Mooi Helm (aka "Mooie Helm").

Back to work

2012-01-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

After 9 months of traveling, cooking, volunteering, visiting family and contracting, I start working full time again on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to going back to work full time, but am a little sad about having less time to cook and try new recipes. From desserts to Asian foods, I can honestly say that I've gotten better as a cook. I can now properly pan sear scallops, make a restaurant quality Thai noodle dish, and cream butter and sugar for baked goods. Twenty more years of practice and I might actually be good at this cooking thing :-)

Recipes tried over the past 6 weeks
1) Pretzel crunch
2) Fruity pebbles cookies
3) Compost cookies (potato chips and pretzel mix-ins)
4) Cornflake marshmallow chocolate chip cookies
5) Apple pie cake (with frosting that tastes like pie crust)
6) Pecan "crack pie"
7) Candy bar pie (peanut butter nougat on top of salted caramel and chocolate)

8) Thai curry mashed potatoes
9) Brussels sprouts with pancetta and garlic
10) Green bean casserole (from scratch)
11) Seafood miso soup
12) Mushroom soup
13) Italian wedding soup
14) Portuguese kale soup

15) Gluten free monkey bread
16) Gluten free apple pie cake
17) Gluten free cornflake cookies
18) Gomae (Japanese spinach with sesame seeds)
19) Thai steamed turbot (from Ellie Krieger)
20) Slanted Door's crab cellophane noodles
21) Raclette
22) Sausage and swiss quiche with hashbrown crust

Severed head catnip toys

2011-11-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

While looking for some holiday gifts for the family pets I ran across these little gems. They're funny in an "ewwww, gross!" kind of way. I couldn't bring myself to buy them, but if you're looking for a gift for someone with a dark sense of humor, these just might do the trick.

You can buy them here if you're so inclined.

Wegmans Lobster Humor

2011-10-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

I spent a few days back in DC last week and made a stop at my beloved Wegmans. While walking through the seafood department I came upon this display. Poor Darryl.

Ocean Trash as art

2011-09-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

I started to explore doing some pro bono marketing work for the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA. They rescue, rehabilitate and release distressed marine mammals on the northern California coasts - and they typically get the most calls for seals and sea lions.

While visiting an art festival I saw a piece of artwork made from ocean trash and found it fascinating stuff.

An artist in Oregan collected trash that washed up on her beach over time and turned it into sculptures that educate the public on the dangers of ocean trash to marine life. Seals mistake some items for food and get ensnared in others. I won't post photos here but it's heartbreaking to see a seal pup that's trying to grow with a six pack soda ring or abandoned fishing line around his neck. Unless they're found and rescued, they won't make it.

The good news is that this type of thing can be minimized if we watch our consumption of plastics, and recycle what we do use. Try using a refillable water bottle instead of those cases of disposable ones, and save up those empties until you find a recycling bin. We only recycle 7% of the 15 billion TONS of plastic we use each year. I think we can do better.

If you're near Sausalito, stop by the center. You'll see the rest of their incredible sculptures and may get to meet a patient or two. But be warned. They're stinky. One story told at orientation was of a well meaning officer who placed a lost sea lion pup in his police cruiser. Let's just say that car was never put back in service. :-)

Hello again Sammy Hagar!

2011-09-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted on Facebook that we were seated near Sammy Hagar for Brett's birthday dinner at El Paseo (the restaurant Sammy Hagar co-owns with Tyler Florence).

Brett saw him immediately (or rather, he saw his hair) - and when we were seated at a table nearby, Brett chose the seat facing away from Sammy so he wouldn't be tempted to stare. Brett played it cool all night until Sammy got up to talk with Tyler in the kitchen. Sammy walked right past us, and on his way back he stopped to greet some tables. Unfortunately he didn't stop at ours. I knew Brett was disappointed, because I watched his eyes follow the former Van Halen star around the room. I also watched a sly smirk creep onto his face and noticed a twinkle in his eye as he pondered what he'd say if Sammy stopped by. By the end of the night, we went home without meeting him, and Sammy enjoyed his dinner uninterrupted.

The next day unbeknownst to Brett, I emailed the restaurant and asked them if they'd have Sammy sign a restaurant menu. They agreed and put it in the mail. When Brett got back from his business trip, he picked up the envelope, said "Did my mom send us a gift certificate?" and then after opening it - gave a long skeptical "Riiight...." He looked at me and said "is this your handwriting? Did you tell my mom? You had something to do with this didn't you?" I feigned ignorance for about 3 seconds and then burst out laughing, telling him the story and that the signature was likely legit. We had a few more good laughs and then stuck the paper on a shelf for a reminder of a fun night and an even funnier joke.

If you can't read the scrawl, it says "Brett - I saw you gnawing on that bone. Nice work Pal. - Sammy" (I may have fed Sammy his line - but he's still a stand up guy in my book).

Method Home: People Against Dirty

2011-09-22T17:10:00.001-07:00

Many years ago I saw a really cool looking bottle of hand soap at the store made by a company called Method Home. I liked the design of the package so I tossed it in my cart. It worked and smelled great, and I later discovered that their complete line of home and personal care products are all natural. What more could a girl ask for? Cute packaging, good for the environment (and my health) and it actually works. I was hooked.

As a marketer, I've continued to admire them and have been impressed by their punchy copy (ex: People against dirty), their cool partnership with Virgin America, and their creative user engagement tactics.

In their "laundry room love" video they asked fans to submit video of themselves doing scripted moves and then stitched them together into a master video. Fun stuff.

Then last week I was in the city in a cafe, and the Method Home biodiesel truck pulled up. On the back was an e-mail address and a message offering "handsome rewards" for those that wrote in saying where they spotted the truck. I wrote in, and got a voucher for a free product in the mail.

Needless to say, it was a positive experience with their brand, and I remain a raving fan.

My chance encounter with a balloon art star from TLC's Unpoppables!

2011-08-14T12:04:00.001-07:00

I recently went to a birthday party where I knew just one person: the birthday girl. I assumed my afternoon would be filled with awkward small talk with other guests while she flitted around greeting her many friends. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I met a balloon artist: Brian Asman who runs a business called Balloons Equal Fun. Now, I know you're probably thinking "Big deal Lori. A guy who makes animals out of balloons" - but this isn't your average balloon guy. Go, go, GO to his web site and click through the "folks, decor and twisted" photo galleries to the left of the main image. It's truly amazing. He even does personal caricatures and has worked corporate events for companies like Yelp and personal parties for stars like Robin Williams.

Brian makes INCREDIBLE Balloon art. He wasn't working at the party, but when he casually showed me a few of his photos on his phone, I immediately said "you could be the Duff or Cake Boss of the balloon world." Then he told me TLC had already taped 6 episodes of a show called "Unpoppables" profiling a team of "balloon artists" working together for events. You can see another clip here:

Personally I think the show would have been better with just Brian, but I'm probably biased given my chance to meet him and see him and see his work firsthand. It just goes to prove that you never know who you're going to meet and that there are fascinating stories to be heard in the least expected situations. Thanks Robin, for inviting me to meet your friends. As they said in Avenue Q, "There is life outside your apartment."

A golden retriever's kryptonite

2011-08-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

Holly has loved the water as long as I've owned her. Even though her voice recall off leash has improved over time, she just can't resist the call of the water.

When Brett and I got married, we took her with us to Rochester. While packing up the car for the drive back we realized she was gone. We called for her and she was nowhere to be found. Starting to panic I yelled out one more "HOLLY!" and we saw a head pop up in the pond behind my parents' house. We smelled wet dog for the entire trip back to DC.

