Snow weekend wrapup…shovels, bread pudding and cats….

A lonely, but lovely drive home....the big storm had just begun...

This is what my drive home Friday night looked like….kinda lonely. Most people were off the roads, thank goodness, by 6:30 Friday evening. But this morning coming to work? OMG…cars parked in the street, people walking in the street, drivers who SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING IN THE SNOW BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW HOW, and miles of snow and ice alleys, made for ummmmmm…a breathtaking commute. But I made it…I made it. Now we just get ready for another 6 inches, right?

It was an “interesting ” weekend in my neighborhood, as I’m sure it was in yours. A couple neighbors own fairly sizeable snow blowers, and Mike, who lives two doors up from me, is so generous with his time and snow-blowing ability. He helped all of us get our cars ready for a Monday commute…he must have been exhausted.  But not everyone has that kind of neighbor. A guy here at work who lives in Federal Hill, says he has a neighbor who also has a snowblower, and isn’t so generous…..he did his little area around his own car….and ok, I’m finished. Thanks pal. Good neighbor time!!

And a Humvee ambulance got stuck in our hood(as did a snowplow…for 24 hours) and a neighbor’s Mother was inside on her way to the hospital. So 25 or so people came out from their warm houses and dug the Humvee out. The snowplow had to be pulled out by something even bigger than it was.

I do love bread pudding....even when it's squishy...

Sunday, I did make the croissant bread pudding, and while it was good…the croissants were just too soft for my taste, even though I toasted them first. Day old French bread would have had more body…but it still tasted good(come on..croissants with cream butter sugar and eggs?), and made a killer caramel sauce to go with it , by boiling a stick of butter with a half cup of heavy cream and a half cup each brown sugar and regular sugar, and a dash of salt. Yummy.

Oh, and an update on my daughter’s new rescue cat Spencer…he’s even more chillaxed, if that’s possible.

Spencer is extremely worried about unplowed streets....not.

He now realizes that he has fallen into a pot of honey, and has decided to make the best of it. He refused to eat until we bought him some of the super-expensive fancy little tiny cans of cat food(the ones that are $.89 per teeny can!)…and he’s slowly being weaned on to more affordable stuff. Lucky kitty-cat. Hope all of you had a safe, if digging-out weekend. And keep that snow shovel handy….sounds like you’ll need it soon.

Sometimes you just need some caveman….

This is how I'm rolling tomorrow...note the superwinch...

Ok, this isn’t to pile on Toyota a little more….but there are have been a few rare times in the perfectly nice relationship between me and my hybrid, that it looks a little…well…wimpy. Most of the time I feel pretty cool in it(I’m sorry, but it’s true)…but there are times when a sensitive car for the new millenium won’t cut it…when you need some caveman.  A guy who works here(and wears shorts to work no matter what the weather) has the biggest monster truck you’ve ever seen(have no idea what brand it is, but it ain’t no hybrid)…with what sounds like  a gazillion horse power. Seriously, I would hate to see his Exxon bill. But it must be said, there is no car I’d rather be coming to work in on Saturday(and yes, I will be here)…than his car. Love it!! He is picking up both Mindy Basara and myself….and hauling us to and from work. We heart you John!! ♥

I hope her family appreciates the expensive chili.....

Made a last minute trip to the grocery store….I know, what a fool….and it was just the madness and empty shelves you would expect. The woman behind me in line with packs of meat(in the picture) said, “This will be the world’s most expensive chili…but that’s the only ground meat they had on the shelves…all the regular hamburger was gone.” Ah yes….procrastinaters can’t be choosers.

My haul this morning....croissant bread pudding, anyone?

And I was kinda in the same boat. I decided (last minute of course) to make a New Orleans bread pudding for a NOLA Superbowl gathering I’m going to Sunday( and yes, I can walk there)…but was there a loaf of French bread in the market? Was there?? Why no there was not…but I figured you can make a pretty mean bread pudding with croissants, right?

mmmm...nutella and cookies...I'm going to his house!

So I grabbed a couple of packs of those, some kitty litter(can you ever have too much?), some carrots(just because), milk(I’m almost out), half and half(for the bread pudding)…..and that was about it. No salad bar was set up( waah!) because it was all hands on deck at checkout! Wasn’t too bad really. Except now I’m wondering if I have any actual sugar at home….plenty of fake stuff, but any real sugar? I honestly don’t know. So perhaps I’ll see you at the grocery store, clawing for that last small sack of sugar!

