Request
Does anyone have a simple flat knitting pattern for an old-timey classic christmas stocking? I'm looking for something - preferably on straight needles, no double pointed or circular ones. Thanks.
Recipe update
Last evening was the first time in a while that I tried out a new recipe. It was inspired by the fact that we bought some Oklahoma wine. We opened the bottled late last week to try it and we were....well, not so impressed. By not so impressed, it was the first time we decided to not finish or even make it halfway into the bottle. Thus, I was on the search to find a simple recipe to get rid of this excess wine. Here it is:
Steak with Mushroom and Wine Sauce
The meal turned out well and was pretty easy to prepare. We made some mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli to go with it. It probably would be better if we used a drier red wine - but hey at least we got rid of some of the not so hot wine.
Steak with Mushroom and Wine Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 large garlic cloves cut in half
- 1.5 - 2 pounds sirloin
- 8 oz presliced mushrooms
- 1 cup red wine
- black pepper to season
- In skillet, heat butter and oil over moderately high heat. Add garlic. Sprinkle steak with black pepper and place in hot skillet.
- For medium rare, cook about 7 minutes; turn, cook 2 minutes and add mushrooms. (Since we had two thin individual steaks and not one huge chunk of meat, I only cooked it for 3.5 minutes on each side. I added the mushrooms immediately after flipping the meat.) Cook 5 minutes more, stirring mushrooms several times. Remove steak to a heated platter in a 200 degree oven.
- Pour wine into skillet and stir to loosen browned bits. Mash garlic with a fork.
- Increase heat and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
- Slice steak thinly across the grain (if you have a huge chunk of meat). Spoon mushroom sauce over meat.
The meal turned out well and was pretty easy to prepare. We made some mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli to go with it. It probably would be better if we used a drier red wine - but hey at least we got rid of some of the not so hot wine.
Political Interlude
I am really the last person who would actively insert herself into a political conversation. But over the past couple of weeks I have found myself watching the news channels in the morning. They are filled with campaign news. The DNC just wrapped up their convention and the RNC will be kicking off next week. Needless to say I have been watching loads of speeches or probably more accurately, lots of sound bites from speeches. I was lucky enough to catch both Biden's VP acceptance last week and the recent Palin acceptance today. Note: I have not made a decision in either direction yet. But as I listened to both speeches, I noticed something... well besides the fact that Sen. Biden is a man and Gov. Palin is a woman. Biden spent most of his acceptance speech attacking the opposition. Palin spoke about the honor of being chosen and about what the VP position or any other public servant should have their sights set on. This second speech by the governor seemed so refreshing to me. No attacks - which is really all the fills the political arena at the moment.
I suppose it is now time for me to do some serious research on the candidates/partys' platforms in the upcoming weeks. Now if only the candidates would just talk about the intricate details of their plans and not "Wah-Wah" about how their opponent's plan is a bunch of dog poop. Oh well, somethings never change.
I suppose it is now time for me to do some serious research on the candidates/partys' platforms in the upcoming weeks. Now if only the candidates would just talk about the intricate details of their plans and not "Wah-Wah" about how their opponent's plan is a bunch of dog poop. Oh well, somethings never change.
Mosquitoes
I have been out walking Silvio early in the mornings. Well, this is not exactly an early morning issue. Every time I return from our walks I discover a new clusters of mosquito bites. I do not interact well with bug bites. Needless to say my legs now have blotches of raised red marks all over the place. I have been really good about not scratching them. But unfortunately I need to now wear clothing the covers as much of my body as possible. This is not fun in nearly 100 degree heat. I would love to be able to wear shorts - alas. I have yet to determine if the area is home to lots of mosquitoes or if the developers here have just disturbed all of the surrounding insect life while constructing our apartment complex.
Wish I had more insightful things to talk about, oh well.
Wish I had more insightful things to talk about, oh well.
3 months!
I am three months old today. Hurray. I've decided the most fun thing to do this morning is sleep on mommy. But this afternoon I'm sure I will go on a chewing rampage.
~~Silvio
~~Silvio
July 12 - A Royal Journey
Our first full day in England was jam packed. We started off the morning with with a yummy breakfast at the hotels Pearl Restaurant. We had the most interesting scrambled eggs. I note this because it was not even close to the way that scrambled eggs are prepared in the United States. I'm not even sure how to describe it - they are milky, with a kick of cheesiness and salt - and were not huge chunks. It peaked our interest so much so, that we have attempted to do it here at home - and Andrew has managed to figure out the process. (One of the few times I have given him reign in the kitchen.) I guess what caught us most off guard was the bill for breakfast. Thank goodness our breakfasts were included in the tour package - - 50 pounds for a continental breakfast was astonishing. The exchange rate at the time was 2 times the dollar. I can't think of anyone who has paid 100 dollars for breakfast. Regardless of the cost, it was a yummy breakfast.
