What's Going On With Me

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene...

2012-02-02T09:28:00.001-05:00

Photo by Eugene Sribnyi

Last night I went to see Romeo and Juliet performed by the State Ballet Theater of Russia.

It was an utter delight.

Test Your Awareness

2012-02-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

The British are such a delight. Take a look at this ad for visual awareness and take the test.

How did you do?

AND DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO!

You can ring my bell.

2012-01-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

All of this "Stuff Girls Say," "Stuff White Girls Say to Black Girls," "Stuff Gay Guys Living in Georgia Say" (read: lots of Julia Sugarbaker quotes) has been making the rounds, but none so marvelous as this: the wit and witticism of the fabulous Dowager Countess of Grantham.

Delight in it.

"I feel as if I were on stage at the Gaiety."

Movie day, all day long.

2012-01-28T02:50:00.002-05:00

It's after 2AM and I just got back from my annual Oscar-ready day at the Waterfront in Pittsburgh. Here's a quick rundown of what I saw.

Hugo

This is Martin Scorcese's love letter to film, and what a grand and glorious Valentine it is. It's so touching and really beautiful to look at. Also, it leads the pack for nominations, so I got to cross 11 items off of my list, which was terribly fun.

Albert Nobbs

I expected to like this more than I did. I suppose I heard "butler" and thought "Downton Abbey!" It's not really that kind of story. Glenn Close and Janet McTeer were amazing, but when are they not? I liked it, but I didn't love it. However, watching it let me complete my first full category: Best Supporting Actress.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Oh wow, this movie was so good. I'm really disappointed it didn't get a Best Picture nomination. It was, by far, my favorite film of the day. The cast is crazy good. The story is amazing and so multi-faceted. It's a spy story, but not an in-your-face one like the Bourne stories. It's based on a John le Carre book so it's a slow burn spy story and it's so satisfying. Some reviews have been saying it's hard to follow (in fact, an iPhone app I have that gives you good times to leave the theater for a bathroom break listed this film as being too confusing to suggest bathroom breaks) but that's baloney. Just pay careful attention and you'll have no trouble understanding everything that's going on. A woman sitting behind me in the theater turned to her companion halfway through the film and said, "This movie is terrible. I have no idea what's going on." I don't know what her deal was, but she must have been daydreaming or something because it's not like this movie is Syriana* or something. Just pay attention and you'll be fine. And it's so, so good.

The Iron Lady

I should tread carefully here because my friend Eric, who is both ultra-conservative and madly in love with Ms. Streep (as in, he sees her as his future first lady when he one day leads the Republican party to victory and a return to the glory days of the Reagan administration), will harangue me over dinner at Trivia on Monday, but I didn't really care for this film. Again, Meryl Streep was amazing, but when is she not? And it's another one of those situations where the character is not created by the actress; it's an impression of a real person. It was an excellent impression, but I wasn't captured by the events going on in Thatcher's life. It seemed more like a documentary retelling, not a story, like the way Ray was. Or maybe it just suffered by following on the heels of Tinker Tailor. I don't have a beef with Streep's nomination, but this movie didn't do it for me. But I was able to complete both Best Actress and Best Make-up with this, so that's something.

*Syriana is either very confusing or butt-numbingly dull, because for the first time, I left a movie theater confused about the storylines of several of the characters, a couple of whom I actually could not tell apart. I saw it in New York, and as the crowd was filing out, I heard a woman tell her boyfriend, "I think that movie outsmarted me," to which he replied, "Yeah, I think the movie won."

I beg to differ. Nobody in that theater won. Nobody.

Just replace "toddler" with "four-year-old niece."

2012-01-26T11:49:00.000-05:00

Ready Player One

2012-01-25T19:41:00.001-05:00

I just started reading this book and I’m loving it so much. It’s set in a dystopian future where an eccentric billionaire video game designer, who had been a teenager in the 1980s and thus devoted to that decade, has recently died. In his will, he leaves his massive fortune to the first person who can find an Easter egg that he’s hidden in his most popular game.

If you either can’t remember or didn’t care for the 80s, you might still enjoy this book as a complicated logic puzzle of an adventure story, despite the fact that you don’t understand the Atari and Heathers references. But if you love the 80s, if you think John Hughes could do no wrong except for that one time when he clearly should have had Andie choose Duckie, if you immediately get the “cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria!” quote in the first chapter, if you still carry a watermelon for Dirty Dancing and you know all the lyrics to Devo’s Whip It, then this book is so very for you.

I'm two chapters in and the main character is watching old Family Ties episodes. It's rad. Enjoy.

I'm rooting for The Artist, but you probably already knew that.

2012-01-24T09:29:00.000-05:00

Just hand over that Best Picture statuette, please.

The Oscar nominations were just announced this morning. My oh my, I have been waiting for this.

I am...

Delighted: The Artist got all the noms I predicted for it and more.

Pleasantly surprised: about the nominations for Gary Oldman, Jonah Hill, and Melissa McCarthy.

Astonished: not to see Michael Fassbender somewhere on this list since he’s been in 53 movies this year. I was beginning to think I couldn't escape him.

Amazed: at how many nominations Hugo got despite its relatively small buzz leading up to the awards.

Shocked: that Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close got a nom for Supporting Actor let alone Best Picture.

Relieved: so, so relieved that I won’t have to see Carnage. Sorry talented actors who starred in it, but if you want me to be excited about your movie, don't work with Roman Polanski.

Disgusted: that I will now have to see The Tree of Life. I loathe Terrence Malick.

Disappointed: that Ewan McGregor wasn’t noticed for the finest performance I’ve ever seen him give, in The Beginners.

Avoiding: my sister Jen who will surely be furious that Leonardo Dicaprio was snubbed for his role in J. Edgar, despite the fact that she hasn’t yet seen it.

Excited: to start overdosing on movies! I have seen 4 of the 9 Best Picture nominees, so I have a long way to go.

Let the Oscar readiness begin!

"An utter delight!"

2012-01-23T22:59:00.000-05:00

So, I was in DC for a meeting this week, and I spent the evening in Silver Spring, Maryland getting a little pre-Oscar ready. The nominations are happening tomorrow morning, by the way, and I am super excited. Silver Spring is the site of an old, restored movie palace, the AFI Silver Theater, which I love and adore and which I thought would be a perfect place to see The Artist.

The Artist is a silent film about silent films, and it is wonderful. The opening scene shows a 1927 crowd enjoying a silent film in a fabulous movie palace not unlike the one I was sitting in. It was very cool. And the movie was an utter delight. I fully expect Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay nominations for it tomorrow morning. Go see it immediately. You'll leave the theater walking on air.

And if you're ever passing through Silver Spring, stop in at the AFI and see a movie in this gorgeous theater. It's a movie lover's treat.

Good cookin'

2012-01-22T22:47:00.000-05:00

Kris and I went to Casa Bogaczyk last weekend for lots of baby holding, board games, and good food. Every time I visit Liz, I inevitably come home with some great new recipe like Liz's chicken salad or Zack's Polish breakfast or Kristen's mushroom quesadillas. This time it was chicken fajitas with beans and coriander rice. I came home and could not wait to make this for myself.

The beans take three or four hours, but they're so worth it and they make your kitchen smell divine.

Beans and lots of onions and tomatoes. Yum.

Cumin and cilantro and every good thing. The kitchen smelled amazing all afternoon.

This was the first time I used all four burners on my stove at once. It felt rather empowering.

The delicious result. A fajita or burrito or whatever with chicken, beans, coriander rice, sauteed vegetables, avocado, and sour cream. Yum. City.

Also, remember when I was trying to become an avocado person? I'm not sure how it happened, but I have become a full-on avocado freak. I would plant an avocado tree in my yard if I thought I was capable of growing anything successfully. This week I have had avocado on my fajitas, avocado grilled cheese sandwiches (one of the best things you will ever eat in your lifetime), and avocado salsa dip. I am now out of the beautiful avocados I bought at the Delallo store (most gorgeous produce ever) and nowhere around here has good avocados and I am in withdrawal.

I blame Kristen for this. She got me hooked.

