THE TRUTH BEHIND BLONDIE'S JOURNAL

I feel so bad that I haven't been by here, but I have been visiting your blogs.  I am amazed that so many of you, in the South of course, are doing yard clean up and sharing pictures of your blooming plants.  I think that's so great.  I was digging around in one of my flowers beds with the toe of my boot the other day to see if there was the tiniest little snowdrop shoot coming up.  Nothing.  Grrrrr.

I never got around to making this "pie" yet, well not in time for Valentine's Day.  But I have all the ingredients and I will soon.  I re~posted the picture because I wanted to share some matters of the heart.  Literally.  But without sounding like a drama queen.  I mentioned I had to have some tests yesterday and I did, for my heart.  When I saw my doctor last, I was told my asthma was as in control as she has ever seen.  So I asked her why I was out of breath all the time, after simple things like making the beds or carrying laundry downstairs?  She got a little worried and did an EKG on me right in her office.  She told me, pretty grim faced, that it looked like I wasn't getting a whole lot of oxygen to my heart.  So, I had an ultrasound of the heart and a stress test yesterday.  And now I wait for the results.  I didn't share that in my last post because for one, I thought it would be something I could be relieved about once I had the stress test and then I could pass that on.  I didn't realize it had to be read and sent to my doctor.  So I didn't post for a week.  And secondly, I always seem to have some gripe; my asthma, my back, a cold...and although I receive the sweetest get well wishes from all of you,  I'm feeling like there is just a whole lot of negativity in my posts.

So, that said, I will get my results and I will share them with you.  That's how I roll, I'm pretty open.   This is life.  And I feel very positive if you want to know.  Yesterday when I walked out of the hospital it was in the low twenties and the wind was whipping.  I had to park about 4 blocks away and as I walking, I had a strange feeling, like I could just keep walking, that the cold, windy fresh air was taking all of my fear and anxiety with it.  I felt really strong, the tension draining with each step.  And last night I slept really well. :)

Like many of you I had to hit the flower department in the grocery store last week.  The sign read, "Three Bunches for $12.00".  Yay!  So Abby and I did (she's my latest shopping companion, or should I say my driver).  I have some on the island since I spend most of my waking hours in the kitchen.

And this bouquet in the living room.  Abby picked out the white flowers, are these pincushion mums?  I know any kind of mum lasts forever, so I am really loving these.

Here's a shot of Milo looking out the window as he usually does most of the day.  I can't wait for spring when he and Layla can run around the back yard without the snow or the ground being rock hard.  Milo has to have several of his lower teeth removed, they have decayed and broken off over the years.  It's hard to believe he is ten years old.  Does he look ten?  He sure doesn't act like it.  So I have to make the appointment but I keep hesitating.  I don't like the idea of him getting "put under".  It's just so risky.  I guess I'm just holding him closer to my heart knowing that our years are numbered. I wish they were like elephants.  Of course, I will do the right thing.  Poor guy.

And some great and not so great things in Abigail's life.  Her diploma came in the mail last week.  Do you see what I see under where it shows what her degree is in?  The sly fox never told us she graduated with honors!  We are so proud of her!  She has always been such a hard worker, she has my love of the written word, but definitely her father's focus on doing the best possible job and above that.  

The not so great news is that she has to have surgery on a wisdom tooth coming in.  The nerve is in such a position that it can't just be pulled straight out, she risks possible paralysis in the jaw.  She has to have a CT scan this week and then the surgery will be scheduled.  As my mother used to say, "We're going to hell in a handbag" here.

I had my first three years of blogging made into books awhile ago through Cutest Blog On The Block.  The Husband really wanted to have a hard copy, he  thinks of my blog as a sort of family journal.  Not really happy with the binding on the books, I decided to get 2012/2013 done by another company, Blog2Print (You can Google these if you are interested).  There was an option to have the pictures in each post consolidated to save space, you pay for your books by the number of pages.  So you can see in the newer book on the left how all of the photos are in a line, and in the older book on the right, it's the same version as on my blog, with the text under the photos.  I really like the latter much better.  Things don't make sense when I'm talking about perhaps a cake, and then you have to hunt for the picture of the cake.  So you might keep this in mind if you use either company, it might be worth the extra money to keep things as they are on your blog.

On a light note (ha!), when the books came in the mail yesterday, The Husband and Abby were lying on our bed looking at one together.  They were doing a lot of laughing and snickering, making fun of my corny post titles and anything else they could.  Abby said, "Mom, half of this is so far from the truth!"  I asked her what she meant, as I've always made it a sacred point to be exact and honest in my writing.  She said, "Well, you call this place a 'wonderful restaurant', and we all know you hate it.  And here you are writing about my 21st birthday with a  picture of me that was taken in 2009!"  Well, I felt a little embarrassed but it was not like I was telling blatant lies!  "I'm going to start a blog called The Truth Behind Blondie's Journal."  Abby proclaimed...just before I hit her over the head with my book. 

  

Now to share some fun stuff.  I found this scarf organizer in a very nifty catalog called Solutions.  There are 18 openings for your scarves to keep them all in one place.  These are both Abby's and mine.  We wear a lot of solids, and scarves can really make an outfit look different, just by switching them out.  And it hangs in the closet.  Neat and simple.  I sort of like holding the whole hanger up in front of myself to see which scarf pops against what I'm wearing.  I think this was $9.99.  And also, it sure beats having them neatly folded and stacked in a drawer only to have them all get messed up when you pull the bottom one out! Ha!