After breakfast, we joined the rest of the group for the start of our day. Our morning surprise was that the group will be using a Routemaster bus to get around the city of Westminster. The Routemaster bus has no longer been used as transportation since 2005. They can now only be rented for special occasions. Clearly our group constitutes a special occasion. We all hopped on - well in between taking pictures - and headed to Parliament Square. We got a nice view of the bell tower that houses Big Ben (the bell) as well as the Parliament buildings.
We spent the remainder of the morning touring Westminster Abbey with 2 Blue Badge guides. We got to enter a back entrance into the cloisters. We got interesting stories about the Kings and other notable people actually buried in the Abbey, like Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The Abbey is so different from the way churches are built here. I think Andrew and I really liked it - even more than Notre Dame. As we exited the Abbey we were almost pulled into a Westminister Choir School event - they were holding a fund-raising fair. Although we were unable to attend, we did get to see some traditional British Dance.
Next, we were back on the bus for a short trip St. James' park. It was an absolutely amazing green park. I probably could have just spent an afternoon out there reading a book. We took some pictures and then the group headed towards Buckingham Palace. The tour guides had magically guided us to a great spot just prior to 12:30 - time for the changing of the guard. Those guys really take pride in their job. It was an amazing sight to see.
After more time to take pictures, we gathered on the bus for a ride to Harrod's Department Store, which is huge by the way. The only store that I could think of that it compares to was the FAO Schwartz store in NY except add another like 4 levels to it. We had High Tea at the Georgian Restaurant on the 4th floor. We both enjoyed the Harrod's special tea, sandwiches, and scones. Andrew and I took about an hour to explore the rest of Harrod's. Even though a half off sale was going on - I couldn't bring myself to buy anything. Half off the pounds would then get doubled because of the exchange rate - so that 160 pound outfit is still 160 dollars. Ooops.
We caught the bus back to the hotel for a short afternoon of relaxing and getting all dressed up. Our dinner this evening was taken care of by the trip and we were going to Simpson's-on-the-Strand. This used to be a gentlemen's only club until 1984. Other than that tid-bit, we had a wonderful dinner. The group then walked a little ways to the Lyceum Theatre to see the production of The Lion King. If you don't know the show - it is performed with puppets. It was outstanding. I would love to get the opportunity to see it back here in the States as well. After about 5 minutes - you forget about the actors - the puppets really are alive. I was most impressed by the wildebeest stampede. It was an amazing feat of set design. As Disney VIP's, our day was a little bit longer. After the show ended, we got a special backstage tour. We got an up close look at the costumes, puppets, and sets. That was really amazing. By the time we made it back to the hotel, we had surpassed tired and gone straight to totally exhausted. But the good kind of exhausted.
After breakfast, we joined the rest of the group for the start of our day. Our morning surprise was that the group will be using a Routemaster bus to get around the city of Westminster. The Routemaster bus has no longer been used as transportation since 2005. They can now only be rented for special occasions. Clearly our group constitutes a special occasion. We all hopped on - well in between taking pictures - and headed to Parliament Square. We got a nice view of the bell tower that houses Big Ben (the bell) as well as the Parliament buildings.
We spent the remainder of the morning touring Westminster Abbey with 2 Blue Badge guides. We got to enter a back entrance into the cloisters. We got interesting stories about the Kings and other notable people actually buried in the Abbey, like Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The Abbey is so different from the way churches are built here. I think Andrew and I really liked it - even more than Notre Dame. As we exited the Abbey we were almost pulled into a Westminister Choir School event - they were holding a fund-raising fair. Although we were unable to attend, we did get to see some traditional British Dance.
Next, we were back on the bus for a short trip St. James' park. It was an absolutely amazing green park. I probably could have just spent an afternoon out there reading a book. We took some pictures and then the group headed towards Buckingham Palace. The tour guides had magically guided us to a great spot just prior to 12:30 - time for the changing of the guard. Those guys really take pride in their job. It was an amazing sight to see.
After more time to take pictures, we gathered on the bus for a ride to Harrod's Department Store, which is huge by the way. The only store that I could think of that it compares to was the FAO Schwartz store in NY except add another like 4 levels to it. We had High Tea at the Georgian Restaurant on the 4th floor. We both enjoyed the Harrod's special tea, sandwiches, and scones. Andrew and I took about an hour to explore the rest of Harrod's. Even though a half off sale was going on - I couldn't bring myself to buy anything. Half off the pounds would then get doubled because of the exchange rate - so that 160 pound outfit is still 160 dollars. Ooops.
We caught the bus back to the hotel for a short afternoon of relaxing and getting all dressed up. Our dinner this evening was taken care of by the trip and we were going to Simpson's-on-the-Strand. This used to be a gentlemen's only club until 1984. Other than that tid-bit, we had a wonderful dinner. The group then walked a little ways to the Lyceum Theatre to see the production of The Lion King. If you don't know the show - it is performed with puppets. It was outstanding. I would love to get the opportunity to see it back here in the States as well. After about 5 minutes - you forget about the actors - the puppets really are alive. I was most impressed by the wildebeest stampede. It was an amazing feat of set design. As Disney VIP's, our day was a little bit longer. After the show ended, we got a special backstage tour. We got an up close look at the costumes, puppets, and sets. That was really amazing. By the time we made it back to the hotel, we had surpassed tired and gone straight to totally exhausted. But the good kind of exhausted.
