31 October 2009

Happy Halloween

I know I post this every halloween, but it's one of the best. The Worst Witch is one of my all time favorite Halloween movies. Fairuza Balk, Charlotte Rae, Diana Rigg, and Tim Curry - and Tim Curry sings!



29 October 2009

Thursday Recipe

Pumpkin Pie is one of my favorites - and this is the time of year when all manner of recipes start showing up on the interwebs. I stumbled on this one the other day for a pumpkin pie cupcake. I cannot wait to make these!

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup half and half (or evaporated milk)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and half and half until well combined. Add in dry ingredients and whisk until no streaks of flour remain and batter is smooth.
Fill each muffin cup with approximately 1/3 cup of batter.
Bake for 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan. They will sink as they cool.
Chill cupcakes before serving. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Makes 12


28 October 2009

My Ink


Did I tell y'all that I got a tattoo this summer? When I was home for vacation in July, my sister and I got matching tattoos. It was her idea, but I had been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo for awhile, I just couldn't think of the right thing to get and since you know, it's PERMANENT I wanted it to be the right thing. My sister went to Aruba in May for vacation. She called me from the beach one day and said, "I think we should get matching tattoos before I move to California." To which I promptly replied, "Are you drunk?" She said "No, I think we should get the Italian word for sister." Cue the "Awwww" moment. I had to give her credit - it was the perfect idea. So in July, we headed up to Federal Hill and a lovely young man at a very reputable tattoo parlor inked my wrist. Oh man it hurt! It was worse than a pinch. It was like a cross between a pinch and a third degree burn. Fortunately, it was quick. The inside of the wrist is apparently one of the most painful areas to get a tattoo. I concur. I haven't regretted it once, although sometimes I look down at my wrist and I forget that I have it and think what is that? For all the pain though, I think I might want another one...

26 October 2009

Claudia Kishi or Flop?


I stumbled across this quiz on Sunday night and thought it was genius. I grew up reading the Babysitter's Club books and one of the things that sticks out for me about those books were the descriptions of Claudia's outfits. Someone actually put together a quiz asking if the outfit described was something worn by Claudia in one of the books or by a celebrity. I got 11 out of 16. Some of the descriptions I remember word for word from back in the day. Let me know how you do!

25 October 2009

Weekend in Charlotte

The newest Buckeye fan has arrived :) I had a wonderful weekend in Charlotte. I drove down on Friday afternoon and spent the weekend snuggling and rocking and just enjoying spending time with baby Kennedy and my family. My cousin Kelly and her husband Korey (my fellow Buckeye fan) are the proud parents of a new baby girl. She is just so sweet. I haven't held a newborn in soooo long.


By the time I make it back north to see a new baby, they aren't newborns anymore. Kelly looks wonderful and we had fun just hanging around, chatting, napping, and catching up. And watching all manner of college football game - that last second TD by Iowa was the most exciting 0:02 in football I have ever seen. I got to see my Auntie Gerry and Ally, Rich, Nina, and Richie popped in Saturday night on their way to the mountains - mini reunion!!! Since I had seen Richie and Nina just a few months ago it was so nice that they remembered who I was. Usually we go through the awkward "I-don't-remember-her" phase. With the exception of Kelly, many times I don't get to see them but once a year most of the time. I grew up with Ally and many of my childhood memories are of her and the fun and mischief we used to get into, so it's always a blast to get together with her again.


I also had the chance to use my new camera on subjects other than Jack and Kate! I was sad to leave, but needed to stop at Ikea (such a blast), drive the 2 hours back to Durham, do grocery shopping, laundry, and write a paper. All have been accomplished except the paper, which needs to be finished tonight. I've already offered up my baby-sitting services to Kelly and Korey for a Saturday night here and there if they want to get out.


22 October 2009

Thursday Recipe

More fall baking this week! Fall makes me think of apples and caramel and cider and all things warm and gooey. So this week's recipe, courtesy of the amazon.com blogs is for Caramel Apple Bread Pudding.