I may have mentioned Renee's Garden seeds before.  It's my go to place for flower and veggie seeds.  I just received my vegetable seeds (did I tell you my vegetable garden here in the city is having a Grand Re~Opening this summer?  Yep, after 12 years, I'm pulling the old rototiller out!  More on that later).  Renee has the prettiest website and I would be lying if I didn't say the beautiful illustrations on the packets draws me in every time.

There are so many different varieties and heirloom seeds as well.   And she has a helpful monthly newsletter you can sign up for.  Just looking at my seeds makes me so hopeful that spring will come a little early this year!

And lastly, I want to leave you with the best balsamic vinaigrette that you can make yourself right at home with what you have and it's great.  It's by Emeril Lagasse from The Food Network.  I double the recipe and keep it in these jars that I buy by the case.  They aren't fancy or blue or coveted, but I use them for making things like this dressing, or storing sauces and gravies in the fridge.  They hold pens and pencils, even our toothbrushes in the bathroom.  Anyway...here's the recipe in a nutshell (or in a jar like this one):

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 t. dark brown sugar

1 T. chopped garlic

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in jar.  Shake well. Refrigerate when not using.

**Note:  The oil will solidify in the refrigerator.  Just take it out and let it come to room temp for about 15 minutes before using.

I use this for a of of things.  Tonight I am marinating  chicken in it to make shish kabobs.  Mix this with a little honey and you have a wonderful glaze for chicken and pork.  Spinach salads scream for this dressing.  Just have fun!

I'm off now.  I will be back sooner than I have been in awhile.  My goal is always to post at least twice per week and I didn't really skim the surface of everything I wanted to talk about in this post.  I hope all of you are having a great week! :)

XO,

Jane

WINTER BUSYNESS

I feel like I've been gone forever.  I've had something going on everyday since last Thursday.  I guess that's a good thing since I complained of cabin fever in my last post.  I read in a December issue of some random magazine that there is a thing known as "People Hangover".  A lot of people feel it during the holidays.  I never knew there was such a thing, but I sure have felt it.  We celebrate Christmas on four occasions with several groups of family, and we have guests quite a bit at the lake.  I really anticipate these get togethers, and I love our family and friends, but when it's over, I want to crawl in bed and stay awhile!

So how did I get going on this tangent?  Oh, yeah, day after day of running here and there.  I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and although The Husband was supposed to be working at home, he decided to tag along.  My doctor's office is way out in the southwest suburbs and there are a lot of neat stores and restaurants so we enjoyed lunch together after.  My appointment went relatively well; the enlarged lymph node had shrunk to almost nothing and she said my lungs sounded clearer than she had ever heard.  I was super happy about that.  She did order some tests for me which are scheduled for Monday.  Once I know more about this whole deal I will bring you up to date on it.

This weather has me cooking up a storm.   I brought the old crockpot up from the basement and threw together this simple dish that is based on a recipe from Jacques Pepin (a wonderful French chef).  I usually make it on the stove, but on this day I got started on it early and that left me wide open for the rest of the day.  I've been making it for years.  It's simply sausage...any kind you like, and all together if you want.  I had Italian and Polish sausage as well as some breakfast sausage that I want to use up.  Everything should be cut up in large but bite size pieces.  In addition to the meat, I have carrots, onion and red potatoes.  As much as you want.  I also added a couple of cloves of garlic.  And this combo just cooked away all afternoon.  And that's it!  The only thing I missed by not making it on the stove is the browning of the potatoes and the wonderful aroma.  I season it with a pinch of salt and pepper when it's finished.  So good!

Friday Emily and I went to the southwest area to a new Homegoods.  It's just nicer and more organized than the one by us.  She helped me pick out some decorative things for the new living room plan.  One piece was perfect for the fireplace mantel, but they only had one and we needed one for each end.  We called the Homegoods near home and yep, they had it.  So off we went. Little scavengers we are. 

Another thing I found there was this little Pet Hut that I knew would be perfect for Layla.  I wish I had gotten a better picture.  Milo and Layla both like to burrow under blankets, especially Layla because she is always shivering from the cold floors.  Anyway, this thing here feels like mink.  When the top section is pulled up, she can crawl into this sort of "hut".  It's so cozy.  And then you can also punch that top down and it turns into your normal dog bed.  I love that pet section at Homegoods.  I wish I could say Layla loves her little hut, she can sort of take it or leave it.  Pout.

And Abby's boyfriend, Tom, was home for the weekend and I decided to make him some meals to bring back to school and the house he shares with a couple of guys.  It's sort of bittersweet that they met just weeks before they were going away to college 4 years ago.  He to Western Michigan and she, 200 miles south of Chicago.  And they actually grew up just a mile apart, even went to high school on the same campus!  Tom's mother passed away last April.  It was during all the hullabaloo of Emily's wedding and even now, I don't know if it's a subject to put on my blog.  It was just so sad.  She was diagnosed with cancer and then gone a few weeks later.  She was my age.  It's just too sad to be 22 years old and without a mother.  She was a wonderful; vivacious and warm.  The day of her funeral, the streets were blocked off by police because of the crowds and many, many were left standing outside.  Ugh, I could start crying right now.