I do not cough for my own amusement.

2012-01-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

I had a lazy day today, and what is a lazy day without a viewing of Pride and Prejudice (the far superior BBC version, of course)?

So, I'm watching the scene where Mr. Collins comes to visit and condole with the Bennet sisters in the midst of the Lydia/Wickham scandal, and there's this part where Kitty sees Mr. Collins' carriage approaching and she spits, "It's Mr. Collins. Well, I'm not gonna sit with him for anyone!" Then she runs off to hide in the bushes or whatever, and later sneaks up to the sitting room window like the world's worst spy in order to check if the coast is clear, melodramatically ducking out of sight when necessary. And I realized, yeah, that’s me. That is so something I would do. I’m Kitty Bennet. We’d all like to believe that we are Lizzy, but I am Kitty.

I'm making peace with this as best I can.

Also, that "What is it, Mama? Why are you winking at me? What am I to do?" bit is something I can completely relate to. Don't ever try to pass me a signal across the room in Mafia.

Plug "fun" into the GPS and go.

2012-01-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

So, this weekend Kristen and I are racing to West Virginia to see who gets to hold Sawyer first. The good news is I have a 228-mile headstart.

Game on, Gibson.

Are you in need of a smile?

2012-01-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

Because this will do it.

Downton!

2012-01-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

I’m still sick as a dog and sleeping 16 hours a day, but when I’m awake I’ve been doing a Downton Abbey re-watch in anticipation for season two which finally FINALLY premieres tomorrow night! I can’t wait to see Lord Grantham and Lady Sybil and Cousin Matthew and Gwen and Carson and dear Mrs. Patmore and most especially the delightful, magnificent Dowager Countess who is clearly the most awesome character in the thing. I even can’t wait to see evil Thomas, whom I feel compelled to hiss at every time he’s on screen.

Only 28.67 hours now…

A Murmuration of Starlings

2012-01-04T22:14:00.000-05:00

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

I know some people might find this breathtaking, but around 0:51, I start to get terrified.

Wretched birds.

Has this ever happened to you?

2012-01-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

I have a cold and I have completely lost my sense of smell. I thought something had gone wrong with my Cinnamon Buns soap when I couldn't smell it, but then I held a jar of peanut butter in front of my face, took a big whiff, and... nothing. From peanut butter!

It's so strange not to be able to smell anything. I could have been sprayed by a skunk and I'd have no idea right now.

And a Happy New Year, too.

2012-01-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all...

2011-12-25T21:35:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone. I got a Trapper Keeper. Yeah, that's right. I'm super stoked.

I am enjoying this so much.

2011-12-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

You really should read it too.

You'll thank me, so you're welcome in advance.

I know, right?

2011-12-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

I say so many of these, and now I feel like a dork.

But I do NOT, nor have I ever exclaimed, "Twinsies!"

I mean, get it together.

Boeuf Bourginon

2011-12-18T23:13:00.001-05:00

So, my year of conquering my terror of raw meat has come to an end. Here’s what I made this year:

January: Beef roast
February: Tacos
March: Pork roast
April: Enchilada casserole
May: Linguini with shrimp
June: Ground beef gravy with mashed potatoes
July: Tilapia Meuniere
August: Chicken breasts with mushrooms in cream sauce
September: Beef noodle soup
October: Delmonico steak
November: Halupki

I really did learn to be less horrified by raw meat, and I'm cooking with it more and more often. This experiment was such a resounding success for me, I'm trying to think of other things I could plug into this model. A Kiefer Sutherland movie each month in 2012, perhaps?

For my final meat meal of the year, I wanted to do something a little more extravagant and special, and I wanted to cook the meal for my family. I decided on Julia Child's signature dish, bouef bourginon.

This dish required me to deal with two kinds of meat (bacon and beef) and took about six hours of cooking. In the end the dish was so delicious and I learned that complex recipes with 34 steps are not something to be afraid of. You just start at step one and keep going through step 34, and in the end I had a knock-your-socks-off dinner that my family loved. Here it is in pictures...

There were 4 or 5 steps just for the bacon that started the recipe. You had to trim it, cut it into lardons, blanch it, saute it, and drain it. Really, Julia?

Carrots and onions were the vegetables that simmered with the dish. (Mushrooms are added later, but only after they've been quartered and braised according to strict instructions.) Because I was serving this to my father, I had to pull all the onions out at the end, but their delicious flavor remained.

Look away, Kristen! I had to pat the beef dry so that it would sear properly. This was the scariest part in terms of raw meat, but I definitely noticed the effects of my experiment. I grabbed that bacon with my bare hands and I didn't wig out if beef juice got on me. A year ago I'd have passed out, which is a painful prospect on my mother's ceramic tile floor.

My seared beef. I had to sear it in small batches so it didn't overcrowd, which took patience, but it was worth it.

Next, the carrots and sliced onions are browned, and when they hit the sauteing fat, the kitchen really starts to smell amazing.

Seventeen steps later, I had something starting to resemble the final product. 95% of that sauce is strong French red wine. Mom was just hoping little Jules didn't get drunk off of dinner. Jen was uncorking the bottles for me and after I poured the first bottle in and told her I needed the second uncorked, she exclaimed, "The second bottle! Are you sure you read that recipe correctly?"

Some sprigs of fresh thyme and it's ready for the oven. Julia's recipe said to simmer it for 3 - 4 hours, but I read that French beef (which she used when writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking) was tougher than American beef and she later said that Americans need only simmer it for about 2 hours, so that's what I did.

While the stew simmers, the mushrooms are braised in butter and olive oil. Julia recommends that you shake the pan to coat the mushrooms in butter and oil. Once they've absorbed the cooking fat, they'll brown nicely.

After the stew is finished in the oven, your work is not done. You have to sieve out the sauce, skim the fat, simmer it, add beef stock if necessary, and then re-baste your meat. This is also the proper time to dip a spoon into the sauce, taste it, and say to yourself, "Yum."

A little more simmering and it's ready to go. I served this with mashed potatoes (thanks to Jen for mashing them) and it was dynamite. (Dad went back for fourths.) I was so relieved it turned out well after all that work. We gobbled it up so fast, I forgot to get a photo of it on a plate, so I leave you with this shot.

Thanks for following my adventures in cooking with meat. Bon appetit!

A little Nutcracker for the holidays, with a side of my mouth is hanging open because this is crazeballs.

2011-12-16T02:54:00.000-05:00

Tinsel wreath tutorial

2011-12-15T12:14:00.002-05:00

So, if you read yesterday's post, you'll remember that I had a blank space on the wall above my mantle that desperately needed some shiny redness. Enter the tinsel wreath. This project is so simple and so fun and it involves sparkly tinsel, which I think we can all agree is a plus.

You will need a wreath form, tinsel, straight pins, and about 5 minutes of your time.

I got a wreath form made of straw instead of the standard foam. I have no idea why. I started to unwrap the plastic from it, but the straw began to litter the floor of the craft room like a barn, so I just kept the plastic on. It matters not since it will soon be covered in tinsel. However, do not get a wicker wreath form because your pins won't hold the tinsel to the wicker.

Start by securing one end of your tinsel to the wreath form with a straight pin. Then proceed to wrap the tinsel around the wreath form, stopping every few times to fluff up the tinsel and make sure your rows are tight enough. If they're loose, just scoot the rows of tinsel closer together. This project is very forgiving.

My first string of tinsel (15 feet) got me almost halfway around the wreath. When you finish a string, simply use a straight pin to secure both the end of the previous string and the beginning of the new string to the wreath form. Then continue winding.

When you finish, secure the final end of the string to the wreath form with a pin. I'm using a floral pin here because I didn't have the other kind. Man, I need a manicure.

Now stand back and admire your handiwork and think about where you will put it. Sparkly!

Adding some much-needed red to the fireplace. But there's still something missing.

Thankfully, I had a few feet of tinsel leftover. That does the trick.

Fun. Easy. Sparkly. A delight.

Sparkles, sequins, and Christmas craftiness

2011-12-14T22:58:00.007-05:00

So, here's how my Christmas decorating turned out. This year I decided to go monochromatic with the mantle, and red seemed the clear choice.

