blog #371 >> Surprise! SNOW!

Yes, Portland had a surprise snow storm today. Generally, I like snow. It's pretty, white, and very nice, just so long as I don't have to drive in it. I really dislike driving in snow. And it's not so much that I'm bad at it, I just hate being around everyone else who is bad at driving in it. It took me 1.5 hours to drive the 3 miles back home from work today! It took me 15 minutes just to go 15 feet from 39th to my driveway! Plus someone rear ended me! If you can't drive in the snow, DON'T! I wish I hadn't left during rush hour. Traffic was unbelievable! I also realized that my little car does much better in the snow than I remember. I wish I could say the same for everyone else. I saw two little Toyota trucks spin out and do a complete cookie on the way home, one was on 39th. And the little car in front of me, on the hill at the green light, started to slide back down into me. Luckily, I had about two cars distances between us, and was able to get around her. And I don't mean to say that I'm all that great at driving in the snow... but at least I don't tailgate other drivers, or take off like a bullet and spin out at the green lights. But it did make me thankful to get home. And I built Fredrick the snowman to cheer me up. This educational video is for everyone driving in Portland tonight. WATCH IT! It could save a life.


Watch How to Drive on Snow and Ice (1957) in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com




Cheers!
T

blog #370 >> Education is FUN!

...and I thought these were really swell.


Watch Fraud by Mail (1944) in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch Duck and Cover (Archer, 1951) in Educational  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch Capitalism (1948) in Educational  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch Joan Avoids A Cold (1964) in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch Bicycle Safety (1950) in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch Keeping Busy filmstrip in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch How Do You Know It's Love? (1950) in Educational  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

alright, I guess it's time to do something else today...

blog #369 >> Christmas Gift Guide 2009

I love how well my family and friends know my taste. They are so good at picking out presents for me! I love everything I got. And I was VERY impressed with the number of second hand and handmade gifts this year. They're always some of the best. Thanks everyone for everything! Merry Christmas... well day after Christmas!
















1. Silicone baking sheet: from Mom and Dad
I've never seen a silicone bake sheet like this one. It actually has a wire rim along the outside of it so you can use it with, or without a cookie sheet underneath it. I'm excited to try it out!
2. A canner of my very own: from Mom and Dad
I'm so glad my mom thought to get me this. If Christmas were in August, I would have thought to ask for one, but I don't think about canning much in December. Last summer all of my sisters and I decided to start canning at the same time and that lead to a waiting list to use my mom's old canner. But next year, I can can whenever I like, now that I have my very own.
3. A water bottle: from Mom and Dad
Yes! I will no longer need to fill up an old mason jar with drinking water or waste money on "mountain spring" bottled water that comes from a tap. Now I can just fill this handy bottle up and go on my way.
4. Fruit wreath Jell-O mold: from The Leingangs
I love this Jell-O mold so much, that I bought myself one just like it years ago at the Goodwill. I think this is telling me that I may have accumulated too many Jell-O molds, but perhaps there is no such thing. Now I'm trying to decide what to do with this one. I have been toying with the idea of starting a "Joys of Jell-O" vintage etsy shop, and selling all sorts of Jell-O molds and Jell-O cookbooks and Jell-O gift packages and Jell-O recipe cards... Perhaps this will be the first item in the shop.
5. Grandma's old flour sifter: from Grandma
I've needed a real four sifter for awhile. I had to borrow my mom's last time I made macaroons and the time before that I had to force everything through my little tiny sieve, which is now a rusty mess. It's amazing how these old ones never seem to get rusty. They must be made from better metal.
6. Movie package: from Rick and Susie
Popcorn, candy, black and white flicks? I guess I'll be having a movie night. And you can never go wrong with the old black and white films... Cary Grant... sigh.
7. Grandma's Cookie Cookbooks: from Grandma
I love these old cookie recipes, and the best part about them is that they all call for REAL butter. I HATE cooking with unsalted butter. And now I will automatically boycott any recipe that has it in it. These little cookbooks include: Gift Box Butter Cookies, which contains instructions on how to make a gift box out of cookies and recipes for cookies to fill it with. Old World Cookies, cookies just like your grandma's grandma used to make. Betty Crocker's (the Martha Stewart of the past) Holidays on Parade, cookie and cake recipes for every holiday. I also wonder if I could still use this coupon for 7¢ off Peter Pan Peanut Butter, it doesn't have an expiration date that I can see. And The Butter Cookie Cookbook (have a Butter Cookie Baking Bee.) Why don't people have baking or knitting bees anymore? I would LOVE to attend one.
9. The Knee Highs Kitting Book: from Amy, Frank and Ada
I can't wait to try some of these, plus, I want those shoes!
8. The Greater Jell-O Recipe Book: from Mom and Dad
The older the Jell-O recipe book the grosser the recipes. This 1931 Jell-O book includes: The Rice and Fish Loaf with lemon Jell-O, chili sauce, cooked flaked fish, cooked rice, green pepper, stuffed olives, and onion. And Piquant Tongue Loaf with lemon Jell-O, vinegar, onion juice, boiled tongue, dill pickles and mayonnaise. mmmm.... I love reading these....
9. Sham WOW! from Mom and Dad
WOW! A small piece of America that I can keep for my very own. I'm actually very curious to see how this is going to work. It looks like a giant piece of felt. If that's all it is, I've got a lot of these laying around. And I can always listen to the Sham WOW song while trying it out.
10. Pie Bird:from Mom and Dad
Yeah! Now I can bake a pie, without it boiling over. And he'll look very sweet sitting on my shelf above my oven in the mean time.
11. Green Beaded Necklace: from Frank and Amy and Family
This will be perfect for my future career as a Kindergarten teacher. Plus, it's made with such cute vintage fabric!
12. Tea Cup Earrings: from Mom and Dad
I love these earrings! They're so cute, I can't wait to wear them!
13. Pink Vintage Dress: from The Dorrs
This dress reminds me of one Grandma Ide used to wear. And it's so adorable, I'm wearing it right now. Only I wish I could put my hair up in a bouffant. It needs a bouffant.
14. Japanese Duck Eraser: from Santa?
I didn't know the elves shopped in Japan...
15. Magnet: from Mom and Dad
16. Atomic Robot: from The Leingangs
He's going to be so happy to be on the Christmas tree next year. I just hope he doesn't blow it up with his x-ray lasar eyes.
17. Sock Darner: from Mom and Dad
Now I can darn my socks even faster. I'm going to have to have a sock darning day.
18. Fruit Jell-O molds:from Mom and Dad
Next, I'm going to make an entire fruit basket filling with sparkling Jell-O molds.
19. Light up knitting needles: from Mom and Dad
From now on I can knit day and night, with or without electricity. Nothing will stop me!
20. Vintage Christmas Cards: from Grandma
Don't throw your vintage cards away without asking me first! I'll save them!

