Costume Creativity Abounds.

I'm constantly impressed by the creativity of others. Here are two last minute Halloween costumes parents could pull off with relative ease. I particularly like the monkey costume. It's clear what he is, but it's also quite simple. The bee looks like it involves a bit more, but not much. Check out the instructions here and here.

D. I. S. C. O.

When I was young one of my very favorite records was a Mini Pops LP. It featured an ABBA medley, Disco medley, Blondie medley and an oldies medley in addition to all sorts of other gems like "Brown Girl in the Ring" and "Una Paloma Blanca" ......... I mean, what on earth! One of my very favorites was the song D.I.S.C.O. and until this year I had no idea who sang the original one... It turns out it's a group called Ottawan. I've included a brief explanation of 1980s mini pops from You Tube. If you search for it on there you'll find all sorts of great samples of their songs and videos. I only played the record... the videos are new to me. And there remain songs from that record which I love and have only heard there.. "When" and "Chip Shop" for example. I guess next I might be trying to track down those originals too.

Wandering 'Round the Bookstore

A couple days ago I actually had time to browse the book shelves of the local Barnes and Noble. Here are a few books which caught my eye. I didn't buy any, but these were the ones I might look for at the library.


New Biographies:

Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn
by William J. Mann

Schultz and Peanuts
by David Michaelis




Nonfiction:

Sedaris
by Kevin Kopleman

Thunderstruck
by Erik Larson

Omnivore's Dilemma
by Michael Pollan


Short Story Collection:

Blind Willow Sleeping Woman
24 Stories
by Haruki Murakami

Fiction by an Author I've read before:

Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Housseni


The Other Boleyn Girl
by Phillapa Gregory

Tuesday Next First Among Sequels
by Jasper Fforde

The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime
by Jasper Fforde

On My Way to 50K

Why do it?

There are three reasons.

1) If you don't do it now, you probably never will. Novel writing is mostly a "one day" event. As in "One day, I'd like to write a novel." Here's the truth: 99% of us, if left to our own devices, would never make the time to write a novel. It's just so far outside our normal lives that it constantly slips down to the bottom of our to-do lists. The structure of NaNoWriMo forces you to put away all those self-defeating worries and START. Once you have the first five chapters under your belt, the rest will come easily. Or painfully. But it will come. And you'll have friends to help you see it through to 50k.

2) Aiming low is the best way to succeed. With entry-level novel writing, shooting for the moon is the surest way to get nowhere. With high expectations, everything you write will sound cheesy and awkward. Once you start evaluating your story in terms of word count, you take that pressure off yourself. And you'll start surprising yourself with a great bit of dialogue here and a ingenious plot twist there. Characters will start doing things you never expected, taking the story places you'd never imagined. There will be much execrable prose, yes. But amidst the crap, there will be beauty. A lot of it.

3) Art for art's sake does wonderful things to you. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It makes you want to take naps and go places wearing funny pants. Doing something just for the hell of it is a wonderful antidote to all the chores and "must-dos" of daily life. Writing a novel in a month is both exhilarating and stupid, and we would all do well to invite a little more spontaneous stupidity into our lives.

--------------------------------

Those reasons are the ones given by the NaNoWriMo crew on their FAQ pages and I thought they summed things up pretty well for me. I'm not sure I'll be able to complete the 50,000 word goal but I am going to go for it. Right now I have NO CLUE what to write about. What my novel should be about... who or where or when. Hmmmm... I know I am not supposed to start writing before November 1st, but it would be nice to have an idea. I'll probably add a word meter to the sidebar so you can monitor my progress too.

Mr. Bones

This is from the ultra-cool Halloween napkins I picked up this year.

Wickedly Delicious?

Scorched Caramel, Bitter Brandied Cherry, Curious Chili are the featured flavors. For tasting notes click here. I have to say, if these didn't cost $95.00 for three chocolates, I'd have ordered them already. I love these!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
from Everyday with Rachel Ray

Makes: Twelve Servings
Prep Time: 30 min (plus cooling)
Bake Time: 1 hr 15 min






Ingredients
Cooking spray
25 gingersnap cookies
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, cut into chunks and softened
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Boiling water

Directions
1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Using a food processor, grind the cookies with 1/4 cup sugar. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until firm, 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in 2 eggs until blended. Transfer 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 3 eggs, the pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin-pie spice and salt and beat until combined, 2 minutes.

