Seriously

What is wrong with people?

Low Food

So I've already admitted to liking some rather base food. A couple days ago, I destroyed my gourmet credibility with one of my friends, so I'll happily admit in a public forum that I like Jell-O. I own this cookbook and have made several recipes in it. (1) And yes, there are, indeed, initial joys to warrant the title. I made myself a Poke Cake yesterday, pictured here. Oh, it's so wonderful - I haven't made one in years. I'd heard about them, but the first time I ever tried one was in my college dining hall. This one isn't nearly thick enough, and I probably used a bit too much Jell-O, but I don't care - it's still good. And the texture - the gelatin soaked into the cake firms up when refrigerated. Mmmmmm!

Jell-O Poke Cake
1 box white cake (I prefer Duncan Hines "Classic White" - prepare as package directs)
1 box Jell-O (any flavor, I prefer "red")
1 c. boiling water

Bake cake as package directs. When cake is cool, poke all over with a fork. Combine boiling water and gelatin and pour gelatin over top of cake. Refrigerate and frost with whipped cream. Or, this frosting:

Whipped Frosting
2 envelopes Dream Whip
1 (4-svg) package instant pudding (use White Chocolate for pure white frosting, Vanilla if you don't mind it a little yellow, or any other flavor as your needs dictate)
3/4 c. milk

Combine packages of powder with milk and beat until stiff. Frost cake.


Speaking of that frosting, using Pistachio pudding mix to frost a pistachio cake (make another white cake, dumping a package of Pistachio pudding mix in the batter) makes for a tasty treat.

As other "low food" goes, I freely admit I like hot dogs. Pigs in Blankets were my favorite school lunch, and I still make them now. (Chicken hot dogs + refrigerated breadstick dough = yum!). Speaking of hot dogs, if I don't have hot dog buns, I'll make hot dog sandwiches - split a hot dog in half lengthwise, and then again crosswise - line 'em up flat on a hamburger bun with some mustard. And if you're making homemade pizza, hot dog slices are surprisingly good toppings.

I am also not ashamed to admit that I like Cool Whip. In fact, I personally prefer it to fresh whipped cream. And the French Vanilla Cool Whip available in November-December? Heavenly. I could take down an entire container in one sitting, left to my own devices.

(1) Used copies starting at a penny! You're just depriving yourself if you don't buy one.

A Glitch in the Matrix

I get pretty strong deja vu, about once a month or two. Well, deja vecu, is what it really is - the feeling like I've experienced a situation before (as opposed to just having seen something: vu). I often get the sense that I've been in a room before where the people or furniture were arranged in a certain manner. Or someone has said something in a certain way, and I knew that they were going to. I often feel like I've dreamt a situation before. Who knows - maybe I have. Some research indicates that deja vu might be a misconnection between short- and long-term memory. The long-term memory of a situation gets processed first, so even though you're truly experiencing something for the first time, your brain thinks a memory of the situation is being recalled from long-term storage.

When this stuff happens, I usually feel like I dreamt them before - I've even gone back to my bedside journals to see whether I'd written these things down. Actually, I had one instance of deja vu recently where I was almost certain I had written it down before - but I never did go back to see whether I had. Maybe I should...

It's interesting that these actually have a label.

On a tangential note, the DVR has officially ruined my life.

I don't watch a lot of TV, but there are a few shows that I do enjoy. Now that we have a Tivo-esque recorder, it is pretty nice to be able to watch television on my own terms. And skip commercials. I also like to pause a program or rewind to catch a missed line. I didn't realize how much I rely on these features, until I was in a conversation a few days ago. I was distracted and didn't hear some things that were said. My first instinct was to replay the conversation to see what I had missed. This is bad. Last time I checked, life doesn't have a remote control.

The Other Central Florida

I've lived in Florida for three years. Today, I found what may very well be my favorite thing in the state. We spent the day at Rock Springs, in Kelly Park.

Rock Springs bubbles up out of a rocky (duh) outcropping, then flows in a stream for some distance. There are boardwalks and picnic spots all over the place. Instructions: Carry an inner tube up one of the boardwalks to the source of the spring. Put your butt where it goes (wow, that water's chilly!), and ride the lazy current downstream for 20 minutes or so. To me, Florida has few charms, but this was absolutely delightful! The spring water is 68-70 degF - so awesomely good in 98 degF air. The stream is partially shaded, and it's all jungly with trees and blooming plants on either side. There are rocks in the streambed on the upper half, the cool water is crystal-clear, and with the sun filtering through trees and glinting off the water, it's just heavenly. I decided to forego (1) the tube a couple times to swim down the stream - also fun. Well, until I had my back turned (not before it was too late) and took a rock in the shin. A mixed blessing is their crowd control procedure. The park opens at 800a, and they let people in (only a dollar per person!) until the park is full (1030-ish today); they turn people away until 300p or so, once the crowd starts to thin. The line of cars to get in at 300p was a half-mile long, easily. It's nice that they keep it from getting crazy-crowded, but half our group didn't get in. But still, it was really really really sweet.


