• Family Fun,  Food,  Jew Stuff

    Eight Crazy Posts! (#1)

    The older boy, many years ago.Tonight at sundown, the Jewish holiday Hanukkah begins! We have already begun celebrating; last night our old friends came over for a pre-holiday dinner (because we couldn’t match schedules during the holiday!) and we had our Annual Hanukkah-palooza. I wrote about it last year when I had about three readers, and frankly this year was almost exactly the same: same food, same people, same fun, so I think last year’s post still holds. Click here to read about our fun evening and see photos of the phenomenally fattening–but delicious–food we made. Now, a little about dreidels. Basically a dreidel is a four-sided top which has…

  • Uncategorized

    Call Me Fickle…

    Waaaay back in the year 2000 (I was still in my early thirties then. Ahhh, those were the days…), Julesie and I went to see a movie with a friend of mine. If I’m not mistaken (Julesie will, no doubt, correct this and any other details I may get wrong in this story…remember, I’m old now.), the movie was “Where the Heart Is”, featuring Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd. While at the theater, employees were handing out flyers advertising a free movie screening for the next evening. Advance reservations were required and even a reservation didn’t guarantee entry: it was first come, first served at the start time. The movie?…

  • Fun in Chicago,  Random Thoughts

    Sugar Rush, Part Three

    I just came back in the house after shoveling our driveway with Jim and the older boy. (The younger one, upon hearing the magic words from me–“Snow Day!”–did not deem it appropriate to get up anyway–at 6:00–to help shovel. Oh well, they’re only young once.) Although it didn’t take very long (30 minutes?), the snow was the total opposite of yesterday’s light and fluffy, pushable whiteness. It’s not nearly the heaviest snow I’ve ever dealt with, but it was heavy. And pretty. It looked like and had the consistency of granulated sugar, hence my title. (sorry folks, no recipe today!) It was so…lovely! And then, halfway to being done, lightening…

  • Best Thing Ever,  Food,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    Sugar Rush, Part Two

    Seems like everyone who read yesterday’s post wants it, so here is the easiest truffle recipe you will ever make! The recipe is from a book called Homemade Candy: By the food editors of Farm Journal. It is a hardcover book, originally published in 1970 and cost my mom $4.95, according to the cover flap! Years ago when Julesie, our mom and I started making these yummy candies, I pilfered borrowed this book from Mom’s kitchen and just never gave it back*. Of course, I *did* write the recipe down for her, so she’d have it. TrufflesToo delicious for words to describe (it really says that, under the title!) 1…

  • Food

    Sugar Rush

    Nothing like a little sugar (okay, a lot) to take my mind off the pounding headache and nausea that came about partly as a result of my two hour, fifteen minute commute home from work in today’s blizzard (two hours longer than my normal commute). First, I want to show you the gorgeous candy gift I received from the younger son of Movie Maven, who is in my second grade Religious School class. Movie Maven told me she has been making this candy for years. It not only looks beautiful, but it tastes awesome, too! Next, tonight I finally got around to making those truffles I was tweeting about earlier…

  • Friends,  Spreading the Bloggie Love

    Maybe The Gals Over At BlogHer Are Looking For Someone Like Me?

    Seriously, if I could get paid to read blogs when I’m not writing, I would love that. I have once again updated my blogroll and am feeling slightly shameful at how many blogs are now listed on it. Obviously there is no way I can read them all everyday (there are a couple that I can’t miss though!) but I have really enjoyed discovering some extra folks to check in on, now and then. Here are just a couple: My girl Jen, who used to blog at the now closed-for-business Huckdoll’s Hood is now writing at Eternally Huckdoll. I *heart* Passive-Aggressive Notes, and you will too. Check that one out.…

  • Random Thoughts,  Working On My Fitness

    Nothing Personal, Smokers!

    The other day, the thirteen-year-old made an observation that I was totally cracking up about, but for reasons other than what he thought. It was nice to show him that sometimes things aren’t what they seem. The tv was on (of course) and the Denise Austin Idaho Potato commercial came on for the five-millionth time. He was just passing through the family room but stopped to watch the ad for a moment, and after listening to her talk he scoffed, “Smoker!” Although Jim and I have called our fair share of “Smoker*!” (like, say, George Burns, Phyllis Diller, Lindsay Lohan…) I had to laugh—and then cry a bit inside—when I…

  • Fun in Chicago,  Too Funny To Ignore

    Hold Onto Your Tiara: It’s Time For “Adventures With Weaselmomma”!

    If you’re a regular reader (thanks!), you already know that Weaselmomma and I live ten minutes apart (only three highway exits!). We “met” through blogging just a couple of months ago and subsequently have *really* met in person once, when she recently came to see me in the salon. Weaselmomma has been getting tired of me whining about my angry grocery store experiences: mainly the day when my meat got touched, but also my shopping trip last week, when some random jerk thought it was totally acceptable to make a comment about how full my cart was. Weaselmomma suggested that, rather than going ahead with my own idea on solving…

  • Food,  Friends,  Too Funny To Ignore,  Travels

    Who Knew An Empty Bag Could Contain So Much Bad Ju-Ju??

    When my parents came up from Tennessee for Thanksgiving, they brought a big bag to me from Kate, which contained a few Yankee Candles I purchased from Bean during a preschool fundraiser (they’re getting those kids out earlier and earlier!). As I was taking the candles out of the bag, I noticed something in there that I didn’t expect: it was a quilted bag/purse that I had given to Kate two years ago. This bag is awesome. My aunt, who is a phenomenal quilter, gave me a couple of them and when I saw this particular one I knew I would have to give it to Kate because of the…