3. Set the springform pan with the cooled crust on a double layer of heavy-duty foil and wrap the foil tightly around the bottom and sides; set in a roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust. Dollop the reserved cream cheese mixture onto the filling and, using the tip of a knife, swirl together. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and fill with enough boiling water to reach about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center is slightly wobbly but the edges are firm to the touch, about 1 1/4 hours.

4. Transfer the roasting pan with the cheesecake to a rack and let cool for 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan, discard the foil and let the cheesecake cool on the rack for 3 hours. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

5. Remove the springform pan sides. Run a knife under the bottom of the cake to release it, then slide onto a serving platter.


****
This was my first cheesecake and it turned out to be pretty yummy. Of course I love pumpkiny things. I had to invest in springform pan which worked well. I had no idea! It feels like it weighs ten pounds and it's pretty rich but a cup of coffee should help with that. If you are looking for a seasonal dessert, this might be one to try.

Boo!

Granola Girl

I am on a baking frenzy. Unfortunately, my granola experiment may not have been the most "healthy" of all granola recipes... still it is DELICIOUS. I suspect it won't last too long at my house. I found the recipe here and I think I'll try her no fail granola recipe next.

vanilla almond granola

4 c old-fashioned oats
1 c sliced almonds
2 T flax seed
1/4 t salt
1/8 t cinnamon

3 T brown sugar
1 packet of vanilla sugar (or just 2 T of white sugar)
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/4 c honey

1 T almond butter (I used peanut butter)
4 t vanilla extract

1. Preheat to 300°F. Mix the first 5 ingredients in large bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine oil, honey, and sugar. Stir honey mixture until it just begins to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in the almond butter and vanilla. Once the almond butter melts, pour the hot liquid over the oats and stir well until throughly mixed.

2. Spread granola on a large rectangular baking sheet or pan. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Break apart and store in an airtight container.

So Cute, It's Scary.

Here are a few of my favorite Halloween costume ideas I found on Martha Stewart's site. Check 'em out. The chicken is using rubber gloves for feet and white feather boas for the body. The spider legs are made from socks. I love it!

Mmmmmm.... Bread.

Really Tasty Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread
(The foundation of which is Anne's No-Knead Bread, courtesy of Ms. Alicia Paulson)
I found the recipe here.

Combine and set aside:
2 C King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 pinch Salt
2 packages of dry yeast (1/4 oz packets)
2 Tablespoons fresh Rosemary (or dried, if it's what you have access to)

Warm lightly on the stove:
1 C Water
1 C Milk
1/4 C Olive Oil

Have on hand:
1 Egg
2 C. White Whole Wheat flour
Greased loaf pan (6"x9" or 5"x8")
1-2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove liquids from heat, and add egg. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients. Blend slowly (with your mixer, or your wooden spoon) and then a bit more vigorously for 3 minutes. Stir in the other 2 cups of flour with your spoon. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 50 minutes (it should be about doubled). Stir down and then spoon into greased loaf pan.

Bake for about 35 minutes, and then test with a knife or skewer for done-ness. It may take another 5-10 minutes if you're using a 5"x8" loaf pan. Take care to not overcook, it should be lovely and golden all around. Brush/spread top with a dollop or two of softened butter.

Let it cool for at least 30 minutes (but preferably a bit more) before turning it out. Let cool a bit more, whilst cutting slivers absent-mindedly for yourself to snack on. After it's mostly cooled, unless you have enough people to devour the whole loaf right away, cut off some slices for yourself and those deserving, and wrap it in foil (It's very moist and soft and wonderful, but seems to get a hardness/staleness creeping in very quickly).

*** The recipe is from Emily Martin's site, complete with her narrative voice. ***

Time to Get Spooky!

I love Halloween. It's one of my favorite holidays. I think it's got a bit to do with dressing up and pretending to be someone else for awhile. I always did enjoy a good costume. My parents used to buy us those great store bought costumes and plastic masks when we were kids. I remember being a princess. A perfectly plastic princess.


In this one I'm the ghost. Yes, North Dakota Halloween weather can put a damper on the whole costume affair. (note the winter coats) Lately, though (thanks to global warming?) we've had less of that.

Our annual Halloween party is coming up fast and I have no idea what to wear for a costume. Last year I was Olive Oyl, before that a Greek goddess, Miss Towner County, a nurse, Princess Leia and so forth... This year's theme is decade based. So I guess I could just dress up as a groovy girl of the 60s or a punk chick of the 80s, but I find it is much more fun to be a particular person or character. Hmmm... well, I'll keep you posted.