Top Ten Free (or Nearly Free) Things to Do in Central Florida

1. Rock Springs/Kelly Park
2. Watch Shuttle/Rocket Launch
3. Orlando Science Center (especially when free for Orlando residents)
4. Orlando Art Museum on Thursday Afternoons
5. Watch Big Planes Take Off/Land at Orlando Int'l
6. Leu Gardens on Monday Mornings
7. Tour Model Homes
8. Winter Park Farmer's Market on Saturday Mornings
9. Watch Thunderstorms Develop
10. Pressing Pennies (esp. at Turnpike Service Plazas)

Honorable Mention: Benefit Wine Tastings at (now-defunct) Salvatore's Restaurant



Construction continues to zoom along. We have cabinets and countertops, and the tile is mostly finished.


(1) What is the past participle of forego? Forewent? That sounds ridiculous.

Wine and a Whine

The Good News: the wine shop I mentioned a week or so ago? I like it even more now.

I was in the neighborhood (seriously!), so I popped in to the shop yesterday afternoon. I wandered around for a while, picking up another bottle of the Washington Gewurztraminer that was popular at the party, an Austrian Gruner Veltliner (which I've had and liked at Seasons 52), an Australian Viognier, a French Vouvray, a French Syrah Rose, and I was contemplating a sparkling Shiraz (which I did not get) and a late-harvest Semillon (which I did) when an employee came by and asked me whether I was finding everything I needed. I joked that I had found what I came in for and was now just looking for anything else I had to have. He handed me his card (regional manager) and explained that the shop conducts tastings every weekend. Cool. And then he continued; the shop is conducting a class for employees back in the classroom, and he'd love to have a customer come in and give them some real-life practice. For a ten-dollar gift card, would I be interested? Uh, yes! [The fact that the shop has a classroom wins it some points.] So he led me back to the classroom, where there's 40-some employees. I'm led to the front of the room and asked what I want. What are my choices? Chardonnay (eh), Pinot Noir (okay), or an Italian. Hm - let's try the Italian. So a tasting glass is poured and I gave it a try. Yipes, it's tart! I chat it up with the employee who's up at the front, on the spot with me, asking after the kinds of grapes in it and some food pairings. Other folks chimed in from the rest of the room. And that was it. (I'd have happily done more to earn my ten bucks!) Maybe it was a marketing ploy, but they have a satisfied customer. I definitely dig this shop. All of the employees have been very helpful and knowledgeable - which is necessary, because it's a big shop and it could easily come off as impersonal. The cashiers never card me, though - a bit of a blow to the self-esteem. :) And I've been in there wearing a t-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and messy hair - thinking I look pretty young - but maybe it has the opposite effect...


The Bad News: my previously-mentioned Kitchenaid mixer on backorder. Until December! :-( I'm hoping a ton of people cancel their orders, so I might get mine faster. Because if Thanksgiving really does take place in Florida this year, it would be a handy appliance to have for Cookie-Baking Day.

Where'd summer go? We go back for inservices at the end of next week. I'm not ready!

Shuttle Lift-off

Space Shuttle Endeavour lifting off today. This picture was taken from our neighborhood, 45 mi away - apologies for nothing in the frame for scale. With binoculars, I could see the solid-rocket booster separation. < /nerd>


These are the kinds of clouds we get about an hour or two after a launch:

Never-Ending Miscellany

Trapper Keepers. Anyone else notice the surge of vintage-80s stuff available now/again? I saw Trapper Keepers in back-to-school advertisements a couple weeks ago. I remember you just had to have one; mine was beige and had a picture of kittens on it, though the ink-splash one pictured here is pretty sweet. Next thing you know, we're going to start seeing GI Joe lunch box-thermos combos again. They're probably already on shelves. By the way, I had Snoopy on my lunch box. [Dang. The site where I pulled the picture has my old lunchbox (w/o the thermos) for $48. Too bad mine's banged up and has been storing crayons in my parents' basement for the last ... couple decades.] Anyhow, this shouldn't be a surprise. Everyone who grew up in the 80s is now having kids, and what better way to market to parents than through nostalgia? Brilliant.

