tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39876570953107853602024-03-13T12:14:55.675-07:00Food'n'SuchMollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-42315102508929840512011-03-10T14:26:00.003-08:002011-03-10T14:26:48.207-08:00I caught you a delicious bass.<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div><div style='position:relative;width:400px;height:400px;'><a href='http://www.polyvore.com/caught_you_delicious_bass/set?.mid=embed&id=29182373'><img force='1' border='0' height='400' title='I caught you a delicious bass.' src='http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFmlzQk9ZR1ZMNEJHUXk5NHJoa1ZxRmcAAAACaWQKAWUAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg' alt='I caught you a delicious bass.' width='400'/></a></div><br/><small><a href='http://www.polyvore.com/caught_you_delicious_bass/set?.mid=embed&id=29182373'>I caught you a delicious bass.</a> by <a href='http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?.mid=embed&id=2322733'>molls7032</a> featuring a <a href='http://www.polyvore.com/green_shoulder_bag/shop?query=green+shoulder+bag'>green shoulder bag</a></small></div><div style='padding-top:16px;font-size:0.75em'><p style='clear:both;margin:0em;padding:0px'><a href='http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.mid=embed-imagelist&id=26693470' rel='nofollow'><img force='1' height='50' style='border:1px solid #cccccc;margin:0 8px 8px 0;padding:2px;background-color:#ffffff;' src='http://cf2.polyvoreimg.com/thing.26693470.s.jpg' hspace='4' align='left' width='50'/></a><div style='margin-bottom:8px'><a href='http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.mid=embed-imagelist&id=26693470' rel='nofollow'>Miss Selfridge cami tank top</a><br/>18 GBP - 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</div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-43958350599734927542010-06-13T18:02:00.000-07:002010-06-13T19:00:25.744-07:00ReddstoneMy friend <a href="http://nybuckeye.blogspot.com/">Becca</a> works at <a href="http://www.thereddstone.com/">Reddstone</a> and invited myself and some fellow Cleveland bloggers out to taste their new menu this past week. The rain cleared up just in time for us to enjoy it on their very awesome patio in the Battery Park neighborhood. It was my first time to the restaurant and I will definitely be back to spend the evening there. Executive Chef Josh Kabat prepared us five courses of summer fare:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">First course - Rare Salmon Lettuce Rolls <br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkS4vL-8xc1dbFvCAZKuHcB1M-q3nIr_uHqJAmFh410ytYeyhEiiJZFplLgoM1wp0WUK_i-0-jKPMGXU0jZOUvWvJsTC9NDR9f7BjB7T1QKcKo7Xosxq14bCRwpg1-ZYVvhw7-CJNr2TQ/s1600/IMG_6488.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkS4vL-8xc1dbFvCAZKuHcB1M-q3nIr_uHqJAmFh410ytYeyhEiiJZFplLgoM1wp0WUK_i-0-jKPMGXU0jZOUvWvJsTC9NDR9f7BjB7T1QKcKo7Xosxq14bCRwpg1-ZYVvhw7-CJNr2TQ/s320/IMG_6488.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482432160882824514" border="0" /></a>Salmon carpaccio, radish sprout, sweet soy, with a side of chili-miso dipping sauce. This was definitely a favorite. The plating doesn't do the flavor justice. The wrap itself was dressed with a very tasty vinaigrette and the dipping sauce was a bonus. A light and lovely way to start a meal.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Second Course - BBQ'd Duck Confit Sliders<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mSx8mRZoNhXKR-UWv30BYVsw_yPL3VcClCvXGeA6jjX5_F7Wm50pTDHHcmH4_A4nIWHGkZ9Oqt2lXdFkbgHN1t1llvh5dDRKjnOT9Xqfh4-a7FnFI9mkcdZr_K3vTk-bzCFSN0Lhzkxa/s1600/IMG_6491.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mSx8mRZoNhXKR-UWv30BYVsw_yPL3VcClCvXGeA6jjX5_F7Wm50pTDHHcmH4_A4nIWHGkZ9Oqt2lXdFkbgHN1t1llvh5dDRKjnOT9Xqfh4-a7FnFI9mkcdZr_K3vTk-bzCFSN0Lhzkxa/s320/IMG_6491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482431828207592754" border="0" /></a>BBQ'd duck confit sliders with daikon slaw, and poblano creme fraiche. If these sliders didn't have duck confit in the name I would have assumed I was eating pulled pork. Which is delicous, but not it you are looking for duck confit . I love slaw with BBQ and the creme fraiche was a nice touch. A very delicious slider and something I would gladly eat again.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Third Course - "Slice of America" All American Burger<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dZHDKVhyk4HqHu4v3cY0F1oLSCo0OwnhrM6IY1RBjmJwWSjr_47SPox6JSUR6AAn7-H8pj-SAb3-E9d5OZq8Nm_Ep39wflTOivVGrbfCRlFNBXxJJgMlKxcX09rONOlW11obz89-Dm86/s1600/IMG_6493.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dZHDKVhyk4HqHu4v3cY0F1oLSCo0OwnhrM6IY1RBjmJwWSjr_47SPox6JSUR6AAn7-H8pj-SAb3-E9d5OZq8Nm_Ep39wflTOivVGrbfCRlFNBXxJJgMlKxcX09rONOlW11obz89-Dm86/s320/IMG_6493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482431428602200114" border="0" /></a>I was very surprised that this was my favorite taste of the evening. I mean its a burger, nothing new, but this was just so good. Becca said that Josh's inspiration for this burger was a Big Mac, but the secret sauce was the only thing slightly resembling the flat paper-wrapped fast food staple. This was a juicy patty of grilled sirloin, American cheese melted over top, crunchy pickle slices, and Josh's own special sauce. It was the perfect burger, and there is nothing better to eat on a patio in the summer.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Fourth Course - Shrimp & Soba Noodles<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeFvn787k99FC7MVjC-KxaIa4Y5nJyjNCk_u5oXQrN5koMGZ-FAuOwo2QXOJFbSdyHEebLf_OMeIxv6UsBR-_6RtN9tin1GV2gM-oEbmG8PSEtQ5npOBdy3dWmokxE1MdN71fsQv8chqx/s1600/IMG_6497.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeFvn787k99FC7MVjC-KxaIa4Y5nJyjNCk_u5oXQrN5koMGZ-FAuOwo2QXOJFbSdyHEebLf_OMeIxv6UsBR-_6RtN9tin1GV2gM-oEbmG8PSEtQ5npOBdy3dWmokxE1MdN71fsQv8chqx/s320/IMG_6497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482429063069051634" border="0" /></a>Shrimp and soba noodles with mixed veggies, creamy peanut sauce, and pickled napa cabbage. To be fair, this isn't a new dish; it is actually one of their most popular dishes. But I understand why and don't blame Josh for wanting to showcase it. It is really really satisfying. I could have eaten a huge bowl of this.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Fifth Course - Braised 5 Spiced Short Ribs<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapKJHsWFyPdjmyCvZ7Rt7jfS2ueCtjsJAMXgLMkA5g5ufjh6FRzL1bi_5hgngJGpTBodm1UY_RUQlzZ5MtlXCMMolqOvpYsanbTFb9MOZNYXebofpbkGJg1cNF9eh-eCzTLX-kvwvjGaB/s1600/IMG_6498.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapKJHsWFyPdjmyCvZ7Rt7jfS2ueCtjsJAMXgLMkA5g5ufjh6FRzL1bi_5hgngJGpTBodm1UY_RUQlzZ5MtlXCMMolqOvpYsanbTFb9MOZNYXebofpbkGJg1cNF9eh-eCzTLX-kvwvjGaB/s320/IMG_6498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482428777840957666" border="0" /></a><br />Braised 5 Spiced Short Ribs on a kim chee potato latke, topped with crispy leeks and a side of plum sauce. This is the dish I would be most likely to order from the menu based on the description, but I would have been disappointed. This is a new dish for Josh and it isn't quite right yet. The kim chee was too subtle and the dish was on the salty side. We gave Josh our feedback on the dish and he said he still playing around with it. It will be really good once he balances the flavors. <br /><br />Overall I was very impressed with Reddstone. It is priced as upscale bar food but is much better than most. The patio is worth the trip alone. It was a wonderful and delicious evening spent with <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/">new</a> <a href="http://greendogwine.com/2010/06/reddstone-summer-menu-tasting/">friends</a>!Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-73832482422539963522010-05-17T15:38:00.000-07:002010-05-17T17:21:48.384-07:00Adventures in NashvilleAnne is my adventure friend. It started in college when we studied abroad together in Luxembourg. It continued after college when we started running races together and completed the Marine Corps Marathon in DC together. In August we went back to Europe to visit our friend Emily in London. And each May I look forward to visiting with her and her family in Nashville for the Iroquois Steeplechase horse race.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5lNbKl5R7YGTyB1A3UPF-h34QGjaXtD1ZqlDZLT2YClxCih4l3yJ-OpZ3RiACFAasPkoCHSRWf5QHdZGufgAyXWgA5bdJZ0_mEYZQ-XxHr9ksXHAO5Rv7wBuHkX5cgxcXs7Yuvk3kDF6/s1600/IMG_6338.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5lNbKl5R7YGTyB1A3UPF-h34QGjaXtD1ZqlDZLT2YClxCih4l3yJ-OpZ3RiACFAasPkoCHSRWf5QHdZGufgAyXWgA5bdJZ0_mEYZQ-XxHr9ksXHAO5Rv7wBuHkX5cgxcXs7Yuvk3kDF6/s320/IMG_6338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472373248593181458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">After our first Sprint Triathlon at Miami University in April<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This year's Steeplechase was a little different because we invited the boys to join us. We were also there the weekend after Nashville was severely flooded. The flooding didn't get a lot of National news coverage with the Times Square bomb scare, the Greek bail-out, and the oil spill in the Gulf monopolizing things. But water covered the downtown 12 feet above flood level and left thousands without power and destroyed homes. The Opryland Hotel will be closed until the end of the year. Basically it was really bad. But Nashville is filled with kind people and they had an outpouring of volunteer support. They picked themselves up and got to work helping their neighbors clean things up.<br /><br />Race day was gorgeous and sunny. This year we paid a bit more attention to the horse races than we have in years past. Each of us placed our bets and the whoever picked the winning horse got to make a rule for the rest of the day. The rules didn't really stick, but whatevs. Here is a video of the day. Music credit is Anne's jam of the day "Young Forever (feat Mr. Hudson)" by Jay-Z.<br /></div></div><br /><object height="405" width="660"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8FVywCNw9kc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8FVywCNw9kc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="405" width="660"></embed></object><br /><br />While we were in Nashville this year, Anne took us to an adorable handmade ice cream shop called <a href="http://www.thepiedpipercreamery.com/">The Pied Piper Creamery</a>. They have amazing flavors and I loved their Mint Grapefruit Sorbet. With all the mint growing in my yard, I had to try making it for myself. Not only was it incredibly simple to make, it turned out amazing. I have to thank Anne for that as well because she gave me an ice cream maker for my birthday this year!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vPieeaKDgJMlmRIW7eyFLAgm-GlrFHU3vJtrIIbDmO2mu61qmxF_K6U-sCk5GWjgI_TiPYhvjqyt4Gykmg0xNMTvub8jPWdMnjJTfgLylExPAK8kgfIk-CNI4w8cdH2p7e0Z_TtVi2tY/s1600/IMG_6424.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vPieeaKDgJMlmRIW7eyFLAgm-GlrFHU3vJtrIIbDmO2mu61qmxF_K6U-sCk5GWjgI_TiPYhvjqyt4Gykmg0xNMTvub8jPWdMnjJTfgLylExPAK8kgfIk-CNI4w8cdH2p7e0Z_TtVi2tY/s320/IMG_6424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472372320032852898" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Grapefruit Mint Sorbet</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1 1/3 cups water</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1/2 cup fresh mint leaves</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">2 1/2 cups fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (the juice of 3 grapefruits)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">In a small saucepan, heat half the water and the sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, swirling occasionally. Once the mixture comes to a boil, move it off the heat and cover for 2 minutes. Add the mint and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Combine with remaining water and grapefruit juice and chill completely. Strain before preparing according to ice cream maker’s instructions.</span><br /><br />This is a fabulous summer sorbet. It is fresh and light and cleanses the palette. I'm sure other fresh fruit juices subbed for grapefruit would turn out lovely as well.Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-36799244175072996642010-05-12T19:49:00.000-07:002010-05-12T20:12:34.871-07:00You may have noticed I took about a 2 month blogation. I started lots of posts within those months, but just never did get around to posting them. One such posts I started a few weeks back when ramps made their first appearance at the farmers market. I'll spare you the portions which are no longer topical (which would pretty much be this whole post since ramp season is over), but I have to share these pics and I highly recommend you pick up some ramps next spring. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oK9HWsIM-cBJv2SUW9_9_ZB0inQe9Y1OsEfkbQME_qEuK9inNVwsnrLUtblh_dGMwv72nqyWe7tsN_1F_-K4D1q1Ppp0TjpQMpGtKWQsK8zU6a-xxvzpkMyxxm0AL-bCsu4KQwaVzVTK/s1600/IMG_6320.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oK9HWsIM-cBJv2SUW9_9_ZB0inQe9Y1OsEfkbQME_qEuK9inNVwsnrLUtblh_dGMwv72nqyWe7tsN_1F_-K4D1q1Ppp0TjpQMpGtKWQsK8zU6a-xxvzpkMyxxm0AL-bCsu4KQwaVzVTK/s320/IMG_6320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470582992201827410" border="0" /></a><br />Ramps are a wild leek that look like a green onion with two big green leaves. They can be found in the woods in the spring if you know where to look. Unfortunately I don't - I found mine at the Farmers Market. Maybe next year I will learn to forage.<br /><br />I picked up a few bunches and would have probably used them the same way I use a green onion if one of the vendors hadn't had a sample of ramp pesto to try. It was amazing; spicy, green and super garlicy. But to my surprise, it contained no garlic at all. It is the leaves of the ramp that provided all the garlic kick, and I'm so glad he told us that or I probably would have sent the leaves into the compost for the worms and centipedes to enjoy. The ramp pesto is simple and I whipped up a big batch in the food processor. <br /><br />The recipe is simple: ramp leaves, walnuts (could also use pine nuts but they leave a funky taste in my mouth), pecorino romano cheese (optional), olive oil, and kosher salt. We enjoyed it on pizza with fresh mozz, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and green olives, on Ohio City fresh pasta, and I froze some for later.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fDmoQ5QetADs80Fj0CkXq4DLS_E8SFpmGA7jBsjczdxA6SdBREvw2MmnMzKxQhcvtyT301z3A3-R7ymxmVf3wDul87mOmlZIYYQXwD05-Ba-24mWvbEwd8x2NG9FvhctIdFuOVEoT7r1/s1600/IMG_6322.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fDmoQ5QetADs80Fj0CkXq4DLS_E8SFpmGA7jBsjczdxA6SdBREvw2MmnMzKxQhcvtyT301z3A3-R7ymxmVf3wDul87mOmlZIYYQXwD05-Ba-24mWvbEwd8x2NG9FvhctIdFuOVEoT7r1/s320/IMG_6322.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470582763837974114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ramps</span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcX0Ge6pPQhvdpGXcGY3VvJFAow7dQr6wVZ6hpO6AS3NmqsxLyOpd4AOXirSOMIMgD8qqk8D9qcqoyIaT_J0WUTM5XTq70aDWGuL5C1e066DGhY_UbskAVvcZDz4zYWX-Tmvkb6ZIg5-M/s1600/IMG_6324.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcX0Ge6pPQhvdpGXcGY3VvJFAow7dQr6wVZ6hpO6AS3NmqsxLyOpd4AOXirSOMIMgD8qqk8D9qcqoyIaT_J0WUTM5XTq70aDWGuL5C1e066DGhY_UbskAVvcZDz4zYWX-Tmvkb6ZIg5-M/s320/IMG_6324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470582462223659618" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ramp Pesto</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8lUwiam_JZT9_YHGj06p6ZJTTMKAfX-oQ6oYTONIgkkVSTpIpEUG4MdREB68GDL8pVWY2qoquEAtNx7q1gC2dPzKCA9yxv1mM9v0ZrKuRAJQ0xZL5kihyx4h8gfezmPmJBpVovIFCz2K/s1600/IMG_6325.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8lUwiam_JZT9_YHGj06p6ZJTTMKAfX-oQ6oYTONIgkkVSTpIpEUG4MdREB68GDL8pVWY2qoquEAtNx7q1gC2dPzKCA9yxv1mM9v0ZrKuRAJQ0xZL5kihyx4h8gfezmPmJBpVovIFCz2K/s320/IMG_6325.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470582241096717666" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ramp pesto pizza<br /></span></div><br />I tried two things with the bulbs. First I pickled some:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9o3pMIpxyi4DqDu_7ZmOeuvpOo8gHYMCM8RymrQOlErF0FlFE-Kgi4cGXvfvZMGfWLBRYr6OJqh6ooO5j3GCx5PWCWWeL8_UPLNRhMSLrA5R5ZSc__CPwU3FBVvzJrWiQhf9SJ359OmXY/s1600/IMG_6330.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9o3pMIpxyi4DqDu_7ZmOeuvpOo8gHYMCM8RymrQOlErF0FlFE-Kgi4cGXvfvZMGfWLBRYr6OJqh6ooO5j3GCx5PWCWWeL8_UPLNRhMSLrA5R5ZSc__CPwU3FBVvzJrWiQhf9SJ359OmXY/s320/IMG_6330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470581876683753506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pickled Ramp Bulbs - sweet and tangy<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></span>Second, I used the ramp bulbs instead of onions and garlics in a beef chili recipe that turned out delish. <br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-77148228950151497532010-05-11T18:32:00.000-07:002010-05-11T19:03:02.742-07:00Springtime at Wildwood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIHSPG7p9o5_HS0FJScFVUHBMItMRvBnZi70aUCGcfdVA9V9tcmXdizigaPfY_mKVdBT8AyD7ZC3dBYlSKsmnzMSzq_XLpHymBQdc9zkxHSdCaeAJ1ZV_4tYy9qc5v2dzkF1qwwoQi9We/s1600/IMG_6354.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIHSPG7p9o5_HS0FJScFVUHBMItMRvBnZi70aUCGcfdVA9V9tcmXdizigaPfY_mKVdBT8AyD7ZC3dBYlSKsmnzMSzq_XLpHymBQdc9zkxHSdCaeAJ1ZV_4tYy9qc5v2dzkF1qwwoQi9We/s320/IMG_6354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470194307417890962" border="0" /></a><br />Springtime at Wildwood has been full of change and projects. My nesting instincts hibernated all winter and I had no desire to do more than spend the dark evenings on the couch wrapped in two blankets and an Olive and hope our gas bills wouldn't put us in foreclosure. But with the warmer weather and budding leaves has come an outpouring of ideas and a list of projects a mile long. The yard that made us cringe every time the snow melted this winter has erupted in green. In the mornings I survey the yard and find measured changes in the evening when I check back. The front yard is a menagerie of lady's mantle, day lilies, azaleas and hostas, all of which I couldn't have named a year ago. The back yard's ivy hasn't sprouted new leaves, but the vines are still tangled all over and need to be ripped out as soon as we can clear all the kitchen rubble that was temporarily piled here. The kitchen has made a lot of progress in our eyes, but is still a long way from finished. The walls and ceiling are long gone. The electrical is about finished and Chris built a new soffit above the peninsula. We should be insulating and dry walling very soon and after that it is all down hill (or so I tell myself).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVeZMV5fjw4mi6K2AWJZiq5QejefaXx7H2LcIuJae1NAHlK1bU9o1S2i5S1Zqnlw-59AC81RINvg21K6LMJ7-0kDw8KRnmYh0XNXZcsUeB6jVubvKZhbGuS7b_j-0h8uRXN4VprrIF5lp/s1600/IMG_6356.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVeZMV5fjw4mi6K2AWJZiq5QejefaXx7H2LcIuJae1NAHlK1bU9o1S2i5S1Zqnlw-59AC81RINvg21K6LMJ7-0kDw8KRnmYh0XNXZcsUeB6jVubvKZhbGuS7b_j-0h8uRXN4VprrIF5lp/s320/IMG_6356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470193775051663042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">crazy green yard</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjLMtSRn-D1TqDD-grpiDAvxwRIXHOuwKYzP-tDSafTRLk8n_tD6klQxkRKxoO3_PTDgCpuSeX95U3MoGXyDuVUoJvHmsvoyYv4iaNyhj10kUBB1h3qbGM6FzCrBSmPbXEMy-8Pe0zGF_/s1600/IMG_6363.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjLMtSRn-D1TqDD-grpiDAvxwRIXHOuwKYzP-tDSafTRLk8n_tD6klQxkRKxoO3_PTDgCpuSeX95U3MoGXyDuVUoJvHmsvoyYv4iaNyhj10kUBB1h3qbGM6FzCrBSmPbXEMy-8Pe0zGF_/s320/IMG_6363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470193022677038866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">tangled ivy vines in the backyard<br /></span></div><br />I'm not much help in the kitchen reno, so I have taken on some other projects. I won't touch a room unless I am 100% committed to it, so many of the rooms in our house are being lived in and used without a single attempt at sprucing them up. I've started with the two main rooms in the downstairs - the living room and the tv room. We spend the most time in the tv room and I can finally say that I consider this room completely done. Its been painted, rearranged many times, pictures on the walls and blinds and curtains are hung. It is the first room I can say I am happy with. I've moved my focus now to the living room which is well on its way. Its been painted and blinds and curtains are hung. Yesterday we purchased a new sofa table and lamp from World Market. I'm working on the accents and we need to get the new range which has been sitting in the corner of the room since November out of there, but it is really getting close to done. My next projects are the master bedroom and the guest room. I have ordered wallpaper samples and have been doing lots of searching for furniture. I'm enjoying the process, but would like to have a guest room in time for summer visitors.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKuX4Gj-x5-mPdTgJU0U0ZzKkDDvY-eYZwDm4xccAB5BqDi-iIAv_44IKWFr4oxK6-b3Bribpezu9koIjOtQ45ZVPkK4oAYnLwYGKPA7fLMeE77Z5FKvb8Ea0n1iaYv8XQnx59Gd06A7L/s1600/IMG_6365.