I made a big pan of lasagna.  I mix ricotta cheese with mozzarella, eggs and some basil.  For my sauce I add ground beef or sausage to the marinara.  And then I do my layers  I know many of you have a method.  Please feel free to share!  I also made a big tray of macaroni and cheese.  Boy, that has gotten so popular these past few years.  It's on a lot restaurant menus. 

I also made a big pan of baked chicken.  I always brown it first to seal in the juices.  And I have been obsessed lately with making "brown butter".  And the name pretty much says it all.  I always use a skillet that doesn't have a non stick coating, you want that baby to heat up.  For these chicken breasts, I heated up 4 tablespoons of butter (I know, I sound like Paula Deen, but I am going to make six pieces here).  Over medium heat you stir and stir, keeping that butter nice and frothy.  It smells like you're cooking pancakes.  Then lower the heat and add your seasoned meat.  I am so loving Mrs. Dash, just her plain old table blend.  Salt is not good!  So, with each piece, I bring that temp back til the butter gets frothy again and so on.  If it starts to smoke, you're sunk.  It can burn easily so you have to keep stirring it and lower the heat when you add your meat as of course, you can't stir it then.  I layered all the pieces in a big foil pan and then deglazed the pan I cooked them in with about a cup of white wine.  Stir up all those browned bits and seasonings.  After it was pretty much reduced to a half cup of  juices, I poured that right over the chicken.  Oh, heaven.  Tom was so happy to have some home cooked meals.  He texted me yesterday to say how good everything was.  

Okay, I think I've overwhelmed you with cooking.  I just get such a kick out of passing on cool things to make.  Then again, I'm just that weirdo that dances around the kitchen with my broom when I get a good browned butter.

I haven't been able to share pictures of son Jeffrey's home.  Frankly, he would kill me if I did.  Partly because he doesn't trust the internet, and in part that he doesn't think his business should be shared with people he doesn't know.  So I have to respect that.  But oh, if you could see what he has done to this home.  The biggest renovation came with the work he had done with the huge basement, just an empty space with concrete floors.  He had a massive bar, shaped in a half oval, custom made.  It seats nine.  Next to that is a bank of seats built up against the wall with small tables in front...this he calls the lounge area.  Then there is a large theater  area with a huge television on the wall and a sectional that can seat at least 15 people.  There are soundproof curtains on a track that wrap around this space.  And did someone say shuffleboard?  That's The Husband playing with Kevin and Declan.  It's unbelievable.  He worked with two designers on this and ordered all of his furniture through Emily.  Right now I won't even go into the other changes he's made on his home.  I am so incredibly happy for him.  This is what happens when you start working at the age of sixteen, save every single penny, and make some sound investments.  He has the home of his dreams at the age of 32!

Emily had her sister in law in from Seattle visit for a few days and we all met for lunch yesterday.  Jackie is married to Matt, who is Mike's (Emily's hubby) brother.  It was at a restaurant called Bourbon St., and it's all New Orleans style decor and food.  We had such a great time, 2 1/2 hours eating and laughing and hovering over baby Jack, when he wasn't sleeping. Here we all are, that's me and Emily on the left.  Before I left the house it started snowing.  I was amazed how hard it was coming down.  We were just blocks from home but it took twice the time to get back.  I later heard the snow was falling 2 inches per hour.

Last year at this time, Chicago had 10.5 inches of snow (but that's below normal), and right now we have had 67.8 inches.  This is what my steps looked like when I left yesterday.  It was triple this when I got home and I shoveled before I thought to take an after pictures.  As if you haven't seen enough snow already.  The Husband wanted me to take a walk around the back yard where we have massive drifts as high as our fence, to take pictures..  Milo has made two perfect paths, one to the gate, and one to his favorite tree he likes to pee on.  Other than that, we have layers and layers of snow that just haven't gone away with the frigid temps.  Anyway, he wants me to document it for our grandchildren.  In a way, he's smart, I have no pictures of the Chicago blizzard of '67, and that was monumental.  And we had another the winter of  '78-'79.  For that one I had just started working for an insurance adjustment company.  If you could get to the office early and share a desk with one or two other people, you were lucky.

So today it was very quiet.  I was home alone mostly except for my sons popping in for a bit.  I had planned to spend the afternoon lolling around looking at seed catalogs and a few gardening catalogs I picked up at the grocery store.  I ordered my veggie seeds which should be here any day.  Thinking of these things, that we will be gardening in just two short months, makes me want to do the Happy Dance!

Hoping all of you are off to a good week.  Keep the faith that we've been through the worst of this winter. :)

XO,

Jane

HAVING YOUR SOUP AND EATING IT TOO

Happy Monday!  I know Mondays aren't supposed to be terribly exciting days for most people, but after a weekend stuck inside with the snow and cold temps, I'm sort of glad to be back into a routine.  Over the weekend  I spent a lot of time catching up on magazines, I subscribe to Rebook, More, Real Simple, Ladies Home Journal and HGTV Living.  They all seem to come in the mail at once so I take a nice break from the fictional world and fill my mind with endless tips, advice, breaking fashion news and innovative ways to clean my bathroom in 1.2 minutes.  So, I was actually feeling a little giddy when The Husband agreed to go out for dinner, even if it was our nearby favorite little pub that we always go to.  I think the fact that we had a gift card from Christmas might have swayed him a little .  Come 6:00 p.m., I looked outside at the snow falling under the street light, as it had been for 24 continuous hours and said, "Do we really need to pile on the layers, including boots, hats, scarves and mittens to drive 5 minutes, take it off for an hour, repeat and come home?"  Nah.  We made a fire and had omelets for dinner.  

