One Day I Will Have My Act Together

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I have been out of work since January, although between freelancing and blogging, I have never been so busy. Thankfully, I know myself well enough to know that this working-at-home thing is just not for me, especially when I have an eager 4 year old constantly clamboring for attention and it usually has something to do with ballet, artwork, or Barbie.

I'm distracting? Nahhhhh!

Don’t get me wrong. I love my daughter, but it’s also hard to work when you are constantly under siege and basically not allowed to finish a thought, let alone an article. Yeah, I know, it’s called being a mommy.

Frustrated, though I may be, I get the occasional moment of reflection and I think I may well be both ADD and OCD at the same time. Really, it’s the only explanation I can muster for the piles of projects that are mounting around me. One day, I will be a grown-up and actually finish what I start. Promise!

Speaking of Unfinished Business…

Last week, I visited the Dublin Village Tavern with my Tastecasting peeps. All in all, it was a fantastic night, despite my being uncomfortably full afterward (damn their hospitality!). Read the official review here. Tonight, we’re visiting the Top Steakhouse and I swear I will actually write a review in this space. It could even happen tonight – I’m kinda madcap like that.

Bangers and Mash at the DVT

Just to clarify – Tastecasters are not food critics. Our job is to build awareness, announce grand openings, introduce new menu items, distribute special offers, and encourage people to visit various establishments. We are treated to a free meal in exchange for this effort.

Wild About Harry

I have had a virtual love affair with Harry Connick Jr. since I saw “When Harry Met Sally” for the first time. I fell in love with my college boyfriend to that soundtrack and have followed Harry ever since. I have always loved his dreamy vocal style, loved him as an actor – especially for his role on “Will and Grace” – and loved him even more for his efforts to restore his beloved New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Now, my man has released “Your Songs,” which is a collection of modern classics with Harry’s special twist. Truly, this album is sheer magic.

Want to Get Your Hands on a Copy? Here’s How.

Tell me your love story. I want to know how you and your honey first met and knew it was for real. Post your story in the comments and I’ll randomly select the lucky recipient of Harry’s latest album Friday night. Winner will be informed via email.

Good luck!

(Note: Thanks to One2One Network for providing me with two copies of the disc – one to review and one to give away)

United We Blog…Divided We Blog Anyway

I’ve been invited to participate in a project that will either prove or disprove the power of social media – the Columbus Social Media Cafe is experimenting with the idea of having multiple bloggers write about a single topic on a given day, and I plan to be one of those bloggers. But the question now is a topic – what shall we all write about? Also, if you’re an interested social media-type in Columbus who is available next Monday night for a meeting, shoot me an email and I’ll give you all of the details if you’d like to participate.

Meanwhile, I’m pondering human nature – why do some people feel that it is perfectly acceptable to be rude to total strangers? The reason I’m asking is because I made a pit stop at a gas station today and The Baby threw a fit because I wouldn’t let her grab a package of pop-tarts off of the display. Some woman made a rude comment under her breath about how I should have just let her have it. Of course, I now have the perfect comeback, but that didn’t come to me until after I second-guessed my choices as a parent and then felt the need to defend my actions to a total stranger. So, which was more offensive – her rudeness? Or my need to explain myself?

And, in case you’re keeping score at home, I am still looking for work, but I think it’s time to entertain my options as a freelance writer. I’ve been on a bunch of interviews and many have  managed to be both awkward and overly competitive at the same time. Rather than allow myself to get to a position where I am desperate for work, I’m ready to start being selective in terms of the projects I take on. So, if you know of anyone who is looking for a writer, please refer them to In So Many Words…, my marketing/advertising blog.

There’s a Lot to be Said For Total Honesty

I have now been unemployed for nearly three full months, and while it seems like years, I’m grateful that I’ve been allowed to gain both perspective and clarity of thought. Translation: I’m done “settling” and want a great job, despite the fact that staying at home with The Baby is starting to wear on me. As any job-hunter knows, the process entails being able to communicate one’s thoughts both clearly and professionally. However, wouldn’t it be great if we could tell employers what we really thought during the interview process? I’ve given this a great deal of thought, particularly since I hate writing cover letters. They’re painful to write and really, all I really want to do is beg them to just hire me already.  So, in a perfect world, this would be my cover letter:

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to apply for the XXX position advertised on XXX.com.

While my resume shows that my background is perfectly suited to your job requirements, as are my career goals, I would like to talk about something more important – me. First and foremost, I am a good person. I don’t lie, cheat, or steal. I’m not the office d-bag that talks behind people’s backs, plus I put thought into what I pack for lunch so I don’t stink up the joint. Co-workers and clients like me – they think I’m a great girl who does amazing work.

I’m not a job-hopper, as I need stability in my life. I have an amazing little girl who tells me I’m her hero and I take that responsibility much more seriously than any job. I want to be someone she can respect and be proud to call her mommy.

Money is not an issue. Maybe that’s not entirely true, but I am willing to lower my asking price if you’ll just give me a chance. All I ask is that you pay me a salary that will help support my unfortunate gum habit. Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I am a chronic gum-chewer, but I have learned to chaw unobtrusively, plus it helps relieve the tension I feel under deadlines.

Can I do the job? Yes. Do I want the job? Absolutely. For the love of God, call me. I’ve been out of work for three months and my daughter is driving me insane with her incessant demands for Care Bears videos and trips to the playground.

Respectfully,

Me

In Need of a Distraction

Ouch!

After spending the week fulfilling various writing assignments, covering everything from mother-in-law TMI to commercials that employ the use of flowing armpit hair, there comes a time where the assignments are done and all of the housework is completed, and I have to focus on the issue at hand: looking for work is starting to really get to me.

