Free Taste of Home cookbook downloads

OK so recently I had somewhat of a catastrophe – my recipe software decided to reinstall itself, essentially deleting ALL my stored cookbooks and digital recipes. No, I’m not able to recover them, no I don’t have them anywhere with the exception of the ones I’ve shared on my blog (thank you Terry for reminding me of this).

At any rate, in my search for a new program (because there’s no way I’m going to use that one anymore) I came across something pretty awesome. If any of you are fans of the Taste of Home magazines, they have 27 digital cookbooks available for a free download! Simply click the link below and you’ll see them, all available in PDF format for download.

• Link: Taste of Home Digital Cookbooks

So… can anyone recommend a reliable recipe organizer software for Vista?

Just for fun: Fake vintage ads

I have recently developed an affinity for all things vintage, and especially advertising. The love affair I have with Mad Men on AMC might have something to do with that, of course. I just stumbled across this blog post on the Internet and found the concept intriguing.

When you need a break from your day, go ahead and take a look at all of them here.

PS – that ad to the right —> is a REAL ad from the 50s.

Back to school tomorrow

And it couldn’t come any sooner. We’re just tired of our teenagers being lazy and looking forward to having them back on a regular schedule. We went to Justin’s curriculum night last week and walked through his classes with him. Why is it that kids’ schedules always cause them to walk from one side of campus to another for every period? The poor kid has Language Arts first thing (2 periods worth) followed by gym, computers and lunch. The afternoon is more hard-hitting with math, science and social studies. His SS class will be studying American history with a concentration in the early 19th century. When I was a kid I abhorred history but for some reason now I am drawn to it – I’m far more excited about that class than he is.

Eric’s schedule is about the same as usual but one thing I’m thrilled about is that he’s taking cooking 1-2 all year. Yes, it is a good life skill but I have a more selfish reason for being happy about it. Namely, someone else who can make dinner for our family!

Terry and Justin have been busy with football – they have 5-day a week practices until games start, then they’re down to 2-3 days per week. Terry says Justin has improved quite a bit, and in fact the whole team has. We’re so glad we’ve found an organization like the Dawgs – much better than the others we have experienced.

Go Dawgs!

9 things to do online when you’re bored

I’ve found most of these through StumbleUpon, which in and of itself is fun enough to do when you’re bored.

1. Test your reflexes by tranquilizing virtual sheep. Who thinks up these games anyhow?
2. Play spider solitaire I sometimes use this as an outlet for procrastination.
3. Play a quicker version of solitaire (turbo) I think I’ve gotten through the first level twice. And never through the second.
4. See in how few moves you can make the virus spread. Not a computer virus, check it out, you’ll see.
5. Play Sudoku online – and see how your time compares to other Sudokuphiles.
6. Create your own customized online radio station at Pandora Radio. My current fave is the Cranberries station.
7. Get a good laugh at actual photos found in real estate listings enhanced with plenty of snark.
8. Download Windows Virtual Earth and take a virtual trip anywhere in the world. A gazillion times better than the now lame Google Earth – MS VE has 3D building capability that gives you a bird’s eye view – and even lets you navigate around like you’re flying. This could keep me busy for hours. Actually, it has.
9. Start your own blog at WordPress! Or if you have one, write a new post! Don’t forget to send me the link too!

So I guess with StumbleUpon, it’s really 10 things.

An evening with Carlos and Paradiso

You have probably heard about the fine art of pairing wine with dinner. An up and coming alternative trend is to pair other types of beverages (such as beer or whiskey) with food. Last week I was privileged to attend an exclusive private dinner at The Phoenician Scottsdale starring the premium tequila El Tesoro paired with luscious gourmet cuisine prepared by their world-renown, award-winning culinary team.

Before we began our evening, the reception featured three cocktails to choose from. Always ready to sample, I had a bit of each – the El Tesoro Platinum Margarita (a margarita with Cointreau and a base of fresh lemon and lime juice), the Silvestri Suizo Sueco (a drier margarita with lingonberry puree, served very fittingly in a martini glass), and a twist on one of my favorites, the 5ive P (a fruit-infused bellini containing El Tesoro Paradiso, Pomegranate Liquor and prosecco).

