when one door closes...

another (window) opens.

i'm no dummy; i'm what some might refer to as an opportunist. and THIS opportunist decided to see about getting her hands on some old windows that had been lying around one of the barns out at my parents' house. my mom brought over several different styles (so don't be surprised to see some upcoming projects with the other specimens). i'm pleased to introduce this little piece that's currently gracing one of the walls of my dining room. i needed a creative way to display the picture in the middle (one of my mom and me when i was a baby; mom included it with my christmas gifts this year. she appreciates my sappy sentimental side!) i have a few other ideas of adornments for the old window frame, but i'm liking where this is headed.

a bug & a wish.
winter is really starting to BUG me.
i WISH it would get warmer so that i can move forward with my dining room table/chairs re-do. temperatures hovering in the high 20's/low 30's are not conducive to outdoor painting.

i am currently battling an obsession with the avett brothers.

it would be a close call, but i do believe their "emotionalism" album is my favorite. john likes to joke that i take approximately 8
months to listen to and begin to like any of the bands/musicians he
recommends. it's basically true. he told me a long, long time ago to
check out the avett brothers. i'm just getting around to it. (i am a creature of habit. and also there were some bar exams.)

check out http://www.oneshetwoshe.com for the petite felt flower clip tutorial. as you may have discovered, i've been all about felt & flowers lately. i made a pin rather than a clip, and after it was finished, i remembered that it would be perfect on this lonely cloche hat forgotten in the deepest recesses of my closet.







i have to say that while my little flower pin is apparently not photogenic, it looks adorable in person.
thanks to julie for the tutorial!


after a weekend of re-discovering an old affinity for blue moon (with requisite orange slices!), i suggest you locate some avett brothers, stock up on the aforementioned brew and soothe your broken hearts over the usa v. canada hockey game.

bar none.

well, the IL bar is over. and i can get back to "living my life." haha. actually, i can't really say that bar preparations interfered with my life too much, but for the past two months i've been plagued by that nagging, guilty feeling whenever i went anywhere or did anything unrelated to studying. having that burden lifted is such a freeing, fabulous feeling. when i got back to our hotel room last night, john had converted our bathtub into a makeshift fridge and i was happy to crack open a few beverages in celebration. compared to the tears, anxiety and stomach ulcer after the last test, i think beers were a better option. i heard that once you've passed one bar, you have something like a 98% chance of passing a second one. i hope that's true. also, here's hoping that i'm not in that 2%.




it's not just the bar that's over, however. birthday season (february) has come and (mostly) gone. the past few weeks have transformed me into some sort of a loaves and fishes miracle worker. it all began with a touch of over-confidence, which is usually how these things start. i tend to over-estimate my capabilities, and i always end up over-extending myself. well, this month has really been par for the course. i mean, i've got a full-time job, a to-do list a mile long, and that looming bar examination, but i still decided that we should host several family dinner parties to celebrate valentine's day and my brothers' birthdays.

i have a confession to make: i HATE those stupid articles that appear in family or parenting magazines, or even cooking periodicals that boast, "feed your family of four for under $10!" whenever i scan those recipes, i inevitably am struck by the following: "(1) that family of four certainly doesn’t have any teenage brothers and (2) that awkward spice or rare ingredient is going to cost $10 all by itself." in short, i’m never really that impressed by what i see in those articles. i would be much happier to see articles on "cheap ways to feed three brothers who collectively spend 8 hours a day at hockey practice" or "satisfying meals with things you actually do have in your pantry." and another annoyance: the portion sizes. most recipes that claim to feed 4-6 can't sustain two of my brothers. sidenote: whenever i’m preparing a dinner for my family, the first question to be asked is, "is chris coming?" he alone eats 3-4 of these baby bird servings. it used to be safe to assume that my youngest brother, clayton, would be satisfied with a normal portion, but as soon as he entered high school, he joined the ranks of the other men in my family and started eating double or triple servings, depending on whether it’s game day or whether he’s just attended a light "practice."

so anyway, creating a satisfying, filling meal for the fam is no small feat, but i'm happy to report that the following crowd pleasers did the trick. i'm sharing these with you in the event that you are catholic, too (and thus, have 8 million siblings, haha) or happen to have hockey-playing brothers with ravenous appetites. these recipes are super easy, and include ingredients you probably keep regularly stocked (or you can easily obtain).