Postage Rates. Every time the USPS raises first-class postage prices, there's always outcry. I don't understand - 41 cents to pick up a letter at my house, deliver it clear across the country directly to someone else's home, all in a matter of days? Sounds like a bargain at twice the price.

More Bad Chocolate. Saw these chocolates at the grocery store - thought I'd give them a go. Bad idea. They're $5 for 6 pieces. One of them was all melty and misshapen, so I didn't even try it. The tops don't correspond *at all* to what's inside, so the one with red patterns on top wasn't the raspberry ganache I was expecting. One (the cacao truffle) was so bad I spat it out - and I usually commit to swallowing chocolate, even if it's bad. No discernible differences in taste among them all, either. Cheap transfer patterns on top, too. Run. Far.

My Plate Obsession. I have a serious thing for plates and bowls and assorted kitchenry. Someone needs to send me $200 so I can have these. Please and thank you. :)

I Am a Nerd

Like I actually need to provide any more evidence for that.

I'm considering driving over to the Cape tomorrow for the Space Shuttle launch. STS-118 is scheduled for 636p - so weather might make for an iffy launch. I've only watched them from our house, so it might be worth going over, especially since I'm not working yet. We'll see.

That picture over there ---> is from last summer. Discovery, the second launch following Columbia's last.

The Perseid meteor shower is this weekend - best viewing towards dawn on Sunday night into Monday morning. New moon will be good, even though light pollution is really awful around here. Totally worth staying up to watch since I'm not in school yet - and I've been keeping odd hours anyhow.

Construction Update

Man, we leave for five days and return to see paint, sidewalks, a driveway, interior doors, and half the floor tile installed. Sweetness.

Oh, and a public thank-you to the dear readers who, in the past two weeks or so, have graced my mailbox with a postcard, a letter, two cards, and an honest-to-goodness box of socks! Love love love it. :)

Fly Kitty Air

Why was I not informed??

"The cabin interior is a fantasy land with sweet Hello Kitty paintings on the walls, and friendly flight attendants wearing Hello Kitty ribbons in their hair and Hello Kitty aprons. The Hello Kitty fun starts at check-in and lasts until luggage is claimed just as it does on EVA’s original Kitty Jet. Passengers get pink Hello Kitty boarding passes and luggage tags. Service onboard is accompanied by Hello Kitty accessories. Menu choices include Hello Kitty meals with special Kitty ice cream, and passengers have access to exclusive EVA Hello Kitty duty-free shopping."

Looking at that airplane food made me reminisce about Asian vittles. I wish we had these available in convenience stores in the US. And better selections of rice-cracker snacks. The stuff served in JAL's Sakura lounges was particularly tasty. Both the onigiri and the snack mix. I should spend more time downtown in the Asian grocery stores. And go for sushi sometime soon.

Postscript

And the fireflies. I'd forgotten about fireflies in cornfields on warm summer evenings.

Oh, and the contrast of a darkening sky and the silvery undersides of maple leaves ruffled by the wind as a storm approaches.

Back Home Again...

In Indiana...

I am amazed by clear skies at 400p. In FL, we'd already be on our second round of thunderstorms by now. It is amusing to see everyone complain about how hot it is.; air temperatures in the 80s are actually refreshing. I'm also startled by how green it is. We normally come back to Indiana in the dead of winter - for Christmas - and it's usually very grey and barren and cold. The corn is pretty tall, it's light out until 900p (I don't understand how this works - I guess we're just that far west in the time zone), and there's even a bit of topography, too. Okay, the topography doesn't change in the summer, but it's shocking to see even rolling hills after acclimating to Florida's lack of them.

Not much internet access, and I'll be busy with wedding stuffs soon. Updates when possible. I know you're dizzy with anticipation.

Only the Lonely

I recently read a collection of essays on only-childhood. Some authors like their situation, some don't, but all understand that it makes us, well, unique. I was... am... an only child. I don't think I had it very rough. When asked whether I have brothers or sisters, I joke that I'm a spoiled-brat-only-child - and maybe I am. I certainly didn't hurt for attention or playthings. My parents focused their love, time, and resources on me. They always came to my softball games, band concerts, open houses at school. They weren't helicopter parents, hovering around to save me whenever things got rough - as some of the parents I now encounter are wont to do. Of course, things rarely "got rough" for me - I usually made intelligent choices - but they did blanket me with a certain amount of protection. I can't fault them for that, but I was definitely a shy kid(1) as a result. I think I might have inquired of the possibility of a younger sibling once or twice. Honestly, I didn't have much of a desire for one. I was aware of and happy for my unique situation. My parents always gave me some line about how I turned out so well, they decided to stop at perfection with just one. *barf* I don't really know the true reason they never had any other kids, or whether they even tried. I don't feel like I have some fundamental flaw for not having had siblings. Perhaps in some attempt at filling in for such intimate bonds, though, I cultivated close relationships with a select number of friends(2). As a kid, it was the best of both worlds, really - I had (what I presume to be) sibling-like relationships with them, but I could go home (or send them home) at the end of the day.