When we lived in Amsterdam our teenage dog walker asked if he could take her off leash at the park to throw a tennis ball for her. We told him he could, but that he had to keep her on leash on the way to the park, and whenever water was in sight. He proudly told us that he had already tried her off leash and "she listens." We shrugged and said ok and then laughed when he brought her back dripping in mud an hour later. "She doesn't listen when she sees water" he said. We didn't have to say "I told you so."

Yesterday I was cleaning the house and heard splashing out back. I saw a golden retriever playing in the marsh and realized it was Holly. She was having such a blast that I decided to let her play - but I've learned my lesson to keep the deck door shut.

Cupcakes cupcakes cupcakes

2010-10-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I flew to Rochester to spend some time with my niece and nephew. One of our activities was to make cupcakes. I brought my cupcake book with me and they each chose a design. My niece wanted to make banana split cupcakes, while my nephew went for the ghost angle.
Although the cupcakes didn't look quite like the ones in the book, everyone agreed that eating them was fun.

My own personal "Cake Wrecks"

2010-10-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for cute cupcakes, and last week I saw an adorable book called "What's New Cupcake" which proclaims that making adorable cupcakes is easy for even the average person. I'm heading to Rochester to see my family so I bought the book, thinking it would be the perfect afternoon activity for me and my niece.

After getting home and browsing the adorable pictures, I went to their facebook fan page to look at user submitted photos. While the user photos were all cute, many were far short of the beautifully styled cakes in the book. Could the average person REALLY do this?

Since I manage a Canadian team, and it's Canadian Thanksgiving today, I thought I'd try to make their turkey cupcakes. Armed with about $30 in ingredients, I set to work, melting caramels and rolling them out to make turkey skins and drumsticks, and to make "lettuce" out of corn flakes, food coloring and frosting.

How did it turn out? Let's just say, I'm not a pro and don't have the patience to make 12 cupcakes all by myself. I gave up after the 1st one. My own personal Cake Wrecks.

Santa Fe - Not a bad place to spend the weekend

2010-10-11T04:14:00.000-07:00

When Brett and I started dating, he spoke fondly of the 2 years that he had lived in Santa Fe. We've gone a few times over the years, and I have to say it's a great little town.
Lots of nice hikes, galleries, spas, restaurants. I enjoyed browsing the numerous shops, though I'm not sure I want a mirror in my house with "lo feo" on it...

Not sure I need an inflatable fruitcake either :-)

A nature movie in our back yard

2010-10-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about our rental is the waterfront location. Growing up with a mom who was a wildlife rehabilitator and animal lover was bound to leave its mark.

With the tide changes we see a never ending mix of shore birds and wildlife - like the flock of pelicans, or the seagull that poops on our dock, running towards us when he sees us, hoping for a handout. We've also seen seals, sand pipers, and the usual ducks and geese. Every now and then a heron will wander the marsh grasses behind our house. I love watching it all.

"Good Things"

2010-09-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Martha Stewart always talks about "Good Things." Somehow I don't think the "good things" in this vintage Kent cigarette ad would make her short list. Lots of change in 30 years.

Subtle Butt, Meet Flatuscents

2010-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Back in the 80s I used to watch "In Living Color" and I never forgot the comedy skit they did on an invented product called Flatuscents, which was a suppository that enhanced the scent of, well, errr...."personal scent emissions." They had scents like fresh herb, lavender and my personal favorite - new car smell. I thought it was just a comedy skit, but a similar product has hit the market (for real this time), called "Subtle Butt."

It's a charcoal insert you put in your underwear to mask the odor of embarrassing gas. Although it sounds funny, I can think of very real situations where this product would be useful. I almost died due to poor air quality on a recent flight to Orlando, and would have loved standing up and yelling "If you have to fart, fine - but could you stop assaulting your fellow passengers? Depressurizing doesn't have to impact those around you. Try wearing an underwear filter!" Maybe the flight attendants could have some for sale onboard.

For your viewing pleasure, see the original Flatuscents skit below, and a new one I found for subtle butt. The beauty of social media first hand.

Chemicals Make Everything Taste Better

2010-09-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

Flipping through the retro cookbooks, I came across this tasty looking swiss cheese bread. Yummy, I thought.....until I read the ingredient list. It calls for "processed american or swiss cheese" and it specifically says not to use "natural cheese." Maybe I've been living in San Francisco too long. With all the emphasis on organic and natural foods out here, they're really bursting my bubble of childhood goodness. I used to love processed cheese!

Next up was "skinny dip." I'm all for healthy low cal foods, but somehow blending cottage cheese with bouillion cubes just won't cut it anymore. It's probably surprisingly good (like the Velveeta fudge I made). Sometimes I guess you just need to look the other way.

Potato Candy

2010-09-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

I guess it's true that sugar and fat make anything taste good. Like the Velveeta Fudge, I may have to actually try this one....

Sausage Fruitcake: An improvement over the original? Or just as gross?

2010-09-16T04:00:00.001-07:00

I've never been a big fan of fruitcake - though my mom used to give them as gifts every year. I've always wondered how many of her gifts were actually eaten. The one my mom kept for us somehow always lasted a really long time, unlike other desserts in the house.

I saw this recipe in a cookbook at the rental house. Maybe my mom had it all wrong. Maybe if she just added sausage to her fruitcake it would have flown out of that fridge.....OR....then again, maybe not.

BBQ Raccoon, Dove Hash and Baked Possum

2010-09-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

The rental house also had a cookbook with recipes for how to cook various forms of game. I'll let the recipes speak for themselves in the pictures below, but somehow Squirrel Stew and Possum Bake won't be the first to hit my dinner table. I know that it's just another animal that people can hunt, but where I grew up, this type of game was more commonly road kill.

Man Pleasing Recipes - from the Rice Council of America, 1971

2010-09-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

I laughed when I saw this "Man Pleasing Recipes" cookbook sitting on the counter at the rental.

Like any good housewife of the 1970s I was reminded that "no man likes the same thing every night" and was shown a number of ways to spice up my rice.

The recipes inside didn't seem all that memorable, but the title alone will stick in my mind. When googling "man pleasing recipes rice council" I found this ad from the 1960s. I guess 2 things never change. Sex appeal sells, and va-rice-ity is the spice of life.

Retro recipes have returned! Velveeta fudge anyone?

2010-09-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

When I was cleaning out my dad's house, many of you liked my retro recipes series. I'm happy to announce that there were some fun cookbooks at the Kiawah rental house, so for the next few days, retro recipes is back.

Let's start with Velveeta fudge. When I read the the recipe I thought "Ewww. Gross." Then I realized Brett's grandmother had all of the ingredients on hand except the cheese, and I knew I had to make it.

It's really really simple to make. You melt Velveeta and butter together in the microwave, add some cocoa powder and vanilla, and then some powdered sugar. Stir together and refrigerate. Other than the little smear of orange in this photo you'd never know there was cheese in the recipe.

After mixing well, you simply put it in a pan, refrigerate and cut just like normal. The verdict: It's actually pretty good - and you don't taste the cheese. In fact, I recommend not telling people what's in it until after they've tasted it. It can be your little secret.

Encounters with nature

2010-09-12T04:17:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about Kiawah is the uncrowded natural beauty. You can go to the beach in the height of summer, look to your left and right and find that you're the only one out there.

You can also go crabbing. Brett's family put chicken necks in a wire cage, and caught some blue crabs to steam. Other crabbing techniques are to put chicken necks on a string and toss the line into the water. This approach often attracts gators as well as crabs. Personally, I'm much more comfortable with the cage approach.