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Ingredients

2 Jonagold apples, one sliced, one chopped

4 cups day-old bread, torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup cream

1/3 cup currants

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine eggs, cream and sugar. Add bread, chopped apples, currants and mix; set aside.

3. Toss sliced apples in 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon.

4. Heat 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat; when hot, spray surface with canola oil spray and add apples. Saute for two minutes, until they begin to turn golden.

5. Remove from heat and add bread mixture to the skillet.

6. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes.

7. Let cool. Invert skillet on cake plate. Serve with caramel sauce and/or vanilla ice cream.

Serves 6-8



21 October 2009

Random Internet Links

Just some links I came across today that were of particular interest:

Jeff Fisher has a brain freeze

How many Batman movies do you know?

Just in time for Halloween - a seriously cute vampire kitty

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have the cutest kids

Windows 7 is bigger than Harry Potter!


20 October 2009

Brothers & Sisters

Hands down, one of the best shows currently on television. Brothers & Sisters has all the elements of a great show - intense drama, some comedy, and one of the best ensemble casts: Sally Field, Calists Flockhart, Rob Lowe, Rachel Griffiths, Patricia Wettig...what's not to love. Sunday nights at 10 o'clock. You need to watch.



19 October 2009

LV


I'm usually not one to go gaga over a purse. There are a few exceptions - my Kate Spade de Vil being one. That's pretty much the only one. Fortunately, when I fell in love with the Kate Spade, it was in my price range. sadly, my new favorite is sorely out of my price range. But I think I may save my pennies for this one as I LOVE it. It's a Louis Vuitton tote and my new favorite thing that I don't own.

18 October 2009

On the Move

I found a new apartment - woohoo! The complex I'm moving into is so nice. I think it's nicer than the one I am in now. It's new too - It's less than 2 years old so all the appliances and such are brand new. I'll have roughly the same amount of space. It's located in Morrisville, whic puts me in a nice proximity to both Duke and NCSU (I've decided to go back for another semester in the spring - more on that later). Mid to late November is my projected move date. I still have heaps-o-stuff to pack and some weeding out of my closet to do. I force myself to purge my closet everytime I move. I don't think I'll need to purge shoes and handbags - I just did that awhile ago. I think I could stand to give up a few of the 6729 black shirts that I own.

15 October 2009

Thursday Recipe

It's a cold and dreary week here in North Carolina. Perfect baking weather, perfect weather for chocolate chip cookies! This is a recipe from Bobby Flay. He has a new cookbook out (which this recipe is not from), called Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. I want it. Here is his chocolate chip cookie recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup dark brown muscavado sugar
  • 1/3 cup light brown muscavado sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 (5-ounce) block semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks (recommended: Callebaut)
  • 1 (5-ounce) block milk chocolate, chopped into chunks (recommended: Callebaut)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon pads.

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.

Place the butter in the bowl on an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugars and continue mixing, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes longer. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the vanilla extract, beating until incorporated.

Add half of the flour and mix until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour, again mixing until just combined. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the chocolate chunks.

Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon the dough onto a baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie and bake on the middle rack until the cookies are lightly golden brown and still soft in the middle, about 11 minutes. Let cookies rest for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a baking rack with a wide metal spatula. Let the cookies cool on the baking rack for a few minutes before eating. Repeat with remaining dough.


Note: I don't use an ice cream scoop and they come out just fine. I use a teaspoon instead. If you can't find muscavado sugar, you can use light and dark brown sugar.


14 October 2009

Wishlist

I love Amazon.com. I shop for almost everything on there. You can find great deals on books, movies, shoes, toys, games, you name it. They are currently running a sweepstakes that ties in to their wishlist feature. You can enter by adding something to your wishlist if you already have one (I do) or you can create a wishlist. The prizes are pretty fantastic - they are giving away all manner of kitchen gadgetry, appliances, and fun. So start a wishlist! If you win, you just have to promise to share with me, okay?


