That's Me!!

Good Morning Dear Reader:

It is New Year’s Eve and I am still here in the lovely, but cold northeast Mississippi home of my sister, Janet and her husband, Steve. My mom lives here as well and being with them has been a real joy.

They have generously included me in their holiday plans and invited me to the annual New Year’s Eve bash in Columbus. Back at home, I packed in a hurry just tossing in an evening dress and heels for the event. Now that I am here, I have discovered that I may be a wee bit over dressed. For some reason, Janet thinks the tiara and the full-length gloves may not be appropriate.

She has come up with several adorable ensembles that I can try on, but did I mention she is probably only 6 or so inches taller than I am? If I wear her pants, I won’t need shoes because no one will be able to see my feet anyway.  I see a fashion show in my future and I just hope the judges approve of something, otherwise I will be spending the evening with Dick Clark and he’s really too old for me.

Speaking of too old, when I heard that Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins had split, I was pretty sure that he had finally found someone closer to his own age. According to the National Ledger, and you know what a paragon of truth that publication is, she is now dating a 31-year old with whom she shares an interest in ping pong. Lookout Ashton Kutcher. Demi could soon be taking up with one of the Jonas brothers or Idol runner-up David Archeletta!  Go cougars, and I don’t mean The University of Houston sports teams!

You know when I make an important discovery, I share. I am here for you, always looking for a better way to do anything, and in the beauty arena, especially so. Well, I do have a new hair gel that is just amazing. When you see how much volume my hair has, you will say, “my gosh, your hair isn’t flat and droopy any more. It almost looks like real hair”!

My miracle drug!

If you are cursed with fine, limp hair, do try got2b spiked up. It is a little miracle blue gel that about a dime-size or so dab applied to damp hair just perked it right up. In fact, I shampooed my hair before bedtime, night before last and applied the gel. When I woke up, my hair was sooooooooo big, it scared me. I have photos, but they would scare you, too (no makeup, granny glasses and a big fuzzy pink robe complete this picture). It doesn’t feel sticky or heavy. I think I am in hair heaven.

Somewhere in the back of my brain, I am placing Monday,  January 4th as my personal “D” day when I tackle those irritating habits that are impeding me from reaching sheer perfection. I know part of it will revolve around tackling a better eating plan, which no doubt will involve the word, “less”. The other part is less tangible, but just as important.

You may already but where you want to be in life, and if you are, please share with the rest of us your secret. If you aren’t, let’s hold hands and go together.

Stay safe and come back tomorrow!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

This morning I am blogging from the very Deep South, the heart of it in fact. My sister lives only a few miles off the Natchez Trace, one of the most beautiful highways in America. It runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, and is approximately 400 miles long. It was an Indian trading trail and now is a national park. In fact, Desoto fought the Indian chief, Tuscaloosa, at the battle of Maubila just a few miles from here. When you drive the Trace, you will not see one billboard, one sign, or one street light. What you will see are dozens and dozens of historical markers which impress upon you how much of our nation’s history occurred right here.

My sister, Janet, is a history teacher and she is loaded with all this great information. Just don’t play Trivial Pursuit with her, unless of course she’s on your team.

Today, we are headed to visit the beautiful little college town of Oxford, Mississippi, home of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and home of two of my favorite authors, William Faulkner and John Grisham.

Although I have escaped the dreaded winter cold and flu, I do feel something coming on. It is a feeling of uneasiness that has to do with the fact that 2010 is just a few days away– a new year. There is not a book or a magazine that I have picked up in the last two weeks that hasn’t devoted pages to New Year’s resolutions.

Personally, I have probably written hundreds of them over the course of my life. And like most people, mine always are directed at whipping me into better shape both physically and mentally. Since it is likely that the ones on my list this year are pretty much the same, it is evident to me that just making great resolutions don’t necessarily guarantee great results. It reminds me of something a professor once told our abnormal psychology class in college. He was referring to the psychological issues that people wrestle with in life when he said, “People don’t get better until they decide to”.

