I am fascinated by this site - Chip It! by Sherwin Williams. You can link to any picture on the internet, and they'll create a paint chip palette for you. For instance, I had these pictures on my Pinterest page...
Isn't that the coolest thing?! I can't wait to try it out on a room in our house.
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Someone posted this on Facebook. It is bad, oh so bad...
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Okay, y'all know that I don't like to get controversial, or pick a fight, but have you seen the cover of the latest Time Magazine? It features a mother breastfeeding her almost-4 year old son, and it has sparked a ton of controversy. Here's a link to an LA Times article on it with the picture. I have to say that even though I'm a huge supporter of breastfeeding, I think this cover is absolutely horrible. It's not that I think it's offensive to breastfeed your almost-4 year old child, I think people can do whatever they want in private, and you can't argue the benefits of breastfeeding. I don't even think it's offensive to breastfeed in public. But all I can think about when I look at this picture is that this poor little boy will always be known as the kid who sucked his moms boob on the cover of Time magazine. I just couldn't imagine any mother deliberately subjecting her child to that kind of future torment and ridicule. What do y'all think?
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Jimmy and Jude have become obsessed with a new cable tv channel they've discovered - Me-TV. It's all old tv shows from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Yesterday, I heard Jude talking to his friend George at Cub Scouts - "So there are these two dudes, and one of the dudes, Felix, is really neat and the other dude, Oscar, is a total slob and they are so FUNNY!" He's been singing the Odd Couple theme song for days. The kid has also, at long last, discovered I Love Lucy, which he deems "hysterical" and dramas like The Rifleman, Mission: Impossible and Gunsmoke. I love it!
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Yesterday, I noticed this, written on the top of the recycling bins at Jude's school...
PLEASE tell me that someone other than me read this as "No Hot Flashes"!
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Go see Stacy and the other members of the band of Random Tuesday Thinkers!
Excuse me for bragging, but my wonderful brother-in-law, Tony, husband to my sister-in-law, the Amazing Niki, has written a children's book! Tony's an animator, who has worked on lots of kids shows, most notably Stanley, but this is the first time he's written and illustrated a book, so we're all pretty excited.
The book is called I Once Met a Monster On My Way To School! by T.D. Snoggins (Tony's pseudonym)...
It's absolutely charming and silly, just like Tony, and the main character, Talbot, was based on JUDE!
The story answers the age old question of where all those socks end up when they disappear out of the dryer. Why, to Phil the Sock-Eating Monster, of course!
Please, PLEASE, check out the book! And BUY it! I never ask y'all to do this kind of stuff, but it's really a great and FUNNY book, and it would mean so much for our family!
If, magically, I was granted one day during which I could eat anything my little heart desired without gaining a single ounce, risking a heart attack from clogged arteries, or vomiting from over-eating, I would eat the following...
Beignets and Cafe au Lait from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.
Fresh and hot. And when you eat them, you get powdered sugar all over yourself and up your nose.
Fried Catfish from Mama's House on Crenshaw in LA. With a side of Mac and Cheese and those Greens cooked with ham hocks and some of that Louisiana hot sauce and a big iced tea.
The above picture is used entirely without Jan's permission, but I'm hoping that my saying that her recipe is one of my favorite foods on the Planet Earth will make her okay with it.
Prime Rib from Lawry's Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Lawry Cut, medium rare. With both the Creamed Spinach AND the Creamed Corn, and that weird salad in the spinning bowl. And the Yorkshire Pudding. And a Manhattan.
Pennsylvania Dutch Eggnog.
Pasta Carbonara made with this recipe...
1 lb. pancetta (or bacon)
1 lb. spaghetti
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground pepper
Fry pancetta or bacon until it is very crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain spaghetti and pour into a very large bowl. I like to use a large stainless steel bowl which I've run under hot water to warm up. Pour eggs over the pasta and toss to coat the strands evenly. Add butter and toss again. Add Parmesan, parsley, pancetta and lots of pepper and mix thoroughly.
Queso Flameado with Chorizo from Guero's Taco Bar in Austin, TX. Wrapped in homemade corn tortillas. Heaven in a bowl. Seriously. When I go there, I don't even order an entree. Just a couple of margaritas and a big bowl of cheese filled with pork.
and while we're in Austin...
