of the next few weeks. I did host Jed and Tracy and their girls last year, it was great fun to cook for more than just three of us, and figure out fun things for the girls to do.

I am so grateful for the lifetime of memories contained in this day, thankful for all of my friends and family, and blessed by the love that surrounds me. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

nearly turkey day

2011-11-22T06:33:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is pretty much the perfect holiday.

The smell of turkey roasting, and the aroma of onions and celery and sage sauteing on the stove.

No presents to buy (unless you are dining elsewhere, and are bringing an excellent hostess gift).

No religion required. Thanksgiving is for everyone!

Giant balloons flying over New York City-is this a great country, or what?

It's about good food, and being grateful. Grateful for who and what you have in your life.

One of the few days of the year, where stores are closed (or SHOULD be), and people can be with family and not be concerned with finding a parking spot at the mall.

And the last day of the year to see her:

I really need to get a fancy red track suit and some heels....

making a list...

2011-11-21T07:29:00.001-06:00

...and checking it twice!

Is your turkey thawing yet?

Have you bought your groceries?

Or are you lucky enough to be invited somewhere?

Honestly, I really like cooking for Thanksgiving. When it's for more than just Mike and Charlie and I, I do get a wee bit stressed, as of course I want everything perfect, but this year it's for just the three of us.

I spend Sunday pouring over my cookbooks and searching for recipes on-line. We discussed the merits of different side dishes, and mulled over dessert options. Charlie reminded me he doesn't really like pecan OR pumpkin pie (which I don't get, as he is quite a foodie), so both of those traditional options were out. Some traditions can't be messed with, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Susan Branch's Mashed Potatoes.

The menu is now set, my grocery list and corresponding coupons are ready, and today I will head out to finish buying supplies. I picked up most things already, as I had a Trader Joes run last week, and stocked up on sweet potatoes and bacon and their version of fried onions for the green bean casserole. So here's the menu:

Brined Turkey Breast-recipe courtesy of Southern Living, it's the one I used last year and it was AMAZING. None of us like dark meat, so it is pointless to prepare an entire bird for just three of us. And finding room in my fridge to brine a breast is far easier than a whole bird!

Susan Branch's Mashed Potatoes with Trader Joes Turkey Gravy. Yes, I usually make my own gravy, but we tried it last year and it was delish. I add drippings from the bird to up the flavor factor, but please don't tell my mother that I am not making my gravy from scratch.

Sausage and Apple Stuffing (recipe here: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?recipeId=27301&categoryId=0&ref=%2fSwansonBroth.aspx ) I had cut this out of a magazine a couple of years ago, my guys just love this one. I make it on the stove and then pop it in the oven for a bit right before dinner, as some of us like the crunchy bits.

Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Bacon (recipe here: http://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=105 ) This is my new recipe to try this year, I always like to try out at least one new thing. Doesn't it sound yummy? You can't really go wrong with bacon....

Green Bean Casserole: I prefer to make my green beans a healthier way, but the guys requested this, this year, so I am giving in. And it will hearken back to Thanksgiving in Bemidji, as this dish always has a place at my family's table.

Cranberry Sauce: I picked up fresh cranberries at the Farmer's Market, I like to cook them with red wine and a little brown sugar and some orange zest.

Apple Pie: I am going to try a new recipe, found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-pie-by-grandma-ople/ and make some of the adjustments I read in the reviews. I will serve it with Trader Joes sea salt caramel sauce and some vanilla bean ice cream. Again, don't tell my mom, she would be horrified, in her mind apple pie is NOT for Thanksgiving. I can almost hear her now "Kris, aren't you at least going to make some pumpkin bars?"

So Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning will be spent in the kitchen, and it will take us about 20 minutes to eat it all, and then it will be done.

What are YOU cooking for turkey day?

I promise -

2011-11-18T07:09:00.001-06:00

- that next week I will talk about something else, really.

It's just that getting ready for this show has pretty much taken over my life (and my home) for the last few weeks, and I have to get it all out of my system.

The feeling I am going for in my booth is the idea that you are in your grandma's bedroom, going through her treasures and button tins and jewelry boxes. I am using lots of vintage purses and clocks and jewelry boxes to help set the mood.

(if this pic is too blurry, the clock says "time to indulge")

The sneak preview last night was a rousing success-and now I have a day to decide if I have enough product or should whip up a few more things.

And I need to pack up my little Fit with all of my goodies and displays and get a good nights sleep.

My dear friend Tracy www.sellabitmum.com is spending the entire day with me tomorrow, helping me out. If you follow her blog and want to meet her in person, stop on by! I couldn't do this show without her advice and support, and having her join me tomorrow is the best gift she could ever give me.

My hubby has been so helpful to me, he is really supportive of this crazy part of my life. He grabbed his camera yesterday and took pictures, he is much better at it than I am.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who showed up last night, it was great to catch up, have a little hot cider and wine, and enjoy each other's company!

And perhaps I will see some of you tomorrow!

More info on the show here, and it was just announced that WCCO TV will be reporting live from the show tomorrow morning!

http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/Events-Pics-Calendars/Calendar/index.php/name/Knightsbridge-A-Truly-Royal-Shopping-Experience/event/8697/

more sneak peeks, and an invite

2011-11-16T08:49:00.001-06:00

The Knightsbridge show is only a few days away! I am feeling good about being ready, but of course I am still working on more goodies in my spare time. I can rest on Sunday!

Today I share with you some of the other goodies I will have for sale, along with the scarves I showed you in the last post.

This all started with my button bracelets last fall when I opened my Etsy shop. I love to create, and I adore old notions, so I figured I would share my creations with the world. You will find a huge variety of bracelets at my show:

Fun color combinations:

Antiqued and vintage looking:

Elegant and understated:

Bright and cheerful:

And buttons that make a statement:

Over 100 styles to choose from-a style to suit all kinds of people on your holiday shopping list. (sorry for the less than fabulous photos, my hubby, the photographer was gone hunting so I had to take my own pictures....) Prices range from $24-$38 (which includes the sales tax).

For this show, I decided to make a variety of necklaces too. There are simple chain pieces, with fun charms and baubles and beads, available in shiny silver, blackened silver, antiqued brass, and copper:

I have an assortment of unique pieces that feature different types of chain, charms, and some even have real working mini harmonicas! Those are available in either brushed silver, blackened silver, or antiqued brass.

I also made two of these truly unique pieces, they are long and gorgeous and I am tempted to keep them for myself! I have one in silver and one in antiqued brass, both feature fine chain, pearls, and an assortment of charms and baubles. (that's my mannequin Betty, looking to need a little repair before the big day on Saturday...)

These are a repeat from my show last fall, they were such a big hit I knew I needed to make them again-they are made with Swarovski crystals and pearls and Vintaj brass.

And now, a last minute invite! Since I will have my table all set up at my house (I always do that to make sure I have enough space for everything I am bringing, and to make set-up easier on the day of the show), I decided to invite friends and neighbors over for a sneak preview at my house on Thursday night from 6-9 pm. I will have wine and snacks to enjoy while you check everything out. So if you can't make it to St. Louis Park on Saturday, I hope you can stop by my little house on Thursday night.

Knightsbridge sneak preview

2011-11-11T16:42:00.001-06:00

Taking a break from sewing and filing button backs to share some pictures with you.

Fall is here, and with it the need for some new accessories in our closets! A great new trend I have been seeing on my fashion forward friend Tracy (http://www.sellabitmum.com/), in the J Jill and Sundance catalogs, and now on my dining room table-the infinity scarf. I am calling mine "roundabouts", because I like to be different and I thought it was a fun name. (On top of that, my sister thought of it, and she is a genius when it comes to picking out names for things.)

The beauty of the roundabout is you don't have scarf ends getting stuck in the car door or dropping in your soup! I have fashioned mine from the softest bamboo and cotton knits you have ever felt, I wish there was a way for you to feel this fabric through your computer screen, it is simply luscious. I found it at my very favorite fabric store, Treadle Yard Goods here in St. Paul, and it is simply the best knit fabric I have ever worked with.

And look at all of the fun colors I found!

The roundabout is extremely versatile, let me show you your options:

Wrap it around your neck three times for this look:

Wrap it four times for a different look, and extra warmth:

You could even wrap it three times and pull a section over your head to fashion a snood (come on, you know what that is...). But my dress form doesn't have a head, and I couldn't figure out how to do it on myself and take my own picture....

By wrapping it just twice around your shoulders, you even have a comfy, lightweight shawl.

Talk about versatility!

They are all packaged and ready for giving, only $24. (I used the vintage ribbons I found at that amazing estate sale a few weeks ago.)

I will have an assortment of solid colors, and some prints in cotton blends available for sale at the Knightsbridge holiday boutique on Saturday, Nov. 19th. More info available here:
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/Events-Pics-Calendars/Calendar/index.php/name/Knightsbridge-A-Truly-Royal-Shopping-Experience/event/8697/

Stay tuned next week for more peeks of what else I will be bringing to the show! Button bracelets, funky necklaces, quirky adjustable rings, wool and button pins....

happy shiny glass

2011-11-09T09:52:00.000-06:00

Done. For now. (wait, as I am putting the pictures on here I see we missed part of the trim around the front door. dang.)

The massive house painting project. No, our house is not at all large, but the project itself felt really big.

Two hundred and eighty two individual panes of glass are contained in our 1400 square foot home. Seriously. And at least 20% of those panes had to be replaced. About one third of those panes needed reglazing. All of the trim around all of those panes of glass had to be painted. Each ~~pain~~ pane has been cleaned, and now sparkles. Perhaps the only time in the history of our home that all of our glass will be clean at the same time.

