Oh woe is me.....the laundry

Ugh....anyone who knows me, knows how much I detest doing laundry. I can stomach most domestic chores, but there is something about doing the laundry, that makes me want to hurl.

The thing with hating to wash the fam's clothes, is the pesky little problem, of not having anything clean to wear. I mean, the hubs shouting "Do I have any clean chonis (pronounced cho-nees, for the uni-lingual), at six in the morning, as he is scurrying to get ready for work, is not even enough for me to get my act together, and just wash the dang things already.

I don't know what it is. Since it's January and all, new year, blah, blah, blah, I figured I should at least devote a few minutes to pondering why, I almost need a death threat, to get the laundry done.

1. I like clean clothes.
2. Doing laundry equals clean clothes.
3. I do not like folding clean clothes....or dirty ones for that matter.
4. I do not like putting aforementioned clothes away.

The last two points equal this:

I have no shame! Sabrina's pink Christmas tree is also a casualty of my lack of motivation. See it's branches peeking out...Aye, ya, yay! What's a girl to do?
What I really need is a laundress, one that comes once a week, washes, dries, folds and puts away all our dirty clothes, all while I lounge on the couch eating bon bons and watching HGTV.

That would be the bomb, but since there is no chance of that happening anytime soon, I am resigned to doing this lousy task myself. So, I will resolve to do the laundry, at least every three days, so I don't end up with laundry baskets full of grotey clothes, I am loathing to wash, and wanting to cry my eyes out.

For now, I will channel the domestic-laundry-loving-goddess that is buried deep within me...so deep that only a crowbar, and the hub's bribe of a dinner date, if I promise to wash his chonis, will unearth.

Addiction is a good thing....sort of

I am an avid blog reader. There is a long list of blogs I read faithfully...nothing like a hot cup of coffee, and my computer, to start the day off right. I was browsing this morning, and one of my faves Fabrichound, is celebrating it's one year b-day. Myrinda is giving away free stuff, and there is almost nothing I like more than freebies!

Because I am such a fabric ho, and want as a big a chance as I can get, to win something cool, I am going to post some pics of my sewing "studio." What's with the quotes around studio, you ask? Well, my house is pretty small, and because of this sad fact, no square inch of space remains unused. I have learned to be creative in lots of ways, hence my multi-purpose "studio." It is actually a small nook, in my dining area. My hubs installed the cabinets, and my sewing table, is one of those cool ones that offers a ton of space while sewing, but is quite compact, when not in use, which is really handy.

Here is the view from the adjacent kitchen:

Despite my efforts to remain neat, tidy and organized, my area is a mess. I try, really I do, to keep things under control, but I am just not capable of this, and don't fight it anymore.

Here are a couple more angles:



My fabric, is actually in another cabinet in the living room...again creative storage. Here is the fabric cabinet closed...

Here is is open:

I am lucky that my peeps, have learned to live with ( and ignore) all the stray threads, scissors, and the occasional pin (aye, sorry!) strewn about, and that they just step over all the works in progress that find themselves in various spots throughout our pad. Because of course, my sewing projects, cannot be confined to only the studio space.

One of my favorite things though, are these three. They have taken up residence in one of my shelves. Cuteness.

Hopefully one day, before I turn old and gray, and can no longer sew, I will have an actual room to work in, but until then, welcome to my sewing happy place.

Lemon Pound Cake and The Little Chef

I may be a "just-getting-by" cook, but I love to bake, and let's just say, no one who's been a recipient of my baking, has gotten food poisoning yet. I guess it's wanting and thoroughly enjoying the baking process, that produces pretty tasty treats. I'm not tooting my own horn, by any means, but I'm not half bad as a baker.

Over the holidays I bought the Handmade Holiday Christmas magazine that Martha Stewart puts out, and had high hopes of making several of the mouth watering items, shown in Martha's cool mag. Of course, I didn't get around to it, until today.

One recipe in particular, made me start salivating almost immediately, as I love lemon and lemony recipes. This one is called Glazed Mini Lemon Pound Cakes, but since I didn't have any heavy cream in the house (fresh out...hahaha), I opted not to make the glaze. They are really quite good without the glaze, and you'll save yourself a few hundred calories....not that I'm counting.

