Nate is this week's artist.
This picture is from last summer. The kids and Meryl were lighting sparklers and I was happily taking pictures of all the excitement. I like the far off gaze in his eyes. Nate is completely unaware of me and the camera, caught up in the moment.
As for the art, well it is another school project.
Nate's assignment was to construct a self propelled vehicle that could carry a modest payloads. One trip to the hobby store later Nate had the bulk of his building materials, from balsa wood to the propeller.
The propeller, which came from a wooden plane kit, was a bit tricky. The original rubber band was rather weak. I bought more rubber bands for Nate and he quickly switched them out. The end result was amazing, the car actually moves.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Broken
And this was the aftermath of our late spring snow. A few cuts with a saw and the bush was fine. It needed to be pruned back from the house and the snow got the job started.
As for the snow, it is mostly gone. A classic southern snowstorm.
As for the snow, it is mostly gone. A classic southern snowstorm.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
It' Beginning to Look a lot like Pesach
Title shamelessly stolen from Meryl Yourish.
Yes, that is a ruler in the snow and it really is measuring out 3 inches. I knew we were going to get some sort of big weather today, but this is far beyond what I expected.
This morning was my turn to drive the car pool to Sunday school. As I waited outside with the other parents for our children to be released the weather was the hot topic of conversation. There was a cold biting wind that smelled of snow, and my elbow had been bothering me this morning. 30 years ago I broke it, just knocked the end off the ulna and there is, literally, a three inch wood screw in there. When big storm systems are moving into the area I get twinges of pain in my elbow.
So anyhoodle I knew we were in for it.
The rain and sleet started around noon and the weather steadily worsened as the temperature dropped. By midafternoon it had switched to snow and was falling heavily. At around 5:30 pm this was the view of our front yard. This is the biggest snow fall we have gotten this year and of course school was declared closed for Monday around 7.
So yay! We get to reveal in our last bits of bread before Passover comes tomorrow night. I foresee a big pot of pasta for lunch.
Yes, that is a ruler in the snow and it really is measuring out 3 inches. I knew we were going to get some sort of big weather today, but this is far beyond what I expected.
This morning was my turn to drive the car pool to Sunday school. As I waited outside with the other parents for our children to be released the weather was the hot topic of conversation. There was a cold biting wind that smelled of snow, and my elbow had been bothering me this morning. 30 years ago I broke it, just knocked the end off the ulna and there is, literally, a three inch wood screw in there. When big storm systems are moving into the area I get twinges of pain in my elbow.
So anyhoodle I knew we were in for it.
The rain and sleet started around noon and the weather steadily worsened as the temperature dropped. By midafternoon it had switched to snow and was falling heavily. At around 5:30 pm this was the view of our front yard. This is the biggest snow fall we have gotten this year and of course school was declared closed for Monday around 7.
So yay! We get to reveal in our last bits of bread before Passover comes tomorrow night. I foresee a big pot of pasta for lunch.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Shoot Me: Breaking Rules
I'm not much on the whole rules of photography. Some like, like the rule thirds and providing a line for the eye to follow result in stronger compositions. Others, like not shooting into the sun, are broken all the time.
I picked this one, which was actually a mistake, because I loved the result. It was windy while I was trying to take pictures of the snowy flowers and I was having quite a time battling with auto-focus on my little point and shoot. Instead of a pretty flower filled with snowflakes I got a rather dramatic abstract of a flower framed by beautiful bare branches.
I think my original idea was good, but I think this so-called mistake is better. I guess I'm breaking some rule on focus and the priority of various elements of the picture, but some times it pays to be different.
I picked this one, which was actually a mistake, because I loved the result. It was windy while I was trying to take pictures of the snowy flowers and I was having quite a time battling with auto-focus on my little point and shoot. Instead of a pretty flower filled with snowflakes I got a rather dramatic abstract of a flower framed by beautiful bare branches.
I think my original idea was good, but I think this so-called mistake is better. I guess I'm breaking some rule on focus and the priority of various elements of the picture, but some times it pays to be different.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Spring Snow
We got a bit of a surprise this morning. The day started with a leaden sky, very cold, with a damp wind. At around a quarter to eight it started to snow.
I didn't believe it at first, but soon the flakes were falling fast and thick. A light dusting of snow covered the yard. An hour later it was time to go to the bus stop and by then the snow had tapered off. I made sure I had my camera for the morning walk because I knew the snow would not last.
The dogs were put off by the cold and wet, so the walk was very short. I had no complaints as this gave me more time to take pictures before it was all gone. In fact a couple of hours later and all the snow was gone.
If you click on the picture you can see the whole set of pictures I took.
I didn't believe it at first, but soon the flakes were falling fast and thick. A light dusting of snow covered the yard. An hour later it was time to go to the bus stop and by then the snow had tapered off. I made sure I had my camera for the morning walk because I knew the snow would not last.
The dogs were put off by the cold and wet, so the walk was very short. I had no complaints as this gave me more time to take pictures before it was all gone. In fact a couple of hours later and all the snow was gone.
If you click on the picture you can see the whole set of pictures I took.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Artist of the Week: Ecosystem Cube II
This week's artist is the rather thoughtful looking Rebecca. It took quite a few tries to get this picture. In every other one she would turn at the last second and mug for the camera. This was the last one I took and she finally tired of the game.At least she was willing to be photographed, I know those days are numbered.
Anyhoodle one of the interesting things about school aged twins is that although they are in different classrooms they eventually end up doing the same projects. A few weeks ago I posted Max's Ecosystem Cube, now it is Miss Rebecca's turn.
The biggest difference between the two projects is color.
Rebecca loves color. The more color the better and she is very bold in her use of said color. She loves to draw and she wants it to be noticed. If you want to see all six sides of the cube, click on the picture. The picture here is part of the full set of pictures.
Her cube is all about ponds. Like Max, Rebecca illustrated topics such as Human Impact, Life cycles, and so on. She put a fair amount of effort into it, but some of it was at the last second. It was due on a Monday and she planned to finish it over the weekend. Saturday and Sunday came and went, on Monday morning it dawned on her that she has completely forgotten. There was a huge panic and I talked her down and gave her the option to be driven to school. Rebecca was able to pull herself together and was just able to finish it before class.
Anyhoodle one of the interesting things about school aged twins is that although they are in different classrooms they eventually end up doing the same projects. A few weeks ago I posted Max's Ecosystem Cube, now it is Miss Rebecca's turn.
The biggest difference between the two projects is color.
Rebecca loves color. The more color the better and she is very bold in her use of said color. She loves to draw and she wants it to be noticed. If you want to see all six sides of the cube, click on the picture. The picture here is part of the full set of pictures.
Her cube is all about ponds. Like Max, Rebecca illustrated topics such as Human Impact, Life cycles, and so on. She put a fair amount of effort into it, but some of it was at the last second. It was due on a Monday and she planned to finish it over the weekend. Saturday and Sunday came and went, on Monday morning it dawned on her that she has completely forgotten. There was a huge panic and I talked her down and gave her the option to be driven to school. Rebecca was able to pull herself together and was just able to finish it before class.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Baking With Julia- Mocha Chocolate Chips
This week's Baking with Julia challenge is Mocha Chocolate Chips. As always there is a full run down over at the challenge's host blog, Galettista. Now on to the cookies.
One baker commented that this recipe was pretty close to the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, and by gum she was right. Shave off a 1/4 of flour and add apricots, extra chocolate, and coffee from the Tollhouse cookies and there go. Which made this week's baking dead easy for me.
I normally add only 2 cups of flour so it was just like making my tried and true chocolate chip cookies. Of course I didn't follow the recipe perfectly. I don't like apricots so I substituted white chocolate chips, I didn't feel chopping chocolate so I used regular chocolate chips, and I baked them at 375 instead of 350.
They came out marvelous.
I only used 2 tablespoons of instant coffee because all I had was instant espresso powder and I did not want to go overboard. I think next time I go for three, a stronger coffee flavor would have been nice. I also will leave out the extra 1/2 pound of chips, it was just too much. This is the first time that my substituting chocolate for an unwanted ingredient, apricots in this case, did not work out. Interestingly a fair number of bakers had an issue with the cookies spreading too much, but that is never a problem for me. These are delightful cookies and will do the mocha variation again.
