Ariel, Dillon, Lucas and Coral
The highlight for my mother was not only have her four grandchildren all together, but having her four children together for the first time in ~14 years.
Kyle, Scott, Dianna and Jodi
*This may change after tomorrow.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
11/29/2010
Lovely, Love My Family
There have been many highlights to my Thanksgiving trip, but seeing my nieces for the first time in ages & meeting my twin nephews for the first time may top the list.*
1/19/2010
A Heart Full Of Love
We met her on New Year's Day in 1993 and she chose us as her new family. She was a playful, mischievous and smart as a whip. She grew and learned a lot in those first two years and then traveled by car with us on a move from the East Coast to the West Coast. We stopped along the way and held her up to look out over the Grand Canyon, which didn't really seem to impress her.
We all adjusted to life in L.A. quite quickly. While there were no windows in our apartment low enough for her to look out of, there were no thunderstorms either, which was a very good thing. Soon enough, we were able to get a yard for her, complete with her own door already in place. There was also a window right by the love seat that had a perfect view.
In a few years time, the family grew, not once but twice. The first time was a huge adjustment for someone who had been queen of the castle for seven years. It went a little more smoothly the second time and in the end, it all worked out just fine. The group of us had lots of good times outdoors in the back yard, on the hiking trails, at the beach, and up in the mountains. Parties and celebrations were often inclusive and were lots of fun. She loved to scavenge for crumbs.
Little Guy, Rusty, & Cosette resting after a hike to
Rainbow Falls near Mammoth, CA
July 2002
Christmas 2009
We all adjusted to life in L.A. quite quickly. While there were no windows in our apartment low enough for her to look out of, there were no thunderstorms either, which was a very good thing. Soon enough, we were able to get a yard for her, complete with her own door already in place. There was also a window right by the love seat that had a perfect view.
Little Guy, Rusty, & Cosette resting after a hike to
Rainbow Falls near Mammoth, CA
July 2002
For the most part, she had a very healthy life. Five years ago, we had a big scare when she was diagnosed with cancer and had to have a major surgery. She surprised us by recovering quite well. Other illnesses along the way could never keep her down for long. She was too feisty.
Little Guy and Cosette
We were thrilled when she made it to 17! What an accomplishment! We didn't take a single day for granted and hugged and loved her as much as we could. She loved Christmas and even though she wasn't feeling very well this last one, she joined us when we opened presents. Our last days with her were difficult and sad, but we got to spend a lot of time with her and really say goodbye. We were fortunate to have that very special time. It was quite beautiful in many ways.
Christmas 2009
There are so many stories and so many photos (lots to still be scanned) that we have from Cosette's long 17 years of life. I wish I could share all of them. We are so lucky that we were able to love her for so long. We have so many great memories to help fill the holes left in our hearts.
Cosette, our forever Puppy Girl
11/13/1992-01/06/2010
Cosette, our forever Puppy Girl
11/13/1992-01/06/2010
1/12/2010
We're Talking Major Pizza Attack Here, Dudes!
This is one of my favorite people in the entire world. He loves dogs and Duran Duran, so how could we not get along? I'm not sure when exactly this photo was taken, but it was around 20 years ago.
It blows my mind that my brother Scott turned 27 years old today. What? How did that happen? I chatted with him on the phone earlier and we quoted the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (or "Turtles 1" as we call it) and laughed. He had a great birthday and I miss him like crazy.
It blows my mind that my brother Scott turned 27 years old today. What? How did that happen? I chatted with him on the phone earlier and we quoted the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (or "Turtles 1" as we call it) and laughed. He had a great birthday and I miss him like crazy.
3/30/2009
Update Of The Furry Kind
(No, not THAT kind of furry!)
Here are the updates on four of the four-legged kids that I didn't quite get to in the last post. It was going to include all five, but there's been a lot of stuff going on with Rusty that I haven't shared, so he will get his own chapter.
Little Guy is now 10 weeks out from his knee surgery and continues to do well. We've moved into a new phase of activity. Over the past two weeks, we've been increasing walks, but maintaining strict confinement. Now we are still working on progressing the walks (he can only make it ~3/4 of a block before getting a lot of spasming in his left rear leg), but he is allowed to have a bit more freedom. Running and jumping are both no-nos for 4 more weeks, so he's not allowed in the back yard, off leash and alone yet and he is confined, in the hallway, at night and when we go out. He hangs out in the house when we are home and that makes him extremely happy. He misses the squirrels though.