I read about a neat phone application on Karianne's blog, Thistlewood Farm.  It's called Waterlogue.  You can turn pictures you've taken on your IPhone into beautiful works of art.  This is my house in case you didn't recognize it.  You can print these out on good paper and frame them if you want...how cool is that?

You can make portraits with plain old selfies taken in your bathroom as well.  And pet lovers beware, you might end up doing a gallery wall of Fido! :)

As usual, my food comes out terrible in photos.  Who cares, one day I'll photograph something beautiful and decadent, today we are doing ugly and healthy.

I found a soup recipe and it intrigued me because it called for pork...something you don't see a lot of in soups.  It also had kale in it, and we all know what a superfood that is (including my dentist who raved about it when he popped a stray piece out between my teeth when he was cleaning them recently).  But I wasn't too crazy about the rest of the recipe;  the lack of veggies and the sort of blah seasonings.  So I redid it, of course.  I used lean ground pork, and since I was short on kale and long on spinach, I used that.  Some celery, carrots and simple spices and we had a great soup last night.  So in a nutshell, or your biggest pot...

Saute 1 large onion, chopped in 2 T. olive oil over low/medium heat.  When soft, add 3 cloves of garlic, finally chopped.  After a minute or so, add 1 lb. of ground pork.  Raise heat to medium and stir, breaking up the meat as you go along.  Now we are going to add the spices instead of after the broth...a little different but I like how it turned out.  Add 2 t. of cumin, 2 t. of nutmeg, 1 1/2 t. of  allspice,  1 T. of fennel seed, and 1 t. of red pepper flakes.  If you don't have these spices in your cabinet, you should, they aren't scary.  Start with the small 0.9 oz. jars. I find that cumin gives soups and stews so much depth, it makes everything taste richer.  And using spices that you generally associate with baking add a level of surprise, like, "Hmmm...I can't figure out what this is but it is definitely good!"  And then fennel seed...those are the little seeds you see in your Italian sausage and this brought out the flavor of the pork a little better.  Now, let all this cook up together for a few minutes and then add 8 cups of chicken broth.  Or you can use 6 cups with 2 cups of water, totally okay.  The add a few chopped carrots and celery stalks.  I like using the leafy ends of the celery, too.  Bring that to a boil, stir well, and then turn it down low and  let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add a few big handfuls of baby spinach (or kale) and simmer 5 more minutes.  Add S & P to taste and adjust other seasonings if you'd like.  I'm not a nutritionist by any means but does this not scream healthy?  Let me know if you try this, we just loved it!

Well, everything wasn't totally healthy and happy around here this weekend.  After feeling like a lout for lying around all day Saturday, I decided to get up and at 'em Sunday morning.  I was going to break my sacred vow and actually do laundry on the weekend.  And in between loads I would spend the day in the kitchen playing.  Before I could even get in the shower, I had to walk around picking up newspapers and coffee cups, wet towels and paper plates.  The kitchen sink was full, as well as the garbage can.  Believe me, I nag about these things to The Husband and my darling daughter all the time.  And they ignore me.  So this time I resorted to yelling and stamping and trying to drive my point home.  They stared at me while the dog started humping my leg.  I slammed into my bedroom, jumped on my bed like a defiant teenager and grabbed my magazine.  But I didn't want to read!  I wanted to do my usual homemaker stuff.  Insert pout here. I thought they'd do a little whispering and agree that in order to reinstate my sanity, they'd have to do a little clean up.  Ha!  Abby went to her boyfriend's house and The Husband went to pick up a new snow blower. Sigh.

 

I reread my cookie recipe a few times, looked longingly at the full laundry basket and knew in my heart of hearts, this was my calling.  I can't stand a messy house and I don't like to nag.  I know we all want appreciation,  but should that be the motivating drive to do the best at what we do?  

Well, I'm prone to these sudden outbursts once in a blue moon, and then I go back to taking care of everybody's needs.  And so I started the laundry, made these yummy White Chocolate Dipped Red Velvet Cookies (scroll down to my last post for the link to the recipe).  And I made the soup and tried my best to ignore The Husband's compliments on it, but inside I was like, YES!  I am such a sap.

Day 25 on my low carb diet.  No sugar.  No flour.  This was my lunch today along with a low carb milkshake.  The honey ham goes so well with the saltiness of the olives.  You discover clever ways to put together your meals.  I use pieces of celery like Frito Scoops.  There are a lot of creamy cheesy spreads out there and if you've ever stuck a spoon in a jar of peanut butter, than you know it doesn't always matter how things reach your mouth! :)

