Must-Have's

 

Anna Wintour must have fur....

Selma Blair must carry her little Louis Vuitton Poche Toilette....

Rihanna can't live without Tweezerman tweezers...

Iman says animal prints are the "new neutral"....  

Those lists amuse me...Of course, if we were millionaire's, our list might be indulgent, too... 

 

 

One of my Christmas gifts was this fun read by Nina Garcia, 

"The One Hundred...A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Should Own"    

It's worth aspiring to, however, Manolo's are way after the plumbing gets fixed, if you know what I mean...  

Anyway, here is my Must Have list as of today:

1.  Boots.  I love boots.  They keep me warm, look good with almost any outfit 

and they hide the chipped 3 month old polish on my toes.

2. Glue Gun.  It's kind of like duct tape for women... 

Amazing what I can fix with a little hot glue... 

3. Sharon's mom's homemade crocheted pot scrubber. 

This little circle of happy is better than any SOS pad and it cleans right up.  

Sharon, your mom should sell these on Etsy....they ROCK!

4. Flannel Sheets.  It's winter in Chicago, enough said.

5. Top Chef.  

This show is my one guilty pleasure.  

I love watching these pompous, cranky chefs duke it out over truffle foam....

6. DHC Q10 soap. 

A friend of mine turned me on to DHC products and they are fantastic.  

This soap is a splurge at $4.50 a bar, so I don't buy it often.  

The luxurious bubbles take me to Calgon......

7. Chocolate Non-Pareils..... 

You can find them in the Kosher section of the grocery store. 

I hide them in the freezer as my personal chocolate fix....

8. "Mad Hungry" by Lucinda Scala Quinn.  

This cookbook keeps it real, for busy moms with hungry kids.  

I can always find an easy, tasty recipe for dinner.  Love this book!

9.  Glitter.  

Life is just a little better with some glitter, don't you think? 

I don't care if my house is a little glittery...

.it means crafting is goin' on around here....

10.  Picpoule de Pinet.  

Our cheap, go-to white wine.  

CAN'T live without it....

Period.

So this is my survival guide for now. 

Maybe someday I can't live without Jaguars, Cristal and Chanel. 

(doubt it..)  

So what's your list?  

What are your "Must Have's"?

Old Tree, Old Lady

Did you know the Christmas Tree Javelin will be an Olympic Event in 2014?  

Yep, little known fact... 

Tommy has been training for years and I think he has a shot.  

His toss this year looked a little low on the arc,

but the judges would give it an 8.7 for sure.....

September 11, December 7th, 12/20-1-10, 

Thanksgiving, Easter and Yom Kippur.  

Can you guess what all these days have in common?  

They are dreadful days in which to be born.  

Nobody wants to have a party on these days.  

How do I know this?  

Because my birthday is January 2nd.  

On January Second, those who know and love me, gasp and remember that 

Oh Crap, it's Lori's birthday.  

On January 2nd, the world is hungover, broke and NOT in a party mood...

Every year, my mom tells the story 

how I was the second kid born in Evanston Hospital in 1965 

and the first baby won all of the gifts.  

Great....

Most of my life, I have been apologetic about this unfortunate birthdate.  

I feel badly that my family has to come up with yet another gift after Christmas, 

that they have to act jovial and festive, that they have to find a cake and make merry.  

I know the score, because, frankly, I feel the same way.  

After six weeks of eating with abandon, staying up late and drinking too much, 

I'm not up for one more party, either.  

Growing up, my mom did her best to make this day special, but it had to be a drag.  

God bless her... 

So, yesterday was my fortysmfpphhth birthday and my family was lovely.  

They let me spend the day with my mom...

a rare treat and then they took me out for dinner.  

I got a new phone and the snazziest little Kate Spade clutch you ever saw.... 

Really, after 21, birthdays should be avoided, anyway....  

Perhaps a good plan is to nod at the 1/2 date with no fanfare, 

and then permanently move the celebration to June 2nd.  

Summer birthdays are way more fun, anyway...pool parties and summer drinks, etc.   

Yep, I think I'll toss out the January 2 day, 

along with the crispy Christmas tree.  

Good thing Tommy didn't toss me out for old age, too.  

I'd hate to count my rings.....

Resolving Not To......