So, I dutifully gathered everything shiny and red in my apartment.

Not surprisingly, there was quite a bit.

But the wall above the mantle still looked too bare. Something needed to be done.

So I got crafty and whipped up a sparkly red wreath. It was quick and easy (tutorial to follow tomorrow) and it made all the difference.

Carrying on with my monochromatic theme, like a magpie I gathered every shiny silver object I own and created this on the dining room register. I was quite pleased.

For the shelf above the sideboard, I went with pastels. I was less pleased. It didn't fill out the space and it didn't pack the visual punch I wanted for that space, since it is visible from my front door. The solution was obvious.

The pastels moved to the register.

Blue, pink, and green ornaments pick up the colors of the sequined trees. I love sequins so much. I'd ensconce myself in sequins if it were socially acceptable.

The hand-blown glass ornaments I brought back from Venice are safe in a footed bowl, which is great since I'm too paranoid to hang them on anything.

And this ended up being my favorite part of the decorations. It's such a lovely, sparkly sight to see when I walk in the door.

May your days be merry and bright.

I'm pretty sure Dan should be kicked out of the family for this.

2011-12-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

Decorating...

2011-12-10T21:34:00.003-05:00

Pajamas x (Twinkle lights + hot cocoa + Amy Grant's Christmas albums + sparkly ornaments + chocolate peppermint candles+ baking cookies) = Merry merry merry!

70

2011-12-07T17:39:00.001-05:00

Magical city

2011-12-05T23:02:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we took Jules to New York City for the first time. She saw Times Square, the tree in Rock Center, the Christmas windows on 5th Avenue, and much more. Watching her experience it all was like being in New York for the first time again.

I'll post pics of her adventure soon, but until then, enjoy this beautiful video love letter to my favorite city by talented photographer and filmmaker Andrew Clancy:

A Year in New York from Andrew Clancy on Vimeo.

Wow. Nice job, West Virginia.

2011-11-28T14:08:00.001-05:00

The Navy sub is the coolest.

The future is now.

2011-11-20T19:21:00.003-05:00

So, what you're saying is, I don't need to have any skills whatsoever?

Check it out. A camera that captures all the information, so you don't actually have to focus while taking a picture. You can focus later, with the camera or on your computer.

Ansel Adams would have passed out.

Oh wow.

2011-11-19T23:17:00.002-05:00

Tightrope + base jumping = Amazing

Eleven down, one to go.

2011-11-18T22:47:00.005-05:00

November's meat meal was, by far, the most labor-intensive and scary: halupki.

The labor-intesive part: boiling cabbage and peeling off the leaves.

Then you have a nice big bowl of cabbage leaves and your kitchen smells like brussel sprouts, which is lovely if you like brussel sprouts, and I do.

The scary part: A big bowl of ground beef and pork, which you have to mix with rice, garlic, etc. I nearly fainted.

My very first halupki roll. I was so proud.

Soon I had a lovely mountain of them, and they were pretty, so long as I didn't think about what they were stuffed with.

Into the pot with tomatoes to be braised for three long hours.

And then gobbled up with mashed potatoes. A true western PA delicacy. I love living in an area where lots of Polish immigrants settled.

Anticipation

2011-11-17T13:12:00.005-05:00

I just realized that exactly one week from this moment I will be eating a delicious meal with my family, or perhaps we'll have just fininshed it and begun packing up the stuffing to sell on the street (family joke) and started to peruse the game closet for the first board game that will be played. Probably decade trivia. Hooray! I can't wait for this week to go by!

I also just realized this means I only have one week to finish up the Cousin Christmas CDs. I need to get on that.

You see this sandwich as you want to see it, in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions.

2011-11-16T21:56:00.004-05:00

Dinner tonight was a hot pepper cheese and potato chip sandwich.

This delicacy was imagined up by either Kristen or Alexa or possibly both of them together in one wild and crazy fit of mad GENIUS. You grab some squishy bread, add hot pepper cheese, pop on some potato chips--Pittsburgh style (if the cheese is super hot, go with regular chips, but if it's only regular-hot, go with Gibbles Red Hot chips), and then squish it down like Allison the basketcase in Breakfast Club when she made her Cap'n Crunch/Pixie Stick sandwich.

Yum.

288,000 jelly beans and 1 guitar

2011-11-15T21:16:00.003-05:00

So very cool.

Courage

2011-11-11T10:07:00.001-05:00

The way the light used to shine...

2011-11-09T17:22:00.003-05:00

The skyscrapers that have been built up around it now block the light, but in 1929 this is how glorious it once was to stand in Grand Central.

Salzburg, in pictures

2011-11-08T23:27:00.003-05:00

This is the kind of view we had as we drove from Innsbruck to Salzburg. I adore Austria.

The building on the left with the red roof is the abbey where Maria was preparing to become a nun before Captain von Trapp waltzed into her life and changed all that.

This is Barbara (or Brunhilda, as Jimmy called her), our tour guide for Salzburg. She was such a marvelous cliché of the stern Germanic woman. I just loved her, even though she terrified me. She is much like Martha Stewart in that way.

The French Garden at Schloss ("Palace") Mirabell. Mirabell was the scene for the filming of much of the Do-Re-Mi song in The Sound of Music and thus was a highly coveted spot on our agenda.

These are the famous steps that Maria and the children climb/hop up at the end of the song. We were giddy with delight to see them. Frankly, the Salzburgers weren't impressed, and I thought the less of them for it.

Melis had her iPod going to get the full experience.

This is the bower where the children frolic during the song, so of course Melis frolicked.

And then came the re-enactment...

We marched across the edge of the horse fountain...

...hopped down, with "do re mi" in our heads all the while...

...and marched up to the steps in true von Trapp fashion. All that was missing were the dresses made of drapes.

And then we hopped back and forth on the steps like Freidrich and Kurt, imagining our governess climbing octave after octave with that final note. Dorky fabulous.

That look on Jimmy's face is called "my nieces are idiots."

This is the oldest restaurant in Europe. It was established in 803. What I'm saying is Charlemagne probably ate here, and now you can, too. I love Europe.

Me and Kris on a bridge over the Salt River. Kris was giving shooting instructions to Linda and my mom. "Make sure both of our faces are either in shadow or out of shadow." She's terribly clever with the photography.

Party bike! Remember when you could ride these through Times Square? That used to be so much fun. We should have ridden it. I'd have loved to see Barbara on it.

Lederhosen abounds! There was a huge festival going on in Salzburg while we were there. We were given strict instructions not to confuse or compare it with Oktoberfest. The locals would not have taken kindly to that.

The gentlemen spent the afternoon sampling Salzburg’s finest brews…

…while the ladies went shopping and stopped at this lovely little café for refreshment. It was so European.

And this I just had to include. I hated the travel-sized toothpaste I brought, so I stopped at the front desk and asked for a replacement. This is the Lilliputian tube they gave me, placed next to my mom’s travel toothpaste for scale. Yes, that tube on top is travel-sized, not full size.

Here it is next to my Burt’s. It was like dollhouse toothpaste. I don’t know if it would have made it back to my molars.

Up next: Our excursion to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. A snowball fight may or may not have broken out on der Fuhrer’s balcony, and I like to think he wouldn’t have approved.

Seriously, Washington?

2011-11-05T22:55:00.003-04:00

This is a map depicting which states fall dead last on various lists of bad behavior. In the grand scheme of things, I guess arson isn't so bad.

Oh, Washington state. I don't even know what to say.

Happy Birthday Cake

2011-11-04T23:32:00.000-04:00

Tonight we celebrated Uncle Jimmy's birthday. Jen cooked an amazing meal and Jules and I made him a "happy birthday cake," as she likes to call it. She was very proud of herself and even put the candles in when it was time to sing.

That last one is her leaning over and pointing at him as she sang "happy birthday to you." It was crazy cute.

Beautiful Snack

2011-11-03T23:28:00.002-04:00

I love pomegranates. They're tasty, and they're gorgeous to boot (which a snack ought to be if it possibly can). Like a bowlful of shiny little garnets.

