tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255649722024-03-05T03:10:05.529-08:00Busy doing nothingAnnodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-51044937964216828352012-09-17T22:26:00.001-07:002012-09-18T10:43:56.624-07:00Spinach Lasagna Rolls<div class="bodytext" id="item_body">
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Things you'll need:<br />
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9 lasagna noodles, cooked<br />
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained<br />
15 oz ricotta cheese<br />
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
1 egg<br />
salt and fresh pepper<br />
32 oz tomato sauce<br />
9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />
<br />
Preheat
oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper
in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce (I used less) on the bottom of
a 9 x 13 baking dish.<br />
<br />
Place a piece of wax paper on the counter
and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of
ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place
seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.<br />
<br />
Ladle
sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp
mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or
until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.<br />
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To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.<br />
<br />
**Notes**<br />
I
used less spaghetti sauce ~ I think my jar was 26 oz and it was plenty ~
I like Hunts brand garlic & herb flavor. Didn't bother saving any
for the "serving suggestion" of putting some on the plate first. It was
fine just as it was.<br />
<br />
I hesitated to cover it before baking, but I
generally follow the instructions the first time I make something.
After 40 minutes, the cheese was melted but not browned and not too
bubbly. So I removed the foil and let it bake for 10-15 minutes more and
then broiled it for a couple minutes. I like browned cheese!<br />
<br />
Best helpful hint was using wax paper to roll on! Really worked well to combat the sticking issue.<br />
<br />
I'm
very much looking forward to making it with *ricotta cheese* next time! (For those of you who don't know, I grabbed a pint container of sour cream and didn't notice that it *wasn't* ricotta until the rolls were in the oven and baking and I was cleaning up afterwards! Same calories, tho) <br />
<br />
All in all a REALLY yummy dish and only 261 calories per roll! That's including cheese and sauce and everything. </div>
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Some more photos...</div>
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<img class="photoimg" height="450" id="photoimg" src="http://multiply.com/mu/shadesofouterspace/image/2/photos/69/600x600/2/DSC01596.JPG?et=Jg3WRXDXG9pNj7nubf9TIw&nmid=615486448" style="opacity: 1;" width="600" /><br /><br /><img class="photoimg" height="450" id="photoimg" src="http://multiply.com/mu/shadesofouterspace/image/2/photos/69/600x600/4/DSC01603.JPG?et=Wg1nGkr%2C4BoGPaG8uf86PA&nmid=615486448" width="600" /></div>
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<img class="photoimg" height="450" id="photoimg" src="http://multiply.com/mu/shadesofouterspace/image/2/photos/69/600x600/5/DSC01599.JPG?et=OpygcaosPqooNr0sPs0KXg&nmid=615486448" width="600" /><br />
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<img class="photoimg" height="450" id="photoimg" src="http://multiply.com/mu/shadesofouterspace/image/2/photos/69/600x600/9/DSC01611.JPG?et=3%2Cr0zuB3G1n9w%2B6k9%2CwF7w&nmid=615486448" width="600" /><br />
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<img class="photoimg" height="450" id="photoimg" src="http://multiply.com/mu/shadesofouterspace/image/2/photos/69/600x600/10/DSC01612.JPG?et=6yNKgXPb9ch32i8G3iC4CA&nmid=615486448" width="600" /><br />
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<img class="photoimg" height="450" id="photoimg" src="http://multiply.com/mu/shadesofouterspace/image/2/photos/69/600x600/11/DSC01616.JPG?et=wIHC5He9OGZMjor%2BmNlQPg&nmid=615486448" width="600" />Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-79610555841357223112012-05-14T22:29:00.000-07:002012-05-14T22:33:46.563-07:00The Black Keys and the Arctic Monkeys ~ Live at the Oakland Arena ~ May 4, 2012<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4v9QFpxmso-qnXzDn6HTirW4Xx1gEnP1dXJCzGQLMEslGyY9r0kTrrbgcq7KTsePe7xdWehFGyWYh3QpfbnE0G1F9PG528Ut9AP0k3pLHA2wIHOMlsi-q5OBxLQ_OCCRU6W3/s1600/DSC00639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4v9QFpxmso-qnXzDn6HTirW4Xx1gEnP1dXJCzGQLMEslGyY9r0kTrrbgcq7KTsePe7xdWehFGyWYh3QpfbnE0G1F9PG528Ut9AP0k3pLHA2wIHOMlsi-q5OBxLQ_OCCRU6W3/s320/DSC00639.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When I go to concerts back to back and don't write about them right away
I tend to get things mixed up... but I shall *try* to record my
impressions accurately. So lets see.... I went to this concert with my
sister, who goes by the screen name "Sadge", less than one week after
I'd gone to see Coldplay with my son. Good thing I've already written
about the Coldplay concert, tho. That helps. <br />
<br />
Being a bay area resident for many years now, I've come to accept
traffic as an unfortunate fact of life ~ and to love arriving at places
early. Especially places as important as concerts. So we arrived a good
hour to an hour and a half before showtime, but were well prepared to spend a bit of time
comfortably in the parking lot ~ because hey, when we pay $35 to PARK...
it only makes sense to sit a bit. No joke. $35 to park at the Oakland
Coliseum Complex. What a rip off. But we knew it ahead of time and made
our travel decisions advisedly. <br />
<br />
I had brought my favorite tailgate munchies,
rollups made with flavored cream cheese, avocado, pimiento, and spring
greens... all rolled up in a fresh flour tortilla, with toothpicks
holding together the individual pieces after being sliced into the half a
dozen "bites" per tortilla that it makes. Yummers! Add to that a nice
cold beer and I'm one happy tailgater. Oh, and Sadge had brought two
Black Keys CDs along so we got to enjoy those there, too. It was a
beautiful day for kicking it in the car... sun shining through the prism
hanging from my rear view mirror, filling the car with late afternoon
rainbows. Very nice indeed, actually. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdt4wq1_bkN7Os-c97V7FvGm4XGgL7o0ytU7YOJtpx0N2c_CrKOp-ExABMzEWSnGLPc48E1nYN2CEYPNny0hUX4L1uXsBBP7GIEf3Gtx9iFFni6WHAOkq9a_LJNEk_ZsKa_od/s1600/P1011981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdt4wq1_bkN7Os-c97V7FvGm4XGgL7o0ytU7YOJtpx0N2c_CrKOp-ExABMzEWSnGLPc48E1nYN2CEYPNny0hUX4L1uXsBBP7GIEf3Gtx9iFFni6WHAOkq9a_LJNEk_ZsKa_od/s320/P1011981.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We casually made our way into the arena about half an hour before
showtime ~ and I've just got to say that I wish the security getting
into concerts was a bit more standardized! Whether to plan for being
practically frisked -or- having my purse barely glanced at would be nice
to know ahead of time, know what I mean? ;-) I leave a (delicious,
cold, and already paid for) beer in the car and then they wave me in
with barely a glance... well, what a waste of money having to buy a
beverage inside! A minor complaint, I know, but still. I'd like to sneak
a beer in with me if I thought I could... but I usually don't even try.
I guess they've succeeded in "training" me not to even try. More's the
pity. But now to the concert... <br />
<br />
So while I knew at least a little of the Black Keys music, I'd knew nothing about the Arctic Monkeys. I was all ears, tho, when they
hit the stage and was happily impressed. They looked like such nice
young men, clean cut and a bit older than I expected ~ no particular
reason why I was expecting *anything* except for possible impressions
from Yahoo!Answers' friends. I'd say they were aged early-to-mid 30s and
"healthy" looking. Like they'd figured out that they wanted to make a
living making rock music, not being "rock stars". They had relatively
short hair, were rather buff, and played some straight up ROCK and ROLL ~
just like I like it. Enjoyed them very much. Great energy and engaging
songs. And then, after a short intermission, it was time for the Black Keys.<br />
<br />
I loved their stage set-up. Simple, with these HUGE old-fashioned light
bulbs in reflective holders on poles behind the stage, and when they lit
up, they'd be like flood lights pointing towards the audience ~ very
bright ~ but when they'd turn them off, they'd slowly fade out and you
could see the bulbs clearly. I don't know ~ hard to explain, but just
really cool and old fashioned and simple. By the end, they'd brought out
the lasers and cameras projecting on screens above the band and stuff like that... and there was even
a disco ball at the very end ~ but all that's fairly de rigueur for
concerts, so it's always nice to see something out of the ordinary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28P5r38mg0-f-NjkyjUM7iiZ9DI1EqswoKAyPtVHdEw_mmYL5_8_Rkg0ZoS9ETMXdRWh30b_6Na1hWgb2cP0i1V3H1vPsIQey3zNa99I6-xRWC40PYpbPEa4QAOKhYOKeox0C/s1600/DSC00642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28P5r38mg0-f-NjkyjUM7iiZ9DI1EqswoKAyPtVHdEw_mmYL5_8_Rkg0ZoS9ETMXdRWh30b_6Na1hWgb2cP0i1V3H1vPsIQey3zNa99I6-xRWC40PYpbPEa4QAOKhYOKeox0C/s320/DSC00642.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Z5JXuf7uDLytWPqQJbyBLCEysXYRXOSkxuu2F8LRdtUZ8QRZj4qB7wsAi4k-tPtfnxvOpP8rYnsxraQK6XNHrlXwU9F88e1UvSGgK1VlvXK8lJST1_Y5e1wzP6VbCEBL1box/s1600/DSC00638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Z5JXuf7uDLytWPqQJbyBLCEysXYRXOSkxuu2F8LRdtUZ8QRZj4qB7wsAi4k-tPtfnxvOpP8rYnsxraQK6XNHrlXwU9F88e1UvSGgK1VlvXK8lJST1_Y5e1wzP6VbCEBL1box/s320/DSC00638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
What little I did know about the Black Keys was based upon a single viewing of a video on YouTube. I'd simply felt a kinship with them based on that and bought a couple of concert tickets! It's nice to be older and with a little more disposable income (finally) that allows me to go to shows simply because my interest has been piqued. They are kind of a 'White Stripes-esq' duo,
with one person on drums and the other playing guitar and singing ~ and I loved the White Stripes too, so they had that going for them. They
had a couple supporting musicians with them on stage playing keyboards and guitar,
which filled out their sound very nicely.<br />
<br />
Their set was split into
thirds I'd say. The first and final thirds were with all four people
playing, but they had a nice interlude in the middle with just the two
of them. That was my favorite part. I always like when it's *just* the original
creators out there on stage... so much more 'personal' and intimate.
When only one or two people can imagine and create such beautiful music
always just thrills and amazes me, and to be witness to it, likewise.