Dirty Little Secret…..

My hair is too darn clean today....

Sing it with me now….”I’ll keep you my dirty little secret, dirty little secret…”  OK, I  know lots of people who religiously wash their hair every single day. Each and every blessed day they shampoo…unless they’re sick and in bed, and greasy locks can be tolerated. And I must admit, I have been among the washaholics in years past, until I discovered the dirty little secret of people who need for their hair to look good on tv and in movies. It’s dirty. A hairdresser on movie set(Line of Fire if you must know), was styling my hair, and asked, “Is it clean?”….and when I told him I washed it the day before, he said, “Good. It’s easier to style when it has a little dirt in it.“

Seriously, the first day I wash my hair(usually a Monday), it looks ok, but it’s too full, and just too much hair, no matter how much I fool with it. The next day, it looks better, and I’ve recently discovered…on the THIRD day, while it feels a little gross….it looks even better!  Last week on a Wednesday(third day), one of my fellow anchor women said,”Your hair looks really good. “

“Really?”, I asked incredulously..”I haven’t brushed it all morning”….to which she replied, “Isn’t it funny…sometimes when you try the least, it looks the best.” Point well taken. Sometimes when you futz over your hair…washing, conditioning, blowdrying, straightening, seruming….all it really needed was a little dirt. And this is true for guys too, but their hair is often so short, you’re not saving that much time or effort bu washing every day, and just adding “product”.

People pay money for dirt!

And they even make a product called just that…DIRT Texturizing Paste by Jonathan. You can pay $14 for a tiny little jar, or do as I do…get it for free by not washing your hair every day. Today is Thursday and I washed my hair this morning…so forgive me of having  not it exactly the  way I want it…close but no cigar. And I’ve decided having dirty hair is actually a green thing to do. Sure I could wash the locks every day and product the hell out of it, but this way I save: 1.time 2. water 3. money.  What’s not to like??

More Apartment Therapy…..The Grand Tour

Ok, it’s just about finished. While there are still more clothes to move, the daughter is in….ensconced in her first pad, complete with a new cat, named Spencer. More in Spence in a minute. First, some apartment pics and where things came from….I always enjoy looking at pics of other people’s pads(ala the website Apartment Therapy)….so if you do too….here we go. The grand tour.

Entryway...love the boots and lampshade!

First her tiny entry area…hey, at least she has one, though it’s definitely  too small to call it a foyer. The lamp is one of the first things we purchased….from Paradiso on 36th Street in  Hampden. They have the coolest lamps, and the prices won’t scare you to death. Just love that shop. The narrow table(it had to be narrow) came from ETSY, a website Deborah  Weiner turned me onto…the things on it are made by an individual person.  It’s a great resource. The table  was supposed to be black, and we may yet paint it. Doesn’t offend me cream….just kinda blah. The mirror came from Ballard Design on sale…and the thing holding her mail is one of a couple of things we got at Great Stuff by Paul, in Frederick. It’s an old wooden Chinese rice scoop(($29)…and is perfect for mail. (I can’t go to Frederick without stopping in.

Cozy little sitting area in one corner of main room....

And speaking of Great Stuff by Paul….that is also where the antique Chinese window screen you see above came from($89)…they had at least a couple hundred of them. It’s such a great architectural feature, and covers a lot of space. We mounted it with velcro. Sofa from and lamp from Ikea(of course…the new apartment furnisher’s best friend), the white branch table on sale from West Elm, Thomas Paul “Nest” pillow from Gilt, the yellow flower applique pillow also from Etsy.

I've always loved this dresser..now it has a home...

This old dresser I inherited it from my Grandmother when I was a teenager…and I was the one who painted it red(yeah, that was a long time ago). My Mother said, “Are you sure you want it red?” It has become quite “distressed” over the years, but I hung onto it, knowing that someone would love it and have just the place for it one day. And this alcove in the apt, was the place(no doubt it used to house a Murphy bed). In fact, this red dresser was the basis for the entire color scheme for the room. It’s a great little dressing table with some pretty good storage, and my Mom would be so pleased it’s in her granddaughter’s apartment. The Thomas Adler wannabe lamp…is from Lamps Plus.

Definitely a statement piece....maybe our favorite find.

 The chair in front is something I consider one of our great finds, from Overstock. A superbright, mod print…and with lucite legs!! I love it! And here’s what I think…no matter what you’re looking for, if you don’t check on Overstock to see what’s there(and read the buyer reviews if there are any), you’re crazy, or have more money than sense…as Mom would say. You just never know what you’ll find there.  Like this crazy chair that wasn’t expensive.

My daughter loved this yellow toile duvet cover on Pottery Barn….it was backordered on their website, and kinda pricey. We found it for less on Ebay.

Love the chandelier...though it wasn't the easiest thing to mount.

Again, you never know what you’ll find there. Always worth a check. Bed  from Ikea. Side table a long ago buy from C-Mart(♥ you C-Mart). And another great buy from ETSY….the wall decal that looks like a chandelier. While it was ummmm…a challange to put up, it was worth the effort….just love the look. And if  you go to the link above, you’ll see the incredible variety of vinyl decals available, everything from big giraffes, to birds on a branch, to chandeliers, to trees growing from the floor. Very modern, very chic, and an inexpensive way to cover a wall. Check it out.

More vertical storage....what every tiny apartment needs....

And another space and storage solution…this wall entryway unit we found on sale at Ballard Design….it’s in a small dressing area just outside the bathroom. Great for hanging coats and stuff, and extra storage. It’s one thing we learned from my son and the lovely Jennifer in a NYC studio…try to keep things vertical and on the walls, rather than sitting on the floor. Point well taken.

Meet Spencer!

And last but certainly not least….my daughter was dying for a cat….she loves herself some  kitties. So Sunday afternoon we went to the Falls Road SPCA (where there was a bumper crop of  people looking for pets) and found what may be the perfect cat for her. Spencer is 5 years old, and had been abandoned by owners who moved away and left him, if you can imagine such a thing. The neighbors fed him for a few months, and then finally brought him in. Spencer is without a doubt, a cat from whom other felines could learn a thing or two.  Totally relaxed and easy going, he loves to nap on the sofa, and has already made himself right at home. He jumped out of the cat carrier and stretched as if to say, “Yeah, I think I can hang out with you guys for a while.” Such a sweetie has a new home. Two sweeties actually. My girl is starting to feel at home in her new space…and while I really miss her(and I think she misses me too), she’s moving into a new phase of life…a whole new adventure…for her and Spencer.

Foodie delights for your weekend…..

Ok here’s the first one and it’s dead easy, and really good…I made it last night after work!! It’s called Chicken Ground Nut Stew….I know it sounds a little …awful…but it isn’t, and it is a variation of something cooked in the West Africa Peace Corp, but using Thai ingredients.

from the Peace Corps to you.....Chicken Ground-nut Stew

Here’s what you’ll need. 

1 can of coconut milk (highly recommend the brand  ‘A Taste of Thai’)
1 package of ‘A taste of Thai’ peanut sauce mix (use both envelopes in package)
1 can of water chestnuts
1 cooked (baked) and de-boned / de-skinned chicken – cut into approx 1-2″ pieces (Donna’s note: I also sautéed a red bell pepper, a bunch of green onions and fresh garlic and some fresh baby spinach at the end. Made it much prettier and much more healthy.)

1.  Shake coconut milk before adding to pan. This is important because a lot of the milk will stay clumped in the bottom of the can if you don’t shake it well. 
2.  Heat the milk to simmer
3.  Add the spices. 
4.  Stir together for 2 minutes (until the sauce is consistent)
5.  Add everything else and heat on medium low until boiling
6.  Boil on low for 2 minutes  …  and voila, you’re done! Serve over rice(and I like brown rice…healthier).    

Please take the bag away from me....

Next up: delicious crackers I found that are made on the Eastern Shore. Little Ragghi’s Crackers are yummy flat bread crackers made with olive oil and parmesan cheese. I’m eating one right now, and the flavor is just sooooo good. if you go to Ragghi’s website, you’ll find a list of where they’re sold and the story behind Raggi, which is pretty fascinating. I bought mine at Well’s Liquors on York Road…and picked up a bottle of wine for the weekend. Can’t wait to eat these with some cheese tonight!

Oysters, Gruyere, green onions and bacon..

Last, but not least…something I want to make this weekend, maybe Sunday night. It’s a recipe for Iron Skillet Oysters from Callie’s Biscuit Blog. I’ve told you about Callie’s before….their biscuits, which hale from Charleston are so very  very good, but I’m not gonna lie to you…they’re pricey. But they have some lovely and easy recipes on their blog….and this one really struck me as something I might like to make for Superbowl…and you don’t have to go outside…this recipe is made in the oven.  Fresh oysters, Gruyère cheese, bacon and green onions…what’s not to like?  So there you have it….3 suggestions to make your weekend a little more special…mostly simple, and people will love you for it. Play nice with others this weekend and come home safe….talk to you Monday!

Sully’s Plane for Sale?????

Sully's miracle plane in the salvage yard??

That’s the word on the street anyway….that the famous U.S.  Airways plane that ditched in the Hudson…with everyone on board being saved….is now in the salvage yard, and yes, for sale. Is nothing sacred? Or maybe an old plane that has crash-landed is only worth the sum of its parts… 

Plane interior....whose luggage is that in the bins??

How do I know this? I got an email today from a free email magazine I receive called Urban Daddy.…(its devoted to keeping me in the know)that said that is indeed what is happening.  And there it was with a link to the  Chartis Insurance Company, (though it pops up as AIG Aviation)complete with loads of pics of the plane inside and out….if you click on the link to Chartis, you can see all the pictures.  I found it fascinating, because really, you never think about what happens to old airplanes that get semi-trashed….what then? They go to salvage, that’s what. Perhaps the most interesting/chilling photo of the plane may be the one below, that shows the belly of the plane ripped out. Ouch. It really was a miracle that everyone got out alive. So HOW do you get a piece of the action? Evidently bids are being taken, as you’ll see on the link under the pictures, …but I’m pretty sure Sully is not included in the deal. Oh, and they say the plane is for sale, “as-is, where-is” No kidding. They’re not gonna fix it and bring it to my house? I have called Chartis to confirm that this is really THE plane. So far, no call back. 

The picture says it all......

The Most Depressing Day of the Year…

yesterday was pretty blah.....

Turns out yesterday is referred to as  ”the most depressing day of the year”….the last Monday in January. Why that day? People who know such things say it’s because the holidays are over:( and holiday bills are rolling in(my AMEX bill was truly startling), and it’s cold outside, and …. just because. And perhaps I had another reason to feel a little blue….we had moved my sweet daughter this weekend to her very first apartment. I just want to say this….we should have hired some movers. I wasn’t feeling great anyway, as Friday I was home sick with a dreadful cold which I’m still nursing. But we were optimistic that 3 of us could “handle it”. Yeah.

Her new breakfast/dinner area....all from Overstock...

And we did. There were no tears, and we were all speaking at the end of the move, but it was a tough, testy, long, messy two days. And while I love Ikea, can I just say…who writes those instructions? We bought a media unit for her which of course came in a flat box with 10 pieces that all looked kinda alike and a big pouch of wooden pegs and metals screws and round screw tighteners that look like tiny torture implements. First my daughter gave up on it after starting with gusto, then I did…finally her Father finished it. The title of my next book  is going to be “Inside the Mind of a Swede“…and it will be a murder mystery about the mysterious disappearance of an IKEA instruction writer. Don’t steal my idea.

But the apartment is  almost finished…there are things she still needs…a rug, a longer cord surge protecter….and her room at home looks like a hurricane hit it. (It looked like that before, but now there’s less stuff in it.) I will show you more pictures later this week…but I thought the dining nook turned out well..it’s at the end of her tiny kitchen, and the window has a pretty view. The table and chairs all came from Overstock….not part of a set, but we liked them together. The lamp is old, she bought the tray at Target, and the yellow pot had been on my desk at work….we just plopped an orchid inside. I’d eat there. I have more “stuff” to take over this week…or maybe it’s just a good excuse to see my girl! She says she is sleeping well there…which is something for her. So I’m glad for that. You know the oddest thing I miss? When she was in her bedroom at home,( it’s just across the hall from my bedroom), her door was closed but I could see the thin strip of light glowing underneath…I knew she was reading as was I….and when the light would go out, I’d think, “I really should go to sleep too.” I miss that little strip of light at night.  I know she’s fine, and I’m fine too…but I miss her, just like my Momma said I would.

C-Mart Lives Again!!!!!!!!!!!