No wonder Persephone couldn't resist.

25 ways to wear a scarf in 5 minutes

2011-11-02T15:47:00.003-04:00

This is Wendy. She is a scarf-tying GENIUS.

Just in time for winter! For someone like me who's been sticking with the European loop for the past 15 years, this is some welcome inspiration. For winter scarves, I'm loving the magic trick, the fake knot (which I think looks more like a menswear tie than the "men's tie" one), and the braid. The decoration one is totally cute, too.

I just bought a silk scarf in Vienna and I'd really like to try the turtleneck and the bunny ear sometime.

The best part is that at the end of the video, you just click on the scarf you like and it takes you to a complete tutorial of that knot.

Genius.

I've always said I would have chosen Duckie

2011-10-31T12:45:00.004-04:00

Just when I thought John Krasinski couldn't possibly be more cheek-pinching adorable, I see this:

"His name is Blane? That's a major appliance, that's not a name."

Call me Violet

2011-10-27T07:39:00.001-04:00

Today is costume day at work. (This benefits charity, I swear.) My friends and I are going as the rainbow, each of us taking a segment of ROYGBIV.

Kind of like this, except not trampy:

The capper is my friend who will dress as our leprechaun, complete with a pot of gold-wrapped chocolates he will toss to people. We threw this idea together yesterday afternoon, but at least it's comfy.

And when we stand in a row, I swear we are precious.

Delmonico, medium rare

2011-10-26T20:04:00.001-04:00

Kristen, look away! October's Meat Meal is a juicy Delmonico steak, and this time I was courageous enough to take a "before" photo. I used this method from Alton Brown (Who doesn't love him? I mean, he is just so adorable and informative.) to cook the steak using the oven and my Grandma Stombaugh's cast iron pan that I borrowed from my parents' attic.

I bought a lovely Delmonico from the meat counter, which I have now learned to approach without nearly passing out. First step: bring it to room temp.

Then you season it with kosher (must be kosher!) salt and pepper, and drizzle a little oil on it. I had to use vegetable oil because olive oil has a much lower smoke point and is not good for this type of cooking.

I heated the pan in a 500 degree oven and them put it on high heat on the cooktop until it was branding iron hot, then threw the steak in for 30 seconds on each side to get a nice crust. Perhaps I should have gone with peanut oil, because there was a little smoke in my kitchen at this point.

Then pop the pan into the 500 degree oven for two minutes on each side of the steak and voila! A perfect, medium rare Delmonico with a nice, crispy crust that goes well with the juicy meat. And a side of sauteed squash and zucchini. Yum city. It wasn't quite as good as Dad's but, well, of course it wasn't.

This may have been my easiest, quickest meat meal yet, which is good, because what I have planned for November is going to be long and labor intensive. And then I have something pretty special planned for December, if I can pull it off. Stay tuned.

I don't even understand this kind of talent

2011-10-24T14:49:00.000-04:00

Faber Castell from eric yeo on Vimeo.

Becoming an avocado person*

2011-10-23T21:06:00.004-04:00

*That sounds like the name of a hideous Canadian sci-fi movie you'd see on MST3K.

You know how they say if you introduce a food to a kid 12 times, the kid will start to like it? (I think that's how my mother got Julia to eat asparagus. Blech.) Well, I'm about to try that with avocado.

I have never liked the taste of avocado (though I love the consistency) but it's apparently terribly healthy for you, so I think I should throw myself onto this bandwagon. I do not envision myself drinking those avocado smoothies that Kristen and Nicole and Becky love to make (the horror) but I am determined to make myself like guacamole.

I went to the DeLallo store in Greensburg this weekend and nearly wept at the beauty of their produce. The euphoria caused me to buy two avocados before I even knew what I was doing.

I have to say, cutting open an avocado is a lot of fun.

This recipe called for just scooping out the meat and mashing it with a fork.

The DeLallo store also had a huge display of gorgeous Roma tomatoes, one of which I chopped up for my guacamole salsa.

Then you add chopped green onion (which always makes me think of my grandfather) and half a jalapeno, chopped fine. The recipe listed fresh cilantro as an optional ingredient and I jumped right on that because, to paraphrase George Costanza, I would ensconce myself in cilantro if it were socially acceptable.

Sprinkle on some salt and pepper, add the juice of one lime, and give it all a mix.

Now, perhaps the true reason I am gobbling this down like a pancake-eater on Fat Tuesday is the lime and cilantro (one of my favorite flavor combinations ever) or the crisp green onion or the juicy Roma tomatoes. Maybe I'm not an avocado person just yet. But I'm getting there.

Were you, by any chance, in the mood to laugh hysterically?

2011-10-21T23:46:00.000-04:00

Then go see this:

Here:

Details here.

Alexa and Taylor are the bomb.

Watch this, not that.

2011-10-14T23:49:00.001-04:00

I just got back from seeing Dream House at the movie theater. I cannot recommend it. Formulaic and predictable, plus the preview mismarketed it and gave way too much away. The two leads got married in real life and lets hope their union is long and happy because something good had to come out of this film.

Alas, I could have better spent my time watching this amazing video 31 times instead. It takes stop motion to new levels and I love it.

Innsbruck, in pictures

2011-10-11T07:57:00.004-04:00

Our first stop in Austria was the gorgeous village of Innsbruck. The people that get to live there are so lucky.

Innsbruck hosted two winter Olympic Games.

Emperor Maximillian's Golden Roof. How it sparkled.

Also sparkling? The steps at the Swarovski Crystal store.

The prettiest building in town.

And on the ground floor we found a shop where you could get gelato shaped like a rose.

We all partook.

The snow capped mountains peek over every rooftop. So beautiful.

Up next: We roam about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes and have a marvelous time.

Neuschwanstein, in pictures

2011-10-10T15:13:00.006-04:00

Our next stop was Neuschwanstein, one of the castles built by Bavaria's Mad King Ludwig. It's often called The Fairy Tale Castle because it inspired the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty film. It was most impressive.

The castle was gorgeous, but even better were the views:

The yellow palace on the left was one of Ludwig's "old castles," apparently not sufficiently grand for his taste.

It was quite chilly, but that lake was so clear and beautiful, I wanted to dive right in. Alas, I did not.

Gorgeous!

Next up: On to Austria and Innsbruck.

Even better than a day in Germany...

2011-10-08T20:52:00.008-04:00

Julia took this one.

Now check out the faceplant:

She was coming to get me with tickles.

She was making a pile of leaves and suddenly the tree started raining leaves down on us. She was so excited.

"This is how high my pile will be."

Oberammergau, in pictures

2011-10-06T18:59:00.005-04:00

We spent a short time in the charming village of Oberammergau, famous for its woodcarving and for putting on a Passion Play every ten years which involves pretty much all of the 2,000 residents. It's a lovely, charming place.

It's a very religious town, and this cross, which looks very tiny from here, rests high upon the cliffs that surround the village.

They also have the world's cutest trash can.

Next up: Schloss Neuschwanstein, Mad King Ludwig's fairy tale castle!

Munich, in pictures

2011-10-05T22:08:00.008-04:00

The first stop on our grand tour of Germany, Austria, and Slovakia was Munich, and we just happened to be there for the first day of Oktoberfest. I highly recommend it.

Uncle Eric was making friends at Oktoberfest.

Just plain having fun.

Dad goes on the crazy flying swing ride with Emily.

The world famous Munich glockenspiel.

Mom and Dad at the Linderhof Castle gardens.

And back to Oktoberfest!

Full disclosure: I did not finish this.

Weird cheese platter that I ordered. The Germans love their onions.

Okay, guys, I swear Uncle Giz is not meaning to flip anyone off here. He's just trying to balance a spicy bratwurst. At least I think so...

Nutella crepes! (They were beyond delicious.)

Mr. Corn

Mr. Bratwurst

Mr. Blue Hair who likes to jump in front of the camera.

Next up: Oberammergau!

