All about the Meme

One of my favorite bloggers, and long time read, http://ladybugs-12.blogspot.com/ oringinally did this.  I borrowed it. :)
1. Where is your cell phone? On my desk.
2. Your significant other? Mr Bundles
3. Your hair? Brown, and straight.  Thanks to straightening. Otherwise a FRO.
4. Your mother? On the Cape
5. Your father? A golfer
6. Your favorite food? Chocolate Chip Cookies
7. Your dream last night? I don't remember dreams. (Hopefully I have them!)
8 Your favorite drink? Diet Coke. Or Sam Adams. Depending on the time of day.
9. Your dream/goal? Get to a position where I can enjoy my family more, without worrying about money.  Less hours in the office / more hours playing on the floor!
10. The room you're in? My "craft" room.
11. Your hobby? I am trying my hand at developing a hobby.  Right now I am giving several things the college try: Cooking more, sewing and crafting in general.
12. Your fear? Someone I love dying suddenly
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Working from home, enjoying getting my kids to school with a walk, and being home to greet them when they return!
14. What are you not? Patient
15. Muffins? Chocolate Chip Banana
16. One of your wish list items? A shed.  Or a Shark Mop (Livin' the Life!)
17. Where you grew up? Massachusetts
18. The last thing you did? Put the girls to bed
19. What are you wearing? GAP trousers, a GAP cardigan and Reaction shoes. Work attire
20. Favorite Gadget? Canon Rebel Xsi
21. Your pets? A dog.  And another dog at my parent's house.  And quite a few in Heaven.
22. Your computer? Apple Mac Book Pro
23. Your mood? High strung right now.
24. Missing someone? Yes - my brother just moved to NYC.
25. Your car? Toyota 4Runner Limited
26. Something you're not wearing? Socks
27. Favorite store? GAP or Target
28. Like someone? Lots of people
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? Last time G spoke.
31. Last time you cried? Last week

Book Review: Beach House by Jane Green

Recently, I got a new (to me) car, and when I bought it, it didn't have a Nav system.  My brother helped me install one, and it conveniently came with an input for my IPod.  I highly recommend this for everyone who drives any length of time!

So I have started downloading books to listen to while I drive.  They aren't cheap on ITunes (anyone know a cheaper way to go?), but it is a great distraction during traffic.

I recently finished this book, The Beach House.  It was long, but that was a good thing, as it took nearly a week of my driving to finish it.  It made me excited to get back in the car (at least when I didn't have a conference call). 

It is set in Nantucket, and revolves around several people that have traumatizing things going on in their lives.  Somehow they all end up on the island, connected to Nan Powell's house by varying degrees. There is death, scandal, love, family. 

It was a good listen, and I think I would recommend it.  Not sure about reading it, since it is so long. I have trouble having a book hold my attention. :)

What I do love is that I have been missing books, and stories.  I love that I can get them in my car, when I have time, and not feel like I am pressured to read before bed, when I am usually doing laundry or running (neither of which I can give up!).

Did any of you read this or any of Jane Green's other books? What would you suggest I listen to next?

All Inclusive Resorts with Kids

C received 2 free round trip tickets recently for getting bumped off a flight.  I think we have resolved that we are going to use these for a family trip next year. 

We have lots of saving to do for this, so we were thinking April.  I would love to do an All Inclusive Resort with the kids.

Any experience with a resort in the Bahama / Carribean / Mexico area that works well with kids?  I am not married to the All Inclusive idea, I just love not having to worry about anything.

I've read about the Beaches Resorts, which seem nice. 

Thanks for the tips!

Julia Child’s Beouf Bourginon Experiment

Like I said here, I am trying to cook from scratch more often.  My first attempt was Julia Child’s Beef Bourguinon.  I must preface by saying, I am NOT a cook.

I didn’t exactly follow the recipe to the t, but it all worked out.  Here’s the recipe, with note of what I, um, simplified!

1 6-ounce chunk of bacon  

I don’t know where to get a chunk of bacon.  I used thick cut regular ole bacon.

1 9- to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep 

I used a sauce pan, a deep one, but it was a bit tight on space

1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil

1 slotted spoon

3 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes

1 sliced carrot 

I just cut a bunch of mini carrots in half

1 sliced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups of a full-bodied young red wine

2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon 

I didn’t know this would matter, but I used cubes of beef boullion reconstituted.  It was a bit messy.

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

At first I dumped the whole can in (Obviously I make a lot of sloppy joes). I had to dig it out.

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

a crumbled bay leaf

the blanched bacon rind I missed this one, and therefore didn’t have it, but since I had the whole bacon thing going on from before I wasn’t worried. 

1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter

parsley sprigs

Cooking Instructions:

--------

Remove rind and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2-inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.   

I didn’t do this.  I figured, since I had regular bacon I could just cook it.  I didn’t know what this would do, but after the fact I am guessing it gets some of the fat off.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon. 

This was all very messy.  Lots of spattering.  I MAY have lost a few pieces of meat to the floor.  

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.  

I don’t know what I did wrong, but I had no sauteing fat.  And I had to brown a set of meat after the veggies, which made for DARK veggies that were left in the pan.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.  

I just made sauteed mushrooms in butter.  I wanted to follow her recipe, but to be honest, I thought I was!  Then I read the recipe and it was more complicated than I thought.  I wasn’t really up for following another Julia recipe, so it all worked out!  Same deal with the onions.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked mushrooms and onions over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 21/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Here, the fat wasn’t really obvious.  I had trouble skimming anything without feeling like I was taking away the sauce.  

Everyone in the family really loved this dish.  We had to pick out the big bacon bits, but other than that it was gobbled up.  Even the girls, who are VERY picky eaters ate a lot of the meat.  It was very tender and melted in your mouth. (I used Nature's Promise Stew Meat)

Have you tried a Julia Dish lately?  How did it go?  I am not sure I am cut out for this level of effort!

My Dream

This is my next dream purchase. 

Seriously, our garage is a hole with all our tools and kids toys. I dream of parking at least one car in there!  I think buying a shed would get us there.

What's your next big dream purchase?

(To think, the $700 we recently spent on the dog almost could have bought this!)

{Picture from MLS listing in MA}

Cookie Magazine RIP

Cookie Magazine is closing down, after just a few short years.

I have to say it quickly became one of my favorites.  I'll have to go online and get the articles and ideas I loved saved.  It seems their last issue in November, and the online content will be pulled at the end of the year.

Delicious Home made Brownies

I am NOT a from scratch baker, or cook for that matter.  I like to use fresh, healthy ingredients, but I am all about box mixes for baking.

That said, I am trying to be more domestic, and also have a new favorite blog to read, Annie’s Eats.

Annie posted the recipe for Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies from Baker’s Illustrated.  I had book marked it and printed it out in what I am calling my “GReader Cookbook” (more on that later!).  

We made it last week and they were GOOD.  They are definitely fudgy, and I think I baked mine a little long, so mine were a bit dry, but they were really delicious.  I also learned the trick of lining the pan with foil to just lift the brownies out.  It was amazing!

Plus, I had two little helpers, which made it a lot of fun.  The recipe is crazy easy, and is great for making with the kids.

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1¼ cups (8¾ oz.) sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (5 oz.) all-purpose flour

Directions:
Place an oven rack in lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk until combined, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until incorporated.  Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer.  Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  

Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into squares as desired.  Store in an air-tight container.   

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated, discovered on Annie’s Eats

This is how I enjoyed it.  Might as well go all out, right?