tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5874276244502987982023-11-15T19:35:30.006-08:00Mooi Helm (aka "Mooie Helm").Starting year 3 of being a geographical gypsy. From San Francisco to Amsterdam and back. Where next? Only the wind knows.....Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-84771118538224156772012-01-01T15:37:00.000-08:002012-01-01T15:59:19.814-08:00Back to work<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXoNbtgfqwMLdSvP5olv2VGcw4ZTs0dTv-ESubm7-5xGLRtSjp1Mn8DWOXoPGPaW0ExFm3zm2N5LxQd-g9egkrlrtIWXznVgf722uicospTroULOzOnwC72adWScNBbEgf9BEAgg_q8tT/s1600/momofuku+milk+bar+cakes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXoNbtgfqwMLdSvP5olv2VGcw4ZTs0dTv-ESubm7-5xGLRtSjp1Mn8DWOXoPGPaW0ExFm3zm2N5LxQd-g9egkrlrtIWXznVgf722uicospTroULOzOnwC72adWScNBbEgf9BEAgg_q8tT/s400/momofuku+milk+bar+cakes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692814125275724978" /></a><br />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 :-)<br /><br /><strong>Recipes tried over the past 6 weeks</strong><br />1) Pretzel crunch<br />2) Fruity pebbles cookies<br />3) Compost cookies (potato chips and pretzel mix-ins)<br />4) Cornflake marshmallow chocolate chip cookies<br />5) Apple pie cake (with frosting that tastes like pie crust)<br />6) Pecan "crack pie"<br />7) Candy bar pie (peanut butter nougat on top of salted caramel and chocolate)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSW6AsVtnLX5FxoZQWGMeABsF-kV15UrVVpRCF0WWntVS5xiTdNC_tyKn3VDtAF3ybkcOoSrn0XArHwrf7EbS_WJKsaoabf2xK_JSMTtWmhkMahMhaus8FNF4a1166RC8JsqAcCRS7K8p/s1600/thai+turbot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSW6AsVtnLX5FxoZQWGMeABsF-kV15UrVVpRCF0WWntVS5xiTdNC_tyKn3VDtAF3ybkcOoSrn0XArHwrf7EbS_WJKsaoabf2xK_JSMTtWmhkMahMhaus8FNF4a1166RC8JsqAcCRS7K8p/s400/thai+turbot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692813955926362370" /></a><br />8) Thai curry mashed potatoes<br />9) Brussels sprouts with pancetta and garlic<br />10) Green bean casserole (from scratch)<br />11) Seafood miso soup<br />12) Mushroom soup<br />13) Italian wedding soup <br />14) Portuguese kale soup<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcXhLKB5Nqjj2BD0W6eBEbNmDeH5dID55agPacxdqLspZ8WkCC9Ats-HGHu8mAM-T0h56bllFCuK0BLbvv1FxlnYPMczwPiWzSWS72QFeoABiRmR0SDfjPx12BpmwgkzzdTY516XJ63Mv/s1600/sausage+quiche.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcXhLKB5Nqjj2BD0W6eBEbNmDeH5dID55agPacxdqLspZ8WkCC9Ats-HGHu8mAM-T0h56bllFCuK0BLbvv1FxlnYPMczwPiWzSWS72QFeoABiRmR0SDfjPx12BpmwgkzzdTY516XJ63Mv/s400/sausage+quiche.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692814568120829522" /></a><br />15) Gluten free monkey bread<br />16) Gluten free apple pie cake<br />17) Gluten free cornflake cookies<br />18) Gomae (Japanese spinach with sesame seeds)<br />19) Thai steamed turbot (from Ellie Krieger)<br />20) Slanted Door's crab cellophane noodles <br />21) Raclette <br />22) Sausage and swiss quiche with hashbrown crustLorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-10729228698551099552011-11-21T14:57:00.000-08:002011-11-21T15:02:30.346-08:00Severed head catnip toys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdmQxcC7dWGUG5WtUskiJ-ZdbVvbpJK0I25KGw_i5xt_xPu0FGsNwedzhjV-kktmYAgLOMpDZlYlkw3woaWoLx5V-6rEXdsieyFsxwSFKElJDNHOHKtaXobDet69qbBXrwWk3_p-pq38s/s1600/catnip+toys.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdmQxcC7dWGUG5WtUskiJ-ZdbVvbpJK0I25KGw_i5xt_xPu0FGsNwedzhjV-kktmYAgLOMpDZlYlkw3woaWoLx5V-6rEXdsieyFsxwSFKElJDNHOHKtaXobDet69qbBXrwWk3_p-pq38s/s400/catnip+toys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677587755675741922" /></a><br />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. <br /><br />You can buy them <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/60884780/cat-toy-catnip-filled-severed-heads">here</a> if you're so inclined.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-33928023513758905612011-10-04T08:35:00.000-07:002011-10-04T08:37:39.945-07:00Wegmans Lobster Humor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A0xv8J-VCORtft0FDM5uTYUfsBOBlgOwzL-Cr0IHjoPZ8UgwfDV1Bt4c3f43jOOb7SxSX4jmR_CUT7QcZ7invCL5QU7pjjpwaagCgDBNvcRWXR16UnkBjTjoHHiXZBUNRN8Do7jKM4Av/s1600/wegmans+humor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A0xv8J-VCORtft0FDM5uTYUfsBOBlgOwzL-Cr0IHjoPZ8UgwfDV1Bt4c3f43jOOb7SxSX4jmR_CUT7QcZ7invCL5QU7pjjpwaagCgDBNvcRWXR16UnkBjTjoHHiXZBUNRN8Do7jKM4Av/s400/wegmans+humor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659661417092584658" /></a><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-8046027661770618312011-09-25T08:41:00.000-07:002011-09-25T09:00:46.749-07:00Ocean Trash as