The Price of Pink Eye...

Just as I finished dressing in a rush this morning, 

Kate stepped around the corner and said, "Mommy, my eye hurts..."  

I saw her earlier as I was in the shower, 

but I guess the steam and my own bleary eyes did not detect the matted lashes 

and gooey yellow sleep stuck to the corner of her eyes.  

I am such a good mother....  

She cheerfully dressed herself before launching her complaint, so how would I know? 

Pink eye... 

It's a game changer...

No school, gotta see the doctor asap and no work for me.  

I have this week planned like a choreographed dance from "Black Swan"... 

BTW, congrats to Natalie P, even though I did not care for the movie.  

I kept wanting to slap Nina and tell her to "Snap out of it!"  

Anyway, we have a lot going on next week of which I'll share after the fact...

and this pink eye business tosses a new dance step to the week.  

Oh well, gotta go with it, huh?  

So, we dash to the dr.'s for a fifteen minute visit that cost, oh probably $150.00.  

Then we zip to the pharmacy and pick up a bottle of drops no larger than a thimble...$80.00...  

Really??  

I could have a mani/pedi and a pretty good haircut for that much... 

Not to mention almost a week's worth of groceries from Aldi.  What a rip off....  

Kate allowed me to photograph her lovely pink eyes, first with a smile....

then with a fake pout.  

She is quite content to watch TV and hang with mommy, 

plus notice the chocolate stains on her chin...

Credit the chocolate bunny she jedi-mind tricked me into buying her at the pharmacy....  

Yeah, that's a fake pout....this kid is happy!

Seedlings...

The official first day of spring is 22 days away and it feels like 22 years away, doesn't it? 

Just look out the window...It snowed all day here...

A fine, drizzly kind of snow that chills you to your bones...  

Not that it's warm in our house...  

Nooo.....

It's still cold enough to hang meat, thanks to our faulty furnace...  

Oh, HONEY???!!  

He promised me that the repairman is coming this week 

and that he will stay home to make sure it's fixed.  

I'm thinking a certain place will freeze over first, but one can hope...  

This morning as I was whistling while I worked....(not..)

vacuuming, 

cleaning bathrooms, 

dusting, 

Kate set up Chez American Girl in the living room...  

Check out that groovy bed...

Fit for any respectable 70's love shack, wouldn't you say?  

I don't know the name of the 1970's American Girl, 

but I wonder if her story books cover the subjects of hash and STD's.  

Just kidding....

I am sure they discuss the riots of 1968 and how pet rocks were all the rage..

Um....yeah.... 

Kate loves the bed and her dolly sleeps like a princess... 

Anyway...

while I toiled and she played, 

the radio show had a guest who discussed summer gardens...

"Soon it will be time to plant your seedlings!" she chirped...

It got me thinking....  

My back and front yards look like a war zone after all the foundation work we have endured.  

We have to start from scratch to restore any semblance of yard/garden.  

It's not a little task, but not massive either, given our postage sized lots.  

Buying annuals at the Home Depot can add up quickly, 

especially if I have to buy a lot of them.  

Starting from seeds not only saves a ton of cash, 

 

but I can get unusual plants not found in the local nurseries.  

Now I would not say I have a black thumb, 

but I don't have much in the way of foliage in my house... 

As you can see, most of it is kill resistant or silk!  

I just forget to water and then she's dead as a doornail... 

Outside, though, we have had some nice summer gardens, 

as it was relaxing to water the plants after work while sipping a beer.  

At least that's what Tom says...  

His bountiful gardens proved it.  

So, this week, I am going to order some seeds, 

set up the table in the south facing window and have a go... 

I'll keep you posted.....

Welcome Home...

He was in Abu Dhabi only 5 days, 

but it felt like ten...  

Something about hauling kids everywhere in the damp, icy cold make time drag... 

Every tug on the boots, pull of the zipper felt monotonous....

Until I saw his chipper text, "Honey, I've landed!"...

Sweet music to my ears because now I know 

that double teaming has reverted to the good old-man-to-man defense... 

Someone to share a glass of wine with....

to whine to... 

to share my dreams with....

you know, the kind you have when you sleep...

Last night I dreamed I attended a craft seminar given by Martha Stewart.  

She and I hit it off and she even hugged me!

Okay, it's probably weird, but I'd love to meet Martha....

I'd probably faint, have a stroke or say something in a foreign language I don't know

If I met her...

She is so imposing she makes big celebrities tremble with fear....

I have seen their hands quiver on TV...

Even Emeril Lagasse looked like he might throw up the first time he was on her show....