Well, believe me, I have very frequently decided to lose those extra pounds, give up sugar, exercise every single day for at least an hour, prepare all our food only from scratch, keep my house immaculate, clean out all my closets, live the simple life, save more money, and floss every day. Yes, I am doing a better job of flossing. On the other counts, I’m a miserable failure. And yes, I did decide to adopt all those resolutions. So what happened? Life. Temptation to do the easy thing, the yummy thing and the lazy thing. I surrendered.

Will this year be any different? I don’t know. I have been doing some serious reading looking for the answer that will make 2010 the year that I take better charge of my life. Do you want to come along? One thing that I have already learned is that the solo journey is a lonely journey and when you don’t have friends and family supporting you daily, you probably won’t make it. That’s one reason why AA, Weight Watchers, and The Aggie alumni network are so effective. Stay tuned.

Making new friends in MS!

Have a powerful day!

Diane

Good Evening Dear Reader:

Today I flew from Houston to Jackson, Mississippi to visit my dear sister, Janet.  I arrived at the airport this morning two hours early, as recommended to avoid delays with heightened security measures. The first TSA employee whose station I passed was smiling, and told our line that we were on our way to fun.

The second screener at the baggage and personal screening station was the complete opposite, sour, shouting directives and treating people like imbeciles.

Experiencing the two opposites in such a short space of time reminded me how much of a difference our attitude can make for others. I read in USA Today that one of our New Year’s resolutions should be to pay it forward, or do something nice for others, with no expectation of thanks or recognition. I like that idea and while we might not be able to change the attitude of someone like the second screener, at least we can throw him off guard.

When I arrived in Jackson, the temperature was a cool 39 degrees. I could not think of a better excuse to visit the area’s shopping mall to purchase some more cold weather gear.  After trying on at least 15 warm and fuzzy hats, I finally settled on one. I think you will like it!

This isn't it!

Our next stop was the grocery store where we had planned to purchase some mascarpone cheese to make tiramisu.  Janet found some ladyfingers on sale and there was a recipe for tiramisu on the package so we had a mission. Unfortunately, many people in Jackson, Mississippi suddenly had an unexplained desire for mascarpone cheese and there was none to be found. So we are modifying the recipe using ricotta. Who knows if ricotta will work? I asked Janet what other ingredients we needed since I have never made tiramisu. She told me it called for 9 cups of coffee. All I can figure is that the recipe she read was for 9 gallons of tiramisu. Stand by; I may have to reduce this recipe. With my higher math skills there is frankly no telling what dish we might end up with, but I think it is entirely possible you will need to drink it and not use a spoon.

Janet in disguise

This a great health tip, but you are going to want to stock up on breath mints. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports that fresh garlic may relax blood vessels and boost circulation. Try to include one to two raw, fresh garlic cloves each day in your meals, uncooked. You may want to be sure that your family members embrace this dietary addition as well or you may find yourself living solo!

Have a lovely day!

Diane

P.S. Coldwater Creek in Jackson has everything in the store 50% off. If you are a fan, this is a heck of a good deal and may be the case in a store near you.

Good Morning Dear Reader:

It is the day after Christmas and I am hoping that you had a very merry one with people you love. I must admit that frankly, and I am sorry my husband has to find this out here, but I developed quite a crush on Christmas Day. You could even go so far as to call it a “Blue Crush”, which ironically is, I think, the title of a Kate Bosworth film about surfing.

Nonetheless, I am definitely crushing and it is all over a man I had never seen before. In fact, he is the star of Avatar, which we saw on Christmas day (in 3-D). While the very human Jake Sully, (Sam Worthington), ex-Marine, paraplegic is certainly adorable, he can’t hold a candle to his avatar, Jake.

In the movie, he agrees to be part of an experiment where scientists (Sigourney Weaver is one) match real individuals with avatar bodies they have somehow created to infiltrate the Omaticaya tribe of the planet Pandora, which aside from the glowing plants and colorful prehistoric-type creatures, was not unlike the beautiful rain forests of Costa Rica.