Ikea, once again, stuns with its brilliance

2011-10-03T09:16:00.001-04:00

Quirky little souvenir

2011-10-01T20:30:00.004-04:00

Whenever I leave the country and I'm sending some postcards back home, I always throw in one for myself. It makes a cool little souvenir. You're reminded of how much fun you were having when you wrote it, and you get a stamp and postmark from the country you visited, all for the price of a postcard and stamp.

I think one of the aunts first suggested this to me in Italy, but I can't remember which. Any takers for this good idea?

Beef Noodle Soup

2011-09-30T19:50:00.004-04:00

This weekend is supposed to be cold, rainy, and dreary. That's just the thing for me because my plans for the weekend are to sleep in, remain in my pajamas for as long as possible, and get cozy with my DVR.

And the perfect companion to a cold, dreary, DVR-cozy weekend? A big pot of soup. So, on the last day of the month, I give you September's Meat Meal: beef noodle soup.

The first step: carrots. Lots of carrots.

After handling all the ingredients, my hands smelled like celery and black pepper, which reminded me of stuffing, which made me think of Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, bonus.

There is a big old piece of beef at the bottom of this pot. You'll have to take my word because I couldn't bear to photograph it. Maneuvering it into the pot entailed much squealing and shrieking. I'm sure you can imagine.

Perfect. Lots of carrots, al dente ditalini, and a sprinkle of Romano cheese.

There and back again.

2011-09-26T15:04:00.006-04:00

We are back and I'm not sure how, but I seem to be back on Eastern Standard Time already. I'll post more later, but I can tell you that much beer was drunk at Oktoberfest (and that's not the only thing that was drunk), we had a snowball fight at Hitler's teahouse (serves the old creep right), and Melis and I marched across the garden fountain at Mirabell Palace just like the Sound of Music kids did during "Do Re Mi" (but we were not dressed in drapes).

Linda and I had some homemade Slovakian brandy in an antique shop in Bratislava, Dad and Jimmy smoked Cubans, and my mother sampled lots of Viennese chocolates.

Also, the potato salad is amazing. I can't wait to go back.

And we're off!

2011-09-17T07:48:00.000-04:00

If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.

-Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Packing for Germany and Austria

2011-09-13T22:29:00.014-04:00

It has long been a dream of mine to carry on my luggage for a trip abroad. A lofty goal considering I can barely do that for a weekend in Houston. When I went to Italy I took a suitcase large enough for three people. Not three people's stuff. Three people. But even that was a step up from my trip to England seven months prior, when I packed like Rose DeWitt Bukater.

For Germany I was determined to do better, if not go whole hog and just carry on everything. Tonight I assembled it all to see if carrying on was possible or just a sad little pipe dream.

I started out by making an extensive packing list. Oh, how I love lists. Then, I assembled everything I planned to take on my bed:

Whilst doing this, I checked things off my list which, as you know, is the whole point of making a list.

These packing cubes are a life saver. They keep everything so organized and I swear they shrink the size of the clothes you pack. It's some sort of witchcraft.

The toiletry/comfort items section includes my beloved neck pillow, a constant companion on trips, as well as a full-to-bursting quart bag of liquids. Hopefully the TSA folks don't bark at me for packing it so tight. I eagerly await the day when the regulations expand it to a gallon bag.

The yellow clutch wallet was a present from Kris. It has sections for American dollars and Euros, pockets for ID and credit cards, and a zippered section for all the ticket stubs I'll be saving. And on the front is a retro 80s mix tape. In short, it is perfect.

Also, I'm taking Sharpies. I don't like to be without Sharpies.

The tech stuff and chargers take up quite a bit of space, but I could never leave them behind. And then there is the ubiquitous Rick Steves travel book.

And here's what I'm praying it all fits into. I'd just like to take a moment to mention this this suitcase is two entire linear inches smaller than the maximum allowed for carry-on luggage. I'm trying not to think about what I could do with those extra two inches.

Halfway in, two pairs of shoes and two large packing cubes down, but four small packing cubes and a bunch of toiletries to go. Can it be done?

Turns out it can. Behold! All of my stuff for 8 days in a foreign country and all of it will accompany me personally onto a Lufthansa jet. There is a nice space in the top of that backpack for the camera with which I took this photo, and I didn't even unzip the puff out section on the suitcase. Quite frankly, I cannot believe it.

Bon voyage to us all!

Ten years.

2011-09-11T08:53:00.003-04:00

He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62: 6-8

Sauce Day

2011-09-10T17:01:00.002-04:00

It smells like my childhood in here.

Well, this is going terribly.

2011-09-08T08:49:00.010-04:00

So I had all these plans to learn some German before leaving for Germany and Austria. I listened to some tapes in Italian before going to Italy and it really helped my comprehension while we were there, so I figured it would be the same with German. Oh, nein.

I thought I'd pick this up with no problem. I was imagining something like this:

But what really happened was closer to this:

Except that I have better hair than either of these people.

For one thing, lots of German words are very similar to their English counterparts (one is ein, weather is wetter, etc). Even more, German sentences are constructed just like English ones. Adjectives precede nouns, adverbs precede verbs, that sort of thing. But the differences, if not numerous, are emphatic.

For example, nouns can be not just masculine or feminine (as with Spanish and Italian) but also neutral, and each of these three requires a different modification to the adjective used to describe them. So if you want to say "beautiful weather" it's "schönes wetter" but if you want to say "beautiful evening" it's "schöner abend." The word for beautiful (schön) changes from schönes for a neutral noun to schöner for a masculine noun. I don't even know what it would be for a feminine noun. So you have to learn four times as many words for adjectives and in addition to that there's no indication of what gender any given word is. You just have to memorize them. Heilige kuh!

And all of this is nothing compared to my pronunciation problems. For some reason, if you slap down an Italian or Spanish word in front of me I have no problem pronouncing it correctly immediately. It's hardwired into my brain. But German? I cannot even tell you. Yes, "W" sounds like "V" and "D" at the end of the word sounds like "T"; that I've got. But I don't even know where they're getting the pronunciation for stuff like "schlechtes." There are extra letters thrown into that pronunciation just for fun, I swear it! And then there are words that are so intimidating in their very appearance, you can totally understand why this was the language of the Nazis. Verschiedenen, zuständigkeiten, geschwindigkeitsüberschreitung*... are you frickin' kidding me?

To mitigate this problem, I had planned to learn the German for "please excuse my horrendous pronunciation," but it's "bitte entschuldigen sie meine schrecklichen aussprache" and I'm pretty sure I can't pronounce that.

I am going to fail like the Atlantic Wall on D-Day. So at least I have that in common with the Germans.

*Despite appearances, I swear I did not just make that word up by randomly hitting a bunch of keys on my keyboard. That is an actual German word.

Blargh.

2011-09-07T09:42:00.005-04:00

So, the Academy has gone ahead and officially announced that Eddie Murphy will be hosting the Oscars. This is so disappointing because I find him to be neither charming nor funny. And the worst part of all of this? For weeks they teased me with the possibility of Billy Crystal himself coming back to host. And now this? It's not to be borne.

I have to say, it was clever of Mr. Murphy to go for this year's hosting duties since a wet sock would look lively and amusing compared to the nearly-comatose James Franco, who is usually so charming and who I still insist was tranquilized for last year's awards. Perhaps it's best that I go in with low expectations in any case.

In related news, I just found a sliver of Swiss Roll coating under the keyboard at my desk. I cannot remember the last time I had a Swiss Roll at work.

They're coming to get you, Barbara.

2011-09-06T14:19:00.002-04:00

Remember when I posted about the best engagement photo ever? Here's the whole series.

These people are the bomb.

Indolence

2011-09-05T22:17:00.001-04:00

Today I slept 'til 11, went out for brunch, came home and took a nap, and then went out for dinner. An episode of Project Runway made its way in there and that's the closest I came to work.

Happy Labor Day.

Start your holiday weekend with a smile.

2011-09-02T10:21:00.003-04:00

You may remember me blogging about Improv Everywhere, the improvisational comedy troupe who complete brilliant "missions" in NYC. Check out their website. I still maintain that The Moebius is a slice of fried gold.