Resolutions do not stick with me.  If you are good at living up to yours, bravo.  Me, not so much...  Like the time, years ago,  I decided to work out like a banshee, lose weight, improve my social life and learn a new language.  I should have resolved to give up sex, because that one came true...   So, the best plan for me is to resolve NOT to accomplish things.  Here is my list:

I Will Not...

1.   Get a personal trainer...

           As much as I might enjoy someone beating my flabby triceps to a pulp

while stealing twenties out of my wallet,

I'll stick to forcing myself out of bed to jog my 1 mile trail around Lakeview

on the third Tuesday of each month when there is no wind, excessive ice or dog walkers on the route......

2,     Join Jenny Craig....

          Losing weight while eating tasteless food from the freezer, getting weighed or attending a group rates right up there with a root canal for me. 

I much prefer a good bout of the flu to drop the pounds. 

Perhaps I should hang around Kate's preschool to see what I can pick up. 

 Martha Stewart raved about a cleanse she did last year and dropped some serious LB's. 

 Maybe if I am feeling particularly self destructive, fat and spend thrifty I will give it a try.....

3.    Get my finances in order....

           This one is easy not to do....

We are broke and hopelessly in debt thanks to the black hole that is our basement. 

Only a quick win of the mega millions will fix this. 

I hear it's about $300m....  That oughta get us to break even......

4.    Organize my home.....

            What a dream that would be! 

 If any of you have a linen closet that is neat, labeled, with matching pillowcases lining the shelves

instead of broken computer keyboards, toys, lamps and extra rolls of toilet paper, you are my idol. 

If you have kids and do not have Legos stalking every corner of your house, you are a clean freak. 

My son received the Lego Death Star for  Christmas. 

Containing over 3,000 pieces, I am doomed to stepping on Lego's until my AARP card needs renewing......

5.    Stay in touch with friends....

          Remember those days when your evenings after work were spent

catching up with old friends on the phone? 

Now I am lucky if I return a message on Facebook. 

I am sure you feel the same daily race to the finish. 

By the time the kids are fed, bathed, read to and in bed, and after you do a few loads of wash, clean the dishes, make lunches and straighten up the house, the last thing I want to do is talk. 

Top Chef is calling, along with my glass of white..... 

Sorry, my friends, I miss you!

6.    Read more books.....

         Nope. 

Since Jack's birth over 8 years ago, I have not read much. 

Why? see #5. 

Sleep ranks higher. 

But, dang it, I love reading.  Maybe this is the year..............

7.    Drink less....

         Are you kidding? 

I don't smoke, gamble, chew or read the National Enquirer. 

A few glasses of wine, with a little Kahlua Mocha Peppermint thrown in won't send me to AA. 

A girl's gotta have something to look forward to when the kid's are raising holy hell at 6pm on a Wednesday night, and Daddy's is out of town for the next 10 days.....

8.     Feel less stress......

          This one is NOT going to happen...Puhlease! 

With the basement disaster ongoing, a growing animal of a company, two kids, family drama, etc etc.,

what person has a life without stress? 

While you meditate, breathe deeply, go to your happy place or find your favorite spa, I'll be back at #7.......

9. Spice up the romance.....

       Remember that story of the woman to decided to have sex with her husband 365 days a year as a test to see if it improved their marriage? 

Her husband sure liked the idea..... 

 How on earth anyone can accomplish that in the face of kids, work, stress, exhaustion and pure repetition

is beyond me. 

I might drop a love note in Tom's lunch, but let's get real.....

10. Take a trip....

      It would be nice to make good on this resolution, however, this is another year of austerity. 

Perhaps a trip or two to Green Bay may happen,

but the coasts of the Mediterranean are in the distant future. 

I'd even count a visit to Kohler as a trip. 

Wouldn't that be nice? 

Gosh, doing that would fulfill resolutions 8, 9 & 10. 

A girl can dream, can't she?

I feel so good about this list, it is almost as if I have accomplished something.....

Today is the Day....

So last night we took the kids way out to the 'burbs to hang with some good friends and to play games.  

These friends are "long haul" friends, the kind who know all your secrets and can tell embarrassing stories like when you almost stiffed your boyfriend (to be husband later), but didn't mean to...

Yeah, that did happen..... Long story, good ending....

Anyway....  Friends like that forgive you and then make fun of you.  

