I’ve added a few new decorations this year that I’m excited to share!

Gin bottle tree

While we were staying on Amelia Island, FL this past winter, we bought this gorgeous blue glass tree. Here’s the dirty little secret: it is made out of a gin bottle! The artist was minding the store when we went in and told us much more than we wanted to know, actually. It almost took away from the beauty of the item, but I’m so glad I bought it. And we miraculously got it home without breaking! It’s about 18 inches long and is really a beautiful piece of art.

I stumbled upon this cute little tree made out of magazine pages and had to have it for my office! It’s from Home Goods and I paid $12.99 for it. The secret was I got there the day they were putting out the Christmas decorations. Things tend to get a bit battered and bruised at Home Goods and TJ Maxx I think, but this made it into my cart right after it hit the shelves. I’m worried about how I will store it without bending the branches (that are rolled pieces of magazine pages).

The big new addition this year is the kitchen decorations! Last year I added a small tree to the kitchen and decorated it with food and cooking items. The room was still feeling sparse though. Last year my daughter and I went to a Christmas tour of homes and in one house they had beautiful decorations on the backs of their kitchen chairs. So this year, we’ve added that! My husband did all the work on this – I just gave direction. We bought silver ribbon (9 feet per chair) and he made them into bows (he watched a YouTube video to learn how). Then we attached a blue snowflake ornament to each (I can’t believe it, but I found these at Walmart – and they are jingle bells too which is kind of fun) and we added some faux evergreen (cut off from some extra garland). He attached it to the chair with 3M removable hooks. It looks amazing!

Next up, the kitchen chandelier. I originally planned to just put some garland on it, but then I found cute blue and silver star ornaments to attach. It has really dressed the space up.

I also decided the dining room needed some work. We have an old (as in rusted on the back side) wreath we usually hang on the wall in there and it has seen better days. I ordered two small preserved boxwood wreaths which we’ve hung on the sliding glass doors. We used ribbon to hang them (looped through the wire on the back) and velcroed them (with removable 3M sticky stuff) to the top of the molding above the doors.

So these are my new additions, all of which I’m quite pleased with. Have you added any new decorations this year?

I’ve added a few new decorations this year that I’m excited to share! While we were staying on Amelia Island, FL this past winter, we bought this gorgeous blue glass tree. Here’s the dirty little secret: it is made out of a gin bottle! The artist was minding the store when we went in and … Read more →

Kale chips

Recently we picked up our winter share at the CSA: about 100 lbs of vegetables. My plan had been to store this in the garage, but unfortunately, it was in the 50s! I got some in the fridge and let the rest sit in coolers until the garage fridge opened up (post-Thanksgiving) and we got it all put away finally. Then the weather turned, so we moved some back to the garage.

So now I am beginning to work my way through the bounty. This weekend I stripped the ribs off the kale. I made kale chips for dinner, then I chopped and boiled the rest and froze it in bags and will use it like chopped spinach in casseroles and other dishes.

We have 4 heads of cabbage, so I began making one into sauerkraut. It will sit on my counter until it gets sour, then will head back to the garage fridge for storage (the recipe is simple: 1 cabbage, sliced thin, 1 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp caraway seeds. Mix it up and squeeze the cabbage to release juice. Cover with water and let it sit covered with a towel on the counter until it gets sour enough for you).

I also roasted some of the beets and will pickle them. I don’t can them, so I make them in batches that can be used up within a couple of weeks.

There’s lots left though! I’m planning to make sweet and sour cabbage one night for dinner. I will also roast some of the butternut squashes and freeze them to use in soups and a fantastic risotto I make. We will easily use the potatoes, onions, and carrots, so those aren’t weighing on my mind.

Kale for the freezer

Recently we picked up our winter share at the CSA: about 100 lbs of vegetables. My plan had been to store this in the garage, but unfortunately, it was in the 50s! I got some in the fridge and let the rest sit in coolers until the garage fridge opened up (post-Thanksgiving) and we got … Read more →

We always put our holiday decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving. I was really looking forward to it this since I have been slowly replacing old ugly decorations with new ones I like, so I finally feel as though it’s looking nice around here.

Of course I was overly optimistic. We put up the tree in the living room and about 40% of it wouldn’t light. This is the second artificial tree we’ve owned for that room in 12 years. They really should last longer than this. When we moved to this house in 2000, we decided to switch from a real tree to an artificial. I remember buying the pre-lit artificial tree at Kmart for a great price (I think it was $100 or something). That lasted 2 years. We replaced it with another tree that cost a lot more from Michael’s. That one has lasted about 10 years. I had a premonition about this – for weeks before Christmas I had a feeling there was going to be a problem, and I was right. Yes, we could just string lights on it on top of the ones that don’t work, but we already add a long string of pink lights to that tree and I don’t want any more wires. So off we went to the stores. Ugh.

It seems that they’ve changed the shape of trees since we bought last. First of all, we could not

Our tree topper

find the height we needed – 6.5 feet. We ended up with a 7.5 foot tree from Lowe’s for much more than I wanted to spend. The tree is taller than what we had, but narrower and instead of being a triangle shape it kind of flares out at the bottom, is straight in the middle, then flares in at the top. Different, but I don’t mind it. Since our ceilings are 7.5 feet high, we couldn’t put the wooden box my husband built years ago under the tree (I like some space between branches and floor for presents).

We also had a crisis with our tree topper. We bought this topper on Valentine’s weekend the first year we were married when we were on a getaway to Corning, NY (for our first Christmas, we used a big bow that was on a wedding gift). The tree topper MUST go on the tree, but it wouldn’t fit! Terry ended up snipping off the top little branches and cleaning off the top of the center pipe to get it to fit on top. It fits, but the only way to get it on and off is to tip the entire tree sideways!

I think the tree looks nice and every year I love hanging the ornaments and remembering where I bought them or who gave them to me. I think I need to take photos of them and label them so my kids will know the meaning behind each on, but that is a giant task. I have ornaments from both grandmothers and I buy ornaments on our trips (I have ornaments from Italy, Scotland, Maine, Hawaii, Bahamas, Arizona, California gold country, Saint Saveur Quebec, Florida, and Ocean City, Maryland among other places).. My mother-in-law bought us the first Christmas and baby’s first year ornaments. My mother has bought me a lot of ornaments and started my collection when I was a teenager. There’s an ornament that reminds me of our first dog (there used to be two of this ornament, but she ate the other one, so I always think of the remaining one as her ornament). There is the bird’s nest with 2 big birds and a baby bird that Terry bought for me the year I was pregnant with our first child.  There is even an ornament that one of Terry’s past bosses bought him – the man was a kind of mentor to him, so I always think of him when I hang it.

In the coming days I’ll share some of my new decorations with you and show you some of my Christmas collections that have expanded nicely.

Do you have ornaments that are meaningful to you? How long do your pre-lit artificial trees last?

We always put our holiday decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving. I was really looking forward to it this since I have been slowly replacing old ugly decorations with new ones I like, so I finally feel as though it’s looking nice around here. Of course I was overly optimistic. We put up the tree … Read more →

Happy 50th Aunt Jane and Uncle Bill!

This past weekend we went to a 50th anniversary party for my aunt and uncle.  They were an example of “Teen Mom” back when it wasn’t cool. Three children, 7 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren later, as well some rocky unemployment times and the usual family ups and downs, they are still together. They are happy and comfortable. And they are headed to Vegas later this week to celebrate some more. It got me thinking about marriage.

I asked my aunt what the secret was to staying happily married so long. She said “learning to just shut your mouth sometimes.” I love that advice. My father, who has been married to my mother for 47 years, said sometimes it’s just easier to stay married than to get unmarried. I thought that was a bit pessimistic. I know another couple that had a 50th anniversary a few years ago who should have divorced long ago (and freely say they are not really “married” as in they do not have a husband-wife relationship). I’m not even sure why they had an anniversary party, other than to prove they hadn’t killed each other. That was an example to me of what not to do.

My grandparents were married over 65 years and although my grandmother wasn’t one for waxing nostalgic, I think that they were completely interdependent on each other in way that could never be unraveled. They loved and trusted each other completely.

My friend Alisa Bowman put her marriage back together when she was sure she was done (you can read about it on her blog and in her book: Project Happily Ever After). So, I think I have some good examples of what to do and what not to do and from watching all of these couples (and being married 23 years myself), and I’ve gleaned the following:

– I think it is wrong to say marriage is work. I think that it shouldn’t be work, it should be the underlying structure of your life. I don’t want to work at being married, just like I don’t work at being a mom. It’s just who I am and part of me. If it becomes work, I don’t think it’s happy anymore.

– It is always important to make sure you grow together. No one stays the same for 50 years but if you change in one direction and your spouse in another, you’re growing apart. The happily married couples I know went in directions together.

– Shut your mouth. I totally agree with my aunt on this one. I don’t think you gain much by saying things in anger. In fact, you often say things you don’t mean and which don’t get to the heart of the issue. Instead, I would rather stop talking, ruminate on what’s bothering me, and be able to crystallize it into something helpful, not hurtful.

– Be on the home team. Don’t criticize, denigrate, or purposely anger your spouse in front of others. You’re scoring a goal against your own team. I know a couple that seems to have an argument every time they are in the company of others and it’s shown me how hurtful it can be.

– Although I thought my father was being a bit rude with his comment about staying married being easier than getting divorced, he’s right and my past life as a family law attorney definitely affirms that.  Avoiding divorce is definitely worthwhile (although I think the pain of divorce is worth it if it means you come out much happier on the other side: some people should NOT be married to each other).

– Marriage should be about the future. Yes, there are problems and bumps in the road today and tomorrow, but it’s about building a lifetime together. I want to be the happily married gray-haired seniors who travel and sit on the beach together. I want to have a home filled with grandchildren and great grandchildren surrounding us when we are older. I want to experience it all together.

– While marriage is about the future, it’s also about what you do and say today that will affect the outcome of your future. And today is just one day. Today does not make or break everything. You get to have another day tomorrow in which you can be a better or more supportive spouse – and your spouse gets the chance to do that too.

What advice have you found useful about marriage?

This past weekend we went to a 50th anniversary party for my aunt and uncle.  They were an example of “Teen Mom” back when it wasn’t cool. Three children, 7 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren later, as well some rocky unemployment times and the usual family ups and downs, they are still together. They are … Read more →

My husband thinks I’m nuts. I signed up for a one-time winter share from our CSA. Approximately 100 lbs of veggies, they said. We picked it up yesterday and it filled the truck of my van.

Here’s what we came home with:

5 stalks of Brussels sprouts

4 cabbages

a plastic grocery bag of white potatoes

a plastic grocery bag of sweet potatoes

a paper lunch bag of onions

2 heads of garlic

1 bunch of small leeks

a plastic grocery bag of kale

a plastic grocery bag of beets and carrots

a plastic grocery bag of celeriac and parsnips

a plastic grocery bag of broccoli, radishes, and turnips

about 8 butternut squash

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but that’s a pretty good list. We were told we would get acorn squash and pie pumpkins but those didn’t materialize and I was disappointed. I’ve been holding onto several acorn squash recipes I wanted to try! I thought there would be more potatoes and carrots than we got. Really, this isn’t nearly enough for an entire winter, but I’m happy to have locally grown, organic produce to use for as long as it lasts me.

The next problem is what to do with it all! When I signed up for the share, I thought, “Oh it’s in late November, it will be cool enough to keep it in the garage!” Silly me. The optimal storage temp is between 32 and 40 degrees. Our garage has been at about 50 since it’s been rather warm out. Our main basement is heated. There is a basement crawl space that is at 54 degrees. I have a second fridge in the garage, but it is completely full right now with Thanksgiving stuff (turkeys, cream, pie crust)!  So, for now, we’ve filled a cooler and a box in the garage and we will move most of it to the garage fridge after the holiday. And it should get cooler so that we can leave some of it out in a box in the garage.

I’m planning to pickle the beets. I will boil and freeze the kale (which I often add to dishes like you would chopped spinach – no one notices!). I am planning to make sauerkraut with some of the cabbage. I will cook and freeze some of the butternut squash. The potatoes, onions, and carrots will be used up quickly around here (Thanksgiving). The Brussels sprouts are a problem since I’m really the only one who likes them. I’m not too fond of celeriac, so I need to figure something out with that.  Any celeriac suggestions?

My husband thinks I’m nuts. I signed up for a one-time winter share from our CSA. Approximately 100 lbs of veggies, they said. We picked it up yesterday and it filled the truck of my van. Here’s what we came home with: 5 stalks of Brussels sprouts 4 cabbages a plastic grocery bag of white … Read more →

It’s that time of year when we are all scrambling for gift ideas. Cyber Monday has us all looking for great shopping ideas. Let me help you! I have written what sometimes feels like a whole library of books (over 40 titles!) and there is pretty much a title on my list for everyone on your shopping list (and maybe one or two you might want for yourself!):

Cookie: A Love Story: Fun Facts, Delicious Stories, Fascinating History, Tasty Recipes and More: Who doesn’t love cookies? This book is perfect for your mom, your grandma, your aunt, your best friend, your book club pals, and the gal at work who is always bringing in cookies. It’s a delicious read – all the things you never knew about cookies. What could be better for a holiday gift? It’s an ebook, but you can buy a printable gift certificate to give that lets your recipient download however they want (Kindle, Nook, PDF, etc.). Give the certificate with a tin of gingerbread men or some cocoa and you’ve just given someone a delicious evening!

The Muffin Tin Cookbook: Perfect for any mom you know, this book has 200 recipes for all kinds of foods made in muffin tins (mini, regular, and jumbo) for breakfast, snacks, entrees, sides, veggies, muffins, desserts, and more. Pair it with a package of muffin tin liners (I like the reusable silicone ones) and a muffin tin pan for a cute gift basket.

The Parchment Paper Cookbook: Give this to anyone who likes to cook but has a busy life. The book has 180 recipes that are all made in parchment paper packets. There are no pots and pans to clean: everything is cooked inside folded parchment packets, so it makes life simple! Pair this with a roll of parchment paper and a baking sheet for a gift basket and you’ve just given someone many nights of easy dinners.

The Organized Kitchen: Great for newlyweds, friends who love to organize, people who have just moved, and teachers. It has great ideas for now to arrange, organize, and store kitchen tools as well everything you need to know about cleaning, storing food and perishable; and a section of recipes everyone needs. Give this with a set of magnetic nesting measuring cups or a set of square glass food storage containers (perfect for stacking!) and you have a lovely gift.

How to Parent with Your Ex: That friend, co-worker, or relative who is getting divorced, or just got divorced will thank you for this friendly guide to making your parenting relationship work during and after a divorce. It has lots of tips and practical advice that are useful not only as they are going through the divorce, but in the years after as they continue to have to parent together. For a joke, give it with a bottle of your recipient’s fave booze. Or pair it with some chocolate and cozy socks.

The Essential Supervisor’s Handbook: Give this to your friend or relative who just got promoted. It’s packed with hands on advice about to succeed as you move into management. A paperweight or small desktop game is a great accompaniment.

Bad Apples: How to Manage Difficult Employees: We all know that person who is constantly complaining about the idiots at work. Give him or her this book which offers practical advice about how to work with people who are imperfect. Pair this with a bottle of headache medicine and you’ll get a hearty laugh as your thanks.

The Practical Pregnancy Planner: The mom-to-be on your list will appreciate this ebook, which offers monthly checklists of everything you need to do to get ready for a baby, with a focus on finances, insurance, wills, guardians, and organizing information. Add in a cute rattle or pair of booties and you’re good to go.

The Everything Kids Money Book: Perfect for kids ages 8-12, this includes activities, fun facts, puzzles, advice, and just plain fun to make earning, saving, and spending enjoyable. Pair it with a $10 bill inside a plastic money puzzle holder or a bar of money soap!

Quiz Book 3: Three Times the Fun: This American Girl quiz book is what the tween girl on your list will enjoy. Funny, revealing, light, and inspiring quizzes will make her laugh and help her learn about herself. A packet of sparkle colored pens and some hair elastics make it a complete gift.

The Divorce Organizer & Planner: Anyone facing divorce will need this book to help reduce legal fees and get organized for the process ahead. Add in some relaxing tea and this recipient will know you want to help him or her through a hard time.

It’s that time of year when we are all scrambling for gift ideas. Cyber Monday has us all looking for great shopping ideas. Let me help you! I have written what sometimes feels like a whole library of books (over 40 titles!) and there is pretty much a title on my list for everyone on … Read more →

Hat from the Himalayas

As I recently posted, my husband went to India on a 10-day business trip. I wasn’t able to go (and someday I will get over this, really). To placate me, he did bring me a couple of gifts. He also received gifts from the colleagues he visited. There was lots to see once he unpacked.

He received an interesting hat from the driver he spent some of his time with. The hat is made in the driver’s village in the Himalayas and the pattern is unique to that village.

He brought us all shirts. The girls got

Marble tiles

patterned tops. The boys got shirts with Nehru collars. I received a beautiful blue scarf (the tag says it is a stole). My daughter got a crocheted purse. All of these items were bought when the mother of one of his associates took him shopping. He bought the clothes at a shop called FabIndia, which he said felt the Gap for India.

My favorite thing is a brass bowl in the shape of a lotus, painted pink and purple.

Shirts for the girls

He brought home a drink mix of some kind, a syrup you mix with water.

Ganesh and a drink mix

His colleagues gave him a statue of Ganesh and two framed tiles. They are marble with glass jewels and paint on them to make a pattern. They are quite beautiful. One of them says it is supposed to be a replica of a piece of jewelry. The other has no label, so we are unsure what it is.

The treasures he brought home are fascinating!

Shirts for the boys and scarf

Lotus bowl

As I recently posted, my husband went to India on a 10-day business trip. I wasn’t able to go (and someday I will get over this, really). To placate me, he did bring me a couple of gifts. He also received gifts from the colleagues he visited. There was lots to see once he unpacked. … Read more →

I love potato skins. I used to get them as a kid at TGI Friday’s. When we were first married, I learned to make them myself at home, reusing/recycling the skins from baked potatoes, and also cutting down the fat. It’s one of my favorite ways to use leftovers I would otherwise toss. I decided to give potato skins an even bigger makeover with this result:

Updated Potato Skins

skins from 3 baked potatoes (6 halves)

2 tbsp olive oil

4 slices prosciutto baked on a baking sheet at 400 for about 5 minutes until crisp, broken into pieces

3 slices fontina cheese

1/2 tsp rosemary

1 scallion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Creme Fraiche

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the insides of the skins with the olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes until they begin to brown and get crispy. Remove from the oven and break off pieces of cheese and place on the skins. Do the same thing with the prosciutto, breaking off pieces, and laying on top. Sprinkle with rosemary, scallion and salt and pepper. Bake for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve with creme fraiche or sour cream.

These were fantastic. I really love baked prosciutto; it’s like a leaner bacon that is just as salty and crisp. These skins have great flavor and are perfect as an appetizer, game food, or even as your main course if you serve with a salad.

I love potato skins. I used to get them as a kid at TGI Friday’s. When we were first married, I learned to make them myself at home, reusing/recycling the skins from baked potatoes, and also cutting down the fat. It’s one of my favorite ways to use leftovers I would otherwise toss. I decided … Read more →

I usually only review books I loved, or books that are just so wildly unique and different that I can’t help myself. Today I need to write about Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn, but I can’t say that I loved it.

Here’s the scoop. Queen Elizabeth (yes, her) feels a bit down – Diana’s death, royal divorces, the fire at Windsor Castle, etc. all have made her feel out of whack. So suddenly she takes off on her own, traveling by public (gasp) train to Scotland to see the royal yacht Britannia again (she’s become a tourist attraction, no longer serviceable). This is the synopsis that sucked me in. I’m sort of fascinated by the royals, adore Scotland, and have actually visited the royal yacht Britannia. This was right up my alley.

Turns out the book is also about a cast of characters the Queen meets along the way, as well as a couple who work for her. While their stories are interesting (a young woman who has been almost traumatized by men, a lady-in-waiting who is aging, a dresser for the Queen who is also aging and has little financial resources, two members of the staff who are gay, and a man of Indian descent who works in a cheese shop), they just didn’t have the same pull for me as that of the Queen. I wanted to know what she was thinking, feeling, experiencing, and doing more than I really wanted to know about the other characters. In hindsight, I can see the story was well-crafted and the other characters were interesting in their own right, but I was hungry for more about the Queen, when really this was almost a mix of short stories about the other folks.

And the royal yacht Britannia played too small a part! The Queen was terribly fond of the yacht, and even cried when it was retired. I just felt the book ought to have spent more than a couple of pages on it! I bought a teacup and a bag with the embroidery pattern that was on the Queen’s headboard on that yacht. I can envision every room I saw. I wanted a fully fleshed out account of it. I wonder if the author even actually visited the ship, to be honest!

All of that being said, this is a fun romp in royal what-if land. Who wouldn’t love to be inside the Queen’s head for a bit, to know what it’s really like?

I usually only review books I loved, or books that are just so wildly unique and different that I can’t help myself. Today I need to write about Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn, but I can’t say that I loved it. Here’s the scoop. Queen Elizabeth (yes, her) feels a bit down … Read more →

Terry at the Taj Mahal

My husband recently went on a 10-day business trip to India. I had fits of jealousy, until he became ill from the food/water on his second day. Once he was feeling better, I was jealous again. He went to the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. He drove up into the Himalayas and had tea at a former British officers’ club. He stayed on the Arabian Sea in Mumbai and spent the day at a colleague’s home on a Mumbai island, complete with aquifer-fed in-ground pool and private chef. He had all kinds of amazing food.  You can see why I was on the brink of divorce over this.

Here are some of his observations:

– There are cows everywhere, and no one comments on them. He saw cows in downtown Mumbai. They’re like squirrels. You wouldn’t remark on a squirrel.

– Monkeys, on the other hand, are also everywhere, but people do comment on them, either to say how cute they are, or to warn you that there is an angry one right behind you (no joke).

– If you think people drive like lunatics in NYC, go to India. No traffic lights, lots of passing, constant honking, yet no one is agitated like they are in NYC.

Officers’ Club in the Himalayas

– There is poverty everywhere, but it was not as overwhelming to him as it had been made to sound.

– One of the hotels he stayed at had a wedding, which is a week-long event. One night, the wedding party was brought into the hotel with a full marching band.

– The Taj Mahal is beautiful. There are passages from the Koran on the walls, inlaid with jewels.

– People constantly offer you tea and drinks, to the point of being annoying.

Sculpture garden in Mumbai

– In every business meeting he was in, there was a plate of Lays potato chips on the table. Everyone refers to them as “Baked Lays” even though sometimes they were not baked and were regular.

– Thum’s Up is the drink of choice, a cola beverage made by the Coca-Cola company. In northern India Diet Coke is the beverage of choice. Regular Coke is not even offered.

– The flight there was rough, but the one home nearly killed him. 15 hours is a long, long time to be in one seat on one plane.

– One interesting food he enjoyed was like a milkshake which also had nuts, fruit and pieces of noodles in it that you ate with a spoon while also drinking the liquid with a straw.

– On the way into the Himalayas, their car was stopped by armed military (wearing machine

Ice cream drink: Rose Falooda

guns) and searched for alcohol, which is brought into the area to bribe people for an upcoming election. Interestingly, the people he was with told him not to worry, if there was a problem, they would just bribe the officers.

– In the Himalayas, he was telling his companions about a restaurant here in Buffalo. A woman nearby overheard him and said “Oh, I’ve been there. We’re from Toronto.” There is always a Buffalo connection. (I was asked for directions in Rome by a woman who turned out to be from Toronto – everywhere we go we meet people from home).

My husband recently went on a 10-day business trip to India. I had fits of jealousy, until he became ill from the food/water on his second day. Once he was feeling better, I was jealous again. He went to the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. He drove up into the Himalayas and had tea … Read more →