One baker commented that this recipe was pretty close to the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, and by gum she was right. Shave off a 1/4 of flour and add apricots, extra chocolate, and coffee from the Tollhouse cookies and there go. Which made this week's baking dead easy for me.
I normally add only 2 cups of flour so it was just like making my tried and true chocolate chip cookies. Of course I didn't follow the recipe perfectly. I don't like apricots so I substituted white chocolate chips, I didn't feel chopping chocolate so I used regular chocolate chips, and I baked them at 375 instead of 350.
They came out marvelous.
I only used 2 tablespoons of instant coffee because all I had was instant espresso powder and I did not want to go overboard. I think next time I go for three, a stronger coffee flavor would have been nice. I also will leave out the extra 1/2 pound of chips, it was just too much. This is the first time that my substituting chocolate for an unwanted ingredient, apricots in this case, did not work out. Interestingly a fair number of bakers had an issue with the cookies spreading too much, but that is never a problem for me. These are delightful cookies and will do the mocha variation again.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Croissants Redux
I finally got around to using the remaining half of the croissant dough I made a week and a half ago. I knew we had early mornings all weekend long and I wouldn't be able to make a nice treat before we all scattered each day. All I had to do was roll out the dough, shape the croissants and let them rise 3 hours before baking.
I had a better idea of what I was doing and this time around my croissants were much nicer. They all puffed up, had deliciously buttery flaky layers, and were much more consistent in size. I even went a little wild and added chocolate in the middle. You can't see it, but all the croissants in the picture had a small handful of chocolate chips added to the middle.The chips made for a mighty fine addition to something that was all ready good.
Rebecca wants me to make these once a month.
I had a better idea of what I was doing and this time around my croissants were much nicer. They all puffed up, had deliciously buttery flaky layers, and were much more consistent in size. I even went a little wild and added chocolate in the middle. You can't see it, but all the croissants in the picture had a small handful of chocolate chips added to the middle.The chips made for a mighty fine addition to something that was all ready good.
Rebecca wants me to make these once a month.
Friday, March 15, 2013
EATAPETA 2013
Today is Eat a Tasty Animal for PETA day. I made this drawing a few years ago for EATAPETA and decided to bring yummy cow back this year. Meryl describes what this is all about best, so head on over to her place.
In the mean time, I celebrated in style. The day started off with what my children call a mom mcmuffin, half an toasted and buttered English muffin topped with fried Canadian bacon, cheese, and a fried egg. Three species exploited in one shot, booyah!
Then for lunch I had a lovely salad with some leftover pulled barbeque beef.
Dinner was chicken piccata served with rice pilaf and broccoli. It was a lovely dinner that had the requisite tasty animal.
Nothing particularly exotic was served this year, but it was all very much enjoyed.
In the mean time, I celebrated in style. The day started off with what my children call a mom mcmuffin, half an toasted and buttered English muffin topped with fried Canadian bacon, cheese, and a fried egg. Three species exploited in one shot, booyah!
Then for lunch I had a lovely salad with some leftover pulled barbeque beef.
Dinner was chicken piccata served with rice pilaf and broccoli. It was a lovely dinner that had the requisite tasty animal.
Nothing particularly exotic was served this year, but it was all very much enjoyed.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Pumpkin Pi
Happy pi day!
I didn't actually make a pie this year, I'm a bit baked out from last week. The pi(e) featured here is from last year.
However we did indulge in pie goodness. I picked up some mini snack pies from the store, one for each child. The pies are reasonably priced with the added bonus that I could get different pies to suit each child. For dinner we had pizza pie and all is circular in the world.
I didn't actually make a pie this year, I'm a bit baked out from last week. The pi(e) featured here is from last year.
However we did indulge in pie goodness. I picked up some mini snack pies from the store, one for each child. The pies are reasonably priced with the added bonus that I could get different pies to suit each child. For dinner we had pizza pie and all is circular in the world.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Artist of the Week: Superior with Honor
This week's artist is Jacob and his high school's Wind Symphony.
Last weekend was the annual concert assessment. Middle and High schools across our district perform three pieces of music before three judges. Each judge scores the bands on a scale of one to five with one being superior. Then each band goes before another judge foe a sight reading. The director has seven minutes to organize the students to perform a new to the piece. As with the performance, the sight reading to judged on the same one to five scale.
The assessment is a very big deal, the directors select music that is graded by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors' Association. The grading goes from I (the easiest) on up to at least VI (that's the highest I've seen). It's a tricky balance, the band director wants to challenge their students, but not overly so. Our school is at about a grade IV to grade V, next year we should be a solid V.
Everybody wants a superior rating and this year it's doubly so for Jacob's high school. This past fall the marching band earned a very hard won superior rating. If a high school's music program earns a superior in both wind and marching they become a Virginia Honor Band. So you can imagine the tension going in. Happily they did a solid performance and earned ones all across the board.
Below is their performance of "Beacon of Polaris" by Gary P. Gilroy.
Last weekend was the annual concert assessment. Middle and High schools across our district perform three pieces of music before three judges. Each judge scores the bands on a scale of one to five with one being superior. Then each band goes before another judge foe a sight reading. The director has seven minutes to organize the students to perform a new to the piece. As with the performance, the sight reading to judged on the same one to five scale.
The assessment is a very big deal, the directors select music that is graded by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors' Association. The grading goes from I (the easiest) on up to at least VI (that's the highest I've seen). It's a tricky balance, the band director wants to challenge their students, but not overly so. Our school is at about a grade IV to grade V, next year we should be a solid V.
Everybody wants a superior rating and this year it's doubly so for Jacob's high school. This past fall the marching band earned a very hard won superior rating. If a high school's music program earns a superior in both wind and marching they become a Virginia Honor Band. So you can imagine the tension going in. Happily they did a solid performance and earned ones all across the board.
Below is their performance of "Beacon of Polaris" by Gary P. Gilroy.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Cock-a-Leekie-soup
This past week I achieved the hat trick of dinner, three dinners for six people from one chicken.
First up was my basic roast chicken, it was a large bird and we didn't even come close to finishing it. A few days later I stripped off the dark meat and with the leftover gravy I made a chicken pot pie. Today I stripped the remaining white meat and used the carcass to make the stock for cock-a-leekie soup. The meat was added back to the finished stock and thus the bird was completely used up.
The recipe for the soup I got from the book "Ruhlman's Twenty," an excellent book that teaches you 20 basic techniques and has 100 recipes. I requested it when my mom was wondering what to get me and it is just as good as I thought it would be. I highly recommend it for any cook.
I will not post the recipe here and I can't find his version on the web, but I can tell you it is a very simple chicken soup with leeks. Rebecca has been begging for me to make matzo ball soup, however passover is coming up and I told her she'll get her fill soon enough.. This soup filled the bill and used up the last of my roasted chicken. The boys were less than thrilled with soup for dinner, so I mollified them with grilled cheese sandwiches. Sadly there is no picture since it was all gobbled up.
I like it when I can get more than one meal out of a bird.
First up was my basic roast chicken, it was a large bird and we didn't even come close to finishing it. A few days later I stripped off the dark meat and with the leftover gravy I made a chicken pot pie. Today I stripped the remaining white meat and used the carcass to make the stock for cock-a-leekie soup. The meat was added back to the finished stock and thus the bird was completely used up.
The recipe for the soup I got from the book "Ruhlman's Twenty," an excellent book that teaches you 20 basic techniques and has 100 recipes. I requested it when my mom was wondering what to get me and it is just as good as I thought it would be. I highly recommend it for any cook.
I will not post the recipe here and I can't find his version on the web, but I can tell you it is a very simple chicken soup with leeks. Rebecca has been begging for me to make matzo ball soup, however passover is coming up and I told her she'll get her fill soon enough.. This soup filled the bill and used up the last of my roasted chicken. The boys were less than thrilled with soup for dinner, so I mollified them with grilled cheese sandwiches. Sadly there is no picture since it was all gobbled up.