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKuX4Gj-x5-mPdTgJU0U0ZzKkDDvY-eYZwDm4xccAB5BqDi-iIAv_44IKWFr4oxK6-b3Bribpezu9koIjOtQ45ZVPkK4oAYnLwYGKPA7fLMeE77Z5FKvb8Ea0n1iaYv8XQnx59Gd06A7L/s320/IMG_6365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470192384910282818" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">tv room - first room done<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_vdIsD4TkxexTH6hFxvXh4AN5s9m86s8oV_vUlHwNgkB32qSn0Iy9HnWtXTa01wZj7A_nuMeiLWTA8I6FqIuzgYkHa9oU17bBEBJoH2AzS-59NbgZoUF-pjNdId5d5g62svzokcqkOcH/s1600/IMG_6411.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_vdIsD4TkxexTH6hFxvXh4AN5s9m86s8oV_vUlHwNgkB32qSn0Iy9HnWtXTa01wZj7A_nuMeiLWTA8I6FqIuzgYkHa9oU17bBEBJoH2AzS-59NbgZoUF-pjNdId5d5g62svzokcqkOcH/s320/IMG_6411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470191857995040642" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Living room - on its way.<br /></span></div><br />This surge of inspiration has been 2 parts spring weather and 1 part design blogs. If you are looking for inspiration, this is a great place to start:<br /><a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/">Apartment Therapy</a><br /><br />Not entirely my personal style, but LOTS of good ideas for rehabing and do it yourself without going broke:<br /><a href="http://www.theletteredcottage.net/">The Lettered Cottage</a><br /><br />Lots of do it yourself tutorials and ideas. This blog inspired me to buy a grotsky chair on craigslist and attempt a total rehaul. It is in process, we shall see...<br /><a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/">Centsational Girl</a><br /><br />Great wallpaper selection:<br /><a href="http://www.walnutwallpaper.com/index.php">Walnut Wallpaper</a><br /><br />I sent this to Chris to prepare him for this future in wainscoting:<br /><a href="http://chriskauffman.blogspot.com/2009/01/recessed-panelling-101.html">Just Beachy</a><br /><br />An my favorite Mid-Century Modernizers. I'm only slightly bitter that they started after us and finished their kitchen already. But mostly I'm proud:<br /><a href="http://www.midcenturymodernize.com/">Mid-Century Modernize</a>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-19663327610317242862010-03-17T18:36:00.000-07:002010-03-17T19:04:50.774-07:00St. Patrick's Day Green PostLast week was Birthday Week here at Wildwood. Chris turned 28 and I hit 27 and we celebrated with lots of good food, including an amazing dinner at Flying Fig, and food related presents. My mom got me a food scale that I am really excited to bake with and I got Chris the <a href="http://www.sodastreamusa.com/">Soda Stream</a>. He drinks multiple cans of flavored carbonated water each day, but now he can make his own! It doesn’t even need electricity, just a CO2 cartridge and a splash of flavoring into one of the reusable bottles filled with water. It is more economical and very green. It is also great if we are entertaining cuz we don’t typically have pop in the house, but now we can make our own sprite or coke or ginger ale or tonic or whatever in like 5 seconds. I highly recommend it! <br /><br />Chris also got a jar of maple syrup from his boss who taps on his family’s property in Chardon. We went to his sugar house to pick it up and it was so fresh that it was actually sap in the tree earlier that morning. Nothing smells better than a sugar house and if you don’t know someone with one, I recommend you visit Chardon Square. <a href="http://www.maplefestival.com/tappin_sunday.htm">The Sugar House</a> is open at noon every Sunday in March and the Maple Festival is April 22 – 25. And while you are in Chardon you can pick up any maple product you can think of at <a href="http://www.richardsmapleproducts.com/">Richards Maple</a>.<br /><br />So speaking of green products and food (go figure) I have to share some things with you and apologize if I get long winded, but I am kind of obsessed. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Warning:</span> I do get long winded, but you should read it anyways) <br /><br />I am no stranger to the concepts of the local or <a href="http://slowfoodnorthernohio.blogspot.com/">Slow Food</a> movement, but I have really been immersing myself in it the last few weeks. It was all brought on by this lovely spring weather and the book I’ve been reading: <a href="http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</span></a> by Barbara Kingsolver. She is the author of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Poisonwood Bible</span> and this book is about her family’s pledge to eat locally for a year. They live on a farm in Virginia and raise their own poultry, have a huge garden, and barter with other local farmers to supply their entire food supply for one year. It has really sparked my craving to become a farmer and now I can’t stop thinking or talking about gardens, backyard chickens and bees, mushroom hunting, raw milk, cheese making, preserving, and urban farming in general.<br /><br />I kid you not, yesterday I had two separate 45 minute discussions with relative strangers about milk. <br /><br />The first: I was at Whole Foods comparing the Hartlzer Dairy milk and the <a href="http://www.snowvillecreamery.com/">Snowville Creamery</a> whole milk (both local dairies). A man came up next to me to buy two cartons of Snowville and sparked up a conversation by showing me the pictures of his trip to the dairy last spring on his iphone. And then we both started gushing about our love for real milk and how good it is for you and how wonderful Snowville’s is because it is pasteurized at the lowest temperature allowed and it isn’t homogenized and it is fresh from grass-fed cows and on and on. He said the first time he tasted it he actually had an auditory hallucination back to his childhood and heard the clinking bottles of the milkman’s delivery. And he had others tell him they heard the same thing. That is a serious taste difference. The conversation took a few turns: to butter (I bought the Irish pasture butter he recommended), kosher meat, maple syrup, and a study about the effects of light on brain chemistry (turns out he was a psychiatrist) and it ended with him giving me his e-mail address and a pamphlet on sleeping like a baby. All because of a carton of really good milk.<br /><br />The second: I live in a very diverse and interesting neighborhood. We have a list serve that keeps the block informed of various things, and last week we got an e-mail from a neighbor offering kefir grains to anyone who was interested. Well I have been wanting to try out cheese and yogurt making, so I couldn’t pass on free kefir. I was a little late arriving at her house after my long milk conversation at Whole Foods, and little did I know I was walking into the house of another kindred soul and a second 45 minute milk discussion. She gave me the kefir and showed me how to use it. Basically, you place the grains (it looks kinda like cauliflower) in a clean jar and pour in about 8oz. of milk. You let this sit uncovered on the counter until it has fermented to your desired level. She lets it ferment overnight, then strains it and combines it in her morning smoothie. The grains go back in a clean jar and begin fermenting the next batch of milk. Well now I have a batch going on my counter, so if you want some kefir grains, let me know. I am eagerly awaiting another book from the library, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wild fermentation: the flavor, nutrition, and craft of live-culture foods</span> by Sandor Ellix Katz and hoping cheese and yogurt making are in my future. And maybe some canning, pickles, and sauerkraut, we shall see.<br /><br />On Saturday I convinced Chris to go mushroom hunting with me. We asked the mushroom man at the farmer’s market to recommend some field guides and then we went straight to the library to pick up <span style="font-style: italic;">The Audubon Society field guide to North American mushrooms</span> by Gary Loncoff and <span style="font-style: italic;">A field guide to mushrooms, North America</span> by Kent McKnight. We are still a bit early in the season here in northeast Ohio, but we found two types of (unfortunately) non-edible mushrooms. We are planning some additional trips this spring, I hope we find some <a href="http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/">morels</a>!<br /><br />I just got notification from the library that two other books I have been eagerly awaiting are in, <span style="font-style: italic;">Farm city: the education of an urban farmer</span> by Novella Carpenter and <span style="font-style: italic;">The backyard beekeeper: an absolute beginner's guide to keeping bees in your yard and garden</span> by Kim Flutton. The second is recommended by the <a href="http://www.greaterclevelandbeekeepers.org/">Greater Cleveland Beekeepers Association</a>. Ever since I closed on the house I have been plotting my backyard chickens and now I have added a desire for beehives. I live within the City of Cleveland and based on my research thus far I am allowed 6 chickens (no roosters) and two beehives as long as they aren’t within 500 feet of my neighbor’s house. This topic has been getting a lot of discussion lately and according to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/magazine/14fob-wwln-t.html?ref=magazine">NY Times Sunday Magazine this is quite the trend with stay at home moms</a>. So I’m not on to anything new. If anything, I just want to get back to eating the way humans have been eating for thousands of years. <br /><br />When I was reading this <a href="http://bread-and-honey.blogspot.com/">wonderful blog</a> and she mentioned the book <span style="font-style: italic;">Real food: what to eat and why</span> by Nina Planck I couldn’t resist yet another perspective. I highly recommend it if you are at all interested in getting back to your roots when it comes to food. She provides excellent research on the benefits, but still makes the book very readable. She has really been inspiring me to eat as seasonally, locally, and real as possible.<br /><br />If you are actually still reading, maybe you too are interested in this topic and have read one of Michael Pollan’s books (<span style="font-style: italic;">Omnivore’s Dilemna</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">In Defense of Food</span>, etc). I haven’t actually read either, but they are both on hold for me at the library. And after watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Food, Inc.</span>, in which Michael has a big part, I know he will be preaching to the converted for me. If you haven’t seen <a href="http://www.foodincmovie.com/get-involved.php"><span style="font-style: italic;">Food, Inc.</span> </a>I highly recommend you watch it and get as many other people as you can to watch it. <a href="http://www.foodincmovie.com/get-involved.php">Here is a link to 10 ways you can get involved with their movement.</a> <br /><br />I’ve never listed so many books in one post, so I am going to save the gardening ones for another post.<br /><br />Some Cleveland notes:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.clevelandfilm.org/">The Cleveland International Film Festival</a> is screening a film called <a href="http://www.clevelandfilm.org/festival/films/2010/ingredients">Ingredients</a> about the Local Food movement on March 19-21. <a href="http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/communityEvents.php?action=viewEvent&calendar_id=00000288">Great Lakes Brewing is also offering a free private screening</a> on March 23 that I will be attending, all you have to do is call and make a reservation and added bonus you get a free voucher to see another film at the festival.<br /><br />This Sunday I will be attending<a href="http://thegreenhousetavern.com/blog/2010/03/04/chef-school-butcher/"> the Greenhouse Tavern’s Chef School Series class called Butcher</a>. We will be butchering a 300 LB farm raised pig from Aaron Miller’s Livestock. The Class will include chef’s tasting of dishes made utilizing the whole animal. You should totally join me cuz I’m a little nervous…<br /><br />Saturday night is my birthday party at Happy Dog in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. Good (and cheap) food and beer, come celebrate! It isn’t a <a href="http://foodnsuchcleveland.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-blanket-with-arms.html">snuggie pub crawl</a>, but it will still be a good time.Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-77638532755821863402010-03-03T19:05:00.000-08:002010-03-04T20:11:31.670-08:00Baby Mania<p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I have entered this stage in life called “All your friends are having babies”. It came a little sooner than I had anticipated,</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> since the “All your friends are getting married” stage is still in full swing. A</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">nd</span> I am a little like, </span><span style="font-size:100%;">“H</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ey</span> can you guys wait until the rest of us get married? Like, let us catch up before you</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"> move forward. Are we all sure we are ready for this???” But </span></span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">alas, the babies are coming one after the other</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">. There is no stopping these babies.<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">This new stage </span><span style="font-size:100%;">means learning baby etiquette. Similar to wedding etiquette, there is this whole set of rules about what is polite</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and what is expected</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> when it comes to </span><span style="font-size:100%;">expectant parents</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> I will let you in on what I have learned so far:</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><u><span style="font-size:100%;">Baby Etiquette</span></u></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><u><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></u></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It starts with </span><span style=""><u><span style="font-size:100%;">The Announcement</span></u></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> – you can’t</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> tell anyone</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> you are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">preggers</span> until you are through your first trimester. And when a friend tells you that they are indeed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">prego</span>, keep it to yourself, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">cuz</span> you don’t want to be ruining the surprise for anyone else. But its hard, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cuz</span> you are really excited too!!! And </span><span style="font-size:100%;">secrets </span><span style="font-size:100%;">are hard to keep… but don’t do it</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"> - keep a straight face and wait your turn</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Next, it’s the </span><u><span style="font-size:100%;">Showers</span></u><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> This one is similar to weddings;</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"> RSVP in a timely manner, offer to bring something, stick to the registry and no one gets hurt. Also if there are games </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">involved, be a good sport, you may even get a prize. It may be baby themed prize, but hey, free stuff, no complaining </span><span style="font-size:100%;">–</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">just </span><span style="font-size:100%;">eat your cake and muster as much enthusiasm as you can over baby gifts</span><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The </span><u><span style="font-size:100%;">Waiting Game</span></u><span style="font-size:100%;">. You are getting close to the big day. Be sure to check in on your friend and offer to help with whatever they need. They are likely uncomfortable and stuck in the house with no alcohol privileges, so don’t be bragging about your social life. Also, don’t take pictures of expectant Moms without permission. And tread lightly – these women could burst at any second.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The </span><span style=""><u><span style="font-size:100%;">Delivery</span></u></span><span style="font-size:100%;">. You don’t have to do much here. Unless you are a very close friend you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">aren</span>’t expected to go to the hospital. Just wait for texts and updates and spread the news.</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"> Offer your congratulations and be thankful everyone is healthy and has survived the messy miracle of birth.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Meeting the Baby. Offer to bring your friend dinner (more on this below) or wait to be invited to meet the baby. Once invited, make sure you are not sick (if you are sick, politely decline) and </span><span style="font-size:100%;">be sure </span><span style="font-size:100%;">you are as clean as possible. Prepare yourself to ooh and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ahhh</span> and remark on how cute the baby is and how much you like the name. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Again, k</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">eep</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> your real opinions to yourself and no one gets hurt.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Ask general questions about the delivery, but don’t dig too deep here, you probably don’t want to know the answers.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Success – baby etiquette has ended.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Enjoy having a baby in your life that won’t keep you up at night.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Now you can return to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">tre</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ating</span> these friends like normal -</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> if you ever see them again.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">But lets return to the post-baby dinner delivery. My friend Hannah and I were discussing this over the weekend because we both have dinners to deliver this week. Hannah text her sister (mother of 3) to ask what is the best food to eat when you are breast feeding? The answer: Fish. So we asked, what is second best? The answer: Broccoli. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ok</span>, broccoli I am a little more comfortable delivering to someone’s house. But I asked my friend Jessica</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (mother of 2)</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and she said broccoli could give the baby gas (which equals crying and no sleeping for Mama) so, not </span><span style=""><i><span style="font-size:100%;">too much</span></i></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> broccoli. Jessica suggested anything bland, reiterated that fish is good, and no garlic. And also deliver the dish in something disposable. This is getting complicated…</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">H</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ere is what I have decided upon – Chicken Divan.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> A simple, fairly bland recipe that involves some broccoli, some protein (chicken</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> or turkey and I suppose you could use</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"> fish</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> if you are sure the mother would enjoy it</span><span style="font-size:100%;">), and no garlic. It calls for a 12x8” pan, but I split it between two </span><span style="font-size:100%;">8x8” disposable pans so they can eat one and freeze the other. I am going to deliver both without baking, but with directions attached to each to bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes so they can enjoy it fresh and warm</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"> ( I have been assured this is appropriate)</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Phew</span><span style="font-size:100%;">!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> – this baby stuff is crazy!</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Chicken Divan</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 tablespoons butter or margarine</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">3 tablespoons flour</span></p><p face="arial" style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 teaspoons chicken bouillon<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 cups milk</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1/2 cup mayonnaise</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 tablespoon Dijon mustard</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 boxes (9 oz. each) frozen broccoli</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">3 cups cubed chicken or turkey (I poached 2 breasts and 2 thighs)</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Toppping</span>:</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 tablespoon butter or margarine</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1/3 cup bread crumbs</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1. <span style="font-family:Arial;">Heat oven to 350°F. In 2-quart saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and bouillon granules. Gradually stir in milk, cooking and stirring constantly with wire whisk, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in mayonnaise and mustard until well blended.