MARTY'S BIRTHDAY DINNER MENU
(fed 10)
chicken tetrazzini (adapted from "the dinner doctor")
garlic bread
versatile vanilla cake with chocolate frosting (cake recipe from may '09 issue of martha stewart's everyday food)

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI RECIPE (i made 2 9 x 13 inch pans; the ingredients listed are for that amount.)
1 package spaghetti noodles
1 (16 oz.) can alfredo sauce
2 cans (10.75 oz. each) cream of mushroom soup
6 cups shredded chicken
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
4 tbsp. dry white wine

1. pre-heat the oven to 375.
2. boil a pot of water and cook the spaghetti noodles until al dente.
3. reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. drain the noodles and set aside.
4. transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl. add the alfredo sauce, soup, cooking water, chicken, parm. cheese, shredded chicken and dry white wine.
5. divide the mixture evenly between 2 9 x 13 inch pans.
6. bake the casserole 25 to 30 mins, until bubbling hot. serve at once.

VERSATILE VANILLA CAKE
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1. pre-heat oven to 350. grease two 8 x 2 inch cake pans.
2. in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. in a separate large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. beat in eggs and yolk, one at a time. add vanilla. alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk. begin and end with flour mixture.
4. divide batter evenly between pans and smooth tops.
bake for 32-35 mins. let cool and frost.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING (also from the "dinner doctor")
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup skim milk (i used skim because that's what we drink, but the recipe calls for whole)
5 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1. melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over low heat. stir in the cocoa and milk. cook until thickened.
2. stir in the confectioners' sugar until frosting is the consistency of hot fudge. spread over cake.

VALENTINE'S EVE CHICKEN DIANE DINNER MENU
(ok, let me be honest here. i don't really know what chicken diane is or what cooking it entails. but i made this chicken dinner so that my lovely mother, diane, could enjoy some time with her family instead of slaving away in the kitchen. enjoy!)

fresh spinach salad with raspberry vinaigrette
roasted chicken with rosemary & thyme
baked carrots
mashed potatoes & gravy
green beans with lemon and dill
strawberry cake with whipped to perfection frosting

while i will share the recipe for the strawberry cake, no books or mags were consulted in the preparation of the rest of this grub. i bought two chickens, loosened the skin, spread some butter under the loosened skin, then seasoned both with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and oregano. i love cooking poultry in my handy little GE convenience oven. it frees up the real deal for everything else, and makes for easy clean-up. i put the birds in that oven, poured some chicken stock in the bottom, then turned the temperature to 375 for approximately 1.75 hours (the birds were 3-4 lbs.) every so often, i basted the chickens with the stock.

for the carrots, i skinned and sliced longways, then shook them with a mixture of butter and extra virgin olive oil. i placed them in the oven, on a baking sheet, and cooked for approx. 30 mins at 425. when they were ready, i sprinkled a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill and paprika on them. (this is our signature spice mixture. it's fabulous on meats, potatoes and... everything.)

mashed potatoes: invest in a ricer for lump-free comfort food!

green beans: i boiled water, cooked the beans until they were tender-crisp, drained them, then mixed with a little melted butter, a pinch of fresh lemon and some dill.

STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE (taken from the june/july issue of taste of home's healthy cooking)
1 pkg white cake mix
1 pkg. sugar-free gelatin
4 egg whites
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed

1. grease 2 9 inch round cake pans.
2. in large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. add egg whites and oil; beat until well combined.
3. in a blender, grind strawberries. add water and strawberries to batter.
4. bake at 350 for 20-25 mins.
5. let cool before frosting.

FABULOUS WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING (that doesn't drip! a birthday season miracle! i found this online, maybe on recipezaar? and adapted it a little)
1 8 oz. pkg. cr. cheese
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

1. combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. mix til smooth.
2. while mixing, slowly pour in heavy cream. mix until stiff peaks form.
3. if desired, add food coloring.

annnnddd finally: CHRIS'S 21ST BIRTHDAY DINNER MENU
(too bad the birthday boy couldn't enjoy the meal as much as he would have liked in light of his hangover. successful 21st birthday, nonetheless.)
salsa & velveeta dip with chips & refried beans
enchilada bake
versatile vanilla cake with teal blue whipped frosting