And that was the feeling I had watching these two men. Some sweet and
soulful songs were performed, and that the songs were about
relationships was the icing on the cake. I honestly wish I'd bothered to
get to know more of their music ahead of time... but now that I've got my
sister's CDs on my computer... well, better late than never. Can't wait
for them to come around again.<br />
<br />Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-29531538663426671622012-04-29T22:54:00.000-07:002012-04-30T10:31:40.925-07:00Coldplay ~ Live in San Jose ~ 4/28/12Do you know the way to San Jose? Well I didn't, until last night. Oh, I guess that isn't entirely true... I've had lunch downtown with a friend who was staying there on business one time 20+ years ago... and I've toured the Winchester Mystery House (totally worth it)... but that's about it except for driving through now and again on my way to Santa Cruz or Monterey.<br />
<br />
It's about 70 miles from where I live, and occupies the southern tip around the San Francisco Bay, and yesterday afternoon, armed with 3 maps and 1 set of personalized directions from a friend who frequents the Sharks hockey games, one of my sons and I set out for the HP (Hewlett Packard) Pavilion to see the rock band Coldplay.<br />
<br />
I remember when they were just breaking big in the early part of the 2000s, and when they came to Shoreline in concert back then I was *DYING* wanting to go so badly. But it wasn't meant to be, what with Shoreline being even further away than San Jose, and $$$ tickets, and no one to go with... but of course, one cannot simply forget such disappointments. So when they came around again, and my son *really* wanted to go, I said okay, even tho I'd lost contact with the band years before.<br />
<br />
There were two warm-up bands, The Pierces ~ two sisters, last
name Pierce ~ *not* as is "body piercing" which is what I thought when I
first heard their name ~ and Metronomy, a kind of a synth-rock band. Both
very entertaining. I liked the "Heart-esq" sister band better, and my son
liked Metronomy better. I wanted to buy The Pierce's CD afterwards but the line was too long at the souvenir stand. And it
wasn't making very good progress. In fact, I stood in line for maybe 5 minutes and it didn't move *at
all* and it was a really long line! So I bailed. But may look for their CD online.<br />
<br />
Metronomy had cool bags on sale within my price range (cheap), but I've got enough bags, and Coldplay
gave us all wrist bands to wear, which were a nice souvenir, so that
was another reason that I wasn't too interested in standing in a long
line... even tho I wanted a Coldplay pin, too. Guess I shoulda shopped before or during
the show. But I digress.... <br />
<br />
When Coldplay was ready to come on, we were told to put our wrist bands on and
that they would be part of the show. Wondering what they were going to
do! Well, they lighted up and flickered at different times. Was like
being in a huge bowl filled with multicolored stars... Very cool. And,
they had these 'paper butterfly' cannons down on the floor. We were in
the nosebleed section but a couple 'butterflies' drifted up to us, so that was nice. <br />
<br />
Here
are a couple videos from their concert of April 18th in Calgary, Canada. The first one is a favorite song, and when the
butterfly cannon was first activated, and the second one shows what the
wrist bands looked like all lit up.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP5Jz5XrE5Q&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP5Jz5XrE5Q&feature=related</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDqPVxlKvHs&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDqPVxlKvHs&feature=related</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Very
cool "extras"... but, you may have noticed that while I was enamored of
the gadgets and special effects, that I haven't had much to say about
the music, and that's because I really haven't followed them since their
second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head ~ and while I *LOVE* their
first album, Parachutes, they haven't really kept my attention since.
Oh, I'm willing to give them more of a try, but just haven't. My son, on the
other hand, has all their albums and then some, and is a very big fan...
but I only knew a few of the songs. <br />
<br />
They only played one song off
Parachutes, and four or five off Rush of Blood to the Head... and the
other songs, unfortunately, would not have inspired me to rush out and
buy the albums if you know what I mean. And I found out later that fully half of the songs were from their newest album that they're trying to promote. Okay, so I get that.... they want to get people to buy their newest product ~ that's why most bands tour in the first place ~ but *half* the songs??? Overkill on the new stuff and without enough of the old stuff that I love so well. And they only have 5 albums, so I don't think I'm asking *too* much. But maybe I am.<br />
<br />
I knew a couple of the newer songs,
but the concert in general was a little slow in places, and a little
boring in places ~ but hey ~ such is life. At least they had a good energy about
them and some good rockin' times were also had. And, I could tell they
were trying to put on a good show, which counts with me. I like it when
the band all seems to like each other and be a cohesive unit with
everyone into it. Maybe I would have enjoyed them better had I been more
conversant with their newer music... but I wasn't. My son was perfectly happy, tho, so that was great, and the other young people around us were all having a great time as well. <br />
<br />
So all in all I had a great time too... and some quality time with one of my 'adult children' (my current favorite oxymoron)... It doesn't get much better than that.Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-54117285639843114672012-03-11T21:02:00.010-07:002012-03-14T13:04:45.049-07:00Raspberry Chocolate Almond CrostataThe booklet that started it all....<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPuPkGyQganbGzmR54SHXG-9kMR208f5vZR9_9KDZFVQsCd-jEl7sUf5VmXciTiWVaNlsFvvId9-xuPr-sZRaRQtUljpDNyacESlHLlwWQPi-UlJsydu836g4TZa_UNAmmRWm/s1600/DSC00442.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPuPkGyQganbGzmR54SHXG-9kMR208f5vZR9_9KDZFVQsCd-jEl7sUf5VmXciTiWVaNlsFvvId9-xuPr-sZRaRQtUljpDNyacESlHLlwWQPi-UlJsydu836g4TZa_UNAmmRWm/s400/DSC00442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718858835625414722" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="insertedphoto">Is anyone else highly susceptible to these inexpensive little packets of eye-candy?? Well I am. I think I have at least ten of them by now. This one caught my eye this week at the grocery store check out.<br /><br />So paging through it later at home, I'm pleased to see that all of the recipes call for "few" and "real" ingredients. Not a bunch of name-brand, pre-prepared "stuff" like instant pudding and cans of pie filling. If fruit is called for, then it's real fruit. So that's a plus.<br /><br />For my first use of this booklet I choose a recipe that looks and sounds KILLER: Raspberry Chocolate Almond Crostata.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGru1v9OCf2ma_h35XH5I4gOnecpBGLIbDbIs6DIhIYFuBNAFmWLI63tO8ZEtTIL5_0K59MwUiPPjAPh1srd9M9IAumrwpCXMexjwiStA12bk7_q6uWPmu1Kf_6fToaann4VI/s1600/DSC00409.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGru1v9OCf2ma_h35XH5I4gOnecpBGLIbDbIs6DIhIYFuBNAFmWLI63tO8ZEtTIL5_0K59MwUiPPjAPh1srd9M9IAumrwpCXMexjwiStA12bk7_q6uWPmu1Kf_6fToaann4VI/s400/DSC00409.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718859482923089890" border="0" /></a><span class="insertedphoto"><br />Now I've never made a "crostata" before, but have seen them in other cookbooks and they are reportedly the easiest "pie" to make. No pie pans, no fluting the edges, no steam vents and no bubbling all over the bottom of the oven. It's a piece of flat dough that is then folded up and a little bit over whatever filling you're using, and baked. Simple enough.<br /><br />I often like to follow a recipe exactly as written the first time I make it, but was feeling a little lazy, so when my husband and I stopped by the grocery store to pick up the ingredients that we don't already have on hand: some almond paste and jam, we also got a puff pastry pie shell. I *thought* that "puff pastry" and "pie shell" were basically the same thing. Oh I could see that the one was a bit "fluffier" than the other, but it was the only type they had that wasn't already in a pie tin and that's how the recipe described it so I thought, Why not? Turns out that they're not the same... but close enough I reckon... and such is life when you're too lazy to make your own! Unfortunately, being lazy has it's price. As we were leaving the grocery store I'm thinking, "Damn. This is already a $16 pie and I only needed three ingredients!" But to be honest, the pastry came in two parts and I only used one, and I still have a huge jar of raspberry jam leftover so it wasn't all that expensive, and the one fairly pricy item, the almond paste, is easy to make as I later learned when I looked it up in my trusty old "Joy of Cooking" cookbook. The ingredients are really only sugar and almonds. So, good to know for next time....<br /><br />Here's the recipe (hope it's big enough or blow-uppable to see):<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFWP7_lOJsx1YS4FwK1iVidH29Z6Ndx9b1m0Kg8Q5sM0svpn8V3T5ABibueQNShWU_uouuTwgG1iMBYlV-KYOFUDo1d_fCDxl3ocsp5e1h1BUmU7JItTWWSIZ0IG0AN4A9WAT/s1600/DSC00408.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFWP7_lOJsx1YS4FwK1iVidH29Z6Ndx9b1m0Kg8Q5sM0svpn8V3T5ABibueQNShWU_uouuTwgG1iMBYlV-KYOFUDo1d_fCDxl3ocsp5e1h1BUmU7JItTWWSIZ0IG0AN4A9WAT/s400/DSC00408.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718859763944938930" border="0" /></a><br />Simple, "real" ingredients:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-UL12D8Jz1gle5in4zEpYhiGi9WoTfUJ_PJHzJmVz1MpTe7a8mahsX-2uUshI-VoTgF2BX1s0trjGnfIqGRg3tezAFquxz7HhKkFheTvnpL9YMFT78fWfM3z8lffvtz5G64d/s1600/DSC00397.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-UL12D8Jz1gle5in4zEpYhiGi9WoTfUJ_PJHzJmVz1MpTe7a8mahsX-2uUshI-VoTgF2BX1s0trjGnfIqGRg3tezAFquxz7HhKkFheTvnpL9YMFT78fWfM3z8lffvtz5G64d/s400/DSC00397.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718859996379581122" border="0" /></a><br />...and pretty straightforward processes. Butter, almond paste and egg white in food processor:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnfgkeFuBjVfSeI8pJVO_O_kHhTm6RrknXU75rCfpJa0ay63FM27_IbZzH1nGaT8ZVeIjkoKhrr66dVb0uPi6H5LN6BcYFNQPvec-X6GECZnB-t18SzBNqBV0JGWs63hB2uF0/s1600/DSC00415.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnfgkeFuBjVfSeI8pJVO_O_kHhTm6RrknXU75rCfpJa0ay63FM27_IbZzH1nGaT8ZVeIjkoKhrr66dVb0uPi6H5LN6BcYFNQPvec-X6GECZnB-t18SzBNqBV0JGWs63hB2uF0/s400/DSC00415.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718860378044899218" border="0" /></a><br />Adding the melted chocolate...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQbalTCI1tu4zQuUHTVhlGYmeOIJoSrgmPWWwxEqYtlDV3JXWrpSfC2ptXWZDpjXtjxwoWAquWkFivAwgiRIkGZvWPBFw4hTJaQwfkaDy74wweefJd0Ww-av-ARH1LpKEldbQ/s1600/DSC00427.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQbalTCI1tu4zQuUHTVhlGYmeOIJoSrgmPWWwxEqYtlDV3JXWrpSfC2ptXWZDpjXtjxwoWAquWkFivAwgiRIkGZvWPBFw4hTJaQwfkaDy74wweefJd0Ww-av-ARH1LpKEldbQ/s400/DSC00427.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718860600867554418" border="0" /></a><br />And doesn't that look appetizing! Oh yeah, the crust. So I take it out of the package and let it thaw... but then I can't really work with it. It's square. I don't know how to make it round without trying to trim off the corners and paste them on around the edge? Whatever. I figure it'll be fine square.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FxfCxYL23OyEka7oAeolcxjBHvWLnz4jCXyG8-AAmdLCdGuVUZX_siNH0XFXYBAvGeYGF0Z2w1qB12Fed7mNPjBQvScK48PepC7pvodlS2pvtixKAHF5FqQiw18E-QYXtF2C/s1600/DSC00429.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FxfCxYL23OyEka7oAeolcxjBHvWLnz4jCXyG8-AAmdLCdGuVUZX_siNH0XFXYBAvGeYGF0Z2w1qB12Fed7mNPjBQvScK48PepC7pvodlS2pvtixKAHF5FqQiw18E-QYXtF2C/s400/DSC00429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718860812375136898" border="0" /></a><br />Fold the crust over and add the raspberry jam... Forgot to take a photo with the almonds sprinkled on before putting it in the oven.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjRytVNwLECBvMqOuUDitd8BHS-3F0MmjrkfPWfVJdM8f0rH7lZ-WylC22YGkNKphMWCGwYUzFSYCrpaZeNZpNAvUisa9Gq4_FanI3Kyj82mv8da4aO1AQe_nwFB-VjVc3H0T/s1600/DSC00434.