See archives Dec. 10-13

It seems the inhabitants of Pandora happen to be sitting smack on top of the most valuable new mineral known to man, worth a gazillion dollars an ounce. So the greedy Americans want to relocate the tribe and take all their minerals. Maybe you have heard this same story before?

The good scientists only want to learn from these people and Avatar Jake and another not nearly as attractive human avatar, Norm, are “beamed” into their jungle. Jake is intoxicated with his new ability to run, jump, climb and did I mention he has a tail? Not only does he have a tail, but he is roughly ten feet tall and blue.

Initially, I found this very strange and hard to relate to , but as I got to know Jake, I completely forgot about his blueness. In fact, I also became infatuated with the tribal woman who becomes his love,  Neytiri. Not only is she blue and ten feet tall also, she can whip a a flying prehistoric bird into shape faster than you can say superfragilisticexpialidocious. She is smart, funny and has a waist that is about 14″ . I am so jealous.

It has been a long time since  I saw a movie that I simply did not want to end. It is a feast for your eyes. The jungle, the plants, the creatures–they are all amazingly beautiful. I have no idea what was real and what was computer-generated, but I don’t care. The end result is an experience that you will not soon forget.

I hope Hollywood is paying attention because this movie is not only a blockbuster, but it is for the entire family. It is completely PG. Other than some scary creatures with really big teeth who could swallow an elephant whole, there’s no reason the entire family (8 and up) can’t go together.

Please let me know if you like Avatar. I have a feeling if you see it, you’ll be like me, feeling just a little blue.

Have a lovely day!

Diane

Hello Dear Readers:

It is Christmas Eve, a time that I have always associated with warm feelings and happy times. We have not had the warmest feelings today and happy has been hard to come by. We have had no heat at a time when the temperature is plunging outside and inside.

I know you think that like all the retail stores, companies that repair heaters probably work at least until 5 p.m. on December 24th.  I can say that definitively, none that we called did. However, my husband called a friend of a friend and found someone who would come and take a look at our gas heater.

By that time, the temperature in the house was hovering near 50 and I was hovering near the electric stove, oven, and toaster oven, which I had going full blast.

We greeted the technician like our prodigal son. I offered him coffee, candy, and a nice cashmere sweater if he could warm up this house. He went right to work and in no time at all he nearly blew up the hot water heater and himself as well.

I heard a “small” explosion and just knew we were all goners, but as it turns out, he was only thrown about 2 feet or so. My husband said it was really nothing, but I noticed he took cover in the garage.

The technician, and I am using that term loosely, assured me he was just fine and that it happens all the time. It was then I took my laptop, my favorite saucepan and a glass of wine and retreated to a bedroom on the opposite side of the house to wait for the “really big” explosion.

Fortunately, it never came and eventually, we had heat again. I don’t know what is in all those packages under the Christmas tree, but I can tell you that having heat is a lovely gift.

You know that I love  O, the Oprah Magazine. It has so many great articles. You are going to be so excited when you hear what medical news the Danes and the Swedes have announced.

First, a recent Danish study shows that people with thighs less than 24″ around face a higher risk of heart disease and premature death. ” Some scientists hypothesize that the thigh fat acts as a ‘metabolic sink’, flushing the blood of triglycerides” ,which raises your risk of cardiovascular disease. Take that Kate Moss!

“An eight-year Swedish study of heart attack survivors showed that chocolate eaters had better survival rates–and the more chocolate they ate, the lower their risk of death. The antioxidants in chocolate have beneficial effects on blood pressure.

The average sample eaten by study participants was just under two ounces.” Somehow I imagined “the more they ate” suggested consumption of an entire 16 ounce box of Godiva. Still, for us chocoholics, this is validation. How can something so good be bad? Turns out it’s not. Enjoy responsibly, but enjoy! Read the full article by Jessica Winter on page 121 in the January issue.

Tonight is Magic. It’s Christmas Eve!

Diane

Good Evening Dear Reader:

If you have not yet finished shopping for Christmas, you are not alone. After only 6 hours in town, carried along by the crowds, I was able to purchase one  gift.

