Presto Chango

Do you want to know what I love about New England?

Aside from a beautiful (though rainy) autumn day with adorable teenagers and a quaint apple/pumpkin picking farm.

I like plasterers. Not drywall mudders. Plasterers. They are amazing! These are not grizzled old men who learned this skill in the old country. These are young guys who have learned a rare trade.
Remember when my house looked like this? No? Well, I do. It was Monday.

Then Paul and his crew put up blue board and it looked like this.

Then the plasterers came with their stilts and mad skills. They are amazing. They cover the entire surface with a thin layer of plaster. The end result is perfection! No sanding, no coming back for a second coat. Suddenly, you have an amazing wall that looks like this! Magic!






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Location:Nantasket Rd,Hull,United States

FYI

I just thought I'd share this picture of my gas fireplace chimney.

I say chimney because I don't want to say flue because I'm not sure how to spell it and I'm too lazy to look it up.

By closing this app and opening my dictionary app.

Which I don't actually have although there are doubtless 927 of them, at least.





I took this picture as part of my GC job.

Because of this:




Do you see how they cut into that 2 x 4 to install this pipe?

Yes, that 2 x 4 carefully designed and installed as part of the recessed area above the fireplace that will allow me to hide our embarrassingly large television with something beautiful but as yet unknown.

That's the 2x4 they cut into all right. So they could put the pipe in the tv place.

But don't worry, it's fixed now.

Because that's what GCs do. They take iPhone pictures of mistakes so they can prove it!

They also arrive at home and wonder why the front door is locked, and the door leading from the garage-doorless garage into the house is standing open.

That's just how we GCs roll.








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Location:Nantasket Rd,Hull,United States

Notable beach sightings

Last week Dave and I took advantage of a beautiful warm evening to walk on the beach.

This is what I learned (apart from the fact that I desperately want it to stay light until 7 all winter)




Also apart from the fact that I am a horrible photographer that has no editing skills

#1. Frisbee is alive and well in the 50+ crowd. My imaginary life history of this couple includes many competitions in the 70's. They also passed the time at Woodstock by practicing.

Also, the man is more passionate about the sport, but the woman has some mad skills.



#2. Sometimes you have to carry a shoulder bag at the beach.

Even though you are wearing your running shorts and shoes.

I don't know why.



#3. Many, many people, none of which are me, have well behaved beach dogs who walk beside them completely ignoring the many seagulls who clearly need to be chased.

Milo, take note.

Location:Nantasket Beach

I'm dreaming of a white kitchen

I am a baker. Really. I owned a bakery, and baked every day. I enjoy baking. I think it is fun, fun, fun! Especially when there is no pressure to create maximum product in minimum time.

But, I currently have no kitchen. I may have mentioned that a time or two hundred. I am a baker without a kitchen.

I can dream though. And, this is what I would bake if I were able.

Pumpkin Praline Biscuits.

I would welcome the cool, prematurely dark days with pumpkin.

I love these delicious sweet biscuits. I found them in Better Homes and Gardens years ago, when I still liked Better Homes and Gardens. Make them please, and tell me how delicious they are so I can enjoy them vicariously.

Pumpkin Praline Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cold and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

1. Toast pecans, separate and chop. The pecans for the top should be more finely chopped than those in the biscuits.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the 1/2 cup cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the 1/2 cup pecans. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
2. In another bowl combine canned pumpkin, milk, and 1/2 cup brown sugar; whisk together and add all at once to dry mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened. Drop dough onto greased baking sheet, forming 16 mounds. Bake in a 400 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or till golden.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in 1/3 cup brown sugar, half-and-half, and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Bring mixture just to boiling; reduce heat and boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. If it seems a little runny, let it sit a few minutes. If it seems thick, you can thin it with a little more half and half while still bubbling, but keep in mind it should set up like a praline.
4. Spoon the topping over the biscuits and quickly sprinkle with the finely chopped pecans before the topping sets.

Yum! Please love this!

Location:Hull, Ma

Oh, the places you'll go

I don't know where Oconnell Way, Boston is. But it sounds awesome, so I won't correct my location finder. Or turn it off, which is what paranoid, conspiracy theory type people do.

I will just commence in my original mission which is to enlighten all 6 followers of my blog, who I recognize are hoping for bakery recipes and not boring histories of my life, where the last 26 mostly fabulous years of marriage have taken me.

I will start at the end, because that is what prompted this post in the first place. Last weekend Dave and I took Milo, the only dependent currently living at home, to A Fox and Hounds to board for the weekend (why has no one invented weekend boarding for children?) and celebrated our anniversary (which was August 14) by shopping for home building supplies.

That sounds bad, but it wasn't. It was the fun kind of shopping. For cool antique pieces, which it turns out do not exist in our price range, at Brimfield and in New York City. It was a fun weekend. One of probably 15 which have occurred in New York in the last 26 years. Half of them since McKay and Annie moved there 17 months ago. They might be getting tired of us.

In the early years most of our vacations involved all night driving to Spokane, LA, or Seattle from Utah where we were students. I am no longer capable of working all day, packing a carload of small children and stuff, driving all night, and then going straight into a full day of vacation fun. I'm too old and tired for that stuff!

Later, we graduated to flying vacations, although I have driven cross country from Boston to Washington State a time or two. Or 5. And back again, of course.

Some of our favorite family vacations have been to Disney World. I love Disney. I am a true fan. I suggest going the second week of December, when it is decorated for Christmas, but responsible parents are making their children go to school. It is beautiful, and relatively quiet.

We also had a wonderful family trip to Puerto Rico. We do love a vacation that involves sunshine and sand. We definitely recommend Puerto Rico over Cabo, although we have decided that the vacation activities offered tend to be very similar regardless of the tropical location you choose. Parasailing, glass bottom boat rides, jet skis and ATVs, and those crazy individual submarine numbers where you just stick your head in a bubble and go investigate life under the sea. Who came up with that idea?Yes, I have done all these things although they all fall into categories of things that tend to frighten me. I even rode the roller coaster at the top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, although I drew the line at the Big Shot and let the rest of the family go without me. To be honest, I won't even ride those things when they start at ground level.

It turns out family vacations often involve things I find frightening. Like our hike to the top of Angel's Landing at Zion's. People die there, semi regularly. I, fortunately, did not. Nor did my family, for which I am grateful.

Ah, good memories of good times. I can't wait to see where the next 26 years take us!

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Location:Oconnell Way,Boston,United States

The education of a self declared GC

This is the house the day before the storm. They hauled off the dumpster as a safety measure so I took advantage of the opportunity to see the front of the house.


I am learning so many important things building this house.

For example: 2 x 4 construction can hold R 15 insulation. We need R 19. Thank you to the 'expert' who recommended that as a way to save money :).

You can buy 'prison series' sinks online. Ummm, why?

I have a wonderful imagination which the design industry has not kept up with.

No matter how you time it, things you do not yet need will be sitting in the way of the plumber and electrician, and things you need now will not.


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Location:Hull, MA

Life under construction

And after children.

The kids are gone. Off to college, leaving Mom home alone all day.

Oh, wait. Home with Milo all day.

Milo is the only member of the family who is currently unable to stay home alone.

Because he believes that all contractors are here to visit him.

They could not possibly have anything more important to do than play with the homeowners dog.

And so, this is our schedule:

6:00 am.: prepare for 1st walk.

7:00 am: contractors show up, greeted by a dog, or a dog barking from behind the barricade I've erected on the 2nd floor.

7:10 am: noise commences. Don't get me wrong. Noise is a good thing. Noise = Progress = :-).

8:30 am: 2nd walk.

