Vinnie Loves Scarlett

     For the first time ever it was difficult to come up with an idea for gifts for grandson's birthday. At nineteen Vinnie is no longer a boy (although he has always been mature in many ways for his age) and the oft-given suggestion was just to give money, I dislike just handing over only cash for a present. However, when he expressed his extreme admiration for movie star, Scarlett Johansonn, an idea was hatched. I found a lovely photo of her on the internet and made a copy on my printer. Then I visited the hobby store and talked with a helpful sales clerk, who recommended a product to transfer the picture to fabric. The end result was not perfect and I was less than pleased, but Vinnie liked it and that night the lucky guy got to sleep with pretty Scarlett.

Cake Pops

     

     

     Cake pops seem to be quite popular, judging from the proliferation of Pinterest pins and Facebook posts with tutorials. Just because of the ingredient composition, I was skeptical of the whole idea. Bake a cake, crumble it and then smush it with frosting to make a ball? Why not just mix basic ingredients, similar to a non-baked cookie, and dip it in chocolate? Anyway, when grandson expressed an interest in cake pops, I volunteered to make some for his birthday. The multiple steps - baking a cake, cooling it, crumbling it, adding frosting (till a play dough consistency is reached) and rolling into a ball, cooling the balls, inserting sticks, melting chocolate in a double boiler, dipping the balls and then decorating with sprinkles - were tedious but not difficult. The results were pretty and held up well in their Styrofoam base on the one-hour  trip to Vinnie's home.

     Everybody enjoyed the pops, even the dog who got to eat the sprinkles that fell on the floor. (Vinnie fabricated a foil catch for his sprinkles!) But I stick by my original thoughts and feel my skepticism was warranted - I would rather eat a good moist cake with a silky buttercream frosting than a mushed combination of the same!

Peanut Butter Cookies

     In another decade, heck in another century, my mom made peanut butter cookies and crosshatched them with the tines of a fork. I'm not sure why she did, except perhaps that her Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book included the technique in their recipe.  I own the same cookbook, published at a much later date but containing mostly the same recipes. So when Pop asks for his favorite, the finishing touch is sure to be the same as Mom's.

     A little research hinted that Pillsbury popularized the use of a fork in the 1930's, perhaps to help the dense dough to bake evenly. Whatever the reason, the distinctive pattern is always a signal that a nutty treat is imminent!

Twas the Season for Star Wars Mania

     The seventh film of the Star Wars series was released last month and was probably more cause for celebration in our family than Christmas. In 1977, husband and son saw the first movie and began a long love affair with all things Lucas. The Force was with us through the years as they anticipated and then attended the premier of each film. Son also collected action figures and accessories. Husband was heartbroken that circumstances prevented them from seeing Episode Seven together, but cheered somewhat when nephew enthusiastically agreed to accompany him.

     The action figures survived in a case in our basement for more than thirty years - they were not brought out as playthings for the grandchildren as were the preserved Matchbox cars, Lincoln Logs and Legos (except the plastic Tauntaun - for some reason he ended life as a  pool toy!) Resale value was trifling so to coincide with the awakening Force, I wanted to gift the toys back to son, the original owner. I bought a shadow box  with a fabric-covered foam core backing. After failed attempts to attach the figures with elastic, small rubber bands and jewelry wire, I finally achieved success with orthodontic ligature wire and staples. Son was thrilled on Christmas Day.

 Another Christmas gift that followed the Star Wars theme was also a hit - son and grandson wasted no time donning their Jedi and Sith fleece bathrobes!

Back Door Window Curtain

     The kitchen door was not just outdated - it was worn, discolored and less than energy efficient. The inset window was unattractive, to say the least - the exterior jalousies were operated by a crank, which was long gone, the interior was a sort of ridiculous storm window that had been altered for privacy with a DIY leaded pattern filled in with an etch-effect paint, and in-between was a lovely collection of dust and cobwebs. Suffice it to say, we were thrilled with the new steel door and its nine-paned window, even with the tags still attached.
     However, the privacy issue loomed again and I searched for suitable ideas, considering different styles of curtains and shades. After settling on a lace panel with top and bottom rod pockets, I visited the hardware store and was pleasantly surprised to find a product that I did not know even existed - magnetic rods! No need to put screw holes in the new door! It took very little time to measure and hem the lace (which I  found in my fabric stash) and hang up the new curtain. I love the new clean look and since the grandchildren are (mostly) grown and the dog is (mostly) well-behaved, the rods stay pretty much in place.
 

Miss Molly, the Watcher

     A small thunderstorm passed quickly through the area in the middle of the night. It was unremarkable except for the fact that it did wake me up, and because the wind gusts rearranged some of my outdoor Christmas decorations. As I hunted for and then reattached the wreath bow, then righted the small spiral trees (they have a thin, open build that is supposed to allow winds to blow right through!), I realized I was being observed. Miss Molly's expression seemed almost wistful, though I am not sure if she wanted to join me outside, or was waiting for me to come back inside. Sometimes she can be so sweet!

"Cinnabon" Pancakes

       For breakfast on Saturday morning, Pop loves a stack of pancakes drowning in syrup; I am not a huge fan, preferring french toast with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar if I'm going to carb overload. These pancakes, however, were fun to make and very tasty. It took just a little extra effort to swirl the cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter filling on to the half-cooked pancakes (of course, my spiral execution improved with each one - the first was not exactly pretty!) The cream cheese glaze was just the right complement to achieve the character of a "Cinnabon".