Category Archives: Alabama

Football and TV

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It’s perfect football weather this weekend here down South — clear, cool and not too hot or too cold. And is this only a Southern thing, or are “game day dresses” trending everywhere? I mean, folks have always dressed up for football games here in Alabama — you either do that or you wear your team colors from head to toe — but this year I’ve noticed ads and even specific sections in stores devoted to “Game Day Dresses”  — pretty sundresses and other casual-dressy outfits, usually but not necessarily in team colors. Just wondering if that’s something you see only in places where the word “tea” means a tall glass of sweet icy deliciousness.

Besides keeping up with football, I’ve been trying to keep up with TV this season. I’ve never ever had so many shows I’m trying to watch. It’s extremely exhausting to stay current with all the action and I’ve already fallen behind. I did find enough time to write about it in my weekly newspaper column, http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20091002/ARTICLES/910025004, although, as my husband pointed out, I didn’t have the guts to admit to the one show he can’t believe I watch: Toddlers and Tiaras. I know, I know. It’s horrifying, but I can’t look away.

Food

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Chocolate Pots de CremeI don’t know which I liked better — this gorgeously rich and smooth chocolate pots de creme or the adorable little china “pots” it came in. This was dessert at a recent cooking class I took in Decatur, Alabama. Cookbook author and former restaurant owner Betty Sims teaches classes in her home each fall. This year she led off with “Celebrating Julia,” a menu based on Julia Child recipes. Betty has stayed at Cooking With Friends in France, http://www.cookingwithfriends.com/, a culinary program in Child’s former Provence chateau, and she has some great stories and photos. And great recipes, like this one for Chocolate Pots de Creme.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Warm 2 cups heavy cream, two cups half-and-half and 4 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips in a 2-quart Pyrex cup in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Whisk and microwave 2 minutes more until steam rises and chocolate is melted.

Whisk 6 egg yolks, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and pinch of salt together in a bowl. Add warm chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and strain into a measuring cup with a pouring spout (to get rid of  lumps). Spoon off any foam. Divide mixture among six 3-ounce pot de creme molds or oven-safe ramekins. Cover each mold tightly with a lid or foil (although Betty didn’t do this and said it wasn’t necessary). Arrange molds in a baking dish, being careful not to let molds touch each or sides of dish (again, Betty didn’t do this and said it wasn’t necessary). Transfer dish to oven and add hot water to reach about halfway up outsides of molds.

Bake 35 minutes, then check for doneness. Custard should be just set but still quiver like gelatin. If necessary, bake another 3-5 minutes. When custards are set, remove from water bath and cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. Chill until completely cold, preferably overnight. Garnish with whipped cream.

Jewelry Part 2

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 Younger Daughter is one of those people who has an eye for color and texture and she puts together the most gorgeous earring creations. Every time I wear her designs, people ask me where I’ve been shopping. She just made

Pair No. 8 -- icy lavender and green drops

Pair No. 8 -- icy lavender and green drops

some new ones and I told her I’d be honored to put them up in the blogosphere for worldwide admiration. So here you go. Each pair is $15 including postage — I’ll just wrap them up and mail them to you in a first-class envelope if that’s OK. E-mail me at cathylwood@gmail.com and I’ll send you payment info. All earrings are sterling-silver findings and most of the beads are glass. She can do special orders, too. And because I can’t figure out how to do all these pics in one post, be sure to check out Jewelry Part 1. Click on any pic to enlarge it.

Pair No. 5 -- my favorites -- love the green patterned glass bead at the bottom

Pair No. 5 -- my favorites -- love the green patterned glass bead at the bottom

Pair No. 6 -- beautiful shadings of lavendar and green

Pair No. 6 -- beautiful shadings of lavender and green

Pair No. 7 -- classic navy and white -- the blue color practically glows

Pair No. 7 -- classic navy and white -- the blue color practically glows

Jewelry Part 1

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I don’t mean to brag here or anything, but I pretty much have the most creative and talented daughters ever. Ever.

Pair No.4 -- classic brown and black for fall

Pair No.4 -- classic brown and black for fall

Older Daughter is a wonderful dancer and can construct the most incredible costume  you ever saw out of the most mundane fabric and a random pile of assorted beads. Younger Daughter is equally skilled at making earrings. She is one of those people who has an eye for color and texture and she puts together the most gorgeous creations. Every time I wear her designs, people ask me where I’ve been shopping. She just made some new ones and I told her I’d be honored to put them up in the blogosphere for worldwide admiration. So here you go. Each pair is $15 including postage — I’ll just wrap them up and mail them to you in a first-class envelope if that’s OK. E-mail me at cathylwood@gmail.com and I’ll send you payment info. All earrings are sterling-silver findings and most of the beads are glass. She can do special orders, too. And because I can’t figure out how to do all these pics in one post, be sure to check out Jewelry Part 2. Click on any pic to enlarge it.

Pair No. 1 -- classic black and white

Pair No. 1 -- classic black and white

Pair No. 2 -- Beautiful blues and greens

Pair No. 2 -- Beautiful blues and greens

Pair No. 3 -- a fun mix of color, shape and size

Pair No. 3 -- a fun mix of color, shape and size

Fall Decor

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Fall decorIt’s fall, y’all! Here in northwest Alabama, it was in the 40s overnight and Fall decorwe’re pulling out our jackets and scarves and planning for the much-anticipated annual Boot Day — the first official day it’s cool enough (temperature-wise, that is) to wear boots. I know, I know — it’s only temporary and we’ve got many more 85+-degree days to come. But it is encouraging. Another thing I adore about fall is the decor. I mean, who doesn’t love cornstalks and gourds and cheerful orange pumpkins? There’s something about fall that inspires creativity, like the door of Swirlz, a delightful party-invitation store in Tupelo, Mississippi. I love the combination of the sheer orange ribbon and bare branches with the perky and sunny flowers. And then, adorning the gracious doorway of a magnificent Southern home in Decatur, Alabama, I found these lovely arrangements of gourds, mums and greenery. This is the home of Betty Sims, a cookbook author and former restaurant owner who teaches sold-out cooking classes every fall. She is Southern hospitality personified — warm, generous, funny and sweet — and I think her decor reflects that. Check out the Scrumptious Culinary School schedule at http://scrumptiousinc.com.

Shopping

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Shopping the salesThis past Saturday, I did what every self-respecting BudgetsAlabama woman did: I hit the Belk’s sale in the morning and was done in time for football in the afternoon. And there was plenty of “scoring” in both efforts (sorry, couldn’t resist). Usually, I’m leery of so-called department-store “sales.” I scorn the 15-, 25- and 30-percent off claims and don’t really pay attention until the discount approaches the half-way mark. But Belk’s season clearances are famous for good buys in the 70-90 percent-off range. Cashing in on the bounty — literally — depends on your luck in locating Stylecute items in your size. And yesterday I hit the jackpot: Six adorable finds that would have cost Sale shoppingme close to $550 but I brought them home for less than $100. Touchdown!!! Here’s what I got: A 3/4-sleeve pullover Madison dress I can wear now for early fall, a linen leaf-print Rafaella shirtdress, a cool and comfy pullover Calvin Klein sundress plus two Kenneth Cole and one Rafaella summer tops. Whoo-hoo! And the best thing is that I would have wanted these things even without the sale prices. Earlier this week I couldn’t wait for fall and now I want 90-degree July days again so I can try out my new summer clothes. This just capped off a great week of bargain-hunting — earlier I snagged a lightweight blue floral scarf at Gap for $7 and a trio of intriguing black-patterned clear-glass vases at T.J. Maxx for less than $10 total.  I think that this trifecta of good shopping is karma for when I walked out of Anthropologie the other day without buying a thing. Thank you, shopping goddesses!

Shopping

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Anthropologie Anthropologie I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — I could just live in an Anthropologie store. I mean, somebody did it at a Wal-Mart, right? I’m sure I could get away with it. Sure, I’d miss my family and the cats and my espresso machine, but it might be worth it. And here’s the thing: I know that it’s all marketing. I know that there are meetings in boardrooms at Anthropologie HQ when people sit around and say, “If we put the yellow plates here and the blue bowls there and if we hang that cashmere sweater next to the embroidered jacket with the green purse underneath, it will drive them mad crazy with desire.” And they’re right — it does. I fall for it every time. Whenever I walk into an Anthropologie store, I want absolutely every thing I see, regardless of price or age-appropriateness or even if I had any sort of plan to wear/use/read/eat from/drink out of it.

AnthropologieAnthropologie

Fall

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Is it summer? Is it fall? Here in northwest Alabama, late September is both!

Is it summer? Is it fall? Here in northwest Alabama, late September is both!

Random Thoughts

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Here are some things that have been running through my head the past few days:

First, I now know what it’s like to live in London or Seattle or any of those other places that have constant rain. I Umbrellabelieve it has rained practically every day here in northwest Alabama for the past three or four weeks. Everybody and everything smells sort of moldy, and all conversations include phrases such as ” … after I put my umbrella down … ” I don’t even know where my sunglasses are anymore. I think we may get a break next week, if that unfamiliar round yellow symbol on the weather chart is right.  But the rain and flooding has been more than inconvenient in so many places —  in Georgia, several people have died in the rising waters. I never understood how quickly and frighteningly flooding can happen until I was driving home from Corinth, Mississippi, this past Friday afternoon, going east on U.S. 72 through Barton, Alabama. It all of sudden started raining so hard that it was a whiteout — I literally could not see the road. I crept along looking for a place to turn off and started to drive through a convenience store’s parking lot when I noticed that what I thought was the parking lot was in fact brown swirling rushing water. Luckily, it wasn’t deep and after a few heart-pounding moments parked on high ground beside a Dumpster, I realized I could drive out safely and so I did. But Oh. My Goodness. That was scary. I now have a healthy respect for those words, “Flash food warning.”

Second, the reason I was driving back from Mississippi was that I had gone to the Tupelo hospital — our insurance is networked in Mississippi — to get a Reclast injection. Has anyone else done this? I have osteopenia, which is kind of like you-don’t-have-osteoporosis-yet-but-don’t-hold-your-breath, sister. For years I’ve taken Fosamax, Actonel Reclastand Boniva (do not get me started on Sally Field) with the only result being heartburn and indigestion, so my doctor recommended Reclast. I would only need it once every two years and it’s supposed to be easy on the tummy, so sign me up. And of course, like when you take most meds, you’re warned that Reclast can cause nausea, upset stomach, etc. And of course, like with most meds, you just nod and say, “All right. Sure. Okay.” But Saturday morning after my Reclast injection on Friday afternoon, I woke up with … wait for it … nausea, upset stomach, etc. Ugh. And I started panicking, thinking that I’d put this stuff in my body for two years and I was going to feel like hell for the whole two years and why-oh-why was I so stupid???  Luckily, it was just a 24-hour thing and I felt better the next day. I’m going to have to see my bone-scan numbers to decide if Reclast is worth it. Anyway, to anybody else considering Reclast: Plan for a full day of recovery. At least.

And have you read the People article that says “Kardashian wedding to be ‘classy affair’?” http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/22/khloe.kardashian.wedding/index.html I mean, really? Seriously??? Can any Kardashian possibly describe herself as “classy” with any semblance of integrity? The mind boggles.

And I’m fully into Dan Brown’s latest, “The Lost Symbol.” We can all agree it’s not great literature, but it sure is gripping page-turning fun. Plus, I love that this time it’s set someplace I know and can envision. Secrets in Washington, D.C.!!! Who’d have thunk it???!!!

Random Thoughts

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... because nothing says "Christmas" like planning your keg party.

... because nothing says "Christmas" like planning your keg party.