9:30 am: Milo naps, Carol captive in 3 room living space doing 'stuff'

11:30 am: we go somewhere, which invariably involves 3rd walk.

3:00 pm: Milo naps, Carol pulls hair out and wonders why she has a dog. She does more 'stuff', which is important but not especially fun and dreams of the day she will be laying floor, painting or tiling.

4:00 pm: contractors go home, and noise ceases.

4:15 pm: 4th walk.

5:00 pm: Carol goes to run errands since Milo can now be left home alone. I also wonder WHY every hardware store I need to visit closes at 6:00 pm. Really????

7:00 pm. Contemplate what to fix for dinner in our kitchenless house. It usually involves the salad bar at the Hingham Fruit Market.

7:30 pm: Dave gets home from work and we eat dinner. When we're lucky this occurs on the back deck and coincides with the sun setting over Bumpkin Island. It used to set over Boston. Anyone know why that is?

We also contemplate the fact that if Dave could get off work at noon in the winter we could continue the sunset dinner tradition by eating at 3:00 pm.

8:00 pm: 5th walk and family tour of progress on the house.

The End.

Please come over and entertain me. Please.


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Location:Hull, MA

Laughing all the way to the oven

I made these cookies for our Ward Primary Scripture Camp.

They were a huge success. Apparently, everyone loves a cookie with snicker in the name.

It was a favorite of my Dad. One of the few things he made in the kitchen, although he made a lot of things in the shop.

This is the recipe I used at the bakery. And a tasty one it is! Even if it doesn't have chocolate, which I think is a very important key to anything truly delicious.

So, for all you cinnamon sugar lovers out there . . .

Snickerdoodles:

Ingredients:

5 cups All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Cream of tartar (that magical ingredient kept in pantries everywhere for the sole purpose of making snickerdoodles, I think)
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1teaspoon Salt

1pound (2 cups) butter
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

1. Whisk dry ingredients together

2. Cream butter and sugar (remember my 5 minute rule. Cream until very smooth and fluffy)

3. Add vanilla and eggs and mix at low speed until well blended. It might look curdled, but that is normal, not a sign of anything icky or weird.

4. Stir in dry ingredients until just blended.

At this point, I suggest refrigerating the dough for an hour or so which will make the shaping part less sticky.

5. Mix together 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons (or to taste) cinnamon.

6. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball and roll in cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.

This recipe makes quite a few cookies. I am not sure exactly how many as Milo did in fact eat the corner of the paper on which I had noted the yield.

Sorry. I think it made about 5 dozen.

Happy eating! sol (snicker out loud)







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Location:Hull, MA

I love what you've done with the place . . .

We now have exposed beam ceilings and an open floor plan.



We've added this convenient basement entrance. A fireman's pole might be useful.


Views of the harbor from the front door.


When I say we are doing our own demo, some people aren't sure what I mean.

Well, this used to be a house with walls, ceilings, and a fireplace and chimney.

Now, it is this.

And, we did it with pry bars and sledge hammers. THAT'S what I mean.

I'm tired!!!

Location:I love what you've done with the place. . .

Goooooo Dinner!

Not having a kitchen makes you view things differently.

Like English muffins, for example.

I had a toasted English muffin with peanut butter four meals in a row.

And I was grateful to the Browns for sending them, along with their son, because I am not sure what I would have eaten otherwise.

Today, I rallied my motivation and cooked an entire meal.

This is what we had:
*ribs, slow cooked in the crockpot, and finished on the grill
*corn on the cob, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, then wrapped in foil and cooked on the grill for 30 minutes, followed by 5 minutes unwrapped to give them some color
*potatoes, 'baked' in the microwave

A very respectable dinner for someone with no kitchen. But, here's what sent it into high five territory.

I mixed up a chocolate pudding cake in a foil pan, and baked it on the top rack of the grill. And, it worked!

I felt an intense sense of accomplishment after Tagg, Christy, Dave and I finished eating. Like we needed to have an end of game cheer.

And, we did. Well, I did, and everyone agreed it was totally warranted.

Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Dinner! Dinner! Dinner!


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Location:Nantasket Ave,Hull,United States

Spice up those hot summer days!

I normally make these cookies in the fall and winter, for they are quite fallish.

But, why? It's hot out there, anyway. Why not spice things up?

These are the ultimate molasses spice cookie, complete with the ultimate 'spice'. I have never had anyone guess the secret spice without being told.

If your friends can, they are geniuses worthy of your friendship.

Molasses Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. pepper (yes, this is good old black pepper!, the secret spice)
¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, very soft
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup molasses

1. Stir dry (first 8) ingredients together in bowl, and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. You know the drill. 5 minutes is NOT too long. Cream away now, before adding dry ingredients.

3. Add egg, vanilla, and molasses, and beat until combined. It is quite likely to look curdled, which is not a problem, just be sure it is well combined.

4. Stir in flour mixture at low speed until completely combined.

5. At this point I like to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before shaping, or freeze the shaped dough, and bake from frozen. This creates a cookie that holds it's form. If you like flat cookies, you don't need to worry about this step.

6. Roll cookies in granulated sugar before placing on parchment covered cookie sheet. I also like to sprinkle a course sugar such as turbinado on top if I have it around. It is not necessary, of course. Just extra crunchy sugar.

7. Bake at 375 F for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and set, but not brown.

Now, eat cookies everyone!


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Location:Hull, MA

Day 4 of extreme home make it empty

I'm feeling a bit tired.

We are packing our things.

Moving them to the storage container parked in front of the house.

Close to the dumpster parked in front of the house.

Close to the port a potty parked in front of the house.

It is very attractive out front.

We moved a few things upstairs.

Into our spare room. Which is no longer spare.

It is quite necessary.



Do you like how efficient everything is? You can watch tv, and make breakfast, while running on the treadmill.

You can also admire the toilet, which is conveniently located right across the hall. You can see it from the couch, and the desk, and the treadmill, and the toaster.

Genius, why did we never think of this before?

Who needs kitchen, a living room and an office?

The 3 of us will be just fine like this. We do have bedrooms, after all.

Well, other than Kami, who comes home in 3 weeks.

She's going to use the spare room until we get the addition finished.

Oh, wait . . .


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Cabinets the Carol way

I got this email from my cabinet supplier today:

Hi Carol,

they shipped your door to me by mistake. It's very pretty, my daughter was in the office and wanted me to get her a pink one. I will ship it out to you right now, and you will probably get it Mon. Thanks Carol,

Ron York
Cabinet Pro-Supply
phone 928-775-4828
fax 888-715-9589

Hmmm, maybe I want a pink one too.

So far, I love this online cabinet supplier. Great service! Great prices! I have enclosed his contact info. in case you need cabinets.

FYI, I am getting a custom color for my island, hence the sample door. I think you can guess from the email that it's not a very neutral color.



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Recycling, the Craigslist way

I admit to losing a few minutes of sleep over the fact that the kitchen I desperately wanted to rip out of my new little house was less than 5 years old.

That would seem to be the epitome of ungreen no matter how much bamboo you replace it with. I am not personally replacing it with any bamboo. I don't have any bamboo farms near me, so I don't completely understand how shipping it from halfway around the world will save the universe. But that's just me.

I am definitely dedicated to re purposing everything I can, so I am happy to know there is a Habitat for Humanities Restore not far from me.

That was definitely the back up plan, but I am happy to report that within 15 minutes of posting our 'complete kitchen' for sale on Craigslist, we had our first phone call. And, I sold the cabinets the next day. At a discount because the buyer wants to come in and remove them himself! Can you say Wahoo!?