After taking our seats in the dining room, before us we noticed two things that I never thought I would be served at a sit down dinner - a shot of tequila next to a trio of sushi made with baby octopus. Neither was very tempting to me, so I politely declined. During this time, Carlos Camarena, the owner of the El Tesoro distillery spoke to our small crowd of 60. He explained how his grandfather began making the fine tequila in its current location in 1937 and how his father, and now he, continued the tradition.

As owner and Master Distiller, Carlos’ stories held us captivated. He explained how his family’s tequila was crafted: The care that went in to selecting the right agave, how the product is pure and organic, and how much pride he and his family take in their business. For example, rather than mass produce tequila to 140-160 proof then adding water to make it 80 proof (as most distilleries do), El Tesoro is distilled by hand to be exactly 80 proof. El Tesoro was the first to do this, and is only one of two distilleries in the world who do.

After the wait staff removed the octopus which in all honesty was not easy to look at, but hard to look away from, they replaced it with a much more welcome treat – a Phoenician Tequila Sunrise (the traditional beverage enhanced with Pomegranate Liquor and a touch of sour mix) paired with mini quesadillas filled with roasted hot peppers and a sort of corn fungus that resembled truffles. The sweetness of the drink was the perfect match for the spicy dish. I nearly licked my plate clean and left not one drop in the glass.

Next up was our third course consisting of flaky seabass. Now if you know me, you know I am not a fish-eater, but this dish was actually delightful. Accompanying it was a bloody maria. The fourth course was the most tender pork tenderloin imaginable, in a spicy mole sauce. The beverage served was a traditional margarita made with Reposado tequila, nearly as delicious as the Tequila Sunrise.

As we awaited our next course, Carlos returned to tell more stories including another example of his groundbreaking techniques. A few years back, when he introduced the idea of aging tequila in oak barrels, his industry colleagues laughed at him. Once he tasted the product of this practice, he knew he had a hit and now has a selection of tequilas processed in this manner. Due to its brandy-like nature, the Añejo tequila was presented to us in miniature brandy snifters meant for sipping though doing so made my lips feel as though they were on fire! The accompanying dish was a delightful plate of Mexican cheeses, meant to clear the palate for what was to come – dessert.

The finale was a fabulously-crafted chocolate tequila cake. It was so beautiful – with a lemon custard meringe-like topping, gorgeous sugar work and layers of tequila-soaked dark chocolate cake, I almost didn’t want to touch it. Of course, I devoured it in about a minute! Another mini snifter was included, this time with the collectors-edition, extremely rare Aniversario tequila.

Carlos’ story of the Aniversario tequila is truly fascinating. You can read it in his own words here – the Coincidence of the Lucky 7s. Although I only had a bit of the cognac-like liquor, I knew it was something very, very special – only 2007 bottles were produced in honor of their 70th anniversary last year.

Fortunately I had the good sense to refrain from overindulging (in alcohol anyway) or I could have been in big trouble during the 45-minute drive home. I do feel that the experience was somewhat wasted on me, as someone who doesn’t know enough about tequila (or care to drink it much).

By the way, we did go home some goodie bags which had shot glasses and cocktail shakers. At upwards of $150 per bottle, there was no chance we’d all be taking the tequila home with us (though three lucky people did win bottles as a door prize). Nor is there any chance that I’ll be purchasing some myself. But – I did walk away with the privileged gift of having had a unique experience and a very interesting evening in the company of a master craftsman. For that – I will always be grateful.

Earth Hour

Hmmmm… maybe I’ve been living in the dark (no pun intended) but until just a moment ago I hadn’t heard about this. Earth Hour is an event created by the World Wildlife Fund where people across the globe are committing to turning their lights off between 8pm and 9pm (their local time) this Saturday, March 29th. The goal is to reduce our carbon footprints, if only for an hour, though if you think of it, traveling through 24 times zones, and hour is equal to one day. Heavy, huh?

