Archive | August, 2011

stuffed brie, paradise & vino

31 Aug

by m. decker

“if you’re alone, i’ll be your shadow. if you want to cry, i’ll be your shoulder. if you want a hug, i’ll be your pillow. if you need to be happy, i’ll be your smile… but anytime you need a friend, i’ll just be me.” – anon

the above quote pretty much sums up my love and adoration of “the appreciator.”  so, when she asked if i wanted to post a recipe on her blog, i instantly said yes! as the best female friend always obliges.

the “appreciator” and i met many light years ago at a dog park in uptown dallas (yes, very romantic..)  our dogs instantly clicked, which left us with little choice but to go out for an alcoholic beverage at our favorite pooch patio (for the sake of the dogs, of course!).  luckily for all of us, the booze never ran out, the laughter never stopped and the friendship blossomed.  i feel blessed to have you in my life.

the below mushroom stuffed brie was recently created on vacation in Seaside, FL.  30A, is the 20-mile scenic shore tucked neatly between destin and panama city beach, florida, or as my son called it, “paradise mommy.”

mushroom stuffed brie a la “30A”

ingredients

  • sancerre sauvignon blanc – in a glass, straight up
  • chopped mushrooms — (2 hands full)  cos that’s how I roll
  • chopped fresh garlic –  (1 clove) yes, the real stuff you have to peel
  • chopped crabmeat – (1 generous hand full) preferably not from Fiesta
  • one egg  — (1) beaten not stirred
  • defrosted phyllo pastry sheet – (2 sheets) “fee-lo” for all you Southern Folk
  • round of brie –– (the bigger the better) – “that’s what she said..”

 

what next?

  • set your oven to 350 degrees on bake.
  • in a pan, fry with butter the mushrooms, garlic and splosh of wine.  sprinkle salt and pepper to season.
  • slice the brie in half (like a bread roll) and stuff the cooked fried pan mix from above in the middle of the brie.

  • place the crabmeat on top of the fried pan mix.  cover this with the brie top – sandwich style. drizzle salt, pepper and EVOO on top of brie.
  • swaddle the whole brie with the phyllo pastry sheets, like an itty bitty baby.
  • baste the egg over the fillo before putting in the oven :
  • place itty bitty baby brie in the oven for 20mins or so.
  • remove from oven and eat with a spoon or crackers of your choice.

to quote woody allen (the “appreciator’s” favorite movie icon), “i am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.”

enjoy!

Tags: , , , , ,

be inspired! quotes to get through

30 Aug

middle of the week… can we make it till friday?  let’s read together some words of inspiration and be happy. 

click on any one to make it bigger.

 

all these are from my board on pinterest.  all credits can be found there

be inspired !

Tags: , , , , ,

5 lovely links (you’ll love!): entertaining

29 Aug

no one likes to entertain more than me. 

maybe martha stewart.  i guess you could say that ROF and i like to do that more than anything.  there is nothing we like better than having good friends, good food & wine and of course, music.  almost every weekend we have people over if not all three nights!  we love to plan, shop, bake, cook and i love to put together playlists and table settings that are just perfect.  or close.  be sure to check out my montage below.

here are some fantastic entertaining links for today’s regular feature “5 lovely links”:

1. hit up ‘smitten kitchen’ for some party food:  click here

2. the ‘hostess with the mostess” blog has some awesome theme party ideas.  make sure you scroll to the bottom.  i love the “scotch & chocolate 40th birthday party” check these out (and there are a million ideas – great kid ideas too!)

from hostess with the mostess blog

4. everyone knows, the best place to get party decorations (of the cool kind) is on luna bazaar online

5 lastly, but not leastly…music.  look here!  food & wine magazine found the pros behind awesome vibe restaurant music  and check out all the playlists!  so excited i found this

Tags: , ,

live from new jersey – hurricane lessons

28 Aug

we break into your regular scheduled programming

for an accounting of  hurricane irene damage.  guest recipe blogger and now on-the-scene reporter from new jersey, susan prendeville gives us some smart lessons learned this weekend.

before:

i was a little smug and mildly excited.  we had been getting calls and texts all day asking “are you ok, scared, ready”?  mikes favorite show is “man vs. wild”  – we will be fine, i assured.  we live on a hill, so there was really no danger of flooding.  we had done the things one does:  gone to the grocery store, had 5 days of water and food like the governor suggested.  we had collected candles and flashlights and batteries.  i had prepared some no-cook foods like quesadillas and potato salad and cut up fruit.  mike was home before the rain started in earnest.  we watched the weather channel, had a drink, made coffee and put it in a thermos for the morning.  all evening we felt ready, we were ready, it was a really nice evening!

during:

midnight.

i had fallen asleep a while ago but the wind and rain woke me.  i had a message from my brother ROF, clever fellow, asking if he had the right number –  he was asking for irene –  have her call him, haha and a text from ‘the appreciator’ saying that she had said a prayer for us.  i went into the living room with my computer and checked my facebook (so many clever and slightly alarmed hurricane posts), the storm tracker (still a few hours before the real storm hit), and then the news (serious…hype…who knows).  i was just turning off lights when we lost power so I grabbed a flashlight and went back to bed and then to sleep without too much trouble.