Thanks again, everyone for everything!
T

blog #368 >> Merry Christmas!

Wishing you the brightest Christmas ever! And a generally good time in the coming weeks.
T

blog #367 >> Foggy Creek

This is how my good shoes got muddy. Considering the thick fog and the fact that it was barely light outside, I think these pictures turned out pretty good. I also found some of the neatest moss I've ever seen. I think I might start a moss collection.
T

blog #366 >> Gingerbread Tree House: part 2

Here it is!
...just before it crashed.
Now I'm trying to decide if I want to fix it or eat it.
T

blog #365 >> The Many Moods of Macaroons

What I learned today... Macaroons are touchy little bastards! ...sorry... I've obviously been shut up in my kitchen baking cookies by myself for entirely too long today. My macaroons were certainly a learning experience though. And I'm going to take what I learned and make them better. By the time I got to my sixth batch, I had them down. And I learned all kinds of new tricks. Next time, I'm going to grease the parchment, and I'm going to draw little 1.5" circles on the backs of the parchment to get all my cookies consistent. I went a little pastry bag crazy today. And I found that the 1.5" cookies baked up best. I also found the perfect oven temperature, 305 degrees, and the perfect baking time is 9 minutes. I also discovered that the best way to not over mix the batter, and that's REALLY easy to do, is to add the food coloring to the egg whites before you mix them into the almond flour, sugar mixture. And I learned that I need to stop mixing the second the batter is smooth. Over mixed cookies turn into pancakes, and under mixed cookies turn into earthquakes. These are getting better every time I make them!

My field of macaroons.

Green almond flavored macaroons. Perfectly mixed. Happy

Pink peppermint macaroons. Perfectly mixed. Very happy

Yellow orange flavored macaroons. Slightly under mixed, a couple of them cracked. Smug

Chocolate flavored macaroons. Perfectly mixed. Cheerful

Orange pineapple macaroons. Over mixed and flat. Sad

Purple blackberry macaroons. Under mixed and a lumpy, cracked mess, but still tasty. Angry


... and as promised, a picture of the gingerbread tree house. It's assembled and structurally sound, but it needs to dry overnight before I can decorate it.

Cheers!
T