I bit the bullet

Tired of my un-pretty utilitarian wardrobe.

I just placed my first order for some Boden dresses. And, I can't believe it, but I also ordered a TUNIC. What?! There may be no item of clothing ever invented that is less "me" than a tunic. But I was sucked in by the print, the colors and how easy it looked to just throw on with some great sandals and GO. (This summer, that is. Still cold now.)

I'd never have done it 'cept they've got free returns in case I look as ridiculous as I've always imagined I might in a tunic.

Need to lie down now.

Give me Liberty!

March 14 is the opening date for Liberty of London at Target!

Teapots, cute plates, and ohmygravy, did you see the BIKE? I don't even ride and I want one.

Liberty prints are some of my very favorite in the whole world, as far as prints go. Yay!

What I should be doing

I should be....

• Vacuuming
• Weeding and pruning our pitiful yard
• Finishing the laundry, of course
• Cleaning out our master sunroom
• Organizing the Girl Scout stuff which is starting to take over the laundry room
• Cleaning the bathrooms
• Baking some bread for this weekend
• Washing the MomMobile
• On my way to the Mall to buy a new Sunday- best dress (I can tell you right now that I'm NOT going to do this and that I already know I'll be so angry at myself come Sunday morning when I want to wear a pretty dress and all I'll have is my black dress pants that I've been wearing all winter anyway.)

Instead I'm making batches of lemon, lime and orange curd. Our fridge is full of yummy tangy citrus curds, homemade Irish Cream and Girl Scout cookies. And asparagus. The first of the asparagus was in this week and I am SUCH a sucker for it. I love lightly steamed asparagus dipped into soft-boiled eggs. Or w/ a poached egg and thick cut bacon on a homemade English muffin topped w/ hollandaise. Or tossed with penne, gorgonzola and a little lemon juice. Or grilled with a little garlic oil.

I could go on and on. But someone's got to vacuum.

Advice?

I just bought these jeans:

They are by Kut from the Kloth at Nordstroms - my most favorite brand of jeans ever. I already have a pair of their regular straight leg jeans and they are even better than Levis. They have the perfect rinse, stretch, rise, etc.

The ever-helpful sales staff at Nordies spent hours with me (and entertaining Anders) while I tried on jean after jean looking for the perfect comfy pair to replace my aging Ralph Lauren jeans which are so saggy-baggy-washed-out that they might as well be sweatpants. They finally sold me on these K.F.T.K. "boyfriend jeans" -- they are a great dark wash, nice straight leg and soooo comfortable! The only problem is that they are made to be worn with the leg slightly rolled up, which I normally never do. I've been wearing these with t-shirts and cardigans, but what shoe is best? Ballet flats? Sandals? Espadrilles? Wedge heel? ANYTHING but sneakers, which I detest. Advice?

Bucket list

My little sis just completed her first marathon. Way to go D! What an accomplishment!

Made me think though... what have I accomplished lately? Have I put my heart into anything? Gone all out? Can't remember..... so I think not! It's easy to brush it off as part of being a mom to young kids (although lots of moms to young kids run marathons). Then there is my excuse that Mr. J works very long hours, and is often called away suddenly since he's at the mercy of the court system. It makes it hard to plan things except for waaaay in advance or schedule large blocks of "me" time. I also don't have any children old enough to babysit so any time away from home usually involves sitters. I tried to get active playing tennis in the evenings at a local club, but after a month or so, it just got too hard to schedule or predict Mr. J's schedule. And I couldn't justify hiring a sitter (plus picking up, taking home) for me to play tennis for an hour in the evening.

As for actually going anywhere.. HAH! The law is a harsh mistress. Defense attorneys are all about billable hours, so vacations and trips can only be taken once your billables are secure (NOT the case with Mr. J's firm this year -- or a lot of defense firms in general in this economy).

That said, I've formulated a short "bucket" list of things I'd like to do (preferably with Mr. J and/or other family members) in the next 7 years:

• Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

• Safari in Botswana - note, I don't NEED to do an Abercrombie & Kent trip, although that would be nice, no? I do want to go to Botswana because 1) it's family friendly, 2) it's a relatively politically stable country and 3) Okavango Delta & Victoria Falls!

• Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage - while probably the most affordable and least physically taxing item on my bucket list, it's also the most far-fetched. Why?Because it's a 30 day pilgrimage so the kids would most likely NOT come along. So I would need someone to watch them for a whole month. Yeep.

I set a goal of 7 years because I'd really like to do these things before I turn the big 5-0. Mr. J and I think it is HILARIOUS that we'll qualify for AARP before Anders is even in middle school.

Upside

On the upside, the prolonged cold weather has meant my seasonal live oak pollen allergies have been delayed! Maybe until June!

Our church/school Festival is March 11 -14 -- I hope we have great weather by then!

Do I need them? Do I want them?