art<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUjkXLloBY95jBvy7rH9ypFXFcexIla8iixGQ7foPzNs0au_HS4u9x0nxItdv7ErQuYaIqmVlDMIOnmZvhcpFSUSLmVBFbmBtVQjANnqhpvs8_dFz5dSXt9BKZ5946OJZZfdy9hmOz4EG/s1600/trash+fish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUjkXLloBY95jBvy7rH9ypFXFcexIla8iixGQ7foPzNs0au_HS4u9x0nxItdv7ErQuYaIqmVlDMIOnmZvhcpFSUSLmVBFbmBtVQjANnqhpvs8_dFz5dSXt9BKZ5946OJZZfdy9hmOz4EG/s400/trash+fish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656324701161222530" /></a><br />I started to explore doing some pro bono marketing work for the <a href="http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/">Marine Mammal Center </a>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. <br /><br />While visiting an art festival I saw a piece of <a href="http://marinemammalcenterart.org/">artwork made from ocean trash</a> and found it fascinating stuff. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDqoP_TbFgKoO_pJepKrD_OTH-T5UO-PwLdw7NgrtfXRsTyYJ1QiRUrppcKozQN414_i94FsllvnLsUCLGb9rZG91t1X13uz-C79oXsLlip1VWvLWT5kwfz2CmUoEzVU8Df5fzsWzvd6H/s1600/trash+closeup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDqoP_TbFgKoO_pJepKrD_OTH-T5UO-PwLdw7NgrtfXRsTyYJ1QiRUrppcKozQN414_i94FsllvnLsUCLGb9rZG91t1X13uz-C79oXsLlip1VWvLWT5kwfz2CmUoEzVU8Df5fzsWzvd6H/s400/trash+closeup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656324828326281058" /></a> <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. :-)Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-83621393981060118642011-09-23T06:19:00.000-07:002011-09-23T10:33:08.993-07:00Hello again Sammy Hagar!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0tIQejfHmH2_5YDHkNN3J8XpGiSTuHribMftpNNbu32z4seRiT-10T7l4v37K8SLrXo9Mz3bzT2mxWEvbxSCXmHdIO4a7AQvjDD3RsD5fLnIYmmlaPG69yXNVxluZnd5R96Bo5DY-eng/s1600/Sammy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0tIQejfHmH2_5YDHkNN3J8XpGiSTuHribMftpNNbu32z4seRiT-10T7l4v37K8SLrXo9Mz3bzT2mxWEvbxSCXmHdIO4a7AQvjDD3RsD5fLnIYmmlaPG69yXNVxluZnd5R96Bo5DY-eng/s400/Sammy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655381023698685906" /></a><br />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). <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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).Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-48731289898904334962011-09-22T17:10:00.001-07:002011-09-22T17:50:12.922-07:00Method Home: People Against Dirty<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx8EWWrjrTDfna4pJSTDFdpVuQiU5GIa6xjVWObdFXdsSglkmjjFS4FPjIQGoXiTnpr3AV1qUTXlJ-LrEHfekQ3Zmgqm2wQW5va8k7QHSwzasc2C2G8apnfi85UbyGRxjIrDnJSNCM3ZJ/s1600/12oz_hw_gel_LE_juicypear.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx8EWWrjrTDfna4pJSTDFdpVuQiU5GIa6xjVWObdFXdsSglkmjjFS4FPjIQGoXiTnpr3AV1qUTXlJ-LrEHfekQ3Zmgqm2wQW5va8k7QHSwzasc2C2G8apnfi85UbyGRxjIrDnJSNCM3ZJ/s400/12oz_hw_gel_LE_juicypear.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655346254510305810" /></a>Many years ago I saw a really cool looking bottle of hand soap at the store made by a company called <a href="http://methodhome.com/">Method Home</a>. 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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vx3aotNvlHs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br /><br />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. <br /><br /><iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4ceWYgrWxFE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />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. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OaUkFtYTEJN9IZjcZxJJG-o5WfvY0ixHTHNAN7eLGvOI90t6rd1su4WBzHYgEp1tJldS4tIf2OPoX50nA4ekLSCwskohBxpCYkOG2NlFpGPqn3Cr3N80ZjZCsRSKopB5xTS1MqJeEQUO/s1600/biodiesel_back_side.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OaUkFtYTEJN9IZjcZxJJG-o5WfvY0ixHTHNAN7eLGvOI90t6rd1su4WBzHYgEp1tJldS4tIf2OPoX50nA4ekLSCwskohBxpCYkOG2NlFpGPqn3Cr3N80ZjZCsRSKopB5xTS1MqJeEQUO/s400/biodiesel_back_side.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655346401820224722" /></a><br /><br />Needless to say, it was a positive experience with their brand, and I remain a raving fan.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-1496196922672392842011-08-14T12:04:00.001-07:002011-08-14T19:44:33.178-07:00My chance encounter with a balloon art star from TLC's Unpoppables!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.
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<br />I met a balloon artist: <a href="http://balloonsequalfun.com/">Brian Asman</a> 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.
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<br />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 "<a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/unpoppables">Unpoppables</a>" profiling a team of "balloon artists" working together for events. You can see another clip here:
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<br />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."
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<br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A7C-iEoArAc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-37366499294346685172011-08-03T13:30:00.000-07:002011-08-14T12:57:16.501-07:00A golden retriever's kryptoniteHolly 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. <br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NQaxurpPLv0?hl=en&fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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."<br /><br />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. <br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-10565696274384905102010-10-19T20:42:00.000-07:002010-10-19T20:53:23.059-07:00Cupcakes cupcakes cupcakes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCegeWEsnO5Yv6gUwTTmLDQJAuN5TaQkiiU6GSXKQGlphwEf4CQ5KBK9nNGUKnyx1wyWf3pA-A1tERNcNuuNf9cu158QW-M0yFpSnFEga5dm_mfC69EhrRXrdqZYbdmfsuhejzW9ZwkPG/s1600/100_1899.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCegeWEsnO5Yv6gUwTTmLDQJAuN5TaQkiiU6GSXKQGlphwEf4CQ5KBK9nNGUKnyx1wyWf3pA-A1tERNcNuuNf9cu158QW-M0yFpSnFEga5dm_mfC69EhrRXrdqZYbdmfsuhejzW9ZwkPG/s400/100_1899.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529969485418567794" /></a>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.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtPq2cC6QlheEs5QaqNykeUD_NKlN3KlJQNfkV0ag51eshNMzQGdVYoDGFT9KiXY0w8SCQ40ucK9qzoL0OuNxCmzSz201q15JK6hieLFK1NTg7ygTJ-i0Si_3EQw3Yzfo_Och6-SzNQX_/s1600/100_1906.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtPq2cC6QlheEs5QaqNykeUD_NKlN3KlJQNfkV0ag51eshNMzQGdVYoDGFT9KiXY0w8SCQ40ucK9qzoL0OuNxCmzSz201q15JK6hieLFK1NTg7ygTJ-i0Si_3EQw3Yzfo_Och6-SzNQX_/s400/100_1906.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529969490526342258" /></a>Although the cupcakes didn't look quite like the ones in the book, everyone agreed that eating them was fun. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TfrLqJ-1JzWsMF4Y8MwkT5qZ_vz5z1ygihj1ly7Zavg-HNhlb26du0AOfteY7YAm6v9rCcBn7Atu3i_zWtS74a22y0K5_k4TC73u8GykzTk9P60AgGrM3Yj1VjB3GzUk-ou1Qc-OcI00/s1600/100_1902.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TfrLqJ-1JzWsMF4Y8MwkT5qZ_vz5z1ygihj1ly7Zavg-HNhlb26du0AOfteY7YAm6v9rCcBn7Atu3i_zWtS74a22y0K5_k4TC73u8GykzTk9P60AgGrM3Yj1VjB3GzUk-ou1Qc-OcI00/s400/100_1902.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529969493020775730" /></a>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-76713162866087060172010-10-11T08:29:00.000-07:002010-10-11T08:51:56.631-07:00My own personal "Cake Wrecks"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPevgC8QuU-sqTE3stN_4r5aEMRkMaijj4zHDKJUtW1_divPWITu05pRauiGCle1o04kZdbeuEz-qs6ij1HpVNeY_2OUh7EPsQAoem7ntF5RK0YVwKrKcYsS3RKj05QSnx19wDS3omRGA/s1600/tack_cupcake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPevgC8QuU-sqTE3stN_4r5aEMRkMaijj4zHDKJUtW1_divPWITu05pRauiGCle1o04kZdbeuEz-qs6ij1HpVNeY_2OUh7EPsQAoem7ntF5RK0YVwKrKcYsS3RKj05QSnx19wDS3omRGA/s400/tack_cupcake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526815399281304034" /></a><br />I'm a sucker for cute cupcakes, and last week I saw an adorable book called "<a href="http://www.hellocupcakebook.com/">What's New Cupcake</a>" 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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMv1bNKBBMOpuy0KlSApWZIgr9RJPV3UfSuOBj7KSVugw_MzsXTpZTQ_SYYPA8tckdcL1hzwCtX6XkHKZ1aYO0eSn-ZA9-oczwo6Q_lB0u5AW5ZXkfOuZxIZMkuEjwI4NkX7ptMbHbM1X/s1600/whatsnewcoversmall_y53k.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 346px; height: 384px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMv1bNKBBMOpuy0KlSApWZIgr9RJPV3UfSuOBj7KSVugw_MzsXTpZTQ_SYYPA8tckdcL1hzwCtX6XkHKZ1aYO0eSn-ZA9-oczwo6Q_lB0u5AW5ZXkfOuZxIZMkuEjwI4NkX7ptMbHbM1X/s400/whatsnewcoversmall_y53k.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526815807868109890" /></a><br />After getting home and browsing the adorable pictures, I went to their facebook fan page to look at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=59616134146&v=photos">user submitted photos</a>. 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? <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WYiC3tszTC2HJn4TNfOWgiaC5IX343ftLulcnAFyCz9JAHn0zRSl8WYSZdwkXurN55F2VbDRRHQEqMWCtASjflRn46DEgi-gPATvEJwNNV3BnJJ8j0aVE9iLbFco8q9cGDxpzcSMcp8c/s1600/100_1896.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WYiC3tszTC2HJn4TNfOWgiaC5IX343ftLulcnAFyCz9JAHn0zRSl8WYSZdwkXurN55F2VbDRRHQEqMWCtASjflRn46DEgi-gPATvEJwNNV3BnJJ8j0aVE9iLbFco8q9cGDxpzcSMcp8c/s400/100_1896.