Fondue Foible

It’s really a shame that I didn’t document this endeavor with photos.  It would have made for a really good blog post.

Instead, you’re getting a mediocre blog post, with only a generic picture, but, per the request of a few, you’re also getting the recipe.

Our small group met on Sunday night for Bible study and a fondue party.  As one of the four couples who own a fondue pot, we (I) were in charge of one of the dessert pots.

So, I Googled a recipe, decided to quadruple it (ahem, NOT necessary!), and proceeded to dirty every plastic and stainless steel item in my kitchen.

To help you grasp the scope of this culinary quest, here is the original recipe:

Ingredients:

5 ounces of chocolate, chopped.
1 cup of cocoa powder, sifted.
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar.
1 1/4 cups of water.
3/4 of cup heavy cream, plus.
1/4 of cup corn syrup.
1 tablespoon of heavy cream.

Directions:

Sift the cocoa into a mixing bowl and then set aside.
Put the water, sugar and corn syrup in a pot and bring to boil.
Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sugar solution has reduced by about 30%.
Pour the cocoa powder into the solution and blend with a whisk until smooth.
Return the chocolate mixture to the stove and continue cooking over a medium heat.
Add the heavy cream; bring to boil and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate.
Pour into a fondue pot and keep warm.

Now, do a quick little math problem in your head, and quadruple that recipe.

Did you do it?

Did you come up with 2.5 cups of chocolate, 4 cups of cocoa, 6 cups of sugar, 5 cups of water, 3+ cups of cream, and a cup of corn syrup?

That’s a LOT of stuff.

And I attempted to cook it in my large saucepan.  Which, of course didn’t work, so I moved it to my 4 qt. Dutch oven.  Which, also, of course, didn’t work.  So I ended up making fondue in my ginormous pasta pot!

And when it was all said and done, I have enough chocolate fondue to feed an army.  Or at least my subdivision.  I have fondue in Tupperware, in Pampered Chef mixing bowls, in fondue pots, in mason jars, in the fridge, in the freezer.  It’s insanity.

And although it’s not quite as thick as I’d anticipated, it is heavenly.  (For at least today.  Something tells me I’ll be sick of chocolate by Wednesday.)

Enjoy!  (But stick with the regular measurements – trust me!)

Trick or Treat

So, our first Halloween in Tennessee.

The morning after, over breakfast, Jim says to me, “I think it was a success.”

Despite the fact that I’m less than thrilled with the photographic evidence of the night, I’d have to agree.

From the get-go, things were against us.  The Tennessee Vols game was smack dab in the middle of trick-or-treating hours; some of our best friends couldn’t attend our party because they were at the aforementioned ill-timed game; other friends had to cancel at the last minute…

But then we all dove in to the steaming pots of chili and potato soup:

And then Andrea showed up with these:

And the littles decided that grilled cheese wasn’t so bad an idea (except for Seth, of course):

And all was right with the world.

Seth was thrilled to see Strawberry Shortcake (aka his BFF Mady).  (I promise, the feeling is usually mutual, but I think the chaos in our dining room took her a little by surprise.) 

I wasn’t sure that we’d actually manage to get everyone out the door.  All together, there were 7 adults and 7 kids in our group.  Lions and chickens and Dora – oh my!

And here comes the “trick” part of my evening, and also the reason that we weren’t ever able to get one picture of ALL the costumed kiddos together.

Our group has a handful of “little mothers,” and the lure of all the baby paraphernalia in Seth’s room proved to be too great a temptation for them.  Within the first hour, the little girls had bathed, diapered, swaddled, and put to put every stuffed animal and toy in Seth’s entire room, using every blanket and diaper we own.

Poor George.  See his little paw?  He’s trying to surrender, I think.

But even George would have to admit, we laughed a lot, ate a lot, gave away (most of) our candy stash, and had a great time with our friends.

Somebody isn’t happy that it is November

Or maybe he was just throwing a tantrum because Jim had told him he couldn’t get down until he ate a bit of either banana or pineapple.

I was in the bathroom getting ready for church, and could hear the crying from the kitchen.

Jim came up to get in the shower, and I asked him how long he planned to stand his ground.  “Until the last minute,” he answered.  “Okay,” I replied, skeptical.

The crying was getting sporadic, so I went downstairs to investigate.  I snapped this picture right before he curled up in the fetal position on the tray.

Needless to say….Seth won.  It was just too pitiful a sight to bear.  (And after he had diarrhea for the fourth time before noon, we figured he probably knew better than to eat anyways.  Smart kid.)