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2. In an </span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ungreased</span> 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish, arrange broccoli spears. Top with chicken. Spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">3. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">In small bowl, mix topping ingredients; sprinkle over top. Bake about 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-41077455987624052212010-03-03T18:58:00.001-08:002010-03-03T19:03:53.766-08:00You Most Watch ThisIf you haven't seen Jamie Oliver's TED presentation, you must watch this <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html">video</a>. And if you can't watch it, read the transcript below. And then lets talk about starting a Food Revolution here in Cleveland. I have some ideas. And we need to get started.<br /><br /><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Sadly,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">four Americans that are alive</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">will be dead</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">from the food that they eat.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">My name's Jamie Oliver. I'm 34 years old.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I'm from Essex in England</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and for the last seven years</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I've worked fairly tirelessly</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to save lives in my own way.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I'm not a doctor.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I'm a chef;</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I don't have expensive equipment</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">or medicine.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I use information, education.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I profoundly believe that the power of food</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">has a primal place in our homes</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that binds us to the best bits of life.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We have an awful,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">awful reality right now.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">America, you're at the top of your game.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This is one of the most unhealthy countries in the world.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Can I please just see a raise of hands</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">for how many of you have children in this room today?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Please put your hands up.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Aunties, uncles, you can continue ...</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Put your hands up. Aunties and uncles as well.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Most of you. OK.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We, the adults of the last four generations,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">have blessed our children with the destiny</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">of a shorter lifespan</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">than their own parents.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Your child will live a life ten years younger</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">than you</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">because of the landscape of food that we've built around them.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Two thirds of this room,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">today, in America, are statistically overweight or obese.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You lot, you're all right, but we'll get you eventually, don't worry.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Right?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The statistics of bad health are clear,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">very clear.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We spend our lives being paranoid about death, murder, homicide,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">you name it. It's on the front page of every paper, CNN.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Look at homicide at the bottom, for God's sake.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Right?</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Every single one of those in the red</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">is a diet-related disease.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Any doctor, any specialist will tell you that.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Fact. Diet-related disease is the biggest killer</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">in the United States, right now, here today.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This is a global problem.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It's a catastrophe.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It's sweeping the world.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">England is right behind you, as usual.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I know they were close, but not that close.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We need a revolution.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Mexico, Australia, Germany, India, China,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">all have massive problems of obesity and bad health.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Think about smoking.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It costs way less than obesity now.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Obesity costs you Americans</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">10 percent of your health care bills.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">150 billion dollars a year.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">In 10 years, it's set to double.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">300 billion dollars a year.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And let's be honest, guys, you ain't got that cash.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I came here to start a food revolution</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that I so profoundly believe in.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We need it. The time is now.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We're in a tipping-point moment.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I've been doing this for seven years.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I've been trying in America for seven years.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Now is the time when it's ripe -- ripe for the picking.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I went to the eye of the storm.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I went to West Virginia, the most unhealthy state in America.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Or it was last year.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We've got a new one this year, but we'll work on that next season.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Huntington, West Virginia.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Beautiful town.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I wanted to put heart and soul and people,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">your public,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">around the statistics that we've become</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">so used to.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I want to introduce you to some of the people that I care about.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Your public. Your children.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I want to show a picture of my friend Brittany.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">She's 16 years old.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">She's got six years to live</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">because of the food that she's eaten.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">She's the third generation of Americans</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that hasn't grown up within a food environment</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">where they've been taught to cook at home or in school,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">or her mom, or her mom's mom.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">She has six years to live.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">She's eating her liver to death.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Stacy, the Edwards family.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This is a normal family, guys.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Stacy does her best, but she's third-generation as well;</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">she was never taught to cook at home or in school.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The family's obese.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Justin, here, 12 years old.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">He's 350 pounds.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">He gets bullied, for God's sake.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The daughter there, Katie, she's four years old.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">She's obese before she even gets to primary school.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Marissa. She's all right. She's one of your lot.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But you know what? Her father, who was obese,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">died in her arms.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And then the second-most-important man in her life,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">her uncle, died of obesity.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And now her step-dad is obese.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You see, the thing is</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">obesity and diet-related disease</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">doesn't just hurt the people that have it;</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">it's all of their friends, families,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">brothers, sisters.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Pastor Steve.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">An inspirational man. One of my early allies in Huntington, West Virginia.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">He's at the sharp knife-edge of this problem.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">He has to bury the people, OK?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And he's fed up with it. He's fed up with burying his friends,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and his family, his community.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Come winter, three times as many people die.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">He's sick of it.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This is preventable disease. Waste of life.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">By the way, this is what they get buried in.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We're not geared up to do this.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Can't even get them out the door, and I'm being serious.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Can't even get them there. Forklift.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">OK, I see it as a triangle, OK?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This is our landscape of food.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I need you to understand it.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You've probably heard all this before,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">but let's just go back over it.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Over the last 30 years,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">what's happened that's ripped the heart out of this country?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Let's be frank and honest.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Well. Modern-day life.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Let's start with the Main Street.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Fast food has taken over the whole country. We know that.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The big brands are some of the most important powers,</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">powerful powers in this country.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Supermarkets as well.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Big companies. Big companies.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">30 years ago, most of the food</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">was largely local and largely fresh.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Now it's largely processed and full of all sorts of additives,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">extra ingredients, and you know the rest of the story.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Portion size is obviously a massive, massive problem.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Labeling is a massive problem.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The labeling in this country is a disgrace.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">They want to be self ... They want to self-police themselves.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The industry wants to self-police themselves.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">What, in this kind of climate? They don't deserve it.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">How can you say something is low-fat when it's full of so much sugar?</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Home.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The biggest problem with the home</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">is that used to be the heart</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">of passing on food and food culture,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">what made our society.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">That isn't happening anymore.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And you know, as we go to work and as life changes,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and as life always evolves,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">we kind of have to look at it holistically --</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">step back for a moment, and re-address the balance.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It ain't happening. Hasn't happened for 30 years.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I want to show you a situation</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that is very normal</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">right now. The Edwards family.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Video) Jamie Oliver: Let's have a talk.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This stuff goes through you and your family's body</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">every week.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And I need you to know that this is going to kill your children early.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">How are you feeling?</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Stacy: Just feeling really sad and depressed right now.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But, you know, I want my kids to succeed in life</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and this isn't going to get them there.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But I'm killing them.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">JO: Yes you are. You are.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But we can stop that.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Normal. Let's get onto schools,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">something that I'm fairly much a specialist in.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">OK. School.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">What is school? Who invented it? What's the purpose of school?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">School was always invented to arm us with the tools</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to make us creative, do wonderful things,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">make us earn a living, etc., etc., etc.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You know, it's been kind of in this sort of tight box for a long, long time.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">OK?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But we haven't really evolved it</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to deal with the health catastrophes of America, OK?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">School food is something</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that most kids -- 31 million a day, actually --</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">have twice a day, more than often,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">breakfast and lunch, 180 days of the year.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">So you could say that school food is quite important, really,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">judging the circumstances.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Before I crack into my rant,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">which I'm sure you're waiting for ...</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I need to say one thing, and it's so important</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">in hopefully the magic that happens and unfolds</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">in the next three months.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The lunch ladies, the lunch cooks of America ...</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I offer myself as their ambassador.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I'm not slacking them off.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">They're doing the best they can do.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">They're doing their best.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But they're doing what they're told,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and what they're being told to do is wrong.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The system is highly run by accountants.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There's not enough, or any,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">food-knowledgeable people in the business.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There's a problem.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">If you're not a food expert, and you've got tight budgets,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and it's getting tighter, then you can't be creative,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">you can't duck and dive and write different things around things.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">If you're an accountant, and a box-ticker,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">the only thing you can do in these circumstances</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">is buy cheaper shit.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Now, the reality is,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">the food that your kids get every day is fast food,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">it's highly processed,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">there's not enough fresh food in there at all.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You know, the amount of additives, E numbers, ingredients you wouldn't believe ...</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There's not enough veggies at all. French fries are considered a vegetable.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Pizza for breakfast. They don't even get given crockery.