What would you do if you went to see a movie, at a theater, and the guys from Mystery Science Theater 3000 were there, mercilessly calling out commentaries throughout the movie?

Would you put up with it, as best you could, and endure the movie?

Would you be shushing them?

Would you be moving seats?

Would you complain to someone?

Would you run out of the theater and go see something else??!

My husband and I had date night yesterday and went to the movies, all excited to get out of the house, like a couple of teenagers.  The movie starts and 3 women and 3 little kids stroll in late and claim the seats next to us and in front of us.  The 3 little kids range in ages from 5 – 10.

The movie is PG-13, showing at 7:30 at night, and is 2 1/2 hours long.

So, already we’re thinking “A 5 yr old? At a PG-13 movie? That ends at 10pm?”

Then the talking begins.  And never ends.  The 3 ladies sat and had “coffee talk” for 2 1/2 hours!  They spoke to each other at a regular volume the entire film.  And paid zero attention to their kids who were running up to the screen to touch it and racing back to their seats, climbing over their seats and making a ridiculous amount of noise.

It was the longest 2 1/2 hours ever.  And the loudest movie theater we’ve ever sat in!

But rather than make a big deal, we just suffered through it…

This is when I started to ponder movie theater etiquette.  Did Emily Post, author of Etiquette and whose name is synonymous with manners,  have anything to say about this?

She most certainly did!  “Nothing shows less consideration for others than to whisper and rattle programmes and giggle and even make audible remarks throughout a performance.”

As with any situation where you find yourself out in public, amongst people, it is imperative to be mindful of others.

• If your child wants to see a movie at a theater, go during the day, when most families bring small children and they won’t be apt to disrupt a nearby couple’s romantic evening out.
• Make certain that your cell phone is off. Volume off.
• Keep in mind that rattling paper, loud slurping sounds, excessive coughing, etc can all be extremely disruptive.
• Now’s not the time to chat.  Whispering a quick question to your spouse or friend is fine.  Just realize that what seems like a whisper to you is loud to everyone else in the theater who want complete silence.

And if you find that you are in a situation like the one my husband and I found ourselves in last night, it is still important to be courteous and take the higher ground.

These too are Emily’s suggestions:

• Change seats, if possible.
• If not and they persist, kindly tell them that you cannot hear the movie over their talking/noise.
• Lastly, ask an usher to get a manager to speak with the disruptive party.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, hopefully, everyone can…

“Enjoy the Show!”

Been trying to get your beloved husband to agree to buying a new couch for the living room, for months, to no avail?  Serve him a heaping plate full of Potato Patch Casserole and he will be saying yes to that and so much more!

This dish is superb.  It is what I like to call a “throwback meal”.  One of those classics from when you were growing up or when your parents were growing up, that holds up to the test of time.

We’re making meatballs!  What meal with meatballs in it, that you know of, doesn’t taste great?  Am I right?  It’s just always such a crowd-pleaser…

Alright, you’ll need 1 pound of ground beef in a large bowl,

add 1/2 cup of chopped yellow onion,

1 large egg,

1/4 cup of whole milk,

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs,

1 teaspoon salt,

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,

and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon celery salt.

Roll up those sleeves, get your hands in there and start mixin’!

Not too, too much, though.  What you don’t want to do is overwork the meat. You basically want to “rake” your fingers through the meat mixture and then “aerate” it with your fingers, by punching holes in it after you rake it.

Next, scoop out the meat with an ice cream/cookie scoop  and roll to form meatballs.  Stick in the freezer for 15 minutes, just to set up.

Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to the bottom of a pot, on a burner over medium-high heat.

Add meatballs.  Only about 8 at a time.  You don’t want to overcrowd the pot and end up with boiled meat…no, no, no!

Ummmm!  These are looking just perfect!  The objective here is only to brown them on all sides.  Don’t worry about trying to cook them through.  This will be taken care of in the oven, later!