Other than our bathroom, every window is original to our home. Next spring Mike's project is repairing all of the double hung windows so they can be used as originally designed, able to open from the top or bottom. Another project.

We were blessed with a warm and dry extended fall season, which helped us finish the house. The whole project isn't completely done, we still need to paint the basement windows, the garage, and the fence. I need to find new window boxes, to replace those too worn out to be repainted. We will get there.

As I drive down our street, or approach our home from my walk, I love seeing the result of all of our work. It seems to be happy, and smiling in contentment, with it's new coat.

if you can't make it to London....

2011-11-06T22:11:00.003-06:00

...to do your Christmas shopping, you can find a somewhat similar experience (minus the airfare and driving on the wrong side of the road) in St. Louis Park on Saturday, November 19th.

Here's more information, featured in Minnesota Monthly:

http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/Events-Pics-Calendars/Calendar/index.php/name/Knightsbridge-A-Truly-Royal-Shopping-Experience/event/8697/

Stop by this week for a sneak preview of what I will be bringing, as soon as I find my camera's memory card....

How is it already November?

2011-11-03T10:39:00.004-05:00

The Christmas commercials started bright and early the day after Halloween. Actually, I saw a couple in the week BEFORE Halloween. Really? Do we really need that much time to think about one holiday?

As a retailer myself, and having worked for one of the largest retailers in America, I get it. I know that the fourth quarter has a huge impact on the bottom line, and it is crucial to get customers in the door. But how many hours do you really need to do that?

The holiday season has become so over emphasized. The Mall of America, where we have our business, has announced they will be the first mall in the country to open at midnight on Thanksgiving. We will not be opening that early, as I think it is ridiculous to expect any one of our crew to be at work at that time. They have turkey to digest!

Granted, we don't sell big screen tvs or bargain laptops, so we have no need to open at midnight. The mall will have a designated time that we have to be open by, last year it was 6 am, I am guessing this year it will be earlier than that. And Mike will head in early and man the store, while the rest of our crew arrives at a more reasonable time, when people will actually want to fly.

We have been busy putting together our own strategy for the holidays, and how we can attract customers to spend their hard earned money at our business. Ad budgets have dwindled, and we need to get very creative to sell those gift cards.

Each year, the next several weeks are stressful and nerve wracking and I can hardly wait for January 2nd. But we do make time for family fun, no matter what:

Each year I try to do something to find the joy in the season, and keep things in perspective. Even if it's just sitting with a hot cup of tea while listening to my favorite holiday music and thinking about childhood celebrations, it's important to maintain my sanity.

What do you do to keep yourself grounded during the holiday season?

boo!

2011-10-31T06:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween to one and all! It doesn't seem quite as festive on a Monday, but I am guessing I will still be able to eat some fun size candy bars. I hear that legislation has been introduced to make it a law that Halloween always be celebrated on a Saturday...

It's amazing how many 'scary' movies were on tv this past weekend. I was attempting to make things for my show while suffering from a migraine, and did not even have the energy to search for good tv. I had watched all of my recorded shows, and our dvd player was on the fritz.

I stumbled across a movie on the Lifetime channel, "Within", about a little girl who could see things others couldn't. I got sucked in, and Charlie came out and saw what I was watching. His comment? "Wow mom, how depressed are you? LIFETIME?" I told him I wasn't depressed, just feeling too lousy to bother turning the channel.

The next movie on tap was "Secrets in the Walls". Well, I HAD to watch that. This one was about a single mom with two daughters who move into a house with a past. You can just imagine what happened....

I am amazed at how many scary movie moments take place in a bathroom. Have you noticed? Either the closed shower curtain that must be pulled back, or the creepy images seen in the mirror. And then there is the major bathtub scene in one of my favorite scary movies "What Lies Beneath".

Then it was on to "Orphan". Major creep factor. I had to finish that one today, as I ran out of daylight- of course I can't watch movies like that in the dark...even then I still had wacky dreams last night.

What are your favorite scary movies? And will you be watching one tonight?

(all images borrowed from google searches)

let the holiday shopping begin!

2011-10-27T15:25:00.001-05:00

What am I doing when I'm not making dinner, cleaning the house, doing laundry, keeping ACES going, or drugging my cat?

Making things as fast as my fingers will go for the holiday boutique I am a part of this year!

Here's a link to the page that has all of the details, including the list of all of the other creative people who will be selling their goodies:
http://www.bsmschool.org/upper/parents/parent-association/events/knightsbridge/

What will I be selling this year? Over the next couple of weeks I will be featuring some of the items on my blog that I have been working on: my button bracelets, gorgeous soft scarves I am calling the 'roundabout' (similar to infinity scarves you are starting to see in catalogs and fashion magazines), necklaces crafted from interesting chain and stones, charm bracelets with vintage beads, and rings made from antique jewelry and buttons.

What a fun way to start your holiday shopping! Mark your calendar: Saturday, November 19th from 10 am to 4 pm, and stay tuned to my blog to get a sneak peek at what I will have for you.

recipe box Wednesday

2011-10-26T22:27:00.002-05:00

Better late than never...

I am busy getting ready for the only holiday boutique I will be participating in this season (look for more details to follow soon). Last night I wanted a yummy, filling dinner that would have leftovers but wouldn't take forever to make. I scoured my fridge, freezer, and pantry, and came up with this:

Pasta with Red Peppers and Sausage in a Creamy Sauce

1 lb. pasta (I used orichiette-Charlie's current favorite- little hats!)
1 lb spicy hot Italian Sausage
1 jar marinara sauce (Trader Joe's)
1 jar Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo (Classico)
1 pkg. fresh whole mushrooms, sliced
2 big handfuls fresh spinach
2/3 c. or so diced roasted red peppers (I always keep a jar of them in the cupboard)
garlic (you choose how much)

I got the water going on the stove for the pasta and started browning the sausage. Once it was done I took it out of the pan to drain, then added a bit of olive oil and a Tbsp. of butter to the pan, then threw in several cloves of minced garlic along with the mushrooms. Once they were nearly browned I tore up the spinach and threw it in the pan, along with the peppers. It was so colorful and smelled delish! I then added the sausage back in, and poured in both jars of sauce. I let it simmer while the pasta was cooking, once the pasta was done and drained I threw it back in the pasta pot, poured the sauce over, gave it a good toss, then served it with a sprinkle of grated parmesan. We had some crusty ciabatta bread alongside with oil and balsamic for dunking, and a good bottle of red wine. Two thumbs up from the men in the house!

What do YOU cook when you want a mostly homemade, satisfying meal but don't have a lot of time for the kitchen?

back in time

2011-10-24T19:12:00.001-05:00

Heather and Riley joined us for the extended weekend. What a treat! (This is a very lengthy post, be forewarned....)

Before they had arrived, I had been perusing the Garage Sale classifieds in the paper, on the off chance that we would be able to go to that last sale of the season. We love treasure hunting. There were none close to my neighborhood, but my eye was caught by a very long Estate Sale ad, further up the page.

I was immediately intrigued. A 15 bedroom mansion on a 200 acre estate, including everything from five hundred 78 rpm records, to a vast library of books, to linens, many monogrammed "H". Sleighs, buffalo robes, china, silver, how could we not go and check it out? It was the estate of the last surviving great grand daughter of James J. Hill.

We had already planned to hit up Pine Tree Apple Orchard while she was here, so when I saw the location of the estate I knew it was meant to be-it was a mere 2 miles from the orchard, in Dellwood.

The day dawned frosty with clear blue skies. We wound our north, enjoying all of the sights along the way.
Cars lining both sides of the road up ahead confirmed the location, seeing how many cars were parked on the property we decided street parking was the way to go.

We entered the driveway, marked by brick pillars, and began our trek. We first came along some outbuildings, the most modern one held old sleighs and buggies once pulled by horses. My imagination was already wandering, envisioning those adventures.

We walked further, stately old oaks were splashed with color. A long neglected fence rail led to another building on the estate. I wondered who had lived there, the gardener?

The drive led further along, to a five stall garage. We wandered through, and I was intrigued by the old intercom system-with bells to ring the kitchen and other parts of the house. Clay pots, old garden hand tools, and ladders were offered up for sale.

We glimpsed the ancient greenhouse, with plans to explore it further after checking out the house.

Approaching the main house, we found a white painted brick structure facing the small lake below. I glimpsed huge screened porches, and also the large line of people waiting to get in. Many were more interested in touring the house than buying anything, I heard snippets of conversation as we waited. "It hasn't been lived in for years", "my friend was walking over here to explore one day and was chased off the property by a caretaker with a gun", "can you imagine what it would cost to heat this place?", "look at those amazing metal gutters".

The building was neglected but still had elements of beauty, a beautifully carved lintel over the door, interesting light fixtures, and ancient ivy spreading it's fingers along the windows and walls.

As we watched earlier shoppers leaving the building with an old mixer, a vintage sewing machine table, and other treasures, we giddily imagined what we would find inside. It was finally our turn to enter, and the first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful old wall coverings, and lovely floors. People were moving from room to room, looking for glimpses of a time long gone.

Main floor rooms held tables full of gorgeous old linens, endless tablecloths and napkins, antique lace, blankets and towels. I imagined the parties held here, sparkling crystal and shining silver, women in gloves and men in tuxedos.

The wood paneled library was brimming with books, 78 rpm records, a grand piano, and endless rolls of music. The porches offered up old darkroom equipment, leather luggage, huge cedar boxes where blankets and pillows had been stored, and buffalo robes for those cold winter sleigh rides. As I walked the hall I could very nearly see the occupants of times past, small children racing down the stairway on a Christmas morning, elegantly dressed guests gathered around the piano singing a song, people in light linen sitting on the verandas in the summertime drinking lemonade out of cut crystal glasses while children played croquet on the huge lawn.