Cosette continues to be as feisty as she can be at 16 years old. She's been losing weight steadily over the past several months, in spite of a voracious appetite, so we are adjusting some feeding and keeping an eye on it. Otherwise, she's doing fine so we're forgoing any extensive testing at this point. Recent blood work showed a little elevation in some liver values, but that has been going on with her for many, many years and the results aren't as high have they have been in the past. She's going back on a medication for that. Cosette loves veggies and has been enjoying eating some during the nightly preparation of snacks for the guinea pigs. There are a couple of behavioral frustrations, but we're going with the flow (literally) and are just happy to still have her around, enjoying life. She's aging pretty gracefully.
Pepper and Pickle are doing very well. They seem to be fighting less, especially at 2am, which is a relief to me, on work nights especially. I still have the amazing ability to scare the crap out of them (and boy do they crap a lot!), but the girls are getting more used to being handled and have learned where the food and hay come from. Much like Penny used to do, they started squeaking when they hear E's voice as it's usually followed by a special treat of parsley or Romaine. They provide nightly entertainment during floor time. Pickle is quite amusing as she likes to "popcorn" quite a bit, which is supposedly a sign of happiness in a piggie. Pepper occasionally does it too, but she likes being a little more low key, hanging out in her brown paper lunch bag. Well, when she's not picking on Pickle, that is. The pigs both love lettuce, clementines, blueberries, strawberries, parsley, apples, pears, and dandelion leaves. Pickle seems to like carrots better than Pepper does. Neither of them care for tomatoes or peppers. They are good little feeders and growers.
Coming soon: An epic Rusty update. (He's doing just fine, by the way).
Here are the updates on four of the four-legged kids that I didn't quite get to in the last post. It was going to include all five, but there's been a lot of stuff going on with Rusty that I haven't shared, so he will get his own chapter.
Little Guy is now 10 weeks out from his knee surgery and continues to do well. We've moved into a new phase of activity. Over the past two weeks, we've been increasing walks, but maintaining strict confinement. Now we are still working on progressing the walks (he can only make it ~3/4 of a block before getting a lot of spasming in his left rear leg), but he is allowed to have a bit more freedom. Running and jumping are both no-nos for 4 more weeks, so he's not allowed in the back yard, off leash and alone yet and he is confined, in the hallway, at night and when we go out. He hangs out in the house when we are home and that makes him extremely happy. He misses the squirrels though.
Cosette continues to be as feisty as she can be at 16 years old. She's been losing weight steadily over the past several months, in spite of a voracious appetite, so we are adjusting some feeding and keeping an eye on it. Otherwise, she's doing fine so we're forgoing any extensive testing at this point. Recent blood work showed a little elevation in some liver values, but that has been going on with her for many, many years and the results aren't as high have they have been in the past. She's going back on a medication for that. Cosette loves veggies and has been enjoying eating some during the nightly preparation of snacks for the guinea pigs. There are a couple of behavioral frustrations, but we're going with the flow (literally) and are just happy to still have her around, enjoying life. She's aging pretty gracefully.
Pepper and Pickle are doing very well. They seem to be fighting less, especially at 2am, which is a relief to me, on work nights especially. I still have the amazing ability to scare the crap out of them (and boy do they crap a lot!), but the girls are getting more used to being handled and have learned where the food and hay come from. Much like Penny used to do, they started squeaking when they hear E's voice as it's usually followed by a special treat of parsley or Romaine. They provide nightly entertainment during floor time. Pickle is quite amusing as she likes to "popcorn" quite a bit, which is supposedly a sign of happiness in a piggie. Pepper occasionally does it too, but she likes being a little more low key, hanging out in her brown paper lunch bag. Well, when she's not picking on Pickle, that is. The pigs both love lettuce, clementines, blueberries, strawberries, parsley, apples, pears, and dandelion leaves. Pickle seems to like carrots better than Pepper does. Neither of them care for tomatoes or peppers. They are good little feeders and growers.
Coming soon: An epic Rusty update. (He's doing just fine, by the way).