They insult you in the "nicest possible way'...all in love, of course.  

These friends invited us to party with their new suburban friends they have met through their kids' school.  

I was beginning to think it might be a long night since we didn't know these people, 

when we discovered how hilarious and fun they were.  

When a friend brings over a beer tasting contest they created themselves, 

you know they are great to have around.  

We ate some tasty food and played the usual party games...Pictionary, etc. 

BTW, girls RULE at Pictionary.  

We are better drawers and our instincts are much quicker... 

 I'm just saying.....

So, then as we were basking in the glow of female Pictionary superiority, 

one of the ladies suggested a new game.  

She very enthusiastically explained that she just learned of this game last week and that it was SO FUN!  

Okay...so she explains that the premise of this relay game involves a small glass of beer on the floor 

and a quarter shoved between one's two cheeks, on the outside of one's jeans.  

Yep, jam a quarter in your butt, penquin walk a few feet to the cup, unclench your posterior 

and hope the quarter lands in the cup of beer.  

All jaws hung to floor as I wondered what frat party she snuck into.  

The communal reaction was "Are you kidding me???!"  

Needless to say, after a few beverages, everyone tried it 

(no, I am not kidding..) 

and there were some ringers in the group...

Yep, Tommy could be deadly at this game...

Not something to brag about, but it's a fact... 

The laughter and shouts could be heard in Cleveland....

 Later, the party turned to dancing as Shakira blasted on the stereo.  

 

The kids bounced in from the basement...  

 There were girls aged 4-14, with one 4 year old who was, I swear, Kate's twin.  

The boys could not be bothered, but the girls and moms tore up the dance floor.  

The quarter party mom was dancing the whole time and had fun with her 4 year old.  

This little one knew all the dance moves from her older siblings.  

She could boogie!  

Kate stared in awe at the big girls and tried to emulate their dancing.  

She and the other 4 year old started to break dance when all realized that she was going commando!  

She didn't care that her little white butt flashed on the dance floor and we laughed so hard.  

Her mom just laughed and kept on dancing.  Her eyes sparkled with delight.  

It was then that my friend told me that this same mom was headed in for a mastectomy next week.  

This sparkling mom of 4 little kids.  

Whose mother and aunt passed from breast cancer.  

And she was playing silly games and dancing the night away.....  

Bravo to her and a lesson to us. 

Make each day count as we jump into this fresh, new year.  

Show your fanny to your close friends, shove a quarter in your butt, laugh, share 

and dance the night away......

New Year's is for Grownups.....

Back in the Dark Ages, when I was a kid, New Year's Eve was an Adults Only holiday...

 

Yeah, I know, us kids were seen and not heard in those days, too, 

but c'mon, can't we have one holiday to ourselves anymore?  

At least we have Vegas...

Back in the '90's, they tried to make Vegas family friendly and it fizzled... 

You can't keep "what stays in Vegas in Vegas" if you run into Cousin Earl and his kids while you are in a drunken state, attempting to lick the belly button of the Caesar's cocktail waitress while at the craps table. That hasn't happened to me, but hey, we have seen some interesting goings on in V-Town.  

The night I got married in Vegas, some of our guests had STORIES! 

So Vegas, thankfully, went back to a grownup's party.  

But I digress.... 

For those of us who don't have the freedom to don sparkly somethings, high, painful and totally gorgeous shoes and dance the night away at some overpriced New Year's Eve event...

or to throw on your jammies, burrow into your Snuggie and watch Dick Clark struggle to breathe 

as Ryan Seacrest shows us how overexposed and annoying he can possibly be...

us parents must find a way to make New Year's fun and entertaining.  

There is a beauty in that, I suppose, as we can  politely decline expensive New Year's Eve invitations.  

Being broke, this comes as a relief, even as I enviously watch pretty little 20 somethings 

slip into cabs on Southport, headed to music, champagne and flirtation.  

However, after I resigned myself that this New Year's Eve would be spent at home, 

I became interested in how I could make it fun for the family.  

With an 8 year old and 4 year old at home, one doesn't have to come up with a huge production.  

One of my good friends says they do fondue on the living room floor and watch a movie.  

Who doesn't LOVE fondue?  