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Knives and forks? No, they're too dangerous.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">They have scissors in the class room</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">but knives and forks, no.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And the way I look at it is, if you don't have knives and forks in your school,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">you're purely endorsing,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">from a state level, fast food. Because it's handheld.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And yes, by the way, it is fast food. It's sloppy joes,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">it's burgers, it's wieners,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">it's pizzas, it's all of that stuff.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">10 percent of what we spend on healthcare, as I said earlier,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">is on obesity. And it's going to double.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We're not teaching our kids.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There is no statutory right to teach kids about food,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">elementary or secondary school. OK?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We don't teach kids about food. Right?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And this is a little clip from an elementary school,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">which is very common in England.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Video: Who knows what this is?</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Child: Potatoes. Jamie Oliver: Potato? So, you think these are potatoes?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Do you know what that is?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Do you know what that is? Child: Broccoli?</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">JO: What about this? Our good old friend.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Do you know what this is honey? Child: Celery.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">JO: No. What do you think this is? Child: Onion. JO: Onion? No.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Jamie Oliver: Immediately you get a really clear sense</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">of do the kids know anything about where food comes from.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Video: JO: Who knows what that is? Child: Uh, pear.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">JO: What do you think this is? Child: I don't know.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">JO: If the kids don't know what stuff is,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">then they'd never eat it.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Laughter)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">JO: Normal. England and America,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">England and America.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Guess what fixed that. Guess what fixed that.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Two one-hour sessions.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We've got to start teaching our kids</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">about food in schools, period.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I want to tell you about something,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I want to tell you about something that kind of</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">epitomizes the trouble that we're in guys. OK?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I want to talk about something so basic as milk.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Every kid has the right to milk at school.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Your kids will be having milk at school, breakfast and lunch. Right?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">They'll be having two bottles. Okay?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And most kids do.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But milk ain't good enough anymore.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Because someone at the milk board, right -- and don't get me wrong,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I support milk, but someone on the milk board,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">probably paid a lot of money for some geezer</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to work out that if you put loads of flavorings and colorings</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and sugar in milk, right,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">more kids will drink it. Yeah.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Claps)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And obviously now that's going to catch on.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The apple board is going to work out</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that if they make toffee apples they'll eat more apples as well.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Do you know what I mean?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">For me, there ain't no need to flavor the milk.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Okay? There is sugar in everything.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I know the ins and outs of those ingredients.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It's in everything. Even the milk hasn't escaped</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">the kind of modern day problems.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There's our milk. There's our carton.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">In that is nearly as much sugar</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">as one of your favorite cans of fizzy pop.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And they are having two a day.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">So, let me just show you.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We've got one kid, here,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">having, you know, eight tablespoons of sugar a day.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You know, there's your week.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There's your month.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And I've taken the liberty of putting in</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">just the five years of elementary school sugar,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">just from milk.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Now, I don't know about you guys,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">but judging the circumstances, right,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">any judge in the whole world,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">would look at the statistics and the evidence,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and they would find any government of old</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">guilty of child abuse. That's my belief.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Now, if I came up here, and I wish I could come up here today,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and hang a cure for AIDS or cancer,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">you'd be fighting and scrambling to get to me.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This, all this bad news, is preventable.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">That's the good news.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It's very very preventable.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">So, let's just think about, we got a problem here,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">we need to reboot.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Okay so, in my world what do we need to do?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Here is the thing, right.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It can not just come from one source.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">To reboot and make real tangible change,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">real change, so that I could look you in the white of the eyes</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and say, "In 10 years time,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">the history of your children's lives,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">happiness -- and let's not forget, you're clever if you eat well,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">you know you're going to live longer,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">all of that stuff, it will look different. OK?"</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">So, supermarkets.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Where else do you shop so religiously?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Week in, week out.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">How much money do you spend, in your life, in a supermarket?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Love them. They just sell us what we want. All right.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">They owe us, to put a food ambassador</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">in every major supermarket.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">They need to help us shop. They need to show us how to cook,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">quick, tasty, seasonal meals</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">for people that are busy.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This is not expensive.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It is done in some. And it needs to be done across the board</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">in America soon, and quick.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The big brands, you know, the food brands,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">need to put food education</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">at the heart of their businesses.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I know, easier said than done.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It's the future. It's the only way.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Fast food. With the fast food industry</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">you know, it's very competitive.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I've had loads of secret papers and dealings</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">with fast food restaurants.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I know how they do it.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I mean basically they've weaned us on</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to these hits of sugar, salt and fat, and x, y, and z.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And everyone loves them. Right?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">So, these guys are going to be part of the solution.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But we need to get the government to work</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">with all of the fast food purveyors and the restaurant industry.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And over a five, six, seven year period</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">wean of us off the extreme amounts</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">of fat, sugar, fat and all the other non-food ingredients.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Now, also, back to the sort of big brands, labeling,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I said earlier, is an absolute farce,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and has got to be sorted.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">OK, school.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Obviously in schools we owe it to them</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to make sure those 180 days of the year,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">from that little precious age of four,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">til 18, 20, 24, whatever,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">they need to be cooked</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">proper fresh food</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">from local growers on site. OK?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There needs to be a new standard of fresh proper food</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">for your children. Yeah?</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Under the circumstances, it's profoundly important</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that every single American child leaves school</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">knowing how to cook 10 recipes</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that will save their life.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Life skills.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">That means that they can be students, young parents,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and be able to sort of duck and dive</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">around the basics of cooking,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">no matter what recession hits them next time. If you can cook</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">recession money doesn't matter.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">If you can cook, time doesn't matter.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The workplace. We hadn't really talked about it.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You know, it's now time for corporate responsibility</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to really look at what they feed</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">or make available to their staff.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The staff are the moms and dads of America's children.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Marissa, her father died in her hand,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I think she'd be quite happy</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">if corporate America could start feeding their staff properly.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Definitely they shouldn't be left out.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Let's go back to the home.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Now, look, if we do all this stuff, and we can,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">it's so achievable. You can care and be commercial.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Absolutely.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But the home needs to start passing on</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">cooking again, for sure.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">For sure, pass it on as a philosophy.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And for me it's quite romantic.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But it's about if one person teaches three people</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">how to cook something,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and now they teach three of their mates,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that only has to repeat itself 25 times,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and that's the whole population of America.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Romantic, yes, but,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">most importantly,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">it's about trying to get people to realize</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that every one of your individual efforts</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">makes a difference.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We've got to put back what's been lost.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Huntington Kitchen. Huntington, where I made this program,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">you know, we've got this prime time program that hopefully</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">will inspire people to really get on this change.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I truly believe that change will happen.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Huntington's Kitchen. I work with a community.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I worked in the schools. I found local sustainable funding</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to get every single school in the area,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">from the junk, onto the fresh food.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Six-and-a-half grand per school.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">That's all it takes. Six-and-a-half grand per school.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The Kitchen in 25 grand a month. Okay?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This can do 5,000 people a year,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">which is 10 percent of their population.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And it's people on people.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">You know, it's local cooks teaching local people.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It's free cooking lessons guys, free cooking lessons in the main street.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">This is real, tangible change, real, tangible change.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Around America, if we just look back now,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">there is plenty of wonderful things going on.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There is plenty of beautiful things going on. There are angels</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">around America doing great things</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">in schools, farm to school set-ups,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">garden set-ups, education.</a><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">There are amazing people doing this already.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">The problem is they all want to roll out what their doing</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to the next school, and the next.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">But there is no cash.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">We need to recognize the experts and the angels quickly,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">identify them, and allow them to easily find the resource</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to keep rolling out what they're already doing,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and doing well.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Businesses of America need to support</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Mrs. Obama to do the things that she wants to do.</a></span> </p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And look, I know it's weird</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">having an English person standing here before you</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">talking about all this.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">All I can say is I care. I'm a father.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And I love this country.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And I believe truly, actually,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">that if change can be made in this country,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">beautiful things will happen around the world. If America does it</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I believe other people will follow.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">It's incredibly important.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">When I was in Huntington, trying to get a few things to work</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">when they weren't, I though if I had a magic wand</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">what would I do? And I thought, you know what?</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I'd just love to be put in front of some of the most amazing</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">movers and shakers in America.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">And a month later TED phoned me up and gave me this award.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">I'm here.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">So, my wish.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Dyslexic, so I'm a bit slow.