Once you’re done browning those meatballs, you’ll be left with all the yummy browned bits stuck to the bottom of your pot.  Oooo, the flavor in there!  Ok, add 2 tablespoons butter to this,

2 tablespoons flour,

 

stir till combined,

add 1 cup whole milk, slowly, stirring as you add,

add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt,

and a pinch of finely ground black pepper.

Shred 8 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese…

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese until  melted.

Take about 3 medium-sized white potatoes, peel them, and

slice them thinly with a knife or using a mandolin (so awesome!  Such a timesaver and only $20!)…you should have about 4 cups of potato slices.

You’ll also need to thaw out a 10 ounce bag of frozen peas and carrots (although, I’ll tell you, I’ve made this dish and forgotten to thaw out the veggies and it still came out great!).

Combine potatoes, peas and carrots in a large oval baking dish or a 9 x 13″ pan.  Salt and pepper, generously.

Arrange meatballs around the edge of the dish and cover the whole dish with the delicious cheesy sauce.  Oh my goodness, doesn’t that look so amazing?  And it’s not even done!

Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

So, so, so goooooood!

Bon Appétit, Ma Chérie!

 

Tyler’s Birthday  38min ago

Oh phew!

I always feel a rush of panic when I see that message come up on my iPhone- Oh no! I missed the boat!  And then a sweeping sense of relief comes over me when I realize that today is Tyler’s birthday and I have all day to call and sing to my nephew!

Do you do this?  Set birthday reminders in your phone or on your iPad or computer or daily planner?

So easy to do and one of those things that make life nicer for you and all whom you cherish.

• Sit down with a pen and paper and the phone.
• Write down a list of all of the people who’s birthdays you should know and remember; husband, kids, family, friends, boss.
• To the right of all the names, write the birth date of each of those you remember by heart.
• Highlight the ones you cannot remember.
• Start calling to find out the remaining birthdays!  (If you’re experiencing a moment of temporary insanity and can’t remember your Mom’s birthday, maybe you should think about calling your brother for some help before calling Mom and upsetting her…just saying)
• Go to your calendar, electronic or paper, and find the month and date of the first person you want to set a reminder for.
• If it’s paper, write the name of the person down & the word “Birthday!” right after it. Done!

If it’s electronic, on your iPhone:

1. click or tap on the date
2. click on the plus “+” sign to add an event
3. make the title of the event “Tyler’s Birthday!”
4. Slide the “All-day” bar to the right until it turns green or “on”
5. Make sure that the start date and the end date are the same as the birth date
6. Click repeat and check “every year”.
7. Click “alert” and check on day of event and the time you want to be alerted (This is where you choose what time you want to be reminded of your nephew’s birthday, on his birthday. I do it at 6 am so that the first thing I see on my phone when I retrieve it is “Tyler’s Birthday!”)

 

And that’s it!  You are now officially off the hook – you no longer have to rack your brain to try to remember everybody’s birthdays.  Now you can leave it all up to your trusty calendar.

You will be the favorite among your nieces and nephews for always calling with well wishes on their special day.  And a little brown-nosing with the boss never hurt anyone!

Birthday Reminders on Outlook

Birthday Reminders on Android

Ever been about to sit down in front of the tv with your hubby, at the end of a long day, and you’re craving something sweet?  But you don’t have any desserts lying around the house?

Well, the smart person would just grab a glass of water and thank their lucky stars that they’ve got nothing to pick on. Phew!  Avoided extra caloric intake tonight…

But not this girl!

Oh no…just because it’s not readily available doesn’t mean it can’t be, within 10 minutes!

This little sweet “tweet” is a cinch to whip up and is a sure-fire way to satisfy that craving.

Starts simply enough… with 3 ingredients!  You’ll need a bag of butterscotch chips, a bag of chow mein noodles and a container of roasted, salted peanuts.

Put the contents of the entire bag of “scotchies” into a large glass bowl.  Microwave for 20 seconds, stir, and then microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until it’s all melty.

To this wondrous melty goo, you’ll want to add 1 cup of the peanuts.  And stir.  I give you permission to taste a little bit here.