This is the type of thing they do. And if that doesn't make you smile, I really don't know what can be done for you.

Coming along nicely...

2011-08-31T23:59:00.005-04:00

I recently wrote about my preparations for my Germany/Austria trip and the things I wanted to accomplish before leaving. With less than three weeks to go, here's how I'm doing with my list.

Goal 1: Find the perfect bag.

I found one that's pretty nearly perfect. The Rick Steves Civita bag is a backpack made of soft, light, tough fabric and it's super roomy. I took it to Idlewild a couple of times and I was impressed. Plus it's got tons of pockets for staying super organized. I consider this goal accomplished.

Goal 2: Learn a bit of German so that I have a base to build upon when we get there.

Epic fail. The only German I know is the one swear word I picked up from watching Run Lola, Run and the words to a beer drinking song my friend from work sent me. Since I have zero plans to be frustrated on my trip or to consume the troughs of beer they serve at Oktoberfest, I doubt I'll need either.

You know what I'm talking about.

Goal 3: Learn how to better use my Nikon.

I'm reading my Nikon Guide and making progress, but I'd like to do better here. Kristen, are you giving any classes in the next two weeks?

Goal 4: Establish a packing plan that Rick Steves would, if not be proud of, at least not sneer at.

I'm proud to report through the judicious use of packing cubes and the vicious slashing of my packing list, I might just possibly carry-on my luggage for 8 days in Europe. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be able to do that. We'll see...

Four years old.

2011-08-30T07:27:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to my sweet little pumpkin.

Photo credit: Kristen Gibson

Fair warning.

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today my sweet little niece is starting Pre-K. I may have a breakdown.

Hola! Vamanos! Me estoy volviendo loco.

2011-08-28T22:14:00.003-04:00

This really is an outrageous level of enthusiasm.

I'm currently watching episodes of Dora the Explorer in order to get ideas for a treasure hunt I'm creating for Julia's birthday party. Things I have gleaned thus far:

1. Dora really does scream every single word she says. If she were ever in serious danger, I doubt she could communicate her peril to anyone because her alarm would just sound like her regular voice.

2. Dora encourages her young viewers to become screamers themselves. They have to yell things like "Map!" and "Backpack!" at the screen constantly. Frankly, it's exhausting.

3. Swiper the fox is easily deterred from his kleptomanic ways. He simply stops when he is told to. Hardly a worthy opponent.

4. Three episodes in a row of this is my limit. It does not have the charm of Fraggle Rock.

It's hard to be menacing when you're dressed like a Wonder Twin.

2011-08-26T22:45:00.008-04:00

So tonight I finally sat down to watch a DVD Brian lent me, The Warriors. Brian loves this movie and has since he was a kid. And it is a movie with a huge cult following. However, Melis would describe this film by using word "crap" as every possible part of speech. I hesitate to comment on something that has been the lynchpin of disagreement in their marriage, but this cannot be ignored.

I actually really like the premise. This group of guys has to get from the Bronx to Coney Island (and that is a looong way, babies) with every gang in the city gunning for them. Good premise, lots of potential. The execution, though? Oh no. This film was written, directed, and most importantly costumed by someone who has absolutely no idea what the term "street gang" means.

The film opens with footage of various "gangs" making their way to the Bronx for a gang meeting. I sensed something was amiss when I saw the guys in the hot pink sequined vests, but my suspicions were confirmed by the appearance of a gang of mimes in white pancake make-up, suspenders, and top hats.

Take a moment and let that sink in.

The only thing missing were the little robot silhouettes at the bottom of the screen. Three minutes into the film and the director had already lost me.

But then! We see the gang conference, where approximately 179 gangs of 9 guys each have converged in the Bronx for a smorgasbord of costume delight. We have the gang in jaunty French striped boatneck shirts, the gang in skin-tight purple unitards with matching knit caps, and the gang who goes shirtless and wears porkpie hats. And let us not forget "the most powerful gang in the city." To flaunt their authority they choose to attire themselves in... flowing silk robes.

I have news for you, gentleman. The Bloods are going to kill you all.

Look, I am sympathetic to the poor woman who had to come up with dozens of individual types of gang attire for this scene, but the moment she gave me the face-painted dudes in the baseball uniforms and the guys in the sheepskin vests, I entered the realm of the ridiculous and there was no clawing my way back.

People, this is the type of thing I am dealing with:

You know you look ridiculous, right?

Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons

2011-08-24T21:16:00.006-04:00

Well, this one was rough. To be honest, when I started my scheme to cook one meat meal per month in 2011, I thought to myself, "I'll probably never make it to chicken." Chicken is, to me, the most terrifying of all the raw meats. It looks revolting and it's squishy and disgusting. Just picking up the package to put it into my cart was a saga. And that was only the beginning...

Thus far, every meat meal I've done was begun with trepidation and ended with me admitting that it wasn't all that terrifying after all. Not so with the chicken breasts, or "supremes" as the French call them. This was every bit as horrifying as I feared it would be and more. The worst part is that I have three chicken breasts left in my fridge and I just don't think I have the strength to try another meal with them.

I got this recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was drawn to it because of a scene in Julie and Julia where Julie makes the dish. It just looked so mouthwatering. It's the scene where she learns, "Don't crowd the mushrooms. Otherwise they won't brown."

This is a Julia recipe, so of course we start with lots of butter.

I couldn't bear to photograph the raw chicken. Just know I was squealing in horror and disgust as I maneuvered them into the skillet. I briefly considered throwing away the tongs I was using, but I only just got them and they're really nice. But here's a shot of the beautiful sliced mushrooms in bubbling butter.

Then I added in heavy cream and Madeira wine, which I got carded when purchasing (yay!)

After the sauce thickened, I popped the cooked supremes back into the sauce. Julia's instructions said to spoon the sauce over them, but in the movie Julie nestled them into the sauce and it looked delish.

And here's the final product. I was so stressed from dealing with raw chicken that I didn't even make a vegetable.

It was really delicious, but I don't know if I can make it again for a few years. That chicken really put me through it. I'm gonna need some time to recover.

It's the little things, people.

2011-08-23T17:30:00.003-04:00

Today I was sitting at work, tired and fried, and then I suddenly remembered I had a smuggled piece of banana bread from Sarah's wedding in my camera bag, and I couldn't wait to get home. Brightened my outlook right up.

Sometimes that's all it takes.

In praise of the unmade bed.

2011-08-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

I read lots of articles about organization. I love organization. If I had to the chance to go out to dinner or stay home and organize a closet, I’d really have to think about that choice. So it bothers me that the first thing so many organizers tell you to do is make your bed every morning.

What? Make my bed?

I never make my bed and I am the most organized person I know. Many aspects of my life could easily be made into a visual representation of data because I organize my life by Excel spreadsheet.

So I must disagree that bedmaking is the first step to an organized lifestyle. It’s not even that it’s a waste of time, because really it’s not that much time you waste. It’s that a made bed makes a room look sterile and uninviting. An unmade bed, with its fluffy pillows askew and its soft blankets heaped up like clouds, says to you, “Come closer. I am terribly snuggly. Wouldn’t a nap be a good idea right now?”

Yes. Yes, a nap would be a good idea right now. A nap is rarely a bad idea. If you’re driving a car or watching a Broadway performance, only then a nap is a bad idea. And frankly, I’ve seen many people in theaters disagree with me on that second one. Which is all to say, embrace the unmade bed! Life should be as simple and napful as possible.

Best engagement photo ever

2011-08-19T09:38:00.003-04:00

Obviously.

Well, this is terrifying.

2011-08-18T09:35:00.004-04:00

A recent tweet from Dave Ramsey:

If the US Gov was a family, they would be making $58,000 a year, they spend $75,000 a year, and are $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget and debt, reduced to a level that we can understand.

I really do not want to witness the collapse of the world's economy. I hope it happens way after I die.

Meine Gute, y'all.

