Old Spinster Stew

I made real, homemade, beef stew today. Not the kind in the can, not the kind in plastic packaging that has fake meat, but the whole sha-bang meaty beefy stew.

I also made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

And did dishes

and laundry.

Just call me domesticated. I'm practicing. Because according to Mary and her comments on her blog today, women that are librarians are naturally old spinsters. Hello, It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite movie of all time. I know what happens if George was never born, no one was there to save Mary from being an old spinster.

So in spite of the fact that I am one who works in a library, I'm practicing my domestic skills so I do not end up an old spinster.

Then again, I do just fine on my own. Thank you very much. Actually, now that I come to think of it, Old Spinsters are bringing sexy back. I think that is what J.T. was singing about. Yes! I think it was!

Shabby Chic for the Bathroom

If you don't know it by now I am Ms. Shabby Chic... third after Joolee, who is second after Rachel Ashwell.

I found these framed prints that i oh so badly want for my bathroom... So when you are doing your bizzness you can read this:

These can be found here at the Shabby Chic store. Where I can afford nothing.

Yippy! Skippy! Christmas Movies!

Shannon Someone said to me, "Last night I went home and listened to Christmas music." What! Christmas is light years away. Until it hit me... By Golly its almost a month away! Hurray!
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Actually July is because:

a) It's finally HOT in Minnesota
b) I get the whole month off from work



But I do like Christmas time for realizies. One of my FAVORITE Sabro holiday traditions is watching a Christmas themed movie every weekend starting the weekend after Thanksgiving, all the way up until the night before Christmas....

So here is my Christmas movie countdown list:



Family Stone (SJP is uptight hot tranny mess, family is dysfunctional! love love love the feel of it all)

ELF (Could Zooey Deschanel get any cuter as Jovie! What a voice too! Will Ferrel is hilarious. Love that his name is Buddy, just like by Bro Buddy!)

Miracle of 34th Street (Santa+Macy's+crabby Maureen O'Hara+Natalie Woods+Christmas Spirit=I BELIEVE!

White Christmas (The singing, the dancing, the costumes, vermont, the General, Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, the other lady who was way too thin, plus snow snow snow, marvelous!)

It's a Wonderful Life (where do i begin~ball my eyes out every time! Jimmy Stewart THE BEST! Donna Reed, gorgeous! friends and angels and bells and happy endings!)



Runners up:

Love Actually and Little Women (Winona Ryder version) it's not really a Christmas movie is it? well kinda.



What are your favorite Christmas movies?

Twilight

Overheard in the Media Center today between a girl and boy:

G: Have you read Twilight?
B: No.
G: But its such a good book!
B: It's not a book, its an epidemic.


so true. so very very true.

TWD~Kugelhopf

I have a love hate relationship with yeast! It all started when I worked in a kitchen at a crisis care facility in the mountains of New Hampshire. Almost everyday at one point in the day I had to make some sort of dinner rolls, and they all used yeast. Some days the yeast would rise beautifully. Other days it just fell flat. My friend Rachel always seemed to have the worst time with yeast. Go Pull Bread! Anyway, once i got the hang of using yeast, I could make just about any kind of dinner rolls and they were scrumpdilicious! That was over 10 years ago. Once i didn't have to make dinner rolls everyday, I stopped using yeast.

So here I am faced with the challenge of making Kugelhopf and I seem to be failing miserably. My dough is not rising. UGH!!!!! I lost my magic touch.

The one thing that got my undies in a bunch was that the recipe didn't call for me to proof the yeast first. That is all I've ever done and now, no proofing. I feel strange inside.
I do not own a Kugelhopf pan. I am using a bundt pan. I did not put raisins in the mix. I put dried currants and cinnamon chips. I'm still sitting here waiting for my dough to rise. I am going to go watch Gossip Girl. I'll be back. Gosh I hope i didn't just sound like the Terminator. But I do sometimes have an Austrian accent. And I love to Govern my kitchen.

So while I was watching GG I got inspired. To take pictures of myself artfully pretend sleeping and my cute pink shoes. And I broke one of my favorite pepper shakers. What is that they say, A broken bird in the hand is... well it's just that... a broken bird in the hand.

All while my Kugelhopf was doing this:

And then when that was done it looked like this:




And tasted like this:

Oh well, I tried. No more Kugelhopf for me.
I take that back, it didn't taste like cardboard. It was buttery and brioche-y. I just was expecting it to be sweeter. Like me, on a really good day.

Rock Stars, Wiiing & Birthday Partying

This all started Wednesday night when I made 8 dozen chocolate chip cookies for my co-workers housewarming party that would be taking place on Friday. But before I could get to Friday, Thursday night was spent at a china buffet with soon to be less wise Shannon. Shannon had her wisdom teeth out Friday and I elected to spend the day with her while she recovered. Um okay not fair... total rock star! I was in pain for weeks, puffy and bruised and oozing for a month. But oh no! Ms. Shannon has perfect recovery. I was so impressed.

Friday night I went to co-worker TST's housewarming party. For the first time in my life i played the magical Nintendo Wii... Boxing, bowling, baseball, tennis, riding cows. Super duper fun. Hooked and addicted I now want my own. Party was rad. House was nice. Co-workers are crazy.

Saturday night was a former co-worker's birthday party. Ms. Janine had a dinner party. Her amazing husband Jason cooked up one heck of a meal. Goat cheese and mushroom bruchetta appetizers, Beet salad, and pork with curry sauce... Then fondue with chocolate and fruit. The best part was just sitting around for hours, laughing, talking and no topics were off limits; Religion, Politics, That's What She Said.

Now it's time to host my own dinner party. It's been awhile. And i have yet to have one in my new house. The question is: Who will make the guest list????

A sigh of relief...

I am really happy all this election stuff is over. Really. I am happy about many of the outcomes of this election. And I know that everyone is talking about the new president. And that is great. BUT the big talk at my school today was that our referendum passed!!! This is HUGE! Most of the people I talked to today were saying that they were glad for the new president, but what they were really holding their breath for was the final tally on the referendum. This means a lot of great things for our school district. More teachers, smaller classes, art\music\sports programs continuing and most importantly my colleagues get to keep their jobs!

I believe that change begins at home. The president is one person. And I know Obama will do a good job, but education is the key. These students deserve the best education with the best teachers. I am proud of the teachers\administrators\staff I work with. They work tirelessly to help these kids be the best students they can be. It is not an easy job. I know this may sound dorky but the future is not Obama, the future is the kids.

Cue my favorite Whitney Houston song: No not I Want to Dance with Somebody, not I Will Always Love You... But this little number...

"I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they posses inside..."

(you're singing it now aren't you? Gotcha!)

School District 281 represent!