The problem is, I have set such high standards for my gifts that few pass my 29 point scale of acceptability for gift-giving.  Since tomorrow is the next to the last shopping day before Christmas, I am reducing my scale to simply 10 points in an effort to finish purchasing something for everyone.

I am afraid that unless I have a good shopping day tomorrow, I will be down to tossing the scale out the window and buying everyone who’s left on the list a veg-a-matic or whatever they still have a lot of in the stores.

So if you happen to be the one on my list who gets the veg-a-matic, please know that I spent at least 40 hours leading up to its purchase, numerous corn pads and possibly as many as 25 cappuccinos. The real winners in all this are Dr. Scholl’s and Starbucks.

Do friends sometimes bring you a nice bottle of wine? I had a thought that I think takes that idea to another level. Many times, I know nothing about the brand of wine or what might make it special, unless the friends who brought it have a chance to share some information about it.

What I thought would be helpful, would be to either purchase a magazine about wine or just clip an article from the newspaper ( Thursdays for the Houston Chronicle) that tells the recipient more about it. Wine Spectator Magazine has  a column called the Savvy Shopper with monthly recommendations.

The issue I picked up had wines from $8 a bottle to $225 profiled. I think it adds an extra touch to an already special gift and says you didn’t just grab the first bottle on the shelf!

I’ve been thinking about preparing a new, different dessert for Christmas this year. I love flan and I love pumpkin. I found a recipe for Pumpkin Flan  in Martha Stewart Living from a cookbook I mentioned previouslyMad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys (Hardcover). Martha does not publish loser recipes. We’ll compare notes after the 1st.

Pumpkin Flan

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light-brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

1 cup cooked pumpkin puree (homemade or canned pumpkin)

1 and 1/2 cups of half-and-half or cream

5 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped ( I find the canned variety perfectly acceptable)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Put the granulated sugar in a 9″ cake pan or pie plate, set on the center rack in the oven, and bake until the sugar is caramel colored, 8-12 minutes. Swirl to cover the bottom of the pie plate.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir in pumpkin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs and vanilla. Thoroughly blend the egg mixture into the pumpkin.

4. Set the pie plate in a large roasting pan, and pour the custard over the caramel (it will be hard like glass).  Carefully pour enough hot tap water into the roasting pan to reach only halfway up the sides of the pie plate.

5. Bake until the custard is set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool and chill in the refrigerator. Run a knife around the outside edge of the flan and invert onto a rimmed plate. The caramel sauce will need room so it doesn’t run over the edge of your dish, so be sure it is nice and deep. Cut into wedges or scoop up servings and top with whipped cream. Serves 8.

Have a Sweet Day!

Diane

Good Evening Dear Reader:

This is not my tree!

I ventured out today to the mall, where with thousands of other shoppers, I actually did feel mauled. Every store was packed with shoppers and lookers and clearly not enough clerks.  I ducked into Barnes and Noble in the hopes of finding a book for a friend and took one look at the checkout line that snaked through the store and decided my friend would probably prefer something from a store less crowded.

I found some adorable gifts at Antropologie. While I could not in a million years wear most of their clothes, their gift items are totally unique and very reasonably priced.

One of their Christmas displays won my special award for the “best use of paper” in a Christmas display. I think you might agree.

I also saw a darling bottle that could be used for anything from lotion to kitchen products or just to look pretty.

I don’t know if I personally triggered it, but the minute I walked into Chico’s a sales clerk took one look at me, quickly surmised that I had gifts left to buy and announced an additional 20% off everything in the store. I do have that kind of effect on people. They still have some of the best costume jewelry in town. I left a few pieces for you.

Pottery Barn always has so many lovely things for the home and when they have a sale, its a good one. I saw this beautiful glass jar which just had a few paper artichokes in it and thought it would look great in almost any room of the house. It could also hold anything from sea shells to artificial fruit to wine corks or even Christmas ornaments. I have seen similar ones at Home Goods and Marshall’s.