2011-08-13T22:45:00.005-04:00

Kristen, Alexa, Maggie, and I went to see The Help tonight. I loved the book and the movie was a very good adaptation of it. The film was written and directed by the best friend of the novel's author, and he grew up with her in Mississippi, so it feels very true to the book's spirit. Viola Davis was amazing as always, but I think Octavia Spencer stole the show as Minnie. I'd love to see her get an Oscar nomination. (And the little girls who played Mae Mobley broke my heart clean in two.)

But! More entertainment awaited us when the credits rolled. A large group of young women sitting in the row behind us (and whom I'd had to shush during the film) erupted into thunderous applause as the movie ended, leaping to their feet and seemingly overtaken with emotion. Then at least one of them broke down into sobs as she was comforted by her companions. I mean, this woman was distraught. I immediately felt awkward. I don't do well when people cry in my presence. I do not, like Truvy, cry with them. I freeze like a deer in headlights and wait for someone to come to my rescue.

I leaned over to Lex and hissed, "Are the people behind us weeping?" She assured me they were. I assured her that I felt extremely uncomfortable. I would have exited the theater immediately, but I really like to stay for the credits.

Imagine my surprise, nay, my shock, to discover that these women were German. German! I don't know... call me xenophobic, but between the ovation and the blubbering, I guess I wasn't prepared for Germans to exhibit such a display of emotions. Unless said emotions are, like, yelling at people in harsh voices. (I am such a citizen of the world.) I felt frozen in my seat, afraid that if I leaned over to speak to Lex or Kris it would look like I was gossiping about the sobbing Germans, which I would absolutely be doing, but I still didn't want to be caught doing it. So instead I texted Alexa, "The weeping Germans are FREAKING me out!" And she texted back, "Trust!" which I didn't understand at all but she assures me is current UPJ slang, which made me feel both xenophobic and old.

So, that was my night.

And so it begins. Again.

2011-08-10T11:28:00.004-04:00

The 2011 Mehall Cousin Fantasy Football League now has a drafting order. Last night Maggie pulled slips of paper to determine drafting positions and for the first time in four years I will not be drafting on the elbow. I'm smack in the middle, something my sisters tell me is a good thing, so I have chosen to believe them.

Kristen held the basket of names while Maggie drew, so everything was on the up and up.

Jen was extremely pleased with her spot in fourth position.

And here, if you can decipher through the bluriness of the photo and Melis' handwritin' of a serial killer, is the final drafting order.

Off to the mock draft site to practice...

So close!

2011-08-07T00:09:00.000-04:00

I'm here to report that we are so close to having the poster and its sound effects safely off the main page so James can return without fear. Just one more post will do it! Stay tuned!

"Little more than half a day's journey. Yes, I call it a very easy distance."

2011-08-06T08:25:00.002-04:00

And we're off! For the next nine days I will be visiting my dear aunt and uncle and cousin, and indulging in indolence and delight and sunning and swimming. Jen is driving. Maggie is sleeping. Jules has her bubble gum, swim floaties, and Dora the Explorer doll and she is all set to go.

I write to you from the PA Turnpike while listening to a song with the lyrics, "Take a right at my parents' house on 869, goin' straight on to Bedford till you start seeing signs for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, then you'll know what to do. And once you're out on the highway it's all up to you."

Indeed.

A special request

2011-08-05T10:19:00.003-04:00

James informs me that he's annoyed he has to hear the flame noises from the interactive Hunger Games poster I wrote about last week. He wants me to post more so that the Hunger Games post moves past the main page and he doesn't have to listen to it anymore.

So here you go, James. I'm working on it.

It's appalling the way I indulge you.

Tilapia redux, this time with pics

2011-08-04T20:49:00.004-04:00

The Tilapia I made last weekend was so delicious, I couldn't get it out of my head. So I made it again and this time I used a non-finicky photo card.

The recipe is super easy. First you mix up some flour, black pepper, and kosher salt. People, are you using kosher salt? Because it will change your life. It's flaky and a little crunchy and quite ten times better than regular salt.

Brown up some butter (yum city) but don't let it get too brown. This is a quick and easy dish, but it's one of those ones that you have to pay attention to or it can get away from you.

Before I started browning my butter, I chopped up some fresh zucchini and yellow squash and threw it in a pan with a little butter and kosher salt. Soon the kitchen was smelling amazing, and I just love the fresh, bright colors.

You pat your fish dry, sprinkle one side with a little salt, and dredge it in your flour mixture. Easy as anything, even for someone like me who is terrified of actually touching raw fish, despite the fact that I love sushi.

Pop it in the butter and cook one side on low for two minutes. When you flip them over to cook the other side (two more minutes), you add the lemon juice. That's when the butter gets all bubbly and delicious and the two form and wonderful lemon-butter sauce for the fish.

I didn't have any fresh lemons on hand tonight, so I just used lemon juice from a bottle and the dish didn't suffer one bit.

The recipe also said to sprinkle it with fresh parsley before serving but I was too lazy to do that. And too eager to dig in. Delicious!

Now I'd like to try my hand at making other fish dishes, so recommendations for good recipes using mild-flavored fish would be much appreciated.

Tilapia Meuniere

2011-07-31T18:50:00.003-04:00

July is really busy and I am nothing if not Her Majesty, the Queen of Procrastination (yes, kneel please), so here, on July 31st is this month's meat meal. I will not take any guff from people claiming that fish is not meat. Kristen doesn't eat it and it's terrifying to handle, so it fits both my criteria for meat.

I went with Tilapia Meuniere, adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Sole Muniere. I had tilapia on hand and not sole, so there you go. The Contessa claimed it was a quick and easy meal and my girl Ina Garten has not let me down yet.

I had some mouthwatering photos to show you, but my camera card is being finicky. All I can tell you is, you brown up some butter, throw in some fish that has been salted and dredged in a flour mixture, and fry it up. When it's good and going, you add fresh lemon juice, and the juice and butter create this sauce that I cannot even describe in words. You'll have to imagine something sublime all on your own. I trust you to do it justice.

It's lemony and buttery and crazy delicious. And who would ever know if, in the privacy of my own home, I licked the plate?

Don't judge.

Idlewild

2011-07-26T22:08:00.006-04:00

Well, I survived Idlewild. I survived it by shotgunning 143 ounces of liquids and dunking my head in the Storybook Forest water fountain, but I did indeed survive.

We started out in Storybook Forest, where Jules and I did our award winning impersonation of the Raggedy siblings.

Julia quickly decided that, fence or no fence, she was going to see that ceramic mouse up close.

Until Aunt Missy intervened and explained the importance of barriers...

...which Julia immediately forgot when we entered Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother's house, and she slipped under the chain and ran right up to feel the wolf's fangs.

She was a little frustrated when she couldn't pull Excalibur out of the stone, and I remember being incensed about that myself about three decades ago. *Note the "pirate's booty" she scored on the Good Ship Lollipop.

Hugs from a little pumpkin in the Big Pumpkin.

She had lots of fun climbing on the big blocks and jumping off of them.

Then we headed to the rides section where she wanted to ride "The Spiderman" with me. She admitted that she was scared, but she bravely rode it and we spun and spun and spun.

Riding the balloons with Mommy...

...and the big slide with Aunt Missy.

She loves the paratroopers...

...but not as much as the cotton candy.

After swimming for 5 hours (she loved the wave pool, BTW), we came back to her favorite ride:

Then Aunt Missy decided she was big enough to try the Rollo Coaster.

To my surprise, she came off the ride with a huge smile and immediately ran back to get in line again.

This is her pulling the reins to make her horse Maximus* slow down.

*See Tangled. No, really, see it. It's awesome.

After all the rides shut down, Jules squeezed in a whack-a-mole game and Aunt Missy won her a teddy bear.

And then, of course, we made a pressed penny.

Fun, fun, fun.

Very exciting, very cool.

2011-07-25T21:51:00.001-04:00

May the odds be ever in your favor!

If you hear that someone died of heatstroke on the tilt-a-whirl, that was me.

2011-07-20T09:46:00.004-04:00

So, I had planned to go to Idlewild today with Melis, Jen, and Jules. But this morning I looked at the weather forecast and saw it would be a high of 95.

Ninety five. Sweet fancy Moses.

