simple

The world has become so complicated.  Everyone has to know the latest news about everything:  who's sleeping around with whom, who's got a problem, what's the latest fad, and how quickly can all this information be acquired?


People are so busy getting their noses in everyone else's business, they don't have time for their own.  In reality, if you stopped to think about it, does it really matter what religion other people are?  As long as you are free to worship however and whomever you please, and you  aren't hurting anyone or anything, does it really matter to anyone else? Same goes for peoples' sex lives.


If everyone started paying attention to their own kids and families instead of what's going on on "Modern Family," or "Supernanny," maybe kids would be more prone to behaving, listening, being engaged as a citizen of the human race.  People care more about sports than they do their own families.


Why is it people don't think twice about spending money on cable, junk food, cell phones, etc., but balk at saving for their children's education or feeding themselves and their families a healthy, well-rounded diet?


Why does this country spend so much money trying to fix the problems of those in foreign lands when there are so many problems domestically?  It's the same problem on a smaller scale individually---people are so interested in what's going on elsewhere, things they couldn't possibly have any impact on in 'real life.'  How much of people's time and energy is wasted wondering about the problems and issues of  "Dancing with the Stars," or "The Bacherlorette?"  When they could be focusing on their kid's math homework or art project, how to save for their retirement, or a myriad of other, real-life, issues.


Things need to scale down.   People need to turn their attentions inward.  Let others live.  Stop being so invested in things that don't matter, in the big picture. Simplicity needs to make a comeback.

Yummy Steak Soup

2 ribs celery, peeled, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
6 baby carrots (or 1 regular), chopped
small handful cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 T canola or olive oil
1 T butter
pinch salt
---Heat oil over medium heat in medium dutch oven or large saucepan until hot, but not smoking.  Add the butter and melt (don't let it brown).  Add celery, shallots  and carrots, and saute about 5 minutes, stirring.  Add tomatoes, garlic and salt, continuing to stir and cook for 5 minutes until tomatoes are soft.  Remove from pan into bowl to cool.

1 T butter
1 leftover filet wrapped in bacon, blackened (about 8 oz.; any type of steak can be substituted), chopped into fairly small pieces (1/2 in.)
---In the same pan,  melt butter and add steak, stirring over med-high heat to brown.  Remove from pan; set aside for now.  Wipe out pan.

1/4 c red wine
1/4 c beef broth (from 32 oz carton)
---Place cooked vegetables in blender, add wine and broth.  Puree until smooth.

2 T canola or olive oil
1/4 c all- purpose flour

remainder of 32 oz carton beef broth
1 T dried oregano (preferably mexican)
1 tsp black pepper
1 T fresh thyme
2 small purple fingerling potato, very small dice (about 1/4-1/2 inches)
2/3 c mini whole wheat shells
squeeze lime juice 
2 tsp. canned diced green chiles
---In wiped pan, heat oil over med-high heat until shimmering.  Add flour and stir with whisk briskly for 5 minutes or so until roux browns.  Add broth, continuing to whisk.  Add oregano, pepper and thyme.  Add pureed vegetables and beef.  Stir well.  Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Add potato.  Continue to simmer 10 minutes, then add shells, lime juice and green chiles.  Stir and cook 10-15 minutes.  Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

pan fried pork gyoza

1 lb ground pork
1 T sesame oil
2 egg whites
2 T low sodium soy sauce
1 inch ginger, grated (hint: store ginger root in freezer in ziploc bag to use as needed--it grates wonderfully with a microplane this way)
freshly ground pepper
2 T each finely minced scallion, garlic, and basil
optional: 1 T red chile flakes or shichimi powder
--Place all ingredients in a large bowl and incorporate thoroughly

1 package gyoza or wonton wrappers
small bowl water for wetting fingers
--Line a large rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper.  Hold 1 wrapper in one hand.  Using a small spoon (teaspoon), scoop a small portion of the pork mixture into the center of the wrapper.  Wet the edges of the wrapper with water using fingertip.  If using gyoza wrappers (round), fold the wrapper like a taco but don't seal yet.  Make pleats along the edge decoratively, pressing to seal.  This takes a little practice, but makes for an attractive dish.  If using wonton wrappers (square), wet the edges and fold into a triangle.  Place gyoza on waxed paper to rest while completing the other dumplings.  If sidetracked for a long time, cover them with a damp tea towel. (Be sure not to fill the dumplings too full or it will be very hard to get a good seal and the filling may leak out.)

canola and/or sesame oil
water/dry sherry
--Preheat oven to 325F.  Place rack in large rimmed baking sheet.  In large (12") nonstick saute pan heat about 1-2 t oil over med-high heat until shimmering.  Add some of the gyoza, but do not crowd (10-12).  Press down gently to make a flat bottom.  Don't move them around for at least 3 minutes.  The bottoms should start to brown and crisp.  Add 3 T water or combination sherry/water and cover pan with foil to allow gyoza to steam.  Cook approx. 7 minutes to cook thoroughly.  Transfer gyoza to baking sheet and place this in oven to keep warm.  Add a little more oil and continue to cook all the gyoza.  If you want some really crispy fried dumplings, add more oil (be careful of splattering!) and fry both sides.  Add less water to steam to keep them crispy.