2:30am

oh yea, i think i forgot to mention that many big old trees surround our home. 

 mike heard a loud noise and bound from the bed and ran to the rear of the house which woke me and i followed him.  we figured out pretty quickly that a tree had fallen.  we went from window to window, upstairs and down, and almost all of them were covered in branches and leaves and the back door was blocked too. it was pitch dark out, the wind was whipping and the rain was pouring down.  we couldn’t see much but figured out that it was a maple by the leaves pressed against the window.  it must be the maple that stood by the great room, a favorite tree really, so sad.  now though, there was nothing to do but go back to bed and wait for mornings light. 

I lay there

and looked out the window at the treetops swaying wildly and the lightning flashes. I heard the thunder crashing and the rain beating the windows.   stomach was hurting, i was sweating, heart was pounding.  afraid, i cuddled against mike for comfort.  after what felt like a long time i finally fell back to sleep.

after:

mike and i slept until morning light and then we woke and looked around outside.  it was not one huge tree that fell but three huge trees.  one of the trees lies feet from the house and stretches the whole length of it.  tree limbs have torn the gutters and screens off the back of the house and crushed the air conditioner.  one of the trees is resting on both of our cars. 

 

we are lucky that the trees did not crush our house and that we survived!  i’m serious and i am no longer smug or excited. 

the moral:

evacuate, prepare, listen to the governor, prioritize, be humble, be thankful.

appreciate.

Tags: , , , , ,

appreciating the courteous flyer

28 Aug

today is all about appreciating people

that know how to fly well. 

from "bridesmaids"from "bridesmaids"

from "bridesmaids"

 

you don’t have to be a frequent flyer, to have the simple courtesies necessary.

case in point.  happening real time, right this very minute.  man in front of me on southwest flight from the st. lou to dallas love field.  he is scarfing his peanuts and taking the leftover, salty,  sweet crumbs from the honey roasted nuts and shaking his hands in the aisle dangerously close to my pant leg.  not once.  not twice.  FOUR TIMES AND COUNTING, folks.  I  just tried to snap a photo but he smiled and that was creepy.  busted.

men:  i believe that it is important

to do everything for women on a plane.  don’t worry yourself with this 1970’s women’s lib nonsense.  pick up her darned bag if she can’t put it in the overhead bin.  come on billy.  be a hero.  next (oh I’m not done with you ,mister) – help a mom juggling kiddos and bags.   grab that car seat and her kid play kit bag and march down the aisle.  ain’t no one gonna steal your seat.

now I’m gonna get gross

those burps you let out slow and low after the mexican lunch you wolfed down with the two margaritas.  yep.  we can smell them.  you’re not fooling anyone.  you are a millimeter away from our noses. 

from "airplane"

and speaking of gas, which we were, we can smell that too.  don’t try to rationalize it.  we know it’s not the baby, or the jet fuel, not the bathroom door that just opened.  it is you buddy and we know it.  I’m going to develop an app that is an airplane smell detector.  it will sense the molecules in the air and up will come an analysis:  BABY DIAPER, HAIRSPRAY, BAD PERFUME,  GAS FROM THE PERSON TO YOUR LEFT.  and then an alarm will sound.  and it will sound like this:

PEEEE-YOO  

you know you’re a courteous flyer when you do not, I said NOT, adjust your volume because of the roar of the plane.  don’t be a loud talker.  honey, you’re neighbor is right there.  unless you’re the woman on my last flight who literally yelled to her friend three rows in front of us.  in another language.  hey why not, it’s all about you.

from bing

speaking of talking.  thank you, courteous flyers for “testing the temperature” before launching full-on into your life story.  talking is not bad – after all many o love stories have been started on a plane.  so I’m not saying don’t talk.  unless you’re married.  then don’t talk.  but if you’re single then mingle.  but test the temp.  if receptive, launch away.  if you get a quick answer and a head turn – then please consider that a “I’d rather read this magazine”.

from friends, I’ve heard a lot of pet peeves that I agree with:

JG:  someone actually climbed over me in the aisle seat to get to the window seat.  really, I can get up, there is no need to squeeze.  gross.

from bing

“I hate it when people shuffle cards on a plane, it drives me insane”

“taking off your shoes is so inappropriate and not just for the smell.  for the grossness of it – seeing your hairy, ugly toes snuggle the carpet or worse the wall in front of you.”

from bing

 

that’s enough for my lil rant on flying.  once again, appreciate you, courteous flyer!  i have seen lots of unbelievably nice and fantastic people on planes.

have a great sunday.  thinking of everyone in irene’s path including the prendevilles!  love you guys.