We walked through the pantries and kitchens and other main floor spaces, I picked up some great porcelain and metal pieces, and some English pudding molds. Heather spent most of her time browsing through the huge stacks of old sheet music, their artistic covers had caught her eye. I headed up to the second floor, and several of the bedrooms were open and full of interesting things: christening gowns and crib blankets and old rolls of wallpaper. Maid's uniforms and linens and furs and racks of old clothing could be found with silver service storage bags and bedroom sets. I picked up a wonderful box full of old satin and silk ribbons and seam tapes, just what I was hoping I would find.

Again I imagined the home's occupants; guests sitting on the beautifully upholstered furniture in front of their sitting room fireplace, perhaps working on needlepoint or reading a book before they headed down to dinner. Maids donning their aprons and hats before heading down to serve at a special banquet. A woman of the house in front of her dressing table, brushing her hair, spritzing herself with expensive perfume, perhaps exclaiming over a hat her husband had just given her in a pretty hatbox.

We were there for nearly two hours, completely engrossed in the experience. We checked out the glass greenhouse, realizing it had been years since it had been used.

Again my imagination went wild, seeing it full of green and blooming plants that found their way across the estate in huge urns, or in arrangements that graced the dining tables.

Happy and full of images of the past, we headed off to our next adventure.

Thanks to my sister for all of the great pictures!

busy crazy autumn daze

2011-10-19T19:54:00.000-05:00

I have decided that our brief flirtation with autumn each year is rather like a wedding.

Weddings take months of planning and preparation, there are sunny days and rainy days along the way. The anticipation builds, and the final day is a big bright blur.

And then it's over.

I longingly wish for extended autumns each year, a few weeks of vibrant color and days to enjoy them and feel the crunch of leaves under my feet. Beautiful dawn sunrises and sunsets with harvest moons.

As usual, this year the trees seemed to turn and then the wind blew them all away just days later. I may exaggerate a bit, we do still have some leaves left, and the maple on our boulevard sometimes doesn't turn until November. But is just goes too fast for my liking.

Perhaps it's the contrast of the vibrant colors of early fall to the stark landscape that greets us each day when the bare tree trunks are silhouetted against gray autumn skies.

I find myself in September and October trying to take mental images of every landscape, trying to imprint in my memory the beautiful trees so that I can recall them on a gray November day.

These photos were taken two weeks ago, already all of these beautiful leaves are gone.

But I will also have these photos, to forever hang on to autumns vibrancy.

This will be my only post this week, we are trying to finish up the giant painting project before it snows, and my sister and her son are coming to spend MEA break with us. Huzzah! I really miss her, and need some sister time.

Hoping you all have a wonderful autumn weekend!

aging gracefully

2011-10-13T09:03:00.002-05:00

No, not me. My cat.

He is at least 20 now. When we picked him out at the Humane Society, they thought he was at least a year old. Someone had found him as a stray and brought him in, so that was all we knew. We adopted him 19 years ago last summer, so 20 he is. Which is 96 in human years. NINETY SIX.

He is such an integral part of our family, Charlie doesn't know life without him.

He can be a pain in the butt. He has always been very vocal, the thought is that he is part Siamese. He likes to visit Mike and I in the wee hours of the morning, and meows until we bring him in bed with us. He used to just jump up and snuggle in, but the arthritis in his injured leg doesn't let him do that anymore. So we pick him up, and love him, and go back to sleep.

He eats a lot, three to four cans of food a day. And he has no trouble letting you know when it isn't fresh enough for him.

He LOVES to go outside. Based on his last fateful unsupervised adventure, he doesn't get to go out without one of us by his side. Sometimes he will just lie in the grass, soaking up the sun. I planted lots of catnip for him this year, he always visits it for a snack when he is out.

Being 96, he mostly sleeps. As the temperatures drop we will put a heating pad under his cat bed, so he can have a little extra warmth for his old bones. (safely, of course....)

We give him 5 meds twice a day. Clearly a senior. He just had a check-up a couple of weeks ago, and his vet is always impressed by what great shape he is in "for his age".

Even when he wakes us up at 4 am, meowing loudly, we still love him, and can't imagine our little family without him.

Farmer's Market Fun

2011-10-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning was gorgeous (I think the eighth or ninth day in a row that we hit 80 degrees). Since I am a fair weather market person (you won't find me there on a rainy day) I decided it was time.

After a lengthy discussion with Charlie on why he needed to go with me, I ended up bribing him with the promise of spring rolls AND a breakfast bagel. A small price to pay to have him carry the heavy stuff.

Farmer's Market in the fall is so gloriously abundant. I bought so much stuff we could have used another person to help carry everything.

Fresh raspberries, picked early that morning:

Pumpkins and squash-I love to find odd varieties to decorate my house in and out. It takes me a while to choose, as I like to find interesting stems.

Local brats, buns, bacon and eggs, oh my. Brussel sprouts, peppers, onions and broccoli.

I stocked up on potatoes, two 20 lb bags (one red and one russet) for only $7! No pictures of those...Charlie was wondering why I bought so many-I reminded him that potatoes keep a while in our cold basement.

I had to splurge on this beautiful bouquet-kale and eucaplyptus! What a great combo, and it should last a really long time. And it wasn't really a splurge, only $4.

(all photos taken with Charlie's new Ipod touch, since it was the only camera in the house!)

I had to leave behind the fresh cranberries, and handmade soaps, and honey, and chocolates, and crusty bread. I had to save something for my next trip....

sushi, anyone?

2011-10-11T09:13:00.002-05:00

It was 1990. Mike and I were in Hawaii (oh, those were the days....) on the beach of Oahu. We were attending an amazing dinner put on by his company, and I approached the sushi table. Back then, you didn't find it in grocery stores, and very few restaurants served it. So I tried it. I wasn't quite sure if I liked it or not, I had never had seaweed before.

Fast forward to today, and you can buy sushi at SuperTarget. Charlie loves it. We often have it for dinner when Mike is not around. So when I saw a Sushi class in the Community Education catalog, I had to sign up.

Tracy www.sellabitmum.com and I made our way up to Como Park High School last night, and spent 3 hours having fun. Our instructor, Laurel Severson, was WONDERFUL. The class of 8 prepared chicken, shrimp, crab, avocados, salmon, asparagus, spinach, cucumbers, carrots, Daikon radish, scallions, shitake mushrooms and eggs. When everything was ready and beautifully presented on huge trays, we sat with our sushi mats and giant platters of specially prepared rice and went to town. There was also pickled ginger, black and white toasted sesame seeds, caviar, wasabi, and soy sauce to add to the fun.

We each grabbed a sheet of Nori (roasted seaweed) and followed our instructors tips to make our own creations. It was really fun to create our own combinations of flavors, and slice it up and present it. It was DELICIOUS, I had to eat my first roll as all of that cooking made me hungry! We all took home lots of sushi, Charlie can hardly wait to get to his lunch box today.
Are you looking to learn a new cuisine?

( I didn't bring my camera, these are pictures I found on-line. Sushi is quite an artistic cuisine!)

happy birthday Charlie!

2011-10-07T06:05:00.000-05:00

In the midst of the mess our house is in, old paint and used sandpaper and messy drop cloths everywhere-a birthday cake needs to be made! Charlie has requested the Pastry Queen's Tuxedo cake. I love that he has such good taste. (here's a link to a web site that has posted it, if you are intersted....) http://www.recipelink.com/cookbooks/2004/1580085628_2.html

Our baby boy turns 14 today, and it hardly seems possible that fourteen years ago today we were patiently awaiting his arrival in a labor room in Burnsville. He was overdue, and had to be induced, and even then he took his sweet time showing his face.

Fourteen years of giggles and questions and smiles and tears. Chubby thighs to hairy legs. A joyful little boy voice into a mature man-like timbre.

I cherish every single moment. (okay, not EVERY single moment, but for sure all of the really good ones....)

Happy Birthday Charlie!

our old house

2011-10-04T19:43:00.001-05:00

Long time followers of my blog will know that Mike and I are mostly do-it-yourselfers.

When we wanted a new kitchen, we did it ourselves. You may remember my kitchen chronicles from a few summers ago. We painted our dining room, living room, and hallway about a year ago (or was it longer?)

This time, it's the exterior-a monumental job.

Our house was built in 1935, and still has most of it's original windows (six over six and four over fours) and cedar shake siding. While I love the charm these features offer, they are a PAIN IN THE BUTT to maintain.

But maintain we must, and since the exterior was last painted the week after Charlie was born (FOURTEEN years ago) it was past time to tackle this project.

Mike started on the south side, since it was in the worst shape. Scraping, sanding, sealing, priming, removing bird's nests from fan vents....

And then it was time to pick a color scheme. Oh my, there are far too many choices! And since I adore color, in all of it's variety, it was tough to decide.

When you live in the city, and have close neighbors, you need to choose something that fits in with the rest of your immediate area. (Well, you don't NEED to, but I think it's the kind thing to do. Which is why we vetoed Charlie's suggestion that we paint it navy blue.)

After much deliberation, sampling, and playing with color on-line, we made our decision. For the main body of the house 'Classic Taupe'. A bit darker than our current creamy color, but still neutral, and not a glaring change, so no need for multiple coats of paint. For the trim, we are keeping our rust/terracotta color. We added that accent to our house several years ago, all of our trim used to be a french blue, but one year I got the idea that we needed to add a little more zing to our house, so I went around and painted all of the outer trim, and our side door, a rich rust color that accents the brick on the front of our house, and seemed to work with the remaining blue trim and shutters. Now all of the rust will get a clean fresh coat, the color which closely matched our existing trim was 'Firebrick'.