I, for one, am glad to see November arrive.  Diarrhea, head colds, H1N1 and all.

Just because

I really didn’t know what to title this post.  There really isn’t a point to the video at all, except it makes me smile every time I watch it.

When we were in Ohio at the end of September, Jim sent me on a road trip to test drive an SUV that we were considering purchasing.  Since it was a four hour trip, my in-laws were nice enough to accompany me.

This is how Seth and John spent the ride home:

Untitled from The Writer Chic on Vimeo.

Five Months

This memorial post is about a week “overdue.”  I was really struck by some heavy-hitting emotions last week as the fifth-month mark of Duncan’s birth and death came and went, and it’s been a little hard to put my feelings into bloggable words.

As some of you may or may not know, with the passing of Duncan’s August due date, coupled with his tree planting, many prayers, many more tears, and lots of conversations with each other and those whose opinions we trust, Jim and I decided to stop preventing a new pregnancy.

With that conscious decision came a lot of unexpected (and some expected) emotions and excitements and fears.  Was it too soon?  What if it happened right away?  What if it didn’t happen for a while?  What if the next baby was another boy?  What if it was a girl?  Would I be scared each day of my pregnancy?  Would I enjoy any of it?

Obviously, the majority of those questions have yet to be answered.

But how does this all relate to Duncan?

I just don’t want to forget him.  And at times, I feel like I am.

A few weeks ago, I was at a home party, and they were playing this little ice-breaker game before the presentation where a gift bag was passed from woman to woman as different “identifying” statements were made: give the gift to the one who came the farthest; to the one who has the longest hair; to the newest mom.

And wouldn’t you know it?  The presenter said that “newest mom” thing, and I looked around the room waiting for someone to reach for the bag.  And they were all staring back at me.  And I said:

“Well, yeah…..I guess….if you count Duncan.”

Seriously?  Those words from my mouth?  Had someone else said them, I’d most likely have clocked her.  But in my heart of hearts, I sincerely wasn’t thinking of Duncan while the phrase “new mom” hung in the air.

And I still don’t really know where to put that.

So, my five month post is going to fall a little short.  Because I’m in a new place.  Not necessarily a bad place.  Just new, and unfamiliar.  And I didn’t want another day to go by before acknowledging the passing of another month of Duncan’s life.

Because although I may not bring him to mind, on demand, in any particular given moment, not a day goes by that I don’t think of him, and miss him, and wish he were here.

The fall fun just keeps on coming

Sunday night, our small group from church got together for a fall party.  From hotdogs roasted over an open fire, to four wheeler rides, to pumpkin tosses and broom races, I think it’s safe to say that young and old(er) alike had a blast.  The weather was perfect, and the company was great.

Here are a couple snapshots of our night:

Favor bags for the littles

AP, Andrea, and Claire-bear

 

Bro and sis team Cooper and Claire take the win in the broom race

Not quite sure why Seth wants to eat the ball…

 

Hostess Kasey and Cranky Pants O’Neil

The boys, dutifully manning the sideline

The ladybug, the linebacker, and the lion

The sweetest witches you’ll ever meet this side of Oz 

Cranky King of the Concrete Jungle 

Hayride ‘09

Kicking off the night in the corn crib

And we wonder how all the corn got in his boots?

Um, anybody else think maybe I should get me a little one to dress up in pink fluff?

Okay, maybe Seth isn’t too keen on that idea…

Who needs to carve a pumpkin when you can just paint one?

No comment. (Except, I want one.)

Heading back to the bonfire for the wienie roast

Poor Kasey…..this pot of chili spilled in her truck on the way to the farm.  Needless to say, we were extra careful not to spill any more on the flatbed (though something tells me this would have been easier to hose down than Brock’s truck…)

Jim and Daniel, dutifully feeding their famished wives

The mr. and mrs., sneaking a kiss

Mommy and Seth on the real moonlit hayride

 

Ending the night on the four-wheeler, pickin’ up chicks =)

And, of course, the shoes full o’ corn.

My Autumn Porch

If I’d been really on the ball, these pictures would have been blogged weeks ago.  But it’s no secret that I’d not really a blog-in-the-moment kind of girl, so, the pictures are “late.”

But it’s still autumn, right?

