Miss Lori Visits!

What a weekend.

Lori came to visit this past weekend and the course of our lives have changed. We are going to open a women's college. I shall be responsible for science and the cafeteria. Linda will take care of the English and Communications. Gina can do the Psych department. Betsy can run the nursing department and Jennifer can run the sports department. And of course, Lori will be the boss of us all.

If that fails we will write a cookbook entitled: Canoodling in the Kitchen.
Our star recipes:
12 hour spice cake
OH MY GOD i love VANILLA PUDDING!
baked kale
and of course,
Leaning tower of piza angel food cake.

I had a lovely afternoon on friday, spent amidst cook books with Lori, deciding what 12 million things we were going to bake. If I told you everything this entry would be too long. Sadly, there were only 48 hours and 3 bottles of Port. We did not get to the Creme Brulee, which may have saved us from a fat and cholestrol induced heart attack and hospital trip. 3 pints of whipping cream, 2 pints of buttermilk, one gallon of whole milk, about three sticks of butter, and 2 dozen eggs went into :butterscotch and vanilla pudding ( from scratch), buttermilk cinnamon ice cream ( with a custard base), spice cake, angel food cake ( a mild disaster) . The spice cake and puddings combined with canned pumpkin made up a lovely trifle. Which originally called for all store bought ingredients...but who likes easy?

We also spent a chunk of time on a craft item I cannot disclose here but will have to talk about later. It's a craft project that EVEN I LIKE. no. really.

It was lovely, and in the spirit of the most used phase of the weekend, "not awkward at all."
(especially not when compared to some of the things Linda said)

More Music

So. I've heard that my mother is now an Ingrid fan. So I thought i'd share some other music I've been into lately. I spend a good deal of my day with my ipod on and the following are on heavy rotation as of late. I couldn't find an image to go with all of these different artists. So i choose Lu by default. I've been following her around with the camera in the evenings and she's been very patient with me. Now- on to music.

I am thrilled. Brandi Carlile is coming to Carrboro again. Last time she came i was at Chris' graduation and had to miss out. I cannot convey how excited I am about this. Except for the fact that Linda got to see her at the intimate Arts Center, and this time she will be at Cat's Cradle (no seats and more crowded than I really like). Elton John did one of her songs with her for her new album. You may remember her from the Ford commerical that payed during the summer olympics.

Speaking of the Arts Center, over a month ago I was messing about on facebook, and the Great Lake Swimmers came up as a possible band i might like based on the music I had listed that I liked. I checked out their myspace page and #1 Fell in love with them and 2# found out they were playing the Arts Center two days later. I got tickets and we ended up having front row table seats, and it was even better than i expcted. These guys have been on heavy rotation on my ipod.

Raphael Saadiq. Makes me want to dance. Also makes me want to clean and do other sunday-like things.

Linda's tastes are often not the same as mine. She's been more than mildly in love with Erin McKeown these days. This is a case where we overlap in tastes a little, especially the new album.

Another account of overlappage is most certainly Sonya Kitchell
I did not believe Linda when she told me Sonya was 19. Shocked was more like it.

Lastly- I went a few months ago to see the bowerbirds with jean and trent. Turns out I don't like the bowerbirds so much. Rather depressing. But their opener, MegaFaun, whom I was inclined to dislike mainly based on the name- turned out to be a winner.

Sometimes really satisfying food is not Beautiful

Case in point. Beef Stew. I made the shoulder roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots, some olive oil, garlic, onions and red wine. It was lovely. a little overcooked, yet lovely.

I transformed it into stew the next night and while it tasted AMAZING, it looked a lot like slop.
But good slop none-the-less.

More Fair Pictures

The North Carolina State Fair

Linda and I went to the sate fair this year with Kelly, Matt, Jess and Jacob. It was lovely despite the rain at the end. I got my caramel covered apple and saw animals so I was more than happy.

The Fair boasts lots of odd and interesting foods, this year: chocolate covered bacon. We decided it was good. I'd opt for it over a fried candy bar anyday.

I've included an array of images, my favorite of which is the goat that really, really liked Jess.

Following in the tradition of Walmart

It's not yet Halloween, and we are already thinking about Christmas.

Riley was in town this past weekend and had a great idea for a christmas card for he and Erin involving the abandoned house across the street. It was great. After they took a lot of shots we stepped in and did a few.

The best part was me trying to put lipstick on Linda. cliche.

The even better part of the evening- naan from scratch, fantastic chicken vindaloo, chocolate stout cake and of course great company...

P.S. The chocolate stout cake is certainly a classic ( i mean really, cake, chocolate and beer?
(the only thing that could make it better is crack)

Deutsche Nahrung auf Mittwoch-Nacht

When I was in 11th grade I did something that changed my life. I logged onto an international pen pal website and answered an add from a german girl. She wanted someone to practice her French with; I had no French skills. But we did have the same taste in books. And that, it turns out, is quite a lot.

It’s close to ten years since Charlotte and I started writing emails back and forth, and while we aren’t always regular in our correspondence (mainly due to my inability to write back in a timely manner…) I most certainly count her among my small circle of life-long friends.

Upon reading this blog she sent me a German cookbook. And I think it is safe to say that I am in love with spatzel. Granted this was the first attempt and I had to cut the dough by hand as we do not own a spatzel ricer, but I do think it was a success. (Spatzel ricer= another kitchen implement that I must have. I don’t need heat, I don’t need air conditioning or cable, but I do think I need a spatzel ricer.) I found that it was very close to Aunt Helen’s pierogi dough recipe, and my favorite part of pierogi making was the left over dough we’d fry up with cabbage into halushki. I could not ignore my Polish roots and had to throw some cabbage in with the lot ( and some bacon since we had it laying around and bacon is not meant for laying around, it’s meant for eating as soon as possible).

Next up : Schupfnudeln
(potato noodles)
(just don’t ask me to say it)

Thanks Charlotte!