they wish you a merry christmas

No babies

Random Act of Culture

Go to:

http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2010/11/awesome-pop-up-hallelujah-chorus-at.html

The world needs more of this.

A New Favorite Song

Here is a song for you to enjoy.

You can read the lyrics here.

:)

My turn

I guess I should 'fess up, since I'm the one who asked.

The best one that I can think of, which I didn't think was naughty at the time, was when Jo and I and next door neighbor E used to ride our bikes to the church parking lot and play Egypt Game behind the bushes. We had a purple plastic juice bottle shaped like a bear named Omar that we pseudo-worshipped. I can't remember much else of what we did back there, but I don't think Mom meant us to be there.

I also remember getting into Mom's medicine cabinet and finding her "eau de toilette," which I translated as "toilet water." Well, that obviously belongs in the toilet, doesn't it? I loved the lily-of-the-valley scent, and I tipped in a few drops whenever I thought I could get away with it, even after Mom once caught me and forbade it.

Another repeated offense with neighbor E and probably Jo was looking for geodes. We'd find a promising-looking rock and hit it with a huge one to see what was inside, but alas, we never found any geodes. Mom, probably worried for our fingers, told us to stop, so we always did it at E's house after that.

Excuse me, I'm going to go see what my kids are up to.

Amy's Actus Reus

I can't decide on just one, so I'll post a short list.

Age 3: the famous chocolate syrup incident. Too humiliating to rehash.

Age 3: smeared Beth's lotion all over the carpet and blamed a visiting cousin. Don't remember if I was caught.

Age 4: got a bunch of boys to play with me in the forbidden supply closet in preschool. They were caught. I got out of punishment because I confessed. Was more careful the next time.

Age 5: stuck a Barbie in the microwave when Mom was outside to see what would happen. Nothing happened. Decided that Barbies were stupid.

Age 5: accidentally killed one of my brother's fish pretending it was a piranha. Never admitted it. (This was NOT the one found behind his dresser; I take no responsibility for that.)

Age 6: guilted a friend into giving me a blood vow never to tell that I cut a section of my hair (on the underside, so Mom never found it). Only she refused to prick herself, so I let her use a red marker. Which was stolen from Beth. Triple play.

Age 6: broke one of those glass toy plates when I took it outside without permission. Got a friend to help me bury it in his garden. Might well have cut up his family with the shards.

Age 7: convinced the whole first grade that I was really an Indian. Gave one kid false hope that his skin could turn white like mine did. Let them forget it when my friend wanted to ask my mom which tribe we were from. Though I did keep some baby pictures under my mattress for a year, just in case the friend remembered and decided to check my scrapbook.

I'll leave it there. That's quite enough for one post--and besides, I'm nearing the age of actual responsibility. Shudder.

my naughtiness

Here's my confession...

From the time I was little to the time when I was old enough to know better, I was a sneak. I poked around in my siblings rooms to see what cool things they had.

Sorry, sisters! (I didn't do much snooping in my brother's room...)

Jo's Confessional

I couldn't tell you how old I was, but I remember raiding Marmee's makeup bag and drawing on various things with the makeup pencils, including myself and the upstairs bathroom walls, countertop, and trash can.

Naughty

A challenge for you all: tell us your version of something you did when you were little that was naughty.

Amy's Breakfast Recipe

Ingredients:

1 box of cereal (variant)

1 bowl

1 spoon

1 bowlful of milk

Pour first the cereal, then milk, into the bowl. Eat it with the spoon.

Fast. Impossible to mess up.

My kind of breakfast.

Eggs: Theme & Variations

I was thinking through my favorite breakfasts and came to the conclusion that I rarely have an egg-free one. So, hopefully this doesn't count as too common because I'm going to show how my standard egg recipes have evolved into something a little more eggs-trordinary. hee hee hee.

I like these because pretty much all of the prep work can be done the night before and it makes me feel as if you're having a fancy breakfast.

Southwest Scrambles

fold your choice(s) of the following into your scrambled eggs:
1. diced green onion
2. diced yellow onion
3. diced bell pepper
4. chopped cilantro
5. hot sauce
6. red pepper flakes
7. diced Anaheim or jalapeno pepper
8. salt & pepper

add your choice(s) of the following to the cooked mixture
1. black beans
2. pinto beans
2. shredded cheese
3. fresh cilantro leaves
4. salsa
5. tortilla to wrap in


Sauteed Veggie Scrambles

fold your choice(s) of the following into your scrambled eggs:
1. sauteed zucchini
2. sauteed summer squash
3. sauteed yellow onion
4. sauteed bell pepper
5. sauteed mushrooms
6. salt & pepper
7. salt, pepper & dill weed (a personal favorite)
8. minced garlic or garlic powder

add your choice(s) of the following to the cooked mixture
1. fresh minced basil
2. fresh minced oregano
3. diced tomato
4. shredded cheese
5. french bread toast to scoop onto

I have a few other variations, but they would make the post pretty long, so I'll save them for another time.

my breakfast contribution

Mr. Tupman (thanks for the name for my husband, John!) makes me this for breakfast a lot, and I absolutely love it!

