Gourmet's Favorite Cookies since 1941

I found this so awesome I had to share. Gourmet Magazine has a special article on their favorite cookies from 1941 until now. All of the recipes are unchanged from their original publication, though many from the early years include slight changes or explanations. Don't know about you, but I'm ready to make some cookies!

Rufus and me

Here's a shot Gually took this weekend and emailed to me.

Ikea

They just announced that Ikea's buying some land in Winnipeg to build a store. Eat your heart out, St. Louis suckers!

New Kid on the block

Mom's Wish List

Mom,

I was just reviewing your wish list, and you need to want more. Two items does not cut it. Please update and add to your wishlist immediately.

Workers' Compensation

So I'm starting a new job for a one year term as legal counsel at The Workers' Compensation Board of Manitoba. My last day at Booth Dennehy is December 5, 2008.

More Family

A taste of the family

Whoabama

Your eyes do not deceive. My mocha ice cream oreo pie predicted last night's winner. Victory never tasted so sweet.

So How was the Cruise?

Mom, you haven't posted anything about the Miracle-Ear Cruise. Did you have a good time?

Old Jokes Home

Two Mexicans are lost in the desert. They see a tree in the distance. As they get nearer they see it's draped with strip upon strip of brown, juicy bacon. "Hey Pepe," says the first man. "Ees a bacon tree, we're saved!" Then he runs to the tree but is gunned down in a hail of bullets.

"What happened?" shouts Pepe. With his last breath, his friend shouts "Run amigo, ees not a bacon tree. Ees a ham bush."

First Born's Just Have More Fun!

This is a really interesting, brief article. It talks about how birth order effects a child's personality and career. Sarah and I fit the description ... Leah, not so much (and I mean that in a good way!). Anyway, an interesting and quick read. 

October Update

So, I miss you all so much! I am still thinking about the good times had in Cape just a few weeks ago. Things are going okay here... It seems both of us are perpetually busy. Bill's Dad is having quite a time with the FEMA people, and I think that is frustrating is whole family. I haven't actually gotten to see the pregnant Sandra, but Charlie stopped by our house one night (yay!) and mentioned that she had been feeling pretty sick.

In diet news, I had my one month weigh-in/measurement day. I have lost 8 lbs, 6 inches and 4% body fat. I must admit I'm pretty pumped. And I haven't been killing myself trying to stick to the diet 100%, so I have had chocolate and we have eaten out. It is working out pretty well.

I got a text message from Lane. She apologized for not getting the pictures back yet (which I figured it would take a little bit since it was time for Mid-terms). She said they would be in the mail soon, so stay posted! I am sure there will be all kinds of embarrassing pictures for us to enjoy!

I love you all, and I am always thinking of you. Call me!

Pictures

family picture

Hey, when Sarah visits we are going to get a family or just a sister's photo. What day is good for the group? Molly can you contact your friend to see if she can do it?
Mom

Curvatude

So, I joined Curves because I am sick and tired of my clothes being too tight! I joined during a promotion: I join a 7 week 'class' and get a bunch of free goodies (vitamins, calcium pills, shake mix and a CD case) plus full access to the gym. After the seven weeks I can join for their monthly rate. I though I was joining a nutrition class. Turns out it is a rigorous diet course. This is week 1, and I am only allowed to eat 1,200 a day! I am convinced I will starve to death. After the first week I get bumped to 1,600 a day. 

This could possibly be the worst timing in history for a diet, seeing how it less than 2 weeks I will be at home with my family... who will be preparing all kinds of amazing feasts. Thinking about it makes me want to cry.

Anyway, wish me luck... I am going to need it!

p.s. I CAN'T WAIT FOR SARAH TO COME TO THE U.S.!!!!

A Supposedly Fun Thing You'll Only Do Once...David Foster Wallace is dead.

Seems he hung himself. Incredible.

Here's a link to a transcript of a commencement speech he gave at Kenyon College a couple years back.

http://www.marginalia.org/dfw_kenyon_commencement.html

"Light" Pesto

I was a Little Suzy Homemaker today, or maybe a Big Leah Apartmentmaker. In addition to baking some fantastic macaroons (see below), I also whipped up some pesto with basil from my porch. This pesto is "light" because it calls for a lot less oil than most pesto. It does not taste lighter than other pestos I have had, however. This recipe calls for using a food processor, but I have read that you can make excellent (probably better) pesto using a mezzaluna to chop the basil.

Ingredients:
3 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp walnut pieces or pine nuts (if you use pine nuts, i recommend toasting them first)
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and ground pepper
3 tbsp extra-v olive oil
3 tbsp water

Directions:
1. In a food pro, combine basil, nuts, parm, garlic, lemon juice, and water; season with salt and pepper. Puree until a paste forms.
2. With motor running, add oil in a thin stream. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Makes about 3/4 cup.

