Go to the Light.....

You might have heard me say 

that I have the "Pong" of blogs...

And I do...

For those of you under 30, Pong was the first ever video game...

Yes, I am from the Flintstones age...

Oh rats, you thirty-somethings probably 

haven't heard of the Flintstones, either, huh?

I am digging myself into an old age hole...

Back to my blog...

One of these days I will have created 

a professional looking blog 

with all the cool bells and whistles 

the fancy blogs have....

I might even reach 10 followers....

you just watch me!

If I should be lucky enough 

to snag a sponsor or two, 

you will be the first to win the giveaways....

Promise...

Since I can't afford to hire a web genius

to make my blog better, 

I have to figure this stuff out....

It takes a lot of time...

So, this little blog slogs along 

(almost sounds like alliteration, doesn't it?)...  

One thing I am doing to improve Mac & Fitz's looks 

is to enhance the quality of the photos I take....

Problem is that I can barely operate my Nikon Coolpix 90...  

I don't know an fstop from F Troop, to be honest, 

so I have a long way to go...  

Point and Shoot! is the name of my game, 

and it's pretty boring....

So, I found this marvelous new book by Matt Armendariz, 

called Focus on Food Photography for Bloggers.

I devoured the book in an afternoon 

while watching Kate kick, punch and Kiay 

her way through karate class...

Without getting too technical, 

Matt shows how to get great shots, 

using light, foam core and a few other cheap gadgets...

It was inspirational!

My first attempt was to highlight 

a tasty chunk of short ribs 

that I braised all day yesterday...  

It was dark outside so I used white foam core 

to pull some light onto the subject...

Rookie attempt....not the best....

Meet my lunch... 

Beet and goat cheese salad...

It's a sunny day in bitterly cold Chicago, 

but the light is strong...

The foam core surrounds two sides of the salad 

and bounces the light back...

A better result, I would say...

I have a LOT to learn, but it is fun...

And, I get to eat the subject....

Help Me, Benjamin Moore!

Do you like to paint?  

I do, if it involves a canvas 

and an inviting set of paints in tubes...  

But, present me with blue tape, rollers, 

drop cloths and ladders and I get the hives...  

You know how magazines promote a fresh start 

to the year in their January issues?  

The home section always touts how 

a "Fresh coat of paint is a small investment 

and an easy way to change up your home..."

P.S.:  This is not my home...

   

Did I mention that I wished it was my home?

Oh well....

I say BUNK! to both of those statements...  

First of all, paint is not cheap...  

Okay, maybe contractor grade white at Home Depot 

is inexpensive, but if you want to find, 

say a shade called, "Swiss Coffee", 

then it's loads more expensive...  

You can pay anywhere from 

$30 plus a gallon on up...  

For you fancy Farrow and Ball paint customers, 

a gallon of "Fowler Pink" will set you back over $100.00.  

And, of course, you will need primer, spackle 

and all the accoutrements to get the job done....

It's not low cost if you do it yourself, 

but sit down when I tell you how pricey

it is to have a painter do the job for you...  

A few weeks ago, I had three separate painters 

come over and provide estimates to paint our interior, 

ceilings, woodwork, the whole enchilada...  

$10,000...  

That's right, you can almost 

buy a Smart car for that!  

So, with that being out of the question, 

I sighed and set about figuring out 

how to paint the house myself...  

I believe I can at least paint the rooms 

with normal ceiling heights 

and all the woodwork...  

I can handle that...  

The rest I will finesse later...  

First order of business is to decide 

what color to paint the inside of the house...  

We are thinking about renting our home

(another story, another time...)

and the realtor suggested a basic, 

whitish, tannish color that won't offend potential renters...  

If you have ever chosen paint colors 

and have made mistakes 

(see my kitchen stools), 

you know this is not an easy decision, 

especially if you are committing 

to many gallons of paint...  

I finally picked three hues

and bought pints to test on the wall...  

After consulting a trusted friend and asking my husband,

I chose "Navajo White" 

(the one in the middle)...  

As soon as I get the courage, 

I will buy some paint and will get started...  

Before that, though, I need to address 

the many pockmarks, gouges, 

holes and nicks in the walls...  

