October 2010

October oh, October!

You were cold. You were rainy. You were everything a poor midwestern girl could hope for in California.  You even produced some red and orange leaves in a few trees along my drive.  I have loved you.

October was full of cooking successes and failures.

I experimented with the "Weeknights" book and was able to cook a couple times for friends.  I think I'm going to like the book. I just have to tackle the veal pages that I am not really looking forward to.

I had a major downer in the form of an apple cake.  How can apple cake be depressing? When it turns out to look like baby poop.  I was so sad by my cake I almost made another one.  But then I realized that was incredibly vain and wasteful.  So I served my ugly apple cake to my friends who were gracious eaters.

I also tackled a couple recipes out of a Cooking Light magazine I picked up at the grocery store.  Totally love this magazine.  I made a roasted chicken with pinot noir sauce, buttered green beans and mushrooms and rosemary roasted potatoes. Yum.

I also made a cooking light's recipe for banana bread for my fellow jury duty jurors. Yes, you read that right. I am that nerdy!

Mikey and I were able to take a Jamie Oliver's cooking class in Redondo Beach and that was probably one of the highlights of my month.

We went to this class as a wedding gift from my awesome siblings and we cooked four different dishes.

Jamie Oliver's big "revolution" is about "saving America's health" through education (about what is in our food) and making small changes that can really add up!

Along with the Jamie Oliver recipes we also learned cool tips like cutting an onion so you won't cry, cutting an avocado and avoiding the mess (good for people who like to make sushi) and how to hold a knife properly.

I loved the class. I had so much fun!!

I had a craft day with some friends where we worked on projects we had going including scrapbooking, felt flowers and satin flowers.  I may post a tutorial to some of the things we may but if you are too antsy to wait, go to jonesdesigncompany.com and there you have the source of all my crafty ideas recently. :)

I finished the fabulous book

The Nine Tailors by Ms. Dorothy L. Sayers and was again impressed with Lord Peter Wimsey's wit and intellect that eventually solved the crime.

I'm a bit Sayers obsessed recently, aren't I?

I might have to take a break.

I'm in the midst of reading another book which I will tell you all about when I finish.

What else can I tell you, my precious friends?

I think that is about it for crafts, reading and books.

Enjoy your November!