Want to Look Better?

Noah: Grammie, what's that black around your eyes?

Me: It's eyeliner. Do you like it or do you think it looks weird?

Noah: It's fine. But if you put more of it on, you would look like a skeleton. That would be really cool!

Herbs and the Queen

The appropriate number of days have passed for my basil and rosemary to dry.

Today I crushed the leaves and am a proud owner of some freshly dried herbs! The basil:

The rosemary:

What should I cook first? When I decide, I'll cook it in this pot. It's my go-to pot right now.

Mitch's mom gave it to me several years ago. Before that, it belonged to his grandmother. There's a lot of history in that pot.

Can you see that it's called Range Queen! Don't you just love that name? I've been wanting to buy a Le Creuset Dutch Oven but the $$$ scares me away. I ask myself why cook with Le Creuset when you can be a Range Queen?!!

Plus I can't pick a color.

Family, by the numbers

A friend commented the other day that I came from a small family. Well, I didn't argue but I certainly don't consider that to be true. Here's the count:

1 husband

2 parents

2 parents-in-law

2 daughters

1 son-in-law

3 grandchildren

1 sister

5 brothers-in-law

4 sisters-in-law

8 nephews

3 nieces

3 aunts

3 uncles

13 cousins

That's 49 family members that I see and/or correspond with, most quite often.

Then there are spouses, children, and grandchildren of my cousins. And many of them have spouses and children. And on it goes.

So, I have a small family?

I don't think so.

Childhood Memory

I was recently asked two questions about Christmas past. The first was about a favorite memory and the second about a favorite carol. The answers are wrapped up in one memory.

On Christmas Eve, the family would load in the car and drive to Eola to celebrate the holiday with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We all had eyes to the sky, on the lookout for Santa and his sleigh. We would sing most of the way there, and we always sang Up on the Housetop. When we came to the chorus, Dad sang Santa's Ho Ho Ho in his beautiful bass voice. We LOVED it. And him.

Still do.

Christmas Entertaining

It was my year to host the neighbors for our annual Christmas Party. Christmas Cheer at our house, then Christmas Dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Here's what the cheer part looked like -- without people. I didn't take any people pictures. Sorry, because everyone knows that the people are the most interesting part.

Anyway, here goes.

Welcome! Come in!

Entry. Notice the Winter Rose Poinsettia.

Dining room. (Unused for the evening.)

Bar. (Also unused. What? A party with no bar? Can it really be called a party?) Yes.

Living area with rearranged furniture.

More poinsettias. Isn't the green one pretty?

Chairs. The only seating used.

And now for the food!

Appetizer: Honey, Walnut and Brie Tartlets. Easy. And delicious. This was my favorite. You can make it, too: http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/11/10-holiday-appetizers-to-whet-your.html

Appetizer: Pepperoni Pizza Puffs. Also easy. And delicious. They were the group favorite. Could have been served with pizza sauce on the side, but they were good without it. And I didn't want spilled pizza sauce anywhere. :) Go here for the recipe: http://lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com/2010/07/annoying-habits.html

Drinks: Reindeer Bubbles. This was my favorite part for two reasons: 1) lots of compliments and 2) they were delicious! It's green sugar on the rim with pomegranate seeds and pomegranate syrup in the bottom. When the champagne was poured in, the pomegranate seeds would bounce up and down with the bubbles. Recipe here: http://www.hgtv.com/holidays-and-entertaining/celebrity-holiday-homes-recipes-reindeer-bubbles-festive-cocktail/index.html

I have no more entertaining planned until Christmas Eve. Warning: if you are here (and you are always welcome) you may see some of this again!

And it will be delicious!

Abracadabra

I woke up this morning and decided that this was a good day to to perform some kitchen magic! So I turned this:

Into this:

(Banana bread with mini Reese's PB cups)

And this:

Into this:

(Buttermilk pie)

After a taste test, I decided that the pie is the best!

Turns out that I'm a banana bread purist. I love Reese's PB cups -- but not in my banana bread.

Who knew?

Herbs

I have had a bumper crop of basil and rosemary this year, and I loved having the fresh herbs on hand. Mary Lou showed me some dried herbs that her friend had done at home, so I decided to try it for myself.

I was careful to cut the basil at 10 o'clock in the morning. The internet tells me that 10 a.m. is the time of day when the basil leaves contain the most oil; therefore, basil clipped at 10 will have the best flavor and smell. (I hope the recent time change doesn't mess this up!)

I washed the herbs in the sink to remove dirt, picked off leaves that just didn't measure up, bundled it up, tied it together with a string, and hung it from a clothes hanger.

I picked a dark, cool, non-drafty location for it to dry: the upstairs powder-room -- Mary Lou's recommendation. :) That location is available because Mary Lou has no plans to visit me and stay in that room right now. :(

Isn't it pretty?

It will take a good 4 weeks until it's nice and crunchy and crumbly. Then I'll be able to do all sorts of things:

• mix my own potpourri
• make a sachet
• flavor my olive oil
• flavor my vinegar
• scent steam

But I'll probably just cook.

The Last Five Books I've Read

Okay, it's six. Here goes:

6. The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli. Bottom line is that Marilyn was a sensitive and desperate woman. Taraborrelli interviewed many of the people in Marilyn's life and used newly released documentation to present is well written biography. If you're a fan of Norma Jean, you'll find this story interesting. My rating: ***

5. Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope by Don & Susuie Van Ryn, Colleen Newell and Whitney Cerak. After a motor vehicle accident in Indiana in 2006, the wrong girl was identified as the lone survivor. Five weeks later, she awakes from a coma and the error is discovered. This is the story of how the families used their faith to cope with the extraordinary circumstances they faced. My rating: ****

4. Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts. Rowan Tripp is a special breed of firefighters - a smoke jumper. Last season her jump partner died in a fire, and Rowan is still coming to terms with his death. She's not one to mix business with pleasure. Until she meets Gull Curry, that is. And then the murders begin. My rating: ****

3. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. This is the 10th novel of Patterson's Women's Murder Club series, and I've read them all - so these girls are my friends and of course I care about what is going on in their lives! Lindsay is getting married; Yuki is prosecuting the biggest case of her life; Cindy is falling in love; and Claire is... well, not much is going on with Claire. I guess her baby is keeping her busy. None the less, it's an interesting chapter of their lives and I'm ready for what comes next (which is rumored to be a crossover book with his Alex Cross character). My rating: ****

2. Drop Dead Beautiful by Jackie Collins. This 6th novel written about Lucky Santangelo is the first I've read in the series. It's full of Hollywood, Vegas, Italian Mafia, sex and violence. Ah, to be one of the Beautiful People! My rating: ****

1. The Island by Erin Hilderbrand. Four women come together to spend a month at their family beach house on Tuckernuck Island, near Nantucket. The two sisters, their mother and their aunt use the time getting to know each other - and themselves - better as they wrestle with their own internal demons. My rating: ****

What I'm reading right now:

1. Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. Continuing the story that began in Shanghai Girls, See tells the story of Joy returning to China to find her true father.

2. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. Hoffman's first book is about 12-year-old Cecelia Rose Honeycutt's childhood. Her mom is crazy and her dad is mean, but Aunt Tootie is a godsend and the housekeeper Oleta is wise, wise woman.

So, what are you reading these days?

Bountiful

Julie and I hit the Farmer's Market in Fort Worth this morning!

back: orange honeydew melon

middle: peaches, fairy tale eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes

front: okra

I think dinner tonight will be a fruit and vegetable plate!

Overload!

Question: What happens when you start with chocolate chip cookie dough --

-- layer on Double Stuff Oreo cookies --

-- and top with Fudge Brownie mix?

THIS:

Answer: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n' Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar!

Of course.

Friday's Lofty Dream

Well, I wasn't sad to see Billy and Modena's tail lights as they drove away. I didn't see them at all. I was asleep -- like any normal person should be at 4:30 in the morning!!

When it was really time to get up, we decided it was a good day to paint the loft. Out comes the caulk gun, the painting materials and our designated painting attire. Away we went. And the results? Less than stellar.

:(

My guess is that the paint we were painting over had something to do with it. So Saturday will see the same routine: get out the paint and put on the painting costumes.

The exhaustion and disappointment did lead to one thing -- dinner out! We went on up to The Lodge - still in full centennial celebration mode - and had ourselves a delicious dinner. Mitch chose rack of lamb, his usual, and I chose lobster. YUM!

Tired bodies + full bellies = good night of sleep.

Exploration Thursday

Today found us at the White Sands National Monument outside of Alamogordo, NM. The sand dunes are beautiful. It looked like we were driving on ice and looking at snow. Except it was hot. The weather, not the sand.

We had a fun time climbing up the dunes and even more fun coming down!

Our next stop was Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso. We had a lovely lunch and then sight-seeing around the resort. We even saw an elk on the grounds!

We'll be sad to see Billy and Modena's tail lights tomorrow.

Celebrations Wednesday

First Celebration: Mom and Dad are celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary today. Woo-hoo! Love them lots.

Second Celebration: John and Teresa are celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary today. Woo-hoo! Love them, too.

Now some history: The Lodge Resort and Spa in Cloudcroft, New Mexico was originally constructed in 1899 by the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway as they searched the area for timber. The log-constructed lodge was completed in 1899.

In 1908, the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad System became the new owner and advertised that the hotel, restaurant, dancing pavilion, tennis court, golf links, bowling alley, billiard parlor, burro trips and children's playground were available for weekend rates of $3.00 round trip. Room rates started at $12.50 per week.

On June 13, 1909, a terrible fire destroyed The Lodge but by 1911, it had been rebuilt. This photo was taken today. And by the way, today's room rates start at $89.00 per night -- and the bowling alley and burro trips are a thing of the past.

So, here is celebration #3 (and the previously hinted at birthday party): Today marks 100 years since the current Lodge opened it's doors! Woo-hoo! Birthday cake for everyone!

There have been some pretty interesting people come through the doors besides just us. Most notably Clark Gable and Judy Garland.

Additionally the Southwest Ghost Hunters Paranormal Research Organization has been here. Why? Because of Rebecca!

Legend says that Rebecca was a beautiful young chambermaid with striking blue eyes and shocking red hair, who disappeared from her quarters after her lover found her in the arms of another. She remains at The Lodge -- mischievously flickering lights, opening and closing doors, and moving furniture. No worries though; she's a friendly ghost.

I think she came to visit Noah and I last year. We were in the tower and were witness to her trademark flickering lights. Didn't bother us any.

We ain't afraid of no ghost.

Tiring Tuesday

Well, it's not me that's tired. Or Mitch. It's those roofers that are removing the old metal roof so that they can install our new metal roof.

We were surprised when they knocked at the front door this morning - bright and early I might add. We thought it would be a couple more weeks until they got to our job. But no. Let the hammering begin!

We also have a couple of guys working on our security system this morning. Gotta keep the bears out, you know. I think these guys are tired of our stairs. It doesn't take long before going up and down two flights a couple of times wears you out. It does me, anyway!

And another thing that is not tiring us: company is coming! Billy and Modena should be arriving this afternoon. Billy and Mitch are going to do some carpentry work in the loft tomorrow. Baseboards. Next will be painting and carpet, but not this trip.

Up tomorrow: a special birthday party!

Memorial Day Monday

Today's Memorial Day celebration is pretty quiet. Fly the flag and fire up the grill. Later we will enjoy a bowl of homemade ice cream. Bailey's Irish Cream Ice Cream. It will be de.lish.us!

I was remembering the Memorial Day celebration the year we were married. We had just returned from our honeymoon (in NM!) and moved into our new apartment in Lubbock. We dined on hot dogs and watermelon with our new neighbors.

It's now thirty two years later, and I can say that those were the best neighbors we've ever had. And we'd love to have them as neighbors again. And I mean close neighbors. Neighboring states just doesn't cut it!

Today I honor the great warriors who risked their lives to protect us and our country. In my family, this includes:

• my dad, Charlie Low
• my uncle, Everett Low
• my uncle, James Jacoby
• my uncle, Reginald Jacoby (dec'd)
• my uncle, Jackie Jacoby (dec'd)
• my uncle, Chuck Bledsoe
• my cousin, Steven Jacoby
• my cousin, Gary Booth
• my cousin, Joseph Miller (dec'd)
• my cousin, Brannon Jacoby
• my cousin, Pat Cunningham
• Mitch's grandad, Reese Davis (dec'd)
• Mitch's grandmother, Pearl Davis (dec'd)

Thank you.

Sunday is Fun Day!

We haven't liked the gauze curtains in the family room ever since we bought the cabin. Sunday was the day we ripped them down and hung some vertical blinds.

This was a huge project. There are three sliding glass doors in a row and these blinds have to line up just so. The project needed some high tech machinery to make it a success. Check this out:

This is a level mounted on a tripod on top of a dining room table. Sort of a Bob the Builder/Jeremy/Egyptian* combination apparatus. We used the red line to make sure all of the blinds hung from the same horizontal point all around the room.

It worked like a charm, too.

You can decide if you think the blinds are an improvement over the ugly, wrinkled and sparse gauze panel.

Yeah. Me, too.

*Egyptians are believed to have invented the kitchen table.

Saturday in the Sacramentos

It hasn't rained here in over 40 days, and the wind has been blowing like there's no tomorrow. These conditions have resulted in the Lincoln National Forest being closed.

No hiking. No camping. No picnics. You can't even look out from an overlook! This is a serious situation.

Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires.

Since we didn't do much Friday except a happy dance, we decided to do a couple of little chores. One: wash off the paint from the pranksters that paint-balled the front of our cabin. Two: get out our paint and paint the bookcase in the stairwell. Whew -- that's enough for one day!

We also took a Julie/Jeremy suggestion and watched the movie The Other Guys. Good, silly movie. Perfect for a Saturday evening.

Vacation Began on Friday!

Mitch and I were up early Friday to start driving to New Mexico. Amazing how easy it was to get up for something we're excited about!

First stop: McDonald's in Granbury for Egg McMuffins!

Second stop: Subway in Big Spring for oatmeal raisin cookies!

Third stop: Wellhead Restaurant in Artesia for burger and fries!

Fourth stop: We arrived!

My Heart

Will beat 110,444 times, pump 1,620 gallons of blood, and push that blood nearly 8,676 miles throughout my body!

Created by MyFitnessPal.com

My heart is full, and I'm so grateful for the blessings I'm given. Mitch and I will celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary this week! We are both healthy and happy. We have our parents, our children, our grandchildren, our brothers and sisters, and a very large extended family as a close part of our lives.

And -- I received these heart-healthy (and nutrient rich!) strawberries in the mail yesterday.

Strawberries contain good amounts of minerals like potassium, copper and iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is needed for red blood cell formation. So, strawberries are good, and good for you.

I heart strawberries. And hearts!

I Should Go Pro

Seriously. How cute are these?

I wasn't sure how these Butterfly Cupcakes were going to turn out, but -- Wow! I'm impressed.

I started off by using the "How to Dress Up a Cake Mix" recipe. As I'm adding the flour, sugar, eggs, etc I'm thinking it's a lot like Making A Cake! But the cupcakes taste as good as they look, so I guess the recipe is a winner.

There were several steps involved: making the batter, coloring part of it and baking it like a sheet cake, cutting the butterfly shapes out of the sheet cake, centering the butterfly in a partially filled cupcake liner, and finally adding more cupcake batter on top of the butterfly.

All that being said, you'll not be too surprised when I say I won't be making these cupcakes again for a while. So, no professional baking for me.

But they sure are cute!

We're a Part of Something Great

Mitch and I donated blood today. It was my third time. I know that doesn't sound like much, but the first time was really bad. It's a miracle I ever got in the chair again!

Mitch, on the other hand, was given a pin this time recognizing him as a 2 gallon donor. Woo Hoo for him!

Little pain; big gain. Consider it.

The Last Five Books I've Read

This installment of "Five Books" is really six books. Seems I'm always a little tardy with this series! Here goes:

6. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. A former NPR correspondent, Mr. Weiner travels the world to find happiness. He makes some conclusions about what does and doesn't make for happiness, but in the end I was happy that knew his story. Funny guy that Eric. My rating: ****

5. Decision Points by George W. Bush. President Bush admits some mistakes but stands by his decisions in this memoir. I enjoyed his personal stories and his perspectives of his presidency. I am a George W. Bush fan. My rating: ****

4. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson. A failed attempt to climb the world's second tallest mountain led to the construction of more than 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was accomplished by knowing this Baltistan proverb: The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family." Mr. Mortenson's book made me think that foreign relations should be smoother going than it is today. My rating: ***

3. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. In this book, you go along with the author as she raises her two daughters. She was a very strict Chinese mom and the girls are very successful. But at what cost? My rating: ***

2. Witness in Death by J. D. Robb. This is the 11th book of a series of 35 -- so far, and yes, I've read the previous 10. This series, set in the 2050s, stars Eve Dallas - a dedicated cop, and her husband Roarke - the richest man on the planet. In this installment a man is murdered onstage while Dallas and Roarke are in the audience. I didn't figure out "who did it." I never do. :) My rating: ***

1. The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere. A black family moves to Morgan Hill on the day of Jane's daddy's funeral, both events making life difficult for Jane and her family. This book is about growing up in the South, about poverty, and about overcoming racism. I loved it. My rating: *****

Up next: The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli. I guess Randy can't keep a secret!

Cupcakes Always Make Things Better

I received a surprise in the mail a couple of weeks ago from my best friend Mary Lou. The gift came right in the middle of several weeks that were a little tough, and the note she included made my day. "Cupcakes always make things better!"

Here's the gift: the hummingbird bakery cookbook. Lots of recipes and beautifully illustrated. I was ready to begin, and I chose to whip up a batch of chocolate muffins.

I gathered everything I needed.

Mix the eggs and sugar together.

Alternately add the dry ingredients --

-- and the milk.

Stir in the melted butter.

Fold in the chocolate.

Fill up the liners and the muffin tins are ready to go to the oven.

Yum!

Chocolate Muffins

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

2/3 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick plus 3 Tablespoons butter, melted

4 ounces milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Put the eggs and sugar in a mixer and beat until pale and well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk and vanilla. Gradually beat these 2 mixtures alternately into the egg mixture little by little. Beat until just incorporated.

4. Stir in the melted butter with a wooden spoon, the fold in the chocolate until evenly dispersed.

5. Spoon the batter into the paper lines until 2/3 full and bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Cookie Bake-Off

I challenged Marilyn to a cookie bake-off this month. The mission (if she chose to accept it) was to bake a batch of cookies, then give them all away to three different people, families, or groups. Except, of course, for the one(s) you have to eat to make sure they are good enough to give away! Marilyn accepted the mission and the big day was yesterday.

We decided to make the same cookies: Double Chocolate and Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies ... with Sea Salt.

I gathered my ingredients.

Cream the butter and sugars together.

Add melted white chocolate/peanut butter, egg and vanilla.

Toss in the dry ingredients.

Then the pretzels.

And the chocolate chips.

I put the dough on my new Silpat baking mat (Thanks, Mom. Love it!) and sprinkled each cookie with a touch of sea salt. Bake --

-- and enjoy!

These cookies ended up being dangerously delicious. I ate three of them -- so I know for sure!!

Here's who I shared with:

1) Julie, Jeremy, Noah, Libby and Clara

2) Ruth's Place Clinic

3) Charlie and Louise Green, my next door neighbors

And here's the recipe:

Double Chocolate and Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies ... with Sea Salt

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter ( reserve 2 Tablespoons to melt)

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup broken pretzel pieces

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Sea Salt in grinder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Melt white chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons peanut butter over a double boiler until melted. Add melted chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter to beaten butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt in bowl; mix to combine. Add to wet ingredients until just combined then pour in pretzels and milk chocolate chips. With a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. With the palms of your hand, gently press down each cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness. Sprinkle each cookie with a touch of sea salt. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until edges become golden and slightly crisp. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before removing.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.