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjRytVNwLECBvMqOuUDitd8BHS-3F0MmjrkfPWfVJdM8f0rH7lZ-WylC22YGkNKphMWCGwYUzFSYCrpaZeNZpNAvUisa9Gq4_FanI3Kyj82mv8da4aO1AQe_nwFB-VjVc3H0T/s400/DSC00434.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718861094646015602" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRHWMlwRxwVP8En0XiQtaStyTWdR-1r9hzzsUIJjughq8Wf2bBV21AaDdfyZhTx8zsLCwALQWkW_DmSZw8cezPXo-dPllp9GCWNPW45bz4hQSM7fNgkE3tgrf2vOALs8yKhd7/s1600/DSC00435.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRHWMlwRxwVP8En0XiQtaStyTWdR-1r9hzzsUIJjughq8Wf2bBV21AaDdfyZhTx8zsLCwALQWkW_DmSZw8cezPXo-dPllp9GCWNPW45bz4hQSM7fNgkE3tgrf2vOALs8yKhd7/s400/DSC00435.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718861279355392514" border="0" /></a><span class="insertedphoto"><br />Moi? Licking the utensils?? Forensic evidence suggests, via dental records, that those *ARE* the teeth marks of the prime suspect ~<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK16VwN1bxFlUrTVXcmsKx6nLIF6DbWOaSWPWTKK36OTFpbJKJIaD2OIDlIC5pfbE_ux5N-pFEOzJgMxD8bfQAMELJKQFE0fQnxFOpbEs-beYV9o_AkfPFwVqeeb7eiZYcs8Vk/s1600/DSC00437.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK16VwN1bxFlUrTVXcmsKx6nLIF6DbWOaSWPWTKK36OTFpbJKJIaD2OIDlIC5pfbE_ux5N-pFEOzJgMxD8bfQAMELJKQFE0fQnxFOpbEs-beYV9o_AkfPFwVqeeb7eiZYcs8Vk/s400/DSC00437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718861484768917458" border="0" /></a><span class="insertedphoto"><br />And out of the oven it comes ~ a</span><span class="insertedphoto"> little puffy but it settled down.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOphXiC2KlO_axC46N6iRv0LJ2Qap8byL6EVUSV-cR95EBYo3Q_-lsBAa1sjjg18jdNOaS-ELzXruQ-ZNHpMrcNoru3LKVtAeFPe2debdmB2x4B2dJt79zLmGv_yk-0pvXM8t/s1600/DSC00438.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOphXiC2KlO_axC46N6iRv0LJ2Qap8byL6EVUSV-cR95EBYo3Q_-lsBAa1sjjg18jdNOaS-ELzXruQ-ZNHpMrcNoru3LKVtAeFPe2debdmB2x4B2dJt79zLmGv_yk-0pvXM8t/s400/DSC00438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718861746245521394" border="0" /></a><span class="insertedphoto"><br />And finally, the taste test ~<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEZtg3RulVKPbm6ZDUQznkjzh3r-PeCEpP7DfV2eJekv8n6Ag0b0y7iDWiYYAY4-4ALIn-PIGQG2P2vtcF7dIHPgM7ubo7gxrs0rjel3zG02UJOjn3fCPkJf3y2yRl6D1F4V_/s1600/DSC00443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEZtg3RulVKPbm6ZDUQznkjzh3r-PeCEpP7DfV2eJekv8n6Ag0b0y7iDWiYYAY4-4ALIn-PIGQG2P2vtcF7dIHPgM7ubo7gxrs0rjel3zG02UJOjn3fCPkJf3y2yRl6D1F4V_/s400/DSC00443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718861987577782898" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="insertedphoto">To tell the truth, it was a bit much. Even that tiny piece. But I guess that figures. Just reading the ingredient list should have clued me to that! lol The jam made it just a little too sweet, and I didn't even use the powdered sugar on top. Am thinking it would be good as a filling for chocolate almond croissants ~ and I *do* still have half of that puff pastry left... :-)<br /></span>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-13936362847861984422011-10-23T12:13:00.000-07:002011-10-23T12:19:29.151-07:00Portishead ~ Live at the Greek Theatre ~ 10/21/11<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> 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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I'm beginning to feel like all my concert reviews sound alike.... because I love the music SO MUCH! But whatever. I go to concerts because it IS like a religious experience for me (I guess! lol ~ not being much of a traditionally religious sort of person, generally...)<br /><br />Friday night was Portishead. After hanging out at the Yahoo!Answers website for several years and making lots of friends with lots of different tastes in rock music, Portishead had made it's way onto my radar a few years ago. I liked what I heard, but hadn't bothered to pursue it or get any of their albums or anything... but then a few months ago I saw that they were coming to the Greek Theatre. One of my favorite venues ever~ easy to get to & just an all around beautiful place to go to enjoy some music. So I bought two tickets.<br /><br />I'm going to have to check my "Mo Music" database to see how many times I've been there, because it's a LOT. Before I was married with children, I was living in south Berkeley and then north Oakland (one and two miles from the campus, respectively) and volunteer ushering several shows per year, seeing tons of concerts, many of groups I'd only heard of and knew none of their music. So with that as my background, now, years later, I'm willing to occasionally take a chance on buying a couple of tickets to see a band that I don't know much about. And Friday night turned into one of those wonderful discoveries ~ a night filled with the kind of music that touches my soul. And it always does my heart good to see that I am not the only one! It was obviously a sold-out show ~ filled with like-minded people.<br /><br />I went with my friend Gina. She drove (yay and thank you for that, Gina!). The two of us have been to several concerts together and we've sorta got it down. I don't like to spend good money on food that I don't like, so we've learned to get there early and tailgate. We make 'picnic' type food, snacks, munchies, beer and often something stronger, and when we get to where we're going, I'll jump into the back seat with my own center 'table' and drink holder and Gina will stay in the drivers' seat with her own center 'station', and we'll have a little car party. We parked a block away from the Greek, and actually had a 'view' from where we were parked. So kicking it in the car until pretty much the last minute was very nice and relaxing. Plus we got a nice little buzz on ;-)<br /><br />When we walked into the venue it was only about 5 or 10 minutes until showtime. So we got another beer and found a great place to sit in the 7th row! A bit off to the side, but great seats nonetheless. Nice, friendly people around us ~ and the girls we sat beside said they'd been saving those seats (altho there was no jacket or blanket or anything on them ~ just two empty seats that we'd espied from above) but they said that their friends were late so they snoozed and loozed. No hard feelings.<br /><br />The warm up band was named <a href="http://thoughtformsband.blogspot.com/">Thought Forms</a>. Happy the guy sitting beside me knew who they were because there was no introduction for either band we saw that night... the musicians for both Thought Forms and Portishead would simply walk on stage, pick up their instruments, and begin playing.<br /><br />About two minutes into Thought Forms' first song I had this overwhelming feeling that "these are my people". Very spacey, ambient but heavy music ~ with moaning rather than words (at least as far as I could tell) ~ but beautiful, beautiful, deep and sonic sounds. Two guitarists / vocalists and a drummer~ and I'll admit that I got a little mind-wandering when focusing on the guitarists/vocalists... but then, I started watching the drummer, and it was so reminiscent of Pink Floyd "Live at Pompeii", with the drummer ~ usually the guy just keeping the beat ~ as a full-fledged partner / an equal to the guitarists/vocalists. He was wonderful and gave the other two a framework to work within. *They* were wonderful. They made me think of a Pink Floyd / Tool / Cowboy Junkies sound. All favorites in my book. The drummer would eventually stop playing, and then the other two would sort of wind it down, and then the songs would be over. It was fun, different, and very enjoyable.<br /><br />Then it was time for Portishead. Did I mention that I knew *none* of their songs? lol And here is where my music reviews all start sounding alike, because they were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. There, I'll type in caps so that I REALLY make my point. It felt as close as anyone has come to seeing Pink Floyd in the however many years it's been since they broke up. Except with a single female voice on vocals ~ and a heavier, occasionally industrial sound coming from the "percussionist" who played drums, scratched on turntables, and more. So hearing Portishead put me into a 'Pink Floyd meets Tool and NIN' mindset, but with a Christine McVie-esq vocalist. She reminded me of a thirtysomething Christine physically, with her classic British looks and hair, but also reminded me of her because of the amount of heart and soul that she put into her singing. Every song had the emotional timbre of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5igj0j5HuY">Songbird</a>"* ... but different. Original. Unique. Fabulous.<br /><br />Six people on stage. Drummer, bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, percussionist, and vocalist.<br /><br />I came away from the show *in love* with them, and am now, finally, in the market for some Portishead CDs and/or DVDs.<br /><br /><br />*Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird" was likewise recorded at one of UC Berkeley's concert venues, Zellerbach Hall, as shown in the video.</p>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-1552636891430768892011-09-27T18:59:00.001-07:002011-09-27T19:22:46.812-07:00Susan's Picnic BlanketMy dear friend Susan is an avid hiker and camper ~ and she has the coolest picnic blanket (which I've already duplicated for myself using a 30-year old poncho and a fleece blanket bought at the Goodwill store).<br /><br />Unfortunately, Susan's blanket is TRASHED. I mean stains that are never going to come out. Ever. It's old and has been used on probably a weekly basis for *years*. Even after repeated washings, the ground in dirt and spilled sardine juice (she and her husband's usual picnic lunch), are just a part of it. She has despaired of ever being able to find a new one to buy again... and I know she's looked.<br /><br />The first time she pulled it out, I was thrilled and amazed at the simplicity and design of it, with rip-stop nylon on the outside and cotton flannel on the inside. Very lightweight. The nylon keeps the damp off you and nothing much sticks to it... and the flannel is so soft.<br /><br />When I told her recently about the one I made for myself she flipped! That's when she told me how hard she'd been trying to find a new one. So... for her birthday ~ which is right around the corner ~ I made her a new one.<br /><br />Enjoy the photos :-)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyc_XJsTZZfH26JQeRqJ5rI-WMXN5H0RqVrTnGsh6kW7UNvP4nOs7vR-RUqAMEvVCWyNGXqsQw2WlNtkLwO9Z2tV5dp3C1Vb4gZ7KdPFf2Pk6Zi9e4U4_fZff03pH7aLLJtyO/s1600/P1012584.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyc_XJsTZZfH26JQeRqJ5rI-WMXN5H0RqVrTnGsh6kW7UNvP4nOs7vR-RUqAMEvVCWyNGXqsQw2WlNtkLwO9Z2tV5dp3C1Vb4gZ7KdPFf2Pk6Zi9e4U4_fZff03pH7aLLJtyO/s400/P1012584.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225223923975202" border="0" /></a>With my little buddies :-)<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGfU2dJMlQbRe4PcnqSr3o-hpZv98-8OjqIoslmzNIrUH1kpZTs61XVEzPFj3iaJaLov0zj34SYfWNUaF6mquY8Z_A36pnfugRPNxXmKduNS9Rt8tAoBJp0SIsfI0VGeY4ZAA/s1600/P1012595.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGfU2dJMlQbRe4PcnqSr3o-hpZv98-8OjqIoslmzNIrUH1kpZTs61XVEzPFj3iaJaLov0zj34SYfWNUaF6mquY8Z_A36pnfugRPNxXmKduNS9Rt8tAoBJp0SIsfI0VGeY4ZAA/s400/P1012595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225227813490754" border="0" /></a>Folds & rolls up nicely<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdnX7r44bN39-IWT1NpBOGuBwssMGqP6vqhdFOrI60t65EBEJhxI5Kv9f3qFrurTQAZxQHz65SNM0gqFnWvtN1RePhew99K5sbFDyh-dZ_3t0Ohza2MUd5cfM3cYg8_eO8s0b/s1600/P1012596.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdnX7r44bN39-IWT1NpBOGuBwssMGqP6vqhdFOrI60t65EBEJhxI5Kv9f3qFrurTQAZxQHz65SNM0gqFnWvtN1RePhew99K5sbFDyh-dZ_3t0Ohza2MUd5cfM3cYg8_eO8s0b/s400/P1012596.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225228188249074" border="0" /></a>Unrolling it<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBB6AvvH2VSIolS25WGMSwvoUdDNnMLeIg9Lh9Kws6s4GVq2nwrBszDy6bTAhRknQzoB0T7A3Z5Vr3L7NPOpFWeok390cRuEww-Br5UVLe88uBM5G8IQNvCeecZCkjlAr9E_T/s1600/P1012599.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBB6AvvH2VSIolS25WGMSwvoUdDNnMLeIg9Lh9Kws6s4GVq2nwrBszDy6bTAhRknQzoB0T7A3Z5Vr3L7NPOpFWeok390cRuEww-Br5UVLe88uBM5G8IQNvCeecZCkjlAr9E_T/s400/P1012599.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225233064849810" border="0" /></a>On a queen sized bed<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxc6COA5n4cfZbaF0m9jz-Z86Up1d9RuaYtFPBKY52opiohgFNiY9rirwAK01LF4DqtxxWJC5T8NPUMj0rNN-5v2YWRiySpJ-1xzIhggYC7941EAN0xm9pTc7iG0hx3wkTeCz/s1600/P1012601.