ENCHILADA BAKE(taken from "more house specialties" recipe book)
(a special favorite in our house; this recipe has gotten a lot of mileage for special occasions and parties. the proportions make 2 9 x 13 inch pans.)
2 lbs. lean ground beef
4 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 pkgs. taco seasoning
2 packages of 10-12 flour tortilla
2 cans (10.75 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
2 cups sour cream
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (the recipe actually calls for green chilies, but this is my favorite substitute)
4 cups grated sharp cheddar

1. brown ground beef and drain well. add tomato sauce, beef and taco seasoning in a bowl. mix well.
2. spoon this meat mixture into tortillas. roll up side by side in pan.
3. in a mixing bowl, combine mushroom soup, sour cream and drained cans of tomatoes and green chilies.
4. spread this mixture over the tortillas.
5. sprinkle each pan with half the sharp cheddar.
6. bake at 350 for 25-30 mins until bubbling hot.

as they say, all good things must come to an end, and the days of eating a sliver of left-over birthday cake for breakfast, lunch and snacks in between are now over (til august, i expect). this is good news for my waistline.

free to a good home.

i will admit, i like to peruse my local craigslist ads to see what sorts of things people are selling/giving away/etc. i'm always hopeful that i might stumble upon some great deal or some nice piece of furniture that i could turn into a treasure with a good sanding and nice coat of paint. however, over the last few weeks, i have become disenchanted with craigslist dubuque. people are delusional when it comes to placing accurate values on their for sale stuff. are you kidding me? you think i'm going to pay $35 for that cheap ass black tv stand that you bought at wal-mart for $29.99? the accompanying descriptions are as horrifying as the inaccurate prices. "sturdy wood cabinet with nice finish. would be perfect in a bedroom or office. $500 obo." it turns out the cabinet is actually faux wood with a dingy veneer (probably cracked and scratched) that's warped and falling over. the best is when a blurry, unhelpful picture accompanies the ad, and the seller apologizes with a "sorry for the picture quality. piece is much better in person. a must-see!"

but my personal, all-time favorite craigslist dubuque ad up to this point is this one i found under the "free" link:

"Medium-Large litter pan with scooper, both clean an used for a very short time. Email me if interested at ***** at gmail.com and leave information for pickup time/day, I live on Rhomberg near Dairy Queen."


now, don't get me wrong. i love a good deal, and nothing's better than a good deal if it isn't something absolutely FREE! but... who is placing this ad? and who is responding to it? if you can't afford a plastic litterpan and scooper, i ask you: do you really think you should own a cat?

but, there's really no need to worry your pretty little head about litterpans and poop scoopers. instead, feast your eyes on these adorable little guys!

as the ad says, they'd be the PERFECT decor at a wedding reception! hear that, future mrs. rhino??? or mama shaklee? maybe you guys should ditch whatever design elements you were envisioning. i'd be happy to front you the $10 if you want me to pick up these little guys for use at your receptions!

now, here's a query. how much would you pay for an empty bottle of booze? well, apparently the market in dubuque says $10! nevermind that this enterprise idea makes me a little mad thinking about all the extra money i could have made back in college... check out this ad.

"I am selling a homemade glow in the dark bottle of Admiral Nelson Rum. I drank it, made it and no longer need it. It is great for party decoration, it glows in the dark and will be the HIGHLIGHT of your party or social gathering! Really, the drink cost me like 25$ so this is a great deal! Text for more info or pics. Buyer responsible for shipping. Happy Sales!"

hmmm, if you really wanted a glow-in-the-dark empty booze bottle, wouldn't you just go buy the alcohol, drink it, then make it yourself? i mean, are there actually people out there who would consider purchasing said bottle AND paying the shipping charges? if so, PLEASE direct these individuals to me. i have lots of interesting things they might want to buy. empty soup cans, used dryer sheets, old candle containers. the possibilities are endless, i suppose.

fit to be dyed.

you can tell what's going on in my life based on the piles of crap strategically placed throughout the house. right now the piles would tell a story about an overworked, stretched a little too thin, crazy craft lady who's eaten far too much birthday cake and is on what seems to be a two week sugar high. pish posh; the fruits of this sugar high are pretty cute, if i say so myself.