3/29/2009
Corner me and make me something
I never intended for my blog to have a theme or to become a blogger that fit into a certain category. I'm not a political blogger or a tech blogger. I'm most certainly not a food blogger. And since I don't have kids, I can't even pretend to be a mommy blogger. While I do occasionally write about music/tv/film, life in Los Angeles (and actually, I've moved a lot of that over to my posts at L.A. Metblogs), or things I find absurd or dorky, there is a definite trend in what I've been writing about lately. Well, when I've even posted.
My pets. The four-legged beasties that share my home are family. I appreciate that not everyone "gets" that and may stop coming around to avoid being bored by endless chatter about furry creatures. So, what does that make me? A DoggyPiggyMommy Blogger? A I'mSoCrazyAboutMyPets YouShouldCallTheAuthorities Blogger? Or maybe merely a PetMommy Blogger. I don't know. Labels don't concern me too much.
It's been a tough year so far in our pack. 2009 is not even a quarter of the way over and we've dealt with major surgery, death, adoption, injury, and the ever-growing challenges of aging. Right now we're in the midst of an overhaul of feeding for the dogs, medication additions and subtractions, new activity routines, and the continued acclimation of the guinea pigs.
Originally, I proceeded to go into an update on all five pets, but this started turning into one of those epic posts that I usually end up not reading because of the length. So, if you happen to be curious about how Cosette, Little Guy, Rusty, Pickle and/or Pepper are doing, check back soon.
My pets. The four-legged beasties that share my home are family. I appreciate that not everyone "gets" that and may stop coming around to avoid being bored by endless chatter about furry creatures. So, what does that make me? A DoggyPiggyMommy Blogger? A I'mSoCrazyAboutMyPets YouShouldCallTheAuthorities Blogger? Or maybe merely a PetMommy Blogger. I don't know. Labels don't concern me too much.
It's been a tough year so far in our pack. 2009 is not even a quarter of the way over and we've dealt with major surgery, death, adoption, injury, and the ever-growing challenges of aging. Right now we're in the midst of an overhaul of feeding for the dogs, medication additions and subtractions, new activity routines, and the continued acclimation of the guinea pigs.
Originally, I proceeded to go into an update on all five pets, but this started turning into one of those epic posts that I usually end up not reading because of the length. So, if you happen to be curious about how Cosette, Little Guy, Rusty, Pickle and/or Pepper are doing, check back soon.
2/08/2009
Michael: Kevin, we are a family here and Phyllis is a valued member of that family.
Like a grandmother.
A little over 38 years ago, I posed with four other women in my family for a local West Virginia newspaper. I was only a month old, at the most, but how cool is that to have five generations alive all at the same time? I don't remember my great-great grandmother, but do have fond childhood memories of visiting my great-grandmother at her home a couple of times.
My grandmother and mother are still alive (my mom was only 18 here). And oh boy do I have plenty of memories of my Mom's mom. As kids growing up in Virginia, my sister and I spent a lot of time with her. We were never allowed to call her "grandma" or any of the affectionate nicknames given to grandparents, but have always addressed her by her last name.
I could go on and on and probably even do one of those annoying 25 Things lists about her, but will not. While I will find a lot of it funny, and perhaps even endearing in its own twisted way, I'm sure I'd be accused of meanness. Let's just say she is quite a unique character.
Click on photo if you want to go to flickr and see notes.
My grandmother and great grandmother are switched in the text.
My grandmother and mother are still alive (my mom was only 18 here). And oh boy do I have plenty of memories of my Mom's mom. As kids growing up in Virginia, my sister and I spent a lot of time with her. We were never allowed to call her "grandma" or any of the affectionate nicknames given to grandparents, but have always addressed her by her last name.
I could go on and on and probably even do one of those annoying 25 Things lists about her, but will not. While I will find a lot of it funny, and perhaps even endearing in its own twisted way, I'm sure I'd be accused of meanness. Let's just say she is quite a unique character.
Click on photo if you want to go to flickr and see notes.
My grandmother and great grandmother are switched in the text.
Hopefully this bodes well for my longevity.
6/14/2008
5/23/2008
Shout Out
Congrats to E on his first nationally published article. Check out issue 14 of Make: magazine, which has a special optics section. He contributed an article on homebrew digital 3D movies and it appears on page 50.