I like to think I ended up reasonably well-adjusted. There are some times when my idiosyncracies surface, which probably drive my husband nuts. I hate to telephone someone I don't know - and even some that I do know (3). I truly enjoy entertaining friends, but sometimes I would just rather be by myself. At least, I'm good at being by myself. I can entertain myself for weeks - and often prefer to do so (4). Anyhow, I began to outgrow some of my shyness in college, when I had to grow some nerve in order to survive. I don't truly understand the concept of boredom. I'm guilty of living too much in my head, probably because I never had to communicate outwardly with siblings. As an only child in an otherwise adult household, I've always related far more easily to adults. And now that I am one, older adults. I've made easy friends with a handful of people about ten years older than me - it's only very recently (since our move to Florida, mostly) that I began a sizeable collection of friends who are actually younger than I am. I never had younger siblings to babysit, so very young children are completely foreign creatures. I can teach high-schoolers, but nothing younger. I never really had to share my stuff with anyone, and it's not something that I did readily. I was probably a pretty selfish kid, but I like to think I'm outgrowing it. Nowadays, I make a conscious attempt to trim back, and in a lot of cases, I'm generous to a fault now. But, deep down, I still like to call the shots when it comes to when I choose to be generous. I was probably a pretty bossy kid, too - after all, as an only child, it was either my way or... well... my way. But I never learned to stand up to anyone who took my toys, so I tend to be a pushover. An odd contradiction. The paradoxical only child.

I know my leaving the nest was hard on my parents. My parents invested so much of themselves in me that my absence left a noticeable hole in their existence. I don't mean to sound so self-important, but consider how you notice a gap when a friend moves away. Now multiply that by 17290. We had been a triumvirate for so long; when one vertex of the prism inevitably took off on her own, left home, and got married, it almost seemed like a betrayal of our original alliance. Dare I say it, I actually prefer to go back and visit my parents on my own - it just doesn't totally feel right any other way. And I don't think my husband minds. The three of us make quite a force to contend with. (5)

Many people fear loneliness above anything else, but I don't, really. I have deep love my friends and family - it could be argued that they are one in the same - and maybe it's easy to claim freedom from fear when I don't want for companionship. Of course, being alone is very different from loneliness. Sometimes being alone at night in an empty house is irrationally scary, but I'm talking about loneliness. Once my parents are gone, I will have no siblings who truly shared with me my childhood. Now, I don't want to come off all "poor me", because I realize everyone loses their parents. Only children, however, are orphaned in a way that's different from siblinged children. I will single-handedly bear the burden of caring for them and their legacies. This didn't even register before I read essay after essay referring to this. Maybe then I'll truly understand what my parents felt when I left home. Maybe the loss of my parents will completely blindside me, I don't know. We live far away, so they've almost been reduced to an abstraction. Anyhow, at this point, I don't have these fears. Maybe I'll change my mind, I don't know. My history has very few narrators. But enough people know me so deeply now that I'm just not concerned they didn't know me then.

My husband is the oldest of three children, so of all the possible birth orders, he can probably best relate to an only child. But I freely admit I don't understand the dynamics between brothers and sisters. I wonder whether I'll be equipped to moderate and comprehend these relationships and bonds as a mother of multiple children. I've always wanted more than one child (6); my reasons have more to do with wanting both a boy and a girl, not sparing my own child(ren) from the only-childhood I had. I wouldn't mind raising an only child. It's a great life (7). I'd be more concerned that I wouldn't have the opportunity to raise a child of the opposite sex, and that I might be missing out on something. See, selfishness continually rears its head!


(1) I find it absolutely hilarious that people who know me now cannot believe this! I have to put on a good front some days. Besides, "personable" does not always equal "extroverted." The dance of pleasantries in conversing with someone new is a learned, rehearsed, practiced, and exhausting skill for me. Teaching has decidedly expanded my skillset. Sometimes my boldness surprises me; I ask pointed questions of others I never would have considered ten years ago - and I certainly would have hated being asked, myself. Seriously, those of you who met me in the past ten years would be shocked at what I was like twenty years ago.