Tags: , ,

lobsta, boston & gen y: saturday july 27 week in review

27 Aug

week in review

since this blog is more about me appreciating things,  i’ve decided i’m going to start a week in review in pictures on saturdays.

you know why?

because i appreciate being alive.  not kidding.  on my flight home from boston, i bought a magazine (SHOCKER) and it was a september issue showcasing people who lost a loved one on 9/11.  it asked them what they do on that particular day to remember.  now when i was reading this, I was scrunched, i mean scrunched, in the middle seat flying from boston to st. louis – why? – well that is another story.

anyway, i was trying hard not to full-on blubber reading these stories.  tears running down my face, there was a bit of a choked back sob that came out more like a soft snort.

it was really touching and reading it just made my heart ache for those people.  one story was a daughter remembering her 79 year old mom who was very much a vibrant lady with a great sense of humor.  her mom was going to come and live  with her and her family and moving day was 9/11.  her mom was flying.  you get the picture.  and you probably know similar stories.  so we have to remember. and appreciate every little moment.  so here is my first week in review.  

i hope you’re having a great weekend.

i saw this quote and loved it. my team is awesome. we created this really fun dinner bag for a friend where we all made dinner and packaged it up real cute.

was in boston this week and had to have a lawbstah roll and captured this pink coffee cup

i call this sleeping pearls. this sweet lady was so dainty until she fell asleep and let out noise like a fog horn.

this was the chandelier in the hallway of the omni parker hotel in boston

carpet at the omni

we held an impromtu focus group at TMG this week with 10 gen y'ers to see if we are on the right track. we are!

super funny. when i "checked in" on foursquare, there was one person already checked. i opened the picture and this was who had checked in. EEK!

really exciting to be at a young start-up like scvngr. what energy and drive. really pumped some life into me - very exciting. i refuse to get old.

Tags: , ,

best of dallas

26 Aug

by ROF

how old were you when you came to the big d?

first time was the summer of 1992, i was 22 years old.

why did you come here? 

i was a summer intern with fults companies – a bad ass commercial real estate firm. we were on the 14th floor in the crescent tower #300 in uptown, i thought i was jr ewing, it was a cool place to be.

what do you like most about dallas?

hands down – the entrepreneurial spirit that this city has is like no other in my book.

where is the best place to go for pre-cowboy game imbibing?

at the old stadium i have great memories of the blue lot. for years i tailgated with the same crew. my good friend todd jones a.k.a. the tailgate king was the best host for all home games. each week he would go out and set up as soon as the lot opened, sometimes before day break in the early morning. great memories!  at the new stadium the lots are so scattered and traffic is so bad, usually go inside the stadium and have a few drinks at the hall of fame bar. jerry’s “death star” is cool and big and has great seats and amenities, but I loved and miss the old times in the blue lot.

three best places to have a power lunch with a potential client?

in this order:

1, the mercury

2, sevy’s grill

3. kampai sushi & grill

if this one current deal closes that i am working on, kampai will move to the top of the list. all parties involved have meet there a few times for lunch meetings.

two really fun happy hour places?

st. pete’s dancing marlin, great vibe and atmosphere and primo’s, fyi – started going here in 1992 way before it was such a hot spot

best waiter in dallas?

very hard to say, this city is fun of great restaurant staff. if i had to pick one – my dear friend emma, the fun & sassy girl with the new jersey accent behind the bar at the original bob’s chop house on lemmon ave.

best mexican restaurant?

i would have to say ojetas, the original one on maple ave. great food and great staff.

if you could hold a happy hour with 5 people who would they be – living or dead – and where would you hold it?

a.j. foyt – hall of fame racecar driver
jim krause – amy’s father
amy fulford – the wife
bono – u2 front man and humanitarian
john wooden – former ucla basketball coach

at bob’s in dallas on lemmon.  both jim krause and i knew bob very well.

Tags: , , , , ,

pretzel jello salad

24 Aug

hello. 

my name is katie krause.  ” the appreciator” is my favorite older sister.

ok, she is my only sister.

but she is still my favorite.  other than my parents, she has taught me what unconditional love means.  i’m very appreciative of her.

let me first start off by saying that this is very hard to write all in lower case.  you see, i’m a compulsive capitalizer.  i’m known for capitalizing words that should not Be capitalized. (side note: i’m grateful for the appreciator for pointing this out.) this is a great lesson in self control.

the recipe I chose is the jell-o pretzel desert.

i chose this because it’s been a staple at our thanksgivings and Christmas’ for as long as I can remember.  we all LOVE this dish.  When things were upside down for the holidays and we didn’t make a big dinner, my brother jim would always say, “can we at least make the jell-o?” and so we would.  This dish signifies HOME for me.  one year, one of the children (who will remain nameless because this is her blog and I wouldn’t want to embarrass her) tried to make it and the jell-o never set.  you would think that the world was ending.  it ruined Christmas! (j/k)

where this recipe differs from the other similar recipes on the internet, is that instead of using 2 cups of boiling water, use 2 cups of boiling pineapple juice.   i also used 1/3 less fat cream cheese and lite cool whip.   OOHH sooo good!

the recipe:

2 c. crushed pretzels (katie side note: don’t use fancy choppers, pound your stress away with a baggie and a can!)
3/4 c. butter, melted
3 tbsp. sugar
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1 (9 oz.) carton cool whip
1 (6 oz.) pkg. strawberry Jell-O
2 c. pineapple Juice
2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries in juice

mix crushed pretzels, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar together. press into a 9×13 inch pan. katie note: use a clear pan so you can see all the layers!

bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. cool.

combine cream cheese, cool whip, and 1 cup sugar. mix well and spread onto the cooled crust.

mix jell-o with pineapple juice, then add frozen strawberries. stir until berries soften and jell-o starts to thicken. gently pour or spread mixture over cream. refrigerate.

thanks for letting me share my memories and my favorite dish with you.  enjoy!