Do you like Anthropologie? I do! Their clothes are so very pretty! The dresses and skirts are beautiful! But I can't really wear their clothes. I'm a bit over their target market's age (and, ahem, size) and also their clothes could be best described as romantic and whimsical, two things which I totally am not. Sporty and tailored? Check. Practical and comfy? Sure! Plain and jane? Yup. But ruffles, tiers and sheer make me look crazy. So I do a lot of lookie-looing to see what I would buy there if I were 5'9 and 115 lbs. (or if I were my dear sis Jenn who-- being tall, slim and FANCY-- looks FABULOUS in their clothes) but I've never even considered buying anything.

But their housewares? Oh. My. Gravy. They are to die for. I love them all! I guess I AM romantic and whimsical when it comes to housewares. Especially:

Orquidea tea set

Fleur de lys dinnerware

Cockatoo cocktail napkins (oh whatver, I'm just going to order these right now!)

Preening teapot

Nile delta tumbler

Fleur de lys tea cup & saucer

Birdwatcher dessert plates

Plus, pretty much any and all of their linens and those whimsical plates with the octopi and owls. So cool. Maybe I'll sell all my current stuff (8 place settings of Pflatzgraff and 10 settings of Pottery Barn Emma) and go romantic and whimsical for Spring!

And their bed & bath collection? Swoon.

Amazing Race!

Can we talk about how much I love love love love the Amazing Race? It is hands down my favorite show. There is no other reality-competition show like it as it usually rewards the good and honest while ousting the bad and the ugly. We call it Amazing Race Karma, because it happens so often that the snooty, sneaky, lying, arguing, griping teams get their comeuppance during the course of the Race -- sometimes sooner, sometimes later, but it usually happens. The teams that pull together? That earn good Race Karma by helping out a team in need? That work cohesively even when they disagree? They WIN. Backstabbers* need not apply.

So it is no surprise that I anxiously await every new season. By the end of the first episode Mr. J and I have stereotyped (Angry Married Man/Meathead is usually our first pick to get busted by the karma police) and/or judged every couple and usually already have "favorites."

This year? I LOOOOOOVE the Cowboys. Oh my gravy, indeed!!

*On the Amazing Race you have to draw the line between strategy and lying. Not telling someone where the clue box is? Good strategy. Out and out lying about where it is? Bad Race Karma!

On the menu

Tonight: Taco soup w/ cheddar biscuits
Friday: Potato tortilla (for grown ups) AND mac n' cheese from a box (for the kids), because we have one of Dagny's friends staying with us for the weekend and Dagny assures me that "everyone, well not me, but everyone else likes the box kind"

Saturday: Hamburgers and french fries; salad
Sunday: Roast chicken, smashed potatoes, broccoli and rosemary rolls

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: pizza

Thursday: leftovers

NEXT Friday: Cheese grits and fried eggs (breakfast for dinner!)

Now that my menu is planned I have to go clean up the playroom so that Dagny and her friend have somewhere to sleep this weekend. I don't normally have a sleepover for an entire weekend but this little girl's family is military and her mom & dad have to go to a pre-command conference so I offered to take her in. I did however pass on watching her utterly precocious 12 year old brother, who is going to his BFF's house. I don't know jack about 12 year old boys (yet) and I was AFRAID. Although I am quite confident that by the time Anders is 12 (NINE years) I'll have my act together. Or at least my menu.

Downside

I've discovered that one of the downsides to baking homemade bread is that you actually eat more of it. Oh well.

Gone fishin'

Be back soon!

I am a capitalist

I have a feeling that the Big Brother Government auto industry watchdogs are about to start barking and chasing Toyota down the street.

Why? Because they are the largest automaker in the world? Because they have outstanding safety, performance and customer satisfaction records? Because they make great cars? Because they came clean about their safety problems, said they were sorry (without making lame excuses), and got down to the business of fixing those problems?

Nope. Because they can. Where in the world does Congress get off thinking they have a right to pull executives from Toyota in for an inquest? Good grief.

Hey guess what? Toyota only needs to make amends with its consumers (who will vote with their pocketbooks if Toyota doesn't fix the problem) and its shareholders (ditto). Congress has no business in the boardroom. They wish they could run GM half as well as Toyota is run.

I know it's Ash Wednesday, but...

In the interest of full disclosure my Lenten sacrifice, and by extension the whole families, was giving up baking treats/goodies. I'll still bake our daily bread, but nary a cookie, cupcake, cake, pie, tart, torte, bar, puff, etc.

So of course, I've thought of NOTHING BUT baking for the last 24 hours.

What if you took a s'more and coated the whole thing in chocolate? Kinda like a Mallomar, but crunchier? Yes, yum. Been thinking of that.

