Do not attempt this at home

I got several requests for my shortcake recipe, but I am sorry to report, I just used the recipe on the side of Bisquick box. What can I say. I saw the shortcakes of the cover of Living this month, but the Bisquick ones always come out so yummy. Move over Martha here comes Betty. (uhhh Crocker in case you didn't catch that.)

I was searching online for strawberry recipes and came across how to make a strawberry poptart blow torch. I picture these mad scientist with all their eyebrows burnt off and nothing to toast their english muffins the following morning. As interesting as the experiments are, my recurring thought is "What a waste of perfectly good tasty poptarts!"

Strawberry picking party 2003

Why am I grimacing in this picture? Because I am picking strawberries in the rain. It started to pour when we got to the field and stopped the exact moment we stepped out of the rows. Tina perkily announced when we first started picking "It's refreshing". A little later on I heard her not so perkily mumbling something about her butt getting soggy.

The lady told us "If it starts to lightning we will have to ask you to come off the field" Like you would have to coerse me. Actually I like to wear tall pointy metal hats out in strawberry fields during storms.

We did get enough for fresh strawberry shortcake and a few to indulge the pup. I like the look on his face... "Oh my gawd... I have been waiting all day for one of these!"

Summer is here

Note the new banner for the summer. It's definitely summer now... roasty toasty out. Gotta get the wading pool out for Oscar.

Hot dawg

Not Martha just posted about these Frankfurter Converters. If only I had found out about them a week earlier. Last Friday we had our "Hot Dog It's Summer" picnic at the office. It was in conjunction with the "Go Fly a Kite" week where we handed out kite kits and everyone brought their decorated kites to the park and the EAT team grilled hot dogs. We grilled Zweigle's of course, they seem to be a Rochester institution.

Whenever I think of hot dogs I think of the Hot Dog costumes you can get for your dog. Oscar better hope I never get my sticky fingers on one of those. He is glaring at me as I type this. Of course I could always get one to match him so he doesn't feel conspicuous.

Veggie 2003

My veggie garden is coming along nicely. Check out the project page to see what all is planted there. I should have radishes any day now. Need to get frames for the cuke vines to climb up.

I went to target.com to look at the potting bench again, and this time caught sight of the portable green house and garden shed. All I could think was, "My vegetables would turn out so much better if I had those!"

I am convinced Oscar trots out there every morning to survey the garden's progress and think to himself "Yessssss, my salad bar is coming along nicely."

Toof

Oscar lost a puppy tooth. He has probably lost others (and ate 'em like tic tacs), but this is the first one I have seen. A brand spankin' new fang has been pushing this one out all week. At the urging of a friend I tried to pull it, but I just couldn't. Not that I am squeamish... but I have those dreams about all my teeth falling out, so I lost my nerve.

My friend yanked it out this evening and handed it over. It doesn't look pleasant, but I thought I would hang onto it to show Aaron. When I got home, I couldn't find it. I imagined stumbling upon it weeks later and screaming in horror. I kept asking Oscar "Where is your tooth?" but he just gave me that "Look lady, I gave it to you to hold" gaze. Turned out I had left it in the car. Should I stick it under Oscar's dog bed cushion and replace it with a bisquit in the morning?

Special Guster

Ok... one more Guster post and that will end my Guster/Peep/Potter marathon week.

Abby and I went to the House of Guitars at midnight last night to get the special limited edition copy of "Keep it Together". What can I say? I missed out on the Harry Potter stake-out.

Is anyone really surprised I would do this? I mean, I stood out on a cold December morning a few years ago to be one of the first Krispy Kreme customers.

I was thoroughly impressed with the album. The CD came in a little linen bound book with a pocketful of Guster postcards and some excerpts from the roadlog. I also got a Guster poster (while supplies lasted) and a slice of pizza. I went to bed a happy gal.

Nothing wrong with that.

Last night on my weekly phone call with the 'rents, I asked if my sister waited in line at midnight to get the new Harry Potter book. "Course not... she's too old for that." my mother chided. "Oh right, heh heh!" was all I could say as I dropped a pillow on top of my copy.

