Jan
22
22
french toast
I'm not a real breakfast food lover but being a sweet tooth I do get cravings for French toast.
I use five simple tricks to achieve the perfect French toast.
1. I use a really cheap "nonstick" type pan, not my copper bottom frying pan. I think the copper bottom pan heats up fast and holds heat, so the toast burns before it's really done.
2. My liquid is about one part egg (including yoke) to one part milk (1% or 2%). I don't like a fried egg hanging off my toast or a soggy toast.
3. I put about a half cup of brown sugar in the liquid. This adds to the yummy goodness but I think it cooks and helps keep the toast from staying soggy.
4. Cook on about half-high. See the visual below. If you have an electric stove, I feel for you.
5. I use a dense bread like Vienna bread or, French bread surprise, surprise! However I have used cheap white bread and #1-4 still keep it from being too soggy.
I like my toast chewy, not soggy. Sweet, not too egg-y.
I use five simple tricks to achieve the perfect French toast.
1. I use a really cheap "nonstick" type pan, not my copper bottom frying pan. I think the copper bottom pan heats up fast and holds heat, so the toast burns before it's really done.
2. My liquid is about one part egg (including yoke) to one part milk (1% or 2%). I don't like a fried egg hanging off my toast or a soggy toast.
3. I put about a half cup of brown sugar in the liquid. This adds to the yummy goodness but I think it cooks and helps keep the toast from staying soggy.
4. Cook on about half-high. See the visual below. If you have an electric stove, I feel for you.
5. I use a dense bread like Vienna bread or, French bread surprise, surprise! However I have used cheap white bread and #1-4 still keep it from being too soggy.
I like my toast chewy, not soggy. Sweet, not too egg-y.
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment
Jan
19
19
my lair
I work at a place called Calvin College in the snowy land of Michigan. My department is in "the dungeon". We - well some of us - call it that because it's in a basement and we have no windows. This is a basement basement, not a walk out. I got a new cubicle right before Christmas. It's setup pretty much like my old one but is a bit bigger and I have one of those rubber mats on the floor which is nice for rolling around my $1000 Herman Miller Aeron chair, muahaha. In order to stave off the looming insanity during the winter months when we descent into the dungeon in darkness and ascend into darkness, I hang these kitschy sarong wraps I bought at the touristy stands in Waikiki. I also have a few plant cuttings that I keep in water vases (I forget to water plants that live in soil).
Normally the counter space on the left would give the occupant a view of one corner of the department and allow for customers to sit at the desk and be served, but I opted for backing one of our computer cabinets against my counter and then wedging an unclaimed section of cubicle partition between the cabinet and the edge of the counter. Now I look at a wall, which suits me.
My worldview
Sometimes I have this problem where people think that just because I'm sitting at my desk and physically shut off, that means I'm always interrupt-able. Today I made some passive-aggressive signs for my cubicle....
(that's a picture of a door chained shut and a picture of Obama shutting the door in your face)
Normally the counter space on the left would give the occupant a view of one corner of the department and allow for customers to sit at the desk and be served, but I opted for backing one of our computer cabinets against my counter and then wedging an unclaimed section of cubicle partition between the cabinet and the edge of the counter. Now I look at a wall, which suits me.
My worldview
Sometimes I have this problem where people think that just because I'm sitting at my desk and physically shut off, that means I'm always interrupt-able. Today I made some passive-aggressive signs for my cubicle....
(that's a picture of a door chained shut and a picture of Obama shutting the door in your face)
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment
Jan
15
15
lolz
Since I've been busy this week training dogs and I promised not to make this blog about dogs, please allow me to hold you over with some internet funnies...
This one is my own
Funny sites I recommend:
Cats That Look Like Hitler
GraphJam
Damn You Autocorrect
Look At That Fucking Hipster
Engrish
This one is my own
Funny sites I recommend:
Cats That Look Like Hitler
GraphJam
Damn You Autocorrect
Look At That Fucking Hipster
Engrish
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment
Jan
11
11
Vanity
Phil and I used to have an Ikea bed...most of you are already familiar with this story. Let's just say I do not endorse beds from Ikea. Many, many things from Ikea, yes....beds, no. After the final collapse of the Ikea bed, most of the pieces were donated to dad for scrap firewood, but I hung on to the headboard for a few years. When we moved into the new old house it was clear that I needed some sort of self-prep area outside of the bathroom. On one of my many return trips to Ikea I found a set of small sawhorses included in the mix-and-match table top/table leg area. Voila! My vanity, 'cus I'm so vain.
Here Nikon is getting away with being in an off-limits room in order to demonstrate the size, or lack thereof. Nikon is a ~75lb German Shepherd dog. I am a human whose weight will remain undisclosed but it's considerably more than Nikon. Phil is also a human who probably weighs me + Nikon. There is no storage in this, the only full bathroom in our new old house.