Purchase Powers Unite.

I bought a new purse.

Oh yeah, and I bought a new car.

Yay. A 2008 Honda Civic LX Sedan

On Thursday I decided I had to take advantage of the day off from school so I borrowed my mother's car and drove to Fargo to look at cars. I'd narrowed my search down to the Honda Civic and the Kia Spectra and then at the last minute included the Scion xD back in the mix. Long story short, I decided against the Spectra and was wavering on the Scion (seduced by the great stereo) but in the end, that vehicle was just not for me. I drove home pretty certain that I would be buying a Honda Civic. I was still wavering though and when I drove past the local Toyota dealership I noticed they still only had the one xD in stock (white with a manual transmission) and I realized I would have to deal with those people when I wanted to service my vehicle or do any repairs. That was enough.

Before I went to the Honda dealer on Friday, I worked myself into a bit of a frenzy worrying about the cost. The first time I'd seen the car it was marked as $18,211, their "best price" and when I'd looked again it seemed to me it was a different price and I didn't write it down but I sensed that it was suddenly higher. I did some checking online. Found the invoice price on a 2007 and added the destination charge and 5 % and came up with about 17,800. I was bracing myself to ask for that price, certain I'd be denied since they are the kind of dealers that don't negotiate. They set "best prices." Still I thought if it had been cheaper a month earlier that I had some wiggle room. I did have it written down in my notebook and dated. Sooooo......

When I arrived at the dealership, I looked at the hang tag on the car. And I was right. The price WAS different from $18,211. It was $17,849. Almost exactly what I had determined was a fair price and what I was going to ask for. I was so relieved I almost cried. Yes, I have been a bit too dramatic and emotional over all this car business.

I completed the paperwork, eager to take my new baby home. Then I discovered I had to wait until they got it cleaned up and washed and vacuumed and then went over the car with me. So mom and I went shopping at my new favorite store, True Colors (a consignment shop) and I bought a purse. I think she's lovely.

Finally on Saturday morning someone from Honda picked me up with their convenience vehicle and an hour later, I was driving my new car. If you or anyone you know ( in the RR Valley) is looking for a Honda or Nissan. I have the salesguy for you. In the past month I've worked with a LOT of different people and I have to say I was genuinely glad that I was able to buy my car from David Stremick. Yay. He rocks.

A Permanent Problem?

After a whirlwind week, I said good-bye to the little munchkins and went off to work, knowing their grandparents were picking them up after school dismissed. It would be nice to sleep in my own bed. I simply had a few things to move back over to my place: my pur water pitcher, my pringles, some clean but not yet dry laundry etc. I also needed to get the mail and of course, try to get the PERMANENT MARKER OFF THEIR WOODEN KITCHEN TABLE. sigh.

Things were going too well. On Wednesday morning, I discovered that the "welcome home" poster we made the night before had left permanent marker stains all over the table. And it was all my fault. I'd grabbed the wrong markers, I didn't think to put something underneath it even though it could easily soak through. I just didn't think.

At work on Wed. I agonized over this. I asked for advice. What removes permanent marker?

I was told fingernail polish remover, but it will wreck the table or remove the finish. Someone suggested a "magic eraser" but said the same thing if it takes off the marker it may remove the finish too. Shari said that Orange Glow worked for her one time but it was right after the marker got on the table... not 22 hours later. Anna's suggestion was time. Time would wear it away. But not before Thursday night when Marci and Dave came home. Sigh.

I tried the Orange Glow... again and again... It looked nice and shiny and clean... but it still had permanent marker on it. Eventually I just gave up and left a note explaining the problem and how I would be willing to do whatever Marci wanted to try to fix it.

Thursday, she went to the antique store and bought some kind of wood refinishing product and it totally worked. Every trace of the markers is gone and the finish doesn't seem dulled. She had another product in case it did. Here's the miracle permanent marker remover from wood. That and a fine grade steel wool. Marci is WAY more bold than I am. Of course it's HER table. And it's all better. Whew.

Away Without Leave... so sorry.

Sorry, for the break in blog posts. Not only have I been away from my home, I've been neglecting my blog and instead have been guest-blogging babysitter style. The truth is, I could have been posting more. I just haven't had much to say. No rants, no new crazes, no new recipes and no car updates. Of course there has been plenty more neurotic ramblings and rationalizing and days of flip flopping but my week of babysitting is providing me with a much needed break in the car quest. I expect to resume it next weekend.

