Take Four as Needed for Anxiety...

Put this music on and come back.  No really, just click on where it says "this music"  and it will open in a new window.  I just learned how to do this and I am RAWTHER excited.  You know I will be attaching music to everything now, don't you.  The music will open in a new window, and you can listen to it when you toggle back to this window.  Okay, so now you hopefully have some very beautiful, very soothing music playing in the background. Isn't that nice?  That's Bent, with their song "Swollen."  It's a pretty old song, but it's one of the most gorgeous pieces of music I know.  Okay, back to more ways of alleviating anxiety (None of which include chocolate, because though I have tried, really I have, to use chocolate as a tranquilizer, I've found it only aggravates things, since now I have calories and fatness to worry about.  And maybe breaking out.), because on the whole I have a LOT of anxiety.

1.  The music is, first and foremost, my best way of dealing with stress and anxiety. When you're done with "Swollen," close out and try this one.  It's Angela McCluskey singing with Telepopmusik, called "Don't Look Back."  This isn't music to cheer you up--that's a whole different criteria.  This is stuff to calm you, to soothe your savage breast.  Well, if not savage, certainly tense. Okay, now play this one!  It's Royksopp, "In Space."  Alright, now last of all throw in some Daft Punk, "Nightvision."  None of this is new music--the Daft Punk alone is 10 years old!  But these are beautiful, peaceful, and calming pieces of music.  They work!

2.  Another interesting little thing I found is called Bach Rescue Remedy. They are stress relieving pastilles, and they are sort of like gummies.  They have a very mild citrus flavor, and you chew/suck two or three at a time.  They are homeopathic, made of flowers ( in Switzerland!), and apparently have no better efficacy than a placebo.  Well, I don't know what to tell you, because I find they work really well--bring on the placebos! I generally chew a few when I feel wound tight as a spring.  And then, after about 20 or 30 minutes, I suddenly notice that I don't feel wound quite so tightly.

3.  Much as I hate to admit it, going for a walk is hugely helpful (I prefer to doctor myself from the comfort of my own home).  Taking the dog tires us both out, and we both sleep better. Although I don't think the dog has any anxiety.  She just likes to go for walks.

4.  Finally, if worse comes to worst, sit outside, look at the full moon (which always aggravates my anxiety issues--the moon, not the sitting), and open a bottle of wine. And maybe put on some music (see above).

How to Stay on Your Diet

Dolce & Gabbana has this ad campaign for Spring 2012 that makes me happy (and I seriously covet the dress the matriarch on the far left is wearing in the top photo).  It looks like some outrageously good-looking Italian family hanging out on the shores of Lake Como, going to church, yelling at their kids, loving their kids, eating and drinking wine outside (absolutely one of my favorite pastimes), and even (get this) including elderly people in the photos.  In general they are living the good life.   I just look at these pictures and hey--sign me up!  I want to look fabulous and dignified and attractive (while drinking wine outside?).  So every time I want to put something like, say, a Cheet-o  (or a fun-size Hershey bar, perhaps?)  in my mouth, I will look at these pictures instead.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Can't...stop...eating...chocolate....

What is wrong with me??  Hershey's isn't even my favorite chocolate!  I do love Hershey's, it's just not top choice.  And while I  certainly wouldn't turn down dark chocolate either, if I get a choice I'll choose milk chocolate every time (what can I say, I guess I have an unsophisticated palate).  Preferably Cadbury's Dairy Milk, thank you very much.  I think this rampant ravaging is caused by knowing that I have to get back on the straight and narrow tomorrow, diet-wise.  How can it take me sooo long to lose weight, and then have it come back on sooo quickly?  Not fair. I am also well aware of the visible-signs-of-aging/sugar partnership.  Yikes!

Anyway, the whole reason I bought all these little Hershey bars (fun size indeed!) was to make oven s'mores.  Yes, you could toast your marshmallows in the fireplace, but it's supposed to be near 90 degrees in Vacaville today.  And by the same token, toasting them over a campfire outside would doubtlessly end in an epic conflagration, what with today's 30 mph winds.  So, broiler it is. Super quick, and you can very precisely control the golden-brown-ness (If you need that much control in your life.  Which I do.) of the marshmallows.