Here are a few snaps of the bathroom right after we moved in last spring. It's so small I can't even get a decent photo of it with my wideangle lens.
Here is the headboard/sawhorse vanity. I also got that large mirror and tabletop lamps from Ikea. The stool I got for $5 when my hair salon closed. I've trimmed and layered my own hair since then.
I've never purchased an Apple product, but I think their packaging makes for an interesting marketing case study.
My makeup, in an Ikea bowl, surprise surprise.
THE best lotion: Trader Joe's Moisturizing Cream Extra Dry formula. I've even been using it in my hair every day. One time I forgot this was from Trader Joe's so I Googled the product tagline "Midsummer's Night Cream" to find out how I could order more. Yeah...bad idea. That might be a gay porn flick. Since then Santa and the Easter Bunny bring me some from Trader Joe's in Illinois twice a year through their messenger Ruth Kelder.
My favorite face moisturizer, Olay Sensitive Skin.
I hate caked makeup, so my routine involves just a dab of the above and then Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends powder.
I don't buy lipstick or blush, instead I have these samplers from Amway's makeup brand that I got in 1993. For lip color I use Carmex and then dab on whatever blush color I want.
I've had the same blowdryer forever, this is my third one. Every morning Nikon makes himself useful and protects me from the hot monster.
Here Nikon is getting away with being in an off-limits room in order to demonstrate the size, or lack thereof. Nikon is a ~75lb German Shepherd dog. I am a human whose weight will remain undisclosed but it's considerably more than Nikon. Phil is also a human who probably weighs me + Nikon. There is no storage in this, the only full bathroom in our new old house.
Here are a few snaps of the bathroom right after we moved in last spring. It's so small I can't even get a decent photo of it with my wideangle lens.
Here is the headboard/sawhorse vanity. I also got that large mirror and tabletop lamps from Ikea. The stool I got for $5 when my hair salon closed. I've trimmed and layered my own hair since then.
I've never purchased an Apple product, but I think their packaging makes for an interesting marketing case study.
My makeup, in an Ikea bowl, surprise surprise.
THE best lotion: Trader Joe's Moisturizing Cream Extra Dry formula. I've even been using it in my hair every day. One time I forgot this was from Trader Joe's so I Googled the product tagline "Midsummer's Night Cream" to find out how I could order more. Yeah...bad idea. That might be a gay porn flick. Since then Santa and the Easter Bunny bring me some from Trader Joe's in Illinois twice a year through their messenger Ruth Kelder.
My favorite face moisturizer, Olay Sensitive Skin.
I hate caked makeup, so my routine involves just a dab of the above and then Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends powder.
I don't buy lipstick or blush, instead I have these samplers from Amway's makeup brand that I got in 1993. For lip color I use Carmex and then dab on whatever blush color I want.
I've had the same blowdryer forever, this is my third one. Every morning Nikon makes himself useful and protects me from the hot monster.
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment
Jan
10
10
Mathematics
If the teacher's dog eats the homework, are the students off the hook?
Here is something really special from Mr. Kelder's math test.
....get it? Squiggly is not parallel!
Here is something really special from Mr. Kelder's math test.
....get it? Squiggly is not parallel!
Posted by: Lies Rosema | 3 Comments
Jan
08
08
Golden Oldies
When I was a kid my mom listened to the "golden oldies" station WODJ. Aside from the U2 catalog which spans the late 70-now, I know very little 80s and early 90s music because all we listened to were oldies, Salty I mean Psalty records, or mom and dad's pad party mixed tapes. These are some of my favorites from my childhood, still favorites today:
"if you hit play on this video you should have no reason to dislike it."
"Wow, this song is my new "House of the rising sun", i just replay it all day LONG!!! :)"
"That farty guitar tone gets me everytime! What a great riff!"
"sure as hell better than the pop music of today."
"Without Chuck Berry I don't think that we would have rock n roll today."
And my childhood IDOL rocking out (Chuck Berry starts around 0:52. I was Kim for Halloween one year. I mean, what could possibly be cooler? Except no one but me and my mom knew who she was. She was really something, back when people still scored 10.0s and double backs were really something and the USSR was still competing together and *still* undefeated....
"if you hit play on this video you should have no reason to dislike it."
"Wow, this song is my new "House of the rising sun", i just replay it all day LONG!!! :)"
"That farty guitar tone gets me everytime! What a great riff!"
"sure as hell better than the pop music of today."
"Without Chuck Berry I don't think that we would have rock n roll today."
And my childhood IDOL rocking out (Chuck Berry starts around 0:52. I was Kim for Halloween one year. I mean, what could possibly be cooler? Except no one but me and my mom knew who she was. She was really something, back when people still scored 10.0s and double backs were really something and the USSR was still competing together and *still* undefeated....