Brett and I went biking one day and while riding along a little too quickly I skidded off the path and through a spider web. Normally not a big deal, but with spiders like this one (body the size of a nickel) it can be a little disconcerting. Luckily I hit the web below the spider and didn't end up with any unexpected passengers.

Ahhh....Kiawah

2010-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day Weekend, Brett and I flew to Charleston, SC to visit his grandmother. She lives on Kiawah Island, which is a beautiful barrier island on the coast. It's known for its plentiful golf courses and ritzy resort & spa - but I love it for the laid back atmosphere, uncrowded beaches, and natural beauty. Unlike towns like Ocean City, MD which have gone condo and strip mall crazy, Kiawah remains fairly undeveloped, with strict building codes and plenty of nature spotting.
It's not uncommon to see deer, dolphins playing in the river, and lots of shore and marsh birds. You might even see a gator or two. We rented a house near the marsh, and enjoyed wide water views and gorgeous sunsets. It was a great place to unwind after a hectic summer.

Adventures at 99 Ranch

2010-07-11T01:19:00.000-07:00

Shopping at 99 Ranch isn't for the faint of heart. It's a crowded Asian grocery store chain with great deals on produce and seafood, and an interesting assortment of Asian food products. Personally, I love shopping there. They have live Maine lobsters for $6.99 a pound, and pre-made dim sum that can be as good as what you find in a restaurant for a fraction of the price.

Last weekend I picked up some steamed turnip cake. I got a 1 lb brick of it for $3 - and I sliced it and fried it up in some peanut oil. Delicious, and at a fraction of the $4 charge for a few small pieces.

I also picked up some lobsters and clams for a clambake in the seafood department. It's a little smellier than most grocery store seafood places, but it's fascinating to watch workers scoop live fish from a tank to present to a customer, and then see that same live fish thrown onto a table, beaten over the head with a mallet, and then cleaned and filleted for the customer on the spot. While somewhat unsettling, it's a fascinating show - and at least you know the fish is fresh.

I can't wait to try out the karaoke place next door with some friends. Private rooms so you can scream your heart out in private. I feel "Living on a Prayer" is in my future.

Kelp Noodles

2010-07-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

I was shopping at Berkeley Bowl a few weeks ago and in the Asian refrigerated section I saw this bag of kelp noodles. They looked like cellophane noodles, but had only 18 calories in the entire package! I love finding low cal foods that actually taste good (and as I'm sure you know, that can be difficult) - so I popped them in my cart.

I decided to make a Chinese cellophane noodle dish, using the kelp noodles as a substitute. I tried one straight out of the package, and they were snappy in texture but pretty non-descript. The package said "neutral taste" - and they were right.

After throwing them in with the sauce, they became soft like a regular noodle - and the result was tasty!

Although my picture of the finished product doesn't do them justice - I'll be experimenting with these again!

Rainbow Rum Cake

2010-06-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

I was invited to a friend's house for a Pink Saturday party this weeekend, so I decided to make a rainbow rum cake to fit with the theme. It's the same recipe as a regular rum cake - but with food coloring. I got the idea for the rainbow cake from a blog (Omnomicon) and adapted it for the pans I had on hand. It was a blast to make. I simply made the cake batter according to the recipe, and then added gel based food coloring.

I made some mini-cupcakes...

..and a loaf.

They were so fun looking..

...especially the loaf pan slices. I drizzled (soaked) the cupcakes and slices in a rum glaze, and they were complete.

Sadly, we never found the party they were intended for - but somehow I don't think my co-workers will mind a little alcohol infused breakfast treat on Monday morning :-)

Rodeo Beach

2010-06-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

One of the things we love about living in Marin is the proximity to the beaches. Granted, the water isn't terribly warm - but it's still a nice place to spend an afternoon, and the drive is only 20 minutes.

Even Holly was smiling :-)

Happy 6th Anniversary Brett!

2010-06-12T10:02:00.001-07:00

Over the past 6 years, wedding anniversaries have been anything but the typical dinner out for me and Brett. Our first one was spent at my mom's funeral. Our third was forgotten (by both of us) in the frenzy of moving to California. If it weren't for the e-mail from Brett's sister or the call from his mom, I think it would have been days before we realized the goof. We were that hazed.

Our 4th was spent wandering our new home town of Amsterdam, learning the rules about cash only restaurants and a town that seemed to run on a banking system we weren't yet a part of. Our 5th was spent on a cruise in the Baltic seas, in between port calls to Russia and Estonia.

This year, we're going back to basics. We're heading up to wine country for lunch, followed by overpriced cookies from a bakery nearby. While we're lucky to be able to celebrate our anniversary today, it's not the date that counts. It's the journey in between that matters most.

Happy Anniversary Brett!

Corn flavored Kit Kats

2010-05-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

A co-worker of mine went to Japan recently and he brought back some Japanese Kit Kat bars. The flavors were really interesting from Green Tea to Melon. My favorites were the Soy Sauce flavor and the one that tasted like Corn. Mmmm :-) The melon and banana flavors, not so much.

Still, it was fun to taste all the different flavors. It reminds me of my obsession last year with country specific potato chips. Shrimp Cocktail or Shwarma anyone?

Another exciting weekend in the suburbs

2010-05-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Our rental was feeling a bit empty (and the dog's nails on the hardwood were driving me nuts), so we decided to pick up a few area rugs. They came on Saturday. Welcome to an exciting weekend in suburbia.

Wild Turkeys

2010-04-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

I went to a STEP class at the YMCA in San Rafael last week and after class noticed a bunch of women huddled by the window. I went over to see what they were looking at and noticed two HUGE wild turkeys. You can't see it that well in the photo, but the male was definitely strutting his stuff for the female. He was pretty proud of himself, with feathers fanned out like a peacock. She on the otherhand, couldn't have cared less, and went on eating.

Our trusty dock boat

2010-04-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went back to DC to visit my friends. I stopped into our neighborhood to have lunch with a neighbor, and went down to the lake to clean out our "dock boat." For those of you who helped build it, and who took a sail on it - you'll be glad to know it's as sturdy as the day it was built. A little dirtier maybe, but it's stil solid. I hope to get back someday to take it out for a spin on the lake.

Cooking Cooking Cooking

2010-04-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Work has been crazy the past few months, but this weekend I took some time to do something I love - which is cook. I got to try a few new recipes, but more importantly, I was able to make 2 weeks worth of lunches to take to work. Between Friday night and Sunday afternoon I made:

-Hawaiian Poki (marinated ahi tuna served raw)
-Thai red curry chicken & jasmine rice
-Chicken Pho (a Vietnamese chicken noodle soup)
-Hoisin glazed pork tenderloin with sesame stir fried bok choi
-Channa masala (Indian curried chickpeas)
-Beet & apple salad
-Chipotle deviled eggs
-Sauteed garlic spinach
-Balsamic reduction with strawberries and marscapone cream

There were a lot of dishes to wash, but luckily I have a husband who will gladly trade dishwashing for food :-)

My "new" cousin Evelyn

2010-03-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

After my dad passed away in October, I began having my his mail forwarded to our house in California. I received a few Christmas cards from folks who hadn't gotten the news, so I wrote them back and thanked them for being a part of my dad's life.

One of the people I wrote to was my dad's cousin Evelyn, who as it turns out, lives less than 45 minutes away! We'd never met, but Brett and I went to meet her last week. We weren't sure what it would be like to meet her, but we ended up staying hours longer planned. She was fascinating.