</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">My wish</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">is for you to help a strong</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">sustainable movement</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to educate every child</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">about food,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to inspire families to cook again,</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">and to empower people everywhere</a> <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">to fight obesity.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">Thank you.</a></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 12pt; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html##">(Applause)</a></span></p>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-27112516394468484622010-03-01T20:03:00.000-08:002010-03-01T20:17:04.152-08:00Heavenly Hots<span style="font-family:'arial';"><span style="font-size:100%;">On Sunday I had brunch at my house with two of my best friends, Hannah and Rachael, to celebrate 21 years of friendship. Considering I am turning 27 this week, pretty much as long as I can remember, these two have been with me. I am so lucky to have them!</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GGF_mSSuNtFHuioAZX-2bmWy0KU_SC5OqHvhq9kce-Y9lJui7_MqPpcgzbuhYo-k-Gd109XMUV9W0mi-OwGJAySHTBemjMTo79mouuz1bH8hECpOhugOlrqY_shxuWp9TJOqF16vFpKE/s1600-h/IMG_6065.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GGF_mSSuNtFHuioAZX-2bmWy0KU_SC5OqHvhq9kce-Y9lJui7_MqPpcgzbuhYo-k-Gd109XMUV9W0mi-OwGJAySHTBemjMTo79mouuz1bH8hECpOhugOlrqY_shxuWp9TJOqF16vFpKE/s320/IMG_6065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443882731357839218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Good old friends!<br /></span></div><br /><p style="margin: 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I had pulled this recipe out of the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/magazine/17food-t-000.html">NYT</a> a few weeks back and thought this would be the perfect occasion to try it. The results were true to their name. We tried them with maple sy</span><span style="font-size:100%;">rup, honey, and sprinkled with lemon juice and</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> sugar, but they were amazing just on their own. </span></p><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoBm9VtPj1o2FJSBq9XNyhJqD0d4lPzi4w6w1nR_VgAm6-y3ij9DU8-PUKcuWAaUgdNhPrFH32_gFtCIlWD4VZoNkdGOt-f82nlrW_n12GSmwp8FLQvjh_b_u23B1MsTFiLaxXf9Jh-0k/s1600-h/IMG_6063.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoBm9VtPj1o2FJSBq9XNyhJqD0d4lPzi4w6w1nR_VgAm6-y3ij9DU8-PUKcuWAaUgdNhPrFH32_gFtCIlWD4VZoNkdGOt-f82nlrW_n12GSmwp8FLQvjh_b_u23B1MsTFiLaxXf9Jh-0k/s320/IMG_6063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443882382723141714" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/magazine/17food-t-001.html?ref=magazine"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><a>1987: Heavenly Hots</a> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Published</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"> courtesy of the New York Times</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">: January 14, 2010 </span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">This recipe appeared in The Times in an article by Joanna Pruess. The recipe came from Bridge Creek Restaurant in </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Berkeley</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">, </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Calif.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;"> A few tips: Don’t cook the pancakes all the way through. You want the center to be a pocket of cream. The pancakes are so fragile that it may take a few tries to flip them. I used the thinnest, most flexible spatula I own, wedged it halfway under the pancake, letting the other half hang, then turned my wrist and gently laid it down on the other side. I recommend this over more aggressive flipping, which will tear the pancakes.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><a name="secondParagraph"></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u><span style="font-size:100%;">Heavenly Hots</span></u></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">4 large eggs </span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1/2 teaspoon salt </span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda </span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">4 tablespoons cake flour </span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 cups sour cream </span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">3 tablespoons sugar </span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Solid vegetable shortening for greasing griddle or skillet.</span></span></p><p face="arial" style="margin: 5pt 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">1. Whisk together all the ingredients except the vegetable shortening in a large bowl; beat until smooth. This can also be done in a blender. Chill the batter overnight. (The batter will keep, refrigerated, for up to one week.)</span></span></p><p style="margin: 5pt 0pt; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">2. The next day, heat the griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Beat the batter to re-emulsify it. Lightly coat the griddle or skillet with shortening. Drop small spoonfuls — I used ¾ tablespoon — of batter onto the griddle, making sure that when they spread out they measure less than 3 inches in diameter. When a few bubbles appear on top of the pancakes and the bottoms are browned, turn and cook the second side briefly. (You don’t want to cook the pancakes all the way through because you want the center to remain creamy.) Serve with syrup or honey on the side. </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Makes 50 to 60 small pancakes.</span></span></p>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-28591389563776681012010-02-25T17:24:00.000-08:002010-02-25T18:10:08.574-08:00Better Butter<div style="font-family:arial;"><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Growing up I realized</span> early on that the food in my house was very different than the other houses in our small town. This was before <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Heinen</span>’s had moved to town and before Giant Eagle had an<span style=""> organics section. M</span>y mom was in a food co-op that would order all the health foods and exotic ingredients that are easy to find in grocery stores today.<span style=""> The co-</span>op met at a local town hall to unload<span style=""> the truck. <span style=""> </span><span style="">I don’t know exactly how the whole process worked, I just know the place had a very distinctive smell and we were left to play in the basement with all the home school kids while the grown-ups </span></span><span style=""><span style="">divvied</span></span> up the food. And we came home with crazy foods; brown foods with words like “natural” and “organic” all over them and produce that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wasn</span>’t waxed.<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I thought we were such freaks. I loved going to friends’ houses and eating Skippy peanut butter on white bread and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">cheetos</span> for lunch. We were totally deprived of all the processed sugar and foods that were being marketed to us on Nickelodeon. Fruit snacks. Frosted Flakes. Slim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Jims</span>. Not in our house.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Looking back I wish I would have appreciated it more. This is totally the way I eat now, but at the time it was torture. My taste buds were very different back then – I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">didn</span>’t like cheese, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, yogurt, beans or most veggies. Today these foods constitute like 90% of my diet. But my mom was persistent and our family dinners turned me into the food adventurer<span style=""> I am today</span>.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">One thing that was always different was our butter. Ours was in an old jelly jar and we called it “better butter”. I would forget this was different until a friend would come over after school and when we fixed some toast for a snack they would look at me like “I’m supposed to do what with this?” when I handed them the jar of butter. I suppose this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">isn</span>’t really too weird compared to other stuff we were eating. And I’m not sure how much “better” this butter actually is for you. But I grew up on it, so to me, this is what butter on toast or mixed in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">basmati</span> rice should taste like.<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Ready for me to blow your mind? Here is the super complicated recipe for Better Butter:</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Equal parts butter and oil.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Boom. You’re welcome.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So when you are diluting butter with oil I’m not sure exactly how much healthier you are making the situation, but the whole spreadable thing is nice<span style="">. To elaborate on the recipe a bit, the way my mom makes it is just to leave the butter on the counter until it is nice and soft. Then put in the food processor with equal parts oil (whatever kind, I use canola <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">cuz</span> it is cheaper, but olive oil would be lovely </span>and probably healthier) and combine. Then pour into a container and refrigerate. It will harden to a more butter like consistency, but <span style="">it </span>is much easier to spread than regular butter straight out of the fridge. And it melts into a more oily spread that I prefer.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I have some exciting news about the basement kitchen that I have been keeping from you – we got a fridge!!!! My parents are remodeling their kitchen and decided they wanted a counter depth refrigerator, so we got their old one for the basement. It is wonderful to have it down there. It has an ice maker! Major bonus for ice cream making. And I was running up and down the stairs constantly, which was good for my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">glutes</span>, but annoying in the middle of making dinner. My mom’s fridge just felt empty without the jar of better butter in there. So I made a batch with some local butter from the <a href="http://www.northunionfarmersmarket.org/">farmers market</a>. It’s not from a food co-op, but its close.</span></p></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx6d_SmnZv-nQsdCTOR0qSqETDXUH1lVtpdXrerhaeYWeL9p-P7ay959iL4usOc2RtyLsLuNUo08EX_PrC_UsFWp9GuNL5S9PXnAyCjKQ8Pr3pomZXclsbArthmpmZNPu-4CoTwJGu1jn/s1600-h/fridge.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx6d_SmnZv-nQsdCTOR0qSqETDXUH1lVtpdXrerhaeYWeL9p-P7ay959iL4usOc2RtyLsLuNUo08EX_PrC_UsFWp9GuNL5S9PXnAyCjKQ8Pr3pomZXclsbArthmpmZNPu-4CoTwJGu1jn/s320/fridge.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442357067049317090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Oh yeah, oh yeah</span><br /></span></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-70001986043909476362010-02-24T18:21:00.000-08:002010-02-24T19:11:36.804-08:00Cheering Up FebruaryIf the display at <a href="http://www.heinens.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Heinen's</span></a> is any indication, we are in the peak of citrus season. I would have let it pass me by and just picked up my usual 5 navel oranges, but there was so much orange filling the shelves that I had to take a minute to look around. There were signs up with a description of each fruit's flavor and venturing out of my comfort zone I picked up 3 Cara Cara navel oranges (only 1 made it long enough to be in the pic below), 4 blood oranges, 3 honey tangerines, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">meyer</span> lemons. Sometimes you just have to indulge in citrus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcQmzrjfo36udhGQMK0tW60w4aUn7Xv8-nFOugEKah5MsCcGHMqxIFRGnH9Mx7G1ofICpCn8koRn7PLd9oqb8dQPttii6id5izr1whVoLhcGXi2zT7MbjSFkiWHZIFXMLH-kV5eS7S959/s1600-h/IMG_6054.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcQmzrjfo36udhGQMK0tW60w4aUn7Xv8-nFOugEKah5MsCcGHMqxIFRGnH9Mx7G1ofICpCn8koRn7PLd9oqb8dQPttii6id5izr1whVoLhcGXi2zT7MbjSFkiWHZIFXMLH-kV5eS7S959/s320/IMG_6054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442001872916449202" border="0" /></a><br />Speaking of indulgences, I got two fun presents in the mail yesterday. The first was a giant box from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Zappos</span> with these <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sorel</span> boots. They were on sale and considering how <a href="http://www.whattheforbes.com/">HAPPY</a> I am in Cleveland, I know they will get plenty of use around here. I had been on this quest for rubber wellie boots and even ordered these <a href="http://usa.hunter-boot.com/2/6/Product-Search/Original-Gloss-Tall-Boot/GRAPHITE/GLOSSW_GRA.aspx?colours=BLK&pro=f">Hunters</a>, but they didn't fit my "athletic" calves. These <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sorel</span> boots are much more flexible and still water-proof, so no rubber for me. Just in time for another winter storm warning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSScujnd_5vmWdvXVcSWNyTzpaebJDzBDAJ2ui7IZ0a-GuwwenR4dfBFWgE_jzhvlRrlT2AnDOE8X7raSrY3zlM5DJFGQ-0pko_OGvuegn0SwNtjrYN6CYxv6f6VCztQDESdEKYBC9nMlL/s1600-h/IMG_6050.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSScujnd_5vmWdvXVcSWNyTzpaebJDzBDAJ2ui7IZ0a-GuwwenR4dfBFWgE_jzhvlRrlT2AnDOE8X7raSrY3zlM5DJFGQ-0pko_OGvuegn0SwNtjrYN6CYxv6f6VCztQDESdEKYBC9nMlL/s320/IMG_6050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442001684826043698" border="0" /></a><br />My second present was the first issue of my subscription to <a href="http://www.gastronomica.org/index.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Gastronomica</span>.</a> My aunt and uncle gave me some money for Christmas and I decided to use it to subscribe to this beautiful magazine. I had kind of forgot about it and then I found this lovely in my mailbox.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzQVhl8onCV0dLzuqTVmDEQH96w1ZLVbErCLcVlLP7ybD2NdhQp5dDqH_6x4QWudayOI7wU33ZFr-1l-NyMsxTgYzq04DO9IRE80cS4k2m3SPKRQor9bb5TsSzotpCqzHfQBSNDhgEJBf/s1600-h/cover_1001_full.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzQVhl8onCV0dLzuqTVmDEQH96w1ZLVbErCLcVlLP7ybD2NdhQp5dDqH_6x4QWudayOI7wU33ZFr-1l-NyMsxTgYzq04DO9IRE80cS4k2m3SPKRQor9bb5TsSzotpCqzHfQBSNDhgEJBf/s320/cover_1001_full.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442001458089406178" border="0" /></a>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-21992441420910249612010-02-22T18:32:00.000-08:002010-02-22T18:59:43.944-08:00A Tale of Cooking: In 3 Parts<span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 1. My Big Fat Southern Pigskin Super Bowl Party</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Superbowl Sunday. I don’t care much about the game, but an excuse to cook a meal centered completely on pork is a holiday in my book. <br /><br />A pigskin theme party needs lots of bacon, so to start things off I made <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">chorizo</span> stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. I use <a href="http://clevelandfoodie.com/2007/07/avec-dates-the-best-appetizer-ever-2.html">this recipe from Cleveland Foodie</a>, but I no longer make the sauce <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cuz</span> I find that people don't use it and there is plenty of flavor in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">appe's</span> three ingredients. These are ALWAYS a hit and added bonus, they are shaped like little footballs with toothpicks stuck through them.<br /><br />I wanted to keep the main course fairly simple. I used this recipe from the Splendid Table for the <a href="http://thebittenword.typepad.com/thebittenword/2008/11/ultimate-cheater-pulled-pork.html">Ultimate Cheater Pulled Pork</a>. The “cheating” is using liquid smoke to mimic the flavors of a smoke house. I bought my 5 pound pork butt from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Westside</span> Market. You should try this recipe mostly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">cuz</span> it is fun to say pork butt. The pork butt is chopped into chunks, placed in the crock pot, sprinkled with a rub and the secret ingredient - liquid smoke (surprisingly easy to find, right next to the BBQ sauce at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Heinen's</span> for $1.79), and set on low to cook overnight. Twelve hours later I woke to the sweet smells of smoky pork that had filled the house. So yeah, I’m kind of a big deal, I can cook while I sleep.<br /><br />In the morning I took the pork chunks out and placed them on a baking sheet to cool. I poured the leftover juices from the crock pot into a cup and placed them in the fridge. Once the pork was cooled enough to handle, I began pulling it apart with my hands. Little know fact - food always tastes better when someone’s hands have been all over it. I threw out any fatty pieces, but mostly it was steaming pink shreds of yummy smokey goodness. Place it back in the crock pot and in the fridge until game time. <br /><br />By the time we were close to kick-off, the leftover juices in the cup in the fridge had separated enough that I could skim the neon layer of orange fat off the top and throw it out. I took the pork out of the fridge and set the crock pot back to warm along with some of the now skimmed juices. The rest of the juice I mixed with some store bought BBQ sauce and warmed it up to serve with the pork on rolls. This pork is a crowd <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pleaser</span> – if cheating is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.<br /><br />I couldn't leave bacon out of the dessert. Last year I saw an episode of Throw Down with Bobby Flay about bacon desserts. Bobby lost (Spoiler alert – Bobby always loses on Throw Down) to this recipe for <a href="http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1870700-5,00.html">bread pudding with a bacon creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">anglaise</span></a> (which I also really love saying) from Chef Jerome Chang of New York City's Dessert Truck. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Sidenote</span>: I want to start this dessert truck phenom in Cleveland, we are missing out on convenient sugar! </span><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CXKLYr4u1ssr99L71e5yfkI0sVx4zj931HynvsSEP_HoG7oqshLTY2TqJhAYUK8hpPzZY118Mr-NdyPoRs8lpaqOL6KasanEL0BYUnAtuXnXUX8HsHUuPSTmMoRl7H7B6rdSN58xoI2o/s1600-h/IMG_6014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CXKLYr4u1ssr99L71e5yfkI0sVx4zj931HynvsSEP_HoG7oqshLTY2TqJhAYUK8hpPzZY118Mr-NdyPoRs8lpaqOL6KasanEL0BYUnAtuXnXUX8HsHUuPSTmMoRl7H7B6rdSN58xoI2o/s320/IMG_6014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441262013760400210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bread Pudding (before the Bacon Creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Anglaise)</span></span><br /></div><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Ok</span>, so this recipe uses 10 egg yolks, 4 slices of bacon, 3 cups of heavy cream, and 2 cups of half & half, so it really should only be made once a year for the fattiest of feasts. But my goodness it is delicious. I made the creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">anglaise</span> on Saturday and the bread pudding on Sunday. The bacon flavor is very subtle and the final product was rich and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">chocolately</span> and very decadent. And you get to say <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">crème</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">anglaise</span>.<br /><br />Keeping with the southern theme of the party I also served coleslaw and sweet tea vodka with lemonade. Friends pitched in with guacamole and lots of desserts. It was a wonderful Sunday night feast!! Oh and there was a football game, too, score!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part II. Adventures in Ice Cream Making</span><br /><br />My family came over after work on Friday night for dinner before heading over to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">JCU</span> to see Seth Myers from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">SNL</span> perform a comedy show. My whole <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">fam</span> is pretty into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">SNL</span> and the show was hilarious. The funniest bits were his off the cuff audience interactions, asking couples how they met and the craziest thing they ever bought on e-Bay has never been so funny.