Happy Friday!

Remember last week when I complained about being tired all the time?  Well, I decided that before jumping to the conclusion that I had either A.) narcolepsy or B.) some other make-you-tired-all-the-time malady, that I would adjust my lifestyle habits.  Because perhaps drinking a liter of Diet Dr. Pepper and eating dinner at 9:30 and then staying up until 1:30 and getting up at 6:55 to leave for work at 7:10 and then sitting in a classroom full of screaming and jumping ninth graders and then returning home to inhale a gigantic snack and then take a 3-hour nap, only to start the whole cycle again--well, maybe that wasn't ideal.

So this week I've not been consuming caffeine after eight, I've been exercising (ellipting and walking with the pup), and I've been getting to bed by midnight.  And, I must admit, I've been feeling much more awake and alert.  So that's an improvement.

Now, my feeling awake and alert could also have something to do with the fact that I had a short week this week.  In fact, I only had students Monday through Wednesday, and even though the students were acting like crazy maniacs for those three days (is it the air pressure?  a full moon?  crack in the water?), the shorter week was a godsend. Today was a teacher workday, which never even feels like work because I get to wear jeans and flip flops and there are no screaming or jumping teenagers.  Sometimes I wonder if that's what an office job is like? 

Right now I'm so relaxed and happy and the house is sparkling clean and the windows are open and all seems right with the world.  Matt will be home soon.  There might be a family snuggle nap in our future.  There are definitely Fresh Market ribeyes and twice-baked potatoes (recipe courtesy of Cassie) in our future.  And there will be conversation.  And there will be wine. 

Here's what Friday's looking like in our neck o' the woods.

 cute neighbor dog, Rider

 my favorite spot in the whole world, where I've been devouring young adult literature

 it's been in dirt for like two weeks, and it's not dead yet!

We hate to be away from each other.  E.T. and Eliot, I tell you.

What's in store for your weekend?

What a Card!

I think that maybe I only send out Christmas cards so that I get Christmas cards in return.  I measure my self-worth by the number of cards that we receive and display.  Sometimes I'll even print out Christmas cards from celebrities and pretend that we received them in the mail.  Like this one:

Ha.  Those are our cousins. 

Anyway, I've long been a fan of the photo Christmas card, even way back before they were super cool.  Tanya and I once knocked on the door of her cute neighbor, snapped a picture, and turned the picture into a Christmas card that we sent to all of our friends.  (Poor guy.) 

As I get older, I love the photo Christmas card for an entirely different reason: laziness.  Yes, friends, I am lazy.  I love that the photo card already has a message on it (perhaps even one I wrote myself?) and there's not enough room for me to feel obligated to write long messages that end up hurting my hand.

And lately the photo cards have gotten super cute!  Check out these spunky designs from Shutterfly.

I'd like one of each, please. 

And, shoot, you can even give awesome personalized gifts from Shutterfly.  Like picture mugs that just never go out of style.  Or a photo book, which is an impressive and thoughtful gift, especially for someone older who doesn't know about photo books!  Or other cool photo collage things.  But what I really want is a giant wall decal of a picture I've taken.  (Are you listening, Matt?  I want a giant cupcake to hang on our wall.)

Now I just have to convince Matt and Mitch to be cooperative for a Christmas card photo shoot so that we can order and get these awesome cards in the mail.  The Obamas will be VERY upset if they don't get our card this year.

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Gratitude

I don't have to talk to a teenager again until Monday. 

Thank you, veterans.

Probably Not the Best Place for the Superlative Case.

Have you seen this car decal?  I see it all the time, and it always annoys me.

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I'm not trying to diminish the plight of the army wife, of course.  It's just that I think that whole "soldier fighting in a war" job might just be a little bit tougher.

Am I wrong?

Pecan Praline Ice Cream

I think that I finally know how parents feel when they have more than one kid and claim that they love them all the same.  Except that my love is for ice cream.  First there was Banana Puddin' Ice Cream, and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  Then there was Thomas Jefferson's Vanilla Ice Cream.  Again with the dying and heaven-going.  And then there was Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream.  If I was a parent, Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream would be like the kid that I both love and like and get along with and talk to on the phone every day.  It might have eeked out as my favorite.  But the competition's getting tougher, because now there's this one: Pecan Praline Ice Cream, the baby of the pack, but a force to be reckoned with.  (Here's the thing, though.  Pecan Praline Ice Cream is a softer ice cream, and therefore does not like to have its picture taken.  You could say it's sweet but sensitive.  Okay, now I've taken the comparison too far, huh?)

 

I originally set out to make a pecan pie ice cream, neglecting to think about the fact that I don't even really like pecan pie.  I knew that I wanted candied pecans, and I knew that I wanted caramel.  Other than that, I wasn't really sure which direction I wanted to go with the ice cream.