As a 20-something in the 1940s, she left the Schenectedy, NY area to teach overseas. She lived in Japan (and visited Hiroshima after the bomb), Paris (before DeGaulle kicked NATO out of France), and Germany (during the rebuilding years). She even took a tour of Russia during communism.

She also had some stories about my great grandmother (who apparently wasn't a very nice lady), a family member who emigrated from Germany and lost a young child on the voyage, and favorite family recipes that we still make today. She was especially happy to learn that I had kept all of my grandmother's pans for making some of those special treats.

I learned that her birthday is June 22nd and the she hasn't had a Dobosch Torte in 60 years. Let's just say I have a new birthday written in my calendar, and my pans are ready :-)

My love of Shamrocks

2010-03-17T08:50:00.001-07:00

My mom loved her shamrocks, and because of her, so do I. She had two ginormous plants in our dining room, and when I moved to DC and got my first place, she took some from her pots and hand carried them on the plane when she came to visit.

I promptly killed that offspring, and after watering the dirt for a few weeks (mom's suggestion) - one lonely stalk came back. She promised it would grow. Then I shut my blinds at work and accidentally clipped the pot, chopping the fledgling stalk in two. At that point I gave up. Maybe they aren't so lucky for me....

I was shamrock free until Saturday when I saw this fat plant at Trader Joe's. I'm going to try it again. Wish me luck....and Happy St Patrick's Day Mom :-)

My failed (1st attempt) at French Macarons

2010-03-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make French Macarons for a while, but after reading up about all the issues people have had with them, I've been procrastinating. Unlike brownies where you just mix and bake, macarons require some solid technique. Technique I apparently don't have. My goal was to make salt caramel macarons. I was off to a good start with the salt caramel filling....

....and it seemed like the macaron shells were ok (though a bit big given my limited piping abilities)...

But when it came time to assemble the baked cookies, it was clear something wasn't right. Some of the cookies had the desired "foot" while others didn't, and they were crunchy like meringue. Not crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Plus - some cracked while others didn't. Sigh. They taste ok, and they appear to be sucking some moisture out of the caramel filling, but I may just have to buy my macarons in the future. Either that, or obsess until I get it right.

Our new kitchen island

2010-03-01T06:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok. I know most people don't get excited about things like kitchen islands, but for me, I was thrilled when this was delivered from the local restaurant supply company. It gives us TONS of work space, is virtually indestructible, cheaper than Ikea, and it reminds me of my volunteer days at cooking school. Perfecto!

High Tide

2010-02-28T20:53:00.001-08:00

Brett and I are getting used to the large variations in the tides at our rental. On a normal day, the deck area looks like this:

On Saturday, it looked like this, and water was half way up our side yard! According to the tide charts, the highest tide will go 5 inches higher than this. Crazy.

Oh Canada!

2010-02-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

In Toronto last week a colleague pointed out the Olympic donuts Tim Hortons was selling in support of the Canadian team. Donut with little maple leaf sprinkes anyone?

Hairy melon, pigs blood jello, and side of sofa

2010-02-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

First let me say that I always respect anyone trying to do business in a foreign country. That said, I still giggle when I see things like this on a menu (as I did at a Chinese restaurant in the Toronto suburbs this week).

First up, hairy melon. I have since learned that a hairy melon is not a translation issue. It's a real term - but it doesn't sound very tasty at first.

Next up, pig blood Jello. I'm not a huge Jello fan to start with, and the addition of pig blood isn't really doing it for me.

Last, I think we found either a typo or a translation issue - unless sofas are the latest side dish. Bon appetit!

My first "borrow a kid" trip

2010-02-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

Brett and I don't plan on having our own kids, so years ago I made a deal with my brother where I could "borrow" his. My nephew turned 10 last fall and for his first trip with us, he chose San Francisco.

He's a huge Lego fan, so our first stop was the Lego Store in San Mateo.

We also stopped at Stinson Beach. It was an unplanned stop but we needed a place to recover from some vomit inducing curves in the road along the coast. Brendan had a ball chasing the waves and being chased. He'd never seen anything quite like it and loved playing with the sea foam, waves and sand.

The enormous redwoods at Muir Woods National monument were also a hit.

But a lot of the fun was had just hanging around our house playing Wii, hugging Holly...

...and digging in the sand along the marsh.

Brendan also had the pleasure of taking the maiden voyage in our hot tub.

Overall it was a great trip. We also went to Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard's "crooked" street, and to a hill so steep there are stairs in the side of it. I even made 2 souvenir photo books for him at Kodak Gallery and had them printed by the lab so we could pick them up. After all that, we asked Brendan what his favorite part of the trip was. His answer: The Lego Store.

Check out his photo books on Kodak Gallery using our new project sharing feature. My Pictures The ones Brendan took.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - a family tradition

2010-02-15T23:05:00.000-08:00

Lots of people make peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's Kiss on top. That may be well and good for them, but for me, the secret sauce is to swap that kiss for a cup.
It's a simple change, but using a mini Reeces peanut butter cup as a topper always seems to wow the crowd. My college friends still ask me to make these cookies, and when I brought some home for Christmas my nephew immediately grabbed 2 and came back for more. Since he arrives tomorrow for a visit, I whipped up a batch as a surprise. The best part about this recipe? You can go from start to finish in under 30 minutes! Enjoy.

Ingredients

2 cups Bisquick
1 can Sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add vanilla and blend well. Mix in Bisquick. After blended, roll dough into 1" balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes (I always do 6). While the cookies are baking, unwrap the peanut butter cups. Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, squish one unwrapped peanut butter cup into each cookie and let cool.

Neighborhood hikes

2010-02-15T05:44:00.000-08:00

About a mile from our house there's a trail that gives you great views of the city and the bay when you reach the top. Brett discovered it on a bike ride on Saturday.

On Sunday, Holly and I went along for the walk. It was a beautiful day and we all had a great trip.

Can you believe it's only February? I love these West Coast winters.

"Chez Geoffroy" opens in Corte Madera

2010-02-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I picture myself owning a bed and breakfast. In reality though, I'm just not a morning person. Bed and lunch would be possible. Bed and breakfast? Not so much. Until I disover my inner early bird, I'll just putter around doing innkeeper like activities at our own house, "Chez Geoffroy."

My brother and nephew are coming on Tuesday, so this weekend we furnished our guest bedroom, cleaned the hot tub and fixed the grill. I also got the cooking bug and cooked up a storm (Chicken Pho, Butter Chicken, Channa Masala, Thai curry chicken, Biriyani, and a salt caramel filling for French macarons).

I have a feeling there might be a meal or two on the deck if the weather holds. In fact, I foresee many meals on the deck in our new place.

Photos of our new rental

2010-02-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

Last week Brett and I moved out of our apartment into a 3 BR 2 Bath single family home on the bay. The house is old, the floors are slanted and the windows are single pane, but the view and deck are perfect for relaxing. We look forward to hosting many fun gatherings here. For those interested, here are a few photos....

The view from the back deck (which includes a hot tub)...

The view from the dock looking back towards the house. It even came with 2 kayaks which Brett is thrilled about :-)

The family room with windows overlooking the bay...

The dining room, also with windows overlooking the bay...

An open kitchen with skylight that overlooks the dining room...

...and we've also got a guest room just waiting to be filled. Note the two wall ovens at the ready to cook for a crowd. Come on over :-)

Fun finds in San Francisco

2010-02-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I found sour cream and onion crickets for sale at a candy shop. Last weekend we found meat cones and black truffle popcorn within 200 feet of each other.

We didn't buy the popcorn (though the curry one sounded interesting). Ever the fan of meat, Brett decided to partake in a salumi cone. I much prefer cones with gelato in them, but to each their own :-)

The Holly Hoedown

2010-02-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

Most dogs have a ticklish spot. Holly's is a few inches in front of her tail. When scratched lightly, she starts wiggling around in a manner we've dubbed "The Holly Hoedown." She's known to do it most vigorously when she's excited or nervous, with her feet coming a good 6 inches off the floor. Let's just say that her dancing has caused many strangers to smile and laugh. She wasn't in her finest form for this video, but you'll get the idea :-)

Moving day

2010-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! We're finally moving into the new rental. Four moves in three years is nothing right? Soon, this pile of boxes will be moved and unpacked and we can relax. Or so we think. I wonder what life has in store for us next.....I'm done trying to predict.

Rental house overlooking San Quentin prison, here we come :-)

My attempt at Chinese steamed turnip cakes

2010-01-31T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm on a "copycat recipe" kick lately and my latest quest was steamed turnip cakes like you might see at Chinese dim sum. I found a recipe on a food blog and decided to give it a try.

Using Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, mushrooms, green onions and rice flour, I made a batter like mix that was steamed for about an hour.

When it was done it looked something like this:

Then you slice a few squares, fry it up and enjoy with oyster sauce. I undercooked it a little, but for a first attempt, it wasn't bad. Not amazing, but not bad. I think I need to put out an ad on Craigslist for someone's Chinese grandmother to teach me to cook :-)

Dear neighbors: The walls are really thin....

2010-01-25T20:02:00.000-08:00

We had some new neighbors move in recently and let's just say that the walls are pretty thin. I had somewhat gotten used to the annoying subwoofer and picture hanging at midnight, but I was awakened this morning to screaming, yelling and crying. After ensuring that there wasn't a domestic violence issue (it appeared to be a phone call), we couldn't help but be riveted by what we heard next:

You *bleeped* it all up. It's on MY insurance! You've ruined everything! How could you do this? Well, it was YOUR choice. You chose to do it. Your dad chose to do it. Not everyone chooses it. That's how life works.... How long are they taking your license away? Was anyone hurt? I can't believe you drove drunk. You've ruined everything.

Then today there was lots of screaming and swearing with statements like "it's my body and you can't tell me what to do with it" and "You're not even listening you bleep" Then the final shot "just go out with your friends and don't come back!" which was followed by a knock at the door, a slammed door, then silence.

It's like having my own little soap opera (at least until Monday when we move) :-)

A Scrabble loss in pictures

2010-01-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just can't win. My first tile pull...

My 2nd....

Surely I'll get a consonant soon...

Then again, maybe not.

Sigh. It didn't help that I got the "Q" on the last pull....

Wear this, and it will take you 5 min to answer "What time is it?"

2010-01-13T06:15:00.000-08:00

I know a few people that would LOVE this "Square Root" watch. That's what happens when you marry into a family of math professors and have a husband who can do math in his head like Rainman. I guess those flash cards as a kid really paid off :-)

Bacon and Cheese crickets anyone?

2010-01-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

Walking near Fisherman's Wharf a few weeks back I ducked into a candy shop to look around for a minute. I didn't find anything of interest until I found these flavored crickets and larvettes. At only $2.50 a package, they were a steal, and the flavors were probably not bad. I tried to channel my internal Andrew Zimmerman, but left empty handed.

Napa-Sonoma Explorations

2010-01-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

We live only about 45 minutes from Napa and Sonoma counties, so we decided to wander around Yountville, Calistoga and Santa Rosa today. We started out by driving through Sonoma where we stopped to browse some art galleries and take "Edith Anne" inspired photos in these giant Adirondak chairs. As we drove from town to town we saw miles of vineyards. I was particularly impressed with the "green" mowing provided by these goats. They keep the grass trimmed, and they make yummy cheese. Perfect. Our next stop was Yountville, which is a teeny town best known for housing Thomas Keller's "French Laundry" restaurant. At $350 a person for dinner (before drinks, tax and tip) it's out of our league, but his MUCH less expensive restaurant Bouchon had space at the bar, so we grabbed a quick bite of pork belly and truffle fries.Bouchon the restaurant was good, but Bouchon the bakery next door was better. Brett loved the giant Peanut Butter Cookies filled with Peanut Butter frosting inside. After lunch we stopped at Rutherford Hill winery for some samples of Port, and our final stop of the day was Russian River Brewing company in Santa Rosa. They have the hugest sampler I've ever seen. Brett was in beer heaven with 14 different options to try. Definitely the way to start 2010

It's not a food blog - but I have been cooking a lot....

2010-01-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

I love to cook, and if I had to pick a favorite style, it would probably be Asian. I've taken Thai and Indian cooking classes, and once you find a good Asian grocer, the recipes aren't that hard.

Yesterday I created my own "Vietnamese Pho" recipe, by taking adding fresh lime leaves, Thai basil and fish sauce (Nam Pla) to the broth. I threw in some bok choi, noodles, chicken slices and mushrooms, and the result was a satisfying Thai chicken noodle soup. It might not be authentic, but it was very fresh tasting.

Then I decided to up the ante. Brett loves getting miso black cod when we go out for dinner, but at $18 a pop, it's not the cheapest. I did some searching online and found a recipe so we could make it at home. For about $25 in ingredients, we were able to make 4 servings of a restaurant quality meal. Gratifying (and easy). Yum.

A tasty way to get your veggies

2010-01-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite ways to eat zucchini is to saute it in a little bit of olive oil with some mushrooms, a bunch of fresh basil and some salt and pepper. If you're looking for a light, tasty way to eat your veggies, we highly recommend this one.

An unfortunate name for a Thai dish served in the US

2010-01-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

Brett and I ordered Thai for dinner tonight and the following was written on the label:

Luckily what was inside was Crab Fried Rice :-)

What part of "compact" didn't you understand?

2010-01-07T05:54:00.000-08:00

Somebody is a little out of touch with reality, unless they've changed the definition of compact cars to include Lincoln Navigators. I'm quite pleased with my parking job on the Civic though. :-)

Playing with your food is not only ok, but encouraged.

2010-01-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

I've always been a nerd. In fact, I enjoyed chemistry in school when I wasn't terrified of blowing myself up with Bunsen Burner - so it shouldn't be a surprise that after eating at Minibar when we lived in DC, I became a fan of Molecular Gastronomy. It's a fun way to experiment with food, but I've never tried it at home. When Brett showed me an ad for this "Molecular Gastronomy Kit" in the MIT Technology Review last night, I was smitten.

The kit looks rather clinical, but I still can't resist the ability to make red fruit caviar for my friends at a party. It's silly I know, but there's something enjoyable about juicing a fruit, and then placing the juice droplet by droplet into a mineral solution that gives the droplets a thin shell like little balls of caviar. Then when you eat them, the little balls snap apart so you enjoy a rush of fresh flavors in a unique way. Yes, it's a lot of work just to drink juice - but I think it's fun. If this experiment goes well, I might just have to buy a foamer. Cheddar cheese foam anyone?

Edamame art

2010-01-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

I was browsing around a shop in Pacific Heights the other day and came across this cool looking pear. At $60+ it was too steep for my budget but it was very cool looking. Upon closer inspection I noticed that it's a foam pear covered in what appears to be painted beans.

I thought about making one myself but I'm not sure if I have the patience to paint all those beans and then glue them onto foam. It's a fun look though.

The only time you'll hear me say "Mmmmm. Beeeer"

2010-01-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

I've never been a big fan of beer. I do however love bread and years ago made a tasty beer bread from a box mix I bought at a home party. I recently saw a beer bread mix at Trader Joe's and made a mental note to try it out someday. That someday was New Year's Eve, and there was no pre-made mix involved.

With just some flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and a bottle of beer, I had the dough in the oven in 5 minutes and a loaf to eat just 55 minutes later. If you've never had beer bread, it's tangy, dense and super moist - and it can be quite addictive. So addictive in fact that I've made 2 more loaves in the past 3 days (at Brett's request).

Each loaf has had a unique taste, depending on the beer used. The first was made with Brooklyn Schnieder Hopfenweisse, and the bread came out strongly flavored and hoppy. We ate that one too fast for pictures.

The second was a blueberry bread made with blueberry ale, a bit of honey and some fresh blueberries. Slightly sweeter, this one was great in the toaster oven with a bit of butter.

The latest used a Newcastle Brown Ale, and it was our favorite. The bread is a bit sweet, not too strong, with a good consistency. With a little honey butter on top, it's a cheap, fast treat to make. Who needs an $8 beer bread mix when you have a basic recipe like this? Mmmmm. Beeeeeeer.

Too freaky to leave behind

2010-01-02T17:43:00.001-08:00

We sold my dad's house (assuming it closes later this month as planned), so in December I went home for a few days to help my brother finish packing up. I came upon this "lovely" Easter decoration. On the one hand, it's a creative use of yellow plastic bags.

On the other hand, it's just freaky and I'm glad its eyes are closed. I don't know if I could have it in the house if it was staring at me :-) The scariest part was that I was in San Francisco recently and saw plastic bag roosters for sale in a shop window. Perhaps what's old is new again for this lovely ducky. I could do without the blue eyeshadow though.

Back to the blog

2010-01-01T16:21:00.001-08:00

Ok. I'm finally ready to break my blog hiatus. I'll go easy for the first post of the new year by sharing a few pics our our happy dog Holly, who couldn't wait to go for a run and a swim in our back yard today.

I love the look of anticipation on her face while she's waiting for us to throw the ball.

Then of course there's the blur of the shake after a successful ball retrieval, followed by the (unpictured) roll in the mud.

And finally, there's one happy content dog.

Happy New Year everyone!

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!

2009-11-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Well, not really - but I did sell a lot of cookies back in the day. I also apparently earned a lot of patches. Girl Scouts is where I learned how a toilet works. That Ms. Fix It badge payed off in spades once I became a homeowner :-)

No $300 plumber bills for me! Just $7 at Home Depot gets most toilets fixed.

Funny political statements

2009-11-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

I came across a book with pithy captions on pictures of major world events. Can you guess the US stance on communism?

I also found it interesting that even Donald Duck was recruited for political causes.

I wish....

2009-11-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

I wish I had listened more.
I wish I'd had more patience.
I wish I'd sorted through those boxes 15 years ago.

I know that hindsight is 20/20. I know I was generally a good daughter. And I know my parents were proud of me - but I can't help but wish that I'd spent more time really getting to know them. Asking them questions. Learning about their pasts. Actually listening to their responses.

Maybe they wouldn't have shared much - but the papers I found gave glimpses to the story.....

I found letters from my dad to his parents during his freshman year of college. He was homesick. He was a chemistry major. He was failing. He wanted to come home.

I found his old homework assignments. Papers that talked about his loneliness and his trouble finding his place. Notes where where his teachers wrote "Are you sure you should be in college if you feel this way about school?" OR after my dad noted that he had trouble expressing himself, a teacher wrote: "You need practice. Lots of it." He triumphed, and graduated from Clarkson with a degree in Accounting.

I found his rejection letters from the state of New York after he passed the Civil Service exam, but then disclosed that he had epilepsy. They denied him a job for "medical reasons." It was 1960. They could do that then. Luckily his local congressman and The Tri-State Epilepsy foundation went to bat on his behalf and he was offered a job. A job he retired from 25+ years later.

I found a letter from my grandparents who were "elated" to hear my "parents news." Though it doesn't say what the news is, the tone implies that my mom was pregnant with her first child. The date is 3 years before either me or my brother was born.

I feel fortunate to have found these glimpses into my parents' lives, despite some of the heart wrenching tales the letters told. My only regret is that I didn't read them sooner.

Had I known, I might have been more tolerant. More empathetic. More respectful. Every family has a story to tell. The secret is to listen.

Missed opportunities for Halloween Costumes

2009-11-01T07:46:00.000-08:00

Most years I don't do anything special for Halloween. This year was no exception - but if I had dressed up, I could have been Neptune or a bride using things from my dad's house.

I made this Neptune mask as part of an elementary school art class. They took a plaster mold of your face and then you got to decorate it any way you wished. I guess I had really big eyebrows back then. Thank goodness I discovered tweezers!

Then I came across my mom's wedding dress. We definitely didn't share the same shape, but her dress still fit. It was yellowed and smelly, making it perfect for a zombie bride costume.

Marketing to the Lady of the House

2009-10-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

It surprised me to find that the Rochester Gas and Electric Company used to publish a cookbook series, until I was reminded that it helped encourage energy consumption.

But the "Womens Guide to Home Emergencies" book was an even funnier surprise. It wasn't a gender neutral "Guide to Home Emergencies." This booklet was for the fairer sex. The ones who can't chip a manicure or crawl under the sink while wearing a dress and apron.
The year it was published?.....1973!

Cookbook from Kraft

2009-10-30T05:13:00.000-07:00

Is that really Salmon flavored Jello? Or is it a decorative mold? We're off to an interesting start here.....

Next they showcase the Miracle Whip topped Jello mold. Hmmm.

I think my favorite part is the "special occasions" recipe section. Just add Velveeta and mayonaise and you've got yourself a real treat. Mmmm. I admit to using Velveeta in certain recipes, but I have to laugh that it doesn't require refrigeration and that the Dutch government finally allowed it to be imported after they realized it didn't have enough dairy in it to cause a threat to their own cheese industry. :-)

The "Choosy Moms" cookbook

2009-10-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

One of the things that was evident while looking at my mom's cookbooks was that many of them were branded by food companies. It makes total sense. The more ideas you can give people, the more product you'll sell. The Peanut Butter Cookbook actually had lots of yummy sounding dessert recipes inside, but the interesting items came from the main courses.

First up: The peanut butter and canned ham sandwich. Hmm. Salt and peanuts. Could be good.

Then came macaroni and cheese and peanut butter. Skepticism is growing....

Then WHAM! They pulled out all the stops. Canned tuna, cream of mushroom soup and peanut butter mixed together in a meal called "Polynesian Supreme." I might have to make this sometime just to see what it's really like. I pity my next party guests. :-)

The Joys of Jello

2009-10-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Joys of Jello cookbook didn't start out so bad. There were pretty confetti cakes and decorative Jello molds used to hold ice cream centers or gum drops. Not my taste, but ok.

From there though, it got strange quick. It appears that vegetables in Jello replaced fruit as the trend, and I found pages of these horrifying recipes - like Spinach, Avocado and Carrot molds.....

and Jello molds with Cauliflower and red peppers.

But then it just got downright gross when they started adding canned tuna fish and olive slices to the mix. Blech!

By the time I got to tomato molds, it actually seemed quite reasonable. I guess in the end, it's no different than aspic (eat your heart out Julia Child), but I don't plan on meat molded into gelatin anytime soon.

Back by Popular Demand: Retro Cookbooks

2009-10-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about the fun finds in my mom's old recipe folders. When I was cleaning out my dad's house, I found the actual cookbooks. The recipes inside these covers aren't that remarkable, but I found the titles quite fun, like.....

ONLY LOVE BEATS BUTTER

THE EATING IN BED COOKBOOK

HOW TO BE WORLDLY WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR KITCHEN

I must admit that I was disappointed there weren't more recipes to mock inside the covers, but that's ok because I also found "The Joy of Jello" cookbook. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post for some technicolor goodness and some "oh gross" laughs.

Bran for all occasions

2009-10-26T05:19:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the title on this recipe booklet. All occasions huh? Weddings? Baby Showers? That romantic evening with your sweetie? Somehow I think the title was a bit too inclusive in it's use of the word "all."

I'm a fan of fiber, but even I have my limits.

How to mortify an overweight teenager

2009-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

My high school held an awards ceremony at the end of every year to celebrate the accomplishments of the students. They never told you what award you would be receiving in advance, but instead simply sent an invitation to the event. I had received awards in years past, but always for academic achievements.

Unfortunately in 1991, I received an award for "Outstanding accomplishment in gym." As a 250+ pound teenager, let's just say I wasn't thrilled with walking down the aisle to share that particular spotlight.

I laugh about it now - but it's still an ironic, head shaking dismay paired with a groan. :-)

Q: What do taxidermied animals and candlesticks have in common?

2009-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

A: They're both hideous. These candlesticks are quite possibly the ugliest I've ever seen....

...and this stuffed "Cayman gator" doesn't win any prizes for the warm and fuzzy category. Even the stuffed baby duckling I found (who was soft and fuzzy) wouldn't earn a spot on display in my house. Let's hope the "stuffed animal" trend doesn't come back.

Yes folks, these were all items found in my dad's house.

My little blue autograph book

2009-10-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

On my 10th birthday, I got an autograph book as a gift. As I flipped through the pages I remembered that nobody famous had ever signed it, but the notes from my parents mattered the most. The first was from my dad:

Then my mom gave her wishes:

Not even a signature from Mickey Mouse or Goofy could top that.

The things you learn about your parents

2009-10-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

While going through papers I stumbled upon this little gem. It appeared to be written by one of my dad's co-workers and implied that he found my parents engaging in a little "hankie pankie" in the men's room at work. (My mom was a stenographer in the secretarial pool in the office where my dad was an accountant).

I laughed when I saw it. Could it be? Mom was so proper. Then again, dad did like to give hugs. At my dad's memorial one of his former co-workers stopped by. I asked him: "Bill, is this a joke? Or is it true?"

He looked at it, laughed, and said "This paper is a joke, because "Larry O" didn't write this, but the story about catching your parents is probably true."

I'll never know if he was telling the truth or just giving me a funny memory of my parents - but I'll be forever grateful for the levity he brought to the day. Reading that "joke" paper still makes me smile.

A sign of great taste: The WWF Album

2009-10-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

I came across my old record collection and along with the Michael Jackson's Thriller and Lionel Richie vinyl, I found this gem: The Wrestling Album." Note that despite being full of singers from WWF (World Wrestling Federation), there's no clear endorsement on the jacket other than on the microphone covers.

Perhaps even the WWF didn't want to be associated with the vocals of men like Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Hulk Hogan, or The Junkyard Dog. Yes, I'm embarassed that I can remember their names, but as you already know I'm one classy girl with amazing taste in music :-)

Another early work by Lori Helms: Grade 6

2009-10-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know what made me snicker more:

a) My 6th grade poem in the Community Arts Day booklet OR
b) The fact that my 6th grade teacher's name was Mr. Hickey

Childish humor aside, here is my poem. Apparently no title was necessary.

Kind of jumpy.
Australia native.
Nighttime animal.
Gray and red fur.
A long tail.
Ready to hop.
Often shy.
Observe him.
Sitting silently.

The End.

What IS that?

2009-10-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

While cleaning out the kitchen cabinets I discovered this wooden donkey. It was clearly handmade, and I knew SOMETHING was supposed to happen when you pulled the donkey's moveable ear, but I couldn't figure it out. My brother was also baffled, but we agreed that we couldn't throw it out.

It was on the counter at my dad's memorial when my Aunt walked up and said "Oh - I see you found Aunt Florence's cigarette dispenser." Aha! I jumped on the opportunity to learn more about it. Apparently you put cigarettes in the donkey's pack and when you pull on his ear, one shoots out of it's butt underneath the tail. Definitely classy. Definitely a classic. Definitely not trash.

I walked around the house with my Aunt, asking her to tell the stories behind other "UFOs" (Unidentifiable family objects). I wish my parents had been able to take that walk with me, but Aunt Joan was a great substitute.

The end of a book.

2009-10-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

One of my mom's old friends said it best. "I feel like I just finished reading a book...."

It's hard to describe the feelings you go through after both parents have passed away. Over the past few weeks I've felt overwhelmed, emptiness, sadness, shock and happiness - but through it all I've had a sense of determination to get by, by being pragmatic and trying to maintain a sense of humor. My mom was a strong woman - and I wanted to live by her example.

Because my dad died unexpectedly, we had lots to do beyond the typical paperwork. We had to deal with a house full of 42 years of memories (and a healthy amount of junk), and an apartment to empty - despite just moving my dad in 3 weeks prior.

We had a dumpster delivered and with the help of 3 friends, filled it with junk from the basement in just 3 hours! Did you know my dad collected bicycle parts? We threw away at least 10 bicyle frames and numerous rusted handlebars, wheels and tires. We also found work training manuals from the 60s, phone bills from the 70s, and at least 6 coffee pots. :-)

Once the clear junk was removed, we had a second dumpster delivered and brought everything up from the basement and into the garage.

While the sorting was tough, we had a lot of fun reliving memories, and over the next several blog posts, I'll be sharing some of the finds we found interesting. Some are personal, some are amusing, and some are downright bizarre - but I hope you'll get a laugh or a smile from them like we did.

Run Holly! Run!!

2009-10-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

The beach in Carmel is also dog friendly, and leash-free canines ran with glee up and down the sand, chasing seagulls, balls, and handfulls of sand (nice one Brett). Holly was a salty sticky mess by the end of the afternoon, but she didn't seem to mind one bit.

Diggity Dog

2009-10-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

No, this photo isn't a picture of some fabulous bakery for humans. It's a display of dog treats at Diggity Dog in Carmel. The staff are experts at getting humans to part with their money by creating anthropomorphic displays of treats for dogs that look like something a human would enjoy. I must confess that Holly enjoyed a strawberry canoli and a calamari ring or two.

"The Dog Pound" is Dog Heaven in Carmel, CA

2009-09-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

The city of Carmel, CA is known for being particularly dog friendly and it's just a 2 hour drive from our place in Larkspur. It's not uncommon to see merchants with bowls of water out for the pooches, and they even have a fountain dedicated for dogs to drink out of. We went this past weekend, and it was hard to walk a block without someone stopping to pet Holly or ask how old she was. Shop owners were quick with a treat or an invitation to come into their shop with dogs in tow.

One restaurant, "Forge in the Forest" even has a dedicated patio just for patrons with dogs. It's called the "Dog Pound," and they serve every dog a free bowl of water and bones. They also have a specialty menu where you can order a treat just for your pet. Holly LOVED her chicken entree. Although it was chicken breast, she didn't seem to have any complaints about it being dry.

Lovely Pieces Design

2009-09-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is a really talented graphic designer who lives in Brooklyn. She recently started designing her own line of hand made letterpress note cards, tote bags and other good featuring the designs she's made.