I like it when I can get more than one meal out of a bird.
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Fork
Touching little movie about how love can endure.
How very odd, at first it would not embed.
How very odd, at first it would not embed.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
One More Picture
This is my last picture from our little weather incident last Wednesday.
I love taking pictures of flowers in the snow. There is something wonderful of the bright splash of color in the stark white. The poor little daffodil is bowed under the weight of the snow piled on top.
The next day the snow was gone and the daffodils were no worse for wear.
I love taking pictures of flowers in the snow. There is something wonderful of the bright splash of color in the stark white. The poor little daffodil is bowed under the weight of the snow piled on top.
The next day the snow was gone and the daffodils were no worse for wear.
Friday, March 08, 2013
Colorful
At one point during the big not so snowy snow storm I went outside to shovel and take pictures.
The shoveling wasn't a big deal and if I didn't care if the front steps and deck would be icy from the snow melt refreezing I wouldn't bother. But I do care and I was once thanked by the UPS driver for being among the tiny minority that keep their front steps ice free. So off I went to remove slushy snow from the walkways.
When I was all done shoveling I glanced at my sleeve and noticed the clumpy wet stuff that was passing itself as snow. I love the colors and the contrast to the bright white of the falling chunks of snow.
The shoveling wasn't a big deal and if I didn't care if the front steps and deck would be icy from the snow melt refreezing I wouldn't bother. But I do care and I was once thanked by the UPS driver for being among the tiny minority that keep their front steps ice free. So off I went to remove slushy snow from the walkways.
When I was all done shoveling I glanced at my sleeve and noticed the clumpy wet stuff that was passing itself as snow. I love the colors and the contrast to the bright white of the falling chunks of snow.
Thursday, March 07, 2013
The Perfect Southern Snow Storm
By mid-morning a soft blanket of snow covered the house and yard. The flakes came down fast and furious, yet the snow peaked at 1 1/2 inches and never got any deeper. It was well above freezing and as the day wore on the new snow fall could not keep up with the snow melting.
This morning we awake to clear roads and a bare yard. Here and there you could find snow, mostly where it had been piled up. The schools had a two hour delayed start and then everything was back to normal in my neck of the woods.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Artist of the Week: Ecosystem Cube
Well I tried to post last night, but it was a huge struggle just getting the pictures up and I just plain threw in the towel and went to bed.
Anyway, Max is the artist in all his wrapping paper glory. I don't exactly remember why he was wearing the wrapper paper, possibly a disguise featuring a beard? All I can do is put it down to the mysteries of the eleven year old mind. The end result, however, is a very silly picture and the wrapping paper really brings out the blue in his eyes.
As for the art, it was a school project focusing on an ecosystem. Each side would detail a different aspect of the ecosystem, from adaptations, life cycles, human impact, and so on. Each side has illustrations depicting the various aspects and a few lines of text.
Max's cube is all about swamps.
I've always loved swamps. I found them to be fascinating places teeming with life. Across the road from our house there was a smallish pond chock full of frogs that was bordered by a swamp. I spent hours in there scrambling along the downed trees. So I can certainly understand why he picked a swamp, that and the whole turtle thing.
Max did some very nice illustrations and put a great deal of thought into the project. I didn't know it was to become a cube until the day he brought the finished project home. He got a solid B, mostly due to the fact he forgot to add a couple of elements. I think next time he will read the rubric a little more carefully.
Anyway, Max is the artist in all his wrapping paper glory. I don't exactly remember why he was wearing the wrapper paper, possibly a disguise featuring a beard? All I can do is put it down to the mysteries of the eleven year old mind. The end result, however, is a very silly picture and the wrapping paper really brings out the blue in his eyes.
As for the art, it was a school project focusing on an ecosystem. Each side would detail a different aspect of the ecosystem, from adaptations, life cycles, human impact, and so on. Each side has illustrations depicting the various aspects and a few lines of text.
Max's cube is all about swamps.
I've always loved swamps. I found them to be fascinating places teeming with life. Across the road from our house there was a smallish pond chock full of frogs that was bordered by a swamp. I spent hours in there scrambling along the downed trees. So I can certainly understand why he picked a swamp, that and the whole turtle thing.
Max did some very nice illustrations and put a great deal of thought into the project. I didn't know it was to become a cube until the day he brought the finished project home. He got a solid B, mostly due to the fact he forgot to add a couple of elements. I think next time he will read the rubric a little more carefully.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Baking With Julia- Croissants
This week's Baking with Julia challenge was croissants and miracle of miracles I actually completed it on time!
For a full rundown on how to make this time consuming yet delicious treat head on over to Girl + Food = Love.
Now lets get down to brass tacks. Croissants are very involved and take a solid two days to make. I was aware of this and started making mine on Saturday. I spent a lot of time wielding my rolling pins and figured at least one of them deserved to be featured. For the bulk of the rolling I used my marble rolling pin, meanwhile my wooden pin got the honor of whacking at the dough to distribute the butter.
Sunday was a bust, so I did most of the work on Monday, leaving the final rolling and proofing for today.
I finshed making them at round 2:30 pm today, allowing just enough time for them to cool down and be ready for afternoon snack when the kids get home.These little beauties were a big hit with my crowd. My biggest problem was their size, they started out far too small. My dough wasn't very stretchy and seems that I cut my triangles too small. I only used half the dough so the next batch will be a bit nicer looking now that I have a feel for the whole process.
They are very good, but I'm not sure I'll be investing so much time in them again. They are tasty, just not two days of rolling dough tasty.
For a full rundown on how to make this time consuming yet delicious treat head on over to Girl + Food = Love.
Now lets get down to brass tacks. Croissants are very involved and take a solid two days to make. I was aware of this and started making mine on Saturday. I spent a lot of time wielding my rolling pins and figured at least one of them deserved to be featured. For the bulk of the rolling I used my marble rolling pin, meanwhile my wooden pin got the honor of whacking at the dough to distribute the butter.
Sunday was a bust, so I did most of the work on Monday, leaving the final rolling and proofing for today.
I finshed making them at round 2:30 pm today, allowing just enough time for them to cool down and be ready for afternoon snack when the kids get home.These little beauties were a big hit with my crowd. My biggest problem was their size, they started out far too small. My dough wasn't very stretchy and seems that I cut my triangles too small. I only used half the dough so the next batch will be a bit nicer looking now that I have a feel for the whole process.
They are very good, but I'm not sure I'll be investing so much time in them again. They are tasty, just not two days of rolling dough tasty.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Sunday, March 03, 2013
You Sly Dog
John looks like he is up to no good in this picture. It's that sly glance he has.
For the most part he is a model citizen, but if there is food within reach.... It's gone. He likes chocolate in particular and I know it is very bad for him. Poor Rebecca keeps losing her candy stash to his predations. You wouldn't think he could reach very far, but you would be mistaken. Anything along a table's edge is fair game. He can rear up on this hind legs and, combined with his long snoot, can reach a good three feet.
John is not very tall, but he is very clever.
For the most part he is a model citizen, but if there is food within reach.... It's gone. He likes chocolate in particular and I know it is very bad for him. Poor Rebecca keeps losing her candy stash to his predations. You wouldn't think he could reach very far, but you would be mistaken. Anything along a table's edge is fair game. He can rear up on this hind legs and, combined with his long snoot, can reach a good three feet.
John is not very tall, but he is very clever.
Friday, March 01, 2013
Really
An open letter to the rather grim faced woman driving the white Lexus SUV.
I get it, you are in a hurry to get your precious snowflake to school this morning. But really, do you need to crowd me so much that I can't see your front license plate? I dubbed you a proctologist, much to my 14 year old son's amusement.
You spent a good ten minutes riding the bumper of my minivan on a curvy narrow road that threads through the most rural part of the county. A road that I regularly see deer, chickens, guinea hens, wild turkeys, and pheasant dot the shoulder with the occasional fox and possum. I once had a hawk almost smack into my windshield as it flew up from some road kill. It's wing tips brushed against the windscreen as I slammed on the brakes to avoid it.