I’m happy to report that all the decor on my porch totaled under $30.  That’s for 3 medium mums and 22 various sized pumpkins (thank you, Nashville Farmer’s Market), the brass lantern, the ghost luminary, and the two Pottery Barn candlesticks (clearance a couple years ago).  Oh yeah, and the wreath on the door was from my wedding four years ago.

There is one more touch that I have yet to get a decent photo of, and that is of the 20 lit-up jack-o-lanterns that are edging the front landscaping.  Maybe on Halloween night, when we host our party….

Can I just tell you how proud I am of my fall nesting this year?  I’m bound determined to follow up this post with pictures of the touches I’ve added indoors.  Hold me to it, people! =)

One hat, two years

2008

2009

Seth’s new favorite “vegetable”

Just a teaser from the great time we had at our hayride Saturday night.

This is what I found when I took off Seth’s boots:

I think that goes to show just how much fun he had.  He never once let on that there was this much corn in his shoes – he just kept on movin’ and runnin’ and enjoying all the fun!

Rain or shine, we’ll get our Touch of Autumn

Believe it or not, this is actually the first  picture of the day.

Although the forecast proved accurate with a balmy 46 degrees and steady, misty drizzle, we ventured out to the pumpkin farm with some friends.  About a hour into our trip, Seth decided he’d rather curl up with his socks than enjoy the scenery.

Look, Mom!  Gourds!

AP and Seth, adorable little teachers’ pets

The farm we visited had a learning barn where the little ones were schooled in the ways of honeybees and taught to recognize the various types of pumpkins, like Fairytale, Cotton Candy, Cinderella, Munchkin, and the featured Touch of Autumn.

  Seth, meet Peter.  Peter, meet Seth.

There were rabbits, cows, goats, donkeys, turkeys…..lots of farm animals that the kids could interact with and feed.  (Can I just say that your nose alone would tell you in no uncertain terms that you were on a working farm?!)

Nope, not in there…..

In the milking barn, the little ones can “milk” a cow – and despite that it’s only water that shoots out from the udder, let me tell you, it’s pretty realistic!

Yes, he is the only one facing the wrong direction.  He was just rallying the crowd!

For the PIG RACES!  I have to admit, it was awesome.  The pigs race for Oreo cookies, and you better believe they can move!  It made me want to come home and watch the movie Babe.  “Out” pig (assigned to our section of the crowd) won two out of the three races.  Way to go,  Piglet!

 

Without a doubt, Seth’s favorite part of the day was the Corn Crib – a huge, well, bin, of corn kernels, ala ball pit style.  He had to be parent-retrieved twice before he’d get out.  Once he got the hang of walking in the shifting maize, he loved it!

 

Finally, after a full day of walking through the mud, the little ones were sent into the patch of Touch of Autumn pumpkins to pick their very own.  As you can see, Seth felt it necessary to walk to the entire other side of the patch to select his “ball.”

Was it worth the drive (even though we got [a little] lost on the way home?  Worth the $6 admission?  Worth the 2 hours in the rain and muck?  Worth getting the F250 buried in the mudbath of a parking lot?  (Sorry, the stress of that experience kept me from taking photos.)  Was it worth the less-than-perfect conditions to spend a day with my son?

Um, yeah.  I’d say so. =)

I remember

Wow.

How much has changed in the short year since I wrote this post last October.

At that time, I only had one personal loss to acknowledge on National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day – our first miscarriage in February 2007.

Just four short days later, our gone-too-soon children grew in number from one to three, with the loss of our twins on October 19.

Seven months later, it grew again to four with the birth and homegoing of our sweet Duncan on May 19.

So today, I light my candle for not one.  Not even four.  Because sadly, the list of children who I am personally missing  has grown beyond the confines of my own family.

So, yes, today I light a candle in remembrance of my four, but also….

…for my mom

…for my grandmother

…for Stacy

…for Kendra

…for Daina

…for Kelly

…for Stephanie

…for Stacia

…for every mother who has an empty spot at her dining room table.

A change of heart

When Jason flew us to Nashville last October to house hunt, Jim and I were on a mission, yes, but it was also whirlwind mini-vacation.  We’d talked long and hard about whether or not we should rent somewhere until we knew which Nashville suburb we wanted to live in, or whether or not we’d be willing to make a move on a great deal, if we were to stumble across one.  I don’t think either of us truly expected to find a house in the 36 hours we were going to be traipsing across the Nashville metropolis with our realtor Wanda.

But, we did.

On Sunday, October 12, 2008, Wanda showed us our 23rd potential house, and we knew.

This was to be our home.