Recycling at it's finest. With the $$ coming my way. Now we can buy a new cabinet or two. Hmmm . . .
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Picnic Food

These raspberry bars, based on the people's choice lemon bars by Hillary, key bakery recipe contributor and bread baker, adapted by Rhonda, key early morning baker and recipe contributor, are DELICIOUS.

Try them! Whether you are going on a picnic or not.

Someday, I will tell you about the People's Choice lemon bars. Someday, when I can find the recipe. Hmmm.

Ingredients:
2 cubes (1/2 pound) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sweetened, condensed milk

2/3 cup raspberry jam, heated to pourable consistency

1. Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer, with paddle attachment at medium speed until combined.

2. Add flour and oats and blend at low speed until a rough dough has formed. Similar to a cookie dough.

3. Pat 2/3 of mixture into a 9 x 13 pan, save remaining mixture for topping.

4. Beat cream cheese with sweetened, condensed milk until smooth, spread gently over crust. This requires finesse as it is a crumbly crust. An offset icing spatula works well. I'm sure you all have one of those. If not, a butter knife. A rubber spatula is too clumpy, I don't recommend it. Just in case you were interested in my opinion.

5. Pour melted jam over cream cheese mixture. I melt in the microwave, because I am unafraid of micro waves. If you are opposed to microwaves, melt it on the stovetop. If you are opposed to stovetops, stop reading this recipe, as you are not qualified to cook.

6. Crumble remaining crust mixture over jam

7. Bake at 350 F for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

I am aware that is quite a long time variance. I'm afraid I cannot help you with that, as I don't remember why I wrote the recipe that way. Sorry!

Cool, cut, and go on a picnic!

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Pouring in the rain

Today is a special day. A special, rainy day.

The cement truck is outside, and all the kind construction workers are soaking wet.

But, my foundation is being poured.

I can't help being happy, although I do feel bad about the wet workers.

But, really, really happy!

Hooray for foundations!



Hooray for dedicated workers!



Hooray for ocean views!

Hooray!

The strangest salad you will ever love!

I am a self described lover of interesting food. No one would describe me as a meat and potatoes girl.

This is a salad I absolutely love, but many people find too odd to try.

Try it! I promise you won't be disappointed. Unless you dislike strange food combinations.

Ingredients:

1/2 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
2 pints grape tomatoes, cut in half.
1/4 large red onion, sliced thin.
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped.
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to combine well.

Throw this together for your next cook out. Really!

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Brunchtime!

Sometimes, I post recipes simply because someone asks for a recipe they enjoyed, and this is the most convenient format for sharing.

This is one of those times.

Sorry if you have no interest in Overnight Blueberries and Cream French toast.

Feel free to ignore this delicious recipe if you are so inclined.

Ingredients:

1 loaf eggy bread such as challah or brioche. 16 to 20 ounces, preferably not pre-sliced. Cut into one inch cubes
**You can substitute another type of bread, such as French or Italian, but brioche is what I used.

12 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 cups fresh blueberries, divided

12 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1. Place half of cubed bread in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups blueberries and all of cream cheese.

2. Top with remaining bread cubes.

3. Whisk eggs with milk, vanilla and maple syrup.

4. Pour egg mixture over bread in pan and press to be sure all bread is submerged.

5. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.

6. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

7. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes covered.

8. Remove foil and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

9. While French toast is baking, whisk sugar, cornstarch and water together in a medium saucepan.

10. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes.

11. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups blueberries, reduce temperature, and simmer for 10 minutes. Berries will burst.

12. Stir in the butter and pour over the French toast.

Serves 12.

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What to do while waiting for your new tires to be mounted . . .

*read South Shore Living cover to cover and vow to attend an event in the South Shore Music Circus. Really a venue in a tent in Cohassett! Who knew? Also take a moment to feel grateful I no longer have children in day camp as it appears the prices have risen drastically in the last 6 years.

*search my sent messages for house plans to send to Lilia, who begs me every day for the opportunity to bid the siding on our new house.

*ponder the difficulty of finding a new insurance provider who will insure my waterfront property, and offers a building rider for less than $3300. Really?

*ponder the ability of the New England weather to go from 'baby, it's cold outside' to 'it's gonna be a scorcher' in 48 hours.

*hone my iPad solitaire skills, which are dismal despite my best efforts and time commitment to improving them.

*attempt to eavesdrop on other customers phone conversations, some of which are in foreign languages.

*write fascinating blog posts which will entertain my friends and family.

I am into hour 2, so let me know if you have any suggestions!


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The eye of the beholder

Look what I got!


A really huge dumpster!

And . . .



a moderately huge DEP file # sign.
I made it myself. Actually, Dave made it himself. I just wrote the words. And numbers.

And . . .


a not at all huge BUILDING PERMIT!!!!!

I did not make this (that would be illegal).

But I feel a great sense of accomplishment nonetheless.

And . . .



orange lines on the grass. I hope the excavation people can read these.

And . . .




last but not least, an erosion control fence. Hooray!

It was a family project.

Some people might think these things make our house look hideous.

But not me.

I think they are beautiful!

A boy and his dog

Milo loves Tagg.

A lot.

He loves all his people, but Tagg is his best friend.

Tagg gets the full body wag every time he walks in the door.

And all the love and affection he can take.

Family scripture time is a Milo favorite.

Everyone sits still.

So he can do this.




- aaww, that's so sweet.

How can Tagg even consider going to college and breaking that up?

He should just live at home with me . . . I mean Milo.

Insurance agents say the darndest things.

The events you are about to read actually occurred.

Dave is the king of online shopping.

Really. It's in his job description.

So, when we started shopping for a new insurance company in Massachusetts, it made sense to go with an online company.

Especially since we were living in Utah at the time.

We were wrong.

This real, live conversation actually occurred.

Today.

Prompted by a message Dave got saying our homeowners policy was being cancelled.

Prepare to be amazed. Or confused. Or, both.

Me: hi, I'm calling in response to notification that our policy is being cancelled.

Them: okay. Long pause.

Me: I'm wondering why.

Them: can you hold, please?

Me: yes.

Hold, hold, hold.

Them: do you live within 500 feet of the ocean front?

Me: yes.

Them: we can't insure homes on the waterfront.

Me: but we've always been on the waterfront.

Them: since you moved in in October?

Me: confused pause. Yes.

Them: okay. Can you hold please?

Me: yes.

Hold, hold, hold.

Them: you recently made changes to your policy to include new construction.

Me: yes. Last week.

Them: we can't support that change in your state.

Me: confused pause. But you didn't know that last week?

Them: no, we didn't. Would you like to talk to one of our in house agencies for a quote?

Me: really long, really confused pause. But you are canceling my policy.

Them: yes. But you could talk to one of our in house agencies to get a bid.

Me: who is canceling me?

Them: Ameriprise.

Me: who do you work for?

Them: Ameriprise.

Me: but you can give me a bid on a new policy?

Them: yes. Through one of our in house agencies.

Me: ummm. I don't think so.

The end.

Questions that come to mind:

Do some people move their home closer to the ocean front after they move in?

Does the ocean front move closer to some people's homes after they move in?

What the heck is an in house insurance company? And why didn't they insure me in the first place?

Cooking and cleavage.

I am opposed.

I will admit to being a huge fan of cooking shows.

I like to cook. I find watching people cook enjoyable. I come up with great ideas from watching Rachel, Giada, and the gang.

What I do not enjoy is watching their boobies. Sorry if that is a bad word in your world. I mean no disrespect to womanhood.

But really ladies. Cover up, in the name of all that is decent and delicious!

Who came up with that idea? A male food network executive?

Perhaps the lights are so hot they need to wear low cut tops?