I am not used to being unemployed and, truthfully, I don’t do it well. I actually enjoy being overly busy with a an overflowing inbox and a line of people outside my office. It makes me feel useful and necessary. However, leave me at home with nothing to do but scan job listings and tackle a mountain of housework, and I am completely at a loss and, most likely, a hostage whatever topic is being discussed on “The View.”

Then, there are those well-meaning souls who constantly ask, “how’s the job search going? Have you found anything yet?” Could I feel like more of a loser as they ask those questions and give me Pity Eyes?

Yes, I know I’m not alone in this situation and it will get better. The right job (as opposed to just any job) is out there somewhere. I just have to keep looking. We will find each other.

Thankfully, I can always bake (which is so much more fun than obsessive cleaning!). This month’s Daring Bakers Challenge – Chocolate Valentino Cake – consists of three simple ingredients and how you interpret them is part of the challenge. This is a very dense and fudgey cake that forms a brownie-like crust on the top.

This month’s challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad – Baker & Chef. This month, we made a Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Valentino, inspired by Malaysia’s “most flamboyant food ambassador”, Chef Wan. The recipe comes from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan. Notes in parentheses are from Wendy and Dharm.

A few notes before you get started:

• Use your favorite chocolate – the finished cake will taste exactly like the chocolate you use. Be creative with your chocolate, if you like a sweeter cake use milk chocolate or a combination of the semisweet and milk chocolate. If you like bittersweet chocolate use that and add sweetness by mixing the semi sweet with bittersweet. If you are daring, try white chocolate. (Dharm used all bittersweet and Wendy used a half bitter/half semi sweet chocolate).
• A higher cacao percentage increases the bitterness of the chocolate.
• Equipment – it is optional to use a heart shaped pan. For a real Valentino, bake it in a heart shaped pan or cut it out into a heart shape. You may use any shape pan that gives you an area of 50” – 6×8 or 7×7. An 8” spring form pan works with great results as do smaller pans or ramekins.
• An instant read thermometer highly recommended.
• I am a total crapweasel, as I did not have the time (or the inclination as unemployment tends to make us Type A’s a tad depressed) to make my own ice cream, so I used what Hubs bought on sale at Kroger.

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Dharm’s Ice Cream Recipe
Classic Vanilla Ice Cream
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Recipe comes from the Ice Cream Book by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis (tested modifications and notes in parentheses by Dharm)

Ingredients
1 Vanilla Pod (or substitute with vanilla extract)
300ml / ½ pint / 1 ¼ cups Semi Skimmed Milk – in the U.S. this is 2% fat (or use fresh full fat milk that is pasteurised and homogenised {as opposed to canned or powdered}). Dharm used whole milk.
4 large egg yolks
75g / 3oz / 6 tbsp caster sugar {superfine sugar can be achieved in a food processor or use regular granulated sugar}
5ml / 1 tsp corn flour {cornstarch}
300ml / ½ pint / 1 ¼ cups Double Cream (48% butter fat) {in the U.S. heavy cream is 37% fat)
{you can easily increase your cream’s fat content by heating 1/4 cup of heavy cream with 3 Tbs of butter until melted – cool to room temperature and add to the heavy cream as soon as whisk marks appear in the cream, in a slow steady stream, with the mixer on low speed. Raise speed and continue whipping the cream) or use heavy cream the difference will be in the creaminess of the ice cream.

1. Using a small knife slit the vanilla pod lengthways. Pour the milk into a heavy based saucepan, add the vanilla pod and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse
Lift the vanilla pod up. Holding it over the pan, scrape the black seeds out of the pod with a small knife so that they fall back into the milk. SET the vanilla pod aside and bring the milk back to the boil.
2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn-flour in a bowl until the mixture is thick and foamy. 3. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle hear, stirring all the time
4. When the custard thickens and is smooth, pour it back into the bowl. Cool it then chill.
5. By Hand: Whip the cream until it has thickened but still falls from a spoon. Fold it into the custard and pour into a plastic tub or similar freeze-proof container. Freeze for 6 hours or until firm enough to scoop, beating it twice (during the freezing process – to get smoother ice cream or else the ice cream will be icy and coarse)
By Using and Ice Cream Maker: Stir the cream into the custard and churn the mixture until thick (follow instructions on your ice cream maker)

Wendy’s Ice Cream Recipe
Vanilla Philadelphia Style Recipe
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
2 cups (473 ml) of half and half (1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of whole, full fat milk)
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
2/3 (128 grams) cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 (12 grams) tablespoon of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together (we do this in a plastic pitcher and mix with an emulsifier hand blender-whisking works too).
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer
Mix in your ice cream maker as directed.

David Lebovitz link for making ice cream if you do not have an ice cream freezer.

Links to helpful tips:
Folding video demonstration.
Egg Whipping video demonstration.

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.

Monster Mash?

We just got an invitation from our neighbor, Ray, to come to their Halloween party next weekend, so now I’m all atizzy. The invite says to come dressed outrageously. Hmmm… What, exactly constitutes outrageous? What will mix well with 300 pound gay men in tutus? Anyone have any costume suggestions?
Speaking of costumes, next Friday is the annual Halloween party at my church that I help plan every year. So, I’m also in search of an appropriate costume for that, as well.

If nothing else, all of this is a welcome reprieve from the cold that’s taken over my body this weekend. Ugh! I’ve spent so much time on the couch this weekend, it’s a wonder I don’t have bed sores! Hopefully, I’ll get in some quality time with my garden this week. The fall veggies are doing well, but I’m worried about them dying from frost before the broccoli has a chance to develop into heads. Did I wait too long to plant them or is the frost coming a lot faster than I remember it coming in years past?

And work this week promises to be crazy, which I’m looking forward to! We’re shooting a commercial that my boss has pretty much pinned our entire 4th quarter on. No pressure, or anything!

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.