I somehow started getting a free subscription to Elle Decor - the magazine is so not me, but it's entertaining to flip through and has some gorgeous stuff. One regular column that always cracks me up is when they ask some designer or celeb to list the 12 things they can't live without. Golden unintentional humor. Undoubtedly, the list always features utterly useless, sometimes beautiful, often delightfully tacky, totally overpriced items. Like a $1200 Hermes iPhone case. I love fashion and design, but c'mon, if you're carrying a $1200 iPhone case, you've got issues.
But, I thought it would be fun to make my own list of 12 Things I Love but Could Totally Live Without. If you're reading this and feel so inclined, consider yourself tagged! It is Friday, after all.
- Elbow-length black leather gloves. I feel so Audrey Hepburn in them. It seems like something every girl should have.
- My Karim Rashid-designed "Orange" acme pen. It makes office life a little more 'me'.
- The vintage LP record collection I stole from my parents. These things deserve to be played. Party guests love 'em.
- Yves Saint Laurent faux cils black mascara. It gives you Snuffleupagus lashes.
- Our tiki mug collection. This doesn't really require an explanation.
- My pool cues. I have some good memories with those babies.
- Gelato, coffee and prosciutto. But you already knew that.
- My Canon Rebel digital camera. Canon cameras take beautiful photographs, and they're amateur-friendly.
- Good stationery. I like sending little notes randomly.
- Moleskin notebooks. They're just right.
- The Bamix immersion blender. It's heavy-duty commercial quality and I use it constantly.
- Drumroll please.... my final item in my ode to Elle Decor's "screw you, peasants!" mid-recession attitude is... my fake teeth. Boy, I really don't like to go outside without them. (For those of you jumping in recently, I'm about halfway through an 18-month long dental implants/bone grafting series of procedures. The down side is I have to wear these removable fake teeth. Pretty!)
How will you use technology or the Internet to help you plan and prepare this year’s Thanksgiving feast?
Sponsored by LifeScoop: Bringing You Tips for a Connected Lifestyle.Ooh, good question, Vox. I have been thinking much about the feast this year, because it's the first time that I'll host my family. I'm quite excited to cook for them, and to not have to travel on Thanksgiving weekend. Yay!
I'm keeping the menu traditional. I mean, it's hard to improve upon things you know everyone likes. And we don't eat cranberry sauce and turkey much year-round, so I don't think it's a bad thing having the same menu every year.
As far as technology, there's not a ton I do to pull it in for Thanksgiving. I don't even have a digital thermometer. ;-) However, I do use Cook's Illustrated online quite a bit (thanks to Aquanetta). The team at Cook's Illustrated doesn't necessarily use a lot of technology, but they are very scientific.
If you want a guaranteed-to-please recipe, Cook's Illustrated is the place to go. The idea behind it is that they take a recipe, try it 100 or so different ways with slight variations, each time testing with a tasting panel, and they tell you the exact best way to cook it. And to top it off, the editor is a chemist, so he explains why these methods work best. It is, by far, the most reliable source of recipes -- and I've read a lot of cookbooks and cooking magazines.
Here's my Thanksgiving menu. All the recipes are from Cook's Illustrated except where noted otherwise.
Roast turkey (brined, stuffed with an herb paste)
Gravey
Mashed potatoes
Cranberry sauce
Roasted brussels sprouts with bartlett pears (Body+Soul magazine)
Green beans with toasted walnuts and roquefort cheese (Body+Soul magazine)
Creamed spinach
Pumpkin pie (Libby's recipe)
Pecan pie (from a Thanksgiving cookbook I have, forgot the name, but it's great. My pecan pie secret is to include chopped pecans in the filling, as well as a layer of halved pecans on the top for looks)The fam is bringing rolls, candied yams, stuffing and butternut squash soup. Yum!
Btw, Cook's Illustrated also tests cooking equipment - someone put together their list on Amazon as a shared list if you want to find any equipment. Geez, I sound like a commercial!