I felt it was time for a change from the blue, and after consulting my color wheel determined that we needed to find a green that would work. Again, far too many choices, but we settled on 'Old Vine'. Mike was skeptical, but as we are progressing on the project the color is growing on him (as well as seeping into his skin and fingernails...).

We have been blessed with amazing weather, with highs in the low 80's forecast for all of this week. There have only been a couple of days in the last few weeks when Mike was unable to get out and work due to weather. Please everyone cross your fingers that the weather will hold until we can finish!

The south side is mostly complete, we are just waiting on a new storm window for the living room to finish it off. Mike is almost done with the front side that faces Hamline Avenue, now we can really see how the colors accent our brick, and fit in well with the giant pine trees in our front yard.

While Mike does the hard part, I have been painting storm windows in our back yard, scraping extra paint off of window glass, and painting trim. With our style of window, it is far easier to paint over the glass and then remove it, rather than trying to tape off every individual pane of glass. Mike has had to do a lot of reglazing of the windows and storms as he goes, he has become quite expert at it! Music helps the job go better.

We are very pleased with our paint, Behr exterior. We switched to Behr paints several years ago, the quality is exceptional and the colors are gorgeous. This time around we selected the paint with primer, and I love it's consistency and coverage. No, Behr didn't give me any paint to tell you that. I wish!

So here is a before picture of the front, from a few weeks ago. Can't wait to show you the AFTER!

And this is the side of our house, before....

I am currently on the hunt for some shutters to replace those on our office window (we had a busy woodpecker visit us this summer), the last time I needed to replace shutters I was able to find some at an antique shop. I prefer older ones, rather than buying brand new, but so far have not found some that are the correct size. I want old ones not only for their character, but for their price! For the price of brand new wooden shutters, I could buy two new storm windows-and we need those far more.

So hopefully once the first snow flies our home will be done and ready for winter, and then we can find inside projects to tackle. Shhhh-don't tell Mike I said that.

Do YOU do it yourself? Do you do it because you enjoy it, or to save money? Or are you lucky enough to have a big budget, and people? Lately, I am wishing I had both of those things...

autumn walk

2011-10-03T09:09:00.002-05:00

Grabbed my camera on Friday as I headed out for my walk:

Fall is slowing touching our world, in spots.

Gardens in fall:

(as you can see, STILL haven't harvested my basil...)

And I even planted some new pots to honor the season:

Supposed to be in the EIGHTIES all this week. What the heck? Awfully glad though, as we are in the midst of repainting the exterior of our house. And THAT is a post for another day...

so long September

2011-09-30T08:41:00.003-05:00

This morning, up early to sneak in some extra reading time, I was thinking about my blog post for today. And realized that it was the last day of September, perhaps my favorite month of the year (in a close competition with May).

(Our colors are just starting to turn, some maples showing off.)

And then I thought about my favorite CD to listen to this time of year: James Taylor's "October Road". In my Googling, I found this little snippet on You Tube, from when it was released:

This morning I plan to grab my camera, turn to this song on my Ipod, and enjoy a gorgeous fall morning.

September Grass

Well, the sun's not so hot in the sky today
And you know I can see summertime slipping on away
A few more geese are gone, a few more leaves turning red
But the grass is as soft as a feather in a featherbed
So I'll be king and you'll be queen
Our kingdom's gonna be this little patch of green

Won't you lie down here right now
In this september grass
Won't you lie down with me now
September grass

Oh the memory is like the sweetest pain
Yeah, I kissed the girl at a football game
I can still smell the sweat and the grass stains
We walked home together. I was never the same.

But that was a long time ago
And where is she now? I don't know
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/james+taylor/september+grass_20069259.html ]
Won't you lie down here right now
In this september grass
Won't you lie down with me now
September grass

Oh, september grass is the sweetest kind
It goes down easy like apple wine
Hope you don't mind if I pour you some
Made that much sweeter by the winter to come

Do you see those ants dancing on a blade of grass?
Do you know what I know? that's you and me, baby
We're so small and the world's so vast
We found each other down in the grass

Won't you lie down with me right here
September grass
Won't you lie down with me now
In this september grass

Lie down
Lie down
Lie down
Lie down

(repeat)

Won't you lie down here right now
In this september grass
Won't you lie down here now
In this september grass

Think I will grab a quilt and my book and enjoy a little of the September Grass this weekend. Hope you can too!

reading room

2011-09-29T08:33:00.002-05:00

I made lots of time for reading this summer-there is nothing I love more than pouring a glass of wine at the end of the day and relaxing in a small corner of my yard with a good book.

Autumn is here and there is less time for books. And on top of that, it gets dark too early to hang out in my corner. But I still make time for books, every day, even if it's only for a bit before I drop off to sleep. Last night I started "The Distant Hours" by Kate Morton.

Oh, it's the kind of book I can just get lost in. I almost wish I had a bad cold or the flu, so I would have a good excuse to curl up with it and just escape for hours. Is that bad?

Here is the scoop, from the Good Reads website:

A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

Morton once again enthralls readers with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling.

And rich storytelling it is. Here is what is inside the front cover, the beginning of the book that plays a prominent part of the story:

Hush...can you hear him?

The trees can. They are the first to know that he is coming.

Listen! The trees of the deep, dark wood, shivering and jittering their leaves like papery hulls of beaten silver; the sly wind, snaking through their tops, whispering that soon it will begin.

The trees know, for they are old and they have seen it all before.

Isn't it delicious? I can hardly wait to keep reading.

recipe box Wednesday

2011-09-28T09:39:00.002-05:00

Last week was rather cool, and fallish, and put me in the mood for some autumnal baking. I had a bowl full of Ginger Gold apples from the Farmer's Market, just crying to be made into something. I had already done crisps, a couple of times, and wanted something more cake-like.

Fortunately, I had just picked up this cookbook, at a recent Half Price Books sale event. "Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters: More than 100 years of Recipes Discovered from Family Cookbooks, Original Journals, Scraps of Paper, and Grandma's Kitchen".

It is a treasure trove, one of those cookbooks that you can sit and read like a novel. It is beautifully put together, the inside cover art is old recipes handwritten by cooks long gone. The food styling is lovely, the recipes easy to follow with little tips thrown in along the way. No wonder it was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Book Award! And now I can forget about that project I have on my list, to go through all of the old recipe cards I have been buying up at yard sales, to put into a cookbook. At least the baking part!

Inside, on page 164, I found exactly what I was looking for. It is by no means low calorie, or a fast dessert, but oh my, it was worth every calorie and minute spent preparing it:

Chopped Apple Cake with Sticky Toffee Topping (from the 1930's)

for the cake:

2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. raw apples, peeled, cored, and chopped by hand
1 c. walnuts, finely chopped (I substituted pecans)

for the toffee topping:

1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. heavy cream

1. Set the oven rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350. Line the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" pan with foil, shiny side up, and coat with vegetable spray.

2. To make the cake: Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

3. Sift sugar into bowl of standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter, and cream together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Add apples alternately with sifted dry ingredients, beating after each addition. Fold in nuts.

4. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 1 hour, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and tester inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool on rack 25 minutes, or until just warm.

5. To make the toffee topping: Melt butter in a heavy metal saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and salt and whisk until blended. Add heavy cream, increase heat to medium, and stir with a wooden spoon until mixtures comes to a boil Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Mixture will thicken as it rests.

6. Make several slits in warm cake with a butter knife. Pour sauce over cake. Let rest until topping sets, about 15 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or unsweetened whipped cream. Store loosely covered with wax paper at room temperature.

And I can tell you that the leftovers make a very nice breakfast.

feeding a cold

2011-09-26T07:39:00.000-05:00

We almost made it a whole month into school before the first bug came home.

Friday night, Charlie complained of a sore throat.

Saturday, I had him gargle with warm salt water, and later made him a nice hot cup of tea with honey.

(image found on line at the gifted penguin, uk - isn't it sweet?)

He went and played paintball later in the day with his friends, and came home feeling even worse.

Sunday? Ricola throat drops, chicken soup, more tea, and an entire box of Kleenex later, I officially declare it the first cold of the season.

Is that a scratchy throat I feel, or is it just dry in here?????

welcome autumn!

2011-09-23T13:08:00.000-05:00

"We come back to Autumn, to zucchini that wilt like witches' shoes." Margaret Hasse

It arrived quietly here this morning at 4:05 a.m., I was awake, as was Claude, crying to be picked up and cuddled in our cozy bed. We have felt the crispness in the air for several days now, autumn does tend to arrive sooner here than the calendar tells us. I have already pulled out the wool slippers and the cozy cardigans. The first pot of chili has been enjoyed along with some cornbread. I tried a new apple cake recipe-yum! Look for the recipe next week. Football is regularly being played in the field across the street, spectators bundled in warm coats and hats. The squirrels are scurrying across the lawn, nuts in their mouths (where they heck do they find them? We have no nut trees anywhere near our house....). My asters are starting to bloom, (the ones that our resident bunny didn't consume). I have stocked up on tea and soup, and pulled out my hand knitted wool socks.

Fortunately, most of my flowers are still thriving. Here's a little tour:

My herb garden. I usually transplant a couple of things to a pot for inside before it get's frosty; sage, thyme, lemon balm.

Remember when I planted this pot with a couple of coleus plants along with some other things?

