Devious Mastermind?

Olive doing one of the cutest things ever.

Olive appears to be OK now, but last night was rough. We spent most of it at the emergency vet and the rest of it barely able to sleep because we were so shaken up. She had a seizure just as we were getting into bed for the night. At first it was really confusing--I thought she'd injured her leg because she wasn't moving--and then it was utter panic when we realized what was happening. Thankfully, she came out of it quickly and was acting like her usual wild self by the time we got to the vet's office. None of the tests that the vet ran showed anything abnormal, so for now we're assuming this was a one-time idiopathic seizure, not a larger problem. We're supposed to monitor her closely for the next few days. I worked from home this afternoon to keep an eye on her, feed her extra treats, and let her snuggle on my lap while I worked...huh...is..it..possible..?

Spring Fever Already

Now that the snow has melted and we've had one semi-warm day, I'm ready for spring. I'm looking forward to seeing what our landscaping does when the weather turns warm. I think we might have some azaleas (Yay!) and possibly a dogwood tree and I know we have wisteria vine. The first hints of spring start around the end of February around here and I'm already impatient even though it really isn't that far away. I've been daydreaming about spring plants and I've spent the last hour researching window boxes. I think adding a couple like this to the front of the house will do wonders for its curb appeal:



Of course, how effective they are at upping the curb appeal will depend on my ability to keep the plants alive.

Snow Day

I grew up in the mountains and weathered a Boston winter, so it would be easy to laugh at the havoc wreaked by a few inches of snow in the Triangle today. Still, whether it's two inches or two feet, there are few things more magical than waking up to peek out the bedroom window and seeing a blanket of fresh snow where the night before there had been nothing but brown, withered grass and barren trees. This is our third winter in NC and our first real snow here. The weatherman has made promises in the past but nothing has ever materialized beyond a few flurries blowing around. Doubtful that anything would happen this time around, but never one to be unprepared, I hit the grocery store anyway to make sure we were stocked up on our snow day essentials: chocolate and alcohol.

Jason's office was closed and I was able to work from home, so we spent the day together sipping hot chocolate, laughing at Olive freaking out in the snow, watching the inauguration, opening a bottle of prosecco in the afternoon and toasting to our hopes for the future. What a great day. Cheers!

Hungry Howie: No-Fear Pie Crust and Winter Panzanella

As I mentioned in my New Year post, I'm afraid of making pie crust. Probably because my mom is so good at it and I'm sure I'll fail in comparison. Plus, anything doughy gives me the creeps and I'm a disaster when it comes to using a rolling pin. So, when I came across a recipe called "No-Fear Pie Crust," I was certain they were speaking directly to me. I gave it a try last weekend to mixed results. Here's the recipe (from a complimentary issue of Cook's Country):

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tbs sugar

1/4 tsp salt

8 tbs unsalted butter, softened but still cool

2 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool

1. Lightly coat a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. Whisk flour, salt and sugar together in a small bowl.

2. Beat butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and combine on medium-low speed until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until dough begins to form large clumps [Note: this never happened for me], about 30 seconds. Reserve 3 tbs of dough. Turn remaining dough onto floured surface, gather into ball and flatten into 6 inch disk. Transfer disk to pie plate.

3. Press dough evenly over bottom of pie plate toward sides, using the heel of your hand. Continue to work dough over the bottom of plate and up the sides of plate until evenly distributed.

4. Divide reserved dough into three pieces. Roll into 8 inch ropes and place around edges of pie to form fluted edge.

5. Wrap pie plate in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Fill with your favorite filling.

This crust definitely tastes good--I think the cream cheese is key--but, mine was not nearly as pretty as the one in the picture. The rolling of the reserved dough into ropes and creating a fluted edge did not work out so much. I think I might need to make twice as much dough as I'm actually planning to use--regardless of what recipe I'm using. I need a lot of room for error.

I filled the crust with a banana cream pie filling from the Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The filling was delicious, but overall the pie was just meh. Maybe I only enjoy pie when someone else makes all the effort?

I had much more success with a recipe that I tried from my favorite food blog: Smitten Kitchen. I absolutely love this blog. The blogger has a great writing voice, her photos are amazing, and the recipes she chooses always seem to combine several of my favorite ingredients. I've been reading her for months now, but had never tried a recipe (out of sheer laziness). When I came across a recipe for Winter Panzanella salad in her archives that combines both butternut squash and brussels sprouts, I had to hit the kitchen and give it a try. Despite making a huge mess in the kitchen (you use a lot of pots and pans), it wasn't very difficult and didn't take very long to make. AND, it was totally delicious.

Shameless Plea

If anyone was thinking they wanted to buy me a present, feel free to buy me two of these:

They're on sale at CB2, and I've been coveting them for, like, ever. Unfortunately, this month our spare cash is going toward roof repairs and refurbishing our bikes. Owning a house has really brought my inner "I Want It Now!" monster back to the surface. I've worked pretty hard to tune her out the last few years, but it's really hard to tell her to pipe down when faced with such lovely, pretty things.

Bocce on Ice

In the spirit of trying new things in the new year, we went curling last night.

For reasons I don't fully understand, Jason and his co-workers were googling "curling" (at work!) and stumbled across the fact that the local curling club was offering an intro class. Of course, we had to try it out. Who could resist?

The rules remind me of bocce ball, so I was inclined to like it from the get-go. Learning to slide and release the stone properly was pretty difficult and involved lots of falling down. Lots. The sweeping is just as hilarious in person as it is on TV. Still, I felt very important shuffling down the rink with my broom. It really makes a difference in the game.

Needless to say, it was a blast. And, I'll never again have to wonder, "WTF??" while watching the Winter Olympics.

Housekeeping

At some point while we were in the process of buying our house I completely freaked out. Like, breathing in a paper bag-style freak out. I think it might have been after the home inspection because that was the experience that slapped me in the forehead and said "Hey! You don't know squat about maintaining a house. And this eighty year-old pile of bricks you're buying requires a ton of maintenance. What are you thinking????" That's when I did what any girl who devotes her life to books would do: I hit Amazon.com and started searching for the experts. Apparently there are millions of bonehead homeowners like me, because there were plenty of books that met my needs. I bought three: Home Maintenance for Dummies, Renovating Old Houses by George Nash, and, my personal favorite of the bunch, Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home.

I think Martha is my favorite because, as per usual, she is completely comprehensive and helpful and a wee bit amusing. Here are the household tasks she recommends doing every day:

1. Make the bed

2. Manage clutter

3. Sort the mail

4. Clean as you cook

5. Wipe up spills while they're fresh

6. Sweep the kitchen floor

I have to confess that at least one of these things I do not do EVER, let alone every day. I aspire to do the other things more often. But, every day? Our house is still in post-holiday chaos, so I'm wondering what you do every day to keep the chaos at bay? Do you have anything to add to Martha's list?

Janvier

January has me daydreaming about tax refunds, first-time home buyer tax credits, and bonus checks. Or, rather, what I would do with the funds, if I were so fortunate as to benefit from any of the above. I've got my eye on the kitchen, with many, many magazine-style dramatic kitchen remodeling fantasies playing out it my head. We had brunch at Vin Rouge this morning, so today I'm thinking french bistro style. I would put in black penny tile floors like these:

(From ModWalls.)

Or maybe checkerboard linoleum (or marmoleum) like this:

(From Forbo.)

I'd add a few dark walnut, bentwood bar stools like these:

(From Beaufurn.)

I'd paint the lower cabinets chocolate brown or black and add brass hardware:

(From Restoration Hardware.)

Install an over-the-top chandelier:

(From CircaLighting.)

(I think I'd like that particular chandelier in my dining room too. Or in my bedroom. Or the entryway. Just about anywhere, really.)

Also, I'd add soapstone counters and a vintage farmhouse sink:

(From Vintage Plumbing.)

I might even try a crackly, cream paint finish on the walls, even though I think the words "faux finish" should be banned.

Unfortunately, I think any windfalls will be going to the furnace/HVAC fund. (Damn those important--yet so not fun to spend money on--systems!) So, I will be daydreaming about kitchens for quite some time and won't be investing in any of the above. Except for maybe the chandelier, so hands off.

New Year

We were very lucky to spend the New Year holiday with some of our favorite people, so I'd say our 2009 has gotten off to a good start. I know that New Year's resolutions are considered kind of lame, but I always make them anyway. Here's this year's plan:

1. Conquer fear of pie crust. (Making, not eating. Am just fine with eating of pie crust.)

2. Blog at least 3 times a week.

3. Get NC driver's license. (Pass test on first try???)

4. Start dance classes.

5. Waste less.

6. Be more present in my daily interactions with people. Listen more.

7. Develop actual financial plan.

8. Travel somewhere I've never been.


And for laughs, here are my resolutions from the year 2000 (found back in August while packing for the move):

1. Graduate college
2. Get my first "real" job
3. Relocate to somewhere exotic
4. Get first apartment
5. Pay off credit card debt, stop relying on Mom [Ha! The credit cards have been paid off for a while now, but I don't think the relying on Mom will ever cease -- for advice anyway.]
6. Start saving for new car
7. Travel somewhere I've never been
8. Keep a journal
9. Write more
10. Start riding bicycle

Actually, I still want to start riding my bicycle more. Add that to this year's list too.