My husband hates it because his first experience was at a fondue restaurant where he almost aspyhxiated from the fumes of the oil.  But he is a party pooper.  

Fondue is fun!  

We are doing kids and adults surf and turf.  I'll do shrimp for the kids and lobster, 

if I can find a deal at Aldi or Costco, for us.  

For the kids dessert I am making bubbly Jello parfaits.   

***********************************************************************************

 BUBBLY JELLO PARFAITS

1. Make bubbly Jell-O according to the directions on a box of Sparkling White Grape Jell-O. Be sure to use club soda, seltzer, or ginger ale and follow the tips on the box for getting the gelatin to sparkle.

2. Chill the Jell-O in champagne flutes or parfait glasses. We suggest making these the day of the party, since they might lose some bubbliness if they're made further ahead. Wind a metallic multicolored star garland (available at party stores) up the stem of the glass for pizzazz.  

**********************************************************************************

 I am thinking Molten Chocolate Cakes for us.  

Serves 6

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
• Whipped Cream , for serving, or adult entertainment....hee hee!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
3. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
4. To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream.

********************************************************************************

We hit the party store for some cheap hats and horns, plus poppers for the kids.  

Just as we are all getting a little tired of each others fascinating company, 

we will head down the street to our neighbors.  

They have 3 boys; just the kind of entertainment our kids need to tire them to blubbering oblivion.  

We adults may then have some time to relax, enjoy some beverages 

with adult carbonation and adult conversation.  

Sigh.....I relax just anticipating it!  

So, to those of you who will have sore feet and sore heads on New Year's Day, I salute you!  

I will be happy to have no pain as I slug on the couch and admire the floral floats of the Rose Parade.  

I went to it once, but that's a story for another day....  

Happy New Year to you!

If you are having a fun adults party at home, though, here is a fun tutorial to make hats for your female 

(or perhaps male, too) guests.... 

834579

A Non Traditional Christmas Dinner

A standing rib roast Christmas dinner is one of my favorites.  

We have made it many times.  Prime rib, too....so delicious!  

However, I did not have the oomph this year to prepare and cook those beefy main courses along with the countless side dishes that must accompany such a grand meal. 

It just wasn't in me.  

The Christmas spirit was alive and well, but I longed for a different and yes, simpler meal. 

We were a small group this year, our family and my parents.  

They were happy to step off the beaten path, too, 

so we went Italian.  

Now this might be a traditional meal if your last name is Mariani, Piscatelli or Barbarino, but to us Benson's from the Old Country of Norway, hitting the pasta is a new thing at Christmas.  

My dad has a famed recipe for Braciole, which he reinvents every time he makes it.  

Essentially, it is a flank steak, pounded thin and then stuffed with pine nuts, hard boiled eggs, parmesan, spinach and a whole host of spices. 

It is then seared and then braised in his aromatic red sauce until the meat falls apart.  

This extravaganza is served over spaghetti pasta.  

This braciole will fill you up for days....with a smile.  

To add to this feast, I decided, not lightly, to attempt to make my Aunt Nancy's famous Rice Balls, 

otherwise known as Arancini in other parts.  

My aunt learned to make the most perfect and satisfying Italian food from her mother in law, aka "Nanna".  

Her rice balls were one of the most anticipated dishes served at Christmas.  

These tasty, baseball-sized orbs are made of seasoned ground beef with Romano cheese in the center, surrounded by cooked rice, lightly coated in bread crumbs and then deep fried.  

They sound heavy, but they are surprisingly light and very flavorful.  

Served with her famous red sauce and you are full and happy.  

Comfort food at its best.  

Never before have I had the courage or implication to make Rice Balls, 

but a burst of insanity compelled me to pick up the bag of rice and romano cheese at the store.  

With Aunt Nan's recipe in hand, I called her for moral support. 

She spoke in the quick short hand of an excellent cook, who rarely measures anything while cooking.  

"You will be fine, " she reassured me.  

So yesterday I took a deep breath, sent the kids off with their father and started.  

Much to my surprise, the process, while a little time consuming, was not as daunting. 

I worried that the making the "snowball" part of the recipe would cause me to have sticky grains of rice peppering my body like confetti as I tried to stick the whole mess together.  

Wet hands keep the rice in check.  

I worried that the ball of rice would disintegrate in the hot oil.  

It didn't happen.  