All things considered, the calorie content isn't THAT bad.  I mean, it is tooth-achingly sweet (not a bad thing, in my book), and gooey beyond compare, and it weighs in at about 150 calories, which isn't awful for a dessert. And really, even for me, a world-class sweet-tooth, just one is enough.  Plus, I think just about everybody loves a s'more.

So go heat the broiler, and place the rack so that the s'more will be about 4 to 6 inches away from the element. We'll just make one s'more for right now. Break the rectangle of graham cracker in half, and put it on a baking sheet.  Put three sections of a fun-size Hershey bar on top (I tried it with two sections, but the marshmallows don't balance very well), and then two marshmallows on top of that.  Put the whole little pile into the oven, and STAND THERE.  Don't walk away!  It goes from toasty to terrible very quickly (or blackened to buggered, as the case may be). Keep checking, and when the marshmallows are a good color for you, remove from oven and leave to sit for a minute or so to let the chocolate melt and the marshmallows start to implode a bit.  Put the other half of the graham cracker on top and press down gently. 

In the interest of...what? probably not science, so the furtherance of economical desserts?...I ate this very s'more, and drank a big cup of very strong coffee with it.  You see, I give and I give.  In future, I will always eat my s'mores with a coffee chaser.

And I promise I'll have a salad for lunch.

Listen to Your Mother! And Make Lunch for Her on Mother's Day!

Before I forget, I wanted to show you how pretty my Spanish lavender is--it loves Vacaville! You could plant some Spanish lavender for your mother in her garden for Mother's Day!

[caption id="attachment_1730" align="alignright" width="155"] Trust me, lady--I know how you feel[/caption]

Moving on.  I had a bit of a hard day yesterday. No, in the scheme of things it wasn't tragic.  Well, maybe a little.  I was in a store and I got asked if I wanted the senior citizen discount.  I wasn't sure whether to punch the clerk in the head or cry. I did neither, but the whole episode certainly did provide fuel for thought.

I remember, when I was about 25, my mother told me that no matter how old you get, you never really feel very different inside.  That once you pass 30, you stop feeling like you are getting older.  That you don't feel any different than you did when you were about 30, even if you are, say, 48.  Sure, I know that I've aged on the outside, but inside?  I still feel pretty young. Now bear in mind my mother died at 66, so I can't vouch for how she would have felt at 83.  But it's true--I don't feel much different than when I was about 30, even though I am fast approaching 50. So I cannot tell you how dismayed I was when the clerk asked me about the senior citizen discount.  "What?? I'm not old!  How could you think I'm that old??" (No, I didn't say that--I just gasped a little and shook my head.)  The whole thing kind of laid me low.  A little reminder that hell yes,  I'm getting old and looking it.

I know it shouldn't matter, that every wrinkle and grey hair I have is a testament to the fact that, yes, I am much wiser now that I'm older (no, really, I am), a testament to the woman I have become, and to the life I've led, blah blah blah.  YOU get asked if you want the senior citizen discount and tell me how you feel about the life you've led and the woman you've become.

The age thing, on the whole, doesn't usually bother me that much--but that was before I knew I looked old enough for the senior citizen discount.  Holy crap!  Am I wasting away my years bemoaning my waxing weight and waning looks? Maybe that's what my mother was telling me, to appreciate whatever age you are, 'cause you're only going to keep getting older, no matter how you feel inside.

[caption id="attachment_1723" align="alignright" width="140"] Ava[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1722" align="alignleft" width="110"] Cyd[/caption]

My mother was very pretty--when she was young she looked a lot like a combination of  Cyd Charisse and Ava Gardner. The shape of Cyd's face, but with Ava's eyes. So even when she was older, she still had men (who were a bit older still) look at her, and that's what prompted our conversation.  We were out shopping one day and she was getting checked out by a man, and she said that you never stop enjoying that feeling of being noticed and appreciated. It was a little gift, really, to pass this knowledge on to me, to remember that the pretty girl is always inside the aging woman.