I'm making progress on the living room.  Emily gave me the websites she uses a lot for clients to look at, and I found one with some great pieces that really caught my eye.  The next day she came over for lunch and went through the coffee tables and end tables on this site, and she would point out how the legs of one table matched my fireplace screen, and the X's below a coffee table mimicked the ones on my corner cabinet.  Well, I placed my order!!  I was going to show you pictures from the website, but I'd rather show you everything completed at once.  And then while we were out Friday, we stopped in Pier 1 just to look around.  Easter stuff.  Oh, how I love my bunnies.  She made me put them back.  But I did find curtains I liked and of course, they are very reasonably priced.  Anddddd...I found Christmas napkins on clearance, white with red velvet trim for $1.48 a piece!  And the matching runner was $6.00!  I NEVER find deals like that!  So I came home with just those Christmas things and I am going to go back for the curtains when my blinds are installed.  So, we are making progress with the living room.  Our friends Craig and Snow came over for cocktails Thursday night and they were remarking how pretty the room looked.  Now, Snow and I were sitting on a sofa with no cushions (they are still being re-stuffed),  there is  no coffee table; I gave that to Emily.  The only decorations I have out are some half dead poinsettia plants and a dish of conversation hearts.  And to think I have been fussing all this time.

Have a great week, we are heading back to the single digits, 11 degrees now.  But I have lots more laundry to keep me busy.  And by the way, stop by for some of those cookies...I have been a very good girl and haven't touched not a one! :)

Joining Brenda at Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday.

XO,

Jane 

BE WISE AND FOLLOW YOUR HEART

Happy Snowy Wednesday!  I've been listening to the hum of snow blowers like you would hear the hum of lawn mowers on slow summer days.  Going outside, the cold makes me feel so invigorated, but when I come in I'm ready for a nice nap.  I really don't mind winter, I just worry myself to pieces over my family driving in bad conditions.  "Text me when you get there." must be something I say a few times every day. 

 

 And it was driving in the dreaded white stuff that messed up The Husband's big plans for my birthday this past weekend.  He had made reservations for us to spend Saturday night at one of our very favorite hotels in downtown Chicago, The Allerton.  We have so many great memories of staying there.  It has my much loved  European style decor; old and worn and elegant.    And he had reservations for us to have dinner at Gibson's Steakhouse, another classic.  And for lunch I chose RL, Ralph Lauren's place near the old Water Tower.  Well, the snow had been coming down all night and was still coming down.  I was just worried about the expressway, with it being less traveled on the weekends, it might not be so clear.  So we were able to cancel (thank goodness) and I'm taking a rain check for sure!

Our weekend was very quiet but for the Superbowl game.  It's very rare that we go to parties for it anymore.  The Husband watched it and was sure to call me out when Bruno Mars came on.  Was that a show or what?  All those people that said he didn't have the experience to headline a show like this...I hope they're eating their words!

It was great to get out on Monday.  Off to the grocery store in the slush.  At least it was sunny.  I was trudging back to the car with my cart when I checked my texts and saw, "Dinner reservations for tonight at 6.  Happy Birthday!"  Wow, my birthday wasn't going to slip away unnoticed! 

The whole family came, it was great.  And for the record, I turned 54.  Am I loving my fifties?  Absolutely.  My thirties and forties were a little tumultuous so I'm happy to be a little more wiser, patient and understanding.  And I'm loving seeing my kids grow into adults.  Life is good.

This is a new restaurant just a few blocks away called Tavern In The Green.  The food was delicious...sandwiches, burgers, steaks and pasta.  I was very disciplined; a bowl of French onion soup and a spinach salad with shaved Parmesan and dried cranberries.  It also came with sugared pecans which I declined.  19 days.  No sugar.  Yay!

When I was at Homegoods last week with Emily, I picked up this runner.  Something about it really drew me in.  "You don't like blue and it goes with nothing in your kitchen." Emily said.  Well, I guess everyone is right, go with your heart.  

And then I saw these.  Aren't they darling?  My friend Julie Marie at Idyll Hours has the "chirp" mug that she found at sister store, Marshall's.  It's these little things that perk me up when I'm staring at my barren living room, not knowing where to turn next.  But we'll just skip over that today.  I truly believe one day my heart will speak to me and I'll see the whole picture.

Cooking is such a pleasure in this cold weather, not so much what I'm making; the stews and soups and comfort foods.  More just the activity.  Being in the warm kitchen slicing and chopping and whisking and tasting.  I think we have ordered out food just twice in January, and in the past we were really guilty of doing it 1 or 2 times a week.  We're surrounded by wonderful restaurants.

This is something Abby came up with.  I simply blackened some cubed chicken (2 large breasts) over high heat and made some brown rice.  She finished it off by sauteing some green pepper and onions with about 2 tablespoons of chicken fajita seasoning and a splash of water.  We then layered in bowls, rice, lettuce, chicken, veggies and topped it with shredded cheddar cheese, guacamole and sour cream.  These are not big bowls and it was very filling.  I skipped the rice and one bowl was the perfect size for dinner.  And so simple!

I'm moving on to make my second Valentine's Day celebratory treat, Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Dipped Red Velvet Cookies.  Need I say more?  Visit here to get the recipe and I'll share mine in another post.  