Granted I didn't go and stand in line either, but if I hadn't been trapped in a mobbed Ikea for hours, I just might have. Instead I got my copy (the Britsish version no less) at Wegmans! Wegmans does it again! I hadn't ordered my copy from Amazon Canada yet, so when I got a heads up from Joel, I zipped right over and picked one up. There is swearing in this one! Oooooooooooh!

Rochester 6/11/03. See! I wasn't making it up! Not that any of you would doubt me. Poor squish-ed peeps.

Oh and for those of you who won't get a chance to see the bus in person, here is what is inside....

Yay for Tina

When we found out that the Peeps Fun Bus was in Rochester, Tina emailed Guster to tell them they should have the bus come to their concert. Brian emailed back that he was on it.

Well, the bus couldn't make it, but they did send 40 cases of peeps. Actually they were Peeps Stars, but still tasty. We ate a 15 pack before the show. When the concert was over there were squashed Peeps Stars all over the floor. Not a pretty sight. Guster put on a great show. Abby and I are going to the House of Guitars Monday night to get the Special Edition CD.

Not every idea is a good idea (aka.. a long Ikea story)

Tina saw on the Burlington Ikea website that they were having a midnight madness sale. We thought... cut out of work early, get to Ikea at 7-ish, shop, drive home and be in bed in time to watch Letterman.

Hah! We got there at 8... lollygagged and dillydallied around until we found ourself in a line that stretched through the warehouse at... 11:15! Mind you we had a 2 hour drive home. It took 45 min. to get through the line, 30 min. to pick up their new wardrobe system (VERY cool Pax system by the way) and then... drum roll please... an HOUR to pack up the car. Chuck was determined to not have to strap anything to the roof of the Blazer. It came down to us and a poor VW Golf in an empty parking lot. They were struggling to get shelves in their car. We did not want to be the last ones there. We were about to pull out of the lot honking and waving at the Golf when the "gate ajar" light came on. As Chuck pushed stuff in tighter (Tina and I were squished into the back seat with one half folded down and shelves sticking over the front passenger seat) the Golf started to back out. He slammed the door down, jumped in the truck and we peeled out. We were not the last ones!

It was crazy, but I did have a good time and I got a Sten shelf for $9.50! I also got Aaron a big concrete letter A candle holder (imagine the X in the picture above is an A) We were cracking up that as we crossed the border the Canadian border patrol would ask "Whatch doin with that, aye eh?" and we would say "What are we doing with what?" Get it? Well, maybe you had to be there. Or be up at three in the morning!

I went Ikea! Read all about it tomorrow! It wouldn't make sense to post it today, because we didn't get back til 4 in the morning. It's a long story.

Guster Fluster

Not only do I have the release of Harry Potter to look forward to, but on June 24, the new Guster album "Keep it Together" comes out.

Tina won tickets to the concert Saturday night and I can't wait. Remember when we met them a few years ago? I am hoping that maybe they will be selling their album a little early at their concert... and I can get it signed. I really like the album cover with the humming bird. Not as much as the one with Big Friend (the bear) on though.

I am now complete... almost

Today I got to see the Peep Fun Bus! Long time readers will remember my postings about wanting to see the Oscar Meyer Weinermoble, the Meow Mixmobile ,the Spammobile , the Hershey Kissmobile and the Pepperidge Farm Goldfishmobile.

Well, today Matt saw the Peep Fun Bus (I like to call it the Peepmobile) on his way to work. Knowing it was in town, I checked out the website, called the 800 number and tracked it down to Wegmans. Tina was good enough to go with me after work. I must say we didn't get to eat enough peeps, but it was still satisfying. Above is a pic of me with the Peepmobile and Tina actually ON the Peepmobile. Too exciting!

One down, five to go.

Picky Potter

I get some funny ideas... I realize. My latest is that I plan on ordering my copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix from Amazon Canada, so it matches my other four Harry Potter books.

See, I picked up my first four books in London because... oh I don't know, I guess I thought it was cool to get them from the country of their origin (Bridget Jones' Diary too, that was some heavy luggage... what can I say, I'm a nut). I had also heard that in the US versions, UK colloquialisms had been changed so kids would understand. At any rate, I want my covers to match! Thus I am ordering it from Canada. Heh.