Bath!
This morning I had my first bath. I don't understand why I needed one - - I was just starting to feel good about my puppy smell. I think Daddy said the Oklahoma heat combined with the huge storms, and mud, made me stinky. I wasn't complaining. I was a bit scared of the tub of water Mommy put me in, but I jumped out once. It wasn't so bad. I was even congratulated when I did great dog shake. Hey, every dog knows that - but I don't mind free praise.
My three-month birthday is just a few days away!
~~Silvio
My three-month birthday is just a few days away!
~~Silvio
LiveStrong
My mom is participating in the Livestrong Challenge in Philly on the 24th. She is walking as a member of Team 1 Reason. The team is working on raising $5000 for cancer research and awareness. I can't believe it has been 3 years since she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer- so much has happened with our family since then. I'm really grateful she could be at my wedding. So if you have some spare change, please go to
http://philly08.livestrong.org/dees
and make a donation in support of her walk and for anyone else who is fighting cancer.
http://philly08.livestrong.org/dees
and make a donation in support of her walk and for anyone else who is fighting cancer.
Checkup!
Today, mommy took me for my 12 week check-up with Dr. W. It was raining all day. Mommy was worried I wouldn't go "do my duty" before going to see the vet. But I did "do my duty" while mommy was walking me, all my info, and my pet carrier out to Happy car. Happy is a funny name for a car - although I still don't get what a car does. Somehow when the pet carrier door opened up, we were at the animal hospital. I met a bunch of new people and even saw a couple of new dogs too. All of them seemed kinda nervous though. We finally got to see Dr. W and she said I weighed a good 6.2 pounds, so I wasn't going to get huge like some other pug mommy mentioned. Kona is his name - mommy says he's 30 pounds. Someone picked me up, which made me very happy, and then I felt a bunch of ouchies on my rear-end. It hurt quite a bit. But mommy said I had been a good boy with all of the shots I had to take and even gave me a treat when I got home. I also got a souvenir red tag to put on my collar. It was a long day - so I slept for a while. At least I don't have to go to see Dr. W for a while.
~~Silvio
~~Silvio
July 10/11 - Cheers!
Here is the beginning of our honeymoon adventures:
On July 10, we left El Paso,TX in the early afternoon. We flew for a total of about 12 hours and arrived in London's Heathrow Airport at 9:30 in the morning of July 11th. After passing through customs, which did take a while to get through the line, we managed to find the Adventures By Disney car service. They took us as well as two other people on the tour to our hotel - Marriott Renaissance Chancery Court in Westminster. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of traffic and road closures, so we got our first taste of London and Westminster making our way to the hotel.
We got to the hotel around noon and checked in. We also checked in with one of our Disney tour guides - Roni. She gave us free tickets to get on the London Eye (this is actually one of the things we didn't do - we were too exhausted). We tried to follow the traveler's rule of staying awake to fight the jet lag. Didn't so much happen. Andrew and I decided to take a nap and then headed out for a little walk to find some local currency. We got a good lay of the land, but had to resort to getting currency at the front desk.
That evening we had our Welcome Dinner. We went around the room introducing ourselves. In total - there were 43 people on the tour plus our two Tour guides - Roni and Eddie. The adults got more information as to each days individual activities while the junior adventurer's got to watch a movie. We all joined up to have a yummy dinner. Afterwards, Andrew and I took a little walk to get us a bit exhausted and then headed to bed.
On July 10, we left El Paso,TX in the early afternoon. We flew for a total of about 12 hours and arrived in London's Heathrow Airport at 9:30 in the morning of July 11th. After passing through customs, which did take a while to get through the line, we managed to find the Adventures By Disney car service. They took us as well as two other people on the tour to our hotel - Marriott Renaissance Chancery Court in Westminster. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of traffic and road closures, so we got our first taste of London and Westminster making our way to the hotel.
We got to the hotel around noon and checked in. We also checked in with one of our Disney tour guides - Roni. She gave us free tickets to get on the London Eye (this is actually one of the things we didn't do - we were too exhausted). We tried to follow the traveler's rule of staying awake to fight the jet lag. Didn't so much happen. Andrew and I decided to take a nap and then headed out for a little walk to find some local currency. We got a good lay of the land, but had to resort to getting currency at the front desk.
That evening we had our Welcome Dinner. We went around the room introducing ourselves. In total - there were 43 people on the tour plus our two Tour guides - Roni and Eddie. The adults got more information as to each days individual activities while the junior adventurer's got to watch a movie. We all joined up to have a yummy dinner. Afterwards, Andrew and I took a little walk to get us a bit exhausted and then headed to bed.
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