Not a whole lot to remark upon lately, but last night I made a new dinner. I "fanned" Sunset magazine on Facebook, and now and again they'll cull useful ideas from their readers. A few days ago, they asked "what do you do with leftover rotisserie chicken?" I got a couple good ideas. Rotisserie chickens are great for when you don't have the time or energy to cook but want a homecooked, healthy meal. Idea #1 was to shred the chicken, pour barbecue sauce on it, and put it in a sandwich. Oh so simple but sounds tasty, no?
Idea #2 was last night's dinner -- chicken and biscuits. Cut the chicken (I wouldn't shred it with forks, but using spoons gets just the right size pieces). If you have time to sautee an onion, put that on top of the chicken. Pour a can of cream of mushroom soup (Amy's Organic is the best) on top, followed by a package of frozen peas and carrots. Then top with biscuit dough, and bake according to the directions for the biscuit dough. I used Bisquick, so the whole thing was super easy. It turned out great, and I think was reasonably healthy, too.
This morning, I actually hauled my butt out of bed early and went to the gym! For me, this is a major accomplishment. I haven't been active for the last few months. My workout felt great. Woo hoo!
This weekend was spent in Visalia Ca. A sleepy town where my fathers only family lives. My younger cousin Chris got married and Sweater, mom and I drove up to attend. Before this weekend, Sweater and I felt some discomfort from family about getting married but nothing we could not handle. This weekend was another story! AHHHHH!!!!!
- I am not emothionaly ready to be a wife
- I don't have an idea of what my definition of a wife would be/do
- Have not compared notes with sweater on HIS definition of a wife or husband...
- I have a lot of goals I'd like to see out before I marry or start a family
- I think I'm to young to get married
- I am not financially stable, what would I bring to the marriage?
- I KNOW myself well enough to know that I'd be a shitty partner at this point in my life
Saturday - Productive, mainly got all my errands done. Stopped at the Carlsbad outlet malls -- thought I'd tackle a little early Christmas shopping -- but apparently I wasn't the only one with that idea. The place was packed. Scary packed. I thought I might die under a heap of customers clawing at the 50% off bags at Coach. Narrowly escaped.
Sunday - Went for breakfast and took Bucky. When another jumpy/sniffy/nosy dog got near Bucky, we again found out that Bucky's still not dog-friendly. :-( His next training is Saturday.
Went bowling with some friends, and now my legs are sore. Geez, gotta get back in the gym.
I also tackled my first cheesecake, and it turned out pretty good. I stuck to a simple recipe -- just cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon rind. A lot easier than I thought it'd be.
Had some friends over for dinner last night; that's one of my favorite things to do. Sigh, I already miss the weekend....
YAY!!!
Went to see Avenue Q again tonight. Definitely enjoyed it the second time around. It was interesting to compare tonight with the first time I saw it, as the performance in Melbourne was in the opening week with the Australian cast. Although the first time was really good, it was very much a copy of the American show. Tonight was so much better in that the actors were more comfortable with the characters and the puppets.
Now we just need to convince Canberra Theatre to install cocktail glass holders. :)
What are your favorite web or mobile apps? Which ones do you use everyday?
Tweetdeck for organising all my twitter stuff
How do you use the Internet to stay informed about the things that matter to you?
I think a list would be appropriate here -
- Twitter - used as a pseudo-RSS feed of various things. A lot of local social media opinion too.
- Facebook - used to
spycatch up with people I wanted to forget about once I left that school or workplace - Livejournal - the underworld of Top Gear and Dr Who fanfic..
- The Riot Act - local news and opinion
- ABC News - Australian news and TV
- Email - Genealogy mailing lists, junk mail and everything else I signed up for once upon a time
- Flickr - photography and pretty pictures
Addicted? Probably
I saw the movie The Blind Side last night. It is based on a true story and stars Sandra Bullock. It is funny and heartwarming. It is about a high school student from the wrong side on town who attends a private school and has had a rough life. At the end of the movie I got chills - the good kind. I give it two thumbs up.
I was worried yesterday because both the honey and I had to go to work, leaving our diarrhea dog in the house alone. I got home around 5:45, and miracle of miracles, no messes! YAY! Boy, now I know a little bit of how new parents feel. Except babies have diapers.
Bucky seems to be quickly improving, maybe because of the antibiotic he's on.
