annie blog

Sorry that I’ve been gone from here, y’all.  My October and end of September looked just crazy on the calendar and, in truth, they were even crazier in real life.  But, good crazy, though.  Finally, I’ve come to the realization that this amount of crazy might just be the new normal.  And so, I’m going to try to get back on the every day blogging wagon.  Even if it is just sharing a link or a quick photo or something one of the boys has said.  I’m a really terrible record keeper in general.  So, basically, if I want to remember something then I need to blog it.

I had an experience last night that I never want to forget.  I mean, Cardinal Nation had a great night last night, too.  We’ve got a collective smile for the whole human race today, I think.

I did not know or care about baseball when I moved here.  Really, it has taken my son being interested and going to games in person to really get hooked.  I think I’m hooked for life, though, now.  Especially after last night.

Talking about how crazy my calendar has been, well, last night there was one thing on my calendar and that one thing was to attend the blow out costume party put on by Jon’s employer every year.  It is one insane party.  There were crazy costumes and lots of beverages and some musical guests came, too.   You might recognize them….Young MC, Rob Bass, Coolio….

So, Jon and I went to the party.  We dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Jon Barlow.  It turns out that our lack of costume inspiration was a good thing, in the end, because one of Jon’s coworkers ended up leaving the game early in order to come to the party.  Bless him, he scanned his tickets out on the way out of the stadium and gave them to us.  Well, he didn’t exactly hand  them to us but passed them along by some coworkers.  So, we had a few anxious minutes as we (mainly Jon) walked around looking for the elusive tickets, while I listened to Young MC sing “Busta Move” on stage while watching King Tut dance by a gladiator gal who had the presence of mind to bring her lighted hula hoop.

It was all a little surreal.

But, we eventually found the tickets, walked the few breathless blocks to the stadium and managed to get in there for what might be 4 of the most dramatic, nail-biting, heart-pounding, euphoria-inducing innings of baseball that I’ll ever see.

I now know what it’s like to be walking down the street surrounded by 50,000 ecstatic people who are yelling for minutes on end out of sheer joy.  I’ll never, ever forget it.

Go CARDS !!!!!!

On the way home from school today, my oldest son, J, informed me that he had come up with a new character for his newest screenplay.  Did y’all know that he writes scripts?  Like, 50-plus page scripts for screenplays.  He is driven to get his ideas out — that’s for sure.

Anyway, today he said, “Mom, have I told you about Fearsome Possum?”

I said, “No, J, I think I’d remember you telling me about Fearsome Possum.  Is he a new character of yours?”

He replied, “Yes, Fearsome Possum is a minion of Snowball and is an oracle with magical, colorful breath.”

What does one do with a Fearsome Possum?

I’m sure that J will let us know.

Happy Tuesday, y’all!

is what my life is doing right now.  I’m sure that y’all can relate to that.

So, since I have nothing sensible to say at this time of night after all the running and cooking and driving and laundry and dishes, I thought I’d at least tell you what I cooked today.

This chicken salad because I had the ingredients and I forgot to buy turkey for lunches, again.

This poundcake because I serve it for breakfast and dinner.  I’m a real hardliner when it comes to my boys eating sugar, ya know. (Not.)

This red beans and rice because I’m on a crummy diet and could make it work for me by leaving out the sausage (I fed it to my males) and grilling it separately.  The separate grilling was quite a hit.  It might become my method even when I’m not on a crummy diet.

That’s it, y’all.

Oh, yes, in the little tiny bit of blog checking that I did get to today, I noted this recipe for some delicious-looking baked apples on Three Many Cooks.  Autumn means apple time is coming right up.  That means that this recipe is a must make.  It’s even crummy diet approved.  (Note to self:  Find organic, local apples.)

Happy Monday, y’all!

Why are we in a nutshell?  Because we are nuts….I mean, it’s been nutty crazy busy around here.

I know that it won’t always be this way.  This is the hectic that becomes somehow routine. But, I’m holding on, barely.

Lately we’ve had a lot of:

“wake up, please”, “do the next thing”, and “what do you mean, you don’t have on any underwear?”, “where have all the lunch snacks gone”, and “what happened to all of your socks….putting them all under the sofa makes sense in what way?” and on and on.

That is why it is good to have a few good, easy, cheap menus on your hands.  And, so, without further ado, may I introduce you to a homerun of a recipe.  It’s called Huli Huli Chicken and we love it.

This chicken cooks on low in your slowcooker for 4 – 6 hours.  When dinner time rolls around, you put it in the oven and baste it with a sauce until it turns a beautiful deep reddish brown.

Delicious, y’all!!

Huli Huli Chicken

2/3 cup pineapple juice from the a can of chunk pineapple  (the kind that is in unsweetened, natural juices)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (you’ll probably need 3 limes)

1/4 cup soy sauce

6 minced garlic cloves

2 T. grated fresh ginger

salt and pepper

4 pounds (I always do more) bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces

1.  Simmer pineapple juice, sugar, ketchup, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic and ginger in a saucepan until thickened and finished amount measures 1 1/2 cups.