Prep is the killer...

Wow, my house looks like it is covered 

in Band Aids of spackle... 

You would think my kids play catch 

around the house with free weights 

or hockey pucks!  

It's an old house, 

and boy, does the wear and tear show... 

 

As an impatient person, 

I'd like to do the "I Dream of Genie Blink" 

and have the place painted in a day or two...  

Reality says it will take a few weeks, 

some spilled paint, some tears 

and glasses of wine 

before I will see the transformation...  

Maybe I can manage to afford having a painter 

get to the up-high stuff 

while I cover the lower reaches...   

I don't care what Martha or Family Circle says...  

It is not cheap nor is it easy to paint...

  

But hopefully it will be worth it!

Geeked for Downton...

Much like the people that dress up 

to go see Star Wars movies

 

or those whack job Trekkies 

who become Spock for their
nerd fest Star Trek conventions,

 

We, too, are "Those People"....

I never thought I'd equate myself 

with Civil War reenactors

 

or full-on attendees of renaissance fairs,

but I think we crossed the line this time...  

You see, we are geeks 

for Downton Abbey...

My sister in law clued us in 

to the show last winter...  

Over a breathless week, 

Tom and I devoured Season One and Two, 

staring at his tablet computer, 

snuggled in our flannel sheets.... 

We were hooked!  

Oh, the intrigue, twisty plot 

and soap operish drama!
  

That damn Thomas and O'Brien bullying the others!  

Why are Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley 

such star crossed dunderheads?



Will Bates ever make it out of prison alive?

The sets and costumes are gorgeous 

and the historical details

made me want to learn more...

My obsession obliged a family member to
buy me the book,
"The World of Downton Abbey"...

Anyway, we love the show 

and have waited with anticipation 

for the Season Three premiere for months...  

At last, the show aired last Sunday...  

On Saturday, I decided that we must celebrate 

the show with more than a perfunctory 

glass of champagne...
  

We needed to dress for the event 

and serve a proper meal prior to viewing the show, 

much as Oscar parties are done...  

I love my husband...  

He is not a fuddy duddy...  

He is not the guy who won't dance 

with his wife at weddings...  

He is the man who jumps into an idea 

with both feet...  

He dressed up as Austin Powers 

for our first Halloween together 

and I knew right then, that he was my fellow...  

So, when I suggested T$ pull out his tux 

to celebrate DA night, 

he was all over the idea...  

Then I texted my sister in law 

to see if she was game...  

Here is a synopsis of our text conversation:

"Lady Sarah of Clifton, you are cordially invited to dine 

with the Herlihys of Melrose Manor.  

We will be in dinner clothes for our celebratory meal.  

Long black gloves suggested..."

"My Dearest Lady Herlihy, 

Thank you so much for your kind text message 

and your thoughtful invitation.  

It will be my absolute pleasure and joy to dine 

with you and your gorgeous rugrats.  

I shall plan to arrive by motor around six.  

I look forward to seeing all of you then.  

With fondest regards from Clifton..."

"Your arrival will be eagerly anticipated.  

We do so hope you will enjoy our fete 

of the televised premiere.  

Until then, The Herlihys"

Yes, we are total morons...  

But here is the thing...  

As I said to Jack when he looked at me 

like I was Bozo the Clown...  

We are living...

We need to laugh at ourselves a little 

and to celebrate life...  

If we don't do fun and silly things, 

we are not creating memories...  

My parents entertained a lot, 

they dressed up in funny costumes 

and trust me, I remember it...  

This is the shit we cherish, folks...  

We don't reminisce that thrilling night we did our taxes, 

or the time we spent less than $100.00 at Costco...  

Okay, that was pretty exciting, 

but you get what I mean...  

I saw one of those inspirational quotes,
that usually annoy me,

pinned on Pinterest today, 

and it does say it all...  

Something about how we all are gonna die soon, 

so why the hell not live it up?

I think Steve Jobs said it, or whatever...

So we dressed up in the closest things 

we could find to resemble the cast at DA.  

I have an amazing black velvet dress 

that has gold embroidery at the hem...

It was given to me by Tom's mother, 

who received it from another family member...  