And yes, this is the same road that commonly has tractors puttering along from field to field, bringing traffic to a crawl in the early morning hours. A road that has a serious accident about once a month.
So I'm not sorry that I decided to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of me. You know in case either of us has to hit the brakes when the unexpected happens. In fact I widened the distance so
A) you might pass me
B) if the unexpected happens I have a bit more room to maneuver.
I was very happy when you turned off the main road. However the joy was tempered with the knowledge that you were just using an alternative route to bypass me. I told my son that odds are we were going to the same place and that your route was longer and had a lower speed limit. Theoretically I would arrive before you, assuming you went the posted speed limit.
Ha! You following the speed limit. Your only limit would be if you encountered another driver.
Okay I do admit you just got in front of me when our two routes converged, but that was only due to my not challenging the oncoming traffic at the intersection and cutting off the other drivers at the intersection. I did however tuck my minivan right behind you at a safe distance as you rode the bumper of your latest victim.
Big woo, you got in front of me.
The one positive aspect was tat you provided an excellent teaching moment for my 14 year old son. I explained how dangerous your actions were. I was not too concerned about our safety since we were in a minivan that roughly equals the mass of your Lexus. If you did rear end us we would survive. You, however, might not.
I get it, you are in a hurry to get your precious snowflake to school this morning. But really, do you need to crowd me so much that I can't see your front license plate? I dubbed you a proctologist, much to my 14 year old son's amusement.
You spent a good ten minutes riding the bumper of my minivan on a curvy narrow road that threads through the most rural part of the county. A road that I regularly see deer, chickens, guinea hens, wild turkeys, and pheasant dot the shoulder with the occasional fox and possum. I once had a hawk almost smack into my windshield as it flew up from some road kill. It's wing tips brushed against the windscreen as I slammed on the brakes to avoid it.
And yes, this is the same road that commonly has tractors puttering along from field to field, bringing traffic to a crawl in the early morning hours. A road that has a serious accident about once a month.
So I'm not sorry that I decided to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of me. You know in case either of us has to hit the brakes when the unexpected happens. In fact I widened the distance so
A) you might pass me
B) if the unexpected happens I have a bit more room to maneuver.
I was very happy when you turned off the main road. However the joy was tempered with the knowledge that you were just using an alternative route to bypass me. I told my son that odds are we were going to the same place and that your route was longer and had a lower speed limit. Theoretically I would arrive before you, assuming you went the posted speed limit.
Ha! You following the speed limit. Your only limit would be if you encountered another driver.
Okay I do admit you just got in front of me when our two routes converged, but that was only due to my not challenging the oncoming traffic at the intersection and cutting off the other drivers at the intersection. I did however tuck my minivan right behind you at a safe distance as you rode the bumper of your latest victim.
Big woo, you got in front of me.
The one positive aspect was tat you provided an excellent teaching moment for my 14 year old son. I explained how dangerous your actions were. I was not too concerned about our safety since we were in a minivan that roughly equals the mass of your Lexus. If you did rear end us we would survive. You, however, might not.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Dibs
The Boca Negra is long gone and it certainly left an impression.
Nate and Max didn't care for the cake, but the rest of us thought it was fabulous. Jacob and Rebecca were always asking for a slice. And on that sad day when it got down to the end Jacob and Rebecca split the last piece. She wasn't hungry at the time so she asked if she could save it for later. I told Rebecca that was fine, all she had to do was label the slice.
Later I got a look at her handy work. Rebecca made it very clear that it was her slice of cake.
Nate and Max didn't care for the cake, but the rest of us thought it was fabulous. Jacob and Rebecca were always asking for a slice. And on that sad day when it got down to the end Jacob and Rebecca split the last piece. She wasn't hungry at the time so she asked if she could save it for later. I told Rebecca that was fine, all she had to do was label the slice.
Later I got a look at her handy work. Rebecca made it very clear that it was her slice of cake.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Artist of the Week: Tessellations
This week's artist is Mr. Nate.
For once he wanted me to take his picture, quite a change from his normal camera adverse self. The reason for this change of heart is object that is in the picture. He is working on a self propelled car for school and at one point the teacher required a picture of the prototype to be brought to school. Mind you in the end he rejected my pictures and elected to take his own without my help.
An almost bit of wasted effort on my part. The one saving grace is that I now have a non-blurry picture of my middle boy.
Now about the tessellation, this site has a neat non-mathematical rundown on the subject (think Escher). Nate made his tessellation for his math class. I think it came out quite well, particularly since it was done at the last minute. Originally he did not color it in, but since he brought it to school that idea got changed. I think the pattern of white and gray is lovely and makes the picture easier to see and understand.
Currently Nate has it up on the wall in his room. I guess he is rather proud of it as well.
For once he wanted me to take his picture, quite a change from his normal camera adverse self. The reason for this change of heart is object that is in the picture. He is working on a self propelled car for school and at one point the teacher required a picture of the prototype to be brought to school. Mind you in the end he rejected my pictures and elected to take his own without my help.
An almost bit of wasted effort on my part. The one saving grace is that I now have a non-blurry picture of my middle boy.
Now about the tessellation, this site has a neat non-mathematical rundown on the subject (think Escher). Nate made his tessellation for his math class. I think it came out quite well, particularly since it was done at the last minute. Originally he did not color it in, but since he brought it to school that idea got changed. I think the pattern of white and gray is lovely and makes the picture easier to see and understand.
Currently Nate has it up on the wall in his room. I guess he is rather proud of it as well.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Shoot Me: Depth of Field
The current photo challenge for "Shoot Me" is depth of field, a bit tricky to pull off now that I have a very simple camera. However, I didn't let a little thing like lack of manual mode stop me from giving it a try.
All three of the pictures here are, apart from rotating the image, straight out of the camera. No editing was done, just download from the camera, rotate the image if necessary, and upload to Flickr and the "Shoot Me" group.
The top picture I took with the camera a mere inches away. With camera forced into macro mode I was able to get a fairly shallow depth of field. The focus is all on the bloom in front, anything beyond becomes increasingly blurred. I am pretty happy with this photo and I'm very happy I got a sunny day to take pictures,
The next picture in the series is of the same flowers, but no longer in extreme close-up mode. The flowers are in focus and in the forefront, clearly dominating the photo. The light blurring in the background softens the dried and fallen leaves littering he ground. Not as dramatic as the first picture, but still a good effort.
The morning the light that day was really making the yellow "pop." and I'm glad I got moving before the sun sifted and through them all into shadow.
The third and final picture has me standing up and back a bit. The flowers are still a focal point, but feel is more of a landscape than just the daffodils. By standing up I also changed the horizon, no longer is there a patch of sky in the background. The overall tone is darker as the lights trails off in the back.
The depth of field is much greater and to me the composition is a rather blah. I am a big fan of getting as close in as you can and this series of pictures confirm that to me.
All three of the pictures here are, apart from rotating the image, straight out of the camera. No editing was done, just download from the camera, rotate the image if necessary, and upload to Flickr and the "Shoot Me" group.
The top picture I took with the camera a mere inches away. With camera forced into macro mode I was able to get a fairly shallow depth of field. The focus is all on the bloom in front, anything beyond becomes increasingly blurred. I am pretty happy with this photo and I'm very happy I got a sunny day to take pictures,
The next picture in the series is of the same flowers, but no longer in extreme close-up mode. The flowers are in focus and in the forefront, clearly dominating the photo. The light blurring in the background softens the dried and fallen leaves littering he ground. Not as dramatic as the first picture, but still a good effort.
The morning the light that day was really making the yellow "pop." and I'm glad I got moving before the sun sifted and through them all into shadow.
The third and final picture has me standing up and back a bit. The flowers are still a focal point, but feel is more of a landscape than just the daffodils. By standing up I also changed the horizon, no longer is there a patch of sky in the background. The overall tone is darker as the lights trails off in the back.