Chicken Fried Steak from Threadgill's in Austin TX. Smothered in cream gravy, with mashed potatoes and fried okra and blackeyed peas. And corn bread. And a Shiner Bock beer. Heaven smothered in cream gravy.
and...
Homemade Peach Ice Cream, made with ripe Texas Hill Country peaches. A taste that you have to experience to understand. Heaven frozen.
A rack of Baby Back Ribs. Dry rubbed with Grub Rub...
then grilled, and then baked, smothered with MY barbecue sauce. And PLENTY of napkins.
Key Lime Pie - I don't care where it's from, as long as it's made with real Key limes, and isn't dyed with green food coloring. Either whipped cream or meringue is acceptable.
Port and Stilton Burger from Umami Burger in LA. Blue Cheese and port caramelized onions on a huge, meaty burger. With the sweet potato fries.
Mama's Chocolate Cream Pie -
1/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk, scalded
2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 sp. vanilla
baked pie shell
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar for whipped cream
Mix flour, sugar and salt; put in top of a double boiler and gradually add scalded milk. Add chocolate and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add small amount of hot mixture to the egg yolks; stir into remaining hot mixture. Cook 2 minutes. Cool. Add butter and vanilla . Pour into baked pie shell. Whip heavy cream with sugar. Spread on top of thoroughly cooled pie.
Hmmmm.
I guess that's it. Just enough sweet. Just enough savory. Lots of pork. I could then die a happy woman. I am really very hungry now.
So...what would you choose?
This post inspired by...
Prompt #1 - If you had one day to eat anything you want and not gain a single ounce what would it be?
Another Tuesday, another Random Tuesday Thoughts...
I saw this on tv and almost peed myself...
Ha! It's a real site - Farmers Only! The only online dating site for Americas Farmers.
According to the website, "This group makes up America's Heartland – the slice of America with good old fashioned traditional values, values that were never lost by the farmers of our country."
So why are there so many pictures of trashy looking women in Daisy Duke cutoffs riding tractors?!
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I have a new favorite way of entertaining myself while I'm doing housework. Our Direct TV cable company has a bunch of music stations, and I have discovered their Show Tunes channel. My mother would have LOVED this station! All show tunes, all the time. I sing along at the top of my lungs while I'm mopping or doing dishes or whatever. I'm seriously hoping that the UPS man doesn't show up while I'm in the middle of dancing along with Rita Moreno on "America" from West Side Story. Though I'm sure he's seen worse.
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I may be late to the game here, but you all, especially those of you with boys, MUST read this lovely piece - 25 Rules for Mothers of Sons. I agree with them all. And I SO wish I'd written this first.
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The other day, I had hunted all around for my reading glasses, and couldn't find them. I finally had to leave, got into the car, reached up to pull down my sunglasses and discovered this on top of my head...
Yes, that would be TWO pairs of reading glasses + my sunglasses. I have finally, officially become my mother.
It's SO addicting! You make four letter words using the letters they give you. It's so simple, but completely fun. I HIGHLY recommend it. Well, not if you want to actually get anything done in your life.
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Alright, short and sweet today. I'm working on brevity. It's very difficult. We'll see how it goes. Be sure to hop over and visit Stacy's other random thinkers!
Welcome to Second Blooming Happy Hour! As Aunt Grace says "It's always 5 o'clock somewhere!"
Because you people mean SO much to me, I have, at the sacrifice of the health of my liver, spent a great deal of time this week trying out cocktail recipes! It was difficult, but somebody had to do it.
The big trend lately in all the hot bars, is a return to the "Classic Cocktail", libations created back in the heyday of the cocktail - the 1930's through 1960's - possibly inspired by the popularity of Mad Men. And truly, I always feel a little bit like Joan or Betty when I've got my hand wrapped around a martini glass.
And so, I have for you my own personal Classic Cocktail Guide, each recipe carefully researched and enthusiastically taste-tested.
Before I begin, I have a few important words of advice before you start your own exploration of the cocktail...
Invest in some equipment. A nice shaker, appropriate glassware. It really does make a difference. And if you don't have a shaker, at least get a cocktail strainer. But a shaker is way cooler.