<br /><br />My house <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">isn</span>’t too far from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">JCU</span>, so I offered to fix a quick dinner before the show. I made <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/dining/17apprex.html">Turkey and Hominy Chili with Smoky <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Chipotle</span></a> the night before so it could just be quickly re-heated after work. It was spicy and excellent with a dollop of sour cream to cool it, some shredded cheddar and a bit of fresh cilantro. I also made two quick side breads from mixes I had, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">couldn</span>’t help adding a little something more to each. The first, a sweet and spicy cornbread made with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Jif</span>fy Cornbread mix plus half a minced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">jalepeno</span> and a few big <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">glugs</span> of local orange blossom honey. And the second, cheddar and chive biscuits made from <a href="http://www.tastefullysimple.com/Cultures/en-US/Products/PerfectParmesanBiscuitMix731708.htm?CatalogNavigationBreadCrumbs=ClientCatalog%3bBreadsSoupsSides&ShowTop=true">Tastefully Simple’s Perfect Parmesan Biscuit Mix</a>, subbing cheddar for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">parmesan</span> and adding some fresh chives. My mom brought chips and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">guac</span> and a salad to round out our dinner.<br /><br />The grand finale was Goat Cheese Ice Cream and Blueberry Sauce from <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/">David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Lebowitz</span>’s</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/1580088082/davidleboviswebs">The Perfect Scoop</a>. Jenny was kind enough to let me borrow her ice cream maker and this was our third attempt with ice cream making.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RU9TFeJtVNyvPKU6Dd0KcOvHyecx-B8K4DUsykDTnSVCbWaLNZEesf0Gec7OMwd67iu7RJ1V_ViGJ0YwlWRJ9NpR1cYlBf9VxXbTprwarn-apcoduvwkE0Gb8ZxRDWuPH0MkTaczo8x7/s1600-h/IMG_6020.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RU9TFeJtVNyvPKU6Dd0KcOvHyecx-B8K4DUsykDTnSVCbWaLNZEesf0Gec7OMwd67iu7RJ1V_ViGJ0YwlWRJ9NpR1cYlBf9VxXbTprwarn-apcoduvwkE0Gb8ZxRDWuPH0MkTaczo8x7/s320/IMG_6020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441261724499150386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Warm Blueberry Sauce</span><br /></div><br />My first attempt was a vanilla <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">gelato</span> that turned out tasting like snow ice cream. Are you familiar with snow ice cream or did we make this up? Growing up in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Chardon</span> meant a LOT of snow without a lot of snow days. The snow plows were just too used to it, so unless the timing was just right, we always had school. So to make the most of the snow we would mix it with milk, sugar and vanilla in a big bowl and eat it like a giant ice cream sundae. Until one time we made it too late in the season and Becky found a slug on her spoon. No one really ever had a craving for snow ice cream again after that. So the first attempt at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">gelato</span> making was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">ok</span>, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">didn</span>’t conjure the sweetest of memories. <br /><br />Chris took a turn with the machine making rosemary and honey ice cream that came out with a soft serve consistency and a fantastic flavor. It was very sweet and the rosemary and honey were a lovely pairing. But Chris also decided to put little flakes of the chopped rosemary in the ice cream which I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">didn</span>’t like and did my best to eat around.<br /><br />The third time was a charm. Under David’s tutelage the goat cheese ice cream turned out beautifully and topped with the warm blueberry sauce tasted like a warm creamy cheese cake. I can’t wait to try more of his recipes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part III. Learning to cook with Eggs</span><br /><br />Each batch of ice cream made with a custard base calls for 6 egg yolks. This leaves you with an abundance of egg whites. My first batch of custard for the goat cheese ice cream turned into a icky scrambled eggs mess due to many <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">rookie</span> mistakes I made: 1. used skim milk, 2. forgot to add the sugar, 3. did not temper the yolks properly, 4. let the mixture boil. Fail, fail, fail, fail. <br /><br />I took my time the second time, following David’s instructions as closely as possible. I remembered to use whole milk and sugar, I tempered the yolks by ladling some of the steamy milk into the yolks very slowly, whisking the whole time, and I used a candy thermometer just to be sure I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">wasn</span>’t coming close to a boil. Sometimes cooking reminds me of chemistry class (which I secretly loved). The results were perfect; a smooth custard. While the custard was still warm I strained it over the crumbled goat cheese and stirred until it was nice and smooth. Custard success!<br /><br />On Sunday afternoon I met up with my S-3 work girlfriends for lunch and to see the movie Valentine’s Day. That movie has the cutest cast and worst script of all time. It was long and weird and hard to follow. But it was great to catch up with my friends. We also celebrated Jenny and Morgan’s birthdays and since I am always looking for an excuse to make cake, I volunteered to supply. My two batches of custard making left me with no eggs and 12 egg whites in the fridge. So I really only had one option – angel food cake – which is one of my favorites. I like Ina’s version, called <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/black-and-white-angel-food-cake-recipe/index.html">Black and White cake</a>, with a semi-sweet chocolate glaze drizzled over top. In fact, it is the very cake I made for my own birthday last year. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXJXrS9qftvmpFZDuIMdBZbxk00aigMv83uaeu-2n8sFhKEonUDfQwADqv_kDR3U16mBrwBy1plKp-qfi-9vQosOV77DwHX613FhgcMt2BBP3wTkeb-ZXTMGQtjNUUwcg2FEIulL2BphV/s1600-h/IMG_6030.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXJXrS9qftvmpFZDuIMdBZbxk00aigMv83uaeu-2n8sFhKEonUDfQwADqv_kDR3U16mBrwBy1plKp-qfi-9vQosOV77DwHX613FhgcMt2BBP3wTkeb-ZXTMGQtjNUUwcg2FEIulL2BphV/s320/IMG_6030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441261352621981218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Black and White Cake<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">More fun with eggs, this time whipping the whites into a foam with high peaks. Last year I made <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">rookie</span> mistakes with this cake and it took me literally 45 minutes of holding my hand mixer over the bowl before the eggs were the right consistency. Not this time. The trick is to make sure the eggs are very fresh and at room temperature. Check and check – eggs from the farmers market and I let them sit out on the counter for an hour before I attempted the whipping. They were forming peaks within a few minutes. I may have even gone too far because when I went to fold in the flour, the eggs were almost the consistency of marshmallow and the flour <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">wasn</span>’t mixing in well. But it came together and baked up like a dream. A glorious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">chocolately</span> dream. <br /><br />And we all sang happy birthday and ate cake and lived happily ever after.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />The End.<br />(for now)<br /></span></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-270272364406760602010-02-01T18:34:00.000-08:002010-02-01T18:47:46.474-08:00Mystic Weekend<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">On Saturday night, Rachael had the girlfriends over to celebrate her birthday. In total Rachael style, the birthday party was also a Pure Romance party and she had a tarot card reader upstairs reading fortunes. I was reluctant to participate at first, but a few glasses of wine and some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">gf</span> coaxing and I was totally into it. I don't put complete faith in fortunes or horoscopes, but there seems to be a nugget of truth in them. Well, truth or selective hearing. All in good fun though. I am a total newbie to tarot, so forgive me if I get any of this wrong, but here is what I learned:</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">There are 16 difference personality types and I found out that I am a Queen of Cups. Most of the girls at the party were also Queen of Cups because they tend to gravitate to each other. Here is a personality description from <a href="http://learntarot.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">learntarot</span>.com</a>:</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;">Loving. Tenderhearted. Intuitive. Psychic. Spiritual. The personality of the Queen of Cups combines the positive water energy of the </span><a href="http://www.learntarot.com/cups.htm" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;color:blue;">Cups suit</span></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;"> with the inward </span><a href="http://www.learntarot.com/less3.htm#queen" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;color:blue;">focus of a Queen</span></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;">. Because she has a sweet, loving and sensitive nature, the Queen of Cups has a kind word for everyone and never reacts with anger or impatience. There is a gentleness about her that soothes and calms. Compassion is her watchword. Her reactions to the world are guided by her feelings. In all matters, she lets her heart lead the way. She senses emotional currents and knows what others are experiencing without having to ask. She is never moody, but understands moods and their influence. She trusts her intuition and so is more open to knowledge that comes from within herself and beyond. She is often moved by the beauty and tragedy of life. The Queen of Cups feels deeply and has a reverence for all aspects of God's creation. Her love includes and embraces everyone and everything. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">I definitely consider myself a feeler as opposed to a thinker, but the part about not being moody is way off. The reader also told me that Queens of Cups are old souls, social butterflies, have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">deja</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">vu</span>, and are best matched with a King of Wands. She described the King of Wands as hard-working gentlemen, which Chris definitely is.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">She asked me to think of some questions for her. I asked about my love life, my future career, and whether she saw me moving anywhere. And in the cards she saw....</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">I am with the right man, but she does not see marriage in the near future. If I move, it will not make me happy. I got the higher education card, but it won't be for a few years. I am well liked and respected at work and will be successful in what I do. Money will not be an issue and the Wheel of Fortune card came up, so in four months I should consider gambling because I could win some money. The Tower Card was reversed (I think) meaning that my worst fears won't be realized (not sure what those even are). I should pray more because my prayers will be answered. And the kicker card was the Empress. Basically she told me that I need to be very careful if I don't want to have a baby and I may even be pregnant now. It doesn't necessarily mean I will have a lot of children, but it does mean I am very fertile. And to drive that home, the only other girl at the party who got that card already has 3 kids, <i>gulp</i>.</span> <br /></span>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-46126409292632872692010-01-26T19:04:00.000-08:002010-01-26T20:10:32.225-08:00I am Pretty Sure Chris is Not a Serial Killer<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">When it comes to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tv</span> relationships I fall hard and fast. I have sacrificed a lot to my love for shows like LOST and Arrested Development. The same cannot be said about romantic relationships. It took Chris and I at least six months of "talking" or dating" or whatever before we would use the terms "boyfriend" and "girlfriend". But tv, now that is a different story. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: -webkit-sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">I was really bored on Sunday and I was mildly hungover from too many mojitos at Paladar and there was nothing on television. I had already been dragged out of bed at 8am to spend $24 to see infomercial booths at the world's worst <a href="http://www.homeandflower.com/cleveland/aboutus.htm">home and garden show</a> in Euclid. Seriously if you are considering going, DON'T. DO. NOT. I cannot stress this enough. There was however this great Peruvian <a href="http://168.144.24.47/inkapirka/">musical ensemble</a> playing that was by far the highlight of the show. So if you decide to ignore my advice, follow the sounds of the bamboo flute and if you can watch that performance with a straight face you are a better person than I. </span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Anyways, I shouldn't say there was nothing to watch on television because I did watch this great <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">SyFy</span> movie called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840304/mediaindex">Ice Spiders</a>. At first I thought it was going to be a discovery channel type thing about spiders in the arctic. And then I checked the info and found out it was actually a movie about a lab in Utah where giant mutated spiders have escaped and are now terrorizing an Olympic ski team training at a nearby ski resort starring that one dude from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Melrose</span> Place and someone named Vanessa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Willaims</span> that is not who you think it is. Those spiders were big and nasty and were tearing everybody up. There was a snow mobile chase, god-awful dialogue and lots of blood. I watched about an hour of it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">cuz</span> it was just too campy to change the channel and if you stumble across it, I would say it is worth a bit of your time (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">UNlike</span> that Home and Garden Show - RIP OFF). Come to think of it, I am curious how the movie ends. I'm sure somehow the Olympic skiers figured out how to take those spiders down, but not before their coach lost his bottom half to a giant spider. Words don't do justice:</span> </span><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsvkOcEtrJ-H-GM3pT7WnzygVb9pzF_s0m8H2gkFoEhsLiJbjuBOrf9AA6oB7U_zc_l4w0srj2-npoV1osrD-XFwuH_Yc5o7L2NNoSRRwpr15RueTzXqV7K6iGCLigBqfZ6TR8fFB790S/s1600-h/icespiders_1181351920.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsvkOcEtrJ-H-GM3pT7WnzygVb9pzF_s0m8H2gkFoEhsLiJbjuBOrf9AA6oB7U_zc_l4w0srj2-npoV1osrD-XFwuH_Yc5o7L2NNoSRRwpr15RueTzXqV7K6iGCLigBqfZ6TR8fFB790S/s320/icespiders_1181351920.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431261862373405378" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fighting a spider with a ski pole</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-R_LJAPHvuPKiaPuLOwyopac6JQzSCcfuNUQJIyKvWOHny14pfGl9WGabVvpLYsvDmpt0Sy03PUOyWgymf2H7R1m9pF3D8n3GGC3SHaY14zf7gpO77Rfr_2ZHHD65_zCARoXL-5XFFQ_/s1600-h/Ice_Spiders-vanessa.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-R_LJAPHvuPKiaPuLOwyopac6JQzSCcfuNUQJIyKvWOHny14pfGl9WGabVvpLYsvDmpt0Sy03PUOyWgymf2H7R1m9pF3D8n3GGC3SHaY14zf7gpO77Rfr_2ZHHD65_zCARoXL-5XFFQ_/s320/Ice_Spiders-vanessa.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431261496912148722" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Starring "Vanessa Williams"</span></span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjJAFTu3dZlJdaz6xZMbbY3EQwTtzUunJBet1W51HS7qYX8-QeYHSRq6j0UeaQHfYNm6lmYLFc_0-m7fNchesLfjRU5sipPcUz-sV_t1PqGMKkSrBR-RxotgX7SH3n9l9zvzopCQzkz4Y/s1600-h/Ice_Spiders-reelin.gif" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjJAFTu3dZlJdaz6xZMbbY3EQwTtzUunJBet1W51HS7qYX8-QeYHSRq6j0UeaQHfYNm6lmYLFc_0-m7fNchesLfjRU5sipPcUz-sV_t1PqGMKkSrBR-RxotgX7SH3n9l9zvzopCQzkz4Y/s320/Ice_Spiders-reelin.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431261249833724514" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">One of the spiders reeling in his prey</span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: -webkit-sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">That was a long way to say that on Sunday I started watching Dexter Season 1 on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">netflix</span> on-line and I have watched the first seven episodes in the last two days. That is a lot of time watching <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">tv</span> about serial killers. Like seriously way too much time thinking about murder scenes and blood spatter. And every time Chris lures me into the kitchen to see what he has accomplished, I get a little nervous <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">cuz</span> the room is covered in plastic like one of Dexter's murder scenes. I took Olive in with me to protect me in case Chris made any sudden moves. But, I am pretty sure he is not actually a serial killer. He doesn't display too many Dexter-isms and he doesn't work in a lab where they mutate spiders. So that's good news! Glad I've ruled that out after three years.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">If anyone in this house is trying to kill me, it is definitely Olive. She follows me around everywhere like a total stalker. She hides around corners and when I walk by she takes a flying leap attack at my leg. And last night she stared me down, and as stealthily as she could, while maintaining complete eye contact, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">very</span> slowly crept towards me and then pounced. I was laughing hysterically, but was also a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">creeped</span> out. I'm definitely being hunted by someone.</span></span></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-32382053416508566632010-01-17T19:35:00.000-08:002010-01-17T20:54:01.654-08:00Anything but the Kitchen Sink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcUsqV_OLsMZVxTk6Tfj5TMiAwv2WQEBj6xzzI4V9IfCiA-XYICrCe0ed6LtkdX5mJgr-xe6Wghwer0_a2Q1NmUOkN2CL70_pTRjoAd7oNiA9WY8vMmnmeimTIuJ8O8G8K4mBwQdFotul/s1600-h/IMG_5029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcUsqV_OLsMZVxTk6Tfj5TMiAwv2WQEBj6xzzI4V9IfCiA-XYICrCe0ed6LtkdX5mJgr-xe6Wghwer0_a2Q1NmUOkN2CL70_pTRjoAd7oNiA9WY8vMmnmeimTIuJ8O8G8K4mBwQdFotul/s320/IMG_5029.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427922073818641730" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">A very famous kitchen at the Smithsonian</span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTWsKV0a0aa3hWfyYfETD5f58JNUyV0LLcx6QYi85m5F6o3sRJ2AmdXIz2fGWqojTyJYiriesaDzhvLSj7kb488jM3LwCw-M2MrGAas2I3y2xshcXWJRjNYFrnowENQOM1UDhxjb8jBkL/s1600-h/IMG_5028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTWsKV0a0aa3hWfyYfETD5f58JNUyV0LLcx6QYi85m5F6o3sRJ2AmdXIz2fGWqojTyJYiriesaDzhvLSj7kb488jM3LwCw-M2MrGAas2I3y2xshcXWJRjNYFrnowENQOM1UDhxjb8jBkL/s320/IMG_5028.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427921551420822450" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Good advice!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you have a kitchen sink, give it a kiss. Here is mine, but not for long.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIubTvubA9Vq6EcWkj3bid5xoZKYvHxzNOJQlkGpfon51t71qFPSAoPvmNF2KaBbC6p1KgBRjD4yRdk8VeYQMM28IKPmbxVGXsR-CHlfrhAz7K9IeUEPkISHps17WK72mr64cDDWh9msJo/s1600-h/IMG_5988.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIubTvubA9Vq6EcWkj3bid5xoZKYvHxzNOJQlkGpfon51t71qFPSAoPvmNF2KaBbC6p1KgBRjD4yRdk8VeYQMM28IKPmbxVGXsR-CHlfrhAz7K9IeUEPkISHps17WK72mr64cDDWh9msJo/s320/IMG_5988.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427920478963927730" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Chris and I are moving steadily along in the kitchen, can't <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cha</span></span> tell?? We actually have a new one, but we'll get to that a little later on. </div><div><br /></div><div>Chris began tearing into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">soffits</span></span> the first weekend of the year. This uncovered a few obstacles. To begin with, there are hidden pipes in places we were hoping to expose. And secondly, the demo left a terrible film of dust covering the entire first floor of the house. We are new to this and didn't realize that we should have sealed off the room with plastic zip-up doors and covered the hard wood floor with paper before making such a mess. And somehow I didn't realize just how unusable this kitchen was going to be during the project. </div><div><br /></div><div>To drive this home further, we received our first winter gas bill - $400. N.C. (Not. Cool.) I get a lot of, "so, you gonna replace the windows?" And while we may down the road, I don't think our 92 year old windows are the culprit. Sure they could be better, but the real trouble stems from our lack of insulation. I am going to get some quotes on having insulation blown into the walls, but while we have the kitchen torn up, we may as well insulate the kitchen's two exterior walls. And guess where the kitchen sink is. Yep, on an exterior wall. So say goodbye to that sink.