The depth of field is much greater and to me the composition is a rather blah. I am a big fan of getting as close in as you can and this series of pictures confirm that to me.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie
A lovely video utilizing stop motion animation. The use of fabric through out the video is very evocative of Adele Enersen's images from her book When My Baby Dreams (originally a blog titled Mila's Daydreams).
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Happy Purim
This is that is left of the five dozen hamantaschen I baked for today's Purim party.
The bottom two are my standard chocolate filled hamantaschen. The recipes for both the filling and the dough are here and as an added bonus you get to see very cute pictures of Rebecca when she was four and a half years old.
The top two are Caramel Apple Hamantaschen, a new to me variation I found over at The Shiksa in the Kitchen, dulce de leche is added to cooked apples for a delicious little treat.
So yay! I get to use the best ever written recipe and make some dulche de leche.
Rebecca wasn't too sure about the apple filling, but she was more than happy to add it or chocolate to the little circles of dough. We ended up making 2 1/2 dozen of each of the two cookies. Both of the cookies were well received at the party, thus only the four cookies remain. Fortunately for the kids I had squirreled away half or the dough and the left over filling to make more cookies just for us.
The bottom two are my standard chocolate filled hamantaschen. The recipes for both the filling and the dough are here and as an added bonus you get to see very cute pictures of Rebecca when she was four and a half years old.
The top two are Caramel Apple Hamantaschen, a new to me variation I found over at The Shiksa in the Kitchen, dulce de leche is added to cooked apples for a delicious little treat.
So yay! I get to use the best ever written recipe and make some dulche de leche.
Rebecca wasn't too sure about the apple filling, but she was more than happy to add it or chocolate to the little circles of dough. We ended up making 2 1/2 dozen of each of the two cookies. Both of the cookies were well received at the party, thus only the four cookies remain. Fortunately for the kids I had squirreled away half or the dough and the left over filling to make more cookies just for us.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Apple Cranberry Pecan Pie
Way back in the beginning of the month I detailed how I made an apple tartlet for myself from the scraps of another pie. I mentioned that I would write about the big pie I was baking that day at a later date. Well today is the day I tell y'all about my apple-pecan-cranberry pie.
The offical recipe name is Berkeley Apple-Pecan-Cranberry Crisp from the cookbook "An Apple Harvest Recipes and Orchard Lore" by Frank Browning and Sharon Silva. The Houston Chronicle published the recipe in 2011 with proper attribution so I'll send you there for the full run down, the second recipe down is the one you want.
Now of course I didn't just do the crisp as written, I had to modify it just a bit to suit my tastes. A proper crust is very important to me so I added one for the bottom. I used the remaining ball of crust I had stashed in the freezer from my French Apple Tart back in January. My other variance was to peel the apples. I'm not a fan of apple peels, so off they came. The rest of the crisp/pie was done as written.
Unfortunately I didn't get any pie, Larry brought it for a shiva call and I stayed at home to man the fort. The pie was a huge hit, not a crumb was left. As I recall Larry told me that more than one person raved about the pie.I guess I'll have to make it again so I can get a taste and see what I missed.
The offical recipe name is Berkeley Apple-Pecan-Cranberry Crisp from the cookbook "An Apple Harvest Recipes and Orchard Lore" by Frank Browning and Sharon Silva. The Houston Chronicle published the recipe in 2011 with proper attribution so I'll send you there for the full run down, the second recipe down is the one you want.
Now of course I didn't just do the crisp as written, I had to modify it just a bit to suit my tastes. A proper crust is very important to me so I added one for the bottom. I used the remaining ball of crust I had stashed in the freezer from my French Apple Tart back in January. My other variance was to peel the apples. I'm not a fan of apple peels, so off they came. The rest of the crisp/pie was done as written.
Unfortunately I didn't get any pie, Larry brought it for a shiva call and I stayed at home to man the fort. The pie was a huge hit, not a crumb was left. As I recall Larry told me that more than one person raved about the pie.I guess I'll have to make it again so I can get a taste and see what I missed.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Not a Heart
On Valentines day Nate came home with a paper project from art class. He
emphatically stated that it was not a heart shaped basket. The object was in fact a hat... a hat for dachshunds.
So we did the only thing we could do, take pictures of dogs wearing a "not a heart shape" hat.
emphatically stated that it was not a heart shaped basket. The object was in fact a hat... a hat for dachshunds.
So we did the only thing we could do, take pictures of dogs wearing a "not a heart shape" hat.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Artist of the Week: Sheriffsaurus
Rebecca is this week's artist, but she doesn't want to be seen.
I asked to take her picture this morning at the bus stop, the sun was out and she was wearing her cute husky hat. I got one shot of her face with a rather petulant expression and decided that was a no go. So instead, here she is from behind. At least you get to see the cute little ears.
Anyway, this isn't about cute hats it's about art. Specifically the creation of the aforementioned petulant husky.
At some point somebody brought home some modeling clay, my guess is Rebecca since there was no great outrage over her use of their precious contraband. I'm not a big fan of the stuff since it inevitably gets ground into the carpet, smashed into the furniture, and most likely eaten by the dogs
.
So yeah, modeling clay is tightly regulated when I buy it. That being said, I do recognize it is a great deal of fun. Particularly when it is used in an imaginative way.
Last week Rebecca decided that one of our dinosaurs was sorely in need of a job and a hat. Thus the sheriffsaurus was created. He has a cowboy hat, sheriff's star, handlebar mustache, and a beard. I thought the final result was outstanding. The whole idea is wonderful and the execution is perfect. We'll see how long he lasts.
I asked to take her picture this morning at the bus stop, the sun was out and she was wearing her cute husky hat. I got one shot of her face with a rather petulant expression and decided that was a no go. So instead, here she is from behind. At least you get to see the cute little ears.
Anyway, this isn't about cute hats it's about art. Specifically the creation of the aforementioned petulant husky.
At some point somebody brought home some modeling clay, my guess is Rebecca since there was no great outrage over her use of their precious contraband. I'm not a big fan of the stuff since it inevitably gets ground into the carpet, smashed into the furniture, and most likely eaten by the dogs
.
So yeah, modeling clay is tightly regulated when I buy it. That being said, I do recognize it is a great deal of fun. Particularly when it is used in an imaginative way.
Last week Rebecca decided that one of our dinosaurs was sorely in need of a job and a hat. Thus the sheriffsaurus was created. He has a cowboy hat, sheriff's star, handlebar mustache, and a beard. I thought the final result was outstanding. The whole idea is wonderful and the execution is perfect. We'll see how long he lasts.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Baking With Julia- Boca Negra
This week's Baking with Julia challenge was Boca Negra. As always the full recipe is hosted on another site, this time it's
A Frederick Food Garden.
It doesn't look like much, but this cake packs a wallop. a bourbon laced and chocolate flavored smack down on the taste-buds. And the cream, I could just rhapsodize about the white chocolate cream sauce all by itself.
For once I actually planned ahead. I made the white chocolate cream sauce (of awesome) a day before the main attraction. As I made it I had a little taste to see if I got the bourbon amount right. I have never been a big fan of bourbon, but I appreciate how alcohol can really kick up the flavor in cooking. The taste was electric. It took some serious effort on my part to put the spoon down and not just suck down the sauce in one go.
The next day, which just so happened to be Valentines day, I made the cake using the food processor method. I was able to bang it all together in under half an hour and then it was off to the oven in it's water bath. I had a slight water leakage problem with my springform pan, a bit of water collected on the surface of the cake. I remedied that by broiling the cake for a few minutes after the 30 minute cooking time. The offending spot quickly dried out and I had a luscious cake.
Flipping out the cake was not a problem and soon we were enjoying an incredibly moist and chocolatey cake that literally melted in your mouth. The white chocolate cream was utterly divine on top. Boca Negra is an amazing dessert and I will be repeating it sometime in the future.
It doesn't look like much, but this cake packs a wallop. a bourbon laced and chocolate flavored smack down on the taste-buds. And the cream, I could just rhapsodize about the white chocolate cream sauce all by itself.