(2) I realized a few years ago that many of my friends fall into distinct categories. Within categories, they remind me strongly of each other. That would be a good topic for another day. Remind me.

(3) I intensely dislike the telephone. Part of the reason I'm looking forward to ditching our landline is that it currently does not have CallerID, one of my favorite features of our cell phones! I much prefer written (post, e-mail, IM) or in-person communication.

(4) That and I've found that sometimes "compromise" means that nobody in a group really gets to do what they want to do; if I set out on my own, there's a guarantee I'll get to do what I want. Ah, selfish only child!

(5) Sorry for the Midwestern dangling preposition. I don't feel like restructuring my sentence right now.

(6) Though right this second, my desire for children is admittedly very low.

(7) Not like I know any different. But nobody else does, either.

I Love Florida

< /sarcasm >

Item #3981 on the I-Wish-I'd-Been-
Briefed-On-This-Before-We-Moved-
To-Florida list: Pantry Pests.

Those who know me know that I am equal-opportunity when it comes to insectia. I hate them all. Seriously - I don't hate a lot of things, but I possess an all-consuming hatred for bugs. I never so much as set foot near the Entomology Department back in college (1). So, I'm really tired of throwing out flour, red spices, and chocolate. Turns out weevils have a palate for good dark chocolate and red chiles. Which, by the way, are surprisingly tasty together... We've had very few infestation episodes, if you will, and just thinking about the first (and worst) makes me want to barf. I nearly did while cleaning up after it. Anyhow, the spices went into the freezer after I found a jar of paprika filled with bugs *shudder*. And it's going to be a long time before I can stomach Raisin Bran again *mmmph*. I had to throw out some whole wheat flour and a box of chocolate sprinkles this weekend. I mean, it's just vile. Anyhow, I've had our stuff - flours, sugars - in ziploc bags, which just aren't working. Apparently, polyethylene is a staple of the weevil diet (in addition to my flour); they just bore right through.

Foul foul foul foul foul foul.

So I bought these completely-airtight canisters today, and that should be the end of that! I read loads of positive reviews for them on Chowhound and Epinions, but I was in Target this afternoon, where I discovered that the Michael Graves canisters are retread Click Clack containers. They fit entire bags of flour/sugar with room to spare. They're from New Zealand - admittedly part of their appeal. And - bonus! - they're cheaper than cooking.com's price (and shipping) on the originals, and I can drive them home today. Though I'd like to get more for cornmeal and other specialty flours. Maybe once I get my breadmaker back and have more impetus to replace my flours. By the way, I swear I don't work for this company. I'm just putting a lot of hope in them and their air-tight technology!

(1) where, it should be noted, at the university's annual Spring Fest, they would serve up mealworm stir-fry and chocolate-covered grasshoppers and other assorted six-legged "treats". *gag*


In other news, we're considering abandoning our landline to use our cell phones exclusively. The only people who call our house phone are from the phone company, to try to sell us more services we won't use. So, basically, we're paying $30 a month (mostly in taxes and other wonky fees) to give them this privilege. Is there any reason we shouldn't abandon it? It's just so twenty-first century.

Bonus Recipe du Jour

Tonight's dinner!

Burp-Inspired Bacon and Bean Enchilada-Style Burritos

Okay, so the bacon in Australia is a lot more ham-like ("middle rasher bacon" or "back bacon" - think Canadian bacon, but not quite like the stuff you get in the grocery stores here...) than our bacon, but American streaky bacon gives these a nice smoky flavor. As you can see, it's a cheap and easy weeknight meal from the pantry.

1/2 lb. bacon (thick-sliced is best)
2 cans beans (I use one can black beans and one can pinto beans - you use what you like)
1 can/jar/recipe enchilada sauce
1 can tomato sauce
1 small brick sharp cheddar cheese (the sharper, the better, I always say)
6-8 burrito-size flour tortillas

Chop up bacon into thin slices. Add to a large saute pan over medium heat, and render until bacon is browned and slightly crunchy. Drain off fat.

While the bacon is browning, drain and rinse beans. I know, I know, there's fiber and other nutrients going down the sink, but this recipe just doesn't need all that goop. Pour a little bit of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan - just enough to coat it. Shred your cheese.