Anyway, this sounds like a responsible thing to do, and something my kids might remember into their adulthood. Certainly it is raising awareness of the need to conserve and (pardon my gag reflex here) global warming. I wonder how many people in China know about Earth Hour?

I don’t know if I’ll end up doing it – honestly I can’t think of anything I could do that won’t require lights or power. Watch TV – no. Read – no. Play a game with the kids – no. I wonder if my computer battery would last an hour – or my iPod – do those count? I guess not because I’d have to charge and recharge them anyway, right? Geez, this is tougher than Lent!

Passing time

It’s funny how someone like me can fill up a day just running around and doing miscellaneous stuff. I’m on the computer a lot (which most of you probably know) and have found something fun that I’ve been doing with friends and family to break up the monotony. It’s an online version of Scrabble.

You can play against a ‘robot’, against others online, solitaire, or what I’ve been doing – via email. I’ve had games going with my sisters, brother-in-law and father-in-law simultaneously. Basically, you set up the game by entering email addresses. The person initiating the game (you) will be the first player, then the system emails the next player that it’s their turn. You don’t need to wait for the email – you can just check the status anytime by checking back at the site (it helps to bookmark it in your favorites). When setting up the game, you have the choice to play with the automatic dictionary (where the computer won’t let you play an invalid word) or a “challenge” version which is more like the traditional game. Points are automatically calculated and you can even see the progression of words played with point value for each player.

It’s fun to play, and because everything is via email/online, the game can run over the course of days, weeks, or even months if necessary. You can play with up to four people total. Check it out:

• www.scrabulous.com

Have fun!

Family update

Lots has been going on in our household lately – here’s the news in an nutshell:

• On Saturday there was another Varisty LAX game, but they lost and Eric did not play. I did bring an unwelcome souvenir home – a nasty sunburn on my collarbone and nowhere else. I’m a freak.
• On Saturday night Terry & I went out with the ‘hood for Barb’s birthday to Ah-So Teppan Yaki restaurant. It was tons of fun, though we discovered the key ingredient that gets the chefs through the show is… alcohol!
• Sunday was the first day without football in ages, and Terry seemed lost trying to find something to watch on TV. He ended up going to the driving range with Justin while I spent the day prepping for an interview. Eric went to the Renaissance Festival with his girlfriend’s family.
• Today (Tuesday) I had my interview, which went well. I got along famously with the group of ladies which is obviously good news. I know I can do the job and think I was able to prove that to them. I can tell I’d be a good fit for the team. Now I just have to cross the fingers and hope I get “the call” – but I also recognize that anything can happen at this point as I’ve seen so many times before.
• Tonight – as I write, actually – Terry is being inducted into the Knights of Columbus. I am so proud of him! Not only is it wonderful to see him contributing to the church, it’s also great for the kids to see him getting involved. Plus, I think it will be good for him to have an activity outside of work.

Upcoming events:

• Tomorrow (Wednesday) is Eric’s 16th birthday! We’re going to have a quiet family dinner at home for starters with more to come later.
• Thursday I’m going to an idustry networking luncheon which I’m really excited about. I left last month’s event with four job leads!
• Also on Thursday is Eric’s first JV LAX game and since he’s a starter he should get a lot of playing time. I guess I’ll get to see how well my new camera takes night shots.
• Of course Thursday is also Valentine’s day. Terry and I will celebrate as we usually do – a quiet, romantic steak & champagne dinner at home. Who needs to fight the crowds and pay upwards of a hundred bucks for a night out?
• Sunday is the ETA for Terry’s parents, Ray & Sue, to arrive. We don’t have any big excursions planned like last year, but it should be fun having them stay with us.
• On Tuesday of next week we’re going to go out to celebrate Eric’s and Grammy Sue’s birthdays (hers is Sunday the 18th). I think we’re going to Organ Stop Pizza, home of the Mighty Wurlitzer, one of the world’s largest operating organs.