The new washing machine and dryer were delivered yesterday.  The Husband picked them out and told me they were very simple and not fancy.  Well, I'm looking at a control panel on the washer that is as lit up as my car dashboard at night.  I feel like I could press a few buttons and launch a space shuttle.  He was so excited, "Come on, we can watch a You Tube video and learn how to work it!"  OMG.  I have laundry covering the floor, nothing in the linen closet and I'm on my last set of bed sheets.  But I told you, I'm wise.  I waited for Abby to come home from work.  Of course she was thrilled to see new appliances and took off to her room to grab her hamper.  Like a good mother I warned her, "It's a little difficult, Abby."  And she shouted back, "Oh, don't be ridiculous, Devil Woman."  After about 20 minutes she came back up and with a wave of her hand said, "Simple.  Just press this, this, this and that button.  Wait.  Then hit this, that, this and this button."  Okay, so what does that do, I asked.  "Well, that just estimates the size of your load and how long it will take to wash."  That's all.  

So instead of doing all the laundry that's going to take til almost spring, I decided to write a post! :)

Hope your week is going great!

XO,

Jane

TALK ABOUT YOUR JOYS

What to do when the weather is miserably cold and wet and snowy as it has been?  Bake!  But dare I do that when I have been SO good on the D*** for two weeks?  Two LONG weeks?  Well, these are really not bad at all.  First of all they are mini cupcakes.  You can get two bites from one (or one big one if you are alone at night by the light of the fridge).  Secondly, cream cheese has very little sugar in it and the sugar that you add to the recipe, well I used fake sugar...Splenda.  No, not good for you at all and you know that I really strive to eat good, fresh, whole foods, but when you are worried about excess weight, high blood pressure and cholesterol, well, let's all try to see eye to eye.  Anyway, don't these look heavenly?

And they were good.  I really enjoyed making them.  I gravitate toward pretty desserts.  I remember very long ago being at a fancy fundraiser, in a fancy hotel in Chicago, wearing a fancy dress, eating fancy food.  But when dessert was served, it was not fancy at all.  It was a work of art.  It was a replica of a grand piano made out of dark and white chocolate, the white for the mini, mini individual keys.  I didn't want to eat it.  I wanted to smuggle it home in my purse and maybe try to preserve it with hairspray or bug repellent.  But I caved and ate it.  Wow, imagine making that for 200+ people.  Here is the link for the recipe.  The cheesecakes, not the grand pianos.

I spent a lot of time at Emily's today and I will tell you why.  Of course.  In my last post I told you all sorts of exciting news.  My new washer and dryer were coming Tuesday as well as my three new living room furniture pieces.  Well, I got it all wrong about the w/d.  The Husband said "Tuesday", and that's all Blondie heard.  And he meant next Tuesday.  And to make it worse...next Tuesday they are calling to schedule a delivery date.  Well, what's a girl to wear???  So it was off to Emily's today to do some laundry.  Of course, spending an afternoon with my darling daughter is always a pleasure so while my laundry was humming away, we had coffee and chatted and while the last load was washing, we sneaked out to Homegoods because, what else were we supposed to do?  Listen to the machine agitate?  C'mon!

But before we went I took a few snaps of some changes in her home.  In the kitchen, she just recently purchased this island.  Not fancy but just perfect for extra workspace across from the sink and stove and next to the fridge...that perfect triangle.  She's an avid cook and no doubt they will update the kitchen at some point, and I'm sure it will be beautiful as well as functional.  She has done an amazing job with every room.

This is one of the guest bedrooms that I've shown you before only with a view of the other side with the pretty iron bed and linens.  This side shows the ladder she found at an antique store when we visited with Kris from Junk Chic Cottage last summer.  She has it decorated so cute.  And the dresser is from a sister duo who scout out old furniture, paint and replace hardware.  Oh...if we all had that time.

This is the second guest room that will most likely be a nursery (Yikes!!).  Another antique dresser and the lamp is as well.    I bought the mirror for her several years ago and we have swapped it back and forth.  You might remember it over my fireplace.  I think I'm ready for a swap out again.  It's so pretty...I love the chain.  

And remember her pantry door that she painted with chalkboard paint?  She changes it all the time...No stencils or downloadables.  Do I boast too much about my kids?  Yes I do.  I think Emily should start a blog.  If you leave a comment, give a shout out to her (she reads this).  She is a talented designer, she has that cute little Rusty (or is it cute little Mike?), a new home, a crazy life living next door to Papa, two doors away from her in laws and about half of Mikey's family within a block or so.  If you thought my life was crazy!!

So...what did I get at Homegoods?  A new dog bed for Milo.  Of course you know by now that this is Layla.  She sort of decided it was hers, even thought she sleeps religiously under the quilts with us every night.  I guess she couldn't resist aggravating Milo.  And see how she has her one paw up?  She does that when she's nervous.  She knows it's not hers!  The bed I had for The Mi was made of wicker and even though it had a big pillow in it, I noticed sometimes he was pressed to the hard sides.  Boy, I feel bad.  So we'll see how he likes it tonight. :)

And I bought this metal can.  So much nicer than a big bag of dog food sitting there.  I know I could keep the food in a cabinet but I fill it every day and I'm all about laziness...I mean convenience.  

I stayed up until 1:00 a.m. last night finishing up this book.  I'm not good at book reviews, even expressing my feelings, likes and dislikes about a book or movie.  But this was something that takes a little bit of courage to read, especially if you have faced cancer in your life.  Your own, a friend or family member.  It's an honest, brutal raw read.  You will laugh and cry but mostly applaud the characters in this book and set it down, say a prayer for everyone in your life that you love, cry til you get the good 'ol cryin' headache, and then go to bed and dream about the protagonists and planes crashing into each other (well, at least that's what I dreamed about).  See, I really stink at book reviews.  The movie comes out in July.  Of course I can't see it until I can get it at home with closed caption.  The trailer is available now...I suppose you just need to Google the title.  