So here's a few more of her tidbits:

1.  Stay out of the sun (can't tell you how much I wish I'd listened to that one).

2.  Stop wishing your life away ( I was always wishing for things to be different than they were).

3.  You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear (all the champagne and chandeliers in the world won't help--trashy is still trashy).

4.  Pay yourself first (I still have a hard time with this one--keep forgetting to save money).

5. Children (and pets, too, actually!) come to live with you.

6.  Put on a happy face.

I feel completely confident that your own mother has or had little sayings that crop up regularly, and that you still apply to your life.  So be good!  Be nice to her!  Mother's Day is coming, so make her a nice lunch.  You could start with the Mother's Day Punch I mentioned last year about this time, and then move on to this easy and very make-aheadable lunch. Oven-fried chicken, tortellini salad, followed by chocolate dipped strawberries?  Delightful.

Oven Fried Chicken with Tortellini Salad

The Chicken:

Water

3 Tbl. salt

8 to 10 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

2 Tbl. butter

1/2 cup flour

1 Tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

About 6 to 8 hours before you plan to cook the chicken, place the chicken in a large bowl. Toss in the 2 Tbl. salt and fill bowl with water, completely covering the chicken. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (or you could use a giant Tupperware, if you were so inclined) and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Remove the chicken from the bowl, and dry it well (I put paper towels on a baking sheet, put the chicken on the paper towels, and then dab chicken with more paper towels--it must be dry!). Put the butter in a large roasting pan and put the pan in the oven for a few minutes while it preheats--don't forget it, though, or it will burn.  Put the timer on if you need to.  Remove the pan when the butter is melted.  Put the flour, remaining 1 Tbl. salt, and the black pepper in a plastic bag.  Add the chicken to the bag, a piece or two at a time, and shake to coat the pieces well with flour.  Shake the excess flour off well. Lay each piece, skin side down, in the butter in the roasting pan. Return the pan to the oven, and cook for 40 minutes.  Turn the pieces over and cook for 20 more minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and drain on paper towels momentarily, then on a rack set over a baking sheet.  Serves 4 - 5

The Tortellini:

9 oz. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

2 tomatoes, deglopped and chopped

1/2 cup thin slivers of red onion

1/2 cup thin slivers of red (or yellow or orange) bell pepper

1/2 cup small black olives, halved

2 Tbl. chopped Italian parsley

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbl. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cool water.  Place tortellini in a bowl, then add onion, bell pepper, olives and parsley.  In food processor combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic and whiz to emulsify.  Pour dressing over the salad and let stand about 30 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally.  Serves 4

The Strawberries:

You know how to do this--dip strawberries in melted chocolate!

Hang on While I Get My Birkenstocks...

[caption id="attachment_1710" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="I am not in this picture"][/caption]

It's really not going out on a limb to suggest that I am not what you could call a "hippie" type of person.  I don't think we could even dabble with "bohemian."  That being said, I did feel a little...um...hippie-ish--dare I say liberal? no, that's going too far--yesterday.   I didn't vote on the other side of the aisle, nor did I march for anything.  And truth be told, I don't even own Birkenstocks (it seems like such a lot of money for such ugly shoes).  No, what I did was, I made granola!    It's a  fun, easy project that yields a healthy-ish breakfast for days to come.  Yesterday I had it with just milk, then today I had it with yogurt, both of which were delicious. Feel free to play around and add or substitute nuts or seeds or dried fruits to your liking--just keep the quantities about the same, and you should be fine.  So here's the recipe--and hey, peace, man.