</div><div><br /></div><div>You don't get too far in a kitchen without a sink and I cannot fathom life without a kitchen for the next few months. We bought a new gas range on Black Friday, but the current electric range is still in fine working order. So why not have an extra oven in the basement? Where there is a sink. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">.... and thus our new basement kitchen was born.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JEK1nb8imytPVIJddggHlpTcXdethwHtGGXIkWT1WHS4svrCUXZMwtwx8ZyFsueKprrxh05ja3Upk1PfgCGe0QkXsyKLGsv53W2xF5n_1nMTy4fuO4r5yDAGvbR-CyiOOgsHTOZD3G9y/s1600-h/IMG_5996.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JEK1nb8imytPVIJddggHlpTcXdethwHtGGXIkWT1WHS4svrCUXZMwtwx8ZyFsueKprrxh05ja3Upk1PfgCGe0QkXsyKLGsv53W2xF5n_1nMTy4fuO4r5yDAGvbR-CyiOOgsHTOZD3G9y/s320/IMG_5996.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427919512277891970" /></a><br /><div>Now it doesn't have a fridge yet, but it has everything else and the fridge will be right up the stairs. Not too bad, eh?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYFpyjhOJcZaZcvbwhbTkXNA0vgiEM4oiZCO1Gg8nnbN45qiGoau3oaGb50mZBhIVDmddjOoRfYyh9oZMM05A5ywg5cHdY6EHujDe41HuIRGKKpziB23zrIcPViK2u9HF7UsrEzRD7g2h/s1600-h/IMG_6000.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYFpyjhOJcZaZcvbwhbTkXNA0vgiEM4oiZCO1Gg8nnbN45qiGoau3oaGb50mZBhIVDmddjOoRfYyh9oZMM05A5ywg5cHdY6EHujDe41HuIRGKKpziB23zrIcPViK2u9HF7UsrEzRD7g2h/s320/IMG_6000.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427919071235994194" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">My diligent carpenter & electrician</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tonight we watched the movie <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Julie & Julia</span> and it got me thinking about kitchens. Neither of those women had sparkling, state of the art kitchens with miles of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">countertops</span> to work on. They had good tools and a love of food. A kitchen does not a cook make, so I will be just fine cooking from this basement. Similar to Julia Child, there are few things that bring me more joy than eating and consequently, there are few things that give me more purpose than cooking.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The movie also got me to thinking about culinary projects. Julie Powell cooked her way through Julia's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Mastering the Art of French Cooking</span> and wrote a blog that led to a book that was made into a movie with Meryl <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">freackin</span>' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Streep</span> in it, how cool is that? When I think about what I am really passionate about and how I wish I could spend my time, I always come back to food, not accounting. I just don't know how to get myself from point A to point B, where point B is a place where I can still pay my mortgage. So I am putting it out to the universe - I am in search of a new culinary adventure or project. Suggestions welcome.</div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-1408777140010543022010-01-10T19:47:00.000-08:002010-01-10T20:04:27.213-08:00Happy 2010!<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">We are over a week into the new year so I think it is about time I admit that the holiday break is over and get back to the grind. I think the vacation feeling is lingering because I didn't get to relax as much this year as in year's past. Starting the new job in late October meant I only started with three days of vacation through the end of the year, which was a shift to my normal 2 week Christmas vacation. It wasn't so bad, but the time I did take off was full of family events: my family, Chris's dad, Chris's mom, my dad's side of the family, and then a trip to eastern PA to see my mom's side of the family. And we toted Olive along for all of this since she was only 3 days post claw removal operation and I had major guilt about it. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">The trip to PA was a 7 hour drive across the state to spend Christmas in Bethlehem (how appropriate, I know). My aunt Jeannie and Uncle Don were the fabulous hosts to 17 people, 3 dogs, and one Olive - not an easy feat. We had a great time that included a Christmas feast, white elephant exchange, and a birthday fiesta for my cousin Matt. Thank you again Aunt Jeannie (my most loyal blog follower) for hosting all of us!!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjou_ifXcUy00toxjRB4nXS_asrLMUuLB1WyhIfLQ4FaxOaATRBtrVN5Aa3B7031p5TzITitnWdwrXQPdx0OzB3aUqSbb8L0CV9cZdFRtAfvklRaVztdFOgGL-UERSyxaysMoEmOITnO5DP/s1600-h/IMG_5930.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjou_ifXcUy00toxjRB4nXS_asrLMUuLB1WyhIfLQ4FaxOaATRBtrVN5Aa3B7031p5TzITitnWdwrXQPdx0OzB3aUqSbb8L0CV9cZdFRtAfvklRaVztdFOgGL-UERSyxaysMoEmOITnO5DP/s320/IMG_5930.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425325308802282338" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Beautiful chocolates Aunt Jeannie shared (like Lily's!!)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">We were only 2 hours outside of NYC, so my family decided to make the trek into the city for a day. We just happened to pick the coldest, windiest day of the year. So when we exited the train station we immediately followed the crowd into Macy's to raid their hat and scarf sales.</span></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFfRIHbKZxzLEKcYc-oajRNPj1oVBMg1N2AZ01jMiluLbEgKQFPJ7acxYraAAiN2SegY7op3Iim5FJFGKHMp-sKoqRhzQxRFYwrF08v10F8kkkWkH6W2Z1hK7FlK8LW1Oahs2fUUJgTki/s1600-h/IMG_5953.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFfRIHbKZxzLEKcYc-oajRNPj1oVBMg1N2AZ01jMiluLbEgKQFPJ7acxYraAAiN2SegY7op3Iim5FJFGKHMp-sKoqRhzQxRFYwrF08v10F8kkkWkH6W2Z1hK7FlK8LW1Oahs2fUUJgTki/s320/IMG_5953.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425325112875896162" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Modeling winter wear in front of Macy's</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Our only real agenda item for the day was to go into the NY Public Library. My mother's grandfather was once the head librarian there and we found his name in the lobby under the benefactors.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh824091iv_gbgPZc1VTGFX9kb1UB37lqifBNyZcpIoSb8bA1lgLDHsNBbCI-PEc_ESnBlYQx9Os1mdBut_HT_oUtfKoezJFIZqi1xW3UTBvN7dytROc9Cdb0E53kUcC5XraKINZJr62FMM/s1600-h/IMG_5956.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh824091iv_gbgPZc1VTGFX9kb1UB37lqifBNyZcpIoSb8bA1lgLDHsNBbCI-PEc_ESnBlYQx9Os1mdBut_HT_oUtfKoezJFIZqi1xW3UTBvN7dytROc9Cdb0E53kUcC5XraKINZJr62FMM/s320/IMG_5956.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425324685235882354" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Hint: look for my middle name</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">After that we spent most of the afternoon running around Midtown, including stops at the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, window shopping at Lord & Taylor, Bryant Park, Times Square, Grand Central Station, and two stops at the Macy's on 34<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span>. The city was really crowded the week between Christmas and New Years which made me really claustrophobic. But overall it was a fun family excursion.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> <br /><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">The holidays are over and I am shifting my body from the feasting gluttony that is December to the shame-filled resolutions of a new year. Well, I don't have resolutions, per <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">se</span>, but I do have some goals for 2010:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> <br /><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Goal #1 Finish that damn kitchen. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> <br /><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Goal #2 My eternal goal of losing weight and getting in shape. I have two motivators to start the year: 1. I joined a weight loss challenge at work. In the vein of the Biggest Loser, we have all thrown $20 into a pot and whoever has the highest percentage of weight loss come March 31 wins the money. I am continuing to use </span><a href="http://fatsecret.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">fatsecret</span>.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> which I cannot say enough good things about. It is free and awesome. 2. I signed up for a sprint level triathlon at my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">alma</span> mater Miami University on April 17. It is a 400 meter swim in the rec center pool, followed by a 13 mile bike and a 5k run. Totally manageable, but at the same time means I need to stick to my training schedule. Week 1 has started strong, even though I was slightly side tracked by the massive amounts of snow we have been getting. The snow itself I like, but the slow driving is really cramping my style.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> <br /><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Two goals, totally attainable. I'll keep you posted. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> <br /><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">And so we begin a new decade. For myself, the last decade (what do we call it, the 00's, I still have no idea) held high school and college graduation, lots of moving my stuff from place to place, to Oxford, to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Chardon</span>, repeat; to Cleveland to new apartment, repeat; and now settled into a house all my own. It was the decade when I became a grown up with a real job and I am starting this decade with an even newer job. It was the decade I discovered a passion for cooking (I've always had a passion for eating) and travel and pushing myself to try new things. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">I hope the next decade brings marriage and children for myself and many of my friends and all the excitement that surrounds those things. I hope I can go back to school to find a career that I am more passionate about and where I have more outlets for my creativity. But most of all, I hope this decade (do we call this the 10's, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">teen's</span>?) is as happy and fulfilling as the last.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /></span></span></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-17524962535319544842009-12-23T19:03:00.000-08:002009-12-23T16:04:49.828-08:00Dough or No Dough?<div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Inspired by Hannah and Matt's progress with their </span></span><a href="http://www.midcenturymodernize.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">mid-century modernize</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, Chris and I decided to get <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">crackin</span>' on our own kitchen. After getting three quotes which were above what I wanted to spend, I ruled out hiring someone to install the cabinets and we are moving ahead with the project to be completed by us and our generous friends and family who have volunteered their services. Having a kitchen in complete disarray during my favorite baking season has got me thinking about "dough-less" holiday baking. I still have a microwave and a stove, I am just not eager to be rolling dough or cutting cookies in a half <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">demo'ed</span> kitchen. So I've done some brainstorming and heavy-googling and found that there are multitudes of holiday recipes which do not involve any dough. Some are as simple as some microwaving and dipping or stirring. Cookies will just have to wait until next year.</span></span></span><span style="font: 13.0px Arial; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span></p></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHJTVU8sPk8X0yDjMUEY0Hu4-S3GCKKmgQZiZ9Jn275ccNVQcAWYuJkRGX5C4HNhUygcP-mENgXRocaLpC-TzFF2Z2xkLky5z_rsQDZBa714Mo6eCZBjykq174T-InuGMEAMg_UZcpvW5/s1600-h/IMG_5926.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHJTVU8sPk8X0yDjMUEY0Hu4-S3GCKKmgQZiZ9Jn275ccNVQcAWYuJkRGX5C4HNhUygcP-mENgXRocaLpC-TzFF2Z2xkLky5z_rsQDZBa714Mo6eCZBjykq174T-InuGMEAMg_UZcpvW5/s320/IMG_5926.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418579013678614898" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://foodnsuchcleveland.blogspot.com/2009/11/come-and-get-your-popcorn.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Katie's Caramel Corn</span></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbbQ6a8HcLokX6r3zPoYu5mNBex_1-JsvVfsipwOFiANn4gikyEga-GYAGvvuAKH9eQHELfiupafXAthx81yzquDWo_U7CLp6DM0zXWv8BI6_lmdfu-AfthzIsCgqGxRCbo-o7Fhl4vJ1/s1600-h/IMG_5925.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbbQ6a8HcLokX6r3zPoYu5mNBex_1-JsvVfsipwOFiANn4gikyEga-GYAGvvuAKH9eQHELfiupafXAthx81yzquDWo_U7CLp6DM0zXWv8BI6_lmdfu-AfthzIsCgqGxRCbo-o7Fhl4vJ1/s320/IMG_5925.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418578788461179746" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Christmas Corn Flake Wreaths</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1/2 c. butter</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">40 regular marshmallows</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp. vanilla</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp. green food coloring, or more to desired shade</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">6 c. corn flakes</span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 17px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Melt butter in large saucepan. Add marshmallows and cook over low heat, stirring frequently until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and food coloring to desired shade of green. Add corn flakes and blend, stirring and mixing gently until all corn flakes are coated. With 2 teaspoons or buttered fingers, shape golf-ball size portions into wreaths on wax paper. Put 3 red cinnamon candies at intervals on each wreath to look like holly berries. Makes about 24. Store on waxed paper in tins.</span></span></span></span></p><p></p><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqeSYE3w_Ga9hLyKfzvc0iJL1dpCEzoo8GeJuUwuueONqpCK7A06p3FhQeG12hyWiQGk1GdhxknD9r_ezCggNf5osTWlmN4ivXQ9YFNF9PP718Wg6ag9Wdp7v0Tb8_FVEV5ya5_GOY3cu/s1600-h/IMG_5915.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqeSYE3w_Ga9hLyKfzvc0iJL1dpCEzoo8GeJuUwuueONqpCK7A06p3FhQeG12hyWiQGk1GdhxknD9r_ezCggNf5osTWlmN4ivXQ9YFNF9PP718Wg6ag9Wdp7v0Tb8_FVEV5ya5_GOY3cu/s320/IMG_5915.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418578424915241426" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">White Chocolate Oreo Fudge</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">18 oz of White Choc morsels (a pkg and a half)</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">14 oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1/8 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">teasp</span>. of salt </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">2 cups of coarsely crushed Oreo-type cookies</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Line an 8X8 square baking pan w/ foil. Then, in a heavy saucepan over LOW heat, stir & melt the choc morsels, Sweetened Condensed milk and salt together. Be sure to watch it closely, just until it is melted uniformly. Remove from heat and stir in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">oreo</span> pieces. Pour evenly into 8×8, and chill for a couple of hours. Turn fudge upside down on a cutting board, peel off foil, and cut that into small squares. Store tightly covered/cool place</span></span></span>.</span></span></div><div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_08n9X96POgwAMsRLnSiMnV0b_Ahv97Ffm0cic-Fu69SyHtR2nC8IOoarbXxEvVkRUnZKLj2wgO0Z60_sodE99KoPGVHUA0Qn6QwGa0XLXmksbgxxfxcPrTrB8P9gSQ0txRC9XJuxVYjC/s1600-h/IMG_5913.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_08n9X96POgwAMsRLnSiMnV0b_Ahv97Ffm0cic-Fu69SyHtR2nC8IOoarbXxEvVkRUnZKLj2wgO0Z60_sodE99KoPGVHUA0Qn6QwGa0XLXmksbgxxfxcPrTrB8P9gSQ0txRC9XJuxVYjC/s320/IMG_5913.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418578036592196114" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Olive watching me cook from her perch over the radiator. Notice the crazy walls.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmrSuhUs65AiMKJt_DZs2dP08vwn88rpb7hzlAas8YFi52lfQEjGY_Gpa9zmSiiPOlu-DTN8Hw9NNTJ0cunZcKJ6n_tkgIRfla3VU51iUpc74rgjX20-8wk2-q1ywKKDVetrh82g4EeFk/s1600-h/IMG_5910.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmrSuhUs65AiMKJt_DZs2dP08vwn88rpb7hzlAas8YFi52lfQEjGY_Gpa9zmSiiPOlu-DTN8Hw9NNTJ0cunZcKJ6n_tkgIRfla3VU51iUpc74rgjX20-8wk2-q1ywKKDVetrh82g4EeFk/s320/IMG_5910.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418577495770822178" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Classic Chocolate Fudge </span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> <br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">3 cups sugar </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">2/3 cup evaporated milk </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">3/4 cup (1 1/2) sticks Margarine </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1 1/2 cup marshmallow cream </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1/2 cup pecans, chopped </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1/2 t. vanilla </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Combine sugar, milk, and margarine in heavy saucepan; heat to boiling.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> <br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Stir constantly about 5 minutes over medium heat or until mixture reaches soft ball stage (238 degrees).</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Remove from heat.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Add remaining ingredients. Stir vigorously until well blended.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> <br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Pour into greased 13 x9×2 inch buttered pan. Cool. Cut into squares. Makes 3 pounds.</span></span></span></span></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLyVW-1hhCRb-NBK2Iv0PR2QDga9qrKjnX1fZY4gNtIvJ0yyPbqqiPxaCOP1oR8FHmGl2qbOKiSPBNQaJQP2U1ucskWAwU_xH46tSG1irwCMNf6gk_8egabZLu_cYv8GWJ8eUxCxut43w/s1600-h/IMG_5893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLyVW-1hhCRb-NBK2Iv0PR2QDga9qrKjnX1fZY4gNtIvJ0yyPbqqiPxaCOP1oR8FHmGl2qbOKiSPBNQaJQP2U1ucskWAwU_xH46tSG1irwCMNf6gk_8egabZLu_cYv8GWJ8eUxCxut43w/s320/IMG_5893.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418577086178185138" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:11px;"><span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Ritz Cracker Thin Mints</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1 pound bittersweet chocolate</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">80 buttery round crackers (I used Ritz shaped like snowflakes)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Using a double boiler method, melt the chocolate coatings over hot tap water for 15 - 20 minutes. Stir . Do not cook or get water into the chocolate. After it is melted, stir in a couple drops of peppermint flavor into the chocolate. Dip crackers into the melted chocolate and then place onto a cold cookie sheet and put into the refrigerator to set. (A freezing tray to rest the dipped cookies will keep the bottoms neat looking.) I sprinkled them with some crushed candy cane. In a few minutes take them out and package in candy cups. The cookies are best kept at room temperature or a cool dry place away from any odors.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family:georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:16px;">I made all the dishes above and peanut brittle and made tins for my friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Both fudges made a lot and were a big hit! I love the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ritz</span> cracker things - they taste just like thin mints! Katie helped by making the caramel corn and those wreath things look more like a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">grinch</span> face, but taste great. Overall, the dough-less baking was a BIG success!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:16px;">More dough-less dishes:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:16px;"><a href="http://foodnsuchcleveland.blogspot.com/2009/01/merry-christmas-happy-hanukkah-kwanza.html">Awesome and Easy Peanut Brittle, </a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Graham Cracker / Saltine Toffee, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Spiced Almonds, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">White Trash, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Chex</span> Mix, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Peppermint Bark, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Buckeyes, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Holly Jollies, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Turtles, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Chocolate covered pretzels, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;">Rice Krispy Treats, Watergate Salad, <a href="http://foodnsuchcleveland.blogspot.com/2009/11/icebox-cupcakes.html">Icebox Cupcakes</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-44283067498153586302009-12-21T17:41:00.000-08:002009-12-21T17:53:02.281-08:00Happy Birthday Becky!