It really thrived!

Here is a window box from the beginning of the growing season (May, to be exact):

And here is that same window box now. I am one of those gardeners who is always adding, moving, etc.

My biggest yard headache this year? Our birch tree got completely invaded with Japanese Beetles. Yuk. And now they have laid eggs in the ground. grrrr. How do I combat THAT?

Another before and after, the giant Ikea pot on my front step in May:

and today. (sorry about the bad lighting in this one...)

For some crazy reason, the black eyed susan vine flourishing in the center of the pot only produced two blooms the entire season. I have never had that happen before, usually they bloom like crazy for me.

Yesterday I picked up my fall stash of flowers-purple asters and bronze orange mums, kale and purple and orange pansies, and sunny yellow mums. I picked up a blue pumpkin, a white pumpkin, half a dozen pie pumpkins, and a bag full of assorted squash. Can't wait to play with my pots and window boxes this weekend and welcome the season! Now if only the frost will hold off a few more weeks so we can fully enjoy it all...

How will you welcome the new season?

making Connections

2011-09-22T06:27:00.000-05:00

You may recall my experiences last year at the Creative Connection ( I blogged several days about it, I only show you one http://ohfercute.blogspot.com/2010/09/creative-diary-day-one.html ). This year the budget was smaller, so I was wondering how I would do it. Fortunately, I had heard they were looking for some volunteers, so I ended up working an afternoon shift in exchange for taking a class and having lunch. Perfect!

This year's event was held in downtown St. Paul, so it was a short trip. Tracy and I arrived bright and early to receive our instructions from Nancy Soriano, in her suite (first brush with fame....). Then it was off to attend my class!

One creative personality that I have admired and followed for years is Kaari Meng. I have many of her books, this jewelry book is THE ONE I go to when I need fresh inspiration. Last year I got to meet her, and she autographed it for me!

I also have this book:

which is full of wonderful old notions and trims. In the other part of our class, we made beautiful glittered egg boxes with things found in this book, Wendy Addison from Tinsel Trading showed us how, and there was an entire booth full of these goodies in the Handmade Market. swoon....

Kaari also authored this book,

which sits on my shelf. I pull it out when I need sewing inspiration, or to dream of France.

And finally, this book of hers arrived in my mail this year, oh, it's scrumptious!

Clearly, I am a little obsessed.

In our class, we made a GORGEOUS charm bracelet and earrings, and had the chance to purchase more of her goodies. I was in heaven.

You too can be in French General heaven, here is a link to her shop in California. https://www.frenchgeneral.com/ I have ordered many kits from her, they are simply scrumptious.

But my newest dream? Joining her next summer on her yearly two week trip to France, her "Chateau Getaway". She takes a small group of people with her each year. Oh my....

After class, it was off to lunch, the food was underwhelming but the speakers were interesting. We learned that people had traveled from every state and seven countries to attend the event this year! I sat at my table, looking around the room, glimpsing all of these amazing women who are legends in their field: Stacy Julian, Becky Higgins, Susan Branch, and of course Kaari Meng.

For my volunteer stint, I was in charge of taking tickets at the door of the Handmade Market. It was to open at 1:30, there were literally HUNDREDS of woman standing outside the door, waiting to get in, and little old me, the one who was to let them in. EEK! But I did get to let Susan Branch and her husband in early (a true joy for me, but we didn't exactly get to chat...). Once the first throng was through, it was a very manageable afternoon. I met so many people! I saw co-workers from my days at Target, Cathy Zielske and her adorable daughter, and Mary Jane Butters! fun fun fun.

After our big day, Tracy and I headed out for a relaxing glass of wine and delicious dinner at the Downtowner Woodfire Grill. http://www.downtownerwoodfire.com/ The perfect ending to a very good day.

recipe box Wednesday

2011-09-21T08:58:00.001-05:00

I have idolized Susan Branch for years (you will read about my glimpse of her at the Creative Connection tomorrow) and I adore cooking from her beautiful hand written and painted cookbooks.

Last Saturday I needed a salad to bring to a friend's house for dinner, and I pulled her "Autumn" book from my collection, knowing I would find the perfect thing. And I did! I changed up a couple of things from the original recipe, based on what I could find at Trader Joes-here is my version:

Red Pear, Black Grape, Spiced Pecan Salad

Dressing:
3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
salt and pepper
Blend in a small saucepan, stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, set aside.

Salad:
Leaf Lettuce, one small head red and one small head green (you can really use any kind of greens here)
1 pomegranate, seeded (Traders Joes sells just the seeds, I love them!)
black seedless grapes, halved
1 lg red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1/2 c. crumbled gorgonzola
4 ripe red pears (I used green ones from a local orchard)
zest of two oranges
fresh figs, quartered
Spiced Pecans (you can make your own, recipe follows, but I used Trader Joes)

I arranged all of the fruit artfully on top of the greens, to make it pretty, and sprinkled it with the orange zest. I passed the dressing along with the onions, cheese, and pecans so people could make it their own (and avoid the things they didn't want). If you have never had a fresh fig, oh my, try to find them in your grocery store right now! They are currently in season, so you may get lucky. That was something I added from the original recipe, they really fit in with the other flavors. The dressing makes plenty, I have used it again over fresh tomatoes and sliced cucumbers, yum!

If you want to make your own Spiced Pecans, here is Susan's recipe:
spray olive oil
2 c. pecan halves
1/4 brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c. melted butter
4 Tbsp. Mexican hot sauce (Cholula)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 350, light spray olive oil on a cookie sheet. Mix all other ingredients and spread in pan in 1 layer. Bake 10 min. until lightly toasted, stirring once. Cool.

I adore her cookbooks, as they aren't just recipes. Here is the description from a book selling site:

Picking up where The Summer Book left off, Susan Branch's Autumn from the Heart of the Home fills the Fall season with all-American recipes, thoughtful gifts, crafts projects, decorating ideas, and entertaining themes. The recipes include Touchdown Chili, Butternut Shotglass Soup, Iowa Corn Bread, Savory Sage Riblets, Harvest Stew, Grandma's Stuffing, Curried Pumpkin Pots, Ginger Crisps, and, of course, Hot Chocolate. The book is generously illustrated with Branch's trademark graphics and watercolors.

If nothing else, try to find some of her books at your local library, you will be glad you did!

Junking!

2011-09-20T19:25:00.004-05:00

September seems to be busier than December is, for me. I like to call it my CREATIVE month!

For the last several years, I have been fortunate enough to attend Junk Bonanza. http://www.junkbonanza.com/ Held in Canterbury Park, Shakopee, this year it was just as much fun as always! More than one hundred vendors, from all across America, selling things I love.

This year, my good friend Tracy http://www.sellabitmum.com/ invited me to join her, as she had won two early bird VIP tickets to the event. WAHOO!

We could get inside at 8 am, which meant getting up early (for me) and driving in traffic. ugh. But it was SO worth it!

Rather than checking out all the booths up front, Tracy and I headed directly to the back, where we could shop nearly by ourselves, then eventually wound our way to the front, and the crowds. I found such fun things!

Buttons for making bracelets,

trims,

vintage bread tins that I will use for displaying bracelets at my next show, old jewelry boxes, very cool pumpkins,

an old wooden folding yard stick, vintage tape measure, and this year, CLOCKS. Lots of clocks.

I have an idea, I will share more later if it works out....my fingers are just itching to get creating!

At 10 am, the general public was allowed in, but by 10:30 we were pretty much shopped (or shall I say 'junked' ) out.

We headed to Prior Lake, and had breakfast at the most amazing little spot, the Edelweiss Bakery. http://www.edelweissbakery.net/ (image taken from their website, isn't it great?)

It was a wonderful day, spent with a delightful friend. Ahhh, the joys of September....

catching up

2011-09-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

It was quite a week last week and I am just trying to take a breath....I will be posting next week about Junk Bonanza and the Creative Connection event, along with a yummy recipe I made for a friend's dinner party last night.

Stay tuned!

a surprise get-away

2011-09-14T20:30:00.004-05:00

Mike and Charlie were riding their dirt bikes at Theilmann all last weekend-they had a great time and fun with friends. When they arrived home on Sunday evening, Mike handed me a card.

"But our anniversary isn't until tomorrow." I protested. He simply smiled, and told me I needed to open it early.

I opened it, a funny card, and inside a note accompanied by photos proclaimed I should "pack my bags" as he was taking me away in the morning, to Duluth. The best part? He had made reservations for us to stay at the Firelight Inn!

We have stayed there a couple of times in the last 15 years, but it seems like it has been ages. And it was everything I had remembered. You can find them here: http://www.firelightinn.com/

It is tucked away at the end of a street, where it's neighbor is the Oregon Creek, which you can hear quietly burbling away from open windows during your stay. The house itself is 100 years old, and was built by George Barnum. Yes, the same Mr. Barnum that the town of Barnum was named for. It is in a neighborhood full of large, elegant homes, from an era of Duluth firmly rooted in history.

You are greeted by the owners at the door, and walk into an enormous porch, populated by wicker chairs, cozy pillows, strategically placed lamps and a fireplace. The windows are sparkling clean, and offer views of the creek and beautifully maintained lawn and gardens.

As you step inside, gleaming wood, comfortable furnishings, a grand piano, and an enormous fireplace grace the main floor, along with a butler's pantry tucked in the corner. At any time of day, you can find hot and cold beverages, ice, sweets, and always homemade cookies. A vast collection of music can be found for the cd player in your room, or perhaps a movie. Books, games, puzzles, anything you need to while away your time.

