finished chair #2

chilly day = soup

I love coming up with soup variations in the winter. Something about a crockpot full of something hearty is comforting. Since we experienced a brief "chill" yesterday - soup was on the menu last evening. Potato & Sausage! I make this a little differently every time. . . because who can remember exactly how you made it the last time?!
Some of the ingredients (some because I probably can't remember them all):

Red Potatoes
Hot Sausage
Onion
Celery
Chicken broth
sour cream
shredded cheese blend
potato starch
chopped green chilis
assortment of spices

I gave in to peer pressure

Actually there was no pressure - more like mild curiosity on my part. I saw this on Sarah's blog and then on Christine's. I'm pretty sure that mine will be far from accurate since I share music with Christopher. Or, more accurately, he shares with me . . . and has the majority.

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool


Opening Credits: "The Bridge" - Kathy Mattea. . . . . hmmmmm. . . . ?

Waking Up: "I Want You" - Elvis Costello. . . . . does it refer to coffee?

First Day At School: So - this actually ended up being a sermon on "Hiddenness" by Tim Keller.

Falling In Love: "Sour Girl" - Stone Temple Pilots . . . yikes!

Fight Song: "Sometimes" - The Psychedelic Furs . . . (btw - how many of these are Christopher's do you think?)

Breaking Up: "New Sensation" - INXS . . . . interesting. . .

Prom: "A Murder of One" - Counting Crows. . . . this must be why I never went to Prom.

Life's OK: "One Little Victory" - RUSH

Mental Breakdown: "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" - Billy Joel

Driving: "How Great Our Joy" - Point of Grace . . . somehow, I don't think so.

Flashback: "Big Fat Money" - Van Halen

Getting Back Together: "Sweet Meat" - The Soup Dragons. . . . . um, yah. . .

Wedding: "Moon Over Bourbon Street" - Sting . . . . it was more like "Bridge over the cumberland river"

Birth of Child: "A Better Idea" - Diamond Rio. . . actually somewhat appropriate since it's about God creating man.

Final Battle: "Lessons" - RUSH . . . . and I'm actually surprise RUSH has only come up twice. . .

Death Scene: "She Talks to Angels" - Black Crowes . . . . . weird.

Funeral Song: "It's Probably Me" - Sting

End Credits: "How Could You Want Him" - Spin Doctors. geez.


So - now I'm thinking that maybe I better just do this with my playlist on the Ipod. Stay tuned for try #2.

Mama's hat

After knitting hats for Daddy & Joseph, I decided Mama also needed one for the "cold" weather we'll have here in . . . oh, January. . . maybe a little of February. Thanks to Dawn for this pattern!

finished chair

I am officially 1/3 of the way finished with my chair re-upholstery project. If you want to check out the beginning - click here. Here are pictures of the finished first chair. I'm sure you are questioning the "matching" fabrics. The piece on the chair back was from a remnant left over from the original chair. They knew it wouldn't be enough for the whole chair but they still wanted it for sentimental reasons.

recently made meals . . .

This week I made the following 2 recipes from the Publix cookbook. Both were a hit. I especially loved all the veggies in second recipe.

Carne Asade with salsa & zesty pinto beans
Mediterranean Scallops with Artichoke-Mushroom Pasta

Remembering. . . .

Some memories fade into the background. Other memories are sharp and clear . . . even down to the tiniest details.

I remember walking into my office on Sept. 11 and being met by Beth who told me that a plane had crashed into the WTC. I remember standing for hours in the back conference room with the rest of my co-workers watching in horror for the rest of the day. I remember that our boss came to check in periodically but never once made any of us feel like we needed to do anything other than stand there and watch that screen.

In other vivid memories - a few years before that - a group of my girlfriends took a trip to New Orleans. We detoured for a couple of days to Beth's parents' home. Her dad fried fish in his carport for us - and by carport I mean - a covered area with a full-fledged kitchen which happened to have room to also park a car - unless there were a bunch of tables set up for fish eating. The next morning he got us all up and took us out in his fishing boat down the bayou to look for alligators. We ended up docking at Fred's bar at 10 am for beer.

Why am I talking about these good times in Louisiana today? I found out a couple of days ago that Beth's dad had an accident and passed away. And so. . . . today I am flooded with memories. . . .

knitting

I mentioned to my Nanny-in-law earlier this year that I'd like to learn to knit. So for Mother's Day she set me up with a pair of her old needles and her original "learn to knit" booklet. I started with a scarf. Rest assured that none of you are ever going to see it. Then I looked up a pattern for hats on the WWW and here are matching daddy & Joseph hats. I would love to say that they turned out perfectly first time around . . . but believe me. . . there was much tearing out and gnashing of teeth. Nanny - I still don't want you to look to closely. I have it on good authority that you can spot a dropped stitch from across the room.

Cooking with wine

Cooking tip - I've found that when drinking a glass of wine while cooking, the act of cooking actually becomes more enjoyable and whatever it is I am cooking suddenly seems a wee bit more gourmet.

Oh yah, you know I'm right. . . .

Publix

One of the many reasons I love Publix grocery stores. . . . recipe cards. As you walk into most Publix stores, they have a small sampling station. A worker is cooking up one of their many recipes to sample. Beside that is an aisle section where they sell all the ingredients for the recipe on the card. Each card is 3-hole punched. The cards are free but you have to pay about $5 for the binder/tabs. Well worth every $! Part of the reason I love this is because I know that the store will have all the ingredients I need. Great, great, great concept and it makes me a loyal customer.

They also have their recipes online: click here

some days. . . .

you need a big cup of coffee. . . .

current "to do" list

Get Ready for Hurricane Hanna

1 - bottled water (check)
2 - extra batteries (check)
3 - battery powered fan (check)
4 - weather radio (check)
5 - portable DVD player (check)
6 - non-perishable food (check)

*edited to say* - and now Hurricane Hanna looks like it will skip right by us . . . so I guess we're already for Ike and/or Josephine. . .