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxc6COA5n4cfZbaF0m9jz-Z86Up1d9RuaYtFPBKY52opiohgFNiY9rirwAK01LF4DqtxxWJC5T8NPUMj0rNN-5v2YWRiySpJ-1xzIhggYC7941EAN0xm9pTc7iG0hx3wkTeCz/s400/P1012601.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225234413756114" border="0" /></a>Turned the nylon up around the edges<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMZJZP5ElJJP6FULea-lzBN2QeXb2hvCX3dY3-VWAUa7fxtYqntr-HRPwTtjxiKkg1dnp1Xqtbhc0LzHqs6rpVj168rid8I6ybNMjqBGwp-U07C7GLtBfLIGnKrg6NY-UlJNV/s1600/P1012602.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMZJZP5ElJJP6FULea-lzBN2QeXb2hvCX3dY3-VWAUa7fxtYqntr-HRPwTtjxiKkg1dnp1Xqtbhc0LzHqs6rpVj168rid8I6ybNMjqBGwp-U07C7GLtBfLIGnKrg6NY-UlJNV/s400/P1012602.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225732574431058" border="0" /></a>Reinforced corners<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN6Owd121-kaOFjrttl6Gis-B1NNHWxZapdZPYolZZRvLyUXgphAnoWoEWCPXCSVlbQV5XTNbMFTsO2hCZdyiotWy6P-tsqTk45Ta5L4UAxHTUWV5OXSxekERXu15r4W_Iq0z/s1600/P1012608.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN6Owd121-kaOFjrttl6Gis-B1NNHWxZapdZPYolZZRvLyUXgphAnoWoEWCPXCSVlbQV5XTNbMFTsO2hCZdyiotWy6P-tsqTk45Ta5L4UAxHTUWV5OXSxekERXu15r4W_Iq0z/s400/P1012608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657230140697281074" border="0" /></a>Rolled up again<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMya0NPDErq4TrMi8oZaq4qwDriB-sQms40tPzIbrynBZsScz-A1BR_oE8g70120z1HXK_ZlLCVn0ypF0JNx0rVAgD4SpsmfLsq6HpoAmblx-l5aoPFVfu0Inn2daqyWeVc8x/s1600/P1012609.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMya0NPDErq4TrMi8oZaq4qwDriB-sQms40tPzIbrynBZsScz-A1BR_oE8g70120z1HXK_ZlLCVn0ypF0JNx0rVAgD4SpsmfLsq6HpoAmblx-l5aoPFVfu0Inn2daqyWeVc8x/s400/P1012609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225738628800258" border="0" /></a>Attached ties<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-fUytFloW11lSzE5uYIAjLp6RObQQTagYmTNzjDlTR9TCzkm3HnuF80eM_PblHV7DZrEI9DYprXyCXey-sTdX3gVkaTh0GmgGt33RZY2E6t7nd3VMrsk7n89J8aDKoyjL_7C/s1600/P1012611.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-fUytFloW11lSzE5uYIAjLp6RObQQTagYmTNzjDlTR9TCzkm3HnuF80eM_PblHV7DZrEI9DYprXyCXey-sTdX3gVkaTh0GmgGt33RZY2E6t7nd3VMrsk7n89J8aDKoyjL_7C/s400/P1012611.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225740077133890" border="0" /></a>Next to a check register to show the size<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzsPH8KwbGHnVrKSlxbZAZQ5FQPMdgjz7-TMxsfT9Qk5pjFSQZkCLhpF8xqMj6JcoGk4J9Ze_EMWsQ4pkpbxPYrnzNVapGj4EmEC7tMRUYWEKD4tIhMDHqc8hbGudLWC_KCzF/s1600/P1012603.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzsPH8KwbGHnVrKSlxbZAZQ5FQPMdgjz7-TMxsfT9Qk5pjFSQZkCLhpF8xqMj6JcoGk4J9Ze_EMWsQ4pkpbxPYrnzNVapGj4EmEC7tMRUYWEKD4tIhMDHqc8hbGudLWC_KCzF/s400/P1012603.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657225734836136018" border="0" /></a>Looks pretty comfy :-)<br /></div>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-16564978517946495032011-07-13T22:26:00.000-07:002011-07-13T22:43:31.718-07:00I never paid much attention to Eddie Vedder...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:relyonvml/> <o:allowpng/> 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mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style=";font-family:";" >It's true. For while I absolutely love Pearl Jam "Ten" and have recently been turned onto "Vs." and love it also, that is pretty much the extent of my 'Eddie contact'.... until the night before last that is.<br /><br />Monday evening found me and my friend Gina in our best black pants / white dress tops / sensible black shoes / and ~you guessed it~ black jacket, standing with the rest of the similarly dressed ushers in the entryway of Oakland's magnificent Paramount Theatre. To be an usher there, one must take the tour, offered one Saturday per month for a fee of $2. Gladly done. Several years ago, we wanted to work David Gilmore (I mean seriously, wouldn't you?) on a Sunday night and timing was perfect for a quick tour & usher orientation the day before. Since then, I've worked several shows there. The last one, tho, seems to have been THREE years ago! (Melissa Etheridge) Oh, I've been there since, but as a paying customer. So it was fun to put the penguin suit back on and check out a freebie for a change.<br /><br />It was a sold out show, so we were expecting a busy time. And we like the balcony as far as assignments go ~ so we were at the very top of the house during the warm up act, Glen Hansard. You want to talk about some exciting music? Glen Hansard KICKED ASS on his guitar, singing, every eye in the place on him and paying attention. I'd never heard of him *except* he's the star of the movie, "Once" ~ a musically themed movie with him as a very talented busker ~ which I've seen once (no pun intended ;-) So that was great. And since most of the people were happily in their seats by about halfway through Glen's set, my aisle captain says, Why don't you just grab a seat? :-) Okay! And that was it ~ I was off work.<br /><br />Gina got off work shortly thereafter so during the time between acts we boogied to the bathroom and changed into /normal/ clothes, got a beer, and sat down to relax in one of the sumptuously appointed hallways for a cocktail. I had some amaretto in a little flask in my bag ~ TOTALLY one of the perks of being an usher ~ no one searches your stuff ~ and I had a couple clear plastic cups.... just like they use there. Happy hour! I love a sweet liqueur chased by a cold beer. The bell sounds... it sounds again, and people are running into the auditorium.<br /><br />We couldn't look for empty seats until everyone was in theirs, so we just hung back a few minutes and then moseyed in. I'd spied a couple empty seats up near where I'd been working... and Gina knew of a few, too ~ but they were up so high! And the rules there are very specific regarding cutting in front of a customer to get to an empty seat~ NOT allowed. Looking around, here and there, we saw two empty seats on an aisle and grabbed them, and ~ joy of joys ~ no one ever came by to tell us we were in their seats. So yay!<br /><br />And then... Eddie proceeded to blow my mind. The music that came out of that ONE man was simply amazing. His playing was beautiful and powerful, combining these higher pitched guitars and ukuleles with his deep gravely and soulful voice... A beautiful thing. Two full hours of it. I was familiar with only a couple of the songs, but was enthralled and engaged the *entire* time. And for several of the encore songs, Glen came out and joined him and it was ~ perfection ~ their voices like angels, their playing sublime.<br /><br />Just a couple songs from the very end, with Glen out on stage where he'd been playing bass or accompanying Eddie on rhythm guitar or just singing... they did something that I have never seen done before at *any* concert. The two of them walked out beyond the monitors and the microphones, past the electronics, pedals and lights ~ Eddie unplugging his mandolin along the way ~ to the very edge of the stage. Standing there they sang a song, with the mandolin the sole instrumental accompaniment, *completely* unplugged. Every person in the theatre was silent, listening. Explosive applause followed.<br /><br />Yes, I had a good time. I think everyone else did as well.</span></span><span style=";font-family:";" ></span></p>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-67878011538306330902011-06-09T09:20:00.000-07:002011-06-09T09:22:41.772-07:00U2 ~ Live in Oakland ~ 6/7/11<p>It was a beautiful evening filled with over-the-top everything: stage / light show / music / band. Those four, beautiful Irishmen were *bringing it* ~ just as hard and heavy as they could ~ and being in the stands last night was one of the most intensely satisfying concert experiences of my life. And you know, I've been to *lots* of concerts!</p><p>Let me try to recount what it was that made this show so special.... For starters, our seats were awesome. We had seats slightly off center, on the third level of the stadium where the Oakland A's and the Oakland Raiders play ~ iow, a BIG place. But I knew there would be a huge, inclusive stage show, so wasn't worried about it. I just wanted to be there. We got there a little early and had a couple drinks and some snacks out in the parking lot ahead of time and got inside the stands just as the first warm up band was starting. A local group, headed by Pete Sears, formerly of the Jefferson Starship, named Moonalice. They were great. But when we got to our nosebleed section seats, there was a column of speakers directly between us and the center of the stage. So I'm like (ushering experience kicking in here... I knew our seats were not "restricted view") I insisted we go complain. My sweet concert-mates were saying, oh it's okay... lets stay here and see about trading them later if we want to... but I insisted we go see what they could do for us.</p><p> </p><p>So we are directed to the "RELO" table ~ short for relocation ~ where they trade our tickets for some that are on the *second* level and directly center stage! So yay!! And... as a bonus, several rows immediately in front of us are roped off, with a couple people with podiums, facing the audience, and just a handful of people scattered about throughout that section. The two people facing us were taking turns signing the lyrics and spoken words, and the few people with seats there, were obviously hearing impaired. It was so cool. I've studied American sign language a little and just really love the idea of speaking with our hands, so I enjoyed getting to watch them immensely. I think the whole section we were in was reserved for problems or VIPs or something because the tickets we got for trade in did not have a price on them ~ just the word "COMP".</p><p> </p><p>So we're in our groovy new seats, happy as can be... got the glassed-in fancy box seats just next to us, beer and bathrooms just across the aisle behind us. Sweet. Moonalice finishes their set with an extended version of an old Canned Heat song, "On the Road Again". It was like hearing it for the first time and was fantastic. Lenny Kravitz was the second warm up act. He was pretty good, but spent way too much time trying to get the audience to sing a song together ~ a new song ~ not one of his hits, and it pretty much dragged down his set imo. And he kept having guitar issues. The sound would stop and he'd be handing the guitar off to a roadie and improvising... but there were a couple memorable moments when first his trumpet player, and then tenor saxophonist brought down the house. So that was cool.</p><p> </p><p>Then it was U2's turn. They have named this concert tour "360", and they've been traveling around the world for a couple years now with this monster stage, performing this show. The stage itself and the video system ~ from the cameras that could follow them around the 'cat walk', to the screens above the stage (that morphed into something entirely different nearing the end of the concert) to the innovative side-lighting and special camera effects, were definitely more than the sum of their parts when trying to *somehow* turn a huge, stadium concert into a personalized event. And judging by the people in the stands around me, I was not alone in being enthralled by it. We were all dancing madly, flailing our arms, and SO into it. We were completely engaged ~ from beginning to end. The music alone would have been *perfect*... but adding in all the rest of it.... quite Heavenly. </p><p> </p><p>The sound, in a word, was perfect. The *perfect* volume *when* I had my foam ear plugs in! haha. Which is just right in my book! But... I haven't even gotten to the best part yet! I've been a U2 fan for a long time. Since I first heard of them in the mid-'80s and brought home "Under a Blood Red Sky" ~ and what struck me then is what strikes me now: They rock as hard as anyone AND have something to say. And that makes all the difference to me. They are not pop-fluff. They are not brootal. Their songs are about human relationships. And I love that. They've *got* something to say~ and they say it with enough style and presence to make people take notice. And that, for me, is what puts them on top. Straight up, their songs are about *something*. Something real, and something most of us have felt in our lives. Something we can relate to.