Collections of a 9 year old

When I was nine, in 1974, I had a very serious, passionate collection . It was a collection of 'Wacky Packs' . These most awesome trading cards, the size of baseball cards, were made by Topps. And I had loads and loads of them. I had a shrine of them....sit and stare at all of them, trade them with my friends in the school yard, sort them by fave to least fave. Hours and hours of card fun.

And now fast forward to 2008, our Global small world with access to everything and I discover that my 9 year old has a similar passion, obsession with a collection.



Her collection comes straight from Japan. She's amassed a wondrous, charming collection of the smallest most detailed Japanese pencil erasers. These little things are amazing...and worth their size in gold for the 4th grade girls at Pierce School, Brookline. Most of them are tiny, lilliputian sized recreations of food...Asian, American, what-have-you. And mostly seemed to be geared to the girl collector. Here are a couple of my personal faves, would I collect these babies:

This is no bigger than an inch, and it's described as a plate of 'red curry'. And here's the thing, if you don't like rice, you can remove it from the tiny plate.
If you prefer not to have curry, just take it off.

Who doesn't love green and orange ice cream....or maybe it's sherbet.
Maybe it's a scoop of lime and orange sherbet.

A plate of spaghetti, green beans and carrots? No bigger than my thumb?
It's all so scrunch-up-your-shoulders-and-make-yourself-so-small.

Fire extinguisher? With removable hose, should your plate of rice and curry catch fire.

Shumai. Pink, round shumai. With a lovely green garnish.

Salmon roe sushi.

The one thing I don't get is that these are billed as erasers. Pencil erasers. But I don't think any one of those 4th graders would actually use one because then what used to be a pristine plate of nigiri sushi might then become a gray, dirty plate of shredded wobs.

A word on :: p a n c a k e s

Every weekend we do the full blown pancake routine. Either on a Saturday or a Sunday we pretend we live in the Midwest and treat ourselves to a stack of white, fluffy, drenched in syrup cakes. With a side of crisp bacon. Mmmmmm.










And since we started this weekend tradition Scott and I have tried every pancake recipe known to man. From Bisquick to Stonewall Kitchen @ $10.99 a pop to just from scratch. I've tried whole wheat (my preference), buckwheat, buttermilk, Johnny Cake (quirky Rhode Island version) and instant. All seem to pale in comparison to a good, ol' classic.



I'd like to report that the goofy circa '59 recipe from Joy of Cooking wins, hands down.



Here's Romabauer and Beck's recipe for basic pancakes:



Sift: 1.5 c all purpose flour

Re-sift with: 1 T salt

2 T sugar 1.5 t double-acting baking powder



Beat lightly 1 or 2 eggs (I swear, this is what the recipe says, so maybe it depends on the size of your eggs) and add to:

3 T melted butter

1 - 1.5 cups milk





Combine all ingredients quickly-always wet into dry, and don't over beat. Ignore lumps (I let the batter sit for about 20 minutes to get nice and 'juicy'. Letting it sit seems to make fluffier, lighter cakes).



Heat your pan slowly, using a medium heat. Pour the pancake batter from a 1/4 cup measure-or whatever. Expect that the first pancake won't turn out ("the sacrificial pancake"). Turn over after the top is bubbling, not before, about 3 minutes, and the second side will take about half the time.



And then sit back and wait while that sugary-carb high comes crashing down.

One reason to pay for Showtime

Tracey Ullman's

State of the Union







http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=508617449854

(click on the link to view the trailer, it's hilarious)

Series Premieres Sunday, March 30 10PM ET/PT

Coping Mechanisms

I've recently taken up the habit of making sure I'm chewing on carrots, celery, chips, popcorn, gum whenever I answer the phone.

I've also decided to interrupt people mid-sentence.

Poking people repeatedly in the arm to get their attention is another excellent method if my interrupting fails.

-and if I lose interest in a conversation I pretend I've lost my hearing or just simply walk away.

Speaking of hearing....it's funny how it works sometimes and then sometimes not. I can hear some people but rarely others.

In fact, I can barely here my family. I see their mouths move but I hear no words. And then when I notice they're excited and slightly red in the face, I do (only kind of) hear the words. But usually the words are none I'd like to hear.

When I'm mad, I'll just stomp. Just stomp.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

Smacking my lips, eating with my mouth open and getting really close to another at the dinner table seems to help everyone focus on me.

I don't slam doors, though. But what always seems to work is when I 'accidentally-on-purpose' trip and fall and hurt myself when I'm getting into trouble. It's an excellent distraction because for a minute I'm not getting into trouble...I'm getting comforted.

I also love the fact that I really do have a younger brother and he's an excellent target when I'm having a bad day. Siblings are great that way. And the instant release of tension is worth it, let me tell ya!

Most of the time I think I'm just on my merry way.

Bouncing along mostly looking for instant gratification.

Etc., etc., etc....

Apparently, YouTube and posting a song wasn't cooperating with my schedule. Apparently, there was an obnoxious delay with YouTube and my blog. Apparently all 572 times I tried to get Radiohead's Reckoner up...they all appeared....with great delay.

Apologies.

Radiohead - In Rainbows - Reckoner

I'm such a 15 yr. old when it comes to music. I find something new and I listen to it over. and over. and over again. Not unlike the kid in the basement sitting cross-legged with the enormo headphones and the album cover in their hands....that's me. Singing along, slightly off-key.

So, here's another one of Thom's and his wonderous talents.

Beautiful, sweet, yearning, angst.

Happy Easter weekend!

Jesus Christ, It's Easter??!!

Lamb. Rebirth. Eggs. Green. Roast Ham or Roast Lamb with mint jelly. Green. Sprouts, buds and more green.

Growing up it was always about the food with the holiday...not necessarily the holiday itself. Easter was spring, rebirth, fresh.....nuthin' religious. It meant chocolate eggs and lots of egg salad sandwiches.....weirdly green mint jelly with meat.....asparagus, green beans.....artichokes.....in our house the meal was the way we Halls celebrated the holidays ....




Starting with Thanksgiving, growing up we had the ubiquitous roasted fowl, the predictable sides and giblet gravy. A highlight for me and my brother was trying to sip the Cab Sav and not shiver with disgust while my dad's place setting would include not only his wine glass, water glass but also a nice frosty Dewar's on the rocks. We would also watch with delight as he'd make a nice above-ground pool of mashed potatoes filled to the brim (but never overflowing) with the gravy. And we'd always try to copy him.

The Yuletide food traditions were more unique. The meal served at Christmas Eve was a weird combination of oyster stew, grilled cheddar cheese on pumpernickel sandwiches and a side of pickles. You were not allowed to be excused unless you downed an oyster. For a kid, not so bad if you think of it as chewing a rubber band. I think my dad was giving a heavy nod to our English ancestry. And year after year until he died we would have this on Christmas Eve.

Christmas day included the following artery-clogging delight:



Breakfast we dined on Eggs Benedict, skip lunch (because you're still to loaded) and then move directly into an early evening meal of Roast Beef.


And then New Year's Day we were back to square one with roasted turkey.

********

And now it's Easter......which means trying to add a little creativity to meal of roasted lamb, potatoes and asparagus. This year I'm thinking of trying something new....maybe to start,

Limoncello Collins served with Crudites and Wasabi dip

Spring Lettuce Salad with Roasted Asparagus

Oven-Roast Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri

Served with Crisp Herb-Roasted Fingerlings with Scallions

and

a Cannellini and green bean salad

finally, Lemon Upside Down Cake

"Joyeuses Paques!"



(all these tasty recipes can be found on foodandwine.com)

I Tend to Judge a Book by its Cover.....

I'm such a shallow impatient soul when it comes to purchasing wine.

Two days ago when I found myself totally unprepared for a small dinner party
and had to dash out to buy a bottle or two that 'goes with' grody,
overcooked beef and root vegetables
I found myself going for what looked good as opposed to what might taste good.
(maybe that was just a reaction to the grayness of the meal.....)

And thus, I did some research on labels. The pretty. The well designed. The classic.

I tread so lightly on any attempt of commenting on design or look (of really anything) but I thought I found some good ones worth taking a gander:

Love the simpleness of this. Love the name.
(who wouldn't want to drink Hall?)

I'm thinking the thing is a wine press? grape press?
Not crazy with the typeface but....Sutton Cellars makes a decent wine.
Too bad they are of no relation.

Lousy pic. but love the illustration.
Just sticks.
sticks chardonnay.
from Australia.

Classic. Classique. Classico.
When we lived in San Francisco way back in the day
my parents cherished/coveted their
"Mondavi Cab Sav" more than their kids.

Simple.
Elegant.
Two syllables.
One vowel.

Who doesn't love a good Fat Bastard joke?

I think this has grand association with luxe and fine wine....
but not so much with me.
(I'm a layperson with wine, what can I say)

I think this label has way more luxe than the aforementioned.
and honestly, I think a '66 Chateau Latour goes for over $500.

Nice, bright and red symbol. And not a bad wine.
I buy this more than I'd like to admit.
And again, solely based on the coolness-of-the-look factor

Shazzam! Ker-pow!
Way ug.

Bright. Orange.
and after a couple of glasses the laughter that ensues
when you pronounce "Reim"
(sounds like the start of an engine)
in a French accent
over. and over. and over again.

Winner of the F-Ugly award.

Italian label that screamed
Renaissance to me.

Another Italian label.
Classic. Maybe a tad nautical but
apparently this Super Tuscan
is big.

Rhode Island wine.
Sakonnet Vineyards.
(producers of decent Gewurztraminer)
Rooster weather vine.
Love.

Beaux Artes with staying power?
Always charmed by les fleurs.....

What one can find on a slow day.
Maia Vineyards.
From North Carolina.

Label gets an 'eh'.
Wine gets a 100.
My brother gave us a bottle for Scott's birthday last year.

Clever.
in a Land of Ahs sorta way.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day - yesterday

a day late on the well wishes.....





I actually managed to pull off a very Irish Boiled Dinner of corned beef and cabbage last night for my visiting mom and brother-in-law.


















With soda bread.






Scott's in Shanghai for the week. Possibly searching for a pint as I type this.


We didn't have Guiness, tho. Found some great Irish wine.

(....no, I jest. No wine from Ireland. I ended up purchasing wine based merely on the cool label design and the fact that it was 50% cabernet franc and 50% cabernet sauvignon, under $20)




My husband's Irish.

My kids are Irish.

I am not Irish. So, while I enjoy the once-a-year tradition of boiling meat and gross vegetables to death and slathering butter on crusty soda bread I draw the line with shiny green decorations and jigs.

Mrs. Bojangles needs a roommate....

Looking to share a cheap pad with a mature roommate? Look no further than Craigslist NYC, where a woman is offering the second bedroom of her Murray Hill apartment for only $700 a month. There's a catch, though:




I am an elderly lady, in my 70's. I am looking for someone lovely to live in the second bedroom(lovely people only). I am not thrilled about living with someone but I could use the extra cash. I have only one rule. You must wear a belt I designed that has bells all over it. I do this so I know when you are in the appartment and where in the appartment you are.

If you have friends over, they must wear the device as well. I only have 2, so no more than 1 friend over.




Hear that? Only one friend.

I Dare You

I dare anyone to open a bag of these, these salty, crunchy morsels of cheesy goodness, and just eat one.

Just one.

and then slowly walk away.

Bookish People

Maia reads a lot. In fact, we all read a lot. Mostly before bedtime. I can't seem to handle a book lately (ADD or something) so I'm all about mags. Scott's got a stack of books of history and books of non-fiction by his bedside while Colby has TinTin littered all about his room.

Don't get me wrong; you can find loads of fluff and pablum around. And I'll be the first to admit that I'd be happy to just look at the pictures instead of looking at all the letters. It. can. all. be. too. much.

So, back to Maia. She just read Holes, by Louis Sachar. I haven't read it but apparently it's a must read. Maia was thrilled about this book and was even more excited about this poem or song she found in it. Part One is in the beginning of the book, Part Two at the very end.

I thought it was pretty cool. Also cool to have a kid discover a poem on their own that they want to share with a parent.

(Part One)

If only, if only,

the woodpecker sighs,

“The bark on the tree was just a little bit softer.”

While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely,

He cries to the moo-oo-oon,

If only, if only.

(Part Two)

If only, if only,

the moon speaks no reply;

Reflecting the sun and all that’s gone by.

Be strong my weary wolf, turn around boldly.

Fly high my baby bird,

My angel, my only.

-Louis Sachar

excerpt from Holes

Cabo San Lucas

I recently had the immense pleasure of attending and participating in a wedding in Mexico.



The guests and wedding party stayed at the Pueblo Bonito Rose' Resort.



It was absolutely warm and sunny and gorgeous-

desert terrain that runs right to the ocean.



And....it happened to be whale mating season.
Grays and Blues breaching and spouting right off the coast.
Crazy.


I saw friends I hadn't seen in nearly twenty years...


and share the unbridled joy of my friend's wedding.

I can't possibly think of anything I'd rather do in March
than go to a beautiful seaside locale, with friends and be happy.