what a week!(and a half)

I have had a crazy week and a half. Take a look

Monday's are always a bit of a blur, because I have class all day. Then it was Heart Day..

 Last Wednesday I had a math test, which I was sure I had failed, but actually did really well (for those of you who somehow don't know this yet, math is not a strong subject of mine. To say it is a weak subject is being kind).

Then Thursday I had an Interview for an Internship, and left with a job!(more on this later..)
Annnnd had two online classes start. 

Friday I decide to go home for a quick visit, because I won't get back for quite a while now because of aforementioned New Job. (I started yesterday)

And last Saturday my sisters and I saw The Artist. It's the *mostly* silent movie that has taken the industry by storm, and is nominated for 10 Oscars.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Then I made some hors d'oeuvres(prosciutto wrapped asparagus and little mushroom stuffed triangles) for my parents to take to a meeting/wine tasting/party/thing.


 
They were pretty yummy and easy.


And now I'm going to go watch the snow fall for a minute before I have to get ready to go to work.


Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Web Wednesday

Movie.

The Divorce of Lady X (sorry about the quality..)
Fast, silly movie about a divorce lawyer who falls in love with who he believes to be the wife of one of his clients. I know. Not your typical black and white, but it's still entertaining (And Laurence Olivier is lovely).


Vintage.

Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland, sisters!

Home.

Look! A Hobbit room!



(Vintage)Fashion.

How amazing is this dress?!

Food.

This chicken enchilada (crock-pot!)soup looks so yummy.

and Fun. 

 *Giggle*

Paper Source

If you love a place where you can find special, one-of-a-kind gifts, for any price range, this store is for you.

If you get slightly giddy at the sight of neatly arranged craft supplies, this store is for you.

If you love anything organized by color, this store is for you.

If you are looking for amazing chocolate cake, I'm sorry, but I don't think they have any. Maybe a card with cake...

What is this place you might ask?

Paper Source.

It has an amazing collection of paper  -as its name would suggest-  from the square scrapbooking size pieses that most of us are used to, to huge sheets about three times that size:

 

 It's a little overwhelming. But in a good way.

They also have a whole room of blank envelopes and paper of every size and color, so you can make your own cards and invitations.

Look! It's me! On paper!

So check this place out if you ever are near one. You won't regret it!

A Story and Web Wednesday

Good Morning! Yesterday was a good day for me.  Monday wasn't.
I left class (Monday) feeling unappreciated and talked down to by Chef because it was midterms and I had trouble trussing my chicken. ME! I kinda maybe beat myself up about it and felt that Chef wasn't realizing how much talent and experience I have (amazing how big-headed a person can get, hey? Well, pride goes before a fall . . .)

Well, imagine my surprise then when he came over yesterday as I was taking my Baked Cheese Grits out of the oven and told me that Chef -----  (the head of All of my culinary school's Departments) was having a meeting with some VIPs and wanted some dishes to showcase. And would I mind if they used my grits?

So that class ended on a good note after all.

Not the plate that was showcased . . they whisked it away before I could get a picture.

Also, I've decided to try something new. Every Wednesday I'm going to (try to) share some favorite pictures and places of mine from around the web. I'm trying to get back in the habit of posting often, and will usually cover things like Food, Something Local, Vintage, and Fun.

Here we go!

Food.

Smitten Kitchen was the first food blog I was introduced to several years ago. She works in a teeny tiny kitchen in NYC and talks about food and her darling son.

Something Local.

 Charming French Bistro.

Vintage.

Fred and Ginger!

and Fun.

Sweet Fabric Alphabet

It's all about the Snow

 Hello Everyone! My sister is visiting me this weekend and so this post is by my Peacock Sister!

Have you ever had trouble deciding how to word the beginning of a blog post/letter/paper?

I obviously just did because I started my post with a picture.

In a way a I think a picture is better, because pictures don't just say a few words, they can tell a whole story... like the picture above.