It is vintage and truly beautiful...  

My earrings are my great grandmother's, 

and they are at least 100 years old...

And my long white gloves are vintage, too...

  

Sarah was a vision in periwinkle 

and she found her fascinator at a local store.... 

She looked incredible... 

And, of course, my T$ looked dashing 

 and so handsome in his tuxedo...

I spent the entire day cooking dinner...  

Felt more like Mrs. Patmore 

than a lady upstairs, I tell ya...

 I should have picked up dinner at Boston Market 

and then bought tiny desserts at a bakery...
 

Anyway, here is the menu...
  

The Earl Grey Tea Cakes were delish, but so time intensive, 

I won't bore you by posting the recipe...

So the two hour premiere was great...  

We can't wait for Sunday...

This episode I will be watching in sweats!

Spinning Plarns...

A New Life for Old Bags 

is the name of the organization 

who hosted our second foray into volunteerism today...  

We found this event via Chicago Cares, 

a group which pairs people with volunteer opportunities...

Kate was my wing man as we walked tentatively 

into the church community room...  

In the center of the room 

sat about eight senior citizen ladies, 

who were crocheting up a storm...

But this was no ordinary quilting bee...

Their yarn was "Plarn", 

plastic yarn made from plastic bags...  

They were crocheting sleeping mats 

to be used by the homeless...  

Started by in 2010 by Ruth Werstler, 

Director of Life Enrichment at a senior center in Chicago, 

she learned about turning plastic bags into mats... 

Since then, over 150 groups have sprung up, 

over a half million plastic bags have not 

met their fates in landfills

and hundreds of mats have been created...

It takes about 700 plastic bags to make a mat, 

which is a whole lot of Plarn!  

Kate was timid, surveying the unfamiliar scene...  

She even became a little whiny 

when her scissors were not cooperating

 as we cut the bags into loops...  

After water, a cookie and a trip to the bathroom, 

she relaxed and got the swing of plarn construction...

  

Next to us were strangers, 

who quickly became friends as we talked, 

laughed and shared scissors and bags...  

People filtered in and the group swelled 

to 65 Plarn Makers, a new record!   

Soon Kate tired of simply making plarn...  

She wanted to do the fun stuff.... 

She wanted to crochet the mats... 

But this activity looked like it was dominated 

by the senior set... 

Their hands were flying with ease and experience...  

How many blankets and potholders had they crocheted 

in their lifetimes? 

I tried to ease Kate's disappointment 

while gently explaining that this skill was beyond 

her still pudgy fingers...  

But Kate was not to be deterred 

and when I looked up, she was in a corner of the room, 

receiving instruction in the art of crocheting...  

She smiled with satisfaction, 

having acquired a new skill...

Soon her fingers were flying 

and the crocheted plarn was growing...  

But this was not enough...  

She had to pass along her newfound knowledge 

and thus she taught her neighbor, 

a kindly retired lawyer named Ellen, 

to crochet. 

What did we give?  

Our time and hands...  

What did we receive?  

New friends, a spirit of giving and a new skill... 

Will we return next month?  

Yup.

This is a fantastic way 

to give of your bags and your time, 

once a month...  

Or start up your own group...

 

Ruth encourages people, schools 

and girl/boy scout troops to start their own groups, too.  

The only cost is the crochet hooks, 

which cost about $3.00 a piece...  

Check out their facebook page,

 New Life for Old Bags,

 for more information... 

The snow is coming down in splotchy clumps,

which makes it a perfect evening 

for Cheeseburger Soup.  

Light the fire, grab the cozy throw 

and enjoy a hot bowl of comfort...

CHEESEBURGER SOUP  Courtesy of The Recipe Critic
 

"Things that I changed:  I added 16 onces of Velveeta cheese.  Since it makes such a big batch it was the perfect amount of cheeseiness.  I also added about 1 pound of ground beef."

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef (use 1 pound)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups of Velveeta processed cheese cubed (I used 16 ounce)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

1.  Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan.  Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, and celery.  Saute until tender.
3.  Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4.  In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour.  Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly.  Add to the soup and bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.  
Yield 8 servings
Recipe Adapted from: Taste from Home