The gorgeous staircase takes you to the second and third floors, where our suite awaited. For this visit, we were staying in the Superior Suite. Painted a calming blue, it had a separate sitting room with couch, television, wardrobe, table and chairs, small refrigerator, and sink. The main room holds the king size bed (more on that later), a fireplace, another table and chairs, and a two person hot tub.

What always impresses me, is the absolute attention to detail the owners provide. Handcrafted soap, gleaming brass, an already filled ice bucket with treats and cold water were waiting for us, along with a homemade card with a note from the owners, welcoming us and thanking us for choosing to stay with them. I defy you to find a single piece of dust in the entire home. Real glass water tumblers, heavy coffee mugs, plush and plentiful towels, gorgeous spa robes, and quality toilet paper. (Yes, I mention the toilet paper, simply because absolutely no comfort has been neglected.)

And the bed. Oh, the bed. An excellent mattress topped with a featherbed, two huge down pillows, and the softest sheets imaginable. I could have just stayed in that bed for days. As someone with back problems, I generally am dissatisfied by hotel beds. But not this one.

Just when you think you have journeyed to heaven, the next morning a quiet knock on the door lets you know that your breakfast has arrived. An enormous basket waits for you just outside your door, it was so heavy I had to have Mike bring it in! It held the following: breakfast strudel (ham, cheese, eggs, fresh herbs in perfectly golden puff pastry) still piping hot, fresh pears and strawberries, warm butterscotch scones and banana bread with butter, a pitcher of orange juice and a pot of coffee, and fresh blueberries in port sauce with creme fraiche. Of course the basket included cloth placemats and napkins and china plates and silverware.

It's a shame to have to leave. But you know that no matter when you return, all that you love about the Firelight Inn will be there, waiting for you. I don't know of any other place where Mike and I have returned three times. And with several rooms, we still have a few left to try out! They each have their own theme and ambience. The one thing I have yet to try is the massage, you can set up an appointment for one during your stay, in house. Next time....

I actually dream of being stranded there for several days, during a snowstorm, and really take advantage of all that the Inn has to offer. They have journals in each of the rooms, and it is such fun to read the comments from others who have enjoyed staying there, why they happened to be in Duluth, where they came from, and if they were celebrating something. I just read a few recent ones, and so many of them were returning guests.

A big thank you to Jim and Joy Fischer for being the ultimate host and hostess, they do everything themselves and put all of their heart and soul into their business. Even though it was a short getaway, it was perfect in every way. When you say goodbye, you feel as if you have just spent lovely time with friends.

If you are ever planning a trip to Duluth, and want to be assured of an exceptional experience, please try to find a spot at the Firelight Inn. It is absolutely the best lodging money can buy, as it is more than just a place to rest your head. (and you too will be raving about the featherbed...)

Disclaimer: I have not been compensated nor asked to write this review, I simply love The Firelight Inn and wanted to share it with you!!!

and the winner is...

2011-09-14T07:41:00.001-05:00

...sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of the cookbook from last week, my husband surprised me with an anniversary trip to Duluth and I haven't been near a computer! More on that little adventure later....

I only had three entries, so your chances of winning were far better than entering, say, one of the Pioneer Woman's contests.

Rather than using Random Number Generator, which is what all the hip bloggers use when they have contests, I went the old fashioned way. I wrote your names on equal size pieces of paper, put them in a hat, shook them well, and had Mike draw a name.

Ann J-you have won a copy of the Hay Day Country Market cookbook! EMail me your address at khpohl@gmail.com and I will get it in the mail to you.

Congratulations!

heartbreaking

2011-09-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

Up early this morning, I turned on the television. Something I don't normally do on a Sunday morning, I prefer to sit with my newspaper and a cup of coffee. But obviously this Sunday was anything but normal. I read the paper, the stories of people touched very personally by this date ten years ago, as the television screen was filled with images of the sites of horror where such pain occurred.

I sat transfixed, watching the memorial service. The terror, pain, grief, and sadness of that day filled me up to overflowing, as I watched family members recite the names of those lost, and tell stories of their lives in the last ten years. I sobbed when I watched them visit the memorial, and gently touch the names of those who are no longer here.

A while later, when I couldn't cry anymore, I got up and went outside to water my garden. It was a bright blue sunny morning, much like the day was ten years ago. The sight of my flowers whispered to me, suggesting a different path for the day

I drove to the St. Paul Farmer's Market. It was bustling with activity, color, music, and laughter. A better way to honor this day, than to sit alone with tears running down my face.

The pictures I share with you today from the market were taken by my talented sister Heather, when she was here a few weeks ago.

The bounty of the market this time of year is overwhelming-every kind of tomato,

carrots, potatoes, onions, beans, herbs, corn, squash, cucumbers, peppers.

Who knew there were so many kinds of eggplant?

And the flowers, oh the flowers!

Such a bountiful time of year.

This particular photo, my favorite, is going to be my screensaver in January.

And it's a beautiful bouquet, to honor all those lost and their families who have endured.

EDITED: After checking a few of my favorite blogs, I wanted to share this link with you. I think Susan Branch just wrote so beautifully about this day. You can read it, here: http://www.susanbranch.com/archives/1892?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SusanBranchBlog+%28Susan+Branch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

August garden

2011-09-08T14:36:00.001-05:00

I know, it's September, but I am just getting around to this....

The August garden has the whine of cicadas in the background, and the sounds of the football team practicing in the field across the street. Some plants are tired, and spent. Others continue vibrant and cheerful.

I have never had blooms on my sweet potato vine before. What a fun surprise!

I plant Datura (also known as Moonflower) every year, instead of white this year I found purple and yellow. It reminds me of a plant that might be tended by students at Hogwarts-and in fact the leaves are quite poisonous. I make sure no one eats them. Isn't it a stunning bloom? Sadly, it only lasts about 24 hours. But it leaves interesting things behind....

One of the reasons I love coleus is it is so reliable, and provides beautiful, consistent color all season long. And now that there are so many new varieties, I can have stunning color in sun or shade, in beds and boxes and pots. Now if they could only come up with some that are frost resistant....

Begonias show their flirty skirts all summer long. While I find August blooms to be just a bit paler than the vibrant colors of June, I still adore them.

An old fashioned flower, I planted 4 o'clocks this year. Their cheerful blooms pop out in the morning, and true to their name, are closed up by late afternoon, resting up for the next day's display.

Browalia adds a dainty, cheerful touch to the shade garden. These have just had a much needed drink.

Cleome is big and flashy in the sun garden, yet elegant at the same time. Only one of the four I planted bloomed, but since I have a tendency to plant too much and crowd things (when will I ever learn?) that is one of the results. Perhaps I will review these notes before planting next spring.....mental note.

These zinnias were purchased on my May birthday in Alma, Wisconsin, and have provided happy blooms all summer.

How is YOUR garden doing?

recipe box Wednesday, and a giveaway!

2011-09-07T07:16:00.000-05:00

Because I have been neglecting my dear readers all summer, I feel it's time to give you something.

First, a recipe. And if you are the winner, a new cookbook!

Published in 1998, I have been using this cookbook for quite a long time. This year, for his back-to-school dinner, Charlie requested pasta, with bacon and tomatoes. He didn't care how I did it, but that was what he wanted.

And I immediately thought of a favorite recipe, I have made many times: Tuscan Tomato and Bacon Sauce, from this very cookbook. Easy to find, on page 260, due to all of the splashes of ingredients on the pages.

Here you go:

Tuscan Tomato and Bacon Sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. fresh sweet Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed (I often use more than this)
4 strips thick sliced smoked bacon, diced ( I generally double this amount)
1 lg clove garlic, peeled and minced (I use 2 or 3)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped Spanish onion (I use whatever onions I have on hand)
1/2 c. port (I use red wine instead)
2 lbs. fresh plum tomatoes, or 4 c. canned tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (less if you don't want it spicy)
1 Tbsp. shredded fresh basil, or more to taste (you can imagine I add more)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over med hi heat. Add the sausage and bacon, saute until sausage is browned and bacon is crisp, about 5 min. Drain the excess fat from the pan, leaving enough to cook the garlic and onion over med hi heat until the onion is tender and lightly colored, 8-10 min.

Add the port (or wine) and simmer for 1 min., scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer over med-hi heat and cook, uncovered, until the tomatoes are softened and cooked down, 20-25 min. Then stir in the basil and serve. Or let cool and store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Other ideas:

* Serve over a mound of hot linguine with a few warm grilled shrimp tucked on top.

* Use as a pizza topping, along with a bit of grated mozzarella.

(Sorry that I don't have the easy to print recipe gadget active on my blog yet. To print, just cut and paste the recipe into Word, or Google Docs, and print to use.)

Personally, I doubled the recipe so we had enough for another meal. I also sauteed up a pound of sliced portabella mushrooms and added to the sauce, to increase the earthiness factor (we really love mushrooms). I also top it with a generous helping of freshly grated parmesan. Because the first helping of this is rather juicy, I always serve it with good crusty bread to sop up the juices. Honestly, it tastes even better the second day.

I have made batches of this at the end of summer with fresh tomatoes and frozen it to enjoy in January. YUM.

Anyhoo, this is just one of a number of wonderful recipes from this delightful cookbook. I have made the Summer Corn and Tomato Salad, the BLT Pasta Salad, the Maple Glazed Pork Chops, the Mango Chicken Salad, the Vidalia Onion Dip, the Pesto, and the Cherry Apple Pecan Crisp. And I haven't even made a dent in all of the wonderful recipes I have yet to try: Key Lime Pudding Cakes, Gingerbread Peach Upside-Down Cake, Maple Cashew Crisps, Buttermilk Chive Mashed Potatoes, Wild Mushroom, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Lasagne, Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Spears, Southern Pulled Chicken Barbeque, Pork and Apple Chili.....

