The Best of Taste of Grandview Heights

Rule number one for anyone going to a festival that is focused on food is to come hungry, but not ravenous, and to pace yourself. As much as I love events like Taste of Grandview Heights, this year’s event was tough for me – all of the vendors served their normal portion sizes, rather than the usual 2-3 bite sample size, so I didn’t get to try as many items as I would have liked, but I did manage a respectable showing.

First off, the grilled artichoke at Third & Hollywood. I love artichokes – really, they’re one of nature’s most perfect foods, especially when they’re seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper, grilled and topped with an herb and  mayo-based sauce.

Next up was this terrific sandwich, also from Third & Hollywood, combining their cheddar herb biscuit with Tennessee smoked ham, endive, and what I believe to be a pimento cheese-based spread. If the reviews of this place are accurate, I’m going back soon, high prices be damned.

Gordon’s Gourmet offered up an interesting twist on pumpkin bisque. Ordinarily, pumpkin bisque is heavy, creamy, and filling, so imagine my surprise that Gordon’s did something completely different with it – they started with a chicken broth base and added pumpkin puree, then topped with chantilly cream, which I believe may have been mixed with pumpkin pie spice). It was a little on the salty side, but definitely a pleasant surprise.

The Old Bag of Nails brought out their staples – french fried chips, fried pickles, potato pancakes, carrot cake, and their signature fish and chips. At this point, I completely ran out of steam, but I did manage to talk some poor lady into letting me photograph her lunch (I’m oddly persuasive like that!). I can tell you from personal experience that the Old Bag, as I like to say, probably has the best fish and chips in the city.

Five Guys is a relative newcomer to Columbus, but I’ve been reading about them for a while on various foodie websites – apparently, celebrity chefs love this place and swear by their bacon cheeseburger. Obviously, I didn’t have room for a burger, but I did manage to choke down some of their crispy french fries. Can’t wait to go back and investigate further!

Of course, I had to round out the day with a visit to Cap City Diner’s tent for a slab of their Seriously Big Chocolate Cake to go – all three layers of it. Hubs and I just polished it off and are in total chocolate bliss.

So, what’s the deal with you Segway, you ask? They offered free rides at Taste of Grandview, which is great, but, as usual, my choice of inappropriate footwear impeded my performance. Mind you that I was wearing platform sandals, which put me at an angle anyway (and basically on my toes), plus I have balance issues anyway, so put me on a Segway and I’m completely out of my element. However, the Segway tour guy took pity on me and considered me to be a special case, so he wouldn’t let me off the thing until I had it mastered. It took a while, but at least the other people in line were amused at watching the dork on a Segway.

Repeat after me…the diet starts tomorrow!

Into the Sauce

I must be mentally preparing for fall’s arrival because I keep dreaming up the comfort foods I’d like to make – stews, breads, and luscious pasta dishes. I’m in the process of unearthing the recipes I’ve been meaning to try, like cheese tortellini with pumpkin sauce, gnocchi,  and buffalo chicken chili.

So far, I’ve never attempted to make marinara sauce – no reason really, other than pure laziness. My kitchen is overrun with tomatoes, so I decided that today was just as good of a day as any to give it a shot, and off to the computer I went in search of the perfect recipe.

After reading marinara sauce recipes until I basically went cross-eyed, it occurred to me that most of the recipes are pretty much the same, given a few variations on seasoning, so I went with the tried and true source – Food Network – and selected the recipe: Tyler Florence’s marinara sauce. The guy can’t be wrong – he’s a celebrity chef and restauranteur, so how bad could his recipe be? I’m happy to say that Tyler did not let me down, but I needed to tweak his recipe a bit – there weren’t enough flavors for me, so I had to embellish the seasonings in order to get t just right, but the end result was much better that I had originally anticipated.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoons basil, dried
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt  and pepper, to taste

Directions
Over medium heat, heat oil in a large pot until hot. Add onion and garlic, saute for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions begin to appear translucent. Add the tomatoes, stir to mingle the flavors. Add in the herbs and bay leaf. Sprinkle in sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.

I’m very happy to say that everyone loved the sauce, even Hubs, who I was sure would make some comment about the seasonings being off. The Big Kid was completely stuffed and, for once, couldn’t eat another bite, which is really saying something.

On a completely different note, I have been writing for Blissfully Domestic for the past couple of years, mostly for the Blissful Home channel. This weekend, the site is going through a relaunch, so please be sure to check it out. Married, single, neat freaks, Jesus freaks, not mothers, want-to-be-mothers, and don’t-want-to-be-mothers, we are all blissfully domestic.

V-Day Countdown

In case you’re living under a rock, Saturday is Valentine’s Day, which means that the preparations are underway at The Casa. I have already picked up dinner supplies – pizza and an early bedtime for the kids; fillets, twice-baked potatoes, steamed asparagus, and lava cake for us – but what I’m struggling with is a gift. I’m easy to shop for – shiny things and geeky gadgets make my little heart go pitter-pat – but I’m having a hard time figuring out what to get the Hubs. I did a little too well at picking out gifts for him at Christmas, so there’s nothing in particular that he wants or really needs. Hmmm… I may have to tkae this one to my Girls and see what they come up with.

Meanwhile, we’re bracing for another storm. We’re already under a tornado watch, so I’m really hoping that we don’t have to revisit this scenario anytime soon. And if I see the following, I’m not coming out of my basement anytime soon!

Welcome to Naked Barbieland!

I’vve discovered an odd phenomenon in my house, and maybe those of you who are the parents of girls can corroborate. It seems as though any Barbie doll who crosses our threshold is destined to be nude. It doesn’t matter what costume she is wearing, how beautiful my daughter swears the doll is, and how badly she wants it, that Barbie will soon be nude. What is that about? I’ve tried begging with her (“please, honey, leave her dress on”), threatening (“if that dress comes off, so help me, that doll is going to someone who will appreciate her”), and even negotiating (“if you leave the dress on, I’ll buy Barbie her very own Dream ‘Vette”). It makes no difference. Perhaps I should consider upping the ante?

Speaking of The Baby, I had an afternoon most parents can only dream of…NOT! Hubs has been very sick with the flu this weekend, so I offered to take her with me to the grocery store so he could enjoy a little peace (Mind you, the Big Kid was up to her elbows in chores I gave her earlier as a punishment for an early morning infraction. Grrrr!). So off The Baby and I went to the grocery store. She’s been home with an ear infection since Thursday, so she was very happy to finally be out of the house. Once we got to the store, she changed modes from quiet and bored to chatty and loud. We were going down the cereal aisle when she saw a guy with a kind face, long hair, and a beard, and shouted, “HI JESUS!” At that point, I prayed that the floor would open up and swallow me. Luckily, the guy had a good sense of humor and laughed it off. The rest of the trip was uneventful, at least until it was time to check out. She had a meltdown over the candy display (in her defense, it was a huge barrel-like-container that was on her level and full of chocolate), then she was mad that she didn’t get a sticker and that Mean Mommy wasn’t going to reward her bad behavior by hunting down an unwitting cashier and get him/her to give this screaming child a sticker. Then, she really “showed” me by refusing to hold my hand in the parking lot, screaming that she didn’t want to go home, and then standing her ground in the middle of the parking lot. I hauled her howling self to the car, much to the shocked expressions of my fellow shoppers, cringing at the knowledge that at least one of them probably assumed I was some derranged kidnapper. And she wonders why she got a looooong timeout once we got home.

Seriously, between demanding 3 year olds and a sick Hubby, I’m pretty much done for the weekend! And don’t even ask about the Big Kid! That’s a whole entry in and of itself!

Oh…and in case it ever comes up in conversation, bad, bad things come up when you Google the term “naked barbie.” Just a little tip from me to you!

Riddle Me This

For those of you who don’t follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn (shame on you!), I am now an official source of knowledge. I received a call yesterday from a reporter at msnbc.com (thanks to my pal Kelby at Type-A Mom) for a story she was writing on the dangers of using Vicks Vapo Rub on little kids. For the record, I am pro-Vicks, when used correctly. Read all about it here. While I’m thrilled to have been asked, I’m a bit disturbed and perplexed. Apparently, the national media now considers me a credible source because I have a child and a blog, never mind that I could, in theory, be some random crackpot. Ah, the power I wield just by having a vagina! Now, if only I could solve that whole women-making-78-cents-to-every-dollar-a-man-makes-for-the-same-job thing!

Since I have been out of work a whopping two weeks now, I have finally had the time to think about who I want to be and the image I want to project as a professional, which, of course, screams makeover. As a marketing maven, I prefer to refer to this as “personal branding.” However, it has finally dawned on me that as a woman, I am constantly in a state of reinvention – for a new job, new man, etc. – and, perhaps I don’t know the authentic me as well as I should. Is it possible that we all renovate ourselves on such a regular basis that we lose touch with our true selves? Did I mention that I have way too much time on my hands?

Since I have all of this free time, I have been putting it to good use – and Hubs’s waistline is reaping the benefits! I’ve been cooking quite a bit and am in the midst of deciding what I want to make tomorrow for dinner. I could go relatively healthy with a white bean-chicken chili concoction or go in a more interesting direction with mini burgers. Mind you, I’d have to bake the buns myself since I have a specific bread type in mind, plus I have limited fixins, so this could be a bit of a challenge. Any thoughts?

Finally, I’m still having trouble adding pictures to my post now that WordPress has updated their interface. Maybe it’s just my craptastic computer? What I need for this blog is a sponsor – someone who will litter my beautiful little blog with their garish
logos, but give me a really sweet new laptop in exchange for the free advertising. Any takers?

Ho-Ho-Hell Yeah!

This may sound very un-mommylike of me, but I’m very glad that Christmas is over. No more frenzied baking, shopping, and moments of forced gaiety. And the minute I wake up on New Year’s Day, the Christmas crap is coming down! Monday, my dog managed to surprise me by moving the Christmas tree three times in the span of two hours. Not bad for a dog whose intellectual capacity generally rivals that of a bowling ball, eh? Despite my je-ne-sais-whatever (you do know that making up words is a slight obsession of mine, right?), The Baby had a great Christmas: lots of presents and great food, if I must say so myself. For those keeping track at home, dinner consisted of sweet pepper stew, sausage stuffed pork loin, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, crusty bread, and pecan pie.

Meanwhile, the job search resumes, now that the holiday machine is getting ready to grind to a screeching halt. Wednesday is my last day at work and it’s going to be a tough day. I never wanted to leave and maybe this would be easier to accept if I had done something wrong However, it is what it is (a layoff) and I don’t have time to sit and feel sorry for myself.

On a totally random note, what is the deal with WP? All of a sudden, I can’t insert photos into my posts. Why???

I Feel Like an Actual Writer Now!

Those who know me know that I write for Blissfully Domestic, which is a magazine for women, and I get to write about the things that I find fascinating – cooking, cleaning, organizing, etc. (yeah, I really SHOULD get out of the house more often!). This week I’m running a contest with prizes and everything. Check it out here.

Speaking of writing, I have all kinds of exciting prospective projects in the pipeline, so thanks, everyone, for your encouragement and well wishes.

Not looking forward to tonight. Hubs and I are having our weekly financial summit where we lay out bills and the calendar and plot out when things get paid. Not the most exciting thing, but it’s a great time for us to get everything straightened out and both of us on the same page.

Still having a hard time with the news of an old friend’s death. I learned about it on Facebook and what shocks me most is how soon her death happened after her father’s. My dad died 18 years ago (yesterday was the anniversary) and it was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. I still think about him everyday and miss him terribly. I wish I could have been able to talk to my friend about her feelings surrounding her dad’s death. The funeral is this Saturday and a lot of us are going. Not really the way I wanted to reconnect with my old friends.

I have to ask – what is it about the term “social media” that makes people’s ears perk up? I mentioned to a contact that I am involved in social media and consider myself somewhat of an amateur strategist. Suddenly, he starts asking all kinds of questions and throws ideas at me. Guess I’ll have to ponder that for a bit!

Gettin’ My Nerd On!

It is officially Thanksgiving week and nothing warms the cockles of my nerdy little heart quite as much as planning The Dinner (a close second would be getting refill pages for my organizer book, but that’s a different entry!). Yep, Turkey Day is in par with the Super Bowl, in terms of planning and preparation, at least as far as I’m concerned. This year’s menu is lifted entirely from the pages of Real Simple (let me clarify by saying that my brother started bugging me before Halloween, in hopes of getting me to pin down a menu. For the record, I prefer to set the menu a little closer to the actual day because the menu usually depends on both my mood and my finances, so I don’t usually appreciate being pressured into making a decision a month ahead of time.). In case you’re still struggling with the menu, here’s mine. I have also linked to recipes:

Turkey

Gravy (I’m cheating and making it from a pouch, as homemade gravy eludes me)

Rolls

Stuffing (from a box)

Sour cream mashed potatoes

Maple glazed carrots

Roasted brussels sprouts

Cranberries (from a can. It’s just easier that way)

Pumpkin cheesecake

For the record, I am all about roasting a turkey in an oven bag. There’s less mess and the turkey comes out perfectly each time. Speaking of the turkey, I got mine yesterday and our local store is running a special where you can buy your turkey for 29 cents per pound with a $30 purchase, so I got a 20 pound bird for about $5. Happy, happy!

Speaking of nerdy delight, this week, I am also in the process of deep cleaning the Casa for company. Nothing makes me happier than a clean house (aside from new pages for my organizer, but, again, I’ll write about that another time).

Right now, I am playing Nurse Mommy to two sick kids. The Baby has a viral infection and antibiotics have no affect on this particular bug, so we’re going to have to ride this out, meanwhile, the Big Kid is just getting the same bug, so they’re both pretty miserable and I hope they’re both back up to full strength by Thursday, or else Thanksgiving Day could be kind of rough.

Speaking of the holiday, I’m working on my list of things to be thankful for. Of course, I’m grateful for Hubs and the kids, but I’m also grateful for my job. While I’m still bitter about having to look for work, I’m thankful that I still have a job through the holidays, but, more importantly, this position has taught me about what I want to do and what I’m capable of doing. I have learned new skills and made contacts I might now have been able to make otherwise. Now that I have had this experience, I know now that I can’t settle for anything less.

Friday is the infamous Black Friday and while I’m all about getting good deals, I hate going into stores on that particular day, which is why I’ll be doing a lot of my shopping online. What about you? Do you shop on Black Friday? Earlier? Later?

If you’re looking for toys, might I suggest heading over to Small World Toys for educational toys, games, etc. Use code “SALE 147″ to receive 20% off of your entire order and free shipping if your order is $100 or more.

Lights Out, Uh Huh…

You may or may not be aware of the massive blackouts that have occurred from Texas all the way up to New York (hence, my J. Geils Band reference), but we felt Hurricane Ike’s wrath all the way up here in Hooterville. In fact, the entire town was basically shut down four an entire week. I know I really shouldn’t complain about not having electricity for four-ish days when there were people in Texas who lost their homes, but I really do find disruptions to my routine distressing. All of the forced downtime gave me some time to think as I got caught up on my housework and I have had several mini-revelations I’d like to share with you:

1. There are stages you go through during a long-time blackout, much like the stages of dying and/or grief:

• Shock. “Oh my God, the lights are out! I wonder how long this will go on? Where are the candles?”
• Elation. “Really? I don’t have to go to work today? I can get some one-on-one time with my kid AND get caught up on my housework? And I can’t do the laundry I’ve been putting off? Score!”
• Boredom. “Sure, we can sing the clean-up song from Barney while wearing tiaras and blowing bubbles in the backyard! We’ve got all day, my little friend! I’ve already cleaned the house, alphabetized the toys in your room, AND made a scrapbook of your third cousin Itchy’s wedding!” (Meanwhile, you’re secretly plotting a looting spree with your girlfriends because there really is nothing else to do)
• Denial. “The lights won’t be on til two weeks from Tuesday? Nuh-uh. They’ll be on tomorrow. I just know it! The crews are working really hard.”
• Anger. “What?! (struggling to maintain composure) You told me this morning that the power would be back tonight. Now you’re telling me that it won’t be back for another week? Hold on a sec… (tone becomes increasingly shrill) If I told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, don’t bother Mommy while she’s on the phone. Yes, I know you need to go to the potty! (pause) Figure it out! Just leave Mommy alone! She’s talking to the nice man from the %$#!@ electric company! (tone brightens a little) Now, what were you saying?”
• Bargaining. “Maybe if I get my house clean and ready for the power to reappear, the lights will magically come on all by themselves. It could happen! Kind of like ‘Field of Dreams’…if I clean it, they will come.”
• Acceptance. “Screw it. The power is never coming back and I’m going to die a horrible death at the hands of looters who will step over my lifeless body as they search for my iPod, which they’ll probably sell for crack, anyway. Bastards. Where’s the wine?”

2. During a lengthy blackout, your spouse and children can do nothing right. Just accept it and relocate to an undisclosed location and be done with it.

3. Too much time on your hands is a bad thing. Trust me on this.

4. In the shower, no one can hear you scream, especially if you stuff a washcloth in your mouth first.

You think I’m kidding, don’t you? I have never dropped the f-bomb as many times in my life as I did over the past few days. Seriously, it was ugly and I’m just now starting to come down from all of the excitement.

Hmmm…

It’s been an interesting last couple of days. Where do I start?

Let’s see, work has been really good lately. The week started slowly and, with that, my sense of paranoia was in overdrive, but all is well now. Also, a couple of bursts of intuition where new business is concerned look like they may be paying off, so I’ve been mentally doing a happy dance for the past few hours.

Meanwhile, after trying to discuss a work-related idea with Hubs and being repeatedly shut down, I sadly came to the realization that Hubs will never really respect what I do for a living and I have to learn to live with that. He thinks that aspects of what my company does are evil, but he’s learning to keep his mouth shut, especially since it’s keeping a roof over our heads. Really, all I wanted, after having been starved for interaction with live humans today (my boss and my buddy were both busy with other things, so I was completely alone for hours) and then dealing with the Baby, who was quite manic (more on that in a sec), I desperately wanted to have an actual conversation with my husband that didn’t revolve around kids, politics, what’s wrong with the world today, or TV. More than anything, my feelings were hurt that he didn’t want to hear about something that’s important to me and that I find exciting.

The Baby has been a handful lately. Yes, I know she’s 3, but I’ve had a hard time with her. She’s been getting really snarky, especially toward me, and I’m not sure how to deal with it. I ask her to do something and she tells me no. I give her dinner and she throws it. Anyone have any parenting advice? I’m not a spanker and time-out’s aren’t working. What do I do now? I’m seriously getting tired of peeling spaghetti off the dining room wall!

The Big Kid’s birthday party is Saturday, so we’re frantically trying to clean the house before the in-law’s arrive. What I wouldn’t do to have a maid for the next couple of days! Looks like the menu will consist of make-your-own pizzas, snacks, crudites (veggies and dip, for those not in the loop), and cake. Very simple menu, but the kids will love it. Now, if only I can figure out what to get her as a present! She’s going to be 10, which is a strange age, as far as gift-giving is concerned. She’s too old for a lot of the toys that are out there, but not quite old enough for the electronics she wants.

Meanwhile, the diet is coming along swimmingly. I have lost 8 pounds (yay, me!) by pretty much going against all of the advice the diet gurus publish – I skip meals, I don’t work out, and I probably drink too much water. While I may have a headache occasionally from missing a meal or two, I’m starting to fit into the pants I was about to toss into the box to take to Goodwill. Again, yay me! I was bulimic at one point, so I seriously have no idea how to lose weight without involving disordered eating of some sort, so bear with me and my funky eating habits! Seriously, for the most part, I am doing pretty well – I am eating a lot more fruits and veggies than I usually do and I’m getting pretty good about eyeballing what a portion size is supposed to look like (1 ounce of cheese is about the size of a domino, a serving of meat is equal to the size of a deck of cards, use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate, and fill your plate 1/2 full of veggies and then divide the remaining half between protein and carbs), so don’t fear. I AM eating and I’ve come to the realization that I will never be a size 2 supermodel and I’m okay with it. I do want to be healthy and energetic. Basically, the goal is to be smarter, daintier, with a better wardrobe, and just plain fabulous by the time I’m 40. Dang it, I wanna be a MILF!

The garden is doing great! My herbs are flourishing, so I may have some to harvest soon. The tomatoes are going crazy, so I will soon be making roasted tomato bisque. The zucchini, broccoli, snap beans, and lettuce are growing quite nicely and are loving the cooler temperatures and rain we’ve been having, so it could be a great harvest this fall!

Finally, I have to give props to the crew at ALDI. I zoomed in there 5 minutes before closing time and did a commando-like sweep of the store in my 15 minute shopping trip. While I’m sure the crew wasn’t too thrilled to have me there right at closing time, they were still kind and gracious. So if they were thinking, “Gawd, lady! Would you leave already,” you’d never know it and I appreciate it.