a few weeks ago, i was going through my closet, deciding which items to donate to goodwill, when i happened upon a white dress i had worn to one of my wedding showers. i absolutely loved the dress, but hadn't worn it since. i was about to add it to the donation pile when i wondered about the possibility of dying it. i figured it couldn't be that hard, and it really wasn't.



stirring the steamy brew was sort of ominous, and lots of fun. my mom and sister happened to be over for the dying fun, and we were all super excited to see what the final product was going to look like.



a fabulous new navy dress! the blue hue is beautiful and i'm so happy with the way it turned out. so happy, in fact, that i decided to do a little more experimenting with the rest of the articles that were just hanging out in my donation pile.

from this...


to this!


and, these fine specimens, proving that too much of a good thing can be... adorable!


all of these items were white or cream colored prior to dying. i'm so happy with how vibrant and colorful they turned out... bring on spring, please!

and just in case you want to re-vamp some of your donation pile-worthy pieces of clothing, here's how i did it:

1) purchase RIT dye (or whichever brand you prefer) in your favorite color. joann fabrics has a great selection of colors.

2) heat water on the stove. (you need 3 gallons of water per each box of powdered dye). i heated the water until it was almost boiling.

3) pour the dye in the bottom of a big plastic tub. call it a cauldron; you'll have much more fun.

4) carefully pour the hot water into the tub with the mix. use a plastic spoon or utensil to combine the water and mix. when the mix has dissolved, you're ready to add your soon to be fabulously colorful clothes.

5) wet the clothes you will add to the dye using warm water. this well help the dye color the clothing evenly. when the article is thorougly soaked, wring it out and add it to the cauldron.

6) use the utensil to swirl the clothing around the cauldron evenly.

7) stir slowly until you achieve the desired look. (anywhere from 10-30 minutes)

8) when you have achieved the color you desire, carefully wring out the article and put it in the sink (carefully, so the dye doesn't drip all over the floor). turn the water on as hot as you can get it, and rinse the article. as you rinse, slowly change the temperature of the water cooler. when the water is running clear, wring out the article.

9) fill the washing machine with warm water (rinse cycle cold) with a tiny amount of detergent. add the newly dyed items and wash on the gentle cycle. when finished, hang to dry.

make sure the clothes you dye have been pre-washed. any stain or imperfection will be picked up when you dye the clothes, so if the clothes are dirty (or have underarm/deoderant stains), you'll see that in the color. cotton blend clothing works best. synthetic fabrics will not necessarily pick up the dye.

besides using RIT dye to move your wardrobe from winter to spring, you can also use black dye to re-vamp tired old work pants, sweaters, etc. that have started to fade. my favorite black work pants were looking a little sad, but a few spins in the old cauldron and they're looking brand new again.

so, spring is just around the corner. (here's hoping!) go brew something adorable.

between a rock and a COLD place.

"turn your oven up to 500 degrees, open the door and heat the house for the evening." yes, our landlord actually offered THAT helpful suggestion when we called last night to tell her our furnace was on the fritz.

john and i had different reactions to this dialogue. i immediately pointed my internet browser to westlaw and began researching tenants' rights under iowa law, while john paced around, offering some choice words about our landlord and her whole damn family, to no one in particular.

while she may not have solved our immediate problem, at least dear landlord did offer new options for facilitating carbon monoxide poisonining, burning down our rental house and creating a new plotline for a trailer park boys episode.

don't know how you do the voodoo that you do so well it's a spell...

can you think of any real reason not to try to incorporate some "shoop" lyrics into this blog post? i sure as hell can't. an old friend sent me an email this morning that got me all excited about this post, which i had been planning on typing as soon as i could find a few extra minutes. the subject of the post is being frugal AND fabulous, both of which are things i strive to be, of course! if you ask me, it's a little bogus how some people seem to have the impression that being frugal carries this negative connotation of being "cheap" or settling for poor quality shit. this couldn't be farther from the truth. in my own, humble hodge podge lodge-y opinion, being frugal simply means living more life on less money. and, please, riddle me this: who doesn't want to get more by spending less??? (your grade school teachers were wrong; there are some really dumb questions.... this being one of them)

disclosure: i'm pretty biased, but i have to say: i live a charmed life. really. i have a wonderful husband, a good job, a lovely family and really great friends who brighten my day, make excellent bottle-o'-wine-sharing companions and just generally add that little bounce in my step. when you have such a loyal cheering section surrounding you, it's not too hard to make a commitment to live vibrantly every day. but more than that, i've made the decision to live as richly as possible (regardless of what my bank statement says!) because i love a good challenge and the satisfaction of accomplishing something, and also because my husband and i are a one income household. so, anyway, without further ado, i present to you:

the hodge podge lodge's 7 p's to avoid the poorhouse:

(i.) perspective. this is really step one in my own little five step program from admitting you have a problem failing to recognize good deals ... to financial freedom. (come on, i'm not trying to be dave ramsey or suze orman. but having more money than you did before is empowering. it really is.) stop feeling tied down by your salary; it's just a number. and that number is probably a temporary thing anyway. start taking charge of it all! it's not "we can't afford $4.99 tostados tortilla chips;" it's "why would we spend $4.99 on chips we can buy for $0.99?!?"

(ii.) prioritize! what's more important to you: eating that certain cereal or being able to buy a new article of clothing or concert tickets this month? ummm, hello? (another dumb question) there are probably going to be some people who argue that generic lucky charms (marshmallows & stars to all you aldi's fans!) really don't taste as great as the real thing. to those of you i say: thank god i don't have such a discriminating palate. i've been surviving off generic brands for years, and i have nothing but extra money to show for it.

prioritizing also means coming up with some bottom lines -- and the kicker -- sticking to them. this is an old trick i grasped when i first started antiquing. how much are you willing to cough up for clothes? household furnishings? some things can't be helped. i'd love to put my foot down at the gas pump ("i will not pay more than $1.99 a gallon!"), but let's be serious. i need to get from point a to point b, and so far, no one's asked me for suggestions on what the price of oil should be. but, for example, i'm willing to fork over more cash for a versatile pair of black work pants that i can wear ummm, like every day (ssshhh! don't tell my colleagues!) versus a printed skirt that might make an appearance every other month or so. things that make your life easier or end up paying for themselves in the long run can cost you more initially because they're a good investment.

(iii.) practicality. this journey starts with realism, on many fronts. you can really take this frugal thing too far into the land of cheap, cutting corners at every turn, scrimping and budget-slashing, until you're sitting in a cold, dark apartment, eating refried beans and rice on a friday night. the only reason i'm sharing these seven p's is in the hopes you might find a trick or two to make your life better, not worse. sure, we all spend money on technically unnecessary things. but some of those unnecessaries are the very things that make life sweet... and i'm not advocating abandonment of life's little treasures. all in moderation, people, all in moderation. i'm aware that i could go completely au naturale with my hair... or worse yet (because of my lack of skills) color it myself. but one of my bottom lines (see above) is getting my hair done professionally, regularly. i live in the midwest, so highlighting sets me back around $65ish as compared with the three figured bills i'd probably face on either of the coasts, so it's an expense i'm willing to bear. (i do however, have a simply fabulous hairstylist named sarah who works her magic with a sweet combo of highlights and lowlights so i have to touch up every 12-14 weeks versus every 6-8). some things are totally worth it. and you can't deprive yourself... lest this life choice start to feel like a life sentence. every one needs a little pleasure, some little extravagancies.

(iv.) plan. my charmed life is also a fairly well-organized one. you've already (if you're a regular follower of this blog) read about my slightly ocd-ish tendency of planning out meals for the week in advance. this regimented way of thinking allows for spontanous expenditures at other times. a little time at the outset saves money in the long run. and that's more money i can spend with that bitch, ann taylor!

(v.) persistence. it's not so much the early bird gets the worm. it's something like that annoyingly persistent bird finally gets exactly what she wants. maybe it's because everyone's so sick of hearing about it that they just give in. but whatever, the end result is the same.