And one other thing about Tuesday after the disappointment of the washer and dryer not being delivered (oh, that's so pathetic...people sit in laundromats. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers used wash boards). Well my new furniture pieces came.  I loved the corner cabinet for the TV.  The LL Bean nightstand was finally retired to...well, to be a nightstand somewhere.  Unfortunately, I didn't like the coffee table or end table at all.  I hemmed and hawed...I thought maybe The Husband would.  It was bulky and, well, did you just have a "feeling" about something that you liked but you thought maybe in 6 months you wouldn't?  So I told them to take it with them, I didn't want it.  I have a store credit now.  This will hold up getting the room finished, but so what.  And my sofa?  I felt the cushions sinking to about an inch high when we sat on them so while I had my warranty, I said, "Stuff'em!"  I'm getting older and wiser and I have patience.  I think things through.  I may not have rainbow dreams like daughter Abigail.  I may not be 100% sure and confident about my decisions like Emily, but....

 

And that, my friends, is what I'm aiming to do!  Big plans tomorrow for my birthday celebration...I'll tell you about it next week with plenty of pics.  And today, a big giveway if you can guess my age.  Ha!  No, no.  But go ahead and give it a gander!

Big hugs to all,

XO,

Jane

STAYING WARM

Well, I think we best get the Midwest weather report out of the way.  -1 degree, very windy, no warm up until Wednesday.  I guess we are just rolling with it.  We wear layers, we shovel, we talk about it...a lot.  Basically, I am just worn out with not being active.  I admit, I was lethargic and lazy after the holidays, I thought I had a good excuse.  But now it's cabin fever, I think I can count the number of times I've been out this month on one hand.  I went to the grocery store last Monday and then out for firewood on Friday.  That's it.  Just a lot of reading and cooking.  I live a very sheltered life.  

Our floors are like ice.  Unless I put warm socks on, my feet are practically blue.  So I know how Layla feels with her tiny feet and little body just inches off the floor.  We have a radiator with a fan below the cabinets under the kitchen sink...you can see her lying in front of it in the above picture.  She tries to warm up but for some reason, she can't seem to gauge how much she heats up and I have seen her creep away and collapse.  Sometimes we laugh, but it's really not funny, even her tags get red hot.  I'm constantly looking that way and picking her up.

I have a really nice knitted dog sweater but I left it at the lake.  Friday I took pity on her and cut the sleeve off one of my old sweaters, you can see her in it above.  Is that like giving her the shirt off my back?  She was so excited!  She ran around in circles with her ears back, and was just so pleased with herself.  She then settled down in front of the fire which is a lot safer.  

I gave up flour and sugar so I have been very focused preparing and cooking meals that have a lot of flavor, variety and stick to your ribs goodness.  I made Hungarian Goulash last week that was adapted from a recipe on Food Network by Tyler Florence.  Saturday night I made this, Moroccan Chicken.  I seem to be traveling the world.  It's just amazing what a few little used spices will do; turmeric, cardamom, curry, paprika...And with the goulash, I love the mix of cinnamon, ginger and allspice in a rich beef stew, very savory and smooth.  

I received my copy of Better Homes & Gardens and I was really pleasantly surprised with the food section.  Not always though.  I'm always up for a challenge, but I get a little disappointed when recipes don't even sound inspiring, just plain weird.  So treat your self to this issue (literally).  I'm going to make this pie in a pan.  I hope it comes out this beautiful.  

I conducted a little experiment that I saw on a blog and thought I had Pinned.  I didn't Pin it though but I think it might belong to Lynn from Happier Than A Pig In Mud.  Step up if it's yours, Lynn!  You, too, can make your scallions (or green onions) re-sprout!  Who would have thought?  Just put about an inch of the root end down in water and the new sprouts just start coming up like crazy.  I love these babies and I use them in everything from soups to salads to pasta.  Since they tend to get a little slimy fast, and I shop every two weeks, I can get myself a new bunch in between trips to the store.  Fascinating, right?

We had an absolutely boring weekend but this will be a busy week.  I'm really excited, my furniture comes tomorrow.  I still have not done a thing with my living room since I took my Christmas decorations down.  I may have changed my mind about the blue/gray curtains.  My heart just isn't going that way.  We picked out blinds at Home Depot and found out that they will measure and install every window in your home for $120.00.  The Husband jumped on it.  We have 5 windows left to do now and it took him forever to do the blinds in out bedroom.  So they are coming Saturday.  And I don't know if I mentioned that we had to get a new water heater last week.  Well, a few days ago my washing machine died.  The transmission.  So The Husband picked out a new washer and dryer over the weekend and they are coming tomorrow as well.  They are very basic models, but are high efficiency so I'm very happy to save some money and hopefully, get more laundry done per load.  

So, that's it.  I think I am going to go hang my head out the bathroom window for some fresh air now.  Stay warm!