Then the chow mein noodles go in.  1 cup of them.

Definitely taste at this point, too.  To see if this is something you’ll be able to share or will have to keep to yourself…

Very important note:  Ok.  Proportion is everything with this recipe.  It seems simple enough.  Throw a bunch of each ingredient into a bowl, mix and done.  But, but, but…the secret of the balance of sweetness and saltiness and crunch in these incredible bites is the ratio of each ingredient.

As with everything that I write about, I learned the hard way, by making a mistake and nearly getting reprimanded by my Mom!  I had all 3 ingredients on hand and just threw them all together, willy-nilly, and they looked marvelous.  Alas, looks can be deceiving!  My Mom happened to come over the next day and got all excited when she saw the plate of them.  “Oh no you didn’t?!  You made these?  I love them!”  Well, she devoured one of them and then exclaimed, “These are not as good as usual!  I like them sweeter and these seem a little less exciting than normal.”

And there you have it…

Stick to the measuring units of the recipe and you’ll be happy, because your Mom will be happy!

Combine the three ingredients until everything is coated with butterscotch and you cannot determine what is what anymore.

Drop by spoonful on a serving platter or plate or directly into your mouth.  No, no, don’t do that yet.  They’re yummy when they’re gooey like this, but they are just heavenly when they set up after about 1/2 hour!

Just wait a little longer and than pop them into your mouth!

Oh so good… Oh so bad…Oh you’re not going to like me for having introduced you to this extremely easy-to-make-in-2-minutes sugar fix.

Or maybe you’ll fall in love with me even more!

Makes about 24 pieces.

Bon Appétit, Ma Chérie!

 

 

Yum is right!

Wait till you try this drink!  Have a mug of it when you’re outside on a chilly day, all bundled up, watching the kids ice skate…

So decadent and creamy and buttery…warms you right down to your toes!

Ok.  We’ll need 1 cup of white sugar, poured into a medium pot…

then add 1 cup of packed brown sugar…

and lastly 1 cup of salted butter.

Cuppa, cuppa, cuppa…easy, easy, easy to remember.  Cuppa white, cuppa brown and cuppa yellow!

Cook over low heat until butter is melted, stirring off and on.  This will take around 8-10 minutes.

And will look like this gorgeous mixture.  But wait…it only gets better…

Remove from heat and add…wait for it…

Oh yes.  I went there!  Break out that delicious vanilla ice cream…

and add 2 cups of it to the mixture in the pot…

stir until ice cream melts and you just want to cry thinking about how amazing this is going to taste and wondering at what cost…

until it reaches this perfect golden color.

Next you’ll want to, really want to, add a little less than 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a little less than 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Mix together.

And don’t be afraid of the cloves.  They’re essential to the magic that happens in your mouth when you take that first sip!

Add about 1/4 teaspoon cloves and stir.

Find your largest, most favorite mug…

fill the bottom quarter of it with some of that golden syrup,

add about an ounce of “la pièce de résistance”, rum! …

top with boiling water…

stir with a spoon, and try very hard not to burn your lips in your haste to taste that luxuriously self-indulgent first sip!

Bon Appétit, Ma Chérie!

I try to read quality books, I really do.  I try to do a little research before picking one up at the bookstore, or ask my librarian or the owner of my favorite bookstore or usually my brilliant husband will pick one up that he’s heard about and thinks I would enjoy and I, inevitably, do!

So, why did I subject myself to the torture of reading the sequel  if I didn’t like the 1st one to begin with?

Because I’m a glutton for punishment.  Or so you’d think…

But in reality, my darling neighbor and her Mom gave me the 1st and 2nd books to read and keep, and I feel as though I owe it to them to read both and discuss both with them.  Though as my hubby points out (he’s much smarter than I am), I will now be forced to only discuss my opinion of the books superficially, not in great depth, because to honestly report my critique would come across as hoity-toity and unappreciative!

This book was so obviously written in a rush, to quickly appease the publisher’s demands for the sequel.