3/23/2008
Gee Our Old LaSalle Ran Great
Besides this one, there are a few blogs in my little family:
- E, being the 3D enthusiast and expert that he is recently started Retinal Rivalry. He probably won't update it more than once a week, but if you are interested in checking out some 3D photos, videos, and other projects from time to time, you might like it.
- I have a photoblog, Jodi101 Snaps, where I'm posting daily photos for Project 365, which I'm doing for 2008. I used to participate in daily challenges, but now am not constrained by themes and just put up whatever I feel like shooting.
- One of the canines in our household, Rusty, has had a blog longer than any of us. Rusty's online diary is where I started my foray into the blogosphere back in November 2002. It's not Rusty's fault, but when I started my other blogs, I started neglecting his. I have plans to rectify this situation very soon.
3/19/2008
Good Thing, You've Been Gone Too Long
Some Good Things:
Photo by C.M.
- The smaller of my new twin nephews, Lucas, made it to 5 pounds today! Pretty soon, he'll catch up to bigger brother Dillon.
Photo by C.M.
- Thanks to Joz, I found out that a wish of hers, as well and mine and E's, came true. Thomas Wilkins will become the Principle Guest Conductor for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra for the next two years. We saw him at a couple of shows last summer and as much as I miss John Mauceri, I said I'd love to have Wilkins take over. Looks like we're a step closer to that becoming a reality!
- Good pizza is back in L.A.! And I can walk to it!!! Albano's on Melrose was always our favorite place for a N.Y. style pie. There was a short-lived Studio City location, but after that closed, we would go over the hill whenever we wanted a good pizza. We never really found out why, but sometime around last Thanksgiving, Albano's suddenly closed. Lights out. Gone. Tonight, E and I were thinking about getting a pizza from one of the places we've been settling for, when we are too lazy to make our own. E, the eternal optimist, decided to look online--just in case--and found this on Yelp, written by Anthony Albano himself. WHAT? He's back??? We got very excited and hopped in the car. We were practically hyperventilating on the quick drive over. Robano's is in the location where Sebastian's, a restaurant that starred in one of the most entertaining episodes of Kitchen Nightmares, was in Toluca Lake. We spoke to Anthony and got a lot of scoop of where Albano's has been and where Robano's is going. They officially open at the end of the month, but you can go there now and get the best Brooklyn style pizza that is cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven! Oh, and for those who care about such things, there is a full bar.
2/19/2008
Help Me Obi-Wan Kylenobi, You're My Only Hope
I turned 18 right before the 1988 Presidential election and was very excited to participate. I vote every chance I get and do feel like it's a civic duty. I understand there are a lot of excuses people have to not bother. I do think if our system was less complicated and uniform across states, there might be a higher turnout. I do believe that if you don't vote, you can't complain.
My youngest brother turned 18 a few months before the last Presidential election. Even though I live across the country, I did what I could to help him get registered and he didn't get it done in time. I was disappointed.
Politics is a rather sticky wicket in my family for some very good reasons that I won't go into. The issues range from apathy to staunch conservatism. I have hope that some of the next generation will get involved and take part in the process. I spoke to the youngest one tonight and begged him to vote. He was actually knowledgeable about the candidates and I might have gotten through. I have several months to work on him. I did leave him with this thought, "Just think about it this way. You could cancel out your grandmother's vote," which gave us a good laugh.
It's not about imposing my views onto my brother, but to open up a discussion and encourage him to be a part of the process. I'm a little optimistic. He truly is the best hope at this point.
My youngest brother turned 18 a few months before the last Presidential election. Even though I live across the country, I did what I could to help him get registered and he didn't get it done in time. I was disappointed.
Politics is a rather sticky wicket in my family for some very good reasons that I won't go into. The issues range from apathy to staunch conservatism. I have hope that some of the next generation will get involved and take part in the process. I spoke to the youngest one tonight and begged him to vote. He was actually knowledgeable about the candidates and I might have gotten through. I have several months to work on him. I did leave him with this thought, "Just think about it this way. You could cancel out your grandmother's vote," which gave us a good laugh.
It's not about imposing my views onto my brother, but to open up a discussion and encourage him to be a part of the process. I'm a little optimistic. He truly is the best hope at this point.