Maybe they are trying to increase male viewership?

I do not know.

But in my world, cleavage does not belong in the kitchen.

Hooray for Kelsey's Kitchen and her Shade t-shirts!


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Snap, crackle, pop . . .

. . . drool, smile, chomp.

Your favorite marshmallow crispy rice treat.

Only better.

And slightly more time consuming.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 vanilla bean
1 10.5 oz. bag mini marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups crispy rice cereal (sometimes referred to as Rice Krispies)

1. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium low heat.

2. As the butter is melting, cut open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the pan. Yes, you can substitute vanilla extract, but if you do, add it after the marshmallows are melted, but before you add the cereal.

3. Once the butter has melted, you are going to wait for it to brown. This is one of the things, along with the vanilla bean and salt, that makes this recipe extra special. It will bubble and hiss, but not boil, for about 4 to 5 minutes before it starts to brown. You need to watch carefully because it is a very short trip from brown to burnt.

4. Add the marshmallows and salt as soon as the butter starts to brown. Stir over low heat until marshmallows are completely melted and seeds are evenly distributed.

5. Stir in cereal until well combined.

6. Pat into prepared pan.

7. Let sit for about half an hour, if you have very good self control, then cut and enjoy!



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I have this many pennies.

Yesterday, we resorted to my last ditch effort to get a new house.

We called our favorite builders (meaning they had the lowest bid).

Okay, they also seem honest and reliable and are not ridiculously condescending. And did I mention they had the lowest bid?

And we said, 'we have this many pennies, how much house can we have for that?'

Fortunately, the owner came along for the meeting. He has a very reassuring habit of saying how inexpensive everything is.

We do have to wonder why they bid everything at 250% of the reasonable numbers he is letting slip.

Let me add that the worker bee, who puts the bids together, is looking uncomfortable at the rapidly shrinking profit margin.

Too bad, so sad. Keep those numbers falling!

Today, we get the new and improved number.

Now, for the building inspector. Permit, please?


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What makes Mother's Day Great

We got a copy of a Sheri Dew talk today in our ward. No flowers, no chocolates, no accolades to the greatness of Motherhood even, really. Just a stapled version of a talk entitled 'Are we not all Mothers?' from 2001.

I admit to surreptitiously leaving it sitting on the table in the lobby. I kind of have a no more paper policy at my house. And, what with the Internet and all, let's be honest and admit that we don't need quite as much paper as we used to back in the day.

I will also admit that I have a no guilt inducing Mother's Day gift policy. I do just fine convincing myself of my inadequacies all on my own. But because our bishopric seems to appreciate women, and Mother's in particular, I assume the intention was not to tear us down, but to build us up.

With that thought as my inspiration, I looked up the talk and skimmed the content. I feel confident it is quite nice, and will plan to read it someday that is not Mother's Day. Instead, I had some chocolate and contemplated what makes Mother's Day great.

I had a perfect model to contemplate, because I had a Mother's Day as near to perfect as is possible when half of your children are out of the country.

Yesterday Dave planned a trip through New Hampshire and Maine visiting Architectural Salvage places. This was my request as a Mothers Day gift. The surprise came about 45 minutes into the trip when Dave said he wanted to stop at McDonald's for a smoothie. Okay, I said. Kind of weird, we're not really smoothie people, but if Dave wants a smoothie, I'm fine with that. He went in and came out 10 minutes later, with McKay and Annie! They had driven down to surprise me for the weekend.

I was really surprised! And really happy. They came at Easter, and I was not expecting to see them again so soon. We had a wonderful day driving through the New England Spring ( half the day was sunny, half was rainy, just like a New England Spring should be) and looking at cool old stuff I might some day use in my house.

Sunday morning Dave made homemade Belgian waffles with strawberries and toffee sauce. Absolutely delicious! After church he cooked one of my favorite meals of grilled salmon, asparagus, and roasted potatoes. Delicious again!

After lunch, we called Kami in Chile and it was amazing to hear her voice. It it a surprise every time we talk that her voice sounds the same. It is very reassuring to a Mom to hear her child's voice sounding happy and health. About 45 minutes into the call Chase called. We were able to conference him in and I had the relief of hearing his voice as well. They got to talk to each other. In Spanish even. I heard all my children on the phone together laughing and talking. It was marvelous!

I can hear three of them upstairs laughing right now. The most wonderful sound in the world.

My children talking to each other, and to Dave and me, is a priceless gift. That I have a family that loves each other, and loves to spend time together, is wonderful.

Having children is what makes Mother's Day great. Having a loving husband makes it perfect. I feel like the luckiest Mom on earth.


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Location:Nantasket Rd,Hull,United States

This is the house that Jack built.

Yes, this is the view from my front window.


as opposed to this, which is the view out my back window.




And yes, it is sunny in front and cloudy in back and I don't know how that works.

But I do realize I'm lucky.

And I do envy just a bit that little bird in my lantern who is building her nest by the sweat of her brow, with supplies she finds herself. No million dollar framing bids for her.

I am tempted to follow her lead and see what I can find laying around the neighborhood.

There is quite a lot of wood washed up on the shore these days. I just might use it!

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A is for application.

Building, loan, FEMA, etc.

B is for bids, which come in today. The anticipation is like Christmas. The dollar amounts are like my own equivalent of the budget deficit.

C is for cabinets. Which I ordered yesterday. And paid for in ADVANCE, which is a huge construction no no. They were 1/5 the cost of the bid from my kitchen designer. I love my online shopping guru husband.

D is for despair. Which is a regular companion to the home building process.

E is for euphoria. Ditto above.

F is framing. Ours is apparently particularly complicated. Like me.

G is for good weather. Which we have had for 2 days running. It makes everything in life better!

H is for home sweet home. Which will be 3 bedrooms and a bathroom for the next few months if everything goes according to plan. Like camping inside. Which is my favorite kind of camping.

I is for income property. Which we do not have. Ours is an outgo property.

J is for justification. Which is sometimes useful in budgeting for fixtures and finishes.

K is for kidding around. Which is a useful way to pass the time while waiting for bids to come in.

L is for looking. For bargains. On everything we need to build a house.

M is for money. We keep spending it. And, we haven't really started yet.

N is for now. Which is when I would like my new house to be done.

O is for organization. I'll get right on that.

P is for piles. Of information important to the building process.

Q is for quickly. Which is how I need to get get things done once I finally realize they need to be done.

R is for running. In circles most of the time.

S is for sinks. I like really special sinks. See justification.

T is for today. Which is a sunny, warm day. Hooray!

U is for unless. The word that comes before a long list of undesirable possibilities.

V is for vacation. Which we just had, but seems like a long time ago.

W is for work. Which I need to do more of.

X is for x-ray. And xylophone. Which are not really applicable to this conversation.

Y is for yay! Which is what I say every time we move forward on our project.

Z is for zippadeedoodah! which is what I will sing the day they start excavation.

You get the idea. I think we are really, really close to starting construction. Keep your fingers crossed!




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Location:Hull, MA

Once upon a time

Once upon a time I promised a friend I would post my Coconut, Oatmeal, Raisin Cookie recipe.

I did not post it.

Now, I am posting it.

The End

The Most Amazingly Delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookie ever! (according to me)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cubes (1/2 pound) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup raisins

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
2. Beat softened butter (remember that soft butter is veeeeeery important) with the granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes in a kitchenaid type mixer. 8 or 10 if you are using a handheld mixer.

**mixer saving note: use the paddle on your mixer for almost everything. The wire whisk, although much more fun to look at, tends to break if you use it on anything thicker than cake batter.