It is so blatantly contrived and predictable.

Which is ok, to a point, in a work of fiction.  Foreshadowing can make for a fun guessing game for the reader, if it’s cleverly executed.  And, not everything is true when you tell a story, but it should feel as though it could be a possibility.

Yet, how likely is it that of the 7 Friday Night Knitting Club members, 4 of them end of summering in Italy?  Or that their lives all end up working out in the end?

SPOILER ALERT:  (Only considered thus if you can deem any plot in this book worthy of withholding “disclosure”!)

 

 

 

Points of this book were deserving of severe eye-rolling, such as when Anita finds out her long-lost sister is really the Italian vineyard owner (the guy who is dating Catherine)’s mother-in-law.  And that Peri’s purses are “discovered” in Italy, along with Georgia’s dresses, to make everyone rich and famous.

Everyone in the end becomes rich, or rich & famous.

By knitting?  Really?!

Ok, maybe not all of them become rich and famous through knitting, but the reasons are just as far-fetched.

The author is no dummy.  She does a good job of using metaphors throughout the book and certainly ties up a lot of loose ends, but perhaps too neatly and too fantastically.

In summation, the book was a flop.

I guess being a big reader is like watching a lot of television shows or movies…you’re bound to come upon a few that are terrible.  It’s the law of averages:  the more you read, the more you’ll read books you like and the more you’ll run into those you don’t.

I can tell you that this book is not worth your time. It is not even really worth mentioning. I only do, because I hope that this “advice” will help you steer clear of it and find something more enjoyable to curl up with in front of a roaring fire this winter!

And yet when my lovely neighbor asks what I thought about it, using the words of my 4 yr old little girl,  I’ll delicately answer, “It wasn’t really my favorite.”

 

Hand-holding night. Reconnect night.

Date night.

A must have.   A necessity, at least once a month.

I tried to think back to the time before we had a kid, our Beach Rose, if we ever called our nights out “Date Night”.  Before kids, your entire relationship is a Date Night!  You’re always going out together and trying new things while holding hands, discovering restaurants while holding hands, exploring museums while holding hands, touring new cities while holding hands, ice skating while holding hands, walking through a bookstore while holding hands, etc, etc.

It doesn’t seem as though you need to be reminded to have a Date Night before kids, because there’s a lot of time in your relationship for hand holding!  And every adventure is a “date”.

I believe that Date Night becomes essential and integral to the health of your relationship after you have children.  Before kids, your priorities and focus are each other and you cater to each other and you pamper each other and you make sure that your significant other feels loved and special and important as often as possible.

I don’t think that any of these sentiments are lost once the kids come.  I just think that you become soooo busy with the routines and demands and time-suck of child-rearing that you need a night out together, often, to reunite.  You’ve got a little person that depends on you for survival, and their every need and so your focus, naturally, is shifted primarily to meeting their needs, over your own and those of your partner.

Date Night is such a relief in the midst of all that chaos!  It’s about conversation that doesn’t revolve around diapers, or discipline, or bills, or school, or work.

It’s so refreshing to hold hands, uninterrupted.  Or to talk about the books you’re reading, a radio show you just heard, the news, a funny story.  It feels brand new to laugh together and it puts things into perspective.

It realigns your relationship, so that you and he are the focal point, and everything else falls into place and doesn’t seem so overwhelming.  And the surprise you inevitably feel when you remember how much you enjoy each other’s company is what keeps the spark alive.

Make it a priority.  I say at least once a month, because it should be a priority to make it happen at least that often.

Even if money is an issue, realize that date night doesn’t have to cost anything if you do your research ahead of time.  A) Perhaps you are a lucky one who can ask your family ahead of time to watch your kids (more on finding babysitters in a future blog!) and B) you can visit some websites for different date night/day ideas that are free. (see links for date night ideas below…)

And time should never be the issue…you need to make it happen.  Schedule it. And go!