Add beans to bacon in pan. Add a small amount of tomato sauce to the bean/bacon mixture - just enough to make it slightly saucy - should be about half a can or so. Add the rest of the can of tomato sauce to the remaining enchilada sauce or use it in another recipe. Remove from heat.

And don't forget, don't forget the Mexican spices. Here's some room for creativity (read: using whatever you have in your spice rack). Just start sprinkling whatever you have. I usually add chili powder, cumin, coriander, adobo seasoning, dried onion, and garlic powder. You can use whatever you like. I don't measure - just use your judgment. 0.5 - 2 teaspoons of everything is reasonable, if you're fanatical about measuring. But it's not baking - you don't have to be.

Add two-thirds of the cheese to the bean-bacon mixture. Stir until it's all melty and gooey.

Scoop out about a half-cup of bean mixture into the center of each tortilla. Roll up, burrito-style, and place in 9x13 pan, lining them up next to each other. Make sure you pour a little enchilada sauce between each tortilla to keep them from sticking together. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the burritos (it may not cover them completely - that's the way we like it - use more sauce if you're more saucy). Sprinkle remaining cheese over the whole pan. Bake at 350 degF until heated through and cheese has melted.

Serve with tortilla chips, salad/slaw, and frozen passion fruit margaritas.

Still More Miscellany

It appears I've been remiss in my daily postings. So, to catch you up on the past three days...

I'd had a remarkable week, in terms of commerce and customer satisfaction, all which came to a screeching halt. Or a plateau, perhaps. Kitchenaid mixer deal, replacement breadmaker, free chocolate. My heretofore fabulous new pen started skipping on the page - a major irritant - and I called up Levenger to see if there was anything I could do, beyond rinsing it. The CS agent e-mailed me a return label and told me they'll replace it. Score! My camera flash has been hinky for months. I just bought it a year ago (so it's four weeks out of warranty) - I don't often need the fill flash, but it's annoying when I do. Anyhow, I took my camera into the local Nikon repair shop and they tell me that the repair will run $250. What! I can try my luck, sending it in and hoping for warranty grace, but it will likely take 4+ weeks [the reason I never sent it in for repair during the school year...] and there's no guarantee they'll do it for free anyhow. At that rate, I'll just buy a for-real flash and forgo repair. Brian went shopping and came home with a blender. The drive shaft teeth that engage the turning thingy in the jar have nearly sheared off. I don't know what he brought home, but I told him that if he's going to replace it, at least replace it with another Kitchenaid - those things take down ice like nobody's business. Anyhow, a quick search of the internets reveals this is a common problem - particularly for those impatient consumers like us who shake the jar back and forth during blending... So we don't need a new blender, but a $6 part. Not bad.

Ha ha - that Kitchenaid blender link shows the review I wrote 6 years ago when I purchased it! 102 of 106 people have found my review helpful. :)

Let's see, Friday night, I went to our church's Not-Your-Mainstream-Movie Night. Run Lola Run, postponed from May. I'd seen it before, but I really liked it. I got more out of it this time. It's tight filmmaking. And I actually enjoy reading movies, so I don't need much of an excuse to watch something subtitled. I dig Franka Potente, though her co-star was kind of annoying - I think it's his distractingly large lips.

Slept in this morning and went to the second service. 'Twas quite odd, not being there at daybreak, for once. Went to Crispers afterwards, where I had one of their flatbreads. I was pleasantly surprised - lots of Parmesan or Asiago on the crust that melted and browned and got all crunchity. You should try one.

And in case you weren't aware, the leaving of marshmallows in a car in Florida doesn't end well for the marshmallows.

I was reminded today that we're going to a wedding this weekend. I'm helping out with the flowers, which means I need to pack exceptionally sketchy-looking stuff like floral wire and hot glue sticks. Maybe I should just FedEx them ahead and circumvent the TSA altogether...


I promise to post something of more substance later. But I need to do more reading and less writing.

Wine Recap

Right. So. My slothdom has reached an apex. Didn't actually pull my bones out of bed until 1230p today. Shameful! Why do I feel so guilty about being so lazy? It's summer - I have every right to sleep in like a teenager or laze around the house all day in play clothes. But it's summer - I should be out doing the things for which I have no time during the school year. Hmmm - maybe next week!