1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1-2 T mirin or dry sherry (to taste)
1 t sugar

--Mix all together in bowl for dipping sauce.  Add sliced green onions, if desired.  Serve with hot rice.

chicken with pancetta and angel hair pasta recipe

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves

1 T olive oil

1 T butter

salt and pepper

9 slices pancetta

shredded asaigo cheese and shredded italian blend cheese (or mozzarella)

--Cut chicken into third but not all the way through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in large saute pan over med-high heat, add butter and melt, but don't let it brown.

Add chicken and cook 5 minutes on one side, turn over and cook 5 minutes more.  Place 2 slices pancetta on each chicken breast.  Place the remaining pancetta in the pan directly to allow to crisp.  Reduce heat after 2 minutes, top each breast with cheese.  Remove chicken from pan, and place in warm oven to keep warm. Chop remaining pancetta and return to pan.

8 oz. dried angel hair pasta

1 T minced garlic

3/4 c chicken broth

1/4 c heavy cream (or milk, or half and half)

2 T fresh chopped rosemary

2 T balsamic vinegar

freshly ground pepper

1 T butter

additional asiago cheese

--Cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water, according to directions.  Meanwhile, increase heat to saute pan.  Cook pancetta until crispy.  Reduce heat to medium and add minced garlic (do not cook garlic over high heat or it will become bitter).  Saute for 1 minute, add chicken broth, scraping the bottom to incorporate all the cooked bits.  Add the cream and rosemary.  Increase heat to med-high and stir until sauce is bubbling.  Add pepper to taste and the balsamic.  Cook 5 minutes.  Drain pasta, return to pot and add butter, toss.  Add sauce to the pasta and toss.  Remove chicken from the oven, place in saute pan to heat  for a minute or two.  Sprinkle asiago cheese on pasta and stir.  Serve chicken with pasta.

Squeaky shoes

I really need to figure out a way to start selling squeaky shoes!  Whenever Lily wears her squeaky shoes so much interest is generated!  Just today we were in the pediatrician's office and I had 6 people around us asking where they could buy some for their kids, their friend's kids, or their grandkids.  This happens every time!  I found myself wishing I could whip out a business card and say, "Why I just happen to have a store/website you can shop!"
As it is, I can only suggest Googling:  WeeSqueak, Itsy Bitsy, or just "squeaky shoes for toddlers."
 One caveat:  make sure the shoes have removable squeakers for those times quiet is needed (e.g. Church, restaurants, business appointments).

My Review of Columbia Sportswear Lander Pants - UPF 50 (For Men)

Originally submitted at Sierra Trading Post

Closeouts. Cotton Ridge Cloth is stonewashed for softness, so Columbia Sportswear’s Lander pants won’t just help you tackle trails and travel more efficiently, they’ll keep you comfortable when it’s time to kickback and relax, too. Cotton Ridge Cloth is highly durable and stonewashed for softnes...

Columbia Sportswear Lander Pants - UPF 50 (For Men)

husband likes them

By NCMomsense from Advance, NC on 8/31/2010

 

4out of 5

Waist: Feels true to size

Length: Feels true to length

Pros: Flattering, Great Color, Washes Well, High Quality, Good price value, Wrinkle-Free, Stylish, Comfortable

Cons: Material a bit heavy

Best Uses: Wear To Work, Date Night/Night Out, Casual Wear

Describe Yourself: Casual Dresser

Bought these for my husband. He loves the Columbia pants he's had so far (ROC and Fort Rock). The Lander pants are somewhat heavier, but have great pockets as well and are comfortable. I love the dark green color and have already ordered another pair. These fit well in a 38/32; oddly enough the same size in the ROC pants are too big.

(legalese)

Lily's Literary Blurb

The Tickleoctopus, by Audrey and Don Wood, Harcourt Children's Books, 1994.


Lily really liked this from page one.  It has a fun, shaped cover and bright illustrations.  The story follows a little caveboy, Bup, from the moment he is awakened by his grumpy parents, through his adventures with a creature he discovers (the Tickleoctopus), including introducing his family to the joys of laughter.  The vernacular is fun to read, if a little tricky at first:  "Ooglies, ooglies!"
Lily has enjoyed memorizing these fun parts and asks for this book daily.  The book is out of print but can be found at the library or through www.dealoz.com.