</p><p> </p><p>And just one more thing before I end this little U2 love-fest.... When you go to see U2, that's who you see. There is no one else up on stage with them. There are no back-up singers, no horns; no extra guitar player so Edge can dance around, no keyboardist. They are who make up the band, and they need no one else. It must be incredibly liberating to know that you and your three closest friends can do anything you can conceive of *AND* can call all the shots of how you run your business and your lives. Four gifted souls, sharing with us what they can do. Practically a religious experience for me.</p><p> </p><p>The setlist:</p><p>Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World - Anthem - Where Have All The Flowers Gone, Perfect Day - Happy Birthday, All I Want Is You, Stay, Beautiful Day - Space Oddity, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Life During Wartime - Psycho Killer, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On (I'm delighted to see that the person who compiled this list included the little outtakes and asides... such as Larry Mullen singing Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", all of us singing happy birthday to *someone*, and the Bowie / Talking Heads bits. The music just before U2 came on stage was Bowie's "Space Oddity", and after they left the stage, Elton John's "Rocket Man").</p><p> </p><p>Encores:</p><p>One, Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender.</p><p> </p><p>"Walk On" has been stuck in my head all day. :-)<br /></p>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-14632710584090187502011-01-02T10:18:00.000-08:002011-01-04T11:24:35.474-08:00Winning the Food WarsIt seems like food has always been an issue at our house.<br /><br />Saying I am the mother to two willful sons is putting it mildly. And as there are two of them (twins), there's the being outnumbered thing, too.<br /><br />Back when they were babies, they let it be known that they wanted nothing to do with being spoon-fed the usual baby food mush~ they wanted to feed themselves. So I developed a pancake/waffle recipe using whole grains, fresh eggs and milk, and a fruit puree of some sort~ usually applesauce or smooshed peaches. And that was great. I wasn't worried about them getting enough nutrients in their food, considering those pancakes *the* perfect food, and they could feed themselves the little pieces that I would cut it into. Dry. No syrup. In fact, I have yet to see my now-17-year-olds dip *anything* into *any* sort of sauce. Their french fries have never even gotten close to the ketchup. But I digress....<br /><br />Did I mention my husband is a straight-up carnivore? Okay, he's really an omnivore, but seeing him sit down happily with a plate of nothing but BBQ ribs is not out of the ordinary. And I'm a pescatarian (that's a vegetarian who eats seafood). I quit eating meat 6 1/2 years ago and am happy with my food choices ~ but it has made for some challenging times as far as feeding my family goes. Also, just for the record, I'm the sort who is happy making a big dish of something ~ casserole, enchiladas, mac and cheese, spaghetti ~ and eating it all week for dinner. My husband and boys are not.<br /><br />About a year ago, I noticed that at dinnertime we'd all be sort of at a loss. I was happy with leftovers, but my three guys were going for fast food about three times a week! I was concerned not only about the cost, but also the nutritional value of said fast food. My husband wasn't happy, feeling the burden of having to feed the three of them most nights, but I wasn't going to cook them something separate, either. I'll occasionally make them something with meat in it, altho it's not my usual modus operandi, and they don't *like* a lot of what I make for myself.<br /><br />As my sons have grown older, I've been conscious of making sure they are /not/ growing into the kind of men who have never run a dishwasher or washing machine; who know nothing about planning a meal, shopping for it, and preparing it; even sewing and money management. I call them 'life lessons', and we actually have 'sewing class', etc. Also, with the economy the way it is, they have been unable to find jobs, and I'm thinking they may be living with us for several more years.<br /><br />So when they turned 17 last March, I wanted them to take on more of an 'adult' role in our home. And the fast food thing was really getting on my nerves. I came up with (IMNSHO) a most brilliant plan. I thought it out, 'pitched' it to my family, and it's been an unqualified success. Here's how it works...<br /><br />There are four of us. We each chose one night, Monday through Thursday ~ figuring weekends everyone is doing their own thing more, coming and going ~ plus my husband and I are happy to occasionally cook together, and weekends are when we tend to do that.<br /><br />One night per week each of us is responsible for 1) planning the meal; 2) making sure the food to make this meal is in the house (we usually go to the grocery store once a week and we pass around the shopping list and everyone has to plan ahead, checking to see that what they need is on the list); 3) setting the table and preparing the meal; and 4) cleaning-up afterward. I thought about splitting the cleaning up part of it, having someone other than the one who cooks doing the clean up, but then thought that when they are cleaning up after themselves, they will be more likely to tidy as they go and make less of a mess generally.<br /><br />And it's been great. I think the real 'selling point' was this: Three nights a week we are called in to dinner, where we sit down, eat, say thank you, get up and go back to what we were doing :-) Oh, and this has been instrumental in it's success, too ~ the dinner any of us makes has to satisfy *three* of us. That way I'm not feeding them "weird" (in their words) vegetarian stuff, and they are free to make dinners with meat, because I'm happy enough fending for myself.<br /><br />That's it. Now we eat home-cooked food for dinner throughout the 'work week', and three nights out of four, all any of us have to do is 'show up'. Oh, and when we have a family dinner to attend ~ we tend to meet for pizza for our numerous extended family members' birthdays ~ well, the person whose night it is gets the night off. No 'carrying it to the next night'. If someone's birthday falls on Tuesday, then the person who has Tuesdays is off the hook! Figure it will all work out evenly in the end.<br /><br />It's taken the smallest amount of effort on my part to keep it going. Making sure the kids think about what they're going to make, and have them check the freezer/ fridge/ pantry to make sure their ingredients are there or on the grocery list, and then an occasional asking of, "What's for dinner tonight?" long about 5:30/6:00.<br /><br />The boys have taken pride in learning to prepare different dishes. One of them wanted to perfect hamburgers on the outside grill, so week after week he'd make hamburgers (and a veggie burger for me). The other makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches. Not exactly gourmet, but warm and satisfying, bolstering not only their confidence in the kitchen, but assuring me that I am raising self-sufficient young men. What more could a mother ask?Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-29462755540002951252010-11-30T13:32:00.000-08:002010-11-30T13:33:45.069-08:00The RulesI bought a scale this weekend. Haven't had one in over a year when I got rid of my old one ~ *not* in a fit of pique ~ but because I needed more CD storage and it was in the way :-) And lets face it, it was old and PINK. A hand-me-down from my husband's grandfather's estate. Yeah. Worked good, and hopefully it found a new home in a PINK bathroom of a Goodwill shopper.<br /><br />For $30 at Bed Bath and Beyond, tho, one may purchase a gleaming new glass and metal digital scale with *all* the bells and whistles. Can program it for up to four people, with their age, height and gender, and then... when you step on it (barefooted), it will tell you not only your weight, but your BMI, fat in *both* pounds and percentage, your water weight, and bone density. Have to be barefoot because it sends some kind of electric current through your legs, and water, fat, and bone all process electric currents at different speeds... something like that. But that's not why I'm writing.<br /><br />I'm writing because I had a doctor appointment last week and am currently at my heaviest. Not as in "ever", because I've been here before, but topping out the scale for me, nonetheless. And, as I'm older than I've ever been before (haha), my blood pressure is quickly approaching the "take action" level. The verdict is in: Lose some weight or face medications ~ which I would just as soon avoid.<br /><br />I know why I'm overweight. I eat too much. Of everything. But cheese and desserts and chips are probably my main culprits. And I've been skinny (or even just 'skinnier') before, too, and know how to eat healthily and well. When I was younger (and skinnier), the way I stayed that way was by following a few simple rules. Thus the name of this blog.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Rules</span><br /><ul><li>STOP eating when the *first* ping of fullness occurs. Simple, yes? One would think. Obviously not, tho, especially when it's something I looooove. But you know what? I can pretty much eat whatever I want whenever I want. So that excuse is OUT. I'm full, I put down my fork and leave it down. And I've had a little talk with myself about throwing food out. Fact is, I'm going to have to be okay with it until I re-learn how much to put on my plate in the first place. Or how much to order at a restaurant. Or how to ask for a to-go container before I sit and pick at it until it's gone....<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Avoid pizza.</li></ul><ul><li>Avoid deep fried foods.</li></ul><ul><li>No snacking.</li></ul>That's it.<br /><br />Stay tuned for progress....Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-84609166862333866472010-04-20T21:25:00.001-07:002010-04-20T21:30:23.176-07:00Springtime!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTydxor561RVGYe4IBORBhEZg1Ow4ArcSgOBUVs3h0s5F4hBS1shmk9UDYeDVbRDftNsec1A3AJChx8ZnPvJqKk_NbXZ67Xqgjd44_Jr1vdjZ9GB1aW6rsSLQHWSB0_oQM1_a-/s1600/4-17-10.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTydxor561RVGYe4IBORBhEZg1Ow4ArcSgOBUVs3h0s5F4hBS1shmk9UDYeDVbRDftNsec1A3AJChx8ZnPvJqKk_NbXZ67Xqgjd44_Jr1vdjZ9GB1aW6rsSLQHWSB0_oQM1_a-/s400/4-17-10.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462442926255856194" border="0" /></a>It's been a bumper year for rain, and my back yard is appreciating it!!Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-37524914809485794502010-02-16T09:48:00.000-08:002010-02-16T09:50:08.664-08:00Movie Review: Julie and JuliaFinally watched this over the weekend, and what a joy! If you love food and blogging... this movie's for you. It tells parallel stories, weaving together two separate books: "My Life in France", by Julia Child, and "Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously", by Julie Powell.<br /><br />It's the story of a young woman, Julie ~ somewhat at odds with herself ~ deciding to cook her way through Julia Child's entire first cookbook: Mastering the Art of French Cooking ~ while also telling the story of Julia's years in Paris, where she first learned to cook, and began her cookbook writing career.<br /><br />Beautifully told story. The men in both of their lives are likewise wonderful.<br />I figure *this* is a blogging community, and *needs* to know about this movie! Enjoy!!!<br /><br />Five stars ~ a classic in the making.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />SPOILER ALERT (minor)<br /><br /><br />lalalalala ~ giving you time to stop reading and your eyes to stop wandering ~ lalalalala<br /><br /><br />And one more time... to avert your eyes... before you see:<br />They show the entire Dan Aykroyd skit of him doing Julia Child on SNL! :-DAnnodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-76221382418071062612009-12-29T22:34:00.001-08:002009-12-29T22:49:37.824-08:00Christmas Eve FoodAs I have a deep and abiding interest in food... I thought I'd share (show off) the goodies I made for our Christmas Eve party. This is the "goodie" table...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1CRSkwwlOUWcPYDKF1LUtZINqOkDAXV6BePod2rh-dOAZ17DygCdgZstQrUj8oiEnAdsFfvvryy4L98OegVVvehzcA7NWlvAk_T7PGcO_-wAMvXkvkuJ-ukfB3QL8ECtWyIW/s1600-h/P1010447.JPG"><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/AVvXsEjJ1CRSkwwlOUWcPYDKF1LUtZINqOkDAXV6BePod2rh-dOAZ17DygCdgZstQrUj8oiEnAdsFfvvryy4L98OegVVvehzcA7NWlvAk_T7PGcO_-wAMvXkvkuJ-ukfB3QL8ECtWyIW/s320/P1010447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420914206437212674" border="0" /></a><br />"Cloud" cookies (meringue with chocolate chips) in the foreground, and Spritz cookies behind.