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526814937404787138" /></a><br />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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWzeVq7AyoRRSX7aaYeeoKjm2zCnfO1-_5msUGNVY7kMTPDh3LzUnHe6v3mUOj_xEhZZNryXzwwGanDMus47xA3fZ5u5i145I7oI1h5CHeFAuHmE-RR8DmyyXRjWEjMbuDCn-6L6jfpID/s1600/100_1892.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWzeVq7AyoRRSX7aaYeeoKjm2zCnfO1-_5msUGNVY7kMTPDh3LzUnHe6v3mUOj_xEhZZNryXzwwGanDMus47xA3fZ5u5i145I7oI1h5CHeFAuHmE-RR8DmyyXRjWEjMbuDCn-6L6jfpID/s400/100_1892.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526814925460426130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_OeePZ8jah0BQPGME1dQt3dXttSK2r90Z9VCxDGGmiEWfsqJrWz2q7vTkTccyqNgqMwXwPX0nmWrcrmYrkEojWLnfAPvlOE1jGc4bv1NmYBC5l-BId4plQp4ihn73XF031uw2HlJ_JDU/s1600/100_1893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_OeePZ8jah0BQPGME1dQt3dXttSK2r90Z9VCxDGGmiEWfsqJrWz2q7vTkTccyqNgqMwXwPX0nmWrcrmYrkEojWLnfAPvlOE1jGc4bv1NmYBC5l-BId4plQp4ihn73XF031uw2HlJ_JDU/s400/100_1893.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526814401802767506" /></a><br />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 <a href="http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com/">Cake Wrecks. </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvamnM4WgfxYxZFW8F9Mqn2mOrf-jcbLqDwWwZBnAuMH3AhdQbBX6JT9Pk90a-O2paIhOb7D3HKO-qXAfGScUGXiDrNeBrFeMKwVOi11OMqo2tPk5foCd0RATHggCnZoHaOH0mlvVCqbed/s1600/100_1895.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvamnM4WgfxYxZFW8F9Mqn2mOrf-jcbLqDwWwZBnAuMH3AhdQbBX6JT9Pk90a-O2paIhOb7D3HKO-qXAfGScUGXiDrNeBrFeMKwVOi11OMqo2tPk5foCd0RATHggCnZoHaOH0mlvVCqbed/s400/100_1895.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526814393114171570" /></a>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-83695824073296780082010-10-11T04:14:00.000-07:002010-10-11T04:14:00.900-07:00Santa Fe - Not a bad place to spend the weekend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwML31i2JQ8aoXYkEJ9GgyzPV4yxJhzPXgRnZ6XMK3ppAP6_OektPDN8_QVbblDAik8Ae9Gsga0Ms4dujXNeXyoIMMbW9nNRAn6IgQrIfyt2bMbpLzZLbGFCLZRzFgowD3pJAgrX07FYDc/s1600/santa+fe+views.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwML31i2JQ8aoXYkEJ9GgyzPV4yxJhzPXgRnZ6XMK3ppAP6_OektPDN8_QVbblDAik8Ae9Gsga0Ms4dujXNeXyoIMMbW9nNRAn6IgQrIfyt2bMbpLzZLbGFCLZRzFgowD3pJAgrX07FYDc/s400/santa+fe+views.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526468191378476050" /></a><br />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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT97raShu3E-AQ7FrbVy-ei7T5Eo7YagaDpfvwSqnk3RWoUwMm-wZNUMNylMo2AJW_gDNNJsT8GcefdcrOx4HkVIzGXsCjokbh7PAedSXS8sexnQWjbICPYC3NCiz_GsL_bq8xH8s5V4c2/s1600/day+of+the+dead.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT97raShu3E-AQ7FrbVy-ei7T5Eo7YagaDpfvwSqnk3RWoUwMm-wZNUMNylMo2AJW_gDNNJsT8GcefdcrOx4HkVIzGXsCjokbh7PAedSXS8sexnQWjbICPYC3NCiz_GsL_bq8xH8s5V4c2/s400/day+of+the+dead.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526469536035674050" /></a> 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...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkEEQ6pLbGAOyeovhyphenhyphenwylLceOL0CJJ2jRfO1HI9w5Meo-7KwBWmEm46cX70qYXDBStorE-tYBb3YqLaklQJViOfJMICk9CfM1x37iqO7FcqddrYzBXsoB7ss-0vjzSqRLYsKakiQ6SoT6/s1600/lo+bueno,+lo+malo,+lo+feo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkEEQ6pLbGAOyeovhyphenhyphenwylLceOL0CJJ2jRfO1HI9w5Meo-7KwBWmEm46cX70qYXDBStorE-tYBb3YqLaklQJViOfJMICk9CfM1x37iqO7FcqddrYzBXsoB7ss-0vjzSqRLYsKakiQ6SoT6/s400/lo+bueno,+lo+malo,+lo+feo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526469686638123490" /></a><br />Not sure I need an inflatable fruitcake either :-) <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsY61lJdQ0IZ6p3QtrcRDKFfsCcOjk1g37-E0J3HKjR2hl-ykvwS59sb-07M1mAfKXPdjIekaY4EJFcE75avmn6PGioU2K46loboTIogxONf-IZjeKoFEhqALXdslz2HLRru01zylfzFcy/s1600/inflatable+fruitcake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsY61lJdQ0IZ6p3QtrcRDKFfsCcOjk1g37-E0J3HKjR2hl-ykvwS59sb-07M1mAfKXPdjIekaY4EJFcE75avmn6PGioU2K46loboTIogxONf-IZjeKoFEhqALXdslz2HLRru01zylfzFcy/s400/inflatable+fruitcake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526470646777598978" /></a>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-85688257726171320492010-10-10T10:05:00.000-07:002010-10-10T10:13:34.939-07:00A nature movie in our back yardOne 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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-i-Xnk4D9runx5a_6UNqUB8YKBSuBoPVFLhg1j62VKOxJR7VGwJviT1qeNASUzjbB80ieOEsnmS5lQ6TaRbe6FmEtRMln7yJiRQJ8xznMt1Nxn9_uz91XFKMkS4S9Pj9uJUnKX_ldmEt/s1600/herons.