Tags: , , , ,

THE STORY OF JIM AND JOAN – THE FINALE

24 Aug

wednesday will still continue being a part of the week, but this story ends today. 

if you’ve missed any of the previous postings and want to start from the beginning, you can click on the list over to the right  or click here for the beginning.

as you can tell, the story has a little more to it than what people thought.  the experience has taught me so much.

#1.  don’t live off of gossip, hear-say and half stories.  remember everyone’s story has probably way more to it than you can imagine, another viewpoint and a little more depth.  don’t be one of those petty people that just passes on bad news.  i learned this from the hurt i felt from one comment from one pretty insignificant person.  thank you.  i now know how not to act. that goes for your feelings on cancer, old people and divorce.  just because everyone goes through it doesn’t lessen the blow.  it’s still painful.

#2. be open to peace.  i once asked my mom how she could forgive karen.  how unusual of a reaction that was.  she told me “i prayed for peace and God gave it to me”.  i don’t understand – what does that have to do with anything?  “because of what we went through with dad dying, i just wanted peace and i felt like i could go be bitter and angry and making matters worse or forgive.”

#3.  everyone, everyone has a story.  and we liked karen’s.  we all love karen like she was a part of our family.  in fact, my mom and karen are very, very close.  they both built houses in a retirement community (hello, swank, i might add!) and travel together and attend family functions together.  they don’t advertise their background to everyone and consider it funny because they both have the same last name and people always say “are you SURE you’re not related?”  i would love to hear karen and mom’s story together.

#4. ask for forgiveness.  you might just get it and a new best friend after all.

#5.  remember the little stuff every day.  it will stay with you for the rest of your life.  when someone has such a profound impact on your life – it is hard wrapping your mind around not “doing life” with them any more.  i can still remember holding my grandma’s hands and feeling the softness of the tips of her fingers and the ridges around her knuckles.  i can still remember my dad’s hands big and strong and then weak and painful.  i can feel it like they were both right here with me now.  thank god i got 9 months with my dad.  to laugh, to cry, to allow him to say “i’m sorry” .  i feel more blessed because of the situation than to have gone on life hating karen and my dad and feeling sorry for my family.

i end this story with one more very private admission.  well, when i drove to whole foods with my mom and found out dad had died and we were racing back down lemmon avenue  – the same road i was on when i found out dad was sick –  my vision turned technicolor.  it was so bright i could barely see.  the green grass was florescent, the sun bright yellow.  i wasn’t dreaming this, it happened.  it was a feeling of comfort and peace like i’ve never felt before.  i know dad is in good hands.

i finish this story with this picture. 

if i had to pick one picture of my dad and i … this wouldn’t be it.  but it is a close second.  this is my dad real proud of me.  is there anything quite like the feeling of your dad being proud of you?  there are certainly substitutions, especially if your dad is an a-hole.  but for me, this was what it was all about.  here, in my ugly 90’s outfit (must have been about 22) and bangs.

thank you for letting me share my story.  And thank you to mom & karen for letting me.  i love you.

Tags:

5 lovely links (you’ll love)flash mobs

23 Aug

flash/smart mobs

for this tuesday’s edition of 5 lovely links (you’ll love!) i’ve gathered links to 5  flash mob youtube videos.  you may have seen these already but i’m starting with my favorite.  if you don’t know what a flash mob is, here is a wiki definition:

A flash mob (or flashmob)[1] is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, artistic expression or—in some cases—violence.[2][3][4] Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails.

The term, coined in 2003, is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisement, publicity stunts that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals.In these cases of a planned purpose for the social activity in question, the term smart mobs is often applied instead.

the first one is one of my all-time favorites.  it would put me in such a good mood to be eating my boring sbarro pizza at lunch and be a part of watching this:

this one in san francisco to the who was very fun as well:

this smart mob by t-mobile was very very cool.  i remember this when it happened. 

watch this one at our own whole foods in austin.  you get a little sneak peak behind the scenes

then last, but certainly not least- here is a michael jackson tribute i loved from stockholm

would you do a flash mob?

Tags: , , ,

so much food, only one weekend

22 Aug

friday, we drank.

i mean, um,  celebrated.  saturday, we ate.  boldly,  i cooked this weekend and you can see everything i cooked here on my board at pinterest.

green beans with herbs, sage chicken, banana cream pie and the roast was awesome good.

in addition

to these goodies, ROF and i woke up a bit hungry saturday morning and got some small breakfast burritos from taco y mas down the street.  hands down, best breakfast tacos around.  check out these morsels of goodness gracious:

now it’s monday and back to work.  and maybe a diet is in order.