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment
Jan
07
07
Recycle candle wax
I'm a Yankee Candle junkie but they are pricey so I always regret when the candle burns out and there's still a good bit of wax leftover. I do have a few of those melting plates around my house but have found the range top to be a nice alternative. You can get little votive jars at one of my other favorite places, World Market, for a few bucks. Sometimes I have to put the candle in a pan of boiling water to melt the wax along the sides and then I can pull out the clump and transfer it to a new jar. When I use the stove or oven, the wax melts and smells delish.
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment
Jan
06
06
Chip Dips
I love guacamole but sometimes the avocados at Meijer aren't fully ripe, or you have to choose between rotten ones and almost-ripe ones and by this point in your shopping trip you've got all the other ingredients and the chips so you figure, what the heck. The under-ripe, over-hard avocado makes it impossible to guac with ye ol' spoon and fork. Someone once suggested I use a beer bottle for mashing (whoever you are, much props). Enter mortar and pestle. Last time I was at Ikea, or maybe it was the time before the last time, I go there a lot...anyway, I picked up their cute mortar and pestle. It sat in the "kitchen stuff I rarely use because it only has one purpose" cupboard for a long time until New Year's Eve, the perfect guac occasion. Look at it, it even looks fabulous on Ellen's counter with that almost-ripe avocado....
I was so proud of myself being all domestic, making something home-made (never mind that it only has 3 ingredients, baby steps), using an antiquated tool that dates back to 1550 BCE...to be human is to use a mortar and pestle! Wrong. All mine did was push the avocado pieces up the sides of the mortar and make a mess. I guess this is more for pharmaceuticals and some such?
Back to the bottle. Disclaimer: I've never broken a bottle doing this but there's a first for everything.
Next we made the queso. This one's even easier than the guac. There's a TV commercial that airs before major football games with the instructions - Velveeta and Rotel. More specifically, one 16oz box of Velveeta and one can of Rotel, nuke it for about 3 minutes, stir and nuke until melted. In case you forget, the ingredients are printed on both the Velveeta box and the Rotel can, and there's usually a Velveeta & Rotel skid at Meijer.
The lovely bowls featured in this entry were my Van't Hof white elephant gift. Thanks, Aunt Sue?
I was so proud of myself being all domestic, making something home-made (never mind that it only has 3 ingredients, baby steps), using an antiquated tool that dates back to 1550 BCE...to be human is to use a mortar and pestle! Wrong. All mine did was push the avocado pieces up the sides of the mortar and make a mess. I guess this is more for pharmaceuticals and some such?
Back to the bottle. Disclaimer: I've never broken a bottle doing this but there's a first for everything.
Next we made the queso. This one's even easier than the guac. There's a TV commercial that airs before major football games with the instructions - Velveeta and Rotel. More specifically, one 16oz box of Velveeta and one can of Rotel, nuke it for about 3 minutes, stir and nuke until melted. In case you forget, the ingredients are printed on both the Velveeta box and the Rotel can, and there's usually a Velveeta & Rotel skid at Meijer.
The lovely bowls featured in this entry were my Van't Hof white elephant gift. Thanks, Aunt Sue?
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment
Jan
05
05
"Patience, young grasshopper..."
Mildred "Mickie" (Hofman) Van't Hof, circa 1948?
When I think back on my Gramma Mickie (Mildred [Hofman] Van’t Hof), the word
patience comes to mind. Patience is something I lack, big time; Gramma
Mickie had patience in spades: patience with the pain she suffered from debilitating
health conditions, patience with us grand kids, patience with all of her crafts and
sewing projects, patience calling through the church directory week by week to
find greeters....
Consider…candy-cane cookies. We used to make these with Gramma Mickie
at Christmastime.
Candy-cane cookies require an absurd (as always, in my humblest of opinions)
amount of patience. They look cute on the cookie platter but there are several
reasons why for me personally, they would be the *last* choice for a baking project
with the grand kids:
1. This is one recipe that you have to get perfect. If you measure anything wrong,
the resulting batter tastes like butt.
2. The batter is always too crumbly. Not the end of the world if you’re just plopping
cookies on a sheet but candy-cane cookies require two colors of dough rolled into
long snakes, then stuck together, then twisted.
3. The cookies fall apart at every opportunity. If you’ve conquered the crumbly
batter and somehow managed to get a candy-cane going, you still have to move
the candy-cane onto the cookie tray and then from the tray to the cooling rack and
then onto the platter. My happy memories making candy-cane cookies with
Gramma are paired with the disappointment of all my *perfect* cookies breaking in
half before even making it to Christmas dinner.
4. This project requires red food coloring. ‘Nuf said.
5. Despite a relatively short list of ingredients, every time I make candy-cane
cookies I’m amazed at how I manage to dirty almost every mixing bowl and utensil
in my kitchen.