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-i-Xnk4D9runx5a_6UNqUB8YKBSuBoPVFLhg1j62VKOxJR7VGwJviT1qeNASUzjbB80ieOEsnmS5lQ6TaRbe6FmEtRMln7yJiRQJ8xznMt1Nxn9_uz91XFKMkS4S9Pj9uJUnKX_ldmEt/s400/herons.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526465846206835202" /></a><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-57197228816951360402010-09-20T04:00:00.000-07:002010-09-20T04:00:12.432-07:00"Good Things"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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbFTdPowHwkC0gOYZtJQE_jqgH9WHMDJ2AyOfNHJrDc4X77VKjMRBFalTpiP5lZpeMw9wxfQs87Z0cZb7xAfezXza4hHOhpRRmPljPne-FKlSDr4CEZTFKAbD1ayO_4CLxGVLfoXH7tpb/s1600/100_1856.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbFTdPowHwkC0gOYZtJQE_jqgH9WHMDJ2AyOfNHJrDc4X77VKjMRBFalTpiP5lZpeMw9wxfQs87Z0cZb7xAfezXza4hHOhpRRmPljPne-FKlSDr4CEZTFKAbD1ayO_4CLxGVLfoXH7tpb/s400/100_1856.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515759639197995634" /></a>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-74195969652089540532010-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:00:00.288-07:00Subtle Butt, Meet FlatuscentsBack 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." <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5xBPcutj44_WoEFriVk0ulcbwoj7eqTC7zSm5FJZESLN6Zk25zuLxGIpr8QBnXcS-W_j7ri08IEz0r9RDq02ZED7LDB-NtZDOK9fjdX4C9R8TuxYdMd7ow3dU6Td59S_Mq2OM8cfI37E/s1600/100_1855.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5xBPcutj44_WoEFriVk0ulcbwoj7eqTC7zSm5FJZESLN6Zk25zuLxGIpr8QBnXcS-W_j7ri08IEz0r9RDq02ZED7LDB-NtZDOK9fjdX4C9R8TuxYdMd7ow3dU6Td59S_Mq2OM8cfI37E/s400/100_1855.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515752789479761074" /></a><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mb4OffU8OwE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mb4OffU8OwE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dcXp53Dk48Y?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dcXp53Dk48Y?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-82992850385124872412010-09-18T04:31:00.000-07:002010-09-18T04:31:00.774-07:00Chemicals Make Everything Taste Better<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVNuH97L9HQCaIMvr3qkxDtSqgYymeyQr4ewwS4x4Hvw_dTe60RyH38VaRi70muZtOeTLdb0_dGPrujK6CZByGUI4ve4UN1W0L4WtDuZuLuU_UsPtYGi3OBqZHoOQMtTbWV68vULOv2in/s1600/100_1844.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVNuH97L9HQCaIMvr3qkxDtSqgYymeyQr4ewwS4x4Hvw_dTe60RyH38VaRi70muZtOeTLdb0_dGPrujK6CZByGUI4ve4UN1W0L4WtDuZuLuU_UsPtYGi3OBqZHoOQMtTbWV68vULOv2in/s400/100_1844.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515756980406582114" /></a><br />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!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNQgbStFpVwq0qAhJ9NHqQfUDuf5XP0NIbt7GGtvqb1QAHktX2NyYZLBCeleZjwjRutXfgSkNvSHZj156fROJJ4_mWnlzuiE7GTQcHiLegUBrWtt6v8q2hiMFcVzLb2cku2TXx5-RKG-n/s1600/100_1853.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNQgbStFpVwq0qAhJ9NHqQfUDuf5XP0NIbt7GGtvqb1QAHktX2NyYZLBCeleZjwjRutXfgSkNvSHZj156fROJJ4_mWnlzuiE7GTQcHiLegUBrWtt6v8q2hiMFcVzLb2cku2TXx5-RKG-n/s400/100_1853.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515756626305306578" /></a><br /><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-32638572174305432472010-09-17T04:28:00.000-07:002010-09-17T04:28:00.152-07:00Potato CandyI guess it's true that sugar and fat make anything taste good. Like the Velveeta Fudge, I may have to actually try this one.... <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3ft4i0rQlBnSB-BGIXi4YVqAJycL419j0nv_MsY26Rh-aDa6oGQHovY3sKkVYFwyJenhjh8WsaWNm5TjOt-6I0LpO_280uWW1TK7p3B6w5NxR0CoqtTA6K78IWQkeiqnckJlYaikjwUJ/s1600/100_1852.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3ft4i0rQlBnSB-BGIXi4YVqAJycL419j0nv_MsY26Rh-aDa6oGQHovY3sKkVYFwyJenhjh8WsaWNm5TjOt-6I0LpO_280uWW1TK7p3B6w5NxR0CoqtTA6K78IWQkeiqnckJlYaikjwUJ/s400/100_1852.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515755664598072258" /></a>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-15217447168671928662010-09-16T04:00:00.001-07:002010-09-16T04:00:04.401-07:00Sausage Fruitcake: An improvement over the original? Or just as gross?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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ9JVFe1_wdbU5YOnHKQ5MbYtfS7JO47q6WyOi-b9LK8Y8DkYOx74Z232ZVNQAgijztZuHqhNpYFXBqhSowv5JBjn0TLorLN1vy6Y3CBR46dh9vRuUwTODDIXyOla8_mPZfcBqGgvRQIO/s1600/100_1857.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ9JVFe1_wdbU5YOnHKQ5MbYtfS7JO47q6WyOi-b9LK8Y8DkYOx74Z232ZVNQAgijztZuHqhNpYFXBqhSowv5JBjn0TLorLN1vy6Y3CBR46dh9vRuUwTODDIXyOla8_mPZfcBqGgvRQIO/s400/100_1857.