A Mattel Family

Yesterday, the girls went to Grandma and Papa Baker's house where they enjoyed playing with my old dolls. I had more dolls than any one child deserved. I can remember their names, but I am having trouble remembering the family relationship. I had Barbie and her boyfriend, Ken. I also had Barbie's girlfriend, Midge, and Midge's boyfriend, Allan. In addition to these friends, I owned Skipper, Barbie's little sister. Unfortunately, I can't remember how Francie and Stacey were related to the rest of the Barbie bunch. Perhaps, I'll try to find a Barbie family tree.
http://www.dolls4play.com/barbiehistory.html

Disney on Ice

Tonight the girls and I spent an enjoyable evening with friends and their daughters at the US Bank Arena. We saw Disney on Ice with many of the characters made famous by Walt Disney. The girls were captivated by the bright lights, the skaters in their colorful costumes, and the memorable music selections from Disney movies dating back to the 1930's (Snow White). The skating spectacle and all of our fabulous friends made for a truly fun night.

Easy Roasted Beef Tenderloin

1 whole beef tenderloin (2 to 3 pounds)
2 T. butter softened
1/3 c. chopped green onions
3 T. butter
3 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Dash of freshly ground pepper
1/3 c. of sherry

Spread meat with 2 T. of softened butter. Place in shallow roasting pan. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook the greeen onion in 3 T. of butter until soft and tender. Add soy sauce, mustard, and pepper. Stir in sherry and heat until just boiling. Pour over the meat and continue to roast meat for another 20-25 minutes. Baste frequently with sauce.

When H1N1 hits Zinzinnati

When H1N1 (AKA Swine Flu) hits Zinzinnati, will it be renamed "The Flying Pig Influenza" or perhaps "Porkopolis Pandemic" will be the new name of the outbreak. Was it the decision of the immunologists to rename this strain of the flu or did the pork producers have some say in it? What happens to the non-pork-eating population when someone accidentally uses the former moniker, Swine Flu? Does the rabbi have a special blessing for those followers who might feel that it is not quite kosher to be stricken with this bug? Thus far, we have been blessed and nobody has had any sickness other than seasonal allergies and slight coughs. May the swine flu stay far away from us!

Well to quote my favorite little pig, "That's all folks!"

Breaking up is hard to do

Ending a relationship with an old boyfriend was traumatic because I not only was severing ties with him, but his family as well. In the 4+ years that we dated, I had become very fond of his brothers and his mother. After we ended our relationship, I tried to stay in contact with his mother, but eventually that became awkward, too. I was afraid that she might think that I was trying to use her to rekindle the relationship with her son, even if that were not the case.

Yesterday, I learned that my Mrs. Edelman had passed away in March. I discovered this information when I read a blog by one of her granddaughters, the niece of my former boyfriend. Sadly for this young lady, her grandmother's death coincided with her birthday. I can't imagine how devastating that must have been for this young collegian.

After reading the blog, I was temporarily filled with sadness; then, I was grateful for having known this very special woman. Phyllis Donnenfeld Edelman loved to travel; she loved to garden; and she loved her sons. She rose above her pain after her husband's tragic death to live and laugh again. I still remember her looking like the belle of the ball at her eldest son's wedding. Mrs. Edelman was so radiant that she almost outshone the bride. I was always grateful to her for welcoming me into her home for several Thanksgivings. She and her husband were gracious hosts. I loved her tradition of having chocolate foil-wrapped turkeys at each placesetting and I'll never forget sharing those Thanksgiving holidays with her and her family.

Breaking up with a boyfriend is hard to do, but breaking up with his family is often harder.

Rainy days and Mondays

Its a rainy day and it also happens to be Monday-enough said. At least Karen's angelic voice can still warm my heart and chase away the blues. Have a listen @
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g3-dmqNPVY

Good-bye to The Guiding Light

After 70+ years, the light on television's longest running soap, The Guiding Light, will finally be extinguished. The show which started as a radio show has entertained generations of loyal fans. Although I haven't watched the show in years, who can ever forget the Josh and Reva love affair, the Bauers' struggle with alcoholism, and the conniving Alan Spauling's antics? And whatever happened to characters like Bert Bauer who could offer advice on every subject known to mankind?

The Guiding Light follows other soap operas like Another World and The Edge of Night which have also been cancelled. Naturally, the best trivia regarding The Edge of Night is that the skyline featured at the beginning of the show is our very own Cincinnati! Just watch the opening credits!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7nDu6bwgQ8

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Almost everyone has a traditional holiday dish. This has been mine for over 15 years.

4 pounds peeled, cubed, and cooked sweet potatoes
5 T. butter
1/4 c. light brown sugar
5 oz. evaporated milk.
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Praline topping
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

Cook potatoes until soft. Mash them in a mixer, then add butter, light brown sugar, evaporated milk, nutmeg, and eggs. Mix well. Pour potato mixture into a 2-QT. casserole dish that has been buttered. Smooth the top evenly. Make praline topping mixture my mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. Spread the praline topping evenly over the potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Make ahead tip- The praline sweet potato casserole can be made ahead. Make potatoes with praline topping then cover them and refrigerate overnight. Bake potato casserole (uncovered) the next day.