For once I actually planned ahead. I made the white chocolate cream sauce (of awesome) a day before the main attraction. As I made it I had a little taste to see if I got the bourbon amount right. I have never been a big fan of bourbon, but I appreciate how alcohol can really kick up the flavor in cooking. The taste was electric. It took some serious effort on my part to put the spoon down and not just suck down the sauce in one go.
The next day, which just so happened to be Valentines day, I made the cake using the food processor method. I was able to bang it all together in under half an hour and then it was off to the oven in it's water bath. I had a slight water leakage problem with my springform pan, a bit of water collected on the surface of the cake. I remedied that by broiling the cake for a few minutes after the 30 minute cooking time. The offending spot quickly dried out and I had a luscious cake.
Flipping out the cake was not a problem and soon we were enjoying an incredibly moist and chocolatey cake that literally melted in your mouth. The white chocolate cream was utterly divine on top. Boca Negra is an amazing dessert and I will be repeating it sometime in the future.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Winter in Dribs and Drabs
It snowed again here and for once nothing got cancelled. Of course it being a holiday weekend not much was going on in the first place. In the end it was just a trace amount since it was a bit too warm in the beginning for anything to stick, by mid day it was all gone.
Nate said this was an ugly picture, everything looks dead. I see his point, it is an ugly time of year. Everything is dried out and battered, it's hard to believe that spring really is just around the corner. That's a big thing I miss about proper winters. At least there is solid snow coverage for a few months, thus hiding all the dead annuals.
Nate said this was an ugly picture, everything looks dead. I see his point, it is an ugly time of year. Everything is dried out and battered, it's hard to believe that spring really is just around the corner. That's a big thing I miss about proper winters. At least there is solid snow coverage for a few months, thus hiding all the dead annuals.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Spider
A few days ago there was a great hue and cry concerning a large spider on the deck. Considering it's February I thought this was highly unlikely, but I was assured that there was indeed a very large spider on the deck.
I grabbed my camera and grudgingly went outside. I had my suspicions about the spider and I thought it would be a good idea to bring the camera along.
And lo and behold I was right..
It turns out that the spider was in fact a rather large knot of wood on one of the deck planks.
I grabbed my camera and grudgingly went outside. I had my suspicions about the spider and I thought it would be a good idea to bring the camera along.
And lo and behold I was right..
It turns out that the spider was in fact a rather large knot of wood on one of the deck planks.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Valentine Swag
Here are the goody bags Rebecca, Max, and myself got today.
Mine is pretty straight forward, a bag from my favorite chocolate and candy store in Richmond. Larry knows what my favorite chocolate is and never fails to get it for me. I love that man of mine and my dark chocolate covered salted caramels.
Max and Rebecca, on the other hand, made their bags at school. The bags were used to collect cards and whatever treats they acquired today.
I love how Rebecca's bag is a very feminine and a classic Valentine's Day and design. Max, meanwhile, is very much an eleven year old boy. He has no interest in the whole Valentine's day theme, instead he created a rather patriotic bag featuring the flags of the US and Israel (on the back) and a couple of soldiers. They may be twins, but they are polar opposites.
Mine is pretty straight forward, a bag from my favorite chocolate and candy store in Richmond. Larry knows what my favorite chocolate is and never fails to get it for me. I love that man of mine and my dark chocolate covered salted caramels.
Max and Rebecca, on the other hand, made their bags at school. The bags were used to collect cards and whatever treats they acquired today.
I love how Rebecca's bag is a very feminine and a classic Valentine's Day and design. Max, meanwhile, is very much an eleven year old boy. He has no interest in the whole Valentine's day theme, instead he created a rather patriotic bag featuring the flags of the US and Israel (on the back) and a couple of soldiers. They may be twins, but they are polar opposites.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Baking With Julia- Focaccia
Here is the promised focaccia that I supposed to make last week for Baking with Julia. As always there is a full run down on the recipe, just head on over to host of the week's site: Wandering Through...
I decided to target the bread for Friday and started making the dough Wednesday. I wanted to give the dough the full 36 hours rise time in the fridge. The longer the rise the more developed the flavor and I'm all for more flavor. Thus the dough was duly divided up Wednesday night and tucked in the fridge until Friday morning.
The recipe has the dough dived in thirds and top with fresh herds such as rosemary and thyme, salt, and olive oil. I didn't have any fresh herbs so I used my dried rosemary on one of the loaves, while the other two got garlic or Italian seasoning.
It was a good call on all three toppings. Two of the loaves were quickly gobbled up and the third was gone by mid-day Saturday. Jacob said they were all good, with the Italian being the best. My four children declared this was the best bread yet and want me to make more ASAP.
I decided to target the bread for Friday and started making the dough Wednesday. I wanted to give the dough the full 36 hours rise time in the fridge. The longer the rise the more developed the flavor and I'm all for more flavor. Thus the dough was duly divided up Wednesday night and tucked in the fridge until Friday morning.
The recipe has the dough dived in thirds and top with fresh herds such as rosemary and thyme, salt, and olive oil. I didn't have any fresh herbs so I used my dried rosemary on one of the loaves, while the other two got garlic or Italian seasoning.
It was a good call on all three toppings. Two of the loaves were quickly gobbled up and the third was gone by mid-day Saturday. Jacob said they were all good, with the Italian being the best. My four children declared this was the best bread yet and want me to make more ASAP.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Taps
No particular reason other than Jacob got a new mute and was messing around with his trumpet. This led to our searching out songs on Youtube he could play. After the theme for Rocky we decided to check out Taps and this video came up.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Shoot Me: Self-Portrait
The third Shoot Me challenge was, appropriately considering the group's name, self-portrait.
I was not particularly thrilled with the assignment, I am usually less than thrilled with pictures of myself. But I decided a challenge is a challenge and I could just put on my big girl pants and suck it up.
It turned out that sometimes I can get a decent shot of myself. I had a handful of pictures I liked and was just able to winnow them down to two. The top picture has great lighting and I like the interplay of all the reds in my sweater, the shutter and my hair.
In the lower picture the lighting was a bit flat, but I really like the pose. I ditched the sweater to tone down all the red. I'm still posing at the railing of the stoop and the picture is pretty much framed the same.
For both pictures I elected not to use a tripod, nor a timed shutter release, or even remote. I just stuck my left arm out and took a picture. I would immediately check the shot and reposition the camera as needed. I was surprised with how well the pictures turned out and that I had more than one to chose from.
I was not particularly thrilled with the assignment, I am usually less than thrilled with pictures of myself. But I decided a challenge is a challenge and I could just put on my big girl pants and suck it up.
It turned out that sometimes I can get a decent shot of myself. I had a handful of pictures I liked and was just able to winnow them down to two. The top picture has great lighting and I like the interplay of all the reds in my sweater, the shutter and my hair.
In the lower picture the lighting was a bit flat, but I really like the pose. I ditched the sweater to tone down all the red. I'm still posing at the railing of the stoop and the picture is pretty much framed the same.
For both pictures I elected not to use a tripod, nor a timed shutter release, or even remote. I just stuck my left arm out and took a picture. I would immediately check the shot and reposition the camera as needed. I was surprised with how well the pictures turned out and that I had more than one to chose from.
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Strawberry and Lemon Tart
Or... Why yes, this is turning into a food blog.
Tonight was the last night of shiva and Meryl and I decided to pay a call. This of course means I need to make something for the family. Casting about the fridge I noted I had strawberries that needed to be used, a bunch of cream cheese I got on sale, and a jar of lemon curd that was begging to be used. Throw in the box of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and I had all the ingredients to make a Strawberry Jewel Tart.
I found the recipe years ago in Parents magazine, July 1998 to be exact. A quick online search drew a big goose egg, so I will detail the recipe here. It is dead easy to make and has a beautiful presentation.