The Woods really know how to get into a child's (or adult's) imagination with fun to read stories and vibrant illustrations.  Additional titles include The Napping House and Piggies.

Vinegar uses

I have discovered that white vinegar is a wonderfully inexpensive substitute for that blue rinse aid for the dishwasher!  Running a cycle with the dishwasher or washing machine empty and a cup of vinegar in the soap dispenser is a great way to clean out the gunk that seems to accumulate in the washer.  Remember to wipe around the edges of the dishwasher and in front of the door (where the floor and the door meet) to clear away "soap sludge."  Cut down on this yucky mess by reducing the amount of dishwasher soap used (a tablespoon is all you need!).

Quick summer peek

Lily Summer 2010 Smilebox®

MMR shot side effects

It has been 8 days since Lily had her 1st MMR.  2 days post vaccination she started getting small hives on her tummy, feet, face, and arms--just a few.  They went away after a while.  Friday night she woke up itching and pretty miserable because the hives had returned.  I gave her some Benadryl® to calm down the itching so she could get some sleep.

Saturday and Sunday she continued to get the hives, off and on.  They seemed to get worse when we were outside in the heat.  I called her ped's office Monday morning to check if this was normal.  One of the nurses consulted with Dr. Myracle (yes, that's really his name) and advised me to keep giving her Benadry®l as long as I needed to.  If she had any breathing problems come up, we were to take her to the emergency room ASAP.

So, here we are on day 8.  Lily now has had a fever hovering around 101° for 24 hours.  She feels fine, though.  We've been fingerpainting and baking for Daddy.  I fully expect her to break out in the faux measles rash over the next day or so.  Amazing that the injection can cause such effects that far out!   The hives have stopped appearing for now, at least.

As long as Lily stays in a good mood, hydrated and has an appetite, I won't worry needlessly.  I just wonder what next month's Varivax (varicella aka chicken pox) vaccination will bring!

snack cups

If you use those little butter cups (like Brummel and Brown) or any similarly sized cups with a lid, you can make your own snack cups.  Just use a sharp pair of scissors or craft knife (be careful!) to poke a hole in the center of the lid.  Then cut toward the edge, not all the way through, making pie-shaped cuts  (you should end up with 6 pie-shaped flaps.  Next, cut the sharp points off the tips if the flaps, to save pinching those little fingers!  Voila!  This would be good to hold all those little pieces from games, too.

The place to check for any book purchase (pleasure, textbooks, etc.)

DealOZ for Books!

Much needed break taken @ Wrightsville Beach

We spent a short, but very relaxing weekend at the Blockade Runner in Wrightsville Beach.  It was only 4 hours away, right on the beach, and within walking distance of restaurants and shops.  The room we stayed in was newly renovated and nicely decorated.  I think the shower needs redesigning (it doesn't close--that makes it challenging to shower a two-year-old without getting the floor soaked.  The AC was a bit noisy coming on intermittently through the first night, but I fixed that by turning it from "AUTO" to "LOW."  
It is amazing that it can be 100 degrees outside, but if you have a breeze at the beach, it is quite pleasant anyway!  We ate dinner the first night a 22Lumina.  Touristy, as expected.  The menu was a big chalkboard they moved from table to table.  Dave had the chicken and dumplings, I had the pink snapper Calabash, and Lily had the popcorn shrimp.  Everything was very tasty and fresh.  Lily made a little friend of a 1 year-old tyke named Max.  To be continued....

Tip of the week

According to the dishwasher guy, you only need to use about a tablespoon of liquid automatic dishwasher detergent.  Then you don't get that yucky buildup in the dishwasher.  It is still a good idea to run a white vinegar-only cycle every once in a while to clean it out, though.  Not using as much detergent is better for the environment, too!

had to climb the ladder, but FAO Schwarz came through

After much frustration and many phone calls, I finally resorted to a "Clark Howard" tactic and searched for an executive email to contact at FAO Schwarz.  I was able to contact Claire Babrowski, an executive VP who forwarded the email to William Butler, the store director in NYC.  I received a phone call from Mr. Butler at 9AM the next morning.  He was very apologetic for the lack of customer service and response from the usual route.  Although all I wanted was the information to acquire another wheel for the doll stroller, he insisted that sending a new stroller was the quickest way to resolve the issue.  We received a new stroller the next day (a Saturday, no less).  He was very polite; I hope he can resolve whatever problems the customer service center is having.  Ms. Babrowski is to be commended for sending the problem along to someone who actually took action (and for responding in the first place).  A great big THANK YOU from Lily and her mom---she is back in action!

FAO Schwarz

Customer NO-service, to steal a line from Clark Howard.  I have been trying to find out how to get a replacement wheel for Lily's doll stroller for 6 weeks now.  Once again, I was put on hold.  After 30 minutes, I hung up.  I think I am going to find out the direct line to the CEO and see if that helps!