And then I found David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream and my decision was made instantly.  (Seriously?  Salt and butter and caramel and ice cream?  Omigod.)

So I slaved and slaved in the kitchen and made a huge mess and learned that sugar will turn into caramel if you just cook it long enough (who knew?).  I candied pecans (a task that is dangerously easy) and ate about half of them while the ice cream was chilling. 

And when everything was churned and added and chopped and roasted and mixed in, I had a half-gallon of ice cream that was salty and sweet and crunchy and out-of-control delicious.  At least I thought that it was out-of-control delicious.

When Matt got home from work on Friday, I made him try some.  Mitch and I had already approved, and I just needed another opinion.

Matt spit it out.

(Yeah, Matt's not really one to administer false praise.  I love this about him, but when he's spitting out my prized ice cream and talking about how disgusting it is, I kind of hate it about him.)

I got myself another guinea pig, my teacher friend who's basically a southern belle, Lizhen.  I stressed to her that she needed to be honest with me about it because I didn't want to post a recipe for something that people wouldn't like, and after tasting it she enthusiastically joined team Mandy and Mitch. 

So here's what I'm thinking.  You know the buttered popcorn Jelly Belly jelly beans?  You know how people either love them or hate them?  Well, I love them.  (I also love using the little recipes on the package of Jelly Bellys that tells you how to make, say, a blueberry muffin using the buttered popcorn and blueberry beans.)  I've decided that if you're the type who loves the buttered popcorn Jelly Belly jelly beans, then you're the type who will love this ice cream.

And without further ado, and in time to get some ready for that Thanksgiving feast that is fast approaching, here's the recipe.

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream (From David Lebovitz)


One generous quart (liter)

I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but be sure to use good salt. I use fleur de sel, but if you don’t have it, a mild-tasting sea salt will do in a pinch, such as Maldon, fine gray salt, or kosher salt. Don’t use ordinary fine table salt; it’s far too harsh.

Because of the caramel in this ice cream, once churned and frozen, it’ll remain nice & creamy (as shown in the photo.) To make it firmer, crank up your freezer a bit or store it in a shallow pan.

For the caramel praline (mix-in)

½ cup (100 gr) sugar
¾ teaspoon sea salt, such as fleur de sel

For the ice cream custard

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk, divided
1½ cups (300 gr) sugar
4 tablespoons (60 gr) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cups (250 ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To make the caramel praline, spread the ½ cup (100 gr) of sugar in an even layer in a medium-sized, unlined heavy duty saucepan: I use a 6 quart/liter pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or brush it sparingly with unflavored oil.

2. Heat the sugar over moderate heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.)

Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it’s just about to burn. It won’t take long.

3. Without hesitation, sprinkle in the ¾ teaspoon salt without stirring (don’t even pause to scratch your nose), then pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and lift up the baking sheet immediately, tilting and swirling it almost vertically to encourage the caramel to form as thin a layer as possible. Set aside to harden and cool.

4. To make the ice cream, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they’re floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

5. Spread 1½ cups (300 gr) sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until caramelized, using the same method described in Step #2.

6. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go.

The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk.

7. Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F (71-77 C).

8. Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

9. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

10. While the ice cream is churning, crumble the hardened caramel praline into very little bits, about the size of very large confetti (about ½-inch, or 1 cm). I use a mortar and pestle, although you can make your own kind of music using your hands or a rolling pin.

11. Once your caramel ice cream is churned, quickly stir in the crushed caramel, then chill in the freezer until firm.

Note: As the ice cream sits, the little bits of caramel may liquefy and get runny and gooey, which is what they’re intended to do.

Candied Pecans

8 oz. chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 egg white
splash water

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine sugars, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix to combine.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg white and splash of water until frothy.  Add pecans and stir until coated.
3. Add the sugars to the large bowl and mix until pecans are all coated and there is no remaining loose sugar mixture.
4. Move coated pecans to a baking sheet and bake for one hour at 250 degrees, flipping every 15 minutes.

Gross Stupidity

The other day I was having a conversation with a woman I know, but kind of wish that I didn't.  For privacy and professional reasons, I can't tell you too much about her.  This woman, though, will drone on for way too long about such topics as "I can't believe that Michael Jackson is dead" (Really?  I thought that one was pretty believable.) or "The Puritans were so religious"  (Oh, really?  I had no idea!).  

So the other day, this woman was trying to get me into one of those cliche "kids grow up so fast" kinds of conversations about her daughter.  She said, and I shit you not:

"She's just growin' up, looking so much more grown-up.  It's like that movie Benjamin Button, only the opposite."

Weekend Fun!

What a lovely weekend it's been!