I simply cannot tell you the happiness I felt, when the hubby spoke these words from the next room… in a tone of voice that this was something I might be interested in…”Looks like C-Mart is coming back…” 

“WHAT?”, I screamed….and ran in to grab the paper. And sure enough, there  was the article in the Baltimore Sun(and I have to tell you, I hear people saying “oh I don’t take the Sun anymore”….silliness…there are things in the Sun I won’t see anywhere else) about how C-Mart wouldn’t have the same name…the family doesn’t own the rights anymore, but it will be the same quirky place that so many of us loved and found fantastic bargains. For those of you who might have missed my dirge about bargains found and my sorrow, when C-Mart closed….here’s a link. I got some great stuff at C-mart, and while trying to help my daughter furnish her new apartment, more than once I thought sadly, “Oh, if only C-Mart was here….the stuff we could find.” And now it’s coming back, in its original location in Bel Air…ok, I wish it was the one in Joppatowne, but whatever, and will be called The Big Tarp Company Store. I can’t wait. Oh, and speaking of the girl’s apartment….she moved this weekend…details and pictures tomorrow. It’s looking pretty cute.

Oh, here’s a quote from the article to whet your appetite….”There will be $30,000 worth of products from a Vera Bradley boutique, 3,000 pairs of shoes from two department stores, and books from a Barnes & Noble truck that didn’t make it to stores because the front cabin caught fire.”  Done. CU@C-Mart.

Haiti Horror….

Common painting themes in Haiti....

I have a painting at home that looks very similar to this one….only it’s more primitive and less refined looking. I bought it in Haiti, years ago when I was in Port-au-Prince. A city teeming with people, most living in tin shacks, you couldn’t really walk the streets without people insisting that you buy something. So I bought the painting. But it brings back memories of Haiti’s largest city…memories of extreme poverty and people living in conditions that residents of the U.S. would find intolerable. And now this. What little they had….a bit of a house, some pots and pans, clothing, some furniture…it’s gone. Along with many of their friends and relatives. Never to be seen again, and many  they will never know what happened to them, because as bodies are shoved into old crypts or mass graves, no one is keeping records of who died…or how many.

I wonder how babies that are pulled from the wreckage will ever find their families…if their families are indeed alive. And the number of orphans in the country is now growing…kids with no one to look out for them. There were already some 50,000 orphans in Haiti before the earthquake, several hundred of whom were in the process of being adopted by American families, but now all those records are lost.

Many were hoping the U.S. would grant orphans in Haiti what is called Humanitarian Parole, which would allow certain children to enter The U.S. quickly without tons of paperwork, to be adopted. Otherwise, what will happen to these thousands of orphans, many of whom lost their caretakers too? And that has happened, Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced yesterday that children already in the process of being adopted, or those who had been matched with an American family would be expedited through. Unfortunately that might help only some 600 children….and it’s being done on a case by case basis. What will happen to the rest of them?

Magenta Friday……

Purple? I'm not sure....

Ok, let me just say this up front….I’m not really into “Purple Friday“.  I realize that’s a semi-heretical thing to say here in Baltimore, especially the Friday before a playoff game. “How awful….she doesn’t want to wear purple on Friday..shameless!” Here’s the thing. I don’t really like purple….I have ONE thing that’s kinda purple….you see it in the picture, and it’s really more of a magenta, but I’m wearing it tonight on 11 News at Five. You can judge its degree of purpleness for yourself.

Purple  is a lovely color in it’s place….it was the favorite of Cleopatra I’m given to understand…it’s also the color for widows in Thailand(hey, at least it’s not black)…and purple has always been the color of royalty. In Feng  Shui circles, purple belongs to the element of fire and is known as a strong vibration color…one that should be used in moderation. But if you simply cannot get enough purple, especially in football season, do I have the website for you…The Purple Store.  And here is a must have bumper sticker for the back of your car!

I hope to be seeing more of these around town....soon.

 If I had to pick a favorite shade, it would be eggplant, or aubergine, as the French would say….I can hear it now….  “And the Ravens come onto the field,  in aubergine and black!!”  Hey, don’t think this reflects in any way,  my feelings about the Ravens. I think they’re a perfectly fine football team, and I wish them well Saturday night, and I will watch the game and indeed, cheer them on. But when it comes to wearing purple every single Friday in football season….it just seems a little…I don’t know…cheerleader-esque?  And that’s just not my thing. Plus there’s none in my closet. But today I have reluctantly caved to pressure and will sport a magenta/purple on the air. So there. Enjoy your weekend…play nice and come home safe. And yes, go Ravens.