3. Beat eggs into butter mixture until well combined.
4. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture on stir speed. This is the point at which more is not better in the mixing department.
5. Stir in the coconut, oatmeal, and raisins until just incorporated. (FYI, I use rolled oats, but quick cooking will also work.

Bake at 300 F for about 20 minutes, or until they just start to look golden brown around the edges.

I will now give you some cookie tips. Are you excited?

First, for a consistent cookie outcome, cookies that retain their shape and volume, and don't spread too much during baking, I recommend shaping and freezing your cookies before baking. This also allows you to have fresh baked cookies whenever you want, which is a definite benefit. You will need to add a little extra time to the baking time. I do realize that sometimes you need cookies really fast, so any chilling possible is good.

Second, if at all possible, use parchment paper when you bake your cookies. It helps to keep the bottoms of the cookies from browning too quickly.

Third, I am always aiming to have a soft and chewy cookie that is just barely done. If your ideal cookie is different from mine, feel free to disregard "first", and "second".

Happy cookie baking!





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Location:Hull, Ma

If you're lucky enough to live at the beach . . .

. . . you're lucky enough.

I was walking Milo this afternoon and saw this quote on a neighbors house. Again. It speaks to me every time I see it, and yet I forget within a day or two how meaningful it is.

When people ask what our child rearing technique is, Dave and I always say the same thing. We have high expectations of our children. For the most part they meet and exceed those expectations.

Perhaps I have let that idea get away from me. I have high expectations of life. I must have what I want when I want it or things are not right! That might not be the most appropriate way to live life.

I've come up with a few variations of this quote that would serve me well to keep in mind:

If you are lucky enough to have a home to live in, and food to eat, you are lucky enough.

If you are lucky enough to have a loving family, you are lucky enough.

Most importantly,

If you are lucky enough to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, you are lucky enough!


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Location:Hull, Mass.

Is there a doctor in the club?

My new physician search experience. For your enjoyment.

Ring, ring (the telephone at the doctors office)

Receptionist: Hello, ________ Family Practice, can I help you?

Me: Yes, we recently moved to the area and I am looking for a new physician. I was wondering if you are accepting new patients.

Receptionist: No, our practice is currently closed.

Me: Okay. Well, thanks.

Receptionist: Well, we do have two female doctors. They have openings.

My head: what?!?!?

Me: So, you are accepting new patients?

Receptionist: Yes, if you want to see one of them.

My head: Yes, since I'm not a sexist maniac, I would love to.

Me: That would be great.

Time passes and I go to the doctor, and I take Tagg to the doctor. Each time she is wearing a legging/sweater combo that shows a lot of leg. Strange I think. Casual Wednesday? But, she seems quite doctorly, and knows how to fix what ails us, so that's good.

I go to the doctor for a follow up. She is wearing a purple mini dress that zips up the front, sheer tights and chunky green platforms.

The end.

Epilogue
It is two days later and I am still confused. Liked to go clubbing in college and is paying off student loans? Likes being a W O M A N? Doesn't want her practice to become clogged with fussy old people who think doctors should dress a certain way? Missed the class on physician protocol? Still don't know. I might just have to ask her.





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Location:Hull, Mass.

Monday, Monday: A cautionary tale . . .

in which the injured puppy is tired of being cooped up in the house,

the injured puppy tries to jump on the treadmill with Carol because it looks fun,

the injured puppy quivers with anticipation when offered a ride in the car (the alternative to a walk which is to be avoided due to injury),

the injured puppy winds around her feet while Carol gathers necessary supplies for leaving the house, excluding the key which she forgets,

Carol discovers she did not forget to lock the door,

Carol takes the injured puppy to the back deck in hopes the back door is unlocked,

Carol discovers the back door is locked, which she knew because she locked it herself in an effort to keep the 'ocean breeze' from bringing all the sand of the Atlantic ocean, and all the sub zero temperatures of the 'Spring' weather into the 50 degree 'sun room',

the injured puppy stays within 1/2 inch of Carol's feet in an effort to ensure promised ride in the car takes place,

Carol goes to the shed to find a ladder while injured puppy cries in desperation at being left in pooping place while Carol appears to be leaving on promised ride without him,

Carol fights to keep 12 foot ladder from being ripped from her hands while fighting the 'ocean breeze',

Carol places the ladder in position and climbs onto second floor deck to enter her son's room which is left unlocked for just such emergencies,

the ladder is immediately blown over by 'ocean breeze' leaving Carol extremely grateful second floor door was unlocked,

Carol lets extremely grateful injured puppy into the house,

Carol gets the key and loads injured puppy into the car for the promised ride,

Carol discovers it is just 8:15 am,

and Carol daydreams about going back to Florida.














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Location:Hull, MA

. . . it isn't an Oreo

But, it's an even more delicious alternative!

And you could certainly make it say O R E O if you were so inclined.


Sometimes, flour girls like to try new recipes.

Actually, flour girls like to try 
new recipes all the time.

This is how it happens.

I look through a number of my cookbooks.  I have several.  Dozen.  Several dozen cookbooks.  I find it difficult to pass up a pretty cookbook with lots of pictures.

Anyway, it usually happens that I find a delicious sounding recipe, look up a dozen similar recipes on line.  And make a version based on available ingredients and time.

This is the Oreo knock off I tried this weekend.

Ingredients:

Cookie:
1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup (150 grams)
granulated sugar
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 1/2 cup (210 grams) all purpose flour

3/4 cup (90 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

This is a nice dark chocolate cookie.  It is intended to be crunchy, and under cooking will not make it chewy.  Just in case you are tempted:)

Another warning.  This is definitely a regular Oreo amount of filling.  If you are a double stuff person, or have a taste tester, or are a taste tester, make double filling!

Because of the melted butter, you can mix the cookie dough by hand, which means you don't have to wash the mixing bowl before making the filling.  Hooray!

Whisk the butter and sugar together until well combined.

Whisk in the vanilla and melted chocolate.

Whisk in the egg.  Be sure everything is well combined.

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together in a separate bowl.

FYI:  many bakers are passionate about Dutch cocoa powder.  It is very dark and rich.  But, if you have Hershey's, use it!  It works fine in my opinion.

Mix dry ingredients into wet.  It will be quite stiff.  Use a wooden spoon or spatula.  Switch to your hands if you want to.

Put mixture on parchment or waxed paper, and roll into a 10 inch long log.

Refrigerate for a couple hours, or freeze for 15 minutes and call it good because you are in a hurry;)

You may want to reshape since it tends to flatten.

Heat oven to 325 F.

Slice into 1/4 inch rounds and bake on parchment luned cookie sheet for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookie us firm.

While cookies cool, mix the filling.

Wonderfully easy.

Put all the ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until smooth.  Be sure your butter is soft.  It will be quite thick.  Like cream filling should be!

Put a tablespoon of filling on the bottom of a cookie.  Put another cookie on top.  Bottoms in, of course.


I got about 14 cookies.

Yum!






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Location:Hull, Mass.

Reality vs. Vacation

I want vacation to win. Reality is a bad sport.

I left Orlando at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday morning. It was 70 degrees, on it's way to 82.

I arrived in Boston at 11:30 a.m. It was 38 degrees. On it's way to snowing on Thursday.

I got up at 5:20 on Wednesday to fix Tagg's breakfast and pack his lunch.

I sighed, thinking of vacation where you sleep until 8:00, and someone else fixes all the food.

I took Milo to the dog park to work on his off leash training. He had a short relapse. Which ended in a romp in the harbor. Which ended in a giant gash on his paw. Which ended in an alarmingly expensive trip to the vet. Which ended in Milo chewing his bandage off while we all slept. Which ended in me watching him ALL DAY LONG.