Are you hungry yet?

I picked up a copy of this delightful cookbook at a favorite book store, and because I love it so, I want to share the fun with one of you.

Please leave a comment (with your email address) and let me know if you made a back to school meal for your child, or if you remember a special back to school meal from your own childhood. You will be entered to win.

Contest closes at midnight on Saturday, Sept. 10th and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Good luck!

looking back

2011-09-05T20:03:00.003-05:00

I have to say, the quote I found for September certainly sums up the last couple of days!

Labor Day Weekend (it deserves to be in capitals) was so BEAUTIFUL, weather-wise. The kind of weather you dream of, in January. What you imagine an idyllic summer day to be.

I have so much to catch up on!

This year I was fortunate enough to attend our State Fair, not once, but twice. While I am still waiting for my sis to share her fab pictures of our day (send them along, Heather!) I do have a few pics Mike took with his Iphone to celebrate our State Fair Date (since Charlie refuses to join us any longer-you can read all about my dismay over this, from last year, here: http://ohfercute.blogspot.com/2010/09/great-minnesota-get-together.html)

At the Minnesota State Fair, you can be the king of Spam. (I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of Spam, if you are, you can order deep fried Spam curds....)

This year, I finally found the butter sculptor. Hard to believe I have been going to the fair this long and had not found her. The slabs are 90 lbs of butter, and she sculpts all of the dairy princesses, in a slowly rotating glass display, I think the temp is 40 degrees. She is AMAZING! The princesses get to keep their sculptures after the fair. I have heard that one of them in the past used the butter for a community corn feed! What would YOU do with that much butter?

Mike and I love to check out the animals. My favorite is the cows. Perhaps I feel an affinity with the dairy cows, having once compared myself to a milker....or perhaps it is their gentle eyes. Speaking of cows, this year we tried a rhubarb/strawberry malt from the Dairy Building. Good heavens, it was DELICIOUS!

I always check out the Fine Art building, there are some amazingly talented people in our state. Mike and I both marveled over this sculpture, created from a single piece of wood. I wish you could see the incredible detail of this piece, it was overwhelming (and full size, though you can't see it in this photo):

The crowd favorite was this sculpture, made completely from return address labels! I think the reason it created such a stir, is that it was made from something so mundane, that many of us just toss in the recycling bin. It was made by an aunt of my good friend, Mike Lane. Far less than six degrees of separation here.....

As we wandered through the grounds, we came across the ARMCA trailer. As we walked in, we saw something familiar. They were showing Mike's latest enduro movie "Endless Sunday"! How cool is THAT? Mike has officially been featured at the Minnesota State Fair.

The Horticulture building is one of my favorites (not just because I can sit for a really long time and enjoy Minnesota wine), it has beehives, and honey ice cream, crop art (this picture is made of SEEDS-yes, it completely deserved the Reserve Champion prize, incredible!)

wonderful scarecrows (this one was my favorite-the head is a gourd with amaranth as the hair!),

Christmas trees, fresh apples

(the frozen apple cider is a MUST on a hot fair day), and flour sacks.

I learned a lot about flour sacks. Turns out, if you take your time, and stop to talk to the people who are staffing the fair, you can learn so much.

Back in the day, ages ago, each company had their own logo for their flour and seed sacks. But, knowing that industrious housewives were re-using the sacks to make aprons, and curtains, and clothing, the ink that was used on the sacks was water soluble. So the first time the sack went into that week's washing, the advertising went away and it became quite usable fabric.

Which leads to the fact that today, there are very few flour and seed sacks remaining with the actual company logo on them, and are quite collectible. Who knew? I tell you, every year the state fair teaches me something new. You may go for the food, but if you are watchful, you can learn something too!

And unfortunately, I don't have a photo, but this year my favorite NEW fair food was the caprese on a stick, at Giggles. It was served on fresh greens and with an amazing wild rice cranberry salad. We had it with some walleye fingers, and I have every intention of trying to recreate that salad on my own. YUM!

Hoping you are compiling your own summer memories....

school daze

2011-09-02T15:34:00.002-05:00

Charlie started back to school on Wednesday. Talk about the summer flying by!

He goes to a charter school, so they are exempt from the law of an after Labor Day start. While he dislikes starting before some of his friends, he really enjoys finishing up earlier than they do in June. (this was taken when he arrived home on his first day-he was so wiped out he fell asleep right after dinner!)

His voice is deeper and lower, he grew a few inches this summer, and he has really hairy legs.

Where oh where did my little boy go?

I remember waking him up for preschool, and he would bounce out of bed, happy, smiling, and often singing. (and who knew he would be wearing nearly the very same thing in 8th grade???)

Now it takes several attempts to drag him from his twisted sheets, and he slowly plods down the hall. He does still say 'Good morning', and will let me hug him, so all is not lost.

Eighth grade holds lots of promise for this young man. Seventh grade was kind of rough, and he didn't work to his full potential. Hoping this will be the year he decides to shine.

Are you ready for back to school?

almost there!

2011-09-01T20:49:00.000-05:00

Hang in there....

...just got a new laptop today, once I can get everything loaded there will be blog posts and pictures like crazy!

countdown to the fair!

2011-08-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

Summer is winding down and here in St. Paul we are consoled by the fact that we end it with one of the best events of the summer, the Minnesota State Fair.

When I was a little girl, living 'up north', I dreamed of one day going to the state fair. I didn't raise cows or chickens, so I knew I wouldn't get there that way. My parents did not seem interested, so it was never a family event.

Since I moved to the 'cities' back in 1987, the fair has been a yearly, much anticipated event on our calendar!

Each year we track down our favorites:

And every year we like to find something new:

Whether you gather round that year's biggest pig,

or enjoy a turkey sandwich,

there is nothing like a day at the fair. And to make this year's event even MORE FUN, Heather and Riley are coming down to join us for our day of fun!!!

song for today

2011-08-19T13:48:00.001-05:00

It's an absolutely beautiful August day here in St. Paul, and life is good. Ran across this today, and thought it was the perfect song to share.

Did you know Morey Amsterdam wrote lyrics for the Dick Van Dyke Show theme song? Here you go:

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW THEME SONG

(Music by Earle Hagen / Lyrics by Morey Amsterdam)Dick Van Dyke

So you think that you've got troubles? Well, trouble's a bubble, So tell old Mr. Trouble to "Get lost!". Why not hold your head up high and, Stop cryin', start tryin', And don't forget to keep your fingers crossed. When you find the joy of livin' Is lovin' and givin' You'll be there when the winning dice are tossed. A smile is just a frown that's turned upside down, So smile, and that frown will defrost. And don't forget to keep your fingers crossed!

Have a wonderful summer weekend!

fish fry!

2011-08-17T08:59:00.000-05:00

The multi-day celebration of my parent's fiftieth wedding anniversary concluded on Saturday. Heather and I took my mom to Park Rapids and Summerhill Farms for a little lunch and shopping (our almost annual photo, we always sit in the same places at the same table every time we go there),

and we ended the day with a big fish fry at my parent's house.

We had a LOT of fish to eat from our big tournament!

I had whipped up Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad (ala Ina Garten), and my brother made coleslaw. My dad had stopped by a roadside stand for fresh corn on the cob, and he and my mom used their favorite recipe to prepare the fish.

There may have been some alcohol involved as well, the weather was nice enough to spend it on my parent's deck:

My parent's cat, Bootsie, joined us for the fun. I did say we were having fish, right?

After this, the party was definitely over, and we all went to bed that night with full tummies and happy hearts. (No, my brother did not eat that entire platter of fish....we all like a good cold fish sandwich!)

fifty years in the making

2011-08-14T20:38:00.001-05:00

The big day finally arrived, and Heather and I spent it getting ready. We had found our second wind after fishing all day, and spent Thursday night making cupcakes. We thought it would be more fun than a big cake, and knowing our parents favorites, decided to make carrot and red velvet.

Our sweet and talented niece Savanna arrived at Heather's house bright and early Friday morning, Heather whipped up batches of cream cheese frosting and Savanna did the decorating. She LOVES to bake, and is often found making cakes for her friends. She would love to have a bakery some day, wouldn't that be great to have a bakery in the family?

Heather and I spent the rest of the day creating flower arrangements, decorating her house, ironing vintage table linens and napkins to bring to the restaurant, and I even found time to write a little speech. Being the oldest, I felt it was my job. I don't speak well spontaneously, and I knew that I would get too emotional if I didn't have a piece of paper to hold.

A giant rainstorm with hail and 50 mile an hour winds blew through town not long before we had to pack up and head to the Peppercorn restaurant. Everyone pitched in to make our private room at the restaurant special, laying out napkins, lighting candles, and making it all perfect.

My brother's wife Angie and his son Kaleb handled this side (apparently Charlie is supervising....)

My niece Savanna listens intently to Kelly's knowledge of salad fork placement:

Ready and waiting for our parents to arrive, we take time out to recreate a sibling photo from years ago:

The flowers included white hydrangeas, red and white roses, yellow gerber daisies, and gold and white alstromeira with some wild peas, in vintage canning jars tied up with gold ribbon and their wedding photo.

The happy couple arrived, and after getting their fresh flowers it was time to order dinner! The food was delicious, and the service could not have been better.

Once we finished dinner, I made my little speech without totally choking up, and Mike shared his thoughts on their fifty years of marriage. He knows how to get to the heart of the matter in a beautiful way.