We call this "Egg in a Toast."

Ingredients needed:

Bread

Eggs

Salt and Pepper

All you have to do, is rip out a circle from the middle of the bread - about half dollar sized. Then you put it in the frying pan (and we melt a little butter in the pan before we put it in) and crack an egg into the bread. Salt and pepper to taste, and cook like you would a regular egg. We also like to put some cherry tomatoes in the pan while it's cooking. It makes a nice addition to an already yummy breakfast.

I don't even like eggs, but this may be my favorite breakfast ever! I love poking the egg so the yolk runs out, then dipping my bread into the yolk.

Breakfast ideas

As I'm sure you can all imagine since you know how little a morning person I am, breakfasts really aren't my strong point and I tend to not be very creative.

I do have good intentions, though. I have a whole folder of bookmarks devoted to breakfast. So I'll share some links with you instead of an actual recipe.

• Carrot cake waffles
• Pumpkin spice granola
• Idaho sunrise
• Strawberry smoothie
• Make your own cereal

breakfast week

I, Beth, hereby declare this week Breakfast Week.

Post your favorite breakfast recipe.

The catch - no waffles, pancakes, or other common breakfast items.

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."

~ Louisa May Alcott

Two little dolls

Here's Baby's favorite movie of the moment. Her favorite part is the cats at the end. Do you remember it?

Mozart, Schmozart

Here's a story that John heard on the radio yesterday that I though you all might find interesting:

'Mozart Effect' Was Just What We Wanted To Hear

Fettuccine with Brussels sprouts

One last spaghetti recipe from me. This is one of John's favorites.

———

8 ounces fettuccine

1 pound brussels sprouts
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup walnut halves, toasted

1. Cook fettuccine.
2. Chop Brussels sprouts, onion, and garlic.
3. Fry in butter until tender.
4. Drain pasta and toss together all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

Spicy sausage spaghetti sauce

I made this one up myself. It's my favorite!

———

1 pound hot Italian sausage
2 onions, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
6 14.5 ounce cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 small cans tomato paste
juice of one lemon
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
zest of one lemon

1. Cook sausage, onions, garlic, and peppers in 6-quart, heavy-bottomed pot. 
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Simmer until sauce comes together and thickens, about 45 minutes. 
3. Add basil and lemon zest and serve. 

Serves 12. 

BLT Spaghetti

I just made this for dinner tonight. Dear husband (what do I call him on this blog? nothing....) requested it, so I made it. It's from the Rachael Ray website, although I didn't follow her recipe exactly.

BLT Spaghetti

1 pound spaghetti

4 thick slices of pancetta (I just used about 6 slices of bacon)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, grated or minced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used a bit more)

1 medium red onion, diced

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 cup basil, shredded (I used slightly under 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped (again, slightly under 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (of course, I probably used more)

2 cups arugula (I used baby spinach)

While pasta water is coming to a boil, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add bacon/pancetta. Brown for about 3 minutes. (Cook pasta when water boils.)

Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook about 1-2 minutes. Add red onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, some salt, and ground black pepper. Cover and cook about 7-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst.

Add spaghetti to skillet along with basil, parsley, and parmesan. Just before serving, top with arugula (or spinach).

Note: This made a lot (you can imagine, 1 lb of spaghetti...) so I put some in the fridge for tomorrow, and froze the rest of it. I can't wait to eat it again!

This was so yummy! I took some (still warm) over to Marmee, and she loved it too! I'm glad I found this just in time for spaghetti week! :) I almost took a picture, but I forgot. Sorry!

Sopa seca

8 oz. spaghetti
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped very vine
shredded cheese
sour cream
cilantro

Heat half the oil in large lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Roll spaghetti in a towel the long way and twist the ends. Grab the ends of the towel and break the spaghetti in half on the edge of the counter. Toast spaghetti in skillet until golden. Remove from pan.

Heat remaining oil and saute onion and garlic with salt. Add cumin. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and chile. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the spaghetti. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. Serves 3–4.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Note: I use the herb measurements as guidelines and not hard-and-fast measurements.