And the most miraculous thing happened, in just the last month.

Not only was it home, but it felt like home.

The last time we were in Ohio to visit family, I got homesick.  For Tennessee.

I missed my friends.  My neighbors.  My trees.  My house.  My church.  I wanted to go home.

So here you have it.  An entire year later.

New paint.  New lights, indoor and out.  A few more flowers, a few less trees.

 

Home, sweet home.

Why, yes, I am aware it’s been almost a week since I posted

Life, peeps.

Sometimes it gets in the way.

Here.  Until I get force my brain to string together something meaningful and coherent and relevant, amuse yourself with these pictures from last Friday’s lunch date with the future inlaws.

A-pesh and Ah-Besh (translation: Presley and Aunt Beth)

Could you not just eat this girl up?!

Seth is confident in his manhood, despite his underwear showing.

Aw!  Their first kiss!
(I’m thinking that should go on the wedding invite somewhere, Beth…)

The masses are demanding Double Corn Chowder

I had a laaaazy day on Sunday.  It was wondrous.  I spent the ENTIRE day in wool socks, yoga pants, and my 13 year old OSU sweatshirt.

I watched a ton of football, and lit candles, and filled the house with the wonderful aroma of a crockpot recipe I found in my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook.

And then I posted about it on my Facebook page, and got bombarded with requests to share the recipe.  So, here you go!

Potato Double Corn Chowder

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (4 cups)

1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernel corn, undrained

1 can (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients.  Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours (or High heat setting 3 to 4 hours) to develop flavors.

Here are my personal, non-Betty Crocker approved tips:

1. Have your hubby surprise you with a pancake breakfast the day before you plan to make this recipe. That way, you already have bacon cooked and ready to crumble into the chowder.

2. I wish I would have sprayed the sides of my crockpot with cooking spray; the sides are not-quite-burnt, but they are going to be a PAIN to clean.

3.  Jim and I both liked the flavor, but think something is missing.  We have yet to put our finger on it.   Maybe green chiles?  It just needed a little more kick.

4.  I think 6-8 hours, even on low, is more than sufficient to cook this.  As Jim put it, the consistency ended up being “like the insides of a lima bean.”  Gross to think of, but surprisingly accurate.

5.  Also, I didn’t bother with a real onion; I just used onion flakes I had in the pantry.

Hope you all enjoy this recipe!  It was a great football-watching meal, paired with milk and blueberry muffins.  Have a great week, y’all!

Pre-tasted

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You expect them to grab one as soon as the sheet comes out of the oven.

Seth prefers to take a bite before the cookies get baked.

Whatever, dude.

(Thanks for the special treat and the laughs, Gramma.)

Un

Don’t hate me, okay?

Remember when my Blogger feed list pooped out on me back in August?  I was so disgruntled by the whole thing, that I switched over all my “followed” blogs to Google Reader (which I highly recommend, by the way).

But then my Blogger feed started working again, and I now I get multiple notifications of post updates to all the blogs I read.

So…..I’m going to unfollow.

Everybody.

It doesn’t mean that I’m not reading you – because I am.  You’re just going to lose me as a public follower.

I know.  Bringing your follower total down a notch is selfish of me.  But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to keep her life as simple as possible.  Or, at least her time spent reading blogs.

So, there’s your heads up. =)

Welcome, Octo-month.

You’re my favorite.

I love you.

Taking away the doorstop

Today, I remove the stop that is holding the door open on my twenties.

As of midnight Wednesday, it is my 29th birthday, and for the next 365 days, the doorway to my twenties will be swinging steadily toward 30.

And you know what?  Bring it on!

My twenties were great – wonderful college memories, opportunities to travel, a bachelors degree, real paychecks, falling in and out of love, a short detour to a life in sunny California, a surprise career in insurance, marriage, my first “grown-up” house, a baby (or 2 or 5…), a not-so-short-can’t-really-call-it-a-detour move to Tennessee.

So, happy birthday to me!  Let’s see just what fun we can pack into this last year of 20-something!

Escape

News flash, Interpeeps.

Seth can now open a traditional doorknob.

Which is just great, because that is all we have in our home.  And it’s not like I ever kept a door shut to keep him out of things.

Riiiiiight.

Anyone have an opinion on whether those Safety1st knob covers are worth it?

Sous Chef

lettuce CPR from The Writer Chic on Vimeo.

You’d wonder how my mother-in-law gets any cooking done when Seth isn’t in town.