Summer So Far

Just a little over a third of the way thru our summer...thought I'd post a summary.  We're more on track than I expected we would be with our to-do list but a few big things just haven't happened yet.  I guess we have 2/3 left to get it all in.

The great garden experience isn't panning out as I had hoped.  And, the herbs, flowers, and peppers that I did manage to get in the ground are not thriving.  Kind of disappointing but will keep watering and tending.  This was going to be the year I made jelly and canned everything I could get my hands on but it just hasn't worked out (yet?).  I have been churning a lot of ice cream this year.  Well, frozen custard, actually.  Not super-happy with any of the recipes I've tried unfortunately.  It's going to take a while to zero in on a couple of crowd pleasers...especially considering the price of dairy these days.  It is NOT cheaper to make your own!

Claire is on her way to launching her own fashion line (she thinks).  She has sewn a bubble skirt and a little dress on her birthday sewing machine and did really well.  They were both extremely simple projects with no patterns.  Next will be a simple pattern project (yet to be selected) and then she wants to make a little Nancy Drew inspired jumper.  She already bought the pattern...super cute. 

Next week we're taking Claire to see Wicked.  She's been begging to go for some time now and I think she's old enough to enjoy it.  I splurged on some fairly decent seats, hope it's worth it.  Claire got to meet one of the characters a few weeks ago when he offered a dance workshop at her studio.  All the girls enjoyed it, he was a very impressive dancer.  Speaking of impressive dancing, Claire and I also attended two of the three nights of Spring to Dance at Touhill.  It was a great mix, some we loved / some we hated.  Kind of amazing to have that much variety.  I suspect that Spring to Dance will become a yearly "must-do" for us.  Can't really beat the price - $10 a ticket.  I guess to round out the report on the arts I should mention that I attended my first opera.  Marriage of Figaro was pretty amazing.  I'd definitely hit the opera again, but I'll be honest...I don't think season tickets are in my future!

The rest is just normal summer stuff:  violin practice, pool time, reading, etc.  We have a list of "simple pleasure" activities intended to fill our time.  We've been good at cracking these too but again, in the interest of being completely honest and open, simple pleasures can  be really freaking boring.  I hate to admit it - and maybe I'm still adjusting from my faster-paced, working girl life, but there are days when I think throwing money at a gltizy summer vacation (or maybe even Six Flags) would be more satisfying.  Time will tell...

Fried Chicken: The Holy Grail

The working title for this post had been, "I Can't Fry Chicken to Save My Life".  Well, truthfully, it was more along the lines of , "I Can't Fry Chicken for Sh!t."  I was quietly composing a whiny post in my mind as I struggled along at the stove trying desperately to follow Alton Brown's procedure for perfect chicken.  I've always considered fried chicken to be the ultimate yardstick for a cook's abilities.  Kind of the official certification for motherhood.  I mean, who doesn't want to sit down to a plate full of mama's fried chicken?

I'm not so good at it.  I've tried time and time again, although I must admit each attempt has been spaced by a multi-year interval.  It's just so discouraging.  And messy.  And unhealthy, and most of all smelly.

I've read that the odd, over-sized breast of our modern chickens creates some difficulty for chicken frying because they are out of scale with the rest of the bird and don't cook at the same rate.  Many recipes have recommended buying a whole chicken and cutting it up yourself to alleviate this problem to a certain extent.  I'm serious about this chicken thing, so yeah, I bought a whole stinkin' chicken.  Being the modern girl that I am, I cranked up You Tube for a couple of lessons on cutting a chicken into eight pieces.  Success!  I wish my knife had been sharper, and there were a few ick moments but I prevailed.

It didn't seem to be going as well with the actual frying part, though.  They pieces were much darker than I would have liked (but not actually burnt).  I guess I had a problem with my oil temp because the outside cooked a lot faster than the inside.  I brought the platter to the table while announcing that an emergency trip to McDonalds might be in order.  But, guess what?  It was pretty dang good!  I don't think I'm sticking with Alton's recipe...but fried chicken is going to be on the menu again soon.  I think I may just conquer this one afterall.  And then you can all call me Mama.

