Dinner With My Lovely Sarah

Let me introduce you to my lovable niece Sarah.

These are just a few of my favorite pictures of her.

They reflect the joy and happiness she has brought to our lives,

lives that are so much better because she is a part of them.

The middle picture was our first hard food meal together.

I remember the day like it was yesterday . . .

ok, maybe not yesterday, more like a month ago . . .

ok, a year ago.

Now she's 21 and we're dining at The Berghoff.

She continues to eat solid foods . . .

and the food actually goes into her mouth, not on her face.

Sarah had a Reuben sandwich with homemade potato chips.

I had sauerbraten - a name that never sounded appetizing to me, but it was delicious.

The surprising star of the meal, however, were the mashed potatoes - super yum!

She likes sparkly things that mirror her sparkly personality.

She also loves her feet and will proudly announce it to anyone who asks.

She also loves a young man named . . . what's his name, let me think . . .

oh yea, Tony!

She has an adorable purse from Franscescas.

A future hand-me-down for Autie?

And she hangs it on a pretty purse hook.

It cracks me up that she bought it and uses it!

With a purse like that hanging off the table it looks like a piece of art.

The art in the background is nothing compared to the art that Sarah creates.

Yes, Sarah is an artist and here she is working on ideas for a water color cow piece I have commissioned her to make for me! I can't wait!!!!

Creative juices are flowing . . . .

Still flowing . . .

Still flowing . . .

Creative juices?

Something is flowing here, I just don't know what.

Ciao My Beautiful Bella!

Happy Face

I'm always on the lookout for preferably natural, easy face care.

Here are a few finds I am really liking.

First, let's start with washing the face.

I have been a die hard Cetaphil fan for years when it comes to washing my face. Recently I thought I'd try something different, but only if it is as cost effective (thanks Mom for that saying) as Cetaphil. I think I may have found my next face love. It's from Kiehl's.

It cost a little more ($16 as opposed to $10) than Cetaphil, but look at how much you need to wash your face . . . .

Not Much!

I still like Cetaphil, but this is a nice change of pace.

I hope to look ten years younger by the time the tube is empty.

After an evening wash, it's time for Kiehl's magical Midnight Recovery Complex, "a replenishing elixir of pure essential oils and distilled botanicals to visibly restore the appearance of skin by morning" - SOLD!! And it feels good going on.

And I must say, the bottle is rather sexy.

After a morning wash, it's time for Dr. Hauschka's Toned Day Cream to "add protection and a healthy glow". Gotta love that glow, especially when that pasty winter complexion appears about mid-November.

The next two items are not essential . . . or are they?

I am slowly (considering my lip-stick-wearing age, very slowly) adding more color to my lips. This is the first color I can cornily say I fell in love with. Yes, fell in love with.

It's Chanel's Rouge Coco, #10, Camelia.

Of course, I had to get a matching lip liner,

Chanel's Pink Sugar.

Not only am I enamored by the color, but the lipstick glides on like cashmere, and stays on for hours, hours, hours, even after eating two tacos, drinking two cappuccinos, and a bottle of water.

If you can't find me next Saturday, check out the Chanel counter at Bloomingdale's. Here's a shout out to the wonderful ladies there and at the Keihl's counter. They made the experience and sale easy and enjoyable. Hey, was that their plan? Oh well, I had fun and still am enjoying my purchases.

Au Revoir Mes Amies

Leftovers

Lunch today was a couple of leftover tuna muffins with a blob of sweet pickle relish on top.

Why sweet pickle relish? It just seemed right.

It may have been better than the first time around.

Bouchons au Thon (Tuna Corks)

Whenever I visit my sister Teresa, I end up leaving with a whole lot of love and a magazine or book.

We both, as all the women in my family, love to nest and always enjoy an inspirational read about how to do it better. Last weekend I left with the book "A Homemade Life, Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table" by Molly Wizenberg, the creator of the blog Orangette. The title just screams "Nesting"!

I hit page 101 and was intrigued by the recipe with the tres francais name Bouchons au Thon.

I highly recommend you buy the book and read Molly's story behind this recipe and all the others. It's like a novel mated with a cookbook. Hmmmmm.

The combination of ingredients was not a set I would even think of putting together . . . so I had to try it. My favorite recipe folder has increased by one. This was unexpectedly delicious and easy.

The ingredients list.

How wonderfully short it is!

The ingredients.

Creme Fraiche - gotta love that French contribution to the world.

Tuna right out of the can.

It needs to be mashed with a fork to get rid of all the big chunks.

Flake and mash the tuna.

Add all the other ingredients

Mix with a fork.

Mid mix, the colors were so beautiful, I had to take a picture.

I also took a picture when the mixing was done. But oops, I deleted it.

The color pretty much looks the same pre-cooked as it does cooked.

The recipe called for putting the mix in an 8-muffin muffin pan. My 6-muffin muffin pan was just the right size.

The recipe also called for baking the muffins at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. I ended up cooking them for a good 30 minutes.

The tops are firm and the sides separate from the pan . . . . done.

Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Plated and ready to eat with a side of buttered wheat French bread - gotta keep it French.

Notice the tablecloth. I bought it last weekend on sale at Anthropolgie. How can you not be happy around those colors!

Bon Appetite!

Extending My Summer Vacation State of Mind

Labor Day weekend this year, my parents, sister, niece and I were tourists in the Geneva, Batavia area.

First, a stop at the authentic Dutch windmill. Dad and his Dutch women.

Notice the authentic Dutch woman in the middle.

Then off to Batavia to see the sanatorium where Mary Todd Lincoln spent some time.

Bellvue - what is with that name and mental health issues!

It's now apartments. Eerie.

Is that Mary TL calling?!!

Don't you love pig-tails? Especially beautiful red ones?

We finished with a picnic somewhere near the Fox River . . .

Somewhere near this incredibly rooted tree . . .

The food is already gone and packed away.

It was good. You know, in the way that food always tastes better when eaten outside, good.

Then there were the after eating activities.

Hannah takes a bike ride . . .

Opa takes a bike ride (see him on the far side of the prairie grass sort of in the middle of the picture right to left) . . .

I take a bike ride . . . .

Teresa and Hannah pack up, sort -of . . . .

And Mom just takes it all in.

This was one wonderful day. The comforts of the day could be greatly attributed to my parent's new vehicle. It is so spacious inside. I think my Dad is loving it. He misses his 4-Runner, but this truck definitely has it attributes - like we all fit comfortably in it and can drive around sight seeing together without have to squish our shoulders together and kiss our knees.

Here I am in the back seat.

Look at all that leg room

This is our Queen Mother in the backseat.

And this is King Dad in the drivers seat.

You may be saying, "what the heck, this post is supposed to be about their picnic, not the truck." But I claim that this day was very much a success because of this truck. The last time we, more than four of us, spent a day touring together was at least five years ago when my parents owned a van. To be able to all fit comfortably in one vehicle played a critical role in making this outing not only possible, but also successful.

Giddy Up.

Start of the School year

Once again, here it is, the start of another school year and what a good start it was. I now have a roommate, one I truly enjoy, so the peer sociability level has more than doubled. You'd think that more socializing would impede my productivity. But part of the socializing includes sharing ideas, helping each other, and acting as sounding boards. I suspect it will be a good year.

Also, I finally painted the podium!!! How many years had I planned on doing that? Many.

Before (sort of) . . .

During . . .

After . . .The Purple Podium.