Buy good liquor. You don't have to go broke buying only top shelf, but with these old-style cocktails, the liquor really is the star, and the better the booze, the better the drinking experience. So don't go rockgut.
Absolutely DO NOT forgo the garnishes!!! The garnish is the BEST PART. Well, the best part after the booze. But seriously, what's a martini without the olive? A Manhattan without the maraschino cherry? Ah, the cherry is my favorite part! Plus, I can do this naughty bar trick which involves tying the cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. Always impresses the gentlemen!
That said...
The Second Blooming Classic Cocktail Guide:
Tom Collins
Betty Draper's drink, but new to me. A real surprise - super refreshing and summery. Sort of like a mojito without the mint. Or the rum. Or the lime. Well okay, not that much like a mojito, but really delicious. I recommend.
2 oz. gin
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 sugar cubes
splash of club soda
1 slice orange
1 maraschino cherry
Drop sugar cubes in a tall glass. Add gin and lemon juice. Stir. Add plenty of ice, and top with a healthy splash of club soda. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.
Sidecar
I went through a phase of drinking Sidecars many years ago, and I'd forgotten how delish they are. Makes you feel very sophisticated.
2 oz. brandy
2 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 strip orange zest, for garnish
Fill shaker with ice. Add brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with orange zest. Mmmm.
Whiskey Sour
Every time Pop takes us out to Hoi Ming, our favorite Chinese restaurant in New York, I order a Whiskey Sour. I think of it as my special treat. So every time I drink one I expect somebody to walk around and offer me a hot towel.
2 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup (see below)
1 orange slice
1 maraschino cherry
Fill shaker with ice. Add bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake, shake, shake your booty. Strain into glass. Technically, you're supposed to use a special sour glass, which looks like this...
...but since few people actually own a set of sour glasses, you can use a martini glass, or if you prefer, serve it on the rocks in a highball glass.
Simple Syrup -
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Stir together in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool. Can be kept for months in a jar in the fridge.
Greyhound
Basically, a more sophisticated version of a Screwdriver. I'm thinking it would make a tasty brunch beverage.
2 oz. vodka
4 oz. grapefruit juice
Add ice to a tall glass. Add vodka and grapefruit juice. Garnish with a slice or grapefruit or a twist of grapefruit peel.
Manhattan
I ALWAYS have a Manhattan when I'm in...you guessed it...Manhattan. I just can't help myself. I suggest using a good bourbon, Maker's Mark or Knob Creek. And as I previously stated, don't miss the cherry. If you want a lesson in cherry stem tying, shoot me an email, and I'll help you out.
2 oz. bourbon or rye whiskey
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry
Fill shaker with ice. Add whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Shake like crazy. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cherry. Drink it while remembering how fabulous you are.
White Russian
Okay, I have to admit that I can't drink these without thinking about The Dude in The Big Lebowski. But I have fond memories of drinking these back when I was in my twenties, and not worried about cream intake. They really are delicious, and a fun after-dinner nightcap.
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. light cream
Add ice to highball glass. Pour vodka and Kahlua over the ice, then top with the cream.
Old-Fashioned
I think that this may officially be my new favorite cocktail. It has that perfect balance of sweet/tart/bitter. Plus, it's fun to make - kind of complicated (makes you feel like a real mixologist), and it involves muddling, and who doesn't love to muddle.
1 sugar cube
2 dashes bitters
splash of soda water
1 slice orange
1 slice lemon
1 marachino cherry
2 oz. bourbon
ice
Drop sugar cube in the bottom of an old-fashioned highball glass. Soak the sugar cube with the bitters. Add a healthy splash of soda water. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Drop in the orange slice, lemon slice and cherry. Muddle together. I don't own an actual "muddler", so I use pestle from my mortar and pestle (which then gets me started saying that line from The Court Jester "the vessel with the pestle holds the pellet with the poison"...or is it "the vessel with the pestle holds the brew that is true" or...sorry, I have gone off on a tangent). Add bourbon, stir. Top with ice. Delish.
Alright. We have now come to the end of our lesson. I hope you have found this informative. You will notice that I have refrained from providing an actual Martini recipe, mostly because they are so subjective, and have so many options (gin/vodka? olive/twist?).