6. If you’re a health nut, you’ve been warned. Candy-cane cookies are basically
1 part Crisco to 1 part everythingelse.
Despite the aforementioned, this was still the cookie of choice for Gramma
Mickie. Maybe it was the bland-ness or the almond flavoring, fitting for us
west Michigan Dutch…
Since Gramma Mickie is no longer with us I decided to spend some time (about
three hours, as it were) making candy-cane cookies. I got three done and onto the
cookie sheet with minimal expletives and decided the memory of Gramma was
sufficiently honored by my efforts.
The rest of the cookies took on some amebic form.
I tried making a leaf shape with our new cookie-cutter from Art of the Table,
but the dough was stuck to the chopping block.
This yin-yang was a total fluke. (yes I know the cookie sheets are
disgusting, I asked for a new set for Christmas, but…).
Pan is on to me. I pushed the cookies to the edge of the table so I could snap a cute
pic of him taking a longing whiff but he’s giving me the “you’re just tricking me into
doing something bad so you can yell at me” look.
Mildred "Mickie" (Hofman) Van't Hof, circa 1948?
When I think back on my Gramma Mickie (Mildred [Hofman] Van’t Hof), the word
patience comes to mind. Patience is something I lack, big time; Gramma
Mickie had patience in spades: patience with the pain she suffered from debilitating
health conditions, patience with us grand kids, patience with all of her crafts and
sewing projects, patience calling through the church directory week by week to
find greeters....
Consider…candy-cane cookies. We used to make these with Gramma Mickie
at Christmastime.
Candy-cane cookies require an absurd (as always, in my humblest of opinions)
amount of patience. They look cute on the cookie platter but there are several
reasons why for me personally, they would be the *last* choice for a baking project
with the grand kids:
1. This is one recipe that you have to get perfect. If you measure anything wrong,
the resulting batter tastes like butt.
2. The batter is always too crumbly. Not the end of the world if you’re just plopping
cookies on a sheet but candy-cane cookies require two colors of dough rolled into
long snakes, then stuck together, then twisted.
3. The cookies fall apart at every opportunity. If you’ve conquered the crumbly
batter and somehow managed to get a candy-cane going, you still have to move
the candy-cane onto the cookie tray and then from the tray to the cooling rack and
then onto the platter. My happy memories making candy-cane cookies with
Gramma are paired with the disappointment of all my *perfect* cookies breaking in
half before even making it to Christmas dinner.
4. This project requires red food coloring. ‘Nuf said.
5. Despite a relatively short list of ingredients, every time I make candy-cane
cookies I’m amazed at how I manage to dirty almost every mixing bowl and utensil
in my kitchen.
6. If you’re a health nut, you’ve been warned. Candy-cane cookies are basically
1 part Crisco to 1 part everythingelse.
Despite the aforementioned, this was still the cookie of choice for Gramma
Mickie. Maybe it was the bland-ness or the almond flavoring, fitting for us
west Michigan Dutch…
Since Gramma Mickie is no longer with us I decided to spend some time (about
three hours, as it were) making candy-cane cookies. I got three done and onto the
cookie sheet with minimal expletives and decided the memory of Gramma was
sufficiently honored by my efforts.
The rest of the cookies took on some amebic form.
I tried making a leaf shape with our new cookie-cutter from Art of the Table,
but the dough was stuck to the chopping block.
This yin-yang was a total fluke. (yes I know the cookie sheets are
disgusting, I asked for a new set for Christmas, but…).
Pan is on to me. I pushed the cookies to the edge of the table so I could snap a cute
pic of him taking a longing whiff but he’s giving me the “you’re just tricking me into
doing something bad so you can yell at me” look.
RIP "Gramma Mickie". Patience personified.
Posted by: Lies Rosema | 7 Comments
Jan
04
04
Happy New Year
I've always felt that a New Year's Resolution should not be something that I should
already be doing (eating better, losing weight, exercising, complaining less...).
So, this year I resolve to BLOG! muahahaha
Right now it's called "talk without speaking" which is a lyric from one of my
favorite U2 songs/favorite songs, "Running To Stand Still." Get it, I'm "talking" at you, but
not really "speaking".... this is about as clever as I get at bed time on a
Wednesday. I reserve the right to change the name of this blog, which will
most likely happen as my use of the phrase is pretty lame given the context of the song.
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already be doing (eating better, losing weight, exercising, complaining less...).
So, this year I resolve to BLOG! muahahaha
Right now it's called "talk without speaking" which is a lyric from one of my
favorite U2 songs/favorite songs, "Running To Stand Still." Get it, I'm "talking" at you, but
not really "speaking".... this is about as clever as I get at bed time on a
Wednesday. I reserve the right to change the name of this blog, which will
most likely happen as my use of the phrase is pretty lame given the context of the song.
Posted by: Lies Rosema | Add comment