Vacaville Housewife Granola



3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup bran flakes

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

scant 1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbl. canola oil

2 1/2 Tbl. maple syrup

1/4 cup corn syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbl. water

1 1/2 cups dried mixed fruit (I used cranberries, raisins, and sultanas--you could use apricots, or dates, or...)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the oats, bran flakes, nuts, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup, corn syrup, vanilla, and water and whisk to combine.  Pour the oil mixture over the oat mixture and stir well until combined.  Spread granola evenly on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to be sure it toasts evenly, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.  Stir in the dried fruits.  Store in an airtight container. Keeps at room temperature for one to two weeks.   Makes about 8 cups.

Quick Springtime Dinner (or...Easter brunch?)

[caption id="attachment_1649" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Baby lemons"][/caption]

So pretty here in Vacaville, this time of year.  "Fecund" I think would be a good way to describe it.  My lemon tree is covered in

[caption id="attachment_1650" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Future figs"][/caption]

blossoms, and the fig tree is just all a-dither.  It's lovely.  But I digress.

Now, regardless of the eating habits of real men, I love quiche.  I think most people do.  It's eggy, it's bacony, it's delicious!  This is my favorite, go-to quiche recipe.  Very easy, perfect for dinner or even Easter brunch.  The other night we had it with a salad with Shallot Vinaigrette, and for dessert we had madeleines and strawberries.  Actually, our whole dinner menu would work for Easter Sunday.  On a weeknight I use Pillsbury All-Ready Piecrusts (gasp!), but for Easter you could trot out your skills and make piecrust from scratch.  Or not.  The vinaigrette I whip up in the food processor, the strawberries get quickly cut up and left to macerate in sugar, and the madeleines just make a tiny batch, so they're quick.  Okay, here we go.

[caption id="attachment_1654" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Vinaigrette on deck"][/caption]

Shallot Vinaigrette

1 shallot, quartered

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbl. sherry vinegar

several sprigs Italian parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup oil (olive, avocado, canola, walnut--whatever you feel like)

Place shallots, mustard, vinegar, parsley, salt, and pepper in bowl of food processor and pulse to combine.  With lid on and machine running, slowly pour in the oil through the hole in the lid.  Blend until smooth and emulsified. Pour over spring greens and toss. Done!

Cheese, Bacon, and Onion Quiche

Single crust pastry

6 slices bacon, cut into 2" pieces

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Line 9" pie pan (spray pie pan with Pam--makes life so much easier) with pastry.  Cook bacon until crisp.  Drain, reserving drippings, and place in pie shell.  Saute onion in bacon fat until lightly browned.  Drain off fat.  In bowl stir together eggs, milk, cream, cheese, salt and pepper.  Add onions and stir to combine.  Pour mixture over bacon in pastry-lined pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Serves 4-6

Strawberries

Cut a pound of strawberries into chunks and place in bowl.  Sprinkle with 2 or 3 tablespoons sugar and stir to combine.  Leave at room  temperature for an hour or so.

Madeleines

Now, this was the first time I'd ever made these.  I just got a madeleine pan, so I turned to Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets for a recipe.

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

pinch salt (I added that myself--none in original recipe)

grated zest of one lemon

2 tsp. vanilla

5 Tbl. butter, melted and cooled (recipe calls for unsalted--I used salted)

[caption id="attachment_1658" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Maybe I'll bake them a bit longer next time..."][/caption]

Sift together flour and baking powder and set aside.  Using a mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar on med-high speed until they thicken and lighten, 2 to 4 minutes.  Beat in zest and vanilla.  By hand, fold in dry ingredients, followed by cooled melted butter.  Cover batter in bowl  with plastic wrap placed directly on dough to make airtight seal. Chill for at least three hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Generously grease and flour your madeleine pan, even if it's non-stick.  Put it on a cookie sheet for easy transport.

Divide the batter among the molds, filling each one almost to the top.  Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until puffed and golden and spring back when touched.  Remove from pan by rapping pan against counter and tipping them out of the pan, or by running a knife around the edges of the cookies.  Cool cookies on a rack.  Makes 12

Happy Easter brunch, or just Happy Tuesday night dinner!