Great side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Serves 10-12.

Remembering Patrick Swayze

It has been a slow news week. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are still waging. Our health care crisis has not been resolved. Obama is still in the White House. Queen Elizabeth II is still reigning. The sun came up in the East this morning and I assume that it will be setting in the West tonight. The only news event worth commenting on is the passing of Patrick Swayze. Who can forget his iconic portrayals of Johnny in Dirty Dancing and Sam in Ghost? He always seemed like the quintessential Hollywood nice guy and one who will be truly missed. So when you think of Patrick never forget that "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!" The American movie goers truly loved Patrick, and all that I can add to that is "Ditto!"

The Dreams of the Everyday Housewife

Today the lyrics of Glen Campbell's song, "The Dreams of the Everyday Housewife" keep floating through my mind. Sometimes the fanatasies are the only thing that keeps me going, otherwise I would be lost in a world of mundane and mindless tasks. So for a little escapism, I'll go to youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LonUQ5o-vLc to listen to Mr. Campbell sing this song that I can't seem to get out of my head.

"She looks in the mirror and stares at the wrinkles that weren't there yesterday
And thinks of the young man that she almost married
What would he think if he saw her this way?

She picks up her apron in little girl-fashion as something comes into her mind
Slowly starts dancing rememb'ring her girlhood
And all of the boys she had waiting in line

Oh, such are the dreams of the everyday housewife
You see ev'rywhere any time of the day
An everyday housewife who gave up the good life for me"

Parenting woes

The adventures and misadventures of rearing triplets never ceases. Last night, we were at a local restaurant. The girls behaved so badly that we had to eat in shifts. One of us would eat while the other entertained the girls outside the restaurant on the patio. The waiter seeing our frustration, gave each girl a red balloon. That was great until Anna let her balloon slip away. As we watched the balloon drifting away, Anna became hysterical. When she threw herself against the large window of another restaurant, an employee of that restaurant came to my rescue. She said that she noticed that the girls were unhappy so she brought them Rice Krispie Treats to cheer them up. The waiter at Johnny Rockets replaced the missing balloon, and at least for a moment, evrybody was happy. I always thought that I would be mortified if my children misbehaved like the girls did last night. I vowed that it would never happen to me. Now, I realize that somethings are entirely out of your control like when and where a child throws a tantrum. If these are the worst of my parenting woes, I think that I can survive!

9/11

Today is the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the WTC in NYC and the Pentagon in DC. Eight years ago, my then boyfriend came home early from work after officials closed all government offices. Eight years later, I am married to that boyfriend and taking our triplet daughters to the zoo to see Barney. The only grim reminder of that horrific day are the flags flying at half-mast.

After visiting the zoo, my folks, the girls, and I ate at Mecklenberg Gardens, the same restaurant where their father and I had chosen to go eight years ago to try to forget the day's events. The visiting German band was very kind and very respectful to the patrons of the restaurant that evening. Interestingly 56 years prior, we were at war with the German band members' ancestors.

Less than a decade after the 9/11 attacks. we are still waging wars in the Middle East and have not yet caught the culprits who helped plan and underwrite the cost of the 9/11 attacks. Warfare is much easier with an identifiable enemy.

So on this 9/11, let us remember the victims of these attacks and pray for those brave men and women who are fighting in foreign lands to ensure that future attacks on our homeland never happen again.

Great Granola

My favorite granola recipe:

3/4 cup firmly dark brown sugar
1 stick plus 3 T. unsalted butter
1 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
5 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats!)
1 c. raw cashew nuts
1 1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. dried currants
1/2 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. dried banana chips

In a saucepan combine the brown sugar, butter, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Simmer mixture, stirring ,for 3 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. In a large bowl, combine well the oats, cashews, and almonds and toss mixture with sugar mixture until it is coated well. Spread mixture on a large baking sheet and bake it in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Let granola cool and in a bowl toss it with currants, cherries, and banana chips. The granola keeps in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Makes 7 cups.

I added dried apricots, walnuts, dried pineapple, and pecans to mine. You can add any dried fruit or nuts or your choice. Enjoy!

Quality Control

With all the downsizing in American companies, the quality control departments have surely been eliminated. In the last six months, I have purchased two pairs of shoes from Stride-Rite: one online and one at a store. The online shoes had two different sizes in them and the store-purchased shoes were mismarked: the box indicated one size and the shoes were another size. Blame careless workers, blame the Chinese who can't read Arabic numerals, blame ourselves for not being more vigilant when we make purchases. As you can see, there is plenty of blame to go around, but what is sorely missing is quality- pride in workmanship and pride in ourselves as part of the American labor force. Remember when "Made in China" had a negative connotation that meant "cheap" in both senses of the word. Well let's not allow that to happen to our products and our workmanship. Let's produce quality work and demonstrate that we are quality workers. Perhaps, if we start caring again, there truly will be no need for quality control departments.