11/27/2007
The Devil's In The Details
I really enjoy the show Reaper. Sure, it's silly and often predictable, but whatever. I like it, shut up. Ray Wise great as Satan. I'm also quite fond of the lead, Bret Harrison. I got a kick out of him back when he was on Grounded For Life. Now he's all grown up and quite funny.
The show kind of makes me home sick in a way. Yes, because I'm a spawn of the Devil. No, seriously, Bret Harrison looks a lot like my youngest brother. Or vice versa. I don't have a good current photo, but here's a not-so-good one from a couple of years ago.
The show kind of makes me home sick in a way. Yes, because I'm a spawn of the Devil. No, seriously, Bret Harrison looks a lot like my youngest brother. Or vice versa. I don't have a good current photo, but here's a not-so-good one from a couple of years ago.
Hopefully, the similarities end there and K isn't having to spend his free time capturing souls who have escaped from Hell.
*Update: Swiped a more recent photo of my brother from MySpace:
6/02/2007
Badass
The following is an excerpt from a conversation that I had with my 24-year-old brother, Scott, on the phone yesterday:
S: I went to the mall and got a Judas Priest cd. I LOVE those guys!
J: Yeah? Cool.
S: Oh, and guess what else I got? Duran Duran! Rio! It's from 1982.
J: Duran Duran? Very cool! Rio has my favorite Duran Duran song on it.
S: "Rio?"
J: No. "New Religion" is my favorite Duran Duran song.
S: Oh. And then I went to Hot Topic and got an Iron Maiden t-shirt.
J: Scott, you're a badass.
S: *giggles* Thanks, sis!
S: I went to the mall and got a Judas Priest cd. I LOVE those guys!
J: Yeah? Cool.
S: Oh, and guess what else I got? Duran Duran! Rio! It's from 1982.
J: Duran Duran? Very cool! Rio has my favorite Duran Duran song on it.
S: "Rio?"
J: No. "New Religion" is my favorite Duran Duran song.
S: Oh. And then I went to Hot Topic and got an Iron Maiden t-shirt.
J: Scott, you're a badass.
S: *giggles* Thanks, sis!
3/17/2007
Don't Stand So Close To Rockville
03/17/07
10:29 PM
Text Message from my 20-year old brother, Kyle:
Who do you like more...The Police or R.E.M.? Mom and I are debating.
I responded:
I don't know. They are both so different. It would be like picking your favorite kid. Oh, I'm seeing The Police twice this summer.
10:48 PM (from Kyle):
I know! You're so lucky!
Yeah, I know. I am lucky to be Mom's favorite kid. ;-)
10:29 PM
Text Message from my 20-year old brother, Kyle:
Who do you like more...The Police or R.E.M.? Mom and I are debating.
I responded:
I don't know. They are both so different. It would be like picking your favorite kid. Oh, I'm seeing The Police twice this summer.
10:48 PM (from Kyle):
I know! You're so lucky!
Yeah, I know. I am lucky to be Mom's favorite kid. ;-)
1/12/2007
12/22/2006
Mother Approved
I guess even as we get older, it's cool to please our parents. I was really excited to get a card and ribbon in the mail yesterday from my Mom to congratulate me on winning an award for "Best Cookies" with her recipe.
How cool is that?
12/10/2006
The Best Made Plans
I know, I know...what happens in Vegas...yeah, whatever. So, E and I drove to Las Vegas this past Thursday morning to meet up with my parents. My step-dad gave my Mom the trip for her birthday last month. We were all excited to see each other, as it had been way too long (over two years for me). As soon as I'd found out they were coming to Sin City, I promised my Mom that I'd take her to the Elvis-A-Rama museum. I've been feeling a twinge of guilt ever since going there a few years ago with my mother-in-law, knowing how much my Mom loves The King.
We arrived, checked in to our hotel, and met up with the 'rents. Everyone got in my car and off we set. Now, this cheesy little place is off The Strip and E remembered what road it was on, which was different that what one of the hotel maps showed. So, we first searched for and found the wrong road. As anyone who has been to Vegas knows, it is truly The City of Perpetual Construction. It's a mess right now. And the traffic...well, I'll take what I deal with in L.A. any day over that. It's bad. Anyway, we drove and turned around several times and eventually pulled over to call. The number was disconnected, which was not a good sign.