In the middle of the mall I saw the huge calendar kiosk and was reminded that pretty much everyone can use a nice calendar and now there are so many different themed ones. I personally liked the humorous ones and those entitled “Bad Cat” or my favorite, The Far Side.  

While thumbing through Sky Mall, the airline publication of  hundreds of items you had no idea you needed, I came across one someone in your family just might like, the UWCP Underwater Cellular Phone System. If , while you are diving on a tropical reef or even in your own pool, you decide you would like to call and order a pizza or just visit with a friend, this phone is the answer. It also comes complete with a full face mask and hose. There is also an inflatable buoy with flags so I assume the pizza delivery boy can find you. At $1790, I am pretty sure it is a bargain.

The best bargain around is the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine that is now available in many area pharmacies for $10-$18. I got my shot today and it didn’t hurt a bit, nor did I need an appointment. Take care of your health, I need all my readers!!

I hope you have had a lovely day!

Diane

Good Afternoon Dear Readers:

It is a beautiful sunny day here in Houston and I am having a heck of a time wrapping my mind around the fact that Christmas is, in fact, this Friday. I am still struggling with my little lodge pine which has the wonkiest (pretty sure that must be a word, because that is exactly how it looks) shape after being in storage all year. It was possibly stored under an anvil.

Because absolutely no one is coming to our house this year, we decided to forgo the big Christmas extravaganza decor which includes a pre-lit tree with at least 529 branches, or so my husband says. Each of which must be installed correctly or none of them light up. The fact that this monstrosity is remaining in storage has made him a happy man.

On top of the fact that I am struggling with the wonky tree to get all of the branches to look like real branches, I cannot find the beautiful feathered birds that have adorned it in the past. They are stored somewhere in one of about 9 red and green plastic Christmas boxes in the attic–all of which say “Christmas Ornaments”.

Did I mention that they are located behind the water skis, Igloo ice chests, boat anchor, duck decoys and some wire contraptions with stickie-outies ( also new word) ? They could be bear traps or some new gadget to cook outdoors. Who knows what lurks in that attic?

Therefore, I will be creating new Christmas decor for my little pine. I will take my inspiration from my role model of creativity, Martha Stewart.  Using only dry macaroni, gold paint, toothpicks and cotton balls,  I will create a thing of beauty, and originality. When I am finished, I will include a photo in my blog as well as instructions as to how you can duplicate this look. If it happens that you never see a photo of it…please  be kind and don’t mention it again.

While my Christmas decor may be less than beautiful, if you are in the hill country for the holidays, there are so many amazing light displays to enjoy. For a complete listing, go to www.tex-fest.com/regional.

Johnson City Courthouse

One of the most amazing is in Johnson City (LBJ’s home town) where the court house is illuminated with 100,000 tiny white lights. In the next block, the Pedernales Electric Co-op is illuminated with 1 million lights. Every enormous oak tree is individually wrapped from the base to the highest branch. It is simply unbelievable. It just feels magical. See it after 6 p.m. through January 1.

Pedernales Elec. Co-op

Nearby in town, on Lake Marble Falls, there is a self-guided walk through 130 light adorned sculptures that will thrill both children and adults, after 6 p.m. through January 2.

Have a wonderful day!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

If you have been following my blog, you know that I have been struggling to find inspiration for my Christmas gift-giving for a few people on my list. I found new inspiration in the latest edition of Martha Stewart Living, one of my favorite magazines.

Let’s face it, no one does anything better than Martha–and she does it all from scratch. None of this Sandra Lee stuff where you start with a mix or you buy a little knitted hat and sew on a flower. No sir, not Martha. She starts with a sheep, harvests her own wool, spins it into yarn, knits the cap and lovingly makes a flower out of fabric she wove herself.

You probably won’t find me herding sheep or knitting scarves, but some of the ideas in the December issue for gift-giving, party food, and crafts are really inspired and creative.

One of the ideas I love is giving a living gift such as a beautiful plant that will last long past the holidays, especially one that is hard-to-kill. Whether you make it yourself or buy one at a local nursery, the ivy topiaries are so pretty.