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57yMgFkv8Xr3u1my0mlOBeX-BX577jyRUN6-SkyP71mevLVV4EP2KXs04BXEgAi74C5QjAx1ulnGChZpkBzENCRCz7ZNO0MnvR7LD4BVWcNpwjkJO4Q7bwa8Awp9FkChHgnYg/s1600-h/P1010452.JPG"><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/AVvXsEj57yMgFkv8Xr3u1my0mlOBeX-BX577jyRUN6-SkyP71mevLVV4EP2KXs04BXEgAi74C5QjAx1ulnGChZpkBzENCRCz7ZNO0MnvR7LD4BVWcNpwjkJO4Q7bwa8Awp9FkChHgnYg/s320/P1010452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420915075907382754" border="0" /></a><br />Dipped Pretzels<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyIAzpp02yDuT9byyQPr2pMEW1A9J_dDdtXHBWuqiOaFpQj2NTejBOobgH3ut531denKHVBQDWzsYkXaOBpYfvNgeHF9HaPeoVTbGVdzqLC0qqHWwwzTuqMe_hWB3I-T2zKMj/s1600-h/P1010451.JPG"><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/AVvXsEiUyIAzpp02yDuT9byyQPr2pMEW1A9J_dDdtXHBWuqiOaFpQj2NTejBOobgH3ut531denKHVBQDWzsYkXaOBpYfvNgeHF9HaPeoVTbGVdzqLC0qqHWwwzTuqMe_hWB3I-T2zKMj/s320/P1010451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420914776799377106" border="0" /></a><br />Fudge with walnuts and dried cranberries<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREoqaaUOQP9TyL0ILmXthjLwNOCtjdjXf2tIqrg1pJbo72J9zBpf4CV4XjnQX6GT6Uwq4gstOU2BAI72W19eICFFAn4XCA_e9fG3XdNPA5d1AvdgbCOQ7Pbl8L2X6rGv3MPex/s1600-h/P1010450.JPG"><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/AVvXsEjREoqaaUOQP9TyL0ILmXthjLwNOCtjdjXf2tIqrg1pJbo72J9zBpf4CV4XjnQX6GT6Uwq4gstOU2BAI72W19eICFFAn4XCA_e9fG3XdNPA5d1AvdgbCOQ7Pbl8L2X6rGv3MPex/s320/P1010450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420914635699973618" border="0" /></a><br />Thumbprint cookies and Soft Ginger cookies<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeL2gMcuW-xb0cvucq2tjG1PS0DuAbiY5ZHUb03lUajmlQTQqFZkyEgt14f4aBfHpfOGG0tjqiH1pgFtehvPHTfC23-0hSRUStMuGvvA8v3nLfLBN0KAO5KYQ1KOQc-9NxmQo/s1600-h/P1010449.JPG"><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/AVvXsEgOeL2gMcuW-xb0cvucq2tjG1PS0DuAbiY5ZHUb03lUajmlQTQqFZkyEgt14f4aBfHpfOGG0tjqiH1pgFtehvPHTfC23-0hSRUStMuGvvA8v3nLfLBN0KAO5KYQ1KOQc-9NxmQo/s320/P1010449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420914473689700354" border="0" /></a><br />I also made two liqueurs ~ sorry, no photos. They are cranberry liqueur and an Irish creme knock-off. The recipes for both are in previous blogs.<br /><br />And in the "real" food department, I made two types of hummus ~ plain and "olive" ~ both with roasted garlic ~ turned out very yummy, and a baked artichoke dip. We served these dips with baked pita bread "chips" and fresh veggies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjNGV7WjOHP0ID4VdmbRhrRNV2K3fMC4xrPnnRNoDsPYVFgj_DBHm9o-zhTrnEezbO6hu2NjVumC3Md0nptUDZ6YZxVmb8E63m87kzJhFqwn09UB3jm7h7yjzhXa9wK-j_gU6/s1600-h/P1010454.JPG"><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/AVvXsEjTjNGV7WjOHP0ID4VdmbRhrRNV2K3fMC4xrPnnRNoDsPYVFgj_DBHm9o-zhTrnEezbO6hu2NjVumC3Md0nptUDZ6YZxVmb8E63m87kzJhFqwn09UB3jm7h7yjzhXa9wK-j_gU6/s320/P1010454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420915209578787042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZvUcoVIGaSS-gI3_pgoN7izidsDMyIzi4beurrfaLLDZ1VnmBhyphenhyphenkWCxmklGLT1obbfUdDijveSj7TX_a1Z2MQEZ1Uy8UgXEVyYdbmSsFaEzSPW0FBKglmHhvrsjfdP7XgN5m/s1600-h/P1010455.JPG"><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/AVvXsEi9ZvUcoVIGaSS-gI3_pgoN7izidsDMyIzi4beurrfaLLDZ1VnmBhyphenhyphenkWCxmklGLT1obbfUdDijveSj7TX_a1Z2MQEZ1Uy8UgXEVyYdbmSsFaEzSPW0FBKglmHhvrsjfdP7XgN5m/s320/P1010455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420917196065496514" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My husband baked a honey-glazed ham that we put out with rolls, cheeses, and condiments. We wanted to keep it simple, so everything was finger food, and everything turned out great.Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-62534849826101044462009-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:002009-11-30T11:21:42.576-08:00Trans Siberian Orchestra ~ A ReviewA rock concert for people who don't ordinarily go to rock concerts.<br /><br />Finally, finally, *FINALLY* got to go see them ~ and it was worth the wait. It was absolutely fantastic. Great songs ~ Christmas-y and otherwise. Great light and stage show, complete with lasers; racing, colored fire; big screens behind the band; moving overhead lights; hot-white spotlights; risers; musicians running through the crowd and onto *more* risers... the whole 9 yards. And the energy... top notch. Had a moment where I thought I was at 'American Idol' but it quickly passed. lol<br /><br />Screaming lead guitar playing O Holy Night is forever burned into my brain. It's a happy feeling. They played several classics, but rocked them out. Anyone who loves a little cello and violin ~ okay, a LOT of cello and violin AND piano ~ in their rock and roll Christmas music will love this. The two young violinists were rocking harder than anyone, and the singers ~ simply wonderful.<br /><br />There was a man with a unique, hypnotizing voice telling a story in between the songs during the first half of the performance... but it was a disjointed story and difficult to follow. A bit rambling, no clear "moral" except maybe to be generous and that help can come from strange places...? But no worries. He was lovely to listen to, and was a minor (for me) part of the show.<br /><br />5 stars. May just become a Christmas staple for my family.Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-78468617142008609092009-11-08T10:37:00.000-08:002009-11-08T10:42:06.719-08:00Cranberry Liqueur<img style="position: relative; float: right; margin-left: 5px; width: 301px; height: 225px;" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/14/photos/upload/300x300/SvcL3goKCjsAADoJHh82/Cranberry-Liqueur.JPG?et=D8PWCQCB5TS1vVtklrliog&nmid=296094443" border="0" /><b></b><br /><div id="item_body" class="bodytext" author="shadesofouterspace" is_pmrepliable="1" author_possessive="shadesofouterspace's"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Fresh cranberries are not available all year long.<br />How do I know that? Because the first year I made this, I went to make another batch mid-January and there wasn't a fresh cranberry to be had... anywhere. I checked 4-5 grocery stores *and* asked the produce managers. The best they could suggest was to check the freezer section.<br /><br />And that, my fellow imbibers, is why *now* is the time to act if you'd like to make this delicious liqueur.<br /><br />I've made it as gifts in years past ~ just fill a half pint canning jar as if it were moonshine ~ or any decorative bottle. I also like to keep a bottle (bigger than a half pint!) around for myself. The photo is the last of last year's batch, so it's beautiful cranberry color has faded, but when it's fresh, it's a very pretty, bright color.<br /><br /><b>Ingredients:</b><br />4.5 cups vodka<br />1.5 cups triple sec*<br />3 cups sugar<br />2 bags fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped<br /><br /><b>Directions:</b><br />Combine all ingredients in a large jar and let sit a room temperature for 3-4 weeks, shaking the jar every 4 or 5 days. Strain and pour into bottles. Makes about 6 cups.<br /><br />*I'd seen recipes for this that included orange slices, as well as ones that didn't. I thought a bit of orange sounded good, but the first time I made it I didn't have any handy. I did, however, have some triple sec in the cupboard, and... as I recall, I was short of vodka, too (yes, I always plan so well ahead ;-P). So I was mixing and matching and as I was very happy with the result, I rewrote the recipe to suit myself!</div>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-66190495246147589422009-10-08T20:56:00.000-07:002009-10-09T09:26:10.828-07:00Bandanas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4DTfEftaBGxwzje5QVYx33HwZA6gEDHR82nunbAZ_z8Iko2tK1Mp-fzEf_pAaQ2gWgCv0kMtDByaA9e3YK7mw0keTYl8WlcY8CVvxR_bNgPo351V7vK4Hx2F27_qHb82ghET/s1600-h/Keepers.jpg"><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/AVvXsEiC4DTfEftaBGxwzje5QVYx33HwZA6gEDHR82nunbAZ_z8Iko2tK1Mp-fzEf_pAaQ2gWgCv0kMtDByaA9e3YK7mw0keTYl8WlcY8CVvxR_bNgPo351V7vK4Hx2F27_qHb82ghET/s320/Keepers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390634130356753522" border="0" /></a><br /><div id="photo_1" class="thumbnail frame-black">Bandanas are the best thing since sliced bread, imo...<br /><br />What else can:<br />*cover up a bad hair day<br />*help keep you warm in the winter (tied around your neck)<br />*help keep you cool in the summer (get wet, then tie around your neck!)<br />*serve as camping's best multi-use tool: hot pad/ dish cloth/ towel/ wash rag/ berry sling/ compress/ tourniquet (hopefully you don't need one of these, but just in case...)/ bandage/ sun shade.... and on and on. Even, thanks to this idea by Ms. Janan, using one to tie my seat belt down.... it's been tweaking my shoulder for *years*!!! And it works great! <br /><br />I love bandanas.<br />I'm never without one.<br />The purple one in the middle lives in my purse.<br /><br /></div>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-9566820679845580682009-09-17T11:14:00.000-07:002009-09-17T11:22:59.573-07:00Bailey's Irish Creme Knock-off<b>Ingredients:</b><br />1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk<br />1/2 can brandy/ rum/ or any combination of the two*<br />1 T Hershey's syrup<br />1 T vanilla<br />1 can regular milk<br /><br /><b>Directions:</b><br />Blend well and chill overnight.<br />Store in the refrigerator.<br />Makes approx. 3 cups.<br /><br />I use the can as my measuring cup... helps get all the condensed milk out and just one less thing to have to clean..<br /><br />Wow! I date my recipes when I write them down and I've had this one for 20 years!<br /><br />*Actually made a non-alcoholic version once for a friend who doesn't drink... substitute the booze with 1 T rum extract and a half can of water. Not as good as the real thing, but close...<br /><br />Also... posted this elsewhere and had a friend respond that she made it with Irish whiskey ~ thumps self on forehead! lol ~ of course! That would be perfect. I just keep the cheaper stuff on hand, tho, and it works *very* well, too.Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-91841838202622371312009-08-22T08:36:00.000-07:002009-08-22T08:40:33.887-07:00See yourself?<span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">I've gotta admit that I do... ;-)<br /></span><br /><pre><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">ARIES - The Daredevil (Mar 21 - April 19)<br />Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Loves a challenge. EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Easily angered.) Lively, passionate, and sharp wit. Outgoing. Lose interest</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">quickly - easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">physical and athletic. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">TAURUS - The Enduring One (April 20 - May 20) Charming but aggressive. Can</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">come off as boring, but they are not. Hard workers.. Warm-hearted. Strong,</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">has endurance. Solid beings that are stable and secure in their ways. Not</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Make great friends and give good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard -</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">passionate. Express themselves emotionally... Prone to ferocious</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulge themselves often. Very generous. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">GEMINI - The Chatterbox (May 21 - June 20) Smart and witty. Outgoing, very</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable but needs to express them selves.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Argumentative and outspoken. Like change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">and tense. Gossips. May seem superficial or inconsistent. Beautiful</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">physically and mentally. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">CANCER - The Protector (June 21 - July 22)</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty /handsome.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Excellent partners for life. Protective.. Inventive and imaginative.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person... Needs love from others. Easily</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">hurt, but sympathetic. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">LEO - The Boss (July 23 - Aug 22)</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Very organized. Need order in their lives - like being in control. Like</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">boundaries. Tend to take over everything. Bossy. Like to help others. Social</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive. Creative</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">energy. Full of themselves. Loving. Doing the right thing is important to</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Leos. Attractive. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">VIRGO - The Perfectionist (Aug 23 - Sept 22)</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Dominant in relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos.. Eager.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful.. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">LIBRA - The Harmonizer (Sept 23 - Oct 22)</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social.. Hates to be alone. Peaceful,</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Give in too easily.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Procrastinators. Very gullible. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">SCORPIO - The Intense One (Oct 23 - Nov 21! )</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hard working. </span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. </span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Determined.. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be </span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">self-centered at times. Passionate and emotional. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">SAGITTARIUS - The Happy-Go-Lucky One (Nov 22 - Dec 21)</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Good-natured optimist. Doesn't want to grow up (Peter Pan Syndrome)..</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Indulges self. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling.. Social and outgoing.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Doesn't like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">around.. Having lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn't like rules. Sometimes</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">hypocritical.. Dislikes being confined - tight spaces or even tight clothes.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Doesn't like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">CAPRICORN - The Go-Getter (Dec 22 ! - Jan 19) Patient and wise. Practical</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">bit shy and reserved. Often pessimistic. Capricorns tend to act before they</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">think and can be Unfriendly at times. Hold grudges. Like competition. Get</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">what they want. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">AQUARIUS - The Sweetheart (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Optimistic and honest. Sweet</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">personality. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">PISCES - The Dreamer (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Generous, kind, and thoughtful.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Don't like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind.</span><br /><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">Unselfish. Good kisser. Beautiful. </span><br /></pre>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-86187585681202979642009-08-09T09:56:00.000-07:002009-08-09T10:03:03.215-07:00Instructions for making... The World's Best Iced Tea<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/4-nA8VlZNJ0uXtE5VU4WRg/photos/1M/300x300/400/P8083091.JPG?et=b1q9zN8emGLZJjWV4cQ3wQ&nmid=0" border="0" /></span><br /></div>No brag/ just fact. I drink about a half gallon a day of the stuff during the summer...<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />Hot water<br />8 tea bags<br />1/2 gallon-sized pitcher full of ice<br />Sweetener (optional)<br /><br />Here is a look into my tea cabinet....<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/401"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/qgPM54KUYFchNTt6oclIsQ/photos/1M/300x300/401/P8083049.JPG?et=RWp7KWp0FVXQgyyLZouQlw&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/400"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/402"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/p8bCte+Jhogktw+JMMZLZg/photos/1M/300x300/402/P8083050.JPG?et=ttQx5F4OCiuuW4Av5m5qUw&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />And that's only the first 'layer'...<br /><br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/400"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/403"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/v8jknGFCDjSsXbbgnmubIQ/photos/1M/300x300/403/P8083055.JPG?et=NrnGvnIUECdZvoz35StWVg&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/400"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/404"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/Uj81vkrx44dRS3PZzxI0kA/photos/1M/300x300/404/P8083056.JPG?et=K1OUq9kxMWx04gPp2Ww%2Bsw&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Yes, I'm a big fan of Celestial Seasonings teas. And Thai Tea ~ but that's another lesson.<br /><br />I usually use half caffeinated and half de-caffeinated to make my tea. That way I *can* drink it all day without getting too jittery... unless, of course, I need a little extra 'pick me up' -or- it's evening and I'll be going to bed soon... in which case I'll make full strength caff -or- de-caff.<br /><br />Today I'm going to go with half regular green tea and half blueberry tea. You already saw what a beautiful color the finished product is...<br /><br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/400"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/405"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/jsbz7vj1LeQGK4QeCJX2Eg/photos/1M/300x300/405/P8083070.JPG?et=uOskIBdTbX2AMruyIfiZKg&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />It bears mentioning that the Celestial Seasonings "fruit teas" variety pack is *perfect* for making wonderful flavored teas as well ~ the box contains 5 packs of 4 tea bags each ~ just right for a different flavor every time you make a pitcher. I'm constantly trying new combinations, and while I've been more into green teas lately, plain old "Lipton" style also goes well with just about any flavored tea, too. Black tea w/ lemon tea; or black tea and mint... the possibilities are endless. I also keep both caff and de-caff green *and* black teas on hand because I don't always want flavored tea... sometimes just 'plain old' tea is the best!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/400"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/406"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/wvdgeiX28wVW6f5VE4nl4g/photos/1M/300x300/406/P8083068.JPG?et=xF2ES0v793I85bpKY%2CnDfA&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />I use my coffee maker to make the hot water. If you boil your water on the stove top, let it set for a minute before pouring it over the tea bags ~ straight out of the pot boiling water is too hot for the more delicate teas.<br /><br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/400"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/407"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/9nCV4uGgJlgVVCw5HYaR3g/photos/1M/300x300/407/P8083071.JPG?et=XVAO6iwzzCnBnIaeT0fusw&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I use a standard-sized tea pot to steep the tea.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/409"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/NkcjoWXNJ4J2LUqrkvB-SA/photos/1M/300x300/409/P8083053.JPG?et=yXyA752SFO%2CTai%2Ci9kXiAA&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/410"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/qIxhvoVhNLU4Spkb7a8-Vw/photos/1M/300x300/410/P8083072.JPG?et=VmHfwI0nS1J95rNYL4wTcA&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/411"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/CejUxoZbdIS2e7YAAlIudA/photos/1M/300x300/411/P8083073.JPG?et=nhoEM0wGSwJ7HkRVPbIlyg&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Be sure to put the lid on while steeping.<a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/412"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/MFqysLySSTj2sqW9lrNvwQ/photos/1M/300x300/412/P8083075.JPG?et=W8%2BM6JdussF3VaHy0%2C4emw&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />If I'm making half black/ orange pekoe tea, I set the timer to 3 minutes. Much longer and the tea will get bitter. Green tea can steep all day without getting bitter, but 3-4 minutes is sufficient.<br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/413"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/YE1WueKSBSl0ho7ZzMuu6w/photos/1M/300x300/413/P8083078.JPG?et=UwoDQBIwPNV6Jvw4AZ4b2A&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />While the tea is steeping, get your pitcher filled with ice ready.<br />If I had to choose a favorite kitchen gadget, it would be, hands down, the ice maker in the fridge. But even before I joined the ranks of the privileged with ice ready on demand, I was making iced tea using... any big plastic cup. I'd fill it with water and set it in the freezer. When frozen, just run a little warm water over the outside of it and voila! you've got a pitcher-sized cylinder of ice... just enough to cool a pot of hot tea without using all the ice cubes in the house!<br /><br /><br />Any "big gulp" sized cup will<a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/415"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/vGNKlb+LDAyG8UMrj1B44Q/photos/1M/300x300/415/P8083065.JPG?et=yjZ7Bs%2Cq8dwcPDCU8CW7tg&nmid=0" border="0" /></a> do.<br /><br />It's at this point that I add 1/4 cup of bulk Splenda to the pitcher.<br /><br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/416"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/jphDimYN8wxCVGMvoYA62Q/photos/1M/300x300/416/P8083084.JPG?et=CDyhG0G1aw2U3fvKLysN%2CQ&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />When the tea is finished steeping... pour over the ice, stir and serve.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/417"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/M5n5SzsNHWrZKxbdqCNjAA/photos/1M/300x300/417/P8083086.JPG?et=r50gl4TqVCCztju3ZH6ngQ&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/418"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/ZRo-f4oBl1j-8TVJ8aXWIw/photos/1M/300x300/418/P8083087.JPG?et=OXPx2A8UDf0sC%2BaLlxAVpA&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Yum Yum!!!!!<br />Even clean-up is a snap! Just rinse your teapot and set to dry ~ I never use soap on mine.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/408"><span class="insertedphoto"></span></a><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/419"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/4msas3CrR2gyxD2OVhMyzA/photos/1M/300x300/419/P8083100.JPG?et=96uydxPJZGdX0Td6LnJ6cQ&nmid=0" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Enjoy! :-)Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-30979674462588864622009-07-04T23:59:00.000-07:002009-07-05T00:03:08.964-07:00Artichoke Frittata<img style="position: relative; float: right; margin-left: 5px;" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/10/photos/upload/300x300/Sk7VQwoKCjsAAF58Qfg1/Double-batch.JPG?et=HUKCpSA644rOumUqnEz4JQ&nmid=262990573" border="0" width="300" height="225" /><b>Description:</b><br /><div id="item_body" class="bodytext" author="shadesofouterspace" is_pmrepliable="1" author_possessive="shadesofouterspace's">I love quiche and had tried several 'crustless' quiche recipes before finding this one... it's the best! The crumbled saltines give it just enough ... something. Texture, I guess... and hold-together-ivness ;-)<br /><br />It is great reheated as a breakfast entree, but I prefer it cut into 1" squares and served at room temperature as an appetizer or finger food.<br /><br />Forgot to take a photo before digging in! lol (That's a double batch in a 9X13" baking dish)<br /><br /><b>Ingredients:</b><br />1/2 c. onion, minced<br />1 clove garlic, minced<br /><br />20 marinated artichokes (2 jars), drained and chopped<br />2 c. mild cheddar cheese, grated<br />5 eggs<br />6 saltines, crumbled fine<br />pinch salt<br />pepper to taste<br /><br /><b>Directions:</b><br />Saute the onion and garlic in some of the artichoke 'oil'.