1 lb pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 T cajun seasoning (or more to taste)
2 T butter or margarine
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4 large bell peppers (any color), diced
1-2 small zucchini, diced
1-2 small yellow squash, diced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch green onion, finely diced
1 cup heavy cream (may substitute thickened chicken broth or plain yogurt)

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

1/2 t dried thyme

1 t lemon pepper

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 c grated parmesean cheese

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and coat with cajun seasoning. In a wok or large skillet, saute garlic and yellow onion in margarine over medium heat. Add chicken, cook until nearly done. Add peppers, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until peppers are tender and chicken is fully cooked.Add cream, basil, lemon pepper, and black pepper. Heat through. Toss with pasta and top with parmesean cheese.

Be warned that this fills my full-sized wok to capacity when everything is combined.

Angel Chicken Pasta

Angel Chicken Pasta
Serves 4-6

1 – 1 ½ lbs. chicken tenders
2 T. butter
1 package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
( You can use Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder, and pepper)
2 T. vinegar
2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup
8 ounces light cream cheese
¼ c. chopped fresh chives (optional)
Mushrooms, peppers, or onions (optional)
1 lb. angel hair pasta


Preheat oven to 325. If using optional vegetables, sauté in a separate pan until almost tender.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in salad dressing mix or seasonings. Blend in vinegar and golden mushroom soup. Cut cream cheese into cubes and gradually add to mixture; do not boil. Add chives. Add optional vegetables.
Arrange chicken in 9x13 pan and pour sauce over all. Bake for 60 minutes. Cook pasta al dente, timing to finish when chicken is done. Drain and serve chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Lemon Spaghetti

Lemon Spaghetti

1 pound spaghetti (sometimes I use any ridged pasta, because the sauce coats it better)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I use more)

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Optional - fresh parsley and basil leaves

Cook pasta.

While pasta is cooking, heat a large, deep skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest.

When pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta, and the cream to the garlic mixture. Raise the heat, and bring the sauce to a bubble.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and put in serving bowl. Pour sauce over, and toss to coat. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Pride and Prejudice Land

Good old Red Dwarf. Watch them in order for clarity.

Balsamic chicken pasta

Everyone post your favorite spaghetti recipes this week!

———
Balsamic chicken pasta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 chicken portions
• salt and pepper
• 2 14.5-ounce cans tomatoes
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 pound pasta, cooked (preferably angel hair)

Heat olive oil in medium pan and brown chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce reduces a bit. Serve over pasta.

Round Robin Storytime

Since I have yet to post, I thought I'd kick things off with a Jo-inspired interactive. Everyone add a sentence or two or up to a paragraph at their leisure and we'll see where the story takes us.

***

Running down the muddy, rutted dirt road at full speed, Abigail desperately tried to keep her one-size-too-large boots from slipping off of her feet.

Who Deserves to Live?

Weeds are mighty tanks,

Storming down long lines of orderly flowers

Who wait pathetically for

Whatever fate awaits them.

Weeds are poisoned,

Pulled up and murdered,

But grow stronger

Because they have to fight.

While the flowers wail for water, or

Fertilizer, or

A nicer temperature,

The weeds battle just to live.

Gardeners complain.

Weeds attack the flowers! but don't they know

That the flowerbed is the sanctuary from Weed-B-Gon?

So answer me this:

Who deserves to live?

We take so many things for granted: all weeds are bad and ugly; all "classic literature" is actually good. I'm not usually the poetry type, but I found that this was the best way to get my message across: think outside the box, dang it!

the story of the chicken

In true Beth character, here is my newest favorite recipe. My husband loves it as well, and it's really simple to make. I found it at tablespoon.com

Chicken Milano

Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Salad

1 cup tightly packed baby spinach or arugula

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons diced red onion

Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a medium bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Stir in salad to coat.

(Here the recipe suggests pounding the chicken to 3/4 in thickness, but I didn't do it.)

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

On separate plates, place flour and bread crumbs. In a bowl, beat the egg slightly. Coat chicken with flour. Dip into egg; coat well with bread crumbs.

In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8 to 10 minutes (more if you don't pound it), turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut and coating is golden brown. Serve chicken topped with salad and sprinkled with cheese.

Here is the picture from the same website:

Our Favorite Movie Quotes

source

Meg 

Marilla: Twenty pounds of brown sugar. 

Jo 

Alice: If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see? 

Beth 

Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE. 

Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Amy

Cook: “What’s this? A green kickball?”

Boss: “It’s lettuce, Cookie.”

Cook: “Lettuce? Lettuce!? What do I need with doggone lettuce?”

Boss: “It’s a vegetable, Cookie. The men need the four basic food groups.”

Cook: “I’ve got the four basic food groups! Beans, bacon, whiskey, and lard!”

Marmee

Anna: Oh, but this is a lie! 

King: It is a FALSE lie!

Take that!

The Pickwick Portfolio

(Click images to see full-size.)