I also had a dream last night that I was delivering batches of homemade cupcakes to all our friends. I had stacks and stacks of those plastic cupcake carriers in the MomMobile and I had baked what looked like (in my dream) about 300 cupcakes: toasted coconut, red velvet, vanilla w/lemon buttercream, Whopper, chocolate w/ vanilla buttercream, chocolate w/chocolate ganache and sprinkles. Everyone got one of each and then when I got home I realized I had given them all away and I didn't have any for us.

It's going to be a long 40 days.

What's cooking: Shrove Tuesday version

I've been testing meatless recipes for the upcoming Lenten season. Here's a rundown*, along with the judges' reaction:

Fresh tomato sauce w. whole wheat pasta: PASS
Homemade french bread pizzas w/cheese: PASS
Baked salmon: FAIL
Tuna noodle casserole: FAIL and I think everyone will move out if I ever make this again. My family? Hates casseroles.
Fried fish sandwiches: PASS
Baked potato (toppings were broccoli, cheese, sour cream): FAIL
Banana pancakes: PASS
Fruit salad with yogurt: PASS
Black beans and rice: FAIL
Ceaser salad: FAIL
Veggie stir fry: FAIL
Omelets: PASS/FAIL - Dags & I enjoyed. The menfolk? Notsomuch.


The tuna casserole is my latest abject failure. I loved tuna casserole when I was younger and I can't imagine why they won't eat it (oh yeah, cause it's a casserole!) Dagny wanted to know why we just can't eat Cheerios every Friday. Indeed, why not?


*This list is more for my benefit than anyone else's because my memory is shot and by next week I won't remember if they liked the tuna casserole or not. Anyway, by Good Friday I'm sure I'll have defaulted to Cheerios or pancakes on Fridays. Breakfast for dinner was my second favorite thing about Lent (next to tuna casserole) when I was growing up.

Super$aver?

I have a friend who is a major coupon user and routinely saves 80% or so a week at the grocery store. Who wouldn't love to do that?! I think it's great. Once in a while I'll find a coupon for a $1 off my contact solution in a magazine and I'll cut it out and try to remember to use it the next time I go to the store. Invariably I forget. So I thought I'd browse around one of the big couponing sites to see what all the fuss was about and to see if there were any good deals in my area and to see if I could find out the secret to saving big at the grocery.

What do I think? I think using coupons requires patience, perseverance, timing, planning, a great memory for where the deals are. It also requires you to develop a taste for boxed/processed foods based on the items I saw advertised.

There were lots and lots of coupons for kids cereals and boxed mixes. There were lots and lots and TONS of coupons for snack foods. There were none at all for fresh fruits or veggies or meat, except for the ridiculously overpriced frozen veggies-for-one or veggies-with-sauce-in-a-bag. Maybe I hit an off week? But if I didn't, coupons will never pay off for me because we don't use a lot of the things advertised*.

But then I had an a-ha moment: it hit me that coupons are subsidized by the food processing industry who OF COURSE want you to buy their processed foods! Duh!

Do I think that I save more by purchasing fresh foods versus purchasing convenience items with a coupon? Maybe not. But I'm not sure I could eat the other way.

*Full disclosure: While I don't count things like flour, butter or sugar, we do buy some things that I would describe as processed foods. Cheerios, Grape Nuts, once in a while a box of Lucky Charms or Mini-Wheats. Pasta. Canned tomatoes. Cheese. Ritz crackers. Peanut butter. Tortillas. Pickles. Chicken broth. Condiments. So I guess if I focused my coupon search on those items I would save some money. Is it worth the time and effort? Not sure.

Happy whatever day!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! (Happy Chinese New Year!)

Happy Valentine's Day! (To my valentines... you know who you are)

Love, love, love!

On the multi-culti mixed up menu for today: kung pao chicken, shrimps & veggies in red curry sauce, jasmine rice, bananas foster creme brulee.

The dessert is a tribute to my wonderful Mr. J. It was "our" dessert while we lived in Pittsburgh. We had it on the night we got engaged (at the Gandy Dancer). It is on my Top 5 Favorite Dessert list. It is, for us, sentimental and romantic and delicious. Perfect for Valentine's Day and perfect to welcome in the Year of the Tiger.

Hope you all had/are having a great day!

I look at this when I think I'm cold

(Image courtesy of AP)

(Image courtesy of Life News)

Happy new year I love you

QUANDARY! I don't know whether to celebrate Valentine's Day or Chinese New Year on Sunday. Or should I do both? Boston cream pie and sao bao? Shrimp with black bean sauce and chocolate mousse? What to do.....

Bring on the Year of the Tiger! Dad, if you're reading, I wish you could be here to hand out the red envelopes for the kids. I love that.

Un. Real.

The high today was about 65. That's the warmest we'll see for at least the next 10 days! I just. can't. believe that we will be in the 50s all this week and most of next. Someone remind me where it is I live, because it sure doesn't feel like Florida.