Anyhow, we had a lovely wine-tasting party Wednesday (er, Wines-day) night. Started with an Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, which is so light that it would be perfect to chill down so it's almost icy and sip poolside. Next one was Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc. Fruity, pleasant enough to drink; tasty alongside fruit (peaches are so delightful right now!) and 70% cacao dark chocolate. Followed by my standby white, Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay. It's not oaky, so the fruit and lactic notes get to shine. It makes excellent fondue(1). Next was my second contribution, a Washington Hills Gewurztraminer. Less dry than I prefer, but boldly flavorful, which made up for the residual sweetness. A crowd favorite. Next came a Riesling two-fer - first a Schmitt Sohne, followed by Polka Dot. Not much distinction between the two, in my opinion. The Polka Dot has a cuter label. It would have been nice to have had a vertical Riesling tasting - a kabinett, spatlese, auslese, even a trockenbeerenauslese if we could find one. Next Wines-day, maybe! We wrapped things up with a local wine - Lakeridge Southern White. Florida can't sustain vitis vinifera grapes, so wines here are made from other fruits or muscadines. I don't know, I just can't abide muscadine wine. It has an exceptionally nutty aroma that is rather off-putting. The crowd liked the sweetness, though. But hey, muscadines are lousy with resveratrol, which may be beneficial.


(1)
Jen's Swiss Fondue
Good as an appetizer, better as dinner!

3/4 c. dry white wine - I like Lindeman's Chardonnay
8 oz. Gruyere, shredded
8 oz. Emmentaler, shredded
2 T. flour
garlic
nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, simmer wine and some minced garlic. Add cheese, handful-by-handful, stirring until cheese melts. If the cheese and wine do not mix harmoniously at this point, don't fret. Stir in flour and all will be well. Add a little freshly grated nutmeg. Serve with crusty multigrain bread cubes and thinly sliced apples.

Trust me on the apples. apples + cheese = :-9

Cake cake cake

Apparently, all I do now is cook. Not that I'm complaining. It's great to have the time.

Happy birthday to Marlena, who provided a lovely excuse to make this:
I really love working with fondant - it's so much more elegant than buttercream, but sadly doesn't taste as good as buttercream. The top layer is my new favorite cake combination: Toasted Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling - tastes like pina colada. Super super super good. The bottom tier is my now-second-favorite cake combination: chocolate cake with raspberry filling.

Will report on the wine tasting later.

In the Kitchen with Jen

Kitchenaid Custom Metallics Brushed Nickel. Due to arrive 7 August. :) :) :)



Today's In-The-Kitchen Playlist:

Crossing Muddy Waters, John Hiatt
Why Georgia, John Mayer
Lakini's Juice, Live
You Look So Fine, Garbage
Oh Father, Madonna
Back 2 Good, Matchbox Twenty
Fade Into You, Mazzy Star
Gentleman Who Fell, Milla Jovovich
This Year's Love, David Grey
One Night in Bangkok, Murray Head
99 Red Balloons, Nena
Pink Moon, Nick Drake
The Rhythm of the Saints, Paul Simon (all tracks)

It's definitely a overcast-sky-day playlist.

Coconut cake is in the oven.

I haven't made these in a long time. The flavor combo of butterscotch and semisweet chips is one of my favorites. (the shopping good fortune continues - picked up a bag of chocolate chips at Publix that was marked on clearance for half-price. It didn't ring up at 50%, so they gave it to me for free! Free sweets - even better.)

Chow Mein Noodle Drops

1 part butterscotch chips
1 part semisweet chocolate chips
1.5 parts mini marshmallows
1.5 parts chow mein noodles

Over low heat, melt butterscotch and chocolate chips. When smooth, add marshmallows and remove from heat. Stir to coat and soften the marshmallows slightly, then toss in noodles. Stir to coat. Drop into mounds on a wax paper-covered baking sheet. Let cool. Or don't!



Back to the kitchen. There's fondant to roll.

Ah, Monday

Had a day of ups and downs. All's well that ends well:

Woke up late, after staying up late. At least I get to sleep in, as opposed to the up-late/awake-early pattern I was running during the school year. Still, it just seems so undisciplined. :-|

Anyhow, I got myself ready for the day and headed out to my cake-supply shop. Bought some new food color, some clear vanilla, and some fillings for a birthday cake. It was *pouring* outside, so instead of paying for my purchases and just standing at the door and waiting for the rain to abate, I wandered the shop. There was a couple in there, and I swear they were following me. I'd walk down an aisle and they'd come by and look at something nearby. I'd saunter over a few aisles, next thing I know, they're all up in my business. Repeat at least five more times. Back off. People I know can invade my space, but not strangers in a 1500-square-foot building. :-\