Anyway..... 

Usually I dream that I can't find my shirt and I have to ride a bike 50 miles in the rain to get to work, 

and I am being chased by the IRS who are wearing togas....

so this Martha dream was an improvement....

Okay, back to my better half...

I also miss Tom's hugs and snuggling under the covers...

I really do...  

But it's nice to have the trash taken out, 

the fire built, 

the mattress flipped 

and the extra enforcement to get kids in the shower....

I like not having to set the house alarm and to keep the lights on to make it look like night owls live here...  

I don't even mind the addition of his sock and utes in the laundry...

I am glad Tom is home.  

So, I threw together a welcome home dinner with what was in the pantry 

and with some leftovers.  

Dinner is warm and comforting tonight, just like he is to me....

when I am not crabby...

BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Serves 4

• 8 chicken drumsticks (about 3 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 bottle tomato-based chili sauce (12 ounces)
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (optional)
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange drumsticks in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Rub all over with chili powder; season generously with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make barbecue sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk together chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, espresso powder (if using), and mustard. Bring to a boil; reduce to medium-low, and simmer 2 minutes. Divide sauce between two bowls: one for brushing and basting, and one for dipping.
3. Remove drumsticks from oven, and brush with sauce. Return to oven; bake, turning and basting halfway through, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush drumsticks with any leftover pan juices. Serve with reserved dipping sauce.

Corn on the Cob - I like to melt the butter and just drizzle it on top....Easier than the other method....


 Hash Browns - I sliced 1/2 a white onion, thinly, and added it to a hot skillet with a little butter and oil.  To    that I added hand smashed roasted potato rounds from last night's supper.  Season with salt and pepper and fry until golden brown.

Winter Tomato Salad - Slice grape tomatoes in half, lengthwise and place in shallow dish.  Add fresh basil if you have it.  I added a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1/8 C olive oil and 1 T balsamic vinegar.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with 2 T feta cheese.

Bread Pudding, (made with leftover Challah bread)

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large beaten eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For the sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brandy

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.
Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the sauce:

Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

I just tasted this.....OMG it's sinful!!!!

 Since Tom is working late (no surprise there...) 

A plate will be warm in the oven.  

But at least it's not KFC in a cold, cardboard tub...

Although, a local KFC would do the trick now and then.  

If only Pei Wei were closer...

I am addicted to the lettuce wraps... 

Tonight it's home cookin'...  

I gotta take care of my man, don't I?

The Ramen Revolution...

Did you know that ramen noodles are now cool?  

 Yeah, neither did I, until some foodie TV show enlightened me... 

Apparently ramen noodles are high art in Japan, with restaurants springing up all over the place.  

Ramen noodles are so hip that a few restaurants have opened in New York, too.  

Who knew that those little twenty six cent packages of stomach filler could become so trendy...  

Who didn't stock up on ramen noodles at the 7 Eleven as a poor college student?  

It's a little scarey full circle-ish around here as 

we have reintroduced the lowly ramen noodle into our family meal plan... 

But, hey, they taste pretty good and the kids love to slurp the noodles.  

In fact, Kate learned in class during the Chinese New Year lesson, that slurping noodles insures long life.  

Slurp away, Sister!  

Jack has a nasty cold and I didn't have time to make the full-on-from-scratch chicken soup.  

Out of the pantry came the old ramen noodles...

doctored up with some fresh carrots, green onions and a little egg drizzled in.  

Add to the meal some steamed edemame, 

pan fried potstickers (frozen from Trader Joe's) 

and some homemade dipping sauce, 

and you have a meal,

fit for any urbanista from Japan....

You Have it Good!

I remember dissatisfaction with my thighs in the 9th grade...  

No dimples yet, but my knees were too thick in my estimation...  

Funny how 125 lbs on a nearly six foot tall frame can be viewed as fat, but there it is.  

There is a saying (perhaps from one of those annoying supposed-to-be-uplifting) 

emails that gets passed around, 

that no matter the age, when we bemoan our looks, we will pine for them once we advance in age.  

True...I thought I looked unfit in my 30's, 

and now I'd hand over my left hand pinkie for that pre-childbirth body!  

I suppose in my sixties I will wish for the body I currently disapprove of...  

Oh well, tomorrow is another opportunity to live healthfully....

Wasn't that an ad for Perrier or something?? 

Pass the raspberry sorbet, kids....  

When you are a kid, it's easy to expect things to be handed to you, 

especially if your parents give you all your heart's desire. 

Appreciation of how good I had it smacked me in the face now and then....

like a fall afternoon in the quad at U of I, knowing that life was good!