A food photographer, I'm not. Actually I'm not good at photography in general, and don't have a burning desire to learn, so these pics will just have to suffice.





As a side note, how much do you love that birdie dish towel? My wonderfully sweet Tia Sylvia made it, and gave it to me for Christmas, along with two other equally fabulous towels. I almost can't bring myself to use them for something so mundane as drying the dishes....but I'll manage. I love the dish towels that Anthropologie sells too, and these remind me of those, only better, since they were hand made by my favorite aunt.



As I was photographing the pound cakes, I had to stop, and admire my Little Chef, also a gift...from my lovely Grandma Clemen. He is actually part of a set of several little chefs, and my Abuelita has had them displayed in her kitchen since I was a little girl . The chefs and I have had a mutually exclusive love affair since then, and a few years ago, she gave them to me. They are "well-loved" and I count them among my most prized possessions.

Talk about going off on a tangent... If you are still reading, and want to try making the glazed (or not) mini pound cakes, which I highly recommend, the recipe (taken from Martha Stewart's 2008 Holiday magazine) follows below:

Glazed Mini Lemon Pound Cakes
Makes 9

For The Cakes:
Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus three more for brushing
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tables spoons poppy seeds, plus more for garnish

For The Glaze:
1 cup plus three tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 table spoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat over to 325 degrees. Coat nine 2 1/4 by 4 inch mini loaf pans with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, salt, lemon zest and juice; beat until combined.
Add eggs one a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour and poppy seeds, and beat on low speed just until combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans, dividing evenly, and filling almost to the top. Transfer pans to a large baking sheet.

3. Bake until a cake tester (aka toothpick) inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.. Immediately brush tops of cakes with lemon juice. Let cool thirty minutes in pans, then unmold and remove to a wire rack. Cool completely, top sides up.

4. Make the glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar, cream and lemon juice until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into another bowl. Drizzle cakes with icing (about two tablespoons per cake) and garnish with poppy seeds. Cakes can be stored in airtight container, at room temperature for up to three days.

Another side note: I did not have the small mini loaf pans that the recipe called for. Mine were a little bigger, still mini though. It took another thirty minutes or so, for the cakes to be done. You can probably even use the standard size loaf pans (not sure of the dimensions, off hand), just keep your eye on the oven, so they don't burn.

Happy Thursday and Happy Baking!

Is it 2009 already?

Good Morning!
Wow, it's January...and it's cold, at least for SoCal, and well for me. I know, what a whiner, but I've lived here all my life, and it's usually pretty mild in the weather department during the winters. It's still lovely though.

I've decided I like January. I never have. I am one of those crazy Christmas people, who starts playing Christmas carols in October, and breaks out holiday decorations, as soon as November hits. So, I usually have major Christmas withdrawl once all the holiday hoopla is over. This year, however, the season really snuck up on me. The carols, the decorating, and well, the entire thing. When January first rolled around, I actually found myself looking forward to a new year, and gasp, my decorations are even put away! I may be hanging up the crazy Christmas lady apron, at least for a while.

It's crazy how retailers switch from one holiday to the next without waiting for the current holiday to end. I was shopping on Christmas Eve (another first for me) at Target, and to my dismay, and sort of delight, they had already started to display a few Valentines Day things. I was slightly put off, until I got a good look at the cuteness they came up with this year for V-day. I am partial to owls, and it seems I am not the only one. I picked up this cute little guy, along with some totally adorable place mats, and some hand towels for my bathroom.



I hesitated at first, since Christmas hadn't even happened yet, but then I came to my senses, and snatched these guys up. Yesterday, I happened to be at Target (again, yes I love that place), and what do you know, no cute owl stuff to be found....huh? It was January 6....! I hope they get some more, I am kicking myself for not getting more place mats.

I have not been sewing lately, not for lack of desire, but mostly for lack of time. I am inspired and ready to get back to it though, and will be making more home decor stuff, as I have really missed the aprons, dishtowels and such. Funny, since I am a lousy cook, and hate washing the dishes....hahaha! I will post pics of my new things, once I have some new things to share.