Strawberry Jewel Tart
Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham-cracker crumbs
2 Tbs. sugar
6 Tbs melted butter
Heat the oven to 350 F. Stir together the crumbs and sugar; mix in butter until combined. Press mixture onto the sides and bottom of a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
Filling:
1 jar (10 to 11 oz. ) lemon curd
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pint strawberries, quarter lengthwise*
2 Tbs currant jelly, warmed in the microwave**
In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium, beat lemon curd and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon mixture into crust and smooth top. Arrange strawberries in a pattern of concentric circles (alternating cut-side-up and cut-side-down)***. Brush strawberries with jelly. Chill tart at least 2 hours before serving.
*I just trimmed off the strawberries' tops and cut them in half lengthwise.
**I didn't bother with the jelly
***I kept them cut-side-down, I think the tart looks better that way.
It was absolutely delicious. The flavors of the lemon curd, strawberries, and cream cheese are wonderful together. I love easy desserts that are simple to make and full of flavor.
Tonight was the last night of shiva and Meryl and I decided to pay a call. This of course means I need to make something for the family. Casting about the fridge I noted I had strawberries that needed to be used, a bunch of cream cheese I got on sale, and a jar of lemon curd that was begging to be used. Throw in the box of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and I had all the ingredients to make a Strawberry Jewel Tart.
I found the recipe years ago in Parents magazine, July 1998 to be exact. A quick online search drew a big goose egg, so I will detail the recipe here. It is dead easy to make and has a beautiful presentation.
Strawberry Jewel Tart
Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham-cracker crumbs
2 Tbs. sugar
6 Tbs melted butter
Heat the oven to 350 F. Stir together the crumbs and sugar; mix in butter until combined. Press mixture onto the sides and bottom of a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
Filling:
1 jar (10 to 11 oz. ) lemon curd
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pint strawberries, quarter lengthwise*
2 Tbs currant jelly, warmed in the microwave**
In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium, beat lemon curd and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon mixture into crust and smooth top. Arrange strawberries in a pattern of concentric circles (alternating cut-side-up and cut-side-down)***. Brush strawberries with jelly. Chill tart at least 2 hours before serving.
*I just trimmed off the strawberries' tops and cut them in half lengthwise.
**I didn't bother with the jelly
***I kept them cut-side-down, I think the tart looks better that way.
It was absolutely delicious. The flavors of the lemon curd, strawberries, and cream cheese are wonderful together. I love easy desserts that are simple to make and full of flavor.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Artist of the Week: Blueprints
This week's artist is a rather silly Jacob.
I took this picture of him a few months ago. He was goofing around and mugging for the camera, a rare moment indeed. I loved the resultant picture so much I put it in our annual calendar that we give out to family each year. We have been doing the calendar since Jacob was a baby and it has become a sort of annual photo album. A good thing since I haven't made one in years, dare I say decades.
Anyhoodle this is about Jacob and not my lack of the scrap-booking gene.
The picture I have here to the right is a blueprint. Specifically the blueprint of a house designed by Jacob to my specifications.He is taking Architectural Engineering Building Systems and the ongoing assignment is to design a house from the ground up. I was asked about where I wanted to build, what kind of heating system, what style of house, and so forth. I settled on a home along the James River with a Victorian flare, but with geothermal heating. Oh and I wanted a walk out basement and at least one turret.
He is having a lot of fun with this project. Before this class he was having doubts about the whole engineering thing. It has reminded him of his love for architecture. The program the class is using is Revit and is an awkward piece of software. Despite the bugs and oddities of bathtubs being installed sideways and sunken in the floor, he has rekindled his passion for architectural design.Plus I get plans for a pretty funky house.
I took this picture of him a few months ago. He was goofing around and mugging for the camera, a rare moment indeed. I loved the resultant picture so much I put it in our annual calendar that we give out to family each year. We have been doing the calendar since Jacob was a baby and it has become a sort of annual photo album. A good thing since I haven't made one in years, dare I say decades.
Anyhoodle this is about Jacob and not my lack of the scrap-booking gene.
The picture I have here to the right is a blueprint. Specifically the blueprint of a house designed by Jacob to my specifications.He is taking Architectural Engineering Building Systems and the ongoing assignment is to design a house from the ground up. I was asked about where I wanted to build, what kind of heating system, what style of house, and so forth. I settled on a home along the James River with a Victorian flare, but with geothermal heating. Oh and I wanted a walk out basement and at least one turret.
He is having a lot of fun with this project. Before this class he was having doubts about the whole engineering thing. It has reminded him of his love for architecture. The program the class is using is Revit and is an awkward piece of software. Despite the bugs and oddities of bathtubs being installed sideways and sunken in the floor, he has rekindled his passion for architectural design.Plus I get plans for a pretty funky house.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Mini Apple Tart
I fully intended to make focaccia today for the whole Baking with Julia thing. I cracked open my cookbook, all ready to make bread, when my eye caught the line "This dough is mixed quickly in a heavy-duty mixer, allowed to rise, and then refrigerated for at least twenty-four hours, the time it needs to set that bubbly structure in place."
Whoopsie, I guess the focaccia isn't going to be baked today.
Which turned out for the best because I ended up making a quick apple cranberry pecan pie/crisp for Larry to take to a shiva call this evening. Thus bringing us to the mini apple tart.
I had a small amount of dough left after I trimmed the edges of the pie crust. I didn't want it to go to waste and since I wasn't going to get any pie, I decided to make a little tart for myself using one of my 4 inch tart pans.
Two apples were peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces. I tossed the apple chunks with a bit of brown sugar and squeezed on some lemon juice. The apple mixture was then packed into the waiting crust in the tart pan. For the topping I made a mixture of flour, brown sugar, ground ginger, and butter. I cut the butter into the dry ingredients and then sprinkled it on top of the apples. Into the oven at 350 and about half and hour later I had a luscious little tart.
Using just ginger was a nice change of pace. The pie I sent off with Larry had just ginger and I decided to give it a whirl. Both the tart and the pie were very tasty, Larry told me the one he brought got rave reviews. I'll have to post about it another time.
Whoopsie, I guess the focaccia isn't going to be baked today.
Which turned out for the best because I ended up making a quick apple cranberry pecan pie/crisp for Larry to take to a shiva call this evening. Thus bringing us to the mini apple tart.
I had a small amount of dough left after I trimmed the edges of the pie crust. I didn't want it to go to waste and since I wasn't going to get any pie, I decided to make a little tart for myself using one of my 4 inch tart pans.
Two apples were peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces. I tossed the apple chunks with a bit of brown sugar and squeezed on some lemon juice. The apple mixture was then packed into the waiting crust in the tart pan. For the topping I made a mixture of flour, brown sugar, ground ginger, and butter. I cut the butter into the dry ingredients and then sprinkled it on top of the apples. Into the oven at 350 and about half and hour later I had a luscious little tart.
Using just ginger was a nice change of pace. The pie I sent off with Larry had just ginger and I decided to give it a whirl. Both the tart and the pie were very tasty, Larry told me the one he brought got rave reviews. I'll have to post about it another time.
Monday, February 04, 2013
Missing Her
Missing Her, Directed by Michael Weisler, was a Tropfest 2011 Finalist. In this film the director asks "If you had to leave everything you ever loved behind, except for one thing, what would you take with you? And if you lost that one thing, could you ever find your way home?"
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Cloudy
I am heartily sick of all the cloudy weather this winter. Today was grey and dull with a couple of moments of brilliant sunshine between snow flurries.I am happy to report, however, that drivers around here are starting to be a bit less freaked out by things like the inconsequential smattering of snow today. I think the local inhabitants of where I lived might be just getting used to this whole winter weather thing.
Friday, February 01, 2013
Shoot Me: Reflection
The latest Shoot Me challenge is "Reflection" and as you can see, I went for puddles.
We have had endlessly wet weather, so puddles abound. The hard part was getting a bit of sunshine amongst all of the cloudy days. Patience paid off and I ultimately got a bright day that made the puddles sparkle. I had a wide variety to choose from and I had a hard time winnowing the pictures down to just three.
The first one featured here was taken in a parking lot near a playground. I like the contrast of the black and crumbled tarmac to the trees reflected in the water.