a brief tangent, if i may. a few days ago i ran to k-mart to grab some dog food for the little beagle monsters. the sign above the dog food read "$10.99, originally $12.99." "score!" i thought, in true frugalista form. i get to the counter, and some emo kid who could barely peer out at me from behind the well manicured locks that covered his entire face (he also made a habit of shaking his hair out of his eyes every 7 seconds, very dramatically) scans my dogfood, and starts to tell me the total, "thirteen..." "oh, actually," i laugh knowingly, as if i'm always at k-mart getting overcharged for the dogfood that's on sale. "there's some sale going on. it's $10.99." the kid looks at me as if i've really ruined his night. i'm sure he's thinking, "ohhh gaaaawwwd. how lame. it's $2." and i was tempted to think the same thing. there was a man behind me, and when emo said he was going to have to run back and check the price for himelf, i almost heard my mouth form the words, "ohhh, that's okay, nevermind." but, no. i held my ground. because it's the $2 here and the $5 there that make up this big chunk of our budget. and damnit, the sign said $10.99. i got the dogfood for the correct sale price, and i'm here to say: who cares what the emo cashiers of the world think? you shouldn't feel embarrassed for not wanting to pay more than you have to pay. afterall, would you ever think of heading to mcdonald's, scanning the dollar menu, then offering the clerk $2 for one of the items, just because you enjoy doling out more? of course not.

and don't spend more than you must during online shopping excursions. there are great sites like that offer promotion codes and free shipping coupons for that anthropologie necklace you've simply got to have (keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming post involving said necklace!) sometimes you've got to try a few of the codes a few times to get one to work, but here's where that persistency pays off. i usually end up saving between $10-$15 every time i shop online, just by taking the time to do some simple google searches for deals and other special offers.

(vi.) prepare for deviations. shitty day at the office = margaritas with the gals?! ole! you can’t plan for everything, and coupons don’t always solve crises. and by the way, sometimes you have to indulge yourself. i've never encountered anything that wasn't made at least a little better alongside a finely prepared cut of beef, grilled to perfection. yes, a medium rare steak can induce happiness, so savor every bite. every once in a while.

(vii.) personal choice doctrine (ummm, for the love of god: remember it!). you may make the decision to live a fabulously frugal life, but please note: we live in a generally materialistic society and not everyone shares the same love for a good deal or a low price coupon. you’re just going to have to accept the fact that some people aren’t going to appreciate your “cheap radar.” please, please, please, don't be that girl (or guy), who accompanies her comrades to dinner dates or shopping trips, then proceeds to complain about money or how expensive everything is. if you can't swing your share of the bill, don't come. seriously. there is a vast difference between being frugal and being cheap. the cheapskate makes her friends feel uncomfortable because she's constantly making a mountain out of every penny spent; the frugalista is classy and economical. be the latter. no one likes a cheapskate.

so, there you have 'em. for what they're worth: my seven tips for living my charmed life. don't be surprised if following them leads to, as my mom would sing, "dolla, dolla bills, ya'all."

i love you oh so well, like a kid loves candy and fresh snow

i don't know about you, but i love myself a good burger now and again. and if we're being completely honest here, i'd hardly think about depriving myself if calories and the whole health thing weren't an issue. as it turns out, you're not supposed to eat red meat everyday (really?), so i've taken to seeking out healthy alternatives for a good burger fix. this open faced turkey melt recipe is the cat's pajamas when it comes to cutting calories, but offering a satisfying taste. (credits to an old, perhaps 2007, issue of cooking light i've saved).

ingredients
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup vertically sliced vidalia (or other sweet onion)
1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. gr. turkey breast
1 large egg white
swiss cheese
dijon mustard
toased sourdough bread

1) heat the olive oil over medium heat. add the onion and cook until lightly browned. transfer to a bowl.
2) combine cheese and next four ingredients (through egg white). divide into equal portions (i like mine smaller; i divide into 8 equal portions)and form each into a patty.
3) return pan to medium heat. cook each patty 4 mins. on one side, then flip and cook 1 minute on the opposite side. add onions and swiss cheese and cook til melted.
4) toast sourdough slices and add dijon mustard to taste. add the patties, serve open-faced and enjoy. (john is a two slices of bread kind of guy, and informs me that it tastes just as good.)



also, tonight was my fourth time trying a new method for combining ingredients and ground meat. i've found it to be an excellent alternative; my burgers have not been falling apart like they've been known to in the past. when making burgers, take your defrosted meat and place on a previously cleaned and dried countertop. smash the meat into the countertop in a square shape until you've effectively spread it out. add your ingredients right onto the smashed square of meat. fold the meat repeatedly to combine. i don't know why this trick works so well, but trust me, it does.