XO,

Jane

SNOW FALLS (LITERALLY)

I thought today was about January 13th.  I don't know why.  I'm good with the day of the week, but not the date...blame it on being a Stay At Home Blonde.  Or maybe that I haven't gotten a 2014 calender yet.  As slow as time seems to go by on a daily basis, I just didn't realize we were so close to the end of the month.  I have a birthday coming up.  And no doubt, the Super Bowl will get in my way as it always does.  Last year we all went to a bar.  Yep!  I partied!  Not wild, but pretty good for having all of my children there.  And I learned that it now costs $7.00 for a shot at the jukebox.  So I'd like to do this again this year.  And be home in bed asleep by ten! :)

See that drift (above)? 

I'm sure you have had your share of snow photos, or are just plain tired of looking out your own window.  This is untouched Michigan snow at the lakehouse (except those paw prints from Milo).  We drove up Saturday afternoon, arriving about 2:00.  Of course our driveway had never been plowed as we rarely go up in the winter much now.  The Husband said he would climb over the big embankment by the road and make a path to the house for me.  But foolishly, I was carrying Layla and my purse in one arm and an overnight bag in the other.  I climbed over the embankment, wobbled a little, and fell flat on my a**.  What made it worse, my legs were all bent weird under me and I never once let loose of the dog nor my bags.  In short, as I tried to get up, looking as helpless as a turtle on it's back, we started laughing so hard I had no strength!  I could have let Layla go, she's a runaway, but where could she have run?  The snow was up to my knees!  Finally The Husband pulled me out of my little hole and we made it in.  I know it would have made a great picture.

These pictures look black and white, don't they?  It got gloomy and began to snow shortly after we got there.  I cleaned out the rest of the fridge with all of it's condiments from last summer, checked the dates on everything in the freezer, watered all my plants which are doing really, really well with my neighbor watering them.  She, Susie, came over.  She told us that our neighbor across the street had died two days before.  I didn't know Louise as well as Dawn (and thank you so much for your nice comments on my last post), they had the house across the street but also a house on the island that they spent much of the summer at.  I had a cocktail party about two summers ago and I was surprised to find Louise wearing oxygen.  She had COPD.  They were in Florida when she passed away last week so I have no details. I think she was in her early 70's.  It's very sad.

We went to our favorite little restaurant for dinner, the roads were not good at all.  And then we just spent the evening relaxing with a fire burning in the old stove.

As much as we love snow (and falling in it), as well as freezing temps, we had actually gone to meet with a carpenter that was going to give us an estimate to get some work done on the place before spring.  I liked him, he's local.  Unfortunately he told us that the stairway has to be torn down, it just wasn't done properly, but he thinks he can reuse most of the wood.  We have a lot of trim and baseboards to be finished, and hardwood floors to be laid in the two guestrooms (we've had the wood for five years).   So we are waiting to hear back and praying he is reasonable.  

I felt really bad that I had let my cushions stay out this long on the front porch.  They were okay, just made a sort of ripping sound when I pulled them off but they were just a little frozen.  I wanted you to see the table I found along the road last summer (that I also foolishly left out).  Actually it was on the road just next door with a "Free" sign on it.  We didn't have much time this weekend, but I have every intention of bringing it in and sprucing it up with some paint.  I needed something between these chairs.  Since it's second hand, I don't mind that it will be outside.

Also in the news, I never mentioned that my daughter Abigail finished up school in early December.  She would have completed it in the spring but she had one last class and a semester of student teaching to complete.  Above is her high school graduation 4 years ago.  Yes, they all wore white gowns and gloves, she went to an all girl's parochial school.  So there's not a lot of fanfare now as there is with a spring graduation.  She doesn't even want the traditional backyard/outdoor/beer keg/margarita/bean bag game/music blasting/neighbors calling party.

She was so anxious to complete high school and move on (here she is leading us off campus after the ceremony) and now she starts her first teaching job on Monday.  She will be substituting for a teacher leaving on a maternity break.  It's very hard to find anything mid-school year so she is beyond excited.  My gosh, she's teaching Shakespeare!  I barely remember any of it.  And this is the end of tuition payments for us after 27 years.  How we did, I don't know.  Bragging rights:  All four children and the way their lives are headed is worth every penny.  :)

Abby and I went grocery shopping Monday and it was pretty major as I was looking for particular ingredients for some meals and in keeping with my new D---.  Thanks so much for your support.  Anyway, we never should have gone down the baking aisle, but we did and she stopped suddenly and said, "I'd like to make a Turtle Pie.  How do you do that?".  So she Googled it on her phone and we collected the ingredients (she bought a crust, thankfully, she would have given up right there). I was a little intrigued because I failed at my first and only attempt to make a caramel sauce.  The more she stirred the sugar and corn syrup...the 2 big sticks of butter, the more hesitant she got.  She threw down the spoon.  "I can't eat this much less make it."  I finished the sauce, she added the pecans and chocolate topping.  I have been a saint with sugar so she finally tried a piece with 2 thumbs up and we are still waiting for The Husband to try it.  I feel such resolve with my new D--- that I splurged and bought him cookies and candy and he's just like a kid every night after dinner.  

I am in the middle of the book on my sidebar, The Kitchen House.  I started it in December and had to put it down because of all the crazy busyness.  I picked it up Monday night and I am letting laundry and basic chores fall to the wayside.  This is an excellent book.  And I know a few people who have recently finished The Fault In Our Stars, and it is supposed to be a fantastic book and a real tearjerker.  I think I found my next book!

Stay warm and dry and I will see you soon! :)

XO,

Jane