Youth is wasted on the young, right?

Our generation had to work less than our parents did, 

but we still had paper routes,  high school jobs at Happy Joe's Pizza and the local pool. 

We had it good, for sure, but we did learn the value of a dollar, too,

especially when we had to pay for our own gas, clothes or even tuition.  

With our current financial condition, our kids hear "no" more than I would like, for things they want, 

but they aren't seated at a street corner with a tattered paper cup either... 

They hopefully realize that money doesn't grow on trees (rats!  Wish it did....) 

and that is fine with me... 

They are blessed with grandparents who provide them with wonderful experiences that matter.  

Kate did not get the Barbie condo for Christmas....

she got a handcrafted dollhouse from her architect grandfather.  

Last night Tom's dad took Jack, Tom and me to a Blackhawk's game.  

It was a first for me...exciting! 

Jack was wide eyed as we walked into the Madhouse on Madison.  

The dull roar of the entering crowd was pierced by the deafening sound of the trainhorn.  

 He jumped and smiled with anticipation...

Then his Gramp asked Jack if he wanted to check out the souvenir stand, 

something Tom and I NEVER say.  

His smile was wide as they walked over and disappeared into the gift shop...  

Moments later Jack emerged wearing his very own Patrick Kane Blackhawks Jersey!  

This is one lucky kid...  

I just hope when he has grown he remembers how his Grandpa came to his baseball games and 

how his Lynnie taught him to play Gin.  

I hope Kate remembers how Grandma tucked her into her lap and read her stories and 

how Gramp used to call her "Noogie Bomber".  

We have it so good.....

cellulite-free thighs or not!

First Class, All the Way...

Valentine's Day is so loaded with meaning at all stages of life... 

As a little kid, you relish decorating the shoebox in hopes of getting loads of little paper Valentines,

illegibly scribbled by your classmates...  

It's about quantity, not quality...

As you grow older, you hope that a limp, red carnation, bought for a dollar in the junior class fundraiser, 

is sent to you by your crush...  

I never got that carnation from the boy I liked, 

instead I would get one from a kid half my height who looked like Gonzo from the Muppet Show.  

In your twenties, you roller coaster from hating the holiday when you had no special someone, 

to hoping he gets it right if you had a boyfriend...

Nope....he usually didn't...on to the next one...

I pretty much could toss most of my twenty-something years into the circular file 

as it was a disaster most of the time...  

Now that I am married with two little kids, Valentine's Day takes on a whole new meaning...  

 

Long romantic dinners on the 14th are now delayed until a TBD date 

when the Groupon will take effect and a sitter can be found... 

Now the desire is to make the holiday fun for the kids... 

This year, Kate is old enough to fully participate so I went a little nuts as the Valentine's Elf... 

First event was my lovely neighbor's Valentine making party for the ladies...  

I baked Valentine sugar cookies that were, um, PG.  

Many glasses of champagne later, some gorgeous Valentines were created  by all....

and those lingerie cookies consumed.  

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Feeling guilty that I have not had the time to volunteer more at the school, I have been baking goodies for the teaching staff now and then...  

For Valentines day, I baked chocolate cupcakes with brownie heart garnishes.  

Yeah, I'm a suck up, but sweets make people happy, right?  

For the kid's personal teachers, I topped the cupcakes and 

went to the pains of making the candy roses I shared in last months blog.  

Let me tell you, they ain't as easy as they look... 

My version of the candy roses look like a lobotomy on top of those cupcakes...

The instructions said to paint off the cornstarch with vodka.  Is it wrong to sip and brush?

Cookies were also baked for the crew at Heat Armor...

Just hearts....all G-rated...

They were gone by 9:30, I think....

For my mother and sister in law, I went to the flower mart and purchased posies to 

make arrangements, which I delivered to my sister in law's law office this morning... 

Too bad, I didn't know she was out of town.  

It's the thought, right?  

For the kids, we took them to that classy joint, White Castle, for their annual Valentine's dinner event...  

They had flowers, table cloths, candles and waiters...  

The place was packed!  

It was so cute and the kids loved it.  

$25.00 for a Valentine's dinner for four is awesome, too. 

"Would you like that slider medium rare?"  

When we got home I had a Valentines treat scavenger hunt waiting for the kids as their dessert.  

Dang....I am tired just talking about it....  

I look tired, don't I?  This photo was taken this morning! Sheesh...

Maybe next year I'll order a heart-shaped pizza, get flowers from Jewel and call it a day..... 

White Castle didn't have prosecco, but Chez Herlihy did!