But I will leave you with a little Francis Albert. Just because it's damned good.
Bottoms up.
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I'm telling you people, this week you've ABSOLUTELY got to check out the other spinners - we're talking cocktail recipes here! And there are some humdingers. Check out each and every one!
We all love to get them. I tend to be poor at remembering to give them. And I often find myself in that awkward social moment when somebody says "You look so good!" and then I need to say "You too!" back to them, but then will they think I'm just saying it because they said it to me? Should I have said it first? And what if they really don't look good? Do you say it anyway? Will they be able to tell that you really ARE saying it just because they said it? Sigh.
What's the biggest compliment you ever recieved? Do you hold it dear or does it embarrass you? Was it from a parent? Spouse? Friend? Child? Stranger?
Are you free with compliments? Or do you hold them close?
And what about as a parent? Do you feel you might over-praise your kid? Can a kid be over-praised?
You know the drill. Put your spin on it. Post it before Friday. Leave me a comment letting me know, and I'll link it up here.
Share your spin! Highlight the code. Copy to your HTML. Et voila! Linked!
I feel like I've been hit by the proverbial bus. Is there a proverbial bus? Well, you know what I mean. I am weak, but still able to scrape up some not very Random Tuesday Thoughts.
I am one church singing fool. Witness:
Holy Thursday - 7:00 to 11:00. Trilingual mass. Yes, I said TRIlingual - English, Spanish, Tagalog. Washing of the feet.
Good Friday - 10:00 to 3ish. Stations of the Cross. Veneration of the Cross. Serious music. Basically a very long funeral.
Holy Saturday Easter Vigil - 7:00 to 11:00. Baptisms, confirmations. More trilingual stuff.
Easter Sunday - 10:00 to 12:30. Easter mass. This year, we've made so much money off our bingo that we could afford to hire a brass section -
Cool.
Here's the view from the choir loft...
...impressive, right?
Here's the view of the choir loft. Our hats were particularly excellent this year...
Jude and I cleaned up pretty well...
Oh, and here's Jude enjoying mass...
Here's Jude with Lynn and Darren's daughters...
After this shot was taken, Jude smirkily informed me "I had my hand on Isabella's butt."
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After church, we had lunch with Jimmy's Cousin Cathy and some friends. Jude was clearly on a roll with the ladies (I think it was his dashing suit). After lunch, he gave backrubs to the women at the table...
...while I had a much deserved Bloody Mary.
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And where, you ask, was Jimmy during all this? Sick as a dog. The poor man had a fever, which fluctuated between 99 and 102 for FIVE days. I felt so sorry for him. As I ran out of the house to my next choir event shouting "JUDE, take care of your father..."
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The good news: The Easter Bunny brought Jude this...
...the Darth Maul Double-Bladed Lightsaber. The bad news is that the Easter Bunny brought Jude this...
Which means that I am forced into lightsaber battle on a bi-hourly basis. I'm such a sucker.
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Made these for an Easter egg hunt...
...cascarones, Mexican confetti eggs. Lots of silly, albeit messy, fun. I should probably do a how-to, but it's a little late in the game. Maybe I'll remember to do a Works For Me Wednesday next Easter!
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So there's Easter for you. And now Spring Break has begun. Which means I'll never rest. Oh joy. Please visit Stacy for more random fun and games.
Look at what I have FINALLY figured out how to do?! On the sidebar to the right...scroll down...past Gus, past the Thespian Avenger...past my Spin button...see it?! You can now subscribe to Second Blooming via email! Just type in your email address, and presto chango! You will be sent an email every time I publish a new post! So...do that! Ain't technology grand?
Please let me know if you want to sign up for a Weekly Spin Cycle Subject email. I'll be sending out an email every Friday (or maybe Saturday, we'll see how on top of things I stay), reminding you of the next week's Spin Subject. Don't miss out!
It's not too late to take my Spin Survey. It's already proving extremely helpful! I greatly value your feedback, and I'm grateful for your help! Click here to take survey
Whew. That's done.