So, we carried on and eventually found Elvis-A-Rama...boarded up with a big CLOSED sign. It turns out that is has been gone since my birthday. It was very disappointing, but we were all able to laugh about it and remark on our tour of ugly, industrial Las Vegas. It's good to see what else is there besides all of the glitter and lights.
Since my Mom had only visited the city two other times, we decided to look around some of the hotels she had never seen. We visited the Wynn, which is very posh. As we kind of wanted to do something "touristy," we decided to go to Madame Tussauds, knowing we'd at least get to see a wax figure or two of Elvis. We had a good time and took several silly photos. Afterwards, we went to the Bellagio to see the garden, which is decorated beautifully for the holidays. I even appreciated it.
There was one more glitch in our day. I was getting very, very hungry and we had settled on getting some dinner at Mandalay Bay. Something felt off when we walked in from the parking garage and I noticed immediately that the flame wall outside of Rum Jungle was "out." To make a long story short, there was a gas line problem along Las Vegas Boulevard and eateries were either closed or serving cold food only. We opted to go off The Strip to eat and it was a good thing.
After dinner we took my Mom to Fremont Street so she could see new "old" Vegas. The light show we saw was a trippy, new-agey one, a little bizarre, but enjoyable nonetheless. We were all exhausted and headed back to crash. I had to work yesterday, so we left after having lunch with my folks on Friday. Even if our time together was brief, it was good, and we had a lot to laugh about. We all vowed to not let so much time pass before seeing each other again.
We arrived, checked in to our hotel, and met up with the 'rents. Everyone got in my car and off we set. Now, this cheesy little place is off The Strip and E remembered what road it was on, which was different that what one of the hotel maps showed. So, we first searched for and found the wrong road. As anyone who has been to Vegas knows, it is truly The City of Perpetual Construction. It's a mess right now. And the traffic...well, I'll take what I deal with in L.A. any day over that. It's bad. Anyway, we drove and turned around several times and eventually pulled over to call. The number was disconnected, which was not a good sign.
So, we carried on and eventually found Elvis-A-Rama...boarded up with a big CLOSED sign. It turns out that is has been gone since my birthday. It was very disappointing, but we were all able to laugh about it and remark on our tour of ugly, industrial Las Vegas. It's good to see what else is there besides all of the glitter and lights.
Since my Mom had only visited the city two other times, we decided to look around some of the hotels she had never seen. We visited the Wynn, which is very posh. As we kind of wanted to do something "touristy," we decided to go to Madame Tussauds, knowing we'd at least get to see a wax figure or two of Elvis. We had a good time and took several silly photos. Afterwards, we went to the Bellagio to see the garden, which is decorated beautifully for the holidays. I even appreciated it.
There was one more glitch in our day. I was getting very, very hungry and we had settled on getting some dinner at Mandalay Bay. Something felt off when we walked in from the parking garage and I noticed immediately that the flame wall outside of Rum Jungle was "out." To make a long story short, there was a gas line problem along Las Vegas Boulevard and eateries were either closed or serving cold food only. We opted to go off The Strip to eat and it was a good thing.
After dinner we took my Mom to Fremont Street so she could see new "old" Vegas. The light show we saw was a trippy, new-agey one, a little bizarre, but enjoyable nonetheless. We were all exhausted and headed back to crash. I had to work yesterday, so we left after having lunch with my folks on Friday. Even if our time together was brief, it was good, and we had a lot to laugh about. We all vowed to not let so much time pass before seeing each other again.
12/08/2006
My Redneck Past Is Nipping At My Heels
Visting with my Mom for a day in Vegas, and seeing a sign for an upcoming Jeff Foxworthy show, made me ponder my youth and exclaim:
You Might Be A Redneck If:
- Your parents made homemade sauerkraut in a giant garbage can on the front porch.
- Your mother butchered a deer by herself on the same front porch.
- You were going to be called "Jim Bob" if you'd been born a boy.
