Shark Tank Candidate...

My husband is always inventing gadgets and gizmos galore. He should be a candidate for the Shark Tank.

So, I shouldn't have been surprised when we had to take down the Christmas lights and he said, "I've got an idea!" He didn't want to have to pull out the ladder and keep moving it over every time he needed to reach another light. So, he put together another new contraption to take the lights down from the ground. That made me feel a lot better than seeing him up on the tip-top of a tall ladder. And he had those lights down in the flash of an eyelash.

Here's how he did it.

He taped together a tree trimming tool with some conduit piping then he taped on a bracket and bent it so it could easily lift off the lights.


He didn't have to move the ladder, he just stepped over to get the next bit of lights down.

So, what do you think-is this a good Shark Tank idea?

Bag of Bones - the Book

I just finished Stephen King's 529 pages known as Bag of Bones. "A Haunted Love Story".

Of course SK is the King, at least in my mind, when it comes to horror, writing and leaving memories in my mind of the stories I've read.

My all time favorite book is Salem's Lot, which I read as a kid and it's the reason I became a fanpire.

But this book "Bag of Bones", started out slow, in my opinion. It could be that I was just too busy over the holidays to get sucked into the story but, like I said, it took me quite a while to get into it. But once I was hooked, I had to find out the story behind the story.

It was fun to get to know Mr. Noonan who was, like a lot of characters in SK's books, a writer. And I especially loved the refrigerator people. But the best part of all was the ending. It became a real page-turner that kept me up late into the night reading the fast-paced climax. And I loved how it didn't come out all wine and roses.

Now, I've just got to see the movie and compare the two.

POP - or Progress on the Project

I was hoping to have the project done for the holidays but nope it's not. Of course I knew I was having unrealistic expectations but that's me. I'm always thinking we can get all sorts of things done in a day when it isn't really humanly possible. If only I wasn't human ;)

Anyway here are a few photos of the progress we've been making (now remember, we've had a lot of holidays, family and friends to work into the equation) plus, we've been battling colds this season so...there are my excuses for not making more headway.

Anyway, we did get one new window in - we still have the French doors, and another two windows to get hung.


And, we've put up new supports all around the room. I guess the old ones that have been in the house since 1890 or 122 years just weren't good enough, or that's what I keep asking my husband. "Are you sure we need to add more support?" His answer is always, "Yes." And, how can I argue that more might not be (like Martha would say) a good thing?

Anyway, I know it doesn't look like much progress but you have to remember this is a DIY project that we work into the weekends and evenings after work - so slow and steady is the theme. Now, I'm readjusting my time frame to completion. I'm hoping by Easter. . . we'll see.

A real Turkey

Okay, so if you read my blog, you'll know that I made a Crown Roast for Christmas. And although it had a very pretty presentation my kids and husband said, "I'd prefer turkey or ham for the next holiday." I guess we all are traditionalists. Anyway, for New Year's Day I wanted to make another holiday feast so turkey was the choice and here it is.

I really DO like my skin a little burnt. I enjoy the crunch. Maybe because Mom was always cooking for at least twelve people and she usually burnt as least one thing - so, it's the kind of home cooking I'm accustomed to. But whatever the reason, I like a little char so this was intentional.

I add a little sugar and butter to get that effect at the last minute. I pour a cup of the melted mixture over the top of the bird. I also use Dr. Pepper or Coke, if I have it on hand. It's quick and easy and gives me the effect I'm going for - a little overcooked skin while the bird stays tender and juicy on the inside.

Plus, we started the meal with King Crab legs and butter. Not quite on my diet plan but a person has to celebrate. Right?


Anyway, I hope you all had a fantastic holiday weekend and I wish you all a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Custom Vans

My son's girlfriend was painting a pair of shoes for a present. Here are a few photos of her working on them. Here's her art site: http://tasukisflame.deviantart.com/

What to Do with that Leftover Turkey

MAKE SOUP!

Here's how to do it.

First you have to take the turkey off the bone, being careful to select the best pieces for soup and leaving the larger slices of meat - those are best for sandwiches (which will make a wonderful lunch).

When you've picked out the best pieces, you set them aside

Okay, then you need the broth. You can use the leftover gravy and a couple cans of chicken broth. Or, you can boil the bones of the turkey for a couple of hours and strain out the juice for your stock. Then you need to chop up the ingredients. Here's what I used:

1) three cloves of garlic
2) two stocks of celery, plus the heart of the celery with the leaves (that's the most tender part)
3) two pounds of chopped carrots
4) 1/4 minced sweet onion


Then, I made some homemade egg noodles using the following ingredients:

1) 4 eggs
2) 3 and 1/2 cups of flour
3) 2 teaspoons of olive oil

You will need to beat the eggs and then slowly add in the flour and olive oil. Knead until it forms a ball and then roll out until it is as thin as you like (if you have a pasta machine - it's even easier). Then I roll it back up like a yule log and slice the pasta into strips.


I added the noodles and then boiled for about 20-30 minutes. Before serving I salt and peppered and WAH-LAH! Homemade turkey noodle soup.

New Year's Resolutions

Another year has come and gone and it's time to assess and reassess what we've been doing with the time we have.

I've been thinking about resolutions, which are something I'm not good at making because I don't want to set myself up for failure but this year I'm thinking of GOALS not resolutions.

Here are a few of my GOALS for 2012:

1) To sign up for a class - maybe photoshop - maybe a new language...
2) To run my first marathon;
3) To be more consistent in my training for the marathon;
4) To have more patience - at things I try to do (like knitting)
5) To spend more time with friends (I usually spend most all my time with family - neglecting friends)

How 'bout you? Do you have any GOALS for 2012?