The next great idea

We just returned from A Gymboree art class at the new Gymboree Play and Music location in Columbia-Tusculum. A San Francisco couple Joan and Bill Barnes created the Gymboree Play and Music Program in 1976 when they couldn't find a safe place for new parents and children to play and exercise together. Now the name Gymboree is associated with th Play and Music classes as well as a great line of clothing. This Christmas, I will probably be purchasing dolls from American Girl. These dolls were created by Pleasant Rowland who couldn't find an age-appropriate doll for her relatives. Later Ms. Rowland sold her doll company to Mattel for over $700 million dollars. These simple ideas created fortunes.

So where is the next great idea- the next great invention? Let's not forget that velcro was invented in 1941 by a Swiss engineer who lived in Commugny, Switzerland. The idea came to him one day after returning from a hunting trip with his dog in the Alps. He examined the burrs that kept sticking to his clothes and his dog's fur. When he was able to duplicate these little hooks and loops, he had a great invention that made getting dressed a lot simpler.

I'm still looking for the next great idea- one that will bring me great financial success!!! At least, I can dream.

Facebook Stalking

Okay, I confess. I am guilty of Facebook Stalking. This past week, I was inspired to find an old college friend on Facebook. Brad was a young college guy that I met while studying abroad. Coincidentally, he was also the fraternity brother of my college beau. Brad and I spent one lovely evening in the City of Lights playing kissy face. He was too intoxicated for anything to happen, and I was not intoxicated enough to allow anything to happen. So basically nothing happened other than some memorable smooching in a very romantic city. After finding Brad on Facebook, I also found several of my old beau's college classmates. It was almost like attending a reunion where I was able to check out what everybody else looked like without having to worry about what I looked like. Based on some of the pictures that I saw not all of my beau's fraternity brothers had married well or their poor wives' looks deteriorated after being married to some of these good ole frat boys. What motivated my Facebook Stalking other than curiousity, I do not know; but I can honestly say that it made me feel better about myself and allowed me to forget about the ones who got away.

Waiting for the repairman

One of the better jobs assigned to a hausfrau is waiting for the repairman. My new Kenmore refrigerator has been repaired so many times in the last 18 months that Sears decided to give us a free replacement. So I am actually waiting for the delivery man, not the repairman. Whatever happened to that lonely Maytag repairman? Unfortunately, most major appliances do not last as long as our parents' initial purchases did. I have heard stories about refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines purchased in the sixties and seventies, not meeting their demise until recently. Ah the good old days! Now companies mass produce inferior products which will either break or become obsolete in 3-5 years. And during those 3-5 years, we often find ourselves waiting for the repairman!

Creamy Corn Pudding with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This recipe has become a summer favorite. I have served it at many summer celebrations and it is always a crowd-pleaser. Enjoy!

2 c. fresh corn kernels
2 scallions, minced
1/2 c/ diced red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 T. yellow cornmeal
2 T. sugar
1 T. chopped fresh basil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. heavy cream
5 large eggs, beaten
1 c (4 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Butter a 2-Qt. souffle dish.

Combine the corn, scallions. red bell pepper, jalapeno, cornmeal, sugar, salt, pepper, and basil in a large bowl to mix.

Whisk the cream and eggs together in a separate bowl; stir in the cheese. Mix the egg mixture with the corn mixture, stirring to combine. Pour into the prepared souffle dish and bake 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees, or until light golden brown. The pudding will be very moist and soft in the center.

Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

2 roasted red bell peppers, peeled, cored and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled
6 fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. EVOO
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mince the garlic in the food processor. Add the roasted red pepper and basil and puree until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil down the feed tube, until the oil is incorporated. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and process until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

über moms

Yesterday, Michelle Duggar, mother of 18 children, announced that she is expecting number nineteen. Whenever Mrs. Duggar is interviewed, she seems to be calm and even-tempered. She is either certifiably crazy or a true über mom. As for me, I am simply a mother who is trying to survive living with multiples. I take my hat off to mothers of higher order multiples or any mothers who have multiple children. I deluded myself into believing that motherhood would be easy. Naturally, my friends with children laughed at my delusions. Motherhood is like the Army- it is the toughest job that you will ever love. Although I have not entered the ranks of über mom, I am delighted in being called "Mommy" by three precious little girls.

The Passing of the Prince of Pops, Erich Kunzel

Maestro Erich Kunzel, the Cincinnati Pops conductor, lost his battle with cancer this morning. As a Pops subscriber, I have enjoyed attending Pops concerts for over twenty years. Maestro Kunzel with his vast musical knowledge and his contagious enthusiasm has been a big reason that I have enjoyed attending these concerts so much. His presence will be truly missed. We mourn his passing, but celebrate his accomplishments in the music world and all he did to put the Cincinnati Pops on the map and the world stage. Here's to you Maestro Kunzel- we give a final rouse, drink a final round, and sing once again in your memory:
"They have the still North in their soul,
The hill-winds in their breath,
And the granite of New Hampshire
Is made part of them till death."
(Dartmouth College Alma Mater)