11/27/2006
I'm No Martha Stewart
Those of you who know me are aware that I rarely cook. Okay, that’s not entirely true if you call throwing a chicken breast in the toaster oven or heating up a pot of soup “cooking.” And baking is usually out of the question. I don’t know if I became inspired by the delicious brownies I made last week…even if they were from a box mix...but last night I not only baked an apple cake, which did come from a box, but required cutting apples, but also some homemade molasses sugar cookies that did not originate in powdered form in a rectangular cardboard storage device. I actually purchased a cookie sheet for the project. Since E and I essentially eloped all those many years ago, I never did the wedding gift registry thing and have crappy, hand-me-down kitchen supplies.
Anyway, I didn't stop with the baking, but also proceeded to make some homemade spicy chicken tortilla soup, complete with tortilla strips that I cut and baked. E loves this soup and has been requesting it for a while now. Since we started having cold nights recently, I thought the time was right. The soup was a hit and E ate several bowls of it. I wasn't too happy with the chicken I used, but it was okay. I made a double batch so there is quite a bit left over to eat on for the week.
The baked goods results were mixed. I brought the apple cake to work today and it got eaten. I think the top turned out just perfectly crunchy, but the rest of it was a bit too mushy. I'm not sure if it was undercooked or if that's just how that mix turns out. The cookies were the big experiment for me. They have always been my favorite of the cookies my mother bakes every holiday season. I've even had her make them and send them to me before. I way overcooked the first batch, which promptly went into the garbage. I made two dozen more and they were so-so. Much thicker and not as chewy as what Mom makes. *sigh*
I called my mom this morning to problem solve with her what I may have done wrong. The first mistake might have been not chilling the dough long enough. Her recipe said "several hours." I assumed three hours would be plenty, but apparently it wasn't. Also, I cooked it at the temperature according to her instructions. (I have a thermometer in my oven, so I know that was okay). Well, she chills her dough overnight and possibly bakes the cookies at 25 degrees less than on the recipe. The recipe that she wrote out by hand and mailed to me. I'm sorry, but I don't improvise or interpret real well in the kitchen. I need clear, specific instructions.
So, maybe I'm not cut out for all this kitchen domesticity, which was my original hypothesis. I will be giving the cookies at least one more go, using the revised recipe and see how they turn out. I brought those in to work also and did get two sincere compliments.
Anyway, I didn't stop with the baking, but also proceeded to make some homemade spicy chicken tortilla soup, complete with tortilla strips that I cut and baked. E loves this soup and has been requesting it for a while now. Since we started having cold nights recently, I thought the time was right. The soup was a hit and E ate several bowls of it. I wasn't too happy with the chicken I used, but it was okay. I made a double batch so there is quite a bit left over to eat on for the week.
The baked goods results were mixed. I brought the apple cake to work today and it got eaten. I think the top turned out just perfectly crunchy, but the rest of it was a bit too mushy. I'm not sure if it was undercooked or if that's just how that mix turns out. The cookies were the big experiment for me. They have always been my favorite of the cookies my mother bakes every holiday season. I've even had her make them and send them to me before. I way overcooked the first batch, which promptly went into the garbage. I made two dozen more and they were so-so. Much thicker and not as chewy as what Mom makes. *sigh*
I called my mom this morning to problem solve with her what I may have done wrong. The first mistake might have been not chilling the dough long enough. Her recipe said "several hours." I assumed three hours would be plenty, but apparently it wasn't. Also, I cooked it at the temperature according to her instructions. (I have a thermometer in my oven, so I know that was okay). Well, she chills her dough overnight and possibly bakes the cookies at 25 degrees less than on the recipe. The recipe that she wrote out by hand and mailed to me. I'm sorry, but I don't improvise or interpret real well in the kitchen. I need clear, specific instructions.
So, maybe I'm not cut out for all this kitchen domesticity, which was my original hypothesis. I will be giving the cookies at least one more go, using the revised recipe and see how they turn out. I brought those in to work also and did get two sincere compliments.
11/22/2006
Giving Thanks
A few of the things for which I am thankful. In photos:
Eric and Me
Ren
Little Guy, Rusty, and Cosette
My parents and brothers
Dorky friends Jill and Stacie
Ami-ham!
Serenity
My camera
L.A., my city
Convict Lake, near Mammoth
Sunset at Westward Beach
There are many, many other things that I really appreciate, but just don't have photos handy. Good friends, new and old, in real life and online. A few more family members. My health, my career, and my home.
Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it. I'll be spending the day with Eric and some friends at the Happiest Place on Earth!
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