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I realized yesterday that I had missed the fact that the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? was back on, and I'd already missed the first FOUR episodes. Luckily, NBC had all four of them available for viewing on their website, so instead of doing any of the many, many things I need to do around our house, I sat and obsessively watched all four episodes back to back, knitting and drinking tea. I LOVE this show - all that ancestry stuff gets to me. I was a teary mess! The Reba McEntire and the Blair Underwood episodes were particularly excellent. If you missed out also, then head over to the NBC website and watch - DO IT NOW!
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Okay, which one of you told me about Craftgawker? I read about it on somebody's blog, but of course I can't remember where it was, so I don't know who to give credit to. Or should I say...I don't know who to BLAME! I can't stop going there! Not that I'll ever actually MAKE any of the crafts they share there, I just keep pinning them on Pinterest. Things like this...
And this...
Cute, right? I could make those! If I...you know...did.
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Hunger Games!! Why on earth did it take me so damned long to read these books?! I'm stubborn. I guess I've always been a bit of a rebel when it comes to reading the popular books. I always refused to read any of those Oprah's Book Club books until they'd been out for years. I hate a bandwagon. But I started that first Hunger Game book and I can't stop reading! The other morning, I had to make an emergency book run to the book store closest to us to get the second book, Catching Fire. I had called ahead to make sure they had it in stock. When I got there, I told the woman behind the counter that I can put something on hold. She pulled the book out and started ringing it up and I started hemming and hawing and making embarrassed excuses for my frantic search for this Young Adult book, and she looked me in the eye and in a hushed voice told me "I know. I did the same thing." When I got home, I immediately ordered the third book, Mockingjay, from Amazon so I wouldn't have to make another crazy book run. Now I can't wait for the movie!!
So are y'all on Team Peeta or Team Gale?!
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Wait! Don't go yet...you still have to run over to Stacy's to check out the other randomizers.
So...last week I got one of the many emails I get from BlogHer saying they had an opportunity for me to make my blog more profitable by becoming part of an "affiliate program". "Yeah, yeah, yeah" I thought, but I read on, because I had seen the word..."app". And you all know that I'm a bit of an app addict.
Turns out, they have a deal with a new website/newsletter called appSmitten, which is a really-truly, honest-to-God exceptionally cool site. And I'm not just saying that because they asked me to.
appSmitten sorts through all of the millions of apps out there, and shares only the very coolest. And best of all, they have a nifty newsletter, which shares with you the best of the best of all the new apps for all based on your interests and the app format you use.
And for every person who uses THIS LINK HERE and signs up for the free email newsletter, they give me $1. That's right y'all, ONE DOLLAR. I'm an earner!
I think that those of you who know me know that I wouldn't sell myself out for a dollar if I didn't really, genuinely love this site/newsletter.
You can subscribe to have the newsletter sent to your Inbox every day, or if you feel like you already get too much email, you can choose to get it on a weekly basis. But I warn you, it's really addictive! You find yourself thinking "Oooo, I want THAT, and THAT, and THAT..."
Here are a few of the apps I have obsessively downloaded after finding them on appSmitten...
Zite
Zite is a digital magazine that I can't stop reading! They take the very best of online media and pull it all together on your device. You can tailor the magazine to your interests - World News, Politics, Arts & Culture, Film & TV, Sports, Food & Cooking, Travel - you get the idea. It's extremely easy to navigate, even using my retro iPhone 3G. Oh look, I just started fiddling with it and ended up reading for 30 minutes, covering an assortment of topics from an article in The Nation entitled "Breitbart, Limbaugh, and the Great Rightwing Flame-out" to Flavorwire's "10 of the Most Powerful Female Characters in Literature" to a recipe for "Homemade Squeaky Cheese Curds".
Find My Car
The last TWO times I took Jude to the movies, I was in such a hurry to get there on time that I completely forgot to pay attention to where I parked. With this app, I can set my car location when I leave it, and then hit "Find my Car" and it will create a handy dandy little map to help me find my way back. Who doesn't need this?! I can't wait for our next outing to Disneyland!
Color Splash
Y'all know how crazy I am about my iPhone camera apps, especially the Hipstamatic. Well, I have a new favorite. Color Splash lets you manipulate the color in photographs, using black and white vs color to create some pretty cool stuff...
