I Did It! The Conclusion of NaBloPoMo

I completed NaBloPoMo!!  30 posts in 30 days, can you believe it?  And this what I earned:

Notice it has taken its place in the right sidebar.  I picked this badge mostly cuz she is in a kitchen, but it also pretty accurately reflects how I feel about the month.  I am really good at getting excited and into something for like a week, but not so good with the follow through.  So I am honestly proud that I was able to finish something I committed to.  And I know it was just blog posting, but it felt like homework a lot of the time.  There were many nights I really just wanted to go to bed, but I managed to get at least a few sentences up.  So that taught me that blogging doesn't always have to be a huge time commitment.  There is really no reason to have such long periods of time between posts.  But admittedly every post this month was not up to what I consider my usual standards.

So I completed it and I'm glad to be going back to my usual blogging when I feel like it ways. And you know what, I already know what I am going to post about tomorrow!

Dumpster Diving

Can you think of a worse title for a post on a food blog?  Don't worry, while homeownership did bring me to an all time low today, it isn't quite as bad as it sounds.  I've mentioned before that our backyard here at Wildwood is completely covered in ivy and we are attempting to make it not so.  Chris is a landscape architect, so he has the winter to design something better than all ivy yard, and in the mean time, we are tackling ivy removal.  The standard reaction this gets from people is a sarcastic, "good luck", which makes me think this is not going to be an easy job.

I sprayed the ivy with Round Up a month or so ago, which had absolutely zero effect.  Chris went on a mowing rampage and mowed down all the perennials in the front yard and all the ivy in the back.  Obviously it is going to come back, but it was nice to catch a glimpse of what a clean backyard would look like.  My mom suggested laying down wet newspaper over the ivy, cover that with wet leaves and leave it over the winter.  In spring, rototill the whole shebang, plant grass seed and hope that it isn't ivy that pops back up.  

So here is where the dumpster diving comes into play.  This afternoon was unseasonably gorgeous, so we got to the task.  We didn't have anywhere near enough newspaper around, so Chris and hit up a few local paper recylcing dumpsters to get what we needed (I also got two Cooks Illustrated and a Elle Decor, don't judge me.)  Chris, Katie and took turns laying the newspaper, spraying it with the hose to keep it down, raking leaves on top and then hosing it again. We finished the whole backyard, so I'll get back to you in the spring to let you know if our little experiment worked.  

Darna

Tonight my parents brought my grandma over to see the house for the first time and to have dinner at Darna on Shaker Square.  This is my third time dining at the Moroccan restaurant and the flavors are consistently dazzling.  Favorites have emerged, especially the trio of salads - one of spicy seasoned carrots, one of roasted beets, and one of eggplant and roasted peppers.  Becky's favorite is the monkfish.   Dad was adventurous and tried the quail and I went with the langoustine special.  

Black Friday

Chris and I went out this morning in search of a range.  We went to Sears, Best Buy, Lowe's, Sears Outlet, B&B Appliance, and Home Depot and decided on a great deal on an Electrolux slide in range from the Sears Outlet.  It just makes me so excited to get the cabinets installed and someday enjoy a new kitchen.  Patience is a virtue, right?

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for spending the day with family and eating so much my belly hurts. I am falling asleep to the smell of turkey cooking down on the stove. Pumpkin pie for breakfast and I am off to face the crowds in hopes of finding a range. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Just in time for Thanksgiving, here is an easy, delicious, and pretty lo-cal pumpkin recipe.  This recipe comes from Megan who made it for a potluck at work and I loved it.  She added pieces of Heath bar to the top, so I am doing the same for Thanksgiving.  Chris was able to find some pumpkin at Heinen's, but they were out at Dave's and I've heard there is a pumpkin shortage.  But if you are lucky enough to have some around, I highly recommend you try this recipe:

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients

1 box duncan hines spice cake mix

1.5 cups pumpkin (not pumpkin pie, like straight 100% pumpkin...comes in a can at the store)

JELLO instant butterscotch pudding

Cool whip Lite (I usually use all of one of the smaller containers)

Chocolate for shaving on top if wanted

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.  Grease an 8.5 x 11 pan with Pam.  Mix the pumpkin and the cake mix together (ONLY those 2 ingredients do not mix in any of the ingredients that the cake calls for like eggs or oil).  Put mixture in the pan and bake for about 22-23 minutes (it is ok if some of the cake sticks to a toothpick in the center).  Remove cake, and let cool completely.  

Mix together the pudding like the box calls for, using skim milk (or whatever you drink).  Pour the pudding over top of the cooled cake and smooth so the layer is even.  Put whole thing in fridge for an hour or so to let that set together.  Then take it out and put layer of cool whip on top of pudding and then top with chocolate shavings if desired. (or I used crushed Heath bar)

Wicked!

Tonight Chris and I went with Gene and Mary to see Wicked.  The show was awesome!!  Not quite as exciting as the first time I saw it 2 years ago - when I was obsessed with the soundtrack - but still amazing.  I was very impressed with Elphaba, but Glinda wasn't as good as the last time and no one will ever touch Kristen Chenoweth (not that I was fortunate to actually see her do it, just watched her performances on YouTube, see below. And I love her on Glee).  

I think the other reason I didn't enjoy it in quite the same way is because I recently read Gregory Maguire's novel on which the musical was based.  The book and the musical share character names and general similarities, but the book is much darker and more complicated.  So I kept finding myself thinking about the differences between the book and the musical and thinking how much simpler the musical is.  I have to say though that I don't think I could have gotten into the book without my pre-existing devotion to the characters from loving the musical. 

The first act is so much fun and ends with my favorite song - Defying Gravity (which has also been on Glee).  My problem with the second act is the song "As Long as Your Mine".  It is just awkward and I don't enjoy it.  I do think Lady Gaga may have had some inspiration from the Emerald City Wizomania costumes:

Great music, great show, great night!