12 October 2009

How Many Can you Name?

For those of you who have yet to discover Sporcle, let me encourage you to do so now, especially if you are a trivia buff like me. They have quizzes about everything - geography, social studies, entertainment, world events, etc. It's a total time waster, but oh so much fun. Especially the college sports ones. One quiz that was published this week was "Can You Name the Top 15 Final BCS Standings Each Year Since 1998?" I got 88%. How did you do?


11 October 2009

Script Ohio

I had a great day today. I was able to go to Charlotte and visit with my cousin Kelly who is due to give birth to her first child any day now. Two of my aunts were in town too and we had a great lunch and time to just sit and chat away the afternoon. In the course of conversation Kelly, Korey, and I ended up talking about Script Ohio - the amazing traditional performance by the Ohio State Marching Band, aka The Best Damned Band in the Land. Auntie Pat has never seen Script Ohio - so this is for her!



10 October 2009

Fall Favorites

Autumn is my favorite season. Growing up in New England, it meant crisp Saturdays bundled up in sweaters, drinking hot chocolate, and watching the Somerset football team. Seeing as how it is my favorite season, here are my top 10 favorite things about fall:

1. New TV! Fall is when the new TV season starts on the major networks. Thank goodness for tivo, I can catch up on everything I miss when I have classes.

2. Pumpkins - to decorate, to carve, to scent the room, and to eat. Pumpkin pies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, you can pretty much find it everywhere in the fall. And the pumpkin puree itself is low in calories, so it's a good substitute for oil in cake and brownie mixes.

3. Leaves. The colors are gorgeous. Once the leaves turn here in NC (they aren't even close), I plan on trying to capture some of the scarlets, ambers, golds, and crimsons in print.

4. Sweaters. Fall is sweater (and sweatshirt) weather. I don't have quite the array of sweaters in NC as I did when I lived up north, but I will hold on to my hooded Ohio State sweatshirt until it falls apart at the seams. The cuffs are starting to fray, but I don't care.

5. Fireplaces. I don't have one in my apartment, but I love the sound of a crackling fireplace and the smell of the fireplace smoke in the air outside. That is what fall smells like for me.

6. Football. Specifically college football. Go Bucks!!! Fall is football season and it is my favorite of all the sports. I miss games at the Shoe in Columbus and I have yet to see the Patriots at Gillette. Hopefully one of these days I will get to one of them - or both.

7. Movies. Fall is premiere movie season. Different than summer blockbuster season, fall is when the studios release the movies they feel are worthy of an award nomination, so all the greats come out to play.

8. Weather. Fall has my favorite days, late fall here in NC. The days when it's just cold enough you need a jacket, there's that bite in the air. Well, I don't wear a jacket those days. It generally has to be in the 40s for me to don a coat, I live for the crisp autumn air.

9. Baking. I mentioned the pumpkins back in #2. Fall is prime baking weather. Sometimes in the summer it's just too warm, even when you have central air and you don't want something so heavy as a cake or pie. Fall is when I get back to baking. Although since I am moving in the next couple of months to a new apartment and I've started to pack things up, my baking may be curtailed this season.

10. World Series - but only the years the Red Sox make the playoffs. Any other year, I don't care. I'm too wrapped up in numbers 1 and 6 to care about another team.


08 October 2009

Thursday Recipe

I've never made a pie. For all the baking I've done, I have never attempted a pie. This recipe, though, sounds so delicious, that I may need to try my hand at it:

Apple-Maple Crunch Pie

Ingredients:

For crust:

1-1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Mazola corn oil
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup crushed nuts

For filling:

4 cups Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons maple syrup

For topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
5 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. For crust, mix flour and salt in a small bowl to make a one-crust pie. Add oil and mash with a fork. Then add milk until fully mixed together. Roll out on wax paper and put into an 8-inch pie pan. Crimp edges. Press crushed nuts into crust bottom. Put foil around edge. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes in middle of oven, and cool.