So, of course I called Jen, thinking perhaps she might be reluctant to take Julia out in such heat. No dice. She argued the pool, the plentiful shade, and the excitement of her child who would be devastated if we didn't go. I considered bowing out of the trip, but then Jules wanted to get on the phone and talk to me. She asked me, in her wonderfully unique syntax...

Julia: You would like to come to Idlewild today?
Ali: Oh...
Julia: We can ride the rides!
Ali: Oh... Well.. Um... Okay.
Julia: Okay!

Oh guys, pray for me.

Sniffle

2011-07-19T22:44:00.004-04:00

I haven't seen the final Harry Potter yet. Jen and I are planning to go when our schedules allow, so this gives me time to rewatch the first seven films. All this is to say, I'm sitting here watching Sorcerer's Stone and crying like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

When Hagrid gives Harry his birthday cake, when Harry sees his father's name on the Quidditch plaque, when Neville gets awarded his ten points for standing up to his friends... I am a sad, sad mess.

For pity's sake, get me some kleenex!

I'll be roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes and having a marvelous time.

2011-07-16T22:51:00.002-04:00

So, the family and I are all set for our trip to Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna in September.

Things I have learned from the trip planning experience:

1. I could never be a travel agent.
2. Oktoberfest actually occurs in September.
3. In Germany, dogs are allowed in restaurants.

I am super excited for this trip. Being the crazy-organized planner that I am (I already have two Excel spreadsheets created for this trip--there will be more), I've got a list of stuff I want to do before we leave:

1. Find the perfect bag.

It has to be light but tough, small but roomy, and it must be in backpack form. I have walked all over a lot of different cities, and there's nothing like a backpack for keeping your shoulders from aching and your hands free for your camera. I have already purchased a small padlock to discourage pesky pickpockets, but I must find the bag!

2. Learn a bit of German so that I have a base to build upon when we get there.

This strategy served me well in Italy where, by the end of our trip, I had learned enough Italian to have a halting conversation with a local. (I was extremely fluent in ordering gelato.) Unfortunately, some evil person checked the level 1 German language CDs out of my local library three years ago and has yet to return them. I don't even want to contemplate that fine. On second thought, yes I do. I hope it's dreadful. I'm not about to go straight to level 2, so I'll need to figure something out. The only German I know is the little bit I picked up in the concentration camp scene in Band of Brothers.

3. Learn how to better use my Nikon.

There are going to be lots of amazing photography opportunities as we wander all over the Alps. I'd like to make the most of them.

4. Establish a packing plan that Rick Steves would, if not be proud of, at least not sneer at.

Mr. Steves is the guru of packing light. And by that I mean "travel for three months and live out of a small backpack." I'll never achieve that level of madness, but my dream is to be able to carry on my luggage for a Europe trip. Hopefully, this will be the time.

She said she liked it better than Pirates of Penzance.

2011-07-12T23:32:00.002-04:00

I was in Pittsburgh tonight and I noticed that a movie theater there had a one-night-only 3D showing of the ballet Giselle. It was performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and broadcast to 160 theaters in the US, and I just happened to happen upon one of them. So, of course I had to check it out.

Let me just tell you, I was transported. Normally I hate 3D, but this 3D really helped create the illusion that you were actually in the Mariinsky Theatre and had scored a really great ticket. The entire cast was wonderful, but the ballerina who danced Giselle was something else entirely. She was otherworldly, almost supernatural. When she leapt into the air, you would swear she broke the bonds of gravity for a moment, so that she seemed to hang in the air a second longer than she should have. The effect was mesmerizing. It was like seeing her defy the laws of physics.

Wonderful. Wonderful.

Aces? Me too! Awesome.

2011-07-06T02:27:00.003-04:00

Before I stumble into bed at 2:30 AM, I thought I'd let you know that Nicole and I just pulled a no-tricker in pinochle, in which we BOTH had aces.

And! We took last trick on a 9 of hearts lead. I cannot even tell you.

Awesome.

Something to think about.

2011-06-30T11:12:00.003-04:00

Do you realize we are only four years away from this?

Marty's adventures in Back to the Future: Part II took him 30 years into the future.

To 2015.

Yeah. Where's my hoverboard?

Fascinating

2011-06-28T13:59:00.003-04:00

I'm wretchedly ill, so I'm going to keep it short today and just tell you that this:

was fascinating.

Bilbo!

2011-06-23T16:51:00.004-04:00

Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Tolkien geeks, my people, have a look at this:

EW just released a few photos. I do believe I see Thorin in the background, there, looking severe and awesome.

Cannot wait!

Super easy in-between-Sauce-Days sauce.

2011-06-21T19:11:00.006-04:00

You know how sometimes you've used the last of your sauce and you're craving pasta and Sauce Day isn't till the weekend? Maybe you've been watching Goodfellas, or maybe you just read Taylor's post about her exquisite Florentine meal, but you need pasta.

That's where I was tonight, so I made up a little recipe that's super easy and works in just such a pinch as this.

Throw some olive oil in a pan and heat it up. Toss some minced garlic in and let that cook up a bit. All good things start this way, am I right?

Next, add some tomatoes. Diced or crushed, canned or just out of your garden, whatever you prefer. Then tossed some fresh basil in there and let it all simmer while your pasta cooks.

Yum city.

Oh, AMC. Wherefore?

2011-06-21T00:29:00.001-04:00

Did you all watch The Killing? Way to take 13 episodes of carefully crafted mystery and character development and flush it all down a filthy toilet in the last five frustrating minutes.

I will not be back next season. I don’t care a fig who killed Rosie Larsen.

You don’t know how I suffer.

2011-06-20T14:01:00.003-04:00

Short story: I have an earworm and it's driving me mad.

Medium-length story: This weekend I went with J to Harrisburg for our friend Melissa's birthday party. We listen to the 80s station on Sirius when we roadtrip, and this weekend there was a particularly awesome run of 1984 hits that was strangely punctuated by a hideous song from 1987. Breakout by Swing Out Sister. Wretched. If one song were going to infiltrate my brain, it couldn't be Footloose or When Doves Cry; it had to be that clunker.

I have tried everything. Listening to other songs, singing other things in my head, Liz's Billie Jean trick... nothing WORKS. I am suffering. It's not unlike the two weeks I spent in Mississippi with Murray Head's One Night In Bangkok torturing me. Swing Out Sister is vicious.

There are, like, two people who read this blog who will know that song, and to those people, I sincerely apologize for passing my earworm on to you. It is inexcusable, but I am in pain and I cannot be responsible for my actions.

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

2011-06-15T22:49:00.003-04:00

I have been having a hankering for chocolate chip cookies. All right, if you must know, I’ve been having a hankering for chocolate chip cookie dough. And in that case, you have to bake them yourself to have dough access; you can’t just wait around hoping someone will present you with some cookies. I grew up on the Toll House recipe, but this time I decided to try the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen.

I love America’s Test Kitchen because they approach cooking like a science, very much like Julia Child did. If your dish turns out poorly, it’s not because you’re just not cut out for cooking; it’s because something is wrong with the formula. You need to find the fault in the formula and fix it, and your dish will be corrected. I love that approach because it makes me feel like cooking is not some mysterious thing for which only certain people have an innate knack. It is a skill that can be mastered by anyone.

I especially love America’s Test Kitchen’s approach because they tell you exactly why their recipe is going to give you awesome results. In this case, they told me that browning the butter, leaving out an egg white, and boosting the ratio of brown to white sugar was going to give me a more flavorful, chewier cookie than the Toll House recipe could provide.

A triumph. I celebrated by watching the Julia parts of Julie and Julia. Bon appetit!

The beauty of baking

2011-06-15T07:45:00.000-04:00

This is so gorgeous. My favorite part is the soft, crumbly brown sugar.

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

La dolce vita

2011-06-09T22:52:00.006-04:00

Made possible by the cuteness of my niece and the hospitality of my aunt and uncle.

And I'm off!

2011-06-07T17:27:00.001-04:00

I've decided to embrace summer, so I'm headed here:

...for a very awesome, very lazy, very long weekend. Later taters.