<div>Happy 22<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">nd</span> Birthday little sister! Our little brother made Becky this lovely birthday card:</div><div><br /></div><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bapd1V2Ytmk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bapd1V2Ytmk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br /><div>Today is the winter solstice, the longest night of the year! To celebrate the return of the sun, here are some more fun videos I've been enjoying:<br /><div><br /><object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/HWElWY7Y0S7q_SMPnTEUjA"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/HWElWY7Y0S7q_SMPnTEUjA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="512" height="296"></embed></object><br />James Franco is such a babe. I love him.<br /><br /><object width="580" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a7C64j8d34U&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a7C64j8d34U&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="360"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div>I crack up at the girl at the 21 second mark every time.</div></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-88726247381134962842009-12-13T07:07:00.000-08:002009-12-17T21:17:44.080-08:00These are a few of my Favorite Things!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When I get together with my college <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">roomies</span>, one of the very first questions we inevitably ask each other is, "so have you tried any good products lately?" It is our duty as girlfriends to share our secrets and best finds with one another. Lately I have been very pleased with different beauty products I have been trying, and while not every product provides the same success to every person, it also may be just what someone was looking for. Oprah isn't doing her favorite things this year, so in case you are looking for some inspiration, here are some of my favorite things (lately), the 2009 Edition. These are the things I would recommend to my girlfriends, and now to you:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Beauty Products</span></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1. </span><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2797696/0~2376780~6009391~6017599~6017604~6017605?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6017605&P=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bobby Brown Long-wear gel eyeliner</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - the $21 tub looks small, but it lasts a long time. It goes on beautifully and never smudges. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2. </span><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2803840/0~2376780~6009391~6017849~6017855~6017863?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6017863&P=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Trish <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">McEvoy</span> Lash Curling Mascara</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - similar to Kiss Me, this stuff comes off in "tubes" with a little water, but it is much more dramatic. $28 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">3. </span><a href="http://www.origins.com/templates/products/supercat.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY4756"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Origins Skin Care Line</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - made with all natural ingredients and feels fantastic. I use the Checks and Balances face wash, Modern Friction to remove dry, dead skin, and the ultra-rich Make a Difference face cream because my skin is crazy dry. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">4. </span><a href="http://bareescentuals.com/Hydrating%20Mineral%20Veil%20Kit/49713,default,pd.html?start=2&cgid=BM_SUB_FINISHING_POWDER"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bare Minerals Moisturizing Mineral Veil Kit</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">- This came with the softest brush I have ever felt and in the winter I need all the moisture I can get</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Electronics</span></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1. Flip Video Camera - The. easiest. to. use. device. ever. Ultra-portable, simple to use, great picture quality, and overall great amateur video camera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2. Blackberry - I am late to the game on this, but after two year with the worst phone on earth, my blackberry feels like it is too good to be true. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">3. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">DVR</span> - I can no longer imagine life without it. Because I can't imagine life without Glee, Lost, How I met your Mother, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">SNL</span>, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, 30 Rock, Modern Family, and The Soup. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Cleveland</span></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lillytremont.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Lilly's Chocolates</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - HUGE fan (literally fat fan) - </span><a href="http://foodnsuchcleveland.blogspot.com/2009/07/weekend-recap-and-taste-of-tremont.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I won the chocolate eating contest</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> this year and I think I have tried every flavor they offer.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.clevelandyoga.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Cleveland Yoga</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - everyone needs hot yoga in their life. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://vineandbeancafe.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Vine and Bean</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> for Sunday brunch - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cuz</span> Lucky's is too crowded </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.northunionfarmersmarket.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The North Union Farmer's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Marke</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">t</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - year round farmers market. come over, we'll walk up<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://ontheriseartisanbreads.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On the Rise Bakery</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> the best sticky bun and coffee</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in town</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><a href="http://cleclothingco.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">C.L.E. Clothing</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - show some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">cleveland</span> love</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Anything from </span><a href="http://roomservicecleveland.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Room Service</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> or Made in the 216 or </span><a href="http://www.shopbanyantree.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Banyan Tree</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Media / </span></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Websites:</span></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sweet Life in Paris by David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lebowitz</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Cook's Illustrated</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - home cook's best friend. get a subscription</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Lady Gaga - instant dance party<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://someecards.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">someecards</span>.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - super snark</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://mint.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">mint.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - good for budgeting, everyone needs that</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://fatsecret.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">fatsecret</span>.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - good for tracking calories in/ calories out, if you are into that sort of thing</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://barefootfoodie.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">barefootfoodie</span>.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - the funniest blog i know</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-sans-serif; text-decoration: underline;">Miscellaneous:</span> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Olive - </span><a href="http://www.clevelandapl.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">adopt a pet in 2010</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fageusa.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Fage</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - the plain with fresh berries and honey, or the one that comes with cherry and tastes like cheese cake that is really good for you</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.synergydrinks.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">GT <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Kombucha</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">cuz</span> it is crazy weird and good for you</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This is not a thing, but a wonderful way to knot your scarf - Megan shared this with me and says it is European. Whatever it is, I love it. Megan helped me make a video to demonstrate the technique:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw1CiZBQ-evzVQKdwkiEFFhvevDqTrJhB5eGREOF1BNQHSwRuVShzl_pEa4hsra70Wv8INstNwQ_IM5N3xJVw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-16912957383766013792009-12-13T05:58:00.000-08:002009-12-13T06:55:15.819-08:00Gordon Square Arts District Date NightChris and I had such a fun and quirky date night last night in the Gordon Square Arts District. I have read so many articles and blogs over the last year about how this is an up and coming hip neighborhood in Cleveland and I am fairly familiar with the area with Jenny and Scott living in Battery Park. And the articles and blogs are right, this neighborhood felt like you had discovered something that many hadn't yet. I say "yet" because with all the articles out there, this secret isn't going to last much longer, if we can even call it a secret now. So if you have read about the hype and speculation and you've been there, you know it is all true, and if you haven't been soon, you should make plans to go. We already have plans with Jenny and Scott to go back on Friday.<div><br /></div><div>Our date night started at the <a href="http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/cleveland.html">Bizarre <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Baza</span></a>r in the 78<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> Street Studios. This weekend indie craft show showcases local artists and their handmade goodies. We picked up some <a href="http://cleclothingco.com/">C.L.E. Clothing</a> t-shirts, Christmas ornaments, cards and admired all the jewelry and creativity. Some of my favorites were greeting cards, including <a href="http://www.oddballpress.com/">Oddball Press</a> (out of Cleveland Heights) and <a href="http://candrasquire.wordpress.com/">Candra Squire</a>. I wish this show was here more than once a year, but sadly it is a holiday season phenomenon (a la Christmas Ale), but off-season shopping can be done on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">etsy</span></a> or at our next stops - <a href="http://roomservicecleveland.com/">Room Service</a> and Made in the 216.</div><div><br /></div><div>At Room Service we were handed a glass of wine as soon as we walked through the door. Need I say more? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ok</span>, well this shop is so darn cute I wanted everything in the store. And then I wanted the owner to come to my house and arrange it for me. It is like a smaller version of Anthropology with an emphasis on local. And Made in the 216 - its sister store, down the street next to the Capitol Theater, is all Cleveland based artists. The owner helped me pick out the perfect house warming / graduation gift for Hannah. (Well I think it is perfect, we shall find out this afternoon. Chris and I are going down to see her and Matt's new house and lend a hand in the renovation. You can read about their <a href="http://www.midcenturymodernize.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">mid-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">century</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"> modernize here</span></a>). We also picked up some more greeting cards at Made in the 216 - I have to keep up on my correspondence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next stop - dinner at Happy Dog. They don't have a good website, but here is a link to <a href="http://clevelandfoodie.com/2009/11/happy-dog.html">Cleveland <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Foodie's</span> review</a>. This place is basically your typical Lakewood, townie dive bar, which I say with 100% love because I love me some townie bar. The chef/owner from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Momocho</span> in Ohio City bought it about a year and half ago and now the only food they serve is hot dogs (vegetarian option available) with tater tots and fries. The kicker is that there are 50 gourmet toppings and sauces to choose from, all for $5 a dog and $2.50 for tots or fries. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">PBR's</span> for $2.25 a piece and I am Happy Girl at Happy Dog. And a happy couple walking out very full, slightly buzzed, and for under $30. For my dog I tried the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">habanero</span> pickled red onions, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">caribbean</span> coleslaw, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">brazilian</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">chimichurri</span>. Chris was more adventurous and had the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">brazilian</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">chimichurri</span>, hot banana pepper rings, potato chips, and rainbow candy sprinkles. Sounds crazy but it was good. To dip our tots, we tried the house made ketchup, black truffle honey mustard, garlic and herb tomato jam, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">marcella's</span> grape jelly and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">chile</span> sauce, and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">chipotle</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">hollandaise</span>. Before we even got our food I was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">texting</span> friends and plotting future birthday parties. The bartender gave us the low down on a karaoke place, Tina's, right down the street. So, yeah, I will be back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last stop, was the <a href="http://www.clevelandcinemas.com/cinemadrilldown.asp?intCin=2941">Capitol Theater</a> to see Fantastic Mr. Fox. This theater is newly renovated and you can tell. It feels like you are in an actual theater and there is that buzz of seeing a real <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">hollywood</span> picture! (say that with a 1940's accent for fun) My only complaint is that the seats don't have as much leg room as today's multiplex's, so I was a bit squirmy. The movie - I loved!! It is unlike anything I have ever seen and Jason <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Schwartzman's</span> does the voice of the son, Ash, and was just hilarious. We will be back this Friday to see Avatar 3D (say that in a booming echo voice for fun). </div><div><br /></div><div>So thank you Gordon Square Arts District for a fantastic date night, what a great addition to our city! As we drove home down Route 2 with downtown all lit up on a clear night, I said to myself, "I love Cleveland".</div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-2919519777924661952009-12-06T17:44:00.001-08:002009-12-06T18:22:15.815-08:00The Holiday SeasonIt's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! This weekend we put up some Christmas decorations including my little four foot tree. Which Olive proceeded to climb, over and over again, and knock down, over and over again. As annoying as it was, it was also the just about the cutest thing ever.<div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwV5OOP7L6WFmyufSIV_Io6dPk3cVXMaAeQWqQnSwoXlx8cwC48EaK5986YT9lSMGZWWPkfk068Zf1vv5R3eg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow is our Holiday Party at work and I signed up to bring dessert for 24. I wanted to make something simple that would keep well. I had this treat at Jenny's bach party and it was so yummy and easy that I thought I would try it. I used Christmas colors, but they can be modified for any occasion. For example, I saw pink M&M's at the store for breast cancer and thought they would be cute for an upcoming baby shower. </div><div><br /></div><div>The nameless treat is just a snap pretzel with a Rolo on top, melted slightly in the oven (like 3-5 minutes at 300 degrees). Then while the chocolate is malleable, press an M&M - pick your poison, I did regular and peanut - into the Rolo. Then put them in the fridge to firm back up. Done. Enjoy. Yum.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmDHOUcvWcrQBq1E5DD30vgH0dozG_xicJganAI354DKpPoijQtMhj0G5tzRYRE2nc1ChXmiweTvgelqjO5mmsXRLxu_hf-TvI0fY3danjAC-WJTRnjDpSnBFUhuNDVxtCO6r_A64331L/s320/IMG_5882.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412306383265383922" /></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3987657095310785360.post-15183549263988491822009-12-01T19:14:00.001-08:002009-12-01T20:09:55.894-08:00My Christmas ListNovember is over and December, the month devoted to Christmas, has begun. So I have put together my Christmas List for anyone that is interested. Let me know if you need my mailing address :)<div><br /></div><div>Here is my first draft. It is really domestic:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1620&f=29452">Crate & Barrel Counter Compost Pail</a> </div><div>2. <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xjv/R-100659090/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053">Yard Compost Bin</a></div><div>3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-20-Automatic-2-Quart-Ice-Cream/dp/B00000JGRT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1259590947&sr=8-1">Cuisinart 1 1/2 Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker</a></div><div>4<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">BPA</span>-Free food containers (Rubbermaid Produce Saver, Easy Find Lids, and Lock It are all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">BPA</span> Free)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Sad. I know. Those are really the things I want though. In case these don't interest people (who isn't interested in composting??), here is a bit more fun list:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">1. <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3067623/0~2376776~2374327~6019150~6019152?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6019152&P=1">Eco friendly sweatshirt in Gray/Large</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">2. <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3052590/0~2376779~6008000~6025531?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6025531&P=1">Leather Gloves</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013WLX6O/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=3656188787&ref=pd_sl_22nozuyds2_b">The Game of Things</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">That's the best I can do. I have searched for more exciting things, but honestly, all I can think about is getting cabinets installed, picking out a sink and a faucet, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">countertops</span>, a new mattress, repairing walls and painting, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">snowblower</span>, blinds and curtains, and that's the short list. It's just gonna be a practical year I guess. </span></div>Mollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17807169259119751473noreply@blogger.com2