Clearly, I'm enjoying playing with my Color Splash app more than Jude is enjoying being forced to be my model and sitting in the yard holding a tangerine.
This appSmitten is like an endless font of app. I'm actually a little worried about myself, because I can't stop downloading them. And what am I going to do when Lent is over and I start playing games again? I'm going to load the phone with new games! And some of them are even going to cost money!
So everybody needs to click on THIS LINK HERE and sign up for the cool newsletter.
And when they send me my big check, I'll let you know which game apps I bought with it!!
Well, this was the best Valentine's Day we've had in years. Hands down.
We are now officially crazy for fondue! It was so stinking good! We all made absolute pigs of ourselves, even Jude McPicky. And it was FUN, all of us circled around the flaming Sterno pot, dipping and slurping. Decadent. And SO stinking EASY.
First Course - Shrimp in Tomato Sauce
Not fondue. But this was Jude's request, and I just couldn't refuse him. He has only recently decided that he likes shrimp. Now, you have to understand how big this is for our family. Jimmy and I are serious seafood eaters, and Jude's refusal to even try things was a big, fat pain in the butt. But he has now decided that he likes shrimp, but only if it is cooked in a tomato sauce. So...
Shrimp in Tomato Sauce
1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes, whole, peeled
1 big clove garlic, minced
a couple of tablespoons of olive oil
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Put tomatoes and their juice in a blender and puree.
Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add tomato puree and about a half a can of water.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer for about 5 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked through.
You can then serve this over linguini or spaghetti. But for some reason Jude decided he wanted the shrinp served on a plate as an appetizer - I think he just likes when he gets to use the little cocktail forks. Anyway, I saved the sauce to go over pasta the next day.
Jude ate about 20 shrimp! Jimmy is worried that we've created a monster, and now there's going to be fewer shrimp for him!
Second Course - Cheese Fondue
I really didn't think that Jude was going to eat this, as there's a fairly sophisticated flavor profile to this cheese - not your usual kid-friendly American or Cheddar. But he LOVED it (though he only dipped the bread and crab - nary a vegetable). Plus, it's a big, stringy, cheese adventure in eating, so what's not to love.
I fear that this is so good, that we MUST get the leftovers out of the house, because neither Jimmy or I have been able to keep our heads out of the fridge. It's totally addicting. This is very bad.
Classic Cheese Fondue
I found this exact recipe in three different places around the internet. And Jan's recipe is basically the same thing, just tweaked to fit her "real food" diet. So I'm guessing it's pretty classic.
1 clove garlic, minced 1 lb. Gruyere cheese 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg A splash or two of kirsch (optional - I didn't have any, so did without)
Toss the cheese with the flour. Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the wine and garlic. Bring to a simmer and add the cheese, one handful at a time stirring until the cheese is melted in before adding the next handful. Stir in the nutmeg.
Stir over low heat until smooth and cheese is melted and bubbling. Add the kirsch, if using, and continue stirring just until it begins to bubble. Transfer the cheese mixture to a heated fondue pot when ready for dipping. Stir frequently.
I served it with blanched cauliflower, cubed crusty bread, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted fingerling potatoes and chunks of crab leg.
But you can basically use any blanched or roasted vegetable you want that you think goes with cheese. Jan even used apple slices, which I kind of wish I had done, as Jude would have probably eaten them.
Weird, artsy (out of focus) shots of fondue
Dessert - Chocolate Fondue
In all seriousness, I have never witnessed anything as depraved and animalistic as Jimmy and Jude falling upon this big pot of hot, melted chocolate. They were like Augustus Gloop and the river of chocolate in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They were like vampires swooping down on a fresh kill. It was stunning and a little frightening. They both ended up with chocolate dripping down their chins and forearms!
Chocolate Fondue
1 lb. premium semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, well chopped 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
In a medium saucepan over low heat bring the cream to a simmer. Add the chocolate. Simmer, stirring until the chocolate is melted. Transfer the mixture to a fondue pot.
I served it with little brownie squares, chocolate chip cookies, strawberries and a cut up glazed donut. But you could use pretty much any kind of fresh or dried fruit, as well as cubes of angel food cake, pound cake, graham crackers, lady fingers, marshmallows or biscotti.