[status update in short: I'm in need of another glimpse of the Kia Spectra and the Honda Civic and maybe a reminder of the Nissan Altima and Mercury Milan... though I'm leaning Civic.. I'm not ruling out Spectra.. etc. You see the ongoing drama... and if you don't well, be thankful I'm sparing you the details. I have ruled out the Honda Civic Hybrid... it just doesn't seem like a good choice for this cold weather climate.]

Today, though, I stumbled upon a TV commercial for a new John Cusack film due out in November. I must admit I didn't like one of his more recent films, "Must Love Dogs," and I worry that this might be of the same ilk, but "Martian Child" actually looked decent and it also features his lovely sister Joan. I hope it lives up the trailer and to the expectations I have for John. I do love him. Seriously, how is it the man is still single? Could he be waiting for me? And if so, how will we ever cross paths? These are the big questions in my life this Sunday night.

Black or Blue?

Help. I can't decide. I want to plant my "cuttings" when they are rooted and ready but I am trying to decide which set of three planters I want. The black or the blue. I got the idea from my friend Cindy in August when I saw her three stoneware planters on a ledge in her kitchen with the vines cascading down. I loved the look and I've been searching for those planters ever since. I've given up on finding those exact ones and have found two sets that are similar. I just can't decide which look I like more. In order to give you an idea of what it might look like with the plants I just set the glasses of water inside them... obviously, I will plant them using soil and the whole deal when they are ready. Help me out, folks. Vote for your favorite look.

Car Sick

Following my week of frenzied car shopping I slowed down a bit and I've only been out three times to look at vehicles.

On Monday the first of October I drove an 08 Mercury Milan and a used 06 Accord.

On Wednesday October 3rd, I drove an 08 Subaru Legacy, sat in an 08 Subaru Impreza, and peered in the windows of the 07 Kia Optima.

Then on Friday I found out that the Altima now has the 2.9% financing again. Shoot. I do like that car but somewhere between my initial attraction and now I've read about a lot of potential problems with the Nissan Altimas and I was reminded that on the charts I've been reading in Consumer Reports and on JD Power and Associates that Nissan is no where near the top... not like Toyota and Honda.

On Saturday, October 6, I drove to Fargo with my friend Mike and together we tested 8 cars and sat in a total of 12. We started by driving the Impreza and then we tried several Kias: the Rio, the Spectra, and the Optima. Overall I preferred the Spectra of that bunch. The Kias were only 2007s but they had good prices and good specials and a good warranty. Later, online research suggested that there were a lot of dissatisfied people out there complaining about everything from the stereo speakers to the acceleration to actual break downs and the lack of Kia service and refusal to honor warranties.

Next we drove over to Toyota to see the Toyota Yaris, review the Corolla to see if maybe I was wrong in my first impression (I was not... I just don't like it) and then to sit in the Camry so Mike could compare the size difference. We test drove a Toyota Prius and I asked the sales person about the recent Toyota floor mats recalls and about the "runaway acceleration" I've been reading about. He didn't know much. I think I knew more about the Prius than he did. Seriously.

Following the Toyotas, we tried their Scion xD because a friend was eager for me to try it. It turned out to be much better than I expected after driving in the Honda Fit (a comparable car). Ultimately though, it has a small cargo area and isn't exactly "attractive" to me. It is a couple grand cheaper than the Honda Civic and yet they get about the same gas mileage and I guess I thought the xD might get more.

We made one last stop at the local Honda dealer before lunch (even though it was nearly 1 pm) so I could revisit the Honda Civic and do a bit of comparison between that and the xD, the Spectra, and the Corolla. It is a close race between the Kia Spectra and the Civic with the Spectra leading in price and the Civic leading in the reliability of the Honda name and the fact that it's the top car in its class just about everywhere you read. We sat in an Accord and pondered the size difference but we didn't drive this one. I know it drives smoother and is comfortable... the questions is it TOO big and do I want to spend the extra money for less gas mileage and more space.

After lunch we checked out the Mercury Milan and the Mazda 6. We test drove the Milan and decided it had the most room of all... and I was left still wondering what to do about the size difference. If I hadn't read all that about the Altima and the Prius I would still be considering those cars. Neither the Milan, nor the Accord offer any kind of incentives or special financing so I'm less inclined to go that way. The Honda Civic seems to be the best choice in that car class and so I"d like to look at it again side by side with the spectra.