<br /><br />Then mix together with the rest of the ingredients.<br /><br />Bake in an 8X8" oiled pyrex dish at 350 for 35-40 minutes.<br />Recipe doubles well.<br /><br />Notes:<br />You know those little jars of marinated artichoke hearts at the grocery store... at like $3 each? Well, a gigantic jar at Costco is about $8 and will make numerous batches. That's why the friend who gave me the recipe counted how many were in the little jars and wrote down the recipe that way altho... the ones in the Costco jar seem to be larger, so count "quarter" artichokes as one (IOW, a "half" an artichoke equals two for our purposes~<br /><br />Also, I'm not a huge fan of onions, and sauteeing them and the garlic is just another dirty skillet imo... so for this most recent *double* batch, I substituted 1 T dried minced onion/ 1/2 t. garlic granules (similar to garlic powder)/ and 1 T dried parsley (just seemed like a good idea ;-) ~and it came out *really* good.</div>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-73147097780172845252009-06-08T20:13:00.000-07:002010-08-09T20:54:13.837-07:00BFD is right... A Review of Live 105's "BFD" ~ A Day-long Rock and Roll Music Festival<span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span>The day was beautiful. Not too hot, not too cold. Just a perfect day.... but every time I go to Shoreline, I'm reminded of why I don't go there very often. The place is just too big, and too much trouble to get to.<br /><br />It's 70 'bay area' freeway miles from where I live, which means anywhere from an hour and a half (best time ~ and Saturday mornings are good) to three hours (for a week-night evening show). And then of course, once you arrive, there's another 15-30 minutes of stop and go into the parking lot, and a goodly walk to the gates.<br /><br />Shoreline has 6,500 seats, which by itself would be a really nice sized arena. But then there's the lawn. I can't look at it without thinking: Testament to Greed. The lawn "seats" 15,500 more. That's a BIG lawn. When you're at the top of it, you're about a mile from the stage, and all you can see are these teeny tiny little figures down there. So you end up watching one of the two big screens hung above the lawn. Here is one of them (photo taken at about 2pm):<br /><br /><span class="insertedphoto"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Si2A7QoKCjsAAGT4TPo1/P6062736.JPG?et=bFpFk%2B7bQC4v9utBhFQnOA&nmid=0" border="0" /></span><br />Don't get me wrong, the lawn is a perfectly lovely place to hang out for an afternoon, which is what we did, because... the bands at the other stages (4 stages total, tons of bands, all-day festival) involved *standing in a parking lot* to see them. Standing in a parking lot. In the sun. Not my idea of a good time.<br /><br />So after watching Anberlin, we (my sister and I ~ the kids had long since ditched us) headed for the lawn. It was kind of a long afternoon, just hanging out, tho, because the main stage wasn't going to be used until 6pm (when the other stages would close). But we had a couple lemonades and rum, chatted with the people around us, napped (or tried to), and wandered around a bit, but mostly just waited.<br /><br />But then.... about 5 o'clock, the smaller stages started shutting down and *everyone* started heading to the lawn. Well, our little spot was increasingly hard to defend, but the girls in front of us were so funny, stopping people from walking across our blankets. It was a sold out show ~ so was basically a lost cause at that point. And while the lawn may be a perfectly nice place from which to watch a concert that's *not* sold out... well, that was not our experience. So this is what it looked like at about 5:00. Everyone is still sitting down, but still pouring in, too... I was *amazed* at how many people were there.<br /><br /><span class="insertedphoto"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Si2CjAoKCjsAAHE5ZBo1/P6062748.JPG?et=8dsGXjmai%2CR6M3ksuZhPug&nmid=0" border="0" /></span><br />The first group was the Dead Confederates. Nice, mellow sound. I liked them a lot. Next up, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I had one of their albums a few years ago, but it just didn't hold my attention, so I sold it. They're the same live. Just didn't keep my attention. But were okay, and played a couple songs I knew.<br /><br />So now it's about dark and 311 comes on. Fun band. High energy... a little too high, in fact, because it was while they were on that the mosh pits started springing up... unfortunately, right next to us. Twice. So we're grabbing our stuff and getting out of the way. Second time, some asshole gave me a good push, and I instinctively grabbed the person next to me's arm to keep from falling down ~ she was very nice about it ~ but I wanted to kick that guy. Good thing the blueshirts (security) showed up and the moshers wandered away. All I need is to get beat up in a mosh pit! lol After that, we decided to gain a little elevation.<br /><br />So we headed up the hill ~ the kids had been hanging at the rail as close to the stage as they could get the whole time, coming back to sit with us between acts ~ and we had our "after the show meeting space" all mapped out, because I told them we might move at any time, so that was all good. We were free to move around as we pleased without worrying about them, nor them, us.<br /><br />The Offspring was the final group, and I love them. They were great!! Played all my favorite songs and were really good. By then, tho, we were pretty much at the top of the lawn... so the figures on stage were about 1/2 inch tall. We centered ourselves in front of one of the screens, and watched it there.<br /><br />I LOVE live music. The energy and the spontaneity. But watching a "live" show on a big screen.... just loses something in translation. And always leaves me begging the question: Why am I out here getting sunburned and beat up when I'm watching the show on what is essentially a big TV?<br /><br />But to be honest, I can answer that.... I was there for my kids. One hadn't been to his first concert yet, and he was really into a lot of the bands that were playing. And... I'd already been to two other concerts with the other kid, so I figured one all-day concert equals two regular concerts ~ hey, I'm a mother of twins... *everything* has to equal up at the end of the day!<br /><br />The other kid got to go because tickets were 4/ $100, and mainly just went along to see the Offspring, but the one who was pushing for it all along had the best time. He got to see all of the bands he likes ~ Anberlin, The Limousines, Alkaline Trio, and Taking Back Sunday~ and all four of the "headliners", too. And... he got to meet his favorite band, Taking Back Sunday, and got an autographed poster. He was stoked.<br /><br />So an all-day (and into the night) concert... sunshine and a nice lawn to sit on for *most* of the day.... even with all the "down sides"... I still love it. And lets face it... it doesn't appear that I will *ever* outgrow concerts!<br /><br /><span class="insertedphoto"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Si2u8woKCjsAAF8mJEI1/P6062729.JPG?et=5ZraivlBv1wqVWeQQgvBOQ&nmid=0" border="0" /></span>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-2044339707096550232009-05-16T22:02:00.000-07:002009-05-16T22:05:50.483-07:00Baby 'Mater<span class="insertedphoto">I'm gonna be a Mommy again.<br /><br />A cannibal mommy, that is...<br />The "baby" is a little over 1/2" diameter...<br /><br /><a href="http://shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/Sg5N3goKCjsAADeZacA1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.shadesofouterspace.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Sg5N3goKCjsAADeZacA1/003.JPG?et=5sJ2Todt%2C1NKpl7nDLp4EA&nmid=0" border="0" /></a></span>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-55476151575144840652009-05-10T11:24:00.000-07:002009-05-10T11:34:09.703-07:00My 'other' gardening project...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjeV3HyfQ6Q4L3qsIDHnEaQumNySNnRRpWnGP4bWIuk-saCy3HzZ_Bf3RDG7kvQXLNuhMGch52flqs_uWKCE8mvGAhPV91nk3BLa9tG2nXFftHFV1GxSyii1YdNZoTH2rXIRd/s1600-h/013.JPG"><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/AVvXsEjdjeV3HyfQ6Q4L3qsIDHnEaQumNySNnRRpWnGP4bWIuk-saCy3HzZ_Bf3RDG7kvQXLNuhMGch52flqs_uWKCE8mvGAhPV91nk3BLa9tG2nXFftHFV1GxSyii1YdNZoTH2rXIRd/s320/013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334264092643384082" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This... is a peach tree. Or rather, it *will* be a peach tree. Now I think it's more like a peach dream. Or a peach sprout. At any rate, I live near the Central Valley of California, and the produce that can be grown here is simply amazing. So after eating a particularly delicious peach ~ not last year, but the year before! ~ I saved the pit, stuck it in some dirt, and threw some water on it now and again.<br /><br />I recently discovered, while surfing the net looking for information on growing peach trees from a seed (as it seemed my little experiment was going to thrive...), that the fruit you get from such a tree is not guaranteed by any estimation to be of the same quality as the peach you got it from. Seems there are other forces at play, such as where it is pollinated from and I-don't-know-what-else. But as we've come this far together ~ my lovely little tree-ette and I ~ *we* shall persevere.<br /><br />I'm a tree person :-)<br /></div><br /><div align="left"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:100%;" >Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. </span></div><div align="right"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:100%;" ><i>-- Herman Hesse</i></span></div>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-8429613752716159292009-05-08T22:18:00.000-07:002009-05-08T22:33:31.697-07:00I got my garden planted...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReGAp7_Aq78DIPRUSxnORA5q27yZbqN_E-5F1ZVdr4Fht0q-Muiq2cW-kbGg4rODCQ9q6hRYef7cijbpU6kq49XQVuGowIPBQ2YH9kMBSZEPKeALPPAdGsuMlFDY-gZ6r_E3q/s1600-h/015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReGAp7_Aq78DIPRUSxnORA5q27yZbqN_E-5F1ZVdr4Fht0q-Muiq2cW-kbGg4rODCQ9q6hRYef7cijbpU6kq49XQVuGowIPBQ2YH9kMBSZEPKeALPPAdGsuMlFDY-gZ6r_E3q/s320/015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333690680577585730" border="0" /></a><span class="insertedphoto">The amazing... hanging... upside down... Tomato Plant!</span><br /><span class="insertedphoto"><br /></span><span class="insertedphoto">We got this gadget a couple years ago at a home and garden show ~ and it works great!!<br /><br />The place in our yard where a garden could fit is up against a fence, with southern exposure, and it just *bakes* in the summer sun. Plus, we put a shed there a month or</span><span class="insertedphoto"> so ago...<br /><br /></span><span class="insertedphoto">So ~ if we wanted to have fresh, homegrown tomatoes, we needed to explore other options. And lets face it ~ I'm not much of a gardener.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggULu_N2z_YlcjiMbx8Zt8tPs3fmld3QP-Bu7mrDGXfRh7EVPnBLIx5ImKfk2TTr4xxJa1ydh_GZpXQIzU_VJcv8Ee6VuYCxwfRboIlRaqi1hzZXZnaJIaI1mn0oEOhxxnMsyc/s1600-h/016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggULu_N2z_YlcjiMbx8Zt8tPs3fmld3QP-Bu7mrDGXfRh7EVPnBLIx5ImKfk2TTr4xxJa1ydh_GZpXQIzU_VJcv8Ee6VuYCxwfRboIlRaqi1hzZXZnaJIaI1mn0oEOhxxnMsyc/s320/016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333692591004866610" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="insertedphoto">So this is a perfect compromise ~ give it some water every day and no weeding/ no mud/ no tomato worms... and it's right there on the back porch ~ 5 short steps from the door. How much more convenient could it get??</span><br /><span class="insertedphoto"><br />And it grows great tomatoes, too! :-)</span>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25564972.post-66268709736383643942009-02-25T13:30:00.000-08:002009-02-25T13:33:15.662-08:00Before Feng Shui worked it's Magic...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYx-X_oLV4jjloAG50IppJ93jAi8oRExhJcckG-Oyvg6WMAUbe95YQcXEbdLOMjOQOjMGC8ABL-QFnfMynh3Lr4byqOw3NlmgUzzguidlm6TcLtRFh11ZDibndXT4i_1N9Md-0/s1600-h/Misc+131.jpg"><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/AVvXsEiYx-X_oLV4jjloAG50IppJ93jAi8oRExhJcckG-Oyvg6WMAUbe95YQcXEbdLOMjOQOjMGC8ABL-QFnfMynh3Lr4byqOw3NlmgUzzguidlm6TcLtRFh11ZDibndXT4i_1N9Md-0/s320/Misc+131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306851072319620546" border="0" /></a>hahahaha!<br /></div>Annodearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05965053358392747637noreply@blogger.com2