2.  Coat inside of slowcooker with oil (use spray oil to make it easy).  Put 1/2 cup of sauce in cooker, refrigerate the rest for later.  Salt and pepper the chicken pieces and put them in the slow cooker.  Roll the pieces around until all are coated with the sauce you put in the cooker insert.  Cover the slow cooker and cook the chicken on low for 4-6 hours.

3.  Put an oven rack in the middle position of your oven and heat it to 450 degrees.  Line a large, flat (but with sides) pan with aluminum foil.   Oil the foil.  Transfer the chicken to the foil coated baking sheet.  Place it skin side up.

4.  Brush the chicken some of the reserved sauce.  Bake.  Every few minutes brush the chicken with sauce for 20-30 minutes or until it has a deep mahogany lacquer.  Serve and enjoy!

Happy Thursday and happy September, too, y’all!  I’m going on a sock hunt….wish me luck?

I hope that you all are well and happy on this Friday.  I hope your week was good.  Mine was busy, busy, busy.  I feel like it ran me over, actually.  But that’s how it goes.

I’ve kind of got that duh? sort of feeling that comes with Friday afternoon.  So,there won’t be anything mind-boggling on this blog today — or ever, really, right?  But I figured that I can always write about things that I’m passionate about.

So, today I’m talking about the Goodwill.

I know that I’ve talked a lot on here about my love for the Goodwill.  Yes.  I love it.

But I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned exactly why I like it….besides the price, of course.  What I really love about finding clothes at the Goodwill is the challenge.

What kind of challenge?

Well, I don’t know when it was, probably around this time last year, when I discovered that the wealth of the Goodwill plus my semi-okay sewing skills were a really happy match.  Since that time the size of an interesting item hasn’t concerned me all that much. My knowledge of garment construction has grown by leaps and bounds as I’ve made shirts out of dresses, changed the sleeves on long sleeved shirts, made a huge skirt fit by taking out panels, made a size zero skirt fit my nowhere-near-a-size-zero body, shortened skirts, removed ruffles, and made a very large, beautiful, expensive (in its former life) eyelet dress fit me.

See?

$4.50 + a dime's worth of thread = dress I've worn all summer

I’ll admit that it has become a bit of a distraction for me as I shop, because now I not only note the condition of the item but I also think about its future.

But, what fun!

Anyway, I just thought that I’d share some of my craziness with you today.

Happy Friday, y’all!!!

First off, I have to apologize for not having a photo of this cake.  I know that I always like to see a picture of the food that I’m trying to make and so I like to provide one when I can. Though, bearing that in mind, it might be best for this particular cake that it isn’t pictured. Because, it looks a little humble. That’s sort of the great thing about it, though.  If this cake were a person, it would be a normal looking guy who sort of shuffles to the end of the diving board.  Looking at him you might inwardly predict, “Well, here’s a cannonball just waiting to happen.”  Then you can’t believe your eyes when Joe Schmoe does a reverse 3 1/2 with a half twist.

So, this cake will basically do a backflip in your mouth.

I got the recipe from Nigella Lawson’s book, Feast, and made many times several years ago when my oldest son was on a gluten-free diet. This past weekend I had the opportunity to make it again for church.  I think I need to invent reasons to make it, actually.

What you end up with is a very, very chocolatey moist cake that isn’t overly sweet.  I didn’t even have any crumbs left on Sunday.

Perhaps that says it all.

For the cake:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate (chopped or chips, I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips)
1 stick unsalted butter
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
1 t. vanilla extract or extract of your choice (I like pure almond)
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar: 1/3 for the yolk mixture; 1/2 cup for the whites

For the topping:
4 oz. semisweet chocolate (chopped or chips)
1 cup heavy cream
1t. vanilla extract (or 1 t. of whatever type extract you used in the cake)

Preheat the oven to 350. Either line a springform pan with parchment paper or use cooking spray on the bottom. Don’t grease the sides of the pan.

Melt the buter with the 8 oz. chocolate in a microwave (or double boiler) stirring it until smooth. (I melt my chocolate in the microwave on 1/2 power stirring after each minute or so.)  Cool slightly.

Whisk the 4 egg whites until firm, then gradually add the 1/2 cup of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding thier shape and peak — but not stiff.

In another bowl, whick the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with the 1/3 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract, and then gently fold in the chocolate mixture. Lighten the mixture with some of the egg whites (a big spoonful is fine) then fold in the rest of the whisked whites gently, in about 3 additions.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly on the surface. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools and the sides might splinter. Don’t worry if it has a crater. It is supposed to.

To finish the cake, remove it from the pan. Melt the 4 oz. of chocolate and leave it to cool a little. Whip the cream until it is firming up and aerated but still soft, and then add the vanilla and fold in the melted chocolate. Fill the crater of the cake with the chocolately cream. Ease it out gently toward the edges of the cake with a rubber spatula.

This looks cute topped with seasonal treats….little candied easter eggs for Easter, maybe candy corn around Halloween.  It always looks elegant with chocolate curls, too, if you want to go the extra mile.

Happy Monday, y’all!

I hope this finds you having a good Friday.  I love Fridays!  Can I get an amen?

This week I’ve been trying to wrap things up around this house a little before our school schedule completely takes over next week.  Also, I’ve been rambling around with my second-born since all the other boys are in school already.  Our ramblings have thus far included the Goodwill, the Missouri History Museum, pizza, and partaking of doughnuts. Several doughnuts.

We’re about to scoot off on our last adventure of the week.  Before I go, I wanted to share three things that I liked this week all seen on Design*Sponge.

First off, this Chinese chicken salad with spicy ginger dressing looks so very delicious.  This is going to be my lunch next week. Can’t wait!

Secondly, I love LOVE this house tour.  The owner/designer uses lots of white and natural wood.  I love the colors.  I love the art.  I love the living room and kitchen, especially.  And, it’s all doable, really, not just eye candy.  I’d happily move right in.

Finally, I know I’ve talked about Pokey Lafarge on here several times in the last couple of weeks.  So I wasn’t really planning on mentioning him again so soon.  But, I saw that this was an interview with him that included a St. Louis tour of all his favorite places and thought that I had to share it.  Lots of the places I had already heard of and this only strengthened my resolve to visit them sometime.  Some, though, I had never heard of — like that vintage store!?  I’m going there, for sure.

Happy, happy Friday, y’all!!!

Pretty pencil shavings...also concrete proof that I'm not a millionaire since that is what I'd have to be to buy pre-sharpened. Silly gal that I am...

Well, the first day of school has officially come and gone.

And, here we are, just as I knew that we would be…I worried for no reason.  Again.  One day I’ll learn, maybe.

Anyway, for the record, J had a good first day.  The first thing he told me when I got him at school yesterday was, “Mom, they have Slurpees here in the cafeteria.”  He also told me that they had hot dogs, too.  Thus, y’all know about J’s main worry about the place, namely, there was available food.  All the normal teenage worries about clothes and acne and girls and expectations….well, he doesn’t have those.   He was probably the least stressed out person at that school yesterday.   After I pressed him for more details about his day he told me that he had played the notes that the teacher told him to play in piano class.  When I asked him about biology he told me that he liked his helper in that class because the helper “told me when the teacher is joking”.  Finally, he informed me that he really needed another notebook.  Now, some of y’all don’t know J, those of you who do know him also know that the extent of the information above is the equivalent of someone else giving like a half of an hour talk about his/her day.  So, that in itself was kind of impressive.

My other younger boys had good first days, too.  C said that the day flew by and E said that he had had a good day but not enough lunch.  I was initially concerned and was asking him what else I should send — additional fruit was my first thought — until I realized that he was just trying to wrangle another dessert from me.  That buster.

I’ve got lots more to say but instead I’m going to slay some dragons around this house.

I hope that y’all are having a good Wednesday!

b.  girl with a boy’s name who was the size of a dwarf.  Can I have Coke when I get home?

So, those of y’all that guessed B, well, congrats!  You were right.

J informed us about this helper when we were all in the van on the way to church on Thursday night.  What a hoot, I tell you, he frequently makes his entire family laugh with his hilarious observations.

Of course, the thing that makes it alright for us to laugh is because with J,as with many other folks with autism, these comments and observations are not ever mean-spirited.  This is one of the things that is so great about him.  He tells the truth and there is just no desire to do anything other than communicate the information.  Never irony.  Never unkindness. Never ever sarcasm.  Now, the truth isn’t always welcome.  For instance, he has been known to tell me, “Mom, you look really tired.”  Or, my absolute favorite, when he sympathetically says, “Mom, it looks like you ate too many hot dogs.”  Yep. I love that one.

I don’t know what it is like to come from such an honest place, but  I’m glad that I occasionally get a glimpse of it because of J.

Happy Day, y’all, and thanks to those who participated in my silly little quiz.

Thanks for reading!

I don’t know if y’all are fans of Missoni.  Well, it has been all over the place on style blogs that they are doing one of those partnerships with Target that we’ve seen in recent years with Liberty of London and Orla Kiely — among others.

Anyway, they just released a lot of the lookbook photos on Facebook.  Lots of pretty things there — lots of hating on the clothes, too.  I laughed out loud when someone commented on one of the models looking like “Charlie Brown’s aunt”.  Yes. Well, if I get a bit of Missoni you can bet that I’ll use it in moderation.  I doubt that any real person wears as much at one time as they show on the models.

I think that I’m going to shoot for a scarf or clutch or maybe a tote…or maybe those rainboots.

No zigzag bikinis for me, though, nope on that to infinity.

Happy Friday, y’all!