He is very sad about bandages and cones and pain and pretty much everything.

I am very sad that I came home from vacation. He was much safer boarding at his doggie day care. I was much safer reading by the pool.

Vacation: 3 ; Reality: 0

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Location:Hull, Mass.

A few of my favorite things . . .

Princess Stores.

80 degree weather.

Sunshine!

Sunshine!

Sunshine! Some things bear repeating.

Someone to clean my bathroom and make my bed.

Time to talk to Dave.

Sleeping until I wake up.

No dishes.

Wondering what I should do next.

Lego sea monsters.




Some thingon happen only on vacation.

That's what makes them special!

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Location:Orlando, Florida

Thinking Green

I'm sitting in the tire store thinking about what to serve for St. Patrick's Day.

I do all my best thinking in the tire store.

Just kidding, that's not true. Or, it might be true, but I have no proof that it's true.

I'm thinking Shepherd's Pie. Because I don't really like Corned Beef and Cabbage, and google assures me that Shepherd's Pie is more authentic.

Google is good that way. Always validating my decisions. Have I mentioned I like google?

And, I can make up for missing Pi day. Which is one of Kami's favorite holidays. She would be disappointed by our lack of observance.

Shepherd's Pie with beef, of course. I think recipes calling for lamb are a bit wrong. Do you really thing a shepherd would eat lamb? I wouldn't if I were a shepherd. Or, if I were me.

I found a recipe online. I googled it.

I will also make Irish Soda Bread. The really delicious, inauthentic kind we made at the bakery.

Here's the recipe if you want to have delicious, inauthentic soda bread like me.

It makes two 8 or 9 inch loaves.

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups sour cream
1 cup raisins

This is a simple recipe that can be mixed in one bowl! Hooray! No crazy instructions.

Just stir together all the dry ingredients, except the raisins, in your mixer. Add the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Stir in the raisins. No intense beating required. Or allowed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Bake in two 8 or 9 inch loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 325 F for about an hour. It should test clean with a toothpick.

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Location:Hull, Mass.

If life gives you lemons, make cake!

I made lemon poundcake yesterday. Lots and lots of lemon pound cake.

And, several pints of lemon curd.

To round off a perfect day, I whipped a gallon of cream.

No, I was not treating bakery withdrawal, I was helping prepare for Stake Relief Society Conference.

I originally planned to bake 3 or 4 cakes a day.

Then, I started, and made a HUGE mess, and decided I might as well just keep on baking. For several hours.

And, although I won't mind if I never see lemon poundcake again, I realize you might not feel that way.

So, bake your heart out. But you might want to stop at one. Or two. Or, you might want to make 10, like me!

Ingredients:

Cake,
1 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
5 tablespoons lemon juice (I supplemented with bottled juice)
1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (1/2 teaspoon if you use unsalted butter)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature

Lemon curd,
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
Zest of 3 lemons
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup whipping cream

Cake:

Remember all those pesky details in the chocolate cake recipe? They still apply! Have all ingredients at room temperature. Beat the heck out of your butter and sugar, but when you get to the flour, don't over mix!

Okay, here we go.

1. Beat 1 cup butter and 3 cups sugar in stand mixer until light and fluffy at medium speed. About 5 whole minutes!

2. Add room temp eggs, 1 at a time. Beat well after each addition.

3. Add lemon zest, juice and extract and beat until well combined. Remember this is your last chance to beat the mixture at medium speed, so make sure the mixture is smooth. It might look a little curdled because of the lemon, but just mix well.

4. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda. Add half to butter mixture at stir speed.

5. Add 1/2 sour cream and continue to stir.

6. Repeat using remaining ingredients. Stir just until combined.

7. Stir with a spatula to make sure everything is combined.

Bake in a greased and floured bundt pan at 350 F.

It will take about 60 to 75 minutes. It should test clean with a toothpick.

Let sit five minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Lemon Curd:

This is a magical microwave lemon curd. It works well for this purpose, but doesn't have the same smooth consistency as a more traditional curd.

1. Whisk 1 cup sugar and 3 eggs in a microwave safe bowl.

2. Whisk in lemon juice, zest and melted butter.

3. Cook in microwave, stirring after each minute, until it coats the back of a spoon. Mine took about 5 minutes. After the first 2 minutes, I did 90 seconds at a time. Because I'm impatient. It worked fine.

4. Cool completely in refrigerator.

5. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. I flavored with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, but that is optional.

6. Fold 1 cup of lemon curd into whipped cream. (you will have additional curd)

Serve sliced cake with a spoonful of lemon cream.

Yum!



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Location:Hull, Mass.

What to have for dinner . . .

. . . when you forgot you were having guests, you need to bake 5 loaves of artisan bread and 10 lemon pound cakes, and you have 3 pounds of organic chicken thighs in the freezer.

Butter chicken!

How can you not want something named that?

I admit to being a very casual cook. That is the only advantage of cooking to a baker like me. You don't have to do all that weighing and measuring.

As in most instances where I forget I am entertaining, I did not have everything I needed for anything. Have you seen those McCormick spice commercials? They speak to me.

Unlike the Cambell's Beef Stew commercials, which also speak to me, but only to say Yuck!

I am a dedicated substituter. Even with Indian food, which is relatively new to my culinary skills.

So, it might not be super cool to call it butter chicken because I made some emergency substitutions, but I did use butter, and chicken, so I'm sticking with it

I will even tell you what I used as substitutions so you can see your options and be a cooking cheater like me.

This is what I did:

1. Dice 1 onion, and cook it with 1 tablespoon minced garlic in 2 tablespoons melted butter over medium low heat until golden brown. This will take about 15 minutes.

2. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large pot (you will need a lid later) with about 1/4 cup tomato paste from the squirty tube (substituted for 1 can tomato sauce) 1 cup cream, 1 can evaporated (not sweetened condensed) milk (substituted for additional cream), 1 teaspoon curry powder (substituted for garam masala, see step 3), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Bring to a simmer, turn heat to medium low and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mixture will thicken slightly.

3. Once you get your sauce started, cut the boneless, skinless thighs (substituted for chicken breast) into bite sized pieces. Tossed them in a tablespoon of vegetable oil and three tablespoons of my tandoori masala 'like' mix of spices. I am going out on a very small limb here to say that you can go ahead and use curry powder if you don't have or want to mix tandoori masala.

Who knew all those Indian spice mixes that cost a fortune in the store are just a combination of all the expensive bottles of spice in my cupboard that I can never use completely? Google did, that's who! Valuable information from google once again.

4. Put the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until baked through.

5. Drain fat, and add chicken to sauce with onion mixture for last 10 minutes of cooking time.

6. Start cooking basmati rice (or any other kind you have) about the time you put the chicken in the oven and everything will be done at the same time. More or less.

Serve this to your forgotten guests. Do not tell them they were forgotten. This is a very important step.

I can feel safe posting this because my forgotten guests were missionaries who cannot read blogs. Even mine.

They LOVED this. And, even though they are missionaries and not that picky, I wanted to share with you because I loved it too.

And I am very picky!

Easy plus yummy equals a lucky save.

The end.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hull, Mass.

Private Milo

Milo started bootcamp today.

I think he was a little bit nervous. Or maybe that was me.

It's very stressful having a household member join the military. It's a dangerous world. Dogs are eating dogs all over the place. Or that might just be a saying. You can never be sure about these things. Sayings come from somewhere.