Tags: , , , , ,

to all the dogs i’ve loved before

21 Aug

ever since i was trampled by a huge dog when i was 5 years old living in boston, i’ve wanted a dog.  we finally got one when we moved to michigan and i was in about the 5th grade.

it was a black lab named maggie. we had so many stories of her.

she ate exactly half of one of our thanksgiving meals.  like chomped right down the middle of casseroles and everything.  when she was a puppy, we trained her to sleep in the laundry room downstairs with the door shut.  it was hard training her because she was young and scared and would whine and whine and whine.  we’d go into mom and dads room and beg to go to her.  no.  then we found out that muffin, our hamster, had gotten loose and was terrorizing poor maggie.  so maggie dug a hole in the laundry room straight through the good ole yellow linoleum that was so popular back then. so there mom and dad.

then there was our golden retriever, tucker.  oh tucker.

this was the best dog ever.  we loved loved loved tucker that little *ucker.  we liked to say that to make mom go “oh stop”.  but really, this was the sweetest, friendliest golden ever.  have you ever met a golden you didn’t love?  he slept with me in bed for the two weeks i had mono in college.  and he listened to stories.  we would tell him every story behind every holiday and he would stare at your mouth and perk up his ears.  he also would shove rolled up socks in the laundry basket in his mouth – like maybe 5 or so at a time and then we would make him “speak”.  everyone got a big ole crack over that.

next, for me, there is wrigley.  my 110lb yellow lab

words do not describe how much i love the wigs.

i lived in dallas one year before getting wrigley.  it was a miserable year.  i worked hard, didn’t know anyone and really felt like a fish out of water.  then came this little bundle of pure lab love.  wrigley.  he took care of me.  this is a big boy and he protected me and loved me.  it was so nice to come home from work and be greeted by him and his big kisses.  he and i went everywhere together and i loved taking him to daycare during the day.  see i can be a mommy blogger too.  tee hee hee.

then i met ROF and got married.  lover-ly.  my life was perfect, except one thing.  wrigley isn’t too hot on ROF or his dog, max.  wrigley sat in between us.  and he licked ROF to pieces.  you know, typical lab.  but when wrigley nipped max in the nose for trying out his food, we needed to figure out what to do.  so my wonderful mom watchs wrigley for me.  she has been watching him for 2 years now.  i can’t give w away.  he’s my 8 year old baby.  he is so sweet.  i don’t want to confuse him any more.  plus he loves my mom.  but she is 70 years old and a 110lb lab is a lot of dog (and hair) for her to have.  what can i do?  this will not be solved right here as i tear up.

then there came max. 

max is ROF’s english bulldog.  ROF has created quite a character around max and speaks for him often. max is very proud of being english even though he is really from austin, texas.  he talks about wanting gin and walking on the opposite side of the road.  when we ask him why, he says “because i’m eeeennnglish!”  having never had a bulldog before i really didn’t know how to “read” max.  unlike labs, bulldogs don’t jump all over you and they certainly don’t listen to you.  not a bit.  they hear you, they consider obeying, but then they promptly go the other way.  ROF told me that max will obey but just on their own time.  really?   i tell him to sit and he does – but usually just across the room and 5 minutes after I ask.

we had a garage sale and we let max walk around and say hello to everyone.  then he crawled up on to a chair in the middle of the yard and sat down.  this is what people saw when they drove up:

here are some other things on max:

1. he is high maintenance.  you have to clean their folds, and their ears almost every day.

2. he has more gas than any human being.  and he is not shy about it. 

3. he is sweet and caring and not at all mean.  unless you tease him and/or put your cell phone near him.  doesn’t like either much.

4. snores

5. makes noises that you’ve never heard before if he wants something.  kind of like a stuck pig.  a high pitched whine that can turn into a growl at the end.  gets that from his dad.

6. has us trained to a tee.  whines when he wants to go out, get on the couch, eat.  that’s about it.

one time, max decided that his cousin, sophie, shouldn’t be the only one to have a cute little bed.  so we busted max sitting in little sophie’s bed.  he asked us “does this bed make my butt look big?”  you decide:

Tags: , , ,

say hello to max

20 Aug

there will be more on max later.  just say hello now…

Tags:

ah, mornings…

20 Aug

love saturday.

saturday morning flashback on 93XRT streaming radio, the smell of coffee … a full day of possibility before you.

and then it hits 107 degrees outside.  debbie downer, i am.

here is a photo i took this week while flying home from virginia.

make it a fantastic day.

so glad it’s friday

19 Aug

today, i’m sharing with you a superb social site

i’m getting as addicted to it as i am listening to ‘foster the people’.  the site is called ‘pinterest’. this is how i like to describe it:  do we all get 1043 magazines a month like i do?  think i’m kidding?  ask ROF who had to have a kind intervention with me.

it went like this:  “do you order magazines through the mail?” answer: yes.  “do you also buy them at the airport each week?” answer: yes.  “do you think if we ordered them all via subscriptions you could maybe not buy them anymore at the airport?” answer: yes (boldface lie) i think the answer should have been: sometimes.

anyhoo.

this website called pinterest.com lets you save things on line on a “board” just like a pushpin board.  THUS THE NAME.  so instead of ripping things out of all my mags, i can just pin them to my boards on this website.  mine looks like this:

and these little boxes link to the websites.  SO if you like to look at recipes on-line, you can just go to a website and hit the “pin it” button that you got off this website and it captures a picture right on to your board!  Now, i’m sure you’re asking…. well why is it social?  BECAUSE….

