A New Year: 2012

I have, over the past few days, read many thought provoking and inspirational things about 2012.  It is funny to me that on January 1, every year, people reflect and decide to 'begin anew'.  For me, this is almost a nightly conversation with myself.  "Tomorrow, I will endeavor to do better...to be better...to cook better...to mother better...to friend better...well, we all know I couldn't possibly wife better, as I totally rock at that..."

The thing is, I am really comfortable and happy being mediocre.  I mean, I have dreams just like the people whose goals for 2012 include 'see the taj mahal, go skydiving, lose 50lbs, read 300 books, become first in the annual Mensa competition, become CEO of my NYC office'.  I have a clear understanding of the phenomena that people who verbalize their goals are significantly more likely to reach them.

But I honestly find the quantification of my goals to be an exhausting exercise in failure.  I mean, if my goal is to read 300 books this year, then I cannot help but wonder what I am giving up to achieve such lofty aspirations.  Even the goal of losing XX pounds...what gatherings will I skip out on...what frivolity will be less enticing because I am focused on restriction?

Call me uninspired, lazy, listless...I suppose to list making, goal fulfilling types, I am.  Don't get me wrong...there are my nightly prayers and reflections upon self and growth, but to be honest, I am soooo o.k. letting life open like a blossom.

I know that I will read as many books as my time, comfort, and choices allow.

I know that some days my jeans will be a tad tight and I will feel like a slob-muffin all day...but I will also spend all day running away from that man--who thinks that jeans that are a bit tight say "chase me" across the rear.  Some days, however, my jeans will be loose, and I will feel...busy, because no matter how they feel, I am busy.

I know that this year I will see something that will make my heart stop.  Something will be so beautiful it will make me cry.  Something will break my heart.  I will laugh hysterically and might tinkle my pants a little.  I will get really, really angry.  I will fight an injustice.

I will let my mind reminisce to a time in the past filled with sweet memories, and I will panic at the quick passing of the current moments I hold so dear.  I will see their sweet little faces as they sleep...smell their sleep-sweet-smell...and my heart will be so full of love for them that for a moment...everything else will stop and the world will exist only because of that love.

I will win awards this year, and I will give awards...the kind my husband and I share between ourselves...and I will wonder if two people were ever as perfectly made for each other as we are...and then he will piss me off...and then, there will be more awards...

You, my darling friends are totally identifying with the things that I will do this year, because...wait...YOU will do them too!  You are realizing that my life is in no way special.  It is really no different than yours.

It is totally mediocre.

Yes, (smiling), it is!  

Cottage De Haven Chicken and Noodles

So, you have asked and tonight, while sipping some Traverse City Cherry Wine, I took pics....

Chicken Broth.  Make your own.  You can buy chicken broth, but if you are going to do that, I would suggest buying a can of Progresso Chicken and Noodles...I mean, its all the same...right???

It really does not matter what kind of chicken you use.  Meijer had a banging deal on drumsticks AND the pack I got was red sticker...it works.  Boil your chicken until it is done.  I let it cool in the broth until I can touch it.  Pull all the meat off and throw it in the broth.  You could buy an already made, rotisserie chicken...but again with the can of Progresso...

Your water is still pretty warm.  Too warm to put your hand in.  Chop up a nice big bunch of parsley and throw it in...stir it around a bit.

When I make this, I make ALOT.  It freezes and thaws very nicely.  I chop @3lbs of carrots.  Chop them big...they are prettier in your bow.

Also chop your celery big.  Even if people don't normally like celery, they will forget when they are eating your soup.  Watch them.  They will eat it right down...

If you forgot to pick up some parsley, just use your celery heart leaves...celery and parsley are cousins.

Now, flip all of this around.  You can now turn your heat back on and get the soup up to a gentle simmer. 

And now...the NOODLES!!!  3 things...one cup of flour+2 eggs+pinch of salt...I made five or six batches tonight. 

Split your dough into two balls.

Make sure to give a glob to your 'Little Helper'

Madam Lu is demonstrating how to properly roll out your dough...

So, it does not have to be perfect in any way.  You do have to have ALOT of flour on top to make sure they do not stick in the next couple of steps.

Now, cut the dough into 2' strips.

Stack all of the strips on top of each other.   

Cut the strips into 1" strips...

Drop them into your simmering soup. 

Note: drop one layer across the top and then stir them to the bottom.  Then add another layer and stir to the bottom.  Keep doing this.  If you put all of the fresh, soft noodles on top, they stick together.

Let them boil until they are done the way you like.  We like ours kind of hard and if you are going to freeze them, I recommend leaving them a bit hard.  They will be much softer when you defrost them...or even just when you have them for leftovers. 

The noodle recipe is not mine.  It is my darling Sheila J's recipe and she is the best 'comfort food' cook in the universe, so you know they are good!  The whole thing takes me about 1.5 hours from start to finish, but I have all that 'help' from Madam Lu.  A person without 'help' could probably make this in an hour.  And trust me...everyone loves old fashioned chicken and noodles!!!

Dining Room Make Over (before-after pics)

Well, we were supposed to host Thanksgiving at the cottage this year...unfortunately we were ALL struck down with what I think must be the bubonic plague?

A few days before the plague hit us, while Sir was working much overtime, I was struck by the renovation bug.  I really can't help it when the creativity strikes...really, I just have to embrace it when it does.....

So, the dining room and the whole living room is a nicotine-white? painted, grass covered, 900sq ft. of blah.  I loath this part of the house.  We really never even use it...well the heirs scatter their toys all over it for no apparent reason, but really it is not supposed to be used.

I am working on phase two of the Little Sirs' room and had in my hand a gallon of festive, evergreenish, well....green.  I LOVE GREEN.  Kermit is green.  My eyes are their own hue of swamp puke green.  My gardens are full of green.  Green is good.

Ugh. 

Another view of the yuck.

Do you see the magic paint tray???

Oh Crap!  I mean, I LOVE color, but I have NEVER done anything this dark before...yikes

But, oh my....I LOVE it!!!

Reminds me of a 100 yr old house now...the dark wood, the traditional paint...

Oh look!  Look at that cool built-in...I never noticed that before...

The picture of the little boy holding the kitty was painted by Sir's grandmother and that little boy is...Sir, himself!

A word...painting grass wallpaper cannot be done with a roller...because, that would be too easy.  Every project at the Cottage hast to be a laborious task...therefore this was all hand-painted with a BRUSH.  Applause is appropriate...

Rumor is that we are putting up some trees tonight.  I have decided not to put up the monstrous 20foot tree this year, but have been moving some things and making plans for some real changes...wait and see!

A quick fall dinner...

I was craving potpies the other day at the store...yeah, those gross frozen nightmares my mom would occasionally make when my dad was working.  Well, I thought, there must be a quick easy way to get the same satisfaction but with less pre-made guilt.


So this is what I came up with.  FAST AND EASY....

To begin, make some biscuits.  I mean, I buy the frozen types, but the can works just as well.  And if you are mad about your own special,  recipe handed down by family MeMaws for generations-type of biscuits...well, knock yourself out.  No matter how you get them, get them

While the biscuits are cooking, cook a pound of meat.  Whatever.  I usually use Bob Evans pork sausage, in a tube-thingy.  You can use whatever you have.  Brown the dead animal.  Next make your basic white sauce.  (Melt 6 TBL  butter. Add 6 Tbl flour.  Stir.  Add 3 cups milk slowly.  Stir until thickened to the right gravy type texture).  Now, add your dead animal.  Then add any veggies you have laying about.  Tonight we had corn and peas. 

Tah_Dah!  Seriously, you have no idea how easy this is.  I have topped it with shredd chedd and green onions, or parm and chives.  You could add about anything and top it with whatever your family likes.  The nice thing is, it is warm and satisfying, and you can "hide" all kinds of veggies in it!

So give it a try and let me know how it turns out!  

A quick sewing project

 On one of my many, many jaunts to JoAnn's this month I found an adorable corduroy remnant.  What to do with less than one yard of fabric????  And so, while in the middle of making the dwarfs, I whipped up a little fall jumper for Madam Lu.   

I don't like to sew buttons or zippers...well, actually I have only done buttons once, but they were hard.  And I've never even tried a zipper, but I can imagine that lining them up would be very challenging.  So, I made these little straps to knot in a bow-ish shape on her shoulders....very, very easy...

The top and ruffles are just plain cotton.  I did sew backing of the same fabric on the inside of the bodice to keep everything smooth.  She has a white turtle neck and brown tights to wear with this...

And you know how I feel about ruffles!  Muwah!  Love them!!!!  It turned out pretty cute, very soft, and relatively easy to make; considering I made it all up (no pattern = yikes)! 

And this is what I have been breaking the monotony of the dwarfs costumes with....

Love to you all...

Falling for Fall...Camping and Cake-ing

It has been a busy, busy fall my dear ones!


We went camping at Oubache State Park.

Yes, we tent camp.  We used to all sleep in Big Green.  Little Blue was used to store our clothes and stuff.  That way, we dressed and changed Madam Lu's disasters in Little Blue ensuring all of the tramping in and out all day was not done where we sleep (cleaner beds).  This year, however; we moved the Little Sir's to Little Blue.  They did splendidly in their own tent.  And, without those little rat-pigs in my tent it stayed just as clean!

The heirs are dressed in Native-wear because we spent the day at Mississinewa 1812 (really, really cool).  I can not really explain Sir M's pose.  And why is Sir E looking soy joyous? 

 Two things about Camping De Haven.

#1 We camp in campgrounds that have (1) hot showers (2) flushing toilets (3) trees   We do not (1) television...are you that pathetic???...(2) radio (3) ipod, dsi, etc.

#2 If you tell Sir not to forget the air pump for the air mattress...and you may tell him 3 or more times...it is not reasonable that he will actually pack it.  Make sure you pack it yourself...first thing...before you even pack your underwear...because the air pump is really more important than clean underwear... 



 

Hiking!  We love it!

Madam Lu in a full-out jog on the trail.

This medium sized Bison came right up to Sir M...he really is an animal whisperer...

A teensy, weensy baby Bison!  OhMyWORD!!!!! 

When will the Sir's stop dressing up Madam Lu?  I mean, yes, I DID dress up my little brother...but that was different...he wore beautiful dresses, not storm trooper or boba fett or whatever this monstrosity of an outfit is...

I am so glad we caught this moment of Sirs' on 'film'.  Happy 7th Birthday, Sir M!

And what is a Birthday celebration without Madam Lu's life threatening ministrations???

I don't know who this is...but someone asked and Sir E began a tale that included Storm Trooper genealogy, politics, and possibly their religion...I am still not sure who this is...

And because I am always good for some cake humiliation....WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?  you ask...

Me: Sir M, what kind of cake would you like this year.  Sir M:  I want a chocolate cake with Boba Fett.  Me: Chocolate cake sounds wonderful...how about some green polka dots???? Sir M: No, I want Boba Fett.  So, this is a Boba Fett face....

If you look closely you will see the "inspiration helmet" on the table....I know, it is horrible, but good for a laugh!!!

Side note....this was my first time making fondant.  Store-bought fondant is horrible.  Home-made fondant is horrible.  It does look pretty, though, and is super easy to make and work with.  If you try to tell me you like fondant or you have a delicious fondant recipe; I will assume that you chew your own toenails for fun and love the taste of sweat...it is just a little category that I will put you in in my mind...lovingly of course, but still, you are totally a toenail chewer hence forth....

We took the kids roller skating on "fall break" day.  Madam Lu could have a future in roller derby!

This is Miss Faithy Pant's first birthday outfit.  Her dear and trusting parents (our cousins) told me I could make anything I want....Her animal is a butterfly and her colors are purple, blue and green.  It is hard to tell in the picture, but the butterfly's body is purple with white polka dots...not black...The edges should fray up nicely!

And baby butts really should be decorated...So this little caterpillar is just the thing!  And as Faith's clever mom pointed out...it symbolizes the metamorphosis of a baby to a big 1yr old!

And the tutu!  I was so very, very excited when she gave me free reign...a tutu!!!!!  What could be better?  I also made a hat, but that is for another day and another posting.  One that will show Miss Faithy Pants in her ensemble!!!

  Love to you all!  I'm off to make some chicken and noodles!