For sure the fried ball would become soggy while draining on the paper bags.  

Nope.  

Okay, would they taste okay on the next day?  

Sure did!  Success!  

While this is not a recipe for a Tuesday night before CCD, It will enter my repertoire for special events.  

Also for dinner we served a tossed salad, dinner rolls and a lovely trifle, compliments of Lucinda Scala Quinn of Mad Hungry.  

Traditions get passed in zigzags sometimes.  

Rice Balls went from Sicily, to Rock Island to Melrose Street.  

Fine by me.....

ITALIAN RICE BALLS

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef

1 6oz can Tomato Paste, diluted with 1-2 cans water

Pinch Sugar

3 C Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Salt & Pepper to taste

Pinch Seasoned Salt

1 48oz bottle of Corn Oil

1 small Onion, finely chopped

1 C finely grated Romano Cheese

1 lb long grain rice

Prepare Rice according to pkg directions.  Let cool.  Fry onion until translucent.  Add ground beef and cook until brown.  Drain.  Return meat to pan and add tomato paste and 2 cans water, sugar and simmer until sauce is absorbed.  Sprinkle cheese on top of meat and cool.  Stir cheese into meat mixture. Rinse hands in cold water.  Cup hands and spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of rice into hand.  Pack firmly.  Add 2 tablespoonfuls of the meat mixture on top of the rice and add 3 more tablespoonfuls of rice on top.  Form and firmly shape into a "snowball".  Gently roll in seasoned breadcrumbs.  Deep fry in very hot oil until golden brown.  Drain on cookie sheets lines with brown grocery bags.  Serve hot with red sauce.  I recommend this marinara.  Can be made ahead and stored on parchment lined Tupperware airtight containers.  Refrigerate.

Gimmee Some Shugah,,,,,,,,

Today I made cookies, in between kid drop offs and pick ups.  

I was starting to feel guilty that the kids were only having Peppermint JoJo's from Trader Joe's for Christmas cookies.  

I love to bake.....

I really do....

but time kind of got away from me this year.....

That whole job/working thing put a crimp in my planned eat bonbons/lounge/get mani pedi's/bake/lunch with the ladies scheme.  

My husband just doesn't think he can replace me at the factory....

Oh the nerve!....  

Everyone's replaceable, right?  

Oh, right....I work for free....

damn.  

Ok, so I have a good excuse not to bake much, but here's what I accomplished today....

Scandinavian Rosettes.  

My mom, grandma, great grandma and so on have made these goodies and so I must keep the Norwegian tradition alive.  

Bonus!  I tried making them with Soy milk instead of whole milk and they were great!  

Jack must have confiscated at least 10.  They are light and so crispy.....yum!  

Here is the recipe:

You need the rosette irons to make these.  They can be found in Andersonville or here. 

Ingredients:
2 Large Eggs
2 T Sugar
1 C Whole Milk (Soy works, too)
1 t Vanilla
1 C Flour
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 C Vegetable Oil
1/4 C Powdered Sugar

Whisk together eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl, then add flour and salt, whisking, until just combined (do not overmix or the cookies will blister).

Heat oil in a 3-4 quart heavy saucepan with rosette iron in it until thermometer registers 370- 375 degrees.  Carefully lift out iron, letting oil drip off into pan. 

Dip all but top edge of iron into batter 3 seconds, then submerge iron into oil and fry (batter adhering to iron) until golden, 35-40 seconds.  Do not let go of iron; cookie will shatter if it hits bottom of pan. 

Lift out iron letting oil drip off and working over paper towels, carefully pryoff rosette in same manner, heating iron in oil 10 seconds before dipping it into batter each time.

Dust rosettes with powdered sugar before serving.  (This recipe can be halved.  Rosettes are best eaten within 1-2 days of being made.  Keep layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen. 

Next I made Jam Thumbprints and Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter cookies from Mathew Mead's Holiday Magazine.

Jam Thumbprints
Ingredients:
2/3 Unsalted Butter (or Margarine)
1/3 Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 t Vanilla
1/2 t Salt
1 1/2 C Flour
2 Egg Whites, slightly beaten
3/4 Walnuts, finely chopped
3/4 Seedless Jam (raspberry, strawberry or apricot)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar, using an electric mixer on high speed, until light and fluffy.  Add eggs yolks, vanilla and salt.  Beat well, then switch to low speed and gradually add flour until dough forms.