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515753742251881394" /></a><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-26537535068815285052010-09-15T04:01:00.000-07:002010-09-15T04:01:00.150-07:00BBQ Raccoon, Dove Hash and Baked PossumThe 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. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLsxw2gd-ZNxUyE9aa91sIvMN5YWNTVovXmiU81L8NIVbw7dCRY0WfW-lJ0Piz7uSTBtExiEc32trlub-YztYKvKN27oemXA13GGQ5W-6tLvhNbEGK6Lwlb5ndHds2N0Grs07q2WHbTem/s1600/100_1851.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLsxw2gd-ZNxUyE9aa91sIvMN5YWNTVovXmiU81L8NIVbw7dCRY0WfW-lJ0Piz7uSTBtExiEc32trlub-YztYKvKN27oemXA13GGQ5W-6tLvhNbEGK6Lwlb5ndHds2N0Grs07q2WHbTem/s400/100_1851.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515734929073026994" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-s4XjqeXToaHOe0olMPEyLOEP1bf1JI4su7XrMrfuLLuj5p_lDlF2SpNyhz4iH_oh4ATP1LEU39g44Yx1JQtvCTIc9y5tcjdBIBumJ__-KN7V0acDfjj6tw3oX-R-wx4PPvLdauVYy4A/s1600/100_1849.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-s4XjqeXToaHOe0olMPEyLOEP1bf1JI4su7XrMrfuLLuj5p_lDlF2SpNyhz4iH_oh4ATP1LEU39g44Yx1JQtvCTIc9y5tcjdBIBumJ__-KN7V0acDfjj6tw3oX-R-wx4PPvLdauVYy4A/s400/100_1849.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515734914533989538" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DNTMsOwP1xfzrlaJ3ogeNF9Dt1q6_9w3iGNkjSwIeIca8IC8JBlKGfRYzVWKSVuU4-hV_deV1c1RbN_gRvz9Trbp0OexHYjHdPeI6M8amWkngGBbVLWM7Q7Xqkz-ld00S2ELBoloXEEL/s1600/100_1848.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DNTMsOwP1xfzrlaJ3ogeNF9Dt1q6_9w3iGNkjSwIeIca8IC8JBlKGfRYzVWKSVuU4-hV_deV1c1RbN_gRvz9Trbp0OexHYjHdPeI6M8amWkngGBbVLWM7Q7Xqkz-ld00S2ELBoloXEEL/s400/100_1848.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515734901897885154" /></a><br /> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0MLU2laOpe2XwnjtHtKvdybfTyk9m4HvygczUbVURdNwb7jpLO8ZeFajTT4FfyhGbaZny0yZ5HFH3Xgdz0fZ-xQzCafxZ5QVQ_d8L2N61W6JtM6LYnUb5Xx_NIn6R6aeD8f98EWR0__O/s1600/100_1850.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0MLU2laOpe2XwnjtHtKvdybfTyk9m4HvygczUbVURdNwb7jpLO8ZeFajTT4FfyhGbaZny0yZ5HFH3Xgdz0fZ-xQzCafxZ5QVQ_d8L2N61W6JtM6LYnUb5Xx_NIn6R6aeD8f98EWR0__O/s400/100_1850.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515733486568177122" /></a>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-42929261447876699372010-09-14T04:43:00.000-07:002010-09-14T04:43:00.451-07:00Man Pleasing Recipes - from the Rice Council of America, 1971<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictTKhqLct_Id8IHr0UnK2KXdQvWoeStwAbBvDgz6AiGFuMBQhyUwH27yRAcUmKPTukHh-_znWhnyPjNTl2H51V6-fBDNK9Cqf_CVn4cTzc6Tty5GUTEWlupySNQVgSvu4T53G-aiMWnIY/s1600/100_1825.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictTKhqLct_Id8IHr0UnK2KXdQvWoeStwAbBvDgz6AiGFuMBQhyUwH27yRAcUmKPTukHh-_znWhnyPjNTl2H51V6-fBDNK9Cqf_CVn4cTzc6Tty5GUTEWlupySNQVgSvu4T53G-aiMWnIY/s400/100_1825.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515731917330220674" /></a>I laughed when I saw this "Man Pleasing Recipes" cookbook sitting on the counter at the rental. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TC7TRrLzAutHuHOxLwr-_ZnNzGpt0yGrb-76UaV5ZqIuA6vbBcBEpInMxLTQ5kyCoVlawuwulbR6-EBskkzq-LGHwS9poElLY9NAw0WiClTLDQycqAmZA5zaqaj4xNHvfbYdpqoqnisz/s1600/100_1826.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TC7TRrLzAutHuHOxLwr-_ZnNzGpt0yGrb-76UaV5ZqIuA6vbBcBEpInMxLTQ5kyCoVlawuwulbR6-EBskkzq-LGHwS9poElLY9NAw0WiClTLDQycqAmZA5zaqaj4xNHvfbYdpqoqnisz/s400/100_1826.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515728618438930834" /></a><br />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. <br /><br />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 <a href="http://boingboing.net/2008/07/22/1960s-ad-for-rice.html">ad from the 1960s</a>. I guess 2 things never change. Sex appeal sells, and va-rice-ity is the spice of life.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-27195357008902515512010-09-13T04:33:00.000-07:002010-09-13T04:33:00.526-07:00Retro recipes have returned! Velveeta fudge anyone?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. <br /><br />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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhev3s6pLLrlzn5UP7fsb83D0t8o_b8uoi3F6Vzlj7kxjLYu1UlVkkWO_NAUxs7JpYGhmM4DQCK8I4_2zgN9nB1fRjtPviGXD09lNzjd3Z089Eogu_bn6tNZD34ssMSgyKHfVS9Ae7aIgjn/s1600/100_1821.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhev3s6pLLrlzn5UP7fsb83D0t8o_b8uoi3F6Vzlj7kxjLYu1UlVkkWO_NAUxs7JpYGhmM4DQCK8I4_2zgN9nB1fRjtPviGXD09lNzjd3Z089Eogu_bn6tNZD34ssMSgyKHfVS9Ae7aIgjn/s400/100_1821.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515726917791367234" /></a><br />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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzTpm0vwdA_XjQaHf3TZ-ZYJl5Peh3-VIwzX9NDjFFuxuJ9lQFZSbtAKJSqhf4HLXj5ACsY8DrXk_6tuS8JDfpevqMQe_J6zVLJ3jGfwFkKsRLNBE1ARuoNPtqgWI7KkRZFczPXJNgxiQ/s1600/100_1822.