I have one on my patio that is in a wreath shape that I have had for almost 5 years. I trim it when it appears to be growning out of shape and it just looks so nice!

The rosemary trees are lovely as well and can be adorned with tiny ornaments to make them more festive. For something more impressive, a potted evergreen trimmed into a tree shape is lovely as well. Our local nurseries are well stocked with these beauties and if you want to ramp up the gift, transplant it into a really nice new pot.

When I was growing up in Mobile, Alabama my family used to always buy a wonderful Christmas bread at a local bakery, Pollman’s. I have never seen that same Christmas fruit bread anywhere else and I have looked. I have also resorted to attempting to recreate it myself. No luck.

What I have found that comes so close to the original is the wonderful Italian Panettone that is sold here in grocery stores, Marshall’s, and even some pharmacies for somewhere in the vicinity of $7-10 for the large size. It is packaged in a festive rectangular box. I don’t know how they preserve it, but it is uniformly moist, fragrant and absolutely wonderful toasted with a tiny bit of butter. Oh heck, I could just eat it right out of the box and it is divine!  So far this year I have not sucumb to its call, but I will. I hope you will try it. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

For the cookbook lover in your crowd, I have seen several great reviews for Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys (Hardcover) Recipes, Strategies & Survival Techniques by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

I hope there is sunshine where you are, even if it is only in your heart!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

Outside the rain is pouring down and the temperature is in that icky range. You just never feel warm, so you crank up the heat and within 10 minutes you would swear you are in an oven. Why is that?

Part of the reason is that it is possible that I do not fully understand our programmable thermostat which my husband installed. I was pretty good with heat/cool/off/on/temp. up or down and fan. This baby has 27 buttons and you have to play it like an accordion. I don’t play the accordion or the thermostat, so when I fiddle with it, disaster ensues.

The same is true with my programmable coffee pot, digital bedside clock, DVD, TV remote and at times, my computer.  And why is it that any 6 year-old can communicate with these electronic Rubik cubes?

This posting will offer you no solutions to this dilemma, only sympathy from one who still has her windup clock in the nightstand, just in case.

Yesterday, I tackled the stores hoping to finish my Christmas shopping. I shopped for 5 hours and bought one gift, 2 cappuccinos, lunch, and a lipstick. I saw many gorgeous gifts at great prices–all for me.

So I am back to my favorite magazines looking for good ideas because I am fresh out! InStyle Magazine never fails me for inspiration in gift-giving for the girls on my list ( and me!). In the January issue just out, page 98 , Deals and Steals features lots of goodies that are all priced $15 and under. Here’s a sample:

1.  L’Oreal Paris HIP Bright Shadow Duos in Reckless ( hey, that’s me with the good china), Saucy ( me as well, especially when eating gravy) and Gunmetal (the color of my skin after a long winter) only $7.

2.  NYX Professional Makeup 5-Color Luscious lip gloss palettes in Natural and Red Rediscovered. $7.

3. From one of my favorite places, The Body Shop comes Love Etc., body wash with jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood and organic honey. Can’t you just smell it? Yum. $15.

4. From the store we all love, Target comes Soap & Glory Arch de Triumph eyebrow pencial with a matte pink highlighter on the other end, $10.

Not on the list, but one of my favorite makeup products is gel to tame wild runaway brows. Even if yours are not runaway, brushing them upward after applying brow color will make them look so much better and more natural, plus  it gives them a real lift that lasts. I use Mabelline clear mascara, but there are lots on the market.

Cool gift idea for anyone is the RCA RC59i Alarm Clock Radio with iPod Dock (Black)on Amazon.com for $32.13. Today is the last day for free shipping there.

Or you could send the difficult to wake up person on your list the Sonic Boom Alarm Clock for those who need a real jolt to get out of bed. It shrieks at 113 decibels. It also comes with the powerful bed shaker. $33.95 from Active Forever. Not appropriate for those who live in earthquake prone areas or who have weak hearts.

I hope you have just the loveliest, nicest day ever!

Diane