New Project

I just finished a quick new project. I call it Paper Window Shade II. I realized that at night my neighbors could probably see me poking around my living room and suddenly needed a shade on that window.

I tried to make something a little different from the first Window Shade I made. I think it turned out pretty well, but I need someone to come over and translate what the Asian calligraphy on the paper says.

Carrots

Since the torrential downpour ceased for the weekend, I got my garden planting finished. I will be watching the rhubarb nervously.

I had such success with my thumbelina carrots last year, I was sure to plant them again. They grew into funny shapes (pictured here), not as funny as these, but they tasted just fine. I am especially looking forward to them because I have been making honey glazed carrots a lot lately. The recipe is pretty easy. Cook 2lbs of baby carrots, salt and pepper in 2 tbls oil ( I think walnut oil makes them especially good) for 20 minutes, then add 3 tbls of honey and 2 tbls of butter. My carrots will be going directly from the garden into the frying pan.

Reuse, Reduce and Bicycle

I am always looking for additions to my backyard. I liked a few of the ideas that were on this Junk to Garden Art page. The glass bottles make me a little nervous, I could see myself smacking into them with the lawn mower and having glass shards everywhere (I have a slight broken glass phobia). But I really, really like the trellis made of bike rims. I will have to start watching the neighbors for old bikes on garbage pickup day!

40 Days and 40 Nights

That's how long it seems like it has been raining here. I thought it was April showers bring May flowers. More like April, May and June showers bring Jenny's mental demise.

Not that I don't like rain. I love a rainy day where you stay inside and make tea. Just not everyday. And I'm not asking it be broiling hot like where textism is written. (A favorite haunt for the Oliver and Hugo pictures, I once had a weimaraner named Max) But forthelovapete, it's June. I'd like to venture outside without an umbrella!

Note: I will be eating my words mid summer as I watch my grass wither and die.

Rebloom

Last year Aaron got me a white orchid for my birthday. It had several flowers and grew a few more over the summer. Come fall, they plopped off one by one and all I had left was a stick. I read up on it and found out I was to trim the stem back to a nub.

All winter I looked at that nubby plant thinking I would never see another orchid blossom again. It just didn't look like it would ever be anything other than the goofy looking stubby thing it was. Imagine my surprise when the stem started to grow back and recently four pods showed up. This evening I noticed two of them are starting to open. I did a little dance until I realized Oscar was staring at me. Hopefully soon I will have my lovely orchid blooms again.

Eggplant

I am just about finished planting my garden. Not only am I trying rhubarb this year (thanks for the helpful rhubarb tips), but I am making a go at eggplants.

I am hoping for big ol' purple eggplants. I have a quickie meal I like to make with eggplants... I cut them into about 1/2 inch thick slices, dip them in egg and then dip them in a bread crumb mixture. Usually I toss whatever I have in my spice cupboard into the crumbs... salt, pepper, chili pepper, basil.... oh and grated parmesean cheese. Then I fry the slices in a little olive oil and serve with warmed up spaghetti sauce. Yum-eee!

Ljc Tag

Aaron sent me an email to check out this Dog E Tag. It's described as...

"Instant peace of mind for any dog owner, this award-winning digital Dog-E-Tag™ stores up to 40 lines of information: names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, rabies vaccine numbers, messages ("I need my medicine"), and more, then displays it with the touch of a button. Easy to program (in five languages) and protected by a PIN number. Waterproof; works in temperatures from 14°-140°F. Runs on one button battery."

Forget the dog, I need one... in case I get lost and someone finds me... messages ("I need doughnuts").

Late Gardening

It's nice to know that some things carry on without you. It is nearly mid June and I hadn't planted the garden or any flowers. Really not my fault.. it has been raining nonstop... really. Despite my neglect, my peonies and bleeding hearts managed to pop open this week. Good for them, the little troopers.

Sunday, I did manage to make it to the Garden Factory and get a few things. I planted flowers on the front porch. Note in the picture, June's "theme" is Ladybugs. There are tomato plants waiting in Aaron's jeep for me to plant in the garden too. Also going to make a go at some eggplant and rhubarb. Mmmm rhubarb pie!

