Have you ever heard of a fish called turbot?
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September2nd
3 CommentsJust for the Halibut
Posted in: Recipes
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September1st
Mrs. Clean
Posted in: My House is a Wreck
My mom had a few signature phrases when Sister and I were little (in those pre-Little Brother days). “Eat your peas, Louise,” was the constant dinnertime plea, while, “Goodness gracious sakes alive!” was appropriate for just about any situation. But Mama’s most notable catchphrase — the one I heard her proclaim the most often — was, “My house is a WRECK!”
I always thought our house looked fine. Sure, it got a little messy here and there. Sister and I were kids, not museum docents. But Mama was always insisting the place was a “wreck.”
And since it’s inevitable that we all grow up to be our mothers, I now find myself habitually asserting, “My house is a wreck!”
So today’s recipe is not one you should eat. Technically you could eat it, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It is, however, excellent for scrubbing your shower tiles and for getting soap scum off of glass shower doors, if that’s what you’re rocking. Plus it’s “all natural,” which is a a big trend with the fetuses these days. And if you’re a fan of those super-strong household cleaners with odors so potent it singes your nose hairs, this one does that too.
ALL-NATURAL SHOWER SCRUBBING SOLUTION
White vinegar
Baking sodaPour vinegar into a spray bottle and spray down your shower. Shake baking soda over top — it will sizzle in a way that is oddly gratifying — and a foamy paste will form. Scrub with a scrubby sponge until your shower sparkles and you have temporarily disabled your sense of smell. Rinse.
Other favorite cleaning products include Clorox wipes (when they go on sale I buy like 10 things of them at a time) and Swiffer — dry for my hardwood floors, wet for my kitchen and the bathrooms. Oh and Clorox toilet wands. What about you? Any recommendations?
Happy September!
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August31st
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Posted in: Life
Last night, the California Duffys made a double date of the Phillies-Dodgers game at LA’s Dodger Stadium. My sister-in-law, Casey, equipped with her Blackberry, agreed to be guest photographer for today’s blog. (Thanks, Casey!) Mike and his brother, Tim, got to go meet the Phillies players before the game, and they were just a tiny bit excited.
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August30th
Monday, Monday
Posted in: A Good Cause, Life, Recipes
How was your weekend? Here’s what I did.
On Friday I got to meet little Harlow Parker Baldinger.
Harlow made her debut last Thursday, August 26, weighing in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. She was 19 inches long, and I’m just so happy for her mama and daddy, Devon & Jeff. Harlow, I might add, looks JUST like her mama. Beautiful. 🙂
On Saturday morning Hubba Bubba and I went out to run that 5K I told you about, benefitting the Bonnie J. Adarrio Lung Cancer Foundation. I had hoped to run most of it, and I expected to have to walk part of it. To my pleasant surprise, Baby Girl and I sailed through the whole thing, running like we were some kind of powered-by-two superwoman. “This isn’t bad at all!” I thought to myself with the finish line looming ahead. As I crossed over it, I heard my time called out. “Nineteen minutes!” Nineteen minutes?!
Now, I knew there was just no way on this earth that I had run 3.1 miles in 19 minutes. It turned out that the course hadn’t been mapped out correctly, and the “5K” had been a mere 2.1 miles.
This not-so-minor snafu in course planning reminded me that we were out there to raise awareness for a good cause, and that that goal, at least, had been accomplished. My workout, however, had not been. So Hubba Bubba and I went back together and ran the course a second time in order to earn our brunch.
I called Sister afterwards, giggling, to tell her that my “5K” time had been 19 minutes. That event was supposed to have been the pinnacle of my pregnancy fitness, I explained to her, and so I was feeling a little anti-climactic. Besides, I’d talked about it on the blog. Now what would I tell the readers?
Sister’s advice: “So go out and run a 5K and time yourself.” Hmm. I’ll have to get back to y’all on that one.
On Sunday I went shopping and found some bargains on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica (not a usual spot for bargain shopping, so I was pretty excited). I also overheard a really loud guy with a seriously strong New York accent talking to his kids in one of the stores I popped into. “Man this guy is… northern,” I thought to myself, shortly before realizing it was Adam Sandler! Living in LA can be kind of fun. 🙂
Afterwards I came home and made chocolate chip cookies. Just the regular old Nestle Tollhouse recipe you find on the chocolate chip bag. But they were good.
Like I said, the recipe is on the bag, but I’ve listed the ingredients below so you can make your grocery list. These are particularly rewarding after you have completed a 5K, or a “5K.” 😉
NESTLE TOLLHOUSE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 11.5-oz package chocolate chips (I used semisweet chunks.)
1 C chopped nuts (I skipped this, but it’s up to you.)Prepare and bake according to package directions.
Have a great week!