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzTpm0vwdA_XjQaHf3TZ-ZYJl5Peh3-VIwzX9NDjFFuxuJ9lQFZSbtAKJSqhf4HLXj5ACsY8DrXk_6tuS8JDfpevqMQe_J6zVLJ3jGfwFkKsRLNBE1ARuoNPtqgWI7KkRZFczPXJNgxiQ/s400/100_1822.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515726906356899874" /></a><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-39669328148633166852010-09-12T04:17:00.000-07:002010-09-12T04:17:00.368-07:00Encounters with natureOne 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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZ8ahPDIoIFHsQHBJ0pFWzSll28ZaJYtL2A1eOHSn28Ip_8qHsnbckA2_bcmCFbmkPvVjePwKXLLObJVBAzqC06dbphp7rN-4gu4Z8JzyevNqbsOR8qC2ki6xzZ-dwQUOEl5aQy6Xkq79/s1600/100_1878.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZ8ahPDIoIFHsQHBJ0pFWzSll28ZaJYtL2A1eOHSn28Ip_8qHsnbckA2_bcmCFbmkPvVjePwKXLLObJVBAzqC06dbphp7rN-4gu4Z8JzyevNqbsOR8qC2ki6xzZ-dwQUOEl5aQy6Xkq79/s400/100_1878.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515723176603838194" /></a><br />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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoL4uhq6FSwxpSekOOAbP53T1atCtMyvO1Zff_L-uRczHAeF3vtSMYQy9Kf0SmgR-cPH4vBrGes1icNHEBHyRVavWNMppoQU-6Zu9OhYcIfA9QHlrMWoCR28d-FwOipLVMKMDXyqhurdJ/s1600/100_1858.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoL4uhq6FSwxpSekOOAbP53T1atCtMyvO1Zff_L-uRczHAeF3vtSMYQy9Kf0SmgR-cPH4vBrGes1icNHEBHyRVavWNMppoQU-6Zu9OhYcIfA9QHlrMWoCR28d-FwOipLVMKMDXyqhurdJ/s400/100_1858.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515723185816125762" /></a><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-8275456694626904192010-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:002010-09-11T11:17:12.095-07:00Ahhh....Kiawah<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx0wbbOFgVmjx3i9BxNBMQkhrkqzxpv-Jpr_Rj1XP2gAHpp7gOuRNIdjW2attq7bq3tRpeOYwT-sEDniyxamHUwJmu71KY1NI1HWGyMRefqByKB1gqGEDeb-Wf5SAdtLexcUc34zSxc-L/s1600/100_1823.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx0wbbOFgVmjx3i9BxNBMQkhrkqzxpv-Jpr_Rj1XP2gAHpp7gOuRNIdjW2attq7bq3tRpeOYwT-sEDniyxamHUwJmu71KY1NI1HWGyMRefqByKB1gqGEDeb-Wf5SAdtLexcUc34zSxc-L/s400/100_1823.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515720732828261074" /></a><br />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. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLbMlurN_Dnssl0NQ1yE40YCFSfCd4Bf3EiqobUw38-wEQs5yiG6Y_l7X6DlwbHwNgDwQETheQbYWngnSE4VJn3b9epNZ_wZiBauUlzL19SOAYLbon99UpFYaZdxwDTgjA49ztwzaGA3J/s1600/100_1832.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLbMlurN_Dnssl0NQ1yE40YCFSfCd4Bf3EiqobUw38-wEQs5yiG6Y_l7X6DlwbHwNgDwQETheQbYWngnSE4VJn3b9epNZ_wZiBauUlzL19SOAYLbon99UpFYaZdxwDTgjA49ztwzaGA3J/s400/100_1832.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515720748800973362" /></a><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-28134378298515222682010-07-11T01:19:00.000-07:002010-07-11T01:19:00.366-07:00Adventures at 99 RanchShopping 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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5H_-JbKjX29Yuv1B_LjLOsYjqoNyhbmeNzeCpYtogktTzGXGJWg9RuZyaajt4c3xkpDw86muXScsT50ZibUl01nMTaSkrvGpXBUJb1cSC78fRPgQ0mMXL-ZkKiPIELnW2mWuQ0DVRHmt/s1600/100_1789.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5H_-JbKjX29Yuv1B_LjLOsYjqoNyhbmeNzeCpYtogktTzGXGJWg9RuZyaajt4c3xkpDw86muXScsT50ZibUl01nMTaSkrvGpXBUJb1cSC78fRPgQ0mMXL-ZkKiPIELnW2mWuQ0DVRHmt/s400/100_1789.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492376423841711618" /></a><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-67708803693041416712010-07-10T06:13:00.000-07:002010-07-10T12:28:13.091-07:00Kelp Noodles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtx0XqQ-krN64UoQfSgGvcgC49fKo2HLn0U8mfFumNjHByL4kD3ZeD_zmJtSInMu3ajmey5O8GmVyFI2BG30m7a9EpZkW1apV3A-_0VFCmJPb1HqHYLwohA052KlLuSsQX-14Egsab-17/s1600/100_1785.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtx0XqQ-krN64UoQfSgGvcgC49fKo2HLn0U8mfFumNjHByL4kD3ZeD_zmJtSInMu3ajmey5O8GmVyFI2BG30m7a9EpZkW1apV3A-_0VFCmJPb1HqHYLwohA052KlLuSsQX-14Egsab-17/s400/100_1785.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492358237705363922" /></a><br />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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwk8eyNrNBm4Cl9xhSzMNHBjafqPvkeHaXybIgYyy0dHPZ5MycU_XskSRv3V0JRrNXFZrZ0Qk3N7czkzJMyG0X9MjaVfY5XR4WpoQf-FKzsNl1HOCUknxlrsTmoWAkyyjY2cCTQnou4ZK/s1600/100_1786.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwk8eyNrNBm4Cl9xhSzMNHBjafqPvkeHaXybIgYyy0dHPZ5MycU_XskSRv3V0JRrNXFZrZ0Qk3N7czkzJMyG0X9MjaVfY5XR4WpoQf-FKzsNl1HOCUknxlrsTmoWAkyyjY2cCTQnou4ZK/s400/100_1786.