Spicy

One of the things I miss the most about having Aaron here is going to the grocery store. It was almost like a date night to go to Wegmans late at night and check out all the different products. Tina is nice enough to let me know when she is going to the Wegmans, so I can tag along versus skulking up and down the aisles by myself.

Tonight we ran into Joel. I am glad he didn't spy me standing in the spice aisle staring at these new Cape Herb & Spice Company spices. It is already very clear I am a sucker for visually designed products. I have been tempted to buy the cool looking Oxo Spices for some time now. When I saw the Elements Spice I was enamoured. They not only have a nifty label and a built in grinder but each contains a blend of no less than seven spices. I got the Ozone with sea salt, fennel seeds and fronds, chinese ginger, lemon peel, coriander, celery, mint and cardamom. I was also attracted to the Crystal Pools, because it had lavendar and chamomile, claiming to be soothing. *sucker*

More Method

I know I have blogged about the ultra designed house cleaners from Method before, but I have to mention how happy I am to see they keep updating their line. They have changed their labels, and now make a tear drop shaped dish soap and four different scents of house cleaners... lavendar, lemon, pink grapefruit and melon. I've been searching for the pink grapefruit.

I also picked up a cute bottle of green tea and aloe liquid hand soap at Target, that they don't even have on their website yet. My amount of cleaners is now adversely proportional to the amount of cleaning I actually do. *ahem*

Walking

Recently I have been seeing a man walking around town pushing a bike with a big sign on it that says "A father's walk for justice". He caught my attention because he was walking along somberly, seemingly with no real destination, but with a purpose. He was dressed like an old literature professor in a tweedy sports coat and an argyle sweater vest. Just... out of place.

Tina saw him too and we discussed what on earth the sign might mean. He was a big mystery, kinda like the bunny signs. I did a search online. Turns out he is trying to get in touch with his removed children. I just knew he must have had a story behind it all.

Funny Tea

This evening at Sit 'n Knit I thought I would try something different at Starbucks (which I see is now popularly refered to as *bux). I got a bottled Tazo tea, Brambleberry.

It was very tasty, but what I really enjoyed was the label. I noticed writing on the inside of the label so I peeled it off. It said stuff like..."The sweetest, juiciest, plumpest, largest, most perfect berries are chosen to be crushed beyond recognition for Tazo Brambleberry" and "Shake before drinking, you might also want to do a little chant if you feel up to it. " Good to see they have a healthy sense of humor.

Grocery Envy

I know I shouldn't complain about grocery stores when we have Wegmans. But I keep reading about people who live near Trader Joes. Sounds like they have a lot of cool stuff, like Ginger Altoids. Tina was in LA for work and she stopped by one to see what they had. She brought me back some Venus de Minto mints and fruit leather. *sigh* Just a taste of the "2000 unique grocery items".

Cake and travel

I would like to either go somewhere with pink sand and turquoise water... or Alaska. I realize those are opposite ends of the spectrum. To get there, I think Celebrity Cruises would be great. I have been intrigued since I saw a commercial for it. Apparently you get treated as though you were a celebrity. Minus the paparazzi.

Maybe I could work it into a honeymoon. Yeah... for my wedding I want that and a really, really big cake.

Stationery

I may not live in the biggest shopping mecca ever, but thanks to the little shop Parkleigh, I can find lot of stuff I read about close by. I remember someone blogging about the iomoi cards a while ago. Tina just found the pug ones at Parkleigh. Naturally I had to have them. They also had the Fred Flare sushi stationery NotMartha once wrote about.

Now if only I could get better at actually writing letters.

Hamster

There seems to be no end to the cute little characters Eastern Asia can put out. My new favorite is Hamutaro. (Hamtaro in English.) He is a little hamster that loves his owner so much that he sets out on a journey to find magic sunflower seeds that will give him the power to talk so that he can tell her he loves her.

[I look at Oscar and ask "What have you done lately?" He rolls his eyes and goes back to sleep.]

I love hamsters, but the two that I have had didn't have a will to live. Instead I will opt for Hamtaro merchandise. I got a little Hamtaro at Target that came with a sneaker for him to hide in. I have it at work with all my other sickeningly cute stuff.