I'm seriously thinking of doing more fondue for the Academy Awards. Maybe this time I'll try the broth fondue version - you heat broth in the pot and everybody skewers little chunks of steak, chicken or shrimp and cooks it themselves in the broth, and you serve it with a variety of dipping sauces. Although, it seems like this might require a bit of patience, and neither Jimmy nor Jude have any. We'll see.
After we all ate ourselves silly and Jimmy and I drank a bottle of champagne, we all snuggled into the bed together again. The men and the dog were snoring within minutes, and I got to plug my earplugs into my laptop and watch a little Netflix in bed. An excellent way to end the evening!
This is what I'd call the definition of "a big drag, man".
Two years ago, I wrote this post, telling y'all that Becky the Suburban Matron had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and I asked you all to start praying in an attempt to surround her with a "big, bloggy bubble of love".
Since that time, Becky endured a mastectomy, radiation, reconstruction, chemotherapy, hair loss, a wig named Codi and performing on stage with me at BlogHer.
Becky survived...no, TRIUMPHED over all this with tremendous grace and humor, proving herself to be the Jane Austen of the blogging world. Hell, in the middle of it she even finished up her PhD! So that makes her Dr. Becky. Oh yeah.
Well now this.
Becky's beautiful, darling, funny, brilliant sister Amy, the Matron Down Under, has been diagnosed with...breast cancer.
I know, I know, I know.
For those of you who don't know/read Amy, you should, but if you don't, Amy and her husband, Jason, are ministers who are pastors at a church in Sydney, Australia. They have 3 of the cutest children you've ever seen.
Amy is every bit as gracious and funny as Becky. I guess that makes her Jane Austen's sister. Wait, did Jane Austen have a sister?...Wikipedia...Yes, Cassandra Austen. No wait, Cassandra never wrote anything. So I guess they're more like the Brontes. But I don't really think of the Brontes as witty. More like the Mitford sisters Yeah. The Mitford Sisters works. Sorry...I just went off on a wee tangent. Sigh...here I am trying to be funny when we're talking cancer.
Anyway, Amy IS funny, evidenced by her posts revealing her new-found cancer - here and here. She's one of the few bloggers I read who always makes me laugh with her self-deprecating charm and wit. She is also a woman of tremendous faith and courage.
And her prognosis looks great. They have found the tumor VERY early, through what Becky described as a "for-the-heck-of-it" ultrasound. Because of the early diagnosis Amy will only need to have a lumpectomy, followed by radiation treatment. She won't know until after the surgery if she will need chemotherapy - there's a good chance she won't. Though if she does, I'm sure Becky will be happy to lend her Codi.
I am completely sickened by the injustice of this all. How is it that while the national statistics are that 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer, in their amazing family it's 2 in 2. It's just so unfair.
But really, if there's a family who can survive and triumph over such a mess, it's these guys. I've never known a family filled with more love and humor and intelligence. The whole bunch of them are amazing. I have previously mentioned my desire to be adopted by their parents, but I don't think they think I'm serious. But I am. I would very much like to be their big sister.
Don't you LOVE that picture? It's Becky and Amy and their brother Dave back when they were kids. It's kind of perfect, isn't it? I like to think that I'm the one in that boat in the background, their older sister who is supposed to be babysitting but instead, is drinking beer and "fishing" with her boyfriend. But I'm digressing once again...
So here's what we're gonna do. We're all going to start praying for Amy and her family. Just like we did for Becky. If we all start praying (or sending healing energy or white light or whatever) in her direction, we will create another big bloggy bubble of love and support to help her kick the cancer out of her body and tell it never to come back. Only this time the bubble is going to have to reach all the way to Australia, so PRAY HARD. I firmly believe in the power of prayer, and I know that Amy does as well. So DO IT!
Start...NOW.
Oh, and if Amy's parents happen to read this, now would be an excellent time for this adoption, as you could probably use a little help. And there were three Bronte sisters. I'm a good cook, and willing to take care of you in your golden years. And I come cheap, you didn't have to pay for my college or my wedding. A good deal, I think. Consider it.
Are y'all praying? Well DO it.
Oh, and FEEL YOUR BOOBIES. Here's a post I wrote a while back with detailed instructions.