Anyhow, the shop didn't have the fondant cutters I wanted, but I knew there was a Michaels nearby that would. I chose the wrong direction, but came across a new wine shop a few blocks away. A couple friends and I are throwing a wine tasting party (theme: whites for novice wine-drinkers) on Wednesday - another friend was kind enough to have been born 25 years ago this Wednesday, so we're taking advantage of it as an excuse. Her birthday cake was the reason I needed to go to the cake supply. Anyhow, I figured this wine shop was worth a look, so I dashed in through the deluge. Wow! This place is off the hook! Great domestic, French, Italian, and Australian selections. A wide variety of varietals (ha) from all over the globe. The choices were overwhelming, really. I headed first for the Chardonnay aisle. I had one in mind that's a versatile everyday wine (Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay - no oak, good fruit, better with food than most chardonnay). I normally find it for $7-8 or so, but their price is $4.79. This is a good sign. Anyhow, I picked up a Gewurztraminer for the party (2005 Washington Hills, though a Jekel with a Monterey appellation was tempting) We're heavy on the reds here at home, so I picked up a Moscato for us, along with a French white - 2006 Bougrier "V" Vouvray (Chenin Blanc grapes - Loire Valley) that was recommended by one of the staff. The plan was to drink it at dinner, but I got distracted when I returned home and neglected to chill it... :-) :-)

I have been anticipating making a bread recipe(1) for days, so I threw the ingredients into my machine before leaving for the cake shop and was looking forward to having some for lunch with some cheese and pickles. Well. I returned home to a rather acrid smell coming from the kitchen, not the heavenly aroma of a gassy yeast dance party. I opened the hatch of the machine and found a lumpy, unmixed brick of crap. All my ingredients were layered as I had left them, but they'd been baked in place. Not pretty. Grrr. I figured I'd not snapped the baking pan in place and the drive shaft just hadn't engaged the little stirring thingy in the pan. So, I dumped out the brick o' crap and filled the pan with fresh ingredients. Turned on the machine, and it crabbed at me because the temperature is too warm for the start of a new cycle. So I went into the bathroom and snarfed my hair dryer. I blasted the inside of my machine with a stream of cool air for 5 minutes and gave it another go. The cycle started that time, and I was pleased. This pleasure would be short-lived. The machine began whirring like it's stirring up the ingredients. Just... there's no stirring. So I reached in and removed the pan. Nothing was turning. :-/ I fiddled with it, to no avail. So I dug out the manual, no info, but there's a phone number. And a 12-month warranty. I bought the thing 14 months ago. Naturally. So I'm a bit peevish at this point, but, I called them up anyhow, and the very nice lady at the other end of the customer service line informed me that the warranty is extended to 15 months! Sweet! So she e-mailed me a label so I can send it back; oh, and they don't actually carry the same model, so they'll be replacing mine with a newer, better-featured model. :-) :-) :-)

At Publix, I noticed that they had Tri-Tip steaks. What! I hadn't seen those since we left CA. I mentioned this to the butcher and asked him how long they'd been carrying them. He says they've had them since the store opened. Hm. Apparently I don't shop for steak very often. :-) :-)

I made dinner and a couple cake layers. When I pulled my eggs from the refrigerator, I was happy that I had the exact number of eggs for both tiers. Upon closer examination, I realized two of them were cracked. Grrr. So I was not as productive on the cake as I would have liked. Oh well, I'll bake tomorrow. :-|

I put away some laundry and noticed that during some step in the laundering process, a pair of shorts had been ripped. Now, I loathe shorts, so to find a pair that fits is a happy accident. And now they're ruined. :-(

After that unfortunate discovery, I sat down with my computer and read through some posts on a cake-decorating web site I love. I stumbled across a forum post informing everyone of a killer sale on Kitchenaid mixers. A $530 mixer for $150! I have half that in birthday monies, so I think I'm going to finally get myself one! I just can't pass up this deal. Two years ago, I couldn't decide between an iPod or a Kitchenaid, and I opted for the iPod. Since my car has an input jack and I use my iPod in my classroom and car all the time, the iPod was a great choice; now I may finally get my stand mixer, too. Wheeee! :-) :-)


How sweet is this piece of gadgetry? I don't know how often I'd use it, but I totally want one. Maybe the Kitchenaid first.


(1)
I hope this doesn't take you three tries and a warranty repair:
Bushman Bread

1 1/4 c. warm water
2 c. bread flour
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. cocoa
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 T. melted butter
1/4 c. honey
2 T. molasses
2 1/2 t. fresh yeast

Add water to bread machine pan, followed by ingredients in order listed. Bake on a cycle for whole wheat loaves. Mix in a little caramel color or dark brown gel food color for a deep brown bread, if you like.