WE CAN ALL FOLLOW EACH OTHER!

so if my sister katie, or sister-in-law susan or mom joan want to clip a bunch of recipes AND i like what they like, then i can just follow them and see what they pin.  i love the world wide web!

happy friday!

waffles, peanut butter & healthy oh my!

18 Aug

by sarah voet

healthy yummy waffles

“the appreciator” is one of the first friends i made in dallas, we met through our hubbys – rof and joe

i really enjoy nutri grain brand low fat waffles, nice and crispy topped with my favorite topping: all natural peanut butter.

however…there was a waffle shortage

a year or so ago due to the eggo plant losing power! i was so distraught, what in the world will i have for breakfast?

my recipe is just as good and cheaper. they freeze great between pieces of wax paper, just pop them in the toaster oven.

2 eggs beaten
1 3/4 cups skim milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup flax seed
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt

mix together and pour into waffle iron.

enjoy!

xxoo

Tags: , ,

THE STORY OF JIM AND JOAN – PART 6

17 Aug

welcome back wednesday story readers.

if you’ve missed the past few weeks of the krause family drama, please click here to see past stories.

i’ve decided that next week will be the end of my side of the story.  as you read this, remember there are a lot of interesting viewpoints that would probably like to weigh in.  my mom, karen, karen’s daughter Tracy, my sister, my dad.   I, too, would love to hear their versions.  we’ve all talked about putting a book together. talk talk talk.

contrary to what I said last week, it is not therapy for me to write this.  I don’t need it because the whole situation turned out to be a wonderful experience.  this is going to be quite long but engaging … so grab a coffee or a wine depending on what time of day it is or mood you’re in (tee hee)

REWIND: you have my dad who after 34 years of a (happy, loving) marriage left my (beautiful, wonderful) mom.  got remarried, moved to our childhood vacation island and then got cancer and a 4 month sentence. there, you’re caught up.  but here’s how things began to change…

in a very sad way, I think dad felt guilty for what he did to mom that he acted somewhat relieved to get cancer.  like he deserved it.  but his concern now wasn’t just my mom because he had married this other wonderful woman, karen.  he was in a predicament.  so during his bout with cancer he got the two women together.  first at my condo and I believe it was mothers day.  can you say together:

awkward.

Continue reading →

Tags:

tuesday: 5 lovely links (you’ll love)

15 Aug

everyone needs an soundtrack or anthem for their life.  right?

then again, maybe life is too broad, let’s take it back a couple levels.  not your life per se, as you may get tired of the same song over and over again,  but for your mood.  yes.  you know that song that gets your blood pumping, your mind racing.  maybe even anthem is too strong of a word as well.  it’s not as if we all need the theme from rocky to play constantly in our minds.  however, that would be nice, would it not? – it was an inspiring theme. 

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , ,

vintage, retro madness

15 Aug

how many of you are eagerly anticipating the return of mad men on amc next year?  i am.

if you’re not hip to this show that will be going into its 5th season, then get hip.  no, really.  go get the entire first 4 seasons or buy them on itunes and watch 3 or 4 at a time.  get ready.  i will tell you that it took me a couple of episodes to get into it but rof and i did get into it.

kinda puts me in the mood

for more retro and vintage things.

Continue reading →

Tags: , ,

sunshine, so-cal & aunt sal

13 Aug

good morning sunshine.

this morning i want to perform a random act of appreciation to the one…the only...aunt sally. now, i want to point out that i have three wonderful aunts – aunt jean and aunt annette too. each deserves their own shout out. today i want to let my aunt sally know how much i appreciate her.

my aunt sally is my mom’s younger sister and they are very close. she has been not only a great sister to my mom but the two of them are very, very good friends. she was a third grade teacher for many years before retiring and even if you only spent a couple of minutes talking with her you can tell she was an excellent teacher. she’s kind and patient and loving.

Continue reading →

Tags: , ,

i love you, southwest airlines.

12 Aug

for those of you not as lucky as me to be able to fly all the time, you may not know how unbelievably cool southwest airlines. let me tell you why:

1. they fly through anything. for real. i used to fly southwest to houston every month when they flew into IAH. now they only fly into hobby but when the airport would literally shut down because of tornados, the only flights getting out were southwest. now i am exaggerating a little bit here. of course they would never put anyone in harms way. but when it seems all other airlines are delayed or cancel if the clouds even so much as sneeze a raindrop out – southwest goes goes goes. i actually love flying through bad weather but more on that later.

now i have to tell you one of my favorite sw storm stories.

Continue reading →

THE STORY OF JIM AND JOAN – PART 5

10 Aug

before i continue on our wednesday story, there is something i need to say.  since this is my therapy a little bit and i’m bringing you along for the sorted ride (insert evil laugh) i need to share.  there were so many people in our family’s lives who dropped off at this part.  my parents got divorced, lots of gossip…dad got remarried, got cancer and died and that’s all that they know.  i hope they’re reading.   stick with me here, because this story doesn’t go where you think it will go.

so we left off last wednesday at a pretty deep place.

how would you react to being told that you had a life expectancy of 4 months?  no, really, think about it for a minute.  you’re in a doctors office and he tells you that you “have a tumor the size of a football in your abdomen and that you have about 4 months to live.”