Nine Days and Counting

Just nine days to our first "official" competition of the season!  We competed one dance a few weeks ago just to test the waters...but now it is crunch time.  I thought I was completely ready, but not so much.  Here's my punch list:

1. pickup faux ponytail
2. buy one more pair of caramel tights
3. sew tan fabric on Carolina bodice - two inches from V
4. add rhinestone flower to Carolina bodice and do other rhinestone repair
5. remember body tape on Ghost Town
6. cut tags and long straps
7. find tights to cut into "boy shorts" for Carolina
8. sew crotches in all tights (six pairs)
9. sew elastic to bottom of hip hop pants

Did you know you have to sew the crotches in tights before performances?  I learned this last year...if you don't everyone can see this goofy looking circle of fabric when the girls kick.  Nice.  I have one costume hanging outside today airing out...also sprayed it with a fair amount of Febreze.  Unfortunately, the lady who made it is a smoker.  I think she may have tried to spray the costumes with perfume to mask the smoke.  Bottom line is that the thing was stinking up my house!  I can't imagine having to actually wear it..  Hope the fresh air / miracle of science cure works.  I'm open for suggestions if anyone has a sure-fire way to eliminate smoke stink.  I can't actually wash this one.  The double whammy is that we kind of hate the way it looks, too.

On Your Mark, Get Set, ....uh, hold on....

Dang.  Not off to a great start here in the EXCITING NEW WORLD OF HOMEMAKING.  Sunday afternoon I threw my back out while dusting.  Yeah, dusting.  Not even exerting myself. Whatever.
I had to cancel book club and spent the evening in the company of a big bottle of Aleve and about six pillows.  On Monday, Day 1 of the EXCITING NEW WORLD OF HOMEMAKING I wasn't really moving very well.  So, I spent the day alternating between my bed and the sofa.  Tried  to catch up on Big Love and worked on some knitting.  Pretty boring stuff considering the list of projects I'm anxious to tackle.

Day 2 isn't going much better.  Still not moving around so well.  I had hoped to run a few errands to get out of the house for a while, but nope, not so much.  I have a flat tire.  And, no, I wouldn't even attempt to change it even if my back were in good shape.  Have you seen my giant car?  Trying to recover with a few little things that have been long awaiting some attention.  I spent some time cleaning out the fridge, prepped some vegetables for meals this week.  And, my mind keeps wandering to "green" thoughts.  We recycle religiously, use reusable shopping bags, swapped to CFLs (may not be a good thing...will post about that later).  I just don't think that's enough though...still need to make up for that enormous SUV in the garage.  (the one with the flat tire).  So, reducing packaging is the latest thing in my green cross-hairs.  We've switched to glass-bottled milk in re-useable bottles, have weaned our selves from paper plates / plastic cups, use sport bottles instead of bottled water.  Next on my list:

• Use butter sticks instead of margarine tubs.  I think this might be helpful: Butter Keeper
• Switch to bar soap instead of bottled  shower gel.  I thought this was a cute idea too:  Ruffled Rose Bath Pouf  GREAT way to recycle.
• No more pudding cups or individual fruit cups.  I may break this rule is for apple sauce...and, obviously, yogurt.
• Bye-bye cute Simply Orange juice bottles, we're using concentrate now.

Something to remember when re-using and recycling is that we need to keep sending stuff down the cleanliness ladder.  I found a blog that recommended disassembling and crocheting old bath poufs into pot scrubbers.  I'm sorry folks, but NOTHING from the bathroom should ever find its way to the kitchen.  That goes for toothbrushes, too.  I can see using the old bath pouf for scrubbing the trash can or maybe to scrub bugs off the windshield but ick, not my cookware.

Saving the Swarovski

Taking care of odd and ends around the house this week...practicing for when I become an official SAHM. (Soon, people, soon!)  One little project was to salvage rhinestones from one of last season's costumes.  I pulled off rhinestones until I couldn't feel my fingers anymore.  Not sure what we'll be able to use them for but guess what?  I pulled off FIFTY dollars worth of Swarovski AB30s!  Aren't they pretty?  I love rhinestones...I didn't used to.  Maybe it's the glue.

BREAKING NEWS!!

Recently unearthed in an archeological dig in the Glen Carbon area:

VINTAGE TEXAS TOP TENS!

I know, it's a little too exciting for words:

Texas Top 10 1994

10.  Hey!  Is that Ann Richards?

9.  Three duels in one day?!

8.  "T. Cat. Away."

7.  No doinking the driver!

6.  I don't care.

5.  ....same difference

4.  My butt hurts.

3.  DAVE!!!

2.  Doink

1.  Waka Maka Bea(ch) Side

Texas Top Ten 1995

10.  Cry me a river

9.  I'm running but I'm not getting anywhere.

8.  If we're gonna do it, let's do it!

7.  We use napkins here.

6.  We need out of here in a bad way - times two.

5.  It's a five foot swing.

4.  I hope you find you a good man honey.

3.  Eye mile tough gas.

2.  My Leinylodge didn't have a big butt!

1.  We're down to two bottles of Triple Sec, it's Mother's Day!

Shhhh...

Making some changes...check back soon.