Great date night ideas…

Great FREE date night ideas…

Oh my goodness…this is amazing!  Even if you aren’t certain that you’ve ever craved corn chowder, you need to try this recipe.  It’ll change your way of thinking; I promise!

As every great recipe should include, in my opinion…6-8 slices of bacon…

chopped…

and fried to crispy perfection in a stockpot.  Reserve that bacon fat in the pan!

You’ll also need 1 onion…

diced…

And sautéed in the bacon grease.  Drain grease and don’t forget to reserve in a jar and store in your refrigerator for the next time you want to scramble eggs or sauté vegetables!

Next take 4 medium white potatoes…

and peel and dice them…

then add the potatoes and 1 cup water to the stockpot.  Cook 10 minutes.

Add a 16 ounce bag of frozen roasted corn…

2 teaspoons sugar…

1/4 cup (or 1/2 stick) of butter…

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and about 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper…

and lastly, 3 cups of 1/2 and 1/2.  Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

Serve in bowls with bacon “bits” over the top.  Such comfort food!

 

Bon Appétit, Ma Chérie!

 

I love going to someone’s house for dinner and being given a choice of a few dressings.  I get really excited that I’ll meet a new one and fall in love!

I also find it lovely to have a few dressings to choose from in my fridge.  However, I like the ones in my fridge to be homemade.  I feel that they’re healthier to feed to my family and usually they take bottled dressings and bring them to the next level!

This vinaigrette is delicious.  It is so simple and yet tastes so elegant.  Perfect for a salad of mixed greens… or any salad with all the fixin’s.

Start with one tablespoon of dijon mustard in a jelly jar.

My preference is Maille dijon.  It is the one that most closely resembles the quality of mustards in France.  It’s sharp and zesty…perfect for this recipe!

Add 3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar…

oooooooooo, that stingy smell that hits the back of your throat….

then add 3 tablespoons each of olive and vegetable oils…

chop 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley and add to the jelly jar…

lastly, add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Shake vigorously.  Then taste and add more of whichever it needs, salt and/or pepper!

Shake, shake, shake it.  And presto!  A superb salad dressing…

Bon Appétit, Ma Chérie!

 

 

Oh no!  I’m in the middle of a snowstorm and cannot get out to the grocery store for dinner.  What do I make?

This is a no-fail dinner at our house.  Simple, delicious, healthy, and somewhat gourmet!

Tuna fish is a must in our pantry.  There is an endless supply for just these types of unforeseen occurrences…blizzards, poor planning on the part of the weekly menu so that we’ve run out of food before grocery shopping day, etc…

And most of the items on the list of ingredients are easily found in your pantry or refrigerator.  Very convenient!

I’m starting with 2 cans of tuna.  This will serve 4.

Add mayo, about 1/4 cup and stir.  If not wet enough, add 1 tablespoon more at a time until it is to your desired consistency.  The key is not to get your tuna salad too wet.

Cut a fresh lemon in half.  (If you didn’t have this in your fridge, you could use a half of a lime, orange, grapefruit!, or lemon juice from a bottle works too.)  Squeeze in the lemon half to contents of bowl.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning (here I go again with the seafood and the New England thing…and Old Bay…so predictable!)…

a couple glugs of tabasco and about twice the amount of glugs of worcestershire sauce…

mmmm…about 1/2 teaspoon celery salt is sooooo yummy in this…

mix together, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Now you add the magic component that makes everyone go hmmmmm?  What in the world is in this?  One tablespoon of dijon mustard!

Finely chop 1 tablespoon chives and 1 tablespoon dill.  Add these herbs…

and about 1 stalk of celery, chopped.

Mix together.  Taste!  Unbelievable, right?  Wait, wait…we’re not done with the layers of flavor just yet…

Grab some delicious bread…such as a deli roll…spread mayo on it, crust to crust is a must!, and salt and pepper it…

cover with arugula…

then top with tuna salad, slice some monterey jack cheese,

cover the halves of the deli roll…

and toast to perfection in a toaster oven or in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Tuna melts taken to the next level!

Bon Appétit, Ma Chérie!