Stomach Bug

Posted on by
10

Hello, stomach bug. How are you? What’s that? You want to come stay at our house for awhile? Sure! C’mon! I’ve heard tales that you’re a dangerous guest, that you take advantage of any little opportunity to wreak havoc and that you plan some nasty surprises, but I’m not scared. I’m pretty tough, in fact. I’ve been sick before. I’ve had stomach bugs before. No big deal. I can handle it. Come on in. Sit down. Make yourself at home. I’ll be fine. Really. Everybody else who complained about you just didn’t now how to deal with you. I do. Uh, I mean, uh-oh, hmm, I feel a little bit like  … uh, could you excuse me for moment? I think I need to run to the …

Read more at http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090123/ARTICLES/901230301

Vegetables

Posted on by
19

brussels-sproutsMy friend Sherry is on a mission to bring Brussels sprouts to the world — or at least to our little corner of Alabama. They are her favorite vegetable and she feels they’re underrated and unappreciated. She’s right. Brussels sprouts probably rank low on most folks’ lists of favorite vegetables. But that’s because, Sherry insists, we haven’t had them done right. I have to admit that when she fixes them, Brussels sprouts are tasty and delicious — sort of crunchy and nutty with a nice fresh flavor. Who knew? I have noticed the mini cabbages showing up as sides on restaurant menus lately, so maybe Sherry’s started a trend. A longtime cook, she’s also the director of the Shoals Commercial Culinary Center in Florence, Alabama, http://www.shoalsec.com/facilities/SCC_index.html, that’s part of the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center that nurtures small businesses. Her cooking classes at the culinary center are fun and informative and filling, because those in the audience get to eat the results! Here’s Sherry’s Brussels sprouts recipe:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Cook four strips thick-cut bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels then roughly chop. In same pan with bacon fat, melt two tablespoons butter over high heat. Add one pound Brussels sprouts, halved, and a half large onion, chopped. Cook and stir occasionally until sprouts are golden brown, eight to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss bacon back into pan. Serve immediately.

Fashion

Posted on by
4

anthropolgie-2After yesterday’s inaugural, everyone seems ready for the new and sweaterthe fresh. And what place is more fun to start that in your closet? I know, I know — we’re still paying off winter’s bills and there’s plenty of cold and blustery weather to come, but at www.anthropologie.com, spring has sprung. I especially love the “Winter’s Building Blocks — From the Ground Up” feature at the Web site, which details several wear now/wear later outfits with a cute sort of architecture theme. This pretty cardigan paired with a luscious sherbert-colored blouse and neutral skirt looks very Michelle Obama to me.

Prom Dresses

Posted on by
10

prom-dresses-007With the ceremonies out of the way in a couple hours, tonight we’ll prom-dresses-003be watching the inauguration balls and catching glimpses of Obama style, the formal version. The gold coat and dress Michelle Obama is wearing today is gorgeous and I can’t wait to see her gown. But at least here in the South, shopping for spring prom dresses as already started as moms and daughters hit the stores on these cold and dreary winter days — sharing dressing-room space with June brides and bridesmaids. With two dress-up-loving daughters, I’ve had many seasons of formal shopping — some more successful than other. My advice? Wear comfortable clothes, have water and aspirin with you and bring plenty of Kleenex. If this store window in downtown Florence, Alabama, in any indication, simple and elegant gowns in jewel tones are going to be popular this year — I love how the colors glowed in the night lighting. It’ll be interesting to see if any inaugural trends show up at prom. Stay tuned!

Baby Shoes

Posted on by
11

photo-books-026I love little-boy clothes. When my now 20-something daughters were little, it robeezwas girl clothing that got all the attention — smocking and embroidery and ribbons and ruffles — but now I think that boy clothing has caught up, style-wise. And just in time, too, for our grandson to be one of the most fashionable little guys on the nursery circuit. Little-boy clothing departments are full of miniature cargo pants with tons of pockets, cozy hoodies, cute T-shirts and of course Robeez shoes. I’d never heard of Robeez until my daughter was expecting and she showed me these precious soft shoes with colorful and fun designs for babies and toddlers — a far cry from those stiff white lace-up shoes she had to wear. Our grandson (also known as Capt. Adorable) is wearing his dragon Robeez in the photo — they seem to among the few pairs of footwear he doesn’t/can’t kick off immediately. I think the “Busy Car” pair also is a must-have, and we’ve got a couple others on our shopping list. Now that he’s standing on his own and considering this thing called walking, shoes are becoming more important — he usually gets by with bare feet or just socks — and of course when it’s 20 degrees like it is today, shoes are a must. Thank goodness for Robeez — pulling those white leather shoes on and (attempting) to get them tied was exhausting! Check out the Web site, http://www.robeez.com.

Valentine’s Day Gifts

Posted on by
10

christmas-with-the-gingers-016Sarah — my friend who’s a super cook, former caterer and an Episcopal priest — christmas-with-the-gingers-017gave bottles of cranberry homemade liqueur for Christmas presents this past holiay season. So lovely! I thought they’d make great Valentine Day’s gifts, too — the red is such a gorgeous deep color.  The recipe is from Cooking Light and needs to be started three weeks ahead of time, so this is the perfect weekend to gather supplies and get started. Since cherries and raspberries are the traditional red fruits associated with Valentine’s, I wonder if you could use those instead of cranberries. If anybody tries that, please pass the results along! Sarah put the liqueur in these very cool bottles and added the cocktail recipe — delicious! 

Ingredients

  • 2  cups  sugar
  • 1  cup  water
  • 1  12-ounce package fresh cranberries
  • 3  cups  vodka

Preparation

 Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Place cranberries in a food processor; process 2 minutes or until finely chopped. Combine sugar mixture and cranberries in a large bowl; stir in vodka. Pour vodka mixture into clean jars; secure with lids. Let stand 3 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking every other day. Strain cranberry mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Carefully pour liqueur into clean bottles. Note: Liqueur can be stored refrigerated or at room temperature for up to a year.

Scarves

Posted on by
14

scarfscarf-_square1My fondest dream — well, after becoming a bestselling novelist, owning my own tropical island and acquiring the ability to eat chocolate all day with impunity — is to learn how to wear a scarf like all those stylish celebrities. Or, like every other normal woman knows how to wear a scarf — except me.  I love scarves and collect as many as I can, but whenever I wear on I just end up looking silly. Sigh. Read more at my column in today’s TimesDaily, http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090116/ARTICLES/901160302

Restaurants

Posted on by
8

tin-angelIf you’re headed to Nashville, Tennessee, put Tin Angel on your nashville-jan-2009-008places-to-eat list. Heck, it’s worth making a trip there on its own. From the tin ceiling and weathered brick walls to the menu featuring fresh and innovative dishes to the feeling of neighborhood and convivial warmth (important on freezing winter nights when it’s literally, you know, freezing), Tin Angel is one of my new favorite places. We visited the West End restaurant on the strength of a review my husband had read in the Nashville Scene (http://www.tinangel.net/images_miscellany/scenereview.pdf) and ordered according to the reviewer’s recommendations. All I can say is, “Yes, please.”  I had the spinach salad with poached egg, and it was the best spinach salad I’ve ever had — not your usual bacon-sugar-vinegar combination but instead some sort of savory yummy deliciousness topped with a velvety poached egg. Only my mother’s warning voice in my head kept me from licking the plate.  My husband had the Catfish Pomme de Terre with a horseradish crust and mustard sauce on braised shredded cabbage and I had grilled scallops, one of the evening’s specials, both accompanied by our go-to restaurant seafood wine — a bottle of Conundrum. Our dishes were full of balanced and layered satisfying flavors and the portions were perfect. A wonderful evening and a memorable meal! We ate late enough — in fact we closed the place down — that we had no lines or parking glitches, but Tin Angel is so popular that at peak times you probably will. Worth it, though. Here’s the Web site: http://www.tinangel.net

Tennessee Travels

Posted on by
13

nashville-jan-2009-001nashville-jan-2009-002My wonderful yet workaholic husband actually took a few days off recently and we headed to Nashville, Tennessee, for time with family, friends and a peacefully quiet hotel room. We like Embassy Suites — the two rooms to spread out in, the consistent quality of service and nashville-jan-2009-032cleanliness and of course the free drinks and snacks in the afternoon. (What? nashville-jan-2009-0063We’re easily impressed!) We loved this bar-food gizmo set up in the lobby for the daily happy hour. It had all sorts of crackers, pretzels, nuts, candy and mixes for do-it-yourself creating — the perfect accompaniment for beer and lazy discussions about where to go and who to see and what to eat later that night. Good times! It doesn’t take much to amuse us when it’s just the two of us on vacation. If we have access to real coffee (me), Diet Dr Pepper (him), reliable Internet and plenty of newspapers, we’re content. Throw in good restaurants and time to do whatever we want whenever we want to and we’ve gone beyond content and straight into happpy. And by the way, one thing we did while on vacation was catch “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” If you haven’t seen it yet, go immediately. It’s a moving and powerful story you’ll think about long after you leave the theater. I was disappointed it didn’t garner more awards at the Golden Globes, but I’m hopeful it will clean up at the Oscars — it’s that good.

Thrift Store Shopping

Posted on by
8

carolyns-dress-003My younger daughter loves fashion and putting outfits together. She’s the best carolyns-dress-002thrift-store shopper I know. We go into a Salvation Army dig store and I’m done in  three minutes because there’s nothing there — I think — and she emerges with an armload of cute and stylish pieces. Of course, she’s young and cute and stylish herself, so that helps immensely! Most thrift-store finds would just look sort of sad on me but she wears them with flair. It’s all in the attitude, and she’s got it. The other secret to thrift-store shopping, I think, is combining high and low and new and found. When she was home for the holidays, she brought some of her latest discoveries and had fun putting looks carolyns-dress-0061together. In these pictures she was going to a Christmas party with her dad’s family and was trying to winterize a festive carolyns-dress-0052black sundress with pink embroidery she’d bought in a thrift store for about $4, I think. First she tried a black short-sleeved pullover top over the whole thing. Nice, but no pizazz, although it fit her well. So next she tried a black cardigan with black velvet trim and little black velvet bows on the pockets for an elegant yet casual touch. Adorable! I voted for this look, but I got outvoted — she ended up ditching the dress idea and instead headed to the party in her usual but very chic college-student look of jeans, boots, scarf and sweater. And here’s the thing: These two black tops are mine, and she looks great in them. However, if I wore this sundress, I would only look ridiculous. Why is that? My daughters borrow from me and look fantastic (better than I do in the same clothes, that’s for sure) but the reverse does not hold true at all. If somebody can figure this out and fix it, I’d be so grateful! In the meantime, I continue to be in awe of both my daughters’ creativity and style. I’m in constant hope that some of that gets passed up to me.