2. For filling, peel, core, and cut apples into bite-size pieces and place in a small saucepan. Add apple juice to coat apples, and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Drain juice away. Add lemon juice and toss apples together. Mix sugar and cornstarch together and coat apples. Then add maple syrup and spices and toss gently together. Let set for ten minutes (you can prepare topping (below) during this time). Spoon evenly into pre-baked crust.

3. For topping, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, water, and chopped pecans. Add oats. Cut butter in small pieces, and crumble together with fingers over the apple filling, working out from center of the pie to cover all the apples. Bake at 350 degrees on middle rack for 40 minutes, covering with foil as needed to prevent crust burning.

Serves 8.


07 October 2009

Please Pack Your Knives And Go...

I don't watch a lot of reality tv, but there are two that I love - The Biggest Loser and Top Chef. I think I've rhapsodized about TBL on here before. I think I like these shows because the competition isn't so much about knocking someone else out, but doing the best that you can so you continue to advance. If you follow this argument, I should love American Idol, but alas I can't be bothered (my apologies to all you AI fans out there). Since I love to cook, watching Top Chef is contributing a little to my culinary education, which began with the late, great Julia Child. I've learned about different ways to cook food, I've learned who the best chefs in the country are, and it's all wrapped around this cooking competition that inevitably comes down to the wire. Sometimes what they deliver is just awful and sometimes it's genius.


06 October 2009

Mid-term

Oh I just don't know y'all. I wish I could audit classes. I like doing the readings and I like being engaged in class and participating in discussion. I'm just not motivated to do research or any writing whatsoever. I know I'm only one semester in, but I feel like it would be a huge wast of time, money, and effort to continue on when I drag my feet about every little thing. So I'm thinking maybe getting my doctorate isn't for me. I think perhaps if I had gone right on to my PhD after I finished my Master's it would be different. If I could go full time and devote my whole life to doing the work, I could probably do it. I'm older now though and I'm not going full time and there are a myriad of other things I would prefer to do outside of work than research and write. So I may take a hiatus from school after this term and reassess my goals and priorities. We'll see.


05 October 2009

Precious

I've heard about this movie, Precious, for awhile. One of the gossip blogs I read, Lainey Gossip, has been raving about this movie for weeks. I finally saw the trailer and really want to see this. I think I may want to see this more than Where the Wild Things Are. But I would need to bring my kleenex because I have a feeling it's going to make me cry harder than I do when I watch Steel Magnolias.



04 October 2009

Coming Soon

I don't remember ever reading the book, but the movie looks amazing. I can't wait to go see it.




03 October 2009

Hmmmm...


Ahem. Excuse me, but what are all of these things that are in the way of where I play?


I can't seem to get to my favorite spots anymore, although these make for a nice place to perch and watch Jack meander around the living room.


Ah yes, they are boxes. And yes, Kate, we are packing up everything and finding a new place to live.



Moving! Where will we go? Are you bringing all of my toys? You won't leave any behind will you? Yes, Katia, we will bring all your toys. I don't know where we're going yet, but it will be someplace nice. I promise.

Kate is a little traumatized by all the boxes. Jack (having moved with me three times now) is somewhat of a pro and doesn't really seem to care that there are boxes stacked all over the place. My lease is up at the end of November and since I don't trust my management company, I think it's time to find a new apartment. With school and all, I've been trying to pack up a little bit at a time so I don't get inundated all at the end, when I'm trying to move and finish the semester at the same time.

01 October 2009

31 for 21

One of the blogs that I regularly read is Big Blueberry Eyes, and it's written by a mother of a child with Down Syndrome (a.k.a. Trisomy 21). Michelle is an awesome blogger - she posts pictures and shares stories of her daughter's triumphs and challenges and we get a peek at her adorable son too. So in hopes of raising more awareness about Trisomy 21, I am joining in the 31 for 21 challenge. My goal is to post every day for the month of October. I came super close last year. I think I posted 27/31 days. I hope to make it 31/31 this year.



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