Next up is a ditch that is contained within a median dividing the roadway. I like the strong lines in the composition from the roadway, the ditch, and the tree trunks. Another nice aspect is that the individual trees can be matched with their reflections. All in all it's a good picture, I just wish the winter colors were not so muted in tone. I could boost the color, but that really isn't my style.
The third and final picture I think is my favorite,. It asks a bit more of the viewer, but I think that makes it a bit more interesting.
At first glance you don't even notice the reflection, but it is there. A tree is reflected in the puddle of water on the surface of a frozen pond. The refrozen crack in the upper left also roughly mirrors the shape of the tree, a sort of reflection of a reflection. The sky was a bit more overcast for this shot, you can just pick out the clouds that are reflected in the puddle. The clouds, meanwhile, look more like ripples in the ice.
All three pictures were taken last Saturday and within easy walking distance of each other. It was a productive day's work.
We have had endlessly wet weather, so puddles abound. The hard part was getting a bit of sunshine amongst all of the cloudy days. Patience paid off and I ultimately got a bright day that made the puddles sparkle. I had a wide variety to choose from and I had a hard time winnowing the pictures down to just three.
The first one featured here was taken in a parking lot near a playground. I like the contrast of the black and crumbled tarmac to the trees reflected in the water.
Next up is a ditch that is contained within a median dividing the roadway. I like the strong lines in the composition from the roadway, the ditch, and the tree trunks. Another nice aspect is that the individual trees can be matched with their reflections. All in all it's a good picture, I just wish the winter colors were not so muted in tone. I could boost the color, but that really isn't my style.
The third and final picture I think is my favorite,. It asks a bit more of the viewer, but I think that makes it a bit more interesting.
At first glance you don't even notice the reflection, but it is there. A tree is reflected in the puddle of water on the surface of a frozen pond. The refrozen crack in the upper left also roughly mirrors the shape of the tree, a sort of reflection of a reflection. The sky was a bit more overcast for this shot, you can just pick out the clouds that are reflected in the puddle. The clouds, meanwhile, look more like ripples in the ice.
All three pictures were taken last Saturday and within easy walking distance of each other. It was a productive day's work.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Meet Mr Shoesly
This is Mr. Shoesly (pronounced shoes-lee) and he is currently living in our freezer.
Max made him about a week ago from our last snow storm. Since it was well known that warmer weather was on it's way, we're talking mid 70s, Max asked if Mr. Shoesly could live in the freezer. Obviously the answer was yes and he has been there ever since.
He doesn't take up much room and doesn't leave any sort of mess now that he is rock hard from freezing solid. I'm not sure how long we will have him, but as long as we have room, he is welcome to stay.
Max made him about a week ago from our last snow storm. Since it was well known that warmer weather was on it's way, we're talking mid 70s, Max asked if Mr. Shoesly could live in the freezer. Obviously the answer was yes and he has been there ever since.
He doesn't take up much room and doesn't leave any sort of mess now that he is rock hard from freezing solid. I'm not sure how long we will have him, but as long as we have room, he is welcome to stay.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Artist of the Week: Lumberjack Larry
My husband is this week's artist for getting the job done.
Last month Larry decided to do something about the holly tree next to the house. It was too close to the house and was blocking the light in his office. He hauled out his chainsaw, cleaned it off , and got it ready for action. A short while later we had one less holly tree and a whole lot of light in the front room.
I do a fair amount of tinkering in the house, plumbing and what not, but the chainsaw is wholly his domain. Honestly I am a bit scared of the dang thing and I'm glad he is able to handle it so well. Larry neatly cut down the stump, you can just see it under his left foot, and hauled away the tree. The chainsaw was then tucked away until the next time something needs to be cut up.
It really is amazing how much brighter the room is without the tree blocking the window. My man of action is a lumberjack and he's more than okay.
Last month Larry decided to do something about the holly tree next to the house. It was too close to the house and was blocking the light in his office. He hauled out his chainsaw, cleaned it off , and got it ready for action. A short while later we had one less holly tree and a whole lot of light in the front room.
I do a fair amount of tinkering in the house, plumbing and what not, but the chainsaw is wholly his domain. Honestly I am a bit scared of the dang thing and I'm glad he is able to handle it so well. Larry neatly cut down the stump, you can just see it under his left foot, and hauled away the tree. The chainsaw was then tucked away until the next time something needs to be cut up.
It really is amazing how much brighter the room is without the tree blocking the window. My man of action is a lumberjack and he's more than okay.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Grateful
Today I am very grateful for my van.
It had a breakdown today while I was out and about taking Max to one of the specialists he sees. And it wasn't a little "Ooo what's that odd sound, maybe I should take it in." No, it was a full on grinding clunk of a noise as I hit the accelerator to go through the green light. Shocked by the horrific din I pulled my foot off the gas and threw it into neutral. The engine sounded fine. I tried putting it into drive and the second I took my foot off the brake the din returned.
Nuts.
I coasted back down the incline I was on, snugged the car against the curb, and hit the flashers. The van was clearly dead in the water. It is nine years old with 186,000 miles, so I am not completely shocked that something has gone wrong. I called up Allstate for a tow and was able to garner Max a ride back to school with Meryl. The tow was promised to arrive at noon and I just had to sit and wait.
Now why am I grateful?
The van decided to break on the one nice day we have had so far, it wasn't raining, sleeting, nor snowing.
I did not make it out of the quiet side street and onto the extremely busy road that was, due to road work, narrowed from four lanes down to two.
It broke after Max's appointment while I was leaving to take Max to school.
The whole mess happened during normal business hours.
The tow guy was able to pick me up at 11:30 am.
And the best part, it wasn't the transmission. Just the the cv axle, a far cheaper part to replace.
I was back on the road in a few hours. Thank you trusty van for taking care of us.
It had a breakdown today while I was out and about taking Max to one of the specialists he sees. And it wasn't a little "Ooo what's that odd sound, maybe I should take it in." No, it was a full on grinding clunk of a noise as I hit the accelerator to go through the green light. Shocked by the horrific din I pulled my foot off the gas and threw it into neutral. The engine sounded fine. I tried putting it into drive and the second I took my foot off the brake the din returned.
Nuts.
I coasted back down the incline I was on, snugged the car against the curb, and hit the flashers. The van was clearly dead in the water. It is nine years old with 186,000 miles, so I am not completely shocked that something has gone wrong. I called up Allstate for a tow and was able to garner Max a ride back to school with Meryl. The tow was promised to arrive at noon and I just had to sit and wait.
Now why am I grateful?
The van decided to break on the one nice day we have had so far, it wasn't raining, sleeting, nor snowing.
I did not make it out of the quiet side street and onto the extremely busy road that was, due to road work, narrowed from four lanes down to two.
It broke after Max's appointment while I was leaving to take Max to school.
The whole mess happened during normal business hours.
The tow guy was able to pick me up at 11:30 am.
And the best part, it wasn't the transmission. Just the the cv axle, a far cheaper part to replace.
I was back on the road in a few hours. Thank you trusty van for taking care of us.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Ode to Avalanche
In honor of the actual winter weather we have had this past week I present an Ode to Avalanche.
There is a whole science to avalanche control, enabling ski resort areas to determine if conditions are right for an avalanche and trigger them in a controlled fashion preventing, hopefully, accidental deaths when a skier happens upon conditions ripe for an avalanche. An added bonus is that a controlled triggering also enables them to be captured on film. Mind you an avalanche is still an incredibly destructive and powerful force regardless to what caused it.
Originally I found this over on SnagFilms, but the embedding options are awful. With a bit of poking about I found the Ken Bailey's (the director) YouTube channel and was able to embed the film the way I want.
There is a whole science to avalanche control, enabling ski resort areas to determine if conditions are right for an avalanche and trigger them in a controlled fashion preventing, hopefully, accidental deaths when a skier happens upon conditions ripe for an avalanche. An added bonus is that a controlled triggering also enables them to be captured on film. Mind you an avalanche is still an incredibly destructive and powerful force regardless to what caused it.
Originally I found this over on SnagFilms, but the embedding options are awful. With a bit of poking about I found the Ken Bailey's (the director) YouTube channel and was able to embed the film the way I want.
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