This weekend:

• We basically became BFFs with our favorite high school quarterback/artist/jungle doctor.
• We stayed up until 5:00 a.m. chatting away about anything and everything.
• I fixed the dishwasher.  (Fingers crossed!)
• I wore both of my new Old Navy Prep Coats (not at the same time) because it finally got cold outside.
• We snuggled with the cutest dog on the planet.
• I made two kinds of delicious ice cream. 
• I watched two episodes of the new season of 16 and Pregnant and yelled at the tv.
• We made bolognese.
• I met the lady across the street.  I'd been meaning to introduce myself for a few months, but couldn't figure out a way to do it that didn't seem creepy. 
• I went to Cupcake Happy Hour at Back in the Day Bakery.  Okay, so Cupcake Happy Hour was insanely fun, even more fun than I thought it would be.  First, I got to hang out with my good teacher friend.  Second, Back in the Day was serving pizza, which was basically the greatest thing I had ever seen or tasted (hyperbolic, sure, but also true).  Third, our friends Brian and Ann joined us (a.k.a., "parents of the two (but soon-to-be-three) cutest girls on the planet"), along with Iris and Opal.  Oh yeah, and there was bingo.  And Iris won the bingo.  And I might have been more excited about the bingo victory than anyone else at the table.  I also might have scared Iris with my excitement.  Oh well.

Anyway, it's time to watch Boardwalk Empire before bed.  We're so addicted to that show!

There's No F'ing Jello in the Jungle!

I mentioned before that Matt (Felds) and I were going to be attending the showing of The River Why as part of the Savannah Film Festival.  (Again, many thanks to Cris for giving us her tickets.)  All week I'd been hearing about the different celebrities who were in town for the festival, so in the back of my mind I had this secret wish that Matt Saracen (whose real name is Zach Gilford, but I will forever know him as Matt Saracen and I don't care how obnoxious that is) would be there for this movie.  But I didn't even mention that secret wish because I'm weirdly stupidly superstitious and didn't want to jinx it. 

So on Friday night we headed downtown to the Trustees Theater and found our seats.  I had to go to the bathroom (maybe I'd had 6 Diet Cokes at dinner?) and while I was waiting in line one of the other women was talking about how she and her husband had just seen Matt Saracen on the street. (!!!!!!) So I began to freak out.  When I returned to our seat, I was giddy, and told my Matt, "Guess who's here!!??!!"  My Matt seemed interested, but not crazy like me, and then sent me back out to the lobby to get us something to drink.  (In his defense, he would have gotten it himself, but I was already up.)  So I returned to the lobby to get our drink, and the line took FOREVER.  When I got back to the theater, the credits for The River Why had started.  I sat down, and my Matt timidly told me while I'd been waiting in line Matt Saracen had come out to introduce the film.  "But he's coming back out for a Q&A after the movie!," he made sure to add, perhaps fearing that I would never ever let go of the fact that he sent me away and made me miss Matt Saracen.  (Like the time Tanya made me miss meeting Dan from the Miami season of The Real World when we saw him at the Cherry Blossom Festival.  Don't think for a second that I've forgotten about that!)

We watched the movie (that wasn't very good--sorry, Matt Saracen) and then we watched a short, Streetcar, that was very good, and then we got to enjoy Matt Saracen's Q&A for the last thirty or so minutes.  I know that it's not cool to be starstruck or to giggle incessantly when in the presence of a star from one of your favorite shows, but I don't care.  I was so excited to sit there and listen to him talk.  I was even more excited to learn that real-life Matt Saracen is really funny.  Like really funny. 

He mentioned the latest show that's he's working on, Off the Map, which is about doctors in the jungle.  In describing the difficulties of practicing medicine in the jungle, how there are none of the luxuries to which we've all become accostumed, Matt Saracen told the interviewer, "There's no fucking jello in the jungle."

He also assumed a [hilarious] air of authority for the rest of the interview (even though he was clearly uncomfortable being the center of attention), telling us all, "I'm a goddam doctor." 

But my favorite part of the entire interview was when Matt Saracen leaned back in his chair, and with goofy confidence told us, "I won a state championship a couple of years ago--I was the quarterback--and now I'm a plastic surgeon. . .IN THE JUNGLE." 

I may or may not have taken 145 pictures of him.  Here are more than you probably want to see.

Oh, and I should also add that after the Q&A, I--along with about 6 other 30-year old women who are also obsessed with Friday Night Lights--tried to chase him down to befriend him and get our pictures taken with him.  We were, unfortunately, turned around by some SCAD guy who decided that we were not important enough to hang out with someone who had once won a state championship but now practices medicine in the jungle.

BUT, Cris--the baller, the shot caller--Cris was at a party last night with him.  She said that he was making out with some girl (I'm pretty sure that was the girlfriend he'd mentioned the night before--at least I hope it was) and that she got a picture of him dancing. 