Shape into 1" balls, dip them in the egg whites and then roll balls in the walnuts, covering the entire surface of each cookie.  Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.  Press center of each cookie with thumb to make imprint.

Bake 15-17 minutes.  Let cookies cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack.  While still warm, fill imprints with jam.  Let cool completely.  Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
11/4 C Flour
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Baking Powder
1/4 t Salt
1 Stick Butter (or Margarine)
1/2 C Sugar + 1/4 C for rolling
1/2 C firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 Egg
Coating:
2 C Chocolate Chips
1 T Shortening

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together batter, peanut butter, 1/2 C sugar, and brown sugar, using an electric mixer on high speed until smooth.  Add vanilla, egg and then the flour mixture until well combined.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll them in extra sugar.  Flatten the dough balls with a fork in a criss cross design.

Bake 8-9 minutes.  Let cookies cool 1 minute on baking sheets then transfer to cooking racks to cool completely.

For the coating, melt chocolate chips and shortening in a small heavy saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  dip half the cookie into the melted chocolate.  Place on wax paper until chocolate has set.  Makes 2.5 doz.

Make Way for the New....

  

Eight million, four hundred thousand and sixty two..... 

The number of Legos in my house... 

You think I'm kidding...

I've counted them!  

Twenty four hundred Polly Pockets outfits and related microscopic shoes.  

Old Polly's shoe collection dwarfs Miss Imelda's...  

Enough GI Joes to populate a small mercenary force in Afghanistan..... 

Barbies that rival Heff's entourage....

Matchbox cars to fill a lot at Carmax...

And enough broken parts and missing pieces to fill the bathtub...

If I glued all the broken parts together in a massive sculpture, 

I might have a pop art piece worthy of MOMA.  

The toys my kids have! 

Does your family room resemble toy armageddon?    

Mind did...until today.  

We have this annual rule:  Kids must part with some toys and donate them 

to make way for what bounty Santa may bestow.  

Usually I stack the deck and lay out about a dozen toys in good condition for them to choose from, 

but today I was short on time.  

Fortunately, my awesome in laws took the kids ice skating for a few hours 

and I dug in for some good toy culling.  

We have three garbage bags full of goodies for St.Vincent de Paul and two large bags of broken stuff.  

The kids' rooms are so clean and organized I was sure Hazel's spirit took me over.  

Ahhhh, the feeling!  

Okay, so I know it will last only until they get home, but I love it.  

Bring it on Santy Claws.....We got room for your stash!

Christmas Vacation

We are one day into the kid's Christmas vacation and here are my thoughts:

1. Oh My God.....there are 14 more days until they go back to school!

2. Is it normal for them to pick at each other for sport?

3. Is it normal for me to wish I was at some tropical island, getting a massage, poolside, with no kids?

4. Boredom eventually leads to near felonies...

5. Bringing your kids to the liquor store, no matter how badly you want Kahlua Mocha Peppermint,

is not a good idea.

6. Shopping carts in liquor stores are worse than bulls in china shops.

7. Being out of stock of Kahlua Mocha Peppermint is grounds for a riot.

8. Sophia Coppola cans of champagne make a decent Plan B.

9. Kids count the presents and keep score.

10. Fred the Elf is not keeping behavior in check this year.

11.  Do they make Enforcer Elfs?

12. Do manicurists make house calls?

13.  I could use a house call.....Silver  polish, please....

14. Is Super Nanny in the neighborhood?

15.  We could use a tune-up.....

16. Bribes work.

17. The Wii is only marginal entertainment with a 4 year old as a competitor.

18. I may break out yet another gingerbread house decorating kit to keep the peace.

19. Can a 4 year old master Monopoly?  Those games eat some solid time...

20. Only 4 hours til it's 5pm......cocktails!

It's the Thought That Counts....

 

 

It is Year Two of being broke at Christmas....

I have a couple of choices;  

I can whine and moan that there will be little under the tree, or I can do something creative.  

Even when the coffers were a little more full, it was fun to put together some homemade gifts.  

As a kid, all my presents were made by me, since I had no money.  I painted plaques for my mom, made the usual pottery ashtray for Dad and embroidered a hankie for my grandma.  

