Clueless in the kitchen

My husband thinks he can find his way around the kitchen and figure out a recipe. But this is proof that he may not know exactly what he's doing. Keep in mind that while he's trying to make clam chowder from a recipe we got from a local restaurant that I'm upstairs at the computer.

"Can this go in the oven?"

Husband asks me this, standing at the bottom of the stairs holding up a measuring cup.

Me: "No, it can't. Put it in a oven proof dish."

He goes back to the kitchen.

Him: "What dish should I use?"

Me: "An oven proof, like I cook Crazy Cake in." I'm trying avoid interrupting what I'm doing to go downstairs to find him an oven proof dish.

Him: "Can I use this white round dish?" He's in the kitchen, yelling to me upstairs.

Me: "Yes that will work."

A few minutes later:

Him: "What's a sauce pan?"

Me: "It's not a frying pan." I figured that by the process of elimination and from the fact that he knew what a frying pan was, he could figure which pan would be a sauce pan.

I hear him rattling around in the kitchen for awhile. But since he hadn't asked me any more questions about equipment or the recipe, I decided all was well.

When I finally get downstairs, I discovered the "sauce pan" he was using was actually the dutch oven - too big for what he was doing. He was about ready to add the flour and butter mixture to the cut up vegetables in the dutch oven without adding any liquid. If you don't do a lot of cooking, you may not know that a flour and butter mixture is called "roux" and is used to thicken liquids (soup, gravy, etc.). I took over at this point.

I know he means well and thinks that he knows what he's doing, but next time, I think I will just assign him the cleaning up process. I know he can handle that.

P.S. The chowder was great. Yum...

Secret Weapon

Another little tidbit about the Nimbys and their swimming pool. It was revealed today at the meeting I attended that the Nimbys never got a permit from the city to install a pool. If the mediation goes to arbitration, it will be interesting when that little bit of info comes to light.

Also, not only is Mrs. Nimby a trust fund child, her husband is the grandson of a Rockefeller. Gee, I thought the Rockefellers were a great, humane, family. Way to protect and build on the family name and reputation, Mr. Nimby.

Troublemaker and Tree Lady

Thanks to my wonderful neighbors, the Nimbys (see earlier posts), I guess I'm getting a bit of a bad reputation. I had to go to a meeting today with some HOA board people, my neighbors (good ones next door) and the attorney who's representing all of us in the mediation with the Nimbys.

I introduced myself to the attorney. His response was "Oh, you're the troublemaker". Great, I think. I know it was in jest. But it's a little frustrating to be known by a complete stranger as "the troublemaker".

Last fall, I was invited to a party at the home of the HOA Design Review Committee chair. I've gotten to know her mainly due to all this tree stuff and the problems created by the Nimbys. The party was a varied group of women. Some of them lived in the neighborhood and others knew the hostess through other connections. Again, I introduced myself to a woman I didn't know. Her response was "Oh, you're the tree lady". I had to quickly make it clear that I was the downhill neighbor, not the one across the street who was causing all the fuss.

So watch out, this Tree Lady may move into your neighborhood and be a real Troublemaker.

Another Aidanism, or A way with words Part 2

I was reading my grandson a book today about a hippopotamus. I asked him if he could say "hippopotamus". His response was "Harrypottermus". Love it!

Changes and Adjustments

My daughter, her husband and two small children moved into their own apartment today. The move went pretty smoothly for them, I think. At least they will be able to spend their first night in their new home with a kitchen kind of organized, beds made and bathroom stuff located. They still have a lot of boxes and stuff to deal with. It will probably take them awhile to find a place for everything.

Now our home is very quiet - the quietest its been since we moved in three years ago. When we bought this home, we second guessed ourselves. It seemed like more space than we needed what with only my husband and I and our youngest son to fill up five bedrooms. But the house was quickly filled up with a daughter-in-law to be who lived with us for several months before marrying our older son. Before we knew it, our daughter and her husband and one child moved in with us. After that, our youngest daughter graduated from college out of state and moved back home. What was a huge house with lots of room became a home with every bedroom filled. Our three car garage was filled, plus three cars parked in the driveway or on the street.

Tonight, my husband, son and I are living in a very different environment. We have three empty bedrooms. Two baths that probably won't be used much. No kiddie stuff in the family room or kitchen. We have no cars parked in the driveway or on the street.

It's weird. But we'll adjust.

P.S. The answer is NO! You can't move in!

A way with words

My twenty eight month old grandson has a way with words.

Here's a few Aidanisms:

Churcles - something circular in shape

Chupchakes -those little cakes that kids love to lick the icing off and leave the cake part

Flingos - the pink plastic birds that are perched in our neighbors yard. I really would like to "fling" them at the neighbor.

Dinahorse - T-Rexs and their relatives

Pliget - Winnie the Pooh's little pink friend

Floulers - What Grandma grows in her garden


His latest describes a furry animal with ringed tail and a black mask that showed up in our yard the other day. You all know what animal I mean - a Raccatoon, not to be confused with Rabbitouille, of animated movie fame.

Let It Snow!!

I love a fresh snow storm. It started snowing sometime during the night last night. This is what we woke up to this morning:


It's been snowing heavily all morning. Five hours later, we have this much snow:


That's at least 8" or more!