We served this as a sauce over the lemon pepper papardelle from Trader Joes (highly recommended!) with some sliced grilled chicken and some sundried tomatoes. It was real good.

Delish Coconut-Apricot Macaroons

I made macaroons today, and they were, to quote Josh, "awesome." They were also really easy.

Ingredients:

3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup soft dried apricots, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is really important cause these things will stick!)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, almond extract (if using), and salt until frothy. Add coconut and apricots, mix to combine.
3. Using your hands, shape mixture into mounds, each equal to 2 level tablespoons. Place 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. The macaroons are not supposed to spread, but mine fell apart a little while baking. This recipe makes about 20 macaroons.
4. Bake until lightly golden, 30-40 minutes. Mine were done after about 30 minutes, but my oven tends to run hot. Rotate halfway through. Transfer macaroons to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 week.

Full of Hot Air

Bill wrote a great column about his experience flying high: 

Missouri Compromise Website

You've waited, and now its ready: www.missouripartnership.com

Our visit

So let me hear some ideas for fun things we can do on our visit down to the homestead. Leah says going to Springfield to see the Lincoln library is too long a trip to comfortably do in one day; Gualter isn't really all that interested in the Zoo. I've never been to the brewery; that might be fun...any other ideas? I think we'll definitely be down there from September 29 through October 3. We'll probably have to start heading back on October 4.

Tickets, I have Tickets

Since Sarah and Gualter will not be visiting until October. I happen to have six tickets to the Thursday September 11th baseball game at Busch. The Cards play the Evil Empire (the Cubs).
It starts at 7:15 so the weather should be cool. Any Takers?
Mummy

Our critters

Sawyer is really a cute dog!

Moses would chew on the packing tape on our moving boxes... 

Here he is chillin' at his favorite spot... the toilet! Every time I go to pee he will walk up and sit right in front of my and start purring. It's very strange!

Pictures of our family

This is at the STL Cards game mom and Jerry took us to. It was a ton of fun but SUPER HOT. I think I look like Leah in this picture...
Bill and mom snuggle.
I think we were eating Vietnamese food... or McDonald's. 
Probably Vietnamese. 

Long time, no blog!

Hello Family!

It has been a long time since I have been able to fully view/contribute to the website. But now, since I am no longer with The Center... I have full internet access again! WOOHOO!

I guess newsrooms understand the necessity of being able to access anything on the web. Hello? How many times do we see news stories about MySpace, or something else ignorant that we don't really need to hear or consider news. 

I am getting off track!

Things are good in the new home. The only room left with boxes is the study, but we could easily have it cleared out should we have any company drop by! I think I can safely say that both Bill and I like this house more that our previous. It has lovely hard wood floors, a nice laundry area, and I have a huge closet (actually a small bedroom). Plus, I don't have an hour commute to and from work every day. It actually takes more like 1 minute. I LOVE IT!

The critters have adjusted well -- Moses has been getting into everything, and I mean everything. Like our pantry, cabinets, laundry room, toilet, shower... I am convinced I will walk in one day and find him lounging on the couch snacking on a bag of potato chips and drinking a wine cooler... My only question would be, 

"Where did you find the wine cooler?"  

At work, I am totally spoiled by getting to work on a Mac again. How I missed the apple! My job has its good parts and its bad. The bad mainly consists of hearing 'no' from merchants and from my numerous mistakes. I have gotten to the point that I give my clients a disclaimer, "Things might be fine. But, I am new and no stranger to mistakes. So I will give you a call when I screw up. Thanks!" Bill has been a big hit here as well. He has received many complements, such as: "Bill is the best dress reporter the Journal has ever seen!" He actually received a gift card from dairy queen for a story he did on the girl scouts visiting. We were out for lunch today, and as a man was leaving he stopped by our table and said, "Hey Bill! Thanks for that great story you did on the cemetery!" HA. This is my favorite, though: He was out to lunch with his new pals at the SID's office, and a lady comes up to him and says, "Loved the story you did on XXXXX (I cant remember what it was). I will buy your lunch if you do another one!" Man. he is like the Mayor of Macomb (a reference to Sarah's days in Carbondale incase you didn't catch that!) 

I love you all and it's good to be back on Sister Hill!

Week-end in Chicago

We had a grand time in Chicago....even watching the CUBS! The train was quick with games of Crib and Milles (a French card game). We stayed at a Suites Hotel just 4 blocks from Wrigley and a block from the Bus. We went to the Planetarium Friday and Really enjoyed it. Then to Navy Pier for dinner and a sunset cruise of the lake. The view was awesome as the sun went down. The game at Wrigley was good. The stadium if quite different from Busch. The Cubs won and the fans sang them a song before they left the field. I have to admit the Cubs have an awesome team this year. Tracy and Nathan seemed to enjoy themselves, I think. Anyway, Jerry and I had a great time.