4 months.

Continue reading →

Tags:

5 lovely links (you’ll love!)

9 Aug

today is all about etsy.

i have to admit.  i’m slow to the etsy game.  some of you are reading this and what you’re thinking falls into two camps:

1. no duh, amy.  etsy has been around forever. get with the program. 

or

2. what the hell is etsy?  you’re pretty cool, amy, for finding all these neat things!

there is absolutely no reason to leave your computer – like ever.  this little gem of a website has pretty much everything you’d ever want.   here is just a small sampling of a Christmas list i’m putting together – everything you can get on etsy.com

link #1: this shop is called the big harumph and they’re out of witchita, kansas.  not only do i l-o-v-e the word “harumph” but i love everything they have in their shop.   i’m thinking of collecting all these “love” posters, framing them and putting them all over our bathroom wall so when ROF gets ready in the morning, he can read them.  i love this shop!

link #2: peggy wolf is a german living in london. her illustrations for sale on etsy here are so incredible.  strong images of women.  i simply love them.  i added her to my circle  that is etsy-talk, by the way.

link #3: (left) is this the cutest damn dog collar in the world?  if you don’t have a dog, i bet you want to go get one now just so he can wear this collar.  this shop on etsy, is out of chicago and it’s called sillybuddy.  link #4 (right) this store is called luciousart and he is also from chicago (no surprise, here).  he calls his shop vintage animal and city art.  this is an i love new york card.

link #5: alfredo is in tuscon and he is a designer and makes all these (tons) of clutches himself.  they are very colorful and fun.

hope you enjoyed the links today.  make it a good one-

Tags: , , ,

j’aime paris

8 Aug

first of all,

i’d like to let you know how much fun i’m having writing this blog.  it has become a hobby, a past-time, a creative outlet.  i am filled with so much passion for so many things, it’s nice to release it somehow, if only to myself.  so what may seem random to you, is not so much to me.  that brings us to today, monday and some random musings on paris.

i’ve never been to paris…

but i’ve always wanted to go.  i blame the urge on my first boss (actually president of the ad agency) who introduced me to the book “a moveable feast” by ernest hemingway.  are you a fan?  it was actually published 2 or 3 years after hemingway died.  it was started by him then compiled by his 4th wife and widow from trunkfuls of his writing when he was in paris.  i heard somewhere that if you read the book aloud to a blind person, they would be able to clearly visualize what paris was like.  i imagine that would be the same for someone who had never been to paris, like moi.  the name from the book came from a friend of his who played a part in the editing.  hemingway told him this about paris:

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man,

then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you,

for Paris is a moveable feast.

“All of the sadness of the city came suddenly with the first cold rains of winter, and there were no more tops to the high white houses as you walked but only the wet blackness of the street and the closed doors of the small shops, the herb sellers, the stationery and the newspaper shops, the midwife – second class – and the hotel where Verlaine and died where I had a room on the top floor where I worked.”  -Ernest Hemingway, “A Good Cafe on the Place St.-Michel,” A Moveable Feast

“But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person had died for no reason.”
-Ernest Hemingway, “People of the Seine,” A Moveable Feast

“But for a long time it was enough just to be back in our part of Paris and away from the track and to bet on your own life and work, and on the painters that you knew and not try to make your living gambling and call it by some other name.“
-Ernest Hemingway, “The End of an Avocation,” A Moveable Feast

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” -Ernest Hemingway

When I woke with the windows open and the moonlight on the roofs of the tall houses, it was there. I put my face away from the moonlight into the shadow but I could not sleep and lay awake thinking about it. We had both wakened twice in the night and my wife slept sweetly now with the moonlight on her face. I had to try to think it out and I was too stupid. Life had seemed so simple that morning when I had wakened and found the false spring…But Paris was a very old city and we were young and nothing was simple there, not even poverty, nor sudden money, nor the moonlight, nor right and wrong nor the breathing of someone who lay beside you in the moonlight”  – Ernest Hemingway, a moveable feast

i guess you could say that this is imaginary appreciation of paris.  at least until i get a chance to go.

Tags: , , ,

saturday night nosh

7 Aug

no blog post today,

just a shout out to the deckers for a fab, delish dinner last night.  we thank you much.   stay cool everyone-

ain’t gonna bake

6 Aug

nope, ain’t gonna do it!

our house is 80+ years old and i believe the oven is just as old.  not really, but this thing heats up the house more than it does the food.  that matched with the fact that it is 180 degrees outside – who the hell-o wants to cook?

me. i kinda want to.

it’s the weekend and i want to make something that gets me some “yums”.  you pickin’ up what i’m putting down?  so i went looking for something i can make today that wouldn’t heat up the whole house.  let’s check them out together, shall we?  tell me what you’re going to make and i’ll tell you what i’m gonna make.  take your pick:

i stumbled upon these a while ago and can’t get them out of my mind. these look so darn good.  thanks to blue-eyed bakers for the salt river bars and to two tiny kitchens for these peanut butter, pretzel mash-up of goodness bites

do you notice how i start with dessert?  just like a kid.  ok, so let’s move on to the ultimate summer food… chicken salad. you do have to poach the chicken which involves boiling water and that may be too hot right now, but heck, go buy some already cooked chicken – big whip – it’s not like you’re beneath that.  Back to the recipe it’s here.  check out those reviews.   makes me want to run out and make it for breakfast.