This is my sister and I in the act of making a snowman... actually, in the act of taking a break from making a snowman. Because, truth be told, we don't usually make snowmen the "normal" way.

Above is how we would transport the snowballs. Because we liked to have a nice snowy lawn, we would roll the balls as far away from the view of the house as possible, then slide them on a sled to the chosen spot.

Although my sister started it, we were so keen on keeping a nice looking lawn, these were things you probably would hear us say if out playing with us:

"Yes, you can play in the snow, but you have to use the snow on the driveway only, you can't play in the lawn."

And:

"If you have to walk in the snow, step in my footprints."

The activities in the picture above led to this:

Which became a snowman split in half by the fort.

Because I am in the snowman mood, and because all the snow is depressingly melting, I will show some pictures of our snowman creations made with our siblings help over the years.

This igloo was made by giant snowballs cut in half:

I believe we names the snowman 'Rosie'...  because you know, all snowmen need names.

This particular snowman was so large, there were three balls for the bottom, and the top of our heads reached his nose.

I can't remember his name. Got anything, Sis?

...I think I'll name him Phil.

Isn't this a cute couple?

The tall one reminds me of Dopey, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when he dances with her. The little one looks like a singing angel.

Here's 'Singing Angel' closer:

This is what they looked like after another snowstorm:

(And a bit of melting)

Snowmerican Gothic, anyone?

Beware!

You are about to see some snowmen who are nearing the end of their lives.

And like most of their ancestors, their eyesight is the first thing to go...

I love making snowmen, and its even better to make them with people as creative as my siblings. So Sis, next big snowstorm you better grab your boots and gloves and head on over, 'cause we've got some serious snowmen to build.

 Peacock Sister

Loaded Potato Soup With Leeks

I love baked potatoes. Steaming and hot out of the oven, skin slightly crisp, inside fluffy and soft. And then the toppings. Butter, cheese, sour cream, chives, bacon. Mmmm.

This soup is a combination of two things; baked potatoes and a french recipe for potato and leek soup, called Vichyssoise. It's a delicious soup, but is traditionally served cold. I wanted a comfort food soup, and I wanted to put lots and lots of naughty ingredients on top.

The end result was even better then I had hoped for. Think delicate onion meets comforting, amazingly smooth potatoes, with crunchy bacon adding a nice end texture. Leeks cooked in butter is something that you need to experience if you haven't yet. Serve with crusty bread.

Loaded Potato and Leek Soup

8 oz. Butter, salted

1 lg. Leek

1 Clove Garlic, smashed

2 med. Potatoes, peeled, diced, and placed in water

2 c. Chicken Broth

1 c. Water

1/4 c Heavy Cream

Bacon, cooked and small diced

Shredded Cheese

Salt and Pepper as needed

Melt butter in large stockpot. Slice and clean leek(using only the white end), then add to butter along with garlic. Sweat until soft, about 10 min. Do not brown. Strain out half of the butter and the  garlic. Add broth, water, and potatoes to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Place in blender - with that little top piece off- and blend until smooth. Put back in pot, add cream, and simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Top with cheese and bacon, but don't stop there if you have more ingredients; chives, sour cream, the sky is your limit!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christma..Uh, January

As everyone in the Midwest knows by now, we had a big wonderful snowstorm mosey on through the area yesterday.

I don't have class on Thursdays or Fridays (I know, I know. It's amazing) So I spent the morning doing uneventful things like laundry and other house(apartment?)work. The storm didn't even get down here until almost noon, but by 1pm the snow was really coming down.

I made plans to visit a fellow Wisconsinite that afternoon to go to the park and enjoy the storm. It was a little after 3pm when I left to get on the bus, and the snow was lake effect by then. I could barely see to the end of my street.


I didn't get any good downtown pictures, but I did get some of random streets as we walked to the park:

 Meet Baby. It wasn't quite packing snow, so we made due with what we had.
(She is about a foot high..)

I hope you all are enjoying this snow, too!

Next; to find a good sledding hill. And a sled. Heh.