are you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for an update on the massive dining room set refurbishing project? well, please don't fall off said seat on account of me. i got a little distracted this weekend, as i've been known to do, and didn't make much progress. i did, however, use my new staple gun for the first time (i re-covered one of the chairs) and i can say with certainty: the staple gun is probably the most fun toy i own! super easy to operate, works like a dream. if i had known re-covering my chairs was going to be so easy, i'd have begun this transformation years ago. and not to be outdone, the master of the hodge podge lodge insisted on a new toy of his own: an electric hand sander. i couldn't argue with the purchase since he's been so cooperative with this new project. poor john. life with me is probably a lot like a mandatory military draft. no choice, enlisted to assist in all my crazy schemes. maybe someday we'll have a fabulous new dining set to show for it.



other news to report: not much. the illinois bar exam looms. i can't muster up the fear i felt for the iowa exam, and thus, i have nothing motivating me to study very hard. plus, wintry mix prompts cabin fever and i feel the need to get excessively crafty to distract myself. the last time i checked, excessively crafty had nothing to do with civil procedure, contracts, or equitable remedies.

speaking of wintry mix, it's lightly snowing here, and the night looks so peaceful. the outdoor landscape coupled with the smell of freshly baked birthday cake is about all i can ask for on a monday.

sandpaper.

well, my hands are in need of a little TLC after spending the night with john & some sandpaper. the good news is that a massive new project has begun (and john is on board!), so hopefully i'll have something to share with you soon.

i'll give you a little hint: the hodge podge lodge has moved from cardigan embellishments and fabric flowers to... furniture! and another hint: the mistress of the lodge is now the proud owner of her very own staple gun! those of you who may have gathered around our table to share a meal or two better treasure those memories of the table's former facade; slowly, but surely, we're getting a "new" dining room set! discovering what the wood looks like under it's former finish has been well worth the dry hands... it's so pretty!

so, anyway... in between that barbri studying i simply must accomplish this weekend, there's going to be some sanding, staining, painting, stapling, re-covering and the like. i promise to share the results as soon as i can!

hope you all have a productive weekend!

please advise.

in the days since i have become a real "working gal," i have contemporaneously stopped brewing coffee at my own house. seems like i've gotten it backwards, right? well, john doesn't drink coffee (gasp!) and it seems wasteful to take the time/ingredients to brew a pot when my office boasts the best cup(s) of joe west of the mississippi (or something). anyway, this never seems to present a problem until the arrival of either guests or the weekend. and then the epic dilemma presents itself: how can i brew that elusive perfect-pot-o-coffee?

i have a confession:

the coffee i brew tastes like shit.

no, really. i'm not exaggerating. it's rather pitiful.

why is this happening to me? i have several theories:

(1) could be my coffeemaker. but i doubt this. afterall, i own a nice cuisinart version that we received for our wedding, and i have to believe that a $100ish coffeemaker is fully capable of brewing an acceptable cup of coffee.

(2) could be the brand of coffee. for a few years now, i've been a gevalia coffee club member. i don't quite remember how i got started with that business, but i also don't remember why i really thought the coffee was that great. it's probably better than the instant stuff that you find in mini coffeemakers at hotels, but i've realized it's nothing special.

(3) could be the fact that i don't grind my coffeebeans. if i was a betting woman, and this were vegas or a dogtrack or something, i'd probably put my money on this theory. (we grind our beans at the office, and the coffee always tastes fresh & delicious). is this the key? i own a coffeebean grinder. true, i use it mostly for grinding nuts and spices, but if this is the problem, we're one step closer to the solution.

(4) coffeemaker cleanliness. maybe my coffeemaker is dirty? mine has a cleaning option, but i've never experimented with it.

(5) precise measurements. ok, i changed my mind. THIS gets my vote for most likely theory. how many standard measuring cups fit in one coffeemaker cup? i can't do the math and figure it all out. it seems like i know that there are 8 oz. in a cup, but my coffeemaker cup is only 6 oz. this problem is further compounded by the fact that i have several varying scoops for the coffee: a cuisinart one, a gevalia one and another unmarked option. which to use? and how to measure? i don't think i've ever known about the proper measurements required to make a perfect cup of coffee with my coffeemaker.

but i need to know! it's getting down to crunch time before the illinois bar, so the next few weekends are going to be spent in a cramming, caffeinated haze. thus, i am begging for you to share your secrets with me; please help me achieve my goal of brewing the perfect cup of joe!

(there may be something in it for you. maybe some new, creative creation could find its way to your doorstep as a token of my appreciation!)