Continue reading →

Tags: , ,

random appreciation being smacked all around (katie)

6 Aug

For many years we’ve shared our lives
One roof we once lived under
Sometimes we laughed, sometimes we cried
Through winter storms and thunder

The younger years have faded fast
But through all times our friendship lasts
Our bond in life remains

As summer brings the happy times
The autumn winds will whisper
A closer friend I’d never find
Than the one I call my sister

(Vernon, 1985)

random act of appreciation today goes out to my sister, katie. 

here is what i appreciate about her:

1. her ability to make people laugh – like seriously laugh – not fake laugh.  just damn funny, that girl is!  however she also has a great ability to …

2. overlaugh.  we call that an “OL”.  sometimes she thinks things are so funny, she does an outside laugh inside and gets some stares.  We all typically chime in and say “OL”.  it always makes us giggle.

Continue reading →

Tags: ,

the 40 year old engagement

5 Aug

when you’re a girl,

you start thinking about your wedding day early on.  there is so much tradition, beauty and fantasy (and fluff) surrounding the ceremony.  some get so caught up in either trying to get married or the ceremony that who they’re marrying becomes secondary or sometimes not even thirdly or fourthly.   i lived through a lot of that in my 20’s and 30’s.

i always knew i would get married.  never thought i would be 40 before getting married for the first time.   but in hindsight… i’m oh so glad i waited.  it was perfect for me.  maybe it was because it was ground in my head  (as only a protective father can do) as a young girl to “never settle” and to be able to support myself.  so i never settled.  came very close several times,  but thank god i waited.

which brings me to today.  i mean, this day last year.  this very evening,  ROF proposed to me.  in the fairy tale kind of way many tween girls dream about.  boy was i glad i waited.  this weekend last year was one of my favorites ever in all of my 40 years.

i was clueless.  completely.  stop laughing and saying (what’s new?)

Continue reading →

Tags: , ,

swimming pools, southern belles and peach cobbler

4 Aug

the fuzzy truth

by suzanne holzwanger,

who has the rare pleasure of actually liking her boss “the appreciator” and considers her a dear friend.

ah texas.

gorgeous sunsets, hot summers and swimming pools. and nestled snugly in the backyard of our far north dallas home, peach trees. thanks to my dad who filled the backyard with peach trees instead of a pool.

while the entire neighborhood was cooling off in their refreshing, glistening pools, my siblings and i were picking peaches. from the trees. from the ground. every peach went into the basket. everybody else (and in a young mind means everyone on earth) had a pool. they swam in their pools, ate by their pools, slept in their pools. not us though-we had peach trees and someone had to pick them. i was convinced my parents had the 4 of us only for this purpose.

and we didn’t just pick, we sorted.

it was usually punishment for chores not done or fights we got into. a far worse punishment though was hearing the sounds of “marco polo!” and “cannonball!” from our friends while we were stuck separating good and bad peaches in the heat (what? she invited her??)

i remember my great aunt Viola, who happens to turn 99 this month, driving down from sherman to visit. I thought she was coming to see us but it was really for the peaches. she and my mom would sit and peel, jar and bake with a kitchen full. boxes and bowls and all fruit ev-er-y-where. i loved the end result of their cobblers, pies, and jams though. such a bitter sweet relationship.

flashing forward a few years,

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , ,

THE STORY OF JIM AND JOAN – PART 4

3 Aug

bawling like a baby at midway airport is where we left off last week.

dad had just left mom for another woman after 34 years.  if you’re new to the story, you’re going to want to get caught up here.  do it quick...we’re moving on.

Continue reading →

Tags:

5 lovely links (you’ll love)

2 Aug

today is all about design.

did you get the memo?  well, stop thinking about your “to do” list and check out today’s 5 lovely design links.  i think you’ll totally love these.  for sure.  for sure.

link #1: sfgirlbybay.   i’m sure i’ve talked about victoria elsewhere in this blog but love isn’t a strong enough verb to describe her blog.  oh, and she’s got the followers to prove it.  it is my addiction.  click on over and check her out.  she is in san fran, by the way.

link #2: belle maison.  julie’s website here has beautiful, wonderful rooms and looks.

Continue reading →

Tags: , ,

watching movies as a hobby

1 Aug

ROF and i decided, about a year and a half ago, to start watching the american film institutes (afi) top 100 movies of all time.  i highly recommend you give it a try.  it will take years.  we are only on #61 working our way backwards from 100 to #1.

i have cheated, ROF has not.

i can not sit through one more freaking charlie chaplin movie ever ever ever again.  i do not care if his movies were break-through but they were not funny and boring as hell.  this is my blog and i can say whatever i want. i did not watch shane because i have a medical condition called ADD.  and the first sign of a wagon wheel i ran for my laptop and feigned interest for the first half hour then got up and left.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , ,