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It's love... Taylor Clementines
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic
Taylor and his beloved Clementines. He asks for them every year as soon as they come out.
Posted by Karen at 7:08 PM No comments: Labels: FoodPlay, So. How are the children?


Apfel Strudel Does anyone wish they'd had supper at my house tonight?
Posted by Karen at 8:37 PM 3 comments: Labels: FoodPlay


Product Review: Brown Basmati Rice Brown Basmati Rice
I have to admit I've had this a while. Okay...months. I did a pot of it when I bought it, stuck the bag in the cupboard and forgot about it again until last week.
My family loves Basmati rice. I buy it at Sam's Club in 25-lb bags. If I do happen to run out, Taylor will mention it. "What's this rice, Mom? It doesn't have much flavor," he'll say of regular long-grain rice.
I thought maybe I'd step up the fiber by trying this brown variety. I don't remember how much it was, but I'm quite sure it was significantly pricier than the other. I've bought Lundberg stuff before and liked it. I think I've even reviewed it, but I'm too lazy to do a [rather simple] search of the blog.
Anyway, great stuff! Takes a loooonnnnng time to cook though. Like most brown rice.
Posted by Karen at 6:38 PM 2 comments: Labels: Product Review

Ruining His Life-Part 2

Okay. The scene:

Bear is barking at me. Sitting by my chair, barking. This usually means he desperately needs to go OUT! But of course he’d JUST been out. Pooped. Peed. I think he mainly wants attention. The guys are home and he usually really just wants to play when they get here.

So I yell across the house: “Someone needs to take this dog out and do something with him!”



[[dead silence]]

Taylor has already run him around the block. He was the guy on poop watch when it happened too. So I yell:


Still no response.

I walk to the dining room. Both guys are hunched over books, not looking up. Pencils scritching across paper.

“Nate, take the dog out and play with him.”

[[big sigh]]

He hauls himself up from his chair. “OKAY! If you want me to forget about my future!!!”

Read Part 1 of ruining his life.

Posted by Karen at 5:31 PM 1 comment: Labels: Dangling Conversations

Wine Notes: Wolf Blass Shiraz 2004 This is my "house wine." This is the one (and the cab-shiraz blend by the same vineyard) that I have around all the time. The one that I go back to whenever I can't think of anything new to try.

I read about Wolf Blass in an article somewhere. That it's the number one selling wine in Australia. Judging by the wine selection in our grocery stores, I'd have to assume that the number one Australian wine in America is Yellowtail. I have to assume Yellowtail's success here in the U.S. is all due to marketing. It has to be some of the worst wine I've ever had. I can get a migraine from 3 sips of it...any of the grapes. Without fail, every time. Even when I don't know what wine I'm drinking!

Anyway, Wolf Blass. It's not acrid. It's quite smooth and fruity and just begs for a piece of dark chocolate. I like it on a cool evening after supper. And the price is right. It's always under $10. Usually around $8.99.
Posted by Karen at 7:28 AM 4 comments: Labels: Wine Notes


Wine Notes: Alice White Red Lexia 2007 This is not bad stuff. I had read a wine comment about Alice White Lexia. That it's sweet and pretty good for a sort of dessert wine. And that is true. Actually, I found the Lexia to be almost too sweet.
But this Red Lexia isn't quite as syrupy. Drunk cold, it's very refreshing on a warm day.
Posted by Karen at 5:15 PM No comments: 
Stop Reading if I've Told You This Before

The stress from the drought is really seeping into everyone's lives around here. There are people with wells drying up now. Last night at the library board meeting one of the members said she has a couple of students whose wells have been dry for a couple of months now. Those families have no choice but to have a new well drilled or pay a tap fee to the county to be added to county water and sewer. I read in the paper yesterday that many older wells have pipes that are only 2 inches in diameter and don't go down more than 100 feet. Current wells average 200 to 300 feet and use 6-inch pipe. New wells can cost $6,000 or more to drill and tap fees to be added to city or county water can cost a couple thousand, as well.

So even the folks with wells are into the water conservation habit now. I'm glad to hear that. But concerned for them. We may face fines and even the prospect of having our water turned off if we don't comply, but at least we will probably have some water.

But it's also darkening our day-to-day thoughts at times. A friend told me the other day that when he woke up in the morning and heard the [very very light] rain falling, he caught himself saying, "God! If you're going to send us rain, at least do it right!" Or something to that effect. He felt so guilty after that.

Last night the teacher library board member also said that when her class had their prayer time yesterday, a little girl prayed "Lord. We'd really like to go out to recess today, but if you want to let it rain instead, that would be okay."

We are now 20-24 inches behind in our rainfall here.
Posted by Karen at 7:28 AM No comments: Labels: Dangling Conversations, Minutiae


Sprouting up all over

A couple of weeks ago, Tony popped up in church with the beginnings of a beard. He does that a couple of times a year.

Then a member of the congregation, a retired gentleman named Jack, showed up with the same thing. "What's with the beard, Jack?" everyone asked.
"I'm growing it because Tony is," he said.

Yesterday I was sitting in church when I realized that Mensa Boy's face also was getting a bit hairy. He'll do that...not shave on weekends. Since it's been a long weekend of course, his face was pretty scruffy by yesterday.

"I'm going to tell people that I'm growing a beard because Jack is!" he whispered.

"I have a dear old daddy,
For whom I nightly pray,
He has a set of whiskers
That are always in the way.

Oh, they're always in the way,
The cows eat them for hay,
They hide the dirt on Daddy's shirt,
They're always in the way.

Father had a strong back,
Now it's all caved in,
He stepped upon his whiskers
And walked up to his chin.

Father has a daughter,
Her name is Ella Mae,
She climbs up father's whiskers
And braids them all the way.

I have a dear old mother,
She likes the whiskers, too,
She uses them for dusting
And cleaning out the flue.

They're always in the way."
Posted by Karen at 6:57 AM 4 comments: How do you like this? Two blog entries in less than an hour. I was sifting through my recent photos and thought I'd stick these up.
This is my friend Tambri (left), Chris and me in front of part of our meal. Peeking out behind Tambri is Chris' daughter Samantha. I have to say it was one of the best Thanksgivings we've had. Food, talking about food, preparing food, laughing, games....just a wonderful day.
Bear also had a good day, even though he didn't get a single bit of people food. The poor little guy hasn't figured out how useful chairs can be: Posted by Karen at 7:33 AM 3 comments: Labels: Bear, FoodPlay, Lucky Me, Through the Lens

Wine Notes: Old Fart's Wife Merlot 2004 Just want to take a moment to note that I'm not drinking myself into oblivion each night. I like to have a glass in the evening while I'm cooking or with my meal, and my friends also enjoy it, so we usually have a glass when we get together. That's it. The reason why there will be so many kinds mentioned all at once is because the bottles from the past month have been accumulating on my desk waiting to be cataloged and photographed.
This? Was terrible. Chris bought it because she was charmed by the name. I wouldn't have done that. I'm not charmed by the name and the wine was hideous. It has to be pretty bad for me to dump down the drain. We each drank 1/2 glass and then glug glug glug down the garbage disposal.
It's been a quiet weekend here. Last night I made the traditional post-Thanksgiving turkey gumbo. A photo and recipe are here.
I watched the movie "Fun with Dick and Jane" yesterday afternoon. It was pretty cute. And then while I made the gumbo I revisited my all-time favorite movie, "The Scarlet Pimpernel."
In the evening I did more moon shooting. It was a full moon, so I was able to capture this: Posted by Karen at 7:12 AM 2 comments: Labels: FoodPlay, Media Reviews, Through the Lens, Wine Notes