I went to sleep consumed with jealousy, but secretly happy that she got to meet him because I'd felt guilty about seeing him with the tickets she'd given us.

Anyway, that was a whole lot of dorky rambling.  It's probably best that I didn't get to meet Matt Saracen.  In the next year I will become cool, and not starstruck, and I will meet him and we will be friends and he will teach me how to play football and how to do nose jobs.

This and That

1.  Ladies and gentlemen, it's Snuggie weather time!  The other night I snuggied up on the couch with the dog (who does not, for some reason, own his own Snuggie).  If it gets any colder outside it's going to be lying-on-the-couch-in-a-sleeping-bag weather.  Whoop, whoop!

2.  Informal poll.  Are you tired all the time?  Because I'm tired all the time, and I can't decide if this fatigue is A.) a result of my weird sleep habits and caffeine addiction, B.) just part of being a grown-up, or C.) some kind of health problem.

3.  And, just in case you need to see how tired I look all the time, here's my school picture.  (By the way, I think that one of the very worst parts of my job is the fact that I'm forced to take school pictures that will be featured in a yearbook.)  This is what I look like at 9:45 a.m. with no makeup, and little will to live.  In my defense, I had just spent the last hour of my life corralling primping ninth graders through a stuffy hallway,  trying to get about 25 of them to keep from screaming and touching each other while standing in line.  The only somewhat redeeming thing about this photo is that I had actually brushed my hair that morning.   

And how's this for a before and after?  That's what 12 years, hatred in your heart, and a love for baked goods will do to you.

4.  We've had two fun new meals this week: Quick Dirty Rice from Our Life in the Kitchen, and Cheesy Beefy Potato Soup from My Fiance Likes It So It Must Be Good.  Both were very, very tasty.  Both will be made again.

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5. My eleventh graders have figured out that if they want to get me off-topic, all they need to do is bring up Amber from Teen Mom.  Is that bitch in jail yet?  Or at least sterilized?

6. Bought the first two book of The Hunger Games series for Chloe [but really for Matt who wanted an excuse to read them].  I kind of want to read them, but I'm afraid that they'll give me bad dreams. 

7.  The election was a bit of a suckfest--an expected suckfest, but a suckfest nonetheless.  At least most of the craziest of the crazies lost, right?  Hey, but did you hear that Sean from the Boston season of The Real World is now a Representative from Wisconsin? You know, the lumberjack guy who married the crazy girl who made out with Puck on the San Francisco season of The Real World.  If I remember right, I liked him (Sean, not Puck).  Did you watch the Boston season?  It was the one with Elka and Genesis and Montana (Basically during MTV's phase of selecting only cast members who had silly names.  Now they just try to find the person who's most likely to do steroids and botox and take 50 shots in a hour's time.).

8. I seriously have the best mother-in-law.  The other night I was talking to her about how I can't seem to find any good baking chocolate in Savannah, and today I got this in the mail.  I love her.

9. Tomorrow Matty and I will be attending a showing of The River Why at the Savannah Film Festival.  We're excited because we got free tickets (old roommate Cris is a baller who scores free stuff for us), but mostly because it stars Zach Gilford (a.k.a. MATT SARACEN!).  It basically looks like a modern-day A River Runs Through It, which is awesome because I LOVE A River Runs Through It. 

10.  Just spent a good chunk of my night making candied pecans and caramel.  Get ready for something tasty!

Oh, Friday, where have you been all my life--or, for the last six days?

Old Navy Prep Coat!

They're $29 right now! 

Today I bought this one.

Tomorrow I think I should buy this one.  Is that excessive?

Rationalization time. 

Now, what will I regret more: buying the second jacket (that I don't really need but really, really like) or not buying the second jacket?  When I asked Matt earlier today if he thought that I should go back for the green one, he responded, "Oh yeah. I think you definitely need it."  His words look so much better written down, where you can't see how he was wearing the "you're a lunatic" look on his face. 

But, I suppose that if Matt says that I should go back and get it, then I wouldn't want to let him down.  I mean, I don't know if I could live with myself if I disappointed him so.

Fortune

I like to take this fortune on a literal level.

Cassie says that it's to be taken on a figurative level.

Can't it be both?

"Purple People Eater" Dilemma

Matt:  Was it purple monster who ate people, or was it a monster who only ate purple people?  Because if it was the latter, I have nothing to fear.  But if it was the former, then I won't even see it coming.*

*Matt is red/green colorblind and believes the color purple to be a conspiracy.

How John Barrow Lost Our Votes

Our congressman, John Barrow (Georgia 12th District) will have two fewer votes this time around.  He lost our votes the day we received this in the mail.

Douche.

We wish we lived in the Virginia 5th District so that we could vote for Tom Perriello.  He's a badass.  John Barrow is a spineless pandering slimeball.