The good news is it's day bootcamp,

And, his drill sergeant is a peppy twenty-something girl that thinks he is the best behaved and most beautiful dog she has ever met,

And, at the end of it we can change his nickname from naughty puppy to good puppy,

And, he is learning that he never needs to worry about anything because his people will always take care of him . . . (hmmm, I might want to enroll myself),

And, he can stay here when Tagg goes off to college because he will be perfect,

And, Dave will take him for walks,

And, he won't end up dislocating my shoulder,

And, he doesn't have to clean kitchens or latrines . . . Although let's be honest and admit that if there was a dog training course that taught those things I would pay any amount of money to get Milo enrolled.

But, still. It was a pretty rough day.

Just look . . .






No, he is not on the furniture. Who said that? That would be very bad dog ownering.

And I have leather cleaning wipes, so if you are coming over, there is no need to worry about sanitation, even though he is not on the furniture.

I promise.

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Location:Kingston, Mass.

Oh, Fluff!

So, there's something about Sunday that makes me want treats.

Basically every week I come home from church and start thinking about baking. Who wants pot roast if you can have pie? Oh, everyone but me? Okay.

This week I decided I should make Whoopie Pies.

Whoopie pies are amazing little chocolate cakes with a creamy filling. Especially if you find a good recipe that doesn't use shortening. Which I finally have. Hooray!

They can be pretty much any flavor cake, really. But chocolate is traditional.

Whoopie Pies are local to New England you know. Maybe that's why I needed to make them.

In an effort to connect with my new place.

Anyway, they are in some way associated to a Broadway play, where an actor threw these little filled cakes into the audience, and the play was named after the cakes, or the cakes were named after the play, or something like that.

Don't get me started on the decline of live theatre. I go to Broadway shows as often as possible, and no one has thrown any delicious cakes my way.

I'm just saying.

But, my point is, that in order to make real Whoopie Pies you need Fluff. Also an East Coast thing. Marshmallow cream would be your best substitute if you live on the other side of the country.

The problem was, I did not have any Fluff. There are no fluffernutter eaters in my house any more, and fudge season is over.

If that is possible. I feel like fudge shouldn't really be restricted to a season.

So, being the dedicated baker I am. And really, really wanting a Whoopie Pie, I decided to make my own Fluff.

It wasn't the most logical decision of my life. It might have made more sense to make brownies, but that's not how I roll. I'm very committed to a good craving.

There are no recipes for Fluff online.

No matter how creative you are in your googling.

And I am a very creative googler.

So, I decided to just make marshmallows, and use the mixture before it set up.

It was very promising up until the part where I just used the mixture before it set up. It went downhill pretty quickly after that.

This is the extra marshmallow mixture I did not need for my Whoopie Pie Cream:





It became perfectly respectable marshmallows by morning.

My homemade fluff, however, just disintegrated into my butter and powdered sugar when I beat it together.

It was very thin. Perfectly delicious, but in no way capable of providing beautiful pictures of perfectly filled Whoopie Pies.

Oh, Fluff!

But, do not despair. In my best professional baker mode, I have diagnosed the problem.

I will try again.

Recipe and pictures will follow soon!



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Location:Hull, Ma

Ah, now I remember . . .

This is Nantasket Beach.


Today. The sun is shining and it is 54 degrees.

This is my back yard.



With more of Hull in the distance

This is also our backyard.



With Boston in the distance.

Ditto sun and temperature.

This is why we moved here.

The last 5 months of unfortunate weather had me confused.

But now I remember . . .

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Location:Hull ma

I'd like to thank the Academy . . .

Actually, I'd like to like to thank The Academy.

I think I've lost my fascination with celebrity.

When I was a young'n, I loved watching the Oscar's.  I hoped all the actor's I was half in love with would be presenter's.  And, many of them were.  It made the whole occasion so exciting!

Now that I have apparently outgrown being half in love with actors, it seems so much more boring.

And, the hosts seem so much more boring.  And not hilariously funny like they should be.

And the actors I used to be half in love with are possibly sporting facelifts, which I find horrifying.

Let's just all grow old together people.  It would make life so much easier.

There are a lot of beards this year.  Which I am not convinced is a good idea.

And, why are the women so SKINNY?  Really!  It's disconcerting.

But, encouraging that there are relatively few breast implants.

Which is a huge relief because they are always a mistake on anyone under size zero.

And the acceptance speeches don't seem as thankful as they used to be.

Although I admit to forwarding through some (okay most) of them.

Maybe it's the fault of dvr.  Or reality tv.  But celebrity isn't the same for me.

Sigh . . .

Maybe I'm the one who's changed.

I'm old!


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Skills

My new job as a den leader in the cub scout program has me contemplating my skills.

Very few of which appear in the cub achievements. Which is fairly tragic considering that the cub achievements are actually quite progressive and gender neutral.

I will have to work on that. Tuesday nights at seven. And all week while I try to figure out what the heck I'm doing.

In particular, I have been thinking about the Lamb Grower's years.

I did not grow lambs. Nor did I know anyone who grew lambs.

But . . . my Grandpa was retired from the Department of Agriculture/Forest Service and had an interest in Sheep Growers. He had also retired and moved next door to raise horses, but that is a story for another day.

I don't remember the actual name of the organization. It was, after all, more than 30 years ago. Which makes me feel strange when I see it in writing. Although I am usually not bothered by my age. I'll have to spend some time analyzing this later on.

I know it involved sheep, and wool. And lamb meat, which I never really developed a taste for.

I had sewing skills back in the day. Mad sewing skills, actually. Think the most complicated Gunne Sax dress around, in 5 different green calico prints. That's what I'm talking about. It was AWESOME.

I really was a skilled seamstress. And in sewing 4H. Which led to my Grammy entering me in the sewing competition at the Wool Grower's Convention. And taking me shopping for wool. And examining my seams. My Grammy was a perfectionist.

All I really remember about that event was people looking at the seams of my skirt. Grammy was right!

I think we ate lamb.

I was not wearing the skirt at the time. In case you were wondering.

There may have been a fashion show. Which I have blocked from my memory.

Do you think I could lobby for a sewing/fashion showing achievement for Wolf scouts?

Why don't we do Girl Scouts in my church?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hull, Mass.

Skunks, and other signs of Spring

Spring is coming to Hull. How do I know this? Because the dog groomer told me.

I walked into Sunshine Pet Parlor (I love that Yankee optimism!), and the man behind the counter greeted me with 'oh, you're not who I thought you would be.'

I replied Right? How did I turn into a middle aged woman buying designer dog food for my under-weight, over-enthusiastic golden/border collie mix?
Oh, that's not what you meant, sorry!

Actually, I just thought that. Fortunately. That might have been too much information.

The second thing out of his mouth was, 'does it still smell like skunkdog in here?'. At which I checked behind me to verify that he was, indeed, talking to me. I checked only because this was an unfamiliar question and I thought it might be more meaningful to the person standing behind me. Who did not exist. So I analyzed the question and said 'no'.

After putting the appropriate space between skunk and dog it became completely comprehensible, and, in fact it did not smell like skunk at all. Just dog, which is exactly what you expect a doggy daycare to smell like.

We continued the conversation, in which I learned he had cleaned 3 skunked dogs this week. One from my neighborhood! Another good reason to keep Milo from roaming. That, and the fact that he has absolutely no understanding of the relationship between cars and dogs.

He ended with the uplifting thought that it was a sign that Spring was coming. He is the second person this week to say that. Our neighbor said the same thing at our Con Comm meeting Tuesday night. Skunks are a sign of Spring coming.

I must admit, I was hoping for something different as a sign of Spring. Like, maybe buds on the trees, or flowers. Or less snowfall. But, I guess if skunks are the bearers of good news, I'll take them.

From a considerable distance, please. Thank you!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hull, Mass.