It was a fast and furious afternoon of cars that left my wheels spinning. I feel like I'd narrowed things down but I still am undecided.

Floating Saucers

I love this ring. I'm not big on jewelry, but I do like the unique sort. I'm a size 4.5 or 5 if anyone is feeling generous. You can buy it here.

Reading Watching, Listening..... September in Review

What I Was Reading in September

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Teaching Adolsecent Writers by Kelly Gallagher
Fluke by Christopher Moore
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

I managed to finsh my book club book for September, Water for Elephants. In fact, our entire book club completed it. I guess that should tell us that it was a pretty good book. Told in first person narrative with alternating settings, our main character describes life in the nursing home, while remembering life on the circus train during the depression era. It was a fascinating topic and the authentic photos sprinkled through the book added to the effect.

I read a bit of Sophie's World trying to finish that buy was sidetracked by the current book club pick. Teaching Adolescent Writers is great and I'm nearly done with that one too. It was our professional book club pick and I enjoyed it enough to want to read his book on reading. I expect to finish Fluke sometime this week. It's quite a shift from the books I've been reading lately, but it IS entertaining.

What I Was Watching in September

On DVD
Hairspray
This is Spinal Tap
Neptune's Daughter
Grey Gardens
The Beales of Grey Gardens
Music and Lyrics
Elizabeth
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy

It was great fun to see the John Waters version of Hairspray so I could see where the musical versions came from. I wonder if I'd have liked it as much if I'd not seen the musical first?

This is Spinal Tap is one of those oft discussed films and I hadn't seen it even though I"ve seen all the other Christopher Guest mockumentary type films. I still think Best in Show is my favorite, but this was pretty darn funny. I'm sure I didn't "get" half of it since I've not watched that many music documentaries.

Neptune's Daughter is an Esther Williams and Red Skeleton film that I recalled from my youth. It was one of the very first "classic films" I saw. I love this type of film. It's just an all around feel good confection.

I've already raved about Grey Gardens. Read about that here.

Music and Lyrics was a repeat watch for me too. I saw the film in the theatre earlier this year, but with fun films like this I don't feel bad about watching them again.

I almost forgot I saw Elizabeth this month too. In preparation of the new one... Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Yippee. That make-up was something else. Was it just me or did it look like Cate had a prosthetic nose or ears or something in the film?

I'm starting to pick up speed again with my Bond films. I enjoyed both of these though I do think Roger Moore is getting a tish old for the role. Octopussy was my favorite. I think it's funny how the circus theme is making its way into my life in both books and film!


What I Was Listening to in September

This month, I was sort of out of commission for a good chunk of it and I find that I've been listening less to music. I did pull out a few old records and listen to Andy Kim in preparation for trivia. Pam loaned me her Toronto CDs. I've enjoyed some Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, particularly the song "Love is All Around" where she sings the Mary Tyler Moore theme song--a delightful combination of two of my favorites.

a random sampling from my MP3 player here are my posted shuffles:



Cadillac Ranch by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
I Don't Make Promises (I Can't Break) by Shannon Curfman
Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb
Star Witness by Neko Case
You're So Vain by Carly Simon

More Car Confusion

Monday I test drove a used 2006 Honda Accord that was a pretty basic vehicle. It was almost a shock to sit in a used car after driving all these fancy 08s. This one drove just fine. It has 16,000 miles on it and I could get it for $15,300. It was a lease return. Somehow I just couldn't get excited about it.

Then I broke my vow--the shunning of all things Ford... and I drove the Mercury Milan. This one had extras in it, I wouldn't want and was a black vehicle... also a no-no in Carmyn-world. But it was nice. My uncle has one. I plan to ask what he thinks... the ratings are high, but the cost isn't THAT low by comparison with the Accords and I'd hoped for some kinds of specials on domestic vehicles.. maybe that is only on 2007 models and maybe I should have looked at those? The other downside to this vehicle is that it gets only marginally good gas mileage by comparisons with the other cars in its class.

Now, I'm being urged by friends to try the Saturns, Subarus, and the Kias... so I guess that might be next. Why not the Hyundais too? Anyone know a reason why I should or should not be trying these other vehicles. I'm just at a loss.

And why exactly do Kia and Hyundai have such long warranties? (I mean, THAT is what I would love) If they don't ever break down that might make sense... but if that is the case why aren't they ranked higher on all these ratings I've been looking at?