[caption id="attachment_1667" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The green, green grass of home"][/caption]

New Toys

Sometimes I am so full of ideas to write about I have to make notes so I don't forget them all.  And then some other times, my little blogging muse sits in the corner and she pouts and gives me the silent treatment.  This is what I have been dealing with. Since she is being so remarkably unhelpful, I suppose I will have to do this all myself.

My new toys are a few little treats I bought, all very inexpensive.

[caption id="attachment_1608" align="alignright" width="125" caption="Iris as a young woman, apparently in need of said treats..."][/caption]

As Iris Murdoch said, "One of the secrets to a happy life is continuous small treats."

I may have that tattooed on my person somewhere.  Or maybe not.  But either way, I could not agree more.  It doesn't have to be anything big--check out my post from last year,  Cheap Little Treats, for some ideas.  But for right now, here are my new toys:

First of all, I am really liking my avocado slicer/peeler. We've been on a turkey and avocado sandwich binge lately, and I finally got tired of having avocado under my nails every time I made a sandwich.  So not only does this little gizmo (it has no moving parts--can it still be called a gizmo?) slice the avocado very nicely, it also removes the peel at the same time. Way more fun than conventional methodology, and gives a much better looking slice.  As a companion piece to my slicer/peeler, I bought the Avo Saver, which really kind of looks like a piece of junk, to be perfectly honest. It's lurid green plastic with a rubbery strap that goes across the top, and I am sure it's made in China.  But here's the thing:  it works great!  Usually if I have a half avocado left over, I dutifully put in the fridge, going through the ministrations to keep it fresh, but secretly knowing that I'll be throwing it away in a few days, when it gets that murky brown (different from Murphy Brown) tone to it. And avocadoes aren't cheap, so that makes me mad!  With the Avo Saver, you put the half with the pit on the device, lash it down securely with the stretchy strap, and it stays for several days, in relatively good condition.  No, it's not perfect, but it only had a very little murky brown on it, and it was just a very thin layer I could scrape away easily.  Usually the murky brown penetrates the entire avocado.  So, a good purchase.

Next toy is the Chef'n Stem Gem strawberry stem remover.  I have to admit that the cuteness of this device swayed me.  As a bonus, it works well!  You press the green button like you were giving somebody an injection, which opens the pointy teeth.  You plunge the open teeth into the strawberry, twist, let go of the button, pull out, and tah-dah--quickly hulled strawberries.  It would be great if you had to do a whole bunch at once.  I'm sure it would really cut down on time. So another good purchase.

Next little item is some shampoo and conditioner.  As I've gotten older, my fine hair has gotten...oh...I guess fluffy would be a way to describe it.  I do not want fluffy hair.  I want shiny and smooth hair.  At the same time, however, I need volume, but volumizing products tend to exacerbate the fluffy issue.  It's a puzzler, I tell you.  I saw some ads for new smoothing products that somehow seem to be geared toward middle-agers (similar to a teenager, but different)  like myself, and the first thing I bought was L'Oreal Evercreme Cleansing Conditioner.  It very gently cleans, but mostly conditions.  It was fine, not amazing.  It does smell fantastic though.  So then I moved on to Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner.  Now I have to say, I am very impressed.  When I use this shampoo and conditioner, my hair feels smooth and silky, it's shiny, and it still has oomph. And the price?  Well, you know, Suave does what theirs does for less than half the price.  Apparently in this case it's true!  It is indeed half the price of the L'Oreal line (which is still really cheap), so a bottle of the Suave Keratin is less than $3 at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.  I have color treated hair, so I am careful what I use on it.  I'm not advocating cheap slop.  Rather, I am advocating a cheap product that also happens to be excellent--a rare combination these days.

While some days I feel like Iris Murdoch looks (above), at least I know I'll have a delicious turkey and avocado sandwich (I just discovered that lightly sprinkling salt and pepper on the avocado in the sandwich is hugely helpful in bringing out the avocado flavor) to eat, and smooth, shiny hair to toss about.  So that's good. Happy life indeed.