Young Love

This is the cookie recipe dreams are made of.  Happily ever after cookies.  Really!

Although, I suppose, to use Really! might be a few million years premature since 'ever after' is a very long time.

But!  But, but, but . . . it has been working really well since about 1981 when I discovered it.  And 20 cookie years is a very long time in people years.  Okay, 20 years is just a very long time.  If you don't believe me ask my children.  Only half of which have achieved that momentous age.

--interesting aside.  I am typing on my iPad right now, which is challenging for my clumsy hands.  I regularly hit the 'n' key instead of the space bar which results in interesting words like ifnyou.  I am sometimes tempted to leave it, and become a country girl.  Just thoughtnI'd share that with you.  Thatnlast one really happened.  By accident!

Anyway, back in the early 80's when I was a young high school girl, I used to browse my Mom's magazines on Sunday afternoons, or whenever I didn't have a date, which was always.  Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, Woman's Day, things like that.  Next to the diet tips, they would have delicious recipes.  I don't know why, but they still do.  Anyway, I made the cookies, I loved the cookies.  I met my husband, I loved my husband, who loved the cookies, and loved me.  We served the cookies at our wedding.  And, we are living happily ever after with the cookies.  Which were my number one seller at the bakery.  The end.

Make the cookies, and you, too will love the cookies.

And, just ignore uniformed persons who ask if you ran out of brown sugar.  They do not deserve an answer or a cookie.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 cups butter (I use the kind with salt), very soft
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt (unless you use unsalted butter, then use 1 teaspoon)
4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Beat the butter until light and creamy with the powdered sugar.  You cannot beat it too long, so if you have a Kitchenaid or other stand mixer, just walk away for 5 minutes and let it go.

Add the remaining vanilla, salt, and flour and continue to beat until completely combined and smooth. Another 3 to 4 minutes, or as long as necessary.  If it still falls apart, it needs more mixing.  There is nothing fragile in this recipe, so don't worry about over beating it.  It will not have good texture if you stop too soon.

In case you are still wondering . . . BEAT IT REALLY, REALLY WELL.  Sorry, I just feel very strongly about this.

--note:  this dough is stiffer than regular cookie dough, so don't be alarmed.

Once it is a soft, smooth beautiful dough, stir in the chocolate chips. In case you are wondering, I used mini chips this time. but, it's not necessary.

Place a large heaping tablespoon per cookie on cookie sheets (12 to a sheet).  Now the crazy part.  Gently smash with a fork, as though you were making peanut butter cookies.  Strange, I know.  But that's hownwe do it round these parts.

Bake for 14 minutes at 350 F.  You want the bottom to be light golden, but no color on the top.

They should taste like sweet buttery goodness in your mouth.  Soft, but not chewy.  Definitely not crunchy or crispy!  Just delicious.

I must admit, I envy you if you are eating this cookie for the first time.

Monopoly Money

Yesterday was bid return day for our addition. We got exactly one bid back.  Out of three builders.  Who still claim they want to do the job.  Hmmm, this does not seem to bode well for actual construction.  I'm guessing the bid is not the most difficult or time intensive part of the project.

Of course, with the bid estimate we just got back, there may not be a project.  The only possible way for this to happen is if they are bidding in monopoly money.  Or possibly jelly beans.  But, even that would be expensive.

The bid came in at roughly $200 per square foot.  We own the property, let's not forget.  Oceanfront property, which is supposed to be the expensive part of the whole deal.  The framing alone is $89,000.  $51,000 for materials, $38,000 for labor.

Lest you are thinking we have expensive taste in finishing work, let me set you straight.  We DO have expensive taste in finishing work, which is why we had the job bid without most of it.  This does not include the kitchen at all!  I will have to tell you later about the kitchen cabinet only bid of $42,000.  There are 17 cabinets. 

This does not include the $20,000 tile bid (uninstalled).  Or decorative light fixtures.  Or a tub in the master bath.  I could go on for quite a while.  But, I will finish by telling you that this does not even include paint.  PAINT is not included.  Why?  But, they gave us an estimate in case we would like them to paint.  That would be $22,000 for the inside.  $11,000 more if we want the exterior painted as well.

So, $200 per square foot gets us a very nice shell.  Excellent value, don't you think?

Anyone thinking of changing professions?  Or locations?  We're now accepting bids on a much smaller home addition.

What time is it?

Oh, how I wish I were a Morning Person

We get up at 5:20 at our house.  That's 5:20 a.m.  If you were confused.

Which says something about our grooming habits because Tagg leaves for Seminary at 5:30.  All personal grooming takes place in the p.m. around here.  Other than tooth brushing, of course.

This is my to do list for the hour between 5:30 when Tagg leaves, and 6:30, when it's my turn for the treadmill.

-empty dishwasher
-decide what to make for dinner, and prep ingredients (Rachel Ray style)
-do a load of laundry
-clean bathroom
-write blog
-figure out what the heck I should know about cub scouts
-arrange for world peace

This is what I do between 5:30 when Tagg leaves, and 6:30 when it's my turn for the treadmill.

-sit in the living room and stare at the tv, wishing there were more episodes of family under construction on my dvr.  Periodically I stare at Milo, who is staring at me, willing me to turn on the sun so it will be time to go to the beach.

OR

-lay on my bed thinking of reasons I can't get on the treadmill, or get up at all.

Sadly, I cannot entertain you with the creative reasons I come up with.  I have no creative thought at 5:30 am

Everything I know about pop music, I learned from watching Glee

It's true.  I am musically challenged.  Oh, I can play the piano given enough practice time, or a really simple arrangement.  I can even sing on key.  I am a perfectly competent choir type singer.

But, I produced a family of music savvy children.  They know music I have never heard of.  Music from the 70's and 80's.  Which is theoretically my pop music heyday.  Even the 60's, which was before my time.  Really.  It was!  Don't laugh at me.

They get that from their Dad, who is a pop music genius.  He is the master of song recognition from the 70's through about 2005, when he had to start devoting more of his brain cells to his career.  It happens.

And, they all love music so, so much.  They have all sorts of criteria I never consider.  And standards of quality.  And, some of them even write music.  They make it up.  They have hertofore uninvented tunes that materialize in their heads.  My children are geniuses, in case you didn't know.

Here are my criteria for good music:

--It must have a peppy tune that does not make me feel sad.
--I must be able to memorize the lyrics so I can sing along.
--The lyrics must be appropriate for me to sing along with.
--If at all possible it should be either Christmas music, from a Broadway show, or appear in a favorite movie (good movie criteria is a subject for another day)

Think The Beach Boys (before my time), Barry Manilow, Air Supply, Madonna (the early years), Harry Connick, Jr., Amy Grant, and Michael Buble.

As you can imagine, this is not one of the things my family loves about me.

And, I get to dj car trips exactly 0% of the time.

But, occasionally I hear something familiar as I scan radio stations or  hear Grammy nominated songs,

Every single time, it is because I heard it on Glee.

I'm not sure what this all says about me, but I'm guessing it's not very flattering.

Hull History, Part 2

February 10, 1911:

--Everybody is going to the Jordan party.

Yep, that's the whole thing.  End of story, apparently.

--The roof blew off the new quarters at Fort Strong during the last storm.  It takes the architect, contractor, and an army officer to look after the building, and then to have the roof blown off the very first thing.  It shows how well they all did their work.

Oh, for 1911 when sarcasm had a place in journalism!

--Capt. Sparrow, in boarding a distressed vessel in the gale, had to come back to Hull to get a ladder to go aboard the vessel.

Wait, there's the door.  I think it's Johnny Depp in dreadlocks, here to borrow a ladder.