I was blown away by the sophistication of her designs. I received this tote bag as a birthday gift and can't wait until Christmas. Ashley - keep on designing girl! I need some new t-shirts, wall art, and sofa pillows!

If you're interested in checking her out, she's got her own blog at lovelypiecesdesign.blogspot.com and she's just getting her own store up and running on etsy.

Alcoa Wrap

2009-09-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of this one?

What about now? See the lower left of the photo. Somewhere along the line, Alcoa Wrap had a re-brand.

Marshmallow Madness

2009-09-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

I had the Dumbo cake for my birthday one year, and I LOVED the marshmallow elephants on the cake. I've never been a fan of marshmallows by themselves, but with Eagle Brand populating the recipe file, I never had to worry. If your pastel colored sweetened condensed milk dessert wasn't sweet enough, just add marshmallows. Like a Jell-O mold with canned fruit added to it, marshmallows don't do much for added flavor - but they do give recipes some err......added texture.

Hunky Football Players Sell Iced Tea

2009-09-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

When I think of football player endorsements, I think of shoes. Or sports drinks. Iced tea? Not so much. I had to look up who Don Meredith was, but apparently the folks at Lipton thought he'd be great at convincing the ladies that Iced Tea was not just a drink for summertime.

I love how the ad takes the hard sell. As if the idea of drinking Iced Tea year round was blasphemy. I also love how they've got him enjoying his iced tea in two different settings. One outdoors, and one indoors in a room with wood paneling and a ping pong table. Steamy!

Pudding in a Cloud

2009-09-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

Seeing this reminded me of one of my favorite dessert treats when I was a kid. Pudding in a cloud. Simply put: chocolate pudding on top of a pile of Cool Whip. I love how the ad shows instructions on how to make it, as if it was really hard. I also love how they refer to it as a heavenly new idea. Seems like pudding and whipped cream were around before that, but maybe the real breakthrough was in the ratio of cream to pudding. Mmmmm.

Cooky Sheets

2009-09-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

I started this post by trying to think of snarky ways to poke fun at the mis-spelling of "cookie sheet" but then did a search online and discovered that the joke is on me. Apparently "cooky" is another word for "cookie" and in 1963, Betty Crocker published a "Cooky Book." Who knew?

Back by popular demand: Technicolor desserts

2009-09-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok. A few of you wrote and told me how much you were enjoying the "retro recipes" series so I dug through what I brought back from my dad's and found enough fodder for a few more posts. After that though, sad to say, it's truly done - at least until my next trip home. I haven't gone through my mom's old cookbooks......yet!

Today I bring you..."Technicolor desserts!" It seems pastels were popular back in the 70s and 80s (or my mom just really loved chiffon pies).

Tater Tots for Dessert?

2009-09-22T01:33:00.000-07:00

To close out the series on old recipes from my mom's files, I present to you: The TaterO's Recipe book. I can understand the recipes that add cheese sauce or even gravy to the mix, but I can't wrap my head around the dessert version - which has you dunking your tater tots into a dipping sauce made of pumpkin pie spice flavored whipped cream. Still, you have to give them props for creativity.

Pepperoni and mac & cheese "pizza"

2009-09-21T01:29:00.000-07:00

Another fun one from the "old recipe" files at my dad's house. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese topped by pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese. I bet kids would love it, even though I don't think any amount of doctoring could make me love boxed mac and cheese anymore.

Wickham Farms and the Jumping Pillow

2009-09-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

When I was back in Rochester, I took my niece and nephew to Wickham Farms to play on their jumping pillow. The kids had a blast, as you can see in this video. I wish I had that much energy!

A clam I am

2009-09-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

I love steamed clams and bought some cherrystones last week. They're typically fairly large and are often used for clam chowder. Check out the size of this guy. It was almost the size of my palm!

The Egg Crisis (one of my first published works)

2009-09-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Back in 1986, the Webster School district published an annual book as part of the Community Arts Festival. I don't remember how stories and poems were selected for this book, but the content was written by students from the local elementary schools.

While cleaning out my dad's house I found the book and while flipping through, stumbled upon a story that I apparently wrote. It goes a little something like this:

The Egg Crisis
by Lori Helms

It was a warm sunny day on the Herped Farm in Iowa. Molly was bored. She was restless too. She decided she would go out back. She stopped dead in her tracks.

There standing right smack in front of her were fifty chickens! The head chicken looked her straight in the eye and said, "We are going on strike." She looked pretty serious. "One more thing," she added. "I thought you should know why we are going on strike." "We are going on strike because we feel that we are not getting enough corn." Several chickens shouted out, "All right Georgia, that's telling her."

For two years the strike went on. Everyone in America was craving eggs. A chicken named Carmella layed an egg. A millionaire wanted it so much he paid $9,465,302. People kept begging the chickens to lay eggs, but they wouldn't lay.

Finally, Molly's father had to agree with the chickens. He told them the next day. There was great rejoicing from the chickens. They were so happy it was heard 95 miles away.

From then on everyone was happy. The chickens were happy because they got their corn and Americans were happy because they got their eggs.

THE END

I guess my knack for business runs deep - though maybe I should have majored in labor relations :-)

Which would you rather have?

2009-09-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

I guess you CAN have your cake and eat it too - though this ad isn't terribly scientific about how big a slice of cheesecake you get for 235 calories. I especially love how the cheesecake is 5 calories LESS than the cottage cheese. I bet the lawyers would have required an asterisk and small print if they tried to re-run this ad today :-)

Fresher tasting chemicals.

2009-09-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

Sick of stale tasting Cool Whip? Try the new chemicals. Yummy. (BTW - I still use Cool Whip for recipes every now and then, so I'm not knocking it. I'm just calling a spade a spade).

Jell-O Molds - definitely your mother's party food

2009-09-15T02:35:00.000-07:00

A lot of the recipes in my mom's recipe folder used Cool Whip, Jell-O or cream cheese as core ingredients. I like Jell-O every now and then - but when I saw this picture, I had to draw the line. I guess as times have changed, so has my appetite for a Jell-O mold - even one with chicken salad served in the middle. Plus - is the canned fruit cocktail inside really THAT tasty?
Then again, a retro recipe party could be kind of fun. Especially with pastel beauties like the ones below. Who needs cupcakes and macaroons when you can serve something called the "Green Angel?"

Tuna and cream of mushroom soup "Chinese" casserole

2009-09-14T02:22:00.000-07:00

Ok. I defy you to find a Chinese dish like this in Beijing or anywhere else in China. Were they serious? Canned tuna? Cream of Mushroom Soup? Oh, but wait! They use cashew nuts. Now it's authentic :-)

Then I ran across this Japanese ad. Somehow I don't think it would pass muster today on the "politically correct front."

Retro Recipes

2009-09-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

I've been busy this week cleaning out my dad's house, which is no small feat. He's been in the house for 42 years and was a pack rat of sorts (he washed and re-used microwave dinner trays and used coffee can lids for coasters, for example). I counted 16 lids at one point. Plus, how many coffee pots can one man own? Answer: 6. How many of those coffee pots actually work? Answer: 2.
Although most of the stuff I'm sifting through is quite boring, I found my mom's old recipe folders today. I had a blast scanning through them and thought I'd share them with you over the next few posts.
Recipe idea #1: Adding chopped hot dogs to chicken broth. Although I'd never think to add hot dogs to soup, the marketers at Lipton thought that would be a tasty treat. You can't fault them for trying to give their readers new ideas - even if they're loaded with sodium and nitrates. Mmmm :-)