Happy Wednesday!

Catch Up

Okay, it's been like four months since I've posted anything....I know, I know....bad blogger....slap on the hand....sigh.....I had been on a roll, posting pretty regularly, so I am on a new mission to reform, and cure myself of "Bad Blogger Syndrome."

These last few months have been pretty busy, with summer activities, and then school starting again, it has proved harder than I expected to get back into a "normal" routine. I think I'm almost there, though. Sabrina started fourth grade this year, which she really likes....so far. I'm hoping she will keep that enthusiasm up, as the months go on. Chloe has also started communication therapy, and is doing great! She is getting to be a whiz at the computer. I'm pretty amazed at what she can do, given her limitations, pretty cool.

To my dismay however, both of my lovely girls are obsessed with Webkinz. In case you are not in the know, as to what Webkinz are, they are virtual pets. There is this whole Webkinz phenomenon, that apparently, I need to get in on, but so far, I have preferred to participate on the DL, helping Chloe manuever through Webkinz World when she needs help. I complain quite heartily about the annoying-ness of all things Webkinz, but secretly, I fear I am becoming a tad obsessed with the little devils myself....shhh...don't tell the kidlets!

Wicked

In my youth and singlehood I was quite a planner. I have tons of pictures documenting the places I would drag Oscar to on a regular basis. After we got married and had kids, I was not as...how should I say....industrious, in my planning. Translation equals outings became few and far between. This year, for whatever reason, I have gotten back into planning mode, and we even took a small mini vacay to Arizona a couple of months ago.

I have been clamoring to go see a play of some sort. We live in SoCal, close to LA and lots of other neat-o places, so there is really no excuse. I have been particularly itching to see Wicked, as it's playing at the Pantages Theatre, and I'm not sure how long it will be in town.

I just had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, and my sweet cousin Araceli, gifted me with two tickets to Wicked. I have been beside myself, anticipating this outing. This past Sunday, Oscar and I headed to the Pantages, and witnessed the most spectacular show, I cannot even begin to describe it! We had fantastic seats, front and center, and it was absolutely FAB-U-LOUS!

I know it's been around for awhile, but I thought the story was so clever, the acting believable, and the songs, so beautiful! Ack! Go see it...hurry...before it leaves town forever!!

Thank You Araceli for the AWESOME birthday gift!!

Kawaii Guy and The Moco

Okay, ordinarily "mocos" (boogers in Spanish), are not anywhere near my favorite topic of conversation.....BUT, I recently acquired a new roomie for Kawaii Guy, and I have to say, I have not laughed so hard in a loooong time. God bless the Mucinex people, especially the marketing genius who, when asked to come up with a freebie to promote their product, brilliantly said "Hmmm, how about a small stuffed mucus?" Hey, sounds good to me, LOL! I do not blame my niece Brooke for kicking the Moco to the curb, as most small children do not associate Mocos with being cute and cuddly.

When Monica originally shared the Moco story with me, I thought she was pulling my leg. We were having breakfast at Marie Callendar's, as she casually began to recount the Moco saga. I had just put a delicious bite of chilaquile in my mouth, when she got to the "gist" of the story. Luckily I had just swallowed my food, because I laughed hysterically for what seemed like ages...maybe a couple of minutes. I could not imagine what a stuffed Moco looked like, and begged her to give him to me.

Mother's Day weekend we all got together to celebrate at my MIL's house. I had mostly forgotten about the Moco by that time. After dinner, Monica presented me with my birthday present (it usually falls near Mother's Day) or maybe it was a Mother's Day present, who knows , but I opened the bag, pulled out the lovely gifts, and graciously thanked Monica. She furrowed her brow, and said "Is that all that was in there?" I reached into the bag one more time, and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in tissue. How could I have missed that? I held my breath, slowly unwrapped the tissue....and found none other than the Moco.

He is now happily ensconced in his new home, my fabric cubby, with his new friend Kawaii Guy.