It was so fun and exciting to make things for gifts and everyone at least acted as if they liked them.  

Good enough for me....  

So what to make that is easy and economical you ask?  

Here are the gifts I have made this year....

1.  Cherry Garcia Biscotti:  

I made these last year to rave reviews, so I thought I'd make them again.  They are great hostess gifts, crossing guard gifts or to whomever,  wrapped in clear bags or in a tall tin, garnished with a ribbon.  

Biscotti is shamefully easy to make:  

Cherry Garcia Biscotti
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried bing cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks/chocolate chips

(I add 1/4c chopped pistachio nuts, too)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, adding sugar gradually, at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed or by hand, stir in flour mixture followed by cherries and chocolate.
Drop spoonfuls of batter into long lines on prepared baking sheet and, with well floured hands, shape the irregular lines into rectangular logs about 1/2 inch high. Length and width are your prerogative, and you can use more than one baking sheet, if necessary. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, until logs are a light gold color and are fully set (they will spring back slightly when touched with a finger).
Slice logs into 1/3-1/2 inch thick slices (1-1.5 cm) and lay flat (on their sides) on baking sheet.
Lower oven temperature to 300F. Bake sliced cookies for 15 minutes, flip them and bake for an additional 15 minutes. If cookies are not firm, depending on how thickly they were sliced, turn again and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 4 dozen.

2.  Glimmer Sugar Scrub:  

I found this recipe in  a recent magazine ad.  This makes great teacher gifts.  

I have been told they are a little tired of the chalkboard/apple ornaments or the mugs of hot chocolate mix... 

The scrub is a nice indulgence and I topped it off with a silver crystal  Lucky Bracelet I found at Whole Foods for only $9.00 each.  You can find most of the ingredients at the grocery store.  

The essential oil can be found at Whole foods or health food stores.  

Here is the recipe for the scrub:

1 cup Organic Cane Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 capsule of Vitamin E (broken open, oil used)

2 or 3 drops Essential Oil (I used tangerine)

Mix all ingredients well and pour into small container.

3. Stoli Doli:  

Okay, so this last homemade gift is on the selfish side, since I plan to enjoy it with the recipient.  

Let's hope she doesn't read my blog...I don't think she does.  

Anyway, Capital Grille has this enormous vat of pineapple vodka on their esteemed bar and it looks cool.  How great is it to have pineapples steeping away in vodka, just waiting to be part & parcel to a fabulous cocktail?  I have to believe a few of those constitute a serving of fruit...right?

I found the container at Marshall's for $20 bucks, used two and a half liter bottles of Costco vodka and four juicy pineapples.  

That's it!  

After about two weeks of mingling, there will be some serious vodka tasting going on.  I think my sister in law will enjoy having this eye catching conversation piece in her brand new kitchen.  

If not, we would welcome it in ours........

So this is Homemade at the Herlihy's for 2010.  Even if the economic picture for 2011 is rosier, 

you can count on a few homespun goodies anyway.....

Everything is Great, but No One's Happy.....

    

So, I am happy that construction has resumed underneath my house... 

Tire tracks from trucks and cement trucks have created ruts in my front yard that rival Burma Road, 

but it's okay.....there is progress.  

Really, I am glad that the way I know the guys are working under my house is the aroma 

of stale cigarette smoke wafting through the vents.  

But it's hard to be amused when I come home with the kids after school to find fumes and 

exhaust in my living room so noxious they would kill an elephant.  

I don't know what piece of equipment they are using down there, but I have windows open, bathroom and stove vents on high to keep us from getting high, or worse!  

Stop complaining, you say...

your foundation is nearing completion.  

You are right, I sigh....

Then there's my phone... 

Perhaps it has been dropped once or twice....

Okay a lot....

Most functions no longer function, but the phone part actually works..

That is until today when the service was disconnected. 

He, who shall remain nameless FORGOT to pay the bill, so I was a lonely island today.  

The bill was paid this morning, but I still had no service all day.  

It will most likely work tomorrow, but jeez....I want instant service!  

My feelings can best be describe by this hilarious clip from Conan's old show on NBC.......

I'm feeling a little sheepish....

I'll stop pouting now as soon as that glass of white crosses my lips....  

Ahh....much better!