Time for group photos! The original family:

My mom and dad with their grandchildren:

The whole family, all together. So glad Mike has a timer and tripod!

And as usual with our family, a little fun:

We all headed back to Heather's house, where champagne and dessert awaited!

Champagne for all!

Once everyone had settled in, it was time for the highlight of the evening. We had sent letters to all of my parents family and friends to solicit memories and photos, Mike spent a big chunk of time putting together a movie of their lives. It was sweet, and funny, and I doubt there was a dry eye in the room. I would post it here, but it is nearly half an hour long! After the movie, the grandkids took turns reading all of the letters and notes to them from their friends that we had received, it was a beautiful moment. Then Heather made a very touching speech (she can be spontaneous unlike her older sister...)

My parents talked a little about their wedding, and how they spent the entire night after the reception driving to Duluth and then the North Shore trying to find a place to stay. They were finally successful at 8 am the next morning!

And we learned that my dad had sold his boat, motor, and trailer to give my mom a honeymoon. Sigh...how incredibly romantic. He reminded me that back then he never had time to go fishing anyway, as he was working two jobs in order to afford to build our first house out on Lake Avenue.

What an amazing, loving, half century they have spent together. While it was not all sunshine and roses, as no life ever is, they have endured the rain and storms, and have set a wonderful example for all of their children and grandchildren to follow.

We had a fun, homegrown celebration, just as my parents had requested. A night we will all remember, for a long time.

family fishin' tournament

2011-08-11T17:41:00.000-05:00

Please accept my apologies, dear readers, for making you wait so long for this post. Sometimes I feel like that commercial where the swimmers are in a pool of caramel, and it takes a long time to accomplish anything.

To the fun! We arrived in Bemidji last Wednesday, and our first order of business was gathering the family at Heather's 'house on the hill' for a night filled with yummy appetizers, free flowing beer and wine, Dave's Pizza, family memories, and Savanna's soon-to-be-famous whoopie pies.

Heather presented my parents with a beautiful photo album of their life together, here my brother Kelly and his son Kaleb and I reminisce:

The party ended with plenty of time for all of us to get a good night's sleep (well, except for Riley and Charlie, who I suspect stayed up far too late playing video games...).

Having discussed the rules and points system the previous evening, we met up at the Nymore landing on a gorgeous summer day to start the fun. If we had specially ordered the weather for the day, it could not have been more perfect-blue skies, a slight breeze to keep us cool, and enough sun to give those of us with very pale skin an amazing sunburn.

To accomodate all of us, we ended up in three boats. My brother took my mom, sister Heather, and his wife Angie, my nephew Kaleb took his sister Savanna and his girlfriend Kaitlin, and his brand new puppy Koda,

while my dad piloted the boat carrying myself, Riley, Charlie, and Mike. I may look calm, but I am totally focused on finding me a lunker...

Two young ~~boys~~ men, growing up way too fast! And as you will note, safety first....

Charlie was the first in our boat to land a fish, a nice little perch. Here my dad is making sure his minnow is ready to be cast back out into the clear blue lake. Of course by then Heather had already called to let us know she had caught the first fish of the day, which earned her 10 bonus points!

My dad hauls in a walleye. While no record setter, it earned him 5 points before he returned it to the lake to grow a bit bigger. Walleyes were hard to come by this day, but of course my dad found them.

Kaleb shows off his latest catch.

Angie found a perch too, but insists on Kelly removing it from her line. She wasn't raised to pull them off the hook, like Heather and I were.

While their boat is proud to show off how many they have caught, we are holding our numbers close. Hey, who needs to know?

A rare photo of my brother actually SMILING. My mom looks dubious.

One of the 20 perch I hauled into the boat (yes, it's the legal limit). Of course, I am not counting those that were released or got away, just before being hauled in...

While it took Riley a little longer to find the fish, once he did he was hauling them in just like the rest of us. Look at my dad, so proud!

My niece Savanna is either taking a tanning break, or monitoring the depth finder...

Mike should have probably received a prize for the smallest fish caught all day, we should have saved it to use for bait!

Mike is such a good sport. He was not raised in a fishing family, but he gamely joined us for the fun-and caught plenty of fish!

We all made it back safely, with many fishing stories to share.

A great day on the water! My dad collected the most points, but of course refused to be acknowledged as the big winner, so Charlie in second claimed the prize of a vintage fishing lure. My mom caught the biggest fish, a really nice size walleye, and naturally declined a prize too. My nephew Kaleb caught the only northern (I was so bummed, I love catching me a blue racer!) It was all in fun, and after getting the boats out of the water and the fish cleaned we headed to the Corner Bar for burgers and beer and a perfect way to end our day.

My dad was in heaven, the first time he has ever had the whole family, all together, out on the water doing the thing he loves best.

More anniversary posts to come!

celebrating a milestone

2011-08-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

Look at these fresh faced 19 year olds! Fifty years ago this Friday, Donald David Hanson and Diane Karen Gulsvig said "I do" and began a fifty year adventure. Three kids, four grandkids, and lots of tears and laughter later, they are ready to celebrate.

We will be heading to Bemidji this week for a multi day celebration that will include a family fishing tournament and fish fry along with other events, ending with a family dinner on Friday evening. Mike has been making a movie of their lives, I have watched it multiple times and still can't get through it without weeping. But I am that way...I have already packed multiple boxes of tissues for all of us.

Still much to do, so this will be my only post this week. There will be plenty to share with you next week!

Happy August!

it's all about the creative

2011-07-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

You may remember last fall, when I posted about the fun I had at the inaugural Creative Connection event, held in Minneapolis:
http://ohfercute.blogspot.com/2010/09/creative-diary-day-one.html If you are so inclined, I actually blogged about it for several days, just do a search for "creative" on my sidebar if you really want to read all of the posts.

This year it's going to be held in my very own backyard, and I am longing to go!

http://www.thecreativeconnectionevent.com/

Problem is, I can't figure out which day, as I want to do EVERYTHING, and lately I have had a hard time making decisions.

At last year's event, which I attended with my dear friend Tracy, I connected with Paula, who then invited me to be a part of her holiday boutique. So in addition to learning new skills, meeting fabulous talented women, having a great meal, and getting a creative confidence boost, I made connections too!

Can you see why I can't wait to go this year?

fishin'

2011-07-24T10:41:00.000-05:00

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.

I have several good excuses for my absence. If you wish to read them, here they are.

If not, scroll down to the bolded sentence and go from there!

1. I still have no internet on my laptop, therefore I cannot blog whenever and wherever I want. I am one of those people who likes to write in unusual places.

2. I HATE my husband's keyboard, it takes me forever to type something correctly. Ergonomics be damned.

3. My hubby's computer is in our dark office, which is the hottest (and messiest) room in our house.

4. It's summer, for crying out loud! I can write when it's snowing and blowing and 10 degrees outside.

July has been full of family and fishing and oppressive heat. THIS is the good stuff (well, not the heat part...):

We went to Bemidji for the fourth of July, for the first time in several years. We were blessed with perfect weather and Heather was an excellent hostess, as always. I loved staying at her house on the hill, enjoying the cool breezes on her patio, picking wildflowers in the field next to her house, and checking out her fabulous garden. I just love that girl.

We were able to go trout fishing, which is something I had not done since I was a young girl. My nephew Kaleb let us use his small boat, which was the only way we were able to get onto the tiny Lake, whose name shall not be mentioned here, to preserve it for future trout fishing.

I love the anticipation of getting ready to go. No need to stop at the bait shop for fresh minnows or leeches, rainbow trout like salmon eggs and corn, suspended from miniature marshmallows. My dad reminisced, while we were fishing, that it used to be the only time he had to bring extra bait, as the kids would eat it all.

The lake is small, completely undeveloped, and serene.We whistled the theme to "The Andy Griffith Show" as our boat glided across the jeweled waters.

And we caught fish, oh yes we did. Beautiful rainbow trout.

And still had time for pictures.

Even a brief rainstorm didn't send us to shore.

And we were able to go multiple times over the weekend, as the weather gods smiled down on us.

My dad smoked some of the fish, and one day we enjoyed it for lunch with ice cold beer, our fishing tans warm on our bodies, big smiles on our faces. I can't wait to grill up the fish I brought home, an edible reminder of perfect summer hours spent with family.

firefly summer

2011-07-11T15:39:00.000-05:00

Holy cow, I'm away from blogging for a week and they go and change it all on me. I feel like I have been away more like a year! Summer is full of so much that it is sometimes hard to discipline myself to sit in front of a computer screen long enough to tell a story.

I think it was the fireflies, zipping through the yard at my sister's house when we were there. They completely transformed me, into this person who just wants to relax in a boat, stretch out my legs to the warm sun, and wait for a pretty rainbow trout to jump on my hook. Or sit back, in a comfy adirondack chair on a shady porch, with a sweating glass of iced tea and magazines to read.

"It goes so fast" they whispered to me, as they flitted through the tall grass in the field next to her house. I wanted to grab a canning jar, and catch some, and set them on the nightstand next to my bed.

Even though I am back in the heart of the city, and have no fireflies to think about catching, their tiny thoughts still call to me, telling me to slow down, enjoy the moment, and soak in all that summer has to offer. So if you don't see much in the way of blogging, know that I am just off enjoying July.

My hubby must have been influenced by the fireflies too-here's a little something he made to show how gorgeous the night sky can be when you are away from city lights. Enjoy!

had a great time....

2011-07-06T16:37:00.001-05:00

...wish we were still there!

Mike and Charlie cooperated for the camera on the patio at Chase on the Lake, on the shore of Leech Lake. We had stopped there for dinner on our way 'up north' on Thursday night.