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492358247726666866" /></a> <br />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. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_54Eb1M7q4QpS34HzuRMByfIHLLu7BLdcRWgk1AxQ7-lqG-RYgDpt1LQ_A6-lyeCYinRTWFh56CYdc5ovqKafzdrwM0yvj93UuY56MbfwtIxvjMHYH-T9GgU8IlhX2PO37y5dXd7ZO_q/s1600/100_1784.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_54Eb1M7q4QpS34HzuRMByfIHLLu7BLdcRWgk1AxQ7-lqG-RYgDpt1LQ_A6-lyeCYinRTWFh56CYdc5ovqKafzdrwM0yvj93UuY56MbfwtIxvjMHYH-T9GgU8IlhX2PO37y5dXd7ZO_q/s400/100_1784.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492359820535662210" /></a><br />After throwing them in with the sauce, they became soft like a regular noodle - and the result was tasty! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35PPunkZJQFiLYWOFY2O48UIp2DSo3p8DBR6uAdbFU1XwAg22SYNbfBPjREVShuAyhHUolEaMe-ivj5UORQsVxFl6q8I-vrU5a5Px_urjYF1RQZ60ZaAYQjVVH5Ywr89tl_iNmjmo9icV/s1600/100_1787.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35PPunkZJQFiLYWOFY2O48UIp2DSo3p8DBR6uAdbFU1XwAg22SYNbfBPjREVShuAyhHUolEaMe-ivj5UORQsVxFl6q8I-vrU5a5Px_urjYF1RQZ60ZaAYQjVVH5Ywr89tl_iNmjmo9icV/s400/100_1787.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492359825886596130" /></a><br />Although my picture of the finished product doesn't do them justice - I'll be experimenting with these again!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587427624450298798.post-3833701789606438052010-06-27T10:06:00.000-07:002010-06-27T10:22:47.501-07:00Rainbow Rum Cake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22O7L9JQG0b7ECFGNEIZx_Vsfe34p4NYnQGjf5-HumPodVGC_6ae8f9WpGhyphenhyphenXvegi3-AJoQrgRRx3oxXSNZ2LUJ8HaDmxuOnf9USNVsls1M_B78IowiSNvCZLUWMOcP4jwT8mT2p3QoHU/s1600/100_1767.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22O7L9JQG0b7ECFGNEIZx_Vsfe34p4NYnQGjf5-HumPodVGC_6ae8f9WpGhyphenhyphenXvegi3-AJoQrgRRx3oxXSNZ2LUJ8HaDmxuOnf9USNVsls1M_B78IowiSNvCZLUWMOcP4jwT8mT2p3QoHU/s400/100_1767.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487503029602698866" /></a><br />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 <a href="http://www.omnomicon.com/rainbowcake">(Omnomicon)</a> 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 <a href="http://baking.about.com/od/bundtcakes/r/bacardirum.htm">recipe</a>, and then added gel based food coloring. <br /><br />I made some mini-cupcakes...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpX7_VChwo3Yp-chA72msUxWncjyA9ni6sC1I6vnB7g3YelQuo4wjLAmgpa46tVXoUWmHXnqZbEhyphenhyphen2udH1o3yAmNGrXdNmT2uqJlqXN9enMm2mjwJfjyYjP7soEljwuZyc3fP09SP-DM2F/s1600/100_1766.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpX7_VChwo3Yp-chA72msUxWncjyA9ni6sC1I6vnB7g3YelQuo4wjLAmgpa46tVXoUWmHXnqZbEhyphenhyphen2udH1o3yAmNGrXdNmT2uqJlqXN9enMm2mjwJfjyYjP7soEljwuZyc3fP09SP-DM2F/s400/100_1766.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487503576014219186" /></a><br /><br />..and a loaf. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPabg_nnhHC7G6df-FKyYx9uXQ4YzJFyVzNJ45FfXMyQYBwWrGsrn066Ql9d4Z5MAQU9xlxmEomJ4PJdK5DTXGesYS0ymChqmywDOsoYgwVvwNd0Psr8MCnbZWWUlEaDBfqOjQDezUEWz/s1600/100_1768.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPabg_nnhHC7G6df-FKyYx9uXQ4YzJFyVzNJ45FfXMyQYBwWrGsrn066Ql9d4Z5MAQU9xlxmEomJ4PJdK5DTXGesYS0ymChqmywDOsoYgwVvwNd0Psr8MCnbZWWUlEaDBfqOjQDezUEWz/s400/100_1768.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487503048467645634" /></a><br /><br />They were so fun looking..<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqy3Z6FiGep1Si8oPdgmtzNTDwlwQZZ9ZHXb11sJQ6ZyndgayFU2_Pr6LXJ7AafK0nBrOrszbOu6t1rrJ_fQSHqRW_OTgeG59pT1WCaepb_mkwryb5e-EiJVX3fFbucU_FVqA8sU6knuS/s1600/100_1770.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqy3Z6FiGep1Si8oPdgmtzNTDwlwQZZ9ZHXb11sJQ6ZyndgayFU2_Pr6LXJ7AafK0nBrOrszbOu6t1rrJ_fQSHqRW_OTgeG59pT1WCaepb_mkwryb5e-EiJVX3fFbucU_FVqA8sU6knuS/s400/100_1770.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487503055649586882" /></a><br /><br />...especially the loaf pan slices. I drizzled (soaked) the cupcakes and slices in a rum glaze, and they were complete. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqpX76vhcZRujyVpZ99OAi7sIdxP9HnthdxaTBXRfGWza7uDYktQc_W_eWO7pzXpRl2oUP0bJoU2OdvAB0JMi9Edug1QGVHgFEDxpU1GzXLxPt9GRCCsonO4dPpnFFKL4UWyVvokRO5qn/s1600/100_1772.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqpX76vhcZRujyVpZ99OAi7sIdxP9HnthdxaTBXRfGWza7uDYktQc_W_eWO7pzXpRl2oUP0bJoU2OdvAB0JMi9Edug1QGVHgFEDxpU1GzXLxPt9GRCCsonO4dPpnFFKL4UWyVvokRO5qn/s400/100_1772.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487503060087312338" /></a><br /><br />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 :-)Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905282787953045931noreply@blogger.com0